Enter to win! 2012 Buy Local Tea Towel + Roost Farmers' Market Basket

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Shelley Crist!

In this week’s December Giveaway, we’re celebrating the Buy Local movement. The idea of keeping it local appeals to many people, not just gardeners and farmers. When it comes to buying your food locally, it’s not just about supporting your local economy. You are buying produce that tastes better and is more nutritious; transportation uses less fossil fuel; and you can enjoy guilt-free dinners knowing your meat came from a cow, chicken, or pig that grazed freely in an open pasture.

This week is a two-part question: (1) Currently, how do you keep it local, and (2) what is one way you plan to become a better locavore in 2012?

One randomly selected winner will receive one 2012 Buy Local Calendar Tea Towel + one Roost Raspberry Farmers’ Market Basket {raspberry}.

How to Enter

Click image to see more detail

• Answer the question in each blog post by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
• Answer the same on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Yep, that’s right, you can enter your name twice for a chance to win our FREE gift idea. Keep ‘em for yourself or find some special to gift them to.

Week 3′s contest ends Sunday, December 18, 12:00 PST. The winner will be announced the following week.

Congratulations to Christina and Janis for winning last week’s December Giveaway!

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Christina for winning the first prize {terrarium + book} and to Janis for winning the second prize {book}.

Terrariums are the perfect gift for plant lovers, design junkies, DIYers, and crafty minds. And when you pair our Roost Recycled Glass Wall Terrarium with Timber Press’s Terrarium Craft book by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant, it makes the perfect giveaway! One lucky winner will win both the wall terrarium + the terrarium book, and a second place winner will win a copy of the book {pictured below}.

QUESTION: Terrariums are little scenes of nature in glass containers. What’s your favorite way to connect with nature indoors?

We're giving away 2 free copies of Terrarium Craft

Week 2 Giveaway: How to Enter

• Answer the question above by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
• Answer the same, or similar question, on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Week 2′s contest ends Sunday, December 11, 12:00 PST. Two randomly selected winners will be announced the following week.

Congratulations Julie Lanier for winning last week’s December Giveaway!

Create the Perfect Terrarium Gift

Want to make a big impression this holiday? Think about grouping terrarium related items your gift recipient will need to create their first or 100th terrarium.

• Terrarium Tools make fiddling with plants and dirt easier in tight spaces
• Idea Books like Timber Press’s Terrarium Craft
• Organic Potting Soil
• Small bag of Crushed River Gravel for drainage
• Small bag of Charcoal to keep mold and bacteria at bay
• Water bottle for spritzing the plants
• Plant material ranging from succulents and cacti, ferns, moss, and air plants.
• Accent pieces add a nice personal touch and fill empty spaces. Look for crystals, feathers, bones, seashells, bits of wood, porcelain trinkets

WEEK 3 Giveaway: one 2012 Buy Local Tea Towel + one Roost Farmer’s Market Basket {raspberry}

Studiopatro Tea Towels: Eat & Spoon Set $42

In 2009, San Francisco designer and art director Christina Weber introduced a line of bold, geometrically printed tea towels under the name Studiopatró. This means that for two years, we have been discovering more and more excellent ways to use them! Certainly not just for drying off clean dishes, Studiopatró towels are a versatile and modern addition to any kitchen. Here are our six favorite ways to use them.

(1) As an apron.

Here you can see how the Facade Tea Towel in orange can be easily used as an apron. All you have to do is tuck it into your belt. When you’re entertaining guests, you can easily keep your pants dry and clean during food prep, then pull the tea towel right off when you’re ready to party. Ta-da!

(2) As a wine cozy.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Gifting a plain bottle of wine is boring. To dress it up, wrap the bottle in a Live, Love, Eat tea towel and tie it at the top with a piece of twine or ribbon. Not only does this look pretty, but if you are headed to a dinner party, it will keep the chilled wine from sweating and dripping on you on the car ride over. Once the wine has been drunk, your hostess will have a much more lasting gift to use in her kitchen.

(3) As a salad spinner.

Conventionally marketed salad spinners are not very practical; they’re bulky and cumbersome. Instead of a salad spinner, just try using a clean City Tea Towel. Simply lay the towel out on your counter, rinse your salad greens, then place them in the center of the towel. Fold the four corners into the center, and grip them with your hand so that you are holding the salad greens in a bundle. Then, lift the towel above your head and give it a few twirls. This will “spin” the water off your greens, and right into the absorbent tea towel.

(4) As gift wrap.

Colored paper wrapping paper is so passé. All that paper is simply ripped off and thrown in the trash; how seriously un-eco friendly! For a much more creative and green alternative, wrap your gifts in tea towels. Here you can see that a tea towel makes excellent gift wrap for a potted plant. We also love the idea of wrapping a cookbook in a tea towel to make the perfect hostess gift, or housewarming present. Gifts in jars, such as caramel sauce or candles, can be easily wrapped and rolled in a tea towel to make a pretty cylindrical shape.

(5) As a potholder.

This is an excellent and attractive way to transport food to a potluck, or protect the surface of your wood dining table from heat and drips. Lay your casserole dish or dutch oven on the center of the tea towel, then tuck the ends into the handles. Voila.

(6) As table art.

Tea towels can create instant easy table art for your dining room. Use them as table runners, place mats, or even napkins. Since Studiopatró′s designs are bold yet simple, they will work well with nearly any decorating scheme, and the rest of your tablescape can remain simple and understated. We love the use of tea towels in this photo–super elegant.

Anticipation, fear, excitement, dread, relief, joy: There are few things in this world that can match the great mixture of feelings that are evoked with the time of year notoriously known as “back to school.” For parents, teachers, and students everywhere, the late summer season means shedding swim suits in favor of starched shirts, and sunglasses in favor of study time. But year after year, there is one aspect of back to school that makes it merry. That, of course, is back to school shopping! Here at aHa! Modern Living, we have a great selection of items to make back to school fun.

(1) The Popoutz Seed and Peanut Feeders

These eco-friendly and 100% recyclable bird feeders make a wonderful first day of school gift for any teacher. The Popoutz Seed Feeder holds small varieties of bird food such as sunflower seeds and dried mealworms, while the Popoutz Peanut Feeder holds larger types of feed such as suet pellets and peanuts. Both varieties come in an array of colors, so you can choose them to match your son or daughter’s school colors.  And at just $3.50 each, you can afford to select several! These fun little feeders are great for kids and adults alike, as well as a terrific way to keep hungry birds fed when food becomes more scarce in the fall and winter.

(2) The Plant Nanny and Petal Drops

If there is one thing we know for sure, it’s that back to school is a super busy time of year for every parent. It’s time for school open houses, PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and the transformation of your Chevy to a kiddie shuttle bus. And because of this, we know that every little thing you can do to help simplify your hectic schedule is a good thing. Plant Nanny and Petal Drops make it a snap to ensure that your indoor and outdoor plants are adequately watered every day. Just allow the Petal Drops to collect rain water in your yard into a recycled water or soda bottle, then turn the plastic bottle onto your Plant Nanny. Simple.

(3) Cacao and Spice Hand Wash

Back to school time also means sniffle and cough time. What is the best line of defense against these late summer sniffles? Plenty of hand-washing, of course. Keep a bottle of Daub and Bauble Cacao and Spice Hand Wash by each sink in your home. The delicious chocolatey cinnamon scent guarantees that they won’t forget to lather up before their after-school snack. Plus, Vitamin E and Aloe will leave their hands feeling soft and luxurious, not stripped of moisture. Daub and Bauble Hand Washes also come in 3 other yummy scents too, so you can select different ones for each sink in your house.

(4) Felt Wine Sleeve and Roost Menagerie Bottle Openers

If you are a first year college student, stop and take a moment to think about all the things you have to thank mom and dad for right now. They helped you pack up your bedroom at home, and haul all your boxes up 3 flights of stairs into your new dorm room. Dad helped you figure out how to screw together your bunk beds, while mom organized your sock drawer and stretched your new extra-long twin sized sheets onto your mattress. This is all on top of the hefty check they wrote for your first year of tuition. Wow, mom and dad are major champs, and it’s time to pick out a nice thank you gift for them.

Check our Gifts by Recipient section, where you can choose the perfect thank you gift based on mom and dad’s interests, whether they are bird lovers, entertainers, or gardeners. Two of our favorites are the Felt Wine Sleeve and the Roost Menagerie Bottle Openers. You can slip a pretty bottle of sparkling french lemonade into the felt sleeve, and let them pop it open with a fun wooden sculptured bottle opener. (The apple shaped bottle opener is definitely appropriate for back to school.) What a sweet and refreshing way to say “thanks.”

(5) Sprouts

As a parent, of course you care deeply about making sure that your child receives adequate nutrition during the school year. Plenty of studies have shown that when kids eat well and avoid junky processed foods, it enables them to be attentive in class and do their best in school. Sprouts are a bonafide super food that will help to keep your kid fueled throughout the school day, as well as help boost his or her immune system.

Try mixing a little bit of alfalfa sprout juice in with your child’s apple or orange juice at breakfast. The sprout juice is mild and practically tasteless, so it mixes easily. Or, toss a few sprouts onto a ham and cheese sandwich and pack it up for lunch. Their unique crunchy texture makes them fun for kids to eat. For little kids, get them interested by giving the stringy strands a goofy name, like baby spaghetti.

Alfalfa sprouts are one of the highest sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in nature. Plus, they, along with other types of sprouts, can easily be grown on a counter top at any time of year. Check out our Sprouting section for a selection of sprouts, including mungbean sprouts and broccoli sprouts. All of our Botanical Interests seeds are now 25% OFF, so it is a great time to start sprouting!

Image by Vanessa Pike-Russell

A quick perusal of the Valentine’s Day aisle at the convenience store warrants unsatisfactory results. There you’ll find nothing but chalky conversation hearts, goop-filled chocolates, cheap stuffed animals, and cheesy perfumes endorsed by even cheesier celebrities. And you don’t want to give your sweetheart the same old crap. You want to give your love something special, unique, and meaningful to commemorate Valentine’s Day, right? Right!

Here at aHa! Modern Living we have chosen our top 5 Valentine’s Day gift ideas to make it easy and fun to select a Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other. All of these items are sure to say, “you’re special, so I picked something special for you.” We think our gifts are a welcome change from the “same ole same ole,” and we’re sure your honey will think so, too.

(1) Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers

What better way to say “whooooo loves you, baby?” The Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers are a great gift for the eco-conscious recipient, since they are made from water buffalo horn. We love the idea of giving a gift that can be used and enjoyed every day. This is a terrific gift for the man or woman who loves to cook, or host dinner parties. Whether you choose to take a cue from the nakedness of the owls is up to you.

(2) Cacao and Spice Hand Lotion

Want to give something chocolatey sweet without inducing a tummy ache? Daub and Bauble presents a delicious solution with its luxurious Cacao and Spice Hand Lotion. This delectably scented, creamy hand lotion is fragranced with a rich chocolate and cinnamon, and formulated with softening Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. For a perfect set, select the Cacao and Spice Hand Wash as well. Then deliver with the following simply sweet message: “I wanna hold your hand.”

(3) Birdie Necklace

Now it’s definitely true that most women would love to receive some gorgeous new jewelry for Valentine’s Day. But when it comes to jewelry, make sure you don’t fall into “the trap.” That is, don’t buy your wife or girlfriend the necklace that has been advertised by all the national jewelry store chains for 3 months now. That’s just boring, and she’s already seen it on television a thousand times. Instead, take a look at this creative and beautiful Birdie Necklace. It’s the perfect way to say, “you make my heart sing.”

(4) Eggling Seed Starters

Want your love to blossom and to grow? Then give your honey an Eggling Seed Starter. They come with all the essentials, so all your schnookums will need to do is crack open the top, add the seeds, and water. It is perfect even for those who claim to kill all their houseplants. Plus… who knows… maybe the Eggling Seed Starter will help you to start your own little somethin’ somethin’.

(5) West County Garden Gloves

There is no better way to say “I glove you” than with West County Garden Gloves. These gloves are particularly unique because they are the perfect blend of both functionality and fashion. They are a great choice for work around the lawn and garden, and even have a mesh back that makes them light and breathable. Remember, though, that it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t let the gloves do all the dirty work!

Discover cool and affordable presents for everyone on your list:

• What to buy for your super-trendy jet setting friend whose house is adorned with treasures from her travels? She’ll love our Stocking Stuffers for Decorators.
• What about your boss who throws the most fabulous holiday bash for the entire office every year? She’ll be delighted with a gift that is designed for the Entertainer.
• How about your neighbor who spends 4 hours outside in her garden every morning? She is sure to adore a gift from our Garden Lover’s selection.
• Oh, and don’t forget about your college roomate who went barefoot for 3 months, and spent every summer hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway. We have great gifts for the Nature Lover, too.

We’ve all had to pinch pennies a little bit over the past year, so we certainly understand if you don’t want to empty your pockets for a few great Christmas gifts. This is why we have an awesome selection of presents for under 10 bucks.

For your friend who, like many, is going to be traveling this holiday season, take a peek at the Daub and Bauble Travel Lotions. They are totally portable and packable, and meet the current airline regulations for carry-ons. They even still come in the same gorgeous bottle designs and delicious scents as the full-sized original.

Now for your boss’ fabulous holiday party. We’ll bet she has never received a gift quite like the Frog Salt and Pepper Shakers. Aren’t they a fun conversation piece? As an added bonus, they’re made from water buffalo horn. So they’re not only beautiful, but they’re eco-friendly too. We’re sure you’ll be bringing the most creative gift of the night with these. Right now they’re on sale for just $16.80, so you can get your hands on this fun and funky present for less than 20 bucks!

Your neighbor the gardener could definitely use some new tools for her favorite hobby. Check out the Gardener’s Multi-Tool. This handy like gadget has it all! And at under 15 bucks, it’s a gift purchase that you can feel good about making as well.

Okay, now we’ve made it to the last person on your list: your earth loving friend. She will totally dig some gorgeous nature-inspired jewelry, like these absolutely beautiful Twig Earrings. They’re on sale for under $30, which is a steal considering that they’re made from fine sterling silver. Not only that, but they’ll totally reflect your friend’s organic style, and match just about any outfit that she wears.

Jewelry not her thing? No problem- we have a whole section of eco-friendly products to choose from. You are sure to find something that makes an easy, affordable, and fun Christmas gift!

Flowers. Check.

Brunch reservation. Check.

Spa gift certificate. Check.

Originality. Check.  Wait. Maybe not.

When was the last time you actually put thought into your Mother’s Day gifts?  When is the last time you actually got Mother’s Day gifts for the people on your list?  If you can’t remember, then this is the year to make up for lost time.  Economics are tough.  Many mothers are going without so their children don’t have to.  Some were comfortably retired, but are back at part time jobs to make ends meet.  More than one mom has found something special to make her life a little bit more fun, but she can’t justify the expense.  Treat the mom, grandma, wife, or sister on your list this Mother’s Day, but put some thought into the type of Mother you need to celebrate.

The Entertainer

Does the loving Mother on your list love to entertain (see photo above)?  Does she have a spectacular brunch planned that doesn’t involve selecting new glassware or accessories?  Have you heard her lusting after a new serving platter or champagne flute?  Try indulging her, since she spends so much time nurturing everyone else.  Pick up a pair of beautiful new Roost Sapling Servers for the table, or a set of Glass Bird Vases for the sideboard.  Present it with a bouquet of beautiful flowers that compliment her color scheme.  A dozen red roses from the florist is so last century.  Instead, try a wildflower bouquet, or a spray of artistic orchids, in Perch’s handcrafted Ivy Vase that doubles as a pitcher.  Top off your gift to the entertainer with breakfast in bed, or a day without the kids.  Let her get some rest before her big event.  Meet up for cupcakes in the park during the afternoon.  A good time will be had by all.

The Decorator

Chartreuse is the color of the season.  If your lovely lady likes to decorate, chances are she could use a splash of color, or a bright new accessory for her living room.  A little pop goes a long way.  Help her add a little bit of seasonal sparkle to her favorite room.  A Modern Bird Ball Feeder filled with millet to attract winged wonders, or a pair of Burgon & Ball Pruners so she can always keep her vases filled with fresh foliage from the garden make thoughtful gifts.  Show her that you appreciate her stylish touch with the Daub & Bauble Hand Set for her desk or vanity table.

The Nature Lover

We bet you know a mom or two that never outgrew her love of dirt, even long after the kids were gone.  This Mother would rather be outside with the birds and butterflies than inside cooking dinner or throwing a party.  Help her enjoy her time in the garden with multi-purpose gardening tools and fun accessories for the outdoors.  Seed starting is more fun with an Eggling Kit, or the beautiful Eco-herb seed starting collection.  She can welcome her favorite birds to the garden with a feeder from Perch!  For true gardening enthusiasts, a few hours outside is as great a stress reliever as yoga or a good run.

Instead of One Size Fits All

Think about what will truly delight your Mother’s Day gift recipient this year, and select something that is just for her.  Build an entire day around her favorite thing to do: watch, eat and receive.  She’ll be touched.