Pop in to the Fair Trade POPup

It's Fair Trade Fortnight again! From 3rd to 19th May. Fair Trade Fortnight showcases fairly traded products from around the world. This year, as part of the range of events happening around Australia, you can visit The Fair Trade POPup Shop in Paddington.

The Fair Trade POPup Shop at 394 Oxford St, Paddington, will be open from 4th – 19th May. Far more than just tea and coffee, you will find beautiful clothing, accessories and gifts - you'll be sure to find something for your Mum for Mother's Day. It's a great way to see a great selection of Fair Trade, quality items, all in one place.

Join the fun and come along and support these businesses that are doing such a great job. They not only source beautiful, unique items from all over the world. In doing so, they support producers, allowing fair access to markets, wage justice and support environmental standards. I've included a full list of of the businesses participating below. 

Many of these businesses I have written about, and have purchased items from myself. I can vouch for the quality of the items, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But most of all, I can vouch for the passion behind these businesses. Great people focused on doing great things.

Enjoy!

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Fair Trade Gifts for under $100, $50 and $25

Want to give something really Good this Christmas? Friends and family will love these fantastic Fair Trade gifts, and you can feel great knowing a percentage of everything you spend goes back to support the communities that make them.


Under $100

Men's Alpaca Jumper - $95.00

This beautiful Alpaca wool blend Men's jumper is from Ethica Accessories. Ethica Accessories supports marginalised and impoverished women in Peru.

Hand Woven Rug - $95.00

These plush, hand-hooked cotton rugs from Carpets for Communities are made from cotton t-shirt off-cuts, used hessian rice sacks and cotton thread. Carpets for Communities empowers mothers from the Poipet, Cambodia to earn an income, helping these mothers and their families to escape poverty.

Hand Knitted Elephant (Large) - $70.00

This adorable great big knitted elephant is made using locally spun wool by the women of Kenana Knitters. give these wild African animals a new look with their clever knitting skills.

Under $50

Orangutan Project Thongs - $27.50

Thongs that not only look good but do good. Made from a blend of natural and recycled rubber, Etiko also pays a fair trade premium to the workers involved in production. The purchase of these thongs also helps fund a project to save the Orangutans.

Banana Leaf Basket - $45.00

What better to hold your fruit than a basket made from banana leaves? These traditional baskets are hand-woven by basket weavers in the Kind Mother’s Project in Uganda, supported by Afribeads. They are made in a traditional way from raffia palm tightly woven around a core of banana leaf stem.

Cricket Ball - $27.50

Its summer - which means its time for cricket. The world’s first certified Fairtrade cricket ball from Etiko is suitable for both club and school level matches.

Under $25

Wallet - $20.00

This wallet from AWARE is a stylish solution to an environmental waste issue. Each wallet is made from recycled inner tubes and coffee sacks.

Elephant Dung Notebook - $20.00

Yes - that's right. These cute notebooks are made from elephant dung paper, by Import Ants. Great stocking fillers, or as a gift for the teacher.

Mr Soft-a-Saurus - $24.95

From The Little Sparrow, 100% Cotton, I'm hand knitted in Nepal and ready for some exploring!

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Vote Now! Help Carpets for Communities achieve their Sun Super Dream.

Remember Carpets for Communities? Carpets for Communities helps Cambodian mothers to produce fair trade, hand-made, eco-friendly carpets, so they can establish their own independent micro-business. They need your help to win $5000 AUD - all you need to do is vote for them in Sun Super Dreams.

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Five Easy Ways to Celebrate World Trade Day

Tomorrow, Saturday 12th May, is World Fair Trade Day. World Fair Trade Day is one day a year when the World Fair Trade Organisation asks us to join together and support those who are less fortunate than us, by supporting Fair Trade. 

Here are five ways to support those less fortunate than you, without even breaking your stride.


1. Make your Saturday morning tea or coffee a one with a Fairtrade label.

2. Buy some Fairtrade chocolate whilst doing your grocery shopping.

3. When you go for brunch, or lunch, or afternoon tea at your local cafe, ask them if they use Fairtrade coffee.

4. Follow the World Fair Trade Organisation on Twitter @WFTO

5. Feel great about what you’ve done, and celebrate by listening to this wonderful story of how Fair Trade has impacted suppliers lives.

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I Bought a Prius

Yep, I've done it. I bought a Prius.

Well a Prius C to be exact. Toyota finally came out with a small hatchback hybrid. I bought a cute aqua one - well I don't actually have it yet, it's arriving in June - but when I do it will look like this:

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