Top 10 Green Gifts for Christmas 2009

Looking for something a bit different? The products on our Top 10 List have made the cut for their innovative designs, bright colours and uniqueness. Most are new to the market this year. Feel good about the gifts you give - give green.

1. Bedol Water Powered Alarm Clock
For: Him/Her
Why it made the list: A clock that runs on tap water is not only cool but the greenest a digital timepiece can be. Plus the unique water droplet shape gives it a contemporary look and it comes in pink - plus charcoal, green and blue.
What makes it green: No batteries, no electricity, no chemicals - just 100% natural power from water makes this clock run.

2. Herbal Tea Pocket Garden
For: A tea drinker with a penchant for gardening
Why it made the list: You can blend your own tea. There's seeds and gardening stakes to grow your own herbs for tea plus a guide telling you how to harvest and blend your own. Pocket Gardens also available for: wine lovers, chocolate lovers and chefs. $17
What makes it green: Five varieties of natural seeds, natural wooden gardening stakes - all in a recycled steel container.

3. Recycled Rubber Passport Holder
For: Him
Why it made the list: It's classic black with a slightly edgy, grooved look. The fact that it's waterproof and features protective rustproof brass corners makes it ultra practical. Matching travel wallet and business card case too. $22
What makes it green: It's made from tires that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Made in Canada.

4. Envirosax La Boheme Resuable Shopping Bag 5-Pack Pouch
For: Her - teacher, friend, sister-in-law
Why it made the list: These newest designs are so gorgeous there's no doubt they'll be used for much more than groceries. Give up the bulky store logo'd bags in favour of these handy little numbers that fold down to the size of a piece of sushi yet carry the equivalent of 2 plastic bags of groceries. The 5-pack is a money saver - great for splitting and using as stocking stuffers. $43 What makes it green: Reduces plastic bag use and the amount of non-biodegradable plastic going into our landfills and oceans. The inks and dyes are all eco-friendly.

5. Ancient Roman Glass Trio Necklace
For: Her
Why it made the list: This necklace takes recycled glass jewelry to the next level - the three pieces of glass are 900 to 1200 years old and date back to the Roman Empire. The glass was unearthed in the last few years in Afghanistan and some of it still has rustic sedimentary crust. $60
What makes it green: Recycled glass pieces. Made in Canada.

6. Natural Girl Power Beauty Sleepover Kit
For: Green-minded tween girl
Why it made the list: An all natural product with funky packaging made specifically for girls. Contains 6 different beauty products that smell fruity, wonderful and they're all natural so safe for young girls to use. $25
What makes it green: Each product contains real fruit and floral extracts, plus veggie-based cleansers, soy and natural beeswax. No parabens, no aluminum - no harsh chemicals. Made in Canada.

7. 6-in-1 Solar Educational Kit
For: Green-minded tween boy
Why it made the list: This one kit produces 6 different workable models he can play with for hours after he builds them. All the parts and tools are included in the kit and there's no need to buy batteries. $23
What's green about it: Teaches kids about the value of alternative solar energy. No batteries required.

8. Reclaimed Wool Animal Puppets
For: Any child
Why it made the list: They're soft, cozy, funky, fun and bright. They encourage imaginative play and creativity and look just as good on display as decor in a child's room as they do on a hand. $33
What's green about it: Made from reclaimed wool sweaters. Made by hand in Canada.

9. 70-Piece Natural Log Cabin Building Set
For: Children 3+
Why it made the list: The logs are hand cut and fit together easily and snugly to create larger structures than most building sets. Building helps children develop problem solving skills and creativity. Comes packaged in a 100% natural cotton bag tied with rope. $25
What's green about it: Made using wood obtained from mills that follow sustainable forest management practices. Each piece is tumbled for a smooth finish and left in its natural colour - no dyes, no harsh chemicals. Completely non-toxic.

10. Classic Eco Teddy Bear
For: Baby/Any child
Why it made the list: Cute is in and this bear is it. Super soft and luxurious looking - like traditional plush - but good for the planet too. Matching baby bear available. $36
What's green about it: Made by hand from 100% soy fibre. The stuffing is 100% kapok, a golden silky fibre known for its hypoallergenic qualities and softness. Kapok is a sustainable rain forest crop.

For these and other unique and affordable green gifts for everyone on your list, shop Canada's eco boutique Lavish & Lime or call toll free 1-877-216-5463, in Vancouver 604-922-2220 and we'd be happy to help!

Save 15% at Spud! with our Special Coupon Code

We like to give you deals and we try to get deals for you with our friends too. Here's one we love for all kinds of reasons, the top one being you can get all the fixings for your Christmas dinner delivered to your door - hassle-free! Just one more thing you could cross off your list...

Our friends at online grocer spud! are offering you - our customers and friends - an Exclusive 15% Offer. (This is a really great deal, trust us.)

Spud! is the only 100% carbon neutral online grocer that delivers organic, local and affordable produce and groceries right to your door. Choose from fresh produce, artisan breads, local free range meats, organic milk, cheeses, cage-free eggs and prepared meals. They also carry a wide range of items for special diets (ie. gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan).

Sign up at www.spud.ca and use promo code LAVISH to receive 15% off your first order! Minimum order of $35 applies. Free delivery is available for most areas. Some restrictions apply, see website for details. Offer expires December 31, 2009.

Have you had any great spud! experiences? We'd love to hear from you, just leave a comment below.

Puppets Make the Perfect Christmas Present

You want them to learn to use their imagination and develop their creativity, so why not give a gift that helps them do just that? A puppet is perfect.

Puppets let kids be kids - and through role playing, someone or something else. They encourage imaginative play and are flexible - they can be played with alone or with others. Whether the puppet is based on a familiar story like Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood or even Eric Carle's The Hungry Caterpillar, or whether it's generic like a wizard or pirate kids can both act out stories they've seen and heard, or create something that's entirely their own.

We strongly believe that puppets are a valuable toy for kids and have been on the hunt for some for a while. Just in time for Christmas, we found two very different types that we absolutely love - and hope you do too.

The first is a line of 100% natural wool puppets handmade in Nepal with fair trade and fair wages. Because the wool is natural, the colours are amazingly bright and the detail is truly impressive. These puppets are primarily wet felted in one piece so there's minimal stitching (except for detail), making them stronger and more likely to last longer. The story and finger puppets also come in lovely handmade gift boxes.
This range includes hand puppets like the quirky pig and dog, story puppets that include a hand puppet plus 3-4 finger puppets and then sets of 4 adorable finger puppets, like the Princess and the Pea or generic Pirates. The unique Hungry Caterpillar story puppet set includes 2 hand puppets plus about 16 pieces of food. These puppets make great gifts and stocking stuffers - at a great price.
This is a photo of the sewing room in Nepal where all the stitching detail is done by hand.

Most recently, we picked up a range of upcycled puppets made here in Canada. The characters are unique, adorable, full of colour and perhaps most interestingly, each one is unique. While we do carry 4 different animal designs: monkey, dog, frog and giraffe, each one is slightly different as they're made by hand from a variety of soft, reclaimed wool sweaters.
We consider handmade products mini works of art and more often than not when they're as well made as these are, they become treasured favourites for years to come.

Check out our full range of soft toys and gifts at Lavish & Lime where you'll find great Christmas gift ideas that are good for the whole family - and the planet too.

Does your child have a favourite puppet? Did you when you were growing up? If you have any thoughts or ideas about puppets, we'd love to hear from you! Just leave a comment below.

Save 40% in our Sale Shop - Starts Today!

While we normally like to wait until after Remembrance Day to talk about Christmas, we realize that many of you are already checking your lists and thinking about what to buy - whether for loved ones overseas or those closer to home.

So we've decided to kick off the festive shopping season in our Sale Shop with 40% OFF absolutely everything. It's our Super Sale Shop Sale - for 3 days only. Use code SALESHOP40 to save until midnight, November 12th.

This sale is a great opportunity to stock up on Christmas gifts - for everyone. For him, we've got lovely leather flasks, Moleskine notebooks and silver cufflinks. For her, there's some gorgeous jewelry - including oversized silver rings - and super soft mohair-esque scarves. For little ones choose from a range of toys from German toymaker Sigikid and great baby keepsake gifts.

Just please keep in mind quantities are limited so if you do spot something, don't wait too long to pop it in your cart!

Hope to see you saving soon at Lavish & Lime!

WIN 1 of 3 Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitizers!

NOTE: We've extended the deadline for entries to this contest - you have until midnight, this Friday, November 20th to enter. See you on Facebook and good luck!
The Lavish & Lime Team

We want to help you fight germs naturally, so we're giving away a bottle of our Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitizer to three lucky winners.

To enter, simply become a fan on our Facebook page and leave a comment on our wall telling us what you're doing to fight the flu.

We'll be drawing for three winning fans on November 18th. Enter now!

Good luck!

Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitizers are available for purchase at Vancouver-based online eco boutique Lavish & Lime.