Swaziland- Shopping

My sweet so sweet husband volunteered to hang out in our fabulous suite at Summerfield with the babies while I took the two oldest girls and went shopping with my parents. The first place we stopped had some amazing stores. Here are men carving the animals out of wood:

Liesel and Ireland were captivated by this man painting the pattern onto a wooden giraffe:

So he let them paint a bit:

The candle factory was amazing. They had candles with all different kinds of patterns and that came in the shapes of different animals among other thing. The store had an aroma that was a lovely beeswax... nothing like a Yankee Candle store in the states. It was more organic somehow. Liesel and Ireland posed behind these candle holders:

I picked up these beauties:

And this one:

I fell in love with this infinity scarf which was made by using wax, dying and then removing the wax to make the pattern. Then I read the card they threw in the bag and fell in love with it more. The card says,

Baobab Batik builds sustainable solutions; through skill sharing and economic empowerment, partnering with over 25 women from rural Swaziland, to transform natural fabrics into African inspired designs with a contemporary twist.

Founded in 1991, Baobab Batik has now evolved into a thriving business that exports to various countries worldwide. Offering an ever-developing range of original and vibrant batik products, including; interior decor, tableware, clothing, fashion accessories, and a fun kiddies collection. 

Baobab Batik adheres to fair trade principles and is a member of SWIFT (Swaziland Fair Trade), an organization that supports the development of the handcraft industry in the country, and is Fair Trade certified by COFTA (Corporation for Fair Trade in Africa).

I just had to have this bracelet made of ebony wood:

 We headed over to a place called House of Fire but everyone was ready for a spot of lunch. It was such a nice day we ate outside and I couldn't get over how fantastic the outdoor seating was!

We had a chicken and dumplings which was unbelievably tasty and served in this adorable little pot. I'm drooling just thinking about it... nom, nom, nom.

Now that we were refreshed, the girls hung out with Grandpa while Mom and I checked out a few more stores. 

I had a hard time choosing from the many patterns of trivets. In the end I got these and I just know they will look lovely with the Guatemalan tablecloths we have. They also had a take away that says, 

Starts on a mountain, growing wild 

harvested annually, enriched with colour 

placed in the hands of rural women

Woven with love, In a form of meditation

Beauty emerges. Embracing the tradition

Reverently handled & spiritually packaged

In service to the makers. Sent out to the world.

Anticipated by caretakers, joyfully opened

Beautifully presented it breathes

the language of the soul.

In silent inspiration, captivating humanity

Illuminating your home.

I loved this banner because I feel it captures how joyful the people are.

Before heading back to Summerfield, we let the girls play just a bit longer. House of Fire had an outdoor theater and these amazing structures. 

Isn't that sugar cane field in the background just dreamy?

Everything was so very vibrant and lush... I had to stop and just drink it all in!

This was the first time in a very looong time I was able to go shopping without worrying about getting back to the girls. I wasn't rushing in to buy something on sale, with a coupon, that I'd already scouted online. I kept telling my mom how nice it was and she smiled at me and said, "It's retail therapy!" Although I treasure the items I picked up, the relaxed, easy pace did this frazzled mom some serious good.