Cracking Christmas Comps, Special Offers and Giveaways

Vegetarian Shoes always has its collective finger on the pulse of the Trendmonster, yet they're not slaves to it. Somehow, they always know how to combine the latest whims of the fashionistas with classic (yet modern) design.

Their newest masterstroke intermingles nostalgia with fresh colour and, importantly, comfort for your beleaguered tootsies. These  canvas plimsolls (I'll spare you the etymology lesson – summat to do with ships) are theft at £24.95 a pair. Choose from green, white, beige and dark grey in sizes 36-42. Keep your ethical side satisfied, too: made in an ages-old factory just outside of Budapest from 100% rubber (the soles – each one slightly unique from the next given to 'spew', which is rubber leakage and which I felt compelled to mention because I like the word 'spew') and 100% cotton.

“We want the finest shoes available to humanity (without harming non-humans*). We want them here, and we want them now!”
 
Giveaway!
Cast off cool-weather blues ready for next spring with this great giveway. Two people who correctly identify the quote I've willfully re-envisioned will each win a pair of plimsolls. Please state size and colour preference, along with your answer, to: Viva! Plimsolls Giveaway,  8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email to kat@viva.org.uk putting “Viva! Plimsolls” in subject. Closing date February 28 2010

Taste-full Nudies

No! Don't look away. Don't stop reading out of fear of an assault on your modesty. I promise we've not gone all 'dodgy Channel 4 documentary' on you. We're just enthusing about purity and virtue – honest! Those raw-kers over at Natural Balance Foods (you know – the ones what somehow make your five-a-day plenty appealing with their Trek and Nakd Bars) make magic with simple raw ingredients such as dates, nuts and spices – nothing more! How they do it is a mystery to me. If I were to try to replicate this in my own kitchen, inedible disaster would surely be the result.

All of my intrepid tasters here at HQ were filled with wonder at the little marvels. Sam, who tried the Cocoa Orange, bubbled over with praise. She said, “This counts as one of your five-a-day? I can't believe it's not chocolate!” Go steady, Sam. An ad agency might nick that one! When Felicity slapped her tastebuds onto the Ginger Bread Nudie (sorry, Felicity), she said that it was so substantial that she couldn't eat the entire bar in one go even though she wanted to. She said, “Smells amazing! The nuts make it very rich, though.” Of the same flavour, Justine said it all with three words: smells like Christmas!

If treacle toffee is your weakness, take Juliet's advice and try the Cashew Cookie and if you're hankering for the flavour of Down South (U.S.A.), I can recommend the Pecan Pie. My Texan mum used to make pecan pies for me when I was a twinkle in veganism's eye and these come close – only they aren't loaded with heart attack ingredients!

Available in four flavours (Cashew Cookie, Cocoa Orange, Ginger Bread and Pecan Pie), these 35g bars pack a nutritional karate chop at only 79p each. Find them at most major supermarkets, Holland & Barrett and local, independent health food shops nationwide.

Giveaway
Want to see if you can eat the whole bar? Send your name and address to: Viva!  Tasteful Nudies Giveaway, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email kat@viva.org.uk with “Viva!Nudies” in subject. The first three will win an 18 piece sampler pack of all varieties. Closing date February 28, 2010

TurtleWins the Race!

I think that Turtle Bags, those delicate-looking but deceptively strong string bags, were the first durable, reusable bags I recollect seeing around the time I first went vegan back in the early 90s (I am old) and now they're more or less ubiquitous – which is a very good thing, indeed!

As I continue to age (drat it – can nothing halt this blasted juggernaut?), the granny trolley looms over me like some sort of gruesome inevitability, but I really do not like tartan unless I'm going to a fancy dress party as one of the Bay City Rollers (apologies to our Scottish friends). This means that I am quite violently railing against the need to ever use a trolley, but Turtle may just have saved the day. They now produce an aesthetically-pleasing yet perfectly functional trolley which can cope with a good few bags' worth of shopping. 

When you purchase one from www.turtlebags.co.uk for £34.95, you can feel content in the knowledge that you're also supporting the Turtle Conservation Project in Rekawa, Sri Lanka where villagers are employed by the project as nest protectors.

Giveaway!

Meltdown Madness

Do you Tofutti, Cutie? If you don't have the foggiest what I'm on about, it's because I'm still recovering from the glorious taste bud explosion that is Tofutti 's Creamy Smooth Mozzarella Style alternative to cheese. Available in a hefty 200g block for the reasonable fee of £1.59, you'll get a fair few pizzas or toasties from one packet. Why limit your imagination, though? Devise your own gooey world of cheesy goodness and indulge in all of those things you thought you'd  never taste again. I have a confession: I barely made it past the 'neat' phase, 'cos I couldn't stop shoveling it in. The pizza never stood a chance! Find Tofutti Mozzarella at www.goodnessdirect.co.uk  and independent health food shops.

SPECIAL OFFER

From Baby's Bum premium natural soaps

Lavender, Citronella and Tea Tree 1000ml liquid pet shampoo FREE with all orders over 10.

Lavender, Citronella and Tea Tree 500ml liquid pet shampoo FREE sample, just send 3.00 P+P.

Please note this offer only applies to liquid pet shampoo Lavender, Citronella and Tea Tree fragrance.

• Hand made
• No animal ingredients
• No animal testing
• Completely natural
• Fully biodegradable

If It's Got a Face Hoody

Get yourself a strikingly ethical organic cotton hoody printed with our best-selling slogan. Now comes in a close-fit size for women or hoody-loving youths (not that we condone thuggery) who prefer a snugger fit and it's affordable, too, at 24.50! a) close-fit small b) close-fit medium c) unisex small d) unisex medium e) unisex large Order from the Viva! Shop for 24.50 plus p+p by visiting www.viva.org.uk/shop or by calling 0117 944 1000.

Zig-a-zig Chicza     

Forgive me for invoking the Spice Girls, but I've been set alight (not literally – that would contravene health & safety) by Chicza gum and my brain clearly cannot cope with the sensation. To read the ingredients list on the backs of most packets of chewing gum is enough to send one into an irreversible spiral of despair right there in the queue at the till. Does anyone fancy some mouth-watering Acesulfame K?  Sounds like a planet waiting to be discovered! Let's not dwell on the old-school, however, when we have people who are actually pushing things forward. Chicza is comprised of Powdered organic evaporated cane juice (37%), organic gum base (35%), (contains E170 Calcium carbonate), organic glucose (24%), organic agave syrup (3%), organic flavour. Get your Mint, Spearmint or Lime flavour from the Viva! Shop for a reasonable £1.30 plus p+p by visiting www.viva.org.uk/shop or by calling 0117 944 1000.

Hip Hip Hip-No-Sis Designed and delivered by vegan hypnotherapist and very nice person Gill Webb to help people to help themselves by relaxing and focusing on starting to lose weight and on becoming slimmer and fitter, the Slimmer, Fitter You discs could drastically improve both your health and your life. The first CD instructs the listener to review what's in the pantry and highlights the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' in terms of vegan food and drink. Using hypnosis, the second CD utilises multiple layesr of tailored audio effects and hypnotherapy principles to help the individual take action to lose weight and develop a healthy relationship with food. Ultra Hypnosis offers a useful range of CDs. Single CDs cost 12 and doubles are an inexpensive investment into the rest of your life at 18. If you're a tech-head, you can download singles for 6.99 and doubles for 9.99. See the full range at www.ultrahypnosis.co.uk Giveaway! Why wait for a new year to discard bad habits? Four lucky souls will each win a copy of Slimmer, Fitter You. Send your name and address to: Viva! Hypnotise Me, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email kat@viva.org.uk with "Viva! Hypnotise Me" in the subject. Closing date February 28 2010

Brau-nie Points As know, it can be difficult enough to find a refreshing beer at the best of times especially if you, like me, are a bit of an unabashed Ale Snob and you also prefer an organic tipple, but you're not a member of the la-di-da wine set. Imagine, if you will, combining all of that fastidiousness with an allergy to gluten. I have no such intolerance, but I rejoiced to hear about Schnitzer Brau. German beer artistry converges with organic millet to produce a fragrant, lightly-hopped lager with a pronounced but clipped bitterness and an almond-y finish. Alright, so it sounds more summery than wintry. Just drop a lime into your frosty glass of Schnitzer Brau, lie back and think of the south of France. To imbibe one of your very own, order from www.mynaturesmaid.com or telephone 0208 133 4881.

Again & again Looking for the ideal Eco-Friendly Christmas Stocking Filler ?? …take5nets eliminate the plastic/paper bags used when we shop for fruit & vegetables. They are food contact approved and fully washable.  Minimise food waste as fruit & vegetables stay fresh longer when stored in these strong nets. Visit www.againanda-gain.com for more information. Quote code VIVA and you will receive a 5% discount on any items bought through their website.