Green Nest Has Moved!

Staying true to our nature, we like to keep things new and exciting! So we have picked up our roots and moved.


We are now located in the former boutique space of Pepperberries. We no longer have a Davis Street entrance. Now you can enter through the Pepperberries to check out all of our unique and fun earth-friendly gift ideas!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Monday - Saturday 10-6 PM

Sunday 12-5 PM


Come see our new space in the month of October and mention coupon code

"MOVINGDAY" to receive 10% off your total purchase!

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE - Consignment Style

Being earth-friendly is not as hard as some think. There are tons of different ways people can practice the important 3 R's - REDUCE your electricity use, REUSE old things, RECYCLE your trash... and my personal favorite - shop consignment sales!

I can't think of a better way to reduce the amount of trash in landfills, reuse slightly used items in great condition, and recycle all those baby things you no longer need! Consignment sales are a great step towards becoming earth friendly. And if you are a hopeless shopper like I am, its also a way to satisfy your addiction at a fraction of the cost!

This year Green Nest visited Weecycled Wardrobe in Fredericksburg, one of the area's largest consignments sales. With over 55,000 items and hundreds and hundreds of consignors, we thought it would be a great way to tell the Fredericksburg area what our little store has to offer!

This year was the largest turn out by far, and the lines reminded me of waiting for rides at Kings Dominion. Fredericksburg shoppers were excited to hear about Green Nest and the earth-friendly baby and kid's products we had to offer.

So next time you are thinking of pitching those old kids clothes that no longer fit or the baby toys you've stashed in your basement for years, try consigning them. You can make a little money for your old things or shop for gently used items for your own family.

There are also some great consignment stores right here in Culpeper...

Persimmons

213 Southgate Shopping Center

Culpeper ~ 825-5533

Tuesday - Friday 10-5:30

Saturday 10-3

Specializing in Ladie's Clothing

Terry's Place

203 N. Main Street

Culpeper ~ 825-9551

Wednesday - Friday 10-5

Saturday 10-4

Women's, Men's and Children's Clothing

Being earth-friendly has never been quite this fun!!

Check out the photos from the Weecycled Sale - it is a sea of baby and kid's gear!!

Danielson Designs Custom Wall Decor

Green Nest is excited to introduce a new personalized gift and home decor product from Danielson Designs.

Personalize your very own sign or photo frame for any occasion...baby showers, weddings and anniversaries, new home, family and vacations! With the option to customize the names, quotes and colors the gift ideas are endless!

Danielson Designs custom signs are printed on recycled wood with water-based finishes, offering you a one-of-a-kind gift that is earth-friendly. They are also made in the USA!

Items can be shipped to anyone or to Green Nest - and the best thing is that it ships within 48 hours!

Visit http://greennest.danielsondesigns.com/ now and get started on your personalized gift.

Need help?

Visit our store located off of Davis St. or give us a call at 540.829.6378 and we'd be glad to help!

Tired of the Junk?

Gone are the days of opening up the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter from Aunt Sue...

Now all we get are piles and piles of JUNK MAIL! Credit card offers, catalogs from stores we've never heard of, mortgage reduction letters, and the list goes on and on...

Not only is all this junk mail obnoxious, but it places a huge burden on our environment. Each year over 100 million trees are cut down to produce the 4 million tons of junk mail that Americans receive. Most of this unsolicited mail goes into the garbage unopened and is never recycled. The energy needed to produce and then dispose of junk mail consumes more than 2.8 million cars annually! (http://www.newdream.org/)

Here are some great ideas on how you can stop wasting time on junk mail and do a huge part to help the environment:

- Opt out of national mailings lists by sending your name, address and signature to :

Mail Preference Service
c/o Direct Marketing Association
PO BOX 643
Carmel, NY 10512

- Anytime your purchase online or from a catalog, request that your name not be added or sold to any mailing lists.

- Contact your bank and credit card companies and verbally request that your name and information not be sold. You can also opt out of credit card offers by calling the Consumer Credit Reporting Agency - 1 (888) 5-OPTOUT

- If you receive unwanted mail, take a few extra moments to call the company's toll-free numbers and request to be removed from their mailing list.

- Make sure to recycle any and all junk mail you continue to receive!

There are also some programs that promise to remove you from a huge percentage of junk mail lists for a fee - check out 41 Pounds to find out more information.

Taking any of these steps can have a great positive impact on the environment and your mailbox!

DeCoding Organic

The word organic can be a very broad term. Simply stated, "organic" means made or grown without the use of artificial chemicals.

There is no standard for the word organic and how it can be marketed. The same goes for the word natural. Natural is even more obscure... meaning anything that comes from nature. These words can confuse the consumer and leave them wondering which way to turn and what they can trust...

The widely recognized USDA Organic standard is something that consumers can trust. As of now, the USDA Organic label applies only to food products. Some bath and beauty companies are using USDA Organic ingredients in their products, allowing them to bear the prestigious label.

Why is organic so important?

There has been a lot of negative publicity lately in the bath and beauty industry. Many products that we use everyday on ourselves and on our children contain chemicals that could potentially be dangerous. Companies are not required to list the ingredients of the fragrances they use or the chemical by-products of production. Our skin is our largest organ and products we use absorb directly into our bloodstream. De-coding an ingredient list can be like reading hieroglyphics! Using organic products is not only better for you, but it supports sustainable farming practices and keeps dangerous chemicals our of our eco-system.

At Green Nest, we have found several lines of personal care products that we can trust... Inara Organics, HollyBeth's Natural Luxury and Erbaviva.

Inara Organics manufactures luxurious bath products that are 100% organic in a USDA Organic Certified facility. They utilize natural, rare elements like Babbassu Oil that is harvested from a Babbassu Palm tree in all of their products. The company also works with a woman's cooperative in Brazil that provides native women with a livable wage that surpasses average standards.

One of the many fantastic products the company makes is the Babbassu Sugar Rub. Made from certified organic babbassu oil and turbinado sugar, this rub exfoliates your skin and leaves it feeling silky and smooth. This is great to use on dry hands or in the bath or shower as an all-over-body treatment!

HollyBeth's Natural Luxury beauty products are made with certified organic ingredients that allow you to pamper your skin without worrying about chemicals. HollyBeth's products are handmade from family recipes and maintain a natural and pure integrity. The Rose and Geranium Face Moisturizer and Eye Cream contain rich vitamin E that acts as an antioxidant.

Erbaviva makes luxury organic products for baby, mommy-to-be and any one else that loves to spoil themselves. Their products bear the USDA Organic seal, certifying that they use at least 95% USDA Organic ingredients.

Erbaviva's line of baby products are the purest and most natural products you can find. From baby shampoo, to soap, to diaper cream... you can feel confident that the products you use on your baby are safe and chemical free.

All of Erbaviva's products are free of parabens and phalates that are potentially dangerous chemicals. The lines are scented with natural essential oils and contain no artificial colors or fragrances.

When shopping for personal care products, take the time to read labels and understand what is in it. Visit http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ to get a rating on certain products and more information about individual ingredients.

Decoding the massive amounts of ingredients and products out there can be a daunting task. With the careful investigation and companies you can trust, you can find the amazing products that are good for you and the environment!

Recycled Craft Ideas

Sometimes the easiest way to recycle is to find creative ways to use old things. The following are some fun craft ideas using materials that you probably already have around your house!

1. Egg Carton Critters

You can make a number of different critters from your old cardboard egg cartons. To make a spider or lady bug, simply cut out one of the egg cups, turn over and paint with non-toxic paints. Add googly eyes and pipe cleaners for eyes and antenna. If you want to make a caterpillar or snake, use several cups to make it as long as you want!

2. Button Jewelry

Start hunting around for old buttons or ask a parent or grandparent if they have a collection. You can have a great time stringing buttons together to make different patterns and color combinations. This is a great craft idea to make for Mother's Day!

3. Dryer Sheet Flowers

Ask mom or dad to start saving their used dryer sheets. Once you get a big collection, you can make a beautiful bouquet! Take two or three dryer sheets together and fold them back and forth like you are making a paper fan. Grasp it tightly in the middle and twist a pipe cleaner around it. Fluff out the dryer sheets to make a full flower. Use non-toxic paints and dip the tips of your flower in lots of different colors. You can also spray the dryer sheets with different scents so they smell just like real flowers!

4. Rain Stick

Use a paper towel roll or a cardboard roll from wrapping paper to make your rain stick. Using a needle, poke holes all through your rain stick and put toothpicks in the holes to create a filter for your beans. Glue a piece of felt or cardboard and to one end of your rain stick and let dry. Once it is dry and secure, you can fill your rain stick with beans or rice so that there is enough room for them to move back and forth. Now you can secure the other end of your rain stick. Finally, use whatever scraps, non-toxic paint, or other craft materials you have to decorate your rain stick.

5. Felt Bead Necklaces

Cut different colors of eco-friendly felt into 5x4 inch rectangles and then the same number into 5x3 inch rectangles. Lay the smaller rectangle onto the larger one, leaving a small gap on both ends. Put glue along the edges and roll up the felt. Rubber band the rolls until the glue dries. Once it is dry, cut the felt rolls into beads about 1/2 inch thick. Finally thread the beads onto string to create a colorful necklace or bracelet.

Being Green Just Got Simple

Taking steps to become more earth friendly can seem like an overwhelming task...

Where do I begin? How do I start?

We have a way to put your best foot forward and walk a greener path one step at a time!

Simple Shoes has the right idea...

From the materials to the values of the company, Simple Shoes is taking strides towards making the earth a better place for many generations to come.

In their company manifesto, Simple Shoes states

IT’S TIME FOR
MORE GIVE THAN TAKE
MORE GOOD THAN BAD
MORE POSITIVE THAN NEGATIVE

KEEP IT REAL

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Using this principle, the company has come out with a line of fantastic shoes for baby, kids and adults alike.

Simple Shoes uses recycled car tires, organic cotton, bamboo, intertubes, non-toxic glues and natural fibers to make their fun and funky line of shoes. Even the shoe boxes and shoe forms are made from 100% recycled materials. Flip the shoes over and you will see the tread from someone's old car tire!

Simple shoes are rated as "good, better, best", solidfying the idea that one step towards green is better than no step at all!