Just in time for holiday shopping and gift giving: The Box is back!

Our exclusive EcoSalon shopping must-have, the curated eco product assortment known as The Box, is back. We’re offering $500 worth of holiday eco-goodies for just $99 and these won’t last. That’s a guarantee.

From soy candles to handmade rugs, our Holiday Shelter Box is crammed full of swanky products to bring modern style into your home – with enough cool goodies included to give things away as gifts, too. Featuring full-size gorgeous green goods, hop on this now or miss out!

(If you do miss out this time around – supplies are extremely limited – our friends at Curbly are hosting a giveaway for the last remaining Shelter Box standing. Head on over to their site and register to win!)

Just look at what we have in store for you this time around:

Set of Two Wolfie & The Prints

In the dead of winter, these U-Pick Apples and Fresh Eggs prints from Wolfie & The Sneak will remind you of warm mornings spent perusing farmers’ market. Hang them on your wall, and you’ll instantly brighten your mood. The 5″ x 7″ prints are printed on 8″x 10″ French Paper, 100% post consumer recycled paper, produced in a hydroelectric-powered, family-run paper mill in Michigan. With inks guaranteed to last 98 years under regular glass, you’ll be enjoying your fresh produce for years to come.

(Retail value of $40)

Guerrilla Gardening Seedbomb Kit

Change the world, guerrilla style. That’s the idea behind Seedbomb from Greenaid, and the Guerilla Gardening Gift Set ensures that you have all the tools to make the world a greener place. Know of an unused lot nearby? Throw a few seedbombs in. A barren intersection that could use some foliage? Seedbomb away! The packaging is perfect for your guerilla gardening exploits, complete with a handkerchief and slingshot for ensuring that your 12 seedbombs get launched far and away. Seedbombs are hand-rolled in Culver City, Calif. using local materials, sustainable packaging, and socially responsible labor.

(Retail value of $20)

Stencil1 Bird Stencils

Put a bird on it. Your wall, that is. Make your own decorative aviary with these six bird silhouette stencils from Stencil1. You can stencil any one of the six designs onto cards, shirts, even your furniture; the possibilities are endless. And fun.

(Retail value of $19.99)

Wishbone Paperweight

With a busy social calendar in the month ahead, it’s good to keep a few presents on hand, and this striking paperweight from VivaTerra is the perfect item – and a good reminder to make a wish. You never know when it might come true.

(Retail value of $39)

Wishbone Ornament

Hang your wishes up so everyone can see! An match to the Wishbone Paperweight, or perfectly fine on its own, the Wishbone Ornament brings a little cheer to its owner. The ideal go-to gift for anyone who needs a little pick-my-up this holiday season.

(Retail value of $15)

Music for the Planet by 1% for the Planet

Produced by non-profit 1% For the Planet, Music for the Planet is a collection of 41 songs that supports the environment. The album features exclusive and rare tracks by many well known artists including Josh Ritter, Mason Jennings and Rosie Thomas. All proceeds from the album go to supporting environmental causes, so we won’t be surprised if you love the music so much that you’re inspired to buy another one for a friend.

(Retail value of $9.99)

Crash Candles Soy Candle

Every cozy home needs a few candles burning, especially in the winter months, and these hand-made soy candles from Crash Candles are the perfect option. Poured in a glass tumbler you can use when the wax runs out, the candle features the designs of one of our favorite Scandinavians, Lotta Jansdotter. No not only will you bring a little extra light into your home, but you can be happy knowing that they’re eco-friendly and supporting the work of contemporary artists and designers.

(Retail value of $24)

Klean Kanteen and NAU Stainless Steel Pints

Move over, Mason jars. So last year. Especially if you have a reusable option on hand. Perfect for outdoor picnics, concerts or even a birthday party, these pints ensure that you’ll never have to go disposable again, and unlike many glass versions, these won’t break. This exclusive four-pack of Klean Kanteen pints is discreetly printed with the simple NAU logo and made of 18/8, food-grade stainless steel. Durable, versatile, reusable, and dishwasher safe.

(Retail value of $39)

EcoSystem Journal

A blank journal is a blank slate, waiting to be filled with your thoughts, drawings and lists. These blank ecosystem journals have a flexible cover and are filled with pages of 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Sized at 7 3/8″ x 9 7/8″, you’ll have plenty of space to let your creative spirit fly, or encourage someone else that they do the same.

(Retail value of $18.95)

Paper Culture Gift Certificate

Haven’t gotten to your holiday greetings yet? That’s okay – now you can use this $25 Paper Culture gift certificate to customize your own holiday cards. Already ahead of the game with your cards? Your gift certificate can also be used for any product on the site from personal stationery to bamboo wall art. With a motto of “be modern. be eco” Paper Culture uses exclusively 100% post consumer recycled paper for card and envelope and a portion of all proceeds go towards supporting non-profits that focus on education, family and sustainability.

(Retail value of $25)

Recycled iPhone Re-Case

Any busy girl is sure to put her phone through the ringer, which is why you need to make sure it’s properly protected. The Re-Case from Miniwiz is made from 100% trash (rice farming byproducts and post-consumer thermo-plastics to be exact), though from the sleek design, you’d hardly know it.

(Retail value of $24.95)

Plywerk Gift Certificate

Every time you go on a trip you take your camera. In fact, you’ve taken so many photos by this point, your photographer’s eye is actually getting good. But what do you do with all of those photos? Don’t leave them in the hinterlands of your hard drive, print them so everyone can enjoy your work. The masters at Plywerk mount your photo on eco friendly bamboo, eliminating the need for a glass frame. Their easy-to-use website allows you to upload your photo, choose your size, and almost before you’ve had the time to hit send, you have a gorgeous mounted photo waiting at your door.

(Retail value of $20)

Angel Face Botanicals Aromatherapy Shower Steamer Set

In the midst of holiday parties and planning, any good hostess needs to take some time to herself and recharge. These delicious scented Shower Steamers from Angel Face Botanicals make the perfect hostess gift, a little “thank you” for throwing a dinner or cocktail hour in the busiest season of the year. The sampler set comes with Lavender Mist, Juicy Citrus, Peppermint and Eucalyptus, so you could even divide them among your deserving friends. Or if you’re feeling in need of an energy boost yourself, turn your shower into aromatherapy central and enjoy yourself.

(Retail value of $20)

VivaTerra Flowered Thermos

Your friends will be thrilled when you bring a batch of hot cider along on your winter excursions. This beautiful, double-walled, 34-oz. thermos from VivaTerra is perfect for transporting hot and cold drinks alike and with its floral enamelware design, you’ll be serving in ultra current style.

(Retail value of $55)

Verde Lifestyles’ Bamboo Rug

Bring a little zen into your home. This 2′x3′ dark brown bamboo rug from Verde Lifestyles is beautiful and durable, and with a mixture of earthy wood and red undertones provides an ideal dose of warmth to modern, rustic and contemporary settings. Perfect for welcoming guests in your entryway.

(Retail value of $24.75)

Lucky Bowl

A small bowl that can serve as a nice positive daily reminder. This 3 1/2″ inch ceramic bowl by Paloma’s Nest is handmade in Austin, Texas and is a beautiful little keepsake for any friend whom you feel lucky to have. Each piece is made out of pure white clay and has a matte finish.

(Retail value of $22)

Elephant Plantable Pocket Notebooks

If you’re like us, you have a few notebooks lying around, all full of to-do lists and great ideas. But what do you do when they’re full? If it’s a Plantable Pocket Notebook like these ones from Botanical Paperworks, you can take it right outside and put it in your garden. Filled with plantable paper, come springtime you will see a vibrant collection of wildflowers sprout. Perfect for sticking in your purse and jotting down quick notes, or passing along to the friend who always seems to be coming up with good ideas but never has a place to put them.

(Retail value of $9.95)

Grain Utility Card

This card really can say it all. Designed by Grain, with its word search puzzle the Utility Card contains over 100 different wishes, from Happy Hannukah My Love to Howdy Friend, Happy New Year.

(Retail value of $4)

To buy:

Please note that all editions of The Box are sold out except for Shelter. Please be sure to select Shelter from the menu below.

Supplies are extremely limited – first come, first serve. Remember to include your shipping address! The Box is priced at $99 per box, with an additional $30 shipping and handling surcharge. Orders are shipped via UPS anywhere in the United States. Sorry, we can’t ship to P.O. Boxes and we cannot process international orders. If you have questions, drop us a line at contact@ecosalon.com.

Edition

Fashion $99.00 USD Food $99.00 USD Shelter $99.00 USD Yoga + Beauty $99.00 USD

Garden gear to kick-start spring.

It’s time to don your gardening gloves and mingle among the ravishes of plucking, pulling, weeding, fertilizing, and planting- Are you ready for it? If not, here’s a gathering of garden muses to inspire your green thumb including a fair trade hat with a wide brim to shadow those lofty rays of sunshine, a journal to document your efforts and celebrate your blooms, a watering can with the perfect patina, chalkboard garden labels for whimsical nomenclature, and a concrete magnolia to embellish your plot.

Clockwise from top left:

1. Crochet Wide Brim Natural – Pachacuti, £43
2. My Garden: A Five-Year Journal – Anthropologie, $19.95
3. Verdigris Watering Can – Terrain, $16
4. Blackboard Garden Labels – Terrain, $14
5. Concrete Magnolia – Terrain, $36

Bring a bit of the garden inside with a beautiful beetle print, the scent of fresh basil masquerading as a soy candle, and the charm of Stephen Orr to enhance your skills and impart wisdom about responsible and aesthetic organic gardening.

Clockwise from top left:

1. Chalcosoma Atlas Print – Hagedornhagen, $48
2. Basil Scented Soy Candle – Mrs. Meyer’s, $9.99
3. Tomorrow’s Garden by Stephen Orr, $22.88

If you’d rather start growing fresh herbs indoors, click here for the ingredients to make that happen.

We recently gathered once again for a gal’s night out, something me and my friends do to honor one another when our big day bites us in the ass (I mean elates us) each year. It’s all warm and buzzy, the serious sipping of full figured red wine, the grazing of small sumptuous Spanish plates, the embarrassingly intimate inebriated birthday toasts counting the ways we count. And the climax hasn’t changed since you were ten, the oozing dessert all aglow and the presenting of pretty packages that will transmogrify into long overdue thank you notes.

While the loot does indeed get much better as we get older (did I mention the jewelry?), there is nothing I need to acquire to feel more blessed. I cherish the handcrafted cards my children make each birthday, but beyond that, I feel guilty about accumulating more stuff. If you feel the same, why not consider other options? Don’t feel pretentious suggesting to your friends that they honor you with an eco alternative. The following options take the cake!

1. OptNow Gift Cards

Instead of the Nordstrom gift cards my friends love to gift as group gifts, the OptNow option is used to support a mission to end global poverty.

2. Pack up Party

You’ve wanted to clean out the cupboards and closets for months and pack up what you don’t use to donate to a shelter or other needy recipient. Invite the group over (even a couple pals can make it a party) and have a ball rummaging and packing up your junk.

3. Take a Hike

On one of my “milestone” birthdays, I decided to do a hike rather than a chichi dinner or costly trip. It was free, amazing exercise (just ask Kendra Wilkinson) and an ideal way to reconnect with wildlife and our natural surroundings. The greatest team building gift of all: No cell phones.

4. Board Public Transit to the Farmer’s Market

You and your epicurean pals or kids can shop for locally grown, organic produce and eat some for your b-day lunch. It’s an ideal way for ladies who lunch to munch responsibly while celebrating you and supporting community growers. But don’t drive if you have access to a bus, bike or train and of course, take a basket or reusable bags.

5. Renewable Energy Sponsorships

Ditch the new laptop purchase, and instead ask for a sponsorship from the start-up company, Powered Green. It sponsors new wind turbines that make enough clean and green energy to power your old computer for seven years. Each laptop credit covers 690 kilowatt-hours of certified wind energy and stops 1030 pounds of CO2 for $16. For $28, you can buy a desktop sponsorship for 1300 kilowatt-hours of certified wind energy, ceasing 1900 pounds of emissions. Each sponsorship comes with a decal for your computer, showing off your commitment to the planet. Way to grow!

6. Group Food Bank Volunteering

My 11-year-old’s friend held her party this year at the San Francisco Food Bank where guests donned protective plastic gloves and spend a couple of hours sorting can goods and packing them up for the needy throughout the city. Why limit this to kids? It is a great idea for grown ups, too, and a way to still have fun dishing and laughing while you work, all for a great cause: Feeding hungry neighbors. Now, that’s a gift. Oh, and guests can also donate money while they are visiting.

7. Say it with Darkness

Don’t say it with diamonds. Instead, make it lights out, candles in. Let her or him create a candlelit ambiance – beeswax naturally – to show how you glow, even when adding another year to the time clock. Spend the day without any electronics if possible and then flicker away at night. Spread out on a blanket if you like and recite poetry instead of watching the tube. A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou beside me, singing in the wilderness. . .It’s all so very friendly.

8. Scrap It

Scrapping is in big time – no, not just the recycled steel – but also scrap books as gifts lovingly assembled using existing materials by your friends and family. You can re-purpose an old photo book to create a personal masterpiece. It is the best gift I have ever received – one large book from friends on a big birthday and a small, beautiful pink one from my daughters on a Mother’s Day.

9. Gifts from the Garden

If eco is a return to purity and simplicity, then an ideal green birthday gift would be staying home and enjoying the fruits and veggies of your husband or best friend’s labors. There is nothing like cut flowers from the garden (give it up for lilacs and dahlias) and a nurturing soup of fresh picked veggies made and grown by someone who adores you.

10. Adopt a Furry Child

Come on, a new best friend from your old best friends? It’s a win-win situation. There are too many unwanted and neglected dogs and cats waiting for homes and the SPCA can connect you to a loving shelter pet on your birthday or any day. Tip: As I found out, some gifts snore a lot louder than others!

Images: AlphaTangoBravo,Luanne Bradley, SPCA, Polkadot Creations, Aldon;  San Francisco Food Bank

It’s that time of the year already – when gardeners sneak up onto friend’s porches and leave bags of summer squash before ringing the doorbell and running – hey, it happens.

As it happened in my little garden, every plant I put in the ground died except for two (yes two!) squash plants. Now, keep in mind, I live alone, and there is a trumpet vine right near the vegetable bed, which the bees really love. I’m happy about the pollination, but these babies are a little too prolific. Nobody who lives alone really needs two squash plants. Trust me. In the space of one day, the tiny squashes turned into monsters and suddenly I was harvesting about five a day. Help!

Cutting the squash into coins and sauteing it for a side dish is a cute idea, but it’s not really going to work for me. How many times a day can I eat squash? So, the theme this week is recipes that use up lots and lots of squash.

Anytime you have to shred a squash, you know you’re going to go through several of them. Here’s a recipe from Food Blogga that is an interesting twist on the usual zucchini bread. A savory version that sounds yum.

Soup is always a good bet because you know you’re going to need to cut up more than one or two of those babies to make a pot of soup. I made something similar to this recipe from 101 Cookbooks the other day. My version included yellow squash instead of green and I garnished mine with a swirl of crème fraîche and a spoonful of basil pesto.

Back to the ever handy shredding method. This recipe from How the Cookie Crumbles is one I will return to again and again this summer. The other day a friend and I demolished at least eight squash this way and it only served three people. And that’s exactly what you want this time of year.

Image: clayirving

How do you know if you’re watering your plants enough? Particularly with potted plants, watering can pose an issue. The problem is that signs of over-watering and under-watering are often the same. The leaves of stressed plants will curl, brown or droop in either scenario.

So, how do you know what to do? Get to know your plants!

First, be attentive. Plants require daily monitoring. Check the soil to see if it has dried out. Check down below the surface to see if there is still moisture deep in the soil. Also, inspect under the planter at the drainage holes to see if the roots look wet. If the drainage pan below the pots is continually filled with water, it’s possible you’re watering too much. The roots will rot or suffocate if they’re too wet. Be sure to empty the drain pans whenever they fill up too. If your pots don’t have holes in the bottom, consider replanting to ones that do.

Secondly, do your research. Some plants require more water than others. Cilantro, for example, likes a constant, moist environment, whereas plants like thyme prefer a drier soil.

Thirdly, pay attention to the weather. If it’s hotter, your plants will probably need more water than if it’s rainy and humid. Instead of stubbornly sticking to a set-in-stone watering schedule, you need to accommodate your plants depending on the temperature, wind, and humidity.

If a plant looks stressed and you water it, look for improvement within a day or so. If there’s no improvement, you may be over-watering.

Image: chichacha

In a tight urban space, committing to compost isn’t the easiest of feats. But in Washington, D.C. residents will soon be able to reap the benefits of composting without dealing with its difficulties.

Launching this spring, Compost Cab will provide customers with a bin which can then be filled with all kinds of compostables. Once a week, Compost Cab will pick up the organic material and compost it for you. For every 50 pounds of organic waste that Compost Cab collects from a customer, the customer is entitled to five pounds of fresh compost and one pound of worm castings in exchange. That’s a screaming deal for you and your plants.

For those who don’t have yard or garden space but still want to take part in the composting effort, Compost Cab will donate the customer’s share of compost to Engaged Community Offshoot, an urban farm that aims to provide people from all walks of life with sustainable, fresh produce.

But D.C. isn’t the only area with composting services. In Northampton, MA, residents can take advantage of composting services offered by Pedal People, with your organic waste being collected by bike. Same goes for the people of Philadelphia, who can call on Pedal Co-op to pick up their kitchen waste.

Are you an urbanite with a creative way of composting? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Image: SaltyGrease

I’m just a wee bit crazy for all my electronic devices, but all the expensive power they use? Not so much. Solar-powered gadgets are the perfect answer, sucking energy from the sun instead of money from my pocketbook. Here are five of my favorites:

YAYA Power Solar Portable Charger

Perfect for charging cell phones, iPods, video games, and other electronic devices, this baby is definitely something you want to keep in your handbag for emergency charges. It has its own solar panel to draw juice from the sun, but on cloudy days you can can still recharge devices with it via your car’s cigarette lighter or a USB port on your computer.

Ripe Radish Solar Energy Lawn Lamp

How cool is this? Forget those boring black, plastic solar pathway lights. Nab a batch of these solar lamps that collect power during the day and glow red an night The center is a hollow flowerpot perfect for holding young radish plants. If there’s a cuter way to light your lawn, I haven’t seen it.

Solar LED Address Numbers

These nifty address numbers attach to the front of your home and glow for eight to ten hours each night after collecting energy from the sun. Two LED backlight the number cutouts so they’re easy to read, and the entire affair is made from weather-resistant anodized aluminum so it will last a long time. This gizmo beat numbers glued to a mailbox, hands down.

Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger Bag

I’m in love with this bag. Made from recycled soda bottles, this laptop charger doubles as a computer tote. Solar panels on the outside generate enough power to charge the custom-designed battery pack in only five hours. It includes adapters for laptops, phones and other handheld devices, and can even be configured to adapt to the unique MagSafe port on a MacBook. The charger bag may not be much to look at, but functionality, it is to die for.

Solar Bluetooth Car Speaker

Forget fiddling with those goofy-looking Bluetooth cell phone ear pieces, slap this puppy on your windshield and chat on speakerphone. This car kit features call waiting, voice dialing, redial, and more. It stores 200 phone numbers and has a built-in rechargeable battery that provides up to 14 hours of talk time – perfect for those extra long car trips.

Image: david.nikonvscanon

I still remember a friend of mine telling me about a visit to Italy when she and a new Italian friend were cooking dinner. He went out on the fire escape to grab some fresh basil for the pasta, which she found awe-inspiring. Maybe it was only because she was a young, impressionable college student at the time or the aura surrounding Italians and food, but she thought to herself, “Now THAT is living!”

Enjoying an herb garden is indeed living at its best. Growing herbs is not very difficult and can truly transform your daily cooking experience (don’t miss our Pesto recipe from yesterday). Especially if you’re lacking space, an herb garden doesn’t take up much room and can work almost anywhere: straight in the backyard in and amongst flowers, in potted plants on your deck or fire escape or even right in your kitchen.

Not only is it profoundly satisfying picking a few herbs to accompany a favorite meal, I’ve found that I save money and no longer suffer the guilt of throwing away mounds of rotted cilantro because I only needed a few sprigs the day I bought it. I use what I need, as I need it and herbs are always more flavorful when freshly picked.

An herb garden is also a great entry into gardening because you don’t have to invest much into it. It’s not like waiting three months of patient nurturing for your beefeater tomatoes to finally start producing, only to have them get a disease and wither before you can taste a single one.

Herbs vary in how they grow. Rosemary and thyme tend to grow more like bushes and may take longer to establish, whereas basil, cilantro and parsley grow relatively quickly in large sprigs. Mint on the other hand, can grow like ground cover, spreading quickly. Herbs can be grown from seeds or if you’re impatient like me, I suggest buying small plants already started and transplant them. Here are a few details about what herbs to consider and what you might expect.

Basil

Basil is imperative during the summer months and especially at the end of the summer when tomatoes are in season. It is particularly virtuous freshly cut and scrumptious in bruschetta or pasta. It thrives in sun and warmth and does better with frequent trimming. When Basil starts to flower- be sure to remove the flowers quickly, as the plant will produce fewer leaves with less flavor if allowed to flower completely.

Italian Parsley

Parsley doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. I grew up with the kind of parsley that was only meant to be a garnish, a sprig on the side of chicken for decoration purposes only. Parsley is versatile herb that works well in all kinds of dishes, from pasta to Indian curries.

Of all the herbs I’ve grown, my greatest success has been growing Italian parsley, which I prefer over other varieties. It can grow into a large, strong plant that withstands frequent cutting. (Cut stems close to the base of the plant.) Parsley likes the sun or partial shade and bi-weekly watering. Eventually it will “bolt” or “go to seed” growing straight up into a flower, which like lettuce, means it’s reached the end of its usefulness. Best if grown in large pots or directly in the ground.

Cilantro

Cilantro, not to be confused with Italian parsley, has a distinct flavor that seems to elicit passionate responses of either love or hate. While it was an acquired taste for me, I fall firmly into the “love” camp, as this herb works well in so many recipes, including salsas, Asian stir-fries and with fish. Cilantro likes sun and can be tended much like parsley, cutting sprigs as needed. Trim flowers if they start to appear.

Rosemary

Rosemary grows well in many climates and is often used as an ornamental flowering bush in people’s yards. There is nothing quite like fresh rosemary with roasted chicken. Rosemary is a hardy plant that grows quickly and lasts a long time with little tending. Grow directly in the ground or in a large pot.

Thyme

Nobody should live without thyme. I may use thyme more than any other herb. It is particularly aromatic and goes well with everything, such as tomato sauces, bouquet garni’s for soup stocks or meats and vegetables. In fact, thyme makes an excellent alternative for basil in bruschetta. Thyme loves the sun and does well with little tending. It grows well in pots and can be trimmed frequently once established.

Mint

I have developed a new love for mint. I once had enough mint outside my back door that simple syrup and a muddler were always on hand. While most people recognize its crucial role in drinks like mint juleps or mojitos, it can be overlooked as a fabulous addition in concert with other herbs in frittatas, fish pistous, vegetable sauces or pasta dishes. Mint grows readily and quickly and may be best grown in pots unless you’re ready to live with it in abundance.

Sage

Sage is an excellent herb for flavoring stuffing. It’s also amazing toasted in butter and served as a garnish with butternut squash soup.  Sage is a shrub-like plant that grows well indoors or out and can get quite large if given the opportunity. It prefers lots of sunlight and loose, fertile soil.

Dill

I used to shy away from dill, but no more. Dill is a great herb for potatoes, fish or egg dishes. It grows well in containers and does best with ample sunlight, plenty of water and tall pots to accommodate its deep roots.

Images: stvno, auntsue, other_andrew, cocoen, myfrenchcuisine, raeallen, raeallen