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Showing posts with label green move. Show all posts

Monday, September 21, 2009

Green Move 12: Soy Candles

A perfect candle will have the following qualities:
1) Look Good
2) Smell Great
3) Be made out of soy wax or other all-natural waxes

The first two reasons are self explanatory, but why natural wax? Besides being a more eco-friendly alternative to paraffin based wax [read: made from petroleum], soy wax and other natural wax candles have a number of superlative qualities.

Made of sustainable materials
50% longer burn life than paraffin candles
Soy wax can be cleaned from furniture and textiles with soapy water; paraffin wax is very difficult to remove
Produce 90% less soot and don't release toxins which means cleaner air in your home
Soy has a lower melting point which means your candle burns at lower temperatures and you have faster scent dispersion

Choosing natural wax candles is an easy green choice and it is easier than ever before.

Here are my top three favorite eco-candle picks:

Linneas Lights Candles from Inglenook Decor have french chic inspired packaging and got a rave review from Everything LEB on their scent too. For a limited time you can receive free shipping, here.

DayNa Decker Candles have been a favorite of mine for a while now. They are sleek and modern looking, come in a number of beguiling scents and are available on line from Organica Deluxe.

The Blushing Hostess recently introduced me to Low Country Luxe and I am completely smitten. My recent visit to Charleston has me pining for a few candles from their southern inspired scents. Beyond their eco-chic packaging this company has a strong commitment to philanthropy and donates proceeds to a number of prominent charities.

For more green moves, click here!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Green Move 11: Good to the Last Drop

I confess, I’m a bit of a beauty product junkie! Therefore, of all the green moves I’ve adapted, this one has been the most challenging. Lingering in my beauty cabinet, I used to have 10 half-used bottles of lotion and another dozen half-used hair products (not to mention the plethora of makeup). My greener goal is to use what I own before purchasing a replacement.

I’ve found that this system has a number of benefits besides reducing waste:
· Substantial savings from a decrease on impulse buys
· If you only buy what you really love, you weed out all the not so good stuff
· A streamlined beauty routine

(image HERE )

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Green Move 10: When Life Gives You Lemons

I love lemons! They are bright, cheery and versatile-- in fact, in many cases, they are are a great alternative to chemical laden cleaners. Below is a list of my 15 favorite ways to celebrate the jewel of the citrus family.

When life gives you lemons, go green...

1) Clean your cutting boards by using salt and half a lemon as a scrub

2) Deodorize and sharpen your garbage disposal by adding a cut up lemon and a cup of ice

3) Buffer a sharp blade

4) Make your own all-purpose cleaning solution by combining lemon juice, vinegar and water in a spray bottle

5) Add lemon juice to your laundry to whiten your whites and get things smelling fresh and clean

6) Clean copper, tarnished brass and stainless steal by applying a paste of lemons and salt, then rinse for a spot free finish

7) Create a natural furniture polish by combining 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts olive oil

8) Clean your microwave

9) Keep your flowers looking fresh picked with 2 tablespoons lemons juice, 1 quart of water and 1 tablespoon sugar

10) Get sparkling windows using 4 tablespoons lemon juice to half a gallon of water

11) Make a lemon candle

12) Deodorize your hands after a bout with garlic or onion chopping

13) Make lemon sugar to give your sweetener a little zing (recipe here)

14) Use lemon juice as a way to keep the ants a bay instead of insecticides

15) Make your fire even cozier- add a few lemon peels to the flames and really light up the night

PS) My all-time favorite lemony recipe is Mediterranean Salad from Giada De Laurentiis- it's like a bowl of sunshine, really.
(images, martha stewart living , country living, foodnetwork )

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Move 9- Dress up your table

Green and girly don't have to be mutually exclusive, a fact the particularly pleases me! Using cloth napkins instead of paper not only saves 1,000 of napkins a year, it adds a bit of class to even the most mundane week night dinner.

And while I'm happy that my plain white ones are saving lots of trees, I can't help but day dream about some other beautiful ways to dress up my table...

These would be great for everyday

These would be great for those special occasions

And these because they are a good excuse to eat guacamole

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Green Move 8- Top of the Pop

Cocktail hour at our house has been given a green make over--we bought a Sodastream this weekend and it is by far my favorite kitchen gadget. Our recycling bin was testament to the number of bottles we used for tonic water and sparkling water (my love for Pellegrino is another story).

Sodastream easily lets us make carbonated drinks at home; each time we fill up the reusable litre bottles we save 3 cans of waste. Moreover, Sodasteam doesn't need to be plugged in or use batteries, it uses refillable cartridges of CO2 to create fizz. I can now have fresh, perfectly carbonated water at the push of a button. I also love that you can add flavors to the water to create an array of drinks, including tonic. Cocktail anyone?

(image from here )

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Green Move 7- Produce Bags

So you’ve replaced paper or plastic at the grocery store with a cool green bag, but what about the plastic veggie bags? Looking at them float around the kitchen after a grocery run, I found myself thinking that my greens were not so green after all.

Cherries and mushrooms now have a chic alternative too- the reusable produce bag. I love this one from the Craft Pantry, but there are tons of other options out there. If you’d like a deeper shade of chartreuse, I bet you could make these little bags out of old tee-shirts. How cool would that be?

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Move 6- Green Light

If every American home changed just one light bulb to an energy efficient compact florescent light bulb (CFL), enough energy to light more than 3 million homes annually would be saved...get the facts.
(As seen from the NYC Green Living Tour back in November, photo from here )

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Move 5- Computer Shutdown

(the future of green computing- ASUS' bamboo laptop)

It's often the easiest things that can add up to have a big impact. The simple act of turning off your computer at night could save you up to $90 a year not to mention the kilowatts saved. Although many of you may know this, it's important to remember that a screen saver does not save energy, so be sure to set your computer to standby or hibernate when you aren't using it to dramatically decrease the energy consumed.

(more specifics here and here )

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Move 4- Ditch Plastic Water Bottles

Chug-a-lug your 8 glasses a day- eco style. If New York City Fashion Week can do it, so can you! Another simple and easy move to make your life greener is to ditch the plastic water bottles and pick up a cute reusable one.

The following three are my top picks, for both the way they look and because they don’t contain BPA’s. (Click here if you want to read a bit more about that.)

Klean Kanteen

Sigg

Camelbak

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Move 3: Be a Picky Shopper, Part III

(Alameda Flea Market via Sfgirlbybay)

Shop Vintage:

"The most eco-friendly way to acquire new clothes is to buy them second-hand. But the words “thrift shop” don’t always conjure images of couture, and the idea of sifting though musty racks keeps many people away. But breathing new life into used items is a tenet of green living." Heather over at Ecofabulous shared.

So true. Same can be said for home furnishings, books etc.

While I've never been good at the whole sorting through stacks of used clothes thing, I'd really like to try. Here are a few inspirations that have me re-thinking my ways....

~Jessica of What I Wore has a nack for mixing vintage/thrifted finds into her wardrobe.

~Sfgirlbybay showcases her love of the Alameda Flea Market and makes me wish I could go too

And lately, I've been wildly inspired by Eddie Ross and his magic. Making something old new again is his forte, and while he isn't touting an eco-friendly outlook his blog is a testament to how fabulous it is to shop second hand.

(Eddie Ross Magic featured in Domino Magazine)

Move 3: Be a Picky Shopper, Part II

Shop Green:
There is a whole new world out there of eco-fashion; I promise, if you’ve never looked into that sort of thing you’ll be surprised. For instance, these ensembles are all eco friendly and not even a smidge hippie.

The basics: Bracelet by Made, Jeans by You Deserve, Sweater by Patagonia

Cocktail attire: Shoes by Te Casan, Dress by Julia Smith Eco-Couture, Earrings by Pat's

Casual: Shoes by Veja, Jeans by Gap, Organic Tee's from American Apparel

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Move 3: Be a Picky Shopper, Part I

Shop Smarter:
This move is as wallet friendly as it is eco friendly- be a picky shopper.
You know how easy it is to end up with that extra tank top because it’s on the sale rack, but then it hangs in your closet. All of us have our shopping weaknesses- shoes, bags (for me its white tee-shirts) whatever it is, just stop and ask yourself the following questions:
a) Do I LOVE this item? (if you are settling chances are you won’t wear it that much)
b) Do I have at least 3 things in my closet that this will work with? (if you need to buy a new pair of shoes and an new skirt etc to make the item work, chances are you don’t need it)
c) Can I use this item for seasons to come? (if not, chances are that the item is so trendy that you don’t need it)
d) Do I really need another_______? (insert your weakness here and think critically)

I also love the sage advise: If you have the impulse to buy something, before you plunk down the plastic pause for 24 hours. If you still want to purchase after a day, then you know it’s an investment that will work for you.

Move 2: Take a Power Shower

(image via Absolutely Beautiful Things)

There are ways to make your daily scrub a little more eco friendly. I invite you to time yourself in the shower, you may be surprised at how long you are in there- I was. They recommend keeping a shower to 4 minutes which is barely enough time for me to lather, rinse and condition...forget a shave.

So what’s a girl to do? Here are a few places to start:

1)Take a tip from the top stylists and stop washing your hair everyday and make friends with your new favorite product- dry shampoo.

(one cult classic and one organic version...available here and here)

This will dramatically lesson the amount of time you spend dans la bain. Besides, your hair can do this so much better on day 2:

(Love, love a hairstyle with a little pouf. This one is via Flickr user VeryGerman- so cute!)

More day 2 hair inspiration from Brigitte Bardot....

Also, for a small investment you can do swap out your existing showerhead for a more eco friendly version. Here's a good one:

(from here)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Move #1

Green Bag it:

One very easy way to gain some green is to reduce the use of plastic bags in your day to day life.

There are tons of sylish alternatives to plastic bags these days so tote them with you to the grocery, the market and the mall. Here are a my top picks:

Perhaps the most imfamous "trendy" eco statement, this bag made a splash last year when it became available at Wholefoods.

(as seen here and here)

Wholefoods is also supporting Lauren Bush's FEED bag, the proceeds will provide 100 school meals to children through the UN world food program. You can also purchase via amazon.

(as seen via The Daily Green)

La Pliage by Longchamp is a classic bag. I've used mine for all imagined shopping trips over the years, plus they travel beautifully (it folds down to nothing). This bag is not overtly ecofriendly- but its plethora of uses can accompany a work look or double as a grocery bag. Its a very chic way to forgo the plastic bag we are trying to diminish plus it comes in tons of colors and sizes which allows you to customize the look.

(as seen here)

These cute bags have sailed all over the world but were recyled in Maine. Seabags create custum tote bags from recyled sails and they are the perfect plastic bag replacement/beach bag/ day tote whatever... they are just so adorable and mindful of the environment!