Holiday shopping can be challenging for an ex-pat in the Middle East, but need it also be horrifying? In Jordan, import duties bloat retail prices. Clay pots and intricate mosaics are too unwieldy to mail, and puppies gestate in less time than it takes for a package to ship back to the States. With […]
There are more Christians in Egypt than Jews in Israel. And few westerners might realize that there are Christian Arabs living in the Holy Land of Israel – some since the early beginnings of Christianity. There are Christians in Lebanon, in Syria, and until most of them were chased out, they were in Iraq too. […]
MADEO does the leg work for you when it comes to tracking down cool gifts for your eco-trendy friends. You know the scenario: it’s your cool eco-friendly pal’s housewarming/birthday/holiday party/fill-in-the-blank party and you are short one fabulous/original/aesthetic/environmentally-considerate gift. You want something creative yet functional, like a cool hanging wine glass rack or a funky bread […]
Paula Leven is an avid spinner, in the archaic use of the term. Etsy, the popular handmade craft shopping site, touts itself as being green for a few reasons: all the items on the site are either handmade or vintage, and there is a feature to help shoppers buy local. And yes, these are green […]
Apparently if you put your mind to it, you can recycle any kind of material. This Green Prophet had never heard of recycling silver, but thankfully it is not a foreign concept to jewelry designers who use it everyday and who don’t want to let any resource go to waste. Like Lily (or Lilyja) who […]
You’ve selected your gift (which is hopefully local, handmade, and made out of sustainable materials), you’ve written a card (hopefully on recycled paper), but the presentation still needs that extra touch? KAPARA (also known as Viktoria Slutsky), runs a cute little shop on Etsy that specializes in upcycled paper gift tags. When you are making […]
Giftec, an industry show featuring various types of gifts and housewares that achieved great success in Tel Aviv this past February, is having another show starting today (August 10) and running through Wednesday (August 12). The items in the show will include textiles, dishes, kitchenware, art, souveneirs, Judaica, and more. This time, however, Giftec will […]
Each week Orthodox Jews read one segment of the Five Books of Moses so that they can complete the entire Five Books within the course of a year. In last week’s Eco-Rabbi post I discussed how to create room for God to live within us. This week I discuss giving thanks to God for the energy […]
When shopping for gifts for people that we care about, we usually want the gifts to convey a variety of things – affection, devotion, a desire to make the other person happy, and also a demonstration that we care about the other person’s wellbeing. Giving a gift that is more environmentally friendly is one way […]
Okay boys, let’s go over our Valentine’s Day list. Organic homemade candy – check. Potted flower plant – check. Local handmade jewelry – ? Don’t tell us you’re still scrambling? The overly commercialized holiday of love is just around the corner! Don’t worry, though. We’ve got a jewelry tip that’s just right for your green, […]
What you don't need when you decide to breastfeed your baby.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the overly commercialized holiday of love, Valentine’s Day, we think everyone would agree that when giving your special someone a loving gift you want it to be something that doesn’t cause potential harm to them. Candy and flowers are the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, so why not show […]
With the gift holidays officially open now is the time to reconsider gift giving, especially now with the current economic crisis! First, do you really need to spend so much on gifts? Be thoughtful, instead of spendful! It will make you feel so much more appreciated than stressing over credit-card bills for months. Can you […]
What could be a more thoughtful gift than a gift that’s organic? Giving someone an organic gift shows not only that you care about their personal health and well-being, but that you care about the future of their environment and world. Overall, an organic gift is a gift of love. Unfortunately, unique organic gifts aren’t […]