2010 is here! What have you set your mind to achieve this year? To practice eco living or to begin this path if you haven’t even started at all. Yesterday I read in the local papers that few supermarkets have begun their eco friendly campaign by having ‘no plastic’ days. The intention of this move is sure good but the companies have not done enough to inform their customers which led to many frustrated faces.
‘No plastic’ days are becoming popular among retailers too though some customers still feel that it won’t be fair to tuck their purchases in their own bags when they had paid lots of money for them. It takes a long while to educate customers to practice eco friendly principles when they are not accustomed to this awareness. My uncle went to buy some discount cigars and he expected them to be packed nicely in a bag. He would be upset if they told him that there wasn’t any packaging for them. Some retailers start to use recycled wrapping papers for their customers which are good options to promote green living.
This year, we hope to continue our green living journey. For a start, we have begun using fruit enzyme for our household cleaning instead of harmful detergents. It takes some efforts and time to walk this journey but the results bring inner satisfaction as we become more socially responsible.
It’s never nice falling ill when you are on a holiday,, isn’t it? Well, that’s me. I have been ill for the last one week and it isn’t the vacation I have planned to be.
I was planning to search out some eco friendly stores during my stay at the Gold Coast but it’s tiring for my body who is recovering from a bad bout of bacteria attack. I didn’t have my external hard drive with me this time so I can’t do some of my work. But who likes to be working during a vacation?
Now that I’m feeling better, I hope to shop for some eco friendly bags made locally to add on to my eco bag collection. It’s just nice collecting these nice eco friendly bags that can be so useful, convenient and great for any casual outings. I see them being used in all grocery stores by many environmentally conscious people.
With the holiday season leading up, this is a busy time for many people. Those who are working are busy clearing their work before the holidays began. Families are busy with holiday planning and many of us will be busy with gift shopping for our loved ones. With so many choices in the marketplace, it can be hard deciding what to buy for the long list of recipients! Perhaps this year, you want to do things abit differently – to shop for eco natural gifts for those you love and care about.
If you are looking for fashion tees, have a look at some of the unique and cool ones online. T-shirts are such versatile gifts and they are great for any occasion. They are affordable and most of the time, they fit well into a tight gift budget. I used to search for gift ideas in free web directory when I need to stretch my mind a little.
Whenever I run out of gift ideas, a fashion tee is what I would go for. If tees are not your cup of tea, choose an eco bag to encourage the recipient to do his or her part for the environment. Other eco friendly gift ideas include planting a flower pot for a friend, sending an organic fruit basket or even getting a wellness gift for the ones who are passionate about eco living! Shop for more eco natural gift ideas here!
Green furniture or eco-friendly furniture used to be a new buzzword for the home improvement industry. Those who make and manufacture green products are committed to producing items that are non-toxic, environmentally friendly and safe enough.
One of the first steps to green furniture is to use wood in the construction that comes from a sustainable forest. For every tree taken, another is either planted or left to grow to full maturity. People are beginning to care more for the natural environment. Who knows, the next innovation could be eco friendly steel buildings.
Second, is the use of non-toxic bonding agents. Many types of glue, especially used in imported furniture, off gas formaldehydes and other air-borne chemicals into the home or surrounding area. By using non-toxic glues, green manufactures give their customers a product that can be eaten off of safely and produce no off-gasses in their homes.
The third step to green furniture is the finish. Many chemicals are used in lacquers, varnishes and other methods of finishing a furniture piece. By using FDA approved oil and water based finishes, green builders guarantee non-toxicity of the woods surfaces.
For those concerned about any of the above problems, going green in your home is the perfect solution. Green furniture may cost a bit more, but the piece of mind you receive is priceless.
These days, carrying an eco bag in the shopping mall is more than just an eco advocacy. It has become a fashion statement for some, even the young, trendy and adventurous ones.
I must admit that it took me a while to get into the habit of bringing a reusable bag whenever I’m out shopping for groceries or other things. So don’t feel guilty if you haven’t started bringing your own bag when you are out in the mall. It takes some effort and a little time to get into the eco friendly gear. What matters most is an awareness of how we can play a part in the environment we all live in, making it a better place for our future generation.
When it comes to gift giving, the options can be plentiful that it’s hard to narrow down to the right one. As much as I prefer to buy eco friendly gifts, I can’t find the right one at times. I must admit that not all eco gifts are nice looking. Some of them are not properly done and the finish can appear to be some old scraps forcefully put together for green living sake.
Some people feel that eco gifts are more costly but it doesn’t have to be so. If you are buying a gift for a lady, consider eco jewelry or an eco bag. If it’s for someone who is passionate about health, consider a wellness gift made of eco friendly materials. For house warming, there are plenty of eco home gifts in the web you can shop around. In challenging times where social security disability is a big concern for some, there are others who prefer to make their own using earth friendly materials. After all, it is the heart that matters in all aspects of gift giving.
If you need more eco gift choices, the eco natural store has lots to offer so start your shopping now!
Everyone, especially kids, love to have a party but most of these parties are just toxic attacks on our planet. There are various eco-friendly supplies using which we can enjoy our children green parties which are entertaining as well as eco-friendly.
First of all, try to purchase all of your green party supplies from the nearest local store, thus this will save fuel thus reducing pollution and emissions. If you are involving candles for decoration, try to use soy based ones which do not emit toxic materials when burned. Kids green parties thrown at the time of their birthday are great for having fun and celebration. Try to use eco-friendly supplies as far as possible to throw children green parties that are not harmful for the environment. Recently, I saw some best weight loss supplements and they were packed in recycled boxes.
As far as eco-friendly goodie bags and eco-friendly presents are concerned, you must wrap them up in recycle paper and even newspaper. After all, the actual gift is more important than the wrapping paper. You can use old-fashioned colors to brighten up your wrapping papers. In addition to that, you can mention in your invites made up of eco-friendly supplies also that your guests must bring only eco-friendly presents and wrap them up in eco-friendly supplies only keeping in mind the theme of kids green parties. While going to children green parties, try to give cash to the birthday child because this way the child will save something in his or her without harming the environment.
While enjoying your children green parties, try to make use of eco-friendly toys to play, enjoy and have fun. These are one of the best green party supplies that a person can imagine. Explore your imagination and play with eco-friendly toys like hand-knit dolls and balls that are made up of safe and natural materials.
I’m planning to take a vacation in Gold Coast in November. Looking back, I missed those weekend markets at Surfers Paradise where many artisans will display their handcrafted art and craft pieces. It was so fun and relaxing strolling along the esplanade, enjoying those creative handiwork displays. During those days, we seldom heard much eco friendly products but we had used and bought them unknowingly!
My love for handmade and eco friendly products began during my early travel to Australia in my twenties. I admire the creativity and artistic talents of those artisans in flea markets, art exhibitions, weekend markets…etc. I would choose any of these shopping expeditions over big malls, which tend to be more commercialized. I supposed it was during those years when I developed an interest in Ugg womens shoes too! Honestly, I haven’t really got round to shopping for a pair of eco friendly shoes that I’m truly in love with!
I believe more and more eco friendly products will be introduced to consumers as more people become more aware of the environment and how our lifestyle can improve or spoil it. With further education, our future generation will catch on with this eco consciousness and not take our environment for granted.
My last trip to Singapore was another good one. Singapore is a great place to shop natural and you can find many organic shops and eco lifestyle stores sprouting every now and then.
The current eco living philosophy has influenced even the most fashionable group of individuals to think green and be responsible in every way. I can spot more people carrying eco bags in town and it’s a good sign! I went shopping to check out the latest in town and was so glad that I could now find my favourite mineral makeup in the new ION Orchard mall. I managed to stock up my organic skincare at Dr Hauschka counter and even bought a whole lot of eco natural products to bring home. I only wish I can bring the eco friendly detergent home for my industrial equipment supplies but they are just too much to carry! Looks like I still need to order them online for my eco kitchen.
Learning to shop natural is now so easy with today’s online technology. There is an abundance of natural and eco friendly products and webstores that promote healthy and natural living. And it’s never too late to start now if this is a whole new thing for you. It’s time to be socially responsible.
There are many simple ways to be environmentally friendly if we take the time to think about it. Even at home or at work, there are things you can do to be kind to mother nature, but it does take some efforts, of course.
Do you recycle the printing paper in your home office? If not, get started now. I often let my son have the unwanted printed paper for his scribbles and doodles. We use them for rough information too. These days, you can get free online backup for your computer data which means you don’t need record them in physical drives and CDs. Rather, it can minimise the use of more hard drives.
What about the laundry water in your house? Can you think about using them to water your garden or washing your patio or your car? Instead of throwing them out, you can use them for other household chores. And if you have some unused clothes that you haven’t been using, why not donate them to someone who needs them?
So you see, there are so many environmentally friendly options around us – all it takes is some easy efforts and a commitment.
