Gift Ideas: For the traveling, slightly geeky or comic loving woman in your life

It's time to kick off the first of the "Great Eco-friendly Gift Idea" posts. (Some will be organic, some eco friendly -- this one falls into the latter category.)

As someone who owns and loves two fabulous recycled purses (one made from newspapers and the other from candy wrappers), I was extra excited to come across these fabulous recycled finds!

I can tell you first hand that these purses will be fabulous conversation starters! (And a fun way to express your personality...)

Find the map purse


The tire hits the road with this super fashionable and truly original recycled handbag!

 Pieces of discarded tires are collected, cleaned and then cut up to form the outer frame of each purse. Old maps are laminated with a thick recycled plastic and then hand-sewn onto the tire strips. Each purse is lined with durable black fabric and zips close to protect your personal belongings.

Includes an inner zippered pocket as well! Each purse boasts two durable straps.

Made by a Fair Trade coop in Indonesia, not only are these bags eco-friendly and kind to the earth, but they provide economic opportunities to an entire community as well!

$45.00

 Find the keyboard purse


Go wireless with these fabulous, eco-fashion clutch bags!


Each unique purse is handmade from actual recycled computer keyboards and boasts a wrist strap – perfect for a quick trip to the mall or for a fun evening out with friends!


Makes a terrific gift for that “geek” fashion forward friend in your life! Lined.

$40.00

Find the comic book purse


What fun! Strips are discarded comic books that are given a new life with this fashionable and trendy shoulder purse. Each strip is interwoven and covered with recycled plastic making for a durable handbag that is perfect for any occasion.

Made by hand by a women’s Fair-trade coop in Indonesia, this purse is not only good for the environment, but also helps provide much needed income and economic opportunities.

Each funky handbag is lined, comes with an adjustable, buckled strap, cell phone holder, as well as a zippered closure, interior zipped pocket designed to protect your valuables.

$40.00

Click on the image of any of the purses to find out more about them! (Will ship to Canada and the US.)

More great gift ideas to come over the next few weeks!

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Chocolate Part 2: The Dark Truth

In the last post we covered a few basics; but today we are going to delve into the nitty-gritty of the chocolate world. The things you never knew, and maybe never wanted to.

The chocolate begins with cacao farms; the places where the trees are grown and harvested. Unfortunately many farms are not like the happy relaxed places that you see in most promotional videos. Often times the farmers don't make enough money to cover the cost of necessities, let alone lead a comfortable life. Many cacao farms used forced labor; including child labor.



""We could identify some children who, we believe, had been traded in some way and did not have the freedom to leave the farms on which they were working," an IITA report says. The organization found that children harvest the cocoa beans from farms in the jungle using machetes. They spray crops with pesticides and insecticides, without masks, rubber boots or proper equipment."

Such conditions are absolutely deplorable, and by purchasing chocolate that originates in these places you are only helping to perpetuate the problem.

All this for the sake of a sweet snack.

Don't worry, this series isn't quite finished yet -- you can still have your chocolate and feel good about buying it. Don't miss tomorrow's post to find out more!

View Chocolate Part 1: The Cacao Tree and Chocolate Basics

Pictures via cliff1066™ and EverJean

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