Wonderful Wool

We've built our store around the idea that nature knows best, and one fantastic representation of this idea is wool. Wool is at once tough and delicate, soft and strong. Not only is wool super versatile, ranging from lambswool and mohair to angora, cashmere and alpaca, it has a number of properties that make it one of our favorite textiles to sell. Here's a taste of what makes wool so great:

Hand-woven blanket - $400

Wool is hypoallergenic. Dust mites don't live in wool, which are a major cause of allergens.

Wool is mildew resistant. The fibers in wool have a natural wicking property, keeping water from lingering in the fabric. Wool is also anti-microbial because its course fibers aren't attractive to bacteria. 

Wool is temperature regulating. Because of its moisture-wicking properties that keep sweat off the body, and its natural ability to keep your body warm in cold and cool in the heat, wool is a great temperature regulator in both clothing and bedding.


 

One of our beds. Hand-knitted alpaca throw - $800 / Handmade wool blanket - $395 / Military-inspired wool blanket - $150

Mohair throw - $275

Wool resists wrinkles and holds its shape.  The complex internal structure of wool makes it incredibly resilient. Wool fibers are also stronger by weight than cotton and more resistant to natural dirt and wear than most synthetics, which means that its long-lasting and super durable.

Wool is naturally fire resistant. This is a great trait to have in bedding, especially in baby and children's bedding.

Wool is a sustainable, eco-friendly fiber. When sheared from pesticide-free sheep, wool is a relatively low impact and incredibly sustainable fiber.

100% Merino Wool blanket - $790

Cross lambswool blanket - $440

It's easy to see why we endorse wool in so many forms: as a pillow stuffing or mattress topper, as a luxurious cashmere blanket or hardy lambswool comforter. Check out our wide wool selection; we know you'll love it as much as we do.

Meanwhile, here's a gorgeous video we found about the time-honored process of turning sheep's wool into a usable fiber.

shearing, washing and spinning from Christien Meindertsma on Vimeo.

Reuse to Make Unique Pieces for Your Home!

At Wildflower we like to reuse materials whenever we can to help reduce waste and better the earth.

So we took some old wooden pallets and built this work table our of them. This way we can reuse old materials and create an area where we can prepare items for our store so that they look great for you!


Check out some of the other cool things people have done with wooden pallets:




Maybe you don't have wooden pallets sitting around but check out what you can do if you have lots of old newspapers.
What creative a solution to finding a new accent for a wall in your home!

Or maybe you have unexplainable surplus of wine corks, you can use them to make a fashionable clock, frame, or mirror!

A Plastic Bag Free Austin!

We love the idea of Austin being greener by using reusable bags instead of the wasteful plastic bags!

The council voted unanimously to direct city staffers to begin writing a ban with the help of retailers, environmental groups and other. The ban and a plan to gradually phase it in will be presented to the council by November. Council members also asked staffers to gather information about a possible band on paper bags, as well as plastic ones, and about possibly charging fees for so-called single-use bangs instead of banning them outright. Details such as whether small stores should be exempt and the penalties for not complying with a ban will be worked out during the four-month process.

Mayor Lee Leffingwell said Austin residents use about 263 millions plastic bags every year, forcing the city to pay more than 800,00 per year in pollution and litter management costs.

Although the city will push for a total ban of plastic bags will still be use for newspaper distribution as well as pet cleanup at locations across the city. Leffingwell said he expects enforcement of the ordinance to be directed at retailers themselves and not consumers.

Cities such as San Francisco, California, Washington, D.C., Portland, Oregon, and Brownsville in South Texas have all enacted plastic bag bans that were not as controversial as people might think.

We're excited to get this initiative started! Are you?

We help out by using recyclable paper bags and when we can't use paper we use biodegradable plastic bags!

You can purchase a reusable bag at select retailers in Austin including Central Market, HEB, Randalls, Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market. Each of these retailers sell the bags for about $1 each.

And what do you do with that huge pile of plastic bags sitting in your home?

Plastic bags can be recycled at the store-fronts of select retailers in Austin including Central Market, HEB, Randalls, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market. Paper Bags can be recycled curbside in Austin or at the Ecology Action Recycling Center. Cycled Plastics is working with participating dry cleaners to collect plastic dry cleaning bags.

Or you can get creative and make beautiful artwork with those bags like Virginia Fleck!

New York native Virginia Fleck is making an impact with her recycled artwork. Virginia has made plastic bags her muse, and collects thousands of them from all areas. She then cuts them into strips and circles and creates what is called mandala or a circular collage. The resulting works are beautiful orbs of color and pattern; one would never assume they were made form garbage grocery bags.

Delight your senses at farmers markets in Austin!

At Wildflower Organics, we love organic bedding, mattresses and baby things... but every now and then we simply MUST give a big shout-out to our farmers.  Especially in this heat, it's important to support our local farmers.

Sourcing our food locally is extremely important. By Buying locally, we can stimulate the local economy and reduce the energy being used to transport food from region to region. Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment , respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities. 

Small, local farms are run by farmers who live on their land and work hard to preserve it. By being good stewards of the land, seeking out local markets, minimizing packaging, and harvesting food only when it is ready to consume, farmers can significantly reduce their environmental impact.  In fact, studies show that sustainable agricultural practices can actually increase food production by up to 79$ while at the same time actively reducing the effexts of farming on climate change through carbon sequestration.

The goals of the Austin Farmers Market are to increase the economic vitality of local farmers and small businesses; increase awareness, knowledge and action among the Central Texas population about how to positively impact the Central Texas food system and their own health; and create vibrant economically and socially diverse city-centered gathering places.

HOPE Farmers Market

Sunday Market

Pine Street Station

414 Waller Street 

Summer hours: 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.

Downtown

Saturday Market

4th and Guadalupe Repulblic Square Park

Year-Round

9 A.M. to 1 P.M.

Sunset Valley

Saturday Market

3200 Jones Road

Tony Burger Center

 Year-Round

9 A.M to 1P.M.

The Triangle

Wednesday Market

46th & Lamar

The Triangle

Year-Round

4 P.M. to 8 P.M.

March-September

3 P.M. to 7 P.M.

October- February

These markets are only open from May 9, 2011 through August 10, 2011.  Some markets continue past mid-August if the crops are bountiful through the hot season.

 Northeast WIC Clinic

In partnership with H-E-B

Monday 8am - 11 am
7112 Ed Bluestein (Manor and 183)

 

St. John's Community Center
Virginia Brown Recreation Center

Monday 12 - 2 pm
7500 Blessing Ave, 78752

Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center
Wednesday 9 am – 11 am
2800 Webberville Rd, 78702

Montopolis Recreation Center
Wednesday 11 am - 1 pm (now over)
1200 Montopolis Dr., 78741

Check out the farmer's market website for recipes, upcoming events and more information.

http://www.sfcfarmersmarket.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=en 

We ♥ our local farmers and hope you do too!

We’re excited for the new innovative grocery store in Austin!

In.gredients is the first package-free, zero waste grocery store in the United States and it's coming right here to our hometown!

Americans add 570 million pounds of food packaging to their landfills each day, while pre-packaged foods force consumers to buy more than they need, stuffing their bellies and their trash bins: 27 percent of food brought into U.S. kitchens ends up getting tossed out.


The new grocery store will sell 100% package-free products. By buying food that's package-free, you have control over how much you buy. Portion control reduces waste. The store plans to sell everything regular grocery stores do—grains, seasonal produce, spices, daily products, meat, beer, wine and cleaning materials—minus the junk food. All the items in their store will be bought and sold locally, to stimulate the local economy and reduce the energy being used to transport food from region to region.


And they're nice too!

Their hope is to teach the community how just a few simple changes to the way we live can reduce waste and promote a better environment. Whether it's a demonstration at a local farmer's market or an afternoon spent teachingkids at on of Austin's elementary schools, they hope to be active in fostering a more sustainable community. They also plan to give customers the option to allocate a protion of their purchases to a charity we're involved with.

For more information check out their website at http://in.gredients.com/.

And to help them reac their fundraising goal and open in October you can donate money at http://www.indiegogo.com/ingredients.

Products that Look Great and Help Save the Planet!

To celebrate World Environment Day bring these eco-friendly products into your home today!

Bamboo Nightstand and Stool

These beautiful, sleek pieces of furniture are a few example of products made form bamboo we have to brighten your home! Bamboo is one of the earth's fastest growing plants an is a fully sustainable, environmentally friendly renewable renewable resource. It is also one of the best plants on earth to sequester carbon because it releases about 35% more oxygen than comparable hardwood trees. By sequestering carbon, it reduces the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, which is the main contributor to global warming.

Wine Sphere Chandeliers

These lighting elements are made from reused wine containers. They create effective mood lighting and help reduce waste. A way to bring light on the fun ways to recycle and while keeping your home stylish!

Eco Throws

These soft, comfortable throws are a perfect sustainable solution for brighten any room! They are made from a recycled cotton alternative and come in an array of beautiful colors. Plus, they are the perfect weight for any season!