Eco-Friendly & Green Living Blog

So pretty! These 20″-square cushion covers are a lovely way to change up your decor for the summer.

They come in four simple but stunning colours (from top) – Natural, Sea Spray, White and Clay – are knit from undyed organic cotton, and are machine washable, so no worries when it comes to care.

Perfect!

Available at: www.westelm.com

Price: $29 US each

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I’m not generally into room sprays, preferring to just keep things clean and fresh smelling that way, but we work right next door to the Canadian Living Test Kitchen, and sometimes when they’re cooking something fishy, garlicky or overwhelmingly greasy first thing in the morning, it’s all we can do to not flee from our offices.

Smells Life a Flower Shop Body & Room Spray has been a saviour on those occasions.

Made by Canadian company Mythical Matters, this spray is so natural you can use it as a perfume, and it really does smell just like a flower shop – truly evocative, but in a really subtle way, of fresh-cut greenery and beautiful blooms.

It’s made of water, alcohol, witch hazel distillate, aloe vera extract, glycerin and perfume and comes in a recyclable amber glass bottle; a percentage of every sale will be donated to the Toronto Wildlife Centre.

Available at: www.mythicalmatters.com

Price: $24.99 (8 oz.)

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I don’t know about you, but insects just looooooove me!

One night out and I’m covered in bites that turn into angry, itchy, swollen eruptions. Not a pretty sight! But I hate using insect repellent that’s filled with icky chemicals. I’d rather just stay in, thank you very much!

Until this weekend, that is. That’s when I had a chance to used La Fresh’s All Natural Biodegradable Insect Repellent Towelettes. They’re made from all-natural ingredients, natch, including peppermint oil, sesame oil, olive oil, castor oil, wheat germ oil, and vitamin E (also no parabens and the towelettes are biodegradable). I smelled very minty, in a not unappealing way, but not a single bite!!!! Let me tell you, I was practically doing a happy dance around the campfire.

I could only be more thrilled if the repellent came in a recyclable spray bottle…

Available at: www.lafreshgroup.com

Price: from $4.49 US for a six-pack

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I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I like to carry as little as possible! Since I wear contacts, my toiletry bag is already weighted down with my glasses case and contact solution before adding things like shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, blah, blah, blah….You get the picture.

So I was super excited when I got a press release yesterday about worldPRODUCTS created by Brian Phillips of Toronto’s worldSALON and hairstylist to celebrities like Kim Cattrall, Terrence Howard, k.d. lang, James Marsden, Norah Jones and Jessica Stam.

worldCLEAN, worldPROTECT and worldBELIEVE are products that can be used on both hair and skin and so cut down on the things you need to lug around with you when travelling, plus they have no artificial colours or fragrances, sodium lauryl sulphates or parabens and the packaging is recyclable. All of which made me a happy camper even before trying them out. And when I did try them out, I was impressed.

worldCLEAN is a hair and skin cleanser, worldPROTECT a hair and skin moisturizer, and worldBELIEVE a salve you can use anywhere to relieve skin inflammation, chapping, and cuts and scrapes (and it’s gentle enough for babies!). There’s no fragrance, so that might take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to things that smell. But I loved the fact the products are multiuse (take the worldPROTECT: I used it as a conditioner, dabbed it in my hair as a styling product, and also as a cream on my legs!), plus they do a great job. Who could ask for anything more?

Available at: www.world.ca or worldSALON, 132 Adelaide St. E., Toronto

Price: Limited time offer until Aug. 31, 2009 on the worldPRODUCT trio, $75 (worldCLEAN, 360 mL; worldPROTECT, 360mL; worldBELIEVE, 60mL); bottles can be brought back to the salon and refilled for 20% off (not including limited offer price)

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Looking to save a little money and save the planet while you’re at it?

Karl Lohnes, style at home style editor and eBay design expert, believes that becoming eco-chic starts at home and is easier than you think if you stick to the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling. He made over this table (see before, inset) with finds from eBay, using the following tips.

• Reduce waste by looking for ways to update or change a look rather than start from scratch. Adding colour to an indoor or outdoor table setting doesn’t mean that you have to throw away all that plain white china. Simply look for ways to add colour with different accessories like coloured drinking glasses or pieces like bowls or salad plates.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper; patterned ones are a great way to add another splash of colour.
• Unique containers can be an inexpensive and fun way to add a different look to your table; for example, champagne buckets can be used to hold a bouquet of flowers or even serving utensils.
• When shopping for specialty items, look for objects that have multiple functions and reuse them. When not serving brunch, for instance, use small egg cups to hold spreads or fill them with bite-size snacks.

Most important, the key to an eco-chic makeover, according to Karl, is to keep it simple. He recommends using a website like eBay.ca for a one-stop shopping experience. You can browse through different categories – like Antiques and Home & Garden – or search using a specific keyword, and before you know it, you’ll have found a treasure trove of items that match your budget and style!

For similar items, visit ebay.ca

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No doubt you’ve been taking advantage of the weather and entertaining outdoors of late.

Light up the night in a natural way with Rittenhouse’s Aurora Glow Solar String Lights. Each string has six hand-blown glass orbs that you can put up anywhere in your garden, since they’re solar-powered, so no worries about plugging them in! Just plant or mount the solar panel up to 13 feet away from the first light on the string in a place where it will receive direct sunlight, then as night falls a photo-sensor will automatically turn on the lights – magic!

The lights come in three colours: clear with yellow LED (shown) clear with a white LED, and blue-green sea glass with a white LED.

Available at: www.rittenhouse.ca

Price: $49.90

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