green is sexy

beat an old wrap

us — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:16 +0000

We’ve all known someone who unwraps gifts painfully slow to “save the paper”. Maybe instead of cringing we should have been taking notes! In addition to saving money, reusing wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and gift boxes is an ecologically savvy thing to do. Why contribute to the production of more paper and decoration when each Holiday and Birthday brings it right to you? An iron does wonders for bows and ribbons and if used very carefully, ironing paper and tissue beneath a cotton pillowcase or sheet will give new life to old wrapping. Happy gifting!

when life gives you lemons…

us — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:00:21 +0000

… make more than lemonade. Lemons aren’t only great for cooking but excellent for cleaning too. Before throwing away your halved, squeezed out lemon, rub it over your cutting boards to clean and freshen. Sprinkling the lemon with a bit of sea salt will help to disinfect as well. If you have a sink garburator, throw it in and churn it up for a sweet lemony smell or just rub the lemon over the surface of your sink for a quick and sparkly clean up. You can take this trick one step further by mixing up a paste of baking soda and biodegradable dishwashing soap. Slather the paste on the cut side of the lemon and scrub up (great for countertop stains). When all is said and done, the wondrous lemon can still go in the compost.

Recipe of the Month

us — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:15:19 +0000

Window Dressing

December is a great time to sit back with a cup of something hot and watch the snows of winter fall from the sky. Whether you’re entertaining family and friends for the Holidays or just watching the season from the comfort of your warm home, make sure windows are clean and shiny without the use of harsh, toxic cleansers. Most glass cleaner is made with ammonia, which is a major respiratory irritant, but you can make your own with just a few ingredients you probably already have lying around.

Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5-10 drops essential oil (optional)

Combine alcohol, water and vinegar in a spray bottle and shake well. If desired, add 5-10 drops of the essential oil of your choice. We like the calming scent of lavender, but you may prefer mint or lemon or no scent at all. Give the mixture one more shake and spray directly to windows or glass for a streak-free shine. To max out the eco benefits of your homemade cleanser, use a lint-free cloth or an old t-shirt or pair of undies to wipe down glass instead of paper towel.

Clear visibility isn’t the only reason to pay attention to windows this month. Drafty windows are major energy suckers, so pay attention while you wipe down windows for any drafts. If drafts aren’t obvious, you can hold a candle or piece of thread near windows on a windy day to see if any air is coming through.

To insulate windows from the chill outside, pick up a DIY insulating kit from the hardware store and spend an hour or so protecting your home from drafts. Insulating kits are typically comprised of sheets of insulating plastic film and special tape. You’ll simply need to stretch plastic across the window pane and blow with a hair dryer to seal in place. Not only will well-insulated windows keep the cold air out and the warm air in, you’ll save energy and money in the process. For more information on insulating windows yourself, check out this video.

Green Read

us — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:14:56 +0000

ReadyMade: How to Make (Almost) Everything

With its cardboard cover and a ruler to bind, the fabulous ReadyMade: How to Make (Almost) Everything screams green before you even crack it open. Created by our friends at ReadyMade magazine who are famous for making crafting resourceful and hip, this primer is packed with sixty do-it-yourself projects and how-to essays. Many of the projects use items from around the house, combining easy step-by-step instructions with a chic idea for your house. Like a chopstick clock or a beer-can room divider. It’s almost certain that upon reading, you’ll want to get crafty and make your gifts this year.

But if laziness is stronger than craftiness this season, consider grabbing a copy as the gift. With its beautiful typography and well-designed layout, the book is destined to grace any friend’s coffee table and inspire those who can’t resist a peek. Available at the ReadyMade Store.

burn your sandwich.

us — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:23 +0000

We’re always looking for new ways to reuse old stuff to keep trash to a minimum and to keep us from stocking up on useless junk. One such example of reuse is using a CD-R spindle to tote a bagel sandwich to school or work. The peg in the middle of the sturdy plastic container fits perfectly through the hole in the bagel, keeping your sandwich from wiggling around and losing its insides. When you’ve used up your blank CD’s, give the container a wash and a good dry, then stash it with the rest of your tupperware for a uniquely retooled way to take lunch or breakfast on the road.

Thanks to Trevin Chow for suggesting this tip!

hey, jute.

us — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:59:42 +0000

Are all those nasty chemicals in floor rugs giving you the burn? Looking for a friendly alternative but don’t know where to turn? All we are saying is give jute a chance. Jute, a natural veggie fiber extracted from a flowering plant, is quickly making a name for itself as one of the world’s greatest eco materials. Its 100% biodegradable, totally recyclable and grows at a much quicker pace than even the fastest growing tree. It’s cheap to buy and cheap to make as the energy that goes into processing it is minimal. Furthermore, it can actually clean the air, eating up carbon and spitting out oxygen. Jute doesn’t just stop at the floor – its found its way into fashion items, bags, shoes, luggage, handicrafts, even food and medicine. And its making big waves in industry and agriculture as a great packaging material, a friendlier fiberglass and a fabulous particleboard in place of chopping down trees for wood. So go on, get your jute on!

say no to blow.

us — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:01:01 +0000

Cocaine sucks: it’s illegal, it’s expensive and it’s bad for your health. As if that’s not bad enough, a recent article on the Sierra Club’s website states that for every gram of cocaine snorted, four square meters of rainforest are destroyed. It is estimated that Columbia has lost roughly 3 million acres of rainforest to production of the narcotic, and that cocaine processors release more than 370,000 tons of chemicals into the ecosystem every year. Yikes! Coca leaves themselves play an important role in certain Central and South American cultures and do not cause the euphoric and psychoactive effects associated with use of the drug form, but processed cocaine blows for the environment.

cold and delightful.

us — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:54:38 +0000

Planning a Thanksgiving feast? Try saving a tad bit more energy from the oven use by going light, going raw, and going fresh! Swap out one of your oven baked side dishes for a uncooked one. Think salad instead of green beans, or fresh apples instead of baked. When you are using the oven, take advantage of your preheat time and warm a few others dishes up that need just a bit of cooking. Share the heat by spacing your other cooked dishes out accordingly. Take full advantage of all cooking energy spent, and of course, enjoy!

trip out.

us — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:32:58 +0000

This holiday, if you’re hosting guests or cooking a big meal, plan your shopping trips ahead of time. Try making a list, checking it twice, and figuring out where to go with the least impacting route in your car (think less miles/kilometers!) before you even leave the house. Want to double your fun? Bring another hosting friend along and split the gas cost! You might even be able to swap some recipe tips. If you forget an item, ask an arriving guest to do a quick stop to pick it up on the way.

thar she (doesn’t) blow!

us — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:49 +0000

Grab your coat and lace up your boots made for walking because it’s time for this winter’s favorite arm workout: snow shoveling! Burn 200 - 300 calories on average just by grabbing a shovel and heave-hoing that snow off your driveway. Save the energy you’d use for a snow blower and hone in on the energy that is renewable: your own!

Photograph by Jesse Hove