Bamboosa

Spend it where you earn it

We’ve all seen first-hand the demise of the textile industry here in the U.S due to out-sourcing and off-shoring by American apparel companies. The big multinational retailers want to source product anywhere they can, and in their never-ending search for lower labor cost, most American garment and apparel workers have lost their jobs.

It’s understandable to want to buy whatever is cheapest, without regard to who makes the product and whose jobs you are supporting. Unfortunately, this is what has caused our nation’s substantial job loss.

By changing the way you shop and buying more American-made products, you can help put Americans back to work and rebuild our economy. Buying USA products is much easier than you’d think. You just need to know where to look.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some of our favorite Made-in-the-USA products:

 Jade Yoga Mats

Jade Yoga makes environmentally-friendly yoga mats that are produced sustainably in the U.S. The mats are made from natural rubber tapped from rubber trees and do not contain any synthetic rubbers or PVC. This open-cell natural rubber helps give the mat a great grip, with plenty of cushion.

 

 

 

Raleigh Denim Workshop

At one time, North Carolina was a large manufacturer of American denim. However, like most factory jobs, the denim business was shipped overseas along with the jobs it created. Raleigh Denim is committed to bringing denim manufacturing back to North Carolina. They use only local materials and artisanal methods, and every step in the process is performed in the same building.

 

 

Green Toys 

Green Toys makes eco-friendly toys for children, using materials such as recycled milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The products contain zero BPA, PVC, phthalates, or any other harmful material.

  

 

 

Acorn Bags

Acorn Bags is dedicated to creating traditional bike bags in a simple, yet functional, design. The husband/wife team handcrafts each bag locally in Southern California.

 

 

 

 

 

Tervis Tumblers

These nifty cups and bottles are hand-assembled and have been made in America since 1946. In addition to producing USA-made products, Tervis has an incredible sense of corporate responsibility. The company donates to numerous foundations and are a “Green Business Partner” in Sarasota County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, our Lap Log!

Hundreds of companies manufacture stands for your iPad or e-reader, but ours is the only product that is 100% eco-friendly and Made in the USA. The Lap Log is hand sewn locally and made entirely from sustainable materials. The pillow is stuffed with natural buckwheat hulls, grown organically without pesticides or chemicals. This natural filling will biodegrade quickly, unlike as most tablet stands, which contain polystyrene, a petroleum product that takes 100-200 years to degrade.

 

 

 

 

For more resources on purchasing USA-made products, visit our website.

How and Where to Recycle Five Common Household Items

There are probably dozens of items lying around your house that you did not know you could recycle. Nowadays, in the age of the Internet, it’s easier than ever to find places to recycle your unconventional toss-aways. Check out some of these common items that cannot go in your blue bin – but can still be recycled:

 

Phone Books

Phone books can’t actually be recycled with other paper and magazines, so in order to recycle them, you can either wait for your city’s phone book pickup, if they have one, or visit www.yellowpages.com/recycle to find out what to do where you live.

 

 

 

 

 

Lightbulbs

Many municipalities have a hazardous waste program where you can take your lightbulbs for recycling, but if not, be sure to tie them securely in a thick plastic bag before you trash them to avoid allowing the mercury to leak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batteries

There is a national program called Call2Recycle, which has collected and recycled more than 42 million pounds of rechargeable batteries. They partner with local stores and recycling programs so it’s easy to find a site near you. Just check out www.ehso.com to see a list of locations.

 

 

 

 

 

Foam Peanuts

Uncertain what to do with foam packing materials? Many are now made from vegetable starch, which is biodegradable. (To find out, throw one under water. If it disintegrates, it’s nontoxic and biodegradable.) However, if they are non-recyclable, call The Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214 and find a list of businesses that accept them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CDs and DVDs

A woman-owned recycling and data destruction company called “Back Thru the Future” provides CD and DVD recycling for free. All you have to do is mail them your discs. Find out more here.

How to Eat Organic and Local Without Spending a Fortune

One of the most common reasons I hear for someone not eating organic or local is that it is simply too expensive.

I can personally attest to that fact being false. I’m no billionaire, and just like most people, I find that there are better things to spend my money on than just groceries. There are many ways you can eat quality, healthy foods without burning a hole in your pocket. Just follow these seven easy tips:

 

Tip #1 – Not all fruits and vegetables need to be bought organic.

There exists a concept called the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15.” These nicknames represent the produce that you must buy organic versus the items that you can settle for a non-organic version. They are listed here, but for the most part, you can just follow the general rule that the thicker the skin, the less likely it is that the fruit or vegetable absorbed the pesticides, making it safer to consume.

 

Tip #2 – Clip coupons.

Whether you are already a coupon user or not, you need to become one now if you want to save money when eating organic. Hold on to any coupons that you come across for organic goods. The savings generally bring the items even with or below the price of the non-organic alternative.

 

Tip #3 – Buy bulk and other unpackaged goods.

Most grocery stores have a bulk section, and there are plenty of organic items to choose from – even at regular supermarkets where organic food is not as common. Because you’re not buying a name brand and subsidizing all the costs that come along with that (e.g., advertising, marketing, etc.), you can save a great deal of money. And if you bring your own bags, you’ll be helping to save the environment!

 

Tip #4 – Make your own baked goods.

If you’ve ever wandered to the bakery section of a Whole Foods or other healthy supermarket, you will be shocked at the price tag on most of the baked goods. Instead of having to choose between an oatmeal cookie and dinner that evening, you should stock up on organic baking items so you can whip up your own, much cheaper, version whenever you have a sweet tooth.

 

Tip #5 – Shop at a Farmer’s Market.

If you have never been to a Farmer’s Market, shame on you. (Just kidding.) But seriously, Farmer’s Markets are the place to find cheap, local produce. I make the trek to my local Farmer’s Market every week and buy nearly three bags of produce, never costing me more than $4. Not only does the produce taste much better than any other you can buy (since it never had to be shipped to a different state on a packing truck), but purchasing it helps support your local farmers.

 

Tip #6 – Buy In Season

One of the reasons why organic food starts to rack up a bill is because the out-of-season items are way more expensive. If you buy in season, though, you will save a bundle. For example, fruit is much cheaper in the summer when it is widely grown.

 

Tip #7 – Buy store brands.

This suggestion holds true even for trying to save on non-organic items. Most stores these days have their own organic store brand items that can help you save versus the pricier big-name brands. Most stores contain organic store brand versions for many common items, including ketchup and mustard, salsa, peanut butter, jelly, pasta sauce, and more.

 

Lap Log Blog!

If you haven’t already seen it on our website, you’ve got to check out our new Lap Log tablet stand. Hundreds of companies manufacture stands for your iPad or e-reader, but ours is the only product that is 100% eco-friendly and Made in the USA.

 

When the Kindle came out, I was pretty skeptical. I can be a bit of a luddite at times and it seemed silly to me that anyone would want to read an electronic book as opposed to the real thing. But when I got a Kindle as a Christmas present, I decided to give it a try. I was instantly hooked. The only problem was, after reading for a while, my shoulders and neck would strain and it became too uncomfortable to hold.

 

When I began using the Lap Log, the strain was instantly relieved and I found I could sit for hours reading (or playing “Angry Birds” on those days when I felt a little lazier). The wooden insert, hand-sanded and locally obtained and repurposed, props the Kindle at a perfect angle, making it possible to use hands-free anywhere — in bed, on the couch, or on a countertop. You can’t even do that with a real book!

 

Even more, the Lap Log is stuffed with natural buckwheat hulls, making it a very comfortable travel or couch pillow, too. All you have to do is take out the wooden insert, and voila, you have a pillow! The natural filling is grown organically without pesticides or chemicals, and will biodegrade quickly (as opposed to most tablet stands, which contain polystyrene, a petroleum product that takes 100-200 years to degrade).

 

 

Some other great things about the Lap Log:

• 100% Made in America from sustainable materials

• Hand-sewn locally; sweatshop-free

• 100% recycled shipping materials

• Weighs just over a pound, making it travel-ready

• Contains NO Polystyrene, a major pollutant in the world’s oceans, toxic to marine life

 

Take a look on our website!

 

The Urban Chicken Movement – Raising Backyard Hens

No need for roosters and the loud wake-up calls; hens don’t need the guys to lay eggs.

An “urban chicken” movement has swept across the US in recent years. All over the country, more and more people are raising backyard chickens as a variation of the urban farming movement that has gained popularity nationwide. Many cities, including New York, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Ft. Collins, and South Portland have all voted to allow residents to raise backyard poultry within city limits.

The economic advantage – a small investment for free daily eggs – is driving some. But for most people, the main appeal are the organic and environmental benefits. Raising livestock or agriculture at home reduces the energy consumption and carbon emissions generally associated with the transportation of food.

Raising backyard hens also provides an alternative to factory farms that pollute local ecosystems with huge amounts of animal waste – which can at times exceed the waste from a small U.S. city, according to government reports. The waste also emits potent greenhouse gases, especially methane, a forcible contributor to global warming.

 The benefits aren’t just environmental, there are many health benefits as well. Remember the egg recall of 2010 when more than 500,000 eggs were found to be contaminated with salmonella? This recall helped not only to inspire widespread dislike for industrial egg production, but also helped to promote the trend of keeping backyard hens. Advocates of raising backyard poultry claim that birds raised on a small scale are less likely to carry diseases than factory-farmed poultry. (However, some public health officials are concerned that backyard chickens could elevate avian flu risks.)

What’s even more, eggs from chickens allowed to forage naturally have, on average, three times more vitamin E, two more times omega-3 fatty acids, two-thirds more vitamin A, and seven times more beta carotene than factory-farmed birds.

Raising your own hens at home also affords you the benefits of natural insect control in your yard and garden, free garden fertilizer, and the freshest of eggs without any added chemicals. And, for some, there is the added benefit that, when the hens are through laying in a few years, there is fresh chicken for the pot.

However, some would suggest that there is something contradictory about opposing factory farming by raising a chicken for a couple of years and then killing it when its productivity turns south. For those who do not want to eat the hen, there are other, more humane options, including sending it to a farm sanctuary or keeping the hen as a pet, although this is a seemingly risky choice, as chickens are not bred to be companion pets and they would be at risk of dying from a predator.

 

End Note — If you’re considering adopting a backyard hen, please consider the following: Backyard chickens frequently fall prey to dogs, skunks, coyotes, foxes, hawks, and, especially, raccoons. Be sure to keep this in mind when determining where to house your chicken. Look for roof space, patios, or balconies. And keep in mind your hen needs to peck, which means they need some soil and space.

 

Photo Credit: Thanks to some of our Bamboosa family for these pictures – Clay and Jay Wilklow from Greenville, SC love their little backyard hens.

 

Time to Plan Your Spring Garden (Yes, already!)

It may seem soon to start planning for Spring, but when it comes to your garden, planning is essential. For a successful garden, you’ll need to determine everything from which seeds to order, to how much space you’ll need, to how much money you can spend.

To make things easier, here is a list of steps you should take when planning your garden for Spring:

1. How much space do you have? You’ll need to first assess your space. Determine where you’ll be gardening, whether it’s a raised bed, container, on your land, or in a community garden. COME BACK TO THIS
2. What do you want to grow? The most fun is figuring out what you’re going to plant. Read blogs or other online guides, or consult your local garden shop, to find out where your priorities lie. Make a list of everything you want to grow, whether you end up growing them or not.
3. Map out your garden. “Measure twice, cut once” is a classic saying for a reason. You don’t have to necessarily draw a sketch of your entire garden, but determining where you will plant each seed, and how large the plant will grow, will help you plan a garden in which many plants can grow harmoniously.
4. Buying the seeds. Take your list and go to your local gardening store. You’ll need to decide whether you want to start your warm-season crops indoors from seed, or buy transplants.
5. Decide when to plant. Create a schedule based on your plan of when you want to plant everything. Some plants require more space to grow than others, so you’ll want to determine when you will plant each seed so that your garden can grow to its full potential.

 

Some easy-to-plant ideas for the Spring season:

• Hosta
• Black-eyed susan
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Paprika
• Arugula
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Collards
• Kale
• English Peas
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Radish
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips

The U.S. Botanic Garden’s Holiday Train Exhibit

In the East Gallery of the U.S. Botanic Garden lies one of the most incredible train exhibits you will ever see. Adorned with wreaths, garlands, living ornaments and one of the largest indoor decorated trees in Washington, D.C., the Botanic Garden’s exhibit is a tribute to sustainable design and natural beauty.

More than 800 feet of track run through the Garden, looping through dwellings made from plants and other natural materials that vary from Presidential homes to National Mall monuments and buildings to animal habitats. The buildings are truly remarkable and are all crafted from more than 70 different kinds of plant materials. Maybe you’ll want to try this at home!

From the U.S. Botanic Garden:

“The U.S. Botanic Garden has hosted the fantasy trainscapes of Paul Busse and his firm, Applied Imagination of Alexandria, Kentucky, since 2004. Busse freely admits to being an incurable model train enthusiast with a deep appreciation of plants. Each year, the Garden has expanded the displays to give Washington-area residents and visitors one of the region’s most delightful holiday exhibitions.

Designer and landscape architect Paul Busse creates his artistic representations of the historic buildings of the National Mall and Capitol Hill by studying architectural drawings and photographs of each building. Acrylic-based foam is used to construct the frame. Casting resin is poured into the window cutouts, wall surfaces are finished with sand-based grout and distinctive architectural details are created with plant materials. The number of hours needed to construct each building depends on its complexity. It took more than 600 hours to create the representation of the U.S. Capitol!”

 

 

(Pictures taken by Bamboosa employee Erin Hickey, who visited the U.S. Botanic Garden while staying with family in Washington, D.C. over the holidays.)

 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Vegan Christmas

Eating vegan food is not only healthy, it can be simple and delicious as well! Try a few of these vegan alternatives to classic Christmas recipes.

 

VEGAN EGGNOG

Ingredients:

• soymilk
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 2 1/2 tsp. maple syrup

To make, blend all ingredients together in a pitcher. Serve over ice with a dash of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.

 

 VEGAN STUFFING

• 6 slices of wholemeal bread
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine
• 4 tsp. dried sage or 8 tsp. fresh, chopped sage
• 1 large onion, diced
• salt to taste

Melt the vegan margarine in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft. Break up the bread into small pieces with your hands. Mix the onion and margarine with the sage and salt.

 

CRANBERRY SAUCE

• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• pinch of salt

Simmer the cranberries, orange juice and ginger in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Mash the berries in the saucepan and add the sugar, lemon and salt. Continue to simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GINGERBREAD-MEN COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 cup soy margarine
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg worth of egg-substitute (applesauce, tofu, or powder egg-substitute)

Combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, blend the margarine and butter with a mixer for about 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add the molasses and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Add the egg substitute and mix.

Combine the two bowls into one, mixing until the mixture holds together. Divide dough into three batches and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly flour a countertop or work surface and roll out dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out individual cookies and place on prepared sheets. Place sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Place cookies on the sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes per batch, until lightly browned. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the hot pan before moving to a cooling rack or plate.

(Makes about 3 dozen cookies.)

Shop Local This Holiday Season

Between “Shop Local Saturday” and “Cyber Monday,” it seems that more and more green themes are beginning to emerge in various holidays. As we move past Thanksgiving and into the heart of the holiday season, it’s easy to continue these same ideals.

 

This year, strive to rethink your holiday gift list so that it is not only fun for the recipient, but also makes you feel good about where you spent your money. There is something for everyone on your shopping list right in your own community. Many people’s reason for not shopping local is that they simply cannot purchase everything on their list at local stores. But why should your gift list only include items from big chains or department stores?

 

For most, the best holiday traditions tend to be local. Parades, visiting Santa at the local mall or park, holiday displays on Main Street. Even if you can’t find a specific item locally, you could give a gift card to a store, restaurant, salon, movie theater, etc., in your community.

 

Enjoy your holiday shopping this season, and experience the rewards of supporting your neighbors and community!

Introducing …The Lap Log!

Hands free and comfortable use on one’s lap … on the couch, in bed, on an airplane or anywhere else you use your tablet!

Perfect iPad®, tablet and e-reader stand.
Adjustable to any viewing angle.
Stable on all surfaces.
Made from eco-friendly materials.
Made in USA

“The Lap Log is our favorite iPad pillow by far. It is in our opinion the best iPad accessory money can buy …
and the one iPad accessory that no iPad user can do without.”  ~ ipadaccessories.com

• GOTS Certified 100% Organic Cotton Twill

• Filled with natural buckwheat hulls

• Eco-friendly wooden insert that holds tablet: hand-sanded, locally obtained, repurposed wood

• Accessorize with a variety of interchangeable printed sleeves

Flexible

The durable bean bag design allows you to view your iPad®, Kindle® or any tablet or e-reader, at almost limitless viewing angles. The eco-friendly buckwheat hulls that allows your Lap Log to conform to any surface.

Travel Ready

Weighing a little more than a pound, you’ll be able to easily take your Lap Log anywhere. Light enough to throw in your carry-on, it has the added bonus of doubling as a great neck pillow! Going outdoors? Toss it in your backpack and have a convenient and stable stand for your device at the beach or on the trail.

Handcrafted in America

Each Lap Log is made in America from sustainable materials. Each insert is shaped, sanded and stained with the utmost care.  Every bag is carefully sewn to assure long-lasting durability.

Washable

If you happen to get a little dirt on your Lap Log when you’re at the park, don’t worry. Simply remove the wooden insert, dump the natural buckwheat filling into a container, and put your Lap Log into the wash. You do want to keep it looking beautiful, right?

Eco-Friendly

We only use highly sustainable and environmentally sound materials. From the salvaged woods, to the 100% organic cotton fabric. From the naturally grown buckwheat hull filling, to the 100% recycled shipping materials. We love the earth, and here is a product that will show you do too!

View it online now …
The Lap Log™