If you need some great ideas, go to American Made Matters where you'll find more than 200 member companies - manufacturers and craftspeople - that offer a wide range of products for sale that are all made in America. Products range from pet products to luggage, to clothing, toys and outdoor products. As you scroll through the logo listing you can access their websites and get an idea of just how many products are "American Made."

I've heard people say they can't find anything made in the USA, but I know from my own experiences that if you really look you can find products made in the USA. If you can't find exactly what you want made in the USA, then look for something made in Mexico (many of our kitchen appliances both large and small, are made in Mexico, as are some televisions and other consumer electronics), and they're a NAFTA neighbor. Some of our goods come from Canada, also a good neighbor.

Also, many companies that supply these large corporations with manufacturing in Mexico or Canada are U.S. based suppliers. It's easy to supply companies when they are just across the border. I know mold manufacturers that build molds and ship them to Mexico to OEMs there. And let's not forget that Canadians and Mexicans consider themselves "Americans" because they are part of the North American Continent.

So this holiday buying season, let's check the tags and look for the American Made Matters logo. Let's try to keep in mind and American Made really does matter. Make your shopping trip count for American manufacturing!