Over Coffee - the green edition

3 R Friday

2011-08-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of items you buy for back-to-school.

Take a look at last year's items, if they are still in good shape don't buy more. (Book bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, pencils, notebooks, clothes)

Reuse: Reuse jeans by patching or sewing.

Cut and sew into shorts, skirts, or bags.
Patch and wear some more.

Recycle: Recycle your denim jeans with Cottonfrombluetogreen.org .

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

2011-08-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce school lunch waste by eliminating single serving items from the lunches you pack.

Say No to juice boxes, single wrapped cheese sticks, bags of chips & cookies, individual serving containers of apple sauce, yogurt, & pudding.
Buy in bulk and pack in reusable containers.
Save $ and reduce waste!

Reuse: Reuse food containers as storage containers. Wash and reuse.

Also great to send left-overs home with family and friends.

Recycle: Recycle hearing aids at the Lions Club .

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 3

2011-08-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

The past 2 posts have given you some information about the collection program now I will share some information about the insulation that the denim is turned into.

The Cotton From Blue to Green.® denim drive is a call-to-action to donate denim and give it “new life” by converting it into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation. The insulation is then provided to communities in need to assist with building efforts.

UltraTouch™ is composed of 85% recycled cotton fibers and is an environmentally safe, non-itch insulation without carcinogenic warnings, formaldehyde or chemical irritants.

UltraTouch™ provides exceptional thermal performance and acoustically provides 30% better sound absorption than traditional fiberglass insulation. In addition, it is one of the only insulating products that contain an active mold/mildew inhibitor.

UltraTouch™ is a Class-A Building Product and meets the highest ASTM testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, fungi resistance and corrosiveness.

UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation contains 90% post-consumer recycled natural fibers making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to use a high quality sustainable building material.

Another avenue for distribution, at the end of 2010, Cotton launched a Grant Program for architects, contractors, builders and project developers to apply for grants of UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation for community-based green buildings.

To learn more about the Grant Program or to register online, click here.

There is still time to apply for this wonderful grant. I encourage you to share the information with building contractors you may know.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has sent denim to the The Cotton From Blue to Green.® denim drive or who has started a collection drive of their own!

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 2

2011-08-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Now you can make your "not good enough for anyone to wear" clothes pile smaller too!

The Cotton From Blue to Green.® program is now collecting denim through the mail.

Limit package(s) to a MAXIMUM of 100 pieces of denim per parcel.
You are responsible for the cost of mailing your denim.
Make sure your mailing package is strong enough to support the amount of denim you're putting in it.
Only denim items can be sent.
Any type of denim apparel (not just jeans) is accepted.
Colored denim is acceptable.
Organic denim is acceptable.
The denim does not have to be 100% cotton - it may contain a percentage of another fiber
Denim may be mailed in any type of condition - it can contain rips, holes, etc.
You do not need to remove anything from your denim. All decorations including buttons,
grommets, snaps, zippers, etc. are removed during the recycling process.
You may download a mailing address label or make certain to label your package exactly as indicated.
Contact Cotton From Blue to Green with any additional questions including how to start a denim collection drive!

2011-08-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Learn how you can earn a free Kids Konserve Lunch Sac

Help Reuseit.com Donate Lunch Gear to Those in Need

2011-08-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Reposted from Reusit.com Blog:

Last year, as many of us in the office were signing our kids up for their first year of school, we noticed that our school supply lists included optional donations of items like back packs, lunch bags and water bottles for children in need.

It really got us talking - with so many affordable waste-free lunch items in our store, why not pick up an extra lunch bag or set of utensils for our kids' classmates?

So we did! And we're doing the same this year.

We encourage our customers to also consider purchasing an extra lunch bag, reusable water bottle or other back-to-school essential for a child in need.
Additionally, for the second year in a row, we're donating $500 worth of lunch gear to a school chosen by you!

To nominate a school, leave a comment on Reusit's blog post, or visit our Facebook page and tell us about a school that could benefit from a $500 lunch gear donation. (Be sure that we can contact you via email from your comment or Facebook post in case your nominated school wins!)

We'll consider your suggestions and choose a winning school or class at the end of August.

Giving back is part of what we do - to date, we've donated over $200,000 to like-minded non-profits.

Click here to read about our donation to last year's winner.

Looking for more information on waste-free lunches and how to help your school go green? Check out these resources:

Eco-Schools USA (Program bringing environmental awareness to schools)
5 Steps to a Waste-Free Lunch
Top 10 Picks for Back to School
Disposable Lunch Item Facts
How to Raise Money for Your School

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 1

2011-08-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you have been forcing your children to try on every piece of clothing they have to determine what still fits and what doesn't so the "School Shopping Fun" can begin.

My children's clothes always get sorted into 3 piles; still nice enough to wear, nice enough for others to wear, and not in good enough shape for anyone to wear.
This last pile is the one that I struggle with.
I can never bring myself to throw this pile away because it always seems like I should be able to "use" it for something.

A while back I learned of a program that recycles denim but they had stopped taking donations. I decided to look them up again to see if maybe they had started again. Sure enough, they had.

The Cotton From Blue to Green.® program is a grass roots program that takes denim donations and turns the material into insulation that is used for communities in need. Here is some information about the program:

The Cotton From Blue to Green.® denim drive is a call-to-action to donate denim and give it “new life” by converting it into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation. The insulation is then provided to communities in need to assist with building efforts.

The Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive was first created in 2006 as part of Cotton Incorporated’s groundbreaking collegiate mobile marketing initiative Cotton's Dirty Laundry Tour®. The Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive served as a grassroots student-run campaign to educate college coeds about the natural, renewable and recyclable attributes of denim.

In its first year, the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive doubled initial collection estimates — a total of 14,566 pieces of denim were collected nationwide. College students across the U.S. rallied their campuses and surrounding communities for donations.

To date, the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive program has received over half a million pieces of denim. This results in approximately 1.5 million square feet of UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation to assist with building efforts for communities in need.

Since the start of the Cotton. From Blue to Green.® denim drive program in 2006, the insulation has been distributed to Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the country.

What a wonderful way to keep those torn, worn-out, don't fit anymore jeans out of the landfill while, at the same time, helping those in need.

Now my "not good enough for anyone to wear" pile just got a little smaller!

EcoSmart Ant Killer

2011-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I came home to find a swarm of ants in our garage. I have no idea what they were after but there were hundreds of them along the garage door opening.

After my initial shock I remembered that I still had some EcoSMART Ant Killer so I grabbed my can and sprayed away.

Within seconds they were all dead and the garage was left with only a pleasant peppermint like smell.
That is when I remember just how much I like this product.

Here is some information about the products from a past review I wrote.

EcoSMART is an organic pesticide and natural insect repellent company which carries non-toxic products that are both child and pet friendly.

EcoSMART products are based on the natural defenses that plants and trees have used for their self protection against insects and pathogens for millenia - essential oils.

Since EcoSMART’s proprietary botanical oil blends attack attributes that are specific only to pests, they do not effect people, pets or the environment.

The primary active ingredients in EcoSMART products are approved as Direct Food Additives or classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

These oils are commonly used to add flavor and aroma to many cosmetic, beverage and food products, including cake, candy, sweetener, gum, soft drinks, and lipstick. Children and pets are safe. No need to clear them out after application or be concerned if they are near our products. EcoSMART products have no adverse effect on mammals, birds, and fish and also will not contaminate water sources.

Why are EcoSMART's Botanical Products A Better Choice:

Targets Insects: Not People or the Environment
Made from organic plant oils
Safe to use around children and pets
No pesticide residue
Unprecedented Margin of Safety
Extremely Effective Against a Broad Spectrum of Insect Pests
No Known Pest Resistance Issues
Cost Effective and Easy-To-Use Versus Conventional Products
Performance Comparable to Conventional Products
Naturally safe and effective

Some other note worthy features:

Has a pleasant natural scent
Can is recyclable
Made in the USA
Contains ingredients such as peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, mineral oil, and canola oil
No CFCs
Is still an insecticide so good safety and storage practices should be followed

Here is a list of some EcoSMART products:
Ant & Roach Killer
Wasp and Hornet Killer
Flying Insect Killer
Insect Repellent

Just recently I saw these products in my local grocery store which is wonderful.

If you have the need for any of these products I would strongly recommend visiting the EcoSMART website and taking a look for yourself especially if you have pets or children!

3 R Friday

2011-07-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the unnecessary consumption of antibiotics by purchasing foods that are antibiotic-free especially milk, meat, and eggs.

You may also want to ensure that antibiotics are the proper course of treatment for your illness before taking them.

Reuse: Reuse partially used school supplies by donating them to daycare, churches, camps, doctor's offices, police stations, and other places where children can use them.

Recycle: Recycle glue sticks and glue bottles with Elmer's Glue Crew.

Think about starting a Glue Crew Recycling Program at your school or daycare

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

24 Hours of Reality

2011-07-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

2011-07-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

Love music — and the planet?
You could get a Reverb volunteer spot on one of the

Maroon 5 / Train or Honda Civic concert tours.

Stonyfield's partner Reverb works with the music industry to reduce tours' environmental impact, and volunteers help run greening programs on each tour.

The concert tours run from August into October.

A few lucky Stonyfield fans will be chosen to help out at shows

across the country, so visit Reverb to find the closest show and

try your luck. Volunteers receive a t-shirt and show pass but

most importantly, the amazing experience of helping out at a great concert event.

Learn more & apply now

2011-07-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Decoding Meat + Dairy Product Labels - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide | Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health | Environmental Working Group

Cage-free

The term refers to hens that are not raised in cages, but it does not necessarily mean they have access to the outdoors. There is no standard definition of “cage-free,” but it generally implies that the birds are free to perform natural behaviors. Many cage-free claims are not certified, though some cage-free eggs are certified by American Humane Certified label.

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Certified Humane:

Products carrying this label are certified to come from animals that were never confined in cages or crates, were not subjected to de-beaking (in the case of poultry) and were slaughtered according to specific requirements designed to minimize suffering. It does not permit the use of sub-therapeutic antibiotics or hormones. “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” and “Animal Welfare Approved” are the two leading humane certification systems, although the Food Alliance follows similar standards. “Certified Humane” does not mean animals had access to pasture, but “Animal Welfare Approved” does.

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Farmed Fish

This refers to the rapidly growing industry that raises and feeds fish for human consumption in tanks or large wire pens anchored in coastal areas or other large bodies of water. Also called aquaculture, fish farming is expanding to offset the global decline in the wild fish catch. Fifty percent of seafood sold in the U.S. is now farmed. Ironically, feeding carnivorous farmed fish such as salmon requires harvesting millions of tons of smaller wild fish, such as anchovies and sardines, to produce fishmeal and fish oil. Catfish and other farmed fish are fed mostly soybeans and corn, while farmed tilapia eats a variety of algae, seaweeds and other aquatic plants. The use of open ponds and net pens or cages allows ocean water to flow freely through them. These enclosures pollute local waters with fish waste, excess feed and antibiotics and spread disease and parasites to sensitive wild marine species. The rapid growth of farmed shrimp ponds has led to deliberate destruction of thousands of coastal acres of mangrove forests that serve as fish nurseries, protect against storms and provide local economic livelihood.

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Free-range

In the United States, this term applies only to poultry and is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. It indicates simply that the animals have been “allowed access to the outside.” The USDA does not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside.

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Grass-fed

This term technically refers only to animals fed a diet of natural grass and other forage, not grain, but it often includes other healthier farm practices not associated with industrially produced meat, such as local butchering, more range time for livestock and less crowded conditions. The three leading “grass-fed” labels, certified by the Food Alliance, the American Grassfed Association or the USDA, require that animals eat a diet exclusively of forage. Some companies that market their meat as “naturally raised” or grass-fed actually feed their animals grain for significant periods. USDA’s grass-fed marketing standard requires only that animals “must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.” It does not necessarily mean that the animals spent their entire lives in pastures or on rangeland. Some cattle marketed as USDA grass-fed actually spend part of their lives in confined pens or feedlots.

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Hormone-free/No added hormones

This means that the animals were never given hormone treatments. To boost profits, some farmers give hormones to beef cattle and sheep to speed their growth and to dairy cows to increase milk production. The USDA does not allow hormones to be used on chicken or hogs. The European Union does not allow hormones in any meat. The extensive use of hormones (see rBHG-free below) in meat and dairy may increase the risk of cancer in humans and result in higher rates of infection in animals. Products labeled “organic” cannot come from rGBH-treated cows. There is no specific hormone-free certification, though organic and grass-fed labels do not allow hormone use.

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Lean/Extra Lean

These are USDA-defined terms. To qualify as “lean,” 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of beef must have fewer than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol. To be labeled “extra lean,” 100 grams of beef must have fewer than 5 grams of fat, fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

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Natural

The USDA defines a natural product as one that contains “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” Processing must not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a specific explanation such as “no artificial ingredients; minimally processed.” All fresh meat qualifies as natural. This term does not include any requirements that animals be raised in sufficient open space or that it has no added hormones or antibiotic; it is not the same as organic. The term can mislead consumers to think that the product is healthier and more humane than it is.

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No nitrites/nitrates

Processed meats such as ham, bacon and hot dogs often contain nitrates, which are added to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and to enhance color. Eating meat that has been treated with nitrates may increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. Vegetable-based nitrates (e.g., celery, salt) are a safer bet.

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Organic

Food labeled organic must be third-party certified to meet USDA’s criteria. Organic foods cannot be irradiated, genetically modified or grown using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals or sewage sludge. Organic meat and poultry cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics and must be fed only organically grown feed (with no animal byproducts). Organic meat animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture. There are two ways to identify organic fruits and veggies: by the “100% organic” or “organic” label and by the unique Price Look-Up (PLU) code sticker. (link to Enviroblog post on this: http://www.enviroblog.org/2009/09/are-you-looking-for-the-9-when-you-produce.html Instead of a 4-digit number beginning with a “4,” organic produce has a 5-digit number that begins with a “9.”

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Pasture-raised

Animals raised in a pasture can roam freely in their natural environment, where they are able to eat nutritious grasses and other plants that their bodies are adapted to digest. There is no specific pasture-raised certification, though certified organic meat must come from animals that have continuous access to pasture.

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Processed meats

In addition to sodium, artificial coloring and flavor enhancers, processed meats often contain preservatives, such as nitrites, to reduce foodborne illness retard spoilage from microorganisms and rancidity from fat oxidation. Examples are: sausage, bacon, smoked ham, hot dogs, packaged lunchmeats, pepperoni and salami. Note: You won’t see the word “processed’ on the label! The American Cancer Society and the World Cancer Research Fund recommend limiting consumption of processed meats; research has linked them to colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer.

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rBGH-free

These products are from animals not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST). rGBH is a genetically engineered hormone approved by the FDA in 1993 that when injected into cows artificially increases milk production by 10 to 15 percent. There are health concerns for both cows and humans exposed to the drug. Buying organic dairy products is another way to avoid rGBH since its use does not meet the organic criteria.

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Saturated Fat

This is one of the two main types of fats that appear in foods. Unlike unsaturated fat, it has no double bonds between carbon atoms in its chemical structure, so the fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen. Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet, but excessive saturated fat has been associated with health problems. Fats in animal-based foods are predominantly saturated. The World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urge people to limit intake of saturated fat.

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Sodium nitrate/nitrite-free

This chemical preservative and color fixative is typically added to processed meats to lengthen shelf life, make the color more appealing and add a smoky flavor. Processed meats made without these additives are safer; they are likely “cured” with naturally occurring vegetable-based nitrates that are less harmful to human health.

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Wild-caught/Wild Fish

The “wild fish” label indicates that the fish was spawned in the wild, lived in the wild and was caught in the wild. “Wild-caught fish” may have been spawned or lived some part of their lives in a fish farm before being returned to the wild and eventually caught. For sustainable fish, consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s list of the most sustainable seafood choices, or look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label.

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See Sustainable Table’s excellent, extensive glossary to learn more: www.sustainabletable.org/intro/dictionary

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Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-07-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Pepsi Unveils First 100-Percent Recycled Soda Bottle
Method co-founders have written a new book and are launching it via a webinar. Learn more on how you can join the webinar by clicking here.
Read about this wonderful and rapidly growing organization

Join the 21 Day Reusable Challenge with Retro Housewife Goes Green
The Green and Clean Mom (Sommer Poquette) has released a new book called My Mommy is a Blogger. Check it out!
Meet The Climate Reality Project. On September 14, in a 24-hour event spanning the globe, Former Vice President Al Gore is introducing a brand-new organization with one clear goal: to bring the facts about the climate crisis into the mainstream by engaging everyone in a conversation about how to solve it.
Save 15% on all Organic Prairie Steaks Use promo code FF711. Shop online now

3 R Friday

2011-07-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce waste and resource usage by saying no thank you to duplicate checks.

Go paperless for bills
Use every line instead of every-other-line when balancing your checkbook
Opt out of receiving a new checkbook cover with every order of checks.
Pick up your checks from the bank instead of having them mailed.

Reuse: Reuse cardboard boxes for shipping, moving, and storage.

Advertise your extra boxes on Freecycle.net for others to use

Recycle: Recycle 'harmful for the environment' items such as paint, batteries, cooking oil, paint thinner, and spent motor oil with your local garbage/recycling center. Don't throw these items into your garbage cans.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 3

2011-07-19T05:55:00.000-07:00


Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com

Reuseit.com has started a campaign to help eliminate school lunch waste. I am helping to spread the word with a few informational posts. I encourage you to help spread the word too!

Waste-free lunches are a simple way to reduce consumption on a daily basis, helping you preserve natural resources and save money. Plus, it encourages healthy eating habits. Simply put, the cumulative effect is enormous!

Ways to Spread the Word

Here are a few high-impact things you can do today:

Encourage your school to link to this page on its website
Tell them to mention this page in their e-mail newsletter and on Facebook and Twitter
Recommend this page as a resource for your favorite blogger, editor or writer
Write a blog post, or share this page on your favorite forums
Use the sharing buttons above to send the message to your Facebook friends, Twitter followers and more
Want to see an example? Here’s how Hamilton Elementary spread the word in their e-mail newsletter!

Additional Resources

Wastefreelunches.org
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Top 10: Waste-free Lunches for Kids
Disposable Lunch Facts
Eco-Schools - providing framework to help educators integrate sustainable principles throughout their schools and curriculum
Care2 – tips for a waste-free lunch

The 5 Steps to a Waste-free Lunch
Replace paper bags with reusable lunch bags.
Use reusable food containers to eliminate single-serve packaging.
Switch from plastic baggies to reusable snack & sandwich bags.
Reusable napkins, utensils and even straws replace their disposable counterparts.
Kick the bottled water and juice habit with a reusable water bottle.

Read more about the 5 steps & watch a video here.

2011-07-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Seattle Mariners Introduce New Environmental Mascot, Give Away Bags of Safeco Field Soil For Earth Day 2011

04/21/2011 3:23 PM ET

MLB.com

The Seattle Mariners are joining with Nikon to host the team's third annual carbon offset game for Earth Day, Friday, April 22 (vs. Oakland Athletics). In addition to offsets for carbon, the Club will also purchase renewable electric energy and offset the use of water for the game. All kids will receive a magnet with environmental tips, courtesy of Nikon.

The Mariners also will introduce a new environmental mascot to help spread the word about the Mariners and Safeco Field's environmental practices. Kid Compost will join Captain Plastic to help educate fans about the Zero Waste goals at Safeco Field, which have increased the Mariners recycling rate from 12% in 2005, to over 70% in 2010.

Kid Compost, who will be introduced on-field during the pregame ceremonies on April 22, will make appearances during games to encourage fans to participate in the Safeco Field Zero Waste efforts by placing their recyclables and compostables in the appropriate containers on the ballpark concourses.

Safeco Field Soil:

The first five thousand fans leaving the game will receive nine-quart bags of official Safeco Field soil, courtesy of Cedar Grove Compost. Recycling efforts divert an estimated 900,000 pounds of peanut shells, leftover food, compostable service ware and grass clippings from the garbage stream each season. The waste is transformed by Cedar Grove into compost prized by gardeners across the Northwest. Safeco Field soil will also be distributed to fans leaving the ballpark after games on May 16 and May 30.

Carbon & Water-Off-Set Game:

The Mariners have purchased Green-E Certified Renewable Energy Credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation and green power from Seattle City Light's Green Up program to offset the water usage and climate change impact of energy usage associated with the game between the Mariners and the Oakland Athletics. Impacts to be offset include:

Emissions associated with natural gas used to operate Safeco Field on April 22 (1,400 Therms of natural gas),
116,000 gallons of water,
Disposal or recycling of waste generated during the game (estimated to be 5.5 tons, 70%+ of which will be recycled),
Air travel emissions for the Athletics from Oakland to Seattle, as well as the air travel emissions for the umpire crew,
Hotel-related emissions for the Athletics and the umpires (50 hotel rooms)
Ground travel to and from the ballpark by staff and fans (180,000 car miles)

The electricity the Mariners purchase from Seattle City Light is already carbon-free and has no greenhouse gas impacts. City Light's Green Up program supports the development of non-carbon, alternative energy sources.

Green Sports Alliance:

The Mariners are founding members of the Green Sports Alliance, a coalition of Northwest pro sports teams and venues committed to sustainable practices to reduce their impact on the environment. Other founding teams are the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Storm and Seattle Sounders FC. Martin Tull, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday night.

Seattle Mariners Green Facts:

From 2006-2009, the Mariners saved over $1 million in utilities costs (electricity, natural gas, water and sewer).
Reduced natural gas use 60%
Reduced electricity use 30%
Reduced water use 15%
Through a major capital investment programs and conservation measures, the Mariners are now saving an estimated $500,000 a year in utilities costs.
These conservation efforts save the equivalent of 5.1 million pounds of CO2, and are equal to having planted 703 acres of trees and taken 344 cars off the road.
Mariners were the first MLB team to stage a "carbon neutral" game on Earth Day 2008.

Mariners staged Zero Waste games for Earth Day 2009 and 2010.
Safeco Field has the lowest "energy intensity" of all MLB ballparks that participate in the EPA's

Energy Star program:

The Mariners have made significant strides in the use of "green" products and practices.
Cedar Grove Compost has hauled away all of Safeco Field's compostables since 2007 when the Mariners began food waste recycling. As the Pacific Northwest's leading organic recycling company, Cedar Grove transforms grass, leaves, yard trimmings, food waste and wood waste into nutrient-rich compost which the Mariners use in landscaping activities.

Grays Harbor Paper of Hoquiam supplies the Mariners with office paper made from 100% post-consumer waste fiber.

American Paper Converting of Vancouver supplies all hand towels and toilet tissue for Safeco Field made from 100% recycled fiber with a minimum of 65% post-consumer fiber.
97% of all custodial supplies used at Safeco Field are recognized as sustainable products by entities such as "Green Seal" and "Ecologo."

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

3 R Friday

2011-07-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce food waste by sharing your garden harvest with churches, neighbors, co-workers, food banks, and friends.

Reuse: Reuse school supplies from years past.

Recycle: Recycle your old prescription eyeglasses.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

2011-07-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Safeco Field getting greener as more garbage composted

Mariners are ahead of the game on meeting Seattle's new recycling/composting law.

In the first three ballgames at Safeco Field this year, 70 percent of the service ware — cups, plates, even eating utensils — used by Mariners fans and employees was recycled or composted.
That’s a huge increase from last year, when 38 percent didn’t go to a landfill.

Seattle Mariners spokeswoman Rebecca Hale said the emphasis on keeping food-serving-and-eating items out of the trash will save the team about $100,000 a year in landfill fees; last year, the team saved $60,000.

Beginning July 1, Seattle will become the first city in the nation where all single-use service ware must be either compostable or recyclable. That means Seattle will stop sending 6,000 tons of plastic and plastic-coated paper products to a landfill, or 225 shipping containers of waste.
While the law doesn’t go into effect until July 1, the Mariners decided to start now with the beginning of its season.

There are just 17 garbage cans at Safeco Field, said Scott Jenkins, vice president of ballpark operations. All the others have been replaced with 300 compost containers and 200 recycling bins.
The Mariners have contracted with Cedar Grove Composting to handle the waste. Plastic bottles make up the largest single number of recyclable items at Safeco, Hale said. Beer “glasses” and the cardboard packaging for bobbleheads are plentiful, too.

At Safeco, crews sift through the garbage to pull out plastic bottles. Almost everything else is compostable. Even the plastic beer glasses and eating utensils can be composted. Jenkins said virtually all that’s left as garbage are potato-chip bags, wrappers for licorice ropes and tiny condiment containers.

The key to success, said Jenkins, is educating the fans, who want to throw away their beer glasses and plates. “We’re early in the learning curve, but are doing really well,” he said.
He envisions a 70 percent compost and recycling rate this year, and it could even get as high as 85 percent.

Dick Lilly, with Seattle Public Utilities, said the July 1 change is part of a package of laws passed by the Seattle City Council, that included a ban on Styrofoam packaging and the failed effort to put a fee on plastic and paper bags.

By Susan Gilmore

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 2

2011-07-12T05:52:00.000-07:00


Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com

Top facts:

Eliminating disposable packaging and single-serving items can save families $250 a year. (Wastefreelunches.org)
40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States. The majority of these are thrown out after just one use. (Worldcentric.org)
Families spend $85 a year on disposable plastic baggies. (Sierra Club)
Each child who brings a brown bag lunch to school every day generates 67 pounds of waste by the end of the school year. (EPA)
Read more lunch facts here.

Where To Find Ideas for Packing Healthy Lunches?

3 R Friday

2011-07-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce waste by saying No Thank You to dental freebies.

Take only what you need
Don't take the plastic bag just take the items you need
Don't take the appointment card
Don't take the items just because they give them to you

Reuse: Think reusable instead of disposable!

Napkins
Drinking containers
Plates
Utensils
Bags
Storage containers
Lunches
Straws

Recycle: Recycle your old trophies at awardsmall.com.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Tips for a Waste-Free Picnic

2011-07-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by Reuseit.com:

PROBLEM:
Picnics are a great way to enjoy nature, but not when you’re packing disposable paper plates, plastic utensils, bottled beverages and other use-and-toss items. Take disposable plastic cutlery, for example, they’re a staple at your average picnic. Worldcentric.org estimates 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States – the majority of those were thrown out after just one use. Not only are disposable picnic items a waste of resources used to produce and package them, they're also a waste of money.

TIPS & SOLUTIONS:
Choose to reuse. Utensils, napkins, food containers, thermoses, coldpacks… the list goes on and on! Buy high-quality reusables that you can bring to picnics (and use for lots of other things) for years to come.

Responsible disposables. When you simply can’t pack reusable plates and utensils, pack disposables made from responsible materials that can be recycled, composted or that biodegrade. Many of these are durable enough to be washed and reused as well.

Drink up. Fill a reusable water tank and encourage picnickers to bring a reusable bottle they can refill. Or, bring reusable bottles with built-in filters and fill up at the park or picnic ground.

Use what you’ve got. Instead of buying a paper table cloth or a brand-new picnic blanket, use and old blanket or sheet from home. Pack "real" dishes and silverware that can can be washed and reused.

Buy in bulk & Organize. Opt for large, communal containers of snacks like raisins, chips and crackers over individually-wrapped packages. Coordinate the menu with guests ahead of time so you don’t end up with doubles and extra food that might spoil.

Get a FREE 3-in-1 spork with your order!
Now through 7/12 get a free black Light My Fire Spork when you enter PICNIC at check out.

TerraCycle Summer Bonus Points

2011-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

TerraCycle is offering BONUS POINTS this summer just for sending in your waste!

Send in a qualifying shipment between June 15th and August 15th and TerraCycle will give your location an additional 100 points.

Are you are currently signed up for a TerraCycle Brigade and have yet to send in your first shipment?

In addition to Summer Bonus points, if you send in your first shipment between June15th and August 15th TerraCycle will also give you a 200 points bonus for sending in your first shipment through our First Shipment Bonus Points promotion, that’s 300 extra points, just for sending in your first shipment!

Remember, each TerraCycle point is redeemable for a variety of charitable gifts or a donation of $.01 to the school or charity of your choice.

For more information on the TerraCycle Points Program click here.

*See specific Brigade FAQs for any qualifying shipment restrictions

Refill Ink Cartridges at Costco

2011-07-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

The last time I was at Costco I noticed a big sign announcing that they refill ink cartridges so I decided to look into it a little more and here is what I found out.

What types of cartridges can be refilled?

HP, Canon, Lexmark and Dell cartridges

How long does it take to refill a cartridge?

Typically 1 hour

Is there a recommended usage date for a refilled cartridge?

Within 90 days

What are the advantages of a refilled cartridge?

You save money on your purchase AND it is good for the environment since the cartridge is reused.

What is the proper way to handle a cartridge?

As soon as you remove the cartridge from your printer, place it into a plastic clip. This will protect the cartridge and prevent it from drying out. If you do not have the clip, place 1 to 3 cartridges in a letter sized envelope. Be careful not to rub print heads together when transporting. Never touch, clean or place tape over the print head nozzles. Keep in cool place. Take the cartridge to a Costco 1-Hour Photo for refilling as soon as possible after removing it from your printer.

I have not actually done it yet so I can not add my personal thoughts and experience. Let me know if any of you have. I am eager to hear first hand accounts!

For more information on refilling ink cartridges at Costco click over to their website: Costco

Special Offer from Green Home

2011-07-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

Green Home Special Offer

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 1

2011-07-05T05:46:00.000-07:00


Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com

The 5 Steps to a Waste-free Lunch

Replace paper bags with reusable lunch bags.
Use reusable food containers to eliminate single-serve packaging.
Switch from plastic baggies to reusable snack & sandwich bags.
Reusable napkins, utensils and even straws replace their disposable counterparts.
Kick the bottled water and juice habit with a reusable water bottle.

Read more about the 5 steps & watch a video here.

3 R Friday

2011-06-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of chemicals, dyes, and perfumes your child absorbs by switching to more natural products.

Toothpaste
Shampoo
Lotion
Sun Screen
Lip Balm
Conditioner
Soap
Nail Polish
Nail Polish Remover
Bug Spray
Toothpaste

I know I said this twice but this one is a biggy to me. Read the labels on the big brand children's toothpaste and you might be surprised at what you see!

Reuse: Reuse printer ink cartridges by refilling them at Costco .

Recycle: Recycle your children's old tennis shoes at Nike Reuse-A-Shoe.

It is not too early to start setting up a shoe recycling center at your child's school!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

TerraCycle + Kraft = Minor League Baseball Ticket

2011-06-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

KRAFT Singles Tuesday Tickets

KRAFT is teaming up with TerraCycle and the MiLB to bring you KRAFT Singles Tuesday Tickets .
Bring your Kraft singles package wrapper to the Minor League Baseball box office and buy one ticket and get another one free from Kraft! Only the wrapper is required and the offer is valid through September 6th.

Participants will help KRAFT in their sustainability efforts.

All KRAFT package wrappers that are collected will be shipped to TerraCycle to be upcycled or recycled into various products.

To learn how to start your own cheese package brigade click here. Then sign up and start collecting!

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-06-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

New Sesame Street Series from Envirosax

reuseit.com has a new referral program!

Spread the word, earn store credit! They'll save $5, you'll get $5.

How It Works

Spread the word - Each new customer that uses your referral code saves $5 off their purchase of $50 or more at reuseit.com.
Earn credit - You earn $5 store credit for each new customer that uses your referral code.
Spend it - Your credits are good toward any purchase at reuseit.com.

From Green Home.com

See photos of Terracycle's new upcycled office space via Earth 911. Very Cool!


Click here to see the list of best sunscreens

Receive One Free Travel Size Organic Bug Spray with every purchase of a Travel Set at Brittanies Thyme.

3 R Friday

2011-06-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce waste and resource usage by renting instead of buying.

Rent formal dresses instead of buying new.
Rent home improvement tools that you won't use more than once or twice instead of buying.
Rent movies, books-on-tape, and regular books from the library.
Rent a big car when you need one and drive a smaller one for everyday driving.

Reuse: Reuse water for watering plants.

Collect the water you use for cooking (pasta, potato, steaming veggies) and after it cools use it to water your plants with.
Left over water from pet dishes.
Collect water from rinsing fruit and veggies.
Bath water.
Left over water from drinking bottles.
Collect rain water via a rain barrel.

Recycle: Recycle your children's sport shirts into a memory quilt!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

2011-06-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce Coffee Waste.

Take a reusable mug with you to your favorite coffee shop.

Starbucks now sells reusable "mugs" for cold drinks too!

Pour cream & sugar in before your coffee so you don't need to use a stirrer.
Take a coffee mug to work and use it instead of a disposable cup.
Say no to disposable stir sticks and single use creamers.
Use a reusable coffee filter.
Purchase shade grown organic coffee.
Take your coffee bag back to the store and refill it.
When drinking coffee at a coffee shop ask for it in a coffee mug.

Reuse: Reuse Coffee Grounds.

Sprinkle coffee grounds around outside plants.

Most coffee shops will provide you with bags of spent coffee grounds.
Starbucks keeps a bucket of them outside many of their store locations.

Compost coffee filters.
Sprinkle coffee grounds around areas that cats like to use as "litter boxes".
Compost coffee grounds.

Recycle: Recycle your empty coffee bags with TerraCycle.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Conventional Cotton vs Organic Cotton

2011-05-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past: Originally posted at Green and Clean Mom Forum:

My daughter and I recently reviewed a 100% cotton T-shirt from Go Baby.com.

While reading about Go Baby’s organic line I learned that: Organically grown cotton is not treated with pesticides, herbicides or petroleum based fertilizers and is manufactured in a much more environmentally sustainable way.

After reading this I wanted to learn more about the differences between regular cotton and organic cotton so I started doing some on-line research. Most sites I found said the same thing but I thought that The green basics on Treehugger.com summed it up best.

Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops

10 percent of all agricultural chemicals & 25 percent of insecticides on 3 percent of our arable land
1/3 of a pound of chemicals are needed to produce enough cotton for a T-shirt and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans!

Organic cotton starts with the soil.

Compost, frequent crop rotations and cover crop strategies replace synthetic fertilizers to keep the soil healthy and productive.
Weeds are controlled by innovative farm machinery, hand labor or flame devices rather than herbicide applications.
Organic farmers cultivate a diversity of natural enemies which prey on insect pests, and lure pests away from cotton by planting trap crops.
Organic growers shut off water early, and apply certified materials to promote cotton boll opening and leaf dropping, readying the fibers for harvest.

Wow! Those are some amazing differences.

I know that purchasing 100% organic cotton products(like the t-shirts and onezees from Go Baby.com) is an important way for us to show our commitment to the health of our environment, our children, and those people who pick the cotton.

As much as I would love to buy only 100% organic cotton products I just can’t afford to.
Recently I was looking for a pair of organic jeans and the average price I found was $99. I just can't afford $99 for a pair of jeans, no matter how much I know it's worth the $.

In all honestly, I am more likely to buy organic clothes for my daughter than for myself. (I guess I just see her as more fragile.) I just wish that $ was not a factor in my choice.

My hope is that by spreading the word about the huge differences between conventional cotton vs organic cotton I will help increase awareness, increase the demand for organic cotton products, and hopefully decrease the price of these products making them affordable for all.

3 R Friday

2011-05-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce water waste.

Ensure faucets are completely turned off
Turn water off when shaving & brushing teeth
Don't brush your teeth in the shower
Replace leaky faucets
Don't turn your shower on all the way (especially good for kiddos taking showers)
Use drip lines for watering
Ensure sprinklers are not watering sidewalks and fences
Install low-flow showers
Take a navy shower

Reuse: Reuse egg cartons.

Give them to family & friends that raise chickens
Take them to your local farmer's market & offer them to those selling eggs
Give them to children museums, day-cares, & schools to use for art projects
Use the cardboard ones as seed starters and then plant them straight in the ground

Recycle: Recycle your used mattress.

When purchasing a new bed shop around to stores that send your old mattress to recycling centers instead of to the landfill.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Rid your home of fruit flies and a big Thank You

2011-05-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

Before I proceed to my regularly scheduled post I want to say Thank You.

Thank you to all those who follow my blog, subscribe to my blog, comment on my posts, read my ramblings, enter my giveaways, send me e-mails, and blog about my blog. I sincerely appreciate your support, your friendship, and your input.

Every time I open my blog and I see 1 new follower or read a comment someone has left for me it brings me such joy. When I started this blog, a little over a year ago, it was simply a way for me to express the excitement I was feeling about starting my eco-journey. I had no idea that it would grow and evolve into what it has. The blogging community may be difficult for non-bloggers to appreciate and understand but to me, it truly is a community and one that I enjoy being a part of. So thank you.

Now speaking of the blogging community....

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, enviromom, when I scrolled down to the post titled: How to get rid of fruit flies. I jumped for joy after reading her simple and natural solution on how to rid my home of the pesky fruit flies that were invading us (specifically my daughter's room which had become home to not only our fruit flies but to all the fruit flies in the surrounding states)

Put a little cider vinegar in a small bowl or jar, along with a piece of fruit (I used an apple core.)
Cover it tightly with a piece of plastic (I used old bread wrappers) and poke a few small holes in the plastic with a toothpick.
The flies will be attracted to the smell and will find their way in, but won't be able to get out.
When you've caught a few dump them outside (in your compost bin!) and do it again until you are fruit-fly free.

This worked like a charm! I could not believe how quickly the flies entered the container (and stayed in there).

I actually placed 3 containers around the house; 1 in the kitchen, 1 outside my daughter’s room, and one in my daughter’s room. After a couple of days I replaced them (the order will get pretty strong if you leave the container for more than a day)

We are not totally fruit fly free but pretty dang close.

Thank you enviromom! (My daughter especially says thanks)

3 R Friday

2011-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce packaging waste.

Steer away from single wrapped items
Say no to double wrapped items
Don't purchase sliced cheese that is separated by paper
Buy in bulk
Don't buy single use items

Reuse: Reuse containers by refilling them instead of buying new ones.

Hand soap
Laundry detergent
Hairspray
Lotion

Recycle: Recycle your used cooking oil with your curb-side recycling.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Drawing my eco-line at mice

2011-05-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Post From the Past:

Apparently mice like these

A lot! I guess the basket we kept in our pantry filled with Cliff bars was just too much for the mice to resist.

Last week my husband (luckily it was him and not my daughter or I cuz there would have been a lot of screaming and maybe even some tears) saw a mouse scurry out of our pantry, across our kitchen floor, and up under the cabinet. Ugh!

We removed everything from our pantry, cleaned the shelves, looked through all the food, discarded everything the mice had gotten into (apparently they also like wheat thins and 4 year old gingerbread houses), repacked as many items as we could into glass jars and plastic containers (that use to contain things like peanut butter & mustard but now contain things like beans & cheddar bunnies) and put everything back on the shelf.

On a positive note, my pantry shelves look great! Nice and clean and organized.

My husband then did the same in the garage.

I was hoping that by getting rid of their food source we would get rid of them. This was not the case.

So we went for the trap. (The non catch-and-release type trap)

I know what you are thinking and I will apologize now but I draw my eco-friendly line at disease infested rodents. Sorry. I just couldn't do it.

For those of you who may have a mouse problem but would prefer the catch-and-release traps I have since researched some and found this one:

Humane Mouse Trap

You use your own bottle with it (nice reuse of a bottle). I admit, I liked it cuz of the cute piece of cheese. I figured that if we/you are going to have a trap lying around it might as well be a cute one.

I also did some research on how to keep the mice from coming back (or at least try to keep them from coming back) and here is what I found out; steel wool and peppermint oil.
Apparently mice don’t like either of them (Unlike peanut butter. Which they love).
Spreading peppermint oil around areas that mice travel or leaving a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil in places like a pantry will keep them out. Since peppermint oil smells good to me, I didn’t mind rubbing it on my pantry shelves. (Let’s hope it works).

Plugging the holes under the cabinets with steel wool will prevent them from coming in (or out which, now that I think about it, might be a problem) because they don’t like the feel (or taste) of steel wool so they won’t chew through it.

I also found a nice blog posting about the same topic Eco-Friendly Mouse Control

If you have any tips you would like to share on how to keep a mouse out of a house (I love Dr. Seuss) please feel free to share.

Enter the "Protecting the Planet for Baby Contest" at TerraCycle

2011-05-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Protecting the planet for baby contest

Protecting the Planet for Baby Contest:

TerraCycle® and Sprout® Organic Baby Food want to know why you are “Protecting the Planet for Baby.”

They are looking for the most inspiring and creative reasons to grow a healthy world for a healthy baby. Tell them in Sprout’s “Protecting the Planet for Baby” essay contest for the chance to win prizes from TerraCycle and and Sprout®.

How To enter?:
The Protecting the Planet for Baby contest is open to all parents who are making a positive difference for the environment and for their baby. You don’t have to be enrolled in a TerraCycle Brigade® Program.
Were you moved by a trip to Yellowstone and want your baby to be able to have the same experience?
Do you want your baby to be able to see a polar bear in the wild?
Hope he will be able to visit a rainforest?
Want her to have cleaner air to breathe? We want to hear about it!

To enter, please send TerraCycle an email at contest@teams.terracycle.net, describing in 250 words or less, why you are going green for the environment and for your baby. Be sure to describe your personal and family goals for the environment.

What Are The Prizes?:
One Grand prize winner will be determined and awarded a TerraCycle Sprout Prize Pack containing TerraCycle Upcycled Products ($75 value), Sprout Organic Baby Food (a month’s supply, $125 value), and a $100 cash prize to use towards their own green project.

The three remaining finalists will each win a Sprout TerraCycle upcycled product and a full array of Sprout Organic Baby Food products (36 pouches, Sprout Organic Cotton hat, T-shirt and a copy of Sprout co-founder and chef Tyler Florence’s brand new book, Start Fresh: Your Child's Jump Start to Lifelong Healthy Eating, each $100 value).

For detailed rules click here.

When Is Contest Happening?
Entries should be inspiring, emotional, well written and clearly stated. After the entry phase is closed on May 27th, 2011, TerraCycle and Sprout will choose four finalists and announce them on June 6th.

During a two-week public voting phase, (June 6th - 20th, 2011), the public will choose a Grand Prize winner from the four finalists, and you can win a prize just by voting!
Once the entry period is over, please stay tuned to TerraCycle for voting instructions.
The winner will be announced on June 27th, 2011.

3 R Friday

2011-05-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of cheap, disposable, made-in-China, plastic toys.

Say No to goodie bags that contain these items
Say No to kids fast food meals that contain these toys
Don't purchase them

Reuse: Reuse pieces of wood to make a shoe holder for muddy shoes.

Recycle: Recycle your flip-flops at Old Navy.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mommies out there!

2011-05-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Unsulphured vs Sulphured Molasses

2011-05-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

When my son was younger he had low iron levels. His pediatrician gave us a list of foods that were high in iron to help increase his levels naturally. One of the foods on the list was molasses. I started putting full flavor (cuz it had a higher iron content) molasses into his morning oatmeal. As he grew up his iron level started to level out but I still continued to put molasses in his (and his sister's) oatmeal. (I figured that a little xtra iron would be good for them and molasses seems to be a better choice for sweetening oatmeal)

The first time that I shopped for molasses at the Natural Food store I saw that they had 2 kinds, organic sulphured and organic unsulphured .
Not knowing the difference I blindly bought the organic unsulphured kind simply because unsulphured seemed to be better than sulphured.

Of course I came home and googled it to see what the difference is. I am still not sure that I totally understand the difference but here is what I found out (Thanks to About.com and The World's Healthiest Foods respectively).

Molasses is made from sugar cane.
The two main tasks required to make molasses from sugar cane are to separate out the sugar cane juice from the pulp, and then to extract the sugar (mostly sucrose) from the juice.
What's called molasses is the syrup that remains after the sugar has been extracted from the juice. It's not that easy to extract all of the sucrose from sugar cane juice.
The lighter the molasses, the sweeter it is.
After a first round of processing, which involves spinning the juice in a centrifuge and heating (boiling), you can get a lot of the sucrose out, but not all of it. The syrup that remains after this first round of processing is the light molasses you see in the grocery store. It's also called "first" molasses and has the mildest taste of any molasses.
Another round of processing is needed to further extract more sucrose. (The removal of sucrose from the molasses syrup is not all that significant on the nutrition side of things, but it is important to the manufacturer on the economic side because the removed sucrose can be further processed and sold as table sugar). This second round of processing further concentrates the syrup and also darkens it, resulting in the dark molasses you find in most grocery stores. Dark molasses is also called second molasses. (This is they kind that I use to put in my son's oatmeal)
A third round of processing is possible, and this is the round that results in the product known as blackstrap molasses (This is the kind that I put into my kids oatmeal now).

Blackstrap molasses is the thickest form of molasses, the darkest, and the most dense in terms of minerals.

Three rounds of heating are the reason for the very dark color of blackstrap molasses, because even though many sugars have been removed from the syrup, the sugars that do remain get caramelized from three rounds of heating.
Blackstrap refers to the color of the molasses, which is extremely dark. It has a very strong, somewhat bittersweet flavor with a heady aroma.
It contains many of the nutrients left behind by refined sugar crystals. By measure, it is 55% sucrose, the least sweet of the varieties.
Sometimes you'll only find blackstrap molasses in natural foods stores.
You'll find significant amounts of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and selenium in blackstrap molasses.

A secondary issue is related to the use of sulfur during sugar cane processing.

Sulfur dioxide can be used for a variety of reasons during the processing of sugar cane or the production of molasses.
Most commonly, sulfur dioxide is used to lighten the color of the molasses or to help extend its shelf life.
It may also be used to help with the processing of sugar cane when the cane has been harvested at an early stage.
In principle, it would seem that a sugar cane allowed to sun-ripen and develop would make for a more natural food product than a sugar cane that was harvested at an early stage.
On the environmental side, sulfur dioxide is a primary component in the production of acid rain, and is a pollutant of enormous concern to environmental scientists. The idea of a sugar cane processing facility releasing more sulfur dioxide into the air is not environmental friendly.

All varieties can contain sulphur depending on the specific refining process used, but unsulphured products are available.

So after my extensive Internet searches that is what I know about unsulphured vs sulphured molasses.

I am not sure I am any wiser about unsulphured molasses but I do know that I will continue to add organic blackstrap molasses to my children's morning oatmeal cuz it seems like a healthy thing to do.

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-05-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sell custom stainless steel bottles with your logo via Kids Konserve

Raise money for your school, organization, team or community with a healthier option that reduces plastic bottle waste and increases environmental awareness. We offer custom bottles in bulk (100 bottle minimum) for you to sell at or above retail as a fundraiser—you keep the difference! Our bottles are all 304 food-grade stainless steel, unlined and BPA-free. Pricing depends on logo details and order quantity—100 bottles using a 1-color logo is 7.50 per bottle. See our Custom Stainless Steel Bottle Flier for more information.

Converse is now participating in the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe!

You can now take all your worn-out Chucks and mashed-up Purcells — or any other athletic shoeConverse or participating Nike retail store for some recycling love. Not only that, but from now through May 31st, when you drop off your old sneakers, you'll receive 10% off your entire same-day purchase at any Converse Retail Store. Just bring them in and get yourself whatever you want — even those slimmer, sleeker, leaner, Converse All Star Slim Collection shoes you've been saving up for. Find a Converse Reuse-A-Shoe or Nike Reuse-A-Shoe location near you

Click over to Treehugger.com to read about Goggle's investment in a wind farm: Google Invests $100m in What Will be the World's Largest Wind Farm (845 MW)

May is Gluten-Free Awareness Month at Brittanie’s Thyme and in celebration, Brittanie's Thyme is offering their Gluten-Free Everyday Basics for $28, a saving of $7!

It is Hemp History Week at Retro Housewife Goes Green. Click over to learn more about this interesting plant as well as enter to win give-a-ways of Hemp-Made products.

Katydid and Kid is having a give-a-way of A thinkbaby Starter Set ($19.95) going until May 20th.

3 R Friday

2011-05-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of cheap, disposable, made-in-China, plastic toys.

Say No to goodie bags that contain these items
Say No to kids fast food meals that contain these toys
Don't purchase them

Reuse: Reuse crayons.

Take your own crayons with you to restaurants so you don't have to use theirs.
Melt them into fun shapes and use them again.
Ask churches, day cares, and schools if they need some.
Use the shavings to make pictures.

Recycle: Recycle your flip-flops at Old Navy.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Max's Mud Natural Sculpting Dough Review

2011-05-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter loves anything artsy; paints, crayons, stencils, chalk, scissors, play-do. I'm not a big fan of play-do (for obvious reasons) so you can imagine how excited I was when I found some all natural sculpting dough for her to create with.

Natural Sculpting Dough: Max's Mud has been providing natural solutions for creative kids since 2004.

What's even more exciting is that it is made in my neck of the woods (the Pacific Northwest)

Here is some info about Max's Mud from their web-site:

Max's Mud is the world's first certified organic and certified gluten-free sculpting dough!

Certified by ACMI conforming to non-toxic ASTM D-4236 standards.

Fragrance free.

Vegan. Tested by kids, not animals.

Soy, dairy, casein, corn and sugar-free.

Use vegetable based colorants (with the exception of FDA approved blue & green).

Conforms to (CPSIA) Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act Standard
Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth www.tilth.org
Certified Gluten-Free by www.gfco.org
Naturally Anti-Microbial
Compostable and naturally biodegradable
Max's Mud containers are high-quality food grade, recyclable, reusable LDPE #4 and PP #5 containers

Max's Mud comes in the following colors:

Brown

White

Yellow

Red

Orange

Blue Green

Purple (the color I bought my daughter)

The Purple Mud is 92% Organic and made with: 100% organic rice flour, jojoba oil and natural blue color.

My daughter loves the feel of the mud and how easy it is to use. She has had the same container for 5 months now and it is still as fresh and pliable as when she first played with it. She says that it is so much easier to make things with then play-do was. She also says that she likes the smell but I'm not sure what she is smelling because I don't think it has a smell (but maybe that is what she means. It doesn't smell)

If you have kiddos that love to create with play-do I would highly recommend switching to Max's All Natural Sculpting Dough!

Find some mud near you

Eco-eating: How to Pickle

2011-05-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

By Sara Kramer for Green Goes Simple

Ever found yourself with pounds of beets from a CSA surplus? Or knee-deep in cucumbers from a buying spree at the farmers market? That extra produce no longer has to suffer a rotten fate. Waste less by learning how to pickle like a pro.

Pickling may seem like an activity for advanced foodies, but it’s much easier than you may think. While canned or processed pickles are the most well known, there’s another pickle to consider: Leaving brine-submersed vegetables out in warm temperatures produces oh-so-good-for-you lacto-fermented pickles (chock-full of healthy bacteria). Think sauerkraut and kimchi!

Here are the basics on how to pickle:

What You Need

Fresh vegetable of choice, trimmed appropriately (cucumbers are just the beginning -- green beans, okra, cauliflower, carrots and beets are also excellent pickling options)

Salt, non-iodized

Vinegar (any will do)

Water

Sugar, to balance the pucker effect

Spice: Throw bay leaves and coriander seed into your brine or add a dill sprig to each jar

How to Pickle

Sterilize glass jars and lids in a bath of boiling water.

Bring vinegar and water (in equal proportion), salt and sugar (to taste) to a boil.

Fill jars with raw veggies.

Pour enough hot brine in the jars to cover your veggies.

For long-term pickling, seal jars tightly and submerge in the water bath. (Different vegetables will require different submersion times -- you can find specific instructions from vendors at the farmers market.)

For short-term storage, you can quick-pickle without the canning process by putting your jars directly in the fridge and waiting 24 hours before eating. (These will store for about two weeks.)

Seasonal veggies all year round? Yes, please!

Sara Kramer is a chef and butcher in Brooklyn, N.Y., who attended NYU and the Natural Gourmet Institute. She believes we should all think more about where our food comes from.

Thanks to Green Goes Simple for sharing this blog post!

Home-Made Toss Accross

2011-05-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

My son recently had a homework assignment in which he had to make a toy that a child in the Pioneer days would have made and enjoyed. He decided to make a bean bag toss game.

He gathered up scraps of fabric and started sewing his bean bags.

My daughter was so enthralled with what her brother was doing that she decided to join in.

After the bean bags were all sewn and filled he turned his attention to the circles made from rope. (shh, don't tell his teacher but the rope he used was made from recycled plastic bottles.

I'm pretty sure they didn't have that kind of rope back then)

After he was finished he and his sister tried it out. They had so much fun playing it, in part because they made it.

Things were learned:

Felt is the best type of fabric to use because it is sturdy and easy to sew
The bigger the beans the better. Smaller beans slip out & you will be finding them all over the house for days.

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Discarding CFLs

2011-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

Recently one of our CFLs burned out. Since they contain a small amount of mercury I knew that I could not just discard it.

So I clicked over to Earth911.com. At the top of their webpage they have this nifty thing where you type in what you want to recycle and your zip code and up pops a list of places in your area that recycle your item. So simple!

I found out that our local Home Depot recycles CFLs. Since my husband was already making a trip there I sent the burnt out light bulb along with him.

It turns out finding the drop spot was not as easy as using Earth911.com.

After asking the 3rd person, my husband was directed to a small unmarked orange bin in the corner of the store. The customer service tech showed him the simple process;

Place bulb into a plastic bag
Tie bag
Deposit in a special container

Simple and easy.

The CFLs are then transported to the city's recycling center (which we could have taken them to ourselves but Home Depot was closer and "easier")

While I was on Earth911.com I did learn some information about CFLs that I had not known before:
This type of light bulb uses a fraction of the electricity used by incandescent light bulbs. CFLs are becoming a household name for many reasons, including the attention given to them by Congress. Due to the their inefficient use of energy, incandescent bulbs will be banned by Congress, starting in 2012, with a complete phase out by 2014; even existing halogen bulbs will not make Congress’ new mandate to make all bulbs 70 percent more efficient by 2020.

I think this mandate is long overdue but better late than never!

Go Green: Switch to Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-04-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

DEA is hosting a National Take Back Day to collect unwanted medication; prescription, non-prescription, expired, unused, & recalled medication for proper disposal! Find a location near you!

Global warming - getting the message across
Speaking to an audience of MEPs and policymakers at a conference in Brussels, Prince Charles attacked climate change sceptics and deniers for what he referred to as the corrosive impact they exerted on public perceptions. And such perceptions and deliberate manipulation on the truth should not be underestimated. How many of us have heard comments such as: global warming is a myth, or its all part of a natural cycle and its been hotter in the past, long before humans started emitting carbon etc..?
Although there now exists a vast body of evidence pointing towards man-made climate change, deniers continue to perpetuate the myth that thousands of scientists throughout the world are conspiring to mislead the public. And that the world would have warmed anyway without the billions of tonnes of carbon being pumped into the atmosphere each year.
Click over to the Green Providers Directory to continue reading

Check out the Green-wine Guide on Treehugger.com

Dear TerraCycle Brigade® Participants,

TerraCycle® is proud to announce that we have partnered with Old Navy to collect used flip-flops at Old Navy stores through the Flip Flop Brigade! The Brigade begins on Earth Day Friday, April 22nd and runs until the bins are full or Saturday, May 21st (whichever comes first) in all continental US Old Navy stores.

Just bring your used flip-flops to the Old Navy nearest you and look for the TerraCycle collection bin located near the store entrance. Once the collection bins are full, Old Navy will ship the flip-flops to TerraCycle to be recycled into playgrounds that Old Navy will give away to a few lucky schools and community organizations. If your Brigade location is interested in becoming a recipient of a TerraCycle Old Navy playground, please complete the TerraCycle Old Navy Playground Questionnaire.

Not only will you keep your used flip-flops out of the landfill, but you will

also be helping to create a positive play environment for some deserving schools and community organizations. Now that’s flip-n-cool!

Participation in the Flip-Flop Brigade is simple and it’s completely FREE. There is no purchase necessary and you do not need to sign up on terracycle.net to participate.

For more information please contact TerraCycle customer service at 866-967-6766 or customersupport@terracycle.net. Or to find an Old Navy store near you go to www.oldnavy.com/storelocator.

mickey + minnie have always made our hearts go pitter-patter. maybe it’s their unwavering cool or delightfully cheery outlook. either way, we wanted to express our devotion in the best way we know how. with soap. so now our naturally derived, biodegradable foaming hand wash is available in the likeness of Disney’s iconic duo.

CUTE MEETS CLEAN >

Best Sellers | New Arrivals | On Sale | Most Reviewed

3 R Friday

2011-04-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your plastic bag usage.

Use reusable bags instead
For times when you forget your reusable bags ask for paper instead.
Use reusable bags anywhere your items are put into a plastic bag.
Opt out!

If you only have a few items carry them instead.
Don't put your restaurant doggie boxes in a bag.
Ask for no bag when getting fast food

Reuse: Reuse plastic bags.

Line your waste baskets with them.
Take them back to the store and use them again. This also applies to plastic produce bags.
Throw one in your car for times when you need to bring home muddy shoes or wet clothes.
Use them to pick up doggie poo.
Crochet them into a bag-o-bags.

Recycle: Purchase items made from recycled materials.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

My Adopt-A-Road Experience

2011-04-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

This weekend I participated in my first Adopt-A-Road clean-up.
7 of us spent 3 hours picking up litter on a half a mile stretch of roadway. I have to say, this was a very positive, fulfilling, and eye-opening experience for me. One of the ladies compared it to vacuuming,“immediate gratification and satisfaction”. I thought that was a very good analogy!

Here are a few of the things I learned from my Adopt-A-Road experience:

Don’t wear too many layers of clothing: (bending over will be nearly impossible)

Wear boots and gloves that you don’t mind getting muddy and mucked up.

Spending 3 hours walking 0.5 miles up and down hills while carrying a bag of garbage and continually bending over then standing up again is very good exercise which will leave you sore the next day.

There are no “good” parts of town. We were in a part of town that many would consider “good” yet we still found 2 syringes.

Apparently smokers think that the side-of-the-road is their personal ashtray!

I was amazed by the number of cigarette butts we found within the first few steps we took so I started counting how many I picked up. My final tally = 1149. (This amount does not include what the other 6 people picked up)

Let me repeat that I picked up 1149 cigarette butts in a half mile stretch.

Am I the only one who finds this incredibly disturbing? That means that over 1000 times a smoker drove by this small stretch of road and flicked their cigarette butt (undoubtedly still lite) out their window. Unbelievable!

We did not find bottles or glasses: My state has a deposit on these items and every grocery type store has recycling centers at their facility where you can bring these items back and get $ for them. (might I suggest instituting the same for cigarette butts)

It was a well spent 3 hours!

I was out in the fresh air, getting exercise, meeting new people, giving back to my community, making a difference, doing something that is good for the environment, animals, and people who live in the area. (we got a couple of Thank you's and a couple of honks with thumbs up)

Overall my experience was a very positive fulfilling one. I am glad that I participated and can’t wait to do it again. I would highly recommend participating in an Adopt-A-Road program in your area.

P.S. If you are a smoker and happen to be reading this blog posting, please don’t throw your cigarette butt out your car window! Pretty please!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-04-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Envirosax, the original designer reusable bag, is doing an Earth Day competition encouraging everyone to practice reuse into all aspects of life.

Eco Chic Prize Pack, worth over $500!

Solio Solar Charger for iPhone/iPod
Natural Fitness Eco Yoga Mat
Potting Shed Creations Grow Bottles
Boom Boom Cards
Oxygenics Vortex Chrome Shower head
Reduce Smash Can
Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style Book
BARBAR Ceramic Eco Blow Dryer
Aurora Glow String Lights
Blue iQ Miniature Ecosystem
Surfrider Foundation – Surf themed Monopoly
3-year membership to Surfrider Foundation
Envirosax Cherry Lane Pouch

How to Participate:

Take our 5 question pop quiz, answer correctly and your name goes in our prize giveaway.

Click here to take the Envirosax pop quiz now!

Terms and Conditions:
Competition dates are from Monday, April 19 and lasts until midnight Sunday, April 24, 2011.
Answers provided must be correct in order to get your name into the prize giveaway drawing for the Eco prize pack.
Available only for the USA.
Prizes will only be shipped within the USA.
Winners contacted and announced on facebook by Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

3 R Friday

2011-04-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your Ziploc bag usage.

Whenever possible use a reusable container instead of a Ziploc bag.
For times when you have to use a Ziploc bag, reach for the snack size first.

Reuse: Reuse plastic bread bags and their twist ties.

Instead of a Ziploc bag.
To pick up doggie droppings.
Throw one in your car for times when you need to bring home muddy shoes or wet clothes.

Recycle: Recycle your packing materials at The UPS Store.

They take packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and the air filled packers. Some Postal Connects do too!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

More Glee Gum Info + Discount Code

2011-04-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, and in recognition of my blog-tastic support, Glee Gum is offering my readers a special discount!

What: 15% OFF all Glee Gum products on the webstore, including NEW Sugar-Free Glee Gum!

Where: Special link gleegum.com/blognetwork

How: Visit the special link and enter the promo code: BLOG

When: Now through Arbor Day (April 29, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST).

Or you could enter to win a case of their NEW Sugar-Free Glee Gum here!

Share a recipe or 2

2011-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

If you have a yummy recipe that you would like to share with the readers of Over Coffee - the green edition I would love to here from you.

The more yummy recipes the better!

Glee Gum Review & Give-A-Way

2011-04-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

Glee Gum

When my 10 yr old son saw the packets of Sugar-Free gum that Glee Gum had sent me he excitedly said, "Mom, can I do the review for you"!

So here is what my son had to say about the new Glee Gum:

First I tried the Refresh-Mint:

It doesn't taste any different than their sugar gum
Not too minty so kids will like it
The flavor is not long lasting
Can't blow bubbles with it.

The next day I tried Lemon-Lime:

Tastes so yummy that I didn't want to stop chewing it!
Flavor lasts longer than the Refresh-Mint but still not as long as other gum.
Kinda sweet but still good.

Glee Sugar-free gum

I tried both kinds too and what I found is that they are not as sticky as the other kinds of Glee Gum I have tried.

I liked the Refresh-Mint better than the Lemon-Lime. I thought the Lemon-Lime was a little too sweet.

Even though the flavor goes away quickly it was not unpleasant to keep chewing the gum. It never really gets hard like other gum does.

I keep the packet of Refresh-Mint in my desk drawer at work. I find its great for a quick breath freshener before meetings.

I love that the packaging is recyclable but I do wish that it contained more that 15 pieces.

Here are a few facts about Glee Gum:

All natural chewing gum
Made with sustainably harvested rain-forest chicle
No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners (no aspartame)
No preservatives
Minimum processing with no chemical pesticides
Made in the USA
A 1% for the planet member
Minimal packaging, which is made from biodegradable, recycled cardboard (no plastic over wrap like other gum)
Child friendly size pieces

Here is some information about their new Sugar-Free Glee Gum:

All Natural Sugar-Free Glee Gum is sweetened with 100% xylitol, a sugar alcohol made from birch bark.
Xylitol is found naturally in the fibers of fruits and veggies like corn, raspberries and plums.
Xylitol can help benefit dental health, fight cavities, reduce plaque, and even clear nasal passages.
It contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives.
It's free of all major allergens, and it's their first product that's also corn-free**!
There's No Aspartame in Glee!

Sugar Free Glee Gum

Now you can try the new Sugar-Free Glee Gum for yourself thanks to the funny and kind folks at Glee Gum!
They are generously offering one lucky reader a case (12 boxes w/ 15 pieces per box) of their yummy Sugar-Free Glee Gum (Thanks Glee Guy!)

To Enter: Tell me which flavor you would like (Refresh-Mint or Lemon-Lime) and why you would like to try Glee Gum.

Don't forget to include your e-mail address (if your profile does not have it listed)

Giveaway Ends: Sunday April 24th.

Extra Entry: Blog about this giveaway and post the link here.

Good Luck!

I was given 2 packs of sugar free gum by Glee Gum to try out. I agreed to write a review of the product and host a give-a-way. The opinions written here are my honest opinions and not influenced by the company.

My first trip to an all natural store

2011-04-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

This weekend was my first shopping trip at an all natural store.

Oh sure, I have popped into a Trader Joes once or twice before to pick up an item or two but never to do my grocery shopping. So this was an all new experience for me.

Walking up and down the aisles I was totally amazed at how many products they had to offer and at the variety of brands they carried. I was also intrigued by the totally different look and feel of the store. I can’t really explain it besides saying that it was different. The one thought that flashed through my mind was, “this must be how children feel the first time they step foot inside Toys-R-Us.”

After I got over the “ahh” factor I really started to look at the store in a pro-vs-con kind of way.

Pros: Healthier, organic, natural, lots of local products, 10 cents off for each reusable bag including reusable produce bags (all pretty obvious).

Then I started looking at the cons and the #1 con...the price.

I really don’t understand why organic, natural foods cost so much more than “regular” foods. I am willing to pay a little more for organic/natural products but these prices were way more.

Example: $5.95 for a dozen free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

It is really difficult for a family of 4 on a tight budget to be able to shop at this store on a regular basis.

When we got home my husband and I analyzed our purchases. We realized that we could buy some (definitely not all but some) of the same items at our local Wal-mart super store and for much less.

Example: $2.95 a dozen for the same brand of free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

Our Wal-mart does not have the organic apples, the local bread, or the organic cheese that we bought (and loved cuz they were so yummy and are already gone) so now the question becomes, do we shop at 2 different stores?

What about the time and gas that would be spent shopping at 2 different stores that happen to be across town from each other?

Is purchasing just a few items (yogurt, cheese, bread, fruit) at the all natural food store “good enough”?

Addition to Original Post:

I can not believe that it has been 3 yrs since I originally posted this. My, how time flies.
What is even funnier is that this post still holds true!
I still ooh and ahh when I walk down the aisles, I still gasp at the prices, and I still buy whatever organic items I can at chain grocery stores because the prices are lower.
What has changed is the number of organic items that are available at chain stores including generic brands and multiple brands. Now we have more choices! It is all a step in the right direction!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-04-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

From today through May 4th, Spreadshirt.com is offering 20% off the purchase of 2 or more organic products.

Spreadshirt.com has colorful organic t-shirts and hoodies for women and men, and skin-friendly fabrics for kids. If you purchase 2 organic products by May 4th, 2011, your will get a 20% discount for your whole shopping basket. Just enter coupon codes ECO2011 (or CADECO2011 for Canada) when checking out.

Visit StonyField Organics at YourOrganicMoment.com and tell them how and why you and organic got together. Share your story and they will give you a coupon for yogurt and enter you in two raffles: one for a month's worth of organic yogurt, and one for a year's worth of organic groceries. Let me know if you share your story so I can read it!

Life is a Picnic

Check out the great sales at buygreen.com

With summer fast approaching you may want to check out this cool/cute blog post at Evergreen Moms: Popsicle molds: non-toxic, all tasty

Consider this Egg-cellent, sweet and outrageously camp bath ballistic egg, made fresh and by hand by Lush for an Easter basket treat!

This ballistic is great for kids and anyone who loves the bubblegum and banana scent of our famous Snow Fairy shower gel. It'll transform the waters into a pink wonderland of candy floss sweetness and scent your body for the rest of the day. Layer it with Godmother soap and you'll be irresistible. This Fluffy Egg makes a perfectly fluffy Easter gift for girls and guys with a sense of humor.

3 R Friday

2011-04-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of gas you use:

Ensure your tires are properly inflated.
Consolidate driving trips.
Ensure the maintenance on your car is current, especially oil changes.
Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed
Carpool.
Walk, bike, use public transportation.

Reuse: Reuse paper

Shred it and use it for packing material
Use the back side for printing things like directions
Let your children use it for drawing or coloring
Shred it and make your own confetti
Print double sided
Use shredded paper to fill Easter baskets
Shred it and use it for composting material

Recycle: Recycle your child’s outgrown carseat.

If you live in the Portland, OR area (or close to it), you can participate in the Car Seat Recycling at Legacy Emanuel Hospital

I don't know of another program like this one. If you do, please let us know!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Review: TerraCycle's All Purpose Cleaner

2011-04-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Prior to my blogging hiatus TerraCycle had sent me a bottle of their All Purpose Cleaner to try out. Since using it the first time it has become my primary kitchen sink and microwave cleaner.
Sadly I never got around to writing my review (Sorry guys).
Better late than never I hope!

Let's start with what TerraCycle says about this All Purpose Cleaner:

TerraCycle’s cleaners are derived from organic essential oils and natural plant and mineral extract. Our All-Purpose Cleaner is certified non-toxic, biodegradable and hypo-allergenic making it safer for you, your pets, and the planet. But being responsibly formulated is not enough. TerraCycle cleaners are extremely effective against dirt, grease, fingerprints and grime. Both the bottle and the spray cap are rescued from industrial waste streams and used for packaging on this and other products created by TerraCycle. Like all our Cleaners, the All-Purpose Cleaner comes with the Eco-Logo, the strictest certification given by the Canadian Government.

My kitchen sink is stainless steel and this All Purpose Cleaner is perfect for cleaning the food and grim off it without leaving a residue or streaks. It actually leaves the sink shiny again! That probably has something to do with the citrus in it. Which also gives it a pleasant smell and not that typical cleaner type smell.

Together with my Skoy cloth I found the perfect combination for cleaning my microwave.
It seems that I don't have to scrub as hard to remove the stuck on yucks from the microwave. And once again, the microwave door glass is streak-free.

I do have to invert the bottle a couple of time before I use it to mix up the solution again (probably because I have had it for a while).

Which is another plus, a little bit goes a long way so it lasts a long time.

I also love that it uses an upcycled bottle, which I can either recycle when I'm done or send it back to TerraCycle via their bottle brigade.

Over all, I would recommend this cleaner.

I was given 1 bottle of all purpose cleaner by TerraCycle to try out. In return I agreed to write a review of the product. The opinions written here are my honest opinions and not influenced by the company..
Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Life is a Picnic

2011-04-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Life is a Picnic

A group of amazing eco-friendly brands; Fabkins, Green Toys, LUNA, Plum Organics, and Cleanwell, have come together for a Earth Day promotion – “Life’s a Picnic” kit is being sold now on Diapers.com. As part of this campaign, all proceeds from the sale of the kit will benefit the non-profit Healthy Child Healthy World.

The kits includes:

*(1) 40 ct CleanWell Hand Sanitizer Wipes Original Scent

*(1) Green Toys™ BPA-Free Snack Bowls (4 per pack)
*(1) Green Toys™ BPA-Free Feeding Spoons (8 per pack)
*(1) White Chocolate Macadamia Luna Bar
*(2) Fabkins Organic Cloth Napkins African Safari Design
* Plum Organics(1) Mish Mash (1) Super Puffs (flavors will vary)

Click on over to Diapers.com and help support Healthy Child Healthy World.

Share a recipe or 2

2011-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

If you have a yummy recipe that you would like to share with the readers of Over Coffee - the green edition I would love to here from you.

The more yummy recipes the better!

Is hair really compostable?

2011-04-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

The book that came with my composter says it is.

Every book, web-site, and article I have ever read about composting says it is.

Yet there it sits.
Intertwined in our beautiful composted soil.
Totally recognizable.
Totally unchanged.
Totally still hair.

I guess the real question I should be asking is How long does it take for hair to compost?

Apparently longer than all the other items we put into our composter.

Now I am faced with the question of what to do with this:

This is the bag that , much to my hubby's disgust, sits under our bathroom sink.

For the past couple of years now I have used this same bag to collect compostable material such as dead leafs, biodegradable wooden tooth picks and dental picks, dryer lint, and hair.
Lots and lots of hair.
Between my daughter and I there is never a shortage of "compostable" hair.

So now the question is what to do with that bag of compostable hair.

Do we keep composting it in our composter and ignore the strands of hair decorating the base of our tulips?

Do we put it in our compost pile and just keep piling debris over it? (the out of sight out of mind approach)

Or do I throw it in the green bin for the professional compost facility to compost it?

I am not sure what to do with it?

While perusing the internet for my answer I came across this great link about composting.

How to make compost

Even though it says everything that I have read before I like the simplicity of the layout and bullet point instructions. It makes finding what you are looking for easy.

But alas, it does not answer my burning question: How long does it take for hair to compost?

Guest Post: Worms: "Procreate, eat, shit and have a great time"

2011-04-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

We are a composting household and have been so since 2006. While living in Montreal I thought I was doing pretty good just recycling. I mean, I lived in an apartment, how could I compost?

Then we moved to British Columbia and our landlord had a compost bin in his yard. I figured, well, my parents have been composting for a few years now, I'm sure I can handle this. The first few months were definitely an adventure. Filled with failed "corn based" biodegradable bags... that would actually begin composting IN our bin (ew!), to fruit fly infestations, a frozen outdoor compost bin and then maggots. Yep, Gag. (Lesson: boxboard or sturdy paper is WAY better than weird corn-plastic bags).

It has now been about five years of composting. We have a little green bin that we buy paper bags to line. Our friends use old cereal or beer boxes to line theirs. Since we're lazy we empty ours when it gets full... which is about every three of four days. Wouldn't you know, it doesn't (generally) smell. Fruit flies are minimal. This is mostly because we have a sealed container.

Now when I travel and visit other places that don't compost it feels almost criminal putting food waste to be shipped to a place where I know it will never degrade.

TRUTH: food waste *might* degrade in the landfill... (lettuce and hotdogs have been found from decades previous perfectly preserved in air tight plastic bags. No oxygen? Slow to none decomposition). When they do degrade without oxygen they create extremely polluting methane- one of the top climate changing chemicals that traps heat 20% more than carbon. Our landfills are the biggest human source of this gas. Awesome.

Although some landfills and dumps have figured out ways to trap the gases- compost facilities can as well... WHILE creating beautifully rich soil at the same time.

Also, food waste makes up 35 to 50% of our garbage. In Toronto that means 110,000 tonnes of green bin waste and 90,000 tonnes of yard waste per year

(Ecoholic, 2007).

Composting in Nova Scotia is sooo easy. You put stuff in the green bin and once a week a big city truck comes and takes it away. Sadly, despite the laws that are supposedly enforcing these regulations, most local yoga studios do *not* in fact compost. You're lucky if you even see a recycling separating option.

Have municipal compost but are grossed out by it all? A few smarty-pants Nova Scotian designers actually designed a silicone freezer bin that you fill up, freeze and will easily pop the frozen waste out into the municipal pick up bin. No mess, no smell. Made by Fuccillo in Los Angeles and sold here in Halifax at Carbonstok.

Ok, so you're convinced and WANT to compost. You get it. Sadly, no municipal composting system and you live in the city. Hah- you are SO not off the hook!

Hello Vers de terre- aka Worms!

Vermicomposting is the decomposition of organic matter by worms. They eat the stuff and poo out nutrient rich worm poo. I have read that they are easy and smell-free way to create rich organic soil for your plants (or local park... lol) right in your apartment! Living in Toronto has a fabulous guide on how to create your very own worm composter in your apartment.

Red worms eat their weight in food every day. This means one pound of worms can eat through seven pounds of food every week. According to this interview:

“Worms are like children,” says Fry. Keep them indoors where it’s not too hot, not too cold. You can start small with an ice cream bucket, but any plastic or wood container will do. First you need a scoop of soil. A layer of shredded newspaper on top acts as their bedding. Lift it up for feeding time and cover them up afterwards. Keep it moist and feed every few days.
“After that they just procreate, eat, shit and have a great time”

Love that quote.

Don't like the look of a plastic bin in your living room? Well, you could get this ridiculously beautiful 5bin composter system on etsy. Or these coffin-like Wood Worm bins, or eco-felt cloth bins that you could store under the sink.

Take the next step.

If you have a yard; get yourself a yard composter (Yancy has fabulous adventures and insights on her blog).
If you live in the city with municipal composting- get a bin and some liners and giver!
If you don't like the smell- try the beautiful silicone freezer bin!
If you don't have municipal composting- go worming!

Needless to say, composting definitely is for everyone. It really is shameful that 50% of our waste is taken up by something that could otherwise be creating beautiful, healthy soil.

Blessings!

I would like to thank Eco Yogini for this wonderfully informative guest post. It made me stop and consider worm composting. I just need to convince the hubby ;-)

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The ultimate reuse

2011-04-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

My 5 year old niece saw a commercial for Locks of Love which showed a little girl without any hair. My niece was very upset by the commercial. She said that she felt really sad for the little girl and wanted to give her some hair.

And that is just what my niece did.

She cut off 7 inches of her long beautiful hair and donated it to Locks of Love.

Is that not the sweetest thing that you have ever heard of?

For those of you who may not know what Locks of Love is, here is a synopsis from their website:

"Locks of Love is a public non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics".

My sister was very surprised at how adamant my niece was about doing this. They waited a couple of months after she saw the commercial to be sure that this was really something she wanted to do.

It was.

My niece was a little shocked at first when she looked in the mirror and saw 7 inches of her hair gone but she reminded herself of why she was doing it and was ok with it. She is already talking about doing it again for another little girl.

What a generous act for a 5 year old!

Quiz: How Well Do You Reuse? by Green Goes Simple

2011-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

By Andrea Kasprzak for Green Goes Simple

Reusing is a key component of the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). But how well do you do it?

Take this quiz to find out if you’re a single-use junkie, a quick-tosser or a savvy re-user who breathes new life into everything that crosses your path!

1. How do you hydrate after a serious sweat session?

A. Swing by the vending machine and purchase your favorite bottled water

B. Slurp up free H2O at your gym’s drinking fountain

C. Reach for the beloved reusable water bottle you lug everywhere

2. How do you get your groceries home from the store?

A. Plastic bags, or whatever’s available
B. You always ask for paper
C. Your own adorable, reusable tote bags

3. You hit the grocery store without your reusable totes. (Hey, it happens!) Now, what to do with all those paper bags?

A. Destroy all evidence! You personally deliver the bags to the dumpster
B. Fold them up and stack them in the closet with the other bags you never use
C. What can’t you do with them? Store old magazines, wrap gifts, line wastebaskets … the list goes on!

4. You’ve moved on from last season’s trends and are looking to lighten your wardrobe. What do you do with your old clothes?

A. Pitch ’em: You can’t stand to look at bubble hems a second longer!
B. Drop them at your little sister’s apartment: College kids appreciate hand-me-downs, right?
C. Get crafty with ’em: Last year’s sweater will make a perfect scarf and those torn jeans are begging to be transformed into shorts

5. You’re hosting a party. To prepare, you:

A. Stock up on party favors like plastic cups, paper plates and matching napkins -- there’s no way you’re doing dishes after this
B. Buy disposable plates, cups and utensils made from eco-friendly material like bamboo
C. Decorate the table with compostable items like fruits and flowers, break out your favorite dishes and assemble an enthusiastic dishwashing team

6. How do you bring your lunch to work?

A. You buy it every day -- they know your order by heart at the corner deli
B. In a trusty brown bag
C. In reusable containers that hold everything from salad dressing to sandwiches

7. Faced with leftovers after dinner, you:

A. Dump them in the trash
B. Pop them in the fridge … and promptly forget about them
C. Turn them into tomorrow’s lunch

8. You’re ready for a new computer. What will become of your old one?

A. You’ll donate it to a homeless shelter or school
B. You’ll give to a computer-less friend
C. You’ll recycle it

Mostly A’s: Single-user AbuserYou may be a reusing newbie, but you can start making simple changes
today. Tug a tote to the grocery store (keep them in your car or by the
front door), spend a day antique-shopping with your mother or just aim
to give household objects a second chance before throwing them away.

Mostly B’s: Middle-road Reuser

You’re eco efforts deserve to be applauded! Still, there’s always new ways to make a difference. (Check out the EPA’s site for information on local recycling options.) Challenge yourself to make

small changes in your lifestyle -- try getting crafty. Take a sewing class to learn how to revise your wardrobe or decorate a space with spiffed-up vintage finds.

Mostly C’s: Repeat DefenderTwo green thumbs up! You’re blazing the eco-friendly trail and doing more than your part for the planet. But don’t stop here -- strut your reusing stuff for your friends and family and inspire them to use things more than once, too.

I am happy to report that I am mostly C's with a few B's sprinkled in.
What is your Reuse score?

Thank you to Green Goes Simple for the sharing of articles with Over Coffee-the green edition

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

2011-04-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

**Click over to Treehugger.com to view their Best of Green awards

**In honor of Earth month Reuseit.com has $1.99 flat rate shipping

**Click over to RetroHouseWifeGoesGreen to enter Easter Giveaway: Natural Candy Store

** Vote for your Top 25 Eco-Mom blogs at Circle of Moms

** Old Navy has partnered with TerraCycle to recycle flip flops! Now through May 21st, you can drop off your old flip flops at any Old Navy store nationwide to be recycled into playgrounds. Look for the specially marked collection bins! Check www.oldnavy.com for a store near you!

Share any Eco friendly news, give-a-ways, or deals you know of.

3 R Friday

2011-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your paper waste by using reusable napkins.

Reuse: Crochet your plastic bags into a bag-of-bags.

No matter how hard we try we just don't seem to be able to completely rid our home of plastic bags. The few bags that do wander into our home now go straight to my friend who crochets them into a bag.

Recycle: Purchase items that can be recycled.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Natural Floss Picks

2011-04-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

I am big on flossing; not only flossing my own teeth but also flossing my children's teeth.
Using dental floss on myself is easy to do but not-so-easy on their teeth. I am not sure how those dental assistants do it but this mom could not.

So I went in search of dental picks and found these

DenTek Natural Picks

Here is some of the info that I found on the DenTek website about these picks.

DenTek presents the Natural Floss Pick – the first sustainable, 100% biodegradable* / recyclable floss pick on the market.
The handle is made of starches from sustainable American crops like tapioca, potatoes, and wheat. It's just as durable as petroleum-based plastic, but decomposes in less than 180 days in commercial composting facilities.
The renewable plastic used in DenTek Natural Floss Picks is an economically and ecologically sound substitute for petroleum-based products. These resins replace a significant percentage of petroleum-based additives with starches made out of corn, wheat, tapioca, and potatoes thus creating a highly sustainable product.
The Natural Floss Pick bag is 100% recyclable
DenTek Natural Floss Picks biodegrade safely and easily in a professionally managed compost facility. You can compost them in a home composter but it will take longer.
Do not throw your used Natural Floss Picks in with your other recyclables because they are not recyclable.

Here is my take on it:

I can tell you that for flossing my children's teeth they are a whole lot easier to use then string floss.
The pick part is really sharp so you have to be very careful when using it around the gum line.
The floss part is thick and does not not shred but it is a little difficult to get between the tighter smaller teeth.
I do like the fact that all the chain stores carry these picks so I don't have to go out of my to purchase them or purchase them on-line.
I believe all their bags are 100% recyclable.
The down-side is that the product is made overseas and overall I would not consider it a green product.

Although it works, and it is a step in the right direction, I know that there are more eco-friendly options out there so I guess I will have to just keep looking.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

2011-04-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

My son’s school has an annual auction (these days, what school doesn’t). One of the items that we purchased from the auction was organic blueberries. Locally grown, fresh picked, plump, yummy, delivered to our home, organic blueberries.

My children and I love blueberries. We eat them by the handfuls, mixed in our yogurt or topped on our cereal. My husband on the other hand….not a big fan of blueberries.
Leave it to him to find a way to make the blueberries yummy enough that even he will eat them.
Blueberry Crumb Bars:

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Filling Ingredients:

3 cups fresh blueberries (about 15 ounces) or one 12 ounce package frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
1 cup blueberry preserves (10 to 11 ounces)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Making the Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F
Butter bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking pan
Whisk flour, oats, sugar, salt, & cinnamon in large bowl.
Add 1 cup butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in small clumps.
Transfer 2 cups to medium bowl, mix in almonds, and reserve this for topping
Press remaining crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake crust until golden and just firm to touch (about 22 minutes)
Cool 10 minutes

Making the Filling:

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl
Spread evenly over cooled crust in pan
Sprinkle reserved topping over the filling

Bake the bars until the filling bubbles thickly at edges and topping is golden brown (about 40 minutes).

Cool in pan on a rack.

Cut lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip into 6 pieces.

Enjoy with a fresh brewed cup of organic coffee or black tea. (At least that is how I enjoy them. My kids and husband prefer to enjoy then with a glass of 1% organic milk. Either way, they are very enjoyable!)

Establishing an equipment exchange for youth sports

2011-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Before the start of each sports season the first stop my family and I make is to the thrift store.

We almost always find gear perfect for practice; baseball pants, cleats, football practice jersey, underarmor. Sometimes we even luck out and find items in game worthy condition; soccer shorts, basketball shorts, cleats.

Last year I even found some baseball mitts at the play-it-again sports store that were in perfect condition, (we gave these to the league for those kids that didn't have mitts)

I'm always so excited with these great finds!

So this year I decided to share my excitement by starting up an equipment share program for the youth baseball league my kiddos play in.

The thought was when parents came to register their kids for baseball/softball they could either rummage through the boxes of pants, cleats, & mitts and take items that would fit their kiddos or drop off items that no longer fit their kiddos or both.

I excitedly put together a couple of boxes, threw in some pants and cleats that did not fit my son anymore, sent the boxes with my hubby to registration, and eagerly waited to hear how my experiment went.

I was sadly disappointed.

Although my son's items quickly disappeared no one contributed any items to the boxes.

None. Zero. Zilch. Not a single item.

The league had advertised the equipment exchanged and people had asked about the exchange but still, there the boxes sat. Empty. For 2 weeks straight.

Needless to say I was a bit discouraged and somewhat surprised. I thought for sure this would be something other parents would participate in.

But alas they did not.

I can't help but wonder if they just saw the hand-me-down part of it and not the eco-friendly, cost saving part of it.

My husband was very encouraging and reminded me that it takes time for new ideas to catch on.

Good Point Hubby!

So even though my spirit was dampened I am going to try it again next year and see if maybe, just maybe, I can get a few parents to participate.

Have you had success starting up these kinds of exchange programs? If so, I would love to hear your story and any pointers you may have!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Method is asking you to be in their music video. Will you?

2011-04-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ONLINE



	we're making a music video and you should join us. watch how here. it’ll be easy, we promise. plus, you’ll get a little coupon love for participating. c’mon, let's do laundry together! get your friends involved, too. why should you be the only one to have any fun? the final deadline for submission is Friday, April 15. SHOW ME HOW IT’S DONE >

Method + TerraCycle = a grand idea

2011-04-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

You can imagine how excited I was when I learned that two of my favorite Eco companies had joined forces:

TerraCycle is now upcycling Method's refill pouches.

How cool is that!?!

No surprise that I immediately signed up for the Method Refill brigade and so can you! There are still 200 slots open.

Here is what TerraCycle has to say about the Method brigade:

Each year, more than one million Method® refill pouches are needlessly discarded and end up in our landfills. TerraCycle is proud to partner with Method® to create a second life for these used refill pouches.
Every time you refill your soap dispenser, all you have to do is save the refill pouch and send it in. Then we’ll up-cycle the material into fun and innovative products.
For each approved item received, your Collection Location will be awarded two TerraCycle points which can be redeemed for a variety of charity gifts or for a payment of $0.02 to the non-profit organization or school of your choice. Please click here to learn more about the TerraCycle Points Program!
Participation in the Method® Refill Brigade is simple and totally FREE – all costs and shipping are covered by Method®. It’s as easy as this:

Sign-up to participate in the Method® Refill Brigade. (you can print out posters and other materials to help collections as well as pre-paid shipping labels online).
Collect at least 20 Method® refill pouches and put them into an empty box you have on hand.
Affix the pre–paid postage label and drop it off at a UPS location. We will check in the box once it arrives at TerraCycle, and then you can track your shipments online.
Affix the pre–paid postage label and drop it off at a UPS location. We will check in the box once it arrives at TerraCycle, and then you can track your shipments online.

Now I have 6 boxes lining my garage wall, one for each brigade I am a part of (drink pouches, breakfast bar wrappers, cookie wrappers, glue containers, coffee bags, & now Method refills!)

I highly recommend that you click on over and join the Brigade fun! There is sure to be a brigade that fits you.

Recycle your used tennis shoes

2011-04-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

My son’s tennis shoes never last through the whole school year. Mid way through I always end up buying him a new pair. More times than not, those old shoes are way too trashed for anyone else to use so they end up in the garbage. I should say; they use to end up in the garbage. This year those stinky, smelly, worn out tennis shoes were deposited in the recycling bin at the Nike store.

Nike has a great program called Reuse-a-shoe:

“Where worn-out athletic shoes of any brand are collected, processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for young people around the world.”

So instead of adding to the landfill we can help build a playground! I don’t know about your kids but mine would much rather play on a structure surrounded by recycled rubber than by bark chips, sand, or even grass.

If your family has some old athletic shoes that you were thinking of throwing away, take them to Nike instead (Find a location near you) and let your shoes build a basketball court instead of becoming part of an already over crowded land fill. To make it even easier, Nike even accepts shoes through the mail!

When I first learned of the Reuse-a-shoe program I was so excited about it that I told everyone I knew, including my son's principle. She agreed to let me place an empty box at school to gather used shoes throughout the year. So far we are on box #4!

(Addition to original post: This recycle box has been at my son's school for 2 years now and I have deposited approximately 24 garbage bags full of shoes into the Nike Reuse-a-shoe bin!)

Go Green: Recycle your old tennis shoes. While you’re at it, recycle your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers shoes too!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..

Around the green blog-a-sphere

2011-04-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Click over to Treehugger.com and read the article on: Organic Can Feed Us All - New Data Confirms It's Just As Productive, More Drought Resistant, Better For Soil

Big Sale at Amy Adele

Check out the AMAZING sale on reusable bags at Reusit.com. Some of their bags are on sale for $2.50. What a great price!
Looking for a good recipe to try this weekend? You may want to check this one out from Retro House Wife Goes Green: Sunflower Butter Cookies
Another great review and coupon code on Saky sacks by Katydid and Kid

3 R Friday

2011-04-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of new little league baseball items you purchase by visiting play-it-again sports stores, thrift stores, and swapping items with friends and family.

Reuse: Reuse wine bottles to make a border around your flower bed or a half wall somewhere in your garden.

Recycle: Recycle Method refill containers by sending them to TerraCycle! (or should I say Upcycle)

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Natural Egg Coloring Dyes

2011-03-31T05:06:00.000-07:00

Post from the Past:

With Easter fast approaching I have been thinking about how to dye our eggs this year.

I have found many great articles and How To posts but I am still not sure that I am going to "go natural" with the egg dying this year.

I found this article on About.com. for using natural dyes:

Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan
Add water until the eggs are covered
Add ~ one teaspoon of vinegar.
Add the natural dye (see below) using more dye material for more eggs or for a more intense color
Bring water to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
If you are pleased with the color, remove the eggs from the liquid.
If you want more intensely colored eggs, temporarily remove the eggs from the liquid
Strain the dye through a coffee filter (unless you want speckled eggs)
Cover the eggs with the filtered dye and let them remain in the refrigerator overnight

Lavender: Small quantity of purple grape juice, violet blossoms, & 2 tsp lemon juice
Violet Blue: Violet blossoms with a small quantity of red onions skins
Blue: Canned blueberries boiled with red cabbage leaves or just purple grape juice
Green: Boiled spinach leaves
Greenish Yellow: Boiled yellow & delicious apple peels
Yellow: Orange Peels, Lemon Peels, Carrot Tops, Celery Seed, Ground Cumin, or Ground Turmeric
Brown: Strong coffee, instant coffee, or black walnut shells
Orange: Yellow onion skins
Pink: Beets, cranberries, raspberries, red grape juice, or juice from pickled beets
Red: Lots of red onions skins

You can use fresh and frozen berries as 'paints', too. Simply crush the berries against dry boiled eggs.

Try coloring on the eggs with crayons or wax pencils before boiling and dyeing them.

Here is this one on FamilyFun.com:

Pink: Mix 1 cup strained juice from canned beets, ½ teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Soak cooled eggs in the dye for ½ hour.
Purple: Mix 1 cup purple grape juice, ½ teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Soak cooled eggs in the dye for ½ hour.
Orange: In a pot, mix 1 cup loosely packed yellow onion skin (about 2 onions' worth), 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for ½ hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the onion skins, then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for ½ hour.
Light Blue: In a pot, mix 1 cup torn and loosely packed red cabbage leaves, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for ½ hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the cabbage leaves, then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for ½ hour.
Yellow: In a pot, mix 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for ½ hour, cool to room temperature, strain out stray turmeric grains, then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for ½ hour.

And another from Lakewind and yet another on Green Living Ideas Blogs

Some problems that I have with these natural methods are:

The amount of food that is used to make the dyes
The time that it would take to make the dyes
The amount of time that it would take to dye the eggs. (I really doubt that my kids would let an egg sit in a dye for half an hour. Heck, I couldn't wait half an hour to get my egg out. And what about the fun of multi colored eggs?)
The lack of participation by my kids (I don't really want them dropping eggs into boiling spinach)
The amount of pots and pans I would need (and are they going to be stained too?)
Did I mention the amount of food

Another concern I have what the eggs might taste like afterward.

We usually use the eggs to make things like deviled eggs, potato salad, potato salad sandwiches, or we just eat the hard boiled egg. If we used all these food items to dye the eggs would the eggs taste like the food?

I don't know about you but I don't want to eat a hard-boiled egg that tastes like coffee (no matter how much I love coffee).

Worse yet, how would the potato salad taste if I used the coffee & beet dyed eggs to make it?

I just don't think my family or I am ready for natural egg dyeing this year. Sorry. I am just not there yet.

What about you? Do you think you and your family will try a natural dying method for your Easter eggs this year?

Ending my blogging hiatus

2011-03-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Why hello there strangers!

It is so nice to see all of you again!

Oh how I've missed you.

I never imagined that I would miss blogging as much as I have?!?

I know it has been awhile and I have dabbled with coming back before but this time I really mean it!

After a brief lay-off, long hours of working a not-so-swell job, a scary bout of pneumonia that landed me in the hospital and life in general I am finally ready to enter back into the world of blogging.

My how the blogging world has changed and grown since I've been gone.

Bloggers that I followed/befriend have gotten married, had babies, grown into HUGE blogging successes, and sadly, have even passed away. (you will be missed prissy green)

I have thought a lot about how I want to do this and I have decided that I want to stay "old school"

I first started this green blog because I was so excited about the journey that my family and I were embarking on. We were just learning what it meant to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, discovering new products, learning about organic foods, entering into (what seemed like) a whole new world.

I started this blog because I wanted to share that world and my excitement about entering into it with others. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I could persuade others to take that journey with us.

As much as I would love lots of people to read my blog I just don't want to go down the road of sponsors, advertisements, contacts, etc. If this means that I have only a hand-full of readers then so be it. We will become a small close nit group of eco journeyers ;-)

With that said,when I find a product/company I love I will still do reviews and I will still gladly host give-a-ways (when I am fortunate enough to be asked to do so by wonderful eco companies!)

To all those readers who stuck around I would like to say Thank-You!

I will gladly 2nd that Thank You with an extra entry on the 1st 2 give-a-ways that I host.

Just leave a comment here or send me an e-mail. I would love to hear from you!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled eco-journey

All Natural Easter Candy

2011-03-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. Time for chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and marshmallow chicks; oh my.

If you are looking for a candy store that offers yummy candy without all those colorings, dyes, and preservatives you may want to look at:

The Natural Candy Store is a family-owned & operated business (two sisters and their mom)that takes pride in the quality of the products they sell. The products they sell just happen to be the largest selection of natural and organic candy available anywhere!

Organic
Vegan
Gluten-free
Kosher
Feingold
Allergen-free

Jelly Beans
They have a long list of certified organic products to choose from that you will easily find something for every Easter basket: jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, caramels, gummy swirls marshmallows, fudge, licorice, baking decorations, and much much more!

The Natural Candy Store does not carry any products that contain synthetic dyes or artificial colors. All the colorings used in the candies they carry are derived from fruits, vegetables, and other plant sources.

Like the Gummy Swirls (Which happen to be my favorite) which uses black carrot juice concentrate for the coloring.

These sweet, chewy, fruity flavored organic yummies:

Contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C & calcium
Are made with organic sweeteners
Are corn-syrup free
Are manufactured in CA.

I feel good about feeding these treats to my children! (In small portions of course. They may be organic but they are still candy & at 22g of sugar per serving my kids will only get them as treats. Yes, I am one of "those" moms)

The Natural Candy Store seeks out recycled and biodegradable supplies, such as the home-compostable cellophane bags they use for bulk candy, they support fair-trade efforts, and encourage pick-up for those living in the SF Bay Area.

All the candy and gum that we have purchased from the Natural Candy Store we have found to be very tasty!

We did notice some differences between the organic candy and the non-organic candy;

The organic candy tasted sweeter (so a little went a long way)
Some of the candies (like the jelly beans) were a little grainier (maybe due to the organic sugarcane that was used)
We could actually taste the fruitiness in the fruity candy.

I recommend stopping by their website and having a look around.

If you do happen to purchase some Easter goodies I would appreciate it if you let them know where you heard about them!

Lunch Love Community

2011-03-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

THE PARENT FACTOR
The School Lunch Initiative did not emerge fully formed, and as it is said here, "if you can get it done in Berkeley, you can get it done anywhere." Against all odds, a group of visionary parents came together in the 1990s, and persisted over the years to organize, change policies, and transform the way Berkeley children would eat in school.

New Reusable Bag Series from Envirosax!

2011-03-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

New Reusable Bag Series from Envirosax!

Send a free calendar to a deployed service... member this weekend!

2010-12-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Blue Christmas?

Loved one overseas?

Send a free calendar to a deployed service... member this weekend!

I'll have a blue Christmas without youI'll be so blue, just thinking about youDecorations of red, on a green Christmas treeWon't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me...as sung by Elvis Presley Written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson

Here we go again!

This weekend, brighten someone's Blue Christmas by sending a loved one currently deployed with our military, a free calendar with free shipping on us.

The glad tidings begin NOW!, and end at the stroke of midnight on Sunday, Dec. 12.

This is not a trick and there's no catch. We ain't hound dogs---we're just all shook up with the spirit of the season, so don't be cruel. (translation: some of us have loved ones overseas right now and we all agreed that this is how we wanted to spend our marketing dollars.)

For those of you who missed the fun a few weeks ago, here's how it works:

Just visit our website: http://www.asgardpress.com/, select a calendar, and enter the promo code "wikileakthis" on checkout. Up to $18.95 will be deducted from your order, and shipping will be free. (you must select APO/FPO shipping).

You can also click on this link, which will automatically fill your cart with the code: http://www.asgardpress.com/?promocode=wikileakthis

The recipient must be a currently deployed service member with a valid APO/FPO address. The sender (that's you) must be a U.S. resident with a valid credit card (It will not be charged, but it is required for our web host to process the transaction. Sorry folks, we found out last time that Paypal doesn't work without an amount to charge, but we want this to be totally free.)

If you are wondering, our ecommerce technology is 'best of class', and we do not sell, rent or trade your personal information under any circumstances. We have good intentions and big hopes, but a limited budget and a thinly stretched team this time of year, so we ask that you help keep our hair loss to a minimum by reading the rules carefully before jumping in.

We realize that some folks may not be comfortable with online transactions, but this is the only way we can do this---we are not set up to take orders by phone or any other way.

• The free giveaway IS NOW IN EFFECT, and ends at midnight on Sunday, Dec. 12.
• The sender (that's you) must be a U.S. resident with a valid credit card.
• The recipient must be a currently deployed service member with a valid APO/FPO address.
• 1 free calendar giveaway per person, please.
• Please do not send one to yourself. The spirit of the promotion is to connect those of us at home with loved ones who are far across the sea.
• Feel free to order more than one calendar, but only one calendar will be deducted from your total.

That's all, folks!
From all of us at Asgard Press, we salute our brave service men and women, and thank you for your support this year.
We wish you and your loved ones all the best this holiday season.
ThankYou.
Thank You Very Much.

See More By: Asgard Press Vintage Stationery

3 R Friday

2010-08-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of new back-to-school items you buy.

Try on all clothes to see what still fits them then head to a consignment store instead of a department store.
Look closely at last years items, backpacks, pencils, notebooks, lunch packs. Are they still in good shape? If so, why buy more.
Determine if a younger child can reuse some of their older siblings school supplies.

Reuse: Reuse pieces of scrap wood to make your own garden beds.

Recycle: Recycle with Earth 911.com

If you have an item that is destined for the garbage dump head over to Earth 911 first. Type in the item you have and your zip code and Earth 911 will find a place near you that will recycle it. Easy Peasy!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Recycle your Livestrong wristbands with Nike!

2010-08-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Got a Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG wristband that’s broken or worn out?

Don't trash it. Recycle it with Nike Reuse-A-Shoe.

Drop your old LIVESTRONG bands in any Reuse-A-Shoe bin and Nike will turn 'em into Nike Grind (material for sports surfaces and other products).

Nike Reuse-A-Shoe will only accept the LIVESTRONG wristbands.

"From fighting cancer to fighting waste, you can make your commitment to doing good live on – with LIVESTRONG and Nike Reuse-A-Shoe"

Garbage Moguls

2010-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Last year I was honored to receive a DVD preview of Terracycle's TV series Garbage Moguls.

It was a great way to put faces to the names and learn a little bit more about the people behind this innovative company.

I am happy to report that the series is beginning this weekend!

When: Saturday, August 21st; 7pm for the re-airing of the pilot episode, 8-11pm for the new episodes

Where: The National Geographic Channel (check your local listings for exact channel and show times)

Extra: Join TerraCycle on Twitter (#GarbageMoguls) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TerraCycle) for their online premiere party, starting at 8pm EST

I highly encourage you to tune into this three-episode marathon of “Garbage Moguls, the
trash-tastic reality show about TerraCycle and get an inside look as the TerraCycle team faces new challenges and searches to find solutions for the world’s waste in this comically captivating reality show."

You can also ask questions and interact with the cast members, including Tom Szaky, during all three episodes as part of TerraCycle’s “Online Premiere Party”.

Follow and join the Garbage Moguls conversation live by tweeting with the #GarbageMoguls hash tag.

You can also participate in a live trivia game on Facebook that TerraCycle will be hosting.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 21st!

3 R Friday!

2010-08-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of gas you use:

Ensure your tires are properly inflated
Consolidate driving trips
Ensure the maintenance on your car is current, especially oil changes
Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed
Carpool
Walk, bike, use public transportation

Reuse: Reuse paper

Shred it and use it for packing material
Use the back side for printing things like directions
Let your children use it for drawing or coloring
Shred it and make your own confetti with it
Print double sided
Use shredded paper to fill Easter baskets
Shred it and use it for composting material

Recycle: Recycle your child’s outgrown carseat.

If you live in the Portland, OR area (or close to it), you can participate in the Car Seat Recycling at Legacy Emanuel Hospital

I don't know of another program like this one. If you do, please let us know!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Passive Composting

2010-08-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

When we first started composting we started by passive composting. We would just throw our food scraps into a planter box and every so often turn the dirt in the box. I am still amazed at how well passive composting works. Our raspberries sure do love it!

We have since moved to active composting but during the winter months we still feed our passive composting pile for our spring planting.

I thought that I would share some info with you about this easy and affective method of composting!

What is passive composting?

Piling yard trimmings and organic household waste in a pile somewhere in your yard and letting it rot.
The passive part refers to the minimal human intervention.

Does passive composting work?

Yes!
Compost created from passive composting is just as good for the soil as compost produced from active composting.

What are the downside to passive composting vs active composting?

Takes a longer time to produce compost
Produces less compost
Tends to smell

How do I start Passive Composting?

Take grass clippings, leafs, and weeds and pile them up in your yard
Dump your organic kitchen scraps (no meat, grease, processed food) onto the pile
Leave it alone

Are there little things I can do to speed up the composting?

Occasionally add handfuls of dirt to the pile
Chop up the waste before putting it on the pile
Occasionally turn the pile
In the spring add composting worms to the pile

Passive composting is an easy way to recycle your household organic waste and your yard waste and best of all, it works!

Are you an active or passive composter?

3 R Friday

2010-08-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of fresh water you use for watering plants by collecting spent water:

Place a container in the kitchen sink and pour any excess water into it (from dog bowls, water bottles, rinsed dishes, ice cubes that fall on the floor, etc)
Dump the left over ice from water coolers into plants
After you give your child a bath (or take a relaxing one yourself) use the water for your plants.
Install a rain barrel
Water one plant over another so the excesses water waters the 2nd plant
Place a container in your shower to catch the excess water

Reuse: Reuse dryer lint for compost material

I keep a small bag on my dryer and just fill it with the lint. When the bag gets full and add it to my composter.

Recycle: Recycle Elmer's glue sticks with the Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling Program!®

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Save 15% on all Facial Freedom products

2010-08-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Facial Freedom is a line of Organic Skin Care for Young Adults that includes my absolute favorite Brittanie’s Thyme Organic Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub for just $8.50

Other products on sale include:

Facial Freedom Organic Acne Treatment

Facial Freedom Protective Moisturizer

Facial Freedom Gentle Toner Travel Size

They always have Free Shipping on Orders over $50!

Hurry over to Brittanie’s Thyme to order your organic facial products that "are produced in small batches to ensure freshness and contain "No fillers, No artificial preservatives, No artificial fragrances or dyes."

Remember to tell them who sent you!

Save up to 60% at the Natural Candy Store

2010-08-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you have a special diet but still have a sweet tooth that needs to be sweetened then might I suggest shopping here:

Vegan Candy

Gluten-Free Candy

Allergen-Free Candy

Feingold Candy

Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) Candy

Corn Syrup-Free Candy

Kosher Candy

Of course my favorites are any of their organic candies (especially the gummies....and their caramels....oh and their jelly beans are yummy too!)

If you would like to try some of their tasty candies now is an excellent time!

Hurry while supplies last and don't forget to mention that you heard about them here, at overcoffee the green edition!

Terracycle Candy Wrapper Brigade

2010-08-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite green companies has to be Terracycle!

Terracycle is a small company that has found an innovative way to take items destined for the landfill and turn them into really cool usable products.

Case in point: unrecyclable candy wrappers that are upcycled into various kinds of bags.
Each year, millions of candy wrappers are needlessly discarded and end up in landfills. TerraCycle™ is proud to partner with Mars®/Wrigley® and Cadbury® to create a second life for used candy wrappers. Every time you enjoy a Mars®/Wrigley® or Cadbury® candy product, you can save the wrapper and send it in to TerraCycle™, an eco-friendly innovator, and we will upcycle the pre and post-consumer waste material into cool new products.

How easy is that!

The way that TerraCycle™ gathers the wrappers (and other waste items) is through something they call Brigades.

Participation in the Candy Wrapper Brigade is simple and it’s completely FREE – all costs and shipping are covered by Mars/Wrigley and Cadbury.

1. Once you sign–up to participate in the Candy Wrapper Brigade you will receive prepaid postage labels and collection materials from TerraCycle.

2. Collect enough wrappers to fill a collection bag

3. Affix the pre–paid postage label and drop it off at a UPS location

Sign–up today and join the effort to reduce the impact of our manufacturing plants on the planet each year.

1090 Candy Wrapper Slots Open

Vancouver Soccer Field Made of 22,000 Recycled Tires

2010-08-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

For an interesting read click on over to Earth 911.com and read:

Vancouver Soccer Field Made of 22,000 Recycled Tires

Maybe these guys will start another trend!

3 R Friday

2010-07-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your zip-lock bag usages by using reusable containers instead!

Reuse: Reuse glass jars for storage containers.

Recycle: Recycle your used candy wrappers with Terracycle and let them upcycle those wrappers into very cute bags!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Blueberry Muffins

2010-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that blueberries are by far the easiest berry to pick.

Last weekend my family and I picked ~15 pounds in ~ 1 hour (and the kiddos ate ~ 5 pounds in 1 hour).

One of the things we did with the berries (before my kiddos ate them all) is make these very yummy blueberry muffins.

We actually put in a few more blueberries than the recipe called for but I figured the more the merrier.

If you have a few extra blueberries (or strawberries, raspberries, marionberries, etc) on your hands I highly recommend this recipe!

Recipe for Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins from The Food Network

New line of muck-free reusable lunch gear from Citizenpip

2010-07-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

A while back I reviewed a wonderful Reusable Lunch Kit line from Citizenpip called From Soup to Nuts and loved it!

I am excited to announce that Citizenpip has come out with some new gear just in time for back-to-school.

Whats new?

4 new cool lunch bag designs
A roomier bag
An easy sport top water bottle
4 fresh fun colors of airtight containers

These are features that my son is definitely happy about.

Let me share with you a little bit about this green company and their wonderful products:

Citizenpip is

Muck-free! Which means their products do not contain lead, BPA, PVC, or phthalates.
Makes it easy to go green with products that are designed to be fun and stylish for kids, and practical and convenient for parents.
Dishwasher safe, recyclable, easy to clean, easy to open, reduces trash!

Some of the features that I/my kiddos really liked are:

Easy to open and close containers!!! (this is a feature that we have had problems with in other lunch kits we have tried)
The larger of the containers is microwave friendly. (another feature that we have had a hard time finding in the past and sometimes a kid wants Mac-N-Cheese for lunch)
The opening on the water bottle. It is wide mouth but has a cover that leaves a smaller drinking opening which means no noise when you drink, less chance to spill on yourself or knock it over. (My son also liked that it did not have a smell like most new stainless steel bottles do. He likes the sport top feature better though)
The kit is lead-free, PVC-free, phthalate-free, and BPA-free!
Having a napkin for each school day.
A cold water bottle does double-duty as an ice pack when placed inside the insulated bag!
The bag is easy to wipe clean.

If you would like to learn more about Citizenpip check out this informative and helpful FAQ sheet on their website.

And while your there if you happen to see something you would like to purchase feel free to use code OVERCOFFEE10 to receive 10% off any size order.

Kids Konserve summer special!

2010-07-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Waste-Free Snak Pak from Kids Konserve for only $19

Great for on the go and summer camp lunch packing.

Save 15% off by entering coupon code "summer15" at check out.

Drawstring bag fits nicely inside a back pack or book bag.

Waste-Free Snak Pak Contains:

cotton reusable drawstring bag
cotton napkin
round leak-proof 304 food grade stainless steel container
food kozy (the reusable food wrap!)

All are BPA, Lead & Phthalate Free!

Click here to order.

Envirosax Helps The Gulf Coast Oil Spill

2010-07-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Gulf Coast Oil Spill has become the worst oil spill in America’s history and Envirosax wants to help!

Envirosax has teamed up with The Greater New Orleans Foundation, the largest and oldest philanthropic community foundation in the region. They will serve as a conduit between nonprofit partners to help the victims, animals and the extensive clean up of the wetlands and surrounding environment.

To help, Envirosax will donate a $1.00 for every BAG purchased from the Flora, Monochromatic, Oxford, Candy, Botanica and Retro Graphic Series and $5.00 for every POUCH from these series!

They will also donate $5.00 for every Pepsi Heritage Pouch purchased.
(The Pepsi Heritage bags are made from RPET. The 45% Repreve® fabric in the ENVIROSAX RPET is made up of 100% recycled product, mainly plastic bottles from the USA.)

Buy a reusable bag between July 1 and July 31, 2010, and help save the environment and the Gulf.

Over Coffee - the green edition

3 R Friday

3 R Friday

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 3

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 2

Help Reuseit.com Donate Lunch Gear to Those in Need

Turn Denim into Insulation - Part 1

EcoSmart Ant Killer

3 R Friday

24 Hours of Reality

Cage-free

Certified Humane:

Farmed Fish

Free-range

Grass-fed

Hormone-free/No added hormones

Lean/Extra Lean

Natural

No nitrites/nitrates

Organic

Pasture-raised

Processed meats

rBGH-free

Saturated Fat

Sodium nitrate/nitrite-free

Wild-caught/Wild Fish

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

Pepsi Unveils First 100-Percent Recycled Soda Bottle

Method co-founders have written a new book and are launching it via a webinar. Learn more on how you can join the webinar by clicking here.

Join the 21 Day Reusable Challenge with Retro Housewife Goes Green

The Green and Clean Mom (Sommer Poquette) has released a new book called My Mommy is a Blogger. Check it out!

3 R Friday

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 3

Ways to Spread the Word

Additional Resources

The 5 Steps to a Waste-free Lunch

3 R Friday

Safeco Field getting greener as more garbage composted

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 2

Top facts:

Where To Find Ideas for Packing Healthy Lunches?

3 R Friday

Tips for a Waste-Free Picnic

Brought to you by Reuseit.com:

TerraCycle Summer Bonus Points

Refill Ink Cartridges at Costco

Special Offer from Green Home

Promote Waste-free Lunches in Your School - reuseit.com Part 1

The 5 Steps to a Waste-free Lunch

3 R Friday

TerraCycle + Kraft = Minor League Baseball Ticket

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

How It Works

Receive One Free Travel Size Organic Bug Spray with every purchase of a Travel Set at Brittanies Thyme.

3 R Friday

3 R Friday

Conventional Cotton vs Organic Cotton

3 R Friday

Rid your home of fruit flies and a big Thank You

3 R Friday

Drawing my eco-line at mice

Enter the "Protecting the Planet for Baby Contest" at TerraCycle

3 R Friday

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mommies out there!

Unsulphured vs Sulphured Molasses

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

3 R Friday

Max's Mud Natural Sculpting Dough Review

Eco-eating: How to Pickle

Home-Made Toss Accross

Discarding CFLs

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

3 R Friday

My Adopt-A-Road Experience

Around the Green Blog-O-Sphere

3 R Friday

More Glee Gum Info + Discount Code

Share a recipe or 2

Glee Gum Review & Give-A-Way

My first trip to an all natural store