Heart of the Matter: Raising Awareness of Heart Health Month

What's the number one health threat for women? Heart disease. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, women are more likely to die from heart disease than any other disease. That's why when we were approached by Woman's Day Magazine to support their 8th Annual Red Dress Awards next week, we said yes.

February is Heart Month and it's all about raising awareness and funds for research into heart disease. The Red Dress Awards is an event held in New York to honour those who’ve made a significant contribution to the fight against heart disease in women. Barbara Walters is among this year’s honorees and the event itself features Natasha Bedingfield, Charice and is co-hosted by Mario Lopez, of Dancing with the Stars fame.

We're pleased to report we've teamed up with Cleanwell, makers of our popular natural hand sanitizers and liquid soaps, to support this worthy event. Among the goodies in the VIP swag bags will be a Cleanwell natural hand sanitizer spray in the yummy vanilla orange scent. WIN your own hand sanitizer spray - see details below.

Let's face it, women are - in many respects - head of the household. To take care their families, they need to look after themselves. Ever notice what happens to the running of the house when Mom gets sick? Raising awareness about heart disease means raising awareness about prevention and the importance of making smart choices to lead a healthier, greener lifestyle.

What is heart disease?
The term heart disease can mean any one of a number of different heart problems. The most common kind of heart disease is coronary heart disease. This happens when a fatty substance called plaque clogs the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart. If a blood vessel becomes completely blocked, a heart attack can happen.

Eating healthy, being healthy and exercising regularly can go a long way to helping fight heart disease. While menopause, family history, race and socioeconomic factors are key, so are high cholesterol, physical inactivity, hypertension, excessive weight, diabetes and tobacco smoke - things we can aim to control.

Taking steps to live life a little greener in terms of what you put in your body and what you do with your body is a great start.

WIN 1 of 5 NATURAL HAND SANITIZERS! Tell us how you keep your heart healthy in a comment below or on our Facebook wall and you could win a Cleanwell hand sanitizer - just like in the VIP swag bags at the Woman's Day Red Dress Event. Random draw will take place this Friday, February 11th. Be sure to leave your email address so we can get in touch if you win!

For more information, check out these sites:
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Womenshealthmatters.ca
Dietitians of Canada

For more green living ideas, visit eco boutique Lavish & Lime. If you have any thoughts about heart disease or living a healthier, greener life in general, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

Lifefactory Love: 5 Reasons to use 450ml Glass Water Bottles

Six new additions to our popular line of Lifefactory glass water bottles have just arrived - and we think you're going to like them as much as we do.
It's the smaller 450ml glass water bottle in six great cap-and-bottle matching colours, four of which are new. Choose from: Raspberry Pink, Spring Green, Pearl White, Turquoise, Royal Purple and Graphite Grey. If the colours themselves aren't enough to make you want to snap one up, here are five more reasons you might want to rethink your current water bottle.

Our glass water bottles are not only gorgeous, but we really like them because:

1. They're free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC. These water bottles are made of good old-fashioned glass and are 100% non-toxic - and recyclable too.
2. The colourful, funky and most importantly - protective - silicone sleeve makes these glass water bottles virtually unbreakable so they not only look good but are practical too. View our glass water bottle drop test video here.
3. There's no metallic taste.
4. The 450ml size fits most car and stroller drink holders.
5. The wide mouth is ideal for ice cubes, fruit slices, etc.

This new version of our 650ml glass water bottle is smaller all around and works particularly well for older kids and seniors.

Lifefactory 450ml glass water bottles are available at eco boutique Lavish & Lime. For more green living ideas, visit www.lavishandlime.com. If you have any thoughts about glass water bottles or water bottles in general, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

8 Ways to Give Green Love on Valentine's Day

There's no doubt Valentine's Day has become big business and while we wholeheartedly support lavishing your love on what many call the most romantic day of the year, we've come up with eight eco-friendly Valentine's ideas to help do this with a dose planet-friendliness in mind.

To help put this holiday in perspective, here are some interesting consumption facts, according to American Greetings.

• After Christmas, Valentine's Day is the second largest card-sending holiday with around one billion cards sent globally. One billion cards stretched end to end would wrap around the world five times!
• Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year.
• Valentine’s Day is the top holiday for fresh flower purchases with red roses being most popular.
• 10% of engagements happen on Valentine’s day.

This kind of big business means a potentially big impact on the environment. Spreading a little love to the environment too could go a long way to lessening this impact. Here are eight ways to do it.

1. Think less is more and you'll consume less. A small token of your love says just as much as that huge heart-holding polyester teddy bear that he or she will be wondering what to do with by the time July rolls around. For this holiday in particular, it truly should be the thought that counts.
   
2. Choose eco-friendly gift options that not only show a little creativity on your part but are often healthier for the recipient too. Pink Recycled Skateboard Cufflinks and Heart Bike Bells are great for the planet. Chemical-free Scotch Naturals Kiltlifter Red Nail Polish and natural Aloe Jojoba Bubble Bath are healthy options for your love.
3. For the chocolate lover, think organic chocolate - Denman Island Chocolate is one of our local favourites or better yet, go for a calorie-free chocolate flower growing kit.
4. If you're preparing a meal, buy organic or locally grown produce and other foods and cut down the meal's carbon footprint. The same goes for choosing from a restaurant's menu.
   
5. Buy organic or locally grown cut flowers - check out sierraeco.com for a listing of florists in Canada carrying organic, fair traded flowers. If they're being delivered at work, hospital or anywhere else a vase might not be readily available, a great addition to help ensure they last is a collapsible, recyclable plastic flower vase.
6. Consider sending an e-card instead of traditional card. Jacquielawson.com is one of our favourite e-card sites.
7. If you are a traditionalist (like many), choose a card made from recycled or tree-free paper or make your own card(s) with materials you already have in your home.
   
8. If you're buying jewelry, consider local artisans or recycled materials first and jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner. While no form of mining can be considered truly environmentally friendly, some responsible mining companies are making an effort to ensure that damage to the environment is minimal, effluent properly managed, workers fairly treated and areas mined rehabilitated.

These are just a few ideas about enjoying an eco-friendly Valentine's Day. If you have any more or some general thoughts about Valentine's Day, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you! For more green living ideas, visit eco boutique Lavish & Lime.

Valentines Giveaway: Win a Hopscotch Kids Natural Nail Polish + Remover

We love seeing little divas all decked out but what we really love is when they glam it up with natural products that we know won't cause them harm. Our girls love Hopscotch Kids Natural Nail Polish (so do we) and with our Valentines Day 2011 Giveaway - we hope you do too!

Our Hopscotch Kids Water Colors nail polish is completely water-based and produced with none of the harmful toxic chemicals found in most nail polishes. There is no formaldehyde, phthalates or fd&c (toxic colouring). This safe nail polish does not result in yellowing or drying of the nails, there's no awful 'chemical smell' to deal with and it is 100% biodegradable. The more you use it, the more it actually conditions and nourishes nails.

Choose from nine different Hopscotch Kids Nail Colors with great names, including Red Rover, Ice Cream Soda Pop, Bubble Gum in a Dish, Teddy Bear, and Peter Pumpkin Eater.

We believe in giving gifts that we think kids will actually use, not abandon immediately after opening. One of our best Valentine's gifts for kids along this line would be a Hopscotch Kids Natural Nail Polish plus a Hopscotch Natural Nail Polish Remover - we're certain these great Valentine's gifts would make any little Valentine swoon.

HOW TO WIN A HOPSCOTCH NAIL POLISH OF YOUR CHOICE - for Valentine's Day
Leave a comment below telling us which colour of Hopscotch Kids Natural Safe Natural Polish you'd like to win, why and you might just win it PLUS a Hopscotch polish remover ($25 value)! Please include your email address so we can contact you if you win. Random draw will be on February 8th so we can ship the prize in time for February 14th.

Extra entries: join us on our Lavish & Lime Facebook page and tell us below for two extra entries.

Good luck!

This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only.

Hopscotch Kids Water Colors Safe Natural Nail Polish is available at Lavish & Lime. For adults, check out our Scotch Naturals Watercolors Nail Polish, from the makers of Hopscotch. For more greener living ideas, please come by and browse our eco boutique at www.lavishandlime.com.

Great Valentines Ideas for Making your Own Cards

Without a doubt it's easiest to buy one of the many packs of Dora, Spiderman or other licensed Valentine's Day cards we see in all the shops but why not teach the kids slightly more planet-friendly ways and encourage their creativity at the same time?

Making your own Valentines cards with things you already have around the house is not only easier on the environment but it's a great way to help build kids' self-esteem with a sense of accomplishment.

We've scouted around and found a great UK-based site with lots of make it yourself Valentines cards ideas. From finger painting to printing and tissue paper to recycled fabric bits, there's a card here for every interest at pretty much every level. For some, you might have purchase supplies, like non-toxic finger paints, chemical-free natural felt markers or soy crayons but for most, you should be able to use items you already have.

If your child is to distribute cards to the entire class, our #1 card-making tip? Get started early. It's absolutely do-able, you may just have to do a little at a time, a few times. Happy card-making!

For more green living ideas, visit eco boutique Lavish & Lime. If you have any thoughts about cards or valentines ideas, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!