I now believe in love at first sight. While walking through Nordstroms I spied the shoes of my dreams – Jambu Planet Vegan shoes? Sounds like a delectably delightful ice-cream flavor. Only these delightful Jambu Mary Janes were a treat for my feet.

My feet stopped unable to leave the mall. They had to know how they’d fit – these soft raspberry pink suede Jambu sandals with rugged black partially recycled rubber soles and cool feminine details. My feet slipped into the Contoured Memory Foam footbed and immediately relaxed. These Jambu shoes are the high heel equivalent for a hiker chic – flashy and stylish yet I could climb a mountain in a fuchsia pink minute or dance down Broadway with no blisters.

It was a match made in shoe heaven – they will sit proudly next to my Keens and Merrels only just a bit more prominent, eagerly awaiting a warm Spring day.

These Jambu Planet Vegan shoes are available for sale at Amazon, Endless.com and Planet Shoes. (Planet Shoes, Endless and Amazon all offer Free Shipping)

From Jambu: A sporty take on the Mary Jane, the Jambu Planet Vegan is a casual shoe with some kick. The cut-out designs through the leather upper give breathability. Heel and toe bumpers provide added protection and the adjustable Mary Jane strap provides a snug fit.  Unlike other outdoor brands, Jambu shoes are designed by women for women, therefore, details such as floral motifs, contrast stitching and materials keep Jambu a step ahead creating an outdoor fashion feel. With its Memory foam footbed, Jambu will cradle your foot and keep you comfortable all day. Shoes use partially recycled rubber outsoles and recycled and recyclable packaging.

Find more Jambu footwear styles for sale on eBay below.

There have been plenty of articles and blog posts on the eco-friendly Amazon Kindle – the jury is still out I suppose on whether or not the Kindle is as eco-friendly as they claim, but one thing that can’t be disputed is that ebook readers are here to stay. For those who buy a lot of books it would certainly seem that the Kindle is easier on the environment – and now for those who haven’t taken the kindle plunge and enjoy ownership of one of those new fangled technological music listening or talking devices also known as the iPhone and iPod Touch there is one more thing to add to your must have gadget list. The free Kindle iPhone app! (or iPod Touch Kindle app)

The Kindle app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a pretty slick app that lets you read kindle books – and the beauty is with Amazon’s Kindle for iPhone App (and iPod Touch) you can read Kindle books without owning a Kindle. If you do there are enhanced features like Automatically synchronizing your last page read and annotations between your kindle and iPhone/iPod Touch (with Amazon Whispersync technology), thus you can access and backup your Kindle books via your iPhone or iPod Touch.

One downside so far with the Kindle for iPhone is that Kindle newspapers, magazines and blogs are not currently available on the iPhone or iPod touch – maybe they will add that functionality in the future (but then why would you need to buy a Kindle? So maybe not). But there are plenty of free Kindle books for the iPhone (and iPod Touch – geez they should just call them your iDevices it would be simpler to write about them!)

I’ve been dreaming about the iPod Touch lately (well not literally, unless you count the one where I show up at school naked wearing nothing but an iPod Touch) so this gives me one more reason to take the plunge – if you already have one and have been on the fence about getting an Amazon Kindle than perhaps the Kindle app is your solution.

What books have you enjoyed on your Kindle or iPhone? Please share inquiring minds want to know…

Every time I look in the cupboard to grab a plate or cup for our kids I am reminded that we really need to find non plastic BPA free dishes. With all the warnings about BPA leaching into our food (especially when microwaved) I really don’t want that stuff any where near my kids. So I usually gamble and give them our good dishes… and face the wrath of Brandi when she scolds me for letting the kids use her artsy dishes. (so far I have been lucky but if ever one should break I’ll be sleeping on the couch for a month)

Just today she handed me a torn out page of a Parents magazine in which they had a little blurb about Kidishes – BPA free drinking glasses, bowls and plates for kids that are made out of Duralex tempered glass. I know you are thinking give glass dishes to my kids – yah right! The thing is these Tempered glass dishes are 4 to 5 times stronger than standard glass because they are made through extreme heating and rapid cooling. You can find Duralex dishes for sale at Amazon. The Kidishes sell out fast on Amazon but I did find one source to buy Kidishes as well as a fun video showing off the seemingly indestructible nature of these dishes. Take a peek at the vid and then go to ZoeB Organic to buy these kid friendly 100% recyclable, dishwasher safe, microwaveable, BPA free Duralex dishes.

You can also find a good deal on Duralex dishes for sale on eBay with a few Kidishes on there from time to time.

This Post shared on Real Food Wednesday

Despite the copious piles of fluffy white stuff strewn about the yard there are tendrils of Spring weaving themselves into each day with promise of more to come in the following week. (I like to help the melting along by kicking a bit (aka gobs and gobs) of snow into the driveway now and then – every little bit helps). This Spring I look forward to trying my hand at a bit of gardening as I’ve been enticed by a good dose of healthy green smoothies.

We don’t have a big yard but there is always room for a bit of green thumb experimentation with wood window boxes and other window box planters. I was looking to my good friends over at eBay World of Good and found some beautiful Fair Trade Teak window boxes for sale by Goods for the Garden. These fine window boxes come with everything you need to get and early jump on Spring including solid teak window box brackets and teak footings to allow for proper drainage.

Teak is such a beautiful wood with such a soft whirling grain and smooth warm feel. These teak window boxes are even better because they are crafted from teak grown from reforested areas throughout Costa Rica by a producer that adheres to the principles of the Forestry Stewardship Council. Diamond Teak has 12 plantations that protect more than 1000 acres of jungle and provide safe haven to diverse flora, fauna and 70 species of trees, including mahogany, purpleheart and cocobolo rosewood. These hardwoods make wonderful furniture but have a bad reputation because these rare forests are being logged to extinction, not to mention logging contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, and the displacement of indigenous peoples. The Forestry Stewardship Council strives to make sure these forests are maintained in a sustainable and safe way for the environment.

What this all means is by supporting companies who follow these strict guidelines you can feel proud to know you are getting a beautiful product in the most environmentally friendly way. I also love to hear companies going one step further… Goods For The Garden is committed to preserving America’s historical gardens, landscapes, green spaces and mother earth! They contribute 5 percent of the purchase price of every product to an organization of your choosing or to their 1 Percent For The Planet Fund.

Now that’s an Earth Friendly wood window box that will keep on giving year after year – plus you can get an early start on that Spring planting. As for me, I’m going to go kick some more snow into the driveway and think about what I want to plant first!

Below you’ll find teak window boxes for sale from Goods for the Garden

Looking for a very last minute Valentines gift? Or, perhaps a unique “oops I forgot it was Valentines day” make up gift since it is now past the big day. These eco-friendly Fair Trade chocolates are certain to get you out of the dog house – well a little Fair Trade chocolate might help shorten the stay at least.

Yachana Gourmet Jungle Chocolates are created from Amazon cacao beans in Ecuador which are hand picked and sun-dried in special solar dryers, roasted to perfection chopped into bits and dipped in all natural Amazon cane syrup for a delectably delightful light sweetness.

Not only are these special Fair Trade chocolate nibs a special treat for the tummy you’ll get bonus points for supporting a fair trade company that pays its farmers 200%-300% above the local market price for cacao, uses green energy, and uses non-GMO ingredients.

Yachana Gourmet Jungle Chocolates come in several tasty variations including: Brazil nut and coffee, pineapple, macadamia nut, raisin and coconut, and a mixed batch of all of them. Yum.

These Fair Trade Jungle Chocolates are for sale at eBay’s World of Good. (maybe a bit late for a last minute Valentine gift – but it could save you from sleeping on the couch another night)

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday