Who Will You Cross Off Your List This Weekend?

November 10, 2009 at 3:55 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Products, Holidays, Portland area)

nov-056I hate to rub it in but I already have a closet full of Christmas gifts. We tend to keep the holidays pretty simple, buying small gifts that will last and have meaning. I shop throughout the year for our family and close friends, otherwise I’m a stress case come December.

You too can have a more relaxed December by getting some of your holiday shopping out of the way this weekend. Bambootique’s Fair Trade Holiday Trunk Show is THIS Saturday and Sunday at my home in Tualatin.  I’ve got hundreds of items to choose from, many brand new to Bambootique, including the addition of home decor items this year like placemats, coasters, trivets, and candle holders.  Other new items include scarves and handbags from India (the really cool kind with little mirrors!), beautiful Uganda beaded jewelry made from recycled paper (you’d never know it was paper), handmade Christmas cards and ornaments from Haiti, India, Honduras, Thailand and Cambodia, light cotton scarves from Guatemala, mosaic candle holders from South Africa, woven baskets from Rwanda, soaps from Zambia, hexagonal candles from Guatemala, new styles of bamboo purses and handmade stationery from Thailand, and even more.

So come, bring your friends, and make a big dent in that Christmas list. Not only will you be more relaxed come December but you’ll feel great about gifts that give back to artisans. On top of that 10% of all sales this weekend go to one of my favorite non-profits, Haiti Foundation of Hope.

What: 2 days of fabulous fair trade shopping for everyone on your list!

When: Saturday November 14th 10am-4pm
Sunday November 15th 1-5pm

Where: 17552 SW Shasta Trail, Tualatin, OR
(Bambootique owner Beth Sethi’s home)

  • Bring your friends!
  • Huge clearance section
  • Complimentary cookies and hot drinks
  • Play area for little ones while you shop
  • Free take-home samples of coffee, tea, chocolate and more!
  • 10% of all sales donated to Haiti Foundation of Hope

Questions? Contact me at beth@shopbambootique.com or 503-781-3244

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Holiday Trunk Show Three Weeks Away – And You’re Invited!

October 20, 2009 at 2:03 pm (Bambootique, Blog Specials, Eco-fashion, Events, Fair Trade Products, Haiti, Holidays, Portland area)

Jewelry-display

What: Bambootique’s 4th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Trunk Show

Two full days of fabulous fair trade shopping!

When: Saturday November 14th 10am-4pm
Sunday November 15th 1-5pm

Where: 17552 SW Shasta Trail, Tualatin, Oregon (Bambootique owner Beth Sethi’s home), 503-781-3244
View map

Who: You and all your closest friends, family and neighbors. Bring your girlfriends along to introduce them to everything you love about fair trade!

Messenger BagWhat: Two days of holiday shopping that makes a world of difference! This year’s trunk show features products from India, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Guatemala, Honduras, Togo, South Africa and more! Bambootique’s fair trade selection includes handbags, candles, scarves, skincare products, jewelry and handmade paper products, all made by women artisans in the developing world.  We’ll also have a fabulous selection of Christmas ornaments and nativities from Haiti, Afghanistan, Thailand and Peru.

Stuffed LlamasWe’ll have a fun play area to keep little ones busy while moms shop.

Other features of the show include fair trade freebies such as take-home samples of Strictly Organic Coffee, Kalahari tea and copies of The Conscious Consumer for every attendee. Plus don’t miss our incredible Clearance section, homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh fair trade coffees and teas, and great music!

Haiti Foundation of HopeThis year Bambootique is thrilled to partner with Haiti Foundation of Hope to support their community health program in Terre Blanche, Haiti. 10% of all sales from the trunk show will be donated to HFH. There will also be a selection of Haitian arts and crafts of which 100% of sales will support HFH’s excellent work.

This event is open to the public so please come and bring your friends!

Capture

Happy-Shoppers

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Bambootique Part of Mercy Corps’ New Action Center

October 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm (Bambootique, Events, Fair Trade Products, Portland area, Wholesale)

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Bambootique is thrilled to be participating in Mercy Corps‘ brand-new Action Center, scheduled to hold its grand opening this weekend, October 9 and 10. The Action Center gives visitors a peek into Mercy Corps’ worldwide relief and development work through hands-on interactive displays. It gives us all a chance we may not otherwise have to see how we can all participate in fighting global poverty. Part of the Action Center is a retail space selling fair trade and other ethically traded goods. That’s where you’ll find Bambootique!

After opening this weekend the Action Center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays. Visit the Action Center’s website for more details.  And be sure to check out all the fair trade goodies available while you’re there!

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Audited, Energetically

September 23, 2009 at 10:50 am (Caring for the Planet, Portland area, Saving Money)

IMG_2189Last week we were audited and it was great! In fact, we initiated the audit. No, I’m not talking about inviting the IRS into my home. I’m talking about an Home Energy Review from Energy Trust of Oregon.  Signing up for a home review has been on my mental to-do list for months. I finally got around to it after seeing our very high August electric bill thanks to our heatwaves.

At no cost to us Energy Trust sent James to spend an hour at our home measuring temperatures, crawling in the attic, examining window seals and generally figuring out where we can improve our home’s energy efficiency. They scheduled it at a time convenient for us and, unlike the cable guy, gave us a tight one-hour window of James’ arrival to which he was perfectly prompt.

Here’s what we learned through the process:

1) Our 4-year old home is quite energy efficient.  We have great insulation, efficient appliances and insulating window shades that help keep our home cool in summer and warm in winter.

2) Our water heater temp was a tad high so James turned it down just a few degrees, from around 128 to closer to 124. So far we haven’t noticed a difference in the shower temp in the morning and he said even a few degrees difference can save a few dollars.

3) Our flat screen TV uses 25W even when turned off. This is equivalent to running 2 compact florescent lightbulbs all the time. That amounts to only about $2/ month but, during times when we’re gone for a week or two, it makes sense to unplug the TV.

4) Our laptop computers are the same, using about 25W of electricity when in sleep mode (the mode we generally leave them in when we’re not using them). Instead James recommended we shut them down at night or even if we’ll be away from them for an hour or two. That should amount to savings of a few dollars a month as well.

5) James switched out 10 regular lightbulbs to CFLs for us. For free. As I recall from the last time I bought CFLs, they cost around $5 each so that’s a good $50+ of free lightbulbs.

6) James also noticed we did not have low-flow water aerators in our sinks or showers. He offered us free water aerators but, since his didn’t match ours, we opted instead to head to Home Depot and pick up aerators for a few bucks ourselves that match our hardware. Again we should see savings of a few dollars on water and electric bills for reducing our hot water usage, without noticing a difference in performance.

7) Much to my chagrin I learned that unplugging the toaster and Kitchenaid mixer does not result in any energy savings. Zip. Zero. Nada.  How many seconds of my life have I wasted unplugging both appliances when not in use? Even worse, how much goodwill in my marriage have I eaten up nagging my husband to do the same?  He was delighted when James tested both our toaster and mixer to inform us that, when plugged in but not in use, they use 0W of energy.  Who knew.

James also found a few spots where the ducts could be sealed better and gave us names of contractors to follow up with. He introduced us to the tax credits available for solar power, something that might be worth investigating for anyone who knows they’ll be in their home for 10 or 15 years. There are a boatload of state and federal tax credits available that make expensive solar systems much more affordable.

While we didn’t find any major ways to knock down our energy bills, it was reassuring to learn we’ve already done most everything we can to be energy efficient. And those little things James pointed out to us will help us save a few dollars here, a few more dollars there, all which adds up both in our pockets and in caring for the planet.

Have you had an energy audit of your home? What changes did you make as a result? Did you end up saving money?

If you haven’t had a Home Energy Review, give it a try. If you’re in Oregon contact Energy Trust. Elsewhere check with your local utility companies to see if something similar is available in your area (or move to Oregon).

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Beat That Heat Right Back Where It Belongs

July 28, 2009 at 2:33 pm (Portland area)

IMG_1411Portlanders looooove to whine about the heat. Boo hoo, it’s over 100 today. But really, who am I to judge? I’m sitting in my nicely air-conditioned 75 degree house with an icy cold glass of Hansen’s Root Beer. Yup, I confess I am using the A/C. Not exactly the “green” way to cool off, I know, but I do draw the line somewhere (generally when  my fellow Portlanders start to really complain, which is when the thermometer hits around, say, 81 degrees).

Actually though, the heat doesn’t bother me all that much. Really, I mean it. Yesterday I worked out in it, so there.  Our heat here is a dry heat so there’s not that horrible Midwest stickiness that means you can never cool off.  My husband and I justify our A/C because when Grace was a newborn her bedroom, which gets direct afternoon sun, would be at least 10 degrees hotter than whatever the outside temperature was (think 104 degree day, baby sleeping in 114 degree room – I kid you not).  So we got it installed and now are so grateful we did when the mercury climbs up and up and up in August.

I do what I can to help the A/C along – shutting all the blinds and windows in the house, keeping off lights and appliances – and we open our windows up at night to let the cooler night air in, although that’s not really going to happen this week with nighttime temperatures close to 80 degrees.

I’ve done my share of time without A/C though, including 2 1/2 years of high school in Australia where ceilings fans were the extent of cooling mechanisms at both home and school.  That polyester green school uniform did not help the temperature situation either.  So for anyone who’s still reading and not rolling their eyes at my use of A/C, here are my scorcher survival tips when you just can’t be someplace air-conditioned.

  • Keep an icy cold water bottle or other beverage always close at hand (Hansen’s diet root beer does the trick for me, as does Japanese mugi-cha).
  • Stay in the shade.
  • Shave your legs (I swear it makes you feel cooler).
  • Take a cold bath (great place to do the above).
  • Have a fan blowing directly on you.
  • Eat cold foods – salads, sushi, and of course ice cream. If you’re already sweaty, greasy food makes you just feel worse.
  • Run in the sprinkler or jump in a wading pool with your little ones.

My fellow Portland bloggers over at Enviromom and Urbanmamas have some other great tips to keep your cool when the temperatures are blazing. What are you doing to stay cool on this hottest week of summer?

Excuse me now, I’m off to actually go outside…to go to the ice cream shop.

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$3/ Month? For Kids I Can Do That

July 22, 2009 at 2:17 pm (Caring for the Poor, Healthcare, In the News, Portland area)

The Oregon State legislature just passed a whole slew of new taxes to cover funding gaps across the state. One that caught my eye (or ear actually, since I was listening to NPR) is an approved new tax on health insurance premiums to provide healthcare for Oregon’s uninsured children.  According to the story, the average privately insured Oregonian (such as my family) will pay $3/ month on top of their healthcare premiums. As my friend Jordan pointed out, that’s one latte from Starbucks.  Ouch.

So far there is no organized oppostion to the tax, which amazes me in this tax-phobic state. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love higher taxes anymore than the next person. Whether or not this new tax lowers overall health costs, as proponents for it argue, we should provide healthcare for all children no matter what it costs us. A society that denies a basic human right such as healthcare for its most vulnerable citizens is truly heartless but sadly, that’s what we have become.  It gladdens my heart to see an idea put forward that will ensure all kids, not just certain kids,will be able to get their basic health needs met. I for one can go with one less latte each month.

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A Plug For Sunday Parkways

July 20, 2009 at 1:43 pm (Biking, Events, Portland area)

My daughter Grace and I played hooky from church yesterday and joined thousands of other Portlanders for July’s Sunday Parkways event in NE Portland. What a blast!  We parked at Wilshire Park, I popped Grace in the bike trailer, and we took off on the 7-mile loop of residential streets closed to all car traffic for the day. There were plenty of people to make it fun and lively but it was spread out enough that there were few traffic jams and we kept a good pace most of the time.

The loop connected three beautiful parks – Wilshire, Fernhill and Alberta – and at each park there was food, live entertainment, playgrounds and info booths from various companies and organizations.  Of course we made a beeline for the food booths. Grace and I shared a plate of Nepali noodles (delish!) and a peanut butter cookie. I ate more of the former, she of the latter.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a warm summer morning and I’m so glad these events are once a month in the summer. The next one in Portland is August 16th and will be through my favorite part of the city, SE Portland.  You can join in the fun by bike, scooter, skateboard, unicycle or by foot, basically any mode of transportation except car.  It’s a great way to explore the city in a way we don’t normally get to and discover in a new way how diverse and lovely Portland really is.

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Portland Fair Trade Blog

June 25, 2009 at 2:29 pm (Fair Trade Products, Portland area)

CaptureSomething new is brewing for fair trade in Portland and I’m not talking about that delicious coffee over at Stumptown. Lois Gearhart, manager of our city’s Ten Thousand Villages store, is keeping a Portland Fair Trade blog to bring the fair trade community together.  Check it out to see what’s new in fair trade in Portland, how you can get involved and who else is talking about fair trade. Thanks Lois and all the bloggers at Portland Fair Trade for keeping us up to date on such important issues!

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Crazy Coupon Shopping

June 3, 2009 at 3:58 pm (Caring for the Planet, Portland area, Saving Money, Sustainable Food)

Today I saved $254.65 on my family’s weekly groceries!  However did you manage that? I hear you ask.  It took a lot of prep, two hours of shopping at two different grocery stores, lots of bribing Grace, plus a trip through the Burgerville drive-thru on the way home. My deeply discounted purchases included organic beef, wild caught salmon, organic fruit and vegetables and organic milk, and I saved big on every single one.

Before I tell you how I did it, let me tell you who inspired me. I read this article in our local paper a few months ago about Louise Jaffe, a local coupon guru who regularly saves 75% off her grocery bill just by shopping smart. She blogs about it so I turned to her site for advice last week to see if I could do the same while still shopping sustainably.

I’ve always been a coupon clipper from the paper but now I’ve gone hardcore, at least this week.  First I perused my Sunday Oregonian for grocery store ads and manufacturer’s coupons.  I compared what was on sale at different stores to my grocery list and made a list for each store.  I chose to focus on just two stores as I knew my schedule (and sanity) couldn’t accomodate more. I chose Safeway and Thriftway since they’re both reasonably close and had the best prices on the things I needed.

My list for each store was made almost entirely of items on sale at that store that I needed. I also found I had a number of matching manufacturer’s coupons plus both stores offer double coupons. On top of that, both stores offered $10 off your order of $50 or more this week through coupons in the paper.  I stocked up on items that were really, really cheap and would store or freeze easily.

Here are some examples of my favorite deals today:

Safeway

  • Buy one, get one free on organic blueberries and organic grape tomatoes (neither available yet in the farmers’ market but both coming soon to our yard!)
  • Wild Atlantic salmon for $9.99/ pound. I bought 5 pounds, had the butcher wrap each pound separately for easy thawing and froze them all.
  • The clearance section was full of organic beef tenderloin at 50% off. I bought four packs (about 10 pounds worth $76) for $38. It’s all in the freezer.

Thriftway

  • Organic Valley milk is on sale for $3.69. I printed off $1 off coupons from Organic Valley’s website (you can print the coupon up to two times) plus used double coupons to get a total $1.50 off each half gallon, or $2.19/ half gallon.
  • Kettle chips are on sale 3 for $5  or $1.69 each. I was kicking myself for not having anymore $1 off coupons from the Chinook book. If I had I could have doubled them for 50 cents more off (the max Thriftway will double a coupon) and paid $0.19/ bag. Alas I did not have any more but $1.69 is still a great price.
  • While not organic, I did save really big on my husband’s favorite Raisin Bran Crunch cereal. The Thriftway insert in Sunday’s paper had a coupon for buy 3/get 3 free. Then I had 3 manufacturer’s coupons totaling $3.50 off. My double coupon gave me another $1.50 off. All 6 boxes cost a total of $7 or $1.25/ box. He’ll be happy with that for quite a while while I enjoy my Barbara’s Shredded Spoonfuls.

My total bill between the two stores was still higher than a normal weekly shopping bill.  After all the savings I still spent $228.44. However we’re now stocked up on really nice meat and fish for at least 2-3 weeks. We’re also headed to the beach with friends this weekend so my bill included several meals for 12.

I don’t think I could shop this way every week but I don’t think I’ll have to to still save big. If I do crazy coupon shopping (my new moniker for it) every 2-3 weeks I can stock up on canned goods, cereal and meats I can freeze when they’re on sale. We’re growing a lot of berries and veggies and buying the rest of our produce at the farmers’ market so I figure I can shop there weekly for fresh items.  Now that I know how much money I can save if I just put some thought into it, I’m pretty sure I’m hooked.

I’d love to hear what deals you’ve found and how you manage to save money for your family while shopping for sustainable foods. What do you do? Have you tried this kind of crazy coupon shopping and does it work for you?

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Going Green With Baby Book Signing in Beaverton – June 13th

June 1, 2009 at 3:29 pm (Books, Caring for the Planet, Events, Green Baby, Green Kids, Health Families, Portland area)

41kuwbjbgul_sl160_1 If you’re a mom concerned about living green with and for the sake of a little one, you have to get a hold of Melissa Moog’s new book Itsabelly’s Guide To Going Green With Baby. I’ve blogged before about what a complete guide it is to being an eco-friendly eco-mom. Now you can get a signed copy of the book, meet Melissa in person (she’s really great), and enter for a chance to win a $400 stroller from Baby Planet.  Here’s the full scoop:

EVENT:

Itsabelly’s How to Choose Safe Baby Products Event
Saturday, June 13th at 11:00 am
Barnes & Noble Tanasbourne, 18300 NW Evergreen Parkway, Beaverton
Local author Melissa Moog, author of Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby will offer simple and practical Baby Safe Tips including:

* Shopping tips & reviews on safe & eco-friendly baby products
* How to go green without breaking the bank
* Tips about organic and natural family living

Raffle drawing for $500 in eco-friendly baby products (Stroller System, Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift etc.)

Refreshments provided by New Seasons.

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