Summer the perfect time to go green in the home

Summer is nearly here, and that means everyone will be out and about enjoying the beautiful weather.  It's also the perfect time to take advantage of the warmer weather and ease those utility bills, turn off the heating and enjoy all the positives that come with this time of the year. So what can you do to be more energy efficient this summer and cut down on what you pay your energy company? Ditch your tumble dryer If you have a garden or small outdoor space Summer is the perfect time to challenge yourself to a minimum of 3 months of tumble dryer-free time and really start using your clothing line and let your clothes dry naturally. Not only is this a fantastic and easy way to save money but also it's better for your clothes. Opt for LED Lighting Changing out your existing bulbs for LED bulbs isn’t something that can help you reduce your energy usage just in summer. It’s a great year-round idea. LED bulbs work at a lower wattage than their incandescent counte......

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Don't throw money out the window!

We try and be as economical and frugal as possible (especially after Christmas and the dreaded tax return) and we are always looking at ways to save, especially in the home and are certainly not the only ones, I mean no one likes throwing money away. What I found out during my research is that a staggering 50% of domestic heat is lost through windows which is shocking and upon hearing this I wondered what the best was to prevent this loss as I don't know about you but heating bills are so expensive so anyway to reduce them is a good thing in my eyes. The solution is pretty simple actually - for one it's best to have double glazing and secondly make sure you have the right type of blinds or thick curtains to increase efficiency. Duette® is a good place to start as they have a range of blinds for the home with the purpose of saving you money as soon as you put them up and have been proven to reduce heat loss by up to 46% which in turn can reduce your heating bill by up to 2......

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Easy Ethical style

Easy eco style by laurasidestreet featuring a flap backpack We are huge fans of anything that brings fashion and an eco friendly ethos together and it's really exciting to see more and more stylish and ethical fashion brands popping up and so many chic pieces. I am really into simple design this year and thought I would put together this mini inspiration board. From top, left to right 1 . Women bamboo viscose and organic cotton tee from Continental Clothing 2 . Mata Traders Fairtrade handmade necklace 3 . Narrow Brim Fedora made from palm leaves 4 . Free People Stela Patchwork backpack 5 . People Tree Freya Button Top 6 . Eileen Fisher Boyfriend jean in Organic cotton What is your favourite ethical brand? ...

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The Conscious Collection

Me in my Conscious collection shorts last year There is nothing better than when the eco friendly ethos pairs up with style to make practical and wearable pieces, thats why I always get excited when H&H Conscious line comes out, as it always has affordable pieces. The collection uses a mix of organic cottons to recycled polyester and it's always great to see a big retailer trying to cut down there use of raw materials and their carbon footprint. Last year I picked up a lovely pair of shorts which lasted my all summer and will be coming out again this summer season. I have put together a few of my favourite picks from the line this year that are practical but also well designed. This is not a sponsored post, just love sharing great eco clothing with you all Fine-knit poncho £24.99 Organic cotton top £6.99 Shorts in silk mix £29.99 They also do some home wear pieces in organic and eco friendly materials - and I am in love with this hare pillowcase......

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Fair-trade festival style

So I recently stumbled across a lovely little fair-trade and ethical bag company called Fikay which make lovely recycled bags, that are so colourful and unique and also have a real feel-good factor to them as for every product that is bought they donate resources to impoverished Asian communities. This is also a real homegrown company, which started by a man called Aaron who after volunteering in Asia and questioned why not all children get an equal education, set up this company to not only produce lovely fair-trade fashion but also to give back to the community. Anyway cut to chase, check out these lovely creations which would be perfect for not only a festival but for everyday. Fikay Eco Elephant brand round bag £19.99 Recycled messenger bag £24.99 As you may already know I am a huge fan of People Tree , I love all there eco friendly, fair-trade and organic products and with a large selection of products for both men and women it's the perfect go to shop for ......

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Getting Eco and chic at HomeSense

Recently I was invited to have a little look around my local Homesense in Cardiff, I knew it was owned by TK Maxx and stocks some amazing interior goodies but until now had not had the time to pop in but one thing is for sure is that I will be back again very soon. I really didn't know what to expect in terms of shop layout, stock etc but the store is really clean and fresh with a clear layout, making it very easy to find what you need. I loved all the individual and unique items they had and I truly believe in a store like this you could pick up something you would be hard to find anywhere else. I love these retro chairs Another thing I was pleasantly surprised at was not only the designer pieces such as Dior and Ralph Lauren but also a lot of ethical and eco products, which is what I love in my home and stocked up on during this trip as Green products can be quite expensive but with up to 60% less than normal retail prices I made the most of it. How amazi......

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Eco-drive solar powered watches

I love it when style and eco ethics come together and make something wonderful. The less disposable batteries we use and produce the better for the environment so when I stumbled across the Citizen eco-drive watches, which is a range of solar-powered time pieces for both men and women. The Eco-drive works on a simple, yet revolutionary concept as technology harnesses the power of light - from any source, wether natural or artificial and converts it into energy, making it a watch that never needs a battery. You really wouldn't know looking at them that they are any different to any other mid-range watch, they are really chic and elegant and use a mineral glass. When I come to purchase a new time piece I am definitely going to explore more eco options to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible, in every are of my life. Here are my favourite picks from the range, which can be found on the online retailer Burns Jewellers which has an amazing selection from he Citizen eco-......

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Covering your phone in style

Phones are not what they used to be, I mean they have become our diaries, our life planners, our social networking devices, our cameras, our portable internet in our pocket and last of all a phone and whether you like it or not, most of us would be lost or at least put out if we lost or broke our phone. Unfortunately, I have had first-hand experience of this, due to living a very active and outdoor lifestyle and also having a very active toddler, when you think of the design of most smartphones - it's basically a huge piece of glass with some plastic around it the combination of everything is not really good and of course ended up with a shattered screen so I am currently nursing my phone which has a screen covered in cracks until I can get an upgrade in two months time. The sad thing is this is not the first time this has happened in fact it's the 2nd time in 6 months! On both occasions, the phone fell a very short distance to the floor but it was the angle in which i......

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Eco travel beauty essentials and holiday wishing

So in the past month we have done two short trips, each with a night away, one to London and one to Bath. Both times we have packed our overnight essentials, things that keep our skin hydrated and sooth the soul as travel can be quite stressful and I think that using plant and natural based products help your skin to replenish it's natural balance. Laura's picks When on the road you always need a good replenishing moisturiser and I love my Neal Yards rehydrating rose daily moisture which is perfect when your in the big smoke or at the seaside and your skin is drying out, using essential oils and certified organic ingredients it nurtures your ski, making it feel wonderfully soft. The next is my travel size Pink Grapefruit shower gel from The Body shop, it's zesty and peps you up in the morning ready for the day, it's also made in the UK and of course against animal testing. I cannot go anywhere without my little bottle of Rescue remedy, a great natural way t......

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