Tree Hugger's Blog

I just got back from Chicago and had an amazing amazing time.  I consider myself to be a city girl. I love the convenience of having so many options so close. Chicago is full of choices and is really a place for everyone. I was able to explore the city while I was there and went places I have never been before. Chicago is making great strides in going green. It seems like every place I visited, had made attempts to reduce their carbon footprint. My favorite part of the trip was probably riding public transportation with my friend and learning about how convenient it is to be car free. I also really enjoyed the Vegan milkshakes at the Chicago Diner. It was probably the best milkshake I have ever had….ever. There food was amazing and a real treat as vegan food in Holland, MI can be hard to come by.

For those of you that have never been to a trade show at the Merchandise Mart or in general. It is really an interesting experience. The only word to use is overwhelming. It is commerce at its best and at it worse. There were thousands of vendors all trying to get you to see their products. Lucky for me, I could easily rule out 90% of them as soon as I walked in the door. I was pleasantly surprised though about the number of green companies there and many of them I had never heard of before. The green industry is growing at such a fast rate that it takes research to know who is doing it right and who is doing it to make a buck. That is pretty easy to see at a trade show because you get to meet the people behind the product. You get to see the items first hand and ask questions and hear them interact with others.

I only purchased two lines while at the show and have about 20 more that I am going to research prior to making up my mind. There are some amazing things in the works for us here at Tree Huggers. We have jewelry coming in from recycled wine bottles, repurposed clothing, bamboo clothing, more bags and wallets made from recycled materials and to go wear that you can bring with you when you are out and about. I am very excited about everything I was able to see.

Back here in Holland, I have finalized the shampoo recipe and I am at the end of the testing phase, so in the next week or so, you can start making your own shampoo.  I also have a new laundry soap line Called Selestial Soaps made in Traverse City, and a new face cleaning method that uses pure oils rather than soap. I have been using it for a month and cannot say enough good things about how nice it leaves your skin especially in the winter months.

Our facebook page is really blowing up. We have over 600 fans which is super exciting. I really enjoy meeting you all and chatting with you. If you have not joined our page, please do so. We have contests and it is the best way to learn about the new ways we are growing.

Thank you for everything,

Angela

The Holidays are officially here and your friends at Tree huggers could not be more excited. We have searched high and low for great eco friendly gift ideas. We have a wide selection of gifts that you can take pride in giving. Many are made in the USA and out of recycled materials.
Holiday hours have been extended and the days till Christmas and Hanukkah are fast approaching. We also offer gift registries, and have a gift basket station where you can come in and create one of a kind gift baskets for those on your shopping list. We also have a table complete with stocking stuffer ideas at price points sure to please.
We also will be offering eco friendly gift wrap using 100% recycled paper. Habitat for Humanity will be stepping in to lend a hand and proceeds of the gift wrapping will help fund a trip to Africa where they will do what they do best. Provide housing for those in need.
One of the new additions we are the most excited about is the cleaning station. Come in and create green cleaning supplies using all natural ingredients and essential oils. Take a recipe home to continue the process or come in again to make something new each time. Unlike other cleaners, with our station, you can feel safe knowing each and every ingredient you put into your cleaner. It is the safest greenest option available. Coming soon will be shampoos, body washes and scrubs.
Recycling efforts have also been expanded at Tree Huggers. Styrofoam recycling has really started to pick up and we would love to see more of it come through our doors. Please remember that Styrofoam does not decompose so think twice before throwing it away. We have partnered with Terracycle to offer other items for recycling. We can now recycle chip bags, gum packaging, toilet paper packaging and much much more. Visit http://www.terracycle.net/ for the complete list. The best news is that what we collect is tallied up and the money earned is donated to the charity of our choice. This could be great for nonprofit organizations and schools in the future.
Thank you friends for supporting us. This has been an amazing journey so far and we are so excited to see what 2011 hold for us.
Peace, Love & Joy this Holiday Season

Tree Huggers

So we are just shy of two months of retail bliss. It is amazing how much I have learned and how much I still have to learn. I want to give a huge warm tree hugger hug to all of the customers that have walked through these doors. It has been a pleasure to meet each and everyone of you.

We are just getting started over here. In the 7 weeks of being opened, we have accomplished so much. We became the first registered recycling drop off location for styrofoam in Ottawa county. That is HUGE! We should all try to stop using styrofoam all together but sometimes it can be impossible. I often get laughed at for bringing my own containers with me to restaurants or asking for leftovers to be placed in nonstyrofoam containers but I have not used a single piece since January. Offering the recycling of styrofoam is the next best thing and people are very excited that they no longer have to throw it out. I currently have 30 96 gallon bags of styrofoam in my back room with another 20 bags or so still on the way. Awesome for the first pickup.

We have also brought in many new products. We have outdoor composting bins, reusable sandwich bags, green products made locally by amazing artists and I am currently working on a green cleaning department where people can make their own cleaning supplies using all natural ingredients and essential oils. Soon will be the same concept applied to beauty products. I am looking forward to making my own shampoo in the near future.

I hope that with each fun product I bring in, I bring in two items that will be informational and beneficial to our lives.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcomed and I appreciate each and everyone of you more than you will know. It has been a pleasure to build this concept and like I said before.... we are just getting started.

Tomorrow marks the first week of Tree Huggers being opened and it has been an amazing week. Sales are higher than expected and people are responding positively to what we are trying to create.

It is so much fun to see people walk in and look around and share different items with one another. Everyone has different passions and the store responds to people on a unique level. I am having a great time walking around sharing stories with people and talking about random things. It appears as though I was made for retail. 10 - 11 hours days fly by and it has been creatively rewarding to layout and design the store. It is still a work in progress but I have somewhat amazed myself with what has been accomplished.

Today the Holland Sentinel was here to write an article about the store and later this week WZZM will be here to possible run a story as well. Once news spreads to environmentally conscious people, I think foot traffic should pick up and that is when it will get really exciting.

In September, I plan on starting morning yoga and offering our first workshop on Recycling. More details to come. Stay tuned.

I have had a lot of people ask what Tree Huggers will be selling. The most exciting and challenging part of the store is that we can really carry just about anything as long as it is eco friendly in some way. I have worked very hard to carry a variety of products in each segment that I can think of. We have something for everyone. Products include some of the following. organic clothing and toys, vegan and all natural cleaning supplies, makeup, composting bins, LED lighting, wind turbines, and so much more. I have bought in great brands that you know and trust and others you may have never heard of. Some of the brands include; Preserve, 7th Generation, Maggies Organics, Burts Bees, Beauty Without Cruelty, Zubels, Rich Frog, Bloomin Greeting Cards, Worm Factory just to name a few.

The store is a perfect balance of fun/trendy and practical/informational. New products are arriving daily. I cannot wait till opening day to share everything with you.

It is so much fun to think about what opening day will be like. How many people are going to come by? What people will like? I have put so much of myself into this store and I cannot wait to share it with the public. We are bringing in so many fun things that many people from this area have never seen before as well as products from great local crafters and artists. Once the store is open, the website store will begin to take shape and products will be available for purchase in both areas.