January: National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

I know I've let the whole month slip by, but the new year brought a lot more changes and stress than I anticipated.  I've been taking it day by day, trying to find motivation to improve myself, my writing, and my life.  I hope to stay accountable to my goals by sharing my progress and thoughts here.

January was declared National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  The majority of Americans would agree that slavery is wrong and are glad it has been outlawed, but that same majority may not know how prevalent forced labor and human trafficking are in modern times.

Photo credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection

It is estimated that between 12 and 27 million people globally are victims of human trafficking or forced labor.  It is hard to pin down since most of these cases go unreported.  This includes not only manufacturing, but also labor in nail salons, restaurants, agriculture, and domestic servitude.  Many of those workers are forced into sexual exploitation.  Even more unnerving is that half of forced labor victims are children.

Spotlight On: Green Apple Active athletic apparel

     Now that my first cold of the New Year is done with, I can get back to my (non) resolutions.  Getting more active, making better food choices, and making more sustainable choices are on my list of (many) things to do this year.  I've figured out that cute work-out clothes motivate me to get moving so gone are my old basketball shorts and ratty t-shirts.  I've incorporated cute shorts, dri-fit tanks, and fun colored sports bras to my work-out wardrobe.  

     Thanks to credit at Ideeli*, I shopped one of their athletic apparel blowout sales and ended up with a Green Apple Active sports bra.  Green Apple Active is a California based athletic apparel brand encouraging an "eco active lifestyle for free souls". 

Visiting the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden

     The Ethel M chocolate factory has been located in Henderson, Nevada since the brand's start in 1981.  I remember being in elementary school and taking a field trip to check out their factory tour and bringing home some delicious goodies.  The current factory tour is self guided - giving the opportunity to read information and look inside the factory at a comfortable pace - complete with chocolate tasting at the end.

They even use some of the original equipment!

Spotlight On: A Scarf #worthwearing by Indigenous

     Following Kelsey Timmerman's suggestion of wearing "one story a day",  I'm sharing a recent outfit of the day.  This scarf, sent to me by Fair Trade USA Certified eco-fashion company, Indigenous as part of their #worthwearing campaign, is made of 100% organic cotton.  I love the rich red-wine color (called Zin) and the funky fringe makes it a unique item in my closet. 

http://instagram.com/p/SEvqbXlMBC/

An Introduction to Fair Trade

     There are some changes underway here at Urban Orchid.  I'm in the process of moving my blog from googlesites to blogger/blogspot and while I am working on my layout/formatting it may look a bit odd.  I'll also be working on adding more items to my blog sale and if you live in Las Vegas you will soon also be able to see some items for sale on Rumgr.

     Last week, I posted about the circumstances under which some of our clothing may be made.  Sometimes we forget that our clothes didn't just magically appear in the store and then home to our closets, but that there is a whole process in sourcing the fabric and turning that into the garments on store racks.  

     One way to ensure you are shopping consciously is by looking for fair trade items.  A brand or retailer that is committed to fair trade practices will sell products that support the producers and communities in which the items are made.  These items extend further than clothing but include chocolate, coffee, tea, soap, lotion, olive oil, and almost anything you can think of.  Fair trade items may be priced higher than a typical alternative, but that is because some brands that sell at lower cost do not ensure good working conditions or living wages for the manufacturers.