Hi Green Thinkers!  Remember our friends at Rapanui? Check out the press release below on their recently  received RSPCA Good Business Award.  For the American readers out there the RSPCA is comparable to our ASPCA to help prevent cruelty to animals, they are just located over the pond in England & Wales.

Rapanui Win Highly Commended Award at the RSPCA Good Business Awards

Rapanui has won a highly commended prize at the annual RSPCA good business awards for their contribution to sustainability, animal welfare policy and for fulfilling their ethos of ‘doing business the right way’.

 The brand, founded by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 aims to make eco fashion cool and to inspire people to make changes to their wider lifestyle by being open and honest about their supply chain. In response to the current state of the clothing industry they say that “It’s not that people don’t care, it’s just that they don’t know” and have designed an innovative Traceability tool and Eco-labelling initiative, aiming to inform and inspire people to go green by making it easy to find out where their clothing comes from and how it is made, “helping people shop quickly, with a conscience.”

The RSPCA chooses expert judges for their awards ceremony, including Wayne Hemmingway, co-founder of Red or Dead.

“…there is a real commitment within the industry to improve animal welfare, and it’s reassuring to see big brands at the forefront of this change.”  Mr. Hemmingway said.

The brothers have already won the 2010 Sustainable Business Awards, a finals place at Enterprise UK’s Enterprising Young Brits and a nomination for next year’s ISPO Brand New Award. They hope their recognition at the RSPCA Good Business Awards will inspire other young people to consider entrepreneurship. Now 25 and 23 respectively, Rob and Martin Drake-Knight founded their company with £200 of savings and are now listed on the Future 100 list of top young entrepreneurs.

“We hope our business can inspire other young people, even if they have no job and no money, that they can be a success too – whether you wear a suit or flip flops”

Find out more about traceability and Rapanui at: http://www.rapanuiclothing.com/eco

About Rapanui:

Rapanui is about making cool eco-fashion for young people; that means clothing that is eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable: Made from natural organic fabrics in a Fairwear Foundation audited, wind powered factory. Through surfing the brothers saw and experienced the changing environment and climate at their local beach and as inspired, unemployed graduates in a recession, they took a different path; if you can’t find a job, make one.

Rapanui has held Seminars and Lectures at UK and EU universities and multinational companies such as Centrica PLC on Sustainable Business and sit on the Panel at Plymouth University’s All our Future Conference.

Rapanui has made bespoke versions of its clothing for multinationals and charities including Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and the Marine Conservation Society.

Rapanui was set up by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 with £200 of savings and was listed in the Top 100 Startups of 2008. Rob and Martin are listed on the Future 100 List of Top young Entrepreneurs and were recently finalists in Enterprise UK’s Young Brits awards. Rapanui was the youngest company to win the Sustainable Business Awards in May 2010 and has recently been nominated for the internationally-recognised ISPO Brand New Award.

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It is that time again, we are packing up the family and relocating. 

The place we are renting now has tons of character & served its purpose when we needed to downsize, but now we have Rigby (who is growing like crazy!) and we are back on our feet to upgrade a little.

Even though we are upgrading from one bedroom to two, we really don’t need a lot of things – and that is the point of this post.  Our current place has a total bohemian feel to it – intricate prints against eclectic furnishings, a whole mix match that actually coordinates; and I love it!  The new place has a different feel to it though, a more sophisticated, elegant vibe is what I get.  Like I said, we don’t need new things, those things just need a new look!  Maybe even a new purpose!

Follow along in the next coming weeks to see how we are taking some of our old things and giving them a new life, and in turn, feeling like we have some totally new gear without the cost!  I must say, I am very thankful to have 2 dedicate assistants in this process – for one, they will keep me grounded as I tend to get carried away, for second, nothing is more fun than having someone to keep you company while working on projects!

Project #1:  Tea Cart turned Entertainment Center turned Sleek Bar

As you can see, this tea cart has been turned into our entertainment center.  It has a super cool vintage feel to it, but that just won’t cut it in our new digs. 

The Plan: 1) Refinish it to a darker color wood or paint it with a textured color.  2) Change out the drawer pulls with some funky, but classy looking knobs  3) Add a funky wine rack to the inside shelf with some cool glassware. 4) Wheel around from kitchen to livingroom as needed for a unique buffet/bar!

Project #2:  Reuhpholster a Sentimental Seat

This chair has a sentimental feeling to it, it is the first piece of furniture my hunny gave me & he found it at a garage sale.  As you can see, it too has a super vintage feel to it, which I want to keep – just with darker wood & a funky printed fabric.

The Plan: 1) Restain the arms & legs to a dark wood (similar to that of the tea cart). 2) Create a slip cover to give a new look and feel to a super cool seat!  The fabric I am considering has some bright vibrant colors and intricate patterns to bring a lively pop to the solid colors of the room while keeping a vintage feel with a sophisticated look.

Another option would be to repurpose your old comforters or draperies to cover your old chairs!

Like I said, stay tuned to see how these projects actually turn out

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Do you have something you want to swap?  Do you have something you need?

XX…….XX…….XX

Got to Swapmamas.com.  This is an online community dedicated to swapping goods.  How it works is:  You post what you have in one of the various channels, and you look for what you want.  You can only swap or gift on this site – no $$$ no paypals and all shipping coordination takes place offline.  Rules have it that the giver pays the shipping deal.  Easy-peasy, green & fun!

What I love about this is that it goes with the GTB philosophies of not buying new when you can get something used in perfect condition, plus, you create a sense of harmony by the people you meet through your transactions, and it make the old cliches true: What goes around comes around; One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

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Today, September 13th, marks Chocolate Day in honor of Milton Hershey‘s birthday, founder of Hershey Chocoloate.  Let me just say, besides being a serious lover of chocolate, I feel I might owe a little gratitude to Mr. Hershey for all the fantastic memories in my childhood including: Halloween, Girls Scout camping s’mores, getting my first (Hershey) ‘Kiss,’ … well, you get the point.

Today, while I may not pay particular tribute to Mr. Hershey’s products, I am paying tribute to his fanstatic product – chocolate. Ah, that delicious concoction from the cocoa bean.  And these particular blogs feature some organic mixes:

CHOCO-BLOG by Gnosis Chocolate

My friend, Laurel, introduced our group to Gnosis Chocolate while she was training to become a certified Health Counselor.  She brought back a tasty little morsel that melted in my mouth and changed my view of all things chocolate: it can be tasty, organic, vegan & kosher all in one. I love this excerpt from their blog ...I have a weird and wonderful father and since the earliest I can remember, he quoted Latin at me. One of his favorites was degustibus non disputandum est, which translates to, “In matters of taste there can be no dispute.” …Each of us is possessed with our own individual sense of taste and smell, and our innate senses are honed by our environment – where we grew up and what we ate as children…

DAGODA’S SWEET & SAVORY CHOCOLATE - Dagoda Chocolate by Organic Authority

Chocolate doesn’t only have to be sweet, it can be savory too!  Such a versatile tasty little morsel …Dagoba uses the finest organic aromatic cocoa beans from Latin America and the Caribbean, shade-grown and harvested with environmental sustainability in mind. The company is perhaps best known for its tantalizing chocolate bars, which are nothing like the typical offerings you’ll find on a natural foods candy display…

CHAM-PLAINLY HEALTHLY CHOCOLATE

The blog at Lake Champlain Chocolates  shares some of the excellent health benefits of organic chocoloate, so go ahead, enjoy a piece…or two. …First, cocoa, the main component in chocolate, contains Phytochemicals called flavonoids also found in red wine, green tea, and fruits and vegetables. Flavanoids contain antioxidants, which are beneficial in that they block arterial damage caused by free radicals. Flavonoids are also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Chocolate contains stearic acid, which is a neutral fat that does not raise bad cholesterol and a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association also shows that dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure and improve insulin resistance.
 

How could I not share a recipe to end this week’s blog carnival?  THANK YOU GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE!

How do Chocolate Brazil Soft-Baked Cookies sound to you?

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Brazil Cookies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bran
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 3 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa content, roughly chopped
• 3 ounces milk chocolate, preferably 34% cocoa content, roughly chopped
• 2 ounces brazil nuts, chopped (about ½ cup)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder once, returning the bran to the sifted flour, then fold it into the mixture. The bran gives a distinctive flavor and texture to the cookies. Beat well, adding the vanilla extract and enough milk to make a pliable dough. Mix it with your hands, adding the milk in stages until the dough is fairly soft, but not sticky. Add the chopped chocolate, and nuts, and distribute evenly through the dough. Roll out onto a 

lightly floured board to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Press out the cookies using the cookie cutter and place them on a greased cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room in between cookies.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes until just golden around the edge but still soft. Leave the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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One of my very bestest buds is Laurel at Laurel on Health Food, and her birthday is coming up right around the corner.  I know she has a great appreciation for food (obviously, & just like me) but it is kinda hard to ship food for a birthday present…

…she also loves things that have a consideration for the Earth (just like me )  No need to wonder why we are friends. hehe

Anyway, for this birthday season, I wanted to get her a gift that was useful, beautiful, and good for the Earth.  I decided on rainboots.  Not only are they super – functional, they are getting super cute and fashionable – 2 of my nonnegoitable criteria. The only thing now, was to figure out how to make this purchase eco-friendly. Turns out that wasn’t too difficult at all!

I picked out a pair of Kamik rainboots in the Heather style to fit her fun personality.  Best thing, Kamik encourages the rainboots to be reused after you have outgrown your interest, or if you must, recycle them!  Simply wipe ‘em down & drop in the mailbox.

From yesterday:

How much more CO2 does a Hummer H2 release than a Toyota Prius?

3.  7x!

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Today I got a little bit of sunshine delivered to my desk. 

For helping out a partner of ours with an article, I was generously rewarded with a little gift of  Good Karmels.  5 little homely-made carmels with delicious tastes like vanilla, chipolte,  and sea salt, wrapped up in a fortune and place in a recycled plywood box. 

I was intrigued, and visited their site for more info.  Turns out, this ‘company started off as a holiday gift from a home kitchen and the creative genious of some family and friends and has grown into “Oprah-favorite” proportions.

These tasty little morsels are made out of all-natural ingredients (for real, I could pronounce everything I read on the label); and the philosophy of the company is what really brought me the little spot of sunshine: “Believing that giving back to the Earth is the ultimate good karma, we donate a portion of all sales to environmental charities. In addition, we strive for earth-friendly packaging, choosing either recyclable or reusable containers produced from renewable resources.”

That is what I call Good Karma-mel.

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Ms. Rigby

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There are some fantastic mommy green blogs out there -  Nature Mom’s Blog, EcoMama’s Guide,   The Green Mom Review, and Mom’s Best Bets - but in honor of Father’s Day I wanted to showcase some of those pops who are up on the eco-friendly scene with their little ones.  Not for nothing, but this has been relatively difficult research to conduct, and it seems to be because dads who write daddy blogs are just happy to write about everything fatherhood. 

Here are some of the daddy blogs I found that I think are just great – some with an eco-focus, some just a daddy focus!

Natural Papa Green Daddy. Check out his post on Eco Frugal Life Guide for Green Tips.

Thingamababy Daddy Focus.  This one cracks me up!  My particular favorite recent post is the Revenge of Father’s Day.

The Dirtbag Dad Diaries Daddy Focus.  Just a good Dad who loves the outdoors, our Mother Earth.

Do you know of another great daddy blog – green or not? Leave us a comment, tweet us @greenthinking, or send us an email at greenthinkinggtb@gmail.com.

Wishing you all a Happy Father’s Day!

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To all those mom’s out there:  Thank you for everything you do.

It is with your dedication to us that we are able to create good habits to protect the mother that nurtures us all, Mother Earth.

Today, think about giving your Mom something for her to know how important she is to you:

1. The gift of organic seasoning:  Consider taking the time to get your mom a little herb garden with several herbs from your local farmer’s market.  Be sure to get some mint, Mom is probably prone to drinking Mojitos after raising you!  
2. Clean out her garage:  If your mom is like my mom, she could always use an extra hand.  Moms are always busy taking care of everyone else and trying to maintain consistency amongst chaos, why not lend your hand to helping her complete a project she hasn’t had a chance to get to yet?
3. Is your mom one of those who has everything?  In that case, consider a donation in her name to her favorite charity! Charity Navigator and JustGive.org are two online sources you can locate this charity and make a donation online.  If you don’t know her favorite charity, consider finding one in a category that suites her taste – from animals to environment to kids, huh, there are so many to choose from!

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I was just browsing today on Etsy.com in hopes of finding a unique and fantastical wedding gift for a pal of mine overseas.  Browsing on this site can get dangerous for me…

What I came across was something so ingenious I had to share :

Some people throw rice at their weddings (not good for animals), some people blow bubbles (not necessarily good for the environment) – now you can carry Organic Bird Seed treats! In the shape of a bird! or a heart! or initials! or whatever you want! They can even hang from the tree so you won’t have to do anything but make the tree look more gorgeous! Just don’t forget to go back and pick up the ribbon, or they offer a sustainable hemp ribbon as an option.

This great idea was the brain child of  2 Birds in Love, and they hand-make each seed treat.  2 Birds in Love  also has their own website up and running, Check it Out: http://www.2birdsinlove.com.

So, while I may not be sending this as the wedding gift – you can bet your bottom dollar I will be sharing the idea at every ceremony I attend. You should too!

Thanks for reading!

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