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I am always in search of a good bargain. When entering into a clothes store to shop, I don’t even glance at the displays in the front; instead, I make a beeline to the back of the store where the bright orange “clearance” signs exist. There’s nothing better than finding a shirt that was originally priced at $35 and is now marked at $5. I mean, you don’t even have to like it for that price, right? My bargain-hunting skills also transfer to grocery shopping. While at the superma …

Earth Day is right around the corner and the mantra reduce,reuse and recycle is getting louder. I’m so glad there’s a day for thinking about the planet because I have to be honest that it’s hard to think about it all of the time. But, having this day marked off to check in with myself and my lifestyle really helps prepare me for a greener year ahead. There are so many terms out there that have to do with eco-friendly living that it’s hard to know what they all real …

Purchase Fair Trade Coffee, Tea, Sugar, and Cocoa: When conventionally purchased, these popular food items are often grown in “sweatshops in the fields.”  Buying them Fair Trade Certified™ means that farmers are being paid a fair wage and communities are being supported. Purchase Fair Trade clothes – from t-shirts, to shoes to dresses, there is beautiful Fair Trade clothing from all over the world made by artisans who are paid a living wage. Buy Fair Tr …

Fair Trade helps disenfranchised workers.The $25 shirt with Fair trade certification was sewn by a man or woman working in a co-operative or in their home. It could be in any of the countries mentioned above. The co-ops are usually in the villages where they live. Their children go to school wearing uniforms that they were able to purchase with their fair and regular wages. Women are empowered to make decisions. They often work in open air facilities and select leaders from their peers. They are …

October is fair trade month. Fair Trade. You've heard it before... The expensive coffee, the special chocolate that only some stores carry and that flowy skirt your hipster cousin was wearing the last time you saw her. But what does fair trade actually mean and what can you do about it?  It's more than charity. It's more than buying an expensive item. It's justice. The alpaca farmer, the knitter, the potter or the flute maker. Every fair trade purchase helps another person earn a fair wage …