pare*umbrella

Giveaway Date: 3/27/09

Known affectionately at one time or another as a bumbershoot, a gamp, a brolly – the mobile canopy, known more commonly as the umbrella, was once only hoisted aloft the heads of kings and courtesans.  

Helping moderate the effects of both the sun and the rain, rarely has it struck a note so stylish as with the stunning designs of pare*umbrella. Hailing from the rain-soaked metropolis of Seattle, pare*umbrella creates umbrellas inspired by modern and traditional Japanese design, and that come in prints and shapes so striking that you’ll never want the rain to stop! 

Each style is crafted lovingly with exquisite details and works as an accessory to any wardrobe.

pare*umbrella gave away two of their 'It Is Raining' umbrellas.  

To play, the challenge was to name the Men’s umbrella made in the classic Japanese style.  

Answer: Cooper

The winners were chosen randomly as raindrops! 

pare*umbrella

Embodi

Giveaway Date: 3/20/09

Embodi is a new line of juices derived from the red wine grape that provides the anti-oxidant benefits of red wine without the anti-social effects of alcohol.  

By harnessing the natural energy replete in the red wine grape, each bottle of Embodi is created from a proprietary extract that utilizes the grape, stems and seed which provide the full spectrum of polyphenols found in red wine, promoting cardiovascular wellness.  

Available in 3 tasty flavors - Citrus Resurgence, Tropical Revival (goji berry and pomegranate) and Berry Renewal - Embodi is packaged in a beautifully designed re-sealable bottle, and the aluminum that contains it also protects the anti-oxidants from sunlight exposure and is easily recyclable.  

Embodi gave 6 readers the chance to win a 4-pack case of their juices.  

To enter, you simply told us your favorite of the Embodi flavor blends. 

(This event was open to residents of the US only).

Celebrate great health without the hangover! 

Embodi is available at Whole Foods Market throughout the US.  

Fine & Raw

Giveaway Date: 3/17/09

In a star-system of its own, Fine & Raw Chocolate could not be more aptly named as when it comes to purity of intention and creation, no other chocolate shares the mantle of essential rawness and taste.  

The synthesis of raw cacao derived from Ecuadorian Rainforests, melded with raw Blue Agave Nectar which is then tickled with virgin, cold-pressed Coconut Oil and an inflection of Himalayan Sea Salt, serves to ensure that every bite is a teleportation replete with possibilities.  

The antithesis of highly processed confections developed for the masses, Fine & Raw Chocolate is resolutely free of preservatives, sugar or dairy, and uses low-heat techniques to ensure that the chocolate retains its natural health properties.  

Fine & Raw Chocolate were offering 6 people a window into heaven.  

You just had to tell us what you would love to have dipped in fine, raw chocolate!

The six most tantalizing answers received a Raw Chocolate Bonbon Box. 

As Busta Rhymes once pleaded… just give it to me raw!

Engrave Your Book

Giveaway Date: 3/10/09

By etching artwork onto the highest quality, full-grain cowhides, Portland, Oregon based Engrave Your Book creates unique covers to adorn your most cherished books or notepads, dignifying them with a longevity worthy of an heirloom.  

As well as custom-made book jackets, Engrave Your Book also re-creates original work from amongst select international designers and illustrators; artists such as RINZEN, Justine Ashbee, Dan Funderburgh... amongst a host of other talent.  

All the book jackets complement Moleskine ® notebooks, whose purposes include Music Notebooks, Address Books, Sketchbooks, and Storyboard Notebooks for advertising creatives and film-makers.  

Engrave Your Book gave away an engraved leather cover with the winner's choice from either the artist series or custom-made.  

To play, you simply had to name the artist in the artist series who is know for his "California Roll Stylie", the result of both visual and conceptual fusion of Japanese pop culture and U.S. urban culture?

Answer: Junichi Tsuneoka

The winner of one of these beautiful objects was selected randomly.

WallCandy Arts

Giveaway Date: 3/03/09

By transforming spaces into quirky vistas and modern environments, WallCandy Arts brings a plucky zest into every room with their versatile collection of easy-to-mount, removable decals that can be attached just about anywhere.  

Stick them on walls, ceilings, furniture, floors, tiles - by infusing a bolt of off-kilter style and animation to bare surfaces, the fun and playful murals amp up the setting of any room with individual pieces or combined sets of murals to create a custom effect of pure fantasy.  

Innovatively created to function as both a message surface and pure adornment, WallCandy Arts gave 3 of their Rococo chalkboard decal murals to three randomly chosen winners.  

For a shot at winning, all you had to do was tell us: in which room would you put the Rococo decal in, and why?  

And for a creative diversion, try your hand at decoration here.

Inspired Crib Bedding

Giveaway Date: 2/26/09

Achieving a balance of wonderment, simplicity and whimsy, Inspired Crib Bedding is an endearing, custom-designed baby bedding line.  

Their beautiful bedding sets can be coordinated with complementing sheets, changing pad covers, matching nursery pillows and even wall prints; creating a visual crib-scape for your baby to bask and for you to delight in.

And sparing nothing for your baby’s comfort, their collection comes to you in 100% cotton fabrics and luxurious soft minky, printed in evocative tones of Espresso and Light Sage to Baby Blue and Baby Pink.

Inspired Crib Bedding gave away one of their “must-have” hooded towels with the winner's choice of color and print.

The winner was crowned randomly. To enter, you simply had name your favorite print and color.

mimoco

Giveaway Date: 2/19/09

Born on August 8th, 2005, Treeson is a kindhearted creature raised by the trees in the forest. 

He was stabbed in the chest with a branch by the logger who was trying to cut down the tree that had raised him. After being wounded, he met a friendly human. Soon the two played together and became best friends not realizing that they were both ghosts. Neither Treeson nor his friend were very popular with the local kids, but they kept each other company and tried to save the trees in the city from being cut down by humans to put up more buildings.  

Treeson is the brainchild of Bubi AuYeung, a Hong Kong-born illustrator and graphic designer. Her first project, the Treeson toy, was produced by Crazy Label in 2005, and she has since gone on to create more Treeson toys and storylines, all of which underline the importance of nature and the danger humans pose to the flora of the world.  

Like all other MIMOBOT characters, the Treeson MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive is available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities, is high-speed USB 2.0, and compatible with Mac and Windows.  

Mimoco gave away three rare Treeson collector’s items. To win you had to correctly name Treeson's only human friend.

Answer: Ren

Sorapot

Giveaway Date: 2/10/09

The Sorapot by Joey Roth is barely 7 months old but already a design classic.  

Having re-imagined the familiar form and function of the traditional teapot, he has brought modernity into sharp focus with a vessel that beautifully frames the patient art of tea steeping.  

By radically altering the teapot paradigm, with an exoskeletal structure made from investment-cast stainless steel and a borosilicate glass belly, the Sorapot conveys both strength and fragility. It provides not only a new way of ritualizing tea preparation, but also imbues the pleasure of spectacle somewhere it had never existed, and making your Sorapot a treasured object to be handed down through generations.  

This Valentine’s Day, Sorapot gave readers the opportunity to declare your eternal love with a timeless object. To enter, we asked: On Valentine's Day, who would you share a cup of tea with from your Sorapot, and why?

Although the winner was chosen randomly, we received an abundance of gorgeous, funny, sweet and honest responses! 

Go to www.sorapot.com to purchase this beauty, and we thoroughly recommend Rishi Tea as the most flavorful accompaniment.

Wishing everyone a love-fest of a Valentine's Day!

Mophie

Giveaway Date: 2/6/09

The brand-new Mophie Juice Pack 3G is that essential shot your iPhone craves when it’s all but depleted its power and you’re only two hours into your trip from New York to San Francisco.  

Apple certified, the Juice Pack 3G has successfully passed a host of rigorous performance tests. In fact, it is the first attached battery to be officially branded as a “Works with iPhone 3G” product. It provides an additional 350 hours of standby and up to 6 hours of talk time on a 3G model.  

The Juice Pack 3G works as both a battery and a case. It protects with a No-Slip Grip rubberized shell that is both durable and which provides a soft touch. You can sync and download with your iTunes as you charge the unit, and the Smart Battery Technology instructs the Mophie pack to drain before your iPhone begins drawing on its own power storage.  

Mophie gave away a Juice Pack 3G to one lucky winner. To stake your claim, we asked readers to tell us: Up to how many additional hours of Video playback does the Mophie Juice Pack 3G provide?

Answer: 8 hours.

The winner was drawn randomly. 

Go to www.mophie.com to purchase from Mophie’s range of Juice Packs for iPhone and iPod products.

Field Notes Brand

Giveaway Date: 2/4/09

If the ink in the well is the blood of a poet, then the parchment it bleeds on is the depository of the most holy of holies – not something to be entrusted to the flippant ephemera of keyboard taps. So to this end, a new beginning emerges in Field Notes Brand.  

This stalwart company have passionately preserved the ideals that helped staple the spines of agricultural memo books, ornate pocket ledgers, and honest pads for lists that have been the salvation of poets, farmers, scribes, sailors, diarists, composers, lovers, schemers, dreamers, astrologers - and a whole swathe of humanity besides, for aeons. All of whom have helped shape our civilization.  

Four prizes of Field Notes Brand’s venerable icon of stationery, The Kit, were given away to four great thinkers. To win, we asked that you tell us what you would use your note book for. 

The most compelling answers landed the caboodle of The Kit. 

Go to www.fieldnotesbrand.com to delight in the brand's entirety.

Audioengine

Giveaway Date: 2/3/09

To complement their industry-leading studio monitor speakers, Audioengine have developed their second generation premium wireless adapter for iPod that seamlessly connects and transmits your music without the slightest loss in audio quality.  

After designing high quality powered speakers for portable home listening, Audioengine realized that the same technology could be applied for true sound reproduction and efficient built-in amps, so you won’t need a stack of stereo components with wires snaking around the room.  

Designed to connect your iPod wirelessly so you can hear all your favorite music played in flawless CD-quality stereo sound, with no dropouts, static, or noise; the AW2’s intelligent engineering renders your music free of interference from mobile phones, wi-fi and Bluetooth devices, and wireless routers.  

What’s most sweet about the AW2 is you can just plug and play, without any software or set-up involved. Simply connect the included wireless music receiver into a powered speaker, boombox, or stereo receiver, and you’re all set! Everything is controlled directly from your iPod so no additional remote control is needed.  

To get you un-wired for crystal clear sound, Audioengine gave away one AW2 set.  

To win, we asked you to correctly answer the question: What is the wireless range for the Audioengine W2?

Answer: 30 ft (9 meters).

The winner was chosen randomly. 

Visit www.audioengineusa.com to purchase one for yourself.

REN Skincare

Giveaway Date: 2/2/09

By helping the skin’s natural ability to protect, repair and renew itself, REN Skincare develops skin-friendly bioactive formulations that act not only as a healthy dermatological boost, but are also a pleasure to use. Containing clean and unfettered ingredients, their formulations consist of luxurious, natural fragrances and pure, premium essential oils.  

REN’s products are free of all the nasty stuff like synthetic fragrances, colors, sunscreens, petrochemicals and detergents; elements that wreak havoc on the pores and act as potential skin irritants. Just as importantly, they use only recyclable containers, cartons and filling material, and donate over 2.5% of profits to humanitarian and environmental causes.  

REN have created 4 Gift Sets that contain examples from their exquisite selection of best selling ingredients.

REN gave away 6 of their Body Gift Sets.  

To play, the challenge was to name 2 ingredients contained in their REN Body Gift Set.  

Answer: Any two combinations of the following:

Moroccan Rose Otto Oil

Rose Hip Seed Oil

Jojoba Oil 

Shea Butter

Grapeseed Oil

Neroli Oil

Cold Pressed Grapefruit Oil

The winners were chosen randomly. 

To view the entire REN Skincare selection, go to www.renskincare.com.

Bubble Calendar

Giveaway Date: 1/30/09

For millennia now, the calendar has known incarnations as varied and purposeful as the diversity of astronomers within different civilizations; the Mayans have carved them within temples, the Ancient Egyptians produced them out of sandstones, the Ancient Greeks hammered them into complex bronze structures.  

After an interim period where civilization could only regurgitate ho-hum glossy paper forms of marking time, some Modern Brooklynites have crafted an ingenious form of this staid instrument in the guise of the Bubble Calendar.  

Say what you will about bubble wrap, but those in the know can tell you that nothing comes even close to the tremendous release it offers. With the Bubble Calendar you can take the wind out of the everyday grind by adding a little cathartic punctuation to your day, while at the same time usefully documenting it for your purposes.  

10 readers won their own Bubble Calendar and are now forever blowing (up) bubbles… well, at least for a year anyway. To play, we asked: which days of the week are bolded for quick reference on the Bubble Calendar?  

Answer: Weekend days, Saturday and Sunday are bolded.

The 10 winners were chosen at random. To purchase go to www.bubblecalendar.com, and go here to get into the swing of things...  

To appropriate a phrase from Oscar Wilde; it is the poppable in pursuit of the unstoppable!

bioME 5

Giveaway Date: 1/28/09

Inspired by both the power of nature and visual learning processes, two architectural designers developed bioME 5 as a collection of children’s wear that at once envelops and develops your child.  

The bioME 5 Animal Alphabet children's products are a sustainable and ingenious way to use everyday apparel as a creative learning tool. Vibrant colors, large letters, and easily recognizable animal graphics create lively designs. Made with 100% certified organic cotton and fabricated in sweatshop-free facilities, the shirts are tagless and preshrunk for comfort and wear.  

Inspired by the Earth's various natural biomes (communities of organisms adapted to a particular environment) such as: desert, grasslands, aquatics, forests, and tundra. All animals in the biome Alphabet Project inhabit and depend on these environments for their development and survival.  

bioME 5 dedicates a significant portion of proceeds from sales of their ingenious designs toward zoological and environmental concerns.  

Five readers won a bioME 5 item of their choice. To play, we asked you to name 3 animals on the bioME 5 website that live within the Aquatic biome.  

Answer: Any combinations of the following: polar bear, alligator, fish, hippopotuamus, octopus, penguin, shark, tortoise, urchin, walrus.  

The 5 winners were picked randomly.

CTONICS

Giveaway Date: 1/26/09

CTONICS is a line of live bioactive organic hair tonics and elixirs that also contain natural essential oils and are free of artificial colors, sulfates, and petrochemicals.  

All of the ingredients that CTONICS Hair Care uses are food grade; essentially meaning that they're edible, but far more effective when used on your scalp and hair. The goal is to detoxify, cleanse and get your scalp so healthy that it becomes a fertile foundation for healthy hair to grow.  

After growing weary of recommending hair care products that consistently left his clients dissatisfied, Hollywood hairstylist, Campbell McAuley, together with holistic practitioner, Dr. Julian Neil, and aromatherapist, Aleksandra Neil, formulated and created the CTONICS line of tonics and elixirs.  

The products derive their potency from live, bioactive, organic clays, along with water, oils, nut proteins and other herbs and botanicals that provide the same, vitalizing quality that raw foods provide to your body. The bioactive clay which naturally cleanses the hair and scalp is a live, vegan product. It is potent enough that after continuous use, you will find that you no longer need a conditioner.  

CTONICS gave 6 readers both a tonic and elixir of their choice. To play, you simply had to name three of CTONICS product lines.

Answer: Any combinations of three of the following - Core, Pulse, Passion, Tranquility, Tantra, Milk, Blossom.

The 6 winners were chosen randomly. 

www.ctonics.com

Griffin AirCurve

Giveaway Date: 1/23/09

The ingeniously designed AirCurve from Griffin Technology brings you a portable mini sound system that acoustically amplifies your iPhone without any need for adapters or batteries.  

Like the proverbial “Horn of Plenty” the AirCurve’s minimal and stunningly elegant design wrings out sound aplenty, and is engineered to deliver powerful amplification of up to 10 decibels by focusing acoustic vibrations from your iPhone's speakers through a wave guide.  

The beautiful, translucent architecture allows you to display the AirCurve handsomely in any setting and on any furniture. And with a pass-through slot, you can choose to hook it up to a dock cable that can sync or charge while you listen.  

Griffin Technology gave readers the chance to win one of 6 Air Curves. To win, the challenge was to name the material that the AirCurve is constructed from.

Answer: Polycarbonate

The 6 winners were chosen randomly. 

Go to www.griffintechnology.com to purchase the AirCurve, and to also choose from Griffin’s wide selection of MP3 accessories and systems.

Glowelle

Giveaway Date: 01/16/09

Never was the adage “what you are is what you eat” more pertinently advocated than in Glowelle; a new beauty drink and dietary supplement.  

Good nutrition has always been the antidote for bad habits. With Nutraceuticals or "beauty foods" becoming a widespread trend in Japan and Europe, Glowelle’s exclusive blend of high-antioxidant vitamins, botanical and fruit extracts, and phtyo-nutrients work in tandem to protect and hydrate the inner and outer layers of your skin to fight the signs of aging from the inside out.  

Addressing beauty and wellness holistically, this once-a-day beauty drink is designed to enable women to feel refreshed, lighter and more energized. Making the drinks as convenient as possible, they come in both ready-to-drink bottles and in 7-day and 30-day powder stick pack kits.  

The high quality, high potency nutrients are packed into a formula made of natural ingredients that are available in two scrumptious flavours; Natural Raspberry Jasmine and Natural Pomegranate Lychee.  

Glowelle gave six readers the chance to experience the fortifying nutrition of their 30-day powder supplements. To play, you simply had to name the three vitamins contained in the ‘on-the-go’ powder stick packs and also name your preferred flavor.

Answer: Vitamins A, C & E.  

The six winners with the correct answers were chosen at random. 

To learn more about Glowelle's powerful formula visit their website at www.glowelle.com. 

Glowelle is available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

[me] & goji

Giveaway Date: 1/08/09

If you are a big fan of cereal and granola and find that there’s usually one pesky ingredient in the mix that upsets the delicate balance of an otherwise ideal selection, then the cereal revolution - which is yet to be televised - has arrived with you in mind in the guise of [me] & goji.  

Creating customized cereal through their fun and interactive website, [me] & goji wants you to choose exactly what you want and, more importantly, what you don’t want to go into your mix. And the choice is deliciously difficult as they offer over 40 different quality, organic ingredients, including: wheat, oats, dried fruits, nuts, sweets and seeds, to select from.  

Once you have made your selection, you also get to choose the name as well. The bespoke product is then delivered to you in a recyclable cylinder box, complete with your chosen name printed along with the custom nutritional counter.  

At [me] & goji, the options are endless, the nutrition high, the blends unique, and best of all – everything is made on your terms.  

[me] & goji gave three readers a gift certificate each to create their own customized blend. To play, you had to tell us your mix from the selection on the website, starting with the base, and then name you’d choose for it. 

The winners were chosen randomly and this event was open to US residents only.

To order your own one-of-a-kind holiday concoction go to www.meandgoji.com.

iFrogz

Giveaway Date: 01/02/09

With a commitment to supplying the newest and most innovative Apple iPod and MP3 accessories, ifrogz™ stays true to its maxim by providing the coolest selection of affordable and super-stylish digital media protectors, accessories, and earphones.  

By moving lock step with new generation digital media updates, through ongoing research and development, ifrogz™ offers specialized products and services that allow them to stay on the cutting edge of technology. An industry leader in building "rubber" media cases, each "rubber" case is made from 100% polished silicone for superior quality and to help repel lint and dust.  

The ifrogz™ Earpollution series of ear-buds and headphones come in a variety of styles that start with snug, noise-isolating buds that come in 3 different fits, through to the old-school big retro styles that come with comfort-padded ear and head bands. They all offer deep, rich sounds and are available in multiple colors to match your case or other accessories. 

ifrogz™ gave 8 randomly chosen winners a set of Earpollution phones from their Toxix and Plugz series. To play, you just had to tell us: what is the cord length of the Earpollution Toxix?

Answer: 1.2 meters

Go to ifrogz.com to check out their awesome selection of accessories for your device.

Vestalife

Giveaway Date: 12/30/08

With a view to re-defining your lifestyle with product design that surprises and delights, Vestalife enhances the audio device experience by transforming the staid and often banal genre of digital amplifier products into something captivating and unexpected.  

Vestalife’s celebrated team of accomplished product designers have crafted two arresting silhouettes in homage to two of nature’s most remarkable creatures: the Ladybug and the Butterfly. The newly launched Butterfly is a hip new iPod speaker dock that sports a unique splash of vibrancy with its three interchangeable colored faceplates and bold style, and at its heart beats a digital amp that packs a walloping punch.  

The award-winning Ladybug is cleverly designed for portability and ultimate functionality. With unique speaker "wings" that flip down for maximum stereo separation, a built-in subwoofer for great bass response, a digital amplifier for high quality sound and the coolest soft-touch finish you've ever experienced. The Ladybug comes with a carrying tote bag and remote control.

Vestalife gave two people the chance to win a Butterfly and a Ladybug. 

To play, you just had to tell us: What are the three interchangeable colors of the Vestalife Butterfly?

Answer: Red, Blue and Green

 

The two winners were chosen randomly. 

Go to www.vesta-life.com to view their limited edition series of Butterfly and Ladybug digital amps.

TSP Spices

Giveaway Date: 12/ 22/08

As the saying goes: “if spice be the music of life then open another sachet”… well ok, that saying may not be in common parlance just yet, but then again TSP Spices and their smart new system of organizing spices are still very green… in almost every sense.  

By creating a paradigm shift in how we perceive the proper storage and use of spices in the kitchen, TSP Spices are rendering the measuring spoon obsolete, because in every packet is a perfectly measured teaspoon of your favorite spice. And by choosing an 100% organic product, the ingredients come packaged such that their longevity is ensured and that each sachet is brimming with vitality, free of any additives or preservatives.  

What’s more, the sachets come stunningly packaged, making them a wholly delightful and original gift idea. So for one last time you can throw away those jars of half-depleted, long expired semblances of the item you originally purchased, assured that the perfectly preserved and organized tin of TSP Spices will survive well until you’ve mustered the gusto to tackle that Sri Lankan dish you’ve been eyeing in your recipe book!  

TSP Spices gave one grand prize of their Set for the Holidays and six runners-up spice gift tins. To vie for the prizes, you just had to tell us the name of one of the spice tins from their Set for the Holidays collection.  

www.tspspices.com 

The winners were chosen randomly.

Alessi Watches

Giveaway Date: 12/19/08

Time distorts the dial, as if reaching beyond the physical constraints of the watch.  

Designed by Andrea Branzi, out_time features a stainless steel case with matte finish, genuine leather strap, 3ATM water resistance and mineral glass.  

Born in Florence in 1938, Andrea Branzi is an architect and designer. In addition to serving as a critic on magazines such as Domus, Interni, Casabella and Modo, he was one of the founders of the Domus Academy. A member of the EEC Commission for the promotion of the European design, he has worked for Cassina, Artemide, Poltronova, Vitra and Zanotta. For generations, the Alessi family has brought together creativity and culture, modernism and excellence in design.  

Alessi produces beautiful works of art out of everyday items: housewares, furniture, jewelry and timepieces. By forming partnerships with hundreds of designers from across the world such as Marc Newson, Ettore Sottsass, Phillippe Starck, Ron Arad, Mario Botti, Achille Castiglioni, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Richard Meier, Jasper Morrison, and Aldo Rossi, Alessi has created what many in the art world refer to as “The Dream Factory”.

 

To win your very own Alessi out_time watch, the challenge was to name two other Alessi watch collections.

Five winners were chosen at random. 

Go to www.alessitime.com to view the amazing Alessi watch collection.  

This event was open to US residents only.

Automoblox

Giveaway Date: 12/18/08

Accelerate your child’s development and play experience with a new set of wheels from Automoblox.  

The new A9-S convertible and the C9-S berlinetta, follow in the Automoblox tradition of encouraging a lifestyle of invention, creative confidence and discerning taste for children of all ages.  

With its subtle, low profile and integrated rear wing, the A9-S convertible model injects a dose of sports performance with its high-gloss black rims, compact proportions and sleek speedster style canopy.  

The limited edition C9-S berlinetta is a cool, sophisticated sports coupe. With simulated polished aluminum wheels, a metallic roof, and pearl textured connectors, the C9-S is all revved up and ready to go across any terrain.  

In fact, all Automoblox toy cars are specifically designed to be fully interchangeable for mix’n’match play to transform into fun and unique vehicles.  

Made of German beech wood, the cars were created in collaboration with a child psychologist and are aimed at developing each child’s creative problem-solving abilities; shape and recognition skills, color matching skills and fine motor skills.

Automoblox were giving away one of each of these two new 2009 limited editions. To win either the A9-S or C9-S, readers simply had to tell us the name of the Industrial Designer who is behind Automoblox.  

Answer: Patrick Calello.

Go to www.automoblox.com to check out their stable of dream machines. Two winners were picked at random. This event was open to US residents only.

Rishi Tea

Giveaway Date: 12/17/08

The multi award-winning Rishi Tea began with the core conviction of providing gourmands an opportunity to expand and refine their palates by giving them access to some of the world’s most exceptional, artisanal teas.  

By offering superb loose-leaf tea imported directly from tea gardens across Asia, Rishi Tea sources hand-crafted teas in communities and regions where they have been producing exceptional quality leaves, in some places for over 1300 years, in the richest soils and the most conducive climates.  

In much the same way that discriminating coffee drinkers and vintners wax lyrical on the subtleties of their favored beverage, Rishi Tea endeavors to help develop a refined palate and appreciation for the natural complexity and flavors of premium tea. By sourcing from regions in which farmers and artisans often still harvest and produce tea according to ancient practices, many of the producers selected by Rishi Tea use organic cultivation techniques and Fair Trade standards that ensure quality and freshness.  

This Holiday season sees the launch of three new gift sets: the Organic Black Tea Set, Organic Green Tea Set, Organic White Tea Set.  

Rishi Tea were giving away two beautiful Organic Green Tea Sets that include: a handcrafted sky blue celadon teacup with lid and infuser; Organic Fair Trade Jasmine Green Tea; Organic Fair Trade Jade Cloud Green Tea; packaged beautifully in an eco-friendly renewable bamboo gift box.  

To win, our readers simply had to answer the question: In what year did founder Joshua Kaiser begin Rishi Tea?  

Answer: 1997.

The winners were chosen randomly. To purchase and learn more about Rishi Tea's unique and exquisite blends visit www.rishi-tea.com.

Potting Shed Creations

Giveaway Date: 12/16/08

For the past ten years Potting Shed Creations has offered products that inspire a fresh approach to gardening in the modern world. Whether you inhabit a compact urban environment or a lush rural estate, Potting Shed Creations brings greenery into your life using the most sustainable methods possible; eco-friendly ingredients, biodegradable pots, and minimal, if any, packaging.  

The Potting Shed Creations RecyclaBowls are complete container gardens that are easy on the environment. The leakproof bowls are made from 100% recycled fiber material from post-harvest straw, recycled newspaper and trimmings from the corrugated box industry.  

As well as the amaryllis bulb, the RecyclaBowls kit includes organic soil, organic coconut husks (for drainage) and growing directions: all 100% biodegradable, allowing you to celebrate gardening with a lighter footprint on the earth.  

Potting Shed Creations were giving away five of their beautiful CandyCane RecyclaBowls sets. To win, the challenge was to tell us: How many different varieties of amaryllis bulb is Potting Shed selling this holiday season?

Answer: Four: Holiday Star (red), CandyCane (red & white), Winter's Snow (white) and Butterfly Amaryllis.

The first five people who answered correctly have won!  

Go to www.pottingshedcreations.com to see their inspiring collection of Fall/Winter plants and other stunning gardening ideas.

The Cardboard Christmas Tree

Giveaway Date: 12/11/08

By resuscitating existing and used corrugated cardboard, the Cardboard Christmas Tree brings to you an environmentally loving alternative to how you would traditionally celebrate the holidays.  

With a design that is so intrinsically resourceful and expectant with possibilities, the Cardboard Christmas Tree arrives flat and ready-to-assemble. The minimal components combine and interlock to create a full tree. Also included are cardboard ornaments, however, you can decorate the assembled tree in whatever manner you like, including using your existing stash of tree paraphernalia. As each tree comes plain and unadorned, children will have a field day conjuring up ways to embellish and decorate it, whilst learning the values and benefits of recycling.  

Two Cardboard Christmas Trees were given away to two randomly chosen respondents who could name the dimensions of the fully assembled cardboard tree.

Answer: 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide.  

To purchase a tree visit www.thecardboardtree.com., The Cardboard Christmas Tree is made in the USA and a portion of the profits from sales are donated to the Arbor Day Foundation’s TREES FOR AMERICA program.

Audioengine

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Audioengine today announced the release of the Audioengine W2 Premium Wireless Adapter for iPod. A veritable "dockless dock", the Audioengine W2 turns your iPod into the Ultimate Wireless Remote, allowing you to play all your songs wirelessly from your iPod to any stereo system without any compromise in audio quality.

Plug the digital Sender into your iPod and connect the included Receiver to your stereo and you’ll have complete control of your music from your iPod. No need to learn how to work a separate remote and the AW2 is super-easy to hook up, with no batteries needed. And since you control everything right from your iPod you'll never lose another remote in the couch or go to a base station to change volume or songs.

Available from Audioengine $169.

Freeplay Energy

Giveaway Date: 12/10/08

With a core mission "To make energy available to everybody all of the time", Freeplay Energy makes no exceptions to the universality of this stated ambition.  

Whether through climatic disasters or technological blips, we are reminded time and again of our fragility and dependence on accessible energy. By using the greenest and most abundant of energy sources - solar and applied human energy – Freeplay Energy seeks to provide universal access to their self-sufficient energy products, particularly in the poorest nations and communities where such accessories are vital.  

Freeplay Energy have been pioneers in developing technology that serve the needs of all walks of humankind. Their products offer a real alternative to grid electricity or fossil fuels, so you can feel cleaner about your nature experience. What’s more, you never need to worry about buying, carrying or disposing of batteries again.  

Exceptionally stylish with a crystal-clear blue casing that make it a great conversation piece, the EyeMax Self-Sufficient AM/FM Radio with built-in flashlight houses both a solar panel and a hand-crank mechanism. It also provides the opportunity to teach children about the value of green energy, with its clear casing demonstrating how their own energy can provide them with entertainment, information and illumination – anytime, anywhere.  

Freeplay offered an EyeMax Self-Sufficient AM/FM Radio to one lucky person. To stake a claim in the eco-charge revolution, the challenge was to name the non-profit group established by Freeplay Energy that’s committed to providing technological access to poverty-ravaged peoples and nations. 

Answer: Freeplay Foundation

Go to www.freeplayenergy.com to purchase from their formidable selection of Self-Sufficient products.

LojoBall

Giveaway Date: 12/09/08

Fresh from its ICFF debut, the LoJo Ball is designed with some serious chilling in mind; whether you want to kick back with a good book, zone in to your home entertainment, shoot the breeze as you lounge with friends, use as a stool, or to simply rest your feet on.  

Its spherical shape and colorful, waterproof materials, as well as being a talking point, allow you to easily roll it around your home or take it into most any outdoor environment. Whether it’s the poolside, beach, patio, or park, unlike the flaccid, space swallowing bean-bag, the LoJo Ball has a petite footprint and comes with its own stylish tote. With a cross-woven nylon exterior and snug fleece interior, the Dusk and Dawn LoJo Balls handily provide an innovative and modern solution to the age old problem of lounging. Unzipped, the Ball becomes a stylish, comfortable lounge chair with a seat filled with beans to mold to the shape of your bottom and a back that is sculpted using a specially designed inflatable that supports your lower back.  

LoJo gave two people the chance to win a Dusk or Dawn model LoJo. To play, readers simply had to name the 2 creatures who have a LoJo Ball designed with their likeness. 

Answer: Butterfly & Gekko.

The two winners were chosen at random. To purchase from LoJo Ball’s range of unique lounging furniture, including the very sexy Mustang 69 and Mustang 70, go to www.lojoballusa.com. This event was open to US residents only.

h2o Audio

Giveaway Date: 12/03/08

H2O Audio is the world’s leading watersport music company, providing waterproof headphones and armbands designed to support a diverse range of MP3 players and music enabled phones (including Apple’s new iPhone 3G).  

Acoustically engineered to deliver exceptional clarity and bass, and waterproof to a depth of 12 feet, the new SURGE Bass Amplified Waterproof Headphones provides audio quality that is superior to many non-waterproof headphones, particularly for bass frequencies.  

Having been put through the wringer by aquatic luminaries such as Laird Hamilton, and Natalie Coughlin, the SURGE Bass Amplified Waterproof Headphones evolved from insight and feedback and fine-tuned through pioneering research and development to ensure these specialist pieces of technology could withstand any amount of rigor your training throws at them, delivering an optimal listening experience in or out of the water.  

Paired with H2O Audio’s SURGE Bass Amplified Waterproof Headphones, AMPHIBX provides the first fully integrated, wearable, watersports music solution to support a diverse range of products. Inspired by wetsuits and designed for MP3 players and phones, AMPHIBX' ergonomic shape and hybrid materials are tailored to comfortably grip and hold through any watersport stresses providing wearability for surfers, wakeboarders, kiteboarders, paddlers, and triathletes.  

To win a Surge/Amphibx bundle with swimbelt the challenge was to simply tell us: What is the depth to which the Latchtight locking closure will allow you to swim with the AMPHIBX waterproof armband?  

Answer: 3.6 meters (12 ft).

The winner was drawn randomly. 

To purchase from H2O Audio’s collection visit H2Oaudio.com.