Archive for November, 2009

Today we are taking a look at the new green phone that was developed by Samsung… so, without further ado meet the Reclaim.

The Reclaim phone is made from 80% recycled materials and is PVC free.  At least 40% of the phone was created from bio-plastic materials derived from corn and $2.00 from every purchase of the Reclaim goes to The Nature Conservancy program.

Average retail cost for this green cell phone is about $50.00 with a two year Sprint contract.  Plus, the Reclaim made The O List for the December issue of O Magazine.

For more information on the Reclaim phone, visit Sprint’s green phone page here: The Samsung Reclaim Phone

Technorati Tags: green cell phone, green phone, natuer conservancy, O magazine, reclaim phone, samsung reclaim

This December, Sophie Uliano the original Gorgeously Green gal is having a giveaway a day over at her website Gorgeously Green. That’s right, every day for the month of December she will be giving away one product for one wining member based on the comments that are left on the site.

If you are unfamiliar with Sophie, she is the author of both the Gorgeously Green and The Gorgeously Green Diet: How to Live Lean and Green. You can also check out Sophie in action through this video.

Technorati Tags: december giveaway, gorgeously green, green giveaway, green products, sophie uliano

Yes, today we are going beyond the turkey to focus on the decorations. Centerpieces, napkin holders, table runners…you know homey little touches that can bring an Autumn feel to the house.

The difference in what we are going to look at here is that all of our Thanksgiving decorations are going to be upcycled. Now, for those who do not know what that means I’ll explain it. Upcycling and Upcycle are terms that was coined by German chemist Michael Braungart and American architect William McDonough in their book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.

In order to “Upcycle” something you would take something that you already have and re-purpose it for another use. To really get into upcycling information read the “What’s Upcycling all About?” post.

1.  Upcycle some old newspaper around the house to create an autumn leaf garland.

You can check out the full instructions at the Life With Little Ones blog Newspaper Leaves post.

2.  Upcycle some old clothes and you can create a ton of craft projects. Things like tablecloths, napkins, chair covers, table runners, throw pillows and hand towels.

Featured to the left here is a fabric wreath with autumn appeal. For full instruction on how to make that wreath and other upcycled/recycled crafts click through to the Autumn Fabric Wreath by Recycled Crafts.

3.  Upcycle some natural items from outside for a snazzy centerpiece. Collect fall leaves, pine cones, twigs and even some fall flowers like Chrysanthemum. Clean out an old coffee can or other good sized container and create your own Thanksgiving centerpiece. For some ideas on how others have done this check out the following links:

About.com’s Fall and Thanksgiving Centerpieces You Can Make Yourself

Chica and Jo’s Natural Centerpieces

Craft: Magazine Modern Centerpiece with Natural Materials

Sierra Club’s The Green Life: Green Gatherings Decorations

EcoChild’s Play: Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Technorati Tags: green thanksgivng, recycle crafts, thanksgiving crafts, thanksgiving decorations, Upcycle

With the global green movement in full-swing and “greenness” sweeping across America there can be an onslaught of turkey terminology heading your way for this year’s Thanksgiving. From cage-free, range-free, natural, organic and more it can be a challenge to pick the right turkey for both your family celebration and for the least impact on the environment.

One thing that is very important to consider when “going green” in regards to food is in learning about where the food comes from in the first place. With turkeys, it can be a bit disheartening when one learns the following information: Through over consumption and the regular American want for more, more, more we have in general almost destroyed the indigenous turkey breeds in North America. This means that in order for breeders to meet the demand of bigger birds, we have developed all breeds of turkey (except for one) to such a state that these animals cannot breed on their own. To see a first hand account of this, you can watch the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs Segment on Turkey Insemination. **Not for the faint of heart

Now, there is one breed of turkey left that are bred as nature intended and that is the Heritage Turkey. These turkeys live outdoors, they mate naturally and of course grow slower following the natural growth rate of turkeys. You can learn more about Heritage Turkeys and where to find one for your holiday celebration through Slow Food USA.

If you cannot get your hands on a Heritage Turkey direct from the farmer or farmer’s market, you can look for the Heritage Turkey type at the local Whole Foods or regular grocery store. When looking local, keep an eye out for the following turkey terminology to help you choose the right bird for the table:

• Vegetarian Fed: These birds are fed a strict diet on fruits, grains and vegetables. These birds are also not allowed outside of the pasture to forage for food as bugs are not considered part of the diet.
• Cage Free: This just means that these birds are not confined in cage. What this does not tell you, is if the bird is still left in a confined space.
• Organic: These birds are fed with pesticide and chemical free grains.
• Free Range: These birds are “free” to roam around. Depending on the farmer/breeder that they come from this could mean that they run around an outside farm, a poultry facility or inside a building.
• Day Range: The birds are outside during the day and cooped overnight.
• Pastured: These birds are free ranged on a pasture where they forage for food.

If you would like more information on Heritage Turkeys and North American Turkey history, check out the information provided by Sustainable Table and The University of  Illinois Turkey for the Holidays.

And if you need some help finding a local or organic bird near you, try the Whole Foods Stores or an open search through Local Harvest.

Technorati Tags: dirty jobs, eco turkey, Green Holiday, green turkey, heritage turkey, local harvest, organic turkey, slow food usa, sustainable table, turkey breed

Technorati Tags: diy, diy eco face paint, make wings, non toxic green cleaners, watchmojo

From an  e-mail that came in by way of the Gorgeously Green Girls’ Club, brings us  Sophie Uliano’s home eco-spray recipe. You can check out her main web site at: www.gorgeouslygreen.com

Sophie’s Mold Spray Recipe

You will need a 32-ounce sprayer

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 20 drops tea tree oil

Spray onto all the crooks and crannies in and around your bath/shower twice weekly.

Using this type of mold spray, will allow you to keep the level of mold in check during the hot summer months!

*image provided by www.indiepublic.com

Technorati Tags: eco mold spray, gorgeously green, homemade mold spray, mold spray, sophie uliano

One way to start going green is to clean in a green way. This means that you can either make your own home cleaning products or you  can purchase some of the great eco choices that are out on the green market today.

Cleaning green has a lot of benefits, which include:

1. Less exposure to harsh chemicals
2. Reducing the amount of plastics you buy
3. Creating a healthier home environment

It’s interesting to note that not all chemically enhanced commercial cleaners list all ingredients on the label. This means that if we use commercial non-organic materials to clean our homes with, we are being exposed to chemicals and chemical combination’s that we are not even aware of.

Let’s start with kitchen and bathroom cleaners. We all want the cleanest clean we can get in these areas due to usage and the opportunity that each room has in getting us sick. People often resort to getting addicted to Lysol type cleaners and straight bleach, both of which can actually help to break down your immune system the more you use them.

For home use you can give the following recipes a try:

Soft Scrub: Baking soda and water use enough to make a paste and start scrubbing. You can also add a pumice stone to scrub with, as pumice will not scratch ceramic. I was leery myself of using a pumice stone at first but once I gave it try the sinks, toilets and tubs came out scum free and non-scratched. Baking soda is also great for getting your stove clean.

All purpose cleaner: mix ½ vinegar and ¼ cup backing soda; add an essential oil of your choice for scenting, if you’re not into the smell of vinegar.

Other great home cleaning recipes can be found in the Clean House, Clean Planet book by Karen Logan.

Technorati Tags: baking soda, diy cleaners, Green Cleaning, non toxic green cleaners, vinegar

Today we are going to take a look at a few simple recipes for cleaning. The idea here is to make your own cleaning products using non-toxic materials that will leave your surfaces clean and fresh.

From personal experience, I can vouch for using vinegar as a cleaning agent. Many people are afraid of the smell but with the following cleaning recipes, you don’t use much vinegar at all. And if you want to experiment with straight vinegar you can as the strong smell will dissipate quickly.

• All Purpose: Mix 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda in 2 liters of water
• Window Cleaner: Mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water

• Paste Cleaner: Mix 2 tablespoons salt and 1 table spoon vinegar
• Metal Cleaner: Mix 2 tablespoons Cream of Tartar and add in enough vinegar to create a paste

For more information on the various uses there are for vinegar, check out the 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar website.

Technorati Tags: clean green, clean with vinegar, diy cleaners, make cleaners

Household oven usage can use up a lot of energy in the home and put quite a drain on the local power pull.  Since the holiday seasons has now kicked off, many people will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen.  Baking, basting and broiling meals and goodies for their loved ones and friends.

Here we take a look at one of Real World Green’s videos on saving energy in the kitchen by greening up the oven.

Technorati Tags: eco holiday tips, energy saving, green cooking, real world green

One of the most popular decorations for the coming holiday season are the lights. Christmas lights trim houses, inside windows and both indoor and outdoor trees. Such a large scale use of lighting for decoration puts a major strain on local power grids and electrical bills rise all over the nation.

The best way to save energy in lighting is to start by using only LEDs.  Light-emitting diode (LED) decoration lights use base computer chip technology. LEDs on average are up to 90% more efficient in lighting than standard Christmas lights because they are built to create energy from a semiconducting material rather than a filament. The lifespan of one LED is around 50,000 hours which makes them a cost effective choice and when one bulb does burn out the rest of the lights in the decoration string do not shut down.

Technorati Tags: eco lights, green Christmas lights, LED lights, save energy, tree lights