Who: Terra Plana

What: Geta Sandal in Yellow Nubuck

Where: At Terra Plana for $195

Why: How can you explain the allure of a teeteringly tall incredible uncomfortable heel that somehow manages to make you feel fabulous? Now you won’t have to sacrifice style for comfort with Terra Plana’s Geta Sandal. You will feel amazing and your feet will too in this lightweight sandal which makes it cheaper to ship and easier on your feet.  You can tread lightly with flexible soles,  a footbed of recycled memory foam providing a dreamy layer of cush in every step and sneaker-like treads made of recycled material to keep your grip in check which all adds up to a smaller eco-footprint. You can even find out how your shoe stacks up with the Eco Matrix environmental impact rating system. Click to continue »

Who: espe; Ontario, Canada

What: espe Hope Handbag

Where: espe.com, $55

Why: Ahh, Hope, a cute little bag you can tuck right under your arm and take comfort in knowing that no cute little animals or cute little kids were harmed in the process. The The vegan line from espe supports fair wage and child labor free factories to produce their stylish, affordable and durable handbags and accessories. Made from a durable synthetic leather, the fabric has a slight sheen to it that screams low maintenance without screaming vinyl. I definitely did a double take when I saw this bag on the shelf, at first glance I thought leather only adding to my shock at the incredible price. Love the unexpected details like the “leather” belt drawstring buckle. Look inside and you’ll find handy little pouches and zippered pockets so you don’t spend precious minutes rummaging through your bag to answer the phone call that just might change your night……….you know the one.

Hint: go for color with the yellow or green, the black Hope lacks pinache without the contrasting belt.

Retails Online at espe.com for $55.00. A great budget alternative to the Matt and Nat bags.

When Barbara Aimes, the CEO of imagiPLAY, expanded her recycled cardboard based toy company to include wooden toys, she wanted to use wood that was sustainable and responsibly harvested. She settled upon raw pine sourced from Canada, bamboo harvested from China and plantation grown rubberwood. Rubberwood is a tropical hardwood and the world’s primary source of natural rubber. Since rubberwood has gained a reputation as a sustainable, durable, and splinter free hardwood, ‘retired’ latex producing trees that were once discarded and burned, have found new life. Like those used in imagiPLAY’s bright, chemically safe, hand crafted Animal Alphabet Puzzle. The design is quite poetic as a metaphor for the web of life. Each animals’ well-being integrated into the well being of next, a delicate balance that could prove devastating upon the removal of just one….. But I digress, this is a great long lasting toy that will assist children with counting, their ABC’s and learning the names of 26 different animals. Retails for $38 at Fun Baby Toys.

Click to continue »