Holiday: Simple Green Gifts

This year, my husband and I decided we wanted to give something useful or edible for xmas. We figured nobody we know really needs anything and whenever we ask what they want, they have to really think about what they should tell us to get them. This seems just plain wasteful. Hopefully that didn't sound too Scrooge-like! But we still want to give something nice and useful. Here are some simple green gifts I found while gift searching. Most can be ordered or found locally in B.C. and are budget friendly too.


This cute everyday bag is the Lilikoi Laurel Handbag and is only $45. Lilikoi pieces are all made in B.C. and the fabrics used are all high quality and sustainable. Perfect for that fashionista sister or girlfriend!


Flowering teas from Numi Tea make a unique and pretty gift! You can get Numi teas at Whole Foods, Granville Island Produce, Langley Farm Markets and Apple Farm Markets.


Klean Kanteen now makes insulated bottles for those coffee lovers in your life. There are three different sizes and the prices range from $22-$32. You can find Klean Kanteen products at London Drugs or House of Knives locations around Vancouver.


For that jeans and t-shirt guy, you can get this comfy organic cotton hat from Boo Clothing for only $18. Boo Clothing is a great new clothing company based out of North Vancouver, B.C. All their clothes are comfy basics that are made from bamboo, soy and organic cotton.


There are a lot of candle lovers out there. These Spice Bliss candles from Mystic Masala are made from pure soy wax and 100% cotton wicks. You can get them from Hippy Grandma or directly from Mystic Masala (both B.C. based companies).


For anyone you know who loves yoga, these Super Grippy Yoga Gloves will help with their downward dogs! They are made from Gaiam. Gaiam products are available at Chapters Bookstores.


Babycakes Bakery in New York makes healthy baked goods that are vegan, mostly gluten-free and mostly sugar-free. Their recipe book makes great gift for that health buff.

Image credits:
Lilikoi Laurel Handbag: Lilikoi Clothing
Numi Flowering Tea: Numi Tea
Kleen Kanteen Insulated Bottle: Klean Kanteen
Boo Organic Cotton Hat: Boo Clothing
Spice Bliss Candle: The Mystic Masala
Super Grippy Yoga Gloves: Gaiam
Babycakes: Babycakes Vegan Bakery

DIY Handmade Tea Bags

This is a great gift or favour idea from Bonzai Aphrodite. It's economical and you can personalize the tags and strings to suit your style! Look here for the how to.

{Image from Bonzai Aphrodite}

The Holidays: DIY Herb Basket

With the holidays coming soon (in 2 weeks!), gift buying is coming down to the crunch. Here's a great eco-friendly gift idea for a friend or family member! Put together a herb basket with all their favourite herbs. I would love to receive this as a gift!

You can see the how to on this blog, but it's all in Italian. The photos show the step by step though.

{Image from Vivir a la Italiana}

Wedding Greenspiration: Rachel Larraine Hairpieces

Rachel Larraine designs gorgeous hairpieces that are all handmade and unique! You and your bridesmaids could each wear a different design. You can see the rest of the collection at the website.









{Images from Luna Photo}

Wedding Greenspiration: Pebble Placecards and Wooden Box Centerpieces

These gorgeous wedding photos from Tiny Water Photography show amazing eco friendly ideas. From pebble placecards to understated wooden boxes with plants and moss, the wedding is rustic, earthy and inviting. For more pictures of this wedding, go to Tiny Water Photography Blog.









{Images from Tiny Water Photography}

I Want It: Eco Friendly Kitchen Scrubs

Kitchen scrubbers from Goodbye Detergent! are made from natural and recycled materials like corn cobs, walnut shells, pumice stone and recycled plastic. They aren't available in Vancouver yet, but have some retailers in Toronto. I really want to try them! I hope they come to Vancouver soon.

{Images from Goodbye Detergent!}

Wedding Greenspiration: Themed Seating Chart

When making the seating chart for your wedding, why not create a theme around special events, places or objects that are important and meaningful to you and your fiance? The one above is themed around the college the couple attended together. You can theme yours around places you went when you were dating, favourite foods or have a cultural theme. The possibilites are limitless.

{Image from Lucky Orchid Weddings}

Staying Blissful: Carrot and Ginger Dressing

When I first made this dressing from goop I fell in love! I use Korean soy paste instead of miso because that's what I have in the house all the time. It's delicious and I put it on pretty much any simple salad.

{Image from goop}

Karmavore: Vancouver's Awesome Vegan Shop!

Nestled in historic Sapperton in New Westminster, there is a charming shop filled with great vegan products! Karmavore is conveniently located in the centre of Greater Vancouver and also has an online store. Here is an interview with owner Jennifer Jamal. When I first met Jennifer, her warm smile and friendliness made me like her right away!


Tell me some things about you?

I am a devout vegan, and I believe in living a lifestyle that respects all life, including animals and the planet. It is important to be aware of how our everyday decisions can impact the environment or the life of another. I love yoga, baking vegan cupcakes, and the sunshine! My husband and I have three cats- they are our babies, and we love them dearly. They are all cats that have been rescued from shelters.

Where is Karmavore located and when did you open?

Karmavore is located in historic Sapperton at 468 E. Columbia in New Westminster. We opened our retail location last July, and prior to that were running the online shop since March. We found that most of our local online orders came from the suburbs of the lower mainland, and that influenced our decision to locate in New West.

What made you want to start your business?

We have always wanted to contribute something to the animals and veganism. We found that so many specialty products (marshmallows, vegan cat and dog food, white chocolate, jerky, etc.) were not available locally, and that we were spending a lot of time trying to find these products and money for shipping the items. We wanted to make being vegan for accessible, and we also wanted to give back to the animals, which is why 10% of our profits go towards several animal charities.

What kinds of things can people find there?

We have lots and lots of vegan goodies! We carry footwear for men and women from brands such as Novacas, The Vegan Collection, and Vegetarian Shoes; clothing from Herbivore, cosmetics and body care products; and many specialty food items. Our most popular items are Dandies Marshmallows, Sweet and Sarah Marshmallows, Daiya Vegan Cheese, and Ami Cat pet food.

Daiya Vegan Cheese is a new addition to our store, and it has been flying from the fridge ever since we started carrying it! It is a delicious cheese alternative that looks, tastes, and melts like cheese with half the fat, no cholesterol, and not a trace of animal cruelty! I was so happy when the product came on the market, I missed having grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas! It is also a local product, which means transportation of this product is at a minimum. We are aware of our carbon footprint, and trying to source local products when possible. We are also big on organic and fair trade. We understand the impact of non-organic agriculture on the environment, and so we carry as much organic as we can, Some organic products we carry are Bonvita White Chocolate Bars, Chocoreale Hazelnut Chocolate Spread (like Nutella, but better!), and even organic cotton t-shirts. We carry several fair-trade products, including fair trade dark chocolate and hot chocolate.

EVENTS AT KARMAVORE

Don't forget to go to the Charity Fundraiser for Hearts on Noses Pig Sanctuary this Saturday, December 5 in Maple Ridge. Tickets are $20 and half of that goes directly to the Sanctuary and includes a Go Vegan! 2010 Calendar by Sarah Kramer, cupcakes from the Vegan Cupcake Queen, and appetizers from VeganMania.

Also, Vegan cookbook author Sarah Kramer will be in the store for a signing of her new calendar and awesome cookbooks. There will also be a special sale- 10% off all items, and 10% of all sales will also go to Hearts on Noses.

Staying Blissful: Going Vegan the Greener Way?

While surfing on the internet a few weeks ago, I saw that actress Alicia Silverstone (Love her! Clueless is a classic!) had written a book on going vegan called The Kind Diet. I had to buy it! I learned a lot about the food industry and the treatment of animals. I hate to admit it but I had a vague idea of what was going on before, but pushed it to the back of my mind and didn't look into it. Not anymore! I actually got very teary when reading about how the animals were treated.

The part that really hit home for me (not that the stuff about the animals wasn’t bad!) was all the information about how the meat and dairy industries are affecting our environment! From greenhouse gases to water waste to toxins in our food. And so my ah-ha moment: Diet decisions affect the environment in a big way. As someone who cares about the quality of air, water and food for future generations, this new connection has affected me and I have made changes in my food choices as a result.

This book was great. Alicia is never preachy, just informative. The diet itself is quite flexible and takes into account those who are far from vegan and those who are full on.

It's been 2 weeks so far since I have started and things I have noticed is smoother, softer skin, better digestion, more control over emotions and feeling less heavy. I don't know how long I can stick to it since it's just the beginning, but I’m trying and hoping to get the the holidays without going nuts! I know for sure that I won't be eating the same way again.

Wedding Greenspiration: Wedding Dresses

The first few things a bride thinks about when beginning to plan her wedding is the budget and the dress. Then in the crazy whirlwind of wedding thoughts, she starts wondering what the best way to go about finding a dress is. For the eco-conscious, things are simplified because guess what? Eco-friendly options are usually the more budget-friendly options as well! Here are some tips to finding a dress and being eco-friendly at the same time:

Reduce and Reuse

Whenever possible, it's best to reduce consumption and try not to buy things unless absolutely necessary. One option is to rent your dress. You are only wearing it once and there are a plethora of choices out there.

If you want to keep your dress after the wedding, you can buy a used dress. They are only worn once, cleaned and good as new! There are several wedding dress consignment places around the city to shop around in. Your dream dress may be waiting for you there!

If you can't find one in the consignment shops, check online on craigslist or any other site that sells used items.

Another great option would be to wear a dress that was worn by a family member and go vintage chic. You can modernize it with your hairstyle, accessories and shoes, and wearing it will add meaning to the day for everyone.

Recycle

So you've checked out all the dress rental and consignment places and have searched the internet for used dresses until your fingers are about to fall off, but you can't get your mind off a dress you saw in a bridal magazine. There are things you can do after your purchase that are eco-friendly as well.

After your wedding, make sure to take your dress to an eco-friendly dry cleaner. Some eco-friendly dry cleaners in Vancouver who clean wedding dresses are: Shirtland Dry Cleaners, West Boulevard Cleaners and Helping Hand Cleaners.

After your dress is nice and clean, you can keep it for future generations, put it up on craigslist or sell it to a rental shop or put it up for consignment.

Buy an Organic Dress

Quite a few wedding dress designers nowadays are coming out with eco-friendly lines that are gorgeous! One Canadian designer is Adele Wechsler from Ontario. Her eco couture collection is made from certified organic hemp and/or silk, vegetable dyes, remnant fabrics and fair trade labour. The dresses are beautiful (like the one above). My favourite line is the eco-couture II collection. So simple and elegant!

{Image from Adele Wechsler}

Wedding Greenspiration: Pie Favours and Table Number Idea

Look at these adorable mini pie favours from Style Me Pretty.
It's always less wasteful to give edible favours and you can personalize them with fillings, different shapes cut out on the crust or with different coloured ribbons. There is a step by step on how to make these on Style Me Pretty.



These double as a table number holder and snack for guests before dinner. You can make so many variations of this to match your own wedding theme. Go to Style Me Pretty for the how to.

{Images from Style Me Pretty}

Wedding Greenspiration: Centerpieces

I love this idea for an eco-friendly, budget-friendly centerpiece from a wedding featured on green wedding shoes. If your wedding is a few months or more into the future, save a bunch of glass jars and bottles and fill them with some local flowers that match your wedding colours!

{Image from green wedding shoes}