Written on
March 26, 2009 by
SusanC
It’s probably pretty safe to say that there are more people on this planet eating chocolate, than fighting climate change. Sad but true. A more encouraging statement would be that there are definitely a lot of people out there that want to do more of both.
Although there are many brands of organic and fair trade chocolate on the market (just browse the candy aisle at 
any natural grocer) and many of them are using their yummy products to promote good things, from the protection of endangered species to saving the rain forest, very few do more to impact their cause then spread awareness…until now.
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Written on
March 24, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week’s recycled note of the week comes from Melissa Kate’s etsy shop, home of cheerful eco-friendly linotype cards and prints.
Here are three of my favorite cards from her shop.
Little Birds In Love
A note from the seller:
These cards were hand printed on recycled cream flecked card stock. I designed and carved the linoleum blocks myself. You will receive 3 cards with 3 100% post-consumer recycled tan envelopes! FSC certified! Yay! The cards measure 4.25″ x 5.5″ (10.8cm x 14cm).
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Written on
March 23, 2009 by
SusanC
With 297! comments our skeeda review and giveaway was our biggest yet. A big thanks! to everyone who visited both here and the skeeda site to support such a great green mom-owned business.
Now, onto our two! lucky winners (chosen at random) who will each be receiving a reusable skeeda bag of their choosing.
The first winner is: Commenter #286, Carra!
The second winner is: Commenter #34, Victoria!
Congratulations! ladies.
If you didn’t win today, be sure to visit www.skeeda.com to buy a few for your collection. At just $15.00 a bag, reusable bags never looked so good.
An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post.
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Written on
March 20, 2009 by
SusanC
(This is the second article in MacKenzie’s series, What’s up with Cloth Diapering?)
So, from my last diapering post you know why I decided to cloth diaper.
Today I will show you what modern cloth diapering really looks like.
My very first stash consisted of only 8 diapers! Yes, it can be done, although I don’t recommend it! I ordered 2 of 4 different kinds of diapers (from left to right- Happy Heinys, Fuzzi Bunz 1.0, DryBees, Bum Genius 1.0) to figure out what we liked the best. I subsisted on this stash of diapers for two months before I bought 12 prefolds and covers along with snappis to lighten my laundry routine- but we will get more into that later!
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Written on
March 19, 2009 by
SusanC
Pounding the pavement is hard on the feet and with the current economy there is a lot of competition! So, why not consider getting a little green around the collar when searching for potential career options?
After all, that’s how I ended up starting Eco-Office Gals and our new President Obama has hope that green collared jobs will keep Americans working and help the economy. The best advice I can give is this: figure out what it is you know how to do, do well, and love doing!
After you do that the world is the limit, and you’re no longer restricted to your local classified ads.
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Written on
March 18, 2009 by
SusanC
There has been lots of talk in the past and even recently about how to increase your fuel efficiency. This talk is usually associated with gas mileage, but in places like where I live, that also includes power. Our power comes from a petrol generating plant. Gross, I know.
While saving gas is very important, where, exactly, does all of the information floating out there in cyber-space come from? Is it reliable?
The most quoted numbers are actually from a company subcontracted by the US Government to do these studies. The researchers are known as Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. and helped compile most of the information on FuelEconomy.gov
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It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I LOVE to shop at thrift stores, but it wasn’t always this way.
When I was a middle-schooler, I absolutely hated it. I felt like it was embarrassing, something only poor people should do. If someone complimented a thrift store item I was wearing (which did not happen often, due to my complete non-thrift-store-related lack of stylishness) and asked where I got it, I would fib and say I didn’t remember. By high school, however, I had fully realized the awesomeness that is thrift shopping, and would gladly tell anyone who asked where I shopped.
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Going green is everywhere now and can seem pretty overwhelming at times. With so much information out there it can be hard to know where to start.
You don’t need to go green overnight; take small steps!
Recycling can be a good first step, and it’s also a great way to teach kids about waste.
There are a lot of good resources out there to help you show your kids why we recycle. One site featuring a lot of great information is Kids Recycle. It’s geared toward schools but parents will find the information helpful as well.
One good idea to help kids get involved comes from an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 where Sara Snow visits.
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Written on
March 13, 2009 by
SusanC
By now most of us know that plastic shopping bags comprise a significant amount of the world’s plastic waste, with The Wall Street Journal estimating that the United States alone consumes 100 billion shopping bags a year. 100 billion is 99.9 billion too many.
The great thing about that outrageous number is that it can be easily and dramatically downsized, one household, and one trendy reusable canvas bag at a time.
Enter three sisters with a mission and www.skeeda.com
About Skeeda
When three sisters from a small town in upstate NY combined their passion, creativity, and concern for the environment, skeeda© was born.
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Written on
March 12, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week I stumbled upon this Happy Birthday Cake card from Renée Anne’s Etsy shop and fell instantly in love with the simple (and 100% recycled!) design.
From the seller:
Chocolate Birthday cake is my son’s favorite but this Happy Birthday card is perfect for just about anyone! It is blank inside ready for your personalized message. It features a print of an ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR painting designed and painted by me.
BEAUTIFUL, HIGH QUALITY 100% POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED card stock and envelope used.
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