chic check: liquid hand soap

HI THERE!

SORRY IF YOU’VE NOTICED THAT I HAVEN’T BEEN POSTING FOR A WHILE.

I’VE MOVED MY BLOG TO http://sahnaturalchic.blogspot.com,
SO COME AND CHECK IT OUT FOR MORE GREAT POSTINGS ABOUT ENVIRO-FRIENDLY HOME DECORATING, DESIGN AND DAY-TO-DAY LIVING!

SEE YOU THERE!

LAURIE

This post premieres CHIC CHECK, in which I’ll test products on occasion and let you know what I think about them. I’ll also pick my fave from each batch, so if you’ve tried any out yourself, be sure to comment and let me know what you think!

1 ORGANIC KITCHEN LAVENDER BERGAMOT ANTIBACTERIAL HAND WASH
Green Cred No SLSs or parabens, synthetic fragrances, petroleum products, colourants and animal ingredients, biodegradable.
Scent Great lavender smell with a hint of bergamot (think Earl Grey tea) – pleasant, not overpowering.
Special Bonus Also available as a gift set with a matching lotion and a bamboo tray that’s perfect to use afterward as a key tray on a console table in your entryway or to hold jewelry or coins in your bedroom; $28.
Available at gift shops and department stores across Canada.
Price $12.

2 BURT’S BEES MILK & SHEA BUTTER HAND SOAP
Green Cred No SLSs or animal testing, paraben- and phthalate-free, bottle contains 80% post-consumer recycled material.
Something of a Surprise This soap doesn’t lather the way most do but feels more like a lotion. Not a problem for me, but some might find that off-putting.
Scent A subtle, sweet honey-like, beeswaxy scent, which I find intoxicating.
Available at stores across Canada.
Price $6.

3 ORGANIC SURGE LAVENDER & GERANIUM HAND WASH
Green Cred 99% naturally derived ingredients, no animal testing or animal-derived ingredients.
Scent Lavender, a known relaxant, perfect for those stressful days!
Charitable Work Part of the proceeds from the sales of Organic Surge products funds aid work in Africa.
Available at stores across Canada.
Price $4.99.

4 METHOD WATER FLOW FOAMING HAND WASH
Green Cred Paraben-, EDTA- and triclosan-free, biodegradable, no animal testing
Scent Very light and subtle; I think my tween nieces will love it!
Fun Factor Wee ones will love the way the soap magically foams up when it comes out of the pump.
Available at stores across Canada.
Price $5.

♥ CHIC CHECK FAVE: BURT’S BEES!!
I absolutely love everything about this soap, from the way it smells to how it makes my hands feel to the fact that the bottle is made from recycled material. This will be the soap of choice in my apartment from now on!

P.S. Be sure to visit us at the Style at Home Show, Oct. 17 to 19, at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. Go to styleathomeshow.com for more information and to order tickets!

green with glamour online shopping

Looking to find something green, but don’t know where to go? Try www.greenwithglamour.com, a super-stylish U.S.-based online shopping site that’s just fabulous for eco-conscious shoppers.

Emily  Deschanel, star of Bones (one of my fave TV shows, as my Facebook friends would know!), is a big fan of the site and says, “My No. 1 place to buy gifts is Green with Glamour….It’s wonderful to know that you can be eco-friendly, ethically sound, and not have to scrimp on style….It makes shopping so easy! From eco fashion to beautiful furniture, GWG has everything I could possibly want (or need).”

Green with Glamour’s collection of goodies is carefully curated by founders Kathleen Rowan and Deana Bracken, whose ever-growing eco-mindfulness lead the two to create the website in the first place.

The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. Members of the alliance (OK, does that sound Star Trekky, or what?) donate at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental organizations worldwide.

Pictured above: The Terrarium by Esque, 18″ high, $600 US.

For more fabulous finds from the site, check out the picture posts below, and if you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog, email me at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

green with glamour: lamp & wallpaper

Green Cameo lamp by LightenUp Design is made with natural clays and handmade, nontoxic glazes, 22″ high, $220 US.

Pink Birdcage wallpaper by Woodson and Rummerfield is created using recycled paper and vegetable dyes, 27″ x 162″ per roll, $55 US per roll, minimum 2 rolls per order.

Available at: www.greenwithglamour.com

For more fabulous finds from the site, check out the picture posts below, and if you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog, email me at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

green with glamour: lacy vases

Camisole Vases by LightenUp Design are made with natural clays, handmade and nontoxic dyes, and embellished with real lace (see the detail at right), 12″ high, $160 US each.

Available at: www.greenwithglamour.com

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

tv recycling

Recently, I decided to buy a new TV and an HD PVR to boot: I’m out and about a lot, the television scheduling gods were against me (taping more than one program on my VCR at the same time was impossible) and a PVR was incompatible with my eons-old TV.

But I wasn’t just willing to trash the old TV – it still worked – so I lined up a friend who was willing to take it, but it got me thinking: if my old TV hadn’t been working anymore, what would I have done with it? Just dumping it in the trash wasn’t an option. TVs are filled with lead and I didn’t want that ending up in a landfill.

I started doing some research, sure that there would be a recycling option available here in Toronto through the city, but what I found was discouraging, to say the least.

It turns out that dumping it in the trash would have been the easiest solution and one that I’m sure many people would opt for because they couldn’t be bothered doing anything else.

But there are other options!

Below is a list of what I discovered you can do with unwanted TVs across Canada. In some places, the options are rather limited right now, so if you can, hold on to old non-working TVs until recycling comes to town (my friend Becky, who took my TV, has a veritable TV graveyard in her basement, waiting for just that opportunity to arise here in Ontario). You can also drop off all Sony products for no charge at designated spots; just click here for a list of sites.

The one encouraging sign? Many governments are working on projects that involves up-front charges on future TV and electronics sales that will cover the costs of future recycling projects.

* If there’s something I’ve missed or if you know of any companies that offer environmentally responsible recycling services that I haven’t listed, please post a comment to let me know, and I’ll update the list as soon as possible.

 

Alberta • Drop off your electronics for recycling at 250 depots across the province; for info, go towww.albertarecycling.ca.

British Columbia • Drop off your electronics for recycling at 92 sites in a program led by the Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia and managed by the not-for-profit stewardship corporation Encorp Pacific; see www.encorp.ca/electronics.

Manitoba • Temporary drop-off locations were established this year from May 1 to Sept. 30; in 2007 some 305,000 kg of electronic waste was kept from landfills due to the initiative, which has existed for two years. Visit www.greenmanitoba.ca to see if you’ll have another chance to drop off electronics next year.

Newfoundland and Labrador • Not yet available.

New Brunswick • In Northumberland County, there’s a springtime e-waste collection period, during which TVs are collected and the tubes are recycled. I’m waiting to hear back from other county officials.

Northwest Territories • Not yet available.

Nova Scotia • Starting Feb. 1, 2008, Nova Scotians were able to recycle TVs responsibly – hurrah! Visit www.acestewardship.ca for info on the 34 drop-off centres. The province charges an environmental handling fee on electronics that funds the program, but that means there are no charges levied at the drop-off centres.

Nunavut • Not yet available.

Ontario • The province is establishing a program as of April 1, 2009. After it launches, there will be info in local newspapers about collection sites, and I’ll be posting a link for a website that will allow you to search for a site by municipality and postal code. For now, drop off TVs for a fee in Barrie, Ont., at Thriftopia.com,www.thriftopia.com, and in Brampton, Ont., at Sims Recycling Solutions, www.saveourplanet.ca/television-monitor-recycle.html.

Prince Edward Island • Not yet available.

Quebec • Check out the Recyc-Québec site at www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/client/fr/gerer/maison/detail.asp?id=152 for a list of companies that accept TVs for recycling.

Saskatchewan • The province has TV recycling and 70 drop-off centres – impressive! Visit www.sweepit.ca.

Yukon • No recycling yet, but Yukoners can take old computers and TVs for reuse to the Yukon chapter of Computers for Schools (www.yecs.ca), which is operated by the Yukon Entrepreneurship Centre Society.

pink brita for breast cancer research

 

This year, Brita is donating $50,000 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

To mark their support, they’ve come out with a limited edition pink water pitcher. So take a break from soda, quench your thirst with some crisp, cold tap water, and brighten up your life with one of these colourful beauties to boot!

You’ll be doing women and the earth a favour!

P.S. This post is for Sarah and Diana.

Available at: Home Hardware, London Drugs, Wal-Mart, Zellers, and participarting Real Canadian Superstores and Atlantic Superstores

Price: $35

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

crate and barrel thinks green

Love, love, love U.S. retailer Crate and Barrel, and I’m thrilled that they’re opening their first international store in Toronto at Yorkdale Shopping Centre this Thursday, Sept. 25.

I also love that the company highlights the environmentally friendly aspects of its products in its catalogues, so anyone who’s interested can easily spot them – something  that’s sure to be appreciated by people like me who are trying to make the best decisions possible.

For example, the Cayman sofa pictured here is constructed with certified sustainable hardwood; and the cushions are made from soy-based polyfoam. A good start to a greener world, I’d say!

For more from Crate and Barrel, see the post below…

Available at: crateandbarrel.ca

Price: $2,799

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

more crate and barrel

The Seguro Media Console, one of my fave pieces in the store, has a facade covered with lengths of Brazilian peroba wood, which is reclaimed from the siding and floors of old buildings, then restored for use on these fabulous pieces, which are available in different widths. Shown is the 68″ width.

In addition to furniture, C&B carries oodles more for your home, including amazing tableware, brilliant small appliances, beautiful bedding and more. I could go on forever, but if you live in Toronto, check out the store, or, if not, go online at the address below to see the fabulousness that is Crate and Barrel.

And for more about Crate and Barrel, see the post above…

Available at: crateandbarrel.ca

Price: $1,899

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

read your way to healthier living

This entertaining book by Christina Strutt is chock full of interesting information about keeping your home in an earth-friendly way.

Strutt covers everything from saving energy (chop vegetables smaller so they cook more quickly) and stocking a pantry (apples keep for up to 4 months if wrapped individually in newspaper) to keeping a kitchen garden (Epsom salts promote plant growth) and doing laundry (“sun will bleach robust white fabrics beautifully”).

Here are 5 of the ways Strutt lists to put white vinegar to good use.

1 Baby clothes To freshen baby clothes, add one cup of vinegar to the detergent dispenser of the washing machine for the final rinse cycle. This will break down the uric acid and soapy residue on the clothes, leaving them soft and fresh.

2 Brass, copper and pewter To make an effective polish, mix 1 tsp of salt and 1 cup of vinegar, stirring in enough flour to make a paste. Cover the item with the paste and leave for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water and polish with a soft dry cloth.

3 Cigarette odours To remove the odour of cigar or cigarette smoke, leave a saucer of vinegar in the room overnight.

4 Deodorant stains To remove deodorant stains on coloured clothes, rub with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar and wash as usual.

5 Insects If you have trouble with insects (silverfish, ants, etc.), wipe down kitchen surfaces with neat vinegar to deter visits. This will also disinfect the surfaces.

Available at: book stores across Canada

Price: $23

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

dye-free cashmere throw

Cosy up to one of these snuggilicious cashmere throws to ward off the chillier evening air as autumn sets in.

No dyes or chemicals are used to process the cashmere, which comes from the first shearing of organically raised goats.

And for more ways to get set for autumn, check out styleathome.com web producer Lauren McPhillip’s story on 25 must-have fall accessories.

Available at: www.purcashmere.com

Price: $349 US

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!