All Posts Tagged With: "fairtrade"

Sue writes…

I have lots of female friends and relatives to buy gifts for this Christmas and have been looking for some unusual pieces of jewellery for them. Cebra Online have a fantastic selection, all of which are fair-trade and absolutely gorgeous.

My favourite gift set is this stunning Mandala Necklace and Earrings Set from Brazil. The set costs £15 and consists of a pair of earrings and dangling pendant made from antique gold-plated enamel, with crystal and glass beads.

I was also looking for a more subtle necklace and found this beautiful Fairtrade Porcupine Quill necklace, perfect for my mum. The necklace is made from porcupine quills and hematites. The porcupine ’shoots’ out its quills when under attack from predators, and these quills are collected from the wild and made into this beautiful jewellery by the Kokskraal Handcrafts, a job creation project for Xhosa women. The necklace costs £20 and a matching bracelet and pair of earrings are also available.

Erica writes…

I have a bit of a thing about boxes: It’s always a temptation to buy nice boxes and it’s easy to justify a purchase as they’re so practical too.

This mango wood box as a lovely cut-out heart feature on the top and comes in either burnt white or pale green. You could use them anywhere around the home, but I think I would either use in the bedroom or the bathroom. I really like using boxes in these rooms as they hide away clutter and makes a room seem more calming. The colour options also seem to lend themselves to these rooms. As they are made from sustainably produced wood and are fairtrade too, you can buy with a clear conscience. Available from Biome Lifestyle for £10.

These CD boxes are also a favourite. They are available in cherry, black, brown and turquoise so should suit most rooms. They hold 10 CDs so they are probably not a choice for your main CD collection, but would be useful if you keep CDs around the house - I have a selection that I play regularly in the kitchen for instance, and another small collection in the bedroom. They’d also be good for travelling. Again they are produced in a fairtrade manner and are made from waste materials from the clothing industry. Available from Biome Lifestyle for £11.50.

Kat writes…

Green Eyed Monster create gorgeous kids clothing with an ethical conscience. They use fabrics, dyes and production methods which are kind to the environment and to your child’s skin. Their range is also super cool and designed for fun.

The Digital Love Jumper is getting some serious Kat love. I saw this at Bubble and immediately had it pegged as a Grandma present! It is made from a beautifully soft fairtrade Alpaca wool blend. The heart patch motif is hand embroidered with funky digital designs. It has mittens attached to the sleeves which are held back by a small button when not in use and a hood to keep little heads warm on windy days. From 1 - 2 through to 7 - 8 years from £36.

Check out the full range at Green Eyed Monster.

Brenda writes…

You do not have to be sporty or into yoga to appreciate this gorgeous sportswear from Gossypium, but it may just entice you to go to that exercise class you have talked about, but never got  round to going to.

Sports Tunic

This gorgeous sports tunic is flattering yet practical.  Comes in two colours, black or sweet grape, in sizes 10-16.  Made from organic and fair trade cotton with a touch of lycra to give it plenty of stretch.  Price is £24.

Cropped Foldover Trousers

Again made from a mix of organic and fairtrade cotton and lycra, these trousers are kept in place by the unique waistband, which saves the elastic.  You have  a choice of two colours, eco white or black, coming in sizes 10-18.  Price is £32.

Kat writes…

In keeping with the organic theme in honour of Organic Fortnight my latest offering is the best yet. My Aunt and her school chum have been whipping up gorgeous creams in their kitchens. Using organic Shea Butter from fairtrade co-operative in Ghana and spring water from Brigstock they have created the best creams I have ever tried. Now, she may be family but I wouldn’t lie to you - best ever!

They have a wide range of moisturising yumminess. Eye cream, night cream, day cream, tinted moisturiser, anti-wrinkle, intensive hand cream, beautiful baby, foot cream and active man shaving cream. To name but a few. All are luxurious and feel fabulous on your skin. My husband loves the Active Man Hand Cream which has cured his dry hands and a friend of mine has seen exceptional results on her baby’s eczema from the Beautiful Baby Moisturiser. The secret is the Shea Butter, which they keep as pure as possible so it is packed full of skin loving vitamins.

Prices start at £4.50 and you can view the whole range at Shea Alchemy.

Brenda writes…

Todays featured retailer is Green Tulip.  This company was set up by Charity Nichols, who having been a buyer for John Lewis decided to move out to the country when her eldest was starting school.  Charity decided to set up Green Tulip so as to “bring together my love of retail with my ethical beliefs”. She has a shop as well as the website, and the shop has been up and running for nearly 18 months and the website just over a year.

Green Tulip sell stylish and contemporary ethical gifts.  Everything that is sold through Green Tulip has a strong ethical heritage.  Green Tulip have a gift finder on the site which is a popular feature - helping customers find the best gifts for loved ones.

Charity says her favourite green luxury item would be her own delicious milk chocolate chunky buttons…I am drooling at the thought! A woman after my own heart! To relax, she admits to watching a lot of reality tv and reading Heat magazine, she says “it’s a great way of switching off completely at the end of the day!”

Charity has chosen her Top 5 green products from Green Tulip:

Laidbare Hand Cream

A luxurious all natural hand cream which smells gorgeous and soaks in quickly.  Made in the UK.  Mini size 100ml £6.50.  Large tub 220ml £14.

Bambu Lacquer Bowls

Colourful coiled bowls made from the miracle plant bambu.  Very strokable!  Available in 10+ colours and 4 sizes.  Food safe.  From £12.50.

Pullalong Horses

Beautiful wooden horses which go up and down as they go along.  Made from FSC certified wood.  Price is £15.

Friendship Fairy

A lovely little fair-trade hanging fairy - perfect for little girls of any age.  Price is £5.

Charm Bracelets

Chunky charm bracelets in a great range of colours made by a BAFTS registered supplier in troubled Zimbabwe.  Price £18.

Green Tulip are kindly offering TGF readers a 10% discount for this week only.  This offer will expire at the end of Sunday 14th September 2008.  Simply enter the code OMGRM2133 at checkout.

Brenda writes…

This weeks featured retailer is Windmill-Direct who aim is to create a treasure trove of beautiful gifts, clothes, toys and luxury bedding for you and your family.  They aim to dispatch your order within 24 hours of receiving it, perfect for people like myself who have a habit of leaving things to the last minute..

The lady in charge of this glorious haven is Maureen, who after the birth of her daughter Rebecca felt empowered by the whole experience decided to pursue her dream of opening up an online shop.  Having been in business now for just over a year it is a thriving one that is growing rapidly, but she is loving every minute of it even if as she says “running a shop, being a mother and a wife is a bit like spinning plates”.

The products are tested by Maureen, her dear husband Kevin and a team of Yummy Mummies and are lovingly chosen “with the hope that they will bring you a sense of joy and become part of a nostalgic moment in time”.

Maureen says “the things she likes most include (apart from family and friends) are Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile Perfume, Green & Black´s white chocolate and Nigel Slaters Cookbooks.”

Maureens Top 3 featured products for TGF readers are:

Fair Trade

1. Anne-Claire Petit – Dog £16.99

From the Anne-Claire Petit Lux range the new Dog is a perfect gift for a new baby with its stimulating colouring, texture and shapes.
Cute and adorable all you need to do is name him and give him a loving home xxx.

Organic

2. Angelique Massage Balm £18.00

The Angelique Massage Balm is a botanical balm rich in rarely used olive oil jelly and shea butter. It is ideal for infant massage and excellent for very dry skin, cradle cap and eczema. Perfect in the prevention of stretch marks whilst pregnant. Fragranced naturally and mildly with our unique blend of 100% aromatic essential oils.

Fair Trade

3. Rice Pink Magnetic Board with 2 Fish £29.99

Never miss a message again with this adorable pink magnetic notice board and fish magnets by RICE. Made with love this cat has two green jewel eyes and is covered in pink polka dot fabric with white and blue floral bow and matching fish magnets. Dimensions are 51×29cm.

Exclusive offer from Windmill-Direct to all The Green Familia readers, they are offering you  a cool 10% off all orders until the 30th September 2008.  Use the discount code VIP when requested.

Kat writes…

It is the end of my week of Green Foodie Thoughts and I thought it was only appropriate to make it the best food of all: chocolate! I am rather partial to a bit of chocolate and by making it organic I know that not only am I eating something better for me but that the people growing it aren’t working with harmful chemicals. If you add into the equation the fact that all of these chocolates are Fairtrade then you can enjoy your chocolate guilt free. Except for the calories!

Traidcraft fight poverty through trade. A Christian based organisation they have been with people of all faiths since 1979. This chocolate has a velvety mocha filling which will have you melting into your coffee break. You can buy a case of 7 (bulk buying is good!) for £11.90 from Traidcraft.

Biofair provides you with top quality goods whilst supporting third world communities in building strong economic partnerships. They also protect the health of farmers and the local environment. This Dark Chocolate Crisp sounds delicious you can have a bar for £1.79 from Ethical Superstore.

Amnesty Internationalhave been campaigning for human rights since 1961. Their chocolate provides a fair wage and working conditions to the Bolivian and Filipino workers involved in its production. Brought together in Switzerland to make a deliciously smooth chocolate. £2 from Ethical Superstore.

Brenda writes…

Doing up your bedroom? Or maybe just fancy treating yourself to a new luxurious bedspread to finish off your sanctuary?

Then have a look at this Fair Trade Patchwork Bedspread, with its vibrant colours and patterns, you can tell that an awful lot of effort has gone into this. Made from recycled Sari bits and adorned with sequins and hand stitched starbursts, it is made in India.

It is out of stock til 30th September, but order now so you don´t miss out.

Available from Natural Collection for £125.

Brenda writes…

Here are some of the best eco-friendly mens t-shirts on the market at the moment.

Made from high quality 100% organic cotton, this mens t-shirt mixes ethical sourcing with a great design. It’s bold, original, and sweatshop-free. Made by Tonic T-shirts in the UK in sizes small, medium, or large. Available from Nigels eco store for £19.99 + £3.99 delivery.

Viva La Fair Trade Revolution

Stag Beetle T-shirt