Sadly, summer is almost over. Sigh. But look on the bright side: Now you get to do back-to-school shopping!

One thing that you want to be sure of when you're shopping is that no animals were involved in the making of your new clothes. Every year, billions of animals—including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, alligators, snakes, raccoons, minks, foxes, chinchillas, rabbits, beavers, hamsters (yes, hamsters!), and in some Asian countries, even dogs and cats—are killed for their skin or fur. Animals raised on factory farms and fur farms are forced to live in crowded, dirty conditions and suffer painful deaths just so that they can be made into clothing and accessories.

It's easy to find cruelty-free clothes, shoes, accessories—and even sporting equipment! There are limitless choices, so when you're shopping, just be sure to look for labels that say, "synthetic," "cotton," "polyester," "fleece," "pleather," or "all man-made materials." Check out stores like Forever 21, Wet Seal, Target, Wal-Mart, Hot Topic, Old Navy, Kmart, Gap, Urban Outfitters, and Payless ShoeSource. And if you're shopping online, be sure to visit Alloy.com and Delia's for all the latest ultra cool, animal-free fashions.

If all this talk about shopping is making you hungry, try this tasty and simple snack:

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwich

2 dairy- and egg-free waffles (Vans waffles are a good bet!)
Vegan chocolate chips (try Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Peanut butter, to taste
Maple syrup, to taste

• Toast the waffles lightly so that they're not burned. Put them on a plate and spread chocolate chips on the waffles. Put the waffles in the microwave for about 3 seconds.
• Allow the chocolate chips to cool. Then smear peanut butter on both waffles. Smash the waffles together and top them off with a few squeezes of maple syrup.
• Now enjoy your tasty treat!