Ecodiva

Steve Nash Wears Garbage

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:49:00 +0000

Well…not garbage per say, but pretty close. He is debuting the Nike Trash Talk, the first performance basketball shoe made from manufacturing waste.. Gotta love this. Yes Nike, you are socially responsible. You get brownie points from us:
“Any opportunity to promote the environment and preserve our planet is a step in the right direction,” Nash said. “I’m very excited to be one of the first athletes to wear the Nike Trash Talk. I think people will love the shoe, and hopefully by wearing it I can inspire others to try it out as well.”

The Nike Trash Talk meets Nike’s Considered design standards because…
The upper is pieced together from leather and synthetic leather waste from the factory floor using zig-zag stitching.
The mid-sole uses scrap-ground foam from factory production
The outsole uses environmentally-preferred rubber that reduces toxics and incorporates Nike Grind* material from footwear outsole manufacturing waste.
The Phoenix Suns’ colorways will have shoe laces and sockliners which use environmentally-preferred materials and will be packaged in a fully recycled cardboard shoe box.

Nike is releasing a limited number of the Nike Trash Talk in three different colorways – two Phoenix Suns colorways (home and away) and one colorway for Nash to wear this week for the All-Star Game. The All-Star colorway will be sold at the House of Hoops by Foot Locker in New York and in New Orleans this week with a suggested retail price of $100. The Phoenix Suns colorways will launch April 22, 2008 at the House of Hoops by Footlocker.

About Nike Considered and Nike Grind:

As part of Nike’s commitment to innovate for a better world, the company has committed to designing all footwear to meet Nike’s baseline or higher Considered design standards by 2011. Nike’s Considered ethos challenges designers to use environmentally preferred materials, reduce waste, create sustainable manufacturing processes and use innovation to help reduce our overall environmental impact.

*Nike Grind: Nike created a recycling program in 1993 called Reuse-A-Shoe, which collects worn-out athletic shoes of any brand and recycles the footwear into usable material we call Nike Grind (rubber from the outsole, foam from the midsole and fabric from the upper). We also collect and recycle material left over from footwear manufacturing.

Nike Grind is used in Considered product and in sports surfaces such as basketball courts, soccer turf and playgrounds which are donated to communities around the world.

Gotta love that!

Organic Food Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:09:00 +0000

On Tuesday I recieved my first organic food delivery box from Pfennings Organics.
Pfennings is a store located outside Waterloo.

They have a variety of produce boxes to choose from, in a variety of sizes and choices (local, Blender, Fruit and Wild). I ordered the small Blender box, described as "A blend of the Local, Wild and Fruit Baskets to about equal parts (less local off season) - the best of what all of these baskets have to offer."
For only $23, this was a steal. I got all my veggies for the week, and most of my fruit. I also ordered some vegan candies. Plus, it's delivered to you!! They also have a catalogue of other products they offer, like meats, pastas, breads, etc. I love the idea of making local food more accessible, since mostly you can only find it at Farmers Markets once a week.
Where do you get your organic produce from?

Stumble!

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:52:00 +0000

Stumbleupon's one of my fave ways to find super neat sites I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.
Here are my fave finds from today:

The Cardboard House
Clean and Green - Natural housecleaning solutions
Colour Psychology
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaoggagoggchaubunaguhgamaugg
Craziest Shoes from Around the World

Expect a more thoughtful post this weekend!
Until then, be safe :)

FCM Centre for Sustainable Community Development - Webinar

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:16:00 +0000

Today over my lunch break I attended a Webinar (Web Seminar) entitled "Planning for Climate and Energy Uncertainty"
There were 2 speakers:

Daniel Lerch, Post Carbon Institute
Stuart Ramsey, City of Burnaby

Here is the overview:
"Modern society relies on stability; energy supplies and climate are no exception. Climate change and energy are two interconnected issues that present similar challenges to municipal decision makers. How will the climate change, how will that impact the way communities function? How will the cost and mix of energy change, how will that impact the way communities function? These speakers will discuss these questions and present actions that municipal governments are already taking to anticipate these uncertainties. Planners and elected officials will benefit from learning how others are integrating these issues into their sustainable community plans and decisions."

What an amazing, inspiring presentation! I have signed up for Post Carbon Cities newsletters, and I plan on thinking about measures we can take. I think if we get your average "soccer mom" in on changing, a HUGE difference would be made!

I'm hoping our wonderful city will start to implement some changes (multi use planning, walkable communities,

Some sites to check out for more information:

Global Public Media
Post Carbon Cities Blog
CARMA - Carbon Monitoring for Action

Time to go home! It was a real blizzard here in Guelph today, brr! I'm going to make a nice organic soup and curl up with a book :>)
Happy Wednesday everyone....

Low Impact Eating - The 100 Mile Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:24:00 +0000

Did you know that most ingredients on your dinner plate will travel about 2400KM from farm to plate?

Why not eat local this year, and lessen your personal impact on the environment? I had a discussion with my boyfriend the other night about how every person's contribution is important!
So why not eat organic, and local? I imagine that your local farmers market does have options for you. Guelph has a great farmers market, and we have Ouderkirk and Taylor offering more handcrafter local foods.
Do some research!

Here are some more resources:

Local Links:

Green Kitties

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:09:00 +0000

This is Frank. He's one of my darling kittens.
(obviously in the summer, look how tan my legs are)

I love my cats. I buy them the best cat food. Meat is the first ingredient, and it's not just left over kill floor grossness, it's hormone and steroid free. T is also fruits and veggies added! I can always tell the difference when I'm unable to afford Wellness. My cats lose their energy, their coat isn't as shiny and they smell worse.

They get the best treats.

They have lots of toys and perches.

Bear and Moonknight

T's why I am so happy that there are starting to be more green choices for my cats.
Like this bed.
Frank and Bear
(Armature photoshop job by me)

Called the Eco-Friendly Bella Bed, the exterior is made from Eco2 recycled cotton fiber
interior fiberfill is recycled PET.

There are lots of options for the eco-conscious pet owner! The litter I buy is made from recycled newspapers. I make my own toys.

For more inspiration, check out moderncat, the best blog for cat owners :)

Other Cool Links to Check out:

Green House Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:36:00 +0000

I just watched this video on green house cleaning.

You don't need harsh chemicals to get your house clean!

I'm really dreading spring cleaning at our new apartment. I am, however, going to use green methods to clean.

There are green products avalaible for every chore. And every beauty regime. There are always green options!

This is fluffy. I'm sorry. I'm still not 100%.
Instead, I'm going to leave you with some links.

My friend and co-worker Jennie returned from the Bali Climate Change conference.
I love how dedicated she is, how passionate and knowledgeable.

Read her blog.
Read about the Canadian Youth delegation.
Read about the Youth Climate Movement.

Check out these cool sites while you're at it

The Daily Green - the Consumer's Guide to the Green Revolution
Green Daily - Another Very Cool Guide
Treehugger - A site that keeps up-to-date on the green news

Green Dreams!!
(hehe)

Green Your Living Space!

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 03:02:00 +0000

While doing my weekend blog reading, I came across these. They look like a fairly normal fruit dish, right?
Well, they are actually unique works of art in the form of your chosen part of the earth!
You go to the Fluid Earth site, choose your fave spot, play with the scale... and you have a your piece of the earth! What a neat idea.

I'm still feeling ill, so back to the couch I go. But before I do....

check this out...

Bigger houses = bigger energy consumption. Bigger isn't better! Check out this wonderful house to get some inspiration
Find recipes for natural, homemade skincare here
Keep the thermostat lowerMake a quilt out of recycled sweaters!!!

Portobello Spring Rolls with Cilantro-Tahini Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:14:00 +0000

Cilantro-tahini dip
1 cup tahini
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tamari
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger juice
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Spring rolls
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 medium organic portobello mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
Juice from 1 organic lime
1 tablespoon tamari
4 ounces rice sticks, cooked until tender
1/2 organic red cabbage, shredded and chopped
2 cups organic collards greens, stems trimmed off, halved, blanched and drained
1/2 cup organic cilantro, chopped
12 rice paper sheets

For the cilantro-tahini dip, using a food processor, blend together the tahini, broth, tamari and ginger juice. Before serving, mix in the cilantro.

For the spring rolls, heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté the portobellos along with the lime juice and tamari for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. After portobellos come to room temperature, combine in a large mixing bowl with cooked rice sticks, cabbage, blanched collards and cilantro. Mix together along with 1/4 cup of cilantro-tahini dip.

In a large, shallow pan, add one inch of water and heat on low flame. Place 1 sheet of rice paper in the pan of water. Saturate and soften entire surface area for approximately 2 minutes per rice paper sheet, or until soft. Drain and place rice paper sheet on flat surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup of portobello-rice stick filling toward bottom edge or corner (if using square sheets), leaving about 1to 2 inches of a bottom edge. Fold up bottom corner or edge over filling while tucking in filling. Roll until about midway then fold sides over filling. Finish rolling when spring roll is a tightly secure cylinder.

Continue for each spring roll and serve with cilantro-tahini sauce.

Why am I giving a recipe? Two reasons.
1) I'm too sick and sleepy to write a full post with complete thoughts.
2) They're delicious.

So enjoy! I'm off to make some echinacea tea, have a couple tablespoons of Total Tonic,
then sleep! Hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow functioning.... fingers crossed!!

Green Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:07:00 +0000

What we consider beautiful changes. It's true that real beauty comes from the inside, and feeling good usually makes you look good.

Additionally, I have been known to be girly and make myself up to look more beautiful :)

My skin is fairly sensitive. I can't wear many brands of powder without breaking out. I have found some really great "green" choices that you can feel good about wearing!

Perhaps one of the most popular and well known is Dr Hauschka.
Their Foundation description reads:
"Gentle liquid make-up that enhances skin's natural radiant glow. The light formula evens out the complexion and helps maintain healthy moisture to leave a dewy, flawless look."

My only problem? It only comes in shades from fair to medium... This irritates me, just like how bandaids come in "flesh" tone.
I love their Volume Mascara, I like to wear "Golden Green" for my everyday "look."

I love pretty eyeshadow. Pure Luxe Cosmetics offers an amazing range of creulty free shadows that stand out. This is one of my finds that I am happiest with.
The Supernova shade really makes my blue eyes pop! And it lasts, which is very rare for me. Love it!!
Check out some of their selection here...

Lipstick is the trickiest bit. I have only recently started to paint my lips, I have always been a gloss girl. Lipstick usually has all sorts of nastiness added.
In my searches for this blog entry, I came across a couple contenders...

The aforementioned Dr. Hauschka.
ECO Lipstick
Um, I'm not sure about the product itself, but Cargo is offering the super neat Plantlove collection, where you can plant the box it comes in and grow flowers :) Even the tube is made of corn.

Any suggestions on the lipstick topic?

Find me some pretty products to try! I love trying out green products and telling everyone how great they are, and how they make you feel good too :)

That's it for all, happy Saturday night, choose a green lipstick tonight!

Healthy Living

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:02:00 +0000

Mmm salad. I honestly am a huge fan.
Check out this delicious Salad, named "Longevity Salad." Delicious, and helps your health.

Ingredients
1 bag of frozen, shelled, organic edamame (10oz)
1 large sweet potato
1 large red skinned potato
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 roasted red peppers, in 1 by 1/4” strips (Mediterranean Brand Organic)
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 C olive oil
1 T white miso (South River sweet white)
1/2 inch length of peeled fresh ginger root
2 T rice vinegar (seasoned Marukan)

Run cold water over a strainer with the frozen edamame to begin thawing process while potatoes are cooking. When beans look thawed, drain.

Cut potatoes into 1-inch slices and steam in steaming basket over 1 inch of water until a sharp fork is just able to pierce the potato. The sweet potatoes will finish first, remove and run cold water over them to stop cooking. Do the same with the white potato.

Bring 1 inch of water to boil in 2-quart saucepan, add 1 tsp sea salt and edamame – cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes until edamame is just tender to the bite. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Allow to drain thoroughly while preparing dressing.

Mince ginger finely and mix all dressing ingredients very well.
Place all salad ingredients in serving bowl. Dribble dressing over salad mixture and gently toss with 2 forks.
mmmm.

Creating Change..

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 14:59:00 +0000

2008. Most people associate the New Year with time of change, time to get rid of the bad and change for the better.
Change will happen, but isn't it better to be directing the change, instead of being forced into it?

Vow to make changes in your life this year! Start small, and realize that it might be hard at first, but make a difference!

Bring your own bags to the grocery store. There are so many cool styles out there....
Eat healthy and buy organic - check out your local health food store. Find yours here! I have been eating a variety of foods for so long that I don't even think that other people find them odd... like nori!
If you have kids, why not make a worm composter with them? You can find basic instructions here. This will reduce the amount of waste you throw out, and also help your garden... speaking of which
Grow some of your own food, or at least some herbs! The difference that using fresh herbs in your cooking makes is amazing.... Seracon makes a wide range of window gardens, including gardens with herbs for certain styles of cooking, tomatoes... check them out!
Walk more. Drive Less. A no brainer
Eat less meat. Meat uses a lot of resources and food, eating less meat lessens your impact.
Use the 3 Rs. For real.

I watched a show about super hurricanes on the weekend. Basically, hurricanes are natures way of cooling down the planet. As the planet heats up more, we can expect more hurricanes.
Hurricanes are the product of many factors coming together, and are a force that humans cannot stop, and not really even predict. This force of nature though, shows what can working together can accomplish!

Got more suggestions? Let me know!

Green Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:50:00 +0000

I made an earlier prediction that it was going to be a white Chrismas. Then, today it's 7 and raining quite hard, most of the snow's gone!

I'm still very excited for Christmas!

This is one of my cats Frank, getting ready for Christmas last year =)

I have cuts all over my fingers, from paper cuts and wrapping presents, knives... I'm really quite clumsy. That's why I was so happy when I found these

bandaids. they are vegan, made from recycled PVC plastic), dyed with natural food-grade colorings, and have an animal-free, water-based adhesive.
Perfect for a stocking, don't you think?

As for Frank, Moonknight and Bear... I think Santa might be bringing them some Greenies cat treats! Greenies make a great range of cat and dog treats!! Check them out, most pet stores either carry them or can order them in.

That's all for today... I should get back to wrapping and knitting!
Happy Holidays...

Green Gifting

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:10:00 +0000

Ahhh. It's less than one week until Christmas Day. I still have gifts to finish making, and a few to buy.
Searching for good last minute ideas?
Here are a few suggestions..

Gadgets

This diva loves her gadgets. I would love a new laptop, but that's some pretty lofty thinking, hehe.

What about the H20 Multi Function Alarm Clock II?

Powered by water. Offering four functions: Time, Temperature, Countdown Timer, and Alarm.
Just top it up with regular tap water! That is not all that makes this clock so cool. It also incorporates an ingenious "gravity" sensor – turning the clock changes the functions. Super cool.

Or what about a Brunton SolarRoll 14 - Solar charger ?
Flexible and can fit in your backpack. Perfect for the student, or traveler – and it's waterproof!
Available in other sizes so you can power all your gadgets...

Personal Care
Lush Cosmetics have a wide range of beauty products you can feel good about giving.
I find that the massage bars make a great gift for men and women. Who doesn't love a good massage?

Another great option is finding a local company that makes soaps and lotions! Guelph has the Guelph Soap Company that make luscious local soaps.

A Little More Work...

But so worth it, are gifts that are handmade. It doesn't have to be a scarf (although someone on my list is getting one, lol), it can be something like a photo album of meaningful photos,
picture frames, a memory book... it depends on the person receiving and giving!

Give More
Give a gift to Charity! Find out their fave charity, and if it's something they'd appreciate, make a donation in their name!
My Top Charities:

SPCA - I am a huge supporter of animal rights, and very much against Animal Cruelty. Buy one of their calendars for the animal lover on your list!
Room To Read - I am an avid reader, so this charity really reaches out to me. They build libraries and school rooms to help break the poverty cycle. Do some research, the charity is very fascinating and inspiring.
Greenpeace - Make a difference! Greenpeace works on a wide range of projects, helping to protect our earth from destruction.

Don't forget to take care of yourself too! Take time each day to relax, and make sure to eat well!

Green Holiday Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:44:00 +0000

With just one week left before Christmas, I am putting the final touches on my Christmas gift list, so now I am able to concentrate on other aspects of the holiday season. Today I've been thinking a lot about parties and Christmas Dinner!

It seems like there are so many holiday parties to go to: work parties, friend parties, family parties... Luckily, there are lots of ways you can make green choices! Choose organic and local food, don't use disposable cups/plates/cutlery, choose organic alcohol and other beverages, such as fair trade hot chocolate and coffees. If you're located here in Guelph, Planet Bean offers some of the best fair trade coffee on the market.

As for Christmas Dinner.... with Steve's family, we always go out for Christmas dinner. This year we're going to the Breadalbane Inn. They offer a special Christmas menu. Since I am a vegetarian, I get a special dish made for me. This year, they're making me Chipotle Ravioli Stuffed with herbed River's Edge goat cheese served with a Sage sauce. I'm really looking forward to the meal. The Inn chooses many local ingredients, and the experience is always amazing.

On Boxing Day, we have a traditional dinner with my family at the cottage. They have the usual turkey, with all the trimmings. I just have the trimmings.

Then, usually the day after, Steve and I have our own special holiday meal. Steve will make me a delicious Turtle Island Tofurky.
From their website:

Our feast contains :
One Tofurky Roast (made with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans)
Eight Cranberry Apple Potato Dumplings
Tofurky Giblet & Mushroom Gravy
Herbed brown and Tofurky Wild Rice Stuffing
Tofurky Jurky Wishstix

Each feast is 100% vegan, cooks in about an hour, serves four and tastes fabulous!

This is something I look forward to starting around November 1st, hehe.

There are lots of ways to make your holiday meal green! What are you planning on doing this year?

Greener Food Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:42:00 +0000

Jeep on the street

Today we are getting slammed by a winter storm. We were going to head out and get some groceries today, but since we're snowed in, we can't! This did, however, make me think about the grocery store, and ways that we can make our visits more green!
Our Street

Many of us expect our food to look perfect - the shiniest apples, unblemished peaches - but this has made farmers use more pesticides and insecticides trying to sell more food. I can't buy those shiny apples anymore, because I know that they are covered in wax and pesiticides.

When I can't make it to the farmers market for my produce, I will buy organic produce!

Buy local when possible, and buy free range meats and dairy. Here in Guelph a shop just opened downtown, Ouderkirk and Taylor, which offers a wide variety of local cheeses.

Bring your own bags! Envirosax makes very cute bags that will hold two plastic grocery bags worth of food. These designer eco friendly shopping bags are a designer range of eco-friendly, reusable shopping bags, for spreading the message of environmental sustainability. Order online or contact Envirosax to find your nearest retailer. Help spread the environmental message with style!

One more way to make your shopping trip make a difference is to support biodiversity. But heirloom tomatoes and different varieties of apples. Talk to either the farmer (at the market) or the produce manager (at the grocery store) to find out what type of broccoli you are buying.

There are many more ways to green up your grocery shopping, but all this talk of food is making me hungry! I'm going to see what my cupboard holds...

Daily Link Love

Vegware - Biodegradable disposable Cutlery
Snowdays - Create your own Virtual Snowflake!
Live Within Skin - An outer Surface cladding beneath which layers of growth medium hide, to create funky modules which house plants that can live on your walls....

Stay safe and warm!

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Christie) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:50:00 +0000

This is a blog for all the Eco-Divas out there.
Look for posts on tips for making your life more green, green products, green sites. I would love to have a very interactive blog, where you give me topics to research.

Since i'm short on time today, the first post will be Quick Links to Funky green sites I'm digging on. Enjoy!

Brad Pitt's Eco-Friendly Houses he's building in New Orleans.
Holiday Gifts for my fellow Eco-Divas
Greenopia - urban dwellers guide to eco-living
Green Picks - useful and interesting things found around the Internet as we try to change our lives and our planet for the better.
Lava - Leather Alternatives, Vegan Accessories - great way to look good while caring for the earth and it's creatures!

Do you have a fave green site? Any green tips? Fill me in!