Check out our new bungee wrap video. Enjoy!
January 13th, 2012
Econo-Maxing Your Ride
As hybrid cars get cooler looking and more efficient, there is little reason to drive gas guzzlers these days. However, no matter what your car is running on, the basic facts of fuel efficient driving still remain.
Here are some great tips:
Drive the speed limit. “Every five miles per hour above 55 is like paying 14 cents a gallon more for gas,” Fons says.
Play it cool. You use more fuel when you accelerate hard and slam on the brakes.
Inflate your tires to their maximum rated pressure. Fully inflated tires create less friction with the surface of the road, reducing the amount of work the engine has to do.
Get the junk out of the trunk. Carrying extra weight makes the engine work harder, and that can add up to a lot of wasted gas.
Tune your engine and clean your air filter. Good maintenance means better burning.
Get more tips at:
milwaukeehybridgroup.com
December 6th, 2011
Low Tech Cool
The best antidote to high tech overload is some old fashioned low tech cool. Check out these 2 great gift ideas that hold your phone and amplify sound without any wires, plugs, or electricity.
The first is a very cool DIY project that involves a block of wood and some basic carving skills. Check out the How To’s here.
The second is a horn phone stand/speaker that works like the above without any need for sharp tools. On sale for an incredible five bucks here.
October 24th, 2011
Finally–Mix and Match EveryDay Wraps!
For the first time ever, our EveryDay Wraps are available to purchase online a la carte. Previously distributed as singles through our retail partners only, our best selling Everyday Wraps are now available to mix and match online. Bungees are optional!
Check out all the happy colors and easy tutorials!
October 14th, 2011
The Magical Healing Power of Food
Let thy food be thy medicine. -Hippocrates
Hippocrates believed that the human body has the innate ability to heal itself of disease. This is also the basis of Eastern medicine but the exact opposite of the modern pharmaceutical industry’s claims that there is a pill for every ill.
2 Must watch documentaries that will immediately motivate you to eat better and thus feel better are Food Matters and The Future of Food.
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of 2 Nobel Peace Prizes, said that “Optimum nutrition is the medicine of tomorrow.” Not pills, not advanced surgery, but food. Bon appetit!
Food Matters and The Future of Food available on Netflix.
August 13th, 2011
The original reusable travel cup…
June 13th, 2011
Computer All Nighter Myth
Do you leave your computer on all night, maybe turning your screen off as you head off to bed? Many rumors abound as to why it makes sense to do so including the famous, “It takes more energy to boot it back up in the morning”. Well it simply isn’t true.
Here are the facts:
A typical computer uses 300 Watts of energy, the equivalent of 3 very bright lamps!
Turning off your computer when not using could save you up to $219 a year. Even if you are using energy saving down mode, you would still save over $100 if you actually turned it off.
Read more about how energy computers and other electronic devices use at How Stuff Works.
Family, Green, Health, Technology, Uncategorized | 
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May 22nd, 2011
Get on the BAN Wagon!
Plastic bags are the largest source of ocean litter. Second is cigarettes. We’ve come so far in this country to reduce smoking –it’s time to do the same with plastic bags.
A medium sized wrapping scarf in your bag will take care of all your small everyday purchases. Bring your own bags to the grocery store and make a quiet but strong statement every time you check out. Go Earth!
Graphic by ReuseThisBag.com
December 5th, 2010
Holiday Gifts, Exclusively at BOBOwrap.com
New gift items have arrived and we are so excited to give you a first look.
1. Ladies Who Lunch, Insulated Lunch Tote with Bamboo Handles
A lunch tote elegant enough to use as a purse!
2. Almond Delight, Chocolate and Almond Dipped Cookie Sticks
A favorite snack in Korea, these crispy delights from Lotte Confectionery are simply heavenly.
3. My Own Lunch Bag, Cotton Reusable Lunch Bag that You Decorate Yourself
Colorful Fabric Markers are included to make lunchtime an eco-fun activity.
4. Sushi Snacker, Sheets of Roasted Savory Seaweed
Everyone who loves sushi knows that seaweed is an amazingly delicious and nutritious food. Now enjoy the crispy savory goodness anytime with these roasted seaweed sheets. Just cut with scissors and enjoy alone or with steaming hot rice. Yum!
Business, Family, Food, Green, Health, Holiday, Korea, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
November 13th, 2010
An Evening with Artists and Writers
Many thanks to the National League of American Pen Women for a lovely evening in Old Greenwich. Here’s a wonderful note of encouragement from an attendee.
Dear Patricia,
Because I did not have your home address I am emailing you to thank you for your most informative presentation at Images and for entertaining us so delightfully with your very artistic demonstration. I went home determined to copy as best I can your wonderful ideas. It was three in the morning when I woke up thinking about scarf wrapping, got up and proceeded to wrap my husband’s birthday gift (November 12th is his Birthday). I used a beautiful silk scarf that has been sitting in my drawer for years, and while following the instructions in your book, made a most fetching package. This morning my husband commented on the wrapped gift more than on the gift itself! Hooray for your great idea!
Thanks again for a wonderful evening of learning!
Sincerely,
Elvira S.
October 31st, 2010
Great Scotts! Never rake again??
Raking leaves in the fall is such a huge part of our American suburban culture that most of us don’t think twice about getting rid of all those fallen leaves littering our lawns each year. Last week when I saw a Scott’s commercial advocating mowing the leaves versus raking and chucking, I was intrigued. Could this be a viable alternative or is this just another big corporate attempt at greenwashing?
Here’s the commercial:
Public service or Greenwashing?
Can this be true?
Apparently, research conducted at Cornell, Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan State and other universities since the early 1990’s supports this opinion. Here’s an example of the research:
“Between 1995 and 1998 researchers at Michigan State set mower decks to cut at three inches, then mowed up to 450 pounds of leaves per 1,000 square feet of lawn each autumn (that’s equivalent to about eighteen inches of leaves).
At such a high rate, very little grass could be seen at the end of the mowing season. However, once growth resumed the following spring the remaining leaf litter quickly decomposed. In this study not only was the excessive volume of leaves not harmful, the shredded leaves actually improved lawn quality over time as organic matter and nutrients in the decomposing leaves was returned to the soil.”
Yard waste is the second worst polluter in America’s landfills today (#1 is paper). If leaves can truly be mowed and left on lawns instead of raked, collected and thrown away, this could have a significantly positive impact on our environment.
Great job Scotts! I’m impressed and look forward to experimenting on my own lawn this year.
September 14th, 2010
Purse Hanger 2.0
Purse hangers are a lifesaver for anyone who has been in a bathroom stall with no hook and for all of us who hate putting our purses on a dirty restaurant floor. Here is our pick for the best one on the market and one we’ve dubbed: The Pursehanger 2.0.
Not only does this do the job of an ordinary purse hanger, it hangs on the handle of your purse as a cute accessory, always on the ready for when you want to use it. Here it is in Antique Gold on our Riviera Hobo Bag.
How cute is this? You can wear it as a bangle bracelet and the spring loaded action allows you to open the ring with one hand.
Hate when your purse goes flying off the car seat onto the floor? Problem solved.
Even if someone wants to ride shotgun, you can hang your purse behind the front seat and keep things nice and tidy. Ahhhhh happiness.
And just when you think things can’t possibly get better than that, the piece de resistance: it’s made in the USA! We love buying American. As with all our gift items, this awesome accessory comes BOBO wrapped for easy eco-gifting to all the great women in your life.
August 23rd, 2010
The Majestic Plastic Bag, Tragically Immortal
As the Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to swirl and grow larger, many progressive towns and cities across the US are banning the use of plastic bags.
Check out this mockumentary on how your grocery store plastic bag ends up in the Pacific.
Thanks to Celebrate Green for always sharing the best in eco-news and information!
August 21st, 2010
Real Men BOBOWRAP!
Thanks so much to Steve for this kind note and pic. Proof that bobowrapping is easy as well as beautiful and eco-friendly!
June 7th, 2010
Dads Rock! (And So Does Your Gift ^^)
June is for Dads and you can tell yours how much he rocks with a gift wrapped with love and care. Here’s a variation on the Bow Tie wrap that provides a useful little pocket for a card.
First, put your item or items in the center of a wrapping scarf on the diagonal. Fold 2 opposite corners on top or the item.
Take the pointy corner on top and fold under to create a straight edge across the middle of the item. This is where you can tuck in your card later.
Neatly bring up the remaining 2 corners and tie a snug square knot.
As a finishing touch, I picked a sprig from my wonderfully fragrant mock orange bush to tuck into the gift alongside a card.
This warm silvery wrap is a new arrival called Platinum available in our EveryDay Collection. The adorable “You Rock” Father’s Day card is by Tumbalina.
May 22nd, 2010
A Great Model for Eco-Friendly Modern Cities
Amazing! The modern city of Utrecht, Holland, is full of bikes instead of dirty and dangerous cars. So interesting also how none of the people are wearing helmets which is probably a testament to how safe it is to bike the streets without cars whizzing by.
Regardless of its level of green however, no city can escape the occasional cheat. Check out the guy cutting the line at 1:02. Guess he had an emergency! ^^
via Good.is
April 27th, 2010
Toting Fruit with a BOBO Bag
My boys sure love them some grapefruit. We buy it by the boxful and devour all through the winter to steer clear of colds and other nasty winter bugs. Since it’s the one thing we always have lots of, we often share the wealth when going over a friend’s house or repaying some debt of neighborly gratitude. Here’s how to make a great little hobo bag from a wrapping scarf for carrying your fruit.
Bagging up about 9-10 regular sized grapefruits will require a Medium sized wrap.
Spread out the wrap and fold in half so that the wrong side is showing.
Take one corner of the wrap and tie a single knot about a third of the length of the side. When making the single knot, try wrapping the fabric around your hand to make a neat knot.
Repeat on the other side with a nice snug knot.
Open the wrap by separating the corners that aren’t tied.
Give the whole thing a little fliperoo and fold the knotted ends into the center of the wrap.
Lift up your newly formed bag by the free corners and give her a little shake down. Gently punch your fist into the bottom of the bag to form the pocket.
Tie the loose ends in a tight square knot. The bag looks deceivingly small. But look at how much grapefruit goodness fits inside!
So much nicer than a yucky plastic bag. Now off to my wonderful neighbor Ann’s who gave me a tub of the most wonderful kimchi a couple weeks ago. Easy peasy grapefruit squeezy. ^^
Wildflowers wrap on sale now at bobowrap.com. While you’re there, check out all the limited time special values.
BOBO Wrap, Family, Food, Green | 2 Comments »
April 23rd, 2010
The 4th R: REFUSE, 4 Main Polluters that We Can Refuse Today
I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the huge patches of garbage floating about in our oceans. The massive one in the Pacific is estimated to be between the size of Texas and the size of the entire continental US.
Scientists say that in these garbage patches are 4 main polluters.
1. Plastic bags
2. Styrofoam cups
3. Styrofoam containers
4. Soda bottle lids
Albatross chicks fed plastic. Photo essay by Chris Jordan.
Photographer Chris Jordan traveled to the Midway Islands near the center of the Pacific garbage patch and captured images of decomposed bodies of albatross chicks that were fed plastic by their confused parents. Photos of the chicks document the actual stomach contents of birds and Jordan says that he did not touch a single piece of plastic in taking the photos.
Yesterday I heard David de Rothschild, who is sailing across the Pacific in a boat made from 12500 plastic bottles, say that in addition to the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), there indeed is a very important 4th R: Refuse.
How many of the above 4 things can you refuse to use today. This week? How about this year.
Let’s take it one day at a time and see just how much we can refuse together before it’s too late.
April 22nd, 2010
This Earth Day Join the Wrapping Scarf Revolution!
Going green can seem more than a little intimidating sometimes. Solar panels sound wonderful and as I look out at my laundry drying in the sun, I dream of the day I can harness that same great energy to power up my home. But for now, I 
reach for the lower hanging fruit on the tree of eco-living. Wrapping with fabric to reduce senseless garbage? That’s like fruit on the ground!
Giving gifts is one of the great pleasures in life and the suspense and mystery in unwrapping a gift is the icing on the cake. But did you know that during the holidays alone, Americans create 5 million additional tons of garbage and that 80% of this garbage is just wrapping paper and gift bags? These are crazy numbers and there’s a lot we can do about it without eliminating the joys of beautifully wrapped gifts.
The ancient Korean people really hated waste and considered it bad luck. They created the concept of the wrapping scarf or wrapping cloth called bojagi (boh-jah-kee), which they used to wrap and carry everything from gifts to bundles of merchandise for the market. The great thing about wrapping with bojagi is that it adapts to the shape being wrapped for a custom fit and then can be reused countless times. This was my inspiration in creating my own line of reusable wraps called BOBO.
BOBO wrapping is a lot like origami in that a square shape works best. Try the bow tie wrap technique for wrapping up your next gift with a square scarf or hankie. If you like the contrasting reverse effect, try using 2 scarves put together with a bit of light spray adhesive.
If you are crafty and have fabric lying around your home from old projects, you can make your own BOBOs by taking a square piece of fabric and finishing off the edges. Just make sure the fabric’s not too thick by grabbing a corner of material and tying in a knot. If it doesn’t knot easily, it’s probably too thick.
Stanford University Recycling Center says ”If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.” Now 3 presents a year is a number we can all commit to.
I wrote The Wrapping Scarf Revolution to teach a new generation of Earth citizens a great old way to be kinder to the planet. Join the 
Wrapping Scarf Revolution and take the pledge to wrap at least 3 gifts in reusables this year. Send me a picture of your fabric wrapped gift and you may receive a nice a little gift certificate from yours truly. Happy Earth Day everyone. Let’s hear it for the low hanging fruit!
For more information and video demonstrations on how to wrap with fabric, visit the How-To Page at BOBOwrap.com. To enter a great book and wrap giveaway, check out the original site of this post at galtime.com. Write a comment there by tomorrow and be entered.
For a nice 15% off discount to try our products, use this great coupon by the Eco Diva. Code: DIVA410 Expiration: 4/30/2010.
April 21st, 2010
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
A selection of our favorites for all those special Moms out there. LOVE the new Celadon Tea Mug set from Korea. Steep loose tea in the ceramic strainer then just lift out and place on the lid while enjoying all the health benefits of a great cup of tea. All lovingly pre-wrapped with Earth friendly reusable BOBO wrap. We’ll even hand write your message on a beautiful BOBO card. Check out all the great wrapped gift items in stock now.
