Home Brewed's bamboo tee's
Pandas love to eat it, the Chinese love to build with it, it’s one of the fastest growing plants in the world and now you can wear it! Not only is bamboo one of the most sustainable resources our world has to offer but it is also being used as a means to raise awareness about the bamboozling clothing industry in our country!

Introducing Home Brewed
Home Brewed is an eco friendly and proudly local clothing store in Cape Town that recently opened their first

I am a fan of the Earth Fair Market. It's location in Tokai makes it a really easy 'pop in and grab' place to stock up on fresh, organic and local food on a Wednesday evening and Saturday morning.

And now, the indoor market is getting an outdoor equivalent in the city bowl, St George's Mall, just opposite the cathedral (what a setting).

when
Every Thursday from 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm

where
Upper St Georges Mall, off Wale Street

Jacci Simpson, the market's organiser is very excited. As she says, it's been eight months of getting approval and permits and it is the closest we will have in this country to a European style street market.

take two: get a second cut of broccoliWith birds falling from the sky, more birds falling from the sky, mudslides in Brazil, sharks cruising flooded Queensland streets and scientists rebooting the zodiac, the year indeed seems off to an apocalyptic start. Hopefully we'll all be around for a bit longer to enjoy 2011... and broccoli.

A few days ago we enjoyed the largest, tastiest homegrown head of broccoli ever. Just picked, and lightly steamed, it leaves shop-bought broccoli standing... sadly it still looks like broccoli, so is, as always, a tough sell to

going green by simon gearIts nearly Christmas and many of us are thinking about gifts to buy. Well one book that I can wholeheartedly recommend is Going Green - 365 Ways to Change our World. This book is filled with great ideas on how to make our planet a better place. The book is written by Simon Gear, known as one of South Africa's favorite weathermen.

This is a nifty little book that we were given a while back that is chock full of creative ideas for fun projects with your kids. Have a five year old that has raided your runner bean supports and delights in hurling the poles through the garden. Maybe he / she needs to have that creative energy "directed" in a more constructive manner...

Lisl Barry (and family) has produced a book that has some great ideas that will save your sanity on days where the little beauties need a "project". The book is also a reminder that some of the best things in life are free and that spending quality time with your kids is not about watching Shrek 2 for the tenth time. Rather the book encourages natural activities that can be enjoyed in your garden or kitchen and uses simple materials and tools to hand.

The book is divided into sections, one for each season, of ideas that are

Hout Bay Green FaireThere are three mucho importanto events going down this Saturday, 27th November, details of the others will follow...

The Hout Bay Green Faire is one of my favourite green events on the calendar and it is now in its fourth incarnation! There is always something new to checkout and it gets bigger and better each time. It's in the open air, away from fluorescent lighting, and is a great community initiative to support. Hout Bay is firmly in the lead when it comes to green initiatives happening on the ground, thanks to the hard work of Envirochild, Green peas and others.

Last year I took

hazel food christmas marketIf you're anything like me, you'll be racing around trying to get the Christmas shopping done two days before the big event - fighting crowds and cursing, as you slog through the mall, before wrestling a big oke for the last blue t-shirt in Mr Price, followed by the interminable queuing to pay for your hard won gift for your cousin. That was last year, and I swore never again! This year I would be organised. I would shop at markets and fetes, enjoying the experience and finding wonderful presents from local crafters, as well as indulge in fantastic home-made treats.

I am somewhat horrified to see the retail sector going Christmas mad already! Like a cat pouncing on a mouse, Christmas has already snuck up on me – and some Christmas markets have already happened!

So I made it my mission to share with you as many Christmas markets as I could. Below is a list of Christmas markets happening around the country. I know I'll

Juma Mkwela and Willard Kambeva of Jullard CreationsJullard Creations presents ONE ART, ONE CHILD Fundraiser for Youth Creativity Workshops.

Date: 13 NOVEMBER'10

Gallery: /A WORD OF ART/ ART SPACE . www.a-word-of-art.co.za Woodstock Industrial Centre, 66 Albert Rd. Woodstock.

Time: 6pm - 11pm.

Music: Live set by VALVE STATE.

Entrance: R30

Come and Jam at an exciting street party, a fund-raising event brought to you by Jullard Creations, for the future of our youth. Learn about the remarkable community work and future projects by Juma Mkwela and Willard Kambeva of Jullard Creations.

Jullard Creations is a collective that empowers people from marginalized communities to generate their own income by producing

Here's a challenging 'new' accronym that is sure to get the hackles rising and the tongues a wagging – the GINK – green inclinations, no kids.

The article I stumbled upon on Grist got me thinking. I was delighted actually. You see, we've had 'only' one child. I say 'only' as whoever we interact with (usually parents and grandparents) rather tactlessly refer to our decision as 'just' the one, or 'only' one, as if we've suffered a loss and the 'other' is missing.