So after a few months off the site the good news from The Travelling Souk is that we have now got one of the best selling items of 2011 back on the site. Colourful Living who are a new seller are now selling the set of 6 multicoloured teaspoons. They are a fantastic gift to give and at £23 do not break the bank.
So your friend has had a baby, or your sister, daughter, cousin, goddaughter etc… what do you buy? well having had 2 babies myself I know that the first baby got a lot more gifts then the second. I also didn’t need as much for the second one as she had a lot of hand me downs. So I have selected 4 presents that we think are the perfect gift for a newborn baby.
Cashmere baby blanket £130 by Ocabini – this really is a very special present with the gorgeous soft cashmere this will be super soft next to your newborns skin.
These little booties are simply divine. Stay in trend and have your little one wearing what mummy might be. These Baby Snugs by Absolute Snugs £40 and come in a variety of colours.
This baby gift box is my absolute fave! It has a lovely selection of goodies in and this “Peek a boo” gift box by Jellybox is one of several that they offer. £35 – however they range in price tags for the small box to the more modest ones.
Every time I think about buying something for my kitchen I always wish that someone had brought it for me. I am not a great cook but I like things to look good in my kitchen. I have set out a list of must have items for any dinner party, funky kitchen or a gift for a real foodie. We have a new stallholder called Colourful Living and all of these items are from their new products.
For those who like getting to a party and nibble at the crisps then you will love this small stainless steel bowl by Colourful Living £20. When you are at a party where you don’t know anyone the crisps can sometimes become your new best friend! at least with this fab bowl you have something lovely to look at!
Do you enjoy a good curry? of course you do! we all do. This beautiful condiment set is a fantastic gift to any curry lover. It is stylish and practical and comes in at £43 by Colourful Living
The next two items would make an excellent gift for foodies but also for anyone getting married. Super presents for the newly wed couple. The shallow bowl is £69 and the Heart salad servers are £43 by Colourful Living
We love all of these products and would love someone to buy them for us!
It seems that everyone in the UK has gone mad for Jubilee, and why not, it is not every day that the queen celebrates her Diamond jubilee. Here at The Travelling Souk we have picked out our best selling gifts for Jubilee and Olympics; all things British!
We have a range of fantastic British Prints and framed pictures which have British quotes, British sayings and British “isms”
Below are our three favourite British prints from a new stallholder Love Being British.These pictures are a great gift and start from £11.95
If you are looking for a wash bag to go away on holiday and want to retain the “british-ness” this is a really fun and funky drawstring bag. I used it recently for my toothpaste, hair clips, toothbrush and hair brush whilst going away for a long weekend. It was a perfect size and fitted nicely into my suitcase. This bag is from Cowslip designs and costs £12.00
For all those mothers and fathers with little babies we think these booties are so sweet and an ideal way to get your little one in the jubilee mood! £18.75 by Jellybox
Wishing everyone a fantastic long weekend and enjoy!
Although summer seems a long way off, all this rain has meant that the garden has fully grown! There are many of us who are keen gardeners and it is always a lovely thing to get a good gift for the garden.
This Garden Pail By The Carrier Company is really handy to store gloves, forks, and all your bits and bobs in a thick canvas bag £25
The size of your garden does not matter, if you have a smaller garden then this handy plant stand is ideal for making your back garden, patio, drive way look really magnificent.
This Plant stand is £49 by Idyll Home
These Rustic Wooden Lanterns add a huge amount of ambiance to a garden for night time. £22 by Idyll Home
We love this pretty birdhouse which really are a fantastic way to get the birds feeding in your garden. Bird Houses come in various sizes but this can be hung up in a tree or on the wall. £18 by Decocube
The easiest ones to gift are babies. This is simply because there are a wide range of cute items to buy for infants and just borns. Shops that exclusively cater to the needs of expectant mothers and infants are being established in every locale. While attending a baby shower or visiting a newly born, it is customary to take a gift. This should not take a long time as many options are now available, thanks to the growing industry of baby products.
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The best could be baby blankets, which can be made of extremely soft material like cashmere which can be very comfy for the baby. A baby health and grooming kit is now available in the market, which is basically a health kit that has all components like brushes, baby oils, medicines etc in one basket. It could be a handy box which looks very pretty too. Babies dislike baths and hence to make the cold, uncomfortable ordeal easier for them, baby bath robes can be used. An ideal gift, it keeps the baby warm during the unpleasant bath times. A thoughtful present would be a mother and baby box that can be used to pamper both mother and the baby. Baby monitors are also very useful for parents to keep an eye on their child.
Men, not very much unlike women are being tremendously attracted to the beauty products and cosmetic industry. The metro sexual man is now proudly visiting beauty parlors and buying creams and moisturizers. Good grooming is definitely necessary for men, to help induce a sense of well being. Moisturizers are used for soft and clear skin. Fine lines and wrinkles that cause worry to many people can now be easily tackled with, as good results stem from how much money a man spends on any product. Exfoliates are also in much demand, as even men prefer graceful aging.
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Shaving creams not only aid the shaving process, but also help in keeping the skin smooth and soft. It is wise to find a cream that compliments the skin type. When it comes to shampoo, a good hairstylist’s advice can assist in buying a great product. Other important cosmetics are the deodorants and colognes. A man’s scent is appealing to a woman. So a natural scent if not organic should be preferred for healthy and pleasant scent.
Everybody takes a great deal of time choosing gifts for special occasions. A lot of effort goes into selecting a good present that is well appreciated and remembered. Simple suggestions help in buying great things! Party gifts are the best of all, since for some gatherings like house warming functions include a lot of people, so something that entertains them all, like a bubble making machine or simple musical instrument is an ideal gift. Plants are practicable gifts too. Everybody loves to have plants in their homes so, these are accepted heartily. Care should be taken to choose low maintenance plants so that they do not leave a mess around.
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Light catchers like crystals and glass beads are attractive décor items. They can be made into delicate hangings and light catchers that embellish the interiors. They are both beautiful and memorable. Towels are also appropriate option as gifts. A good set of towels made from exotic and natural fabrics are a real treat. One can choose from a variety of them, decorated adorably. Food is a swell idea of a perfect present. Gift baskets and bottles of wine or champagne are enjoyable. Jams, maple syrups, accessories like jugs and coffee bags are great indulgences too!
Entertaining guests during summer months may not be the easiest task, but can be made more delightful than it seems. Guests who call on a Sunday noon can be treated to a barbeque and a beautiful table space. Good decoration on walls and floors, colorful glasses and elegant cutlery, matching mats, natural flowers etc can be visually pleasing and can put the guests at ease. Heavenly wine and gourmet dishes never go unappreciated. Outdoor games do add fun to the occasion especially if there are children around.
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Choosing gifts and home décor may not be very bothersome, if good shops and retail stores are known. Presents for important ceremonies like weddings and baby showers can be bought from Fair Trade shops. These fair trade goods help artisans all over the world. The profits from the sales of these goods help the victims of the Haitian earthquake. These gifts are beautiful and eco-friendly, apart from being for a good cause. The organizations that sell them have hundreds of retail stores that house both traditional and fashionable presents. Eco friendly living starts at home, from one’s kitchen itself. Using green products and buying them for others goes a long way in turning our planet green.
Gifts are the most cherished possessions in everybody’s lives. Making a gift valuable as well as memorable lays in both its worth and its appearance. Flowers are the least expensive, yet most appreciated gifts of all times. Fair Flower Fair Plants is a certification given to good flowers that were cultivated rightfully. It is approved for maintaining ethical environments and good social standards. A checklist is also presented to judge the farmers, distributors and their practices. In spite of all these measures taken, corruption still prevails in this industry. Exploitation occurs within the blink of an eye, and without the notice of many ignorant customers. However, this certification has improved the production of flowers in many regions. Profits have risen at the rate of speed of lightning and the farmers are delighted. This has made it even more popular and preferred by the customers.
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Trolley dolly is a hand bag that is eco-friendly and reusable. It comes with shopping bags and ten fruits and vegetables bags that are brightly colored and attractive. They are a real pleasure while shopping, as the color coding helps one differentiates the cold foods and the fruits and veggies. They are treated as accessories and are good to the environment too.
Holidaying is never complete without spending an evening shopping for souvenirs to take home and to friends. This is when many people face a dilemma on what to pick out. If preferences are listed, the selection becomes simpler. For example, Weight is an important consideration before buying the souvenir. If it is too heavy then it only adds to the weight of the luggage. Simpler trinkets like key chains, scarves etc could be easier to carry. Durability is another essential quality. Delicate objects made of glass or china may not last throughout the journey. To keep them undamaged, they must be properly wrapped up and asked to be sent directly to one’s home.
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Practicality is a significant feature too, so useless gifts that cost a king’s ransom should be avoided. They may initially look attractive but may get boring after a while! The value of a souvenir should not be too high as it must not attract thieves during the tour. Local crafts may be bought instead of expensive keepsakes. Freebies are great souvenirs! Postcards have not lost their charm yet; they are wonderful ways to remember travels.
Peter’s Story:
We were half way through a long and boring car journey when I suddenly thought of an idea to stir up some excitement in the car. So I got onto my blackberry phone to get the number of radio Somerset. I finally found it & texted them saying, “Hi, my name is Peter, please could you wish a happy birthday to my mum Georgie as I think she isn’t having a great birthday driving to Cornwall…it would be great if you could cheer her up.”
So a couple minutes later, the radio presenter announces a happy birthday to Georgie on her way to Cornwall. My mum then suddenly said, “well that sounds familiar!” I then told her what I had sent to the radio and she burst out laughing.
But why stop now?! I then took the opportunity to say something embarrassing about my little brother and his friend Sam. So I texted in saying that my ‘older’ brother William was getting married the next day to Sam and so yet again, a couple of minutes later Graham, the presenter of radio Somerset, told all of the listeners how William and Sam were getting married the next day.
After that, a very surprising phone came through to me. Before I knew it I was speaking to a researcher on radio Somerset asking me to speak live on the radio about my brother’s wedding! I have to say I declined the offer because I thought that I might have got a bit mixed up making up a wedding story about a fictional wedding.
Mum’s story:
Ok, I admit we are a little strange and disorganised. That’s ‘we’ singular. The Pike part of The Travelling Souk as opposed to the corporate royal ‘we’. Dragging a large, borrowed rib behind the motor, the driving sensation being like pulling a fish, a Pike, desperately fighting for life out of the water, we hit typical Saturday Cornwall changeover day traffic. For a couple of hours we took the scenic route with only half a satnav amongst us. Smiling, we meandered through the pretty Somerset villages taking double the time it would have taken on the main drag.I drove in silence; my cargo’s ears being clamped to various headphones.
Radio Somerset plays nice music interspersed with amateur gregariousness. Suddenly my ears pricked up to hear “and Peter would like to wish his Mum, Georgie a Happy Birthday, stuck in heavy traffic on their way to Cornwall”. It was a strange coincidence; right names, wrong Birthday. Some more easy listening followed. Then again I heard “and that one was for Georgie on her Birthday”. Then a sudden noise as the person behind me came to life ‘Oh my God, they played my request’.
Did anyone else tune in to Radio Somerset on 14th August? Did anyone else contact the radio station with a request?Ever since that adventurous day of contrasts, of traffic boredom and radio excitement, we have been wondering. Our car went request crazy and there seemed to be no competition. Every request was broadcast by our enthusiastic DJ. One of the better ones was “and it’s congratulations to Liam (our son aged 11) and Sam (Liam’s school friend guest) heading towards Cornwall for their wedding tomorrow. Right now they’re stuck in traffic on the M5 but we’re looking into the weather report for you and gonna tell ya what to expect on your happy day tomorrow in Cornwall. Well, Liam& Sam we’re pleased to tell you it’s gonna be great, 22 degrees and sunshine. We wish you all the best….”. Yes, Liam and Sam had a full two minutes and their favourite track ‘Get Back’ by The Beatles. We had a full ten minutes of uncontrolled laughter.
So, to Liam and Sam, we suggest this beautiful Silver Plated butter dish and butter knife set for a decorative and useful wedding gift – 
The gift of flowers is a wonderful, emotional, sentimental way and to touch someone’s heart — but your sentiments can go even deeper when you choose cut flowers and potted plants that have the FFP (Fair Flowers Fair Plants) certification showing they have been monitored and approved for maintaining ethical environmental and social standards. This organisation provides a step-by-step checklist that rates the growers, cultivators and distributors according to their fair trade policies and sustainable practices.
Unfortunately, this kind of organisation is necessary to prevent exploitation that has become rampant in the flower industry over the past 20 years. Competition among poor countries to attract rich customers has allowed this business to become riddled with corruption and unethical procedures, especially major corporations like Dole who exploit Columbian women workers while producing enormous revenues on cut flowers grown in giant green houses full of harmful pesticides. In parts of Malaysia, flower production has increased tenfold and lead to a multi-tiered marketing system that funnels the profits away from the local economy.
FFP was introduced in 2005 and currently supplies 10 countries (Sweden, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, France, Norway, England, Belgium and the Netherlands) creating over 4500 participant outlets worldwide, with a number of shops and websites offering FFP products increasing daily.
The large market created by FFP allows producers to keep the prices low, so fairly produced flowers do not cost more than factory produced equivalents. Test markets have shown that consumers prefer purchasing FFP certified flowers and plants, especially since there’s no major price difference.
Floral businesses who register to become affiliated with the FFP certification network are listed on their database and promoted by the organisation’s outreach campaigns. The FFP web site provides a search engine where you can specify the type of flower or plant you’re looking for and choose the most convenient store or website from which to order them.
So the next time you decide to “say it with flowers” remember that to make your gift to mean even more in the grand scheme of things, chose retailers who offer Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) to their customers and help get the bugs out of the floral business.
My Shopping Experience
Today, I received my Trolley Dolly!
For those of you who are not in the know, the Trolley Dolly is a handbag which ticks all the boxes in the world of the eco conscious! It does not only fulfil the function of a handbag , but it magically turns itself into 20 reusable eco friendly shopping bags & 10 fruit and vegetable bags , all colour coded in lovely bright colours!
So excited was I about my new purchase, that I decided to take my 15 year old son on a shopping experience. I popped my list into the clear plastic window, placed my rather large wallet in the special zipped pocket, along with my glasses and my phone and I was ready. Now normally, H is always very eager to push the trolley, not today as I velcroed my bright pink spotty handbag on the handle of the shopping trolley, clear plastic side up so that I could see my list.
‘Mum, you are sooo embarrassing, he retorted as he made a quick getaway down the aisle in a state of mortification.
‘I will see you at the checkout!’ I said, rather put out that he seemed unimpressed by the ingenuity of my friendly shopping device.
One hour later, at the checkout I smugly informed the assistant that I didn’t need any of her poisonous plastic carrier bags that she was kindly putting out for me, having looked at my bulging shopping trolley . H who had by now got over his initial embarrassment looked slightly puzzled .The cashier looked at me in wonderment, “are you sure?” she said looking at my tiny handbag , “you are not going to fit much in that thing!”
“Oh yes I will” I replied, now high on my Eco trip, pulling out my multitude of multicoloured hard wearing friendly shopping bags. ‘Now H, don’t forget to pack in a logical manner, blue for cold foods, green for fruit and veg etc.. .’ I looked up to make sure he was doing it right…but he was nowhere to be seen!
H’s Shopping Experience
I watched as my mum velcro strapped some sort of horrifically coloured shopping aide onto the trolley that she then expected me to push. I made a quick dart into the shop and went and hid amongst the aisles in a desperate bid not to be associated with her or her dreadful shopping accessories.
Having successfully succeeded in evading my mother and her ‘Trolley Dolly’ (yes that is its actual name) for the most part of the shop i decided that the check out couldn’t be too bad. That was until she open the Trolley Dolly and preceded to pull out an array of multicoloured bags, I mean even the girl at the checkout looked shocked. I am never going shopping with my mum again, with or without that awful bag.
Going off for a vacation spurs that inevitable urge to buy interesting souvenirs to bring home that will remind you of the wonderful time that you are having now once you return to your “everyday” life. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to become fascinated with trinkets while we are on vacation that turn out to be not so interesting when we get home.
Here are a few basic rules to keep in mind as you wander through the many offerings displayed for tourists who want to capture a little bit of the enchantment of the journey…
Weight
Before you fall in love with that beautiful ram’s head fossil or authentic Civil War cannonball, consider that they will definitely weigh down your luggage and wear down your fascination with them in no time. Ideally, you’ll want to focus on “lightweight” souvenirs that don’t turn into a drag. Keep your eye out for the little things that say a lot — like key chains, patches, scarves and such.
Durability
It is oh so tempting to want to bring home those beautiful, delicate items like crystal goblets and fine bone china that you know would look spectacular in your collection, but you need to let your good sense prevail and think hard before you decide you just have to have it. It’s pretty disappointing to unwrap your precious purchase just to find that it has been damaged — or shattered — during transit. If you simply must have something that is fragile, it is probably best to ask the store to ship it directly to your home since they will — most likely — have experience in packaging it correctly and it won’t have to bump around in your luggage, which we all know gets handled pretty roughly when you’re not looking.
Practicality
The freedom of being on holiday sometimes sends us to that “happy place” that releases our silly side — which is why we all love a vacation – but sometimes we get home and have a real “What was I thinking?” moment. Just because a plastic bobblehead doll of Ronald Reagan makes you laugh after a couple of margaritas under the palm trees, chances are you’re not going to find it so amusing — and potentially embarrassing — in just a few short weeks and it will probably wind up in the trash the very first time you move or have a good spring cleaning. Instead, keep a cool head, leave it on the shelf and opt for something practical that will remind you on a regular basis of the great time you had — like cooking mitts, hand towels, serving spoons or candlesticks.
Value
You have to face the fact that when you’re traveling, your luggage, purses and pockets — and sometimes even accommodations — can be the target of thieves who prey on dazzled, carefree tourists. Therefore, purchasing something of great value that will have to travel along with you is often a recipe for disaster. Local craft jewelry featuring semi-precious stones and ores native to the region usually are relatively inexpensive and can become true treasures. Besides, they give you a chance to reminisce about your journey every time you wear them and someone asks, “Oh, that’s a interesting piece, wherever it did you get it?”
Freebies
Keep in mind that not every souvenir that becomes a treasured favorite comes out of the store. Many freebies can hold great sentimental value, especially if you collect them as you go along. Giveaway items like luggage stickers, matchbooks, coasters and ticket stubs –well they aren’t actually free but you know what I mean – can be stashed away each night in little zip lock bags that poses no strain on your luggage. Also, most hotels have those fun little toiletry items that come in handy after you get home and run out of shampoo on some dark rainy night, and will bring a smile to your face when you remember you have them. Keep an eye out for items that you can put into your scrapbook as well, like flyers for local bands, coming events and civic celebrations that will remind you of that time in your history for years to come.
Postcards
And last, but certainly not least, we come to the age-old favorite souvenir, the humble postcard. Postcards are, of course, a wonderful way to let people back home know you are having a great time. It’s always a good idea to grab a couple of extras to take home with you — or even better — write yourself a quick note about the wonderful time you’re having, put a local stamp on it and send it to yourself so you can reminisce once you are finally home and collect your mail.
Moving into a new home is exciting –even if it is not brand new — and it is wonderful to celebrate a friend’s new home with a housewarming party.
Selecting a perfect gift can, of course, be a bit tricky if you have not visited yet. But here are 5 items that are always appropriate for a housewarming party, and will bring your friends pleasant memories for years to come.
1. Party Gifts – One of the best ways to warm up a house is with a lively crowd, so consider bringing a really fun gift that affects everyone and will make them want to come back for another visit real soon. A bubble-making device can add a festive mood to any gathering and a lovely, easy-to-play native musical instrument like a ukulele or didgeridoo always livens up the party and can be pulled out at future celebrations.
2. Plants
A beautiful young plant is always a welcome addition to a new home. Make sure you select a healhty one that is in a pot that gives it room to grow and has a built-in drip tray. It is also wise to pick a low -maintenance variety like a corn plant or a decorative cactus arrangement, and avoid flowering plants that could leave a mess behind on a regular basis.
3. Light Catchers
Prisms, cut-crystals and glass beads crafted into delicate hanging light catchers add a sense of beauty to any room regardless of the decor. Single crystal teardrops on a nylon string can be hung in the window and remind your friends of your gift every time the sunlight pours through and breaks into rainbows.
4. Towels
As a general rule of thumb, no house can have too many towels, so a gift of towels is always considered appropriate. The fun part is picking out the color, fabric, and utility of the towels you present, and they can even make political statement if they are made from an exotic, natural, fair trade material or decorated with cultural icons.
5. Food
Everybody loves food, especially delicious gourmet goodies that can be tucked away for special evenings and epic events. Gift baskets with a selection of cheeses, meats and crackers along with a good bottle of wine can be a real blessing in a new home that may be still building up their delicacy inventory. Breakfast baskets that include specialty jams, maple syrup jugs and bags of imported coffee are delicious gifts that will make your friends mornings in their new home all the more enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »
After lenghty amounts of deliberation we have come to the conclusion that living longer, healthier, enriched lives is not only advantageous to an individual but it also rather fashionable, why else would organic materials be more in demand than ever before? Why would people be living longer? Why would huge corporations like Cadburys be forced to become Fairtrade?
It is no doubt because people feel that living is cool and there is little evidence that you can impress people with your chic attire in any sort of afterlife that there may or may not be. Perhaps it is also because giving small commercial farmers the proper price for their crop is in vogue and finally it is because natural ecological beauty is much more desirable.
With this in mind we at The Travelling Souk have endeavoured to find inventive stallholders who enable the living world to continue feeling fundamentally morally sound in the way they dress. Solmate Socks uses recycled cotton for all their beautifully mismatched socks, while JosyFlo ‘s range of Fair Trade accredited belts with secret pockets for money, keys and condoms provide sustainable fair employment for their producers in Bhopal, India.
By encouraging these burgeoning, ecologically sound businesses we can then claim to be fashionable and life enhancing; with hindsight we might also have increased the life expectancy of organic dressers. Only time will tell.
By registering online with the fair trade organisation Ten Thousand Villages for weddings, baby showers and housewarming parties, you can encourage the purchase of fairtrade goods and help support artisans all over the world.
For example, over the past six months, Ten Thousand Villages has focused on increasing the number of Haitian artists they represent to help in the rebuilding efforts after the devastating earthquake their country experienced.
Founded by Edna Ruth Byler after seeing first-hand the poverty in Puerto Rico 60 years ago, she became dedicated to finding ways to help these individuals build a marketplace for their beautiful crafts where they can be offered to the world.
Byler worked nonstop to create mutually beneficial relationships between artists and commercial distributors and created a worldwide organisation that gains more customers and attracts new artists every year. In 2009, Ten Thousand Hands was selected by Forbes magazine as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies.”
The gift registry shopping cart is easy-to-use and features categories such as best sellers, gifts under $25.00, green gifts and gifts for kids. There are also collections that feature items from select countries, traditions and heritages.
Each item on the gift registry website comes with a complete explanation of the product, photos, measurements, a bit about the artist and their country of origin. Customer reviews are encouraged to help shoppers make informed decisions. Gift wrapping is also available for many items, making it an ideal way to order gifts for events you unable to attend.
Ten Thousand Villages also has over 350 Retail Stores and 280 festivals in North America each year. Their organisation also provides fair trade merchandise to over 300 specialty shops to help establish long-term relationships between indigenous artist and distributors. Ten Thousand Villages even pairs up designers and buyers in collaborative efforts to build on their traditional skills by suggesting colours and fashionable trends.
Wish you could travel to exotic places and meet interesting people, but besides the expense of accommodations, you are not sure how to connect with local people who share your interest and would be willing to show you around?
Well, Casey Fenton was confronted with this dilemma in 1999 when he found cheap airline tickets from Boston to Iceland, but didn’t have the resources for a hotel and didn’t relish the idea of being a stranger in a strange country. So he used the power of the internet to email 1,500 students at the University of Iceland asking if anyone would “host” him for his stay.
He received over 50 replies, and after a very successful experience he began to consider if this kind of hospitality could be encouraged, and in 2004 he launched a website called Couchsurfing.
He was not disappointed, he soon discovered that many people were willing to allow a perfect stranger to sleep on their couch — for free — in exchange for the fun of meeting someone new and sharing their knowledge of the region with an enthusiastic traveler. Although it started out slow — only 6000 members had signed up the first year — the momentum built up steadily, and by 2010 over 2 million people from 237 countries had signed up.
Map of Couchsurfing locatoins
Now the most visited hospitality site on the internet, Couchsurfing.com attracts up to 40 million people a day. Set up as a non-profit entity based in New Zealand, registration for both hosts and guests is free. Both hosts and travelers must complete an extensive profile and verify their identity.
Couchsurfing hosts can specify what kind of facilities they have available – ranging from a couch, spare bedroom, cottage or treehouse — and indicate how long a guest can stay and how many travelers they can accommodate. If they don’t have accommodations, they can just make themselves available for “coffee or a drink” to get acquainted.
The detailed profiles help both traveler and host learn about each other’s personality, habits and lifestyles to determine if they seem like a good match. Reviews and testimonies attached to each profile add perspective by indicating the impressions of others.
You never know who you will meet when you sign up to become a member of the couchsurfing community, but chances are you will find new friends you would never have found any other way. Couchsurfers have shown over the past 5 years that despite the woes of the world, people are still bascially open and friendly and truly enjoy sharing their hospitality. The growing number of success stories seems to validate their motto claiming that couchsurfers are ”creating a better world – one couch at a time.”
The humble cork tree is often overlooked as one of the greatest sources of sustainable materials that nature has produced for our benefit.
To understand the true diversity of cork, you have only to think of the classic example of the old-fashioned cork bulletin board. Despite all the advances in efficiency, the old bulletin board has retained its usefullness without much need for improvement.
Cork is one of those inexpensive yet handy items that works great at the office, school or home. It can stand up to some pretty rough treatment because of its “self-healing” qualities and can be used in its natural state for absorbency or coated with a lacquer to make it waterproof.
Sustainability and Fair Trade
First off, cork trees are not harmed because just the bark is harvested. Stripping the cork covering from a tree is a technique passed down through families that requires a subtle set of skills. These time honored methods prevent the delicate protective membrane of the cork from damage so it will produce a new harvest. It takes a cork tree 8 to 9 years to rebuild its bark, so coordinated the planting is crucial.
Since these conditions cannot be replicated by factory farms, the small independent cork producing families are allowed to continue providing this natural material without competition so the price remains reasonable.
Another unique and ecological aspect of the cork tree is the cellular construction that enables them to actually retain carbon dioxide, which is a target of global warming campaigns. Therefore, encouraging sustainable, renewable cork production protects the environment from harmful CO2 while providing generations of cork farmers with respectable, meaningful occupations.
Flooring
Cork makes a surprisingly durable flooring material that muffles sounds, so it is ideal for high-rise offices as well as apartment and condo dwellers.
Floor tiles made of recycled wine corks are the ultimate in sustainable flooring and are soft on the feet yet strong enough to stand up to high heels and pet claws.
Wall Coverings
Covering the walls of a nursery with beautiful stained cork wallpaper can not only create a sound barrier for baby’s room, but will hold up in the years to come to the many bumps and scrapes that are inevitable as babies grow into toddlers.
Cork is also ideal for office walls and can be applied to ugly file cabinet sides to turn a blank metal void into a useful note-board.
Accessories
South American export companies are offering high-fashion items made with cork, such as soft handbags and sandals that resemble supple leather.
An amazing a range of accessories made primarily with cork includes coin purses, cell phone holders, cosmetics bags and pouches for sunglasses.
For the green businessman, there are cork briefcases with matching pens and notebook covers.
During a British heatwave informal entertaining at home is a ‘piece of cake’. All one needs is a mini crowd, a barbeque and table space! The new cookbook of preference is Yotam Ottolenghi with his delicious Arabian-Mediterranean salad and sauce recipes. The speedy new table decor to die for is colourful and a tribute to frugal living. Mix and match crockery, colourful glasses and mats. We found the perfect Fair Trade colourful grass mats by Gone Rural to match all natural Summer hues ranging from the brightest rose red to dry grass. Lay the mats on a white tablecloth in no particular order and the colourful spell is cast. Don’t buy expensive flowers – pick from the hedgerows and make use of natural poppies, daisies and cow parsley.
Offer wine and beer and plenty of soft drinks. Lots of tap water is essential. Trust the men with the BBQ! Prepare your part in advance and give yourself time to relax and chat. Complement the colourful mats with fresh Summer fruits; strawberries, raspberries and cherries make a lovely mix especially if picked fresh from the garden or orchard.
Try not to be ageist with your guest list; don’t limit your kids to their exact contemporaries. Outdoor games will keep all occupied for many sunny afternoon hours. We like boules, croquet and ping pong and consider them perfect for everyone. If only these halcyon days could last forever!
Browse our Kitchen and Dining range now.
Colourful grass placemats - mix and match
Rustic summer entertaining
Cherry Picking in the orchard
However much we all want to be ecologically friendly for some, such as myself, it’s just too difficult. The easiest way to go green in a tiny way is in the kitchen, and where we live we are going to be forced to separate the rubbish fully from next September. Our part of Oxfordshire is surely rather backward as I am convinced most of the country is already highly practised at segregating their rubbish. In a strange way I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to make me feel a whole lot better. I think there are going to be about six different rubbishes; one for nice plastic, one for bottles, one for paper, one for compost, one for plain old nasty stuff, the non-biodegradable bits, and one for something else - I forget what. We haven’t re-designed the kitchen yet to accommodate all these new dustbins; I think we’ll spend a lot of time tripping over the various receptacles and having to clean the ensuing mess.
Another easy means of going green is to take old plastic carrier bags to the supermarket. Oh! How I remember about my pile of ethically sourced bags at home, just as I arrive at the till with an hour’s worth of trolley pushing. And what’s more my ethically sourced and Fair Trade bags are beautiful Kikapu baskets from Africa – a lovely accessory for my groceries.
If my husband had dug the garden this year we would be eating organic lettuces grown in a raised bed from Living Leaves. Every time I see Claire’s basket of fresh, organic produce I think how our home menus would be transformed. Today she had two cauliflowers, plentiful broad beans and succulent looking pea pods. Apart from the joy of each mouthful I think about all the poor children who grow up thinking that peas come from the deep freeze and can only imagine how they look when they are growing.
Take a browse through our Eco Souk section, which is full of eco friendly, organic and fair trade products and gifts.
It is the finishing touches that really make things personal and transform something into a master piece. It is also these final details which are easy to forget about. The Travelling Souk has a wonderful range of must-have accessories which add that extra personal touch your dining table.
For those special occasions or simply when you want to add a touch of elegance to the dining table, pretty accessories are a must. Napkin rings will glam up any table but they should never be boring. These cute enamel bee napkin rings are the perfect combination of sophistication with a playful and sweet touch that shows your personality. You can also be stylish by adding the wonderful silver and enamel coasters in statement colours.
Although we’re not supposed to play with our food at the dinner table, there is nothing to say that we can’t have fun with the placemats. A family favourite, the Souk’s A-Z placemats mean that everyone in the family can have their own with their initial on. And if you’re really generous, spares with question marks are perfect for a casual dinner with extra guests.
And then the tea parties… Available in 6 different colours, the classic beaded teaspoons will bring a bit of colour to your tea parties. Not only do the silver lined glass beads liven up your table but are also a very pretty and chic accessory!
