Mindful Momma

Fair Trade Gift Ideas + $165 Worth of Giveaways!!

As you rack your brain trying to come up with the 'perfect' gift for Grandma or that little something for your favorite babysitter, it's important to remember that there is more to gift giving than the gift itself. There are people behind the gift.  People who work in the fields, operate machines, package it up and send it on its merry way.

So when you make a purchase, you're really making 2 decisions.  One for the gift itself and the other for the manner in which it was made.  When you buy Fair Trade you can be assured that the people who made the product were treated fairly and the process was an equitable one.  Some of the benefits for buying Fair Trade include:

• Fair wages for workers
• Safe and healthy working conditions
• Equitable partnerships between producers and marketers
• Long-term working relationships
• Environmentally sustainable practices followed 

To create a little excitement about buying Fair Trade, I contacted some of my favorite Fair Trade vendors about doing a giveaway.  And WOW did they ever come through with some wonderful prizes!!  Read on to learn out about these terrific companies and some of the really great Fair Trade products they have to offer.

Wedge Worldwide- This online marketplace for earth-friendly and Fair Trade goods is offering a $50 gift certificate so you can pick out whatever Fair Trade items you want!  Choose from earrings like these from Robin Rife, durable market bags made from recycled rice and feed bags, or an adorable Fair Trade poncho for the kids.  Buying Fair Trade is a win-win for everyone involved!

Fair Indigo - Look Good. Feel Good. Do Good.  That is the motto of Fair Indigo, a clothing and accessories company that specializes in Fair Trade partnerships.  They do a great job with basics like t-shirts and pants but be sure to check out their cute skirts, stunning jewelry and fun toys for kids too. Fair Indigo is giving away an adorable Fair Bear made in Peru from 100% dye-free organic cotton - a perfect gift for the little one in your life! 

Equal Exchange - If you love chocolate, but don't dig supporting the practice of forced child labor (quite common in the West African cocoa trade - where 70% of the world's cocoa comes from), then you'll be happy to discover Equal Exchange.  Their cocoa comes from small-scale, farmer co-ops in the Dominican Republic, Panama and Peru and is Fair Trade Certified.  As a frequent consumer of Equal Exchange chocolate bars I have to say...YUM!!!  You can try it for yourself if you are the winner of the Sweet & Spicy Chocolate Sampler...including a can of Organic Spicy Hot Chocolate, an Equal Exchange ceramic mug and 3 delicious chocolate bars.

Ten Thousand Villages - One of the world's largest Fair Trade organizations, Ten Thousand Villages works with disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries.  Products range from home decor to jewelry to baskets as well as lovely toys and gifts for children.  One lucky Mindful Momma reader will win this precious Twin Doll with a very special story to tell.  Two identical, handmade dolls  are produced by artisans working for the Batsiranai Craft Project in Zimbabwe.  One doll is sold by Ten Thousand Villages and the other, its 'twin' is given to a family affected by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.  Many of these children have never had a doll before - so giving a gift like this goes far beyond the gift itself!!

The Andean Collection- While working on her masters degree in Ecuador, Amanda, the owner of The Andean Collection, realized that she could help bring women out of poverty by starting a business that trained artisans and paid them fair and honest wages.  And so her jewelry business was born with a mission to produce socially conscious fashion!  All of the jewelry is made using natural, native South American materials including the tagua nut, the acai seed, coconut palm, the huayruro seed, jabon seeds and pambil seeds. All materials are harvested in a sustainable manner that does not involve cutting down trees.  Having won a tagua bracelet from Siel's Green LA Girl blog this summer, I can personally attest to how nice this jewelry really is!  And now I've got this gorgeous acai wrap bracelet up for grabs!!  Be sure to check out the rest of the collection of irresistible and very reasonably priced jewelry. 

OK then - are you ready to win?  Poke around these wonderful websites for awhile and let me know a few of your favorite things.  There will be 5 separate winners - one from each company.  The contest will run through midnight, central time on Monday, December 14th. (only one entry per person and you must have a US shipping address.)

Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #5: Wearing Green

Boy this week went fast - I can't believe it's the last day of the party!  Thanks so much for all the practically green tips you've shared.  I'm mighty impressed with what some of you have been up to!!

For the final day of the party, I thought we should talk clothes.  I'm not what you would call a clothes-horse but I do love using clothes to express my personal style. And if money were no object, I'd be buying sweaters from Edun, Loomstate jeans and fashion-forward tops from Loyale.  But I don't own any of that stuff.  Much of my clothing comes from consignment shops, with an occasional splurge on a pretty organic cotton dress from Birch Clothing like this one that I wore to my local book signing party:

 
Practically Green has a whole chapter on low impact clothing but it's not all about buying new. There are so many ways to green your wardrobe without spending a bundle.  If you didn't already catch it, check out my recent post about 5 Fun & Affordable Ways to Green Your Wardrobe. 

But let's admit, getting your hands on some hip, eco-fashion would be kinda fun, wouldn't it?  How 'bout a little something for the kids?  Baby Star, a design-savvy, eco-minded company based in Portland, is offering up a piece from their new organic denim collection to one Mindful Momma reader.  Choose from the boys jeans, the flared girls jeans or the adorable jean skirt. Makes me wish I had a little one again.

Last, but not least, I've got 2 copies of my book, Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making to give away!  From all the smart, practically green tips that have been coming in this week I think that some of you could have written your own books about green living.  But for anyone who does get their hands on a copy, I hope it inspires you to try something new!

For a chance to win please share a practically green tip about greening your wardrobe.  The contest is for one day only, ending at midnight, central time on Friday, November 20th.  (only one entry per person please and you must have a US shipping address.)

Thanks SO much for making my virtual book launch party so much fun!!

Miss Muffet was the lucky winner of organic denim from Baby Star!!  And Andrea & Kim each won a copy of Practically Green!

Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #4: Ditch the Disposables

Paper towels, wet wipes, disposable razors, plastic baggies, throw away cameras, even disposable toothbrushes....disposable products seem to have really hit their peak.  Sure disposables are convenient, but at what price?

Switching from disposables to reusables is an easy way to have a positive impact on the environment.  And it will probably save you money too.  My book, Practically Green, has a ton of ideas for ways to reuse instead of dispose.  One of them is switching to cloth napkins instead of paper.  It's easy to get into the habit of using paper when you have small kids....but I say, ditch the paper and use pretty, cloth napkins instead.  A few more items in the wash isn't going to kill you.  The book includes instructions for how to make your own cloth napkins, using fabric scraps or quilters quarters (also known as fat quarters) from the fabric store. 

But if sewing is not your thing, check out these gorgeous organic cotton napkins from Mika & Bu.  They are embroidered with adorable little designs and are perfect for home or lunchbox.  I've got 2 sets of 5 napkins to give away - one set of Twig and one set of Jet- to 2 lucky Mindful Momma readers!   The company is also offering a discount - buy one set of 5 napkins, get one set free!  Just use the code MINDFUL at checkout to receive the discount. (good thru 11/30/09)

Another impactful way to reduce waste is to stop using plastic baggies for snacks.  I know all too well how hard it can be to go anywhere without snacks in hand when you have little kids!  But it need not be a wasteful affair. Using a durable, reusable snack bag instead of plastic bags is just the ticket.  My book shows you how to make your own snack bag out of a napkin and a pretty ribbon but I've also got a snack bag giveaway for those of you who are not the crafty types.

Back when I did a review of Graze Organic, they sent me a very generous package of products to try out.  I'd like to share the wealth by giving away a couple of the items that I did not use....A snack bag labeled surprise? (guess you could put anything you want in it!) and an extra large sandwich bag that says "because every bag matters", as well as 2 cute organic cotton napkins.  You'll love 'em!!

Would you like to win?  Just leave a comment sharing a practically green tip or two about ways that you ditch the disposables in your life!  The contest will run for today only (ending at midnight, central time on Thursday, November 19th) and I will use a random number generator to pick the winners. (Note: only one entry per person and you must have a US shipping address!)

Catherine and Shanna are the lucky winners of the set/5 organic cotton napkins.  Lisa from Condo Blues won the goodies from Graze Organic!

Think Baby - For Babies And Beyond (P.S. It's a Giveaway!!)

When I was offered to review a feeding set from Think Baby I almost passed because, well, I don't have a baby anymore. Thing is though, this product is not just for babies.  It is an extremely useful set that can be used for kids of any age and is just as useful for food storage as it is for feeding, extending it's life far beyond babyhood.  I'm a big fan of products with multiple uses so I decided to accept a sample.

What do you get when you buy a Think Baby feeding set?  You get 2 bowls with lids, a bento box, a drinking cup and a fork and spoon.  But you really get much more than that.  The lidded bowls are great for storing food - and not just baby food.  I've got homemade almond butter in one of mine right now.  The bento box was the perfect size for a sandwich in my son's lunch box (until he lost it at camp - so sad.)  The cup is one of my 5 year old's favorites. The only thing we aren't still using are the utensils.  How could it be improved?  A sippy cup lid for the cup would mean the cup could be used on-the-go as well as at the table. 

The other thing you get when you use Think Baby is peace of mind. All of the products are free of yucky chems that you just don't want mingling with your child's food:  BPA, PVC, lead, phthalates and nitrosamines.  The products are also made without melamine, a material commonly used in children's feeding sets but that has been out of favor lately.  Instead the pieces are made with durable polypropylene (one of the safer plastics) and lined with food grade stainless steel.

How would you like to try one out for yourself?  Think Baby is giving away a feeding set to one Mindful Momma reader.  Just leave a comment on this post with the reason why you would like to try Think Baby.  The contest will run through midnight, central time on Tuesday, November 10th (only one entry per person and you must have a US shipping address.)

{Full Disclosure:  I received a feeding set from Think Baby at no cost.  This review is based on my own personal opinion of the product.}

The winner of a Think Baby feeding set is Alysia who said "I have a 10 month old and just figuring out how to travel with her food without mess, especially the home made stuff! I love the idea of the product: the design, the fun orange color, but mostly the relief of 'this is a safe place for my babys food' - especially with the newest consumer report about hidden BPAs! I would love to try it."

Mindful Momma Giveaway: Organic Cotton Fabric from Baby Bird Design

If I were doing a room for a new baby I would want to decorate in a way that was cute but still sophisticated.  I'm not an over-the-top cute kind of person - my tastes run clean and modern - but for a baby it has to be a little bit cute, don't you think?  That must be why I like the organic fabric designs from Baby Bird Design so much.  It's just the right blend of sweet, modern...and sustainable!

That's another reason why I'm digging Baby Bird Design - the fabric is printed on 100% organic cotton.  Plus it has been certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), a well-respected standard with strict requirements for an environmental and socially responsible manufacturing processes.  Better for baby and for the planet!

Emily from Baby Bird Design is super passionate about designing fabric.  She is a self-taught artist, which I think is so cool.  She decided to create organic fabric designs for kids because there wasn't much out there to choose from and she knew there would be interest. 

Would you like a chance to create something beautiful with this lovely fabric?  Visit Baby Bird Design on Etsy and let me know your favorite fabric design.  One lucky reader will win a yard of organic cotton fabric of their choice!!  The contest will run through midnight, central time on Thursday, November 5th (only one entry per person and you must have a U.S. shipping address.) Good luck!

Congrats to Ali who said "I love how retro the look of the fabric is. I do think the red birds is my favorite. What a great find on Etsy!"  She is the winner of the random drawing for a yard of fabric from Baby Bird Design!

Green Discoveries....for Kids

Sock Bats - It's not too late for you to make these spooky sock bats for Halloween.  And who doesn't have a few leftover black socks laying around, just waiting to be re-purposed? (discovered via Ohdeehoh)

Upcycled Sweater Skirt - Julie from Crafting a Green World posted this tutorial for making a child's skirt out of a recycled, adult-sized sweater.  Grab an old sweater straight from the thrift box (no need to felt it) and whip up a simple, elastic-waisted skirt quicker than it takes to go buy one at the store.

Eco-friendly Art Supplies - Clemantine Art not only makes non-toxic art supplies with a smaller environmental footprint than conventional art supplies, they make them in a beautiful way.  The packaging alone is enough to make me want to buy them.  Now I haven't actually had the opportunity to try these products yet, but I'm thinking the natural soy crayons, modeling dough, paint, markers and glue all look like good stocking stuffers to me!  (discovered via Crafting a Green World)

Green Discoveries

There are so many cool, creative green things popping up all the time.  It's hard to keep tabs on them all.  I'm going to try my hand at a weekly (or maybe that's too ambitious, how about bi-weekly?) feature of my green discoveries. 

This week's list is particularly crafty...

Green Craft Magazine - Whoa!  Now this is a cool magazine! Actually, it's much more than a magazine.  It's full of inspirational, eco-friendly project ideas that will get your creative juices flowing for sure.  And you certainly won't be throwing it away at the end of the month - it's a keeper! 

Maya*Made- Was I ever thrilled to discover this sweet blog by a talented crafter named Maya who has a penchant for eco and nature-inspired crafts.  Did you know that coffee grounds keep pins from rusting?  I sure didn't.  So Maya makes pin cushions from salvaged coffee bean sacks and fills them with her used coffee grounds.  I'm itching to make one! 

Reclaimed Threads- Check out this Etsy shop selling handmade trick-or-treat bags designed from salvaged pillow cases.  What young child wouldn't love carrying this around on Halloween?!! 

Sewing Green - Inspired Creations from Repurposed and Organic Materials

It just figures that Betz White's latest book Sewing Green would come out at a time when I have very little time to spend on sewing.  All my precious time has been spent getting ready for the launch of my own book, Practically Green and my sewing machine has been sadly neglected.  Still, I ordered her book the minute it was available on Amazon, and it has been sitting on my desk tempting me ever since.  Today I picked it up and gave it a good cover to cover look-see and my mind is now spinning with things that I just have to make!

The projects that intrigue me the most are the ones that use old bed linens as fabric.  Like the Easy, Breezy Skirt made from a pillowcase:

 

the Easy, Breezy Girls Sundress (also from a pillowcase):

 

and the Take It Easy Lounge Pantsmade from a bed-sheet.

There's so much more in this book - you really have to see it to believe it!  Each and every project is gorgeous and some of them are quite unique.  Like this Tyvek Tote, made from repurposed Tyvek envelopes.  Isn't it amazing?!!

As for me, I'll be heading to my local thrift store in search of cool bed linens and dusting off my sewing machine! 

photo credits:  John Gruen and Betz White 

Bento Box Love

Packing a lunch is so much more fun in a bento.  And these whimsical bento boxes by Japanese designer Shinzi Katoh really rank up there on the cute factor!  I found them via Cool Mom Picks and they are available on a sweet little site called My Sweet Muffin.  Choose the size that's right for you...

The single lunch box:

The double-deck lunch box:

 

or these cute little snack boxes:

 

Adopt-a-River Trash Sculpture

Each year for the Minnesota State Fair, the DNR commissions an artist to create a sculpture from trash picked up through their Adopt-a-River program.  All year long, volunteers collect trash found along the shorelines of Minnesota's rivers.  Between 1989 and 2007, over 5 million pounds of rubbish have been removed.  Sad but true.