Neoprene Lunch Bag Winner Chosen

Congratulations to Denise - you've won our bug lunch bag giveaway! Please contact us at customerservice@lavishandlime.com with your shipping details and we'll get your prize out to you as quickly as possible.

Merry Christmas!

Garden in a Bag: a Great Green Gift

We never realized how much joy a window plant could bring - until we started to grow a garden in a bag of our own.

The girls wanted to try one out and we didn't get around to planting our Chocolate Viola until late in the summer - about mid-August. The daily question - pretty much every day from planting - was, is it up yet?

It took a little longer to germinate than the 7 days on the package - probably about double that. Might have had something to do with the cloudy days but once the little green sprouts popped up, they just kept coming and still are! This plant has been blooming now since early October and - to my own personal delight while I'm washing dishes - it's continuing to do so right through December! They truly can be grown year around. Gorgeous little flowers that yes, do carry a faint fragrance of chocolate.

The girls have long since lost interest - after our eldest took it to school for sharing (aka the modern version of show & tell). Now it's our little project. How long can we keep it going? We'll keep you posted.
The little seedlings pop up - much to the kids' delight!

It seemed like just a few weeks and we had some great foliage on the grow.
Then the plant just kept growing...and growing taller and taller.
And the flowers kept coming and coming until things got a little too tall and floppy... so we gave it a wee trim. Now it's just bushy and healthy and flowering - again!
A garden in bag would make a great secret santa gift - would liven up the office - or make someone's day who maybe doesn't get out so much anymore. Bring the greenery inside!

View our full range of Garden-in-a-Bag flower and herb plants at Lavish & Lime. Check out our Butterfly and Bird Lover's Scatter Gardens and our Pocket Gardens too - great stocking stuffers for any gardeners on your list! If you have any thoughts or ideas about gardens in a bag or gardening indoors generally, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

Last Minute Giveaway: WIN a Neoprene Lunch Bag!

With all the last minute Christmas shopping and preparations going on, we've decided to do a last minute Christmas giveaway. Wouldn't it be nice to win a free gift?

We're giving away a reusable bug lunch bag made of insulating, machine washable neoprene - a great gift for any little one on your list, or a funky bag to keep for yourself... Simply leave a comment below telling us about the best Christmas present you've ever GIVEN. Was it fantastically imaginative? Did it make the recipient incredibly happy? Tell us and you could win this bug bag!

Become a Lavish & Lime fan on Facebook - leave a comment below telling us you have - and you'll increase your chances of winning with an extra entry.

Tweet this giveaway and yes, another entry!

We'll be drawing the winner's name this Sunday, December 20th and shipping the next day - hopefully to be received for Christmas. Good luck to all!

For more information about this reusable lunch bag and to view our entire range of eco-friendly lunch essentials, visit eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

5 Reasons to Wrap Gifts in Reusable Bags

Did you know 4 million tons of gift-wrap and 38,000 miles of ribbon are tossed out each year? And shockingly, in the US, half the paper consumed annually is used to wrap gifts.

With a little imagination, wrapping your gifts in designer reusable bags - instead of traditional wrapping paper or paper bags - is a bonus for the recipient who receives two gifts in one and a double bonus for the environment.

Here are our top 5 reasons for wrapping your gifts in reusable bags this Christmas.

1. The recipient gets 2 gifts in 1. This is a bag you know they'll use, whether for groceries, books, going to the gym, beach, wherever. The bag folds down to the size of a piece of sushi and can hold up to 44lbs. - the equivalent of 2 plastic bags of groceries.
2. You can feel good knowing your gifts won't be filling the bins with rubbish on Christmas morning.
   
3. All you need is two safety pins and one of our reusable bags from Envirosax - which come in a range of funky designs, including brightly coloured animal bags for kids' gifts. Sometimes you don't even need the safety pins!
4. These designer bags are only $8.95 each or save on a pack of 5 for just $43 - reasonably priced, top quality.
5. They're officially the new 'it' bag. Celebs are using these bags all over the place - Jessica Alba was snapped with our Retro Orange Envirosax.

Watch the video below for a how-to on wrapping your gift in a reusable Envirosax bag. It's easy - and your gift looks great!



Wrapping gifts in paper was created by Hallmark in early Victorian times. It was a process of the wealthy as the poor could not afford the lavish decorated paper. It originated when a prominent store ran out of the usual tissue paper and patterned paper was put out on the shelf in replacement. Before this time, gifts were wrapped much more sustainably in material, and even perfected to an art form by the Japanese.

Visit Lavish & Lime for a great range of Envirosax shopping bags for adults and kids. We also carry lovely bamboo bags and don't miss our value 5-pack pouches.

If you have any thoughts or ideas about wrapping gifts with the environment in mind or wrapping in general, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

Bedol Water Clock Now in Canada: how it works

Anyone who's seen our new Bedol Water Clock agrees it's one of the coolest green gadgets for Christmas 2009. They also ask, how does it work?

This unique digital clock runs on tap water. No batteries, no electricity, no chemicals and no winding - just 100% natural power. It's the greenest timepiece of its kind.

The power comes from a charge created by the ions in the water when they interact with the two metal poles inside the clock. The ions in the water are turned into electrical current for continuous, clean energy. Simply fill the tank with tap water ... and the Bedol Water Clock is all set for perfect timekeeping. Depending on the ingredients in the local water system, some people report it’s necessary to change water after 6 – 12 weeks, for others it just keeps running. When you do change the water the microchip remembers the time while you are doing the refilling.

The previous model of the Bedol Water Clock required lemon juice to work. Launched just last month, this new model features the addition of an alarm and works on water alone. It's a great gift under $35 for any green-minded person on your list - and an ideal travel accessory for any globetrotter.

The Bedol Water Alarm Clock is available online in Canada at Vancouver-based eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

If you have any thoughts or ideas about our new water clock, we'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below.

WIN a Funky Recycled Sterling Silver Necklace!

If you're looking for a unique gift for a favourite gal on your list, or perhaps something special to dress up your own Christmas outfit, you may just be in luck.

We're giving away one of our gorgeous, sterling silver asymmetrical necklaces to one lucky Facebook fan! This necklace is made by hand in Canada from recycled, re-melted and recombined sterling silver components.
To enter, simply become a fan on our Facebook page and leave a comment telling us about your best ever Christmas present. Increase your chances of winning: encourage your friends to enter too and if in their comment, they mention your name - that's another entry for you!

The winner will be chosen on December 19th so we can get the necklace out in time for Christmas.

Hope to hear all about your best Christmas present soon - good luck!