Synergy Organic Clothing: Fashionable, Sustainable, and Affordable

It is hard to find organic fashions that are actually affordable, but Synergy Organic Clothing has done just that! I recently purchased an Organic Cotton Bird A-Line Skirt ($46), and I keep going back for more Synergy items! Not only is this skirt made from organic cotton, but is colored with low impact dyes and made in Nepal.

Synergy makes clothing that combines sustainability, with modern yet timeless design. We strive to make clothing that looks good, while being gentle on the Earth. We predominantly work with G.O.T.S certified organic cotton from India, that is dyed with low impact dyes. Our clothing is hand made in Nepal according to fair trade practices, verified by our long-term relationships with our manufacturers and our frequent trips to Nepal. Each season we look for ways to minimize our footprint as a business, in both the ways our clothing is made and in our daily operations.

Really Natural Cookbooks: Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes

From the makers of my favorite chocolate, comes an incredible cookbook! Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes, Revised Edition is the kind of cookbook that makes you drool. Not only is it filled with incredible organic chocolate recipes, it also gives you an education into cocoa (e.g. growers' associations, education, cultural information).

This is the ultimate chocolate cookbook. It contains 100 recipes to tempt, tease & torment lovers of this food of the gods. Chocolate is one of the most luxurious and satisfying foods, full of texture and flavor, and it is also a versatile cooking ingredient, not only for rich, dark desserts but also a perfect partner for savory and spicy dishes.

Above all, chocolate can be molded to suit every occasion and so the chapters within the book include Abracadabra (quick & easy recipes) and Wicked (irresistible concoctions). Woven into the book are stories about the Maya in Belize who cultivate organic cocoa for use in our chocolate bars as well as tips on cooking techniques and handling chocolate.

Of course, all great chocolate recipes start with fair trade, organic chocolate

Fair Labor, Organic Bamboo T-Shirt Supports Great Lakes Restoration

Are looking for a really cool, really comfortable eco-friendly shirt? thINK Conscious Apparel Thistle Bamboo Tee is my new favorite top. Made from eco-friendly bamboo and organic cotton, this shirt is made with fair labor practices and helps support the Milwaukee Community Service Corps, which works to restore the Great Lakes.

The Corps recognizes the potential of every young person to be a positive, contributing member of the Milwaukee community. By channelling [sic] this potential into educational, job-training, and environmental conservation experiences, we boost their morale, academic performance and provide a benefit to the local community.

The t-shirt is made in Turkey and printed in Wisconsin. Supporting inner city youth and eco-friendly fashion is easy with thINK apparel.

Organic Honest Tea Yearly Sales Match Coke's 9 Minutes

We occasionally drink Honest Tea because it is readily available in gas stations and health food stores alike. Recently, my daughter read an interesting statistic inside her Honest Tea lid:

Last year, Honest Tea sold 7,998,654 bottles of tea. This the same amount of Coke sold in 9 minutes.

She was blown away by this statistic, and it really shows how even a quasi-mainstream product like Honest Tea nowhere comes close to a giant like Coca-Cola. Of course, Honest Tea was only launched in 1998, and it somewhat ironic they would include such a quote when in 2008, "The Coca-Cola Company purchased 40 percent of Honest Tea". Hmm, maybe that's why we are seeing it convenience stores now.

Cadbury Workers Unite Against Kraft's Hostile Takeover

The parent company of my favorite organic, fair trade chocolate Green & Black is involved in a hostile takeover by Kraft. Workers at Cadbury have united in a Keep Cadbury Independent Campaign. Food Biz Daily explains:

Cadbury workers are to launch a bid to keep the UK confectioner independent and fend off a hostile bid by Kraft...

Unite is also contacting all Cadbury shareholders to urge them to reject Kraft's bid.

The union said it will highlight what it claims to be "Kraft's plan to pay for the company through massive borrowing, Kraft's poor record in takeovers and falling share value and the union's concerns that Kraft will move all investment decisions out of the UK and into the Kraft boardroom overseas".

I certainly don't want Kraft in charge of making my favorite chocolate! I hope the Cadbury workers are successful in blocking this hostile takeover.

Will Banana Price Wars in Europe Hurt Poor Growers in Developing Countries?

I have often questioned the sustainability of a world hooked on bananas, and this tropical fruit is certainly not on the menu for locavores living in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, a banana price war is happening in Europe causing the fruit to sell for the cheapest price in 14 years. The Guardian explains the concern that the banana price war will hurt farmers in developing countries:

It is feared consumers will come to expect the rock-bottom prices and the cost will eventually be passed on to growers in developing countries...A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "The principle of providing fair and sustainable returns to all our growers is at the heart of how we do business. All our bananas are Fairtrade and, if others choose to start a price war, we'll make sure that our customers don't lose out. But none of the cost of cutting the price will be passed on to our growers because we want to help them build secure and viable businesses for the future."

So why have grocers started a "pointless" banana price war?

Sweet Organic Baby Clothes by Hessnatur

We've been fortunate enough to review beautiful natural fiber clothing by Hessnatur before, now we have discovered their organic baby apparel line! Super sweet, soft, and adorable, Hessnatur's organic baby line means everyone in the family can dress in eco-fashion. Hessnatur is always fair trade, organic, and sustainable, which is exactly what baby deserves against their fresh, delicate skin.

What our clothes are made of and with

• Pure, natural fibers- organic whenever possible. Made from renewable resources: Vegetable (cotton, linen, hemp, ramie); Animal (wool, specialty wools such as angora, cashmere, alpaca, mohair, yak; silk).

• No PVC or Teflon, anywhere.

• Natural materials for buttons, like ivory nut, wood, horn, or mother-of-pearl

• Trims and linings are made from natural fibers, usually 100% organic cotton or 100% natural silk

• Any metals used for zippers, buckles and buttons are nickel- and chrome-free.  Other materials are only used for these accessories in the rare cases when natural materials or metals are not functional enough.

• Our only exceptions: we sometimes use up to 8% of elastane/spandex for the stretch in some lingerie and socks. All the spandex we use is covered in cotton so no synthetic touches your skin.

What our clothes aren't made of or with

• Synthetic fibers: made from chemical substances derived from petroleum, like nylon, polyester or acrylic

• Regenerated fibers: chemically treated and re-processed fibers made from natural materials that cannot be used for textiles in their original form, like viscose, modal and acetate. Their manufacturing causes significant water and power usage.

• Azo dyes which can give off dangerous, carcinogenic and mutagenic amines

• Dyes and dye procedures that include toxic heavy metals, which are known carcinogens

• Optical brighteners, which are probable allergens

• Chemical finishes, such as moth-proofing, anti-microbial, easy-care, wrinkle-free finishes, made with synthetic resins

• Chlorine bleach, which harms the environment

Hessnatur also offers maternity clothes from moms to be! I wish I would have had these organic maternity clothes during my pregnancies!  Unborn babies deserve the best against mommy's skin too! 

Green Fashion Giveaway Winner! Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family

Congratulations Sherri B. for winning our Green Fashion Giveaway: Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family! We hope you enjoy your kid's fair trade organic Daisy Dress. Thank you to Indigenous Designs for partnering with Really Natural on this green fashion giveaway!

Green Fashion Giveaway: Indigenous Designs Fair Trade Clothing for the Whole Family

I love clothes, especially fair trade, organic pieces. Recently, I discovered Indigenous Designs. Since 1994, Indigenous Designs has been making fair trade clothing, and you have a chance to win apparel from this eco-friendly line!

Together, Scotty and Matt have helped form a scalable artisan network through the Indigenous clothing line that reflects a commitment to sustainability and socially responsible actions. This global collaboration weaves together the employees of Indigenous, the artisans from around the world, and most importantly you, our customers.

We are committed to:

• Supporting and preserving fair trade wages and artisan cooperatives


• Investing in natural and organic fibers and environmentally-friendly dyes


• Spreading the beauty of handmade, eco fashion

One of my favorite pieces in the women's line is the double layer skirt. This skirt is made from 100% organic cotton jersey material, low impact dyes, and is so comfortable! Of course, it is fair trade (not free trade) from Peru.  I will be living in this skirt this summer, and you could win one too!

Green Fashion Indigenous Designs Giveaway!
To enter:

• Visit the Indigenous Designs website


• Pick a piece you love


• Return to Really Natural and leave a comment to this post about the piece.

Entries must be dated before Monday, June 15 at 11:59 PM. Good luck!

Organic Women's Fashion: "World in Your Hand" Tee Shirt by HessNatur

Last fall, we reviewed a lovely, natural fiber sweater by Hessnatur. This summer, we've discovered the "World in Your Hand" organic t-shirt by Hessnatur. The incredible design was drawn by Miguel Adrover. This organic, fair trade shirt is made by Grameen Knitwear in Bangladesh. Hessnatur pays a 40% bonus over fair purchase price and donates 25% from the sale of each "World in Your Hand" shirt to the rural education project of the Grameen Foundation.

Short sleeved top. With narrow sleeves and generously wide neckline. Figure hugging to emphasize the feminine silhouette. Made in Bangladesh from biologically controlled fabric under socially fair conditions. Makes its mark, not just because of the symbolic logo: "The world in your hand". Exclusively drawn by Miguel Adrover.

Hessnatur was founded 32 years ago by environmentalist Heinz Hess. The company's mission states: "Human beings should live in harmony with each other and with nature. Respect for the planet and its people is fundamental to the way we do business, interact with our customers, our partners and each other. We will not compromise our environmental integrity or our design aesthetics."

Sukispa 100% Pure Cosmeceutical Skin Prescriptions Organic Treatments

Sukispa is a new line of five advanced, cosmeceutical grade skin prescriptions that are 100% natural from Suki Pure.

The new sukispa™ treatments - renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel, targeted bio-brightening face serum, bio-active purifying face serum, bio-C 10% formula face serum and facial lift ultimate firming cream are packed with organic actives like cranberry glycolic aha, pumpkin enzymes, goldenseal extract, apple enzymes, tetrapeptide-9 and resveratrol to exfoliate damaged skin cells, decongest pores, even skintone, improve firmness and dramatically improve the over all health of the skin. And of course, not one trace of synthetics, gmo's, fragrances, lake colors or chemical preservatives will ever be found in any of the suki® formulations.

My favorite Sukispa products are:

• facial lift ultimate firming cream: uses high performing antioxidants like green tea and olive leaf to improve visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, loss of firmness, and/or uneven tone and reoccurring dryness.
• bio-C 10% formula face serum: oil-free serum supports collagen production & helps reduce future signs of aging using time-released vitamin c glucoside.
• sensitive cleansing bar: fair trade shea butter and 100% organic ingredients makes this vegan body bar effectively clean, soften and awaken your skin and senses.
  

ECOBAGS are Perfect for the Farmer's Market

Did you know that just one reusable bag eliminates the use of 1,000 plastic bags per year? ECOBAGS makes several natural and certified organic, recycled cotton and cotton/hemp blend reuseable bags. All ECOBAGS are made with fair wage/fair labor practices. My favorite bags are the Classic String Market Bags and the Lunch Bags, which I like to use as a produce bag. I am an avid farmers' market shopper, and it defeats the purpose of local shopping to accept a plastic bag made thousands of miles away from the farmer, besides the environmental impact. ECOBAGS has been in business for 19 years and is a member of Co-Op America, the Organic Trade Association, and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

The Zah Collection: Go Organic with Go Natural Baby

Certified organic, fair trade, low impact dyes: what could be better? Go Natural Baby offers such eco-goodness in its Zah Collection of children's clothing. I got the Paloma dress for my niece. The simple design and silk-like organic jersey cotton fabric is perfect for warm temperatures, as well as can be layered with a long sleeve onesie or t-shirt for cooler Fall temperatures. Since my children are growing up too quickly, I am glad to see that Zah Collection will soon offer select styles in sizes up to eight.

Go Natural Baby espouses corporate social responsibility:

Go Natural Baby™ will only put our name on products that are made with Fair Trade values, including providing a healthy work environment for its workers, paying a fair wage, and ensuring that children are not in the work environment. Each year a portion of our profits will be given to the people that work in the factory, fields, and/or the school in our factory's village.

Eco-friendly and corporate social responsibility must go hand-in-hand for green companies. I am proud to support Go Natural Baby.

Eco Food Friday: The Absolute Best Organic Chocolate in the World

Green and Black's Organic Milk Chocolate Bar with Whole Almonds is absolutely the best chocolate I have ever tasted, and I consider myself a connoisseur of organic chocolate (aka a chocolate junkie).

Ingredients: Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla. Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Almonds (25%) Organic Whole Milk Powder (20.2%), Organic Cocoa Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier

Green and Black's motto is "As Chocolate as Humanly Possible", which means of course, they use fair trade ingredients. In fact, the company was the first to earn the UK's Fairtrade mark.