Tag Archives: fair trade

Friday Favorites {Doing Good Edition}

- Posted by to Friday Favorites General

7HOpes1

How did your work week go, friends? Hopefully you were able to stash the sweatpants and snuggle up in some breezy Punjammie Loungers instead–the perfect comfy, lightweight pants to take you into Spring. :)

Whether your weekend will include lounging in jammies or fun outings in the sunshine, let’s start it off right with a  “doing good” version of Friday Favorites! Check out some of my fave finds this week that will hopefully inspire us all.

Favorite Fashion: Headbands of Hope. For every headband purchased from this fantastic company, one is donated to a girl with cancer and $1 is donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research.
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Favorite Sip: TOMS Roasting Co. You know your comfy slip-on shoes and stylin sunglasses from the awesome people at TOMS? Well, now they’ve added coffee into the mix! In keeping with their business model of one for one, with every bag of coffee you purchase, TOMS will give one week of clean water to a person in need!
toms-coffee

Favorite Party Idea: Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party. Having a kids’ birthday party or a girls night in? Throw in a fun activity: making shoes for children in Uganda affected by foot diseases. This company does so much more too—make sure to check out their Website!
Sole Hope

Favorite Carry-All: Hiptipico Backpacks. These gorgeous backpacks are made ethically, eco friendly, and 10% of all proceeds from backpack purchases go directly to their Mayan Scholarship Fund for children in Guatemala. I feel the need to book a trip coming on…backpack

Favorite Flip-Flop: Hari Mari. Not only are these comfy leather flip-flops ethically made, the company gives $3 from every sale to fight pediatric cancer.
flips

Favorite photography find: FotoStrap. With every purchase of their beautiful handmade camera straps, Fotostrap donates 10% to Fotolanthropy, a non-profit that gives portrait sessions and short films to inspiring people who are overcoming adversity.
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Favorite Pet Product: Baxter and Birdie. These cute dog collars and leashes are made sustainably and operate by the one for one model—for every item you buy for your pooch, they donate one to an animal in need.
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Favorite Baby Gear: Baby Teresa. Baby Teresa sells a line of gorgeous 100% organic cotton baby clothing and accessories. They also use the one for one model; they donate the same item purchased to a child in need. For each accessory item they sell, a portion of the sales go to purchasing formula for babies (typically in orphanages).
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Favorite mommy gear: Rockin Baby Slings. For every sling purchased, Rockin’ Baby will donate a new sling to a mother in need, and educate them on its importance. The patterns are adorable too!
rockin baby

Favorite home improvement: Orchard Tables Wine Rack. For every Orchard Tables product sold, 50% of the profit goes to children who are suffering from starvation in Swaziland, Africa.
wine rack

Favorite beauty product: Rooted Beauty facial care. This company develops pure, gluten-free skincare while positively impacting women burdened by extreme poverty, abuse or sex trafficking.
rooted

Favorite Home Décor: Make New Friends Print from Sevenly. If you haven’t heard of Sevenly, this company donates $7 from proceeds of each weekly cause to that cause’s charity. This gorgeous print reminds us all to step out of comfort zones sometimes! I think it would look awesome in a nursery.
new friends

Favorite Jewelry: 31BITS Mulberry Necklace. As always, we have something I’m saving my pennies for right here at Seven Hopes United. How lovely is this long necklace to take you into Spring? Purchases of this pretty piece help save lives in Northern Uganda.
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I hope you love this week’s finds as much as I did. :) It’s fun to think that when we spend money, we can choose to do good with it as well as enjoy what we purchase! Let me know any other “doing good” recommendations in the comments!

XO,

Casey

International Women’s Day – March 8th

- Posted by to Fair Trade News General

March 8th is International Women’s Day!

international-womens-day

Photo Courtesy of Half the Sky

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Equality for women is progress for all” emphasizes how gender equality, empowerment of women, women’s full enjoyment of human rights and the eradication of poverty are essential to economic and social development. This years theme truly embraces the meaning of Fair Trade, empowering and enriching the lives of those living in poverty around the world.

Many of the women Seven Hopes United helps support are not only the head of the household, but leaders in the community, women creating change to provide a better world now and in the future.

Seven Hopes United helps support:

        • Young women in Uganda working toward their college education – to pursue their dreams & create change! To date, with our partners Sseko Designs, we’ve enabled 47 women to continue on to university.
        • Women in Cambodia that are in need of healing & are working to rebuild their lives after being victims of sex trafficking. Through our partners Malia Designs and Five Accessories we are helping to provide a life of dignity and respect, as well as the opportunity for a sustainable income.
        • Women in India and Bangladesh that have suffered the effects of extreme poverty and sex trafficking, living in the slums. Through our partners ConneXions, we’ve received some of the most beautiful kantha quilts, and we’ve helped provide a better life for hundreds of women through a sustainable fair income.
        • Women in the far-reaching parts of the world like Kyrgyzstan – in a part of the world where there are few opportunities for women we’ve helped support small felting businesses that provide food, shelter, and education to their families .

Please join us in watching this short video from Half the Sky, for an excellent example of how women are empowering one another and inspiring change within their communities:

One thing all of these women have in common is that they have overcome poverty through fair trade, by coming together, and they are using the opportunities given to them to provide a better life for their families.

All over the world people on March 8th will celebrate women and their accomplishments for International Women’s Day. We hope that through sharing the stories of the women who inspire us we will also inspire something in YOU. These women are our mothers, daughters, and sisters, and our community’s small business owners, teachers, political leaders, farmers, community health workers, activists, and more.

Please join us in the fight against poverty, hunger, and injustice by empowering our sisters through Seven Hopes United and in your own community.

All Things Garden! {Product Spotlight}

- Posted by to Product Spotlight

It’s almost March! Do you know what that means? People start talking about their gardens, and I must admit here that I just cannot relate. I know not how to plant herbs or even how to keep a vase of flowers alive in my kitchen, if you want the truth. But for all of you passionate gardeners out there, I assume your basil and your tomatoes grow a little bigger and happier when your garden is pretty. Am I right?

So if you’re preparing to spend some time harvesting and planting and digging around in the dirt this Spring, we can help make your backyard a pleasant place for it! Behold our lovely new collection of garden adornments:

Fair Trade Garden Accessories

1. Garden Dragonflies: These adorable dragon flies are hand carved from a fast growing garden wood high in the mountains of Bali.

2.  Shining Sky Wall Art:  Handmade from a 55 gallon oil drum in Haiti, this gorgeous sculpture would be perfect above a rustic outdoor bench!

3. Red Mini Beehive Lantern: These cute little lanterns make the perfect decoration for any garden party, wedding or outdoor celebration.

4. Felt Flower House Birdhouse: Handcrafted in Nepal,  this snug little flower house will make your backyard birdies feel right at home.

5. Strawberry Felt Birdhouse : The 1.25″ diameter opening of this cutie is perfect for smaller birds like wrens, chickadees, titmice and others, or it can be enlarged for larger birds like bluebirds or swallows.

6. Big Dragonfly Felted Birdhouse: These whimsical houses are handcrafted by skilled fair trade artisans, and your purchase helps preserve cultural traditions. Fun and functional outside or inside!

Are you a garden dweller when the sun starts peeking out? You can find me admiring my pretty Seven Hopes backyard accessories from a lawn chair, lemonade in hand. I figure that’s close enough. :)

Check out the rest of our garden collection right here!

XO,

Casey

Friday Favorites!

- Posted by to Fashion Friday Favorites General

Happy

I think Fridays call for a little extra dose of happy. (!) If you agree, read on for a collection of some of my favorite things this week. I’m currently on vacation and headed to the beach as soon as I hit publish here—so that’s definitely at the top of my list. :) Wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying some sunshine in the sky and in your life too!

Favorite Thing I Must Buy Immediately: Yellow Leaf Hammock. These gorgeous hammocks just scream “summer.” And who isn’t wanting that right now? Yellow Leaf Hammocks are 100% hand-woven for fair wages by artisans in rural northern Thailand and come in a variety of patterns and shades. The company is “on a mission to change the world—from the comfort of a hammock.” I’m sold!

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Other Favorite Thing I Must Buy Immediately: Otter Appliqued Pillow Cover While we’re on the subject of relaxing, this adorable pillow cover can’t go unmentioned. Made in Indonesia, these soft covers provide sustainable income to artisans and their families. You can grab one of these right here on the Seven Hopes Website. Make sure it doesn’t clash with your new hammock!

PIllow Cover

Favorite Activity: Sunrise Hike. I must admit, “being on vacation” and “getting up early” don’t always belong together in a sentence for me. But at 6am this morning, prompted by some shaming by my husband, I was out the door, coffee in hand, for a hike. And I’m so glad I didn’t miss this view! Some things are worth waking up for.

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Favorite Link: This “Shopping Ethically” diagram from the Let’s Be Fair Blog. “Ethical shopping” summed up very nicely:

ethical

Favorite Recipe: This deliciousness known as Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos. Really, need I say more?

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Favorite Technique: Highlight and Contour. This technique comes from one of my favorite beauty bloggers and makes such a difference in makeup application. It doesn’t require fancy makeup or brushes; a quick drugstore run will provide all you need!

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Favorite Dream: Traveling to Santorini, Greece. It’s been on my list for years and years, and hopefully will wait for me, as it will probably be years and years more before I can see it in person. ;)

Santorini

Favorite Mani: Gold glitter + Nude + Chevron. Gorgeous combo for Spring!

Mani

Favorite Funny: If you’re female, you will feel me on this. If you’re a guy, please just take it to heart, as there’s really no changing it.  Sorry boys.

Funny

Favorite DIY: Dip Dye Placemats. Because, well, anything labeled DIY makes me feel like Martha Stuart and makes my husband feel like we saved money. Double win.

placemats

Favorite Furball: My own, of course. My goldendoodle, Bob Barker, is enjoying the snow a lot more than I am.

Barker

Favorite Fashion: Oh, summer. How I miss you. Are you sensing a theme here? And this look would be great with some Sseko Sandals!

Fashion

I hope you enjoyed, and have a very happy weekend full of happy things!

XO,

Casey

How to Have a “Do Good” Dinner Party!

- Posted by to Fair Trade News Friends With a Mission

V-Day

Well friends,

February is somewhat of a drab month. I don’t think anyone’s denying that at this point. Why not spice it up a bit with a night in with friends? If you’re trying to incorporate more ethically produced goods and products into your everyday life, including fun evenings at home, today is your lucky day. :) It just so happens I’ve rounded up a few big-hearted buds to help us out with a festive winter soiree! It’s been a while since we featured some Friends With a Mission, so here we go!

What elements make up a fab foodie party? Well, the dinner is an obvious place to start. We’re serious about our food around here! And the hostess with the mostess, you can leave all the hard work to Global Grub and concentrate on enjoying your own party!

Global Goods

Here’s how it works, from their Web Site:

  • Choose a cooking kit, stocked with high quality non-perishable ingredients that are pre-measured for you, and step-by-step instructions
  • Pick up a few fresh/basic items from the included shopping list
  • Begin your cooking adventure 
  • Enjoy your homemade dish with loved ones!

Pretty easy, right? And the best part: for every food kit sold, they donate the cost of a meal (based on the Feeding America Formula) to someone in need through their local food bank. Eat good, do good!

And what dinner party is complete without a little wine? I’m glad you brought that up:

one-hope-wine1

OneHope Wine makes an impact with every bottle sold by donating HALF of the profits to
charitable partner causes. (And it’s good wine, people … it does come from California, after all!)

From their Web site:

ONEHOPE’s motivation began as a personal mission to help a
friend with her fight against cancer and evolved into a thriving business that
always remains focused on a very basic, but compelling principle: giving back is
good business. Eight founders came together in 2007 and created,
ONEHOPE Wine, with the goal of selling a quality wine that
would enable them to donate to worthy causes all year round.

So your dinner party is off to a great start! The key missing ingredient here, it seems, would be fair trade products to serve your delicious meal and wine in … and Seven Hopes United can definitely take it from here! Serve your yummy global grub on these Asanta reclaimed serving platters, pour the wine into these earthy red clay wine cups, and set the scene with this cheery paisley table runner.

Dinner

Enjoy your “do good” dinner party, and don’t forget the fair trade chocolate and coffee for dessert!

XO,

Casey