MonkeyGrass Clippings

No apologies

Well- it seems I'm always apologizing for the delay or gap between postings, but this time, I'm not going to start that way. I have just been completely overwhelmed with this new school schedule (by the way, if you are feeling this way, check out the Family Tracker Calendar- it really will work wonders with your stress level!) At any rate, the beginning of kindergarten has totally kicked my you know what, but hopefully we'll all get back on track soon!

The good thing is that the little guy is absolutely loving it, and that is totally fantastic- more than I could have possibly hoped for. I also love that the school he's attending has a theme this year of "Earth Day Every Day"- they are really working on creating a more sustainable environment, and teaching the children to be better stewards of the earth. There are so many ways that schools can do this now, it's terrific. Just a few of the things that they're doing: using recycled paper and more sustainably made and packaged supplies in the art rooms, using the lower school garden in science lessons, and focusing more on local, organic, and healthy foods in the cafeteria.

On another note, getting back to things "MonkeyGrass," you will see more and more home accessory/ furniture type items in the months to come. As almost every one of my friends is performing major redocorations of their homes, the "bug" has come back to me, and I've found myself more captivated and inspired by the many "green" products that are out there in the world of home decor. (One of the benefits of the"eco-wave" we're riding right now- trends are fine, as long as this trend gets us where we need to be!)

Take, for example, this really cool side table with a Moroccan feel-   

Made of recycled tires on a wood frame! We also have lots of other items coming in soon, including more new items from Roost, so stay tuned!!

Terrific Green List

Well, I'm going to dedicate this post to my husband, who has truly helped me this week, by attending the Commonwealth of Virginia Energy & Sustainability Conference for me (at least part of it), and catching, I think, a little bit of the "bug". Sometimes I feel like it's a bit of an uphill battle, even for me, since he goes to WalMart (just because it's handy) even there are other stores he could easily go to with an extra 5 minute drive, and he has a love for paper towels so completely that after nearly 10 years, I'm still trying to break it.

There is a fantastic blog named "Green as a Thistle." The premise is terrific, in that the blogger, a young canadian journalist named Vanessa, who decided, for one year of her life, determined to make one green change every day. Once the change was made, she would continue doing it until the end of the year. It really is fascinating to read, and very interested how far she got into it, to go so far as to unplug her refrigerator, and move to her new apartment completely by bicycle and on foot. Amazing! Realy, what I find to be one of the most interesing things, though, is the regrets. She continued to do each of these things even as she was beginning, so it really is interesting to see what, after the year is up, she has decided to continue or bag, what has, in her opinion, made a difference, or just added alot of hassle to her life.

For the list of ideas that Vanessa started, check it out here, and see what you can do to make a difference!

More and more and more news and new products...

Well, again, as I do every post, I must apologize for the delay between posts. I have obviously been busy with the whole beginning of kindergarten "thang" and rather frantically making two bags for the LINC (Legal Information Network for Cancer) It's In the Bag event coming up on October 16, from 6:30- 8:30 at the Troutman Sanders Building at Haxall Point in downtown Richmond.  

This year, I think they have more handbags than ever, and it really is for a terrific cause. If you click on the image to the left, you can get more information about the event in general, but also see exactly what some of the bags look like (some designers, some handmade, etc.) They will all have their photographs appearing in the auction and the program, so if you want to check them out in advance take a look and get a preliminary view at what will be offered at the live and silent auctions. I do have pictures of the bags I did, but I'll post them tomorrow.

Suffice it to say, mine were made from recycled sweaters. If I do say so myself, they came out looking rather good.

Just to give you an update of what is new and fantastic for the fall at MonkeyGrass:

We have Sprig Toys in finally! These are the most amazine toys, a true "tough" looking truck, made entirely out of "Sprigwood" which is a composite of recycled plastic and reclaimed plastic. They even smell like pine! Amaxing!! The really cool thing is that they don't need batteries at all!

They either pump or get pushed and the lights on the helmets of the characters light up and talk/ sing. Absolutely amazing!!! We are also getting in loads more grownup/ home decor items. Very exciting!

So far so good!

Well, we've managed to get through the first two weeks of school! Hooray! So far so good! Of course, none of us are quite in the swing yet of getting up so early, going to bed so early, or being on this schedule that's a bit different than what we're used to. Hopefully, we'll get used to things very soon, and be fully in the groove.

If you're in Richmond, and come by the shop next week, you should see some changes, at least. We are in the process of painting the currently white walls, and making the general look of the space a bit snazzier, and a bit more warm. Over the next month or so, we will have lots and lots of fabulous new items coming in, that make great gifts, or gifts for yourself!

Not only do we have so many new items coming in every day, but we are adding some things to the product mix- more home accessories, a couple of absolutely fantastic bath and body lines that you're sure to love, Sprig Toys, which I'm going to showcase tomorrow, because a short update post just will not do them justice, and lots and lots of other terrific items that you really won't see anywhere else! Check back, because we'll try to post everything on the website as soon as it arrives as well.

Have a great weekend!