Whether you're planning on hiring a tree, growing your own or making one out of books, a tree without lights just isn't a Christmas tree. Traditional lights guzzle a lot of electricity, but a far greener solution is to buy a set of lights made from low energy LEDs.
Will this cost you a fortune? While LED lights used to cost a bomb, the situation is changing as the technology improves.
Read on for the best deals on LED Christmas lights
Related: Oliver Heath's eco-friendly LED Christmas lights | Dreaming of a green Christmas but can't afford it?
Continue reading >>
I really am amazed and delighted at the endless stream of tip-offs I've had this week for discounts and offers on eco products - you'd think we were going through a credit crunch or something.
But being an ethical soul, I have no intention of keeping this information to myself, and am going to keep you posted on where to go for the best deals. My favourite deal this week has got to be Love Eco's £5 off anything offer, which will be a godsend for my Christmas shopping (details after the jump).
But there are plenty of other offers lurking out there, some of which might slash the cost of the very thing you were looking for. So read on to find out what's landed on my desk this week.
Related: Pick of the best eco Christmas offers #1
Continue reading >>
It's almost pay day, December is looming on the horizon, your vouchers are in and you're probably preparing to embark on a frenzied mission to (as an old friend of mine affectionately put it) go out and 'buy crap for idiots'. Now, Christmas shopping is an ordeal at the best of times, and you don't need me to remind you why it's likely to be more traumatic for many people than usual this year. But you may find that shopping with your eco hat on could make the experience a whole lot easier.
Read on for our Christmas shopping tips to find out why...
Continue reading >>
I don't own my house, but it's about this time of year I tend to start thinking about all the changes I'd make if I did. And since I'm in a constant battle with the thermostat, these are mostly focused on insulating and weatherproofing (though I'd be quite happy for some of the dodgier wallpaper to vanish overnight, too!)
So I thought I'd share some of the ideas I'd put into my dream eco home if I had one, starting with the steps I'd take to get it toasty warm in winter.
Related: Top five eco-friendly ways to keep warm in winter
Continue reading >>
This time if year can be horribly expensive, especially if you don't want to buy mass-produced tat for your friends and family at Christmas. In coming weeks, we'll be rounding up all our favourite green and ethical gifts. But before you even get started on picking out perfect presents, it's worth checking who's offering discounts on their green goodies. I've just done that very thing, and have come back with some tips on where to point your mouse for the best festive eco offers -- some exclusive to hippyshopper readers. So pull yourself up a chair, get out the mulled wine and get shopping!
• Hippyshopper reader offer at Peruvian Knitwear
If you're planning to buy stylish winter warmers this Christmas, choosing alpaca yarn will make your gifts really stand out from the rest. Peruvian knitwear is a fabulously ethical new label selling luxury knitwear and homewear, all sourced from Peru, where owner Amanda make regular appearances. Peruvian Knitwear have a great offer exclusive to hippyshopper readers, giving you 10% off all products. Check out super soft long mittens (pictured) and jolly alpaca cushion covers for ideal gifts. Just enter HIPPYNOV2008 at the checkout to claim your discount.
• 20% discount at Equa
Equa is one of the most stylish eco-boutiques out there, so if you're looking to buy clothes and accessories, you might want to take advantage of a 20% offer that Green My Style have let me in on. Click here for details.
Read on for more fantastic offers
Continue reading >>
Buying new furniture is not a fun experience. You can either go down the IKEA route; herded through a vast warehouse full of people and myriad identikit shelves, cupboards and tables, or seek out more unusual pieces, navigating between the fiendishly expensive and the decidedly naff.
If you've got pots of money, it's a different story, of course. But these days that's unlikely to be the case, and the green and thrifty world of repurposing starts to look very attractive. You could buy ready-repurposed furniture from Baileys, whose range is well worth checking out. But for inspiration, follow the jump for some creative ways that internet dwellers have spruced up old junk to make unique and useful furniture.
Related: Hippyshopper guide to the repurposed home: lighting
Continue reading >>
There's a big buzz around repurposing and upcycling at the moment, and it's easy to see why: preventing waste is one area where frugal and green living come together, and if you're not already worrying about the state of the planet, the odds are you'll have given some thought to your financial predicament.
Over the next few weeks we'll be looking into all sorts of creative ways you can re-use objects around the home and turn them into unique objects that are even better than new. This week, the theme is lighting: follow the jump for some great ideas for lighting up your home in style using free or inexpensive materials that would otherwise go to waste.
Continue reading >>
digg this | del.icio.us this
| 
Stumble It!
