Don’t Be a Turkey: Entertain Greenly this Holiday Season
Date: November 20, 2008 | Category: Food & Drink, Holiday & Gift, Kitchen, Lifestyle
Chekhov once famously wrote, “People are far more sincere and good-humored at speeding their parting guests than on meeting them.” It isn’t that entertaining isn’t enjoyable, just that hosting holiday celebrations can be stressful, especially if you are trying to make more eco-friendly choices around the house.
But preparing an organic meal and decorating with an eye towards sustainability needn’t be nerve-racking since there have never been more green products on the market. You just need to know where to look. This year, ecofabulous has done the shopping for you (OK, you still have to purchase the bits you want, but we make it easy!). (more…)
Top Ten Sites for Holiday Shopping
Date: November 14, 2008 | Category: Featured, Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle, Media, Stores & Resources
With our holiday gift guide just around the corner we wanted to give you a sneak peek. Here is our list of the top ten sites for easy ecofabulous holiday shopping. Enjoy!
1. Amazon Green
The Future Smells Rosy
Date: October 24, 2008 | Category: Beauty, Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle, The Home, Women
What ecofab girl doesn’t love to receive a dazzling, fragrant bouquet in the middle of the week, especially for no reason at all? But all those toxic pesticides sprayed on commercial flowers can leave a bad after-smell.
Now divas can enjoy the locally-sourced blossoms they deserve from Organic Bouquet. The company features the most eco-friendly packaging in the field (sorry, we couldn’t resist), along with the first carbon offset program. We’re particularly fond of the charitable bouquet line, which benefits select nonprofits, such as the gerberas (shown) that fund the National Wildlife Federation. But regardless of which flowers you pick, a rose by any other name won’t smell so sweet.
Improving Your Giftprint
Date: October 2, 2008 | Category: Featured, Food & Drink, Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle, Stores & Resources
At ecofabulous, we love presents. But gifts should be thoughtful, right? Thoughtful of the recipient and thoughtful of our little planet.
So TREAD Light Gifts gets our thumbs up. From the Tiny Tikes Snack Kit to the Welcome Home Kit, the Get Clean Kit and the Ultimate Happy Hour assortment, TREAD Light has pulled together some excellent combinations to construct packages for all of your friends and family – from the mildest to the wildest.
Everything is either organic, all-natural (yes, this one is always the most ambiguous), recycled, sustainably produced, fair-trade or manufactured by companies who contribute back to the earth and or their communities. In addition, their kits are packaged in 100% organic cotton totes and come with a no-waste, plantable gift tag that will bear beautiful wildflowers (think of the tag as a little bonus). Time to think inside the box, or bag in this case.
Hydro Power
Date: September 23, 2008 | Category: Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle
So you just sent your kid off to college. Obviously you want to make sure that he or she is awake in time for class, but you hesitate to buy an energy-hogging electric or battery-operated alarm clock. Short of a daily wake-up call, how can eco-minded parents be sure their hard earned tuition fees aren’t being snoozed through?
Now ThinkGeek is offering a water-powered alarm clock perfect for a college dorm room. Just fill the clock with any electrolytic fluid, like water, soda or, ahem, beer (let’s face it, this is college we’re talking about) and the clock will run for weeks unattended (hopefully his/her classes won’t).
The clock, which retails for $12.99, works using an internal converter that extracts electrons from water (or other liquid) molecules and provides a stream of electrical current that generates power to the clock. Plus, the water receptacle in the back can be used as a vase. Hmmm, can flowers thrive in Budweiser? Time will tell.
Rubble, Rubble, Oil and Stubble
Date: August 10, 2008 | Category: Beauty, Holiday & Gift, Skin Care
While scruffy has its place, there’s no doubt, a clean-shaved man is simply irresistible. But it’s hard to find a line of skincare that steers clear of parabens, a preservative absorbed into the bloodstream and associated with a variety of health issues, ranging from weight gain to reproductive problems. Fortunately for me, I just discovered a line of paraben-free grooming products that delivers one of the smoothest shaves I’ve ever had! (more…)
Eco-Chic Shopping Is So LA
Date: August 10, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Holiday & Gift, Jewelry, Women
This New Year I made a resolution not to expand my wardrobe or excessively drink green tea. To my husband’s surprise (not to mention my own), I’ve actually managed to uphold this pledge with only a few minor glitches (solely involving caffeine), that is up until my recent trip to LA.
So I’m retroactively amending my resolution as follows: “I will not buy NEW clothes – unless they are sustainable or drink green tea more than once a day – unless I’m totally exhausted.” With that said, I can now confess that I dropped by one of my favorite SoCal haunts last week–Decades Two–which features “almost new” designer clothes that have often been worn only once by celebrities and socialites (presumably because they cannot be photographed in the same item twice, heaven forbid). Suffice it to say that I did not leave empty-handed. The next day Torso Vintages had a glam trunk show at Chateau Marmont, where I picked up some glitzy 50’s gold belts. This inspired me to pull out a purple gown I hadn’t worn in five years, ‘cinching’ a hot retro-nouveau look.
Of course, when in LA, it’s impossible not to seek out the rockstar of sustainable fashion, Linda Loudermilk. On this trip, she wowed me with exquisite hemp silk suits, organic cotton tees, lyocel dresses and amazing jewelry (everyone keeps trying to turn on my recycled gold faucet necklace). The one thing that didn’t break the bank was a zebra-striped organic Rogan skirt that I found at Target for only eight bucks!
Once again, this proves that you do not have to sacrifice style to be eco-chic on any budget. As for my modified resolution, well, so far so good.
Teach our Children Well
Date: August 6, 2008 | Category: Clothing, Holiday & Gift, Kids, Lifestyle
Long before environmental consciousness made it fashionable, Henry David Thoreau warned to “Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.” While we adults can get by with a few choice additions each year, our children have a peculiar tendency to grow and grow. These certified organic cotton T-shirts from When I Grow Up I Will are designed to inspire young wearers with guiding principles. Although they are fully biodegradable, these are the sort of pieces that get passed down from one child to the next, which makes them the ultimate in ecofashion. (more…)
If a Tree Falls in the Forest …
Date: August 6, 2008 | Category: Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle
We all know the philosophical conundrum. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? Rod Surber, eco-artist and founder of Salvage Woodworks, would negate the question altogether. Rod makes it his business to transform fallen trees into living art. (more…)
Stuffed Animals for Animal Rights!
Date: July 11, 2008 | Category: Holiday & Gift, Lifestyle
Stephanie McPherson is on a mission: to “provide a connection between cuddly Stephanimals and real animals to help educate others about environmental responsibility.” Each hand-made creation comes with a storybook that teaches children about animals and the environment. The books are made from recycled and salvaged materials, fabrics are typically remnants, and the stuffed animals are filled with Eco-Fill, a polyester material made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. McPherson donates two Canadian dollars to local environmental non-profits for each item sold. This year’s organization is the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. It’s great to see a company that’s making stuffed animals support their real-life counterparts.
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