We've moved!

We've moved our blog to EcoHomeIdeas to an all singing all dancing blog.

Visit us at http://www.ecohomeideas.co.uk/ for more eco chic style ideas for you home and lifestyle, plus Oliver Heath's design advice and news in the eco business.

You can also follow our updates on twitter: http://twitter.com/ecochicstyle

See you there!

All at EcoCentric

What do Jude Law, Colin Firth, Jo Wood & Emma Thompson have in common?

...They are all supporting World Fair Trade Day which is tomorrow - 9th May. Not only that but they have signed a limited edition butterfly top for People Tree in support of Fairtrade, as modelled by Jo Wood (left) - how many people can say they have Jude Law's signature across their chest?!

World Fair Trade Day is an international event when the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO, formerly IFAT) and its members promote global awareness of fair trade. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the 100% fair trade organisations and companies, and the gorgeous fashions and delicious and great quality foods that are available.

There are 100% Fairtrade breakfasts being held all over the UK aswell as in France, Norway, Poland and the United States.

Why not hold your own Fairtrade breakfast tomorrow - invite some friends round for fresh Fairtrade fruit shakes & hot-cross buns with dried fruit, and a cafetiere of delicious fairtrade coffee. Or if it is too late to organise, then just add a handful of Fairtrade dried fruit to your porridge or muesli.
Click here for some amazing recipe ideas from Tropical Wholefoods.

You could also use this as an opportunity to encourage your local European Parliamentary candidates to sign the Faritrade Foundation's pledge for fair trade, in advance of the European Elections on 4 June.

There is a great range of fair trade products at EcoCentric, from photo frames & albums to bedlinen - currently with 20% off.

National Compost Week: 3rd May - 9th May 09

Yes it’s National Compost Week!

For those of you who don’t know much (or anything) about it, National Compost Week is organised by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme).

WRAP estimate that every year each home throws away 200kg of waste which could have been composted. National Compost Week aims to inform people of the benefits of making their own compost.

This year’s theme is ‘Food for thought’, and focuses on using compost to grow your own food. This theme is perfect because not only is it the right time of year to start planting, but growing your own fruit and veg has been made even easier by ‘Rocket Gardens’.

Now I love Rocket Gardens because they take the hassle out of gardening. You simply find and purchase a voucher for the garden you want, Children’s garden if you have kids, herb garden if you like to cook, patio garden if you don’t have a lot of garden space etc. Once your voucher arrives you return the freepost card telling Rocket Garden where you’d like the garden delivered and then a box of baby plants arrives straight to your door ready for you to plant.

Not only are these gardens easy but the plants are 100% organic, reared in soil approved by the Soil Association and are kept free of chemical pesticides, which will be delivered straight to your door.

They also make wonderful eco gifts because you have a variety of gardens to choose from, and you can give the voucher itself as a gift or arrange for the garden to be delivered straight to the birthday boy or girl.

Some of the benefits of growing your own fruit and veg using your own compost include:

• You help the environment by reducing the amount of waste going into the landfills.
• You can use your home made compost to grow your own fruit and veg; which will save you money on fertiliser.
• Growing your own food will reduce in your shopping bill and ensures your food will be 100% organic and environmentally friendly.

So if you want to make the most of spring, start making your own compost and growing your own food, you now know where to start.

Oliver talks @ Grand Designs Live at ExCel London

Oliver appears a lot in print, now he's appearing in person.

On the 26th of April and the 4th of May Oliver will be talking at seminars at Grand Designs Live at ExCel London.

Which seminars will Oliver be speaking at? Well good things come in threes and Oliver is no acceptation.

Seminar one: How to Use Vintage in the Home.
Want to give your home some character? Have things which can be reused and recycled? If so then this is a seminar you don't want to miss. Being held in the 'How To...' seminar theatre.

Seminar two: Eco bedrooms.
This seminar is all about making a living space which will have a big impact on you, without making an impact on the environment. Being held in the 'How To...' seminar theatre.

Seminar three: Urban Eco Chic.
How do you balance contemporary eco style and sustainable practicality? In this final seminar Oliver will address this question. Taking place in the 'Grand' seminar theatre.

The Grand Designs Live runs from 25 April to 4th May 2009, open daily 10am - 6pm.

To get tickets go to the Grand Designs Live website: http://www.granddesignslive.com/

In and out

You may think, for a home based store, we are all about staying in - but no!

As active people who love the environment, we encourage as much interaction with mother nature as we can. A great example of this is our time & tide clock.

As well as telling the time, you can see at a glance the tide levels for your local coastline and whether it is coming in or out - so whether you are into sailing, surfing or kayaking on water, or walking or building sandcastles on the beach, this clock can help you get out on a spur of a moment trip.

A home based product that is aimed at getting you out of the house!

EarthBorn Paints launch new colour range

Breaking news - EarthBorn clay paints today launch their new colour range! This new range of 36 colours (plus white) takes elements from a number of their previous colour ranges to offer a new, more streamlined selection of colours. With guidance from EcoCentric's own Oliver Heath, the new EarthBorn range is a well balanced range of contemporary colours which take the pressure off choosing your paint shades, as are extensively complementary.

Better still, Earthborn clay paints are the only UK paint brand licensed to carry the EU Ecolabel, Europe's definitive environmental standard. This is because they are low odour and VOC free, and help your house and your family breathe clearly, free from harmful chemicals and toxins. Clay paint has a beautiful matt texture which allows walls to absorb variations in humidity, has great coverage and is great for creating special effects. Why not spring clean your home with an eco re-decoration and give you and your family's health a boost at the same time?!

Grab a bargin with EcoExclusives

We all love a good deal, particularly if the shops in question are eco friendly and ethical to the core. Which is why Green My Style, the premier online daily eco-glossy, has

come up with EcoExclusives. Offering a range of discounts or money off vouchers for a range of online retailers, EcoExclusives is your ticket to eco chic on the cheap. Offers are available from shops like Terra Plana, the inovative designers of eco friendly and ethical footwear, Foodari Direct, which delivers delicious, locally sourced food straight to your door, and Fashion Conscience, the gorgeous online boutique full of talented young green designers. There's never been a better reason to get out that plastic and treat yourself to a bit of eco style!