It is WAY too hot outside here in Florida to do much of anything - ice cream melts too fast to enjoy; the playground is blazing; even walking on the sand is a challenge. So it’s no surprise that our plants are suffering too, even with a daily passing storm. That doesn’t stop us from growing plants indoors, without creating a mess or sucking up space. Here are some great ideas for summertime seed growing, courtesy of the awesome website Brooklyn 5 and 10. They’re having huge sales on these little plant kits, so get some now before the weather turns again!
I grobot - I grobot will save the planet, one blade of grass at a time! Unpack this little ceramic robot, plant the peat and seeds, and watch it come to live - through it’s head! Great for boys who love robots (or dads who never grew out of that phase). The container can be replanted over and over again.
Eggling Herb Trio - This set of three ‘eggs’ look like they belong in your fridge - but need to hang out on your counter! With basil, mint, and thyme, these are an adorable way for kids to grow herbs (and cook and possibly eat them too?). The herbs can grow for five months in the porous ceramic egg, and then can be directly planted into soil.
Plantarium Garden Lab - These funky growing kits are encased in a colorful gel, so little ones can see the entire growing process, from germination to sprouting. Once the plants reach the top of the case, they can be removed and replanted into a larger post. This kit is great for older kids, since the instructions for growing are a bit more complicated. They can also be bought in single vial test tube kits, with seeds for marigold, pepper, tomato, and more.
Nyokki Pet Plant - Nyokki means “grow” in Japanese, and these cute critters will certain grow on your kids. The egg-shaped containers, complete with fabric legs and little faces painted on, will grow rye grass in about two weeks, and can be cut and styled again and again!
If you’re like me, you’re almost done with Chanukah, stuffed full of latkes and applesauce (I’m a sour cream woman myself), strung out from one too many dreidel games, and about to sit back, relax, and let the millionth holiday commercial on CNN come and go without even a peek. If you’re not like me, you’re still on a countdown of shopping, organizing, finalizing, and wrapping. And herein lies the problem for many of us. I’ve written about what a waste wrapping paper is…all that paper, made to look pretty and then BAM! Instant trash, especially with kids, who will shred wrapping paper until every last glittery piece is ready to be landfilled.
What an amazing find with these box sets from treeo design, resuable boxes that are more like attention-grabbing accents for gifts - and will gladly be used again to make someone else’s face light up. Made from either recycled or FSC certified paper (meaning, no new trees were used to produce them), and using vegetable dyes for printing, the boxes have a funky, totally carryable shape and design to match any gift giver (or recipient)! The boxes come in either a set of three - large, medium, and small - or, a four pack of small boxes for stocking stuffers or ‘good things come in small packages’ gifts. Treeo is a mom/sister/friend-run company out of upstate New York, which gives me the feeling that a lot of heart and personality went into these designs. Guaranteed you’ll find a box set that fits your gift-giving style!
I just so happen to have the pleasure of giving away a treeo box set (3-pack) to one lucky winner this week! Just tell me which design is your favorite, leave a comment here, and you might win it…The giveaway is, as always, open until Thursday night at midnight, PST. Have fun choosing, and good luck!
PS - They make good, old-fashioned recycled wrapping paper too!
This contest is now closed! Happy Holidays, and look for more giveaways in the New Year!
Since I took the Handmade Pledge, I’ve been trying to find a way to effectively get the word out about craft fairs and crafter’s galore across the country to mobilize you to get out there and buy better gifts. I fit the first puzzle piece from my friend Kelli over at Tangled and True, when she announced Tangled and True’s handmade fair, a selection of ten very special handmade companies offering very special holiday discounts. My personal favorites, blabla handknitted dolls, backpacks, and pillows, and Quilt Baby bibs and burp cloths, join other wonderful designers such as Sarah Jane illustrated prints and intricate, totally girly, indie clothier willarie.
The biggest piece of the ‘keeping up with handmade’ puzzle is the Indie Craft Fair Guide, which is exactly what it says - THE guide to craft fairs nationwide. Listed by date, with many sponsors lining the columns, you’ll find handmade GALORE, from clothing to crafts, stationary to stuffed animals. This is a big weekend, people, so get out there and get crafty!
December 7th:
Boston, MA - Design Nearby Prints Charming
Portland, OR - motokitty, 5 Parties, 10 Artists
December 8th and 9th:
Portland, OR - The Rebel Rabbit Craft Fair
Milwaukee, WI - ARTvsCRAFT
New York, NY - BUST Magazine’s Holiday Craftactular
Des Moines, IA - Craft Saturday!
Sacramento, CA - SellOut BuyOut
Chicago, IL - Handmade Market
Chicago, IL - Renegade Market
Brooklyn, NY - 3rd Ward Handmade Holiday Craft Fair & Open House
Brooklyn, NY - Artists & Fleas Market
Pittsburgh, PA - I Made It For the Holidays
Boston, MA - SOWA Holiday Market
Boston, MA - Bazaar Bizarre
Biddeford, ME - Blissful Revolution Arts & Crafts Bazaar
Pass Christian, MS - Handmade Invasion
Sarasota, FL - Atomic Holiday Bazaar
I didn’t do a big Green Gift Guide this season - since I’m still fairly new to the game, I felt that there was a lot out there already that you all, my faithful readers, are on the ball about as well. I also have to admit, I’m getting a little overloaded myself with almost daily emails about what to buy for whom and where and how much and etc., etc., etc. However, when Gift Rap approached me about being their “Green Gifts Guest Guru” (that’s a mouthful!), I jumped right on it! Check out my five favorite, eco-friendly holiday gifts for kids of all ages. Choosing only five was TOUGH, but I tried to find a good range of ages, interests, and innovation. With all the wonderful gift guides and eco-shops out there, going green for your kids this season is easier than ever!
We all know how difficult it can be to choose the perfect gift for the kids in our lives. You want something they’ll grow with and enjoy endlessly - for a while. Every child loves getting presents for the holidays, but nothing is better than getting a present for no apparent reason. eBeanstalk - one of the most comprehensive shopping sites I’ve found recently, with super high-quality learning toys for newborns through age five - has taken gift giving to new heights (pun intended) with their innovative Gift Series. What a wonderful concept - either choose one of eBeanstalks pre-picked four toy Gift Series, based on themes such as travel, a Premium level, or for those of us living in an apartment, the compact series. Every three months for one year, a new toy in the series arrives - hooray! - in plain white box packaging, for added arts & crafts! You can also buy single gifts, and there’s a registry as well. It’s like a toy club, handpicked for your child!
Search for toys by age, category, or skills, such as language and emotion. Each toy (over 10,000!) have been tested by parents, educators, child specialists, and the “Mother Board,” over 700 moms who test and rate products to ensure quality and maximum fun. And, as an added bonus, eBeanstalk’s packaging are plain white boxes - perfect for added arts and crafts!
For the holidays, save 15% on all Gift Series - enter the code GIFTSERIES at checkout. And, on orders over $75, enter FREESHIP at checkout for free shipping. Now, to all my friends having babies, forget you read this so I can send a Gift Series to you…
One way my family enjoyed the end of summer was to eat outside as many nights as possible before it got too cold. We would sit with our citronella candles protecting us, and wait until the lighting bugs lit up. This classic-looking, rechargeable Sun Jar gives me a warm, summery feeling of being outside in the glow of evening. It’s an excellent way to teach kids about solar energy and give them something to look forward to at night besides brushing their teeth! The small solar cell powers LED lights inside, which automatically light up when it senses darkness. Put the jar in a sunny area during the day, and you’ll have a few hours of soft light when the lights go down. Perfect as a nightlight or garden decoration. Or pretend lighting bug jar?
Available at Uncommon Goods.
These plastic-y, funky looking things are a little, well, funky. What do they want with you? Are they taunting you? Look closer…these are Plant-Me Pets, a latex, compostable, fully growable series of characters with seeds for eyes. Comes in cantaloupe, tomato, or pumpkin plant varieties. This is great for kids, and I think adults might secretly like it too. I always get a laugh looking at those little legs sticking out of the dirt. Makes a great gift for kids, hard to shop people, or design freaks who love the, well, funky.
Plant-Me Pets are on sale (HALF OFF!) at Sprout! Get them before they’re good and buried!
I was so psyched when I found this company, called stitch’T. You send in your old (and freshly washed) t-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, or collared shirts, and they make a completely unique, designed-by-you pillowcase, crib blanket, or quilt! Awesome idea for people who collect t-shirts and need to make room in their closet. Or, for the future sports fan in your family. Or, if you’re a die-hard Penn State fan and you have more Nittany Lions clothing than you know what to do with…you work with stitch’T to make an new heirloom out of your old favorites! Check out their gallery and faq section for more info. Prices start at $70 for a pillowcase. It’s not cheap, but for a company to do all the work and preserve your t-shirt memories, I say it’s well worth it!
via Keetsa!
