More bag options for the fashionable city girl. The laptop bag is available for a 15-inch and a 17-inch laptop version. If you have a 13-inch laptop, I find that a 15-inch flat carrier is often not too big. Plus, it comes handy to bring a magazine with me. Ask then first for exact dimensions, if this is the case.

The silk-screened Canvas shopping bag is big enough to fit a picnic for 2. It is ideal for a stop at Central Park. These bags are made in Brooklyn. You can shop online at nyDesignroom or visit their showroom Thursday to Sunday from 12 to 7 PM.

+ Laptop Carrier $110 USD
+ Shopping Baaag $55 USD
+ via Design Milk

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Fans of Amy Butler who are week-end travelers or who often take a-week vacation under the sun would be thrilled by this news. You can get a fabulous carry-ons designed by Amy Butler. As usual, the patterns are divine.

I would love to get a navy Dream Traveler-Sari Flowers for Christmas. Sadly, the Graceful Traveler-Fuschia Tree that is on wheels is too big to bring to the cabin of an airplane. Other travel essentials are the carried-away everything bags that come handy to bring your beauty products and makeup.

The fashion bags are big enough to carry all your stuff across the city. The Josephine bag or the Abina tote would suit the needs of a creative business woman, a mother or a fashionable university student.

See the entire Amy Butler for Kalencom collection here.

SOURCING:
+ Dream Traveler – Sari Flowers $260 USD
+ Abina tote $180 USD
+ Josephine Bag $160 USD
+ Carried-away bags $22-$42 USD

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I like the style of the string shopping bags. At moment it feels European while at other time it feels bohemian. I wish to know if you find them more practical than the Envirosax or the RuME bags? I am thinking of trying them. Here are three models that caught my eyes.

+ Stretch Bag by Artecnica is made from recycled billboard. There is also a leather version vinyl $16 USD, leather $95

+ Black Organic Cotton String Bag starts at $6.95 USD
+ ECOBAGS EarthTone Cotton String Bag Set with Hemp StuffSack 5 bags $29.95 USD

Do not forget to tell me what type of reusable shopping bags you use.

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I received an email from Abe’s Market today to introduce their green and natural products marketplace. While browsing Abe’s site, I came across this complete 13-piece lunch kit. Yes, you can assemble yourself but it would save you time by getting this bundle. Plus, you are sure that things fit together.

I introduced the reusable snack bags of Plum Creek Merchantile earlier this year. You have a choice of 7 patterns for the 3-snack bag set included in the lunch kit. Each lunch set also comes with one To-Go Ware RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set, a small and a large To-Go Ware’s stainless steel sidekick tiffins, an insulated bottle, a Klean Kanteen 12oz water bottle in a metal lunch box.

Bulk food storage bags

For shopping, remember that Plum Creek Mercantile produces bulk food storage bags with a clear window for easy identification and to write down the bin number. Besides reducing your waste, an added advantage of using the bulk food bags is that they are sized to fit a gallon jar or a quart jar. So, no more guess at the grocery store about how much you need to put inside the plastic bag.

Online Marketplace

Note that Abe’s is launching with four initial product categories – personal care, kids and baby, home, and food and beverage. They plan to expand into new categories shortly after launch. I will keep my eye open for other cool eco-friendly products.

SOURCING:
+ Lunch Kit by Plum Creek Merchantile on sale $47.99 – $52.99 USD  reg. $54-$59
+ To-Go Ware RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set $11.95 USD
+ To-Go Ware’s stainless steel sidekick tiffins small $4.95 USD, large $5.95
+ Abe’s Market

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When I was a kid I used to plan weeks in advance my Halloween costume. One year, I dressed like a poor hunchback and carried a brown paper bag as my treat bag. Otherwise, I always trust my puffy pumpkin treat bag made of plastic to bring home a load of candies. I collected so many sugar treats that I do not recall a year where I ate all of them.

If you are looking for a vast selection of adorable treat bags, Pottery Barn Kids has 15 models in stock. No more plastic. Instead their treat bags are made of soft felt and lined with percale. The regular models cost $12 USD while a few premium treat bag designs cost $19. The Lady Bug tutu costume and the puffy alligator are cute.

Dressing your boy as a pirate like that can be expensive. You could only buy the 6-piece pirate accessories and try to make the attire or vice versa. If you let go the hook that could be cumbersome to carry around, the rest is fairly easy to find at any store that sell toys. In fact, look around your house, you may have some items in the toy boxes or your drawers.  The 6-piece pirate set includes the sword, the pirate hat, the belt, the hook, the eye patch and the bandana.

SOURCING:
+ Treat Bags at Pottery Barn Kids $12 – $19 USD
+ Kids Halloween Costumes $29 -$69 USD
+ Pirate Costume $59 USD
+ Pirate Accessories $59 USD

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Your kids will be proud to show off those handmade creations at school. It is simpler to keep track of what belongs to you when you get small production products instead of buying from chain stores.

+ I Love Books Zipper Pouch is designed to carry typical school writing instruments. Kukubee created original drawings. $12 USD by kukubee

+ Be green and opt for reusable and washable snack bags instead of plastic bags. The Timeless Treasure Apple collection proposes apples, trees, owls and much more patterns. $5 USD by 2lilfrogs

+ Go for one of the cute machine washable fully insulated lunch totes designed by Naturally Felt. There are available in several fabrics. I like the Pears on Brown. $19.50 USD

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It seems to be the week for kitchen linens.

The charm of a round bread linen bag always get me. I own the black and sand Bread Bag by Stelton. You may remember the exquisite breadbasket by C. Quoi, made in France. I love both but if you are looking for a steal instead of a splurge, the natural beige linen basket on etsy for for you. I imagine myself in a Saturday morning eating a croissant with orange-grapefruit marmalade or a chocolatine with my cafe au lait.

The small linen basket can be used in the bathroom to store small items, in the bedroom to empty your pockets or my favorite, to serve bread or pastry on the morning.

Many people take their bicycle instead their car to go to work. This bike frame lunch tote will sure be the talk of the office. Be prepared to take order or be frank and tell them they can find the instructions at Evil Mad Scientist.

MORE:
+ Handmade Basket in natural beige linen by LinenMe Jazz $8.99 USD
+ Via More Ways to Waste Time and Mint Design Blog

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I was due for a book review. Instead of my usual cookbook or home decor book review, I went for a green living book. In fact, the book I selected completes today’s eco-friendly column. The bottle sling bag looks great. I am sure that many mothers who like to carry a similar bag for the baby bottles.

In her second book, Betz White created 25 projects made with repurposed and organic materials. Her leaf scarf is awesome. Her book contains several household projects. You can make your own

• water bottle sling bags – for one or two bottles
• produce bags
• trivet and coasters
• vintage napkins and napkin rings
• lunch tote
• reusable sandwich bag
• denim shopper bag
• picnic blanket
• apron.

If you enjoy sewing, you could craft your own hostess gifts for a while.

MORE:
+ For Americans: Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials by Betz White $16.47 USD
+ For Canadians: Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials by Betz White $17.33 CAD
+ Book photography by John Gruen, rights reserved – see more photos for the book on Melanie Falick Books
+ Via decor8

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+ Brand new for Spring 2009, Klaus Rath has designed for Stelton a folding Shopping and Picnic basket called Shopnic. This is from the same Danish company and designer that brought us the useful bread bags. Shopnic can carry of to 22 pounds of food and drinks. Via inredningsbloggen

+ The trends towards eating organic and local food mean that more and more people wish to grow their own vegetables. This restaurant owner in Paris demonstrated that you could grow not only herbs but also vegetables in flower boxes; I may use pots than our deeper but even Jamie Oliver talked about it on Jamie at Home. Via Little Brown Pen

+ Holly of Decor8 introduced Kerstin of Domestic Candy. I like her Tree stand to hang notes. It is a cute alternative to note boards. You can have a peek on decor8 of the craft studio of Kerstin who works as a product and interior designer in Hannover, Germany.

SOURCING:
+ Shopnic Sand/Pistachio $99 at Lekker
+ Baum aus Holz, weiss by Domestic Candy seller on DaWanda

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+ I adore the Dandelion Clocks patterns available in fabrics and wallpapers. I imagine this color palette will be soothing in a nursery. Sadly, this is produced by the renowned British brand Sanderson. Their product line does not seem to be available outside UK. I guess, we will have to put a trip to London in our agenda. Via Design Undercover and More Ways to Waste Time

+ The New York Times has a beautiful slide show about the Venice’s Carnavale. I wish to assist one day to that 10-day amazing event who kicks off on Valentine’s Day this year.

+ After the shopping bag, the next frontier of reusable bags is your lunch boxes. The reusable cloth snack bags at Plum Creek Mercantile featured patterns for adults and school children. For kids, the robots and the jumping frogs are cute. Buy individually or a set of 5 assorted bags for $25. Exists in small, medium and large.

+ Bulk Food Bags is another way to save bags at the grocery store. The clear window allows easy identification of the product inside and allows the bin number to be written with a grease pen or a dry erase marker and removed for continued use. $12 USD small, $18 for large bag

Read my next post to see what brought me joy today.

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It makes sense to put your gift inside a reusable shopping bag instead of a typical paper gift bag. With so many cool patterns on the market, your gift will looks sharp.

The Fall in New York motifs by RuMe look sophisticated. Three patterns and three solids compose each collection. 5th Ave, Greenwich and Hamptons are my favorites. The solid colors this fall are plum, mustard and espresso.

Keeping with the New York theme, Celadon and Keyboard from the Wall Street collection looks great too.

Come in Two Sizes

All patterns are available in regular and mini size. The regular size RuMe bags can hold 50 pounds. You can pack 40 tennis balls in a mini RuMe bag. The bag is water resistant and machine washable. The handles seems to be the right size; not too long, not too short.

RuMe told us that the bags are manufactured in a South Korean Fair Trade Factory.

SOURCING:
+ RuMe Bags Fall in New York at Gone Shopping – $29.95 CAD for set of 3
+ RuMe Bags: Fall In New York at Delight – $28.50 USD for a set of 3
+ MINI RuMe: Fall In New York at Delight – $8.95 USD each

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Responding to Normal Concerns

I am fully aware that they weigh more than plastic bags. But I am willing, for now, to not start a fight at the grocery store counter because each bag only weighs 1.2 ounces. At some point, the industry will adjust to this new trend. Some stores already did.

The cashier will have to open the bags to see the little code sticker on your produce. It is fairly easy to d. You can always tell them what you bought; cashiers often know the codes by heart.

The bags are best fit for transport when you are buying your fruits and vegetables. Owners of these bags say that the vegetables stay fresher on plastic bags. So maybe, you can keep a few of your old plastic bags on hand for storage. But you will still reduce considerably your consumption of plastic bags.

Eco-friendly Kit

Gone Shopping created this week the perfect eco-friendly kit with 2 large and 4 medium Ecobags produce bags, one Reisenthel Bottle Bag and 3 RuMe bags plus 1 mini RuMe.

Having the choice, I would buy the package at Gone Shopping, even though I already own a green Reisenthel Bottle Bag and several shopping bags. I think it is a better deal overall. I would give the extra pieces as hostess gifts. My friends and I bought several times from Gone Shopping. They prepared orders within 24 hours.

No more plastic bags or paper bags in SAQ starting in 2009

In Quebec, alcohol is sold through SAQ, state-operated stores. In 2009, all SAQ outlets will stop carrying paper bags and plastic bags. We will have to use our own reusable bags. This is why a bottle bag becomes a necessity. You can buy SAQ reusable bags for 75¢ each or $1 for the 6-bottle format. The SAQ will replace your reusable bag free of charge by another of equal or lesser value, in case it would ever become unusable.

I still prefer the more fashionable Reisenthel bag. They hold 9 regular size bottles.

I feel proud of myself and I cannot wait to try out my reusable produce bags. What have you done to reduce your footprint later?

SOURCING:
+ ECOBAGS Reusable Produce Bags – $15.50 USD for 2 medium and 2 large bags
+ Eco-Shopper Kit – $65 CAD
+ Reisenthel Bottle Bag at Gone Shopping – $13 CAD
+ Reisenthel Bottle Bag in Flora and Black at Reusable Bags – $14.99 USD

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