Happy St. Patrick’s Day, the greenest day of them all! If you’re in a pinch (harhar) to throw a party or are actually planning one, consider buying your beer in a growler. What IS a growler, you ask? A growler is a large glass container that carries a half-gallon of liquid. Many pubs and breweries carry the oversized bottles, charging just a few bucks more for you to buy your own reusable growler. You can usually bring back the container to be refilled over and over again. You’ll save lots of glass from going bulk on beer and be supporting a local brew. Drop a few drops of green coloring in – and your green beer is ready to drink during the greenest day o’ them all!

Okay, Chef Boyargreen, we know you like to bake and cook. Next time sugar cookies call to you, do your energy bill a favor and unplug that electric mixer, get a big spoon, and mix by hand. This ancient method was used for centuries before the birth of the Kitchen Aid era – and people cooked food and baked just fine. Plus, you’ll get a bit of a bicep and forearm workout during your session, which means enough calories burned to eat more cookies. Now that’s the circle of life!

While most of us will do anything to avoid paying ten bucks to have our socks washed on vacation, sometimes the need to take advantage of hotel laundry is too great.  But have you ever noticed how many bells and whistles come with this service?  Socks and undies arrive in new cardboard boxes stuffed with crisp tissue paper.  Your best shirts are hung neatly on wire hangers, covered in paper and then smothered in plastic with a few metal staples thrown in for good measure.  What happens to all that plastic and virgin paper when you check out?  Exactly what you think.  Next time you have to fill out the laundry form, put a note in the special instructions section that you don’t need any excess packaging.  A hanger will suffice for the stuff that needs to stay wrinkle free and if you’ve got a minute, inquire if the hotel recycles hangers.  Better yet, save yourself a whack of cash and hand wash as much as you can.  Just a few more ways to travel a little lighter, a lot sexier.

Hey sleepyhead, let’s talk pillows.  We hate to break it to you, but conventional pillows typically contain petroleum chemicals that release VOC’s into the air in your home.  VOC’s are gross enough in wall paint and furniture sealant, but your pillows?!  Fire retardant, no-iron, moisture-resistant pillows aren’t born – they’re made, using lots and lots of nasty stuff.  In addition to VOC’s, synthetic pillows are the perfect habitat for huge numbers of dust mites, their kin and all of their droppings.  Not only is this disturbing, but it’s also a huge irritation for the lungs.  Considering your airways get pretty darn close to these chemicals, you might consider switching to something a little less harmful. 

Choosing the right pillow is mostly about personal preference and comfort, and if chosen correctly will provide a healthy more restful sleep. When shopping for new pillows, be sure to pass on synthetic fabrics and fills and opt for chemical-free, natural-fill models covered in organic cotton. The most popular natural-fill options you’ll find are: 

• Natural Shredded Rubber Fill
  Also known as latex, this is a byproduct of the rubber tree (just make sure it’s not synthetic rubber).
• Wool Fibre Fill
  Wool is flame resistant and offers excellent moisture absorbency, allowing the pillow fill to breathe. Wool is naturally bacteria and dust mite resistant. Try to find wool fill pillows sourced from organically raised sheep, or recycled wool.  
• Feather and Down Fill
  Made from duck or goose feathers, the higher the down content, the softer the pillow will be.
• Buckwheat Hull Fill
  Said to be superior to either of the above options, buckwheat hull material conforms to the contours of your head and neck without “pushing back” as some fibers do. It has excellent insulation properties for both summer and winter and a single fill can last for years.
• Kapok Fill
  Kapok is a soft and silky fiber from the seed pods of a the ceiba tree

Not all natural-fill types will be ideal for you, so be sure to consider your own skin sensitivities and outdoor allergies before shelling out dough for these pillows.  If a wool sweater makes you want to claw your skin off, you should probably avoid a wool fibre fill pillow, for example.  Natural pillows are definitely more expensive than traditional pillows, but they’re worth the investment.  If you’re on a budget (and who isn’t?), consider buying one natural pillow to use as the one closest to your face, then add more pillows to your bed as funds become available to you.  As you add natural pillows to your bed, be sure to cover them in high-quality organic pillowcases to protect your investment. 

Thanks to Dihan Chandra of Organic Lifestyle in Toronto for suggesting this tip!

It’s Friday afternoon, rush hour is creeping in and your job depends on getting that package from one end of town to the other in a timely manner.  Who you gonna call?  Your local bike courier!  While sometimes fed ex or ups may be necessary for long distance runs, if your goods are local, put the petal to the lighter metal and save the earth a load of fuel and fuss.  Bike couriers are generally faster and cheaper (not to mention they probably have nicer calves) than a fuel driven messenger service and they can be found all over the world.  And you don’t necessarily have to limit your green deliveries to boring business goods.  Some florists and restaurants offer bicycle delivery too – just google a participating business near you.  You can get the world on time and keep it green.

You may have heard that consuming Omega-3 fatty acids is good for your health.  It’s true!  Research has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death.  Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly). Omega 3 fatty acids have also been said to ease the symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, as well as a host of other beneficial effects.  The American Heart Association recommends consuming 2+ servings of fatty fish per week in order to reach the suggested amount of Omega-3’s.  Since some types of fish may contain high levels of mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins and other environmental contaminants, the safest way to reach your Omega-3 goal is to buy a mercury-free, environmentally responsible supplement.  The best supplements for your health and the health of the world’s fish population are made from the oil of low-level fish, such as anchovies and sardines caught off the coastal waters of Chile and Peru. Because there is an abundance of these fish species in this region, over-fishing is not a concern.  The next time you’re at the health food or vitamin store, check out the Omega-3 supplements and compare the labels!  You want a high level of DHA (one of the 3 fatty acids), a mercury-free label and oils from low-level, sustainably caught wild (not farmed) fish.  Here’s to your health!

Thanks to Romeo Catracchia for inspiring this tip!

Photograph by Jesse Hove.

Here at Green Is Sexy, we like to think that little gestures make a big difference. Then what can be done with those little plastic bread tags that pile up in your drawer?  We discovered that they can be recycled and have seen rulers made from them. See? Little things can add up! If your local recycling program doesn’t accept tags (call them to find out), there are a couple of ways they can be re-used: crafters wrap thread around them, kids can learn to count with them, musicians could use them as guitar picks, techies can write on them and attach them to electrical cords, anyone can put them on the end of a tape roll to mark the spot, homemakers can clip a pair of socks together in the wash, and – our favourite – gamblers can use them as poker chips. So grab your friends and a handful of bread tags and have a poker night. Okay, okay. We recognize that some of these suggestions are a bit crazy and maybe a tad obsessive, so if it’s too much for you, we just ask one thing: please cut the tags in half before you discard them Bird beaks and small animal feet can get caught and that’s not a nice gesture.

There are lots of things you can do for your health that will help you operate your life in a greener way. Take napping for example: just a 15-20 minute lie back per day will allow you to feel more energetic and effective for the rest of your day and evening. That may mean one less coffee (cup, beans, water, espresso maker energy, dollar bills….) or one less energy drink (can, factory process, change, vending machine cooling system…). That also may mean that you’ll have the energy to take on more activities later too, like making dinner at home instead of ordering out or line drying your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer. The energy you put in will come back to you.

Going out to eat with a friend? Just know that the average restaurant’s food portion is 60% larger than what you’d typically serve yourself at home. Why not share the joy of eating out with a friend and split an entree? It’s more than likely that you’ll be pleasantly full when you’re through, and your calorie count and wallet with thank you. And you’ll be less likely to be taking home leftovers, using one less takeout box and one less plate. Less really is more.

Photo by Jon Sullivan.

Long locks got you down?  Think about an update to your look this spring – and cut it off! Not only can you donate your hair to cool charities like Locks of Love, but shorter hair means you’ll be saving in the shampoo, conditioner, and water department each time step in the shower for a scrub (not to mention the hairdryer’s energy each time you plug in to dry).