It's World Fair Trade Day!

The semester is ending and therefore posting has been severely lacking...so sorry. BUT I had to make time since it is a holiday...World Fair Trade Day! I can't believe it's been over four months since the challenge started. I'm happily running in my fair trade tennis shoes. I have to buy one of those science fair boards...where to buy fair trade? I'll at least try to get it from a local store. With summer less than a week away, I am wondering how I will have to approach this season differently. I have a swimsuit. I don't need flip flops. I am wondering what the first obstacle will be. With our garden in full bloom and our chickens growing, we are the closest we've ever been to eating completely local. I hope you are enjoying the weather and are thinking about what fair trade means to you this summer.

In honor of my friend getting her own place and looking for things like this:

http://www.shopequita.com/hbh4729.htm

Fair Trade is Sweet

I can't believe I've been doing this for three and a half months and I've yet to mention chocolate! This probably should have been a valentine's day topic but it's never too late to talk sweets. Chocolate is one of the biggest things that should be bought fair trade. Its conventional counterpart is known for slavery, child labor, chemicals and unsustainable forest care. There are plenty of other options out there so you don't have to give it up! Whole foods has "M & Ms" that are not only made with fair trade chocolate, but also natural dye coloring. Newman's Own has "Reeses" and "Peppermint Patties". There's many a chocolate bar out there with dozens of different flavor accents to choose from. Endangered Species is my favorite. It's the most economical that I can find and some of the profits go to the rain forests. You get to support two causes with one purchases. Larabars are also good because they have a candy bar like texture.

Happy Eating!

Here's a candy site to peruse: http://sweetearthchocolates.com/

Digging my grass, which is unfortunately greener on my side

Last week was so gorgeous out that I decided to plant my garden. It took a lot of hard work, blisters and sunburns to get it done, but I'm so anticipating the end result ( I hope there is one!). I have the utmost respect for farmers. This was just a 10 ft X 10 ft corner of my yard. Those farmers have one heck of a job. It made me realize how important it really is for those who farm to get fair wages. I couldn't imagine doing that one day of digging, day in and day out for 15 hours, everyday, and for nothing, or hardly anything at all. Hopefully by contributing to my own food supply and freeing up some good organic food for others, I can help sustain myself and my community.
For Easter my brother and I bought two baby hens and a duckling from Soulard market. They are absolutely adorable! They are to stay inside for six weeks and then we will build a little coupe for them outside. We are feeding them non-GMO corn and organic soybeans. It's amazing how much of a different perspective we have on food now. It was already a sustainable one, but now that we've been taking care of little Thelma, Louise and Hubert, we realize that if they were treated unfairly how horrible that would be. Even for the meat eaters, it's important to know that the animal was given the best life possible before it met it's doom :(

Keep on Keepin' On!

After MONTHS of looking for fair trade running shoes I finally found a company! Brooks Shoes! Here is the pair I'm ordering. Hopefully they fit!

http://www.brooksrunning.com/product/1200641B/123212

Also, here's a guide to help you find products that are "Sweat-free"

http://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/sweatshops/sweatfreeproducts.cfm

Religion as it Applies to Fair Trade

Inspired by the warm weather I decided to clean out my closet and also bring out the summer clothes. I was able to give away about twenty articles with the rule "haven't worn in a year, make it disappear". It feels good to know I'm donating to the same store I buy my clothes from second hand. Even though I pay for the clothes, I feel like I should help stock it. I've learned that hoarding things and clothes you don't use even if you think you will (you won't), just makes you carry the burden of consumerism even more. We're all here to share after all.
A friend of mine and I decided that we would start going back to our catholic roots and go to church during lent. We've been hitting up different churches around St. Louis and then finding local breakfast eateries for afterwards. I'm going to make a hybrid religion between the spirituality, meditation and nature of Buddhism and the traditions I accept from Catholicism. Going without religion/spirituality was causing me to lose my way a little bit. That's a long post I don't have time for though. I am coming to like the Old Cathedral the best; the pastor is good at making homilies relate. This week he talked about not seeing the whole holy week thing as guilt, but as a journey in our own lives to look at what sustains us. It caused me to think about how Americans think they desperately need stuff to sustain them. The priest also mentioned all the ads that have been on TV during the March Madness tourney that say, this product will change your life, this one will make you so happy. I thought it was interesting how his topic of the homily was a post I had written earlier. I've been reflecting on what sustains me, maybe you will try too?
I was watching this movie about the Amish people. Here's a group that are completely different than your typical Americans. They reject all things modern and live simply. Sometimes this lifestyle looks super appealing to me because honestly, living fair and realizing what is really important in life can be hard with so many distractions. I don't know if I could completely give up everything though. So the question is, how do you find balance? How do you become a simple American? I think in the past year I have been well on my way, but that doesn't discount the frustrations of living in the middle of Mega Marts and Super Malls and Super Duper Restaurants. I love the business of the city, the occasional bad movie on T.V. and browsing the internet. I wish it could be black and white so that I could turn off all the stimuli that isn't good for my simple lifestyle, but alas, it's not an easy feat.

Product of the day: Super comfy pants. These pants are only available in a XXl. But still, they look delicious to crawl up in after a long day.
http://worldofgood.ebay.com/Deep-Red-Heavy-Cotton-XXL-Super-Large-Fisherman-Pants/200423298143/item

Restaurants/Farm Animals/Shoes

Hi folks!

It's been awhile, so sorry. School is really picking up and unfortunately that means my blog is not. I have some cool stuff to chat about with you though.

So I've been trying to incorporate another facet into this whole fair trade thing. Restaurants. I've been trying not to eat at chains and only local restaurants. So far everything I've tried is delicious. I think we gather at chains because it's a label that usually guarantees the same quality all the time. I dare you to venture out though. I've eaten at an Afghanistan, Thai and Indian place so far and they are all ethnic cuisines I can get behind. At all places I was with the only group there. I thought about how many chains were probably booming with business and it saddened me. Make local your cause and I promise you'll feel good about a new taste and supporting someone's livelihood!

The family and I are trying to acquire a goat, two chickens, and a duck, and yes, we live in the city. We have a good sized yard and my brother really wants to have a connection with what we eat. This fifteen-year-old is so wise behind his years. We're working out the logistics and hopefully will have a mini farm soon! It doesn't get any fairer trade than that.

My mom has decided to treat me to some new running shoes. Even though I'm not buying them, I feel bad about supporting this particular shoe industry because I know what's behind the veil. I have looked and looked and I can't find fair trade tennis shoes. I really hope this is my last pair and that I will be able to find something before the next running season.

The product of the day is an idea. One father decided it was time to promote fair trade and sustainability at school fundraisers instead of the unhealthy and monotonous candy idea.http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/blogs/fresh-fit/2010/03/17/school-fundraising-for-the-greater-good/

Apologies

So sorry for the lack of posts! I was waiting for a few days to come up with something good to post about but it turned into a couple of weeks. However I do have substantial topics today.

First of all, I'm realizing there's some things that I may have to break the bond for. Pens and Pencils. I'm trying to rummage through my house to find what I need but at some point I will run out. I may have to go conventional there but I'm going to try and find some sustainable alternatives. I know there's recycled pencils. Research needed.

I have my lover's birthday and a wedding coming up in the spring and I'm thinking about gifts. I know there are usually registers and what not but I don't think any of them will be fair trade. I need to find something useful to make them or try and find a fair trade gift applicable to a new couple. For my boy, I don't know what will be suffice. It's hard enough to think of a conventional gift, let alone a fair trade one that he'll enjoy.

I need to buy new insoles for my shoes. I ran a marathon this past year and insoles were my savior. I also will need to buy new shoes altogether, but those absolutely need to be fair trade. Nike. 'nuff said.

Today's link is to a fair trade store having a 15% off sale celebrating their first year of business.

http://www.thefairtradestore.co.uk/emarketing/

No Generation Gap Here..

Hey Everyone! My computer networking has lacked with my lack of time. I am doing my practicum at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse, where retired sisters live. It's a beautiful establishment and the sisters are all so great. They buy fair trade coffee and tea. They are very green. Everyone has to bring their own cloth napkin if they want one. They are working on getting a compost too. I think we tend to right off advocating for change to the younger generation. I'm very impressed with their desire to be fair. It's been over a month in the challenge and I really am starting to appreciate the people I am supporting. Not being able to buy whatever I want is "hard", but so is living a life in almost slavery. It will be tough to live out the rest of the year, but I feel it will be worth it.

Shoes! http://www.poptheshop.com/servlet/the-677/The-Peoples-Shoe-Brand/Detail