Equal Exchange now has a café!

The only bad news about the opening of the Equal Exchange Café near Boston's North Station, is that it's too far from our Coolidge Corner shop for a coffee run. Otherwise, we're delighted to read the good reviews the newly-opened cafe has received. The spot features coffee, tea, chocolate, sandwiches and pastries from local vendors, and free wireless.

Of course, the main attraction is fairly traded, sustainably grown coffee, tea, and chocolate. My daughter spent a week on an Ugandan coffee plantation last year, and learned that the difference between a fair price and an exploitative price for a farmer's coffee crop can mean the difference in school fees and mosquito nets for a rural family.

The café has been open for a while, and its the official grand opening is Feb. 10 through 12. The festivities will feature Pedro Rojas, coffee farmer and member of Tierra Nueva Co-op in Nicaragua. The café has plans for visits from more farmers, special cuppings, and other events.

So do stop by. And if you want to bring us some coffee, take the Green Line, Cleveland Circle branch, from North Station and get off at Coolidge Corner!

-- Lisa

Crossroads Trade has its first-ever store-wide sale!

First-ever store-wide sale! And deeper discounts on ornaments, nativities, and clearance!

Saturday through Tuesday, January 10 through 13, enjoy 20 percent off store-wide at Crossroads Trade. That necklace you’ve been eyeing … the handbag that needs replacing … those boxes and baskets that could help organize your life … this is the time to stop in!

The items that aren’t 20 percent off are 30 percent off. That includes our Christmas ornaments and nativities from around the world. Our clearance section features selected ceramic tableware from Bulgaria. Our remaining stock of Gaza ceramics is now discounted at 30 percent. We don’t know when we’ll be able to receive another order of products from Gaza. There’s a small selection of jewelry at 30 percent off. We have seconds (we’re very picky when we unpack) of ceramic tableware from Tunisia and dolls from India. And this is definitely the weather to buy our snuggly wool Andean blankets.

The discount is taken at the register. Only one discount per item. (There’s no additional 20 percent discount on an item that’s already 30 percent off.) All sales are final – no returns. No layaways. The store-wide sale ends Tuesday, January 13. Nativities and ornaments remain on sale until January 31.

-- Kate Harris