One of the greatest gifts my daughter received for her recent birthday was a pair of hand-batiked t-shirts--especially once I discovered the story behind the label.

My ever socially-conscious (and gift giver extraordinaire) best friend  tracked them down through Global Mamas, a non-profit helping small women-led businesses in Africa. When you buy one of their quality hand-dyed tees (or yoga bags, or backpacks) you're assured that the craftswomen are making deserved wages for their work to help pull themselves out of poverty. And I can't imagine a cool mom who would take issue with that. 

I especially love how you can "meet" some of the designers on the website, and see just how much they've accomplished through the organization.

But hey, no one sees the label or hears the backstory when my daughter hits the playground in her enchanting new lion shirt. They're just sitting there wondering why my kid is way cuter than theirs.  -Liz

[Thanks, Hally!]