Show you care, buy fair trade

Hello fellow world changers! Today I want to spend some time talking to you about fair trade and ethically sourced products. Fair trade is basically buying products like  chocolate, coffee, clothing, shoes, and jewelry that are made overseas for a fair living wage, in safe conditions, and not under any for of slavery. I started to get into fair trade buying when I got more interested in learning about the slave trade and human trafficking. After realizing how many people in this world are currently oppressed I knew I needed to become a consumer that does not validate the actions of slavery, and cheap consumerism. Let me give you an example, the bracket in the picture above is one that I bought from Free the Children. Free the Children got the bracelet made my Mama's living in the Massai Mara in Kenya. Those Mama's are giving a fair wage for their product, the supplies they need to make them, and safe working conditions to make the product. My braclet was then pal cages and shipped to canada so I could buy it and support the Mama's as well as the charity Free the Children. I know there is a lot of push back about fairtrade as buying things may be more expensive or harder to find but I promise you, knowing that you are helping someone less fortunate while still getting the things you want is a good feeling. As a consumer I buy fair trade coffee, t shirts, hoodies, jewelry, and tea. The first step to becoming a more conscious consumer is to educate yourself. Look into the brands you support see where and how their products are made. If you find that a particular brand has been associate with slavery look for alternatives. Once you understand the basics of slavery and fair trade the next step would be to explore ethically sourced products. Since I've been into buying fair trade I have accumulated a list of places that I like to buy from that I know do not use slave labour to create their products. This step takes a little bit of work, and research but there are some amazing companies (that I will list bellow) that you can buy from and support. The last step to becoming a more ethical shopper is spread the message. It's really awesome that you choose to buy fair trade, but pass it on. Explain where your shirt was made, and how other people can get involved. Most people that I talk to have no idea that they even have these options to buy ethically sourced products. I hope you all enjoyed this post, and have a great time find your own favourite fair trade products. 

Micayla's personal favourites: 

Sevenly.org 

Krochetkids.org 

Metowestyle.com 

Unseenmin.org 

Presenting, humbling, and hope

This past Tuesday I got the opportunity to present in a grade 2/3 class room about my journey to Kenya this summer. Since I've been back I've been going to schools sharing my story, and how young people can get involved in make a difference in people's lives overseas. I'm not going to lie but I was nervous for this one. Before I went on this journey I was an awful public speaker, but since I've been back I feel rather content as I am sharing my story, and something I care about therefore I am at ease because I just need to be myself. This presentation was a little bit different as I was the "special guest" in my little brothers classroom. It's hard to speak to a group of little kids about issues that are so complex and dark in this world, but at the same time it is so exciting to know that we are at a point where we can educate kids this young about the problem our world faces. I got up there, and like every other time I do I shared my story, and the kids just loved it. It was a humbling moment to see a group of kids no older than nine get so excited and pumped up to learn about the lives of people they have never met. Kids like this give me hope that our world isn't such a bad place and that we can have faith in generations coming up to step up and change this world. Usually people look down on young people because they are incapable and not willing to step up, but if we give them the chance who knows what they will do. I closed off my presentation by answering a question of "what can we do to help?" This is the kind of world that I want to be apart of, young people (no matter how young) can make a difference, we will be the change. 

5 reasons why I love Starbucks

Amongst many of the things I like Starbucks would make a very high position on that list. I feel like people either love Starbucks or hate it. If you were to hate it you would complain about how over priced every there is, and how that the line ups are too long, and that you can get just as good of coffee next door for $3 cheaper. So to combat all of those valid arguments to why Starbucks sucks I thought I would make a post that list my top 5 reasons for loving Starbucks.

1) Customer Service: So I usually go to the same Starbucks everytime I choose to by a beverage. There is nothing more that I appreciate about a buissness than too notch customer service. Starbucks unlike many other corporate coffee shops goes above and beyond in this area. Everytime I walk in the door of my favourite location I get greeted with a hello, my order is taken and they are quick to recommend a new product, or cater to my specific requests, while my drink is being made usually the barista comes up with some form of small talk, and then I am sent off with a lovely "have an awesome day" (or something to that extent). Customer service makes every buissness more desirable and Starbucks knocks it out of the park on this one. 

2) Hot Drinks: Alright, so during the fall and winter months I generally stick to the hot drinks that Starbucks offers. These are where I find people bring the most criticism. Everyone is quick to brig judgement to the $4 mochas and lattes Starbucks sells but is quick to speak before tasting the quality. I'm one that tries new things, it's just what I do. If in out and there is a coffee shop near by I usually will pop in and grab a mocha or something of that sort. Usually I get an average tasting, watered down beverage that really barely satisfied my love my coffee. I would rather spend more money and get a well made espresso based beverage, than get a cheap mediocre tasting one any day. My favourite hot drinks are the White chocolate mocha, the caramel macchiato, and the caramel flan latte. Seriously though quality or quantity wins for me any day. 

3) The Reason I Go: This point is less about Starbucks itself and more about the meanin behind it in my life. I started going to Starbucks because there was one right beside my church. Every since then Starbucks has become a place where I hang out with the people I'm closest to in my life, my church friends, and small group leaders. That coffee shop is the place where I laugh, hang out, talk about some of my biggest struggles, and get to know the people I love in my life. Starbucks has always been the place for us to just enjoy being with each other over a cup of coffee and sit and listen to each other's stories for hours. I love Starbucks because it's where I became close to some amazing people, which is just great in itself. 

4) Cold Drinks: Like I said earlier I drink hot beverages in the fall and winter, which means in the spring and summer I stick with the cold. I absolutely adore the cold drinks at Starbucks. They have so many unique cold drinks, that keep me hooked all summer long. Above and beyond your normal ice coffee, or I've latte you can try things like iced tea, frappuchinos, or your favourite got drink in an almost better cold form. One thing I am hooked on right now is the Passion Tea Lemonade. This drink is so good, it is made with herbal tea, it is under 100 calories, and it is a great alternative to sugar free iced tea that we normally get which is awesome. I find with the cold drinks there is something for everyone whether it be a coffee base, a tea base, caffeinated or decaffeinated there is something for everyone and it is definitely worth experimenting to find your perfect drink. 

5) Custom Orders: At Starbucks they are very keen on letting you order exactly what you want to order. Unlike many coffee shops, especially cooperate ones the drinks are prepare from a machine so you get little say in what goes in them. At Starbucks you basically have a free reign to decide how you want your drink made, which includes what syrups are used, how much, the amount of espresso, how much ice goes in. You name it. For example if I was ordering a caramel flan latte I would get it with skim milk, half sweet, and extra drizzle on top. Your barista will have no problem making your drink exactly how you pictured it to be. You can also add things to you drinks as well, if I was ordering my usually venti passion tea lemonade I would get it made with half ice, and 2 pumps of raspberry syrup. For you haters of Starbucks, don't bash it until you go and literally get a beverage made exactly how you want it. You get what you pay for, and my money is worth the great service, the memories, and quality of drinks I get from Starbucks. 

Reading assignment- so what?

Quick write- Smart vs Swag

Quick write- Gender Switch

Six word memoir #6- Me

(1) How does the image and the words fit together?

This six word memoir was kind of a last minute one, it wasn't my original ideas for me. I find myself not ever being into just one thing, but rather having a set of morals and adventuring through what those mean to me in a variety of ways. I see hope in the darkness is actual a set of lyrics from the chorus of a song I wrote called perfect harmony. That song is original and represents my world view as a young person. This song was actually my entry for the PotashCorp youth trip scholarship trip to Kenya, and as you may know I was selected to participate on their first ever scholarship trip overseas. This song connects a lot of aspects of myself together, like music, my trip to kenya, the start of the love praise serve project, and my over all love and longing to make a difference in this world. This image I took last year in photography, and I thought it was a great literal representation of a more metaphorical concept. Symbolically I would like to that spark that lights up a room, and changes this world, and this image does just that. I was in a pitch black room with a lighter and a single flame brought light to the entire frame. I see hope in the darkness, a methaphlrical phrase is brought to life though a very literal visual. 

(3) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message?

Like many of my six word memoirs I kept with a theme of simplicity, conveying powerful message in the simplist way I possibly could. I also took this directly from the lyrics of my song "Perfect Harmony" to keep it as authentic to myself in that moment as I could. To me I still believe that simplicity is the best way to convey a powerful message. I could've put something like: "I see: hope in the darkness." But again that would be turning something rather practical and uncomplicated into something that wants to be sophisticated rather than true to it's meaning, and really that's not my personality. By giving a bare boned structure it allows the viewer to contemplate what is darkness? What is hope? And develop their own personal connection to my personal memoir, creating deeper meaning. A period is not only simple, but to the point, exactly what I was looking for.