10 Great Christmas Gifts - Part 2

Last week I published the first half of my ethical and sustainable Christmas gift ideas... and now here's the second part! 

Letzte Woche habe ich den ersten Teil meiner ethischen und umweltfreundlichen Geschenkideen geteilt... Hier nun die Fortsetzung!

Buying clothes as a gift is not easy... it's hard to get not only the size, but also the style and look right. Which is why vouchers for a clothes shop are always a great idea... and what better way to encourage someone to make a more ethical choice than to buy them a gift certificate for a fair trade label? There are so many cool ethical brands out there selling beautiful and trendy clothes. Komodo, the London-based green label, for instance sells vouchers of different values and you can even get them emailed to you. Convenient! 

Kleider als Geschenk zu kaufen ist zwar eine gute Idee, aber gar nicht mal so einfach. Geschenkgutscheine für das Liebelingskleidergeschäft kommen daher immer gut an. Gibt es also noch einen einfacheren Weg, jemanden zu ermutigen, mal fair trade Kleider zu kaufen als durch einen Gutschein für ein verantwortungsbewusstes Label? Heutzutage gibt es unzählige coole ethische Kleidermarken, wie beispielsweise das deutsche Label Armed Angels. Das hippe fair trade label verfügt über ein riesiges Sortiment und bietet Gutscheine ab €10 an.

Coffee pod machines are everywhere these days... they're clean and very easy to use. They also, however, produce a lot of waste and the pods can be rather expensive. The dutch company Coffeeduck had the ingenious idea to produce refillable pods! This way you protect the environment and save money at the same time. We bought a set a little while ago and they work perfectly. Just make sure to stuff them tightly with strong, finely ground espresso to get a good strong cup of coffee. They are available for Nespresso and Senseo and Coffeeduck ship world-wide. What a neat and cheap little gift!

Kaffeekapselmaschinen, wie die von Nespresso, stehen bald schon bei jedem zu Hause. Sie sind total einfach und sauber zu benutzen, produzieren aber jede Menge Abfall und die Kapseln sind auch nicht gerade billig. Die holländische Firma Coffeeduck hatte die geniale Idee, auffüllbare Kapseln herzustellen. So schützt man die Umwelt und spart zugleich noch Geld. Wir haben uns ein Set der Kapseln gekauft und sie funktionieren einwandfrei. Einfach starkes, fein-gemahlenes Espressopulver verwenden. Die Kapseln gibt es unterdessen für Nespresso und Senseo und Coffeeduck liefert in die ganze Welt. Ein nützliches und preiswertes kleines Geschenk.

Ok, this one's a bit on the pricier side, but one can never go wrong with a piece of beautiful jewellery. Looking for something extra special for your girlfriend, fiancée, wife, mum? Brilliant Earth sells a gorgeous range of ethical fine jewellery. Their diamonds are from pure sources and they donate 5% of their proceeds to help those harmed by the diamond industry. They're also environmentally conscious. The lovely pendant above for instance is made from recycled silver. Brilliant Earth recently introduced a fair trade gold range and - for anyone who is planning to pop the question at Christmas time - they sell stunning engagement and wedding rings!  

Der nächste Vorschlag ist eher auf der teureren Seite, aber mit richtig schönem Schmuck kann man dafür nichts falsch machen! Bei Brilliant Earth gibt es grossartigen fair trade Edelschmuck. Die Diamanten werden nur von reinen, ethisch-vertretbaren Quellen bezogen und Brilliant Earth spendet zudem 5% ihres Einkommens an die Opfer der Diamantenindustrie. Die Firma ist auch umweltbewusst. Der hübsche Anhänger oben ist aus wiederverwertetem Silber. Vor kurzem hat Brilliant Earth zudem eine fair trade Gold Kollektion eingeführt. Und - sollte jemand für Weihnachten oder Neujahr noch andere grosse Pläne schmieden - sie verkaufen auch wunderschöne Verlobungs- und Eheringe!

A watch made from wood... now that's a truly unique gift. This one is perfect for the man in your life... we all know how hard they are to buy for! These cool and contemporary looking watches by the brand Wewood are made reusing surplus industry wood of the highest quality. Due to the natural colour and pattern of the wood, every watch is different. Working together with the charity American Forests, Wewood will plant a tree for every watch they sell. They also have a stunning line of women's watches.

Eine Uhr aus Holz, das ist doch mal was Besonderes. Dieses Geschenk ist perfekt für den Mann in deinem Leben... Wir wissen ja alle, wie schwierig es ist, für die Männer ein passendes Geschenk zu finden. Diese modernen Holzuhren der Marke Wewood sind aus qualitativ hoch-stehenden Holzresten der Industrie.  Durch die Verwendung verschiedener Holzsorten entstehen die Farben der Uhren auf eine ganz natürliche Art und Weise. Die gemeinnützige Naturschutzorganisation Organisation American Forests pflanzt zudem für jede verkaufte Uhr einen Baum. Wewood hat natürlich auch eine tolle Frauenkollektion! In der Schweiz gibt's die Uhren übrigens auch bei Changemaker.

Socks might be the most traditional and clichéd Christmas gift there is. Having lived in Ireland, I've really come to appreciate a pair of warm woolly socks. These quirky hand-knitted socks by Peopletree are made from recycled wool yarn, so they will keep your feet warm and your conscious clean. If you're looking for something a bit more stylish or refined, try Lowie - they always have beautiful woolly accessories.

Zugegeben, Socken sind wohl das klischeehafteste Weihnachtsgeschenk überhaupt. Nachdem ich aber in Irland gewohnt habe, weiss ich ein paar warme wollene Socken so richtig zu schätzen. Diese kuscheligen Wollsocken von Peopletree wurden von Hand aus recycling Wolle gestrickt. Da bleiben die Füsse warm und das Gewissen rein. Wenn du was stylischeres suchst, dann schau mal bei Lowie vorbei - die haben auch immer schöne Wollaccessoires. 

That was it. I hope you found my suggestions useful and I wish you all Merry Christmas!

Sarah

A Magpie's Nest

When it comes to ethical and sustainable shopping, jewellery is possibly one of the easiest things to find. Drumming up some fair trade and environmentally friendly jewellery makers for this week's blog was no hard task... however, choosing which gorgeous pieces to include was much more difficult!

Just like the magpie, I love glittery things, especially if they come in the form of beautiful necklaces, earrings or bangles. So here's my selection of jewellery that will make you sparkle on the outside and leave you feeling great on the inside.

Golden

You can't beat a bit of gold. Timeless yet fashionable it helps to spark up any outfit. Here are some of my golden favourites.

One: Hand-Made hammered brass cuff and ring with a wood-like effect from Made. Operating under fair trade and ethical principles, Made's goods are all hand-made in their workshop in Kenya. Made has collaborated with names such as Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger and Top Shop. Prices range from £20 - £40.
Two: Cute disc earrings engraved with leaves in copper and brass from Peopletree, one of the UK's biggest fair trade fashion houses. At £10 its incredibly affordable.
Three: Stunning Fern Leaf Wedding Bands made from certified fair trade and fairminted 18ct gold and Fallen For You Leaf printed bangle made from recycled sterling silver coated in 18ct gold. Both items are made by CRED Jewellery. Pioneers in ethical jewellery since 1996, CRED specialises in fair trade classical jewellery, engagement rings and wedding bands... Just in case you were considering popping the question! The wedding band also comes in 100% recycled platinum... good to know.
Four: Brass statement necklace also from Made. This necklace is a strong choice and ideal if you want to add a bit of spike to an outfit.

Colourful

Tired of the endless grey weather? Bring out all the colours of the rainbow with some of these fresh and happy pieces.

One: Multi-coloured choker incorporating beads and semi-precious stones. Shared Earth has made it their mission to improve the livelihood of disadvantaged people in developing countries and contributes towards keeping traditional skills alive that would otherwise be lost. Shared Earth has been selling fair trade goods and promoting ethical practice for over 20 years.
Two: Peacock bangle, also from Shared Earth. I've been a little obsessed with peacocks lately, so absolutely love this piece, and at £6.95 it's a steal!
Three: Brass hoop earrings with mint green glass beads from Peopletree. Yes, we're back to the mint green, just in love with that colour at the moment.
Four: Johari's Tabaka necklace incorporates unusual handcrafted paper beads and hammered brass triangle. 

Unusual

The accessories below may look normal, but each item comes with a bit of a twist. Looking for jewellery with a bit more to it? Then you'll love these pieces made rather unconventional materials.
 
One: Golden necklace with a blue stone made from recycled glass, from Made.
Two: These cute studd earrings from Peopletree are made from recycled sari fabrics. Hand-made in India, only £6!
Three: Environmentally friendly earrings from Urban Lace. These earrings are carved from the inner tubes of old bike tires which Urban Lace collects from local bike shops! They make deadly bracelets, necklaces and masks as well.
Four: Call Me Necklace from Hearts. As the name suggests, this fashion necklace is made using old phone cord. Hearts' mission is to sell accessories and jewellery that are vehicles for change. With every purchase from Hearts you help make the world a more sustainable, ethical and better place. Check out their 21 core values here.
Five: Up-cycled pendant necklace incorporating a bullet shell, also from Hearts. The necklace is made by a stay-at-home mum and designer from Alaska, who incorporates her daily finds and discarded items into her creations. Prices for Hearts jewellery vary, but generally start from about $20.
Six: Bracelet made from old parachutes and military material. Peacecord bracelets are made by women in Afghanistan. Peacecord ensures fair labour practices, creates employment and opportunities for artisans and disadvantaged women and provides them with training and education. What a great way to support the cause of women for only $15!

Favourite Find

And finally, I just want to share one of my favourite finds with you. I just recently bought this beautiful brass leaf necklace at Hibiscus Flower, a great fair trade fashion shop in Edinbufgh (there's more to follow on that one!). Like some of the pieces above its from Johari and I can't wait to wear it. Johari, which means "something precious" in Swahili is a social enterprise that works to empower vulnerable young adults in Kenya. 100% of the profit from Johari's sales are used to fund community projects run by the Johari Foundation. The programmes provide for children and youn adults educational, vocational, social and basic needs and help them to a better future.

Right, I'm magpied out! I hope you enjoyed some of my selections... What a better way to change the world is there than by treating yourself (or someone else) to some beautiful jewellery!

Which was your favourite piece? Do you know any other ethical or sustainable jewellery places?

Introducing People Tree!

One of my first discoveries when looking into buying fairtrade clothes was Peopletree.co.uk. You may have already heard of them... Safia Minney has been making her fairtrade fashion business a huge success and names such as Orla Kiely, Vivienne Westwood and Emma Watson have all designed for the brand.

Peopletree have been selling faitrade fashion and accessories in the UK since 2001 and their clothes are stylish, fashionable and great quality. Here are some of my current favourites:

Marie Cream Dot Dress

Orla Kiely Cardi

They also have...

and...

To Peopletree, faitrade means more than just paying a fair price. It is about a radically different business model, where profit is not the only aim. Peopletree tries to support and help disadvantaged communities to reach sustainability. 

Alongside its fashion business, Peopletree has set up the Peopletree Foundation, an independent charity that works to provide farmers, artisans and communities with training, education and practical support and raises awareness for fair and sustainable fashion.            
Peopletree try to produce their products as environmentally friendly as possible, using organically grown cotton and avoiding damaging chemicals. To reduce the carbon-footprint, a great number of their garments are hand-made. 

And they don't want to keep it to themselves! As part of their mission statement, Peopletree aims to:

"set an example to business and the government of a Fair Trade model of business based on partnership, people-centred values and sustainability."

Imagine, if every business did this! The world would look different, for sure... but enough talking! Want to see an example? Watch how Peopletree works with Bombolulu Workshops, a program for people with physical disabilities in Mombasa.

So why not fill someone's stockings with gorgeous goodies that make everyone feel great about themselves?

Yes the prices are higher than what we are used from the Highstreet, but they have frequent sales on. My suggestion: sign up to their email newsletter and you'll always be informed of the latest promotions. Peopletree do deliver to almost everywhere, however, their delivery charges to outside of the UK are a bit of a hindrance and have caused me to back away from purchases before.
Not to despair! Check out their stockists, you may well be able to buy Peopletree clothes conveniently in a shop near you. In Dublin for instance, you can get them at the lovely Bow and Pearl in Ranelagh.

Have you ordered anything from Peopletree? What were your experiences? Or do you know of any other great fairtrade fashion houses?