The Green Familia » ecoutlet

Craft Kits for the Kids

erica — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:00:03 +0000

The Christmas holiday is looming and the weather can be grim at this time of year. It’s always worth having a stock of art activities to hand to take you through these dark days.

This Dinosaur Puppet Kit would be a fun thing to make. The kit contains everything you need to make up the puppet. Four colours of paint are provided so you can paint your dinosaur any way you like. All the cardboard used in this kit is made from recycled post consumer waste paper and cardboard. Obviously you can recycle it again once you’ve finished with it. There are a number of similar kits available so you can find one to suit your child’s interests. It’s priced at £12.

Older children might like to try their hand at sewing. I liked this Stitch-It Donkey Kit . It uses a funky vintage-style fabric and the donkey will hava a matching green mane and tail. The kit comes with everything you need, including the stuffing and a pair of scissors. It’s suitable for ages 8 and over and priced at £9.95.

TGF Rated Review: KeepCup

erica — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:00:42 +0000

What is it? KeepCup is the new reusable coffee cup which is designed to help us change away from disposable paper cups.

Who is reviewing it? I’ve been trying it out both in coffee shops and at home.

Set Up Disposable coffee paper cups are made using kraft bleached paper sprayed with a polyethylene coating. The plastic coating means that generally they are not recyclable so they end up in landfill. The KeepCup is the first barista standard reusable coffee cup which fits directly under the espresso machine. It’s made from thermal, recyclable polypropylene which is food safe grade and free from Bisphenol A.

It’s available in 355ml sized cups (which is medium standard size) in 5 colour combinations. There’s a contrasting colour, silicone band around the middle for grip and a leak-proof lid which doesn’t drip when you drink. The lid features a simple pop on and off design and the tongue on plug seals your drink in, so the KeepCup is splashproof to transport.

In Use At the coffee shop, you simply hand over your KeepCup to the barista and it comes back filled with your coffee inside. As the KeepCup has the same volume as standard disposable cups, it ensures a consistent portioning of espresso and milk. It’s easy to seal your coffee in with the movable tongue and the silicone band helps you grip the cup and provides a little insulation from the heat. You can also mark the band with your regular order. You can use the cup in the dishwasher and the microwave safely.

I found it quite useful at home for those days when you are being taken from room to room by a lively child as it is splashproof and I am rather clumsy. It was also good for those times when you need a hot drink, but there isn’t quite time before you leave, as you can take it with you.

It would be good if coffee shops and large companies would give these out to customers and staff. The large office I used to work in had a coffee concession and would have been great if a cup like this had been given out to all staff for use in the coffee shop.

Any Negatives

This cup still suffers from some of the negatives that disposable cups suffer from: I found it tasted slightly plastically when drinking tea from it rather than coffee, plus you can still feel the heat of your drink through the cup which can make it difficult to carry.

Price and Availability Available from ECOutlet for £8.99.

Overall A good idea and a product that works.

Rating 4/5

Ethical Teacher Gift Suggestions

Brenda — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:00:32 +0000

The school year is coming to an end, my daughter has just finished, my middle son finishes next week and then my eldest the following week. So I have been checking out ethical gifts to give as a small token to say thank you. Here are my favourites.

Soap Bundles from Green Tulip, priced at £4.

Fascination Spiral Cuff from Daisy Daisy, priced at £6.99.

Recycled Cotton Pen Pot from Biome Lifestyle, priced at £6.

Figs & Rouge Rambling Rose Bodycare Gift Set from Ethical Superstore, priced at £5.69.

Plant a Tree Gift Pack from ECOutlet, priced at £4.79.

TGF Rated Review: efergy shower timer

erica — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:03:24 +0000

What is it? The Efergy Showertime water saving monitor and timer is designed to allow you to understand how much water you use, every time you have a shower. You can use it to help you reduce your water usage and your water bills (if you have a water meter).

Who is testing it? Me and my family.

Set Up The monitor has large easy to press rubberized buttons. It can be used in the shower either by using the sucker on the back to fix it to the wall, or by using the lanyard to hang it over a hook or something similar.

You can either use the shower timer to monitor your actual water usage or the time spent in the shower. Before you can measure your water usage, you need to calibrate the shower time based on the water flow of your shower. You do this by timing how long it takes to fill the plastic bag that comes with the device.

In Use We used the shower timer to monitor our individual shower water usages. It was no surprise to me that my husband used the most water, as he seems to use the shower as a means of waking up and it takes quite a while to work. It did provide a focus for reduction and we used the timer to help us gradually reduce our water consumption over a few weeks. You can also use it to measure the water usage of other items e.g. pressure washer, kitchen tap, etc.

Any Negatives I had some problems getting the calibration to work, which I think was due to a step being missed out of the instructions. However, I contacted ecoutlet, the suppliers, for advice and they were very prompt to answer and their response was very helpful.

Price and Availability It’s available from ecoutlet for £7.99.

Overall The shower timer is a good way of knowing exactly how much water you are using, rather than just guessing from average figures. If you like to have a more scientific approach to reducing your impact on the environment or just reducing your water bill, then this is the device for you. If you just want to reduce your water usage, you could achieve that by timing your shower and using an alarm to prompt you when to get out. However, the shower timer is convenient and safe to use in the shower.

Rating 3/5

TGF Rated Review: Snake Draught Excluder

sue — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:00:57 +0000

What is it? The Snake Draught Excluder is made from vintage fabric filled with buckwheat husks – a natural and biodegradable grain. It is 90cm long so ideal for most doors.

Who is testing it? Me and my family.

In Use: The first thing that struck me about the snake draught exlcuder is how heavy it is. It feels really well-made. The retro fabric is great and my two daughters loved the button eyes and red ribbon tongue – a couple of times I found the excluder being played with rather than blocking draughts! It fits really well against the door and because the buckwheat husks are heavy the excluder stays in place well and really blocks out all the draughts. It is quite flexible, so if the draught excluder is too long, you can always bend the end round so that it fits into place.

I used the draught excluder along the back door in our lounge. I am always playing on the floor with my daughters and it can be very chilly as the door is quite draughty. The draught excluder worked really well and I could really notice the difference it made.

Any negatives? None

Price and Availability: The snake draught excluder costs £19.99 and is available from ECOutlet. As well as the brown leaf snake design we tested, the draught excluder is also available in green (slow), yellow (topaz) and purple (rain).

Overall: This is a really effective draught excluder and the design is great. It really reminded me of my childhood when we had a snake draught excluder along our front door! I would definitely recommend one (or two!) of these if your house suffers from draughts.

Verdict: 5/5

Hot Picks: Natural Toothpaste

Brenda — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:00:48 +0000

Brushing your teeth is a daily must, so why not change to a natural option, which will cut out all the nasties that mainstream companies are including in their brands.

1 Organic Fennel Toothpaste, by Green People. Price is £3.19 for 50ml.

2 AloeDent Toothpaste, by Trust William. Price is £3.42 for 100ml.

3 Strawberry-Raspberry Kids Toothpaste, by Basis by Lavera. Price is £2.69 for 75ml.

4 Jason Healthy Mouth Toothpaste, available from Big Green Smile. Price is £4.84 for 122g.

5 Kingfisher Natural Toothpaste, available from ECOutlet. Price is £2.55 for 100ml.

Eco Cradle and Natural Mattress

Brenda — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:00:52 +0000

Looking for an eco-friendly option to put your newborn baby into? Then check out this eco cradle and natural mattress from ECOutlet.

The Eco Cradle is made from over 60% recycled cardboard and is fully recyclable when finished. It is protected by an environmentally friendly non-toxic fire retardant. It comes flat packed and can be assembled/disassembled in seconds, yet it is very safe and sturdy for your baby. It is also a blank canvas, so you can decorate it as you choose, whether it be by paint, stickers, drawings, the choice is endless, great if you have older siblings and want to get them involved.

The Natural Mattress has an inner core made from specially treated coconut fibre, which has pure new lambswool on both sides to give it a soft and luxurious feel.

The cradle is £53.99 and the mattress is £24.99. Both available from ECOutlet.

Quick Roundup: Green Gadgets

Brenda — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:01 +0000

Brenda writes…

Here we are highlighting some of the green gadgets that are on offer to make family life a bit greener. You do not need to go all out and buy every green gadget, but if you only buy one it will still help make a difference to your families future.

Freeloader

If you are planning a trip away to sunnier climes then this would be a great gadget to take with. The Freeloader takes its power from its solar panels or it can alternatively be plugged into computers USB(charge cable included). The internal battery can power an iPod for 18 hours or a mobile phone for 44 hours. Supplied in a stylish, but hard wearing aluminium body, it will stand the strains of modern day life. Available from Solar Technology for £29.99.

Solar Powered Rechargeable Shaver

For the men in our lives who think they have everything, why not give them a present of this solar powered rechargeable shaver for when they go off on their travels. Just leave it in the sun to charge and it should take about 8-12 hours to fully charge up, and it can recharge from the mains if necessary. Can only be used for dry shaving and includes a brush to clean the heads, spare outer foil, beard trimmer and a handy drawstring carry bag to carry it all in. Available from Select Solar for £24.99 + £4 delivery.

Presso Coffee Maker

If you are a coffee addict and love fresh coffee, then you may be interested in this eco-friendly gadget. It is manual and does not use electricity. This award winning product has great eco-credentials and a stylish design with its solid polished aluminium finish. Just fill the filter with fresh coffee, pour in the boiling water, then lift the lever arms and put your coffee cup in position and lower the arms – it takes seconds! Available from ECOutlet for £58.99.