Zu Cute

I joined Zulily maybe a year and a half ago after constantly hearing my friends brag about the good deals they were getting on there.

Example Conversation:

 "Gosh, Erin, that dress Kate is wearing is super cute - where did you find it?"

 "Oh, I got it for like negative $5.00 on Zulily."

 Huh.

 After enough conversations like that took place, I finally joined the site, which runs "daily deals for moms, babies, and kids." Part of what took me so long is that I am not one of those moms that buys the matchy-matchy outfit sets and the super fru-fru dresses (not that Adeline wouldn't wear frilly skirts and dresses constantly...). I am just way too practical. My kids go to school - where they get messy. Then they play outside - a lot - where they get even messier. They also play with each other and with friends, and most of the time they end up in some sort of ridiculous costume, or, um, getting into a mess. Then once a week on Saturday I give them a REALLY good scrub down, as in not in the backyard hose or in a swimming pool, and attempt to dress them in clothes fit, are clean, have no holes, AND are appropriate for church. This sometimes happens. Sometimes it doesn't and Adeline shows up in a princess t-shirt, plastic dress-up heels and some sort of velour leggings that have pockets that she swears are fancy. (Thanks MOM!) And then sometimes, rarely, miraculously, the boys show up in pants that go all the way down to their feet, do not have holes in the knees, and in shirts that smell good. On those days I look like super mom. To prove that it can actually happen, here's a picture of me with all the kids on Mother's Day.

But as I am writing this, I am watching Darth Obi (that is a make believe character that Simon created by merging Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul) wrestle Adeline on the trampoline. In full costume of course. That's how we usually roll.

But once I joined Zulily, I was pleasantly surprised. More than I can count on my two hands, they have featured fairly traded clothes. And almost daily there are organic options to chose from. And guess what? BONUS! They are cute!! As in, super duper cute - dare I say, Zu-cute??

 Just this past week they featured one of my FAVORITE designer companies, Kate Quinn organics. Kate Quinn organics is also the umbrella company for the smaller lines Plum Bunny and Violet + Moss. Another organic and fair trade kid's line featured this week was Mad Sky, whose creator was determined to create a clothing line produced in the USA in sweat-shop free conditions. And, she did it! And, its cute!

 So the bottom line here is that the bottom line of your pocket book is compatible with ethical shopping. You just have to be creative in how you shop. Stewardship intersecting justice? Yes, please.