Monthly Archives: February 2010

I found this amazing graphic designed by Nathaniel Kerksick on my favorite design website NotCot.  We are going through an extremely strange time right now economically, socially and politically.  The recession has caused so many businesses to fail.  People’s homes are being foreclosed.  Bankruptcies are common.  Malls everywhere have empty storefronts.

This design helps us to remember that small businesses are falling by the wayside, completely forgotten by people both socially and politically.  Huge corporations like the auotmobile manufacturers and banks are being handed millions and millions of dollars to sustain business simply because they are “Too big to fail”.  The local businesses too need our support.

Local companies are those that are run by our friends and neighbors instead of by huge multinational corporations who are raking in giant bonuses while being flown around on their lear jets.  Buying locally can make a huge difference for the good of our planet as well.  Local companies involve less traveling for goods to reach our door.  The carbon footprint of stores such as WalMart are huge since many of their products are made overseas.  There are also safety concerns of products being made far away under less strigent environmental controls.  How many toys have been recalled lately for lead or other chemicals being found in them?  And what about the workers overseas who are making pennies to produce the goods that we think that we “need”.  What are their futures like?  Is this kind of a business model really sustainable??

Making huge amounts of cheap products being sent thousands of miles only to break within a few weeks of use is how many of the big companies currently operate.  Remember that every time you make a purchase, you are voting with your wallet for the practices that you want to see continue.  Remember that those local companies are too small to fail.  What will happen to our world in the small companies become extinct??

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These adorable bunnies and their stacking hill are made by Etsy crafter Imagination Kids who specialize in making handmade, eco-friendly wooden toys.  As a parent, I know how hard it can be to find toys that are “safe”.  Toy stores are full of made in China labels with toys that are constantly being recalled for having chemicals such as lead and barium being found in them.  It’s enough to scare the bejeebers out of you!

Imagination Kids takes all that worry away with their sweet and simply designed toys that kids will love.  This bunny family set would make the perfect addition to any Easter basket.  It comes with two adult rabbits and two baby bunnies although you can custom order more bunnies to reflect your own family.  They are hand made with sustainably harvested hard wood, non toxic paints and homemade wood polish of beeswax, jojoba and essential oils.  These types of toys will last through several generations of kids as well.  There are no fiddly parts to break or batteries to charge.  There’s nothing, in fact, to get between kids and their imaginations!

They have a whole range of toys like this in their shop.  There’s cars, helicopters, multi-colored blocks (imo best toy of all time!), fairy wands (which all little girls just must have!), a variety of wooden animals (from robins to narwhals), a fire stacker, an iceberg stacker, natural wooden eggs which would also be great in an easter basket and a rainbow stacker that I’m seriously considering buying in addition to a wand.

The colors are so bright, bold and beautiful that they are simply hard to resist!  Spring has been a long time coming here but this little rainbow really has got my hopes up that it will be coming sometime soon!!

Seriously consider buying toys like these that will be completely nontoxic, safe and last for years to come when filling up your kids Easter baskets this year.  I’m all for candy and chocolate in moderation but a holiday is no time to forget about the good of our planet and the health and safety of our kids.  Skip the dollar stores and walk right past those big box stores.  You really have no idea of where those products come from, who they are helping to support, what practices they use to make their products, what exactly is in that cheap plastic egg and stuffed bunny.  Shopping handmade from artisans takes all the worry out of the equation and helps to make Easter another sustainable green holiday for the good of the kids and all the bunnies in it!

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Robeez is a company that literally revolutionized the way baby shoes were made.  It was started by a Canadian mom who wanted shoes that would actually stay on her baby Robert.  These shoes took off in a huge way with nearly every mom out there buying a pair (or six) for her kids.  They stay on, are really comfy and adorable in a huge range of designs.  As happens with many successful small businesses, it was bought out by another company.  It’s now run out of the States and they’re adding even more designs and philosophies to the world of kids shoes.

I got an email from them yesterday announcing their eco-friendly line.  I wasn’t overly optimistic that these would be anything more than another attempt at luring in environmentally conscious parents at spending their money on a green washed product.  I was very pleasantly surprised however when I started to check it out.

They have a number of designs of shoes and slippers although these are the design that really started off the Robeez company.  Soft soles, elasticized ankle and suede bottoms is the classic Robeez design.  These shoes definitely make the slipper greener by being made of organic canvas across the foot instead of the traditional all leather design.  The inks that are used in the shoe are all water soluble and the leather upper is actually recycled!!  The remainder of the leather and the suede bottom are naturally tanned to reduce the impact on the earth and to allow for greater breathability for sweaty little toes.

Yes, these shoes could be more eco-friendly but the fact is that they are definitely taking steps in the right direction.  I love these so much that I know I’d buy them for my daughter if they came in her size.  Unfortunately, they’re only making these in the 0-24 month size range right now.  They do have another line of eco-friendly sneakers that I’ll feature in another post.  My hats off to Robeez for jumping into the green product revolution with two feet instead of trying to rip parents off like many other companies!!

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This is our furry baby Bonsai.  Pets truly do become a part of your family.  That’s why I was so pumped when I ran into this Etsy shop Joyful Canine.  I’ve been trying to live a green-er life as a family but that can be a little harder when it comes to taking care of the family’s furball.

Joyful Canine has a huge range of natural products available for both cats and dogs at her store.  Everything from aromatherapy Calming Dog Mist to SLS free shampoos are available there.  And everything inbetween like motion sickness drops, Boo boo healing spray, litter box deodorizer, all natural tooth powder to brush their teeth with, flea and tick powders, massage oils, breath fresheners and a whole lot more.  This store is definitely worth dropping by and checking out!

This Etsy store is a subdivision of Joyful Girl Natural who I’ve already featured a couple of times.  The owner of Joyful Canine has a pitbull named Chuck.  This month she is honoring people who rescue pitbulls by sending them a care package.

I know that mainly humans in the household are the ones who are getting all natural aromatherapy products but if chemical laden products are not good enough for you (and the planet), then why should they be good enough for your pet?  My daughter calls Bonsai her “furry brother from another mother” so his health and safety is extremely important to the entire family.

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This picture is a great illustration of just how easy it easy for your business card to get lost in a crowd.  People end up with tons and tons of cheap business cards that seem to multiply before your very eyes.  The fact is that you have to do something for your card to stand out from your competition!  This does not mean though that you have to spend fistfuls of money.  Sometimes the simplest and least expensive card is exactly what you may need.

There are lots of great (and eco-friendly) options to help you get just the look you’re going for to grab people’s attention.  A business card is like a first impression and since it’s something that people take away from a meeting, it’s also a lasting impression.

Start off on the right foot by ensuring that all of your cards are made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper or better yet, 100% recycled paper.  The cards should be marked as such as well so that the receiver knows that you’ve kept the environment in mind.

Choose your color schemes while keeping the color schemes of nature in mind.  These pairings of colors are generally the most pleasing to the eye.  Think of flowers, trees, the sky, fields and oceans when choosing color schemes for your business cards.

Use earth-friendly inks — soy or vegetable based pigments work especially well.  These inks come in a huge range of colors from soft golden hues to bold bright and boisterous if that’s what you’re after.  However, they don’t cause the environmental damage that more traditional forms of chemical laden inks cause.

Many business card printers also have a team of designers on hand for assistance if you need it.  Or you could go for the handmade look of using a local crafter to help you get the look you’re after.

Image courtesy of Flickr user vectorfunk.

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Know anyone having a baby in the next few months??  These are definitely THE perfect baby gift.  Not only are they hand crafted, they are also eco-friendly to preserve the planet that the baby will inhabit!

These adorable little slippers are made from eco-felt.  If you don’t already know what that is, where the heck have you been??  Kidding…it’s felt that is made from recycled pop bottles.  How cool is that?  The soles are lined with velvet and are rubberized on the exterior.  They’re finished off with some vintage ribbon that has been added across the front.  The colors are super seventies and definitely making a come back.  Who wouldn’t want to receive these for their little one on the way.

Check out Etsy crafter Emily Island for these fantastic little slippers and a range of other items for sale in her shop.  She sews, crochets and paints!  Remember to buy handmade and support local artists rather than huge big box stores that are full of things that you don’t need from places that you’ve never been to.  Buying environmentally friendly items that have been hand crafted can really make a difference.  Vote for the kind of companies that you want to see more of with your wallet!!

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Whenever our family travels, we try to learn something about our planet.  A whale watching tour in San Diego is hopefully our next big eco-adventure as a family.  San Diego has a huge variety of family friendly tourist attractions as well as a range of natural experiences.  As a Canadian, I’ve experienced some extraordinary whale watching tours off the west coast of Vancouver and would love to be able to share these experiences with our kids.  What better place than San Diego?

Another thing I’d love to do is go on a Dinner Cruise San Diego style.  Maybe we could leave the kids at the hotel and enjoy a romantic night out just the two of us!  Imagine how beautiful it would be to watch the sunset over the ocean in San Diego while enjoying a kid-free glorious dinner alone.  Ahhhh….definitely relaxing, romantic and absolutely sumptuous!

There are a wide range of green-er choices in hotels, many organic restaurants and natural environments for the kids to explore.  Whales are just one of the many astounding features that California’s coast has to offer.  There are many tide pools families to explore with a variety of species living within.  Even just collecting seashells, checking out the seals and hanging out at the beach are some of my family’s favorite parts of California’s coast.

Eco-tourists come in many different shades of green.  By this I mean that some eco-tours are more environmentally friendly than others.  Be leary of companies that are offering “eco-tours” though as more and more companies jump on the greenwashing bandwagon.  Many companies are trying to get eco-conscious consumers to buy into their products without actually being environmentally conscious themselves.  This has lead to a ton of products (especially vacations) being labelled as eco-tours without having any meaning behind the words.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Christopher DiNottia.

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Global Girlfriend has to be one of my favorite places to shop online.  They support a number of trade co-operatives run by and for the economic benefit of women on a global scale.  I’ve written of them before and I’m sure that I’ll write of them again.  They have a huge range of eco-friendly gifts that feature fair trade items, recycled goods, organic options and all around eco-chic style.

As a mom of two, my hubby and I rarely have “date night” anymore.  Valentine’s Day was an exception and a reminder that I really don’t have much to wear on such occassions.  I started looking around online for a green solution to my fashion dilemma and came across this awesome option.

It’s made of 96% organic cotton and 4% lycra for some stretch in all the right places.  It is a dress that can be worn as shown in the color selection photos tied behind the neck or you can go for the strapless option of tying it around the back.  You can even fold the top down and tie it around the waist as shown in the model for a gorgeously eco-friendly skirt!

Best of all, it’s sewn by seamstresses in India in a fair trade co-operative to help economically depressed and disabled women!  When you support organizations such as this, you are supporting healthy work environments, fair wages, and employment opportunities for women and their families.  Plus, at $32 can you see any reason to not support such a worthy cause??  This super stylish transforming skirt/dress is definitely on my list of “must haves” for the spring and summer season.

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Valentine’s Day has come and gone but this rattle will suit the next big holiday too — St. Patrick’s day!  St. Patty’s day is all about going green, right?  Green beer and green baby toys.  Okay, maybe not but this organic soft rattle does fit into the theme of both Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s day with four hearts forming a four leaf clover shape.

It is made from 100% organic fox fibre colourgrown cotton plush and terry cloth and stuffed with pure white wool.  Super cute, eco-friendly, chemical free, natural and safe toy for baby.  Check it out at a great online toystore from the UK called Toys to You that carries a ton of green toys for kids of every age.

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This has to be one of the funniest posts I’ve ever seen on one of my favorite sites NotCot.  It features Porn Confetti which is exactly what you think it is!

This is not the kind of confetti you’d use at a kid’s birthday party or at a wedding.  Maybe a stag or stagette though…  Seriously, I can’t think of many other uses for this.  I guess a man’s b-day party would work, especially if it’s hosted by other men!

Would be an easy DIY — you’d just need a circular punch and some old magazines.  Used but perhaps not TOO used if you know what I mean!  Suggestively shaped punches would work too.

Want the confetti but don’t have the time or old porn laying around to DIY.  Check out the porn confetti website to order yourself up some fun in a barrel!  They offer a discount if you buy 3 or more tubs of their confetti, have t-shirts available and even porn party packs!!

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