Being kind to the planet is something that we strive to do in our household. Reusable bags are one of the easiest ways to reduce waste, and with so many stylish options, it’s also a fun way to express your personality! Recently I got a chance to try out a bag from enVbags!

The bags come in singles, or in packs, and they offer a great variety of patterns and colors. The bag I got is called Destination, which features an Eiffel Tower, and cherry blossoms. What I loved the most though is that it comes in a handy travel holder that can clip to the inside of my purse. This way I can always have my bag on hand, making it very easy to use for shopping in place of plastic. I don’t know about you, but often the biggest obstacle to making the switch is just remembering to bring a reusable bag along.

Bags are a great value, starting at $9.50 for a single. These are high quality bags, made of water resistant nylon, and can hold 2-3 grocery bags worth of goods. The bags are very fun though, and can easily be used for all your shopping, or even as a purse/tote for everyday use.

I also thought it was charming how the company got started. Not only do I really like the bag, but I always love to support small business when possible, but you would never know that these bags had such humble beginnings, they are so nice! Be sure to visit the website to see all the design options.

The idea of the bags was developed in the spring of 2007, my then six year-old son’s kindergarten class was dared to go a whole week without using paper or plastic bags. It was Earth week and my son was learning about what we can do as individuals to help save the planet. Although I had always thought reusable bags were a great idea, that little push from my son was all I needed to start changing my ways. Forced at the counter to buy the store’s logo-laden bags, I found that like other people, I kept forgetting my bags at home. I found them too bulky and quite frankly, pretty ugly. I also became really conscious of all my family’s bag usage, not only at the grocery store, but at the mall, traveling, and even at the pool carrying our wet swimsuits home. I found myself looking for bags that had to fit four requirements: affordable, compactable, versatile and above all, fashionable. I should also mention that I have been in the fashion world for quite sometime, and since no one had yet developed a bag that fit all my requirements, I figured, “why can’t I?”… and EnV Bags was born.

If you are thinking of making the switch, be sure you add a few enVbags to your wish list!

Click for More Gift Ideas

If you want to give a gift that your recipient can use all year long, then our next gift guide item is for you! The Envirosax La Boheme are not just functional, they are stylish too. Inspired by Bohemia and the Art Nouveau movement of bringing art into everyday life, this sophisticated new Envirosax style creates ecofriendly art (find the reduce-reuse-recycle symbol hidden in the design).

Envirosax La Boheme is printed with ecofriendly inks and dyes via a sublimation process which ensures the design will not fade when washed. Each La Boheme bag holds 44 lbs of weight and is made from 100% ripstop polyester. The matching wristlet carrying pouch measures 9″ x 6″ and features snaps to keep 5 rolled up bags inside. Envirosax La Boheme Bags measure 19.5″ x 16.5″ when open and roll up and snap shut to a very compact 4″ x 1.5″ when closed. Handwash recommended to extend the life of the bag.

We think these would make perfect gifts for the stylish, ecofriendly, person in your life. Or, buy some for yourself! Another fun thing that you can do is buy a set and then use them as great gift wrap. We have a set of Envirosax ourselves and love them for reducing the waste that comes into the house after shopping. We take them everywhere, and wouldn’t mind finding a few more under our tree either. Order yours online at Bright and Bold, $37.95 for a set of five bags with the wristlet carrier.

Sugar Apple Designs features fun, Caribbean inspired designs on 100% cotton. The shirts and totes are made in the USA, and each design is hand-drawn onto a screen and hand silk-screened with non-toxic inks.

When I got my shirt to try out for this review, I was very excited. The weather is starting to cool here, but it’s not cold to where I would want to wear a very heavy shirt. The weight of this shirt was perfect, and the bright color and palm tree design made it feel a bit more like summer than fall. It was also very soft, which is one thing that I always look for in my clothing. I like to look cute, but being comfortable is number one in my book.

Besides just enjoying the shirt, I really like what the company is doing! A portion of every item sold goes toward saving our planet! Sugar Apple Design is based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and you can see that they draw a lot of inspiration from the beauty of the area around them. I really love some of the other designs that they offer, especially the sugar apple! I hadn’t heard of a sugar apple before, but it turns out that it’s a heart-shaped fruit with a consistency and sweet flavor akin to crème brulee. It’s a very popular fruit in the Caribbean, and is used for desserts. It also looks great on a shirt!

They offer products for women, children, and even babies. They have a lot of great choices, and you can feel good knowing that they use organic fabric and non-toxic inks. We also love that they are made in the USA! Their products can be bought online, and in select shops.

Chuck is the first wastebasket of it’s kind. Made from 100% recycled cardboard and printed with low VOC water-based inks, it’s a wastebasket that you can feel good about buying. Why? Because once you are done using it, it can be recycled!

Mine has been perfect for collecting the recyclables in my office. Not only does the Chuck look nice, but it has a handy hole for easy lifting. It was also fun to get, because it came flat packed, we got to put it together. A few folds and tabs later and it was assembled with no tools, glue, or tape.

The Chuck is available in the leaf pattern, which we got to review and just love. They will soon come in a variety of designs, and you can even have your own design made if you like (with a min. order of course, but still very cool for an office or team). They are also affordable, at $11.99 each. Right now you can buy them through their website, Chuck4Life.

Here is a little bit about the company:

It may be hard to believe that the inspiration for a cool waste paper basket originated from something as simple as walking by a pile of cardboard left over from the custom manufacturing of boxes. But it is true. Chuck developed by studioCRANK was born out of necessity.

A very cool product for the eco-conscious person! I am very happy to have my Chuck in my office space.

ReUsies are a great way to save money, and do your part to keep plastic out of the landfill. As the name implies, they are reusable.

ReUsies are fabric sandwich/snack bags that you can use to replace the plastic bags you usually use! They do a great job, holding just as much as a plastic bag. Each one has the potential to eliminate hundreds of plastic bags. ReUsies are made from 100% cotton, lined with leak-resistant nylon and secured with Velcro closures.

Another great thing about them is that they can be washed. You can spot clean them, or even wash them in the washer or dishwasher! They also come in a variety of fun colors and patterns. You can buy them online through the ReUsies shop. We also love that they are made in the USA, and come with a satisfaction guarantee.

We found them to just as easy to use as a plastic baggy. The only hard part was remembering to not just toss them out, but I am sure that with more use bringing them home will become a habit. If you are looking for a way to reduce the amount of plastic you use, then ReUsies are something to put on your wish list!