Category Archives: sponsored

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Macy’s marks sixth year of partnership with Haitian artisans

01/12/2016 Nichole 4 Comments

Recycled Metal Trays from Macy's Heart of Haiti product line — Recycled metal baskets from Macy’s Heart of Haiti product line

A few months ago I told you about how I spruced up our holidays with a Heart of Haiti piece. This month, Macy’s sent me a late Christmas gift to further beautify our home. I’m taking that as a kindness rather than as a suggestion that I need extensive decorating guidance. Although — who am I kidding? — I definitely need extensive decorating guidance.

Anyway, they sent me one of their Heart of Haiti recycled metal baskets. The pieces are made in Crois-des-Bouquets by metal artisans who forge bowls, lanterns and other decorative items out of recycled oil barrels. Here’s a short video that demonstrates how it’s done:

I didn’t know much about Macy’s Heart of Haiti initiative when I first agreed to write about it a few months ago. The more I’ve learned about it, though, the more I love the idea.

Macy’s started the program after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti as a way to help the artisans rebuild, and for many it has become a sustainable livelihood.

Heart of Haiti was and still is a “trade-not-aid” program. Rather than a one-time charitable event, Macy’s program is an ongoing partnership with individual artisans in Haiti. Today is the 6th anniversary of the 2010 earthquake, and the Macy’s program is still giving back. Specifically, the Heart of Haiti artisans get 50 percent of the wholesale cost of their handmade goods, which helps them feed their families, send their children to school and help support their extended families.

The Heart of Haiti line is available online and at select Macy’s stores.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Macy’s Heart of Haiti line in conjunction with Everywhere Agency. Nichole was given a product from the Heart of Haiti line in exchange for the post. All opinions are Nichole’s own.

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Beautify your home and give back with Macy’s Heart of Haiti

11/25/2015 Nichole 2 Comments

In 2010, a massive earthquake hit Haiti. It destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, leaving behind a devestated country. Shortly after the earthquake, Macy’s reached out to artisans in Haiti to create the Heart of Haiti product line, which includes handcrafted goods such as bowls, trays and vases.

Macy’s now employs 550 artisans in Haiti to make the Heart of Haiti line, including the talented soul who made the black-and-white vase they shared with me. It’s made of papier mache, and it puts the chili pepper I made in high school to shame. The Heart of Haiti papier mache items are made by crafters and artisans in the seaside town of Jacmel. They start by forming a mold out of dried mud, then use recycled cement bags to make the vase. Check out this video of the artists in action.

I’d like to share with you how artfully I incorporated the vase into my home decor, but instead I’ll tell you the truth: There is no such thing as “artful” when it comes to me and home decor. I thought the vase deserved something more than what I could offer it, so I took it to our friendly local crafting emporium, where floral designer Angie helped me.

floralhelp

When I say Angie “helped me,” what I mean is I followed Angie around and said things like “sparkly but not crazy” and “maybe some red” and “I’d like to leave it up ’til February, so wintery but not too Christmasy” and finally “Holy cow that looks great, how did you do that?” Thanks to the Heart of Haiti artists and the very patient Angie, I now have a striking addition to my winter decor.

heartofhaitivase1

The Macy’s Gifts that Give Back initiative is a beautiful and simple way to give back this season. You can decorate your home and buy gifts for your own friends and family while helping these artisans care for their families. It’s a win-win! The Heart of Haiti line is available online and at select Macy’s stores (Herald Square in Downtown Brooklyn, Downtown DC’s Metro Center, Chicago’s State Street, San Francisco’s Union Park, Downtown Seattle, Dallas Gallaria, Downtown Portland OR, Atlanta’s Lenox Square, Dallas Galleria Mall and Miami Dadeland).

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Macy’s Heart of Haiti line in conjunction with Everywhere Agency.

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Pley is a great way to feed your LEGO habit

11/19/2015 Nichole 1 Comment

LEGO is a pretty big deal in our house, mostly because of Rockford and Pete. Pete’s floor is always strewn with LEGOs, and he always warns me not to move them because there’s a battle underway. Poppy, though, builds the set and then it sits on her shelf forever. She enjoys the initial construction, but she isn’t really into deconstructing and building anything new. (She may have Lord Business tendencies, just like her father.) Perhaps I bought into the “Toy Story” lore a little too much, but I find it a little disheartening to see the toys just sitting around, unplayed with. So I was pretty interested in learning more about Pley. It’s a toy subscription service, and they have a ton of LEGO sets. You sign up, and Pley delivers a toy to your house. When your kids are finished playing with it, you box it up and swap it out for a new toy.

The first question I had was “What happens when we lose the steering wheel from the LEGO Friends Adventure Camper or a tiny blaster from Jabba’s Sail Barge? Not to worry, says Pley. They won’t charge you for missing pieces.

That wasn’t enough to sell me on the plan, though. So I made a list of Reasons to Give Pley a Try to convince myself.

Five Reasons to Give Pley a Try

Your child can quickly tire of his new toy without you worrying that you’re raising an over-privileged, under-appreciative human. Or maybe you will still worry about that, but at least you can just mail the most recent cast-off back to Pley instead of stumbling across its remains when you go to kiss your offspring’s angelic brow goodnight. So even if you aren’t saving yourself any psychic burden, at least you’re saving your soles. It’s better for the environment this way, too. The toys from Pley aren’t going to go to the landfill when your kids have had their fill of them. They’re going to go back to Pley headquarters, where they’ll be sanitized, repackaged and shipped off to another family to enjoy.

Don’t the children in those photos look happy and contented? That’s largely because their off-camera mothers and fathers, with their tidy and organized home, are also happy and contented. I’m not saying I’d deaccession every toy my children own in favor of a monthly box from Pley, but that living room is so clean. Maybe that is what I’m saying. With a Pley subscription, you can have a rotating cast of toys in your home rather than a never-ending need for more storage.
You’ll save money. If your kids know they’ll get to play with a new toy every month, they’ll be less likely to ask for everything they see at Target. OK, maybe that’s not entirely accurate, but when they do ask for things, you can deflect them with “Hey, your Pley box should be here soon!”
Pley can expand your child’s horizons. When I go to the bookstore, I tend to look for authors I’m already familiar with or books for which I’ve read glowing reviews, because I don’t want to spend my money on something that could be a bust. At the library, though, I’ll pick up just about anything. Knowing I can read it and return it frees me up to explore genres and authors I normally wouldn’t check out. Likewise, exploring Pley’s toy library will give your child the chance to try out toys he or she might otherwise have skipped over.
It could be the perfect gift for your spouse. Rockford has always wanted to build one of the Architecture LEGO sets, but he doesn’t want to spend $200 on one of them. A Pley subscription would allow him to build Falling Water and bask in its glory for awhile without feeling like he needed to kragle it and store it under glass.

Lest you think it’s all LEGO, Pley also toys from Knex and other companies. They even have the new “Star Wars” droid! Pley’s pricing plans run between $20 and $25 a month, depending on whether you want to make a months-long commitment or just take it month to month.

I probably won’t decimate the kids’ toy holdings anytime soon — even though you can trade your old LEGOs in for credit — but we may give Pley a shot anyway. I’m pretty sure Rockford would jump for joy if the Death Star showed up on our doorstep, and I always enjoy it when Rockford jumps for joy.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Pley, which means Nichole was compensated for this post.