Walk To School Week

 Walk to School Week 2012 will take place between 21st-25th May this year. Last year an astounding 1.6 million children in over 6000 schools ditched the school run as part of Walk to School Week. We think this sounds great and a great chance to embrace the weather (even if it’s raining), don the trainers and get the kids excited about walking.

Did you know that if we all swapped one car journey a week for walking instead, car traffic levels would reduce by at least 10%! Walking has so many indirect environmental benefits, from reducing carbon dioxide levels, to showing more interest into urban public spaces. So why not help preserve the environment by joining in on the walk to school fun!

A pollution free week would not be the same however, without an equally eco-chic bag to take with whilst you’re on the school run (or walk, as it will be). At For Keeps we have searched worldwide for some of the most stylish and versatile eco-friendly bags and shoppers. Such as The Reisenthel City Rucksack, a combination of shopper and backpack for all eventualities. This super versatile bag is smart enough for work, and practical enough for the walk to school run. It comes in a range of great colours too.

Check out our site for our full range of eco-friendly products to help you celebrate Walk to School Week 2012 in style!

Find us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all our latest product offers and enviro-news.

Top Tips for Earth Day 2012

Earth day falls on April 22^nd and is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. It is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year, and this year we want to share with

you some key tips to adhere to so you can do your bit for the earth:

1. Turn off all lights and sources of power when they are not in use. This may sound obvious, that conserving energy helps the environment, but many people don’t actually do this. By simply reducing the amount of energy used each day, this is known to significantly prevent global warming.
2. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE!! Yes you have probably heard this so many times, but did you know that by recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually?! So It is important to do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables.
3. Encourage Others to Conserve. Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment. Why not buy one our fashion forward shopper for one of your friends to help them make their start at going green..

At For Keeps we want to help you help the environment, so we have searched everywhere for the most eco-chic reusable products to make shopping much easier.

The Reisenthel Easy Shopping Bag not only looks fabulous but also folds down into a small, umbrella-shaped pouch that you can easily slip into your own bag so that you always keep it handy.

Unlike other eco-shoppers out there, this reusable shopping bag has the trademark Reisenthel strong frame that can carry even your heaviest groceries.

Another great way to cut down on supermarket plastic bags is the Reisenthel Collapsible Shopping Box. This is a super stylish and convenient way to bring your purchases into the house.

The box also folds flat for easy storage and pops right up to an amazing volume of 43L! And with its sturdy sides and colourful fabric, it doubles up as an ingenious storage box for around the house!

And why not use our Reisenthel Bottle Bag to carry around bottles to and from home.

The strong material will keep your bottles secure in their place and the 9 large individual pockets will help avoid any distracting clanging noise on the journey home. Use this in conjunction with one of our reusable bags for the perfect green solution!

This year around the globe more than one billion people will participate to voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Are you going to be one of them?

Check out our site for our full range of eco-friendly products to help you celebrate Earth Day in style!

Find us on Facebook too and Twitter to keep up to date with all our latest product offers and enviro-news.

Fun Family Easter Activities

The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming, which can only mean one thing, spring is finally here! And with spring, comes one of our favourite holidays, Easter. Easter is a great time to see the family, spring clean the house and get ready for the summer days ahead.

The Easter holidays fall a little earlier this year, and we know that For Keeps customers are always on the look out for fresh ideas, so here are a few of our favourites to make sure you know exactly what is going on this April.

Where: Battersea Park Zoo
When: 31^st March - 8^th April, 2012

What: Battersea Park is home to a special children's zoo, with plenty to see and do. Check out all the animals whilst you hunt for the eggs located throughout the site. You can even purchase a quiz sheet, and use the clues to hunt for the Easter eggs in order to claim a fun prize.

Cost: Entry to the Easter egg hunt costs £1.50 and includes a prize. Admission to the zoo is £7.95 for adults, £6.50 for children aged 2 - 15, and £26.00 for a family ticket.

For more information, visit their site.

Where: Kew Gardens

When: 31^st March- 15^th April, 2012

What: Unveiled specially for Easter is the interactive Mayan chocolate adventure trail which takes families around the gardens and through 3,000 years of history. Kids can collect crayon rubbings of all the Mayan symbols on the trail to unlock the secret password and learn all about the ingredients the ancient people used for their spicy chocolate drink. Easter Sunday itself is the day of the Easter egg hunt at Kew. Kids can search around the gardens and collect tokens to be exchanged for an Easter chocolate treat, or head to the Temple of Imagination for a storytelling session. The Easter egg hunt takes place on Sunday 8th April 2012.

Cost: £11.90-£13.90. Kids under 17 go free.

For more information call Kew Gardens at 020 8332 5655, or visit their site.

Where: WWT London Wetland Centre

When: 31^st March- 15^th April, 2012

What: Kids can take part in a series of duck related activities over the Easter at the London Wetland Centre, with staff on hand to explain how ducklings develop inside their eggs. Over the Easter holidays you can also see some of the newly hatched ducklings take their first swim in the paddling pool. There's also the chance to take part in a pond dipping session to discover more about the creatures swimming under the surface of the water.

Cost: Adult admission £10.99, Kids £6.10

For more information on what's going on at the Wetland Centre, visit their site.

We are having trouble deciding which ones to go, because they all sound like great fun! What we are not having trouble with, however, is what the kids are going to be using to collect their scrumptious chocolate eggs. At For Keeps we have found the most ideal play basket, perfect for carrying home all the eggs and prizes from a fun day out. The basket is available is a playful bubble-gum pink and kiwi-green, and comes with an integrated cover that will ensure the chocolate eggs and cuddly toys stay safe and dry, whatever the weather! At just £15, it is the perfect Easter treat. Bright, beautiful and functional.

And remember, Easter's not just for kids; there are lots of Easter treats for grown-ups too!

So why not check out our adults carrybag basket, so you too can carry home all your chocolate eggs and other Easter goodies in one ultra-light, ultra-chic basket. Priced at £30, the Reisenthel carrybag basket comes in a range of cool colours and patterns, and has the charm of an olden-day basket with the practicality that we need in today’s world.

Visit our site to make a purchase, or why not join us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest For-Keeps news.

Have a Happy Easter from all of us at For Keeps.