Crikey

Nearly a week's passed since my last blog and I just don't know where it's gone. Well, I do, actually, gruelling twelve hour shifts Saturday and Sunday, add in a couple of late nights, two sets of visitors, a state funeral and mid week wake, my community work and a sprinkling of disorganization is enough to consume a week.

I haven't even made the promised Jamaican Spice Cake yet for Hubby's birthday, but he did get a banana cake, so he's not too hard done by.

So I have Easter to look forward to this weekend, and as usual I've not done a thing. I really need to get some Easter things sorted out for our family and friends children - I guess it'll be another last minute rush. No one could ever say that leading an ethical life is easy.

So, I was thinking the other day about supermarkets. Whether we like it or not, there are some things that we all have to use supermarkets for as there is no where else to buy it from. Also, more people work these days, longer hours, so they don't have the luxury of being able to nip to a fruit and veg shop.

So when we have to buy from supermarkets, it's cost effective to be a bit clever. Think outside the box. Some products are available in multiple departments and by not using the most obvious department, we can save money.

For example, everyone knows I like a home made cake. If I was going to make a chocolate cake, I would need the wondrous brown stuff for topping if not for the cake itself. I could go to the baking isle and pick up some cooking chocolate, or, I could go to the sweets section and pick up some supermarket own brand actual chocolate, which is really pretty nice, (I, of course, would rather we all purchased a bit of Green and Black's Organic, but, let's be realistic - not many of us are going to cook with organic chocolate) and it's an awful lot cheaper, usually around 27p for 250g bar.

We all use cotton wool and cotton wool pads. You buy them from the cosmetic section you're going to be paying adult prices, but them in the Baby section, you're paying less. AND sometimes you get the option of organic cotton too.

So, the big ethical debate. Supermarkets are bad, we all know that. Profit does not stay locally, they destroy high streets the country wide. However, you sometimes get options to buy organic and Fairtrade products you wouldn't be able to pick up on the high street. So which it the right thing to do? In the long term, my thinking is that if you support your local producer/seller enough, he'll be able to stock Fairtrade oranges in his high street shop. But would that really happen? And how long would it take? The debate goes on, but I think as long as we make ethical choices of some description, that's the main thing.

Fairtrade Fortnight Continued

So I'm doing another good deed today. I'm good like that. I'm looking after my Step Mother's shop because she's been over doing it, as usual, after her operation and has made herself ill. You just can't tell some people!

I have between customer time to pass, so I brought a load of stuff with me that I've been trying to get done over the last week or so. I picked up some literature at the Fairtrade Fortnight festival I attended at Chapter Arts on Friday, and I picked some up from the Cardiff Fairtrade shop "Fair Dos". I pride myself on being decently "in the know" about Fairtrade/organic/ethical stuff, but, reading through some of the Fairtrade paperwork, I realised that I had not really much of an idea about what the mark really means.

For instance, did you know that Wales has the first Fair Trade capital? Nope, neither did I!"Cardiff became the world's first Fairtrade Capital in March 2004, an award certified by the Fairtrade Foundation".

There are 107 cafes, restaurants and bars in Cardiff that serve Fairtrade items, and 29 establishments that sell Fairtrade stock, not including supermarkets. That's impressive.

"The organisation Fair Trade Cardiff www.cardiff.gov.uk/sustainabledevelopment is the partnership that worked towards this achievement (Fairtrade capital) and members include Cardiff Council, Cardiff Fair Trade Forum, Cafod, Christian Aid, Fair-Do's, Oxfam Cymru, People and Planet, The Co-operative Group and concerned individuals".

Then from the Little Book of Swap put out by Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 - The Big Swap http://www.thebigswap.org.uk/ ; came this information.

The first thing I read that I particularly like is this: "campaigning for a fairer world isn't just about placard waving and petition signing. It's also about using our wallets and purses to make a stand. Exciting isn't it? Knowing that each and every one of us has the power to change the world. Starting with just one swap."

"When you see the Fairtrade mark it means that:

• A minimum price has been paid to Fairtrade producers
• The Fairtrade Premium, an extra investment in developing communities and businesses has also been paid
• Producers always have a democratic say in decision-making - and that's all producers, women included
• Farm workers also get rights under Fairtrade like decent wages and being allowed to join unions
• The "Dirty Dozen" of chemicals are forbidden on certified Fairtrade farms protecting humans and the environment"

Now I don't know about you but I've always been kind of torn between buying organic and Fairtrade products. It's not always that you can get something that is both. But knowing that these 12 chemicals have not been used may just tip the balance.

"On top of the agreed Fairtrade price producers also recieve the Fairtrade Premium. How it's spent is voted on democratically by farmers or workers. This is development as decided by the people who will benefit from it".

We can also make our towns and villages "Fairtrade Towns" by visiting http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/default.aspx. Up for that, anyone?

Bruce Crowther MBE was the first to convert his home town, Garstang, Lancashire, to a Fairtrade Town. Bruce says "Every time you buy a Fairtrade product you're not only helping 7 million farmers and their families, you're also sending the signal that you don't agree with the current system".

The powerful manifesto on the back of this little book of wonders reads this:

"Two billion people - a third of humanity - still survives on less than $2 a day. While unfair trade rules keep them in poverty, they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too. Conventional trade doesn't have them in mind. It can't guarantee them a decent price. And it won't provide them with a good honest living either. All of us can change this. Together. We can all make a difference. Every time we go shopping. JUST ONE LITTLE SWAP AT A TIME".

Fair Enough

I found a wonderful place to shop today. I went down to Chapter Arts Centre with the Mumatron to take part in the launch day of Fairtrade Fortnight. We weren't lucky enough to catch most of the vendors/displayers as things, er, shall we say, didn't take off as soon as we would have liked.

While waiting for the show to start, we went for some gorgeous vegan mushroom soup and organic farmhouse bread in the cafe there and enjoyed the space. It's rare to see such a mix of Mums with babies, families with kids, city suit wearers, studens, vagrants, hippies and poseurs all cohabiting so comfortably in such delightful surroundings.

The centre gift shop is an absolute pleasure. Beautifully hand crafted wares of all descriptions, gorgeous books printed locally and by Welsh authors. My very favorite article was something I really should have, I have the right to have but simply can't purchase this year was a cotton tote style shopping back that had stolen it's design and font from the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters of the 1940's but instead, it said "Quick! Buy More $hit or we'll all fecking die"! You see what I mean?! I simply must have it, but can't buy it! I'll add it to my wish list!

So after a lovely lunch and wander around the centre, we walked down to the greengrocer in Canton and called into a shop I've been meaning to stop into for ages called Fair Dos.

Everything they sell is Fairtrade friendly and, I must be honest, I could have spent a fortune in there. Beautiful fabrics, knits, recycled papers, and food stuffs. I picked up a gift for a friend who has recently given birth to a baby girl. I'm afraid I just haven't had time to make her something and I really don't know what sort of thing she likes for the little one, so I picked up a handmade, recycled, fairly traded photo album embellished with a gorgeous newborn baby logo and origami pram. It's well pretty, very useful and something to keep forever so I'm quite pleased with that.

I also found a shop with a branch close to my home that stocks all the environmentally friendly products and I had no idea it was there. It's on the high street, employs local people, stocks anything I could wish for in the organic/green produce, so I ordered my double pack of salt toothpaste, and off I went, happy as Larry!

You've Got Mail!

Well I do feel very privileged today. I got a gorgeous Interflora delivery courtesy of Kane (the K!tour ticket looser) and his Mam.

A beautiful arrangement and I'm thrilled with it. I love the fact that it has virtually no packaging also but comes in a gorgeous vase, that I will keep and cherish for years to come. How lovely. I feel very special!

Of course, in true blogging spirit, I won't just be enjoying the flowers, I'm going to photograph them beautifully and use them for the next round of home made greetings cards. Stand by, family and friends!

I really am a little lacking in the motivation department at the moment and I don't know why. I need to get "back in my bucket" as my Yoga teacher used to say. I seem to be a little preoccupied, but with what I'm not sure.

So we had our delivery today from the salvage yard so work is about to commence on our steps. I hear, though, that we are due for a shed load of snow, so I may not be able to get as much done as I would like.

And I had to pop to our local (ish) health food shop, I rejected the major high street health food shop and went to a little independent - I really recommend it, it's like a treasure trove. I've recently been diagnosed with acne for the first time in my life (I'm 33!) and have very recently had a massive and painful break out. A very good friend years ago gave me the Dr Gillian McKeith "you are what you eat" book and I recalled a chapter which indicates that break-outs in certain areas are indicative of underlying problems, so I got the book out.

The book recommends that for spots in the mouth area, Agnus Castus be taken. It says that Agnus Castus helps to regulate the reproductive area, but , to be honest, I'm only really interested in getting rid of the spots! When I went into the store (I'm told that tincture is better than pills) the very knowledgeable lady assistant told me that it has the single most powerful hormone regulatory properties. And the break outs do indicate an imbalance. How very interesting to see if this fairly gross smelling taken in water sorts me out. I might put the diagnoses for the other areas on here too - might help some of you lovely peeps?

So I picked up copies of a couple of magazines while I'm there, and, even though I have previously picked up and read through the gorgeous Aura magazine, this time, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by the size of the alternative community in Wales. With the help of some friends yesterday I came across the Chapter Arts Centre "Fairtrade Fortnight" commencing Friday. I'm only available on Friday, this weekend, unfortunately, so I don't know what I'm going to catch, but I'm going to go down for a look. One of the administrators of the Facebook page very kindly put a link to my blog on their Facebook page too! How lovely! THANK YOU!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=313702085956&ref=mf