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FAIR TRADE WELCOME BAGS FROM THE LITTLE MARKET

Feb 19, 2018

If you haven’t checked out The Little Market, it’s a must. Filled with so many products that empower women artisans through the world, this lil company makes it super easy to give something beautiful while making an impact. We are especially loving these Fair Trade Burlap bags which happen to be available for all of the top wedding destinations from Aspen to Hawaii to Jackson Hole and more.

Each purchase supports Corre Jute. Corr Jute empowers destitute, rural women in Bangladesh through handicraft production. The women artisans, who are mostly illiterate, make beautiful handicrafts with local materials during free time between household activities. Corr Jute not only creates market access, but also provides job training and develops leadership skills. The women are able to supplement their marginal family income, contributing towards better living conditions.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Social Enterprise, Conscious Entertaining, Conscious Gifting, Conscious Design, Conscious Living, Conscious Travel, Wedding Inspiration Leave a Comment

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Conscious Gift Guide: The Jet Setter

Dec 19, 2016

With Christmas less than a week away we are hurrying to get amazing last minute gifts for those we love. If you’re planning a fun winter getaway, these two luggage items are perfect for a conscious holiday jet-setting adventure!!

the-jet-setterStella McCartney Vegan Luggage

That luxe vacation to a sustainable resort you can stop pinning? Pack you’re gorgeous new suitcase and you’re off. This bag can do no wrong: made from non-leather, cruelty-free materials using highly skilled manufacturing techniques. What’s more, the lining is made from recycled plastic bottles. We love Stella McCartney’s ongoing commitment to animal and eco friendly fashion.

Nisolo Leon Weekender

All I want for Christmas is you! Because the man in your life needs a suitcase too. Especially when you overpack and need some extra space. Handmade in Mexico from vegetable tanned leather, the Nisolo Leon Weekender is the perfect bag for a short Christmas getaway.

Filed Under: Conscious Design, Conscious Travel

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Green Copenhagen: Explore Europe’s Most Sustainable City

Dec 12, 2016

Article shared from WIMDU

This is the season for wedding engagements are we simply adore the joy of the holidays! Whether you’re planning a last minute holiday getaway or looking ahead to your honeymoon, Copenhagen is a gorgeous, cultured, and sustainable location to consider! Today travel website WIMDU is sharing their tips for having a green and conscious stay in Copenhagen!


Copenhagen received the European Commission’s European Green Capital Award in 2014 and ranks number one on the European Green City Index. It also often tops international happiness surveys. The city is not only on track to be carbon neutral by 2025, it is also designed to be livable and people-friendly. On your next trip to Copenhagen, why not fully dive into discovering all things sustainable this eco-friendly city offers its citizens?

Take a Bike Tour

Copenhagen is world famous for its biking culture and even has its own Cycling Embassy. Danes love cycling and 36% of Copenhageners actually ride their bike to work. Thanks to municipal policies that encourage a bike-friendly design of the city, Copenhagen offers 390 kilometers of designated bike lanes. So, do as the Copenhageners do and get on a bike. You can take a guided bike tour with the Cycling Embassy and learn more about the city’s biking culture and infrastructure. Or go on a green bike tour with GoGreenCopenhagen to meet green initiatives, learn about environmental city development, and discover sustainable architecture.  Of course, you can also rent a bike yourself and discover the city on your own.

Cargo Bike in Copenhagen

Cargo Bike in Copenhagen. Photo by News Oresund via FlickrCC

Visit an Offshore Wind Farm

Denmark was a pioneer in developing commercial wind power and is now home to a large wind turbine industry. Wind energy cooperatives have played an essential role in advancing the wind energy sector and in increasing its social acceptance in Denmark. The large offshore wind farm Middelgrunden is located 3.5 kilometers outside of Copenhagen and produces about 4% of Copenhagen’s energy. As with many wind projects in Denmark, it was started by wind energy enthusiasts who formed a cooperative. Why not learn more about it by taking a boat trip to Middelgrunden? If the wind is blowing too hard, you can also book a lecture that will be held in the Secretariat on Rådhuspladsen 77.

Middelgrunden Wind Farm

Middelgrunden Wind Farm. Photo by Andreas Klinke Johannsen via FlickrCC

Get a Taste of the New Nordic Cuisine

The New Nordic Cuisine focuses on seasonal cooking with local products. The world famous restaurant Noma and its chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer practically invented the idea of New Nordic cuisine. With their insistence that nature and its exploration should be the foundation of cooking, they reshaped gastronomic creativity, and Noma has been ranked as the best restaurant worldwide several times. If you are lucky enough to get a table, you should definitely enjoy a gourmet green meal at Noma. If not, you can still have a nice meal elsewhere, as their ideas have influenced other restaurants. Two-star Michelin restaurant Geranium, a fully organic restaurant located in the park Fælledparken, is a good option, for example. If gourmet restaurants are not up your alley, you could also check out Nose2Tail, a restaurant that cooks with Danish ingredients and uses all parts of the animal to avoid waste. Another option is BioMio, a CLIMATE+ restaurant that is completely organic.

Noma Restaurant

Noma Restaurant. Photo by Håkan Dahlström via FlickrCC

Take a Dip in the Harbor Baths

For many years, the Copenhagen harbor was used for heavy shipping traffic and the water was polluted. These days, the city aims to improve the water quality to such an extent that it’s possible to go swimming there. Thanks to the resulting environmental transformation, you can now take a dip in several harbor baths in the city center. In addition to benefiting the environment, these efforts have added to the quality of life in the city. Go check them out for yourself and jump right in. It’s refreshing in the summer, and if you dare, you can go swimming in the cold months as well. Or just relax in the sauna.

Harbor Bath - Islands Brygge. P

Harbor Bath – Islands Brygge. Photo by Webjay via FlickrCC

Check out The Green Lighthouse

The Green Lighthouse is Copenhagen’s first carbon neutral public building. This university building was constructed in 2009 and is the result of a public-private partnership. Architecturally, the house was inspired by the sundial and the movement of the sun around the house. Clever integration of daylight has been used in the design of the house and daylight is the primary light source in the sun-dial shaped structure. The energy concept of the house combines district heating, solar cells, solar heating and cooling, and seasonal storage. Thanks to the architectural design and the energy concept, the Green Lighthouse uses 75% less energy than regular buildings. The house also proves that you can construct buildings that are environmentally friendly and functional at the same time.

Of course, a city with such ambitious sustainability goals offers many more green attractions that are worth visiting. And with the development of the city, new ones are waiting to be discovered all the time. The GoGreen Copenhagen app can help you dive deeper into eco-friendly Copenhagen. If you explore a spot that’s a definite must-see, let us know about it in the comments.

Article shared with permission form WIMDU, photo credits as marked

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How to be an Animal Friendly Traveler

Nov 16, 2016

Are you interested in seeing local wildlife on your honeymoon or anniversary getaway? Anja of Live and Let’s Go is sharing her insights with us about how to be an animal friendly traveler!

How to be an Animal Friendly Traveler on The Good Beginning

This article was originally published on liveandletsgo.com

For honeymoons or anniversary getaways, most of us leave our countries of residence to soak up the sun, culture and ambience of another country with our loved ones. For many, this involves going some place new and discovering what the local attractions have to offer. Unfortunately, it often involves some sort of animal activities: zoos, dolphin shows or something else where people who are curious and love these creatures are drawn in and unbeknownst to themselves support an industry that is inhumane for the very animals we care about. You don’t have to stop eating local meats or cheeses if you don’t want to, but being an animal-friendly traveller is actually really easy and makes all the difference for the animals.

The animals in question do not have to be endangered species for it to be animal cruelty – rather it’s about the conditions they live under and how they are trained in order to follow instructions from humans. I’ve made the mistake myself in my younger days, not realizing that my well meaning and curiosity was in fact contributing to the exploitation and cruel treatment of the animals. So here’s how to make sure that you are an animal-friendly traveller on your honeymoon and for many vacations to come! [Read more…]

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Sustainable City Guide: Berlin

Nov 11, 2016

Are you considering going to Europe for your honeymoon but hoping to find a unique, less commonly visited, city? Today Rêve En Vert and photographer Robbie Lawrence are sharing their sustainable city guide to Berlin, Germany!


 

Botanical Gardens 

“Die Welt in einem Garten” [The world in a single garden] – this was the plan of Adolf Engler, the first director of the Gardens of Dahlem in 1889. In 2015 his dream has come to life with over half a million visitors wandering through the grounds per year.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Biking

Literally everyone cycles in Berlin – it’s a lifestyle in itself over here.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Farmer’s Market Charlottenburg

This Farmer’s Market features local producers from around Berlin . It’s not very well known but is used by a number of chef’s I know who promote sustainability in their cooking (including Christoph Mack – the owner of Ora – see below).  This market is a real insider tip because of its super good quality and nice setting in the traditional Western part of the city.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Hallesches House

A new lifestyle store which sells high quality sustainable lifestyle products. They also have an in-house café and their food /coffee is seasonal and locally sourced.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Ora Café

A new restaurant and coffee shop  with all their products gotten from local producers.  They take a lot of time to chose the right suppliers and have very high quality, ethically-sourced food. Christoph (the owner) is the man you see in all my photos.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Prinzesinnengarten

Prinzessinnengärten is a new urban place of learning. It is where locals can come together to experiment and discover more about organic food production, biodiversity and climate protection. The space will help them adapt to climate change and learn about healthy eating, sustainable living and a future urban lifestyle. With this project Nomadisch Grün intends to increase biological, social and cultural diversity in the neighbourhood and pioneer a new way of living together in the city.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

Super Store

A beautiful concept store that sells products with high quality materials and products from local creatives.

Sustainable City Guide- Berlin on The Good Beginning

 

Shared with permission / See original post here.

Photography courtesy of Robbie Lawrence

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