The Green Familia » NML

OTI the wall mounted magnetic message board

NML — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:00:11 +0000

Natalie writes…

There are message boards, and then there are message boards and as someone with a penchant for cool products for the home, I’m loving the OTI.

It’s a wall mounted magnetic message board made in the UK and designed by Sam Morgan, a Brit designer who after travelling around the world living a nomadic lifestyle where he saw the scale of our environmental issues, set up a company called Spinifex to design and manufacture eco friendly and ethical products that also help to raise awareness.

The OTI is made from reused and recyclable materials and I love that it features a picture frame and various cubby holes for storing post, pocket items and even books and magazines, making it also a great bit of mini storage. This will certainly fit into the home of a busy family.

£42 from The Greenhaus

Soy Wax Candles from UseUK

NML — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:00:46 +0000

Natalie writes…

We probably spend a small fortune on candles each year and whilst some of them are for us, many are gifts, mostly to my mum who is candle obsessed and has fairly expensive tastes, probably caused by her gifting children.

I’ve just found these Soy Wax Candles at UseUK and at £9.99 they sound like great, eco-friendly value. UseUK were keen to stock “gorgeous, glamourous, and eco friendly” candles which “didn’t break the bank” and I’m sure from the looks of the packaging and the description that these are up my mother’s street.

Soy wax candles are eco friendly because they’re made from natural waxes that are 100% vegetable oil and are from renewable, sustainable sources. There’s no dodgy stuff like pesticides, GM material etc and are biodegradable.

£9.99 + £2.80 delivery, although if you’re ordering more than 1, email them for a delivery quote.

Learn about growing your own vegetables with the Royal Horticultural Society

NML — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:00:07 +0000

Natalie writes…

So as someone who considers themselves light green with a vague interest in gardening, I have recently become interested in the prospect of growing my own vegetables.

If you want to know more about doing this, from understanding seasonal vegetables, an A-Z guide on all things veg, and even some tips on easy vegetables to grow, you should definitely pay a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society site as even for me, it’s actually a very good read.

Bilibo

NML — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:00:35 +0000

Natalie writes…

I wrote about this unusual, highly useful, design classic that’s been created to stimulate your child’s imagination over on Bambino Goodies a few months ago.

The Bilibo is an award winning rocking and spinning toy which is basically a very robust shell that doesn’t impose a specific play pattern and instead, your child might rock, spin, sit, step in it, be indoors or outdoors with it, play solo or in a group with it. They can go in snow or water and are really versatile. What’s even more special is that although these are made from virtually unbreakable plastic (it’s high density food grade polyethylene), they are completely recyclable.

Sustainable toy play – love it!

Suitable from age 2-7.

£15.05 from our Bambino Goodies Amazon Store in a variety of colours.

Rocket Gardens

NML — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:00:10 +0000

Natalie writes…

I have no shame in admitting that I have some lazy tendencies and I’m not keen on gardening, so when I stumbled across Rocket Gardens in Junior Magazine, I felt excited because finally I have found a solution that will do the bulk of the work for me, won’t get my hands dirty or have me out in the cold, and I can take great delight in saying I’ve grown my own vegetables.

Rocket Gardens are perfect for people that want to be home vegetable growers without the labour. They sell instant organic vegetable and herb gardens and have been featured on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, which even as non gardener but occasionally listening to the boyf waffling on about his garden activities, I know is a very good gardening show.

I shall be getting a Winter Window Box Garden which is ideal if you have limited space or are like me… You can put the plants in window boxes, containers, or grow bags and each box contains:

Peppers x2
Winter lettuce x10
Spinach x10
Green frills mustard x10
Red frills mustard x10
Beetroot x10
Spring onions x15
Rainbow chard x5
Giant red mustard x5
Texel greens x5
Chinese leaf, Tatsoi x5

They start delivering in mid September, which is practically upon us and this box is £24.99.

I could be tempted into the Winter Patio Container Garden £36.99, which although it’s outside, is again suitable for pots, containers, and grow bags and ideal for decking and patio areas and contains a hell of a lot of veggies.

Of course, if you’re not a lazy gardener, or don’t mind spending time in the garden, you can get a Winter Small Vegetable Garden, £39.99 which has a host of vegetables to fit 10m squared.

I have a 15 month old so it’s a bit limited what she can do constructively although I’m sure she’ll enjoy putting soil in the pots or something, but for slightly older children, this is something that they can really get involved in, watching the fruit (or should I say ‘veg’) of their labour grow, helping take care of them, and eating them.

I’m actually quite excited now which is surprising. It’s taken 31 years but I’ve finally managed to muster some enthusiasm for gardening…

Recycled plastic wastepaper bin

NML — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:12 +0000

Natalie writes…

I’ve been on the lookout for a new wastepaper bin and I’ve found a winner I think and it will add another green product into our home in every sense of the word.

Made from 100% recycled plastic, this award winning design is part of the permanent collection at the MOMA in NYC. It features carry handles to make it easy to take the contents to the recycling bin and it’s also stackable.

It’s got a healthy 9 litre capacity and is a very wallet friendly £8 at EcoCentric with delivery only being £1.95.

Vinyl Coasters

NML — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:00:43 +0000

Natalie writes…

I have a bit of a thing about cool coasters and from when I was very young, it was drilled into us that when you put down a drink, you put it down on a coaster, something we’ll have to start up again when the bambino is old enough so she doesn’t stain up our tables…

I like this set of 6 vinyl coasters from Pedlars which have been recycled from the centre of real records. They still have the original labels on both sides although they have been coated so that you don’t ruin them. I try to imagine doing this with my mothers record collection but she would probably shoot me…

Titles vary, naturally.

£14.99 from Pedlars

Jackson Reece Herbal Wipes: Buy One Get One Free offer

NML — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:51 +0000

Natalie writes…

I am a huge fan of Jackson Reece Herbal Wipes, which after trying many, have become a staple in our household. You can check out my review at Bambino Goodies from a few months ago.

The core lowdown about these: These alcohol free wipes are aimed at both skin and environmentally conscious mums. They’re made from renewable natural plant resources with ingredients that include organic lavender oil, aloe vera, and tea tree oil plus high purity water AND a vegetable based preservative system approved by the Vegan Society. Ooh, that’s quite a mouthful! They’re suitable for most skin types including eczema sufferers and are 100% biodegradable. The packaging is degradable and they’re made in the UK so their carbon footprint is reduced.

At the moment, Little Green Earthlets, one of our favourite stores is doing a BOGOF offer until the 30th September. They are £2.79 a pack which makes this a brilliant deal!

Bamboo Chopping Board

NML — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:25 +0000

Natalie writes…

As a light green individual, I’m always on the lookout for simple ways to introduce more ethical products into the home that don’t break the bank.

Bamboo is increasingly appearing in a wide variety of products because aside from being beautiful, it’s fast growing without need for fertiliser, and durable, making it a fantastic alternative to wood (and petroleum-based materials) because it’s sustainable and eco-conscious.

This Bamboo Chopping Board has been featured in the Sunday Times Style Magazine and is really gorgeous. It’s practical and stylish with its stripes and all it needs is a damp cloth to wipe it clean and you can occasionally wipe it down with some vegetable oil so that it keeps its appearance.

For someone like me who likes everything she buys to tick the style box and hates seeing ‘eco’ tagged products that are hugely overpriced, I think this Bamboo Chopping Board is excellent value, so not only could you buy this for your own family to introduce some green into your home, but it also makes a great gift.

£19.95 from EcoCentric

Solar Helicopter Kit

NML — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:00:19 +0000

Natalie writes…

I’m not even into model kits but I adore this Solar Helicopter Kit from eco store, The Green Apple.

Made from laser cut plywood, it needs no glue making it a doddle to assemble, and features a wooden rota powered by its own integrated solar panel. It includes detailed instructiona and is suitable from 6 years plus, or you might even want to use as a decorative item for your desk.

I love the simplicity of the clean lines and the bare bones look and not a battery in sight.

A very reasonable £12.95 from The Green Apple.