Mommy Greenest Approved: GlobeIn Subscription Box
Subscription boxes are ridiculously popular right now. You can get them for baby, beauty—even shoes! But the new subscription box from GlobeIn does more than just save you money and score a special surprise delivered each month. GlobeIn’s Artisan Box supports fair trade projects around the globe. Want in? I’m giving away a free box to three lucky winners!
Fair Trade Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
Last year I celebrated Valentine’s Day by asking you to boycott Hershey’s, which is working towards 100% third-party certified production in Africa—a step that would eliminate once and for all accusations of child labor, forced labor, child trafficking and verbal, physical and sexual harassment that have plagued America’s biggest chocolate manufacturer for years. This year, I’m going one step further: Will you join me in putting your love money to work with fair trade Valentine’s Day gifts?
Mommy Greenest 2014 Eco Fashion Holiday Gift Guide
From vegan to organic, fair trade to upcycled, here are just a few eco fashion goodies that are on my list this holiday season.
Mommy Greenest Approved: PACT Hot Yoga Gear
I do hot yoga about three times a week—hot not because the room is heated, but because I sweat. A lot. And although I admire the fancy patterned pants on my hot yoga studio friends, I tended to stick to the boring-yet-utilitarian uniform of black leggings and extra-long men’s ribbed tank top. But I just discovered a new line that’s inspired me to upgrade my look for hot yoga—and life. PACT just launched a collection of fair trade certified (no fast fashion here) camis and leggings crafted from super-soft organic cotton. The styles are perfect for daily, gym and yoga wear and best of all they’re totally affordable—and even available…
Mommy Greenest Approved: Fair Trade Alaffia Africa’s Secret
I’ve been a huge Alaffia fan for years, ever since I discovered their Everyday Shea Moisturizing Shampoo made with certified fair trade shea butter. After using it for a few months, even my hairdresser commented on how much thicker my hair felt and looked. Since I have hated my fine, limp hair since I could pick up a curling iron—and watch as the curls fell out after 15 minutes—this was enough to sell me on the shampoo for life. I am also a total vanilla junkie—check out my DIY perfume experience as evidence—and became totally hooked on Alaffia’s super light yet totally moisturizing fair trade Everyday Shea Moisturizing Body Lotion…
Boycott Hershey Update
After nearly 400 Mommy Greenest readers signed a petition urging Hershey to speed up its goals of certifying cocoa production and eliminating child slavery, the company responded quickly. I called Hershey yesterday, expecting to confirm receipt of the petition, which I had mailed less than two weeks ago. But within a few hours of leaving a message for CEO John Bilbrey, I received a lengthy email from their consumer relations department, which shared some things I didn’t know about the chocolate behemoth. Let me tell you, I was surprised.
Boycott Hershey’s
Recently, Hershey’s responded to a child labor lawsuit and pressure from human rights groups by committing to 100% third-party certified production in Africa, where it sources the majority of its cocoa. The certification should eliminate many claims of child labor, forced labor, child trafficking and verbal, physical and sexual harassment that have plagued America’s biggest chocolate manufacturer. But there’s one problem with this objective: It’s not set to take effect until 2020. With an estimated 1.8 million children currently forced to labor on cocoa farms in West Africa, more than 10 million children will be affected over the next six years. I think that’s too slow, don’t you? With Valentine’s Day right around…
Mommy Greenest Approved: Modavanti
You can do the right thing and look good doing it. That idea was the reason I started writing about eco fashion in the first place. Because back in 2006, nobody was talking about the fact that cotton production eats up more insecticides per year than any other crop, our addiction to fast fashion devastates third-world countries, or that upcycling—through thrifting or swapping—your clothing could actually be fun. We wanted what we wanted—fast, cheap and delivered to our doorsteps. But something happened over the past seven years: We woke up to the realization that our choices really do have an impact. Simultaneously, we realized that there were eco fashion labels…
