Why buy when you can create your own? With a little creativity, a computer and printer you can create your own personalized labels for school supplies your kids will love - thanks to the queen of crafting, Martha Stewart.
We think this is a great idea. Download and make your own labels here.
Another great tip from Martha is her make-it-yourself Magnetic Lunch Chart. Here at Lavish & Lime, we have loads of great lunch gear like insulated neoprene lunch bags, stainless steel containers, water bottles, etc. but what about all the good stuff that goes inside? Instead of a daily struggle, make lunch planning easier by getting the kids involved in the process with this movable chart.
Just a couple more ideas to help make going back to school a little bit easier - and more fun!
Don't forget our Reusable Sandwich Wrap facebook giveaway to one lucky fan. Become a fan, leave a comment on our discussion board on the ENTER TO WIN topic and you could win a wrap!
It's back-to-school time and to help make things a little easier - and a bit more fun - we're giving away a reusable sandwich wrap to one lucky Lavish & Lime Facebook fan.
Simply become a fan here then post a message on our discussion board topic called 'Enter to Win...' and voila - you're entered. If you're already a fan, then just simply go to our official Facebook page and leave a comment on the discussion board. The discussion board is located under the 'Boxes' tab at the top of the page.
If you share this contest with your friends on Facebook, leave a comment letting us know and you'll be entered twice. Tweet it, let us know, and you'll be entered again.Our sandwich wrap is a simple idea, but a fantastic one. It eliminates the need for plastic baggies! The wrap is BPA-, PVC-
and lead-free, it folds out into a place mat for a clean place to eat and can last a whole school year. Ideal for sandwiches, it's also great for crackers, cookies, carrot sticks and more!The draw for a wrap (random style to be chosen) will take place on September 16th - so you have until the 15th to enter. Good luck!
Browse our Back to School collection at Lavish & Lime for a great selection of eco-friendly and non-toxic lunch and school gear.
There's plastic, glass and all kinds of food containers out there, but why does stainless steel get top marks when it comes to packing snacks and lunches?
Eco-Tip #5: Choose food containers made of stainless steel.1. It's safer:
Stainless steel doesn't leach nasty chemicals, like bisphenol-A (BPA) or lead into your food. There's no contamination of the food or liquids that come into contact with it because there's no coating that can break down or dissolve.2. It's better for the environment:
Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and in fact, according to wikipedia:“...an average stainless steel object is composed of about 60% recycled material, 25% originating from end-of-life products and 35% coming from manufacturing processes.”
3. It's easy to clean: Stainless steel is a snap to wash by hand, but it's also dishwasher safe.4. It's easy for kids: Stainless steel is unbreakable and lightweight, especially compared to glass. Glass containers can be quite heavy for little ones and not ideal for being tossed around in a backpack.
5. It looks good: Stainless has a cool, minimalistic look. Besides, shiny objects always look great and now they come with brightly coloured lids too!
Check out these Lunchbot stainless steel containers featuring orange, blue, yellow and green lids (colour coated on top side of lid ONLY) plus our assortment of handy round steel containers, including minis, compact two-in-one sets and large containers with inner trays. This eco-tip is for those of us who are definitely not litterbugs, but we're not tree huggers either. It's simply an idea or suggestion about taking easy, little - do-able - steps towards living life a little greener. If you have any thoughts or comments on stainless steel containers, we'd love to hear from you!
All aboard the big green school bus! In a recent Angus Reid survey, 80 per cent of Canadian parents said they're thinking about the environment when doing their back-to-school shopping this fall. 
Are you? Take the poll in our sidebar to the left - we'd love to hear from you.
Eco-friendly thinking for back-to-school means seeking out school gear with less PVC and lead and more that are made of recycled, non-toxic and sustainable materials.
Here are some of our favourite environmentally-smart picks that will help send your eco-savvy scholar to the top of the class! This insulated lunch bag is made of the wetsuit material neoprene, which is also free of nasty chemicals like PVC and lead. In fact, neoprene is r
ecommended by the Center for Environmental Health as a good alternative to PVC-loaded vinyl lunch bags. Then there's the copious amounts of plastic baggies for sandwiches - no need to overload the landfill with these when you can get a reusable sandwich wrap. One wrap can last a whole school year. And for pencils, why not save the forests and buy pencils made of recycled newspapers?
There are loads of alternatives out there that healthier for the kids and the planet too - you just have to look.
Browse our Back to School collection at Lavish & Lime now for a great selection of eco-friendly must-have products.
Let's face it, for most parents back to school means back to rushing about on a hectic schedule.
For those of you living in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco or Los Angeles, we've got a solution: Spud!
Spud is an online organic home grocer delivering fresh, local and organic produce and groceries to your home. They feature weekly specials, discounts by the case and multiply offers. Total convenience - and a great healthy start to the school year.
We really like what Spud is all about, not just because they're yummy but also because they: - protect the environment by buying local, organic, minimally packaged and eco-friendly products
- build community by creating direct connections between our food suppliers and customers;
- reduce the impacts of climate change by delivering groceries to each neighbourhood on a set route once a week;
- educate our customers about important food issues through our weekly newsletter;
- give back by supporting local charities and donating leftover food to food outreach groups.
To help kick off the back to school season, our friends at Spud are giving us a special offer to pass on to you. Sign up at www.spud.com and use promo code LIME to receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries - $5 off your each of your first 3 orders, $10 off your 4th. Offer expires Sept 30, 2009. Enjoy!
Do you have any thoughts or opinions about eating organic, online grocers or Spud? We'd love to hear from you - leave a comment below!
Visit Lavish & Lime for a great selection of eco-friendly back to school ideas like reusable sandwich and snack wraps, stainless steel food containers and PVC-free lunch bags.
Back to school also means back to packing lunches on a daily basis. While you may have ideas on what to put inside the lunch box, have you thought about the actual lunch box itself?
In this case, it may be what's on the outside that counts.
Eco-Tip #3 - Choose a PVC-Free Lunch Bag
Many lunch bags and boxes on the market are actually made of toxic plastic, most commonly polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl). PVC contains harmful chemicals, including phthalates, lead and cadmium which can be toxic to a child's health. Phthalates and other toxic additives can leach out or evaporate into the air over time causing potential danger to children. That's why PVC is called the poison plastic.
PVC has even been linked to autism. A recent Swedish study published in Scientific American found that infants or toddlers who lived in a bedroom with vinyl or PVC flooring were twice as likely to have autism five years later than those with wood or linoleum floors.
There are lots of great looking, fun and funky PVC-free options on the market now so our tip for you is: choose one of them. It's your child's health at stake - why take the risk?
Check out the vibrant graphic bags with simple, eye-catching neoprene designs from Seattle-based Dabbawalla or the sleek and stylish new brown bags from New York's Milkdot. And what about you? For adults there's a great range of four funky neoprene gourmet getaway lunch bags from Built NY.
This eco-tip is for those of us who are definitely not litterbugs, but we're not tree huggers either. It's simply an idea or suggestion about taking easy, little - do-able - steps towards living life a little greener. If you have any thoughts or comments on PVC, we'd love to hear from you!
Visit our online boutique at Lavish & Lime for a great selection of back to school products that are good for you and for the planet.
Congratulations to Marina the winner of a sport size natural sunscreen from Soleo Organics. We love your suggestion to refresh garbarators with lemons - great eco tip!Please get in touch within the week to claim your prize by emailing us at customerservice@lavishandlime.comThanks to everyone who left a comment on our July posts - you've restored our faith in the desire for conversation. Check back for our next blog giveaway soon and in the meantime, feel free to leave a comment and join in the conversation.
