Seven Planet

It is pretty clear…the simplest products are the best products.  Think of the value you get and the simplicity of using a pencil or a Frisbee or a pair of sunglasses.  Each provides a critical utility (i.e. pencil = communication; Frisbee = activity; sunglasses = visibility), but each is a highly simplistic product that can last for decades and essentially anyone can find value in them.  Welcome the newest great simple product…the Lunchskins, the permanent sandwich bag replacement.

We have been talking a lot about this product and the company that invented it, 3 green moms, ever since we were their initial distributor in Oregon.  The product is available in the three primary sizes of sandwich and snack bags, are dishwasher safe and are made of certified food-safe fabric.  They are lead-free, bpa-free and phthalate-free and are hand-sewn in the USA.  Finally, they are beyond affordable, especially since you will eventually break even on them.

seven planet patrons starting buying the Lunchskins at a pretty good pace in 2009, but this year it has been insane.  Every mom that walks into a seven planet store or that visits the site seems to get them.  They then love them so much they tell their friends and they walk in and get a set or two.  In turn, this simple little product has become our bestseller both in the stores and on the site.  Last month alone we sold over 30 sets on our site to moms all over the country and even internationally.  We ran out of stock just once…we won’t let that happen again.

It is truly the next great simple product.  So, just like the Frisbee, the name of the product that launched a new product category, we think Lunchskins will be name by which all permanent sandwich bags will be called.  We think they can do it…we are just here to help.

CleanWell hand sanitizers are made with a patented formulation of essential plant oils lab proven to kill 99.99 percent of the harmful germs. CleanWell is the only hand sanitizer that is all-natural and alcohol-free. The ingredients in CleanWell are safe for kids, non-toxic, and come from rapidly renewable resources that grow abundantly worldwide.

West Paw Design manufactures the highest quality dog and cat toys and bedding available, made in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, in the good ol’ U.S. of A. We are a small but mighty company dedicated not only to creating safe, fun, and durable products for your pets.


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Yes, it’s a cube. Yet once you put this most-basic Way Basics piece together, you’ll find dozens of uses for it. It’ll be a cubby to store toys, magazines, DVDs or books in. Use it as a source for your creative genius by decorating with storage bins, stickers and more. The Cube is fun, functional and the first building block to creating your own customized furniture ideas.


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All of Little Green Radical’s products are made with the highest quality 100% Fair Trade-certified organic cotton and are completely Fair Trade.


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The designer of Alchemy Goods had a problem: his messenger bag was stolen and he needed a new one. Instead of purchasing one, he designed and sewed a new bag out of what was lying around his apartment – inner tubes. This creative alchemist turned useless into useful. We appreciate AG’s commitment to upcycling as well as the detail, care, and incredible design that goes into each item they make. To date more than 150,000 inner tubes have been reclaimed in to eco-friendly accessories!


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Soft, natural and eco-friendly, these luxurious wraps are made from 100% renewable bamboo. These generously-sized luxurious wraps are made from bamboo pulp fabric. Choose from a and elegant palette of 5 colors. Unlike other, more expensive wraps, they will not pill or fade and are extraordinarily soft.

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Once our brightly colored nested set of Preserve Mixing Bowls joins your household, it will be difficult to imagine life without it. The easy-to-grip handles and funnel spouts make stirring, mashing and pouring a snap. And because the bowls are made of heavy-duty recycled #5 plastic, they not only stay steady on the countertop, but also can handle thousands of washings.

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As seen in O Magazine – These reusable, colorful sandwich bags are made from a high quality, moisture-proof German fabric used worldwide in the food industry. These reusable bags are food safe, extremely durable, grease-proof and can even be thrown in the dishwasher. Lunchskins come in a set of two and are perfect for lunch or snack pairings of fruit, sandwiches or chips.


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Over the last year and a half my wife and I became regular coffee drinkers.  For those of you who drink coffee on a daily basis know what this means.  We have never been the 3 to 6 cups a day type people, but rather are one single cup a day.  However those individual cups are nearly always a sizable specialty coffee (e.g. 16oz. half-caff vanilla latte).  So it is pretty much the quantity, cost, and caffeine impact of a couple of traditional cups.  So, we really started seeing the impact both to the pocketbook as well as to the planet.

We found ourselves having to recycle, and even throw away, paper coffee cups and sleeves on a daily basis.  We found ourselves spending up to $7 a day (that is $210 a month and about $2500 a year) on the beverages and we found ourselves in line for many minutes a day (that is hours a week and about two days a year).  What would we do with $2500 and two days back at the end of a year if we stopped drinking coffee?  Well the answer is that we would simply find another way to spend those dollars and would fill the time with more things already neglected in our lives.  Besides, we were not ready to give up coffee as it is one of our beverage treats that keep the day and life more enjoyable.

However, it got us thinking about bringing our coffee making “in house”.  To start with we got a simple and inexpensive coffee machine, which we probably broke even on within two weeks.  Then we had find an amazing coffee that was equal to, or better than, anything we have received at our regular spots.  We wanted a coffee that would have a positive impact on the planet and that had the earth and the people that farm it as its primary priority.  Fortunately, Panagea Organica was at seven planet and they are local, organic and fair trade.  They have an amazing founding team, supports local community events and their coffee is superb.

So, we started going to seven planet and getting our custom blend of half caffeinated (roasted utilizing a hot air bed) and half de-caffeinated (de-caffeinated through a water process that is 100% chemical free) Panagea Organica blend for around $11 and it lasts for about two weeks.  We have one very large and very delicious cup a day and all we add is organic creamer and some organic pure cane sugar.  It sincerely tastes as good as any specialty cup we have had and we can sip it on our back porch in a ceramic mug passed down from a friend.  We are now saving a ton of coin, a lot of time and a little bit of the planet all in parallel.