Globalkids Blog

More great customer feedback about our range of organic children's clothes

2011-05-08T13:49:00.000+01:00

When you trade virtually it's always great to get customer comments, whatever they may be. We had another lovely comment about our Kite Kids organic clothing range yesterday.

"Hi,

I received this order today and wanted to say thankyou -
What beautiful clothes, lovely quality and great sizing.
My children are thrilled with them."

Kite kids organic childrens clothes are available in ages 2 to 11 years.

Politics and Pyjamas

2011-04-12T09:50:00.000+01:00

We've been waiting on a new delivery of children's organic cotton pyjamas for a while now. Yesterday I received an email from Cotton People Organic in Eqypt to say that there has been a delay in production at the farm due the political situation there. What a small world this is.

Lots Of Tractors In Cornwall - Even On The Organic Baby Clothes!

2011-04-06T09:54:00.001+01:00

With the great weather in Cornwall the tractors have been out in force and thankfully mainly in the fields. This inspired me to put 'tractor' into the Globalkids search facility and this is what it came up with.

Driving My Tractor by Barefoot Books
Chug along with a farmer and his tractor on this multi-season animal adventure by Barefoot Books A busy farmer picks up fifteen animals along his route, but when his trailer hits a stone, chaos ensues.

This colourful children's book combines simple counting instruction with humour, repetition and rhythm to encourage learning fun.

Frugi AppliqueTractor Organic Baby Tops
This Frugi organic cotton top is every little boy's dream...who doesn't love a tractor? The lovely fresh stripe really sets it off too and all in sumptuous, eczema-friendly organic cotton. A gorgeous addition to your organic baby clothes.

Frugi Tractor Print Organic Baby Blanket
Surround your baby in organic luxury! This organic hooded blanket is perfect for swaddling, keeping your baby snuggly in a pram or car seat, or for lying on for a good kick about! Makes a lovely organic baby gift for new babies too!

Spring Time Organic Baby Clothes make a great Easter Gift

2011-03-23T10:47:00.001Z

Spring has sprung! Our cute spring time organic baby grows and baby vests with baby ducks and bunnies make a brilliant organic baby gift this Easter. Especially as us Mum's have no choice but to eat any Easter eggs given to babies!

Next to skin baby clothing is one of the most important purchases you can make. All of our organic baby grows and organic cotton vests are designed to ensure that your babies skin remains chemical free and comfortable.

We have ranges to suit all nappy types and all of the organic baby clothes have nickel free poppers, comfort labels and soft seams.

Making The Most Of The Sunshine With An Impromptu Photo Shoot

2011-03-15T13:51:00.002Z

It's such a beautiful day here at Globalkids HQ in Cornwall that I thought it would be a great opportunity to update some of the product shots that really didn't do the organic baby clothes justice. It's always a challenge to portray the quality of organic cotton over the internet and sometimes we source product from small fair trade co-operatives who struggle to get great photos of their range.

Before

After!

These organic baby tops from Bishopston Trading have been annoying me for a while, the supplier only had a picture of the Plum colour and not the Blue so suprise, suprise we very rarely sold any blue! Hopefully now customers can see what we have, and to help there's 30% off. These organic cotton baby tops are now only £4.89.

FREE UK DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS THIS WEEK

2011-03-14T12:03:00.000Z

Kit your kids out in some cool organic clobber or simply stock up your pressie draw ( I know you've got one!) with some fun fair trade toys and sale bargains and get FREE delivery to anywhere in the UK. Offer ends Saturday 19th March. Visit the Globalkids homepage for more details.

Did you know we can gift wrap your organic baby gift?

2011-03-09T21:08:00.000Z

Whilst I was gift wrapping a pair of fair trade baby dungarees for a customer this afternoon it dawned on me that some visitors to Globalkids may not know about our special gift wrap service. For only £2.95 we ( mainly me!) will gift wrap your entire order in some beautiful hand made fair trade paper.

We ( mainly me!) will carefully wrap your organic baby gift in handmade white wrapping paper, which has been embroidered with silver coloured thread. The baby gift will then be finished off with a hand tied paper bow in either soft pink (for baby girls and mums) or pale blue (for baby boys). The baby gift will also include a complimentary white gift tag (made from 100% recycled paper), on which we will print your message.

What’s so special about our wrapping paper?
Not only is it handcrafted and embroidered, but it is fairly traded, eco friendly and tree free! This very special paper is handmade by a 400 year old family run business in Jaipur, India. Jaipur is a big cotton and silk producing area, so the paper is resourcefully made from recycled cuts of cotton and silk from the surrounding factories. This gives the paper a soft fabric like quality. It has been fairly traded with a business that has sound ethics and doesn’t employ children.

The charge for this service is only £2.95 per order! To take away all of the hassle we can also send your gift directly to it's recipient anywhere in the world.

You can read about our gift services and view our unique selection of organic baby gifts on our website.

It's been a busy week at Globalkids HQ and it's only Tuesday!

2011-03-08T20:37:00.000Z

Apart from basking in the glorious sunshine here in Cornwall and eating far too many pancakes, I've been busy behind the scenes meeting with Rich from Cregy discussing the new website and Globalkids brand.

I've decided that it's time to say goodbye to the current Globalkids logo and go for something fresh and new. Ideas are in sketch form only at the moment but I am hoping that we can create a log that captures the values of the business.

The new website is being built at the moment and will be online in the next couple of months.

I decided to retake the photo of this gorgeous two piece organic babyoutfit from Kite Kids as the one they proved just didn't to it justice. Ally from K.Kids said that they did a late retake themselves as the actual outfit was much better than the sample but they had missed the studio session so their photo was rubbish! It's such a beautiful set of organic baby clothes with a ditsy floral print a delicate scalloped edges. Roll on the summer.

It's stock take time Yay! ( not) so this week I will be on my hands and knees counting stock to get ready for year end. The not so exciting side of running a business but it has to be done. It does remind me though to tell people about some of the clearance lines that are at silly prices. This organic cotton top was £21.99 now £8

Save £10 On The Natalia BlissFul Baby Box

2011-02-07T21:01:00.000Z

Reduced to Clear SAVE £10 on the Natalia organic baby gift box full of organic baby skin care goodies to delicately care for babies skin. Now the cheapest on the internet!
Limited stocks available.

The box contains the following:
Baby top to toe wash 100ml. Gently foaming with aloe vera and calendula blended with lavendar water, a calming and moisturising end to the day.
Baby massage oil 50ml. Contains organic sunflower oil, which is the closest match to a baby's skin PH.

Baby bottom butter 15ml. Contains organic shea butter, calendula, essential oils of lavendar, tea tree and chamomile, making it wonderfully soothing, softening and healing for little bottoms.

Baby special skin balm 15ml. A wonderful balm of organic shea butter, olive oil and calendula which gently soothes dry areas of skin including cradle cap.

BLISSFUL BABY BOX also contains an organic cotton face cloth and massage booklet.

Bum Bum Balm Is On It's Way...Finally!

2011-01-30T19:12:00.000Z

Our latest shipment of Bum Bum Balm is finally on it's way from Canada having been sat in a Canadian dock for 2 weeks. Why take the slow boat you ask? Well it's more environmentally friendly and it keeps the cost down on a product that has already had it's margin chopped thanks to foreign exchange rates.

With healthy pre orders for this wondurful tin of organic baby skin care we may have to book the next boat sooner than we thought!

Organic Baby Toys Veggie Crate Gets The Thumbs Up

2011-01-18T14:17:00.000Z

I know it's late but we still like to blow our own trumpet occasionally. Our quirky organic veggie crate was picked as one of the special gifts under the Christmas tree by bump2baby magazine.

This wooden crate holds four organic baby toys in the shape of little veggies.

Organic Baby Clothes And The Starfish Tale

2011-01-13T21:18:00.000Z

Once upon a time, there was a man who used to go to the sea to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore he noticed a young man who was picking up small objects, and throwing them into the sea.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the sea."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the sea?" asked the somewhat startled man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the man commented, "But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.

As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

No matter how small you can make a difference by buying organic baby clothes and fair trade toys

Delivering Your Organic Baby Clothes In New Recycled Packaging

2011-01-10T18:44:00.000Z

We've just taken delivery of our new mailing bags. Made from 100% recycled plastic which is also fully bio degradeable. Woohoo!

Christmas wishes from our Customers

2010-12-24T10:28:00.000Z

A wonderful email from a Globalkids customer that made our day in the office.

"To your whole team,

Thank you for giving us, people a chance to purchase such nice and fair products.

Nice and fair for all living beings on earth and for Earth herself.

And thank you so much for your accurate and friendly service.

We thank you very much and wish you all

Peaceful Christmas days and a Blessed New Year!"

Merry Christmas Everyone from everyone at Globalkids

Christmas Open House Event - Liskeard, Cornwall 1st & 2nd Dec

2010-11-24T21:55:00.000Z

Globalkids will be taking part in the 3rd Open house event in Liskeard, Cornwall on the 1st & 2nd December.

This unique event brings together local mums who either have a small business or hobby.

If you are in the local area please drop in for some tea and cake and browse some very unique gifts.

We will have on show a large selection of organic baby clothes, fair trade toys, barefoot books and eco gifts.

Children's Fleeces Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles

2010-11-17T13:21:00.000Z

We love this range of winter fleeces and hoodies from Kite Kids. Made from either organic cotton or recycled plastic bottles which give the fleece a teddy bear quality.

Available for boys and girls. Go on, treat your kids to some organic cotton clothes!

Your Crisp Packets Can Stop Children From Working On Rubbish Dumps

2010-11-15T14:43:00.000Z

We are always on the look out for opportunities where children and do something positive to help other children less fortunate about themselves, so we were very pleased to come across a Southampton based charity 'The Philippine Community Fund'

They have launched a ‘Ring Pull, Toothpaste Tube and Crisp Packet Appeal’ and are asking Schools and Businesses to collect ring pulls, toothpaste tubes (not the pump type), plastic carrier bags and crisp packets (cereal packets, large sweet packets, coffee packets etc) so that they can be sent to the Philippines and made into beautiful handbags and purses.

The handbags and purses are sold in the UK and the profits are used to educate children at PCF’s schools, who are currently scavenging on rubbish dumps. The children, some as young as three years old, search through the mounds of rotting rubbish for items to sell for recycling, earning just £1 for a ten hour working day. Their parents cannot afford to send them to state school.

The handbags are made by the most disadvantaged parents of the school children.

The Charity runs its own schools where children are educated in classes of 25. They receive a nutritious hot breakfast and lunch, medical care and take home rice and canned foods every week for their families based on their effort, achievement and attendance in school.

Can you set up a recycling programme? Or just collect what you generate at home and send your bounty to:

The Philippine Community Fund
PO Box 294, Hedge End
Southampton,
SO30 2YD

Tel: 01489 790219
Email: claire@p-c-f.org
Web: http://www.p-c-f.org/

Globalkids: Unique skin friendly organic baby clothes and organic baby gifts.

Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm To The Rescue Again

2010-11-04T20:36:00.000Z

Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm

We learnt about another convert to the amazing properties of the Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm this afternoon.

"Bum balm is working a treat on our wee boys nappy rash"

This cool little tin of natural and organic baby skin care has been a core part of range for over 6 years and has more friends than the Globalkids team put together!

Bum Bum Balm is a totally natural skin care product that really works. It's hand made in Canada using only the finest natural and organic ingredients and we think it really is a nappy change essential.

Bum Bum Balm moisturises and soothes baby’s skin at every nappy change. It contains Herbal extracts of organic Calendula and Lavender essential oil which soothe any irritated skin while natural beeswax, Organic Jojoba, Cocoa butter and Vitamin E help to protect and moisturise. It's also Zinc Oxide Free.

The best botty balm we've ever tried, and comes highly recommended....again

Where Children Sleep - Encourage Children To Think About Inequality

2010-10-19T10:27:00.000+01:00

We were really touched by James Mollison's book of photographs of children from around the world and their bedrooms. Mollison hopes his photographs will encourage children to think about inequality and the pictures are certainly thought provoking what ever age you are.

The images reinforced to us again why we need to continue to support families and children in developing countries by selling our Fair trade toys and organic baby clothes. With our customers support, these activities help to ensure that parents can care and provide for their children to a standard more like those in the privileged west.

Come and Visit Us At the St Ive Autumn Fair

2010-10-17T18:53:00.000+01:00

Once again Globalkids are taking a stand at the St Ive Church Autumn Fair on Saturday 23rd October 10am - 4pm. You can find this wonderful festive fair at St Ive church on the A390 between Liskeard and Callington in Cornwall.

Great customer feedback about our organic childrens clothes

2010-09-29T09:22:00.000+01:00

Kite Kids Autumn organic childrens clothes

"Had to mail to say thanks for order. It came very quickly and the jumpers are perfect. The children really appreciate the softness of the fabric. All very happy so thank you very much."

Bw, K. R

We always really appreciate it when customers take the time to send us feedback, this customer's children approved of the new Kite Kids boys organic clothing!

Buying Organic Baby Clothes Is Going To Get Easier

2010-09-27T22:03:00.000+01:00

After many months of deliberation we have decided to invest in a more customer friendly checkout process. We haven't been happy for a while with the current set up with paypal as it isn't easy for some customers to complete their order, which leads to us losing business sometimes :(

We are going to have an integrated system where customers don't have to leave our website to complete their order which will make it quicker and easier to buy all of our lovely organic baby clothes and fair trade toys..yipee!

Now the nail biting bit, whilst the web developers build the new process and we go into testing...all before the christmas rush!

Wish us luck......

Get Ready For The New Autumn Organic Clothes

2010-09-08T12:43:00.000+01:00

I've been busy loading the new Autumn ranges onto the website in readiness for the stock arriving this week. The Kite Kids organic childrens clothes are beautiful and should be in by the end of the week and the Frugi organic baby clothes will be in tomorrow!
With new eco friendly shoes and very cute baby slippers from Simple Shoes with 30% OFF RRP!!, it's going to be a busy time.
There will also be an offer on the new childrens organic clothing for facebook fans and newsletter subscribers so watch this space and sign up if you haven't already!

Ah Bless..Order For A Triplet Set Of Organic Babygrows

2010-08-25T14:42:00.000+01:00

With the rain lashing down again in Cornwall, it's brightened up our day to receive an organic baby grow order for 3 teeny tiny triplets to wear.Bless, Welcome to the rainy world little ones. At least they will be snug and safe in our supremely soft organic baby clothes !

Ordering Organic Baby Clothes For Summer 2011 Already!

2010-08-17T09:34:00.000+01:00

Ok, so maybe it's not a bad thing to look forward to next summer, seeing as this summers weather has been pretty grim..well in Cornwall anyway!

We've just made the final selection for Kite Kids organic clothing range for summer 2011. The colour palette is gorgeous with ditsy floaty skirts and trendy shorts and tee's for girls and cool shorts, t-shirts and shirts for boys..can't wait!

New for 2011 will be a range of organic baby clothes for ages 6m - 18m, the girls will be super cute in dresses and bloomers and the boys will love the shorts and t'shirts with friendly doggie motif.

If you can't wait we have the last few pieces of this years children's organic clothing summer range on sale now

Games For Children To Play When Travelling This Summer.

2010-07-15T20:33:00.000+01:00

With the school holidays upon us we have put together a little list of games for children to play to help pass the time when travelling.

Are We There Yet?

Print out a map of your route for each of the children. As you pass landmarks, places, rivers and lakes on your journey, point them out and they can mark them off on the map. That way they know how far they have left and don’t spend the journey asking if you’re nearly there yet!

Back-seat bingo!

Before you set off, ask the children to make bingo sheets for everyone with images of things you might see on your journey. The first one to spot them all wins.

Silly Stories

Take it in turns to tell a piece of a story. For example, the first person says “Little Billy went on holiday and when he opened his suitcase he found…” and the next person says “a baby kangaroo…” and so on. You’ll be amazed how silly the stories can get.

Provide each child with a bag full of their own toys, books, audio cd’s so they can amuse themselves for a while. It’s fun if there is pocket sized surprise in there as well.

And if all else fails try…

The ‘Silent game’

See who can stay quiet for the longest, the last person to make a noise gets a treat. A brilliant game for when things are getting fraut, if you're lucky they might even fall asleep!!

A new toy or book can help keep a child's attention so why not check out some of our Eco books, Children's games and Fair Trade Toys

Real Nappy Week Competition Winner

2010-05-24T21:53:00.000+01:00

Congratulation to Becky from Cardiff who has won our prize from the Real Nappy Week competition organised by Go Real - The real nappy information service. Becky has won a beautiful hooded organic baby blanket...lucky thing!

We're having a holiday

2010-05-24T20:57:00.000+01:00

We're all flagging a bit so have decided to close the Globalkids office and have a holiday from Sunday 30th May until Sunday 6th June 2010. Any orders placed during that week will be despatched on monday 7th June 2010.
Many thanks for your co-operation.

Now what shall we buy for the Globalkids Autumn Winter Range?

2010-05-10T14:17:00.000+01:00

Read on we would like your help!

Now we all like a spot of shopping, but buying on anothers behalf is tricky..that significant other being the Globalkids customer. The deadline for the Autumn ranges of organic clothes for babies and kids is looming, and we also like to enhance the range with a new product range or two just to keep our customers attention (and ours for that matter)!

It's fairly common knowledge that the recession has made it very tough for everyone and it places an added pressure to get the new selections right.

Kite kids will feature strongly as their Autumn range looks chic, cool and cosy, and we love the quality of the clothing. Frugi have some great top designs for toddlers so we can't resist those too and we are pondering a range of shoes for little feet made completely from organic and recycled materials.

If you have any feedback on what you would like to see this Autumn then please email us or leave a comment on our facebook page and let us know..Being our significant other, all comments are very gratefully received!

Over 50% Of School Children In Africa Have No Shoes

2010-05-05T22:11:00.000+01:00

But you can help. Shoes to Kenya collects unwanted childrens’ shoes and sends them to orphanages and schools in Kenya.

Isaac Ouma travels throughout Kenya educating schoolchildren. He says; “In my visits I see a lot of very needy children when it comes to shoes, including some from very remote primary schools. Over half of the school pupils have no shoes. It would be a great help to the very needy kids in that jiggers, thorns, and broken glass will not hinder their growth and ability to play and learn.”

I don't know about you but our children grow out of shoes so quickly that they hardly get worn. Globalkids support this initiative as it goes towards one of our key aims, which is to improve the living standard of children in developing countries....but more so it's a jolly nice thing to do for someone.

We want to send as many pairs of shoes as possible to Isaac Ouma who will hand them out to children in schools and orphanages across Kenya so if you can help please send them to:

Shoes to Kenya

c/o Babi Pur
10-12 Bank Place
Portmadog
GWYNEDD
LL49 9AA

Shoes need to be in good condition and up to adult size 5

Then sit back and grin in the knowledge that your little ones feet have helped another little ones feet!

Special Offer To Support Real Nappy Week

2010-04-25T21:13:00.000+01:00

Go Real Together!

Globalkids will be supporting the 14th annual Real Nappy Week from April 26th – 2rd May.

We have reduced all of our specially designed cloth nappy clothing by 15% during the week. You can check out the range here

Real Nappies are promoted across the UK, predominantly because of their environmental and financial benefits. Currently the UK throws away 3 billion disposables every year with 90% going to landfill. (we did wonder what happened to the other 10%!)

Real Nappies not only divert waste from landfill but they can also be up to 40% better for the environment than using disposables, helping parents actively combat their carbon footprint. In addition parents can save at least £500 per child in Real Nappies, an important saving in the current economic climate.

Organised by Go Real, the Real Nappy Information Service, Real Nappy Week 2010 will be a truly interactive event encouraging people across the world to learn about Real Nappies, get advice or take advantage of great special offers! There are events being held all over the UK and al the details can be found on the Go Real website. Why not enter the Real Nappy Week Competition....we've donated a lovely prize!

British Association Of Fair Trade Shops Love Globalkids!

2010-03-18T21:19:00.000Z

After a drawn out, rigerous and slightly scary screening process we've just heard that we have filled all the criteria to become a member of BAFTS....and we are chuffed to bits!

The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is an association of retailers who, although independent, unite in a core purpose which is to bring about fundamental changes in the status of working producers through Fair Trade retailing and campaigning.

Why Shop at a BAFTS Fair Trade Shop? ( that's Globalkids now, you know!)

By shopping at a BAFTS retailer you are ensuring that your money is spent on Fair Trade goods. All BAFTS retailers must buy at least 70% of their stock from recognised Fair Trade sources.

You will:

Get connected with the people behind the products. Globalkids know about where the product came from and who made it.
Globalkids are independently owned, which means that each shopping experience will be unique...in a good way!
Ensure the money you spend goes back to supporting the producer
By shopping at an independent local business you are supporting the local economy.
Find out more about Fair Trade and Trade Justice from people who know what they are talking about.
Find the biggest selection of Fair Trade products around.

We are so pleased that BAFTS have acknowledged our extensive range of fair trade baby products and fair trade toys.

What difference does it make to Globalkids customers?..well none really other than you can continue to confidently shop for all your organic baby products and fair trade baby gifts knowing that you will directly benefit the skillled people who grow and make our unique range of fair trade products.

Free Seed Pack For Your Little Gardeners

2010-03-14T13:38:00.000Z

Like free stuff? Want to encourage your children to eat more vegetables and get some fresh air too? Well CBeebies have launched their Dig In campaign, aimed at helping new gardeners grow their own vegetables in the space they have available at home. This year's campaign focuses on the shared experience of families with young children growing their own food. This is sort of activity is one that Globalkids support as it provides opportunities to understand about growing different vegetables and hopefully organic ones!

The free seed packs contain seeds for five vegetables - French bean, carrot, basil, courgette and mixed leaves, plus instructions on how to get the best from them.

You can apply online for your seed pack here

We try and promote a fondness of vegetables too with our wonderful knitted vegetable toys and organic baby toys in the shape of vegetables.

If you want to explore further, the book 'Eddies Garden' is a great story and encourages children to grow their own veg too!

Further Reductions On Organic Children's Clothes - Upto 70% OFF

2010-02-07T21:22:00.000Z

We need to make way for our children's organic clothing spring and summer collections so we've futher reduced lots of our sale items. Stocks are very limited so stock up now on your Organic Clothing at high street prices.

Organic Hooded Tops from £8.00! All Frugi Sale Clothing Up to 70% OFF!

Click here to see the Organic Clothes Sale

Don't forget UK delivery is still only £2.95 and FREE on orders over £45.

Our Fair Trade Wooden Toy Supplier Wins Award To Fund Training In Sri Lanka

2010-02-03T21:40:00.000Z

Wooden Noah's Ark

Lanka Kade have been supplying Globalkids with their Fair Trade wooden toys from the start. In tough economic conditions their producers in Sri Lanka still managed to offer continual employment AND increased wages for all their talented workers last year.

This achievement led to Lanka Kade being awarded a financial prize for export which they immediately re-invested in training for their Sri Lankan producers and employees. A 3 day first aid course was held and everyone left with knowledge that will benefit them in the workplace and also with their families at home.

This type of support for the employees in Sri Lanka was only achieved by the continued and enthusiastic ordering from amongst others, Globalkids customers..so well done you!

Get swapping for Fairtrade Fortnight

2010-01-27T20:38:00.000Z

Put the Kettle On!

For this year's Fairtrade Fortnight the Fairtrade Foundation are asking the nation to join them in The Big Swap. For two whole weeks from the 22nd February - 7th March they will be asking you to swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. Your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, your usual cotton baby clothes for Fairtrade cotton baby clothes, and your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa. This means that every time you go shopping, you can use your wallet to make a stand.

Swapping your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff is a brilliantly small step to making the world a fairer place. It means that through the stuff you buy you get to show your support for developing world producers.

If you’re a swapping novice then start with the stuff that we all pop in our baskets every week. The basics like tea, coffee, bananas, chocolate, rice and sugar. And then go a few steps further. Look for spices, fruit juices,shower-gel, nuts, cotton wool, ice cream or herbal teas.

Swapping doesn’t begin and end in the supermarket either. You can even swap what your children wear to Fairtrade with some cute Fair trade dungarees, dresses, tops and trousers.

Why you should swap your cotton

We respect the stuff that refuses to go out of fashion. Think crisp white t-shirt, think your favourite pair of jeans. The farmers at ETC Chetna Organics, a Fairtrade cotton farmers’ group in the Andhara Pradesh region of India have a very particular take on the timeless classic….Their own weighing scales. Sick of being ripped off when bringing their crop to be weighed, they invested their Fairtrade premium wisely. This shiny, stainless steel box now puts them firmly in control. It’s perfectly accessorized too, with a fetchingly accurate digital display. More importantly, it ensures they get paid a fair price for every kilo of cotton they produce.

Just for Fun

The Fairtrade Foundation have produced a great little quiz for primary school age children to help raise awareness of Fairtrade, you can download a copy here:

Primary School Fairtrade Fortnight Quiz Download

Don't forget to register your swap here:

A Reason Why Suppliers Don't Make Children's Organic Cotton Pyjamas

2010-01-19T20:36:00.000Z

Like a dog with an organic bone, we haven't given up on the issue of a lack of suppliers making organic children's pyjamas, especially for the 6-11 age range. We asked one supplier why they weren't making them when they made other great organic clothes for children. This is their very interesting response.

'Hi Rachel,

You’re not the first person to ask! Actually we did have PJs in our AW07 collection and the people who bought them loved them – BUT – they are so expensive to make. It costs pretty much the same to make a set of PJs as a long-sleeved top and a pair of leggings – and people don’t want to pay those sort of prices.

The people who were particularly keen were those whose children had skin-conditions that improved with organic cotton PJs.
So, I would say, we’re probably quite well placed to re-introduce PJs at some point in the future, but don’t hold your breath as it might be a while.
A'

So at the moment its a choice of either paying top dosh or shop with Globalkids who WILL be bringing in a range of children's pyjamas up to age 11, made from 100% organic cotton..even if we won't make much by doing so.

More great feedback from one of our customers

2010-01-10T10:15:00.000Z

Dear Globalkids,

received my order a few days ago so that was lovely surprise - the speed of the delivery!
also I was thrilled with the items I purchased - they were exactly what I wanted.
thank-you so much for well-priced items, speedy delivery and beautifully hand crafted goods. I will be coming back to Globalkids again :)
Regards
H

Small business and the common market don't mix

2010-01-07T21:56:00.000Z

Ok so I am going to rant a little. I have spent an extraordinary amount of time sourcing some replacement organic cotton children's pyjamas due to our current supplier ceasing to export to the UK because of organic manufacturers territories ( humph).
For the age range our customers are requesting ( up to age 10) we have to source outside of the UK. I eventually tracked down a suitable manufacturer in Germany and after several very long and detailed spreadsheets, forms and emails, I have been told that they are adding 19% VAT to the order, and as we are only a little business and not VAT registered we would have to stomach the VAT. Net result - the retail price would be too high for our customers to find attractive.
The frustrating thing is that in the UK there is no VAT on children's clothes. Trading in the EU isn't quite as simple as we are given to believe.
If there are any VAT accountants out there who wish to comment, we'd love to hear from you!
Humph, humph and more humph!

SALE NOW ON!

2009-12-29T19:31:00.000Z

40% OFF Frugi Winter Collection plus lots of new reductions. Further reductions on selected lines to clear. FREE UK delivery on orders over £45. Click here for details or visit the SALE department.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T21:25:00.000Z

We'd just like to wish all of the Customers and supporters of Globalkids a very merry Christmas and a healthy and sustainable new year! Thank you so much for your comments and custom during 2009.

Best wishes

Rachel and Tom Lea-Wilson

Last Order Date For Christmas Delivery To The UK

2009-12-16T21:28:00.000Z

Is 12 noon on the 21st December 2009! If you are short for time we can gift wrap your order and send it direct to the recipient. You can find more details of our gift wrapping service here

Help children out of poverty by using the seeds from what you eat

2009-11-24T14:16:00.000Z

Would you save the seeds from the fruit and vegetables you eat to benefit a small African Village? SEED SAVERS is a community effort, that costs little other than some of your time, and provides food security for some of the poorest people on earth. When children are nourished they can access formal education - which is, in itself - empowering.Simply wash and dry them and send them to African Pebbles Seed Savers Appreal.

Please help us to help others, so that they can eventually help themselves.

For more details contact : Safia Soliman

AFRICAN PEBBLES (a component of OUR WISH - UK)
Email: african.pebbles01@yahoo.co.uk

You just can't get the staff!

2009-11-23T13:19:00.000Z

I've been busy preparing for 3 craft fairs we are attending this coming weekend and my little helper seems to be gettting a little bit distracted by our great selection of Children's Eco Books!

Globalkids - Christmas Fair Dates:
Plymouth Prep School - Friday 27th November 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Landulph, Cornwall - Friday 27th November 6pm - 9pm
Menheniot, Cornwall - Saturday 28th November 10am - 2pm

If you are local it would be lovely to see you there...

Phew - Postal Strike Postponed

2009-11-09T21:32:00.000Z

Thank goodness for that! The Royal Mail Postal Strike has certainly affected business so we are very relieved to learn that any threat of strikes has been pushed back until after Christmas.

Make The Most Of The Winter Night Sky

2009-10-22T10:49:00.000+01:00

With the clocks changing this weekend the evenings will become darker, creating a great opportunity to encourage children to appreciate the beautiful night sky. Zoo In The Sky is a very special book, quite magical. Distinguished astronomer and writer Dr Jacqueline Mitton takes children on a magical tour of the skies, featuring 19 constellations named after animals, birds and fishes.

The poetic text, supplemented by the sky maps and background information about the stars, combines with Christina Balit's incandescent paintings to create a book that will facinate children of all ages.

Suitable for National Curriculum Key stages 1 and 2

10% Off All Orders Ends This Sunday - Visit Globalkids for 10% Off Every Product

2009-10-16T16:28:00.000+01:00

With Royal Mail postal strikes looming why not take advantage of our current promotion which ends this sunday the 18th October 2009. Do your Christmas shopping and beat the postal strikes and save 10% off your order (excluding delivery).
Browse our unique range of Organic and Fair Trade gifts now at www.globalkids.co.uk
Just quote GKNS09 at the checkout.

Hurry! Exclusive Offer - 10% Off All Orders

2009-10-08T11:24:00.000+01:00

Exclusive offer for all Globalkids customers and their friends and families

10% off All Orders

until 18th October 2009*

That's 10% off full and reduced priced products

Just use offer code GKNS09 at the checkout
* 10% off does not apply to delivery charges

Kids have the sniffles?

2009-10-06T21:12:00.000+01:00

Dimpleskins Naturals' SNIFFLES Eucalyptus Rub warms as you rub it in, with additions of Eucalyptus Lemon, Rosemary and Myrtle Essential Oils set in a nourishing base of organic Jojoba, Coconut and Apricot oils, pure Beeswax, Cocoa butter and Vitamin E. A bit under the nose, on the chest, the back and soles of the feet NATURALLY helps to sooth congestion this winter.
Dimpleskins prevsiouly known as Munchskins hand make all of their products in Canada from pure natural ingredients, completely safe and chemical free

Our biggest order to be gift wrapped ever!

2009-09-16T20:06:00.000+01:00

We offer a great value (and beautiful) gift wrapping service and today we received our biggest order to be gift wrapped...14 individual products..better get busy!

More great customer feedback for Globalkids

2009-09-16T15:00:00.001+01:00

Some more great feedback from a new French Customer:
'I would like to say a few words to Tom and you as founders of Globalkids : your idea is great, the fair trade items are gorgeous with the best prices, your website is simple and well-designed, one of the best - unfortunately we don't have the same in France... I am definitely fond of hand made crochet toys and would be very grateful if you could propose more items like the hand made crochet spotty dog, so cute ! Carry on running your business the way you do it and customers follow you.

Organic Fortnight - Tips for buying organic food on a budget

2009-09-09T18:27:00.000+01:00

Regardless of recent reports we fully support the Soil Associations' ethos that organic food is better for everyone, especially children. To support Organic Fortnight from the 5th - 20th September the Soil Association have published some helpful tips to help you save money when buying and cooking organic produce.

The Soil Association believes it is possible for most of us to shop and cook organically without compromising on quality. It might require some creativity and life-style changes, but these changes have the potential to leave both you and the planet healthier and happier. So use the following tips to stay healthy, ethical and green whilst saving money.

1. Sign-up to an organic box scheme. Get local, seasonal and organic fruit and veg delivered straight to your doorstep, and get excellent value for money while you're at it. Use the box scheme directory to find your local supplier- Box scheme directory [PDF, 1.5MB]

2. Cook fresh fruit and veg from scratch. Avoiding over packaged convenience foods is usually both healthier and cheaper. There are some seasonal recipe ideas on this site, or try our new Grown in Britain cookbook which has a comprehensive guide to seasonal British produce - Seasonal recipes- Buy Grown in Britain from our shop

3. Eat less meat, and when you do try lower cost cuts such as belly of pork or neck of lamb. Offal too can provide tasty nutritious meals. Get friendly with your local butcher for advice on cuts

4. Cook in bulk. Make meals in larger batches, use herbs and spices, and cheaper ingredients like tinned tomatoes or beans and pulses to bulk things out, and then freeze left over portions. This is a great way making less into more

5. Join or create an organic buying group. Bulk-buy your store cupboard staples with a group of friends at wholesale prices. We're working to encourage more buying groups around the country and have produced a guide to getting started- Setting up an organic buying group

6. Join or start your own local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme in partnership with a local farmer. CSA is a partnership between farmers and the public where you make an annual investment for a share of the harvest and can prove great value for money - Community supported agriculture

7. Grow your own, for the freshest, most local food you can get, right on your doorstep - and free- Organic growing advice

8. Keep your own chickens and enjoy a great house pet and super fresh eggs every day. You can learn more about chicken keeping, and range of other courses on growing and cooking, through a Soil Association Organic Farm School course, supported by the Daylesford Foundation - Organic farm school

9. Write a shopping list. As a nation we we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year. By planning meals in advance, buying what you need and not what you 'fancy', and using left-overs you should be able avoid the need to throw away any food at all, and save up to £50 a month

10. Take a walk on the wild side. There's plenty of free wild food available, and identifying and picking it is a great way of having fun outdoors. - Advice on foraging from forager Fergus Drennan

You can find out more about the soil association here
You can find organic clothing on a budget by viewing our special offers here

Save money and reduce landfill...Buy battery free toys

2009-09-08T13:15:00.000+01:00

Fact: there are 900 million batteries used each year in the UK alone and many are in toys.
Fact: Only 2% of batteries are currently recycled -the rest end up in landfill sites and are poisoning our planet!
Fact: Kids love electronic toys!
The problem: How do we give children what they desire but without poisoning our planet?
The solution: - ecotronic toys - batteryless electronic toys! The face of the toy world is about to change forever!
These fantastic environmentally friendly eco gadgets are fun, simple to use and work really well. Check out the whole range here

A great way to start the day

2009-08-26T09:34:00.000+01:00

An email like this certainly helps to brighten the day!
'Thanks for your quick response and info regarding non-availability. I am impressed with your web-site it is very easy to use and your prompt dealing with orders and clitches most useful.
We have been thrilled with the clothes ordered so far and will keep looking at your site.'

Website Woes!

2009-08-24T22:24:00.000+01:00

Ahhh...What a frustrating day with the Globalkids website. Not only did the web developers perform a cunning trick and made every single product vanish for 2 hours this afternoon, all of the reduced stock mysteriously defaulted to every size being in stock when it wasn't. A huge sorry to those customers who placed orders for stock that didn't exist and to those who wanted to view the new range of organic clothing from Frugi from todays newsletter, only to be met with a not very tempting error message... we've sorted it now. Here's hoping for an uneventful day tomorrow!

New Frugi Autumn/Winter Organic Clothing Now In Stock

2009-08-23T16:56:00.000+01:00

It's here! the latest range of organic baby clothes and children's clothing from our Cornish friends at Frugi. I know its still August but with all the rain we've had we thought you might appreciate some warm clothes for your little ones!

This years themes involve tractors and woodland creatures for the boys and pretty pink polka dots for the girls. All made of course with high quality 100% organic cotton with Frugi's wonderful attention to detail and ever practical designs.

Alphabet book user tested by our 21 month old

2009-08-17T13:18:00.000+01:00

Our 21 month old Max, very often tests Globalkids new products. The latest product to catch his beady little eye is the great baby book 'Alligator Animals' by Barefoot books. He seems to like the large array of bright colours used in the cheerful illustrations, and he enjoys trying out the new words that the book inevitably provides him with the opportunity to do.
We like it because of all the reasons Max does, but also because it doesn't contain the run of the mill farm and zoo animals, with a fox, sloth, rainbow trout and iguana to name but a few the book creates plenty of opportunities for developing a child's vocabulary as well as increasing knowledge of different animals, habitats and countries. Our 4 year old has learnt a thing or two as well, making it a book with lasting appeal.

Children more vulnerable to pesticides until age 7

2009-07-28T20:56:00.000+01:00

Children more vulnerable to pesticides until age 7 due to lower enzyme level.
Taken from an article published by Environmental Health News Jul 21, 2009
Children are more susceptible to the toxic effects of certain pesticides than adults, and this vulnerability lasts longer than previously believed.
A new study finds that young children have significantly lower levels of a key enzyme that protects against the toxic effects of certain pesticides. The youngsters' enzyme levels do not catch up to an adult's until after age seven – far longer than previously thought.
In addition, a person's genes dictate how effective the enzyme is at breaking down the pesticides. This is one reason why some people are more susceptible to the effects of pesticides than others.
Regulations governing organophosphate pesticide use should recognize that some individuals are more susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticides, say the researchers from the University of California, Berkeley who authored the study. Children are also more susceptible and this increased vulnerability appears to continue into school age.
The enzyme called paraoxonase, plays a key role in helping the body neutralize and eliminate organophosphate pesticides. Organophosphates are a class of acutely toxic insecticides that have been largely banned for home use, but continue to be widely used in agriculture. Organophosphate pesticides target the nervous systems of insects, but have similar effects on humans. Some studies have shown reduced IQs among young children whose mothers were exposed to these pesticides during pregnancy.
Although it has been known that newborns have low levels of the paraoxonase enzyme, it was previously believed that paraoxonase concentrations reached adult levels by 2 years of age.
This assumption was based on one earlier study of 9 children. Now a new study of 458 children followed from birth to age 7 shows that paraoxonase levels continue to increase steadily until age 7. At age 7, the average paraoxonase level in children was similar to, but still lower than, adult levels.
Further evidence that buying organic cotton clothing and skin care for babies and children is a wise investment.

Under the Nile Organic Cotton Blanket ' Best in the World'

2009-07-24T14:58:00.000+01:00

Esquire named Under the Nile Organic Cotton Blanket
the “Best Blanket in the World.”

Under the Nile organic cot blankets are soft as cashmere and have a great all year
round weight. The blankets are made from handpicked, Demeter certified Egyptian
cotton, known as the softest and most durable cotton in the world. Esquire agreed as they
had conducted extensive testing against high-end blankets in the market place. Under the
Nile‘s organic brushed cotton baby blanket won hands down and was proclaimed to be the
“Best Blanket in the World” says Esquire magazine.

Under the Nile blankets are perfume-free and chemicals-free and do not contain
pesticides. Organically grown from the time the seed is planted to the harvesting and the
weaving of the blankets. The blanket is available in an off white colour suitable for Crib or Cotbed

.
Under the Nile has been a manufacturer of organic infant and children’s clothing, toys,
blankets, and other accessories for over ten years. All products are made from 100
percent organic, Egyptian cotton that carries the internationally recognized Demeter
certification.

Childrens activities for the summer holidays

2009-07-22T10:19:00.000+01:00

We love this website...If you are looking for activities for the children over the summer holidays or eco topics that you can work into home life with your children its a great easy to use resource

http://www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/

Globalkids also has a special range of eco games for children including board games made from recycled cardboard from the greenboard game company.

Globalkids new facebook page

2009-07-15T21:37:00.001+01:00

You can see us and catch up on the latest news and gossip on our new facebook page. Just click here

Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm

2009-07-01T20:38:00.000+01:00

Dimpleskins ( formally Munchskins) Bum Bum Balm, the natural baby nappy balm is now back in stock!

2009-06-12T18:36:00.001+01:00

The Green Parent Magazine have selected our Bioviva Eco Family Board Game to feature in their next issue.

Bioviva is an environmentally aware trivia game with players navigating their way around a board of the world to gain ECO points. The game has won more international awards than any other educational game in the world, 12 in total including the" Toy Oscar Award" and the "Ecological Product of the Year". .

2009-06-12T18:32:00.000+01:00

The shipment of Dimpleskins (formally Munchskins) 'bum bum balm' has finally left Canada so should be back in stock soon.

Globalkids.co.uk on facebook

2009-06-06T10:49:00.001+01:00

Find us on face book and become a fan of Globalkids. Catch up on the news, what we are up to and join debates. We'd love to hear your views on us, our products and what we can do to improve our products and service.

Click here for our face book page

New organic cotton babygrows

2009-06-06T10:42:00.000+01:00

New range of organic cotton babygrows, gowns and hooded blankets in either pink or blue marl are in stock now. (as being worn by the cutie in our profile picture) The range is from frugi who have resized their babygrows so they aren't so huge and can now be worn if babies are wearing cloth nappies or not...brilliant!

Landulph Craft Fair 16th May 2009

2009-05-12T17:01:00.000+01:00

Come and see us at the Landulph Memorial Hall Craft Fair this saturday 16th May 9am-12noon

2009-05-05T09:38:00.000+01:00

One of our aims at www.Globalkids.co.uk is to try and put a human face on internet shopping. We strive to get to know our customers (where they want us to!) and treat everyone as an individual, not just an order number. One comment we received this week was;

'Thanks for your help.
There was a big article today on Watchdog about poor customer service online but all my experiences have been great - I might have to email them and tell about companies like yours!'

Organic Baby Blanket delivered to South Africa

2009-03-01T19:57:00.000Z

It's always nice to hear from our Globalkids customers, but it was especially nice to hear from this one!

'We received the baby blanket we purchased on line. It arrived safely and quickly all the way here in South Africa.Many thanks for a great service!'

Bioviva Board Games commitment to responsible and sustainable manufacturing

2009-01-05T19:35:00.000Z

Just before christmas we received in the office a very interesting press release from Bioviva, our French Supplier of some of our best eco sustainable board games for children.

They have completed a study into their manufacturing process versus standard practices when manufacturing board games and have found the follwing results;

* 9 times less water consumed
* 1.5 times less energy consumed
* 12 times less CO2 emitted
* 10 times less volatile organic compounds emitted
* respect of International Labour Office recommendations

Very interesting results, Bioviva continues to provide a credible, eco-citizen alternative for parents who want a better world for their children.

Bioviva - Eco Board Game

2008-11-26T18:29:00.000Z

Whilst I'm here I may as well tell you about our mention in Healthy & Organic Living Magazine this month!

The magazine has featured Bioviva THE multi award winning environmental board for all the family. A great game for boxing day or any other family day for that matter!

NEW Wooden puzzles for Christmas

2008-11-26T18:24:00.001Z

We have some great new Fairtrade wooden puzzles this Christmas. From our fiery dragon above to this pretty butterfly below, great ideas that will last way past Christmas.

Reduction in VAT to 15%

2008-11-26T18:19:00.000Z

Following the announcement by the Government to reduce VAT to 15%, we just wanted to say that our prices of Organic Baby Clothes and Fairtrade Toys etc will remain unchanged after December 1st 2008. This is not because we are being mean, its because most of our range already doesn't carry VAT plus we are also not VAT registered which means we already don't charge our customers VAT.

Organic Baby Clothes Clearance Sale

2008-10-12T16:57:00.000+01:00

If you subscribe to our mailing list you will already know about the final reductions we have made to many of our sale items. We are trying to make room for Christmas stock so have reduced many of our organic baby t-shirts to £3, selected Organic Babygrows have been reduced to £5 and organic baby cardigan and trousers sets are now £6!

Visit www.globalkids.co.uk for more details

Children's Organic Cotton Pyjamas

2008-10-06T19:56:00.000+01:00

We have finally been able to source a selection of Organic Cotton Children's Pyjamas. The Stripey jersey pyjamas above selling at a very reasonable £15.99 are a great addition to our range. Available in age 2-8 years.

Organic Veggie Crate Toy

2008-10-06T19:42:00.000+01:00

If anyone is wondering where our Organic Veggie Crate Toy has gone, well it's unfortunately out of stock. However fans of this fabulous toy will be pleased to learn that it has a new and just as healthy sister, our Organic Fruit Basket Toy!

Made by Under the Nile this cheerful set includes 4 organic cotton fruit toys in its own eco friendly children's shopping bag!

Organic box scheme cheaper than the big supermarkets!

2008-08-19T20:55:00.000+01:00

We've always had an organic veg box from Riverford, thinking that chemical free food is better for us and our children, especially after reading some analysis of just how many chemicals a young breast fed baby has in her system due to her mother eating mainly non organic food.

But in the current financial climate organic food and other organic products can be the first to go in the tightening of the household budget. That was why it was great to read that the Riverford veg box is a staggering 22% cheaper than the big supermarkets equivilant produce. You can read more at http://www.riverford.co.uk/news

Charging over the top for fair trade toys

2008-08-19T20:40:00.000+01:00

I ordered one item from Blooming Marvellous and now get a catalogue sent to me every couple of months. In their latest catalogue I was pleased to see a smattering of toys from fair trade suppliers (although they haven't marketed them as such), But I was disappointed to see that they seem to deem it ok to charge a significantly higher retail price for some. The wonderful hand knitted finger puppets by Kenana Knitters (above) which Globalkids sell for £9.99 are sold by BM for £14.99, a whopping £5 more! I only hope that they are rewarding the fair trade supplier with a fair price that reflects the price they are charging the customer.

New organic baby clothes

2008-07-18T12:19:00.000+01:00

We have finally finished placing orders for our Autumn range of organic baby clothes. We are very excited about extending our range of organic baby clothing from Under the Nile and Bishopston Trading. Check out the website later in the Autumn, but if you can't wait our biggest ever sale of organic baby clothing is now on.

We love Barefoot Books!

2008-06-24T20:45:00.000+01:00

Barefoot Books supply us with some of our ( and your) favourite books. One of our bestsellers is the fabulous Animal Boogie, aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers. I have never known a CD book that guarantees to get children hooked right from the start. Definately one to wear out the carpet!..and a brilliant party game.

This summer Barefoot books have announced a 'Young Story Teller' Competition

Open to children up to the age of 14, the competition aims to inspire creativity and encourage the development of communication, language and performance skill.
It also has Fantastic Prizes!
Prizes include a £1000 Barefoot library for the winner's school and a trip for two to New York City and the chance to perform at world-famous toy store FAO Schwarz.
For more information go to: http://www.barefoot-books.com/uk/site/pages/NYR2008.php

Costs just keep going up

2008-06-09T21:51:00.000+01:00

Very reluctantly we are soon going to be increasing our standard UK delivery cost to £2.50 per order. When we embarked on Globalkids.co.uk we wanted to make shopping for fair trade and organic goods as affordable as possible. Keeping our delivery charge at cost was one way of doing this. We have sustained 3 price rises from Royal Mail and now we have no option but to increase our delivery charge. £2.50 however, is still a good deal and better than most of our competitors.

It's nice to be noticed!

2008-06-03T22:00:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of May 2008 we were lucky enough to have one of our products featured by Sunday Times Style Magazine. Our orders went through the roof for a week or so, which was fun and we had some great comments from our new customers.

Customers being able to find our website is a constant challenge, advertising responses change and editors are fickle. Trying to master google's search engine optimisation is a mind game that we are still trying to master..if we ever will!

Its not easy to be organic!

2008-05-25T20:22:00.000+01:00

I feel like I have been in a time warp for the last few months. We have seen a lot of changes to the business and the family and somethings like blogging just never got to the top of the pile!

Let me explain, we up rooted the family and the Globalkids business and moved to Cornwall, at the same time our son Max was born ( he's now 7 months old).

We wanted like so many people to have a better environment for our children to grow up in and ultimately a better work life balance. It's been hard to juggle the business and family, but moving to Cornwall is already bringing benefits. (if not the work life balance)

I've been stunned by the amount of local sustainable living that goes on, and just how proud local producers and crafts people are about their products. Communities support each other and Organic, sustainable practices are widespread.

Globalkids values have always been about interesting product, with a light touch on the environment, and where it can help others, especially children less fortunate than us in the western world. We know though, that from talking to some of our customers that sourcing locally and supporting crafts people in the UK is also important.

Living in Cornwall, shopping locally and meeting some very talented people may mean that some new products that support UK organic sustainable practises could be making an appearance soon!

Please let us know what you think.

Fair Trade Hand Knitted Fruit Rattles

2007-09-12T12:13:00.001+01:00

Our Fair Trade Hand knitted fruit rattles seems to be causing a lot of interest. Several magazines including Mother & Baby have featured them. Made in Bangladesh by women who can work their knitting around family commitments, as well as learn valuable skills in business management, IT and accounting.

They are good for babies and toddlers too! Babies love the soft rattling noise and tactile feel and toddlers love them in role play. A great way to introduce children to their '5 a day'

Mattel recall more potentially unsafe plastic toys

2007-09-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

Yesterday saw the announcement that the toy giant Mattel recalled more potentially unsafe plastic toys. Brand names such as 'Barbie' were among them. These toys had apparently been made in China .

News like this has reinforced to me why we focus on the toys we do at Globalkids. With so much plastic being churned out of countries like china it is nice to try and redress some balance by using suppliers who not only use natural materials, but who also care for their employees by adopting fair trade principles. Returning to wooden toys or organic cotton toys has to be a good thing.

Of course our daughter has plastic toys like most children, but these are bought through charity shops to help reuse the amount of plastic already on the planet. Whether these are safe is difficult to tell, but mixed in with natural toys, craft made from recycled materials etc I try and tell myself that we are doing our bit, and our approach has always been a pragmatic one.

Organic Veggie Crate

2007-08-28T09:28:00.000+01:00

Prima Baby Magazine have selected our Organic Veggie Crate to feature in their 'best baby products' section of the September edition of the magazine which is on sale now.

Made from Organic cotton these 4 vegetables in a wooden crate are great for babies to hold and will last into toddler years as they are great role play toys.

Made under fair trade conditions in Eqypt by under the nile.

£22.99

Back to school eco-education

2007-08-15T10:33:00.000+01:00

Helping children learn and understand about the world we live in is an important part of a school's curriculum. At Globalkids.co.uk we have always had at the core of what we do a passion for helping parents and teachers educate the next generation in order to sustain our planet and it's wonderfully diverse cultures. Linked to this is our ethos of making learning fun through creativity and play.

Our range of books have been specifically selected to help with this aim, whether it's the fabulous 'Animal Boogie' for toddlers, 'Peoples of the world' above or our best seller 'EcoArt' .

Games are an important part of learning, so we have a great selection of board games that are fun, family friendly and provide learning opportunities for children and adults for that matter!

Our favourites which have also been endorsed by the likes of Green Parent magazine and Organci Life are the pre-school matching game, 'Farmers Market' 'Peoples of the world' for older children and THE eco game 'Bioviva', which is a challenge to anyone!

The Benefits of Organic Cotton for Premature Babies

2007-07-04T14:12:00.000+01:00

Organic cotton is ideal for premature skin that has yet to fully develop, as it has no chemicals in the fabric that may irritate the baby. Parents can also take reassurance from the fact that they aren’t unwittingly putting anything harmful against the skin of their delicate baby.

(We also recommend that parents wash the babygrow in eco-friendly, chemical free washing liquid.)

Having said all that, finding premature babygrows made from Organic cotton is very difficult, so we were very pleased to have found these.

Made by Under the Nile from very soft organic jersey interlock cotton with nickel free popper opening down the entire length to make dressing delicate babies easy.

Available in Off white, Blue or Pink

Approx weight: 3llb - 6llb

£10.99

Eco Friendly Greetings Cards

2007-06-25T17:13:00.000+01:00

There are over 2 billion greetings cards sent in the UK alone and most of these are made from virgin paper and end up in landfill. Although there is a growth in e-cards the greetings card market remains strong. At Globalkids we have been trying to source 'new baby' cards made from recycled paper and have found it very difficult indeed. So much so we decided to commission our own.
These cards have been carefully handmade using card made from recycled paper and paper made from recycled silk. They are exclusive to Globalkids and are only £2.00!

The cards are blank so you can write your own message, or if you prefer we can write your card for you and send it direct using our gift service. All you have to do is email us your message and any instructions. Now you can be environmentally friendly with every last detail of your Organic or Fair trade baby gift.

More great Customer comments for the online Organic Retailer

2007-06-19T13:33:00.001+01:00

We have been very pleased to receive some more great feedback from customers of Globalkids.co.uk. Thank you to all those customers who let us know about their shopping experience.

'Your customer service is fab - I really must recommend you to people!' - Rachael, West Yorks

'I have received the goods. Very happy. Thank you for your assistance' - Angela, Australia

'Hi Tom, Thanks for checking. It has indeed arrived - my brother has sent me a thank you note. Thank you very much for your assistance - very much appreciated. - Helen, Surrey

Hi Rachel, Have just received my order - thank you again for another prompt, well packaged delivery of organic clothes. Regards -Helen Colchester

Organic Life Magazine feature Globalkids

2007-06-19T13:24:00.001+01:00

Organic Life Magazine have again featured products from Globalkids in this months issue out on the 21st June 2007. They have selected our Pandabo and Farmers market environmental games as great ways to occupy children over the summer holidays.

Timeout.com/ greenscene

2007-06-18T10:50:00.000+01:00

Timeout magazines' greenscene feature has noticed Globalkids, commenting on our selection of eco-games and Fairtrade toys. Timeout online has a great online A-Z of environmental awareness articles, to read more click on http://www.timeout.com/london/greenscene/k.html.

Press Interest

2007-06-12T16:26:00.000+01:00

Globalkids has been featrured in the July 2007 issue of House & Home Ideas Magazine. The 'Ecological' section recommends Farmers Market the board game for the over 3's which is made from 100% recycled card, priced £5.99

NEW! Eco Games for children

2007-03-28T12:50:00.000+01:00

After deliberating for months we've decided to take the plunge and offer a brand new range of eco games for our customers. Why the deliberation? Well as with most things there is a compromise, these games tick all the boxes against being fun, made from recycled or sustainable materials and are innovative, but we have moved a little away from our core 'fair trade toys' to do this. In the end we thought that choice was important and these games help us with part of our mission to offer sustainable games for slightly older children and even more older parents!

The games all have a back ground theme of either Nature, Sustainability, or differing cultures to offer opportunities for children to learn about the world around them without them knowing it, all they need to do is simply have fun!

We hope you like them, we would love any feedback that you may have, you can email us on info@globalkids.co.uk

See us the Kent Caring Parent Show 5-6 May 2007

2007-03-14T13:32:00.000Z

We are very excited to be joining the Caring Parent Show at the Kent Showground on the 5th & 6th May 2007. You'll be able to see and buy from our entire range as well as enjoy fashion shows, children's entertainment and all the latest products for babies and growing families. We hope you can make it.
Tickets are available from www.caringparentshow.co.uk, or by calling 0870 166 0428. Doors open from 10am - 5pm both days.

Fairtrade Fortnight 26th February - 11th March 2007

2007-02-15T21:55:00.000Z

In our home life and business we are keen supporters of Fairtrade. We buy as much Fairtrade food as we can and we source from Fair Trade suppliers for Globalkids. The Fairtrade organisation only began certifying organic cotton in 2005, so some of our suppliers have Fairtrade certification, but for most it is something they are working on, or they just don't have the resource at the moment to complete the application process. In any case the Fairtrade Mark isn't available to those suppliers who make our toys and gifts. Instead we work closely with our suppliers, getting to know them, their values and only use ones that adopt the Fair trade principles.

Our dilemma has always been Fairtrade versus organic, do you buy organic bananas, knowing that the grower's health will be protected from chemicals, or do you buy Fairtrade ensuring they receive a fair wage and more certainty of employment?
Our response is the same that we apply to Globalkids, it's down to personal choice, both organic and Fairtrade are preferable, but one or the other is better than none. We provide choice for our customers and they can choose. (Our quick reference symbols and supplier information next to each product helps with this)

Fairtrade Fortnight is a great time to try and buy produce and clothes that carry the Fairtrade Mark. Fairtrade sales increase by around 40% every year in the UK, giving hundreds of thousands of producers in developing countries the chance to build a better future and to compete in cut-throat global markets. But Fairtrade Foundation Executive Director Harriet Lamb wants the movement to go further: “Fairtrade has demonstrated its potential to help producers improve their livelihoods, strengthen their businesses and benefit their communities, but compared with what is needed in the poorer countries of the world, we’ve really only begun to make a dent in the struggle against poverty and unfair trade.”

Anyway, back to bananas! Here's a great Fairtrade recipe to make with the kids over Fairtrade Fortnight..enjoy!

Crumbly Banana Squares

175g Fairtrade sugar
175g margarine
225g self raising flour
100g porridge oats
2 medium Fairtrade bananas, mashed
25g sultanas (or similar)
Caster sugar

1. Warm your oven to 200°C
2. Cream the sugar and margarine together
3. Cut in the flour and oats to make a crumbly mixture
4. Sprinkle half into a baking tray (12 by 8 inch) and press down lightly
5. Spread over the bananas and sprinkle the dried fruit
6. Sprinkle the rest of the mixture over and again press down lightly
7. Bake it for 25 to 30 mins until golden
8. Sprinkle with caster sugar
9. Wait until it cools (if you can) and cut into appropriately-sized chunks
10.Eat

What our Customers say about Globalkids

2007-01-06T14:49:00.000Z

After a hectic Christmas and a break away from the computer we thought it would be great to start the new year reflecting on what some of the Globalkids Customers have said about us. Thank you so much to all of the Customers who let us know their thoughts on the service they have received, it warms the heart and gives us something to improve even more in 2007!

'Hi there
Thank you so much for the Superhuman effort you put into shipping my order to me.
IT WORKED!!!
Nella arrived this morning and she's lovely - I am absolutely delighted - and I'm sure tomorrow my daughter will be too.
I have a number of friends who are always on the look out for Fairtrade products and it goes without saying I will eagerly recommend you. (It's a shame I strumbled on you so close to Christmas when most of this year's shopping will be done). Will try to place any future orders in good time to avoid the panic!
Thank you again for your exceptional service.’
Kind regards,
Jo from Oxford

Dear Rachel

…'ll definitely let friends and family know of Globalkids and the excellent personal attention I have received’

Regards
Joy from Chester

‘Thanks for the excellent service! '

Best wishes,
Anthea from London

Dear Tom,

'Thank you very much for your help with this - we do appreciate all you're doing and have certainly been impressed by your level of customerservice. We will let you know if we eventually end up with two sets!'

Thanks again,
Philip from Nottingham

Why not tell us what Customer service you like to receive when shopping on the internet? Globalkids is passionate about great service so we'd love to hear about your ways to improve your internet shopping experience.

Thanks again

Rachel & Tom

Kenana Knitters Children's Graduation

2006-12-05T15:35:00.000Z

We have had some great news this week. The Kenana Knitters young children have all graduated from Embenezer Nursery School in Njoro, Africa. They will now move into primary school. Millie Wanjiku ( pictured left) who has been working with Kenana Knitters for many years watched her daughter Mercy Musimbi graduate at the age of five! Other knitters have proudly had their pictures taken with their little graduates.

Without all of the www.Globalkids.co.uk customers buying the wonderful fair trade knitted toys, these children would probably not be attending school at all.

We just want to say on behalf of the Kenana Knitters thank you to all of our customers.