Here's a gentle reminder to shop Made in the USA this holiday season and every day

It’s not easy being me. It’s really not easy being next to me if you’re shopping for padded envelopes at Staples, as I was the other day.

I texted a photo of two size options to my wife, who was in the process of mailing a children’s book. Moments after hitting send, however, I realized that the envelopes were made in China.

“Can’t do it,” I wrote.

On the bottom shelf, thank goodness, there were envelopes made in the USA.

A woman approached me in the aisle. I lamented to her that the ones she was looking at were made in China. She opted for the U.S.-made option.

“Thank you for reminding me,” she said.

Consumers have the power

So many products are imported (97 percent of clothing, for instance) we’ve become too accepting of that fact. We all need reminding at times to seek out American-made products.

It’s good for American jobs, for American communities, and for the environment as the shorter distance products have to travel from manufacturer to consumer, the less of a carbon footprint they make.

I try not to nag people about Made in the USA. We talk it up on a regular basis with customers, as it’s our primary reason to be, but we don’t want to come across as sanctimonious or to lay a guilt trip on anyone.

We hope that consumers dig our brand for the attractiveness, quality and value of our products, and for the excellence of our customer service. But we see our mission as bigger than that, specifically to encourage, or remind, consumers to use the power of their purses to ask for and even expect American-made options.

This year, we created a Made in USA Shopping Directory on our website. It lists more than 100 manufacturers or retailers across the United States that offer domestic products.

We know that families are busy, never more so than during the holiday season. We hope that our directory makes it a little easier for shoppers to find American-made products.

Being a purposeful shopper is another great way to bring meaning to the holiday season.

Need I remind you?