Gift Guide: 10 Fair Trade Baby Shower Gifts

February 3, 2013 - Posted by Ashleigh Krawll to General

We’ve been hearing great news from good friends that they are expecting, and we have been busy shopping for those adorable and entirely necessary baby showers to show our friends how excited we are for them! I love babies. One of my favorite things to do is daydream about baby names, and scour Pinterest for the cutest nursery, or tips on necessities a new mom needs to pack in her hospital bag. Nowadays, mom’s are looking for eco-friendly and safe goodies for their little ones. And of course because I am a big supporter of fair trade, I always like to give my friends something that is not only adorable and useful, but supports fair trade principles as well.

Recently I spent some time looking for baby shower gifts for my sister-in-law, and found all sorts of fair trade baby gifts that I wanted to share with all of you!

What are your favorites? Have you found any fair trade baby gifts to add to the list?

Valentines Day Fair Trade Gift Ideas

January 29, 2013 - Posted by Casey Trogden to General

Valentines Day has a way of sneaking up on us. You’ve got Christmas and then New Year’s and then suddenly—it’s Valentines Day! Good excuse for when you forget the holiday, eh, gentlemen?

If that’s you this year and you’re still giftless, how about a little help from your 7 Hopes friends? {Ladies, feel free to show this post to your guy. Sometimes all they need is a little nudge in the right direction.}

Buying fair trade is a beautiful way to honor the holiday of love—love for your sweetheart and for our third-world artisans. Here are some of my top 7 Hopes picks:

1. 31BITS Rosette Necklace

You can’t go wrong with jewelry, and this bright pop of blue has me dreaming of Spring (doesn’t everything)? {Uganda}

2. Dreambean Market Basket

This beautiful gift basket is a perfect pampering experience for winter-dry skin. {Chicago}

3. Colorful Chroma Luggage Tags

These bright, colorful luggage tags make traveling just plain fun. {India}

4. Passion Flower Apron

If she’s planning on baking pink heart cookies for her sweetie (that’s you, guys), she might as well do it in style. {Indonesia}

5. Red Pita Pat Earrings w/ 14k gold

These beautiful, delicate earrings add the perfect finishing touch to cooler weather outfits for now, and breezy summer dresses for later. {Kenya}

6. Blown Glass Vase – Amethyst Patch

Crafted of hand-blown glass, this stylish vase will add a touch of class to any room and make her the envy of all her friends. {Mexico}

7. Wooden Earring Stand

This gorgeous tiered stand will make all of her earrings feel new again. {India}

8. Cocoki Yoga Bag

Too pretty to sit in the corner, this bag is the perfect gym motivator and will make exercise that much more fun. Namaste! {Rwanda}

Now that I’ve shared my top picks, I would love to read about yours in the comments!

XO,

Casey

Say Hello to Our New Ambassador!

January 23, 2013 - Posted by Casey Trogden to General

Hi, Seven Hopes United friends! I’m Casey, lover of good coffee, world-inspired fashion and the fair trade industry. I recently used Seven Hopes United for my wedding registry and was so happy to be able to combine my love for quirky, beautiful household items with a cause I’m passionate about. I am a freelance writer and blogger and am very happy to be joining the Seven Hopes team. I live in Southern California now, but am a Midwest girl originally. My husband and I are headed to Thailand shortly for our honeymoon and I can’t wait to experience a new-to-me culture and explore how a vastly different country lives and operates.

I am excited to get to know the Seven Hopes United followers and customers. I hope to share more about how the fair trade industry has opened my eyes to how we all have a social responsibility to the people of this country and to the world. We’re all in this together and I look forward to making fair trade more of a priority in people’s minds and hearts.

XO,
Casey

Human Trafficking : Signs of Hope

January 18, 2013 - Posted by Ashleigh Krawll to General

“There are more than 30 million slaves in the world today, more than at any other point in human history.” January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Human trafficking is the second largest illegal trade industry in the world, second to drugs. 80% of the victims are women, and a large majority of the men and children who are trafficked are rarely able to share their stories. Last year, slave traders made an estimated $32 billion – that’s more than Nike, Google, and Starbucks combined. Perhaps these statistics have many of us feeling paralyzed when looking at the enormity of the situation. The good news is, there is hope for change.

The fair trade movement has made an affect on human trafficking by providing a means to a living wage in many disadvantaged communities, a way out of the slave trade. Many people living on less than $1 a day feel that trafficking is their only option to provide for their families. Fair trade provides a sustainable income and a promising alternative to slave labor.

Today’s post is dedicated to the trafficked, and the artisans that we work with who have escaped the slave trade dreaming of a better tomorrow. We hope to inspire you but also challenge you to dream big and do something for our brothers, sisters, and children who are trapped in this horrifying cycle of poverty.

What can you do?

Get involved with local anti-trafficking organizations
Learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking and how to report something suspicious. Victims exist here in our own neighborhoods, factories, and streets.
Urge your legislators to provide law enforcement officials the tools to more effectively prosecute this crime.
Look for fair trade products, like our recycled sari products, made by formerly trafficked people: each purchase directly benefits a victim & helps them move forward.

You can also visit the following sites for more ways to get involved in the anti-trafficking movement:
Polaris Project – Human Trafficking Resource Center 1-888-3737-888
Free the Slaves
Not for Sale Campaign
Slavery Footprint – Know Your Slavery Footprint
The FREE Project
For the Silent

Green + Fair Trade Wedding Inspiration

January 16, 2013 - Posted by admin to General

Ashleigh + Collin tried to keep their wedding as eco-friendly as possible with DIY, recycled, and fair trade elements throughout their big day.

From the beginning they did it all – created their own save-the-dates, invites, coordinated with all the vendors (most of which were friends from their local farmers market), and even designed their own wedding cake (all while running their own business). They really wanted to make everything truly meaningful and personal.

“Most of all we wanted our guests to have FUN, celebrate with us, and experience our love for San Diego! We wanted the overall vibe of the day to be relaxed and festive all at the same time! We tried our best to capture those ideas, while incorporating our ideals, and we couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. It was truly the BEST day of our lives, and we really felt everyone was blessed by it (especially since the girls didn’t have to wear heels to our wedding!)” – Ashleigh

The bridesmaids all wore different shades of yellow, turquoise, and pink to give off the vibe of their fiesta-inspired wedding. Ashleigh gifted each of her bridesmaids Sseko Sandals handmade in Uganda – a project that helps send young women to college – to wear at their beach ceremony. Ashleigh also sported the socially-conscious sandals with silk straps that matched her wedding dress, and the guys wore white Sanuks with ties that matched the girls bridesmaid dresses.

Pink Sseko Sandals

Big thanks to ANZA foto+film for the photos and Magnolia Flower Shoppe for the amazing floral design.

Fair Trade Gifts