what is fair trade - Stuff Parents Need

Wild Dill is an absolutely fabulous resource for parents. This online shopping destination is chock full of organic, fair trade and natural toys, clothes and bedding for your little loves.

We recently received a fair trade stuffed animal and I have to say, I was really blown away by the quality. You may be wondering what fair trade means. It means that the artisans who produced this work were paid a living wage for their skills and time. The people making these products are earning a living that ensures they can care for themselves, and their families. Just as you and I seek to make a wage that can not only support us but also help us thrive, so, too, do these individuals, and Wild Dill sees to it that they are fairly compensated. Yes, that does mean that the prices for the products are going to be a bit higher. But I promise you, the quality is unparalleled.

I love this panda from Yellow Label Kids for a few reasons other reasons, as well. It’s organic, which means that when (not if!) the baby chews on it, I don’t have to worry about all the pesticides and chemicals that might be lurking in the material and stuffing. Second, the coloring is excellent for newborn and young infant eyes, which are drawn to black and white images. This ensures that this panda is going to be played with a great deal, especially in the early weeks of life! I will use it with the baby to help her practice tracking objects. And I can already tell you that big sister thinks it is a fun toy, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing her play with it a lot, too!

The product selection at Wild Dill is fantastic, with over 50 great natural brands featured. Some I have already known and loved, and some are new discoveries to me, which is so much fun! What a joy it is to see the growth of organic and fair-trade products!

If Wild Dill sounds like the type of place where you’d like to do a lot of your baby shopping, then you are in luck! They offer wish lists and baby registries! Also, all orders over $65 qualify for free shipping, which is great!

Buy it!: You can purchase the organic stuffed panda I reviewed for $34.00.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

If I could imagine the perfect jewelry (talking about the type that doesn’t sparkle, here), I would say that it would be fashion-forward, eco-friendly and also fair-trade. I’ve seen many companies that hit two out of the three, but never one that I thought met all three requirements perfectly.

That is, until now.

Oh friends, get ready for some serious eye candy! Check out Andean Collection.

I love, love, LOVE jewelry that is big and bold, without being obnoxious. The colors and materials that The Andean Collection uses really draw me in, too, and I think that’s because they are truly inspired by what you find in nature. On their site, they talk about how they really try to merge the worlds of New York (where they are based) and the Andean regions of South American (where their artisan workshops are located) and the end results are truly gorgeous pieces that weave together urban and rural and nature with the modern world.

Andean Collection loves to provide quality pieces of jewelry for fashion-forward women, but it also has a greater purpose at heart. From their site, “Andean Collection was founded to bring sustainable change to impoverished communities in South America. We offer artisans the opportunity to participate in the global market while inspiring our customers with access to the elusive world of the rural Andes. We have a non-profit arm, Andean Project, to ensure that this change is productive and healthy and to address other poverty related social issues, all funded through our sales and private donations.”

So you see, this isn’t just about looking good. It’s also about helping individuals, families and even communities to participate in the global market place, be paid a fair wage, and thrive. I’ve found that the blog kept by Andean Collection gives you some wonderful insight into the work that is happening in South America. I’m really enjoying following along with the blog posts, and recommend it if you are looking for some good reads!

I was sent the Tagua bracelet in grape, and I have worn is numerous times, already! I love that this bracelet adds a lot of visual interest to my clothes without being over-the-top. And it is purple, but not in an obvious way, so I’m finding that I can pair it with many different colors! I’m absolutely loving it!

Buy it!: The Tagua bracelet is available for $26.00, and is sure to add a lot of style to any outfit! It is also the most popular item on their site, so word is getting out that this bracelet is FABULOUS! Also, be sure to check out their sale section for some really good buys on gorgeous stuff!

Win it!: One very lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Tagua bracelet, in your choice of color! Wow! The contest will run until April 11th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: The Andean Collection would love to be friends with you on Facebook, so please like them (and come back here and leave a comment that you did) for your mandatory entry! If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can subscribe to the Andean Collection newsletter for your mandatory entry (and if you do both, leave an extra comment telling me and you can get a bonus entry!)

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow The Andean Collection on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect (find it on my sidebar)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.