A Green Love

February 10, 2012 by 1 Comment

Bag the Habbit Reusable Gift Bag image courtesy of Reuseit.com

I’ll start by saying that you don’t have to spend any money to celebrate your love. You can show how much you care by giving them your time and attention. You can also make handmade cards and gifts for those your Valentines.

For those looking for something to give that aren’t the arts and crafts type, here are some ideas with an environmental plus.

1. Vintage, estate and second-hand jewelry. This has become one of my favorite new things. Check antique stores, pawn shops or even a local jewelry store. One of my favorite jewelry stores locally has a wonderful selection of second-hand jewelry. If you live in the Chippewa Valley sneak a peak in Williams Diamond’s window or Eclectica on Grand.

2. A red, pink or purple reusable bag would be fun and in the spirit of the day of love.

3. Look for the same color theme in a reusable water bottle.

4. Buy organic flowers, or if you cannot find those, how about flowers from your favorite local shop.

5. Give the gift of chocolate, but not any chocolate, organic and Fair Trade chocolate. Another option is locally crafted chocolate. My favorite sweet spot in Eau Claire is Obsession Chocolates. The chocolates and sweet treats are often made with local and organic ingredients and love. Look around your town for a homegrown chocolatier.

6. Treat your guy to a cozy and eco-friendly fleece made with 41 percent recycled fiber from Patagonia in passionate red. Remember, Patagonia encourages you to buy its used clothing on ebay. Patagonia also recycles clothes.

7. How about a gift with a cause? Send a “Bee Mine Valentine,” as Heifer International writes on its page. Send a gift of honeybees to a family in need. The family uses the bees to start a business which then feeds, clothes and educates the family.

8. Cook those you love a beautiful, sustainable meal with local and seasonal ingredients. This is truly a way to say “I love you.”

9. The perennial favorite for Valentine’s Day is sleepwear and lingerie. Make those sweet nothings organic this year.

10. What romantic evening would be complete without some touches like massage oil and candles. You can find green versions of both of these. After all, why end your organic and eco-friendly evening with petroleum or chemical based anything? I’m certain you can find both the oil and candles locally.  In the Chippewa Valley Just Local Foods carries beeswax candles.

Filed Under: Holiday, Local, Organic, Reduce and Reuse, Uncategorized, Upcycled Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Back-to-School in a Green Way

August 12, 2011 by 2 Comments

Image courtesy of Naked Binder

Parents and kids are starting to wander around stores with lists and glazed eyes, yes, back-to-school is in the air. As a parents, there are days I look forward to BTS, but being a student myself, I also dread it.

The down side of BTS is the cost and the long list of less than eco-friendly supply requirements. Each year I struggle to find green products to replace the vinyl laden, plastic filled things. I have some suggestions to green that list. I also have a few websites that may help you if you can’t find green substitutes for the traditional requirements in your town.

1. Recycled paper instead of virgin-sourced paper. Try to get as close to 100 percent recycled, post-consumer paper as you can in notebooks, folders, loose leaf paper and printer paper.

2. Seek out recycled content plastic products in scissors, rulers, pencil boxes, and binders.

3. Mine your old junk drawers for items that can be reused, like last year’s scissors and ruler.

4. Try to find crayons made with beeswax or soy instead of petroleum.

5. Look for pens, markers and highlighters made from recycled plastic.

6. There are pencils made from old denim, recycled newspaper and FSC-certified wood products.

7. Pack a waste-free lunch.

8. Avoid nasty vinyl products like binders and cheap, nearly disposable, backpacks.

9. Invest in quality and, even better, recycled content backpacks.

10. Spread the green, waste-free message at your child’s school.

Image courtesy of Reuseit

Naked Binder carries eco-friendly binders, tabs and folders.

The Ultimate Green Store carries eco-friendly school supplies and waste-free lunch items.

Reuseit carries all sorts of sustainable products ranging from reusable water bottles, waste-free lunch products to eco office supplies and reusable shopping bags.

Filed Under: Environment, Health, Recycling, Reduce and Reuse Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Help Make It Right

March 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Have you heard of Make It Right? Brad Pitt started the foundation after devastation hit New Orleans and the lower 9th Ward from Hurricane Katrina. The foundation helps families that lost their homes in the levee breach, rebuild their homes, but not just any homes, green homes.

The levee broken when a barge broke loose and rammed into the levee. Insurance companies said that the waters were part of the storm surge and not covered by flood insurance. This left many people with no way to rebuild. After two years, the neighborhood was still devastated. After touring the area Brad Pitt vowed to help the families and “make it right.”

All the homes are green homes with solar panels. These are some of the features of the homes being built: energy efficient, roof hatches, metal roofs, elevated, Kevlar storm fabric, zero-VOC materials, rainwater harvesting, spray foam insulation, low-E glass, low-flow plumbing, mold-resistant drywall, and the list goes on and on.

I just came back from New Orleans.  While there, I was able to visit the 9th Ward and see these new, green homes. Our fantastic tour guide, Bernadine, lost a her home in Hurricane Katrina. She is passionate about this program, and with good reason. I left the 9th Ward saddened, but inspired.

Please consider making a donation to Make It Right or purchasing Make It Right gear like T-shirts and hats.

Concrete that allows rainwater to pass through and soak into the ground

Learn more about Make It Right and the work it is doing.

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency, Environment, Home Toxins Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Green Cocktails

January 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Want to find a way to green your evening cocktail?  I found a couple vodkas at a local store to help you do just that.

The first vodka is called Prairie Organic Vodka.  It is made in Benson, Minnesota from organic corn grown nearby.  It is also gluten-free.  The parent company of Prairie is the Phillips Distilling Company.  Food and Wine Magazine named Prairie the best new vodka in 2009.  Its Facebook page says it won the Double Gold Award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) in 2008, but I looked at the PDF from that year and I could not find it listed anywhere.  I did find it listed as a Bronze Medal winner in 2010.

Vodka 360 is the other vodka I came across.  McCormick Distilling is its parent company.  This vodka is not organic.  My best guess is that it is made from GMO grains, which is not eco-friendly.  I do applaud 360 for the green initiatives it is taking such as: using recycled paper in labeling, using recycled glass in the bottles, reusing the swing-top caps, purchasing renewable energy certificates, and using biodiesel.

I found other organic vodkas online.  Rain Organic Vodka which won a Double Gold at the SFWSC in 2008. Sazerac Company of New Orleans is the parent company.

Square One Organic Vodka is made from organic American rye.  Square One also uses wind power in its production and purchases carbon offset credits for air travel.  This is a smaller, family owned business. 

Crop Organic Vodka is another organic vodka on the market.  Its parent company is Chatham Imports Inc. 

Ocean Vodka is made in Hawaii using organic cane sugar, and desalinated water from 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean.  The company also uses other sustainable initiatives in its business.

Vodka 14 is organic, and uses sustainable practices in the bottling process.  It has also won a Silver Medal in the SFWSC twice, and other taste awards.

Kanon Organic Vodka is a Swedish vodka that is produced with ingredients that are locally sources, everything is from within three miles of the distillery.  Kanon also uses power produced by wind, water and steam from the fermentation process. 

Braeside Farms Vodka is made in Oregon with its own estate grown potatoes and barley.  Braeside Farms also distills whiskey, honey liqueur and topinambur (a sunchoke vodka). It is a very small, what they call nano, distillery.

Another Oregon distiller is Organic Nation, or O-N.  O-N Vodka is made organically and sustainably.  O-N also makes gin. Both the vodka and gin have won taste awards from SFWSC.

I also found CapRock Organic Vodka, Pure Green Organic Vodka and Purus Vodka.  I was surprised by the number of organic vodkas I found online.  It would be great to see all these available in locally.  In my search I also found organic gin and whiskey.  Most of the companies seem to be doing multiple things sustainably.  Some companies even donate regularly to environmental causes.

Just think, if you add your own organic mixer, and reuse or recycle everything you have made a difference, and had fun.  Who says going green is boring?  Not me.

I have not personally tried any of these vodkas, but next time I buy vodka I will give one a try.  In order to visit any of the sites you must be 21 or older.  And remember, drink responsibly.

Filed Under: Organic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Green Tribute

September 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I pause today to remember those that lost their lives nine years ago.  So much tragedy occurred and so many lives were forever changed.  Heroes of that day and the weeks that followed also changed lives, for the better.  We can’t all erect tall monuments and statues, but many of us could plant a green tribute. Planting a tree would be a lasting and positive way to memorialize 9/11.  A tree is one option for a memorial, but it could be any plant if there is no space for a tree.  A small garden, a shrub, a perennial, a potted plant on a deck or patio, or even a plant in the kitchen are all ways to show that one will never forget.

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Fashionable Lunch

September 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Koko Lunch Bag

Image courtesy of Reuseit and Koko

Are you looking for a more stylish and sustainable way to carry your lunch?  Stop brown-bagging it and start stylish-bagging it.  There is quite a large selection of fashionable and insulated lunch bags in a variety of materials and styles.  Some of these bags are more eco-friendly in their production, but they are all an improvement over a bag that is thrown away each day.  A reusable bag also encourages other reusables in your lunch such as:  cloth napkins, real or travel silverware,  reusable straws, and reusable food containers.  You can be the chicest of the chic with your new fashionable lunch bag while also being green.

Reuseit – Koko Lunch Bags

The Ultimate Green Store – GreenSmart Lunch Bag

Distinctive Decor – Lunch Bags

Reuseit – Lunch

Kids Konserve – Waste-Free Lunch Kit

Litter Free Lunch

Filed Under: Food, Recycling, Reduce and Reuse Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Let’s Toast to the Death of the McMansion

September 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I know, that sounds a bit mean spirited, but does anyone really need a home that is over 7,000 square feet?  That is the definition of a McMansion, a newer home over 7,000 square feet (I’ve also read 3,000, 4,000 and 5,000).  Yikes!  How do you find the people you share that house with?  Chances are there’s only two to four of you rattling around in all that space.  According to Barbara Corcoran, a contributor to the Today Show, the glory days of the McMansion are over.  She says many of us “wacky” folks are paying attention to our carbon footprint.  The exact quote is “…people are actually more socially aware of their carbon footprint, as wacky as that sounds, and they feel irresponsible having a big house.”  I have to say this statement drives me crazy.  Why, oh, why Barbara is it “wacky” to be aware of ones carbon footprint?  Shouldn’t we, Americans in particular, be aware of our carbon footprint?  Shouldn’t we be conscious of how many resources we are using, wasting and destroying with our lifestyle?  We should all realize everything we do takes energy and creates pollution.  I’m not suggesting we all start living in a caves, but most of us could do MUCH better on our carbon footprint. I think about how I consume every day, and struggle with being greener, yes, Green Girl struggles with being green. I know I should be living in a smaller home than I do currently, so I take many steps to improve the efficiency of that home.  I hope someday everyone is “wacky” enough to care about their carbon footprint. So, let’s raise our glass filled with organically grown wine to the idea of well-built, human-sized homes.  Cheers!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Nice Green Surprise

August 31, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I had a nice surprise while staying in Minneapolis across from the Target Center; a green roof.  The entire roof of the Target Center is a green roof.  I applaud the center for installing a truly green feature such as this.  By installing a green roof there is a reduction of rainwater runoff, and the building’s energy demand for cooling.  I’m sure those energy savings have been appreciated this particularly hot summer.  A green roof also lessens the heat island effect.  It would be wonderful if the Target Center’s neighbors followed suit.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Eco School Supplies And More

August 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year, back-to-school.  I know, we have mixed feelings about this time of year.  Most kids are groaning, and parents are secretly cheering (one can only take the sibling bickering or hear “I’m bored” so many times).  So how do you plan on greening your children’s school year?  There are things you can do to reduce their carbon footprint.  How about starting with how your kids get to school.  Many people drive their kids to school every day.  Now, sometimes this is necessary, when there are circumstances like a ridiculously early bus, no public transportation where you live, or heavy instruments that need hauling.  In those instances it’s best if you can at least car-pool.

What else can you do?  If your kids take their own lunch, then a waste-free lunch is the way to go.  Numerous companies both online and in physical retail sites have water bottles, lunch bags, lunch boxes, cloth napkins, sporks, GoToobs, reusable lunch containers and reusable non-plastic lunch pouches.  A great place to look in your town is at your local natural foods store or co-op.  If you can’t find what you need in town then I have a list of online stores where you can find what you need.

So, transportation and lunch are covered, what else?  How about the all important school supplies?  Try to replace the typical non-recycled or petroleum-based supplies with recycled content and non-petro based products.  Here is a list of products: recycled content notebooks, upcycled wrapper folders and notebooks, upcycled wrapper pencil pouches, recycled plastic pencil boxes,  recycled denim or newspaper pencils, stapleless staplers, recycled plastic scissors, solar calculators, soy or bees-wax based crayons, solar backpacks or messenger bags, recycled PET backpacks, well, you are starting to get the idea.  Maybe you can’t afford to buy all these items, but maybe you can get a few.

If nothing else, stop wasting your money and poisoning your home with cheap, disposable PVC backpacks.   A few years ago I made the switch to good quality backpacks for my kids.  PVC or polyvinyl chloride off-gasses for years and contributes to poor indoor air quality.  Think about your child having this toxic substance strapped to their back.  Plus, most of those cheap backpacks fall apart halfway through the school year and then sit in landfulls (yes, I meant landfulls) for a millennium.

The following is a list of websites and resources to help you green back-to-school.

The Ultimate Green Store

Reuseit

Posh Pouches

Kids Konserve

TerraCycle

Life Without Plastic

eBags-Recycled Backpacks

Green Peace-How to Find and Avoid Toxin Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home

The Nature Conservancy-Enviro Tips

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Jack Johnson:Great Music from A Super Green Guy

July 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The other night I had the privilege of seeing Jack Johnson in concert.  He played in Somerset, WI at River’s Edge, which is an outdoor venue.  Jack Johnson is a wonderful musician.  He is also a very green guy.  Jack Johnson records his music with solar energy, which gives the cleanest recording sound because there is no fluctuation in power to create background distortion.  He also belongs to 1% For The Planet, which means he gives at least 1% of revenue to environmental causes.  For the concert, he encouraged attendees to carpool, take public transportation, or bike to the concert.  At the concert, water fountains were in place for people to refill their own reusable bottles, there were booths set up so people could buy CO2 offsets,  or donate to non-profits.  Great, little, recycled paper booklets were handed out that were full of information on how to take actions to be more sustainable and green.  I believe Jack Johnson is someone who is actually walking the walk of a more sustainable life.  On top of all that, he puts on an amazing show.  If you have an opportunity, go see Jack Johnson in concert.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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