The Green Familia » erica

Fairtrade Footwear from Earth & Wear

erica — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:52 +0000

Earth & Wear are an established online retailer selling fair trade and ecologically sound clothing and accessories. They are the main UK outlet for No Sweat a fair trade footwear brand and they also sell a range of Amazon flip flops.

I like these Olive & Black No Sweat Hi Tops which would be great to wear from spring through to autumn. They sport a black rubber sole and toe section with a matching black tongue and stripe down the back. This contrasts nicely with the dark green canvas. The No sweat “solidarity” logo is featured on the side. They’re also available in black and white and they’re priced at £35 per pair.

Looking ahead to better weather, or if you’re lucky winter sun, these Amazon Flip Flops are great for warmer days or just round the house. The Amazon Flip Flops are manufactured in Brazil from recycled tyres. They’re designed to be comfortable, anti-allergic and provide excellent grip. This Tupi style of sandal is available with a range of different strap colours. They’re priced at £20.

TGF Rated Review: Jack n’Jill Children’s Toothpaste and Brush

erica — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:57:44 +0000

What is it? Jack n’ Jill toothpaste and toothbrush.

Who is reviewing it? My 4 year old son.

Set Up It’s an all natural, hypoallergenic toothpaste with organic ingredients, and with packaging that’s minimal, recyclable and BPA Free. It’s a similar story with the toothbrush as it’s made of primarily from cornstarch, so that it’s biodegradable and recyclable.

In Use The cute design of the toothbrush was popular from the outset. It’s easy for a young child to hold and use. My son has been using it for a few weeks now and it’s still looking good.

The first time he used it, my son found the taste a little strange, I think because he is used to minty toothpastes. However, since then it’s been popular and having tasted it myself I can say that it’s a pleasant strawberry taste (there are other flavours available too).

Any Negatives None. I haven’t tried recycling the toothbrush yet so can’t comment on this aspect. You need to snap off the head and compost the body of the brush. The bristles are made from nylon which is recyclable, but you’d need to check in your are to see whether their are local facilities for this in place.

Price and Availability Both products are available online with the toothpaste priced at £4.99 for 50g and the toothbrush at £3.49.

Overall A good quality toothbrush and toothpaste that my son has enjoyed using.

Rating 5/5

Blanket Boxes at Myakka

erica — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:55:30 +0000

I’m always drawn to pretty or unusual boxes and chests when browsing in antique or home furnishings shops. It can be difficult though to find reasonably priced items that combine quality with ethical concerns. So I was very pleased to stumble across Myakka with their ranges of furniture from a single fair trade supplier in India.

This Hathi Blanket Box has a lovely design with good proportions and a sweet elephant motif. It’s made from solid sheesham hardwood(Indian rosewood). Mounted on neat bun feet, this chest has a traditional metal latch and a hinged lid with a retaining chain for easy access. It measures 85 x 45 x 46 cm and is priced at £229.

If you’re after a simpler look, how about these Thaket Blanket Boxes. Again these boxes are made from sheesham hardwood, but come with chunky plinths and sturdy ironwork hinges. These fair trade blanket boxes are capable of providing good amounts of storage with 2 sizes available. Prices start at £99 and there’s a reduced price available when you buy two.

Children’s Knitwear from Picaloulou

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:16:50 +0000

I’m a big fan of traditional hand-knits for children. All Picaloulou’s knitwear products have been designed in the UK, then hand crafted by a team of hand knitters,working from home around the UK. Their natural, breathable yarns come from UK farms and have been processed and hand dyed in a British mill, using Soil Association approved dyes. All their knits are machine washable on a gentle wool cycle, so there’s no fiddly hand-washing or expensive dry cleaning.

Cable knits have been big this winter and it looks like we’ve got some cold weather to come. This OXO Cable Cardigan (you can see the OXO in the cable pattern) looks chunky, warm and cosy. It’s made from 85% British Merino/ 15% British Alpaca fibres and the smart ribbed collar and contrasting stripey buttons add the finishing touches. Sizes run from 1-6 years and there are 2 colours: grey and sky blue. Normally prices start at £60, but there’s a sale currently so you can pick one up from just £36.

This Reversible Cable Scarf is delightful. The lime green of the scarf brings some colour to a cold day and the merino/alpaca mix will keep the chill out. With the cable pattern visible on both sides this scarf works well either way round and the moss stitch sets off the cable nicely. The medium size will fit adults too and is priced at £32.

Method Hand-Washes

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:12:43 +0000

Method hand gels are a great way of getting hands clean without using nasty chemicals. I’m a bit fan of Method’s cleaning products and I use a number of them at home. I was interested to discover that they now offer a hand soap range.

Lots of hand-washes these days boast about their anti-bacterial credentials. However, anti-bacterial can mean harsh chemicals which are hard on your hands and the environment. It’s feared that excessive use of them might prompt the development of superbacteria that can’t easily be killed. All of Method’s hand-washes are triclosan free to avoid these problems. Method hand wash contains natural cleaners derived from coconut, combined with natural moisturisers like aloe, vitamin E and glycerine to keep your hands smooth.

The hand-gels come in 5 different varieties: waterfall, sweet water, lavender, pink grapefruit and cucumber. Their teardrop shaped bottles would look stylish in any bathroom and you can choose a colour to complement your colour scheme, plus the bottles are recyclable. They’re priced at £2.49 for a 354ml bottle.

Top Picks from Humm

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:10:53 +0000

Humm specialise in producing stylish clothes from alpaca. Their clothes are produced in Peru in an ethical manner. Alpaca is a very insulating material, but is also lightweight, and it is a breathable fabric, due to the fibres having microscopic air pockets. An added bonus is that it doesn’t bobble or pill so adding to its wearable lifespan.

Humm have got Brandon Mably of the Kaffe Fasset Studio on board to design this beautifully bright, chequerboard pattern coatigen. It’ s a very simple design without buttons and it’s wonderfully long too. It’s normally priced at £245, but it’s currently available for £125.

I think this pom pom alpaca scarf is adorable. This chunky knit, super soft cosy scarf come in slate grey and has the gorgeous pom poms in fuchsia, turquoise, dark blue and deep purple at each end. Normally it’s priced at £45, but at the moment it’s on sale for £23.

Eco Sunglasses from Stella McCartney

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:09:01 +0000

Sunglasses make me think of summer, but they can be useful when driving on winter days when the sun is low in the sky and you’re driving towards it. Either way Stella McCartney has launched a lovely range of eco sunglasses and there’s a wide range of styles so you should be able to find a pair to suit you. The new sustainable collection of sunglasses uses of natural raw materials, such as castor-oil seeds and citric acid.

I like these 1950′s Style Vintage Frame Sunglasses. They come with rounded edges for a comfortable fit. They look like the sort of thing Audrey Hepburn would wear and can give any outfit a touch of glamour. They’re available in 3 different colours and are priced at £144.

If you prefer a rounder look to your shades, then these Round Frame Gradient Sunglasses may be for you. This round, over sized shape features a steel frame and a very feminine outline with thin arms which feature a step design. They are priced at £156.

Children’s Activity Parties: Ice

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:06:12 +0000

A cold weather related party is perfect for the winter season. You might want to consider asking your guests to dress in white or blue in honour of the party theme or come wearing scarves and hats. I’d suggest having some ice themed food for your guests. You can make cucumber and apple icicles by peeling the cucumber and cutting it into icicle shaped slices. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on the apple so that your icicles don’t turn brown. Ice lollies can be fun too. I’d suggest carrying on with a blue and white theme and make white (and blue with a little food colouring) homemade lollies with a white yoghurt like vanilla. After all that cold stuff it would be worth having something more warming like hot chocolate on offer, or if it’s around meal times provide soup or stew served with bread.

A lovely art activity is to make icicle pictures. You’ll need (eye) droppers, diluted paint of various colours and tin foil. You’ll need to rig things up so that the foil is held vertically to allow the diluted paint to run down it. Squirt out the diluted paint at the top of the sheet and let it run down to create your icicles. Once dry you can cut out the icicles and place them on backing paper. It’s fun to turn the lights out,the torches on and shine them on the icicles to see what effects you get.

The other activities will need some preparation a day or two (or longer) in advance. For the first, make up various coloured waters using different food colourings. Then put a layer of your first colour into a container. Freeze on a flat surface in the freezer, then add a layer of another colour and so on. Once complete your creation can be turned out onto an old towel for inspection or placed in a large tub of water to watch as it melts (it would be great to use a clear container for this- I used a see through storage box). Another fun idea is to freeze water in different shapes and sizes of container.

If you’re interested in more ideas for seasonal children’s activity parties, try our Valentine’s Day party or Mardi Gras party.

Hearts for your Valentine

erica — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:41 +0000

Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us and it’s worth organising your gifts now. Hearts are the traditional symbol of love and there are some beautifully designed items out there that would make welcome gifts.

This Silver & Recycled Aluminium “Fronds” Heart from Anna Clifton Jewellery caught my eye. It’s hand-made with a sterling silver frame which encases a recycled aluminum heart. To make the pendant, each piece of recycled aluminium is individually heat treated and cut from a recycled drinks can. The design is then scribed on by hand and set into resin. This seals in the design, making it colour fast and protecting it from knocks and scratches. You can choose between 16″ and 18″ sterling silver snake chains. It’s normally priced at £49.99, but it’s currently available for just £44.99.

This Hanging Heart makes a lovely gift. It’s quite large, measuring approx 20cm x 20cm,and it would look fabulous hung on a wardrobe door or on the bed frame. It could take it’s place amongst scatter cushions on your bed or sofa. It comes with 5 filling options: unfragranced, 3 choices of long-lasting aroma beads or traditional dried home-grown lavender. The ribbon loop is stitched in place and decorated with two large wooden buttons. It’s priced at £6.50 each.

Ladies Clothes from Pickled Green Clothing

erica — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:11 +0000

I’ve recently discovered the ethical clothing retailer Pickled Green Clothing. They choose brands that use only certified organic cotton, sustainable fabrics and recycled materials that are produced under Fair Trade conditions.

This Gypsy Sleeved Top is a favourite because it’s such a pretty style to wear. It’s made from organic cotton jersey in red or teal with an intricate floral print design and hand sequin work on the front. There are the distinctive, gypsy style gathered sleeves which are made from georgette and an adjustable drawstring neckline offers flexibility to adjust the neckline: you can choose to wear it off the shoulder, with a wide neck or as a round necked top. It was priced at £25, but it’s currently available at £12.50.

I love this Alfington Tunic top from Braintree. It’s a simple, but elegant, cable knit tunic is made from a mix of wool and organic cotton. A great layering piece for the winter season which would look great teamed with a long sleeved T and leggings or skinny jeans. It comes in 2 great colours: mustard and indigo and sizes run from 10 to 16. The price is £50.