We all start out the school year with lofty goals for our kids’ packed lunches (not to mention our own!) but it’s been a few weeks, and we’ve all hit a rut. But before you fall back on packaged snacks, give these whole foods packed lunch ideas a whirl. They’re fast, they’re easy, and best of all, you can pack the same thing for everyone in the family.

1. The Classic: Sandwich, Veggie and Dip, and Fruit

This lunch idea falls back on the old classic you grew up with, with a few modern twists. Start with a sandwich: swap out that white sandwich loaf mom used with a healthier organic bread. You can either make your own (this vegan spelt bread is to die for) or choose your favorite store-bought or bakery bread.

Sandwich the slices around a simple filling made of healthy, whole food ingredients. Here are just a few of our favorite combos:

• Organic roast turkey with mustard
• Hummus and alfalfa sprouts
• Organic beets and goat cheese
• Organic cashew butter and raw honey

Next, throw in a baggie of carrot sticks, a fresh organic apple, and a little container of hummus, nut butter, or tahini, and you’re ready to go.

2. Rice or Grain Salad

Rice or grain salads are a great way to use up leftovers from the night before. When you’re making dinner, make a habit of cooking up a pot of rice, quinoa, or spelt, and toss it with a bit of oil, butter, or vinaigrette to keep it from sticking. Then add some mix-ins, and lunch is ready.

Here are just a few of our favorite combos:

• Quartered cherry tomatoes and basil
• Cooked black beans, chopped scallions, and salsa
• Canned sustainable tuna and sliced olives
• Goat cheese and leftover roasted squash

3. Fajitas

While a lot of Mexican options like nachos, tacos, or burritos can get soggy by the time you get them to school or to work, fajitas work a charm because you keep the tortillas separate until you’re ready to eat. Try using bento boxes like GoodByn to separate the tortillas, guac, salsa, and fillings (roasted veggies or sliced grilled meats are great options).

4. Smorrebrod

For a super special sandwich, why not try a Scandinavian smorrebrod? The grainy rye bread is rich in fiber and super filling, and it makes a great base for a variety of ingredients (here are just a few of our favorite combos).

Some toppings may make the bread soggy, so consider packing the topping and the bread separately so that you can assemble when you’re ready to eat.

5. Lettuce Wraps

Leftover ginger chicken or barbecued tofu are the perfect fillings for lettuce wraps. Just choose a lettuce that will hold together well like butter lettuce or bibb – or even a heartier green like Swiss chard or kale. Add a small container of your favorite dipping sauce like teriyaki, sriracha, or coconut aminos to make this lunch even more special.

6. Spanish Tortilla

A well-made Spanish tortilla holds together even better than an omelet and is even better cold than hot. While a traditional tortilla features just potatoes and a bit of onion as a filling, you can also add other low-moisture ingredients like bell peppers, chiles, or peas to add color and nutrients.

Make the tortilla the night before, and once it’s cool, cut it into wedges. Wrap the wedges in a sustainable material like bee’s wrap, and let everyone grab their piece out of the fridge before heading to school or work.

7. Leftovers

With a little bit of planning, you can ensure that all the effort you’re putting into dinner serves you twice. Recipes like stir fries, Buddha bowls, or heartier soups can easily be doubled or tripled to make enough to pack up for the next day with no extra work or effort at all. Just be conscious of whether your kids have access to a microwave when picking your recipes: you want it to be something that’s just as delicious cold as it was hot.

Do you have any other tips and tricks for making a healthy packed lunch quickly? Share them with us via Facebook or Twitter.

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The post 7 Ways to Make a Whole Foods Packed Lunch in Under 20 Minutes appeared first on EcoSalon.

Coffee lovers don’t just drink coffee – they eat, sleep, and breathe it. And whether that coffee fiend is you or someone you love, we’ve got the eco-conscious coffee gifts and gadgets for you. And what better time to celebrate than National Coffee Day on September 29th.

Drinkable

Whether it’s eco-conscious beans or odds and ends to jazz up your cup, these drinkable coffee gifts are the perfect way to spice up your morning joe.

1. All-Natural Pumpkin Spice Spray

Simply Beyond Spray-On Spices are the perfect way to add pumpkin spiced flavor to your home-brewed coffee. This organic spray is sold in an eco-friendly aerosol-free container that relies on compression bag technology to add spices to your cup easily.

2. All-Natural Creamer

Creamers are generally filled with all sorts of nasty artificial ingredients, but Coffee Booster is different. These organic creamers are made with a combination of organic grass-fed clarified butter, virgin-pressed coconut oil, and raw cacao powder for vegan bulletproof coffee with a slight chocolate flavor. To use, just add it to your coffee and blend with a hand-held milk frother or blender to emulsify the fats.

3. Vegan Cold Brew To Go

If you don’t have time to mix up your own cold brew drink, Coffee So Good is an awesome option. Organic, non-GMO coffee is combined with raw cashew milk, agave nectar, and a touch of sea salt, as well as other flavors like vanilla, lavender, or raw cacao. The zero-waste company uses 100 percent recycled and recyclable materials in bottles and packaging, and its manufacturing facility is powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

“I never felt like it was a choice – being eco-friendly is just the right thing to do,” says So Good So You founder Rita Katona. “Whether that’s printing only on recycled paper and minimizing printing, to choosing reusable, recyclable and compostable materials for packaging and shipping, we work diligently and daily to minimize our impact on the environment with a goal to be a carbon footprint positive company in the next 3 years.”

4. A Coffee Alternative

If you’re taking a coffee break for whatever reason (or you’ve got someone at home who just can’t stomach it), Cascara might be a good option for you. This sustainable coffee alternative gives you a caffeine boost thanks to all-natural cascara, the fruit in which the coffee bean grows that has been discarded for years.

“We think otherwise,” says Nomad Trading Company, producer of Cascara. “It’s delicious. It’s chock full of antioxidants. It’s an opportunity for farmers in the developing world to earn a new source of income.”

Nomad sources its cascara from small farmers around the globe and bottles it in three delicious flavors: original, lightly sweet, and hibiscus.

5. Erase Your Coffee Footprint

Coffee production can have a hefty carbon footprint, but Tiny Footprint’s carbon negative coffee is joe you can get jazzed about.

The world’s first carbon negative coffee was created through a unique collaboration between Roastery 7 and nonprofit Mindo Cloudforest Foundation.

Since it takes 4 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce and distribute one pound of the company’s coffee, for every pound that’s sold, a portion of the proceeds is donated to fund reforestation in Ecuador’s Mindo cloud forest, contributing to the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.

The coffees are delicious as well: small-batch roasts of organic certified beans are packed in biodegradable coffee bags and sold both in the company’s Minnesota shop and online.

Containers and Brewing

It seems like there are endless coffee brewing options, but these are our favorite eco-friendly coffee gifts for making and taking your coffee.

6. Pour-Over On the Go

Brumi is the perfect product for on-the-go coffee enjoyment. This 12-ounce, double-insulated glass travel bottle’s reusable filter can be used to make hot pour-over coffee in minutes, or it can be left in the fridge overnight for cold-brew that’s ready to take with you first thing in the morning.

7. Reusable K-Cups

K-Cups are perfect for making just one cup of fresh coffee, but the waste they cause can be prohibitive. Several companies have risen to the challenge, like Simple Cups, which are made of BPA-free ABS plastic that is both recyclable and biodegradable and can be filled with your favorite brand of coffee grounds.

For even less waste, ekobrew’s reusable stainless steel filters can be filled with coffee and used on a Keurig to brew a fresh cup of whichever coffee you like.

Intelligent Blends, meanwhile, produces Nespresso- and Keurig-compatible single-serve coffee pods made with a blend of recyclable polypropylene and other eco-friendly materials. Recycling is a snap: the filter is biodegradable, so it can easily be composted, and both the aluminum lid and plastic capsule can be recycled.

8. One-Touch, No Waste

The JURA A1 is the perfect machine for coffee lovers who just want to make one cup. This one-touch coffee gadget grinds from fresh whole beans and features JURA’s innovative Pulse Extraction Process that optimizes the extraction time for flavorful espresso – no disposable cups needed.

9. Eco To-Go Coffee

If you haven’t already gotten into the habit of bringing a thermos to your favorite coffee spot, maybe Onya will change your mind. These cute retro reusable coffee cups stand in for disposable paper cups with a light, food-safe silicone design. To top it all off, these cups are designed to barista standards, which means they fit into the machines at your favorite coffee shop.

10. Temperature Lock

Hydro Flask knows how important it is for your coffee to stay at the right temperature for as long as possible, so the company has created three different BPA- and phthalate-free vessels depending on how you like to sip. The classic 12-ounce coffee flask is the flagship product, perfect for bringing your coffee to go: it’ll keep iced coffee cold for up to 24 hours and hot coffee hot for up to six. The slim tumbler is ideal for cold brew, and the 10-ounce rocks is perfect for espresso drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. All of the cups are made from 100 percent recyclable materials.

Beauty and Care

You don’t need to keep coffee in the kitchen; it’s just as welcome in the bath. These products take advantage of the caffeine and antioxidants in coffee to revitalize your skin.

11. Wash with Coffee

Coffee is an excellent natural exfoliator, as you’ll quickly see with Beessential Fresh Ground Coffee Soap. This artisanal soap is made with coffee, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, and beeswax, for a soap that cleans even the toughest grease and grime all the while being gentle on your hands. It is GMO-free, paraben-free, and alcohol free.

12. Revive Your Skin

Revival Body Care is a line of organic, fair-trade, and vegan beauty products. The company’s Awaken Goddess Serum contains coffee bean oil, which reduces under-eye puffiness and helps give skin a firmer appearance. Combined with rose hip oil, anti-inflammatory sweet orange oil, vitamin C, and pomegranate seed oil to stimulate keratinocytes, which are major cells found in the outer layer of the skin, this serum will soon become a regular part of your daily routine.

13. Scandi Skincare

Scandic Botanica is a skincare brand that takes its inspiration from restorative Scandinavian ingredients. The brand’s coffee and clove sugar body scrub blends organic coffee with a variety of spices and flavors inspired by Scandinavian mulled wine, such as stress-relieving organic clove, moisturizing organic coconut, and organic cacao, to increase blood flow.

14. Family Friendly Skincare

Taneisha Phillips was inspired by her son’s severe eczema and dry skin to create Earth’s Organics, a natural, homemade skincare company. Her coffee-coconut facial scrub contains just three organic ingredients: slow-roasted organic coffee, fair-trade-certified brown sugar, and certified organic coconut oil from the Philippines.

“I wanted to use safe and non toxic products that wouldn’t harm or compromise my children’s skin,” explains Phillips, who notes that her whole family uses the products, and she herself hand crafts every product to order.

15. Revive Your Eyes

Solavedi’s Green Tea Coffee Bean Eye Balm is made with organic green coffee beans, organic white tea, and matcha, as well as pumpkin seed oil and marigold. This balm reduces dark circles and puffiness, not to mention fine lines and wrinkles.

Founder Carollane Crichton is a yoga instructor and Ayurveda practitioner who creates her own herbal triple infused oils that are then used in her products.

“We source only the highest quality herbs and botanicals, locally first, and, when not available from local and regional sources, we carefully source from around the globe,” she says. “We are extremely selective with our suppliers, and only work with those who can document that they follow the National Organic Program (NOP) for all ingredients we procure from them.”

Bonus! Coffee Bags

If you’re looking for a gift for a coffee-obsessed friend, these upcycled hats, handbags, and duffels are the perfect choice. Buffalo Gals Mercantile uses reclaimed fair-trade coffee sacks from MoJoRoast Coffee to create these awesome coffee gifts.

“The hats have become quite popular as travel and beach items because they roll right up to fit into purses, pockets and luggage and can get wet too,” explains owner Katy Kassian.

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The post 15 Ways to Celebrate National Coffee Day With…Coffee (Plus the Best Coffee Gifts!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Take whatever you think you know about sandwiches and step it up a notch: in Denmark, the sandwich is outshone (quite nicely) by the smørrebrød – an open-faced sandwich whose limits are imposed only by your culinary imagination.

Smorrebrod starts very simply: all you really need to make it is Danish rye bread and butter.

“It becomes smørrebrød the second you have the bread and butter on it,” Scott Peabody, head chef at The Copenhagen in New York, told Serious Eats. “Anything else you put on after that is extra.”

For this reason, make sure that you start your smørrebrød right, with real Danish rugbrod or rye bread. Danish rye is a dense, grainy bread that will add tons of flavor to your sandwich and provide a sturdy base for toppings. You can find it in some bakeries, or you can make it yourself. There are several recipes out there, but we like this one, which doesn’t require quite as long a fermentation as some others.

Once you have your bread and a smear of good-quality butter (said to keep the bread from soaking up too much moisture and getting soggy before you finish eating), you can top it with pretty much anything you like. To give you a few ideas, here are some of our favorite smørrebrød recipes.

1. Herring

Herring is a fairly common smørrebrød ingredient, and it’s an excellent seafood choice. Net-caught Pacific herring is one of the most sustainable fish options out there, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and this fish is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

In this recipe, pickled herring is paired with sweet beets and just a hint of creaminess afforded by sour cream. Garnishes like green onions, dill, and capers round out this dish nicely.

2. Baby Shrimp

Baby shrimp are yet another classic smørrebrød ingredient. This Danish recipe traditionally features tiny North Sea shrimp, though North Atlantic shrimp will work nicely as well. If your seafood is of good quality, all you need is a smear of butter and a squeeze of lemon for this smørrebrød to be perfect.

3. Potato and Horseradish Smørrebrød

The description of this smørrebrød as a “baked potato sandwich” is apt: thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes are topped with crispy fried shallots, chives, and fresh red onion. A creamy horseradish sauce base adds some tang and spice.

4. Eggs in Purgatory Smørrebrød

No one’s claiming this one is a traditional smørrebrød, but with all the innovation happening on the Danish dining scene these days, there’s no reason you can’t experiment with atypical toppings. This recipe pairs traditional Danish rye bread with a spiced tomato sauce and a baked egg. It’s delicious any time of day, but we think it’s the perfect breakfast smørrebrød option.

5. Roast Beef Smørrebrød with Remoulade

Remoulade is a very common Danish condiment. It’s essentially a combination of mayonnaise, pickles, capers, herbs, and a touch of curry. It pairs really nicely with rare roast beef in this sandwich, and a little cornichon pickle on top is the perfect garnish.

6. Fried Fish Smørrebrød with Remoulade

A slightly more involved version of remoulade sauce is the base for a gluten-free fried fish fillet in this recipe. Top the sandwich with a poached egg for a touch more richness.

7. Smashed Chickpea and Avocado

This vegan smørrebrød features a chunky smashed avocado and chickpea spread flavored simply with scallion, lemon, and olive oil. Feel free to garnish with sprouts, spinach, or roasted chickpeas for a bit of crunch.

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The post 7 Healthy Scandi Smørrebrød Recipes You’ll Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

Need a little inspiration of where to find your next staple shades? These sustainable sunglasses will cater to anyone’s style needs.

We’ve all been there with cheap sunglasses. It seems like a good idea at the time (even if they do sit a little wonky on your face), but it’s not long until they start to fall apart and you find yourself throwing away yet another pair.

You’re not the only one. While most of us don’t have hundreds of dollars to throw down on a pair of the big name designer sunglasses, there is another option, and it comes with less waste, less cost, but no less designer appeal.

6 Sustainable Sunglasses Designers You Need To Know

1. Warby Parker

It’s easy to forget that poor sight is not so easily fixed for everyone. Huge props to Warby Parker for using bio-acetate (made from cellulose), but we’re even more impressed by its commitment to donate a pair of glasses for each and every one sold through partnering with VisionSpring. The array of styles within the sunglasses collection is also pretty staggering. Find classic shades like Lowry the to more on-trend frames like the retro rose gold Fleta.

2. Carla Colour

Sometimes, sunglasses need to be a statement, and it turns out you can still make one sustainably. Taking inspiration from the arts, the shapes you’ll find here are soft and dreamy, with plenty of colors to choose from whether pastels are your thing, or you want to go bold with brights. Even with all the eccentric NYC flare these sunnies have to offer, the eco credentials are still solid as the bio-acetate is made from wood pulp and cotton (farmed sustainably, of course).

3. Karmoie

With Scandinavian style behind the design, all of Karmoie’s shades are simple, elegant and modern. Much like Warby Parker, the company employs a buy-one-give-one practice, donating a pair of eyejusters for every pair sold through four projects located across Africa and Asia. Karmoie also boasts the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark which ensures they use ethical and sustainable practices across the board, such as fair pay and energy conservation.

4. Capital Eyewear

For those who love classic shapes, quality design, and prefer their fashion made in the USA, head to Capital Eyewear for your next pair of sunnies. Created in San Francisco with bio-acetate and sustainably sourced hardwood, every pair also has all measurement details available online to help you find the right pair for your face shape. And it’s not just about manufacturing locally; ten percent of all sales are put into the Capital Fund, a piggy bank set up for local entrepreneurs to make their own business ideas a reality and put back into the community. You can even nominate someone on the website!

5. Dick Moby

Made in Italy (like all the great sunglasses are), Dick Moby shades are handcrafted with sustainability at the heart alongside fashion. Using a mix of recycled acetate to create its black frames, and bio-acetate for the rest, this is one designer who proves you don’t have to opt for bamboo to protect your peepers the eco-friendly way. It’s not just the shades themselves that tick the eco box; each cleaning cloth is made from seven recycled plastic bottles, and the chic leather cases are no less than recycled material, too.

6. Wires 

If you love minimalist design, prepare to swoon over Wires’ ultra-contemporary look and concept. The lens holders are made using a 3D printer (oh yes, this is the future), which means there’s zero waste as only the necessary materials are used. The designs are then completed by talented craftsmen in Zimbabwe use traditional skills to turn a single piece of enamel-coated copper or brass wire into a final pair of sunglasses. The beauty of the wire is that they can easily be adjusted to your face shape. Plus, if Lily Cole is on board, so are we.

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The post These 6 Sustainable Sunglasses Don’t Skimp on Style appeared first on EcoSalon.

Times have changed and bar stools are the new dining room chair.

Let’s face it, times have changed and that includes where we sit to eat our meals. Formal dining rooms are out and bar stools or counter stools are in. Many people are choosing to live in more urban and denser settings, where space is at a premium and the formal dining is just not practical. That’s not to mention that dining has become more relaxed — with the focus on the food more than the formality.

If you have a smaller home, you may just have a counter end that’s a natural fit for some bar stools. Or you may have a space for a table, in which case consider a high table at which you can place bar stools. It’s a much more informal way to not only eat your morning oatmeal but also to entertain. In addition, bar stools can be a handy space saving device. Some styles can stack, but most at least are easy enough to tuck under to create more space.

And the bar stools of today are not like the bar stools of days past–like from a 1985 wood-paneled basement. Nowadays, style choices run the gamut from mid-century modern to Scandinavian modern and everything in between. Of course, if you find yourself nostalgic for those mid-1980s bar stools, we are sure that you can find them at a flea market!

9 Stools to Deck Out Your Space

1. Langley Street Wright Modern Stool via AllModern

Show off your modern style with a row of these steel and wood swivel bar stools.

2. Vintage French Schoolhouse Stool via Chairish

Add these vintage French schoolhouse stools to your craft space, dining table, or bar for some retro style. Bonus points because they are stackable!

3. Wood Pallet Stool via Palletso

This stool is made from recycled wood from pallets. It’s eco-friendly, rustic, handmade, and sturdier than mass-produced options.

4. Recycled Wood Stool via At West End

Here’s another eco-friendly option. The rich honey-colored stain softens the industrial design of this rustic stool.  It’s made from recycled wood and features an adjustable seat for added functionality!

5. Cliff Counter Stool via Loll Designs

These stools are made from 100% recycled plastics and can work for both inside and outside! They are also available in eleven different colorways.

6. Reclaimed Industrial Stool via barnxo

These modern stools feature black metal frames and reclaimed barn wood for the seats.The wood top is reclaimed, old Growth Douglas Fir that was salvaged from a building that was more than  170-years-old, giving the wood beautiful character.

7. Pipe Industrial Stool via Hisbrand

Another industrial option, these stools are made from steel pipes and feature a thick durable wood top has been finished without harmful chemicals.

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The post 7 Sexy and Sustainable Bar Stools (Because Counters are the New Tables) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Let your inner princess shine and show your love for the color pink with these pink décor ideas and inspirations.

The color pink often gets a bad rap in both fashion and décor. I can remember eschewing pink growing up for its patriarchal connotations, but as I grew older, I realized I could be a feminist and still love the color pink. Pink is just a color and those of us who love it shouldn’t let the baggage that has weighed the color down to erode the joy we get from the color. Read on to get inspired to go with pink décor.

Pink has it rough in both fashion and décor. It’s seen as a color for girls only and shades from petal to hot are mocked incessantly. But pink is a fabulous color. Everyone looks good in pink and that is reason enough for me to cover my person and my walls in every shade imaginable. And lest you think that pink décor only belongs in a bedroom of a tiara-wearing Kindergartener, think again.  From the Mid-Century Modern décor fiend to the bohemian eclectic, pink décor can be incorporated into any room and any style décor. All that matters is that you love it.

I have put together a wonderful round up of pink décor finds from wallpaper to planters and everything in between. Whether you want to go full on pink from floor to ceiling, or just to add a pink accent or two, read on to get inspired to bring the color into your space in every hue from blush to fuchsia!

Pretty in Pink Décor

1. Emil Quartz Rose Sofa via Article

This modern Mid-Century Scandinavian-inspired sofa is a classic, but the color would put a spin on your living space for sure. Add bold-patterned pillows in black and white for a statement.

2. Arcade Wallpaper via Farrow & Ball

This art deco inspired wallpaper offers a soft, romantic take on a classic curved motif. The scalloped repeat pattern design creates a wonderfully retro and sophisticated feel. Farrow & Ball uses water-based paints and paper sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®).

3. Moroccan Pink Leather Pouf via Chairish

Add some pretty pink color and boho texture with this handmade leather pouf that would make for quite a pop of color in any room.

4. Air Planter Pod via Thrift and Made

Brighten your desk, table, or bookshelf with a grouping of these modern, handmade planters. An easy way to add color and some greenery to your space.

5. Gold and Pink Triangle Wall Decals via Wordy Bird Studio

Add some colorful confetti decals in hues of gold and pink to your walls for a hint of pink decor. Wall decals are great for those who don’t want the hassle of paint or can’t paint because they are renting.

6. Woven Wall Hanging via Raspberry Moon Weaving

And don’t forget about the walls with this ombre wall hanging, handmade from cotton and merino wool. It would make a lovely pink decor statement on your walls.

7. Modern Table  via moderncr8ve

Go with a hint of pink with this super cool handmade coffee table in walnut and oak with a hot pink steel base.

8. Blush Pink Sideboard via GHIFY

This modern sideboard or entertainment unit is made entirely from scrap timber salvaged from houses and finished with a blush pink finish.

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The post 8 Deliciously Pretty in Pink Decor Ideas for Your Pad appeared first on EcoSalon.

Love to take on crafty decor projects, but don’t love the added expense or don’t have countless hours to spend getting your craft on? Crafting and creating don’t have to be expensive, nor do they need to take up a lot of time.

From the bathroom to the bedroom, we have got you covered with some quick, easy, and ideas for crafty decor projects that you can easily complete in one sitting, and that won’t break the bank. Busy, cheap people like to take on easy crafty decor projects, too, and we’ve got ideas that are right up your alley.

10 Quick and Cheap Crafty Decor Projects

1. Glass Marker Painted Candle Votives – Paint simple glass votive candle holders using paint markers. You pick up votives at the thrift store and get paint markers in a variety of colors at the arts and craft store.

2. Button Pillow Art – Turn a button collection into art by sewing buttons on a plain throw pillow to go from boring to button-y in less than an hour.

3. Yarn-Wrapped Vases – Repurpose that unused yarn from past uncompleted projects by wrapping blasé vases to quickly (and inexpensively) add color and texture.

4. Doily-Wrapped Mason Jars – By the same token, snap up lace doilies whenever you see them at the thrift store to add some lace prettiness to plain mason jars, which can be used to hold everything from pencils to utensils.

5. Quick Embroidery Tea Towels – Another simple crafty decor project is to decorate tea towels with your own embroidered design. Keep for yourself or gift as host gifts.

6. Chalkboard Coasters – Paint old coasters with chalkboard paint for the perfect combination of form and function.

7. Photo Collage Wall Art – Cut out letters and shapes from printed photos and affix to cardstock, which can be framed to create your own wall art. Choose word art or create an abstract design.

8. Origami Mobile – Take up the art of origami and use your paper-folded creations to make a colorful and fun mobile.

9. Dip-Dyed Baskets – On your travels through yard sales and thrift stores, picks up old baskets which can be brought back to life by dip-dying them.

10. Washi Tape Placemats – Washi tape is colorful, printed, slightly sticky masking tape. Cover cardstock with different prints, patterns and colors of washi tape to make decorative crafty placemats.

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The post 10 Super Crafty Decor Projects You Can Do for Under $10 in 60 Minutes or Less appeared first on EcoSalon.

Learn to love retro design with a fabulous celebration of twentieth-century design, color, and pattern in “Living Retro,” a new book from designer Andrew Weaving–a  private glimpse of delicious retro-inspired homes around the world from Palm Springs to Paris.

In his new book, “Living Retro” (published by Ryland Peters & Small), Andrew Weaving visits 18 lovely homes to showcase some of the best and most inspiring of retro design. The featured homes differ in style, but all highlight some of the most drool-worthy takes on retro design around. Spotlighted homes run the gamut from a minimalist loft in London to a chic ranch house in Palm Springs. Readers will also be treated to the simple elegance of a Scandinavian retreat in Denmark and a quirky New York apartment. This carefully curated tour around the globe illustrates the many facets of retro design and decor that includes both sophisticated glamour and simple living.

Each section is devoted to a different home and riffs on a central theme found in the home. The ideal way to read this book is to flip through the whole book looking at the delicious photos and then focus in on those chapters that speak to you. Chapter highlights include Graphic Glamour, Back at the Ranch, Best of British, Danish Delight, California Dreaming and more!

This book it not meant as a strictly adhered to design doctrine, but is actually intended to be an inspiration-filled resource to jumpstart your own creative design. “Living retro does not demand close adherence to any particular set of style rules,” writes Andrew Weaving in the introduction. “There are no limits other than the chronological parameters the look spans, roughly from the 1950s to the late 1970s. Instead, living retro is a multi-faceted look that ranges from sophisticated glamour to pared-down chic, allowing its followers to cherry-pick their favorite pieces from the cream of twentieth-century design.” Sounds dreamy and utterly divine.

Andrew Weaving is the owner of Century Design in London. The gallery specializes in mid-century modern design, focusing on both originals and re-editions, plus some work by new designers. His other books include “Understanding Modern”, “Playful Home” and the best-selling “Modern Retro” (also published by Ryland Peters & Small). A passionate collector of all things retro, Andrew lives in London and France and owns historic mid-century modern homes in Florida and Palm Springs as well as an Art Deco beach house in Essex.

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The post ‘Living Retro’: the Best of Retro Design and Decor appeared first on EcoSalon.

Repurpose vintage home decor goods because it looks cool–and because it’s better for the environment.

No matter what your decorating style, there is always room to repurpose vintage home decor goods to add both form and functionality. Whether your space can be more accurately described rustic, boho, modern country, Scandinavian, mid-century, or is actually just a mishmash of leftover college furniture and whatever your neighbors have put out on the curb, get inspired to repurpose with vintage home decor goods.

Almost everything can be reused or repurposed. From the ubiquitous mason jars to the more elusive letterpress type cabinets, and everything in between, all you need is a little imagination and inspiration to give vintage goods new life. You are on your own for the imagination part, but we have got the inspiration covered for you here!

Finding vintage goods is as easy as checking out your local thrift shops, estate sales, yard sales, CraigsList, Freecycle, and even Etsy and Ebay.

Repurposed Vintage Home Decor Goods

1. Picnic Coolers – Take the lid off (keeping it on could pose a risk for children and pets) and this 40-year-old Coleman Picnic Cooler could work as a great storage spot for everything from magazines and children’s books to yarn and recycling.

2. Pie Safes – Pie safes were used to keep pies and other baked goods fresh back in the days before refrigeration and air conditioning. This tin tabletop or counter version would add some vintage chic to your space and would be a clever place to store spices in the kitchen.

3. Vintage Mirrors – Glam up your space with the addition of vintage mirrors instead of buying new ones from some big box store. Pick a design period that will match well with your decorating style.

4. Old Maps – Looking to wallpaper a room or a to decoupage a piece of furniture? Consider using vintage maps instead. Or use old maps to create unique DIY wall art. Troll yard sales, barn sales, and more for unique map finds. This vintage pull down style school map would make for a real conversation piece.

5. Vintage Suitcases – Old suitcases can be repurposed in a number of ways. Use them as under the bed storage containers, turn a stack of them into a functional occasional table, or even use them as shelves for all your bric-a-brac and knickknacks.

6. Sewing Machine Tables – Old sewing machine tables are infinitely useful if you want to get crafty. They can be used for everything from bathroom vanities to a drink station like this repurposed example.

7. Metal Headboards – Metal bedsteads can be repainted and used as headboards or turned into decorative wall art, room dividers, used for hanging jewelry storage, or as a garden trellis.

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Images: Upcycled Luggage via The Blue Ram, Picnic Cooler via Troys Collectibles, Pie Safe via Red River Antiques, Vintage Art Deco Mirror via uulipolli, Vintage Map via old new house, Suitcase Shelves via the cherry chic, Repurposed Sewing Bar via Double Arrow Designs, Metal Headboard Trellis via Casa e Jardim

The post 7 Quirky Ideas for Repurposing Vintage Home Decor Goods appeared first on EcoSalon.

Gift mom with one of these subscription boxes for Mother’s Day this year. It’s the gift that will keep on giving.

For some of us, Mother’s Day can sometimes be fraught with the gift-giving conundrum. What to gift the woman who brought you into this world and continues to nourish your mind, body, and soul with her motherly wisdom, love, and chicken soup when you’re sick? We think subscription boxes, while a pale comparison to how awesome your mom is, are a brilliant solution for Mother’s Day. It is possible to find subscription boxes that will fit the personality of most moms. Is your mom an adventurous cook, an avid reader, a lover of animals? There’s a box for that.

We have selected some of our favorite subscription boxes–hopefully, one is a fit for your mom!

Subscription Boxes for Mother’s Day

1. KitNipBox – Is your mom a cat lover? Gift her (and her favorite feline) a monthly box of cat goodies for crazy cat fun all year long. And if your mom is more of a dog person, try out Barkbox. While these may seem more like presents for your Mom’s pets, serious pet lovers would love these boxes!
2. Book Drop – For readers who prefer physical books over digital books, try out Book Drop. It’s a subscription box that is lovingly created and run by a little independent bookstore. There are several different options from which to choose, but “The Jane” box is by far the most popular. It features Contemporary, Historical, and Literary Fiction titles.
3. Audible – And while it’s not a subscription box per se, Audible is a monthly audiobook subscription service perfect for those prefer to listen to books. For a monthly subscription, members can choose a new audiobook to listen to each month. Listeners can enjoy their books on their phones, tablets, computers, and via Bluetooth devices too.
4. The Spicery – This subscription box is another in the very large category of food and cooking boxes, but it’s all about trying something new. With options that include Friday Night Curry, Date Night, and Meat Free Magic, there’s a lot of variety for adventurous and spicy cooks.
5. Chroma Club – If your mom is into the adult coloring book craze, gift her with the Chromas Club. Beautiful and original coloring books will be shipped to her every month. The club boasts that their coloring books are the perfect blend of art, fun, and challenge, with illustrations drawn by artists from around the world.
6. Terra Bella Box – The Terra Bella Box includes handmade, small-batch beauty products made from natural ingredients. Each month subscribers receive a variety of beauty products for face, body, bath, hair, and sometimes even cosmetics.
7. Norsebox – Norsebox calls itself the Nordic Design Subscription. Each Norsebox features 1-5 seasonal items from Scandinavian designers. The boxes focus on one room of the home, but will move around each month to give each room a fresh, Scandinavian update.
8. Club W – If your mom likes a glass of wine (or 2) in the evening, gift her the Club W subscription. Club W works with subscribers to create a palate profile to deliver the wines that you (or your mom–remember this gift is for your mom) will love.
9. Love Goodly – This subscription features a mix of eco-friendly, nontoxic, cruelty-free, vegan products that can include everything from beauty, skincare, and wellness goodies to snacks and style accessories. Sounds perfectly lovely for your conscious shopping mom.

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Image: Present on Wooden Background via Shutterstock

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