Eco News

Happy Earth Day, Earth! Thanks again for letting us hitch a ride around the Sun.  Fun fact: Did you know that 20 million people celebrated the first Earth Day, and now 1 BILLION people celebrate it in more than 192 countries?

 

 

Earth Day shouldn’t just be one day in your calendar- thinking about this little blue & green planet of ours should be an everyday occurrence! So how do we celebrate Earth Day(s)? By keeping water & energy use down, cycling and using public transportation as much as possible, not to mention shopping for eco-friendly & fair trade items throughout the year!

 

 

Fair trade not only cares for people, it cares for the planet. Did you know environmental standards for fair trade are some of the strictest in the industry? They are! Lots of artisans reuse, reclaim & recycle materials as much as possible, because fair trade encourages sustainable practices. Plus it helps with community development like reforestation, water conservation, environmental education and organic certification.  This not only makes for beautifully creative products, but a beautiful planet as well.

 

 

Honestly, there are so many small changes we can make to preserve our planet. Even little changes in habits have a positive impact on real people, animals and our local spaces.  So the next time you shut off the lights in your house, grab that re-usable shopping bag & water bottle before hopping on your bike, remember that buying fair trade items are just one more step to respecting our planet.  We can make a serious difference in our beautiful world! ♥

Ahhh, Spring. You bring a sigh of relief and a warm fuzzy feeling to our very being.

Here in Chicago, spring has been making itself known. The tulips are in bloom and the sun has been shining, all inspiring us here at Greenheart to celebrate (given, we are a rather joyous bunch)

Having recently purchased some very adorable recycled sundresses as well as some spring themed home goods, we thought a brunch party was they way to go!

Check out some images of our delicious spread below:

Our tasty brunch from milk and honey, in our franjipani spring enamel ware. That blur in the background is our director of ecommerce, Kimberly.

Tin filled with some fragrant Cinnamon sticks... perfect for soaking in chai! (checkout our recipe below)

Kimberly sporting her new recycled fair trade sundress and  pouring from our fancy lead free hand painted jug

Laura, our operations manager and resident rain man..she is a whiz at numbers. She also looks pretty awesome wearing our Andean Collection necklace.

Greenhearts from scratch hot chai  recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup Half & Half (or non dairy alternative)

1 full teaspoon black tea

1 pod cardamom

2 pea sized pieces of fresh ginger (mulched)

1-2 big size whole black pepper

1/8  cinnamon stick

Instructions:

On a hard piece of paper or cutting board, crush all of the spices together. You can do this in advance and store in an airtight tin or container... although I prefer to make fresh and soak in my milk/water mixture in advance.

Add spices & tea and bring milk and water to a boil for approximately 15 minutes, stirring consistently.

Strain and serve, add honey to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Author & Photos: Sarah Griffis

Gracefully hand painted by fair trade artisans in Kashmir, on CAT 65 certified aluminum with lead free paint, our jugs are something we take great pride in.

They gleam and they glow, they come in an array of floral design, and hey, they just look darn cute in our kitchens. (Mine is shown below)

Use them as a vase for flowers, or as a Sangria pitcher for those balmy summer shindigs.

Above: Fleur Hand Painted Jug

Check out our colorful assortments HERE

Author: Sarah Griffis

Here at Greenheart, we love fair trade. More than love it- we eat, wear, and sleep fair trade. Needless to say, supporting safe working conditions, education, and paying a living wage is something we deeply believe in and support.

But you know what is even better than fair trade? More fair trade... the kind that uses 100% recycled materials, gives 10% back to women's education in developing nations, and has killer creative style.

The above perfectly describes our new vendor - Liz Alig. We are head over heels for her 1950's vintage designs and innovative uses of recycled materials.

One on my personal favorites is her open back, pleated sundress (with pockets) made from recycled Ghana flour sacks. The dresses are hand dyed in (using only natural sources) in a lovely light sage or rose color.

From the colorful mismatched buttons, to the breezy, heat absorbing up-cycled materials - this dress was love at first sight.

Shown above in sage.

Author: Sarah Griffis

The sun is shinning, a cool breeze blows, and seagulls croon in the distance.

How wonderful it would be if this was all happening on a tropical beach paradise and not the city streets of Chicago.

If only the shining sun meant warm sand, not steamy sidewalks, the breeze brought tropical scents, not empty chip bags, and the seagulls were not not the trash heap circling fiends we have here.

However, do not despair my similarly  land locked friends!

The daffodils are peeping their way through the soil, and spring is nudging it's way into our hearts. Even in the city, the season tells us is time for the age old, much loved tradition of dusting of our sandals and making our way out of hibernation to purchase a new deliciously cool cotton sundress.

Preferably one with pockets.

Below are a few of my favorites from Mata Traders...

All of the above are 100% woven fair-trade cotton, use natural dyes, and have hand block printed and/or hand stitched details.

Shop these and more here

Author: Sarah Griffis.

It is no secret that most women wish their homes (and closets) could be pulled directly from the pages of an Anthropologie catalog.

I shamelessly admit that I have harbored the desire since I first stumbled in as a teenager... greedily eying the ruffled pillowcases and dishes covered in screen printed rabbits.

Even now, with a tightening budget and growing conviction in production ethics, I sigh with longing when I receive their colorful emails.

Luckily, I have access to an equally awesome store where I have learned to find similar items that are both budget conscious and ethical.

Check out these jewelry trend comparisons:

Colorful Statement Necklaces:

Sunburst Necklaces:

Brass and Turquoise:

Shop these and other eclectic budget friendly looks here at Greenheart

Author: Sarah Griffis

Today, we got a surprise, and oh what a wonderful surprise it was.... our NEW hand painted floral enamelware from Kashmir arrived two weeks earlier than expected!!!

I use an over abundance of '!' just to emphasis how unbelievably excited we are to have these beauties in our possession. For months we have been drooling over them (and I have been plotting to fill my kitchen with spring flowers nestled in these brightly colored jugs)

Hope you are as in love as we are. Made with CAT 65 certified stainless steel, and toxin free paint.

Here is a challenge for you: Two Jute Rugs, very close in size. A 113.05 price difference. Can you, my very smart readers, figure it out?

Ex. 1 -  Diamond Jute Rug 4x6

Ex. 2. Stripe Jute rug 5x8

Of the two rugs, only one is made at a fair-trade certified wage: the cheaper of the two. But, being so smart, you probably knew this was a trick from the get go.

The second rug (stripe jute) is from West Elm, and is $279.00.

The first rug, (diamond jute) is made for a fair wage by artisans in India, through Nkuku and is $165.95.

While the stripe rug is a little larger in size (don't think I am trying to pull a fast one on you), the intricacy of the pattern and colorful options is why the diamond jute rug is an all around steal for size and quality.

The hand woven rug industry is one of the worst in the business for implementing illegal child labor. On average, children of the ages 4 to 14 are kidnapped or sold and forced to work as many as 18 hours a day to weave rugs destined for export markets such as the US.

So, next time your in the market for a rug, why not throw a little ethics into the mix? It will not hurt your wallet as much as you might think.

You can check out all of Greenheart's fair trade rugs here: Fair-Trade Rugs

Author: Sarah Griffis