Do you write or receive letters anymore? Well I don’t know about you but call me a classic girl, I love writing and receiving letters in the good old post mail box. Actually the more I write it to you here the more I am urged to write a few letters to people I love. One of my fondest memories as a child was my penpals…I had a few. One boy I especially remember that lived in east germany and I loved sharing our childhood through pictures and words.
The reason I bring this up is well for one, I would like to inspire you to take pen to paper and write someone a letter! Secondly I want to introduce you to a small business I recently discovered that awakens the magic of receiving letters in young children of today. In the form of beautiful stories.
Mr. Quinley’s Adventures – The letters are written by the adventurous character, Annabelle Button, about her magical adventures with her uncle, Mr. Quinley. He is the keeper of magic in the world and always has a trick up his sleeve…or in his hat, rather. Each story consists of three illustrated pages and one full page illustration. The readers get to follow along the adventure while experiencing the novelty of receiving fun mail and building a sense of wonder and excitement… Not to mention fresh reading material each month. Before you know it, your children will be running to the mailbox awaiting their next letter!
The founders of this magical concept are Eric and Janine, they have been friends since high school! A decade and a half later, they decided to launch Mr. Quinley’s Adventures in hopes of bringing a tangible story experience to children. In a world saturated with technology and social media, Eric and Janine saw an opportunity to bring back the joys of letters, stories, friendship, and connection all through something as simple as a letter.
We at Eco Couple are always excited when we can support a brand that is bringing something special, heartfelt and beautiful to humanity and especially to the kids of tomorrow. Thank you!
We were able to get you a discount code: ecocouple we do not make any money on these sales nor are we paid by the brand, we simply wanted you to know about them!
I really think that as lovers of all things water, be it surfing, paddling, kayaking or windsurfing. In part it is our duty to raise awareness about the plastic pollution in the ocean. The time has come when it is finally much easier to do this. I would much rather invest in a surf leash that is made from recycled plastics than contribute to more waste. Wouldn’t you? Wave Tribe makes such a leash and we are lucky enough to test it in the waters and are already so impressed! Another amazing plus is Wave Tribe gives you a one year guarantee on the leash. I don’t know any leash brand that does that.
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Honestly there is no reason any surfer should still be using wax with petroleum in it when we have an eco friendly option. This wax is made from organic beeswax and coconut oil. Simply the better choice. So let us protect our waters and support brands such as these.
Here at Wave Tribe, we do our part by making it our mission to keep oceans safe from toxic surfing. We do this by creating stylish and eco-friendly surfing gear and products so that you don’t have to worry about harming the ocean while enjoying the benefits of surfing. – Wave Tribe
I often find myself wondering how we can do more. There are some really simple steps to being a more conscious surfer. We can always do a beach clean up after a good session. Or simply tell other surfers about brands like Wave Tribe, you can help us create that wave. Come be a part of our tribe.
We took it upon ourself to find an old second hand board… And paid very little for it. We figured that if it didn’t have the chance to go back in the water at least we would hang it on our wall as decoration. Well Iñaki worked hard on it, sanding it down several times and fixing the dings and dents (thank you Ding King for letting him use your space), we weren’t sure how it would hold up. Now just a few weeks after fixing it, not only did we find out that it was worth quite a bit of money, but I have been catching waves with it like crazy. Pretty much every time I take it out someone offers to buy it.
It is not for sale, it was a gift to me. I hope one day our son will get to use it, the hours of love and dedication that went in to it do not have a price in my eyes. It is by far one of the greatest birthday gifts I have ever been given.
The whole point of sharing this story however, even though there are some really nice Eco friendly surfboards surfacing on the market, and I am sure we will enjoy trying them at some point. There is something really magical about taking someone else’s trash and turning into your very own treasure.
Skippy Slater model Takayama
To finish off this beauty of a board we were so excited to add our sustainable leash by Wave Tribe. So what can I say other than we are stoked and yes we’ve both been using the board now.
Have you refurbished something recently that you would like to inspire us with? We are always eager to hear your stories!
Thanks for reading and hopefully we will see you in the waves sooner rather than later.
Sustainably yours,
Eco Couple
P.S Thanks to Silversurfer72 we have just found out that this is a Skippy Slater model Takayama board!
If you liked this article check out our other article on sustainable surf apparel.
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, helps us pay our growing core team . Allows us to keep the content free for readers and keeps us on our mission to inspire conscious consumerism.
Hello all you wonderful conscious readers, thanks for dropping by and helping me support sustainable brands of Hawaii…. Due to closing of the islands to tourism, small business are suffering all over the world, especially here on Hawaii! We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to some amazing brands that are located here on the islands, and make beautiful products.By purchasing from brands such as these, your are helping their economy but most importantly you are contributing to purchasing from a brand that is taking the best interest of our earth at heart. Supporting Eco-friendly brands on Hawaii. In these times I believe more than ever we are coming to realise that the world needs our nurturing right now. It is by our choices and how and where we spend our money that we can help, making changes for a better future and fulfilling our responsibilities for the generations to come.
Simple, sleek and sustainable sunglasses are a must in this day and age. Why not support this sustainable brand from Hawai’i. Using bamboo, refurbished skateboard wood these stylish sunglasses are a wonderful addition to your sustainable collection. And because they are made by ocean lovers they even float- just incase they fall in the water.
I absolutely love this local brand. They’re products smell incredible and are made for even the most sensitive skin. Ao stands for ‘āina (land) and the O stands for (wai (ocean). Ao Organics Hawaii formulates high-quality skincare and sun care products with ethically sourced ingredients. All the while staying true to their values: Eco-friendly, reef safe, locally sourced ingredients and cruelty free.
If you want to feel instantly tele transported to the beaches of Hawai’i I highly recommend this bronzing oil. I promise you will never go to another beach without it. Support this brand and the beautiful family that stands behind it!
Mālama ʻāina is a traditional Hawaiian concept and way of life, it essentially means that if we take care of the earth, the earth will provide and take care of us in return. This is the concept and heart behind this brand. From eco-friendly ink to recycled materials for their swimwear. Kaiona is trying to do just that, even their beautiful recycled packaging is in alaignment with Mālama ʻāina!
I have worn this suit for a few months now and it is of excellent quality. I have used it for a normal day at the beach to deep diving with it to surfing. It is really well made and for surfing it is perfect as everything stays in its place and I can focus on ths sport as opposed to fiddling around with my bikini. I absolutely love the shape of this bikini and the back is just beautiful.
The colour is also as vivid as the ocean. We hope you like the brand as much as I do and support this wonderful small business out of Hawai’i.
We are so thrilled to introduce you to this brand…. Hawaii’s first biodegradable swimsuit brand. Yes, you heard right! A swimsuit that biodegrades in the landfill to 0 when you discard it. That is truly zero waste. Thank you for introducing the world to this amazing fabric with such style and elegance! Actually there are less than a handful of brands using this incredible fabric in the USA today. We are so thrilled to be some of the first to experiment with this fabric. It is beyond soft and fairs really well in the water. I surfed in both of the suits and it felt great! We met Shelby (founder) through social media pretty recently and are so impressed with this hard working Mama’s repetoire. Hand dyed unique pieces, made right here on Maui… we look forward to watching this brand sky rocket into the world and hope to be collaborating with her for years to come. I have little more to say other than these pictures speak for themselves. Absolutley LOVE Indigo Wild and I am sure YOU will too!
This local brand has reef safe sun screen, that spreads really evenly on the skin and does not leave any white residue. I also absolutely love their lip balm, and biodegradable deodorant. Erin the founder has taken her brand to the next level, even some of her packaging is biodegradable. Definitely an inspiring local brand we should be supporting.
This young mother of three had an idea and made it a reality. Creating beautifully crafted bags. Their mission is to save as many kitesurfing fabrics as possible from ending up in landfills. The bags are super durable and water resistant. They are fun colours and are a really innovative way of up cycling kite sails. You can also donate your old kite to them! @sailbags_maui
For me personally comfort is key, and it is really nice to have a few items that just make you feel that little extra special when you wear them. With Ti and Coco you can be elegant or casual and enjoy these pieces for special occasions or as I am finding on a daily basis. From organic cotton, to linen to tencel there is something for every occasion. We are thrilled with this find, and I am thinking I may have to add their little black dress to my island wardrobe.
Ti & CoCo, comes from the Ti Leaf and the Coconut, two plants that are sacred in Polynesian culture. The Ti Leaf is a symbol of the companies mission to be green, while the Coconut signifies clean water, which is vital for an everlasting planet¨We are inspired to protect and preserve this beautiful, nourishing planet that we call home. Ti & CoCo is the manifestation of our mission and wish for sustainability, ethical, eco-friendly and conscious fashion – the way of the future!¨ – Ti and Coco
For simple, beautiful organic t-shirts, designed by artists and inspired by nature, this is the place for you! The fabrics are so very soft but have enough weight to really allow the t-shirt to drape off of your body. Ethically, sustainably made from every detail including eco friendly dyes.
Manakai has a beautiful little shop in Lahaina, on maui, as you step inside you instantly feel that you are taken on a journey, of passion, sustainability and beauty. Every bathing suit has the ability to make you feel just a little more special. The best of all is you can feel confident by purchasing this swimwear you are making a small difference towards a more sustainable future.
Manakai Swimwear’s Eco~Conscious Collection is made of sustainable fabric created from regenerated nylon. The designs are beautiful yet the pieces are functional, wether you want to just hang out at the beach or jump on a board and catch some waves, Manakai has the sustainable option for you. I have had my bikini for a few years, and with some love and care it still looks brand new!
I can only say it is exactly as the name describes it, blue bottle love. The bottle is absolutely gorgeous and imprints love onto every sip you drink from it. After extensive research my favourite water is taken from a natural spring, filtered through our Berkey system and then last but not least placed into our beautiful cobalt bottles! This makes the most delicious water you could ever drink.
Here at Blue Bottle love we have a Mission to spread the healing vibrations of Love, Peace, Harmony and Gratitude, and to weave a crystalline grid of Unity consciousness anchored in the wisdom, beauty and power of water! – Blue Bottle Love
We highly recommend the many beautiful hats of Mamanu, they are mostly reversible which we also really love….. We discovered them a little over a year ago and still Atlantis loves wearing his shirts and sun hats. The prints are dreamy and the fabric is sturdy yet soft to the touch. And everytime he wears them someone comments on how lovely he looks…
Hand made on Hawaii, with sustainable organic fabrics, Anna brings these beautiful creations to life.
Thank you for stopping by our blog and supporting these amazing sustainable brands of Hawaii!
I am so excited to have found these amazing sustainable shoe brands, I hope you like our selection and we always look forward to hearing from you. So please share your finds and suggestions.
“Because we know that sixty to seventy percent of the environmental footprint of a pair of shoes is a result of the product’s materials, we’ve made eco construction the central pillar of our shoe development” – Soala
Saola is privy to the extent the shoe industry has been polluting our planet and are doing everything they can to #makeanimpact to change this. We got the sequoia in misty blue and are absolutely in love with them. However I must say there are so many beautiful styles and colours to choose from. It is so important to not have to compromise style when supporting and buying sustainable shoe brands and that is exactly the case with Saola, comfort, style and sustainability all in one.
Thank you and we look forward to owning more Soala shoes as the years go by. So take a step into a more ethical footprint and feel good about your next pair of shoes!
This shoe comes in at number one for us….. not only is it stylish, vegan and just simply beautifully crafted. Not a day goes by that I do not get stopped on the street when I wear them. The shoe fits your feet like a glove, especially after wearing them in for a few days….. it is super comfortable and most importantly, eco conscious. From vegan leather to recycled fishing nets, this shoe exceeds every expectation from a vegan friendly shoe.
Every detail is hand made and sourced locally in Tuscany
Hand crafted in Tuscany, Italy. With every detail sourced locally even using natural dyes, making each and every pair unique. Wether it is out and about with a pair of summer shorts or a fancy dress these shoes make their mark wherever they go…..and we are beyond ecstatic to have found them!!!!!
“Love for the planet is in the heart of Verdura as well as love for beauty and for the aesthetics” -Verdura
Every girl needs a good pair of high heels in her closet, so why not make it a vegan pair. This high heel is an all time classic style and by far one of my favourites, I absolutely love the peek a boo toe. This is a classic, timeless design that can always be worn. Dress them down with a pair of jeans, wear them on a red carpet or to a wedding. The shoe fits for every special occasion.
Their sustainable and leather-free footwear is all ethically and beautifully handmade in Spain. They have a beautiful selection of vegan shoes
Quoting Beyond Skin and a very interesting fact we did not know: ¨On average, one cow hide will provide 18 pairs of leather shoes and each pair of shoes is accountable for the use of over 1.4 million litres of water! This figure includes the water used to rear and slaughter the cow, and to process the hide in to leather. Put simply, each time you purchase a new pair of leather shoes you are responsible for using as much water as having a bath everyday for over 40 years! In terms of disposal you’d think that leather products would be biodegradable, but the tanning agent renders it non biodegradable.¨
To me this is enough reason to look for a more sustainable option!
For a classic comfortable sneaker for men and women we have landed on these super comfy shoes. ¨Simple innovation in the form of an organic cotton canvas sneaker. A timeless style that will become a wardrobe staple. The textile lined memory foam insoles support and cushion your every step for maximum comfort.
Even the skateboard is made from recycled fishing nets (carver)
There are no harmful dyes used and the materials are held together with eco-friendly water based glues. The flat cotton laces are made from 100% recycled cotton; and yes, it is a vegan shoe. A classic organic cotton canvas sneaker that goes well with whatever music is playing.¨ Now how would you chose any other sneaker over this one….¨memory sole insoles are absolutely something worth a try!
These may be the most comfortable flip flops we have ever owned, Iñaki loves them just as much as I do! Inspired by tires and mad e from recycled rubber these flip flops have their own unique look and are truly a great price. We hope to own many more of them, and there are so many wonderful colours to choose from, we have yet to try the cork flip flops but do not doubt that they will probably be amazing too.
The Outback Slipper is made using 8 recycled plastic bottles, how amazing is that. For more info read up on it on their website. There is nothing greater than a good surf session and then slipping into a nice warm slipper, no matter what part of the world you happen to be in.
After a good surf session at hookipa, Hawaii
So all in all we have introduced you to our favourite eco conscious shoe brands for every and any occassion and look forward to hearing from you to discover more brands you would love to share with us!
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. We promote products we have tried ourselves and truly believe in. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, helps us pay our growing core team, allows us to keep the content free for readers and keeps us on our mission to inspire conscious consumerism.
If you stop and think about the fact that you spend almost a whole third of your life in Bed ….Do you not deserve to be lying in what is the best bed and bedding ever?
We believe it is essential to sleep with comfortable and healthy, organic bedding and our always on the lookout for brands that are aligned with nature! Lana Care has introduced us to a fibre we knew nothing about. Kapok (Ceiba) fabric, it is super cozy and it’s function is very innovative. Kapok fiber is harvested from the fluffy fiber surrounding the seeds of the tropical kapok tree. One of the things I personally like is that the Ceiba plant is like horses hair, hollow on the inside, which makes it breathable. It wicks moisture away throughout the night. Which is incredibly important as we all sweat at night. It is also referred to as the lightest fibre in the world. It is extra fluffy and comfy.
We are thrilled with Kapok (Ceiba) through and want to thank our friends over at Lana Care for sending us the lovely duvet…. It feels like silk!
“Sleep is the best meditation” – Dalai Lama
We encourage you, if you cannot currently buy a new organic mattress atleast invest in an organic topper and enjoy some extra special cozy bedding for an extra special nights rest, every night! Good night!
Years ago…I met someone that changed my life… he worked with Marma Therapy and an accupressure mat, I had just had a horrible accident and was having difficulty healing my torn hamstring. I was explained that I needed to get the blood flowing in that area….and voila.. I was introduced to my first acupressure mat. I used it to put pressure on the area and get the circulation moving. I then discovered how wonderful I felt by simply walking on it every morning for a few minutes. I remember distinctly breaking out in a a sweat the first time I walked for about three minutes…I felt activated and alive my injury healed very soon after.
Years later on my trip to Maui, we had rented a house from a friend of ours, she had the Spoonk mat, I remembered my old mat that I eventually lost on my travels. When looking into the company I found that this was the new and improved version….made from hemp and ABS plastic….
this was right up my alley. I had to contact with the company right away. Well what can I say…we hit it off!!! Not only do they have mat in all sizes….they also carry A magnetic roller that just feels amazing when you roll it down your back! Use it before yoga or before throwing on a pair of heels!
I have recently started using it also for better sleep by lying on it before going to bed...which is imperative at this point of my life...being a new mother and all. What I most love is what I mentioned earlier...to lightly tread on the Mat first thing in the morning. I can feel it activating every part of me. When you first start out you may want to wear light socks.
Update: I have been using the mat for over a year now, and honestly I love it so much, even if I feel a headache coming on, I roll it up and place it under my neck, and the headache just goes away! I truly recommend this product!
Use acupressure mat with socks when starting out
Acupressure Mat Travel Size
Get yours here SPOONKSPACE and use code ECOCOUPLE for a discount …….. and they ship WORLDWIDE!
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, helps us pay our growing core team and allows us to keep the content free for readers and keeps us on our mission to inspire conscious consumerism.
