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 

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

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.

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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

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

            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.

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

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!

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.