To further my quest to be consciously aware, I decided to look into what kind of products I could purchase that not only serve as toys for Avin, but also as a lesson he can learn later on in life about living consciously. I don’t want him to grow up and take what he has for granted, and I also want him to understand that there are many people in this world who have much less than he does. I want him to know that there may not be much we can do to change what happens in this world, but that shouldn’t be a reason for us to do nothing at all. Sometimes the little things, like showing support and being aware, can make a big difference in the long run, and that’s why I chose to buy this product.

If you read my previous post about Going Green With Your Baby you may remember this awesome little leopard I mentioned. I initially decided to purchase this product because it was made from sustainable materials and I’m always a sucker for going green. It wasn’t until I actually received him in the mail when I realized there was more to it than that. The story behind this little guy made me appreciate him way more than I would if he was purchased at a department store, regardless of price.

He came from an organization called Kenana Knitter Critters, whose primary object is to help rural women find some much needed form of income utilising their spinning and knitting skills, in Kenya. Here is some info from their website which can explain much better than I can.

Njoro is mainly a farming area - agricultural work for the men is easier to come by than for the women-folk, yet agricultural wages are insufficient to support large and extended families. This group generates two forms of income, buying the wool, then creating more work by turning the wool into a marketable product. The money goes direct into the hands of the women who are thus able to improve the quality of their lives.

Kenana Knitters group enables its workers to directly benefit from their efforts. Knitting is ideal. it requires minimal equipment, can be done in snatches when time permits. When the rains come and the family crops and vegetables need tending not much knitting gets done, but in times of drought and crop failure, when the family garden is bare of supplementary vegetables, money can now be earned to purchase the necessities of life.

You can read more about this organization at their website here.

The person who created this particular product even signed her name on the tag, how cool is that! It’s one of a kind.

I purchased the product for $24.00 from Branch, an online store that sells a lot of cool sustainable products. Some may say that’s a hefty price to pay when you could easily get something similar for half the price from Wal-Mart or Target. This is true. However, knowing that I can make even the smallest difference by helping someone who really needs it and get an awesome toy for my son means way more than the price I paid. Wal-Mart doesn’t need my money, nor does Target, but Josphine does. And that is why I pay $24 for a stuffed sustainable standing leopard for my son.

Today the UPS guy graced us with his presence holding a package containing graphics we ordered from Blik! The graphics were exactly what we were was looking for and a more unique than going with the traditional framed wall decor, or cutesy wallpaper. Of course, cutesy wallpaper isn’t a bad thing, we were just looking for something a little different.  The cost for these graphics were around $60, and well worth the price. They covered a lot of wall space and gave the entire room a calm and moving feel of nature, and I’ve always loved the idea of bringing nature into your home. However, bringing in actual branches would be pretty complicated, so we did the next best thing, vinyl tree branches! Before I found out about Blik I had envisioned myself painting the branches on myself, and thankfully I didn’t have to spend any time painting on the walls with these. I did this alone so the whole ordeal took me a little more than an hour to finish, and the only hard part was keeping the bigger pieces from folding and sticking to each other when you are placing it on the wall. A second pair of hands would have made it easier to apply, but it still was still pretty easy without. I plan on getting some more graphics from Blik for my office, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to spice up their wall with something unique.

Enjoy the pics, and check out the gallery for more!