There are lots of reasons to love my iPhone, but one of the most prominent is that I can easily stay in touch on the go. For example, on Thursday while I was at BlogHer business, I happened to catch a tweet about the Fair Trade Fiesta opening party for the new Greenheart brick and mortar store. I clicked the link, only to learn that the store was right there in Chicago. I have featured Greenheart’s online store before here at Green Your Decor, so I jumped at the chance to see their offerings in person. My good friend Sheena from Mommy Daddy Blog and I hopped in a cab and headed over to the store.

I love being able to walk into a store (or click over to a site) and know that anything I buy has some sort of eco-value. Just so you’ll understand what Greenheart is all about, here’s a little blurb from their site that sums it up:

Greenheart follows the guiding principles of “Fair Trade”. Fair Trade supports sustainable community development by ensuring that the artisans making the products are paid fair living wages. “Eco” signifies that our products are made using the most sustainable materials and methods whenever possible. At Greenheart, we are both “Fair to producers, and good to the Earth”.

The products did not disappoint. Sheena and I were allowed to take lots of photos while we were there, so rather than trying to explain why I was heaven, I’ll show you:

I wound up buying an organic cotton “I heart Chicago” shirt for my daughter, and a handmade bracelet and wallet for myself. I’d much rather spend my money supporting businesses that I believe in than trying to find the cheapest souvenirs. Did I mention that Greenheart is also a nonprofit organization? It is an environmental and social initiative by the Center for Cultural Exchange that promotes the health and welfare of the planet and its inhabitants through cultural exchange, ethical travel, responsible consumerism and community service. And for the record, the prices were quite reasonable. You can support them too, no matter where you are, by shopping in their online store.

You can see many more photos from GreenHeart in my Flickr photo set from BlogHer.

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