Make Your Vacation Eco-Friendly And Fair Trade!

Many schools are creeping up on their spring breaks so I wanted to help you plan your vacation. When traveling we want to make our carbon footprint as small as possible while still having a blast. It is also a great idea to make sure the products your bringing on your trip are eco-friendly and fair trade, so if you need to buy a bigger suitcase to fit all of those bathing suits and flip-flops, try buying a bag that is recycled/Fair Trade ! If you’re in need of a trusty travel kit, take a look at Hope for Women’s ReStyle^TM Salon Pro Travlel/Dropp kit. It is water resistant, durable and easy to wash so you won’t have to worry about that exploding shampoo ruining your entire suitcase.

If you’re traveling to Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Pacific Rim, you could even go see some of the Fair Trade artisans! By visiting www.wfto.com andwww.fairtradefederation.com you can find out where participating producers of the Fair Trade organization are located and then see if there are opportunities to visit them.

When booking your trip there are many eco-friendly hotel options. Travelocity actually has a whole page dedicated to booking eco-friendly vacation packages that are right for everyone’s budget.  Be sure to research just what is meant by “green” to make sure your values are being met.

Planes create a large carbon footprint so try to book a direct flight if possible: “Taking off and landing requires a tremendous amount of fuel, so flying direct is greener than making stop-overs,” said TreeHugger and PlanetGreen.com editor, Meaghan O’Neill. Help the planet and your wallet by not renting a car on your travels, and try booking a hotel that is either walking distance from all the local attractions or has easy access to public transportation.

WAIT! Before you leave for the airport make sure you have turned off all of your lights, you have unplugged all of your appliances (many appliances continue to suck out power from your walls even after they are fully charged), and you have adjusted your heating or cooling system appropriately – there is no need to heat or cool an empty house!

Once you have arrived at your vacation destination don’t forget to treat the hotel like your own eco-friendly home. Turn off the lights when you go out for a swim, turn down the air conditioning, and hang up your towels to dry after you use them. Hotels have to use a huge amount of energy for laundry everyday so help them cut down on wasting water and energy. When you’re out looking at all the local goodies try to buy some of them! Many countries depend on tourism to survive so show some love for the local artisans, and try eating out at the local restaurants instead of eating out at a chain you can find in your own backyard.

Going on a vacation is about having fun and relaxing so don’t stress about trying to accomplish everything I have listed – but try a few! Most of the things are super simple and you will feel better about your vacation knowing that you are helping the environment and the community you are visiting. My last tip for a fun/eco-friendly vacation is…have an amazing time!

Written by, Mary Mathias 

Tags: "green" hotels, "green" travel tips, Carbon footprint, eco-friendly, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, hope for women products

Showing Love for Everyone on Valentine’s Day!

It’s the day of hugs, kisses, and love, so let me say “Happy Valentine’s Day.” On this day you should spend time with your special someone, your best friend or take a time out just for yourself. We all love to receive and give gifts on Valentine’s Day but we have to remember to not be a blind consumer. It is estimated that Colombia will export around 500 million flowers for Valentine’s Day this year, and although this creates a large amount of jobs for the locals, it can come at a high cost. So many of the flowers that are bought each Valentine’s Day were picked by women workers who are underpaid, exposed to harsh chemicals, and are made to work extremely long hours. It is great that the Flower industry creates jobs for many Colombians but we should make sure these workers are treated the way we would want our loved ones to be treated. Flowers are still a wonderful gift but please support Fair Trade companies like www.oneworldflowers.org. If more people showed support for Fair Trade flower companies, others will follow suit.

We can’t forget about everyone’s love for chocolate on Valentine’s Day but this year makes sure you purchase Fair Trade Chocolate as well. Would you want to buy a bar of chocolate for your loved one if you knew an abused child was forced to collect cocoa seeds? From www.oxfam.org.vt.edu I found out that 40% of the worlds cocoa supply comes from West Africa where children’s rights are being violated; “U.S Department of State estimates that 109,000 children are working in an abusive labor environment with as many as 10,000 suffering as victims of human trafficking or enslavement.”Although there have been steps by the government to enforce rules and regulations on this problem, it has persisted. The way you can help stop these horrendous crimes is by buying Fair Trade! You will not only be supporting a company that is looking out for their employees, you will also be sending a message that you will not stand for child abuse, low working wages, and an unhealthy working environment. There are so many different ways you can show someone you love them and show workers around the world you love and respect them as well.

If you would like to find out what companies sell Fair Trade chocolate go to www.fairtradeusa.org. You can also tell if you’re buying Fair Trade by looking for the Fair Trade logo, shown to the right. If you aren’t looking for a sweet treat to say “I love you,” it is always great to just send a special message to someone! Hope For Women‘s Portraits of El Salvador cards and Pressed Flower Note cards are Fair Trade products that are all handmade by women artisans, making each one unique.

When you buy Fair Trade you are showing love, which is exactly what Valentine’s Day is all about.

Written by Mary Mathias

Tags: fair trade artisans, Fair Trade chocolate, Fair Trade Flowers, Hope For Women, Human Rights, What is Fair Trade

Salon Spotlight! Jeffrey Richard Salon

Earth Day, in North America, is April 22^nd and is now the largest, most celebrated event worldwide.  For Aveda, the whole month of April is a time to celebrate the Earth. The entire Aveda community and their partners join together to raise money and awareness for clean water initiatives.

Here at Hope For Women, we support Aveda’s cause and have joined forces with Salons and Spas across the country to assist them in reaching their individual Earth Month fundraising goals. For Jeffrey Richard Salon in Grand Rapids,Michigan, caring for the environment, the community and the earth is something they think about every day. To raise money for Aveda’s Earth Month clean water initiatives, Jeffrey Richards’ Salon will be selling our Fair Trade and eco-friendly Restyle™ bracelets, made from recycled tire tubes.

Hope For Women’s Restyle™ bracelets are a great way to raise awareness for Earth Month while also creating life-changing opportunities for the women who make them. The bracelets are super stylish and are great for both men and women! We are so thankful that hundreds of Aveda Salons and Spas see the value of supporting two wonderful causes at the same time.

For more information on how you can partner with Hope For Women visit:

http://www.hopeforwomen.com/lifestyle/salons/restyle/restylebracelets/

To learn more about Earth Month and Aveda visit:

http://www.aveda.com/discover/earth_month.tmpl

Jeffrey Richard Salon has supported Hope For Women’s Fair Trade and eco-friendly products

Jeffrey Richard Salon  .  742 Wealthy Street SE.  Grand Rapids, MI 49503.  616.235.9100.

  Like Us on Facebook

Tags: aveda salons, earth month, Facebook, Hope For Women, Jeffery Richard Salon, ReStyle bracelets

Great Products from Great Companies!

Many of the products you can find here at Hope for Women are made from recycled materials, whether it is our ReStyle tire tube bracelets, Salon Pro cosmetic bags, or our Peel Pals made from recycled orange peels; we are trying to do our part in making the world a little bit greener. I wanted to find some other companies that were also doing their part to recycle and help people around them or around the world. Here are my 5 great finds that are worker friendly and environmentally friendly.

1- ReSource, which was formally called ReCycle North, is a company in Burlington, VT that was started in 1991 and they have been doing great things ever since. They will take many things from your home that you don’t want/need like lumber, hardwood flooring, cabinets, doors, etc. so they don’t end up in landfills. You can also find awesome products at ReSOURCE such as picture frames, birdhouses, tables, cutting boards, benches and so much more, that are all hand made from salvaged building materials. I bought a night table at ReSOURCE that I absolutely love and that is totally unique – hopefully you have a store like this near you!

2- Autonomie Project, inc. has some fabulous Fair Trade and organic products for you and your family. I love the baby playsuits. It’s great to pass on the message of Fair Trade and being eco-friendly to your kids, so start them young! This Get Up Stand Up playsuit is my favorite and it is made using biodynamic agriculture. The playsuit is stitched in a fair trade facility in India. There are 120 women who make these adorable outfits who are economically disadvantaged or handicapped, so Autonomie Project is doing their part to empower women.

3- Thinking of my favorite ReStyle product here at Hope for Women is hard, but I have to say the new Salon Pro Cosmetic Bag is one my favorites. It is made from recycled tire tubes that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill or incinerated, which is extremely toxic. What makes the bags so great is not just the fact that they are recycled but that they are ReStyle, meaning they have been transformed from a simple tire into these amazing bags. I like a little color in my life, so the black cosmetic bag with the fuchsia accent is my personal pick. These bags are super durable and I don’t know about you, but I have gone through so many cosmetic bags either because they rip, the zipper breaks or they get so dirty from traveling. This bag is easy to clean and water resistant so that is a huge bonus for me!

4- Want to dress up your table setting? I found these beautiful recycled metal Star Struck Bowls. The company Earth Lover (a member of the Fair Trade Federation) offers tons of great eco friendly, and fair trade products but these bowls really stood out as a perfect way to add some fun to your table. They are all handmade in India. With each product on this website you can find a short story as to where it was made and who made it. This beautiful piece was made by a father of four that has been successful enough to employ 12 more men to make these great bowls.

5-Vermont Honey Lights is a company in Bristol, Vermont that makes Beeswax candles, Bee Balm, Naked Bee Body Lotion and many more Beeswax/honey products. Recycling the beeswax into beautiful candles helps ensure that the beekeepers can continue doing their job of keeping our honey bees alive and pollinating. Looking at the Honey Lights website I found out that honeybees pollinate 85% of our fruit and vegetable crops here in the U.S, so it is extremely important to protect these bees and to keep them busy. The Candles and cosmetics are also non toxic, the candles are long-burning and they are dripless which is great!

~There are so many other great Fair Trade and eco-friendly companies out there,  so let us know what your favorite ones are!

Written by Mary Mathias

What a Weekend at Serious Business!

What a weekend in New Orleans! Lari and I had a blast meeting hundreds of salon professionals – many who we already work with and many that we are now working with! It is always great putting a face to a business and the best thing about the weekend for us was getting to connect with so many wonderful people.

Seeing the enthusiasm for our products (particularly the ReStyle accessories  and new tagua hair bands), and their appreciation for Fair Trade further reinforced why we enjoy working with Aveda salons so much. Over and over we kept hearing how the quality of our products and the social mission behind them resonates with their guests, thus making it such a good fit for their business. I am excited to grow our relationship with so many great salons in 2012 – thanks to all of you for taking the time to meet with me at Serious Business!

I am also happy to announce the lucky winner of our ReStyle Salon Pro Stylist Bag – we had close to 200 people enter and the winner is….Christine from World Class Salons in Denver,CO! Congratulations Christine!

Written by Evan Goldsmith, President of Hope For Women

Retailer of the Week: Foods For Living

This week Hope For Women is featuring Foods For Living in East Lansing, Michigan.  Natural, organic and locally owned.  Words we love to hear at Hope For Womens’ headquarters in the beautiful Green Mountain state of Vermont.

Foods For Living joined the Hope For Women team of authorized retailers back in April ordering our Portraits of El Salvador note cards and Tagua bracelets.  What made us write about them this week?  Well, a large reorder for starts.  All Hope For Women products support disadvantaged women artisans, providing 3-5 times higher than the government minimum wage standards.  Our social mission is the backbone to our company with sincerely gratifying end results sustained through retail partnerships like Foods For Living.

Be sure to check out their website and Facebook page for more information.  I found a wonderful healthy Cioppino reciepe for dinner tonight.

New Taguilla Tagua braclets.  In-store next week!

Foods for Living provides the finest quality fresh, natural, organic and whole foods, nutritional products, body care products and health information in a fun, comfortable, clean, safe environment. Make them your doorway to total health!

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, Facebook fair trade, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair trade producers, Fair Trade Products, Fair trade Tagua, Hope For Women, hope for women products, tagua, Tagua Jewelry

Support BCA Month with Handcrafted Tagua Bracelets!

You can support Breast Cancer Awareness month by wearing beautifully crafted Fair Trade jewelry – How great is that!?! We are thrilled to have numerous Aveda salons carry our line of PINK tagua bracelets this month. For every limited edition bracelet sold, Hope for Women will donate 5% to organizations working to find a cure for breast cancer. So you can look good and feel good, knowing that your stylish tagua bracelet is also doing good. Made from sustainably harvested tagua nuts from the Colombian rainforest, these fashionable bracelets support the women artisans that create them and gives incentives to help protect vital rainforest habitat.

From Oceanside, CA to Canfield, OH to Warwick, RI, Hope for Women’s PINK tagua bracelets for Breast Cancer Awareness month are being sold around the country! Check out the complete list of companies carrying our PINK tagua bracelets on our website. If you don’t have a store carrying the PINK bracelets near you, you can purchase one on the Hope for Women website.

Tags: Aveda, aveda salons, breast cancer, breast cancer awareness, Colombia, eco-friendly, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair Trade Products, Fair trade Tagua, Hope For Women, tagua, Tagua Jewelry

Featured Retailer: Phoenix Books

Hope for Women is excited to be featuring Phoenix Books this week! This incredible independent and unique book store does much more than just sell books. Phoenix Books is a business about “Cultivating Your Community” through unequaled customer service and unparalleled special order fulfillment. They are strong believers in supporting their community with donations and/or partnerships with dozens of local organizations, including Hope for Women! They also believe in collaboration, hosting events in cooperation with the Burlington Book Festival and the Champlain Valley Fair, just to name a few.

We’re thrilled to announce that Phoenix Books is carrying our whole line of Hope for Women’s Lifestyle products, including our tagua bracelets, portraits of El Salvador  and India note cards and our unique Peel Pals. They have also joined us in supporting BCA month by carrying our limited edition PINK tagua bracelets, where 5% of the proceeds will go straight to help find a cure.

We’re also happy to see that they are as excited as we are about our Hope for Women products: “Our customers and our staff at Phoenix are excited each time we receive gorgeous new bracelets and cards! It’s a rare and wonderful occurrence to know the story of who makes the products one buys. We are proud to offer Hope for Women in our book store.”

For more information on Phoenix Books, take a look at their Facebook and Twitter pages, or better yet, stop by in person! You will be greeted warmly in their authentic espresso and wine bar where you can sit back enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with friends in a truly welcoming environment.

Tags: Burlington, Colombia, eco-friendly, El Salvador, Facebook fair trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair Trade Products, Fair Trade Social media, Fair trade Tagua, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Phoenix Books, Tagua Jewelry

Happy World Food Day!

 Today is World Food Day! This worldwide event is designed to increase awareness, understanding and support for a hunger-free world. First started in 1981, WFD is observed in 150 nations, reaching out to communities around the globe. This event is so successful in part because there is no one way to celebrate it. Each person is responsible for how they want to take action to end world hunger.

As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, Hope for Women thinks that one effective way to bring awareness to WFD is to support Fair Trade foods! Buying Fair Trade not only helps farmers and workers improve their quality of life but helps them to combat poverty, too.

So we want your input-  what are some of your favorite Fair Trade foods that you buy and why do you love them so much? Never bought Fair Trade foods before? Today is a great time to start! Next time you’re at the grocery store check for the Fair Trade label, and help us create a world free of hunger.

If you want to learn more about World Food Day, take a look at their website!

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, El Salvador, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade Cards, fair trade farmers, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Month, Fair Trade USA, Hope For Women, hope for women products, World Food Day

Fair Trade Your Halloween With Reverse Trick-or-Treating

Reverse Trick-or-Treating Kit

It’s hard to believe, but Halloween is only 12 days away!  This year, you might be a little surprised to see many kids giving candy back to the adults. It’s a concept called Reverse Trick-or-Treating, and it’s catching on fast.

In association with Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Cocoa Campaign, Reverse Trick-or-Treating seeks to end child labor in the cocoa industry while simultaneously promoting Fair Trade. There is a card attached to each piece of vegan, Fair Trade dark chocolate explaining the child labor issues associated with the conventional chocolate we normally see at Halloween. It’s a fun and easy way for kids to support both neighbors and the international cocoa growing community.

If you’re interested in participating in this amazing movement but missed the deadline for ordering the free kit, you can still make a difference! Many people express their support through handing out Fair Trade chocolate to Trick-or-Treaters. Click here to find where you can purchase Fair Trade chocolate. Hope for Women encourages you to check out their Facebook page to see how you can get involved and help make this Halloween the most meaningful one yet.

Tags: Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade chocolate, fair trade farmers, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Month, Fair trade producers, Fair Trade Products, Halloween, Hope For Women, Human Rights, Reverse Trick-or-Treating

There’s an App for That! Fair Trade Finder App

Now there is an easy way to find Fair Trade products near you. With the new Fair Trade Finder App from Fair Trade USA (it’s free!) you can locate the stores carrying your favorite Fair Trade Certified products with the click of a button. 

One of the coolest things about this app is that it’s up to the users to make it grow. You can easily add new products or share with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter through tagging and uploading photos. Support Fair Trade products while promoting your own! It can be accessed on your iPhone, Android and on their Facebook page, so whether you’re on the go or in the office you can always find what you’re looking for.

The holidays are coming up, and Hope for Women knows how crazy this time of year can get. With this handy Fair Trade helper in your pocket, though, it makes shopping quick, easy and guilt-free.

By diving into the digital world, the Fair Trade Finder App is helping to reach a whole new audience and encouraging consumers to buy Fair Trade Certified products. With tools like this one, we can all help grow the Fair Trade movement. Fair Trade month may be almost over, but our support doesn’t stop there. Check out this new app today and shop Fair Trade all year round!

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, El Salvador, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade Cards, fair trade farmers, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Month, Fair Trade USA, Hope For Women, hope for women products, VT Fair Trade

Pets Love Fair Trade, Too!

Here at Hope for Women, we’re big animal lovers. I think it’s safe to say that most of us pet owners out there would consider our furry friends to be a part of the family. For all that our fluffy felines and playful pooches do to keep us happy and healthy, the least we can do is return the favor and treat them with some socially responsible Fair Trade products. Your pet will feel great and so will you! A win all around.

Felt catnip-infused mouse toys, food and water bowls, doggy sweaters and bandanas, rope toys, beaded and bamboo dog collars, tasty treats and shampoo bars are just a few of the many Fair Trade products your pet can enjoy. The holidays are sneaking up on us as usual- have you checked your pet’s wish list lately?

Lucky for us, there are many great resources we can turn to to help guide us through the Fair Trade pet product purchasing process. Organizations like Global Goods Partners, Real Animals Fair Trade, Fair Trade Trends and Bark for Peace are some of the many places where we can read up on these products and maybe even do a little shopping for our beloved cats and dogs. Even just one Fair Trade dog biscuit can help make a big difference in people’s- and animal’s- lives the world over. It’s a small gesture that can make a big change. Check it out today!

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, El Salvador, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Pets, Fair Trade USA, handmade, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Human Rights, VT Fair Trade, What is Fair Trade

Featured Retailer: Willy Street Co-op

Hope for Women is excited to be featuring Willy Street Co-op in Madison, Wisconsin! Willy Street Co-op, like many great things, started out small and simple, first serving their community back in 1974.  Known as the “new wave” of consumer co-ops that began in the 1960s and early 1970s, born out of the ideas and philosophies of that period’s counterculture, these co-ops were pioneers in a growing health-conscious society and in what came to be known as the “natural foods” industry that we all know and love today! 

Today, Willy Street Co-Op is Madison’s largest consumer-owned natural foods store, offering the finest organic and locally-produced foods with a new location located in the Parkwood Plaza, at 6825 University Ave in Middleton.

If you have ever been to Madison you know it is a great place to live and shop. That is just one of the reasons that there is a community of people and groups that support sustainable development, fair trade, local artisans, their communities and the environment. In fact, like Hope For Women’s hometown of Burlington, Vermont, Madison is also a Fair Trade Town!

We are thankful to Willy Street co-op for being a loyal supporter of Fair Trade and Hope For Women products. Be sure to find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!

Tags: eco-friendly, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade Month, Fair Trade Products, Fair Trade USA, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Willy Street Co-op

Dillard’s Salons & Spas – Thank You!

We are thrilled to announce that 33 Dillard’s Salons & Spas have chosen to carry Hope For Women Fair Trade, eco-friendly products. Each location will be retailing a selection of our tagua bracelets and Portraits of El Salvador greeting cards. 

We have been very impressed with Dillard’s support for Hope For Women and by their commitment towards educating their staff on the story behind our products. Dillard’s went out of their way to work with us to incorporate tagua videos into their internal Dillard’s Salon & Spa staff education program so that all of their  staff would be able to share with salon guests the details about tagua and the women who create the products.

Hope For Women’s President, Evan Goldsmith, recently met two women who work for Dillard’s at AVEDA Congress and said, “I was blown away by the commitment that these women have for making a difference in people’s lives – whether by helping a woman start her own salon business in Iraq to providing free beauty services for women in impoverished communities in Ohio. Their passion for supporting women is shared by everyone I have been working with at Dillard’s Salons & Spas, and shows why they are such a great new partner for us.”

So consider getting your next beauty treatment or relaxing massage at a Dillard’s Salon & Spa – not only will you look and feel great but you also have the opportunity to support another company that chooses to feature Fair Trade, eco-friendly products. Find a Dillard’s Salon & Spa near you.

Tags: Aveda, Aveda products, aveda salon, Dillard's Salons & Spas, El Salvador, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Cards, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair Trade Month, Fair trade Tagua, Hope For Women, Portraits of El Salvador, Tagua Jewelry

Like a Good Cup of Socially Responsible Coffee? So do we.

We’re proud here at Hope for Women to be headquartered in the same beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

GMCR was founded back in 1981, but just last month they made major headlines for being dubbed the world’s largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee in 2010 by Fair Trade USA. To put that in numbers, that’s over 26 million pounds of coffee- amazing!

Needless to say, GMCR has been doing much more than simply creating a delicious tasting coffee for the past 30 years. They have also been dedicated to engaging in socially responsible business practices, and it’s making a big difference-

“Our business success enables us to invest in a more just and sustainable future — whether through sales of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, energy and waste reduction programs, awareness building campaigns, new product development, employee benefits, projects in supply-chain communities, volunteerism, grants, or product donations,” (greenmountaincoffee.com).

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is also committed to supporting Fair Trade farmers spanning all the way from Latin America to Africa through community development projects. Some of these projects include establishing new health clinics, building roads and creating scholarships.

GMCR has also chosen to work with Hope For Women by having us create a GMCR branded tagua key chain for them to use in their marketing and promotional materials. GMCR could have chosen any supplier for this, but made a conscious decision to choose a Fair Trade, eco-friendly product that comes from one of the major coffee producing countries they work in.

I urge everyone to take a moment and explore GMCR’s fun and interactive website and Facebook page, and while you’re at it, make sure to check out their many varieties of coffee that we have all come to love and yes, even depend on.

Tags: Burlington, eco-friendly, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, fair trade farmers, Fair trade producers, Fair Trade Products, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Hope For Women, Human Rights, VT Fair Trade, What is Fair Trade

Fair Trade Your Feast

Fact: Thanksgiving is the real reason the world created elastic waste bands. From the painstakingly arranged veggie platters to the lumpy casserole dishes to the endless pies and glazed fruit pizzas, this is the one day of the year that we literally do not stop eating, and it is glorious. It always catches up to us, of course, usually right when we settle in for the third quarter of the football game and suddenly realize we’re in dire need of ginger ale and a bottle of TUMS. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with the inevitable post-turkey tummy ache, but I can help you smarten up the way you shop for your family’s feast.

This time of year, grocery stores are crawling with crazed cart drivers, weaving in and out of isles in a reckless race to find all of their last minute ingredients for their turkey day meal. My advice: take a breath! Lower your stress level and the likelihood of a potentially catastrophic cart-on-cart collision by taking a little extra time while you shop.

First off, instead of going straight for the giant bin of generic turkeys trucked in from across the country and packed with preservatives, help out your community and try buying a local turkey! And forget trying to make sense of complicated labeling, just look for the Fair Trade Certified label on some of your favorite products. These products include a wide variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, oils, coffee, wine, chocolate, ice cream, tea, yogurt, granola and tons more to help make your meal complete! Curious about specific items? Search for products on The Fair Trade Foundation’s products webpage. This Thanksgiving, join us here at Hope for Women and support a better Thanksgiving.

Tags: eco-friendly, Evan Goldsmith, Facebook fair trade, fair trade farmers, Fair Trade Federation, Fair trade producers, Fair Trade Products, Fair Trade USA, Hope For Women, hope for women products, VT Fair Trade, What is Fair Trade

Featured Retailer: Made on Earth

Made On Earth is a boutique legendary for its fair trade philosophy, commitment to social justice, gifts with purpose and clothing with flair. Located in the heart of historic downtown Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, “The Oldest Summer Resort in America,” Made on Earth provides an alternative experience to the conservative, status quo retail gift and clothing stores. 

Inspired by the owners’ personal interests in world travel, social action and spirituality, they travel the world purchasing products from small cottage industries while forming meaningful relationships with diverse people and cultures. We are proud that Made on Earth supports Hope For Women products by carrying our SimpliciTree Tagua jewelry, Peel Pals and Portraits of El Salvador pressed flower note cards.

By shopping at Made on Earth, you support their commitment to working with overseas communities to create a better future, and you are directly helping a small New England town help others around the world – very cool!

To learn more about this incredible business, take a peek at their webpage.

Tags: Burlington, eco-friendly, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair Trade Products, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Made on Earth, Peel Pals, Portraits of El Salvador, Pressed Flowers, Tagua Jewelry

Peel Pals Angels Holiday Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays, our new Peel Pals™ Angels are here! We’re so excited to be offering this amazing product; a perfect gift for the most wonderful time of year! 

Hope For Women’s Peel Pals™ Angels are created using 100% recycled orange peel gathered from Colombia’s thriving street juice vendors; and represents the best of combining Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly. Handcrafted by Colombian women artisans, each Angel is made from recycled orange peels, jute and wood. There are four Angels to grant special wishes for you or to share with someone close to you.

To celebrate the start of the holidays Hope For Women is doing a…

Peel Pal Angels™ GIVEAWAY!

Here are the rules:

1. ‘Like’ Hope For Women on our Facebook page (here) and look for our post about the Peel Pals Angels Holiday Giveaway. (If you’d like, you can also follow us on Twitter!)

2. In the comment section of that post (posted on November 21), just say hi or tell us which Peel Pals Angels™ you like the most.

3. You’re entered! We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, November  23 and the FREE Peel Pals Angels™ will be mailed shortly after!

Anyone in the U.S. or Canada can enter, so go to our Facebook, check out our Peel Pals Angels™ page on our website, pick out your favorite, and tell your friends to do the same! Happy Holidays everyone!

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade Products, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Orange Peel, Peel Pals, Peel Pals Angels

It’s here! My Top 10 Favorite Fair Trade Gift Ideas

I searched high and low looking for awesome Fair Trade holiday gifts for my notoriously picky fam and friends this year. What did I find?.. So much good stuff! In fact, I was completely overwhelmed with how many amazing and unique Fair Trade gifts are out there, ranging from cinnamon sticks to sea sponges, which in turn inspired me to compile a list of some of my personal favorites for you to enjoy.

1. Coconut Soap - $4.50 Totally affordable and the perfect stocking stuffer size. Plus, just imagine how awesome you will smell…

2. Recycled Foil Wrapper Clutch Bag – $39.99 Super colorful and super creative. Great for keeping your sacred cellular safe.

3. Hand-Carved Kenyan Salad Tongs – $14.99 Absolutely beautiful. The perfect addition to any table setting. 

4. Swinging Leg Cat Pencil – $5.00 Okay, so my love for cats might make me a little biased on this one, but I couldn’t resist. Cute, affordable, and the perfect stocking stuffer.

5. Organic Breakfast Crate – $39.95 Pancakes, maple syrup and Green Mountain Coffee, anyone? Deliciousness in a basket.

6. Medium Clunky Colorful Telephone Bracelet – $18.99 So cool. Brighten up any bland outfit with these essential funky accessories.

7. Farm Story Finger Puppets – $19.50 One of the cutest things I have ever laid eyes on. The perfect playful present for all you creative kids out there. 

8. Dark Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels – $5.00 Who wouldn’t want to wake up Christmas morning to a handful of these delectable treats?

9. Recycled Sheet Metal Star Ornament – $3.00 These little guys come in all sorts of fun colors and adds that extra little sparkle to your tree.

10. Tagua Layered Slice Earrings – $23.95 These have always been one of my favorites from the Hope for Women tagua collection. A perfect gift for any and all occasions.

Compiled by Sarah VanNostrand – Hope For Women All-Star Intern

Tags: Colombia, eco-friendly, Evan Goldsmith, Fair Trade, fair trade artisans, Fair Trade Cards, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade jewelery, Fair Trade Products, Hope For Women, hope for women products, Tagua Jewelry

Hope For Women is heading to New Orleans to join hundreds of salons at Serious Business this weekend

This weekend you can find our Hope For Women founder, Evan Goldsmith, at Serious Business in New Orleans – a premiere event for salons and hair professionals.  We are currently working with hundreds of Aveda salons, and we will be showcasing some of our new salon-specific products, including our new, amazing Fair Trade, eco-friendly ReStyle™ Salon Pro Stylist Bag made using recycled tire tubes!

            Scott Buchanan, a globally recognized hair professional from Scott J. Aveda salonspas loves his Stylist Bags and had this to say, “This is a perfect bag for salon professionals – it is durable, holds everything I need and looks fantastic

ReStyle™ Salon Pro Stylist Bag

too. And it feels great knowing that each ReStyle™  Salon Pro Stylist Bag is handcrafted using recycled tire tubes by women artisans in Bogota, Colombia.  I love it!”  This bag has been developed directly with salon professionals to safely and stylishly transport their tools – AND WE ARE GIVING ONE STYLIST BAG AWAY FOR FREE AT SERIOUS BUSINESS! If you are headed to Serious Business this weekend make sure you come to our table to say “hi” and drop off your business card so you can be entered to win a Salon Pro Stylist Bag.

ReStyle bracelet

We aren’t just doing one giveaway though! If you are at Serious Business and want to win one of our cool ReStyle bracelets all you need to do is tag us in your Facebook status or tweet at us @HopeForWomen. The 10^th, 30^th, and 50^thperson to tag Hope For Women or tweet at us will win a ReStyle Bracelet. The winners will be contacted Sunday night so they can pick up their new Restyle Bracelet Monday the 23^rd at the Hope For Women table. 

            At Serious Business we will also have our great Salon Pro Cosmetic Bags and our Salon Pro Travel/Dopp kit. These cosmetic bags are for men or women, and they are made from recycled tire tubes with several different color accents to match anyone’s style. Come by and tell Evan what you think of them! 

Tagua hair accessories

              Our brand new Tagua hair accessories are in and are sure to be a crowd pleaser in New Orleansthis weekend. Dress up your naked pony tail with four different styles of tagua hair accessories – each style comes in six different colors to ensure you have a hair accessory for every outfit. These are handmade by women artisans in Bogota using sustainably harvested tagua from Colombia’s rainforests. Each tagua nut is made individually so you know you’re getting a one of a kind piece. You can find out more information by visiting our table at the Serious Business event or by clicking the Salons tab on our webpage.

Tags: Aveda, Aveda products, El Salvador, Evan Goldsmith, Facebook fair trade, Fair Trade, Fair trade Tagua, hope for women products, Serious Business, Tagua Jewelry