Posts Tagged ‘green’

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.”

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.

Every little bit counts when it comes to change.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

It was sad to read yesterday’s Ideal Bite “The Coast Is Clear“.  It  talks about our polluted beaches and how you might want to check their ratings before planning a trip.  I love the beach and the peace and tranquility it brings me when I visit.  It really is a shame to think that we, as a collective society, have managed to damage this immense portion of our planet. 

Now for the good news.  It didn’t take just one person with one action to get to where we are.  It took a lot of little things from a lot of people to make such an impact.  The impact can be a positive one instead of a negative one if we set our minds to doing a little bit each day and encouraging others to do the same.  This way it’s not a daunting task on anyone.

The article makes a suggestion to  help reverse some of the damage to our beaches – make sure that garbage goes into a contained bin so it won’t find it’s way from the sand to the water - now how easy is that?  There are so many little (and easy) things we can all do.    

Going back to Kathy’s shades of green, I’m probably a light green person myself.  I may aspire to be more green, but for now, I’m OK with light green.  I try to do at least one or two little things everyday that can make a difference, like recycling and using less paper towels and napkins.  That’s why I love what we’re trying to do with our reusable fabric gift bags.  It is a creative gift wrapping idea that can have a huge impact if it catches on and more people give up paper wrap, bags & bows. 

I’m sure you have seen list after list of the top 10 things you can do to be more “green”.  We’d love to hear it from you – what kinds of things are you doing to be kinder and gentler to mother earth?  

Debora

The Shades of Green – Are you green enough?

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Well, to answer that question, some deep reflection is required.   Personally, it has become a daily contemplation.

Market researchers want to segment us in to “shades of green”.   Without getting into all the details, it goes from the hard-core advocates (bright green) to people who are downright uninterested in the environment and will challenge every initiative to improve the state of our planet (brown).   So, most of us fall somewhere along the spectrum.  The question is, are you “green” enough?

crying-indian-commercial-pic1I find it hard to believe that there are people out there in the brown category, but they must exist.   This may not be a scientific fact, but for my generation, I see the environmental & global awareness movement starting about the time of the 1970’s television public service announcement featuring the American Indian with a tear streaming down his face as he looked over the littered landscape. The crying indian commercial If you are throwing trash out the car window at this point, by my definition, you fit in the brown category.  However, I can’t tell you the last time I saw anything, other than a cigarette (that is a whole other topic) thrown out a car window.   To me that says that as a society, with public awareness and a small behavior modification, we can change for the better.

So the vast majority of us fall somewhere in between brown and bright green.   I think we all agree we could do more to reduce, reuse and recycle.  You don’t have to be a fan of Al Gore or believe that climate change is a result of human causes to appreciate the need to make better environmental choices as a society.   So how do you, as a drop of water in the ocean that is humankind,  take steps along the “green” path?

  1. Environmental & Global Awareness – Are you conscious and informed about the small steps you can take to green your life and improve the state of the planet? If not learn more.
  2. Pick one behavior to change and do it.   Something as easy as using reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic in the store.
  3. Repeat steps #1 & #2.

So, are you green enough?   If you do steps #1-#3 – the answer, in my book, is yes.

Kathy de Jong

GIVEAWAY: Get Your Jumpstart to Green Gift-Giving

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
Ecorations Fabric Gift Wraps & Bags

Ecorations Fabric Gift Wraps & Bags

Two of the biggest barriers to being more green are: 1) not knowing where to start, and 2) thinking it’s too expensive.  Well, Ecorations is here to help!

Summer is filled with celebrations, birthdays, weddings, father’s day, etc.  What better way to get a  jump start  on greening your gift-giving occasions than by using reusable bags and fabric gift wrap?  Better still, what if you could do it for FREE?  Read on….

There is a great website and book out there called Celebrate Green that is filled with terrific, simple starter tips and advice for how to begin greening your celebrations.  The key is to start somewhere, doing something.  But what  if you’re already doing things like using real plates at a party and using cloth napkins?  Well, take it to the next level!

Guess what?  We can assist you.  Ecorations is giving away a set of 3 beautiful fabric gift bags that will get you started and/or take you to the next level for celebrating green!  With this fun, chic set of bags you can start your own gift giving tradition among friends and family.  You’ll not only make a statement, but you’ll be contributing to waste reduction – reducing the  paper waste that goes to landfills.

3-bag-giveaway-june-2

June 5 ECO-GREAT GIVEAWAY

Wanna win?  Here’s how.  Just click here to subscribe to our mailing list.  Our current subscribers are entered automatically, so if you have not signed up yet, do so before noon on June 5th.

We’re planning on having regularly scheduled giveaways.  Ecorations green gift wraps and bags will always be a part of the prize, but we will also be including other green gifts.  We would love to hear what you would find valuable.

What would be your ideal green gift?

See Linda Cahan’s Presentation at the National Stationery Show in NY on Sunday, May 17th.

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Linda Cahan of Cahan and Company will be presenting “Going Green: Gradually & Gorgeously” at the National Stationery Show in New York City on Sunday.   Her presentation is designed to help retailers in the stationary & gift industry with ”greening” their displays and boosting green product sales.   One of the products on her recommended list will be Ecorations™ Fabric Gift Wraps and Bags.   It is encouraging to see that Ecorations™ products, and eco-friendly products in general, are becoming more popular with mainstream gift store retailers.   Thank you Linda for your support!

If you are going to be at the National Stationery Show, please consider sitting in on Linda’s presentation on Sunday at 12 noon.   She will be raffling off select Ecorations™ products!

Y’all, the green movement has come to “the South”!

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Ecorations participated in two Earth Day events in NC in April, one in the Winston Salem area and one in Durham.  Both Kathy and I were very pleasantly surprised to see that, while it’s not an overwhelming part of the southern culture (yet), it is picking up steam.  Both events were well organized.  They really did an impressive job at keeping it all very green - there were recycling and composting areas, there was little or no plastic allowed and there were many great booths aimed at teaching kids about the environment.   The best part…I think everyone had a great time!

We really do hope that the movement continues to strengthen here.  We spoke to a few vendors at the festivals and they all said that they saw more green vendors and more visitors to the event than last year (they may not have been buying much, but they were definitely browsing – and that’s a topic for another day).  We are very encouraged and hope to keep adding fuel to this movement with our eco-friendly bags & wraps and our corporate stewardship.

We encourage everyone to check out the plethora of goods and services that are available today that make a difference in preserving our natural resources and reducing waste.  We can all do our part, even if it’s in small ways!