Fair Trade Friday…

Pastel Toys are “special toys made by special people” in Kishorit, a kibbutz-like, non-denominational, non-profit community location in Western Galilee. 120 developmentally disabled adults live and work in a friendly and supportive village here, growing organic vegetables and creating these high quality collectible toys.

They’re created from all natural materials that meet the quality and safety standards of the Israeli Standard Institute. The pastel colors are made with lead-free, water-based paints “create a calm and relaxed mood where a child’s imagination can flourish”. Converted from blocks of wood by hand, all of them have moving wheels. All kids love that, no matter where in the world they play with them.

The Gap recently started selling these toys too, which I thought was very interesting. However, the resale prices at Wild Dill are lower for us as consumers- they start at $24.00.

I’m excited because I just discovered another great BPA-free product for kids (okay, and adults too)! Summertime is here, and what goes with sunshine, barbecues, and wading pools better than refreshing popsicles? (That sounds especially nice to me right now, with 90 degree weather this week…ugh!)

With these popsicle molds from The Land of Nod you can make your own popsicles right at home and choose exactly what ingredients go inside. So if you don’t want your kids overloading on corn syrup, artificial flavors & colors, then try using homemade juice or smoothie in the molds. You could get really creative with what you “sneak” inside, if need be.

I also love that you can choose a shape - my favorite are the rockets. There’s also “green star” or “yellow groovy”, and they all have the added feature of no-drip holders and plastic insulated sleeves so kids can set them down or take their time. Everything is dishwasher safe, too. And if you really like these, they also have ice cream sandwich molds! Yum…

$10.95 for a set of 6 at The Land of Nod

Yes, they do! Many companies - including Origins, Burt’s Bees, and Herban Cowboy - offer natural and even organic lines of skincare for men, because I’m sure even they worry from time to time about all the chemcials they slather on…right? Plus I’ve always liked the idea of giving grooming and skincare products as gifts because they’re usually something he wouldn’t buy for himself, and will make him stop complaining about the burning of his aftershave or make him smell better. So it’s a win-win.

Here are some of one of my personal favorite Herban Cowboy’s great things:

Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy makes a Dusk Deodorant is “the manly deodorant that actually works!”. It’s supposed to be the best natural deodorants on the market, (for men or women). If you’ve ever tried to switch to a natural deodorant, you’ll appreciate this huge accomplishment. It’s free of aluminum (the effective ingredient in conventional deodorant/antiperspirants), alcohol, and artificial colors, and is also vegan, cruelty-free and sweatshop-free. All of their products’ packaging is made from recycled plastic, too.

Be sure to check out their other great “manly” stuff like organic cologne (pictured above), shave & aftershave cremes, and milled soap bars.

All available at Drugstore.com, starting at $5.39.

BabySoy is an innovative baby clothing company that uses sustainable soybean fiber, the excess from tofu production, to make healthy, soft, and modern baby apparel.

Soybean fiber is ingenious for this use for many reasons: it’s eco-friendly, has a super-soft almost cashmere feel (similar to bamboo clothing), has excellent warmth retention, and is also breathable, allowing great moisture transmission. Just imagine how much better than synthetics it must feel against a baby’s delicate skin.

In addition to these great qualities, BabySoy is also a fair trade company whose products are “fairly made in China.” Most garments are 50% soybean fiber & 50% cotton, their onesies are made with nickel-free snaps, and all of the garments are machine washable and easy to care for. Oh yeah, and also affordable. I’ve seen most cotton/cotton blend baby clothes priced higher than these!

BabySoy’s onesies, shirts, pants, kimono one-pieces, and hoodies are available at Wild Dill.

Prices start at $11.00

It’s Fair Trade Friday!

I can’t get enough of creative recycled products. Now more than ever it seems like there’s a vast amount being created every day, and when it comes to fair trade ones, you just can’t go wrong.

Here’s a few more I just love that I want to share…

Recycled Can Wallets
One of these would make a great gift for the man in your life. (Don’t forget Father’s Day is just a few weeks away.) It’s hip, one-of-a-kind, and would ensure he always has an excellent conversation piece on hand.
Purchased during a Global Exchange direct buying trip to Thailand, these wallets were made by a young couple living in Chiang Mai. Each one is handmade from local cans in the region. Sales directly contribute to their livelihood and improved standard of living. Choose from Thai Coca-Cola can, Singha beer, or Chang beer. ($20.00 each from GlobalExchange.com)

The Global Exchange Online Store also carries these great messenger bags- which I think would make awesome diaper bags. They’re handmade in Cambodia out of extremely durable feed bags and lined in cotton. Each bag features one main zippered compartment,2 smaller zippered compartments, a key ring, pen holders, and an adjustable cotton strap. It’sl arge enough to carry a laptop, books, the contents of your purse, or even a passel of kid supplies.

And don’t forget the most important feature of the bags- they’re fair trade. These particular bags were introduced to the U.S. through a Fair Trade business that employs landmine victims and polio afflicted women in Cambodia. Remember every purchase helps them earn a fair wage and make a living creating these products. ($49.95 each.)

Another great recycled gem made by the same Cambodian women’s group are their cell phone holders. Called “practically perfect cell phone holders”, they’re also made from recycled feed bags, lined with durable cotton, and have a velcro closure. Each holder has a snap piece that can be attached to any belt, bag, or purse, and obviously is one of a kind, since no two come out exactly the same. ($18.95 each.)

All items available at the Global Exchange Online Store. Recycled gift wrapping is also offered for $3.95. A free gift card accompanies each item that tells about it’s origin and unique story.