Eco-friendly bridesmaid gifts
We were inspired this week when a customer searching for something different to give her bridesmaids picked up these adorable recycled paper wristlets from Engage Green.
What a great idea! Here are a few more suggestions for affordable, green gifts that are a great thank you for your girls.
Made with recycled silver, Dogeared’s Make a Wish necklaces make a thoughtful gift that will compliment any bridesmaid dress.
Greenmarket girl’s eco-cuffs are both eco-friendly and extremely stylish, they turn heads and prompt a ton of “Where did you get that bracelet?” questions.
Nikita Lynn’s signature hand-blocked motif print wallet made with eco-friendly cotton is a green option that every girl can use.
If you are shopping for something different than a typical monogrammed whatever to give your bridesmaids, consider selecting an eco-friendly gift that serves as a happy reminder of your special day and friendship.
Buy a bag – help a village
We have all heard of a little retail therapy to lift our spirits. What if your next purchase helped a woman a continent away at the same time? Here is a behind the scenes video of some of the women making recycled newspaper handbags in the Philippines.
Yesterday’s news becomes today’s must have accessory
These women are able to generate income which means that their children are now able to attend school instead of going to work which in turn helps eliminate child labor. At the same time they are recycling materials that would end up in a landfill.
Here are a few of the finished products
So next time you are in need of a shopping fix, consider a product that is fair trade. You will be helping yourself and a few others at the same time.
Your purse is so yesterday
Why thank you! They must be talking about my recycled paper wristlet from Engage Green.
Engage Green takes yesterday’s papers and turns them into eco-chic wristlets, totes and coin purses with vibrant colors and designs. The fabric is created by taking narrow strips of paper and twisting them to create strength. At the same time, yarn is used to weave the fabric. The amazing colors are made with animal free dyes so the collection is also vegan.
A few of the benefits from using recycled paper are –
* Saves 60% to 70% of the energy used in the manufacturing process compared to using virgin pulp.
* Uses up to 55% less water that virgin pulp, and helps preserve our forests.
* Reduces air emissions by 74% compared to virgin pulp manufacturing.
Designer Leoner Mendoza, an award winning artist whose work is part of the Art Museum of the Americas permanent collection in Washington DC, is the creative mind behind Engage Green. Their products represent a consistent commitment to protecting our Earth’s natural resources.
Find your zen in style
I find that I am always more motivated to go to the gym when I have a new outfit to wear or bag to take with me. My new yogoco recycled yoga mat bag has been just the trick to push me towards more pilates classes. Amazingly, 70% of this bag is made from the discarded scraps of the t-shirt manufacturing process.
Scraps from the T-shirt making process are collected, sorted by color and blended. This significantly reduces incinerator and landfill use. The cotton fibers require no new dying, saving on water while adding no new pollutants. Furthermore, as no new cotton is grown, there is no land use, no water intensive irrigation and no fertilizers or pesticides used.
The resulting cotton-like fabric has an organic feel and is used as the fabric in the large mat section of the yogoco bag, as well as much of the towel section and piping.
These beautiful bags come in six different designs with vibrant colors and patterns putting you in the mood to find your inner peace and your toes. Take a look at the entire collection - see you on the mat!
Make a stand against big oil – at home
We are all sick about the situation in the Gulf. If you can’t trade in your SUV for a Prius or you aren’t able to carpool to work or take mass transit, here are a few changes that everyone can make at home to cut down on our oil consumption.
Change your household cleaning products and personal care products to non-petroleum based alternatives. I am amazed at how much petroleum is in the products that we use in our homes everyday. Here are a few examples:
* Liquid laundry detergent – If every household switched one 100 oz. bottle to a non-petroleum based detergent we would save 466,000 barrels of oil.
* Trash bags – If every household replaced one package of 20 count drawsting trash bags with recycled trash bags we would save 39,000 barrels of oil -courtesy of Seventh Generation
After you change your cleaning products, take a look at your bathroom counter.
* Switch to natural lip balms. Name-brand balms are made from petroleum products, which harm the environment during production
* Using lotions made from natural plant-based ingredients, they are helathier for your skin and keeps non-renewable resources out of your medicine cabinet
Check out the Good Guide to see how your favorite brands rate and find some great alternatives. Remember that small steps make a big difference!
Calling all hippies! You are back in style, man
The true definition of a hippie? Long hair, peace-loving, tie-dye? How about this one –
hippie – “a person, who rejects established institutions and values, seeks spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness…”
Alright man, we dig it! Thanks to our friends at modern hippie mag for redefining the word.
Modern hippie mag is a collection of writers that contribute great articles and insight about the green movement. They offer sustainable living tips, new green product information and healthy living ideas from a dozen different contributors. Natural Luxe was lucky enough to chat with co-founder Jaszy McAllistar and give her the inside scoop on why we started the company and why we love it so much.
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a giveaway open to modern hippie mag’s readers. Check them out and enter today!
Mar y Sol fairtrade handbags
What has your handbag done for the world lately?
Well, if it carries the Mar y Sol label it has helped families to gain economic independence and helped to promote environmental conservation. These colorful handmade raffia handbags from Madagascar & Kenya enable women to provide for their families and have the opportunity to send their children to school instead of work.
By incorporating renewable raw materials to create their original clutches, totes and shoulder bags they are leaving a greener footprint. Mar y Sol handbags can be seen in O Magazine, Lucky, Glamour and Marie Claire.
Welcome summer with one of their raffia clutches, they are a must have for the season!
In search of – cool reusable coffee mugs
We love that everyday more people consider making their morning cup of coffee at home to save money or bring their cup with them to their local coffee shop to save the planet. The problem is finding a cool reusable coffee cup that you want to take with you. Most of the ones we have found our plain or covered with a corporate logo; or they are made of plastic that make our coffee taste horrible.
The search is over – we have found cool reusable coffee mugs made by Vessel Drinkware. Made of double-walled porcelain, these cups don’t require a coffee sleeve and my coffee tastes great. Add in the fact that they are dishwasher and microwave safe and the designs are cute, cool and a little funky – we are sold.
If you take a mug to your local coffee shop instead of using a to go cup, you will save 2555 trees every single year – pretty amazing. A lot of stores are now offering small discounts if you bring your own cup too.
Natural Luxe featured in the Charlotte Observer
Hemp isn’t just for hippies anymore – so says the staff of the Style section at the Charlotte Observer.
One look at the Engage Green city bag and you will agree too! This fashionable handbag blends recycled cork, organic cotton and hemp to create a beautiful tote.
Eco-chic designers are becoming aware of the versatility that hemp offers in creating today’s sustainable fashions. We agree and hope that we continue to see the use of hemp in everyday items increase too!
Little Twig is our brand of the month!
Natural Luxe has partnered with the great gals at BabyElan Daily to offer a brand of the month. Every month we pick one of our favorites to highlight why we already adore them, why you will too and of course give you a chance to try them for yourself FREE!
Little Twig is consistently a celebrity favorite and was recently featured in Martha Stewart’s Spring Gift Guide
Click over to Baby Elan {Daily} and take a moment to enter our Little Twig giveaway – Good Luck!
