5 Ideas for a Fair Trade Easter

1. Start out with one of these adorable Mini Bolga Baskets, hand-woven by women in Ghana. Each basket is unique, so every child will have a basket entirely their own. They are the perfect size for little hands, and after Easter can be used at your local farmers market. A friend of mine has her kids bring their mini bolga baskets to the market, and they each get to fill them with their own healthy snacks for the week <3

2. I know fair trade chocolates can be hard to find in your local grocery stores, but if you’re up for the task, many co-op type stores carry yummy fair trade options. You can also order fair trade chocolate online – I found a few favorites here, like these organic & fairly traded Milk Chocolate Eggs from Equal Exchange. They also have some fair trade chocolate bars available.

3. Add one of these special little bunnies from Bla Bla Kids – handmade by expert knitters in Peru, with a commitment to fair trade. These lovies are sure to become one of your children’s favorites for many years to come. I especially love Pierre the Bunny with his green satchel & scarf. For your sweet little girl, there are a couple of adorable choices, Fleur (pictured here) and Mirabelle.

4. These sweet little decorative gourd containers are a fun & unique addition where your little ones can keep their special treasures. Hand-carved by a small fair trade cooperative in Peru, there are several designs to choose from available here at Seven Hopes United; you can also pick some up in person if you’re in San Diego this Saturday at the Little Italy Mercato.

5. And last but not least, add a set of our favorite kid-friendly Eva Cups & Bowls. Choose a different color for each child, and they have their very own special set of dishes for water, juice, and snacks. Stainless steel, food-safe, and hand-painted by talented artisans in Kashmir, India.

What are some of your ideas for an ethical Fair Trade Easter basket? Please let us know what you would add in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you…maybe you even have some great handmade ideas?

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Now Available from our Fair Trade Partners in Bangladesh

We’ve got baby on the brain! My husband and I are expecting our first baby in August, and I couldn’t resist getting these adorable Sari Baby Blankets from our fair trade partners in Bangladesh. I just can’t help imagining how sweet our new baby will look wrapped up in this beautiful blanket made with hope and love by women from across the globe. Our colorful sari baby blankets are one-of-a-kind and reversible, so you can choose a print that will complement your unique style. I adore this print that we fittingly named “Baby Love.”

Each blanket is lightweight, and generously sized (40″ x 40″) to make swaddling easy. The traditional “kantha” hand-stitching and vintage sari fabric creates an incredibly soft feel that your baby will love, and will continue to get softer with every wash.

Best of all, our new Sari Baby Blankets are versatile: meaning you can use them as a stroller or nursing cover, burp cloth, tummy time blanket, and more! What’s not to love about that?

Each of our sari baby blankets are handmade by a women’s cooperative in Bangladesh. Our fair trade partners work with women who have escaped a life of human trafficking – your purchase of these handmade blankets provide hope for a better future, dignity, and living wages. These women have been given a chance to rise above their circumstances and take back their humanity, and we thank you for wanting to be a part of that. Our goal is to bring hope to the poor, one fair trade purchase at a time.

Our new sari baby blankets are a wonderful and unique baby shower gift that they are sure to cherish! For more fair trade baby shower gift ideas visit our previous blog posts here and here.

xo, Ashleigh

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We are a young couple from the Midwest who have a laid-back and eclectic style. Our first home is an apartment in Bloomington, Indiana (Home of the Hoosiers!) and we’ve worked hard to make hand-me-down furniture and thrift store kick-knacks look cohesive. I am a self-proclaimed “lazy girl crafter” meaning I love homemade, unique decorations but don’t have the patience for long projects. With Fair Trade items you get quality craftsmanship without having to do it yourself – perfect! After learning about and becoming an advocate for Fair Trade in college, Russell and I were excited to find a wedding registry to promote the cause.

Without further ado, here are a few of Kathleen & Russell’s favorite fair trade products!

1. Turquoise Paisley Table Runner
This beautiful table runner makes our $10 garage sale table look much greater than it’s worth. There are beautiful bits of red and yellow in the design which inspired the color scheme for our living space.

2. Turquoise Blue Vetiver Placemats
These placemats tie in well with the Paisley Table Runner. Best of all, you can throw
them in the washing machine with no damage done!

3. Green Ginkgo Pot Holder
My great-grandma’s favorite tree was the Ginkgo. She would display the dried leaves on the wall of her apartment, among the other oddities that she collected. This pot holder is sentimental, cheery, and bright.

4. Blown Glass Pitcher
In my opinion, this pitcher is one of the most beautiful items on the site. I can’t wait for winter to be over so we can sit on our porch and drink lemonade from it!

5. Handblown Drinking Glasses
These glasses, like the pitcher, are beautiful yet sturdy. We use them daily, but we’re also sure to put them out when guests are over!

Thanks again Kathleen, for the fabulous list of products and your awesome product descriptions! If you are interested in having your favorite fair trade products featured, email me and I will give you more details!

wedding photography: Maggie Russo // engagement photography: Abbey Grim Photography

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It’s December 20! (5 days till Christmas, if you’re math-challenged :)). Are your fair trade gifts merrily wrapped under the tree? Or are they, ahem, still sitting in your online shopping cart or on the store shelves just waiting for you?

If that’s the case with your Seven Hopes gifts, you can still order TODAY for last-minute delivery by Christmas! Is your cart not as full as you’d like? Here are a few of our fave fair trade gifts!

1. Unique iPad Case: A pretty and unique iPad case handmade by a fair trade cooperative in Rajasthan, India. A stylish alternative that is nicely padded for protection of devices. Each iPad case is unique due to the variety of colorful floral fabrics!

2. Shibori Cotton Scarf: These scarves are made from 100% cotton by artisans in India, and embellished with fine tie-dye. Each scarf has a soft crinkled look, and comes in three colors: pink, blue, and green. Your purchase provides fair wages to talented artisans in India, and helps their communities rise above poverty.

3. Camellia Necklace: This gorgeous piece will make any lady in your life smile!  31 Bits Designs is a socially minded business designed to give internally displaced women in Northern Uganda an opportunity to counter poverty. By giving beneficiaries access to the international market, they are able to earn an instant income, providing homes, food, and education for their families.

4. Pink Woven Storage Basket: Surely there’s a spot in their home for our Pink Woven Storage Basket! This sturdy woven basket will have no trouble holding anything from toys to blankets. It’s also available in aqua – mix and match colors!

5. Dreambean Himalayan Bath Salts: Help them unwind with Fair Trade, Himalayan bath salts, packaged in a glass french square jar. Each naturally pink hued soaking salt is lightly scented with phthalate-free body care oils, and will soothe muscles, soften skin, and make a spa out of any tub.

Give the gift of hope this year by giving ethically! Got any last-minute fair trade gift ideas? We’d love to hear them!

XO,

Casey

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I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My husband and I are still in Wisconsin eating through our Thanksgiving leftovers as well as our weight in cheese. So this week I thought it would be fitting to share my favorite Gift Ideas For The Foodie.

Custom City State Wooden Cutting Board
Handmade in the USA. This Cutting Board is beyond cool & totally customizable – maybe your sister & her hubby just moved to Oregon and you want to give them something to celebrate their new roots, or you have a friend that recently traveled to Uganda on a missions trip… what a great gift to celebrate those special places!

Mango Wood Salad Bowl with Black Bamboo Inlay
Handmade in Bali. A handsome salad bowl that works with any table setting.

Recycled Flour Sack Towel
Handmade in Peru. A super fun gift for the baker – each towel is unique and features prints from recycled flour sacks.

Javanese Jewel Apron
Handmade in Bali. Available in a multitude of fun prints, these cotton aprons are heavy-duty and will withstand lots of use (and washing)!

Black Mango Wood & Bamboo Salad Servers
Handmade in Bali. Matching servers for our handsome bowl – buy the set, or mix-and-match in other colors for a fun & original gift.

Olive Stripe Vetiver Table Runner
Handmade in Bali. This earthy, scented table runner is a huge personal favorite – your friends and family will love that it’s not only beautiful, but very unique. (And it’s washable…so don’t worry about giving it to someone with kiddos at the table).

Olivewood Spreader with Batik Handle
Handmade in Kenya. Our wooden serving pieces are a great gift for anyone. Guys are intrigued by the natural grains and craftsmanship of our tiny tea spoons and spreaders, and ladies love them for tea and hors d’oeuvres.

Ginkgo Orange Oven Mitt
Handmade in Bali. A super fun mitt any foodie would love. We have lots of other colors, so go crazy…mix-and-match!

Large Capiz Bowl Olive
Handmade in Bali. One of our most popular gifts – capiz bowls made from seashells in Bali. This is my favorite fruit bowl, and my go-to salad bowl when we have company over for dinner! Would be the perfect gift for someone who likes to entertain.

Eva Hand Painted Cups
Handmade in India. Another favorite! Your friends will love using these cups for water, tea, margaritas, toothbrushes, makeup brushes…you name it…we’ve heard it! Available in 8 colors – create your own gift set!

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Kantha Weekender Bag to carry on all of her adventures, Felt Memory Elephant Ornament to remind her of her trip to Thailand, Sseko Sandals, 31BITS Claire Loop Bracelet, Eco Friendly Brazil Nut Candle, a Holi Cosmetic Bag to help her stay organized, Sofia Tagua Earrings, a Harper Knitted Headband to keep her warm on those cold backpacking nights, and a 31BITS Sunday Frill Necklace she can dress up or down. Not shown, but also a wonderful gift option for the world traveler are our Holi Luggage Tags.

Visit the Seven Hopes United blog every Sunday through December for more Fair Trade Gift Ideas!

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Below I have shared with you some of my favorite small items from Seven Hopes United, which could fit perfectly in a stocking!

Live Local Cork Coasters 

Soapstone Elephant Hearts

Pink Shibori Scarf

Dead Sea Bath Salts

Seven Hopes United Gift Card

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Gift Basket for the Cook!

I like giving a magazine that the cook might like. Who doesn’t like to browse through a magazine! And why not treat the cook to a special homemade treat; I would include the fair trade pumpkin bread that we featured in an earlier Tasty Tuesday post. If you are an avid cook then you know that it can get messy in the kitchen so the Vivian Ikat Apron would be a nice touch.  The sugar and spice spoons are so pretty, so why not add them too!  Everyone can use extra towels when cooking and these Ethiopian Cotton Kitchen Towels can double as wrapping in the basket. Bundle it all up in our Ghana Bolga Market Basket and you have a pretty and unique gift!

Relaxation Gift Basket for a Friend!

Again a favorite magazine is always a nice touch! And why not give your friend some fair trade wine to enjoy while reading the magazine.  Don’t forget one of our wine stoppers for any left over wine. Candles always add a sense of relaxation and the brazil nut candle is so earthy and grounding! The calming blues and purple of this super soft alpaca scarf would relax anyone, and again the scarf can be used as a wrapping. A pair of earrings, here the Tagua Chip Earrings in Sunset Orange, are just a little something extra for your friend.  And finally bundle it all up in our Mini Bolga Market Basket.

I hope that these gift basket ideas inspire you this holiday season!

Enjoy – Dawn

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Weddings and gifts go hand-in-hand, but this week I am not talking about gifts for the bride and groom.  Rather, I would like to suggest some gifts for those around you who have loved and supported you throughout the wedding planning process. I’d like to suggest some ideas on gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen.  I purchased fair trade jewelry and a little jewelry bag for the lovely ladies who stood by me along the journey to the altar.  Being a person’s bridesmaid or groomsman is a special thing so I think it is important to thank these folks in a special way.

Here are a couple of fair trade gift ideas for your bridesmaids!

After putting in hard work supporting the bride on her wedding day the bridesmaids might greatly enjoy relaxing in this kimono robe.

River Kimono Robe

Another great way to relax after showing love and support as a bridesmaid is a nice soothing bath.

Bath Tea and Spa Tin Gift Set

Here are a couple of fair trade gift ideas for your groomsmen!

These adorable coasters would pair well with the fair trade beer I mentioned in last week’s Wedding Wednesday post.

Recycled Cork Coaster Set

Two of these hand painted mugs paired with fair trade coffee would be a very nice gift that many groomsmen might really enjoy!

Eva Hand Painted Mugs

Have a wonderful day – Dawn

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Greg being the outdoorsy type and Theresa the crafty type, their decorating style is artsy with bits of rustic nature. They’ve hung artistic photos of their travels throughout their home, and incorporated them with unique finds from thrift stores, handmade items, etc. When registering for fair trade products at Seven Hopes United, they stuck to the classics with a bit of handmade flair.

Without further ado, here are a few of Theresa & Greg’s favorite fair trade products!

1. Sliced Persimmon Mango Wood Bowl
2. Sweet Coconut & Vanilla & Spice Soap
3. White Wolof Fair Trade Storage Basket
4. Vintage Sari Throw

If you are interested in having your favorite fair trade products featured, email me and I will give you more details (it is easy and painless, I promise)!

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