if you’re looking for a hostess gift or stocking stuffer, consider purchasing a green zebra book. a green version of an entertainment book, green zebra includes over 450 exclusive offers from sustainable restaurants, shops, spas, wellness centres, bookstores, and theatres.

i purchased a green zebra book for 2010 and found that i was able to recoup the cost of the book ($20) very quickly. i didn’t get around to using all the coupons this year, but i did redeem coupons at:

• donald’s market
• choices market
• granville island organix
• helping hands cleaners
• nesters market
• marketplace iga
• clover hair salon

i found the guide very easy to use and i didn’t have to go out of my way to use a coupon. most of the discounts offered were at places i would normally shop at anyway. alternatively, the discounts would be an excellent incentive to visit a new shop or restaurant.

the 2011 green zebra guide is available now and every sale also benefits the tb vets charitable foundation.

canadian label preloved has created an exclusive collection for ebay that features some lovely re-worked wool sweaters and accessories. my favs are the miss ellie sweater and the pretty honey patterned sweater.

all the pieces are on sale right now and best of all, the prices include free shipping!

the success of groupon, which launched in vancouver earlier this year, has inspired many more group-buying sites to join the ranks. the premise for these sites is that an interesting deal (tickets to an event, credits at restaurants or stores) is offered at a significant discount, however, the deal is dependent on a minimum number of people signing on. once the minimum is reached, you get to enjoy the deal.

one of the most interesting sites to join the fold is ethical deal. the site was recently launched and it is committed to offering deals from local green companies.

i have been using sites like this for sometime now and i’ve found that it’s worth browsing through deals for other cities, as deals for online stores are not restricted to the city in which they’re offered. also, if you’re planning a trip, you might want to consider buying deals for the city you’re visiting; just remember to check the fine print for expiration dates.

i love the museums in london. having been to the city several times throughout the years, i am always discovering something new. my stay last month led to me to visit the imperial war museum and the science museum for the first time. both are amazing. but there is an intriguing exhibit entitled trash fashion: designing out waste at the science museum.

on site, the exhibit is beautifully laid out with a very polished interactive touch-screen component. luckily, it is also available as a virtual exhibit. one half of the exhibit focuses new design and highlights 3 themes: reducing the use of dyes; fabrics that are recyclable or biodegradable; and reducing offcuts. the other half of the exhibit tracks what happens to the clothing we discard.

my favourite piece in the exhibit is this stunning dress Yuliya Kyrpo made from old Metro newspapers. the train is composed of 1,000 origami cranes.

i couldn’t visit london without a stop at braintree hemp. the favourable exchange rate combined with a great sale led to some serious shopping:

i also went to topshop’s flagship store at oxford circus, as fair-trade and eco-friendly label people tree has had a concession there for at least 3 years. to my surprise, people tree was no longer there, but can now be found at john lewis instead.

this was all just as well, as john lewis was on my must-visit list for knitting supplies (coincidentally, i was there during wool week). both john lewis and liberty have fantastic haberdashery departments. while walking down carnaby street, i came across all the fun of the fair, a lovely shop for the hip knitter.

in addition to shopping trips, my stay in London included visits to museums (London Transport Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and the Museum of London Docklands) and their gift shops.  i love to shop at museum gift shops because they usually carry interesting items and since shops are a large source of revenue for museums, it is a great way to support culture and heritage.

groupon is a great service that harnesses collective buying power to score great deals. everyday, the site features a deal on events or activities around the city. the only catch is that the deal is dependent on a minimum number of people signing on. once the minimum is reached, you get the deal and your credit card will be charged. you then print your voucher and set off to enjoy the deal.

you need to subscribe to groupon‘s daily email feed (an email is sent each day with the daily deal) to get in on the deals. i suggest creating a separate account for sites like these so that you are not bombarded by emails all the time.

ever wonder how you could be an agent of social change? being part of a carrotmob is a relatively easy way to effect change. instead of using negative reinforcement like boycotts, carrotmobs use “buycotts” to reward businesses who pledge to reduce their environmental footprint. from the carrotmob website:

Carrotmob is a type of consumer activism in which businesses compete at how socially responsible they can be, and then a network of consumers spends money to support whichever business makes the strongest offer. We harness consumer power to make it possible for the most socially-responsible business practices to also be the most profitable choices.

the first carrotmob vancouver event is tomorrow, may 16th, at the saltspring coffee on main and 27th ave. 110% of the revenues from the day are going directly to improving the energy efficiency of the shop. bring your carrot costume.

now that christmas is over, the sales are on. i was surprised at how early the sales started this year. people were slashing prices two weeks before the big day! as a result, the boxing day sales have been a bit anti-climactic. i did, however, manage to snag a beautiful pair of el naturalista duna boots at half price.

duna prado n508

some sales are continuing well into january. here are a few worth mentioning:

• dream designs‘ annual bedding sale runs from January 2 to 31. save up to 60% on pillows, duvets, sheets, bed frames, mattresses, duvet covers, and more.
• online retailer green is black is having a huge sale (most items marked down 25-90%) until January 15.
• not just pretty is featuring a sale on items marked down by 30-70%.

in the last century, perfumes have become more synthetic (read: cheap). many of the chemicals used in perfumes are derived from petroleum and some have adverse affects on our nervous systems while others are carcinogenic. these chemicals enter through our skin and by inhalation. all this makes conventional perfume a scary thought.

but there is an alternative. i have found solid perfumes made of natural ingredients to be very long-lasting without the scary after effects. while shopping at quidditas on commercial drive, i came across ganesha’s garden botanicals.  the perfumes,  blended with essential oils and mixed with bees wax,  are packaged in beautiful carved soapstone boxes.  they are very affordable and would make a great stocking stuffer or hostess gift.

i prefer ganesha’s garden because it is made locally in B.C., but another good alternative is american-made pacifica perfume.

i haven’t yet found a spray perfume completely free of parbens, linalool, or some type of alcohol.  do you know of any?

now that we are a mere 19 days away from christmas, i am determined not to ever have to join that search. until christmas, i will be running a series on gift ideas and this is the first one!

lately, i have been using my library card more often and buying fewer books. but sometimes, there are gems that you know will be frequently referred to.  style, naturally: the savvy shopping guide to sustainable fashion and beauty written by activist and eco-model summer rayne oakes is a valuable resource on sustainable style. the chapters are divided two sections: sustainable beauty and fashion. throughout the informative chapters, there are interviews with manufacturers, designers, consumers, and eco-fashion advocates. oakes says the book is “invisibly green” because the emphasis is on style, not preaching. the book is loaded with photos and lots of useful information. in addition to explaining the importance of making green choices, there is also a store directory.