Jen's Green Journal

I'm continuing on a series that I wanted to write on gifts that give on many levels. You can read part one here.

Syracuse Cultural Workers 2006 Peace Calendar has a lot to offer: it's practical, educational, decorative, and it's union printed on 50% post-consumer recycled paper. We've had this calendar in our home each year for the past 3 years and I love all the bits of history that I've learned with it. For $1 more, you can purchase the teacher's guide that has "more than 90 activities, background and resources connected to each month's topic and to the people's history annotations." The Peace Calendar is $12.95 with discounts starting when you buy 3 or more.

At the Syracuse Cultural Workers website you can also purchase some wonderful holiday cards.

Global Exchange has it's own fair trade online store. Here's a few items that I found there that won't break the bank:

To go with the fair trade coffee and tea I mentioned in part one (or you can buy some fair trade coffee at Global Exchange as well), you could give a fair trade coffee press mug or tea infuser mug which can help save on filter and tea bag waste. Both mugs are $15 each.

You can get a chocolate gift box for $12.95 with chocolate that is 100% organic (which also means it's better for the planet) and each box comes with a collectable recycled art card.  Even the wrappers are made from recycled paper!  As if all that isn't wonderful enough, 10% of the profits go to benefit non-profits.

These fair trade hemp wallets are another item that combines practicality with environmental and social responsibility. A tri-fold is $11 and the checkbook wallet is $17.

At the Global Exchange store you will also find sweatshop free "Declare Indepence from Oil" t-shirts for $15, a sage smudge 4 pack for $7.50, and tree free notebooks (made from kenaf fiber) starting at $8.

Check back for more ideas soon!