Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Good Little Things

It's been awhile since I featured my favorite etsy shops on the blog here.  I continue to love those shops with the addition of a new favorite, Good Little Things.  I love shopping from etsy for the one of a kind items and connections with the artists/crafters.  Those things in itself make shopping from etsy purposeful spending. 

Good Little Things sells beautifully handcrafted, one of a kind shoes and jewelry.  I never would have found this shop though had it not been for the good little things this shop is doing for Sole Hope.  For each $15 flower ring sold, $10 goes to Sole Hope (and we know what $10 means to Sole Hope, but if you don't, that means one pair of shoes to a child in need).  

I ordered two rings, one for my daughter and one for her friend.  And although the rings were custom made, they were completed and shipped to me quickly. 

Sole Hope Ring from Good Little Things.
They also offer a smaller ring,
which I think is just adorable. 
I may have to order one of those too!
Truth be told, even though I ordered this for my daughter, I have been wearing this ring a lot too!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Punjammies

"Fashion that takes a stand for freedom from human trafficking" - reads a caption on the home page of the International Princess Project.  Human trafficking enslaves large numbers of women and young girls in the world today, even in our own United States.  In India it is a huge problem.  I feel far removed from the issue but have a compelling desire to help in any small way possible. 

Purchasing a pair of Punjammies is a super easy way to help.  The International Princess project employs women formerly enslaved in prostitution to make Punjammies.  When you purchase a pair of Punjammies, you are doing so much more than getting a pair of pretty pajamas.  You are providing a living wage (not a sweat shop wage like those in India that have made the headlines lately) and physical and emotional after-care for women fleeing enslaved prostitution. 

So now you know why it is a good thing to purchase Punjammies, here are the technical details.  There are many wonderful and unique fabrics to choose from.  When you move your cursor over a  picture, it will say a.) what sizes they are made in and b.) how many of each size left  These aren't mass produced so don't expect unlimited supplies in every style and size.  Of course, I LOVE that. 

There are 3 styles to choose from, the Full (long length), capri and mini (shorts).  I am tall so I went with the long length. The size chart provided is excellent in deciding which size to order, as are the details about the type of fabric and if you can expect them the shrink or not.  As with ordering any clothing online, just make sure you read all the info carefully to make an educated decision about your purchase. 

Shipping was $6.93 for my order.  I ordered mine on the larger side and have washed my Punjammies in warm water and dried them and haven't noticed much shrinkage.  They are soft and beautiful and comfortable.  They even came in a drawstring bag made from the same fabric as the pjs!

The drawstring bag that is the same fabric as the PJ pants.


More information about the International Princess Project as well as links to purchasing Punjammies can be found at:  www.intlprincess.org or to go directly to the Punjammies shopping page, http://intlprincess.myshopify.com/

Please share in the comments if you have purchased Punjammies and which style you selected. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Fair Indigo

Made in the USA.  It's a rare find these days, especially when it comes to clothing.  I am amazed that even high end expensive clothing is not Made in the USA.  If I am going to pay more, shouldn't it benefit the worker that made it not just the designer or corporation?  Well, that's how I think anyway.  And apparently, it's how the folks at Fair Indigo think too.  And also like me, they think that should be true whether it is workers here in the U.S. or workers in Peru or any other country.

I ordered a long sleeved t-shirt from Fair Indigo.  It is Made in the USA.  On their website, it is clear where the items are made so no surprises.  The shirt is sized well (no "slimfit" paper thin t-shirt) and soft organic cotton.  I was worried about it shrinking so although I washed in warm on a normal cycle, I have been hanging to dry.  There has been no shrinking and the shirt is still very soft.  I am on the taller side and was pleased that the sleeves are plenty long as well as the shirt itself (I like a longer teee and this fits the bill). 

Shipping was $6.95 for the shirt I ordered.  And although the tee was pricey, consider that maybe instead of a handful of cheaply made t-shirts, 1 quality t-shirt is a better option.

A lot of people say they wish they could buy products made in the USA.  If you really believe that then Fair Indigo is a great place to start that trend.



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Equal Exchange

If you have kids in school or even just know any school aged kids you probably get sick of the endless fundraisers.  As an active PTA parent, I know these are annoying but a much needed way for schools to raise money for field trips and other things that are considered "extras" in times of tight school budgets.  While brainstorming how could we make these more purposeful (cause let's face it, a lot of this stuff is overpriced JUNK) I heard that my daughter's yearly fundraiser was going to be FAIR TRADE and it nearly stopped me in my tracks.  I eagerly volunteered to handle the fundraiser since I feel so passionate about fair trade.  The name of the fundraiser they used is Equal Exchange.  Having never heard of them before I did a little research about them first.  Were they for real?  And yes, they are for real.

Working with Equal Exchange was positive.  There was excellent and responsive communication and they have an easy spreadsheet to talley orders and create your order to the company.  The only difficult thing was that the orders do not come sorted by student seller as some fundraising companies do.  This just means planning for time to go through and sort each order and getting some other parents to come help.

I think a great way to increase sales with this fundraiser would be to partner it with education on what Fair Trade is and why it is important.  Not only may that help increase sales but it may introduce people to Fair Trade that have never even heard of it before.

Some of the items available from Equal Exchange.
So, if you are looking for a fundraiser idea for your group, they are a good option to consider. They sell everything from chocolates, coffee and wrapping paper to unique gift items from Ten Thousand Villages.   http://www.equalexchange.coop/equal-exchange-fundraising