Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Eco Friendly Vegan Dog and Cat Products

Delta talks about her products, note the pet bed (below) made from recycled soda bottles!

Living life by going greener, wanting to be "eco friendly" doesn't have to just be for the humans in your household. What about your furry friends?  Eco Dogs And Cats, a pet website run by Delta Farrington, who has been a true vegan for over 27 years decided to launch her own business offering products she would use.  None of the products are made in China. She was featured on this Youtube video (above) talking a about the various items she offers that are eco friendly for dogs and cats. 
Dog or Cat Eco Bed by west paw
This pet bed uses recycled soda bottles for the (inside) stuffing.  The outside is organic cotton. See it here.



Vegan Dog and Cat Food

Vegan cat and dog food kibbles available here.

One thing a pet owner can rest assured knowing is none of the products come from China.   The Ami pet food, which is a kibble vegan dog or cat food free of GMO's or slaughterhouse biproducts is made in Italy and for the first time available in the USA ! You'll find dog toys are made from Hemp and unlike mass produced unsafe products you'll know what your friends are chewing on.   



Organically Grown Cat Nip
Organically grown cat nip is free of toxic chemicals, sprays, so your furry feline is safe from unpleasant chemical effects. Packaged in these pretty tins.
Eco Dogs and Cats


Delta says, I practice what I preach. My cat Simba has been a vegan since we adopted her and my dog Hannah for 10 years. Our household, including our three animal companions, eat natural and organic, humane and cruelty free, vegan foods."

Go there now--> 
EcoDogsandCats.com

Editors note: Although the article is our own and we've chosen our favorite items from Eco Dogs and Cats, this is a sponsored post. 

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Save Energy Odor Killing Bulbs Go Green

Odor Killing Bulbs kill germs too!
Odor Killing Bulbs Kill Germs too. 

Save Energy with these new bulbs!  Check this out for an odor free house . This is interesting, those with pets, germs and messy smells can now get a new bulb that eliminates odors.

Now , these compact fluorescent bulbs are approved by the FDA and said to kill germs and bacteria as well as MRSA, swine and bird flu! How does one bulb do this? It saves energy and gives your home or office a smaller greenhouse foot print.

According to the website, the odor killing bulbs actually santize the air by killing microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold spores and nasty dust mites without having to use spray or harmful chemicals.

They are coated with a sanitized next generation coating which decomposes the organisms.

More info:  

Read about them here to get an odor free house. 
Or, buy them here.


SaniBulb™ Air Sanitizer CFL Bulbs
EcoSmart | EnergySmart | HealthSmart
KILLS Deadly Viruses & Bacteria
DESTROYS Toxic Pollutants & Allergens
ELIMINATES Tough Unpleasant Odors
IMPROVES Indoor Air Quality & Health
SAVES Money & Lasts 10x Longer
REDUCES 75% Energy & Footprint
FIGHTS Pollution & Global Warming
PROVIDES Instant Flicker Free Light


Saturday, January 31, 2015

Woodsy Decor for the Nature Lover Tree Hugger

MarkedCo Woods Decal
Found on MarkedCo.com  this woodsy decal adds depth to the wall for $28.00,


If you love the woods, nature walks or just love to hike, we've found the best natural decor ideas for you. All from crafters who sell on Etsy (some also in their own stores) at affordable prices.  Above we have a great "Pleasure in the woods" decal from Karen Simpson, who sells on Etsy but also direct at MarkedCo.com.  She handmakes her decals and feel that instead of spending tons of money on paint.

Pine Tree Print


Vintage Pine Tree Print from Etsy , TheBlackVinyl $15

The print above is reprinted on eco friendly paper taken from an 1800's print. This would look great hanging in your home to give a woodsy feel. 

Birch Log Pillow from Etsy
Plantillo Birch Log Pillows $60


The log pillows above are what happens when Sabine Herrman takes nature photography and turns them into functional items.  Hunting down cool things with her camera in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, you never know what may turn into something decorative and that you can rest your head on!
Lakehouse Sign on Etsy


Lake House Sign , Benchmark Custom Signs $39.95

Cool lake signs can adorn your home handmade in a variety of woods (ie: Custom Sign) from Benchmark Custom Signs on Etsy. They started some time ago making great signs on high quality woods. Phil has the fastest ship time on Etsy and don't be fooled by imitations.  A variety of sizes and styles can be great for inside the home or outside, to welcome people to your cottage!

Eco Friendly Childs Blanket Etsy

From masacoche shop, $65 repurposed kids blanket

We love the eco friendly repurposed wool blanket for your child in retro colors, adorned with cute woodsy animals sure to please!  Not to mention would go with any cottage or natural decor in great hues and earthy tones!

Reclaimed Wood Desk
Reclaimed Wood Desktop $500 FreshRestorations

Old floorboards have been restored into a variety of desktops and tabletops by Fresh Restorations, in Bound Brook New Jersey.   This could prove as a functional workspace, tabletop or focal point in your shabby home!


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Got Beef? Explains Manufacturing Approval On Etsy

got beef brand
How a T-Shirt is made if you aren't a screenprinter 

Green Lifestyle: Etsy Manufacturing Approval?

I won't forget the day Etsy sellers heard that third party manufacturing processes could be submitted for approval. Many sellers cringed at the idea since Etsy was always so small scale handmade....a crafter's dream come true. List your items for under a quarter and go with it.  

I used to have an Etsy shop, but I don't anymore. Granted, I shop on Etsy, love Etsy, and I lurk quietly in the forums.   Being a good Etsian,  I won't "call out" , but there happened to be some questionable jewelry resellers for years and that's pretty much what happened to me.  I had a good design, but my items were priced so much higher, than the other shop. They took me so much time to make, and well, the shop in question listed so many more items than me and were always showing so high in results, one day I found my own design there! My little shop sort of fizzed out and died.  Could I have stayed and worked on my shop? Maybe. I didn't have time for all that. Half my fault for giving up.  For a long time I refused to buy a mass produced item. I hated commercial manufacturing processes and thought them the same as resellers. UNTIL NOW.   I look at things differently.

There's three types of reasons I am highlighting below, that I for one am glad Etsy approved their manufacturing processes. 

Candy Wrappers
Shop: With Envy Parties, You can get these printed, or printable. 


#1 Case Study 

Original Design Gone Good : Etsy Makes Someone A Star Example : WithEnvyParties

Location: Oregon

Shop Keeper: Anitria, Mom of 2, Who Loves Caffiene

Items: Printables, Printed Materials and Everything You Need for a Party!

One example would be Anitria who is a graphic artist. She opened her shop on Etsy in June 2013. Now at January 2015, just a year and a half later, she's almost at 3000 sales.  She offers downloads that are printable.

For someone like me that doesn't have a clue what I'm doing, ordering the print version is much better.  Her cute and quirky designs are simply adorable, and she can print some things off herself. However, Anitria doesn't want to get into gluing together paper to make a notepad so she she decided to partner in with a local print shop so that she could offer these same adorable designs on notepads and stationary  to her customers at an affordable prices, better than if she spend hours trying to do it herself. It's still her designs on the items, and you bet your bottom dollar that Anitria is on top of that from start to finish, quality control checking to make sure her original designs are stunning.

THANK YOU ETSY!

got beef? tshirt
Got Beef? tshirt in BigFatDaddys hop


Case Study # 2  

Company Add Ons :  Creative Control of Your Brand   BigFatDaddys "Got Beef?"®

Location: Pennsylvania

Shop Keeper: Wayne & Cindy

Items: Hand Blended Spice, Apparel, Housewares

Wayne Schafer is a well known Pitmaster who travels selling his beef and BBQ and catering for celebrities.  What you may not know is that he and his wife also own the "got beef? ®" trademark on clothing and housewares as Wayne has used it for years.  Seeing that Wayne is a chef and cook and not a screenprinter, creating t-shirts for his company, would not be possible without outside help.

In this scenario, the Schafers are  indeed mom and pop with kids as pit crew.  Schafer fought the plethora of online of resellers who were using got beef? without licensing, and shut down thousands of listings per month spending lots of time and money to protect their brand, more than they make on selling it.  To them it's not about how many shirts , hats, hoodies, cups, or mugs they sell, but the quality of said products and their own reputation.


got beef tshirt design
A scribble made this shirt, for real.

Schafer's wife Cindy creates the designs, which change each year as old styles are phased out and new are created. Sometimes these starts with a scribble and a vision.  She picks the color palettes and mocks up a design for the final job.  All the while, keeping in mind her husband's ties to the brand, which can be traced back to his former restaurant. In this example, she wants a cow or bull on the shirt. Lucky for them, they have two great printing companies they have been working with for years of which were approved.

got beef swatches
These are swatches the print company helped with on the last run.

Wayne's wife Cindy says, "The print company works with me personally on all my designs. He actually sends me swatch samples to my Iphone and we discuss different styles. I may be hooked on a color and style that isn't compatible, but I mull it over and Tyler will find a way to make it work.  I actually feel like he's part of our process. We go back and forth on shirt styles and colors, and I know I talk his ear off. One shirt I design can literally take five or six proofs as I'm super picky.  He tells me what can and can't happen. We push the bar on designs, for instance, the got beef? this year on our unisex shirts is going way out of usual printable range. We wanted it to be huge, in your face, and that's what we got."

got beef girls tshirt
 How a Scribble Became a Reality

The Schafers feel good knowing they have ways to design and build their products with the help of a manufacturer. When the shirts come in, they make and apply their own hang tags, which are all handmade. They control their own inventory and do their own shipping.

You won't see their shirts flying off the shelves. Original Got Beef?® items range about $28-$32 a shirt, on the high end range. Schafer sells them on the road, and several places online. Cheaper knock offs and variations on the internet sell for half, and the Schafers  have an uphill battle.

In fact, they refuse to make any mugs this year until the existing are off the market.  In this case Etsy has allowed these items to be made with the help of a third party manufacturer.

THANK YOU ETSY!
etsy shop photographer cindi ressler
Cindi Ressler Fine Art Photography on a Pillow

Case Study #3 

Expansion of Your Brand : Photographer Offers Purses : Cindi Ressler

Location: Maine

Shop Keeper:  Cindi, Fine Art &Nature Photographer

Items: Photographs, Prints, Jewelry, Pillows and Bags

Cindi's photography is stunningly beautiful, and why shouldn't she expand and offer these items onto pillows and purses?   Cindi can print and do her own prints, jewelry, etc but as far as proper application onto a pillow or bag- best to get a third party in to help.  Obviously, they are using her original art, and Cindi looks over the finished product for approval before sending it to her customers. In this case, the squirrel on the pillow is simply fascinating, and a good seller in her store, and how cute he is.

THANK YOU ETSY!

On Etsy: Manufacturing Process Approval
I am nuts about this pillow in the Cindi Ressler shop.



------------------

About Etsy Approval 

Going for Etsy approval in most cases is a lengthy process.  It's not just point, click, approve.  For one, getting approval doesn't take overnight, it can take weeks, or even months.

Etsy has the right to ask for photographs, pictures, and follow up with your manufacturers if they want. In this case sellers must be able to prove they are involved in the creative design process from start to finish and provide examples.  Photos are sometimes needed to prove you are doing what you say.

Maybe this will give you a new outlook on Manufacturing.  What do you think?  Tweet comments to me @AndreaMLitton



Sunday, April 27, 2014

Crocheted Toys with Bamboo Blend Jubel Handmade

jubel handmade butterfly eco friendly
$14.29 Crocheted Butterfly Toy

eco friendly elephant on etsy in wool

Crocheted Elephant, $28.57

Two girls in Austrailia are making crocheted toys. Not only are they cute and adorable, but they are made with environmentalism in mind. The yard is a cotton/bamboo blend and fibre filling. Karina & Hannah say their designs are " made to last with eco friendly materials. We aim to start making accessories in the near future..."

Find them at Jubel Handmade. 



Saturday, March 30, 2013

Low Calorie Tips for Holiday and Everyday

vintage calories diet exercise from SewKnotMe
Vintage Calorie Linen on Etsy at SewKnotMe
Diets , Calories, Over-Eating, and Holidays

Are you one of those folks who say "Oh no, a big dinner at Uncle Steve's" and worry about overeating on the holiday, instead of enjoying the family get togethers and celebrating the holidays?  You aren't alone. Most of us worry just the same.

Here's a few slenderizing tips to help you:

  • Don't go on an empty stomach. Starving yourself all day isn't going to curb your craving or make you eat any less. In fact you are doing worse for your body. You are telling your body to store those fat calories instead of burn them!
  • Eat small portions and eat often. It's a proven fact that if you nibble throughout the day, this help burn calories and boost metabolism. 
  •  If you want dessert, eat it, but cut the portion in half or thirds. Sometimes is really is mind over matter. Having that little nibble rather than none may fill you up more so than if you weren't having it at all. 
  • Drink lots of water, skip the sodas and sugary beverages. Sodium in the low-calorie sodas may fuel your appetite and thirst, whereas water will fill you up a bit quicker and help flush your system. Too much salt can mess with your blood pressure and fluid retention...who needs that?
recycled blender industrialrewind on etsy
Look at this Recycled Blender by IndustrialRewind on Etsy. Can't make shakes but can see at night!
Shake This 

You may also want to change over to a low-calorie diet shake diet a few days before or after the "big meal".  Find the diet shakes that help you increase nutrients, and "good carbs".  Now don't go blending up tons of sugary sweets and ice cream and think you are doing something.  There is a very important balance between having enough carbs, having too many carbs, and not enough carbs. Finding the happy medium is key--to ensure your body is burning the stored (fat) carbs but still obtaining important nutrients.
Shake that Weight
VLCD Shakes : Here is a fine balance of low calorie and "good for you" shakes.

Leave it up to the professionals.  Many shakes that say "low calorie" are high in carbs and calories and that you don't want. Some low calorie shakes really taste like chalk, and you can't suffer through that. Do your product research first.  Products such as VLCD Shakes have gotten very good diet shake reviews . It's a very low calorie diet shake taken 3 times a day as a meal replacement but then you still eat one meal a day.

Beware of: 
  • Diet plans that don't allow you to eat
  • Shakes that are high in caloric content.
  • Shakes loaded with sugar or carbs. 
  • Shakes that suggest you do nothing, when exercise is always a plus!



Thanks