shak-shuka

SerpentSea Rugs - Oh My!

By now you know me - I love good lighting and good floor materials. My theory is this: the better you can distract people's attention up or down when they come into your "in-between" designing home, is ideal. I have so far succesfully attracted visitors to do nothing but stare at our beautiful etched ceilings (done by the original home designer, not us - don't get excited!) or the lighting that we installed. Voila! (almost) DIY magic.

Floors, rugs - oh my! My feet were doing a giddy step when I saw these rugs made from recycled rope, reminiscent of a nautical adventure. I saw them on Re-Nest and fell in L-O-V-E! SerpentSea rugs come in a variety of colors and are destined to make it into my home and help distract from the explosion of toys around it, instead I want to hear the "oohs and ahhs" of "where did you get that?! I love it! It's so unique!". I think SerpentSea manages to do something that I don't see that often: make a rug in an eco-friendly way, but also keep it as clean and polished as if it were set only for a design store. Shiver me timbers, I've set sail on the SS SerpentSea!

 

Eco Facial Cleansing Wipes

If you're anything like me, your morning getting-ready routine has now dwindled to a whopping 5 minutes (this of course includes brushing your teeth) and your nighttime routine is even more dismal. There are nights when I literally pass out in my daytime clothes only to wake up on the couch with the dog looking at me like "lady! get it together - wash up and go to BED!". Nothing like being set straight by a 150lb St Bernard....

One of my lazy nighttime guilty pleasures has been that I have very little energy to do my usual nighttime routine of washing my face, patting it dry, putting on nighttime cream, bla bla bla.......zzzz.......I discovered facial wipes which cut down my routine to probably about 3 minutes and I couldn't be more grateful. The earth could do without this lazy habit, as you can imagine how many facial wipes end up in the landfill because of me. Low and behold: an eco-friendly solution! The Body Shop has these great Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (ok just writing that name made me tired...) that are tough enough to take the day off my face by gentle enough to biodegrade in the earth once I toss it in the garbage! Voila - a match made in lazy eco heaven!

Chilly Weather Home Decor

Crisp crisp autumn weather I love you! It brings together the best of both worlds: a bit of the sunshine of summer and the chilly jacket-worthy feeling of winter. I seriously could not be in more love!

With this change of weather, I feel myself already gravitating towards warmer, toastier fabrics like wool, sheepskin and fleece. This fabric change has even got me thinking about our home, and I saw that the spirited designer Donna Wilson has a new range of woolen items - this drool-worthy kelim rug, zigzag pouffe, and hilarious Bla Bla blanket. I first discovered Donna Wilson's range when I saw her porcelain plates in one of my favorite decor shops and frantically started Googling how to hang plates on the wall. Yes, it might sound Grandma-ish, but it looks so cool! Wilson doesn't forget the youngins in your life, as she has a Make Your Own Monster Kit that I think almost every little boy and girl I know would love!

Portable Fruit Squeezes Go Eco

I pride myself on being the most eco parent that I can be: we use BPA-free plates, bowls, bottles and cups, we drink from stainless-steel water bottles to prevent having to buy Evian water every few blocks, and we have recently discovered they make biodegradable straws - woohoo!!

One pitfall that seems to get me every day (literally - it is the snack of choice) are those fruit puree squeezy things that come in those handy containers just right for baby/toddler hands, although each time we have one, I cringe at the fact that I'm throwing away yet another one. How many landfills are filled with our apple-strawberry concoction? I've thought about making and packing my own, but how do I get the little one to eat it? Surely there must be a solution....and thankfully I didn't have to create it myself (although that would have meant some more money!!!): recently on a few blogs I've seen the Beaba Babypote, and now the Sili Squeeze has caught my eye. Both of them work on the same concept as the fruit squeezes do, but this you can control what fruit/vegs you use, and when they're finished, you can just pop in the dishwasher! Love, love and more love! I've bought the Beaba Babypote and am anxiously waiting for it to try it out. Hopefully I can get my grubby paws on the Sili Squeeze just as quickly so I can give an unbiased review, or shall I saw the kiddo will!

And yes, you know if they pass our rigorous tests over here at Casa Shuka, we'll be bringing it to our customers all over the world too! Have faith - just need to test it out first to make sure it's up to snuff.....

Quirky Long-Life Tights

Even though I complain about the chilly weather here in Northern Europe, as soon as real heat strikes I realize I'm much better adapted to cold weather than hot. Hot weather makes me feel like I'm about to have a heartattack!

So as the cold weather approaches it's time for the hunt: the hunt for the perfect, comfortable, warm, non-pilling tights. Usually I rely on my heavy-duty-tried-and-true Walford tights, but sometimes I'd like something a bit more cozy, more unusual, that taps into the quirky side of me. While browsing around Beklina, my favorite online eco store for women, I remembered some tights that I had bought that I just L-O-V-E: Hansel from Basel. They make the most exquisite and long-lasting tights that I've ever owned. Made from quality fabrics such as bamboo, merino wool and cotton, these are not your run-of-the-mill tights! Currently I'm coveting the Homme Striped Tights, Puff Sock Crew, and the Zigzag Bag. I dare you not to be tempted, and I can attest to the fact that the legwear will outlast any and all of your current socks and tights!

Must Have: The Dots

Things are picking up around here at Casa Shuka: corners have been filled, chairs have been bought (and broken in by both the child and the dog) and now the walls are crying out "we're naked! please help us by putting something on us!". Who knew walls could be so demanding??!

We have this wall that is a covered fireplace (boohoo - we love fireplaces!) and therefore the wall is really prominent and since it's in the dining room, it's really a focus point. I have debating about trying to make it look like a real fireplace (think a mantel, fake fire wall decals, the works!) but then I thought it might look a bit too cheesy. Then I remembered something that I had seen in Copenhagen and think it might be the solution to my naked-wall-conundrum: Muuto the Dots. Yes, they're Dots, and sure, they can hold things, but I really love the way they occupy the wall as if they were pieces of art and you don't really have to hang things on them, right?! They're made from sustainably-harvested oak, come in packs of 5 or singles, and are available in a natural color, black, or call me crazy - yellow! I'm actually thinking that the yellow might be just the punch our dreary dining room needs, and if we run out of coat rack space, you know where to hang your jacket!

Sweet Sipping Straws

As we reach the end of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, I think I'll miss the sweetness of super ripe strawberrries, and if you were to ask Lil'Miss, she'd definitely say playing in the mini pool and using straws for nearly every drink that touched her mouth. It was a fun/ny habit to get into, but I have to admit there was a pit in my stomach every time I threw one out or just thinking of the kind of plastic they were made from.....

A while ago I discovered, and even thought about carrying a line of glass drinking straws, called Glass Dharma straws, as they are clearly the eco-ist option. The only thing is - glass? I don't know how careful you are, but I would compare my daughter to a raging bull when it comes to her delicacy level. Glass Dharma says that their glass is resistant and comes with a lifetime guarantee, so clearly they have them in mind. But what about you - would you trade your (disposable) summer fun fluorescent straws for a beautiful (but shattery) glass straw?

photo from HolisticPursuit.com

Acapulco Chair that Rocks!

Not sure if it's just me, but I am a BIG rocking fan - by that I don't mean music, I mean I love rocking chairs. This love has become even more intense now that I have a bun in the oven, as I imagine myself feeding the little babe in a chair rocking us both into oblivion. Bliss!

Funny how things work, because this weekend we were headed to a market, passed by a beautiful floral shop that also sold some fun items, including a (gasp!) Acapulco Chair - yes, like the ones that the Kennedy's rocked on back in the day in their resort homes. To be honest, I don't really care about the iconic status of the chair, because once my tush hit that seat, it was a match made in heaven! Part of me didn't want to get out of the chair, while the other half, just, well - couldn't (I'm much heavier these days!). When I got home, I researched and browsed to see if I could find the chair anywhere, and to my amazement I discovered they make a rocking version! Be still my beating (or should I say rocking?!) heart! There are a few places that you can get this chair, but the most eco-friendly option seems to be hailing from a Brooklyn factory - GreenPointWorks - where they make everything locally with local materials. Durable enough to withstand the outdoors, but I am picturing this rocking chair in our bedroom with a nice sheepskin rug on the back for added padding.....don't expect me to get out - EVER!

PS: for those of us in Europe, I discovered this site that does ship (for a fee!) to us