Friday 24 February 2017

Quality leather bags with a mission.

I love clothing and accessories.  I don't follow trends religiously or go crazy for brands.  I don't have the time or the money.  But I do get excited when I discover a brand that are about more than just creating an item of clothing, a bag or shoes.  If I can, I love to buy as ethically as possible.  It's why I love organic cotton or buying second hand.

I came across MAHI leather bags recently.  Several things about them as a brand caught my eye.  Firstly, they have an actual mission statement:

"MAHI’s mission: To connect consumers with craftsmen, offer unmatched value, and hopefully do some good along way."

MAHI believe that consumers don't get a good deal from big brands.  Due to the amount of "middle men" between the creation of leather goods and them actually reaching the consumers, prices are inflated, the craftspeople receive less money for their work and consumers get less for their money.   MAHI work differently.  Every item is made to order and shipped directly from the person who made it to the customer who ordered.  This helps reduce wastage and saves on costs created by stockpiling huge quantities of product.  That makes total business sense but also means that consumers pay less for good quality items.

Obvously, I love the idea of more bag for my buck (oh, hahaha) but what I like even more about MAHI is that they use full grain leather (that's the best quality leather you can get) and.. this is where I get really excited;  they donate to charity with every bag they sell.   MAHI is named after the Mahi river in India and each time a MAHI bag is bought, they donate $1.50 to FRANK water charity.  That might not sound like a lot of money but it all adds up.  Reading up on MAHI you find out quickly that they've raised nearly $7,500 for FRANK  This money has provided over 510 people with clean water in their homes.  FOR LIFE. They provide detailed information on their website about FRANK, the work they do and how the money helps but details include:

* $1.50 Provides the materials necessary to carry out water testing to a whole community of 250 people in FRANK Water’s Samerth project

* $15 Will provide clean, safe water and access to improved sanitation for one person

* $100 Provides water testing across two communities reaching 5000 people in FRANK Water’s CURE project

* $1,000 Enables FRANK Water to support 158 individuals in their Samerth project to claim access to land rights and improved sanitation through India’s Clean India Campaign

If there's a way for a brand to make me like them more, it's donating to good causes.  I know I feel better about a purchase if I feel it's doing some good as well beyond adding something to my or my families life.  

So.  Now you know just how fantastic MAHI are, I bet you'd like to see one of the bags!  You won't be disappointed.  They have a large range to choose from, backpacks, duffles, holdalls, satchesl, totes and even wash bags.  There are several styles of each.  I love that they are pretty much all unisex.  As a family of four, I love the idea of purchasing a bag that my husband would be as happy to lug around as myself.  And even my two boys as they grow.  You can't really go wrong with leather, it's classic and it lasts.  You can even get your MAHI bag personalized.  They can embroider initials or names in black, cream or brown so great if it's a present! 

My favorite is the Roma backpack:

Now my boys are a bit older, we no longer need to carry around nappies, changing mats etc.  However, we still have to carry around quite a lot when we go out for the day.  And, we no longer have a buggy to help us carry around our essentials.  In fact, having two energetic boys means we have to be able to run around after them whilst still carrying water bottles, wet wipes, waterproofs and about three trillion snacks.  Therefore, a backpack is perfect!  One like this is unisex, practical with it's pockets and would definitely look fantastic too.  After all, as I've always maintained, being a parent doesn't mean you have to forgo style!

I think you'd be hard pushed not to find a bag for your requirements from MAHI and knowing they are donating to charity too, you can feel good about your purchase.  So, if you're in the market for a new bag, go and check them out!

Friday 10 February 2017

Dreaming of a new bathroom

Our family bathroom sucks.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that we have a bathroom,  I especially appreciate that we have a main (family) bathroom, a separate shower room off our bedroom and a downstairs loo.  With four of us in the house, it's so handy and will only become more so as the boys grow... But, back to my opening statement, the family bathroom sucks.

It's dated and old.  It's ugly.  It's clean but never looks it due to (despite much bleach and elbow grease) black mold everywhere.  The loo seat moves  when you sit on it.  The taps don't match.  The cold tap at the basin has started to leak.

I don't even want to show you a photo... so here's Felix in the bath:


I like to fantasize about the day we can afford to get it done up.  We've had quotes (you can easily get quotes at myjobquote.co.uk) and we have a good idea of the cost.  We just can't afford to do it right now.  Another reason to get earning that dosh when Felix starts school...

In the meantime, we've decided it's not worth a "for now" fix like we did with our (also dated) shower room.  I just close the door on it, spend as little time in there as possible and spend time on Pinterest fantasizing about the bathroom we will have.... one day.....

Ahhh... just imagine it..  Image source: Google

This would be beautiful! Image source: Google

NEW BLOG HEADER!

Have you seen?  Have you noticed?  Look up! I have a gorgeous, clean and simple blog header produced especially for my blog by a very talented type obsessed graphic designer, Melissa Wright.

Melissa is based in Dorset and is currently working as a junior designer at a digital marketing agency. She definitely has a bright future ahead.



Thank you for my new header Melissa! X