Kindred Gifts' Blog

Living a sustainable life – ideas to consider, things to try.

What does sustainability mean?

Sustainability means meeting your current needs, instead of your current wants.

Sustainability is being conscious of not having a negative impact on the needs of future generations.

Sustainability requires us all to make more environmentally-conscious choices about the way we live. It might not be plausible for most of us to have a completely sustainable home or office or method of transportation, but sustainability is all about taking small steps towards improvement...

Make your holiday sustainable

Sustainable holidays mean less stress - look at the things that cause you to stress. Why is it stressful? Is it necessary? Can you cut back on the distance that you travel so that you don’t need to cope with jet lag or time delays? Can you catch public transport (train holidays can be fantastic!) so that you don’t have to worry about finding your way or driving in unfamiliar areas?

Sustainable holidays mean less waste: look for things that create wasted resources. What are the alternatives?

Sustainable holidays mean relaxing: you may not be able to make sweeping changes in one season. Set yourself one holiday goal and do what you can. It is a holiday after all!

This guest blog post comes from the lovely Meagan at the This Whole Family blog. Meagan is first and foremost a mama to two gorgeous little ones, a wife, a green cleaner and vegetarian chef, a writer, a yoga teacher, an animal rights activist and creator of all things homemade. She enjoys shopping, vegan baking and her newfound hobbies- sewing, knitting and photography. You can find her playing hide and seek at the park, drawing with crayons, reading a book or feeding her newborn while sipping soy chai lattes and nibbling on Fairtrade chocolate.
Meagan says:

We love using candles to create mood in our home. We light a candle each night before saying our grace at dinner; we light one or two naturally scented candles throughout the house during the day when we’re hanging out at home; we light a candle when we’re quietly drawing and we also light a candle at storytime to create a sense of stillness, wonder and reflection. We have been long-time fans of beeswax candles, but when we are in the mood for a new scent and a bit more luxury our choice is soy candles.

Using soy candles instead of conventional paraffin based ones is better for you and the environment- a win-win situation. Here’s why:

* Soy wax is non-toxic and burns cleaner than paraffin, while paraffin based candles emit a petroleum exhaust leaving smokey residue on walls, ceilings, furniture and even in your lungs.

* Soy candles burn longer, slower and cooler compared to conventional candles.

* As long as the soybeans are grown sustainably, they are a renewable resource, unlike paraffin which is derived from petroleum.

* Soywax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil and is therefore naturally biodegradable.

Kindred Gifts sells a beautiful range of candles called Pompadour Soy Candles that are scented with natural essential oils and fine fragrances of frangipani and willow bark blended with jasmine, orange, grapefruit, bergamot, pettigrain, ylang ylang and mimosa. Unlike many conventional candles these are free from paraffin, palm oil, animal by-products and chemicals.

From the Kindred Gifts website: "The range draws inspiration from the legend of Madame de Pompadour - a woman who personified learning, wit and style, who embraced luxury, aesthetics and indulgence to please her soul in the same way that art, literature and music did”. This sentence alone makes me want to light a candle and get in touch with my creative side!

What does sustainability mean?

Sustainability means meeting your current needs, instead of your current wants.

Sustainability is being conscious of not having a negative impact on the needs of future generations.

Sustainability requires us all to make more environmentally-conscious choices about the way we live. It might not be plausible for most of us to have a completely sustainable home or office or method of transportation, but sustainability is all about taking small steps towards improvement...

Make your office sustainable


Being sustainable at work can be hard – it is all about getting your colleagues, peers and bosses on board too...How about suggesting a competition so that the staff member who implements the most successful reduce, reuse or recycle ideas wins a prize? Ask people to consider how you might all reuse materials in the workplace, persuade your boss to invest in some recycling bins or convince everyone to print double sided. Every little step is one that counts.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas from Bold and Noble

Commandment number one - thou shall not forget Valentine's Day! Whether your partner appreciates Valentine's gifts completely left of field, or is a 'gift from the heart' type person, you could very well be saved from near disaster with one or several of these unique gift ideas from award winning UK design firm Bold & Noble.

Valentine’s Day is one of the more unique calendar holidays, because it is the only one specifically dedicated to celebrating the love between two people. Nice, huh? Instead of the usual flowers and chocolate this year, why not share the love this Valentine's Day with some unique and stylish Bold and Noble prints for your loved one? With a Valentine's Day gift from online gift store Kindred Gifts, you can give your partner a memorable keepsake that can be treasured forever...besides you of course!  Love is definitely in the air this Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Women

Valentine's Day gifts should be about the excitement, the passion, and the fun of the unexpected. Why give a gift that is temporary in sight as well as in memory?  Spoil your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with these stunning prints by Bold and Noble (all $74.95) that will add instant colour and flair to her house or office.

Express your love with an unforgettable My Heart print in 'Raspberry' (top left) or the striking and symbolic Endless Love print in 'Dark Mulberry' (top right).

Nothing says "I love you" quite like the bold ‘Poppy Red’ Love print (left), that shouts it from the wall! 

Or if your lady loves to garden or is inspired by nature, you can’t go past the simple yet exquisite Flora print in 'Raspberry' (right) from Bold & Noble.

Give that special lady love in your life a unique gift from Bold & Noble this Valentine’s Day, and her heart is sure to flutter!

Valentine's Day Gifts for Men

Do you always feel like Valentine's Day is for women, so you feel lost when it comes to your ‘turn' to give a gift? Worry no more!  Love makes the world go 'round, and in every corner of the globe you can find places that make the heart soar, especially with these handpulled screen printed Bold and Noble Type Map Prints, $74.95, featuring various countries around the world – or even the whole World (top right), $96.95, itself! 

These striking and stylish hand-pulled screen prints range from the entire World, to individual countries/continents such as Australia (left) and New Zealand and Japan, to Africa, British Isles, France, Italy, Ireland, USA and Canada.  The prints even delve into even more geographical detail, with specially designed prints of cities such as The Big Apple (New York) and London (below right).

Help him get organised yet stay stylish in 2012 with Bold & Noble’s new 2012 Wall Calendars, $49.95. Available in two eye-catching styles, Geometric or Doodle (below left), these funky, fresh designs will add character and organization to any office or home work space.

Made by hand, and printed onto recycled stock, all of the prints from Bold & Noble are not only stylish, but also a fantastic environmentally friendly gift for men this Valentine’s Day.

Each print is available in two striking colour options, and looks fabulous when framed and mounted in offices, kitchens, living areas or bedrooms.
                                   
Give that special guy in your life a unique gift from Bold & Noble this Valentine’s Day, and you’ll have earned brownie points for many years to come! 
                                                                          

 

What does sustainability mean?

Sustainability means meeting your current needs, instead of your current wants.

Sustainability is being conscious of not having a negative impact on the needs of future generations.

Sustainability requires us all to make more environmentally-conscious choices about the way we live. It might not be plausible for most of us to have a completely sustainable home or office or method of transportation, but sustainability is all about taking small steps towards improvement...

Make your car/transport sustainable

It is a simple proposition - walk more and drive less - which isn’t always easy to implement. But if you swap just one car journey (say that Saturday afternoon dash to the supermarket) for a walk or a bike ride instead, imagine how much fitter you’d feel and you could be comfortable in the knowledge that a little less fossil fuel was used that day, so a little more environment was cherished...

What does sustainability mean?

Sustainability means meeting your current needs, instead of your current wants.

Sustainability is being conscious of not having a negative impact on the needs of future generations.

Sustainability requires us all to make more environmentally-conscious choices about the way we live. It might not be plausible for most of us to have a completely sustainable home or office or method of transportation, but sustainability is all about taking small steps towards improvement...

Make your home sustainable

Ever wondered how much power you’re using at home? Why those electricity bills just keep on getting bigger and bigger every year? Why not invest in a Power Meter as the first step to making your home sustainable? Plug any appliance into it and it will calculate how much energy your home appliances are using. It a great way to learn about energy consumption and to reduce your families carbon footprint.

New To Australia: Calendars as Artworks! Design Studio Bold & Noble’s First Ever Wall Calendar Range Lands At Kindred Gifts

Kindred Gifts is pleased to announce the release of the new to Australia, Bold & Noble 2012 Wall Calendars in two modern designs. Beautiful artworks for any room, the Doodle Wall Calendar and Geometric Wall Calendar are each available in two fresh colour options and retail for $74.95. The large 70cm x 100cm designs are a practical yet contemporary way to showcase your unique style and personality both easily and affordably. The artworks, hand-pulled screen prints which have been sustainably produced on recycled card, were designed by accomplished UK based duo Jane Tobitt and David Wardle and are the first wall calendars the pair has produced.

Kindred Gifts’ CEO Kellie Byrnes says "We love that these funky new calendars will give you the ability to hang a stylish, functional piece of art while at the same time keeping track of events and schedules throughout the year. The beautiful designs, illustrations and typography you will see in all of Bold & Noble’s work have led it to become our most popular range for people looking for unique gifts for women or men friends, family, or co-workers, and we’re sure that these calendars will be just as popular. The Bold & Noble range is also one of the most popular sources of wedding gifts and Christmas gifts for our customers, and we’re excited that the launch of the 2012 Wall Calendars will give people the ability to purchase even more gifts online that are not only beautiful, functional, and unique, but also sustainably produced”.

The work of Jane and David has been regularly featured on an international level and Kindred Gifts is very excited to be able to bring the new pieces created by these fabulous artists to Australia. The contemporary calendars will be a great addition to any home or office, and with room in each space to add a reminder of important events or schedules, you will be able to see your plans for the year quickly and easily, while retaining a sense of style in a normally ‘hidden’ product.

Celebrate Sustainable House Day on September 11 with our top tips for stylish, eco-friendly home decorating

Sustainable House Day gives people the chance to have a good look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind as well as talk to owners for unbiased advice. The day provides a chance for people to exchange ideas and learn from each other, and all visits to the houses are also free of charge, so it costs nothing to see how easy and economical the move to greener living can be.

The aim of Sustainable House Day is to provide an enjoyable, informative day that contributes to local community awareness of sustainable living. Education is indeed key, as many Australians wouldn’t be aware that each year the average Aussie household contributes 13 tonnes of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere—enough to fill more than 700 balloons every day – while each household also draws an average of 73,000 buckets of water a year, enough for around 12 baths a day! Sustainable House Day is a fabulous day to celebrate and learn about greener living.

In that theme, we thought we’d put together a blog with a few of our own ideas about styling your home with sustainable, yet stylish pieces that look great but are also better for the world.

A great example of a beautifully designed piece which uses sustainably sourced timbers is this Homesum ‘Frond’ fruit bowl, $79.95.

• Choose products made from recycled materials

Recycling is vital in order to reduce the vast amounts of material that are sent to landfill every year. By supporting businesses that use recycled materials, you also support the environment, as well as having the opportunity to source one-off and limited edition pieces, each with their own unique history. Choose stylish home accents and accessories made from recycled timbers, steel, papers, bike parts, vinyl records, materials, china plates and more!

Have fun styling your home with these 60’s inspired solar powered night lights (from $64.95), made from recycled steel by The Original Metal Box Company  or get people talking at your next dinner party with these funky Resource Revival Bottle Openers, $14.95, made using recycled bike chains!

• Choose products made from environmentally friendly fabrics such as bamboo, hemp and organic cotton

A great way to go green is to choose products for your home that have been made using natural, chemical-free, and renewable materials such as organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo. These materials are fantastic in many ways – they’re good for you, good for your family, and good for the planet. Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides or fertilisers, which not only affect our health, but which also cause environmental damage when they pollute the soil, air and water. Hemp and bamboo are both people and planet friendly, due to the fact that they require far fewer chemicals than cotton, and are some of the fastest growing plants in the world (meaning that they can be replaced with new plants much more quickly than a new tree, for instance, can grow).

Brighten up your home with eco friendly accessories such as these Manor12 hemp tea towel packs, $79.95, or these organic cotton Blizzard cushion covers by Fluf, $69.95 each.

• Choose products that use alternative energy sources such as solar power

A fantastic way to not only help the environment, but also save on your power bills, is to take advantage of the great range of solar powered products now available. Using the power of the sun (by converting sunlight into electricity), solar products are becoming more readily available every year due to their dual benefits.

Choose from a wide array of beautifully designed, solar powered products, such as these pieces from Lexon – the Safe Bamboo Wall Clock, $149 and the Greenman Solar Lamp, $99, for indoor or outdoor use.

It was so nice to see that Oscars clearly went green this year!

As we know well, and promote in our business, no longer does eco have to be boring, pared back, or just plain ugly. Instead, these days more and more innovations are becoming available in all areas of design. This year, we were excited to see that even the stars in Hollywood know this to be true on their 'Night of Nights'!

Check out the ways the Oscars went 'green' in 2011:

- The red carpet this year was actually 'green', being made from recycled water bottles! (Similarly, the Grammy Awards featured this eco friendly red carpet design too).

- All food served at the Oscars was both local and organic

- The Oscars were powered by 100% renewable energy

- All organic waste from the Oscars will be composted

- All glass, plastic and aluminium will be recycled

- Celebs were provided with hybrid and alternative fuel rides to the red carpet

 

Red carpet fashions - what many people see as the most interesting part of the night - also went green this year, with a bevvy of stars being seen in eco friendly and vintage designs.

Best Actor Oscar Winner Colin Firth and his wife Livia are both strong believers in sustainable practices. Not only did eco boutique owner Livia wear fairtrade gold and a custom made dress that was 'upcycled' from 11 reclaimed dresses; but hubby Colin also wore a Tom Ford tuxe that was made from ethically sourced materials. Quite a fine looking pair they made too!

We also loved the vintage gowns on Anne Hathaway (on the red carpet wearing Valentino); Marisa Tomei (wearing a Charles James gown from 1950); and Florence Welch (vintage Valentino).

  

And just because we love these dresses so much, here's a flash back to some of the best vintage dresses (and best looks full stop!) that have been seen on the red carpet over the years, proving that eco can be THE best style around!

Our favourites are Renee Zellweger (in a Jean Desses gown, in 2001); Julia Roberts (in Valentino, also in 2001); and Reese Witherspoon (Christian Dior, in 2006).