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Gifts For Cooks: The Cook Bookery

December 16, 2009 1


Do you have a Julia Child on your holiday list? A budding pastry chef? How about someone who really, really enjoys cooking? Or, have you yourself been looking for that heirloom cookbook that your mother or grandmother used when you were a child? Did you know that you can still find those rare and fabulous cookbooks? Who knew? I recently found The Cook Bookery, an online cookbook store that specializes in rare, vintage and hard to find cookbooks. Heaven.

When I started to browse The Cook Bookery I immediately thought of the mister, who loves, loves, loves to cook. I also thought of the cookbook that we had in our household as a child. You know the cookbook with chocolate fingerprints and greasy stains on every page? I remember spending countless hours with my mom baking cookies and brownies from that cookbook. I am seriously considering browsing until I find that cookbook and ordering a copy for Eben and I to share. I think that I will also talk with the mister’s mother to find out which cookbooks she used when the mister  was growing up. I think the mister  would love to receive some of those cookbooks as future gifts. Wouldn’t a cookbook from the past of a friend or family member be the perfect holiday gift? Not to mention, a shelf full of fab rare and vintage cookbooks looks lovely, no?

Do you collect heirloom cookbooks?
Which are your faves?

On the 7th Day of Etsy… Organic Skincare Giveaway

December 15, 2009 70

♫ my true love gave to me, fabulous natural skin care, a beautiful organic double v shirt, a fab alphabet pillow made from recycled suits, ♫ a handful of sweet upcycled heart felts, ♫ three lovely reclaimed wooden handcrafts, ♫ two calling handmade upcycled bird ornaments, ♫ and a fantastic stocking made from men’s recycled suits. ♫
Giveaway number seven is perfect for anyone on your holiday shopping list. A $25 gift certificate to Joyful Girl Naturals. Joyful Girl Naturals has lovely skin care products for women, men, children and even your home and pets. The owner, Shelly has been making natural and organic bath and body products as well as herbal remedies for over 20 years. Shelly makes all of her products from scratch so she can easily customize any of the products to meet the customer’s needs. Shelly offers top quality products that are affordable to everyone. {Which I love, love, love.} She infuses her own oils and recipes. The winner of this gift certificate can work with Shelly directly to find the perfect products for her skin. Or, you can pick out any items that you would like for yourself or your loved ones.

Shelly at Joyful Girl Naturals was so lovely to send me my own customized skin care kit and it is fabulous. I really enjoy the fresh clean scent of all of the products. My favorite products are the Anti Acne Roll On Spot Treatment, the Calendula Lavender and Sweet Orange Natural Face Wash and the Natural Facial Moisturizer in Lavender.

Shelly can customize a skin care kit that will work wonderfully with your own skin. I think you will enjoy the products and find that using natural products for the health of your skin and body is the only way to go.

A big thank you to Joyful Girl Naturals for hosting this lovely giveaway.

How to Win

* You have until December 22nd at 12 am EST to enter this giveaway.

* Visit Joyful Girl Naturals and leave me a comment telling me which item you think your skin would benefit from.

One comment per person please.

Additional Entries
**** Please help me spread the word about Sweet Greens’ 12 Days of Etsy by sharing it twitter, facebook, kirtsy, your blog or any other social website that you use. I would greatly appreciate it! Please leave a separate comment for each thing that you do.

Are you wondering what the 12 Days of Etsy are, read about it here.

*UPDATE: WINNER:: #5 MVegan. Congrats and thank you to everyone who entered.

How Tuesday:: Green Your Holiday Gift Wrapping.

December 15, 2009 7

It’s time to get all of those holiday gifts wrapped and ready for to be given. All the pretty paper, tags and bows only stay on the gifts for a short period of time before they are ripped off and disposed of. Here are some ideas you can use to green your holiday gift wrapping. By doing these things you can save the environment and some money at the same time.

Read All About It:: Use newspaper, comics or old magazines to wrap goodies this year. These papers are going to go into the recycling bin regardless, they may as well shine for a day wrapped up with a big reusable bow on top.

Thrifted Pattern Gift Wrap:: I love this tutorial from one of my fave shops:: Chakra Pennywhistle. Rikkianne uses vintage sewing patterns that she finds at her local thrift to wrap up gifts. How lovely is that?

Give Paper a 2nd Life:: When gifts are being opened, collect the paper, ribbon, bows and tags that could be used again next year. This will save you money and keep the gift wrap out of the landfill or recycling bin.

Just Bag It:: There are many great reusable Eco friendly bags available. Some of my favorites are from Amy Butler’s Gift Wrap Green. I really like that these bags are made from 100% post-consumer waste paper and soy based ink. They also have pretty ribbon handles with gift cards attached. After the gift is opened, make sure someone keeps the bag. {Hopefully, it will be you.}

Reusable Boxes:: These are very similar to the reusable bags, however look super cute stacked together in groups under a tree or on a bench. Try to find reusable boxes that are made using 100% post-consumer waste and again make sure someone keeps the box.

Wrap it Up:: Have you heard of Furoshiki Gift Wrapping? Watch the video, you will love it. How fun is that? You can also buy Furoshiki Wrapping on Etsy.

Tag it:: I recycle all of my holiday cards into holiday gift tags for the following year. This is a fun activity that be done with the kids and saves you from having to purchase gift tags. These gift tags are also very unique and fun.

How do you green your holiday gift wrapping?
What are your favorite ways?

Photo via Chakra Pennywhistle.

XO.

Fab Green Find:: Kids Konserve {Giveaway!}

December 15, 2009 79

Eben loves snack time, it doesn’t matter if it is at school, at home or in the car, he is all about a snack. {Haven’t I said this before?} When he gets home from school, the first thing he does is run to his bedroom to pick out a book and then asks, “Mom, can I have a snack?” Like clockwork, everyday. He likes a variety of foods for snack time, fresh fruit, nuts, granola bars, crackers or dried fruit. When I send a snack to school or pack one to go with him on an after school excursion, I will only use containers that are safe and reusable.

I recently found Kids Konserve, a fabulous company owned by two mothers, Lynn Julian and Chance Claxton. These two women decided to set an example of conservation for their children by providing products that make lunch and snack time waste fee. Their product line is simple and wonderful. It includes everything that you will need to pack a waste free lunch or snack everyday.

Eben and I received the green food cozy, which is a wonderful alternative to plastic baggies. It is a circle with a fun design that you can put your snack or sandwich inside of by wrapping it and securing with the Velcro. Eben loves to put the goodies in the food cozy and fold it up. We also received a water bottle which has a clip that is perfect for hooking to a back pack, keeping plenty of water on hand to help your child stay hydrated all day. The water bottles are stainless steel and come in fun designs as well.

My favorite items are definitely the Snak Pak and the thermos. The Snak Pak is a great way to pack an assortment of snacks for on the go, at school or after school and everything fits perfectly into a little back pack. I love the thermos because you can pack your child different types of hot and cold meals for school. Some of Eben’s favorites are lasagna, organic macaroni and cheese, noodles and homemade soups.

Does your little one love a good snack? Have you been looking for a great alternative to plastic baggies and water bottles? If so, you should definitely check out Kids Konserve, enter coupon code sweetgreens at checkout and receive 15% off through October 31, 2009.

Kids Konserve has also been so lovely to offer ONE of my readers a 20 oz. Stainless Bottle.

{How to Enter}

1. Subscribe to Sweet Greens (if you haven’t already) and click confirm in the email you receive from FeedBurner. {leave one comment}

2. Visit Kids Konserve and tell me product is your favorite?

** BONUS ENTRY:: Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite snack is?

{Additional Entries}
Please leave a separate comment for each below thing that you do.

* Share Kids Konserve on Twitter and follow @Sweet Greens.
{You can tweet daily, just leave a separate comment each time you do.}
* Share Kids Konserve on Facebook and join Sweet Greens Facebook Fan Page.
* Kirtsy, Digg or Stumble Kids Konserve.
* Add Sweet Greens to your Technorati favorites.
* Add Sweet Greens to your blogroll.
* Email a friend about Sweet Greens: Fab Green Find:: Kids Konserve.

{Rules for Entry}

* Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win. You do not need to leave your email address if don’t wish to share it. Just make sure to check back at the bottom of this post after the contest ends to see if you won.

* Contest ends October 26th @ 12am EST. Winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator and will be announced the following day. (I will announce the winner, if I do not hear from you within 72 business hours, I will pick another winner.)

* You must leave a comment telling me which item you love in order to qualify.

Good Luck and Enjoy.
** UPDATE: WINNER:: #29 Vgi {Vanessa} Thank you to everyone who participated and thank you to Kids Konserve.

Cast Your Vote! Green Chic Finalists

December 14, 2009 8

I had many wonderful notes left for me on the Green Chic posts with your green tips. I want to thank everyone who participated. All of your green tips are fabulous and I can’t decide who should win, so I would like you, my reader’s help. Check out the ways Sweet Greens’ readers are green and chic, then vote for your favorite. Leave me a comment telling me who you think should win a copy of Green Chic | Saving the World in Style by Christie Matheson – those two individuals with the most votes will win a copy.

1. Diane:
I limit my driving. I bum rides from and entrust some tasks to family/friends. My lovely car sits in the drive a lot. It is there if I need it. I am not as active as I was or would like to be because of a medical issue; it has made this change easier to initiate. I’m glad for the positive.

2. Savvy Christine:
Use bar soap instead of liquid soap and shampoo — especially if the bar soap is hand-made locally. It costs less to ship, doesn’t have as much packaging, and you can take it in your carry-on bag on airplanes. I love homemade bar soap. It feels so luxurious.

3. Dina:
I always use my own “green” shopping bags – and bring my own coffee cup when I go to Starbucks.

4. Nelsby:
I buy only organic, Eco-friendly personal care products (bath, body, lotion, cosmetics, etc.).Thanks for the giveaway…I’d love to learn more ways I could be greener

5. Becca Greene:
I work in a restaurant and always bring in my own cup to work instead of using the disposable ones like most of my coworkers. added bonus i always know which one is mine. plus mine is super insulated so i don’t end up with watered down tea. recently, I’ve been trying make it home remedies like using the pineapple rinds you would normally throw away or compost as an exfoliate/wrinkle reducer to save money and in addition the packaging costs of buying extra beauty products.I’m glad you brought up throwing small purchases in your purse. one of the many reasons i am now hooked on having a super sized purse.

6. Aik:
I buy only organic products. I use self-made organic toilet bowl washer. I plant my own veggies. I don’t use disposable bowls, plates, etc. I bring my own shopping bag when I go to the mall. I eat only organic, non-chemical products. I recycle.

7. Julie:
I make my own cleaning products out of vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, etc. I use my own reuseable shopping bags for everything except raw meat products. I recycle. I plan on planting a garden now that we are in a house.

8. Kaycee:
I bought a fantastic adorable water bottle which I refill instead of using plastic ones. I was using at least one bottle a day last year!!

9. A.J.:
I bring a canvas shopping bag when I go shopping to avoid having to use plastics for my purchases.

10. Valerie:
Always carry a compact tote bag in my purse for when I’m shopping.

11. Jen:
I keep a mesh reusable bag in my purse all the time for small purchases.I make my own laundry detergent to keep chemicals out of the water supply.I make my own cleaners or use Eco-friendly cleaners

12. CurlyFry:
I light candles instead of having overhead lights on!

13. Diane:
Shorter showers for sure. Just purchased a water saving contraption that has made it possible to make everyone’s showers shorter, whether they want it that way or not! Ha!

14. Laureen:
My lifestyle revolves around being green (and dragging my family into it too, but that’s where most of the battles lie!). One of the many things I do is consolidate car trips and I do not drive unless absolutely necessary.

15. Tofufairy:
I am green chic because I do everything I can to help the environment in my little part of the world…I recycle everything I can, I reuse or free cycle or Craig’s list or donate anything I do not need or can’t use. I compost, I buy organic and natural products to use on my body and in my house.

16. one4earth:
I am green chic because I started a recycling program at my job on Earth Day 2007. Since then, I have collected over 20,000 bottles and cans and recycled them, preventing them from entering the waste stream.
17. Kelly:
I’m a green chic because I always recycle my tin cans, bottles, newspapers, and I try to reuse all my plastic bottles. I also try to walk whenever I can instead of drive.
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