6 Green Giveaways for Earth Day 2013

It's Earth Day weekend and we're celebrating with loads of fun freebies – for you! We've teamed up with some of our favourite bloggers and manufacturers to bring you the chance to win fantastic prizes in six different green giveaways, all in honour of Earth Day. Each one features information and/or personal reviews about our top eco products for going green. Here they are – in no particular order – best of luck!

Little Miss Kate Lunchbots & Glob Paint Review & Giveaway - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 23/4

FrugalMomEh Stainless Steel Straws & Sandwich Wrap Review & Giveaway - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 30/4

Mom Vs The Boys Snack Bag & Funbites Review & Giveaway - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 3/5

Glimpse Funbites Review & Giveaway - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 27/4

Rants N Rascals Ecovessel Water Bottle & Lunchbots Review - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 22/4

Good Girl Gone Green Bamboo Utensil & Lunchbots Review & Giveaway - Win a $30 Lavish & Lime GC ends 4/5

Plus, don't miss our own:
Lavish & Lime Shake it & Take it Earth Day Giveaway - Win 1 of 3 $100 Prize Packs includes a S'well bottle & a large container of Vega One nutritional shake ends 29/4

Lavish & Lime in the Press

The press is buzzing with stories about Earth Day and everywhere there's talk about the hottest eco products everyone should have to live green. Lavish & Lime has been lucky enough to be featured in some of our favourite media outlets and – at the risk of blowing our horn – we'd like to share them with you, if only to show you we're not the only ones that think these products are wonderful!

Westcoast Homes & Design featured our eco shopping basket as a garden trug.

The Greenest Family on the Block, Vitamin Daily Kids, April 20
"Fashioned from recycled newspaper, these colourful O’bon pencils last 2-3 times longer than traditional wooden pencils because the leads are better protected. They also manage to inspire awe for the wild in your child, with each pencil showcasing a different animal that corresponds to a particular colour. We love their bright hues. From $2.50 at www.lavishandlime.com"

The List: 11 Eco Ways to Live Well, Savvy Mom, April 16

"Clean Well: AspenClean Grapefruit & Lavender All Purpose Natural Spray Cleaner & Eco Cloth SetVancouver-based AspenClean’s 100% vegan cleaning spray won’t leave toxic residues on countertops but will leave your house—and the air you all breathe in—smelling beautiful with the scents of lavender and grapefruit. Given the esteemed Ecocert certification from Europe, this cleaner is an example of tough, biodegradable all-natural cleaners at their best. $18, available at lavishandlime.com"

 

"Create Well: Faber-Castell Jumbo Triangular Animal EcoPencils  
It’s hard to keep kids away from plastic, particularly when it comes to playtime. But in the craft department you can clean things right up. Consider these recycled pencils that are made thick so they’re easier for smaller hands to grab a hold of. Tip: When buying pencils or pencil crayons, look for the FSC-certified wood symbol which means the product has come from sustainably managed forests and that neither wildlife, soil or waterways were harmed during the harvesting process. $10.80, available at lavishandlime.com"

Garden Gadgets for Green Thumbs, Westcoast Homes & Design Magazine, Vancouver Sun, Spring 2013
"Eco Basket. This lovely collapsible shopping basket does double duty as an unexpected garden trug. Use it to transport seeds and seedlings from teh nursery tot he the garden, or pack ti full of your own home-grown flowers and vegetables. An award-winning design made from aluminum and waterproof nylon. $29 lavishandlime.com"

DIY Plant Pot Slipcovers

Give ugly plastic garden pots a makeover with these simple DIY plant pot slipcovers – and turn your potted garden plants into a colourful focal point for your garden, patio or deck! No need to send the plastic garden pots your flowers, herbs and vegetables come in to the landfill and spend time and money replanting them into brand new ones. Use the original pots instead. Simply dress them up in your kids' old clothes (we used leggings and a long-sleeve shirt) and within minutes, you'll brighten your outdoor space like never before. The best part? Changing slipcovers is as easy as changing clothes. Every time the kids outgrow something, you can always dress your plant pot in it next!

Here at Lavish & Lime, we're always on the lookout for ideas that allow us to live more gently on this earth. This one we came up with ourselves and it fits the bill to a 'T' – it's a brilliant way to reuse. Below is a short pictogram showing how to make your own plant pot slipcovers – and an eco tip: keep fabric remnants and reuse them as cleaning rags.

Green Deals for Earth Day 2013

It's been 43 years since the first Earth Day and we've come a long way. Green is mainstream, recycling is part of daily life, innovative eco products are taking hold and the benefits of healthy eating, healthy living are being taken to heart. Earth Day on April 22nd is a time to reflect on what we're doing to relieve our impact on the planet. We believe it starts with small steps and rethinking how we do things in our daily lives. From the coffee beans we grind to the way we move house, it's all about making smart choices. In keeping with the theme of all things earthy, we'd like to introduce you to five like-minded friends – all offering great alternatives for living green. As it's Earth Day Month, they're celebrating with some great green deals – we encourage you to check them out and live gently upon this earth.

SPUD.ca connects local farmers and food producers to the community by using a just-in-time home delivery system. The result is fresher food, and healthy convenience delivered to your door. Customers can choose from a wide variety including local and organic produce, organic grass-fed meats, gluten-free products, organic dairy products, healthy snacks, and more.

Green Deal: Get $20 in FREE, local organic groceries with your first order. Use code: offer20. Start shopping here.

HALFMOON YOGA has been hand-crafting awesome yoga and meditation gear for close to 25 years. They're proud that most of their products are still locally made and hand-sewn in Vancouver. They are nature lovin' yogis and consider the community and the planet in everything they do.

Green Deal: Take 15% off Halfmoon's Breathable Eco Mat. Use code: earthday15. Retail web purchases only. Not valid with other offers. Valid until April 30th.

FROGBOX is the convenient, affordable and eco-friendly alternative to cardboard moving boxes. Traditional moving supplies are harmful to the environment. Frogbox will deliver reusable moving boxes to your home or office and pick them up when you’re done moving.

Green Deal: Receive 5 FREE additional boxes with any bundle order through April 30th. Simply mention EARTHDAYFIVEFREE in the order information field. Participating locations only.

ETHICAL BEAN COFFEE roasts only Fairtrade Certified Organic coffee from around the world. The Vancouver-based coffee company is committed to ensuring small-scale farmers receive a fair price for their efforts. Ethical Bean coffee is roasted in a carbon neutral facility where the company works from the ground up to reduce their impact on the environment. You can find Ethical Bean coffee in cafes and grocery stores across the lower mainland using this handy coffee locator guide.
 
ASPENCLEAN is a green home cleaning service that has been cleaning houses the natural way since 2004. They use only their own AspenClean 100% all natural cleaning products that are eco-friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic. AspenClean offer home cleaning services to customers throughout the Lower Mainland, BC and Calgary, Alberta. Book your natural green house cleaning here.

Frogbox will drop off and pick up reusable moving boxes.

Halfmoon's Breathable Eco Mat will stand up to a lot of use.

Ethical Bean coffee is available both ground and whole bean.

Spud.ca delivers healthy, local food to your door.

AspenClean are the only Canadian 100% natural certified cleaners.

Wasteless Wednesday Wishlist: Window Art

Reusing old items is one of the best ways of taking small steps towards living more gently on this earth. We love the idea behind this unique piece of bathroom wall decor that doubles as a functional bathroom routine chart, particularly perfect for kids who tend to get distracted when getting ready for school – or bed. With some paint and stencils, turn an old window into bathroom routine wall art, hang it on your wall and – fingers crossed – life will run more smoothly!

Photo: bystephanielynn.com

Win 1 of 3 Prize Packs Worth $100 - Giveaway

Every day is Earth Day here at Lavish & Lime but when the official Earth Day rolls around on April 22nd, we get really excited! This year we're celebrating with an Earth Day giveaway that's healthy for the planet and you too – the chance to Win 1 of 3 Shake it & Take it Packs! Each pack contains a S'well Stainless Steel Water Bottle (one of Oprah's favourite things) plus a large container of plant-based Vega One Nutritional Shake. Win our Shake it & Take it Giveaway and you'll be whipping up your healthy dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free protein shake and taking it with you in a new insulated, ergonomically designed reusable bottle that keeps your shake cold for up to 24 hours!

******* This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our winners Lisa, Jenn & Kelli! *******


HOW TO ENTER

Step 1
Tell us which one item from our waste-free lunch gear collection you'd pair up with a shake-filled S'well – and you could win a 500ml S'well Water Bottle in the colour of your choice PLUS a large container of Vega One Nutritional Shake. Value $106

Leave your answer in a comment below or email it to us at customerservice(at)lavishandlime(dot)com with 'Shake it & Take it Giveaway' in the subject line. This giveaway closes at midnight PST, April 30th, 2013. **Please be sure to include your name and email address so we can contact you if you win.**

Step 2
Share it for a better chance to win it! Leave separate comments for each share &amp and receive extra entries.
- Subscribe to receive our Lavish & Lime email newsletter (and save 10% when you do!)
- Like, share or comment on a post about this Giveaway on our Lavish & Lime Facebook Page - the more likes, shares and comments you do, the more chances to win
- Click the 'like' button our Green S'well Bottles product page, or any of our S'well bottles pages (the more the better)
- Pin this post on Pinterest
- Tweet this post on Twitter:
#Win 1 of 3 $100 @Swellbottle @Vegateam Shake it & Take it Packs via @LavishandLime #EarthDay #Giveaway CAN/US http://bit.ly/16KT5eB #eco 
*tweet daily for more chances to win

ABOUT THE PRIZE

S'well Bottles
Designed in New York, S'well are some of the sleekest bottles on the planet. Made of top grade stainless steel, these reusable, recyclable water bottles are ergonomically fitted to your hand for an easy grip, plus they not only keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours, they keep hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours! The best thing about S'well? Every bottle is one more step towards the elimination of single use plastic water bottles.

Vega One
A clean, plant-based nutritional shake powder, Vega One can be shaken with water, juice, a non-dairy beverage or simply added to your favourite smoothie recipe. One scoop provides 50% of your daily required vitamins & minerals, the equivalent Omega-3 as 6oz of wild salmon, 2.7 cups of blueberries, 3 servings of vegetables plus probiotics, 6g of fiber – all without artificial colours, flavours or additives.


Three winners will be chosen in a random draw. Deadline for entries is 11:59pm PST Tuesday, April 30th, the giveaway closing date. The winner will be notified by email by Thursday, May 2nd and announced thereafter. Open to residents of Canada and the U.S. who are over the age of majority in their province, territory or state of residence. Prizes must be accepted as awarded and may not be transferred or exchanged. They are not redeemable for cash and are non-refundable.

Why you Should Swap Plastic for Reusable Straws

Want to reduce your impact on the earth? Start small. Try a straw. A reusable straw, that is. Swap those endless disposable plastic drinking straws for reusable glass straws or stainless steel straws and you'll help reduce waste and damage to our environment and wildlife. Did you know it is estimated one major fast food chain alone uses 60 million straws a day? Data from plastic straw distributors suggest close to 500 million plastic straws are used daily in the U.S. It's no wonder disposable plastic straws are one of the Top 10 polluted items found on beaches worldwide. This is bad news all around, but particularly for wildlife. Seabirds and other marine life often mistake plastic straws for worms and can end up choking on them.

A bit of history

The first known straws were made by the Sumerians and used for drinking beer, probably to avoid the solid fermented bits that had sunk to the bottom. The oldest straw in existence was found in a Sumerian tomb and dates back to 3,000 B.C. In the 1800's the rye grass straw was used because it was cheap and soft. In 1888 the modern drinking straw was patented in the U.S. by Marvin C. Stone and made of paper. While drinking a mint julep, he found the taste of the rye straw was mixing with his drink and decided to wrap paper around a pencil to create a tube, and used that instead. Paper straws were replaced with plastic in the 1960's when plastic was found to be the cheapest and most durable material.

Facts about plastic straws

Plastic straws do not decompose. Over the years (and years) they just break down into smaller and smaller bits of plastic that end up floating in our oceans (Pacific Garbage Patch) and are eaten by fish that we, in turn, eat. One estimate for plastic straw decomposition is 20,000 years.

Every straw you and everyone you know has ever used is still out there.

While the majority of straws are now made from recyclable polypropylene (#5) plastic, most people consider them disposable and toss them in the garbage after one use.

Polypropylene is considered low on the the toxic chemical front, yet running plastic straws through a dishwasher's hot water to reuse them still has the potential to cause chemical make up changes and release unwanted toxins.

Plastic straws are an energy intensive, petroleum-based product dependent on this limited resource.

The skinny on straws

Better drinking straws made out of safer, more reusable materials like toxin-free glass and stainless steel, even bamboo are available. They may cost more than plastic, but it's a healthier choice for the planet and you too. What about the millions of plastic straws being used every day? All we can hope is that as many as possible are being collected and upcycled into woven mats or bags as is done in Uganda or perhaps they're being used to create beautiful works of art like these creative and cool drinking straw creations. Anything other than ending up in our oceans, harming wildlife and our food chain.

Stainless steel straws are a great durable reusable alternative to plastic.

Straw cleaning brushes are available to help keep your reusable straws clean.

Glass drinking straws are taste-free and transparent, easy to keep clean.

FREE Envirosax: Earth Day Month Special

April is Earth Day Month. While Earth Day is officially Monday, April 22nd, we're celebrating – and drawing attention to the need to REUSE – all month long. It's a great opportunity to reflect on how we can reduce our impact on this beautiful planet of ours. For example, if we reduce our consumption of plastic shopping bags and take reusables instead, we help reduce plastic waste going into the landfill and ultimately, our oceans. To this end, we're offering you a FREE gift during Earth Month – a reusable Envirosax designer shopping bag with any purchase of $30 or more.* It's a gift for you and ultimately the planet too, valued at $9.95 – to help you reduce and reuse, in style. Use code REUSE through April 30 to receive your free gift.

Envirosax bags not only look great, but they fold down to the size of a piece of sushi for compact storage plus they’re waterproof, washable and can carry up to 44 lbs! The inks and dyes used in the printing of the bag are eco-friendly and no carcinogenic amides are used. The printing process used ensures the bags will not fade when washed. Design may vary from that shown.

Did you know?
Plastic does not decompose. Over the years (and years) it just breaks down into smaller and smaller bits of plastic that end up floating in our oceans (The Pacific Garbage Patch) and are eaten by fish that we, in turn, eat. 

Every piece of plastic you and everyone you know has ever used is still out there.


*Terms and conditions:

Our Earth Month Special applies to any purchase of $30 or more before taxes and shipping. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Offer is valid through April 30, 2013. Bag received will be randomly chosen and design may vary from that shown.

Use promo code: REUSE