Vote now for your best on-line retailer for 2007 in the Observer Ethical Awards 2007 sponsored by Ecover http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ethicalawards
There are many other categories and the voting screen will take you through the list.
I would love you to vote for Green Eyed Frog but you can vote for any on-line ethical retailer or local store.
Deadline is 2nd March 2007 so get voting now and support us all.
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I woke up this morning to find a light frost, had a shower and then looked out of the window and there was an inch of snow. I didn't think my shower was that long I should get one of those timers...
Schools are closed so the children are happy and our WEETU course has been cancelled so I'm not going to the Post Office today to dispatch orders.
As a child I remember 6ft snow drifts and my Dad getting the tractor out to make a path to the road (we lived on a farm). Even in the bad weather we still managed to get to school unless it was really icey and cold when the diesel froze in the school bus. There was a very steep hill into the village which caused major problems with the old school bus so we were all very happy children when we heard that it just couldn't reach the top!
These days, due to climate change and mans impact on the environment it rarely snows and just an inch of snow results in school closures. It does seem sad that society today has changed so much since I was a child. Although health & safety is important it can take the enjoyment of life away, the risk. We wrap our children up in cotton wool and then expect them to survive in the real world when they leave school.
Must go children calling, said I would bake biscuits...
Carbon OffSetting seem to be the buzz words at the moment however I find it very hard to accept the reasoning behind it. So you can still take your foreign long haul holidays each year to Florida adding to the pollution and conjestion in the sky but ease your conscience by planting a few trees? Surely the answer would be NOT to travel to distant countries in the first place and take your holidays in our own lovely country thus creating jobs in tourism in the UK and boosting the economy. This is a far 'greener' option or am I missing the point...
For a UK only holiday in our beautiful county of Norfolk with clean beaches, good food & pubs check out our own Royal Cottage in Mundesley
Its not long now until the 14th of February and of course the huge mountain of cards coming through the door. Ahhh. those were the days... Have you thought about making your own card out of recycled paper or opt for an eco gift like the recycled jewellery and cuff links from Green Eyed Frog.
I've just started a certified (Open College Network) business course just for women, the first in Suffolk, run by WEETU (Womens Employment and Training Unit) and funded by the European Development Agency (EEDA). Its going really well and is designed for women who want to start up in business especially those who have families. I've met a really great bunch of women on the course and we are learning so much by talking to each other and sharing experiences.
The course is fully funded and includes childcare expenses for under 5's which is ideal for me. If you are a woman and thinking of setting up your own business I would recommend finding out if this program is in your area.
Next week we start the marketing session so I'm hoping to pick up some handy hints for Green Eyed Frog and Royal Cottage.
In the Green Eyed Frog household we all try to be a little bit greener each year. This year we have decided to grow more veg and fruit in the garden, make more jams & pickle and do more batch baking/cooking for the freezer.
Personally I am really going to try and buy all my clothes secondhand. I used to get quite a lot from ebay but prefer to see what I'm buying so now that my youngest child is at pre-school a couple of mornings a week I can take the opportunity to do a bit of retail therapy. Should really be working on these precious mornings but rewards are just as good!
Did you know that the Sue Ryder Shops do loyalty cards with discounts and money off so thats my first stop. There are some really first class charity shops round here with good quality clothes with a far better choice than the high street stores. So why not give it a go...
Check out our January Sale which starts today 1st January and ends 31st. Lots of bargains on bedlinen plus gifts for all the family.
Below are some of the things we do at home...
Just try to relax at Christmas, don't get sucked into the ultra consumerism of it all. If the turkey isn't ready on time does it matter, eat later and enjoy more festiver pre-dinner drinks.
At Green Eyed Frog 90% of our packaging is reused and recycled. We aim to increase this to 95% but being a new company it has taken quite a few months to build up our stock of reused paper, boxes and envelopes.
Where do we get our packaging from?
The local community. Friends, neighbours in the village and surrounding villages. Local shops and businesses provide a lot of cardboard boxes and the local post office I use to send parcels provides me with a good supply of cardboard boxes. If you receive an order with Bobbys Muffins on the box, please don't be too disappointed when you open it up to find your Green Eyed Frog gift for uncle Fred. The muffins are delicious but unfortunately I don't get to eat them all before sending the box out - they are sold in our local Post Office and General Store.
If you live locally (Suffolk) and are passing this way I would love to collect your unwanted packing material, boxes, paper etc. Please contact Green Eyed Frog for more details on rachel.turner@greeneyedfrog.co.uk
In this age of consumerism, especially at Christmas, there is constant pressure on the High Street to buy more things to throw away using more resources and energy. There are alternatives out there that don’t destroy the planet or your finances and give consumers a choice. For the individualist with a green conscience this Christmas who can think of a better way to spend your money than on eco, organic, fair trade and recycled gifts.
Don’t give your hard-earned cash to unethical brands, check out Green Eyed Frog for sustainable present ideas. We specialise in gifts for children and baby including blankets, wooden toys, solar and brick construction sets. For adults why not browse the homeware, garden, gadgets, jewellery and organic toiletry departments to find that special gift. For the personal touch a bespoke gift wrap service is available.
Our web site is not just an on-line shop but has been designed to raise awareness, educate and inform. Product research and testing has taken place by our family ‘team’ of three young children, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours to present a collection of quality products that customers will enjoy.
“If we don’t use the product ourselves why should you?”
We've got no electricity all day tomorrow while the power lines are switched off for tree cutting. When living in the country this does happen every so often but hopefully it will mean less power cuts in the winter. So I can't do any work... What a shame - going to Mother in laws with the baby as it might get cold in the house without the heating on.
If you do try and call during the day I wil pick up messages in the evening once we are back on line.
I am often asked why we don't use a courier. There are several reasons but the main one being that Green Eyed Frog is a rural business and its important to support local services and other businesses which includes the local post office. When you live 9 miles from the nearest supermarket you need a local shop for banking, fresh bread and to post the orders.
When Barclays closed down most of the small rural branches we were hit hard here in Suffolk and the Post Offices are all that remain of our links with the towns. My local Post Office is on route to the school where I drop the children (no affordable rural bus service for our kids but thats another posting) so I'm not going out of my way and I get to meet other local people, have a chat and find out whats what and whose who as women like to do. The rural Post Office is the hub of small villages and offers a far wider service than you find in the towns.
My local Post Office is also the general store and newsagent, they even do picture framing. They also pass on a good supply of cardboard boxes so if you wonder what Bobbys muffins are on your packaged order - they sell them in our Post Office and they are very nice although not at all organic or good for you!
Any one interested in getting away from it all in this peaceful unspoilt village check out the web site and send us an email
http://www.royalcottage.co.uk
I like to wrap up Green Eyed Frog orders in used white packing paper, the type you get during house moves. If any one has some they no longer need please let me know and I will arrange collection/postage.
Thanks
Rachel
I've been waiting for this fair trade consignment for 6 months and it was certainly worth the wait. Some fantastic organic cotton stockings and sacks and 12 foot long palm leaf garlands in red and green. There are also a variety of palm leaf Christmas Tree decorations. All these items have been made to order by a Community Workers project in Kuppam, South India set up in 1985 by Bristol based Bishopston Trading Company. We have to order stock 6 months in advance so that the workers have a continuous supply of work throughout the year and are not laid off. All items are made with care and attention to detail using organic non GM cotton.
Well, this is something I am often asked... It was my 8 year old son's idea. At the time he was into Crazy Frog songs in the charts and suggested Crazy Frog but we said oh nooooo silly boy. Then we thought about the frog theme and after several months, with help from my son, again, came up with Green Eyed Frog. It needed to be catchy, easy to remember and have a simple, reproducable logo so Green Eyed Frog was born.
A Green Eyed Frog is actually an Australia Tree Frog:
The green-eyed tree frog has adapted its appearance to blend in with the moss-covered rain forests of Queensland, Australia. The frogs' coloration and markings vary with their specific habitat, but they usually have a brownish-green body with rust-colored blotches that match the lichen-covered rocks lining the creeks and streams they tend to live near.This species gets its name not for green eyes per se, but rather for a line of brilliant green that often adorns the brow of each eye. They are also distinguishable by a row of skin flaps along their arms and legs, which resembles a serrated knife.
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/green-eyed-tree-frog.html
Our family has for years been 'environmentally' aware and we have been active campaigners for real cloth nappies and eco buildings. We lead a somewhat different domestic life to the 'normal' family with young children but I have never been one to follow the crowds. The children wear or have worn cloth nappies, were taught from an early age how to recycle and we don't buy junk food.
Before Green Eyed Frog I found it very difficult to source affordable eco and organic products especially deodorants, toiletries and linen. I don't agree to paying a premium just because something is organic after all does the extra money you pay really go to the farmer or producer, I doubt it very much? So we decided to set up our own internet gift shop so that others could also find eco and organics goods more easily and accessibly at an affordable price...and thats how it began...
Just managed to do a stock take and have decided to reduce some lines to clear some space for the Christmas stock otherwise my new shelving will be overflowing. If you get a chance, take a look at the bedlinen and organic toiletries which are on specials. http://www.greeneyedfrog.co.uk/ForHer/
Went to get some eggs from my local farm today and saw two turkeys pecking around the garden with the hens - this is what you call free range! The farmer asked if I would like some turkey eggs but I declined and took some duck eggs instead along with the usual 1/2 dozen hen eggs. Not sure whether this is just a Suffolk thing but I've never had a turkey egg don't know if any one else has?
Thats what I like about living in rural Suffolk so much choice. Bantom eggs, duck eggs and of course, for the not so adventurous like me, good old hen eggs.
