Favourite Products

Here at P’lovers, we get new products in so frequently it’s hard to keep track of where the new ones are, and where the old ones went.

Celebrate SoapWorks in November!

For years, we have loved the soap from our friends at SoapWorks in Toronto. It is a locally crafted, high-quality product that uses the simplest of natural ingredients with minimalist packaging.

Several winters ago, when my son was suffering from excruciatingly dry skin on his legs, we switched to SoapWorks vegetable glycerin bar soap and it did not disappoint. I was amazed at how quickly his problem cleared up and from that day forward, veggie glycerin in both bar and liquid format has been a family favourite.

We are also recent patrons of the SoapWorks Pet Shampoo. Admittedly, our brand new golden doodle puppy has only had two baths so far, but my confidence in the rest of the product line transcends to this product as well.

For the month of November, we, at P’lovers, would like to help you love SoapWorks too — and save a little green while you’re at it! Mention this blog post and when you buy 4 bars of SoapWorks soap, you get a 5th bar (any flavour) for FREE!

We have more than a dozen flavours to try, including olive oil, tea tree, veggie glycerin, coal tar, oatmeal, evening primrose, hemp oil, lavender glycerin, sea kelp, pumice, chamomile, aloe & vitamin E, cucumber & comfrey, and ginseng. Chances are good you will find a flavour that matches your skin condition or preference.

(Not-so-fine Print: Our regular quantity discount applies too! Mix and match; offer available while supplies last. One free bar per person. Offer expires November 30, 2008)

Enjoy!

-Steve

Staff Picks

As a new employee at P’lovers I am finding it a lot to remember the many things there are to know about the store, it’s mission, and how every product within the store uniquely fits this mission. During one of my first shifts here at P’lovers I was introduced to some of the ‘staff picks’ within the store. Some of the other employees showed me their favourite products. Each individual had a different favourite all picked for different reasons. Some being the pheylonian beeswax candles, another the P.O.T Hemp Oil Lotion.

While it seemed a daunting task at first to be able to compare so many products in such a large selection of inventory, I am slowly discovering my personal favourites, such as the great smelling Burt’s Bees Milk and Honey Lotion, mmmm. Also the fact that anytime I pass the DreamSacks bamboo clothing I must run my hand along it also signifies a favourite on my list for sure.

With each passing day and each shift here at P’lovers I add more and more information to my expanding “P’lovers” section of my brain. The more interesting things I learn about each product keeps my list growing, and the more that is on that list the better I can passionately portray my fast growing knowledge of each product.

I enjoy being the new employee at P’lovers as the other employees have interesting information and stories about customers and products and their own experiences with them. I look forward to a day when I can confidently tell a customer, or even a new employee, how a product fits the P’lovers mission, the benefits of the item, the uses, it’s environmental impact and of course whether it made the cut for a ‘staff pick’.

-Kiera

shopping with a conscience

I have to confess, I have begun the Christmas trek and I love it! I am a shopper at heart and a minimalist in my soul, a contradiction to be sure, but I appease my conscience by shopping at P’lovers. So far, I have purchased a few of our wonderful Pheylonian beeswax candles in different sizes to wrap up for a list of family members who would greatly appreciate the glow and the benefits of burning real beeswax.

Our books draw me in at all times of the year but never as much as when I am thinking CHRISTMAS! I am an avid reader and a prolific buyer of books.  I have always bought books for my children whenever asked and try to do the same for myself.  it is never a waste to spend money on books and always a deep felt experience to read those in our collection. So imagine my glee, yes it was glee, when I ventured into the book section with the idea to buy for others.

I quickly found an abundance of titles to choose from, for the music lover on my list I bought the book, Sounds of Freedom,  then I went to some of the old favourites, 40 Days and Nights, The Four Agreements, these titles just never get old and there is always someone who will appreciate the message. The Power of Kindness and The Everyday Activist were next followed by a couple of children’s books.  Not only do I buy them for children but they are a great gift for teachers.

On to our clothing, Oh Bamboo! To feel it is to love it, to own it is to share it, so I do. I have hidden away 2 soft, classic wraps along with a robe in a vibrant red, perfect for Christmas morning.  Last year I got my parents Padraigs and now I feel compelled to fulfull the wishes of my siblings with a pair each. Who can resist after trying on a pair when you come in from the cold. SOLD.

Now lets move to the personal care section where I can fill my children’s stockings with ease.  I start with some Green Beaver Apple-Mint shampoo and conditioner, there is nothing better then the invigorating scent of peppermint in the shower to begin your day and I have my daughter hooked. The Nature’s Body Works body scrub is absolutely delicious and leaves your skin feeling like silk. For those of you who apply lotion after bathing, you will be able to drop that step in your routine, you won’t need it. Trust me on that.

My son and husband have stockings too and being the Santa in the house I move to the Herban Cowboy products and get some cologne and shave cream along with a new razor with refills, a toothbrush with paste.

Time to halt, there are still almost 2 months of shopping to look forward to, I want to leave myself something to look forward to. More to follow as I continue my shopping spree over the next months.

-Jude

Waste Not with Bamboo!

My “Rider Green” Planetary Designs travel mug is already an indispensable tool for my on-the-go lifestyle. It literally travels everywhere with me and if I don’t have it, no coffee – simple as that. Now I have something else to add to my nomadic culinary toolkit — bamboo utensils in an incredibly convenient recycled plastic holder.

Single-use plastic cutlery, like throwaway coffee cups, are an antiquated “luxury” our society can no longer afford. A tremendous amount of energy and resources are consumed, an immense amount of pollution and waste created — only to have the end product tossed in our landfill after such an incredibly short lifespan. Does this make sense to you?

My new bamboo utensils are lightweight, convenient, and compact. They also have everything their plastic counterparts do not. They are exquisitely made, durable and strong, crafted from a sustainable resource. Each set comes with a knife, fork, spoon, and for those times you are feeling particularly adventurous, chop-sticks.

Each utensil set comes equipped with it’s own carrying case that has an amazing story all it’s own.

“CONSERVE is a recycling and waste management non-governmental organization that was founded in October 2003 in response to the mountains of garbage and litter, especially plastic bags that had become a common sight around the city of New Delhi.

The project employs poor urban women and men in the slums of east Delhi to collect, sort, weigh and clean plastic bags. Through a heating and pressing process, the plastic melts together creating a thicker more durable plastic material. Since the plastic bags come in all colors, different designs can be created using strips and cutouts of bags, no dyes or inks are required.”

Perfect for picnics or meals on the go, this eco-chic product is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to sacrifice convenience in their quest to reduce their personal impact on our planet.

-Steve