The quest for affordable organic baby toys

It’s nice to see the wide array of organic cotton and bamboo baby clothes on the market. It doesn’t take too much searching to find brands like Babysoy, Kee-Ka, Small Plum Organics and Speesees that have made the commitment to offer affordable organic baby clothes that are also stylish. But when we set out to add organic baby toys to our store the search was much different.

Being a mom, I understand the need to give your little one something safe to love (and chew on!) We are happy to say that we found Dandelion Toys. They offer organic cotton baby toys that are filled with corn fiber, offer cute designs and most retail for under $15.

The corn fiber filling is both natural and washable plus it does not clump up like synthetic fibers. We’ve just added their line of bamboo animal shakers. Made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified bamboo viscose they are cuddly and cute.

In addition to making great eco-friendly toys, Dandelion Toys is a member of 1% for the Planet. We are so happy to include them in the Natural Luxe family of products!

Have you kicked bottled water yet?

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I’m reminded that I should turn my 3 o’clock coffee into a 3 o’clock glass of water. It’s always easier to focus on your daily intake of water when it’s not 30 degrees outside.

With that in mind, I wanted to post a great piece from Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff – The story of bottled water –

In the past I’ve used reusable stainless steel or aluminum bottles for water, but I couldn’t help but notice that I didn’t care for the taste of the water. Last summer I started using a BPA free acrylic reusable to go tumbler and I love it! It’s sweat free, fits in my car cup holder and for some unknown reason I tend to drink a lot more water; it’s got to be the straw!

We just got in some new designs from Vessel Drinkware, my personal favorite is still the purple henna. I was excited to see that the ever popular mustache mug is now available in the reusable to go cup. Take a peek at the new designs and hopefully you will be inspired to kick the bottled water habit for good.

Look who’s in the TreeHugger gift guide!

We’ve been fans of the TreeHugger community long before Natural Luxe was born. Thrilled to discover that we made it into their Valentine’s Day Gift Guide!

Take a look at some of the eco-friendly options for your Valentine. From homemade treats to recycled goodies it’s easy to go green while turning up the heat.

Our mudlark stationery recycled note card set was among the “sweet on earth’ selections. Here is what TreeHugger says –

Mudlark Stationery

Few things say “I love you” like a handwritten note — especially when it’s written on Mudlark’s eco-friendly stationery.

The bright, iconic prints are a striking background for your own sweet nothings, and the 80-percent recycled cards (printed with soy-based inks) come in a reusable box that let your Valentine store her love notes safely. (Mudlark Stationery, $15)

We also wanted to mention that these beautiful recycled notecards are also made in the US. Every recycled box comes with an inspirational quote, with over 10 designs to choose from we are certain that you will find one that resonates with you and the lucky recipient!

We are giving away a $50 gift certificate!

That’s right, you have a few days left to enter our $50 gift certificate giveaway with our friends at Fig & Sage. We’ve been fans of Fig & Sage’s great reviews of natural and organic beauty products for a long time, so when we had the opportunity for them to review Natural Luxe we jumped at it.

Here are a few of the products they tagged as their favorites:

BABYBEARSHOP Cheeky Baby Butter$32, On Sale Now $21

We’ve looooved this stuff for over two years now! Check out our review here. This amazing stuff is not just for babies, any dry skin sufferer will adore this butta! I’ve gifted this to several expecting friends and each one raved about it.

Engage Green Recycled PETE Plastic Stars Satchel $45

I bought this for a birthday gift for one of the sweetest people on the planet who also happens to be a tiny, albeit fierce roller derby queen. She loves toting her derby gear around in this retro-inspired bowling bag.

Green Market Girl Natural Eco-Cuff Bracelet $40

I’m more of a cuff girl than I am a delicate bracelet kinda girl. I’ve had my eye on this particular handmade cuff for quite some time. I think it would make a fabulous unique gift.

Small Plum Organics Bridge Certified Organic Bamboo Onesie $25

If you know us at all, you know we like babes dressed in atypical baby attire and this one makes us smile since we’re big fans of San Fran. Check this cuteness out for baby girls. New mamas appreciate unique clothes for their babes. Hey, why not pair this little number with some BABYBEARSHOP Cheeky Baby Butter &/or Mama Belly Oil?! Baby shower gift dilemma solved. You’re welcome.

West Paw Designs Organic Bumper Dog Bed $68

We’re huge dog lovers and have 3 large retrievers between both of us that are part of our families – we just wouldn’t have it any other way. These dog beds come in 5 great colors to match any style or decor in your home. They have an organic cotton exterior and the interior stuffing is made of 100% recycled plastic bottles that is comfy and cozy.

We’ve also given them a special coupon code so check out the full review at Fig & Sage. Good Luck!

Ethical Fall Fashion

Our inspiration for this article comes from World of Good‘s ethical fall fashion picks in honor of October being National Fair Trade month. Nikita Lynn Designs, one of our favorite designers at Natural Luxe, has the Ingrid wooden handle clutch featured on the site’s front page.

Nikita Lynn travels to India twice a year to complete her vision of handbags and accessories. Working directly with the people that will hand stitch and bead these beautiful clutches, wallets and totes, Nikita is able to connect with another culture and see the impact that her business has on their local economy.

Mar y sol is another perfect pick to celebrate ethical fall fashion. Laurel Brandstetter, owner of Mar y sol, works with communities in Madagascar and Kenya to create her colorful line of handbags and totes. Brandstetter takes pride in the fact that the sale of Mar y Sol’s raffia handbags enables families to gain economic independence and promotes environmental conservation.

When shopping this month, consider purchasing an item that is made with fair labor. Your retail therapy will touch a person’s life on the other side of the world and bring us closer to becoming one world.

Charlotte’s Green Halloween Costume Swap

Natural Luxe was thrilled to partner with Green Halloween this year and bring an eco-friendly alternative to Charlotte’s halloween costume options. Many families have two or three kids Halloween costumes hanging in the closet that have been outgrown or passed down to younger siblings a few times. The costume swap was a great way to declutter closets and save some green in the process.

Five local businesses let their time and energy to helping us collect costumes for the swap. It was a great way for them to reach out to their current customers and maybe meet a few new ones. A big thank you to Beth Smith-Shuey with Keller Williams South Park, Jim Mishoe with Nationwide Insurance, Belly Elan, The Boulevard at NoDa and Atherton Market for helping out this year.

Over 50 gently used childrens costumes were collected and on October 9th we had the pleasure of helping costume swappers pick out something “new” for this year’s trick-or-treating. Looking forward to this event next year with more drop-off locations and of course, more costumes!

Thank you Charlotte for making our 1st annual Green Halloween Costume Swap a successful event!

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.

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.

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 – recycled yoga bags

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 recycled yoga mat 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 Yogoco recycled yoga mat bag collection - see you on the mat!