green gifts
Fun At The Eco-Chic Expo
I hope many of you had a chance to visit the Eco-Chic Expo yesterday at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center that Rachel posted about last week. Featuring many different local sustainable living companies, the expo was definitely a great and interactive way to spend a few hours. The expo featured a lot of companies all excited to share their products and websites with the public at this free event. Here are some businesses and events that really caught my eye!
Full Circle Farm is an organic farm that grows and sources organic fruits and vegetables and deliver right to your door! Located just outside of Carnation, the 400 acre farm grows over 200 varieties of produce and 50 crops in order to provide a large variety for their customers. They also partner with other local farms in order to provide more options for delivery baskets. The baskets of food are fully customizable, with flexible order size and frequency and as an added bonus, you know exactly where your food is coming from. To sign up for a delivery subscription or learn more about Full Circle Farm visit their website or call 866-EAT-WELL.
EcoEtsy
Et
sy is one of those sites where you can foresee an obvious and easy transition into the green neighborhood. As an online store where people can set up “shops” to sell their homemade or restored goods, there’s everything from jewelry, to clothes, to housewares, to unique gifts of all sorts. I recently noticed that Etsy has started to set up an eco-friendly section of the site known as EcoEtsy. Last Christmas I found a myriad of awesome gifts for friends and family that were low impact to the environment, and just plain perfect for the people on my list.
When I started looking through the Etsy site, I was disappointed to find that that EcoEtsy is actually really hard to find on their main site. They don’t even have an eco or green category on their main page. It seems to me if you’re going to have an EcoEtsy blog in this green era, it would be in your best interest to advertise that on your main site. The only eco-friendly point of interest on their main site is the ability to search for local sellers. I appreciate the ability to search for goods from sellers that are only in neighboring towns, severely cutting down on emissions from shipping.
Aside from the complete lack of exposure, the EcoEtsy site was still exciting for me. I spent way longer than I should have at work looking through the eco-goods from various sellers. If you want to search for items from the EcoEtsy team on the main Etsy site, simply do a tag search for “TeamEcoEtsy“. They’ve set up a twitter and a Facebook account as well if you’re interested.
EcoEtsy is currently holding an Earth Day Auction on their blog. They plan to donate all the proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund. › Continue reading
Giving Eco-Gifts
Even in this day and age, green thinking is still a new concept for some people. Buying green gifts for your friends is a great way to encourage green behavior and educate them about green concepts and products. Here’s a list of my favorite eco-friendly gifts for friends, environmentalists and non-environmentalists alike.
Fair Trade Chocolate. Just about everyone likes chocolate, so it’s the perfect go-to gift for just about anyone. Educate your friends and family on fair trade practices and the sustainable benefits of encouraging fair trading practices in developing countries. Check out Serrv, which has some tasty chocolate treats on their site, that even help them in their goal to eradicate poverty. Other fair trade chocolate and organic raw chocolate options help society and the environment.
Eco-Friendly Classes or Outings. Pretty much any class or experience is a good buy. I highly recommend yoga or meditation classes. There’s not better feeling than being at peace after a good yoga class in my opinion. Also, you can find classes or day trips through local environmental groups, or the Audubon society, which have low environmental impact, high educational value, and are just out right fun.
Organic cotton bed linens. If you’ve never tried organic cotton bed linens, you’re missing out, especially if you, like me, suffer from allergies of any kind. Organic linens can be a savior for those of us with intense allergies, keeping our air passages free of allergens and reducing chemical sensitivities. There are even lots of brightly colored and awesome patterned options available. Try Amnitey Home, Gaiam or VivaTerra or Good Night Naturals for some quality natural bedlinens.
A Green Valentines Day – Celebrate Your Love with the Environment Too!
With Valentines day right around the corner, you may be wondering what to give your sweetheart to celebrate that special day. Why not make it special and unique for both the one you love, and the earth at the same time? It’s actually pretty easy to do and will give you a nice warm fuzzy feeling. I’ve got your basics covered- eco jewelry, local natural chocolate truffles, and locally grown cut and live flowers.
Giving Plants.com Live Mini Roses in Silver
Flowers are wonderful in so many ways. They are beautiful, fragrant, colorful and can brighten any room and anyone’s day, but where do they come from? When valentines day rolls around, all of a sudden there is a huge influx of roses, tulips, carnations and cut flower bouquets, and they seem to be unreasonably cheap for all this demand. The reason for this is that they are grown in huge flower farms in other countries, and then shipped to the US. The problem with this is similar to picked fruits and vegetables- lack of pesticide regulations overseas in addition to all of the environmental costs of transportation and USDA pest treatment requirements. Previous articles on the subject from The Sierra Club and thestreet.com explain the pitfalls.
Many environmentally harmful pesticides which have been banned in the US, are still being used in other parts of the world. Compound that with pesticide treatments upon importation to the US, and all of the transportation and delivery costs, its no wonder cut flowers can be a eco and health nightmare. But it need not be! Check out your local farmers market, ask your florist where their flowers come from and support local farmers. GivingPlants.com is a great internet based operation working with and supporting California farmers and nursery’s, or you can find local farms and organic growers in your area by searching localharvest.org. Not only will these choices benefit the environment, but your flowers will last a great deal longer. Another great alternative to cut flowers are live blooming flowers and plants, that way you can enjoy them for years to come.
Intrigue Chocolates' French Truffles
Chocolate is a mainstay of valentines day and the varieties seem endless, but not all are created equal. Chocolate is is made from the cacao bean, however many treats we call ‘chocolate’ have hardly any cacao in them. Take a traditional Hershey’s chocolate bar, it contains only contains between 4% and 10 % chocolate. The rest of it is sugars, emulsifiers, milk solids, and other fillers. The source of the antioxidant powers and euphoric brain chemicals is the cacao, and for many, so is the taste.
There is another element of the chocolate equation. Chocolate is grown in similar regions as coffee, and has the same issues with fair trade and wage practices where the farmer is not paid a fair living wage. Theo Chocolate has thought of all of this, and is actually the only chocolate company in the US that is an Organic, Fair Trade, bean to bar chocolate factory. Their high cacao content chocolate and limited essential ingredients make for a wonderful tasting experience.
If truffles are more your (or your loves’) thing, then try Intrigue Chocolates for an order of their natural exotic french truffles in many unique flavors. Handmade from seasonally fresh market ingredients like rose petals, pomegranate, and honey, each truffle is a true culinary experience.
Simply Wood Rings
Jewelry is a very popular gift around this time, but do you know where yours came from? Before you buy, ask a few questions so you don’t end up inadvertently supporting modern day slavery and environmental pillaging. You may have heard about ‘blood diamonds’, but did you know the same kinds of things go on for just about all precious metals and jems, including gold? If you are considering diamonds, check out my previous article on eco diamonds and jewelry.The most important thing is to hold your jeweler accountable for their claims of ‘conflict free’ jewelry by getting source certifications and guarantees. There are several eco conscious jewelers out there, some which promote reclaimed materials, such as renewed gold and vintage pieces. Check out NoDirtyGold.org for more information on gold mining practices.
There are other green alternatives that can be more unique and special, such as a intricate wood ring made from an old heirloom, or a one of a kind bracelet or necklace from an eco artist. With all of the wonderful eco friendly environmentally conscious artists out there, it is easy to find beautiful treasures that are not found at traditional jewelry stores. One that will be special and have more meaning, while being gentle to the environment at the same time. Sounds like a win-win to me!
