It's here!

Happy November! And Happy CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

Today is the kick off of Sugar Mama's Christmas Bazaar.

I am SO excited to share all of these amazing ladies and their fabulous shops with you!!

We've got everything: beautiful pillows, encouraging prints, gorgeous paintings, sweet accessories and so much more!! Definitely something for everyone on you list... but if you still need more shopping you can click on over to The Vanilla Tulip for her Holiday Craft Fair. She was my inspiration to get this going! I loved her idea so I stole it :) But she has even more beautiful shops plus you will LOVE her blog. It's seriously wonderful. AND she went to school in Bolivar, MO right down the road from Springfield and we have a mutual friend. So fun!

And there are even more great shops at on the Gussy Sew's Holiday Gift Guide. NO excuse not to shop handmade this year!

So get to shopping and tell your friends. All the shops are along the left side and you can grab the button to help spread the word. I'll be doing individual features so you can get to know the awesome ladies behind the shops AND I'm having a BLACK FRIDAY PARTY! Yep. Discounts, giveaways, and dancing. Well, I will be dancing. I would love for you to join.

Bad News/ Good News

I'm taking a little break from Field Trip Friday this week because we were moving all last weekend... which is pretty much the opposite of a fun field trip. I'll be giving my self an attitude check instead :)

Bad News- My baby has developed a new habit of screaming every time she's in the car seat. So lame.

Good News- She's super chill most of the rest of the time... um and really cute :)

Bad News- I still haven't started on Lily's Halloween costume.

Good News- Even if I'm up all night tomorrow, it's going to be SO GREAT!

Bad News- Moving into the in-laws basement.

Good News- The in -laws are incredibly supportive and amazingly generous... and in 18 months we get to buy our very own home... in our dream neighborhood... also no more dealing with the jerk of a duplex neighbor who lived downstairs.

I was way super sad about leaving Lily's sweet room and my lovely kitchen. BUT I do know that this is a the right place for us right now. It will be so worth it when we get to buy our own little home on Pearl Street :)

To get myself more excited, I'm going to blog about transforming the basement into our cozy little temporary HOME... on a tiny budget (the whole point is to save for a down payment remember?). So I'll be reducing, reusing and gettin' real creative up in here!!

Sugar Mama's Christmas Bazaar

Remember how I said I want to be a better steward of our money by being more intentional and responsible with my spending? Well, step one went well. Sugar Mama just made a bulk order from Sweet Earth Chocolates that is 100% gluten free, vegan, organic AND fair trade!!

Ready for Step 2? Buy more handmade of course!! I do love handmade but I'm guilty of waiting to buy gifts until the last minute and then finding something quick & cheap at Target... VERY guilty. You might see a pattern forming here but again I just need to be more intentional.

So this Christmas I set a goal to either make or buy handmade for every single gift. And I'm encouraging you to do the same!! My friend Ashley asked me to be a part of her Holiday Craft Fair and I was inspired to create something similar here at go greeno.

Starting Novemeber 2nd and running through December 24 you can do all of your holiday shopping here! I will showcase my favorite shops so that they are just a click away. Easy as that :) So fun huh!?

PS: Do you have a shop that you think would be a good fit? I would love to have you join the fun! Email me: sugarmamabakeshop@gmail.com

{I'm linking up with Life Made Lovely because handmade crafty Christmas gifts are oh so lovely!!}

Fair Trade

I don't tend to be outspoken about much.

Actually I'm usually pretty go-with-the-flow.

But I'm working on taking a stronger stance on the things that really matter.

Lately, I have really been convicted about the way we spend our money.

We try to be good stewards, but I'm realizing that doesn't just mean being cheap.

The cheapest thing isn't always the healthiest or in alignment with my beliefs and priorities.

So what to do?

Well I'm praying. I'm figuring it out slowly.

I'm sharing it here because I would love to work through it with some input.

I have a bad tendency to jump into things I can't stay committed to so...

I'm taking it one step at a time :)

(picture from the Fair Trade website: http://fairtradeusa.org)

First up: Fair Trade.

I've known about fair trade coffee & I usually try to choose it but haven't made it a big priority.

Then I read this. And this.

Please find a couple minutes to read these blog posts.

They are so eye-opening & it's impossible for me to learn about kids being treated like slaves...

So I can have cheap candy bars and coffee.

I pray that your heart will be broken along with mine and that we can commit together.

I've been researching the best place to find fair trade coffee, sugar and chocolate.

The official website has tons of information and resources.

October is even Fair Trade month!

"We believe the rise of the Conscious Consumer will cause a fundamental shift in the way companies do business and create a historic opportunity to reward companies that embrace sustainability."

This quote is from the Fair Trade USA website and is so motivating to me.

It's so easy to go on not knowing better.

But the damage is still being done. We need to be conscious consumers!

Being a good steward of our money means being fair and just in the way we spend it.

Sugar Mama Bakeshop baked goods and mixes are already made with fair trade cane sugar.

I'm working on switching over to only using fair trade cocoa and powdered sugar as well.

I would like this to become part of my business plan and mission statement.

Do you do fair trade? Any tips? Anyone interested in committing to this with me?