Sustainable Toys

Being the principle merchandise buyer for My Little Green Shop and having raised a couple of toddlers (now aged 4.5 and 5.5), I know a thing or two about sustainable toys. When choosing gifts for our children I follow the same principles as I do when I am selecting new brands or products to carry. I look for toys that are going to get lots (hopefully years) of usage, toys that are made from sustainable materials, and toys that have a low environmental impact when it comes to their manufacturing practises.

Wooden toys top the sustainable list as they’re durable and can be passed on. As long as there are no small parts that can pose a choking hazard, why not gift a wooden toy that is a bit beyond a child's age? Toddlers grow pretty quickly. One of the best toys we’ve given our kids is the fabulous Hape Kitchen. Our daughter received it when she was 2 yrs old. Initially, it was just her little puttering around station but when she was 3 she used it for 'cooking and meal preparation'. Now she's 4.5 and she loves to play 'restaurant'. She explains menu items, takes our order and 'prepares' tasty and nutritious meals for us. Our 5.5 yr-old little guy plays with the Kitchen lots too. He likes to write down the menu du jour and our orders, thereby practicing his spelling. They've been playing with it for 2.5 years and I reckon there will be more yrs of play with it.

With regards to sustainability, conventionally grown cotton gets very low marks as it requires heavy pesticide usage. The extent of the detrimental affect of harmful chemicals like pesticides on children, is worrisome to say the least. That's why dolls that are made from natural (meaning untreated) cotton or certified organic cotton are highly preferable. Greenpoint Brands, maker of the Good Earth Fairy Dolls, is a brand we're proud to carry. The fabric they use is all natural and their stuffing is made from recycled polyester, which enhances their eco-friendliness. Another awesome maker of dolls is American company Olives and Pickles. Their products are GOTS certified. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. Jacques the Bear may be the cutest Olives and Pickles item of all.

When it comes to manufacturing practises, we prefer wooden toys that are painted with non-toxic, lead-free, water based stains. Heavy metals in paints pose serious health threats and that is why we carry brands like Grimm's, Goki, Maple Landmark and Hape. These major toy companies are known for their product safety, for following environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices and for relying on third party product safety testing. Grimm's makes absolutely beautiful toys like these 7 Rainbow Friends in 7 Bowls.

 As awareness of environmental and health/safety issues grows, so too does the demand for toys which are environmentally sustainable. We're proud to have been a purveyor of safe and environmentally sustainable toys for years.

 

Fabulous Recipes I'll Try Someday!

Kombucha - http://livesimply.me/2013/07/10/kombucha/

My Little Green Shop carries the awesome stainless steel Onyx Popsicle Molds and we love looking for and sharing yummy popsicle recipes :)

Here are some recent fab finds:

Rainbow Pops - http://kidkrazed.com/onyx-pop-molds-review-healthy-frozen-rainbow-pops/

Lemon -http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blogs/pamperspakhlava/2011/06/22/luscious-lemon-popsicles/

Pomegranate Lime - http://thebettertreat.com/2014/05/12/tbt-pres-jerryjamesstones-cookingstoned-pomegranate-limeade-popsicle-recipe/#sthash.PDPDk7NG.dpbs

Time saving advice when it comes to making smoothies - http://diyorganix.com/how-to-make-a-month-of-smoothies-in-one-hour/

5 Easy Smoothie recipes - http://livesimply.me/2014/07/29/diy-freezer-smoothie-packs-recipes/

Enjoy the summer!

Lili

My Little Green Shop

Supporting Local Children this December

It is a known fact that many children in our community often go to school hungry and that saddens us immensely at My Little Green Shop. Even worse is knowing that many inner city schools who need to offer a lunch program do not simply due to a lack of funds.

To be better informed on how serious this issue is in Vancouver read this December 19th, 2012 article in The Vancouver Sun titled 'Captain Cook In Dire Need of Food.'

We, the owners of My Little Green Shop, strongly believe in giving back to our community and so this December we will be donating 5 % of proceeds to the Adopt-a-School Program. This program was launched by The Vancouver Sun soon after publishing a letter by Vancouver inner city elementary school teacher Carrie Gelson in the fall of 2011. Carrie had written an open letter to the public describing the sad conditions under which many of her students were living. Click here to read more about the background of the Adopt-a-School Program and click here to donate directly to the fund.

With a little help from many who can easily afford to help, many local, disadvantaged children can have much better lives.

Sincerely,

Savara, Sebastian, Jim + Lili

May is Midwifery Month

We have a very soft spot in our hearts for midwives - when Sebastian & Savara were born, we had Chloe & Heather from Bloom Community Midwives to help bring them into the world. It was a wonderful experience - especially since our babes were both born at home.

There'll be a picnic at Trout Lake Park on May 5th for all you Vancouverites. We hope to see you there! :)

A Family in Need

We were recently extremely touched by a news story of a young woman from Dawson Creek who is in a medically induced coma after being hit by an SUV in Surrey. Her family is struggling financially to remain by her side. My Litttle Green Shop will be donating 5% of March's proceeds to this family to help them out.

See this article - http://www.globaltvbc.com/bottle+drive+for+dawson+creek+teenager+hit+by+car+in+surrey/6442595710/story.html for info on how to donate to this family.



We sincerely thank everyone who shopped at MLGS in March. March sales were great and on April 10th $300 was deposited into the joint account at BMO set up for this family.

To the family: We so hope your daughter is recovering well and your family is finding the strength to get through this difficult period.

Lili

MLGS' New Customer Referral Program

Our business is growing very rapidly and that is largely because of word of mouth from happy customers. We really appreciate our customers speaking highly of My Little Green Shop and so to thank them, on Jan 1st 2012, we introduced a financial rewards program, named our New Customer Referral Program.  As the business grows, we're able to offer more and more product lines, which is really exciting to us and keeps our happy customers coming back.

The basic idea behind this program is that an existing customer or anyone who likes what we carry brings us a new customer and the new customer places an order worth $50 or more, both parties are rewarded. The referrer gets a cheque for $10 and the person being referred gets 15% off their first order. Wow, right?!

Here are the easy peasy steps within  this new program:

1)  Refer a friend or relative to My Little Green Shop. Refer as many people as you like. We've got a brand new cheque book and it is big and fat. :)
2) Have him or her send us an e-mail - lili@mylittlegreenshop.com - prior to placing an order telling us who referred them.
3) Upon receipt of that e-mail, we'll send them a discount code that gives 15% off their first order, which must be a minimum of $50. The 15% off code can not be combined with any other discount code or promotional offer.
4) After his/her order has been placed, we'll send the referrer a cheque for a cool $10.00

There is no limit to the number of cheques one person can receive, so refer as many people as you like.