Cyber Monday Special - 25% Off Everything!

It's our best deal of the year! Take 25% off everything eco at Lavish & Lime sitewide today only with the code CYBERMONDAY. Choose from hundreds of unique gifts and everyday eco finds. Hurry - sale ends midnight PST tonight. Start saving now!

20% Off Sitewide Shopping Spree November 14 & 15

It's a 20% off sitewide shopping spree today and tomorrow at Lavish & Lime. A great way to kick off your Christmas shopping. Save on hundreds of unique gifts and everyday eco finds – all healthy options for the friends and family on your list.  Plastic-free food covers make the perfect hostess gift. How about a flaming black water bottle for him, aloe jojoba bubble bath for her plus non-toxic art supplies, natural nail polish and DIY spa kits for the kids? Use code SAVE20 and enjoy your spree.

Vancouver Christmas Shopping Event Nov 30-Dec 1

Shop in person for all kinds of unique gifts and everyday eco finds at 20-50% off at our Vancouver Christmas Shopping Event Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st. Join us for two days of deals and some great giveaways at Prêt-à-Porter located on Vancouver's North Shore at 1445 Bellevue Avenue in West Vancouver – just minutes from the Lions Gate Bridge. We'll be there with a selection of our best selling green gifts and goods from 10am to 5pm on Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturday. This is a cash-only, BYOB event – that's bag, not bottle! Preview our Lavish & Lime eco collection and let us know if there's anything in particular you'd like us to bring either by posting a comment below or via email at customerservice(at)lavishandlime(dot)com. Hope to see you there!

Fall Clearance Event - 40% OFF at Lavish & Lime

Enjoy savings galore and stock up on great gifts during our Fall Clearance Event on now through Monday, October 15th at Lavish & Lime. Use code FALL and take 40% off all our Fall Clearance items – from ultra cozy Canadian-made polar fleece socks and bamboo lined rain hats for kids to bags, throws and solar flashlights. Take your pick, they're yours at almost half price! Shop now.

Healthy Cleaning, Healthy Home Q&A Event Sept 19

The kids are back at school, fall's almost here, perhaps now you can focus on all those messy nooks and crannies that have been staring back at you all summer. But are you tired of chemical cleaners? Worried about the impact on your family's health?... Find out how best to clean your home naturally and safely with tips and tricks from the experts at Vancouver-based AspenClean during our Healthy Home Q&A on Wednesday, September 19th, 10:00am to 8pm PST. AspenClean are makers of the only line of Canadian-made natural household cleaners with the esteemed EcoCert 100% natural certification from Europe.

HOW IT WORKS
We're kicking off at 10:00am PST and you're welcome to post any questions and comments concerning cleaning your home throughout the day on our official Lavish & Lime Facebook page here. Separate posts to our page work best and help keep the Q&A flow clear. Our friends at AspenClean will be checking in periodically throughout the day and posting responses to all your questions, so keep checking back.

PRIZES TOO

We'll wrap up at 8pm PST with a prize draw for some great natural products to help you keep your home clean, safely. Ask a question or post a comment and you could WIN. Prizes will be awarded to winners randomly drawn from all Q&A participants who post on our Facebook page.

We hope you can drop by at some point - and get answers to all your cleaning questions!

What's in Your Lunch Box? The Link Between Nutrition and Learning

When I am speaking to parents about nutrition for their children, I always ask if their food choices pass two basic tests. The first test I call the “grandmother test”. This means would their grandmother recognize the food they are serving? Is it something simple and wholesome that would have been around when she was a child? If yes, this is likely a good food choice. The second test I call the “chemistry test”. If you purchase pre-packaged snack or lunch foods where the ingredients list requires that you need a PhD in chemistry to understand what is inside, it is again not a good food choice. All of these chemicals are not food and have no nutritional value whatsoever. While the packaged food industry has certainly tried to make packing lunches easier, it doesn’t mean the box of snacks from Costco is the best for our kids!

Here are my top food ideas to consider placing in your child’s lunch box.

RECESS – has to be “grab and go”, right? It’s just too exciting to get out there.
 
Whole fruit:  take advantage of the gorgeous new crop of Okanagan apples, plums or nectarines available at your local fruit stand – no prep required!
Home-Baked goods: make a batch of oatmeal cookies or their favourite muffins, and toss in 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds while you are making them!  They will never taste the difference and you’ve just added fibre and omega-3 brain food. Toss extras in the freezer – they will easily defrost by recess time.  Send them in a reusable snack bag – just be sure to check their pockets at the end of the day!

LUNCH – take advantage of the creative lunch containers available – they promote a waste-free lunch and will save you lots in the long run! Pop in a cool pack when sending yogurt or eggs.

·      The “Classic” Sandwich: with whole grain bread and organic chicken or turkey – the key here is a source of protein which fuels the body and the brain. Whole grains contain B vitamins and minerals while the white gluey breads have little nutritional value and convert to sugar in the body very quickly, causing a spike and then crash in blood sugar.  Organic chicken is a great source of protein and free of chemicals from regular poultry products. For a twist, swap out the bread for a whole grain tortilla wrap.

      Hummus with veggies, whole grain crackers and turkey “roll-ups” – About the 3^rd week back to school, kids get really tired of sandwiches. Try this – the kids love the variety and dipping anything – so this option is packed with protein and a little more interesting.

·      Leftovers – don’t discount that pasta or soup from last night’s dinner. Invest in a great thermos and send them to school with something warm for their tummy (especially in the cool days ahead).

·      Omega 3 eggs – taken hard boiled to school, these pack a protein punch and have the benefit of also having the omega 3 source at a rate over 5 times higher than a regular egg. Eggs have taken a bad rap in the media for cholesterol, but they needn’t be cautioned for children unless there is an allergy on board. A wonderful brain food. Peel them in advance for the little ones!

·      Yogurt – one of the best sources of protein and calcium in addition to that good bacteria known as “probiotic” which aids in healthy digestive and immune systems. Look for Greek yogurt (even higher in protein) and if sending yogurt “tubes”, choose those with no artificial sweeteners or colours.

Also try involving your kids by asking them what they like.  They may just surprise you with some creative, healthy options they have seen at school that you haven’t thought of.

Guest Post: Dr. Cameron McIntyre ND, Naturopathic Doctor 

Tax-Free Back to School Vancouver Shopping Event

Shop our waste-free lunch gear collection tax-free in Vancouver at our Back to School Bash on Labour Day Monday, September 3rd. Join us from 12pm to 4pm for an afternoon of back to school shopping, live music, organic soda sampling – all in the gorgeous relaxed setting of North Vancouver's own Ethical Kitchen (1600 Mackay Avenue, just off Marine Drive near Capilano Mall). Browse the latest lunch gear on the market, both cute and cool, and we'll pay the HST on any purchase you make. Cash only. Hope you can make it – we'd love to see you there!

Cheering for a Green Olympics!

Get in the Olympic spirit and cheer on the games! We're watching to see who goes for gold in going green. Did you know two thirds of the steel used in London's Olympic Stadium roof is recycled? This clever choice cut construction costs by half a million pounds. We loved seeing the green grassy hills during the Olympic opening ceremonies. Talk about bringing the outside in! We can't wait to see what's coming up for the closing ceremonies. Behind sport and culture, green aspirations now have to be part of every Olympic bid, according to the International Olympic Committee – and we're happy with that.

Getting in the Olympic spirit with our Lifefactory glass bottles.

3 Ways to Celebrate World Oceans Day in Vancouver

Happy World Oceans Day! Did you know this internationally celebrated sister day to Earth Day came from Canada? The Government of Canada proposed the concept of World Ocean Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and the day has been celebrated internationally ever since. As of 2009, June 8 has been officially declared by the United Nations as "World Oceans Day." It's a day to remember the life-giving role of our oceans. Did you know 80% of the oxygen we breathe comes from oceans? From consuming sustainable seafood and cleaning up garbage on the beach to wearing biodegradable sunscreen and choosing reusable water bottles, shopping bags and food containers to keep plastic out of our seas, there's plenty of ways we can all help conserve this vital resource. This is the time to celebrate our sea and here are three ways to do it in Vancouver this weekend.

World Oceans Day Aquarium Celebration - Friday, June 8th, 11am-4pm, Vancouver Aquarium, Presentations & hands-on activities plus cake at 2:15pm!

World Oceans Day Dinner - Friday, June 8th, Yew Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver, Menu inspired by the oceans of the world, cocktail reception starts at 6:30pm.

World Oceans Day 2012 Vancouver Event - Sunday, June 10th 11am-3pm, Whytecliffe Park, West Vancouver. Celebration, Connection, Conservation.

Learn from the Experts: Summer Series

Have questions about Sunscreen? Food Allergies? Nail Products? Bring them to our 'Learn from the Experts' Summer Series and get answers about Safe Sun Care, Naturopathic Remedies and Smart Nail Care. During the month of June, we're featuring a different expert each week with informative guest posts on our blog. We'll be making that same expert available to answer your questions via email and Facebook. The Facebook Q&A will take place on Thursdays. Post your comments and questions about the day's topic on our Lavish & Lime Facebook Page when you have a moment and our expert will check in periodically throughout the day to provide answers and commentary. At 8pm PST that Thursday night, we'll draw for a prize. The winner will be chosen from among those who posted a comment or asked a question. If you are not on Facebook, feel free to email your question to us at customerservice(at)lavishandlime(dot)com and we'll put it to the expert so you too receive a direct answer. By putting you in direct contact with those who know, we hope our expert series helps you get the information you're looking for so you can have a safe and happy summer!

Learn from the Experts Summer Series Schedule

June 4-8: Safer Sun Care with Tyler Porteous of Coola Suncare

June 11-15: Naturopathy & Summer Food Allergies/Travel Tips with Dr. Cameron McIntyre, ND of Lonsdale Naturopathic Clinic

June 18-22: Smart Nail Care & Tips with Ginny Carderas of Scotch Naturals and Hopscotch Kids

Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper Pledges More Eco Friendly Living in 2012

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a step towards more eco friendly living Friday when he made a pledge to use reusable bottles more frequently. While in discussion with small business owners at a January 13th roundtable event in Vancouver hosted by eco boutique Lavish & Lime, the Prime Minister of Canada agreed using more reusable containers is the way to. "My green new year's resolution is to use fewer disposable cups at the rink," he said. Lavish & Lime presented the Stephen Harper with an insulated stainless steel S'well bottle to help keep his favourite Tim Hortons coffee warm at the hockey games and curling matches he loves to watch. The Prime Minister was also given a Lunchbots Uno Stainless Steel food container for his son Ben, a Peace Sign Rume Reusable Baggie for his daughter Rachel and a reusable Grover Envirosax bag to transport it all back to Ottawa. For more, click here.

Our daughter presented Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with an eco-friendly S'well bottle.
















The Prime Minister said he would use his new reusable S'well bottle at the rink to reduce use of disposable cups.

Prime Minister Roundtable at Lavish & Lime in North Vancouver

It was a high octane morning at our Lavish & Lime warehouse in North Vancouver today filled with vehicles, dogs, cameras and lots of serious looking men in dark suits. Prime Minister Stephen Harper came by for a chat about issues facing small business as part of his pre-budget consultations. There we were with four other local business owners having a roundtable with the Prime Minister -- quite an experience! A major issue that came up was making government information more easily accessible to business. Naturally, we turned the discussion green and asked the Prime Minister if he had any green new year's resolutions. He agreed that reusable containers are the way to go and said his resolution was to "use fewer disposable cups at the rink". He loves watching hockey and curling so we know he'll have plenty of opportunity to put his pledge into practice. We thought we'd help him along and presented him with a double walled stainless steel S'Well bottle, to keep that Tim Hortons coffee warm... we'll post more photos as we get them.

That's our co-founder Colin Campbell sitting on the PM's right.


Our warehouse never looked like this before - a reorganized inside, loads of black vehicles outside. The PM stopped to chat to our neighbours too.

Discount Shopping Night November 24th

Join us for an evening of samples, yummy treats, door prizes and discount shopping at our Vancouver warehouse on Thursday, November 24th from 6pm to 9pm. Bring a friend and browse our eco collection of unusual Christmas gifts in person at 272 East 1st Street, North Vancouver - just off Lonsdale and minutes from the seabus. Enjoy delectable desserts from our favourite local restaurant, Ethical Kitchen & bubbles too (the kind you can drive home with). Plus we'll be giving away door prizes and some of our favourite manufacturers will be on hand to answer questions and hand out free samples, including Phillip Adam, creator of our new Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo. He has 50+ years in the beauty industry and will be happy to answer all your hair care questions. You'll save big on any purchases you make plus we'll be offering spotlight deals on specific products, including 50% OFF our entire felt jewellery collection. Come celebrate getting in the Christmas spirit and save! Feel free to give us a call with any questions, 778-340-5463. Hope you can make it!

Halloween Costume Swap & Save

This Halloween swap a costume instead of buying new and you'll save on materials, packaging - and money too! Our first ever Eek-O Friendly Costume Swap event earlier this month was a hit (pics below) - lots of swapping between families and we managed to raise a nice sum for The Lynn Valley Ecology Centre plus some great support from The North Shore Recycling Program - thanks to all! Through generous donations, we've ended up with some fantastic costumes over and above those that were swapped. So we're extending the swap through to next week during normal business hours. Pop into our Lavish & Lime Warehouse at 272 East 1st Street, North Vancouver anytime 9am-5:30pm during the week until next Friday, October 28th. Bring a costume to swap or take any costume you want with a donation to the Ecology Centre. Unicorn, horse, cat, motor cross rider, transformer, zorro, spiderman, princess & lots more to choose from! For more about us, click here.

The Eek-O Friendly Costume Swap

Looking for a Halloween costume? Swap and save at our Eek-O Friendly Costume Swap on Saturday, October 15th. Bring a costume, take a costume or simply make a donation to the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre and take what you need. Either way, you'll be making an eco-friendly difference by saving materials, resources, packaging - and money too! Instead of buying new, swapping a costume makes economical and ecological sense. Bring a costume and receive $5 OFF any Lavish & Lime purchase of $45 or more. According to use-less-stuff.com, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the weight of 2,500 midsize cars! Join in the eeko-friendly fun on October 15th at our Lavish & Lime warehouse at 272 East 1st Street, North Vancouver from 9am-1pm. In addition to choosing a costume, kids can enjoy colouring and face painting too. All costumes must be brought in clean and in good condition on a hanger. Both kids and adult costumes welcome, costume accessories too. Check out just some of the costumes dropped off in advance below. For more information, click here.

Back to School Warehouse Evening Event

Whether you're wrapping up your back to school shopping or just starting out, don't forget to include the coolest, safest waste-free lunch gear on the market - and we can help. Stop by our Lavish & Lime Back to School Warehouse Evening Event on Tuesday, August 30th, 6:30-8pm at 272 East 1st Street in North Vancouver's trendy Lower Lonsdale area (Lolo). We'll have all the latest lunch gear on the market available for you check out, plus a selection of top backpacks and some green school supplies too. Hope you can join us - we'd love to meet you!

*DISCOUNT SHOPPING * FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE * DOOR PRIZES

Our Cool Back to School Warehouse Event

Aside from new clothes and shoes, back to school shopping these days includes hunting high and low for the coolest, safest waste-free lunch gear. If you're in Vancouver, stop by our Lavish & Lime Back to School Warehouse Event on Tuesday, August 16th, 10am-12pm at 272 East 1st Street in North Vancouver's trendy Lower Lonsdale area (Lolo), just minutes from the seabus. We'll have all the latest lunch gear on the market on display for you and your kids to check out. Enjoy discount shopping and a free gift with purchase, naturally. Plus we'll have art activities to keep the little ones busy while you chat with the product specialists we'll have on hand. Bring along your school queries/concerns too - an elementary school teacher will be available to answer any questions you might have. Hope you can join us!

Best Ways to Get Plastic Savvy for Big Results

Plastic can be dangerous. Plastic is everywhere in our homes. It off-gasses into our air, it leaches into our food and it never goes away. These are just some of the facts about plastics Tanis Frame, aka Mamamaven, made clear at our recent Lavish & Lime Get Plastic Savvy workshop.

Post by Louise

Did you know that every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists? It just keeps getting broken down but it's still here complicating the ecosystem, except for for the little bit that has been incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals.

According to Mamamaven, the first step to greening your nest and rid yourself of the potentially harmful effects of plastics in your home is to get fresh air. "Get outside and play!" she says. "Bring the fresh air in - open windows every day and bring in the plants to purify the air."

Mamamaven suggests trying Wide Open Wednesdays as a great way to remember to open your windows at least once a week.

While we all know about them, sometimes it's hard to keep the plastics numbers straight. Here's the lowdown once and for all:

• opt for #2, #4, #5 -- these are the safest
• don't reuse #1 -- many plastic water bottles are made with this
• avoid #3, #6, #7, unless confirmed bioplastic
• look for phthalate-free and BPA-free labels

Mamamaven recognizes we all have plastics in our homes and offers some basic do's and don'ts when dealing with them:

• avoid microwaving plastics
• avoid hot contents
• hand wash all plastics, DO NOT put in dishwasher
  
• discard worn plastics -- scratches, cloudiness -- put these to a safer non-food use

She also points out that many everyday electronic devices like key fobs, cell phones, blackberries, etc. contain plastics made with chemicals like flame retardants. These are by no means food-safe plastics and should not be in children's mouths.

Getting savvy about plastics use means looking to alternatives: stainless steel, wood, bamboo, glass, wool, fabric, lead-free ceramics are all great options. There are also safer plastics that are free of nasty toxins like bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC and phthalates. Some of these are new bioplastics made of starch-based resins from sustainable, renewable plant crops like wheat, corn, tapioca and potato. The bioplastics market is growing 20-30% per year at the moment.

It can all be overwhelming, but Mamamaven suggests taking even little steps like opening the windows can make a big difference. She recommends making these three areas top priorities when looking to green your nest and make it safe from toxic-laden plastics:

• hot or wet food storage
• toys that go in the mouth
• finding and removing PVC#3 'vinyl' poison plastic items, found in everything from shower curtains and blackout blinds to flooring, backpacks and lunch bags

More ways to live a greener, healthier life and reduce the effects of harmful plastics:

• choosing reusables over disposables
• refusing excessive plastic packaging
• buying in bulk, buy concentrated products, buy refill packs
• buying powders in paper rather than liquids in big plastic jugs

Some great resources for further learning include:

• Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE)
• Healthy Child Healthy World
• Centre for Health, Environment and Justice

Watch for our Live Facebook Forum featuring Mamamaven coming in April. Become a Lavish & Lime facebook fan now so you can receive updates about this exciting upcoming event.

For a great selection of eco-friendly and non-toxic alternatives for everyday products and more ideas about living a greener, healthier life, visit our eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

Birds and our Bodies Bear Brunt of Plastic Overload

Post by Louise

Did you know there are more than 50 different groups of plastics and hundreds of varieties? That the stomachs of birds in some of the remotest parts of the Earth are full of plastics?

These facts combined with news reports, research and all those numbers - it's no wonder many of us feel overwhelmed when faced with decisions surrounding the copious plastic products we deal with on a daily basis.

The first human made plastic arrived in 1855 and since then, because of their low cost and versatility plastics have proliferated. They've replaced many traditional, more natural materials and are virtually everywhere, especially in products used around children in large part because they last.

Yet, the hidden costs of plastics -- to our health and to the environment -- are being uncovered every day. They release toxins into our food, air, drinks and with their incredible durability, they create enduring pollution. Every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists, except for the little bit that has been incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals. That's why we hear alarming statistics like this:

• plastic makes up 60-80% of all garbage floating in the oceans
• plastic debris causes the deaths of a million seabirds yearly

An informative article in today's Vancouver Sun reports that 84% of the water skimming, strong flying Fulmar birds researchers examined from two Arctic colonies had plastics in the their guts.

Next steps to rid ourselves of the potential dangers of plastics aren't always easy to see, or do. Former toxicologist and green guru, Tanis Frame -- founder of Mamamaven -- is someone who can help. Tanis cuts through all the research and reports and gives you the skinny on what you really need to know. She demystifies the numbering system and tells you how to use those little numbers in the triangles for more than just sorting what goes in your blue box.

Come hear Tanis this week at a free workshop hosted by us at our Lavish & Lime Warehouse Shop.

7:00pm-8:00pm Thursday, March 10th
Lavish & Lime Warehouse Shop
272 East 1st Street, North Vancouver, BC
(just off Lower Lonsdale -- plenty of street parking)

You'll take away an action plan of easy steps to rid your home of plastics and the knowledge you need to make safe choices to create a healthy home for you and your family.

Plus: receive a free eco gift ~ door prizes ~ discount shopping!

For more information and to RSVP, email customerservice@lavishandlime.com or call us on 778 340 5463.

If you can't make this event and have questions about plastics, please post a comment below and we'll be sure to get you answers.

For everyday eco finds and more green living ideas, visit Lavish & Lime.

Eco Event - Greening your Nest: Get Plastic Savvy

Post by Louise

We first met Tanis Frame (aka Mamamaven) over coffee in the Gumboot Cafe on British Columbia's gorgeous Sunshine Coast.

We were so impressed with her knowledge and easy-going, informative style we decided there and then we wanted to work with her, we just didn't know when. Happily, we do now.

Greening your Nest: Get Plastic Savvy
Thursday, March 10th, 7-8pm
Lavish & Lime
272 East 1st Street, North Vancouver
(plenty of street parking - click here for directions)

We're thrilled to host Greening your Nest: Get Plastic Savvy at our warehouse shop in North Vancouver on March 10th. It will be a fab, fun, informative hour with Mamamaven as the featured guest speaker, a FREE eco gift for everyone who attends plus door prizes and discount shopping!

If you care at all about creating a healthy and safe home for you and your family, you won't want to miss this event!

Learn about the research and hype surrounding plastics and find out easy steps you can take to reduce harmful exposure to plastics in your home. You'll leave with an action plan and the information you need to navigate your world of plastics and make smart choices for you and your family. You'll no longer feel bewildered nor overwhelmed with plastics and what to do about them.

About Mamamaven:
Tanis Frame, founder of MamaMaven, has a background in facilitation, research, toxicology and children’s environmental health. She is a popular guest speaker and runs fun and informative workshops designed to help you navigate the information overload on healthy topics.

Tanis has a reputation for removing any guilt or pressure in her presentations and makes the information easy to understand. She immediately puts you at easy with her fun, easy-going personality and trust us, you'll definitely leave feeling you've learned something.

Hope you can make it:
If possible, we'd appreciate RSVP's (just so we have enough chairs!) to customerservice@lavishandlime.com or give us a quick call 778-340-5463. We're happy to answer any questions you might have too!

For hundreds of green living ideas - everyday eco finds and unusual planet-friendly gifts - visit eco boutique Lavish & Lime.