And this is what was waiting for me when I went to collect the order

I've had some interesting encounters with online shopping but this takes the biscuit. Literally.

What I ordered:

It's hard to escape from consumerism at Christmas but your money goes further if you shop locally, sustainably and ethically
Luckily you can accomplish all of these with a visit to your local #fairtrade shop (if you're in Greater Manchester or Lancashire that might be Justicia in Bolton)
#Shoplocal

I'm reluctantly acknowledging that I will have to forego a Christmas tree at home this year due to having an inquisitive and speedy kitten (she pulled down my bedroom curtains at 3am on Saturday)
But I do get to decorate the tree in the shop

First mince pie of the year and it's not even Halloween.
So sue me.

Good thing about doing a stall at an Eco Fest - when you forget to bring paper bags to wrap customer purchases you can pretend you did it on purpose to save waste

Three damp days at the Royal Lancashire Show with Fairtrade Lancashire and Churches Together. We serve free Fairtrade refreshments and have a stall selling Fair Trade products. Main takeaway: how few people carry reusable cups. Are they choosing a reusable water bottle instead for reasons of space?

Meet Jet. She's a lot smaller than she looks in this photo but she's already a big personality

Happy "Double and Triple Checking You Didn't Accidentally Vote for Reform" Day to all who celebrate

I had a very pretty walk to the polling station

Today was a good day
The shop celebrated its 40th anniversary with visits from the Mayor & MP. It was busy, buzzing & brilliant
After we closed I went to see Ahir Shah's extraordinary, visceral emotional stand up show Ends. Apparently it's on Netflix. Essential viewing for all children of migrants

It's been going well over on Instagram with members of BAFTS Fair Trade Network UK

Busy day at the end of a busy week.

We did a chocolate making workshop at the Fairtrade Lancashire Schools Conference which entailed over 80 primary school children working together to make their own bean to bar chocolate using Fairtrade cocoa beans and sugar.

Unsurprisingly it was all eaten!

I ordered this banner for the entrance hall of the fair trade shop where I work. Even though we've been around for ages people forget where we are and what we do.

Brian the Reindeer comes out every Christmas - he's been delighting me in various different houses for twenty years

This is me with Frederick on his farm. He's part of a large Fairtrade Co-operative but dealing directly with him and visiting the farm is the best way to guarantee everything is going well.

Weymouth's The Bridge Fair Trade Shop sits on the edge of the harbour, at this time of year tourists are thin on the ground but local people (many retired) support the shop looking for Christmas gifts. Also run by a small group of dedicated volunteers a Fairtrade coffee, sit down & natter is £1.50

Spent yesterday visiting two #FairTrade shops in Dorset - in very different communities but with lots in common.
In Wimborne - a well heeled town with a chocolate box centre, Fair Ground is a local hub for environmental and recycling issues run by volunteers including students from a private school