Thursday, October 25, 2012

Krochet Kids

The next series of posts will focus on purposeful ideas for Christmas and other holiday giving.  For a complete listing, please click on the gift ideas under labels for items I have reviewed in the past.  And as always, I welcome comments with your ideas or questions on ideas for gift giving.

So how about a pretty handmade hat from Krochet Kids?  They have hats for men and women as well as scarves and other accessories, and tees.  The crochet items are handmade in Peru or Uganda and the really cool thing is that each item is handsigned  by the crafter that made it.  This is SO special.  Not only can you see her picture and read her bio, you can actually send her a message.  LOVE THIS!  What a special gift this would make for someone to receive.
So as Krochet Kids says, "buy a hat. change a life."  Thank you Laker Florence for the beautiful hat.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Halloween Treats

I've been struggling with what to do for Halloween candy to hand out this year.  I know that the typical chocolates found in the grocery store are made with slave labor.  I blog about spending purposefully.  How can I with a clear conscience hand this stuff out to the kids that come to my door on Halloween?  On the other hand, it is cheap and yummy and tradition.  Then there is the issue a availability, I don't even know where to begin to find a fair trade treat.  Most fair trade chocolate candy bars are large and expensive.  Earlier this week I was determined to find something so I started searching online. 

In my search, I found this handy little list from the green living section of Good Housekeeping magazine.  The Daily Green article link

Many of the items on this list came from The Natural Candy Store, so I decided to check them out.  I picked out some adorable spider gummies and  sour gummy worms.  They are made in the USA, allergen free, gluten free & organic.  And yes, they were relatively expensive.  It was $20.30 for a 12 pack.  But as I've come to learn, we all vote with our dollars.

For a cheaper option, pretzels, fruit snacks or gummies found at the grocery store are also alternative ideas.

I was thinking about including a note about why we chose these treats.  Again, I am torn between educating people but don't want to come across as judgemental.  I think I will save the education for this blog and other social media outlets this year.

Please share your thoughts, questions and ideas on this subject!



Thursday, October 11, 2012

More Purposeful Party Ideas

So I promised to share more ideas from my sister's bridal shower, and here they are!

Go purposeful in your attire. How about a cute dress from Mata Traders

If you have gift baskets or prizes think purposeful again.  This is not only a good place to direct your resources to support purposeful companies but it is also a great way to spread the word about products most people know little about.  I did a coffee basket with Three Avacados coffee and included their information card and sticker in the basket.  I also had a throw blanket, chick-flick and bar of fair trade chocolate for another.


Again, I would love to hear your ideas! Please share!