Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly products’

Christmas Season Gift-Giving Reflections

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Every year during the Christmas season I have the same mantra…”I’m not going to be wrapping presents on Christmas Eve.  I will have it done by then.”   Not surprisingly, I once again found myself wrapping some gifts on Christmas Eve; although fewer.   What this last minute gift wrapping did offer me was the time to reflect on why Debora and I started the business, and the motivation to continue Ecorations into 2010.

The holidays should be a time with family and friends… sharing stories, traditions and laughter.  Wouldn’t it be nice just to have a couple of extra hours to be with those you care about?   I found those couple extra hours this year by using our eco-friendly Ecorations Fabric Gift Wraps and Gift Bags.   If nothing else, it saved time.   I didn’t have to buy wrapping paper (as I used to each year).   I didn’t have to hunt down the tape and scissors.   I didn’t have to cut, fold, tape, every…single…gift.   I picked a bag that worked, put the gift in and DONE!

Ecorations Christmas "Mixed Bag" Wrapping Kit

Ecorations Christmas "Mixed Bag" Wrapping Kit saves 40% off of retail prices. Select Christmas or "Everyday" fabrics.

Now the one “good” problem I did have was that we sold out of nearly all of our Christmas bags this year.   I ended up using what I had around the house in other fun fabrics, and nobody even gave it a second thought.   The gifts were all colorful and beautifully wrapped.

Now, that is just one reason why we started the business, making wrapping easy.   The other reason was to help reduce the use of paper gift wrap.  This year, my family of seven celebrating Christmas could put all of the paper wrap in one paper grocery bag – that’s it!   Years past, we use to fill several large garbage bags full of paper.   If every family could adopt this new “green” tradition, our world-wide contribution to the landfills would diminish significantly.   I also can’t say enough about the ease of cleaning up.   We simply collected the bags, put them in a bin, and they are ready to go for the next occasion.

Thank you to all of our customers that brought Ecorations Fabric Gift Bags and Wraps into their homes this holiday season.   We know they will be a part of your family holiday tradition for years.   But don’t forget, we do offer gift bags and gift wraps for everyday gift giving as well!

Kathy de Jong, President and co-founder, Ecorations

I’ll leave you with the words of one of our customers, Jodi from Westfield, NJ.

The Joy of Ecorations Fabric Gift Bags and Wraps

Jodi's Christmas with Ecorations Christmas Gift Bags in Reversible "Candy Cane" Fabric Collection

“The bags worked out perfectly, and I was in bed at a reasonable hour instead of spending half the night wrapping.  I thought the bags looked great under the tree and my two daughters (4 yrs and 2 yrs) were so excited to see the gift bags on Christmas morning.  They understood right away that Santa used the candy cane stripe for my older daughter and the reverse print for my younger daughter.  It was a really nice tradition to start.  The quality of the bags are perfect.  I know they will last for years to come.”

Back to basics

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

We are living in interesting times.  With the onset of the economic downturn, it seems like we are going back to doing things “the old fashioned way”.  I recently had a baby and more than ever, doctors, nurses etc. are encouraging breastfeeding – the rationale now includes economics.  Not only is it good for your baby, they say, but it saves you money! 

Now take the green movement; yes, of course it is great for the environment for everyone to reuse and recycle as much as possible, but today, another key motivator is the economics.  Reusing and even recycling can save money.  The number of green products and greening tips that we find today is amazing, but if you really think about many of them, they are just newer versions or twist on things our parents or grandparents grew up with.  So we’re really going back to basics – I find it quite interesting and think there may be wealth of new products, innovations, and traditions that we can incorporate into our lives today, by simply looking back at the way things were…

What are some those “basics” you think we could adapt today that make economic as well as environmental sense?

I’ll get us started…the obvious one is fabric gift wrap – using fabric to wrap gifts and then reusing the fabric for something else or to regift.  There’s my plug for Ecorations.  Another thing that I’m now doing is using less disposable paper towels and instead using cloth kitchen towels.  Growing up, we hardly ever used paper and I know my mother never did.  My daughter is now requesting her special towel to dry her hands.

Debora

Going Back to School Slightly More Green…School Lunches

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Yes, the time has come to start thinking about what the kids will need when they go back to school. Often overlooked when planning for the next school year is how we can give our children an increased sense of eco-consciousness while preparing them for to learn. School-age children are becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the environment. With these tips and products, in-the-know parents can reinforce ecological education in school.

If you’ve decided to purchase from the school lunch program, determine what healthy fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products, preferably organic, are offered on a daily basis. Organics are best because of their low environmental impact and lack of dangerous pesticides. If you struggle to find healthy alternatives at school, perhaps packing your child’s lunch is a better option. Here are some eco-friendly products for a “no-waste” lunch.  They make great gifts.

RePeat Bamboo Utensils

RePeat Bamboo Utensils

RePeat Bamboo Utensilswww.to-gowear.com Eliminate the need for plastic non-biodegradable utensils. The holder is made of recycled plastic. $11.95

SnackTaxi Sandwich and Snack Bagswww.snacktaxi.com Reusable, machine washable, durable and compact. $6.95-8.95.

Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel 12 oz Water Bottle with Sports Capwww.niokagreenstore.com Machine washable, wide mouth fits ice cubes. $14.95.

Litter Free Lunch Napkinswww.greenfeet.com Pack of 5 gives you enough for the week. Each napkin has a sewn in label to write your name. Machine wash. $19.95.