Eco Art Contest Finalists: Pick your Favourite

We've whittled down the entries received for our Lavish & Lime Eco Art Contest to five finalists. Which do you like best?

Entrants across Canada were asked to get creative with their recycling and send us a photo. Below are our top five picks of all the works of art we received.

We'd love to hear your thoughts before we send the final three on to our judging panel which includes Juno-nominated green music duo Bobs & Lolo, editor of Canada's eco-aware Babyvibe.ca, founder of national family site WeeWelcome.ca and one of Canada's premier artists Cori Creed whose work is presently showing in Vancouver, San Francisco and New York. The judges will determine our grand prize and runners up winners. These will be announced on or before May 31st.

Leave a comment below telling us which is your favourite by Monday, May 23rd!

Finalist #1
Artist: Crystal H. Title: Untitled Materials: Water bottles and decaying flowers

Finalist #2
Artist: Judy S. aka Colourful Canary Title: Caged Intelligence Materials: Pencil, recycled office paper, reclaimed fencepost wood & wire, and natural materials (organic cornstarch, organic gelatin & organic powdered herbs) to represent the filthy conditions of factory caged birds. The portraits are renderings of actual beautiful intelligent birds.

Finalist #3
Artist: Callum F. Title: Albert Materials: Recycled spool, CD, metal caps, rubber tubes, plastic springs, ceramic hand, ceramic shoes, felt

Finalist #4
Artist: Caryn S. Title: Hamm (after the pig from Toy Story) Materials: Old plastic mayo jar for body, 4 bumps off of an egg carton for legs, newspaper strips and flour for homemade paper mache, pink felt for ears, pink pipe cleaner for tail, red and white art foam for eyes and tounge, pink paint.

Finalist #5

Artist: Maureen A. Title: Sunflowers Materials: Back of old shed, old spray paint

Looking to live life a little greener and healthier? Lavish & Lime is a great place to start. We have hundreds of unusual gifts and everyday eco finds all good for you and the planet too. If you have any thoughts or ideas about the Eco Art Contest entries above, please leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you!

PeeWee the Seal: a Star is Born with Ocean Release Video

Ellen, National Geographic, The Huffington Post -- adorable PeeWee, the Northern Fur Seal, has done them all.

What's so special about PeeWee? In a word, freedom. The rehydrated seal was released back into the ocean locally off the west coast of Vancouver Island (near Tofino) after 2 1/2 months of rehabilitation at The Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre on Saltspring Island, British Columbia. A video of PeeWee's exhilarating taste of new found freedom has gone viral.

At first PeeWee is apprehensive and unsure of returning to the wild, but when he realizes what's happening and gets a taste of the ocean, his excitement is captivating.

Click below to watch little PeeWee's release. We guarantee your heart will melt.



The waters off Vancouver Island are home to many Northern Fur Seals, according to the authors of the video at the Wildlife Natural Care Centre. Juvenile Fur Seals spend two years out at sea, hunting, evading predators, and swimming between Alaska and California.

For more information about helping beleaguered seals like PeeWee plus more adorable videos and pics, visit sealrescue.org.

Looking to live life a little greener and healthier? Lavish & Lime is a great place to start. We have hundreds of unusual gifts and everyday eco finds all good for you and the planet too. If you have any thoughts or ideas about PeeWee or wildlife rehabilitation in general, please leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you!

The S'well Bottle: coolest new BPA Free Water Bottles come to Canada

Did you know that even in this era of reduce, reuse, recycle less than 20% of the 200 billion disposable plastic bottles still consumed globally each year are recycled? The best bet for you and the planet too are BPA-free, non-toxic water bottles that can be used again and again.

Post by Louise

One of the coolest and best designed water bottles to hit the US market in the last year is the S'well Bottle and now it's available in Canada too.

S'well bottles tick all the right boxes:

• they're made of the highest quality, non-leaching, toxin-free stainless steel with no worries about Bisphenol-A (BPA) leaching into your water;
• feature a double wall design using the latest metals science technology so they insulate your beverage keeping it hot all day or cold well into tomorrow;
• are built to last with a top opening that allows for easy cleaning by hand or in the dishwasher so you can use it again and again;
• are designed to be functional: yes, the top opening is large enough to slip ice inside; yes, there's a silicone seal in the secure screw top lid to prevent leaks and yes, the slimline design is ergonomically shaped to fit your hand, your bag and your car cup holder;
• resemble a true glass bottle shape in a rainbow of colours - plus classic black - making S'well one of the coolest looking water bottles around.

We love both the look and feel of S'well bottles. These are substantial water bottles that are cool not just because they're sleek and stylish, but because they're insulating too. We love that at 500ml, they're big enough to hold a reasonable amount of water to quench an adult's thirst, but yet small enough to be easily handled by a child, without them drenching themselves.
Plus there's the added bonus that each purchase helps support the non-profit WaterAid in providing access to safe, clean water, hygiene and sanitation education to the world's poorest communities.

Healthy, helpful and happy (as written on all S'well bottles) -- that truly is S'well.

S'well bottles and more green living ideas are available at our Lavish & Lime eco shop. If you have any thoughts or comments about S'well bottles or reusable water bottles in general, please leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you!

The i-Spy Green Game #1: Free Giveaway

Like to play i-Spy? Play with us and you'll be spying eco-friendly products -- we like to call it the i-Spy Green Game -- and have the chance to win them!

Simply leave a comment below telling us which Lavish & Lime product you think is featured in this image and you'll be entered to win it! *Please include your email address so we can get in touch if you win.*

Deadline for entries is noon PST this Friday, May 13th. The winner will be chosen randomly from all correct entries. We want to make someone's Friday the 13th a lucky one and will announce the winner that afternoon!

Extra Entries:
Like us on our Lavish & Lime Facebook Page and say Hi on our wall!

Post this on your wall: "I'm playing the i-Spy Green Game @Lavish & Lime and hope to win! Check it out for yourself and play too: Lavish & Lime's i-Spy Green Game #1." -- and tell us you did!

Good luck and happy spying... click here to get started!

If you're looking to live life a little greener and healthier, Lavish & Lime is a great place to start. We've got a great selection of non-toxic and eco-friendly alternatives that are safe, healthy choices for you and the planet too.

5 Mothers Day Presents for Green Thumb Mom

Looking for unusual gifts for Mother's Day 2011? We've got some great organic gardening Mother's Day presents perfect for any Mom with a green thumb -- or any Mom who enjoys looking at a bit of green. These unique Mother's Day presents are all about Mom growing her own flowers and herbs and enjoying the satisfaction of watching them flourish. Available now for Mother's Day delivery.

Post by Louise

Here are five of our top eco-friendly gifts for Mother's Day 2011. All are new to our eco garden collection, except the first, our Happy Mother's Day Garden in a Bag -- a perennial favourite!

Happy Mother's Day Garden in a Bag $12
Mom can grow her own colourful zinnias - everything she needs is in the bag!Hydroponic Basil Grow Bottle $39
Grow sweet-smelling basil in a recycled wine bottle with reusable clay pebbles with this unusual hydroponic growing kit.Flowering Gardenia Bonsai Kit $35
A recycled steel growing box, scissors, gardenia seed, growing material and instructions are all included in this attractive bonsai kit. Perfect for a first Mothers Day.Hummingbird Scatter Flower Garden Gift Pack $12
Plant organic seeds that bring hummingbirds to you! Contains close to 20 different varieties of flowers and covers 100 square feet.
Urban Lavender Bamboo Grow Pot $23
Grow lovely scented heirloom lavender in a contemporary leak-proof bamboo pot.For more green gifts for Mother's Day 2011, visit our eco boutique Lavish & Lime. If you have any thoughts or ideas about Mother's Day gifts or Mother's Day in general, please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!