Events

Hello sweet darlings! We're seriously excited to celebrate World Fair Trade Day this Saturday, May 11th!

 

 

As you probably know, Greenheart follows the guiding principles of "Fair Trade". Fair Trade ensures that the artisans making our products are paid fair living wages, and  "eco" signifies that our products are made using the most sustainable materials and methods whenever possible. At Greenheart, we are both "Fair to producers, and good to the Earth".

 

 

But did you know there's literally hundreds of events going on in the US (& across the globe in over 70 countries) all week to celebrate Fair Trade's fight against poverty & climate change, and to fight for economic & human rights?

 

In our hometown of Chicago (ahem, the largest fair trade city in North America), Greenheart will be at Daley Plaza this Tuesday, May 7th and Wednesday, May 8th to celebrate the World Fair Trade Day Festival!!  Join us, and 20 other fair trade vendors selling products that protect the environment and pay producers a living wage. Plus Emanuel Kuntzelman, Greenheart's President, will be the Emcee at noon on Wednesday to chat about sustainability & fair trade! Perfect lunchtime food for thought!

 

 

Not to mention that we're also hosting free, interactive trivia games about fair trade! Eat your heart out Alex Trebek.

 

 

-Tuesday May 7^th from 11am to Noon: Test your knowledge with our “What is Fair Trade?” game. Get ready to crush the competition with general fair trade knowledge.

-Wednesday, May 8^th from 11am to Noon: Our “Where in the World is Fair Trade?” game, aka, “Where in the World is ‘Fair TraDiego?’” Test your might against others on world trivia.

-Wednesday, May 8^th from 1pm to 2pm:  “Trash to Treasures“, a hands on trivia activity using recycled materials. Crafting & upcycling? Yes please!

Check out the full schedule here via Chicago Fair Trade! Can't wait to see all your faces this week! ♥

While our mission here at Greenheart is to empower people around the world, we also do our best to find a way to give back to our local community! With that in mind, we found Zealous Good - an organization that makes it easy to connect people with items they'd like to donate to local charities in their area. Smart!

 

 

So yes, Zealous Good matches items to another organization's needs, but at the same time they reduce the cost and effort of getting goods to charities. They even have an iPhone app to make giving even easier!

We met with Brittany Martin Graunke (the founder and CEO) to brainstorm our partnership, and set up an easy way for you to pop into the shop to donate art supplies, clothing, toiletries, canned foods, school supplies and linens to different organizations each month. And (spoiler alert) we've devised a year's worth of monthly drives to support those in need. All you have to do is stop in and donate! (and get a percentage off of fair trade and eco-friendly items at the same time!)

 

 

This month's fabulous organization is New Moms, Inc. - the non-profit behind Bright Endeavors. And yes, Bright Endeavors candles and bath teas are proudly sold here! New Moms offers a loving space that provides safety and stability to youth that really need it, while also helping them learn career-readiness, parenting, life skills and literacy training. Their supportive housing program represents 78% of the beds in the City of Chicago for homeless pregnant and parenting adolescents. A-ma-zing!

 

 

Greenheart Shop couldn't be happier with our partnership and the local organizations we're supporting with our donation drives, and we hope you'll help join the fight! Here's to a 2013 filled with generous giving, warm love, and great finds! ♥

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

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.

Hello dear readership,

It's been a while (for which we dearly apologize). However, in our absence we have been very very productive to bring all sorts of new surprises to you (and who doesn't love surprises)

To name a few of our recent and upcoming projects : A green lifestyle photo shoot, An up and coming fair trade wedding registry, A new video series (featuring local stylist and bloggers), and our own soon to be released private line Sobremesa

We have made a promise to start sharing weekly updates, as well as a few extra tips and treats.

To make good on our promise, check out our first Look of the Week video, feature Stylist Katie Fazio, of Katie Keeps it Simple.

What type of videos would you like to see more of? Let us know!

We are also looking for participating bloggers to host videos, if you are interested, please contact us with ideas

Happy Monday,

GreenHeart

Author: Sarah Griffis, Greenheart Ecommerce

 

All are welcome at the Greenheart Shop for our celebration of the 100^th International Women’s Day. Join Greenheart as we talk about women’s rights around the world, focusing on several women’s empowerment projects in Africa through Greenheart Travel and how Greenheart Shop supports African women through sale of their fair trade products.

Join us for more information about Kenya’s Maasai community and the work we’re doing to support them! Greenheart Travel volunteers will share first-hand stories from their trip and conduct an authentic, Kenyan cooking class. Come and see how women around the world celebrate this amazing milestone and learn how fair trade improves the lives of women everywhere. Fair trade and organic chocolate and wine will be on hand – let’s celebrate!

International Women's Day event is at Greenheart Shop, 1911 W Division St. - Tuesday, March 8th - 5:30 - 7pm.

If you had any question about whether or not the holiday season was here, you don't have to wonder any more!  Greenheart will be doing 3 exciting events next week to kick off the holiday gift-giving season.

Dec. 4-5: Do-Division Holiday & Renegade Craft Fair

Saturday and Sunday mark the beginning of the Do-Division Holiday & Renegade Craft Fair. If you think rockin' festivals are just for summer, then you haven't done Division this holiday season!  Chicago jazz singer Typhanie Monique will be performing at Greenheart with Neal Alger on guitar from 3:30-5pm on Saturday afternoon & the fun won't stop until close on Sunday.

Hop on and off the Division Street Trolly offering FREE rides to & from the Renegade Craft Fair located at Pulaski Park.  This year, the large-scale DIY event will be kicking off right here in Chicago before heading to LA & San Francisco later this month.  Hundreds of independent artists from around the country will be featuring unique handmade items for purchase. There will also be crafting workshops/demonstrations, live entertainment, food/beverage options & much more.  Greenheart will be right in the middle of all the action so come in, warm up, and check out the new holiday items and staples alike!

Sat. Dec. 4th from 10 am to 7 pm

Sun. Dec. 5th from 11 am to 6 pm

Dec. 6: LADIES' NIGHT at Greenheart

Greenheart Ladies' Night is becoming an instant hit because we've got it all- fair trade wine tasting, mingling, fair trade shopping, eco-friendly makeup looks for the holidays from Karen Marie Aveda Salon, & FREE chair massages by Sandy from Synergy Bodywork Chicago!  This event is a favorite of our Greenheart friends so it's definitely a reason to grab your girls & check it out on Monday!

Mon. Dec. 6th from 5-8 pm

Dec. 7: Chicago Fair Trade Shopping Event

Are you already a Fair Trade expert, someone looking to learn more, or just want to get your holiday shopping done?  Well, on Tuesday night we're hosting an evening of shopping to support Chicago Fair Trade.  CFT is leading the charge of making Chicago a top Fair Trade city with plenty of information & opportunities to get involved. Enjoy drinks, snacks and socializing- It all contributes to our mission of increasing local awareness of fair trade advocacy & education.  Greenheart will also donate 10% of your purchase from the evening to Chicago Fair Trade so you've got double incentive to join us!

Tues. Dec. 7th from 5-8 pm

We've got a lot going on at the Greenheart Shop & would love to see you stop by and check it out!  Happy holidays & fair shopping to all!  Visit us on Facebook & Twitter to keep up-to-date on all Greenheart events!

This summer has brought in some unique Fair Trade jewelry lines to the Greenheart Shop! We just hosted a launch party for the newest line this past Thursday. The evening was a blast and featured Pakistani food, fair trade wine, Pakistani henna body art, and 10% of all sales were donated to flood relief in Pakistan. We were able to raise $280 in donations!! Check out pictures from the event here on Facebook.

The new collection from World Shoppe features Pakistani hand-wrought silver jewelry from a workshop led by Artist Amna Sharriff. World Shoppe, a local fair trade wholesaler, met Amna this past summer after touring the country to meet with fair trade artisans. The newest line of Pakistani silver jewelry uses both traditional and modern styles to create some beautiful high end pieces. It is a quality collection that is definitely unique in design.

This summer also brought with it butterfly earrings! Made from naturally deceased butterflies from a sustainable butterfly farm in Ecuador. These earrings are each one of a kind, encased in glass and framed with sterling silver detailing. These fair trade earrings were made by a cooperative of silversmith artisans in Lima, Peru. Not only does this provide needed income for the farmers and silversmiths, but it also helps prevent deforestation by offering alternative income in the amazon.

Also from World Shoppe, this golden line of South African jewelry is bold and brassy. Made from a combination of brass and copper and detailed with gemstones.  Each piece is handmade by  South African artisans, consisting of 18 men and women. Your purchase helps provide a sustainable income to these fair trade artisans from the Western Cape province of South Africa!

Yoga studio with two locations in Chicago. YogaNow offers a plethora of workshops and classes in two Chicago locations.

Robert Pelaski, YogaNow Instructor
With over 15 years as a AFAA certified group fitness instructor and living in New York, Robert discovered yoga through a fellow teacher who invited him to the Jivamukti Yoga School in the summer of 2005. He has since cerfitied at the 500 hour level under the study of D'ana Baptiste in 2008 at Centered City Yoga in Salt Lake City, Utah. Robert has traveled exensively throughout the world rooting his feet on 5 continents in more than 35 countries and can still be found often at Jivamukti London, and New York. He continues his daily practice and now shares his passion and knowledge with others in the integration of life on the mat."Breath easy..breath deep...life is precious".

Amy M. Talbot, Associate Planner, LEED AP
Amy Talbot attended The University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelors Degree in Urban Studies. At Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), Amy contributed to the recently released Water 2050: Northeastern Illinois Water Supply/Demand Plan, where her focus was on exploring the savings potential of water conservation best management practices. She is also working on local food system policy for the Regional Comprehensive Plan-GO TO 2040.

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. By state and federal law, CMAP is responsible for developing GO TO 2040, metropolitan Chicago's first truly comprehensive regional plan. See www.cmap.illinois.gov and www.goto2040.org for more information.

Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions
City Provisions is a catering Company specializing in unparalleled service, exciting seasonal food selections, and custom menu planning. Some of their practices include, but are not limited to: Implementing a recycling program both in CP kitchen and at off-premise events; Sending CP organic waste back to our farmers that feed the animals that feed us, hence fully bipassing the step of composting; Donating CP fryer oil to a member of our community to run his 1986 Mercedes that has been converted to biodiesel; Using the latest technology of corn, sugar cane and potato based biodegradeable disposables; Purchasing uniforms made from organic material and made in the USA - even the buttons on CP chef coats are made from nuts; Reducing CP overall carbon footprint by working with local farmers, purveyors and business partners.

Bonita Kindle, (CHC, AADP) RawFood Chef & Nutrition Coach
Bonita Kindle age 56 is a certified personal fitness trainer, healthy eating specialist, holistic health & nutrition coach and a raw food chef that has studied raw organic food techniques with Living Light Culinary program and is certified with Cousins Incredible Vitality Associate Chef/Instructor Program, and has studied with many well know raw food chefs .Bonita is the creator of the "Look Younger Now" Body Transformation Jump Start System. Bonita is also a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Institute for the Psychology of Eating,Ohashiatsu Institute, Reflexology, Acupressure Massage, and Thai Yoga Therapy programs.Bonita's objectives are to educate and coach her clients to the next level!

Amber Gribben, Worm Composting
Urban Worm Girl's calling is to educate the community on composting with worms, also known as vermiculture. Basically, it's recycling kitchen waste using the wisdom and efficiency of Red Worms — simple, clean and odorless. Whether it's in your house or apartment, worm composting is a reminder of our interconnectedness to the earth and all of its living beings.

Jessy of Chicago Biofuels
Chicago Biofuels is committed to educating the public and businesses on the benefits of biofuels in Chicagoland. We will provide instruction on the use of biofuels, locating sources for biofuels, and accelerate the adoption of biofuels in the Chicago market.

Jeff Sommer of Green Dream Group
Jeff graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Environmental Science. He has work experience with the Department of Natural Resources, as well as remodeling homes, finance and equipment leasing. Green Dream Group does HOME ENERGY AUDITS, BPI TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS , and GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS for Energy Star, Chicago Green Homes, and LEED.

Ashley Klein, Samba Performer
Ashley Klein has been a dancer with Samba1 Brazilian Dance Group for over 5 years. She has performed throughout the Midwest in venues such as Salsa Congress, Malibu Rum events, Chicago African Festival of the Arts, Green Tie Ball, Arie Crown Theatre, Field Museum, The Chicago White Sox, The Chicago Fire, University of Chicago, O'Hare Airport, East Bank Club, Milwaukee Zoo, Dayton City Folk Festival, The Venue at Horseshow Casino, restaurants, hotels, clubs, cultural centers, theatres and much more!

So, all day Saturday the 19th, Greenheart and the Center for Cultural Interchange are throwing a green living celebration, and we want you to come join us!  It's going to be happening in three parts.  Schedule below, I know that video says it all, but here it is written out for your convenience:

10 AM - Noon:  Beach Cleanup @ Ohio Street Beach (400 N Lake Shore Drive)

10 - 10:20:  Yoga warm-up with Yoga Now

10:30 - 11:30:  Beach cleanup competition - with excellent prizes!

11:45:  Quench Your Thirst for H2O Info by Amy Talbot, member of Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

1 - 6 Eco-Urban Workshops @ the Greenheart Center (746 N LaSalle Drive)

1:00:  Cooking With Local Cuisine with local celebrity chef Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions,.

2:00:  Green Smoothies for Health by Bonita Kindle, RawFood chef and nutrition coach.

3:00:  Indoor Composting by Urban Worm Girls.

4:00:  Biofuels Getting Gritty in the City by Chicago Bio Fuels.

5:00:  Don't Always Need that AC - Energy Efficiency for the Urban Life by Green Dream Group.

6 - 9 PM World Dance Party @ the Greenheart Shop (1911 W Division St.)

7:00:  Brazilian Samba Performance by local dancers, including renowned local performer Ashley Klein and a concert by Chicago percussionist Jose Rendon presented by Greenheart Travel.