Product Review: Samsara by Matt & Nat

Many vegans already know and love Matt & Nat for their beautiful vegan handbags and wallets.  A year or so ago they decided to make their line more “upscale,” i.e. more expensive, which priced many of us out.  However, they also launched a new brand call Samsara, priced more closely to what Matt & Nat used to charge.  The founder of Matt & Nat and Samsara “set out to create an accessories brand that, although vegan, was first and foremost beautiful, understanding that the two could co-exist.”  And they are beautiful.  Additionally, for every Samsara item sold, one dollar will be donated to a non-profit of your choice.  Samsara is a Canadian brand (those Canadian vegans have it almost as easy as the Brits!), but they are currently offering free ground shipping for all orders over $50.  As of this writing, they also had a holiday sale going, with 30% off every item!

These items have a the same high quality craftsmanship we appreciate about Matt & Nat.  Samsara offers wallets, clutches, handbags, overnight bags, briefcases, and belts in a range of colors.  My personal favorites are the Neuville handbag (on sale for $80.50) and the Sterling (on sale for $108.50), which is big enough to carry your lunch, clothes for the gym, your knitting project, or anything else you need to take with you.

Samsara did not solicit this review, we just like their bags!

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Choice Organic Teas

Maybe you don’t think that tea is a legitimate holiday gift, but believe me, quality tea is something a person can never have too much of!  Regular readers know how much we love tea here at the Primate, and if you also buy a nice tea tin to give it in, it will be a delightful gift.  (Prettywood Tea offers several lovely tins for $7-20.)  When buying tea, the quality is obviously important, but you should also keep in mind that tea is often grown in countries where the laborers could be exploited.  Happily, the Fair Trade movement makes it easier to know that you’re not contributing to poor worker conditions.  Choice Organic Tea fits both bills:  excellent tea and fair trade certification.

Now, they do offer tea in bags, but really, loose leaf tea is well worth the effort!  Every morning I drink an equal blend of Assam and Ceylon, with a spoonful of agave nectar.  🙂  Choice Organic also sells a variety of green and herbal teas.  If you’re a little intimidated by extra work involved with brewing loose leaf tea, don’t despair!  An infuser tea mug makes it as easy as boiling water!

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Teavana Infuser Tea Cup

I know Sara and I have been major slackers on the recipe front lately, and I am sorry!  But here’s another installment of our Vegan Holiday Shopping Guide.  Regular readers of the Innocent Primate know how we feel about tea, i.e. that we drink it at every opportunity.  If you have a tea aficionado on your gift list this holiday season, a porcelain infuser tea mug from Teavana will make an inexpensive (<$20), unique and beautiful present.  These cups come as a three piece set:  a cup, a fitted infuser and a lid, so that you can make a perfect cup of loose leaf tea.  Just put a teaspoon of tea in the infuser, poor boiling water into the cup, cover with the lid, and then remove the infuser after the steeping is complete.  It’s great to have at the office, so that you can have a fresh hot cup of tea on a few minutes notice.  Or leave it at home, to simplify your bedtime herbal tea ritual.  Teavana also offers gift sets of two ceramic infuser mugs ($40), if you think one just won’t be enough. 🙂

If up until now you’ve been drinking tea from tea bags, consider this:  loose leaf tea not only tastes better, but also produces less packaging waste.  It’s not a trade secret that the tea used for tea bags is of the lowest quality.  Loose leaf tea allows for full and complex flavor development.  And you only have to throw away (or compost) the tea leaves, and not the bags you used to use.

Happy shopping!

Read Full Post »

Liz’s Little Helper

I’ve signed the Primate up to be a little elf – and the benefit is two-fold! You guys get a coupon code, and I get credit towards free cookies!! hehee 😀 Of course, you can either direct your friends to this coupon code, or you can sign up for your own to work towards your own free Liz Lovely cookies. Let’s help make the world a happier, merrier place this holiday season by feasting on the most Liz Lovely cookies of them all (you like how I used the name as an adjective at how delicious the cookies are, I’m still working on getting that picked up in the parlance of our times as a description for something so delicious it’s unfathomable by one who hasn’t experienced it themselves…that’s “Liz Lovely”). Ok..so here’s the code and spiel Cowboy Dan sent me:

So, as Primate followers know Jo and I are huge fans of Liz Lovely Cookies.  They’re this awesome little bakery in Vermont that “bakes a difference” with organic, vegan & gluten free cookies.  I’m not sure how they do it, but these cookies are the best.  And they ship them all over the country!  (Hint hint)  Anyway, I’m on their Fan Club, and I signed up to be one of “Liz’s Little Helpers.”  If you go buy some cookies online, I’ll get you 20% off your order! And, I earn a little credit towards free cookies.  What could be wrong about cookies for the holidays?

OK, so go to www.lizlovely.com

At checkout, use this promo code for 20% off: SARATURK

Happy Holidays,

-Sara

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Truth Belts

** apparently, just as I was writing this post, Truth was updated their website; so all my links were broken!  i’ve updated the post to reflect their new website**

Ah, vegan fashion has come a long way in the last few years.  We’ve got great vegan shoes and handbags, and now I’ve found a vegan belt maker in Canada called Truth Belts.   Truth has three lines of belts, Leather Look, Elastic and Woven.  The Leather Look belts look like leather, but are made of polyurethane and are clearly marked “Genuine Non-Leather.” 🙂 I have the Zombie belt ($57), which has a funky buckle consisting of four straight prongs.  It’s very cool.  The only downside to the Zombie (and presumably their other Leather Look and Woven belts) is that they do not offer them in a contoured shape.  So, if you’re a woman with a waist to hip ratio any less than 1, you can really only wear these belts on your natural waist, and not with any low rise pants.

The Elastic and Woven belts do not look at all like leather, and are made from a variety of materials like elastic, jute or hemp.  The elastic belts, like the Waspy ($28) were a great find for me, since they conform to your shape.  Most of their styles are understated, but with a unique twist, like the Gotham’s (68$) powerful, detachable buckle.  Be sure to measure your waist at the point wear you would wear a belt, so that you don’t have to exchange it for another size.  Truth also makes wrist cuffs, children’s belts, branded organic tshirts and necklaces.

Truth Belts did not solicit this review, we just like their belts!

On This Day In History: Caramel Bonbons

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Kailo Chic

The next installment of your vegan holiday shopping guide is for Kailo Chic.  Kailo Chic is small company that hand makes purses and bags in boldly colored fabrics.  Sara and I both have one of their Hobo Bags ($62).  It has plenty of room to hold what you need, but it manages to not look big, and fits just right under your arm.  Kailo Chic has a variety of shoulder bags, clutches, and wallets to choose from.  They even have a diaper bag ($79.99), because being a parent shouldn’t mean you can’t look good!  My friend Christina has one of their laptop bags ($69.99), and it look greats.  So far, all of the different styles I’ve seen from them are functional and stylish.

They also make a variety of accessories, including earrings, headbands and acrylic flowers for your hair.  Check them out!

This review was not solicited by Kailo Chic, we just like their bags!

On This Day In History: Cornbread Stuffing – perfect for the special day on Thursday!! 😀

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Bourgeois Boheme Gloves

The holy grail of vegan shopping (for me at least) is a wool-free winter coat, but a very close second is a pair of stylish faux leather driving gloves.  Yeah, we all have some knit or fleece gloves, but sometimes you need to look chic and professional, and the fleece just doesn’t cut it.  Enter Bourgeois Boheme.  They are an English company (those English vegans have it so easy!!), but several vegan shops in the US sell their wares, and they ship worldwide.  They have a variety of shoes, bags and other accessories, but I would like to focus on their gloves.  This season’s styles include the Paz Senhora for her, and the Paz Homem for him.  Both are sumptuous, black, and well designed.  You need to measure your hand around the palm, just under where your fingers join your palm, to get the right size.  If you live somewhere very cold, you may consider ordering a size up, and then wearing a set of glove liners to increase their warmth.  They’re priced at around 30 GBP, or you can get them from Karmavore (him, her) for about $50.

Bourgeois Boheme did not solicit this review, we just like their products!

On This Day In History: Mixed-Grain Autumn ‘Risotto’

Read Full Post »

Product Review: Soy Candles by Phebes

Whether you are vegan, or shopping for a vegan, gift buying during the Holiday Season can be a little challenging.  Over the next few weeks, the Innocent Primates will try to give you some gift ideas that do not harm animals and are easy on the planet.  To get things started, let me introduce you to Soy Candles by Phebes.  Soy candles are becoming more common, as some evidence indicates that very heavy use of paraffin candles can be harmful to your health.  Of course, for vegans, beeswax candles are not an option.  Although you may see many soy candles, I whole heartedly recommend Phebes as the best candles you will find.  I don’t know Phebes, but wow, she makes one damn fine candle!

The scent list they have developed is exhaustive, from traditional holiday scents, to exotic fruit blends and everything in between.  I’m currently burning Twinkle.  It’s fruity, minty, with a hint of vanilla, and a little bit tart, but somehow, it does evoke a holiday atmosphere.  Over the last couple of years Sara and I have had Wisteria, Honeysuckle, Wine & Roses, Summer Breeze, Vetiver Santal de Jasmin, Butt Naked, Spa Bliss, and others, and we have never been disappointed.  My absolute favorite, though, is Red Currant.  It’s strong, fruity, but not too sweet, and it fills up your whole room.  If you just can’t decide which scent to give, they offer gift certificates as well.  Each candle is $12.98, which includes free shipping within the US.  If you’re ordering from outside the US, an extra $20 will get your candles shipped to you.  If you prefer a burnless scent, they also offer scented tarts in all of the same fragrances.

In addition to smelling delicious, the candles themselves are lovely in their simplicity.  Each 8.5 ounce candle is poured into a heavy glass tumbler.  After the candle has burned completely, the glass is easy to clean and reuse.  The soy wax does not leave any residue after being cleaned like paraffin or beeswax candles, and the glass is just the right size for your morning juice.

This review was not solicited by Soy Candles by Phebes, we just love their candles!

On This Day in History:  White Bean Herb Puree.

Read Full Post »