The Logical Native

David Babaii: The Salon Feel Minus the Chemicals

2010-08-06T11:26:00.001-07:00

I stumbled upon David Babaii for WildAid, and decided to try out the Babaii hydrating conditioner. For about $8 bucks, a little more than the cost of Pantene or Aussie and with less product, I figured a portion is obviously going toward preservation and it's all natural. And while the cost/size difference may catch your eye, note that you're getting a thick lustrous product versus sloppy greasy chemical-infused main market brands. So there's really no question on which one's the better buy.

The eco-friendly formula is free of Parabens, Sulfates, Petrochemicals and animal products. And with a campaign catering to animal welfare, you can be sure they don't test their products on animals either.

But while natural hair care is a priority, it's equally a priority to make sure I get products that work and don't leave me smelling like hemp. Fortunately, David Babaii for Wildaid hits the spot. Not only does it leave my hair soft (note thicker longer hair requires copious amounts of this product), but the smell was out of this world.

A perfect fusion of flower and fruit, it was hard to spot exactly what the amazing scent was. Having gone through nearly the whole bottle now, I still can't quite name the fragrance, but it's certainly caught the attention of anyone within a 5 foot radius. My sister, and co-beauty junkie, was on cloud nine when she walked alongside me, nose in the air trying to inhale every last little atom. She says it smelled like I just stepped out of a salon.

I smiled a little smile, knowing I spent a fraction of cost, helped a cause, and treated my hair to beautiful natural ingredients.

So what exactly is in David Babaii for Wildaid's Hydrating Conditioner? According to their site, it's a combination of volumizing volcanic ash, rich cupuacu butter, blue algae, wild orchid, kiwi, mango, jojoba seed and dead sea salt.

I'm now curious to see if the rest of their line is equally as amazing.

Beauty Maven Meets Eco Beauty

2010-06-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Whether it’s dipping into latest Sephora finds or scanning through celebrity looks, my heart has always fluttered just that much more when it comes to beauty. And with being an eco writer, I figured I pretty much knew all there was to about eco beauty.

That’s why when I heard about holistic nutritionist and eco expert, Rachel Avalon’s Lecture on Eco Beauty, I was curious to see what the green “it” girl would be discussing. Knowing there is at least one natural makeup product that meets my approval, and often putting pestle and mortar to use in my kitchen for new facial concoctions, I wondered what the eco industry’s freshest face would have to say about beauty that I didn’t already know.

I walked into the lecture room, paper and pen in hand and ready to soak up what I thought would be new beauty tips. I also got a chance to have a quick meet and greet with Rachel, who was absolutely charming and a natural host. With people pouring in, we quickly took our seats and the presentation set sail to what was going to be a revealing look at the beauty industry.

Moments in, I was capsized by own limited perceptions of beauty. Rachel began with where our beauty products are coming from, what’s in them, and how detrimental they are to our health. The virtually self-regulated cosmetic industry is saturated by politics and hazards, even though one could argue the two were never really mutually exclusive anyway. Though we all know about lobby groups, Rachel’s knowledge of what exactly comprises the beauty industry which policies so easily saunter past the red-tape (and why), and how they affect us, is absolutely horrifying. In short, I learned that just like the IRS, we should never really trust the so-called “safety” regulations.

But to learn what was actually in all those lovely pressed powders, tubes and jars left me thoroughly disgusted. So what’s in it exactly?

Think Gemma Arterton’s scene in Quantum of Solace, where she’s covered head to toe in oil, and then you’ve got a very small picture of what you’re actually spackling on yourself everyday. The trauma of what Gemma’s character goes through varies disfiguringly with our own experience – after all, with that much toxic waste on her she inevitably died. On the other hand, we go about our day with ten fold more and think we’re glamorous. Put on, rinse, and repeat.

Considering we toss ourselves into a daily beauty gauntlet with questionable (and sometimes cancer-causing agents), you can only imagine how much damage we’re doing to ourselves in the long run.

If you factor in that our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, and with the average girl wearing makeup at 14, by the time you’re 85 you’ve been exposing your body to harsh chemicals and toxins for over 70 years! It’s no wonder that we have such a high rate of cancer in society, with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men now being diagnosed with it. The role of cancer in beauty was another interesting component of Rachel’s lecture, and got me questioning about how many chemicals I expose myself to daily without even thinking about it – all in the name of beauty.

And beauty isn’t just for women. Conscious care is definitely something both men and women need to think about (because almost everyone uses shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc.). I brought my fiancé who was absolutely astounded by what he learned from Rachel’s lecture. According to Avalon, women use over 186 chemicals a day, but men use a competitive 85 chemicals per day – and that’s not including if they’re overly metro sexual with a bathroom stash able to beat that of any beauty maven’s.

If you consider the basics, (like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc), it’s easy to see how the average American uses about 10 products a day – which exposes them to about 125 chemicals!

This beauty maven, however, went home and started tossing products away and recycling the containers – despite their cost or how much was still left in the bottle. Applying the tips I learned from Rachel’s lecture I read the labels of all my products – getting rid of anything I knew to be toxic, cancerous, and/or made from products I wouldn’t be within range of if I saw it in its unprocessed form, such as petroleum and placenta.

The result, I took Rachel’s many fantastic tips and alternatives, and am now putting them to use as I test the market for truly eco-friendly beauty products that are both earth-friendly and fabulous. Much like every other beauty whore who hawk-eyes every new beauty product or fad on the market, my new approach is to hone in on the ingredient labels to see if products are really what they appear to be. The result – gorgeous intelligence, as Rachel would say.

Many thanks to Rachel Avalon for such a great lecture! Luckily for us, she hosts repeat lectures and is able to serve you as a holistic expert even if you’re not based in Los Angeles. Her website is www.RachelAvalon.com.

Shireen Qudosi is a freelance writer specializing in the green industry. Visit her blog, The Logical Native, or check out her writing, link building, & social media marketing services atBabel Fish Communication. To contact her directly, email babelfish@qudosi.com and keep up with her work by signing up for the newsletter.

Image source: Arizona Foothills Magazine, Image Shack

Eco-Fabulous: Celebrate in the New Decade

2010-02-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

Répondez, s’il vous plaît when you receive an invitation, according to Emily Post. If you are the one hosting, then embrace the new etiquette of eco-friendly entertaining:

• Evites – With electronic invitations or evites, Emily's required RSVP comes much sooner and there is no expense to the sender or the invitee.

• Recycled invitations – If the event calls for sending a personal invitation, there are beautiful earth-conscious alternatives to choose from. A variety of classic and stylish invitation cards are available from Green Paper Studio, a true-green company that will also plant a tree for every order received.

• Host/Hostess gift – Traditional etiquette emphasizes presenting the host of the party with a gift. Previously, it was selected from a variety of small household items, decorations or a bottle of wine. In the spirit of earth-friendliness a small plant, a basket of organic fruit or a set of 100% recycled note cards would be more than appropriate. If the host happens to be missing a green thumb then select any of the great gifts offered at The Ultimate Green Store.

• Eco-friendly menu – Once the guests arrive, treat them with your best social etiquette and recipes that include organic, locally grown ingredients. Consider serving refreshing dishes that do not require cooking or hot dishes fresh off the grill.

• Less paper waste – Use the fancy glasses you've been wanting to show off, because after all, using your own glasses or even mismatched flea market treasures to serve your guests is the most eco-conscious thing to do. The less paper waste created, the better. If required, there are biodegradable paper goods to be found at Green Paper Products. With a selection of compostable plates, cups and utensils, this company sells their products to individual consumers in smaller quantities including bowls that can be used for those delicious left-overs and taken "to-go" at the end of your event.

• Use daylight – Most small gatherings are scheduled in the evening as a dinner party. To light up the room either make sure you have energy saving light bulbs or turn most lights off and create a festive mood with soy candles. To conserve the most energy, you may want to schedule your party for a lunch on a weekend. Using natural light in an outdoor setting is always a great idea and by the way, great for taking pictures.

True friends will not remember how they were invited, but rather that they were invited. They won't remember what kind of plate you served them with or whether candles were lit instead of lights. However, they will remember the great times they shared in great company.

Green Design: Cardboard Furniture

2010-02-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

Those who consider themselves environmentally conscious will already be in the practice of separating recycling from trash. While glass, plastic and paper waste is being sorted, boxes and cardboard are forgotten and trashed along with regular waste.

Cardboard is not waste, in fact, it is just as valuable as wood. This is evident in the work created by Les Cartonnistes. They are a collective of French furniture makers that admirably recycle cardboard into beautiful furniture and decorative pieces. Applying their imagination, they skillfully convince simple cardboard pieces to align and support and evolve into functional design.

Image Source: www.lescartonnistesassocies.com

The designers at Green Lullaby are another eco-conscious group. Their child-sized creations, featured on Low Impact Living, are made of cardboard and completely bio-degradable. The use of cardboard for children's furniture and play pieces is a smart alternative to wooden items since a child quickly outgrows his or her cradle, desk or dollhouse.

Image Source: www.babyology.com

Production of cardboard furniture does not have to be solely a professional endeavor. There are plenty of resources and YouTube videos to instruct the crafty person in simple cardboard construction. All those Amazon cardboard boxes could easily become your new eco-friendly lap desk. Reconsider recycling cardboard.

Bio Architecture: Designing with Nature in Mind

2010-01-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

Further down south in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the Shell House takes the idea literally by designing a house that looks like a magnified shell. Senosian Arquitectos has the same idea with their design called “The Nautilus”. This Mexico-based design firm went beyond a shell exterior and designed an entire home patterned after a shell with a winding organic interior.
Nature is the Best Designer

A student of the world’s best designer, bio-architecture seeks to emulate the principles in naturally occurring constructions. In studying the natural principles of the most long-held designs, this form of aesthetic design looks at fundamental shapes in nature – the most recognizable being the seashell.

The seashell is the best representation of a math-centric natural element that shows why nature is the best designer. Encompassing the Fibonacci Sequence, or “the Golden Ratio”, a seashell shows perfection in proportion that has been the foundation for some of the greatest designs, including the Parthenon, and by some of the greatest minds, including Leonardo Da Vinci. The pattern has also been replicated in some of the world’s most cherished poetry by regulating rhyme and meters, as well as in music, such as Beethoven’s Fifth and many of Mozart’s sonatas.

The term “bio-architecture” is also often referred to as “organic architecture”, a thinking that has gained popularity with the rise in eco-awareness. A shift toward green thinking took bio-architecture a step further and had creative-minded people thinking of how building could merge with the environment as well as reflect it.

Working with the Environment

Bio-architecture can not only emulate natural designs, but can also become a part of natural constructions. Rather than create jarring buildings jutting out of plains, this type of architecture looks to emerge as a part of natural settings such as mountains, caves, and wooded areas, as well as present a home that uses resources wisely by cutting utility costs.

Even though these newer designs are based on older shifts toward innovative thinking, the earliest and most architecturally stunning design is still the pyramid. First built in 2700 BCE, pyramids reflect that most natural and easily recognizable natural element, the sun, by building a structure that represents the descending rays of light. These ancient structures are still being replicated today with the Louvre and Kazakhstan’s Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.

How to Set up the Perfect Home Office

2010-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Though the benefits of working from your home include not having to deal with rigid schedules, commutes and irritating co-workers, we do still have our share of drawbacks. Those of us working from home have our own set of challenges to deal with, including unwanted visitors, family intrusions and carving out your own little niche that lets you separate your home life from your work life.

This is possibly where the biggest challenge comes in. If you’re working from home and have a family, how do you set aside a personal space that help you focus and also set up clear boundaries for family members who often have a difficult time disassociating the work you from the home you.

Everyone is different; your environment and available resources are different. Depending on what you have to work with, and what your preferences are, there are likely quite a few good home office options to get you well on your way to a productive new year.

The Budget Office

If you’re main concern is cost, then chances are you’re also highly business minded and want quick effective steps to get you started on the bigger job at hand. For a budget office, begin with what you have. Look for a sturdy work table, a comfy chair, lighting and a quite nook. If you’re starting your office from scratch, then consider:

• Buying used furniture – Many cities have liquidation, overstock.com, or warehouse sales, where the listed price is lower and you have the option of haggling with them for a lower price. You can also use Craigslist’s “free” section to see if anyone is giving away any furniture, requiring you to only go and pick it up.

• Buy a refurbished laptop – Look around Craigslist, ask your local electronic dealer for this type of deal, or call up the manufacturer directly asking if they have a special offer for refurbished computers.

• Purchase all-in-one – instead of buying a separate scanner, printer, copier, and fax, try purchasing an all-in-one unit. It might be slightly pricier as a whole unit, but you will definitely be saving by not having to buy individual units, nor dealing with the cost of multiple ink cartridges. You’ll also save a little on electricity since you’ll only be using one outlet rather than four different ones.

Budget office ideas are also great for those who have smaller spaces to work with, since they’re looking for quick space-saving economical choices - great for East Coast homes where space is often an issue.

The Kid-Friendly Office

If you’ve got little rug rats running around, then you have a whole different set of concerns when it comes to your home office. Here are some ideas of how you should go about setting up your space:

• Be Boring – There’s nothing kids of any age love more than to satisfy their curiosity, and there’s nothing that interests them more than clutter, cuteness and lots of interesting colors and shapes. Keeping your workspace boring helps keeps them disinterested.

• Setting up a Mini-Me Station – Kids love to be like you, so setting up a little work desk of their own in the same room as yours will give them a sense of pride and belonging. Plus they’ll be too busy with their own desk to be puttering around yours. This little trick also helps you keep an eye on them while you’re working.

The Shed Office

One of the biggest problems in setting up a home office is a lack of space. If this is your problem, then considering having an outdoor office. An outdoor office is a great alternative that lets you work from home but have a completely separate, private area in which to work out of.

The easiest way to set up an outdoor office is to follow these steps:

• Unit – Purchase a outdoor shed from home improvement warehouses such as Home Depot or Lowe’s.

• Insulation – Add dry wall and wood flooring to insulate it, this is particularly important if you’re in a colder climate.

• Cost – The total costs can run anywhere from two to six thousand, depending on the quality of the shed, the level of insulation, and wiring work. However, even the higher end cost is still far cheaper than building an addition, dealing with zoning/construction permits, or striving to maintain your sanity with a make shift in-house office.

Alternative to the outdoor office include setting up a garage office. If you do opt for this choice or even if you’re in a shed, then you should likely think about the ozone air quality of your work area.

What You Should Know to Protect Your Skin

2010-01-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

Your skin is a layer of porous fabric, a living breathing organ exposed to free radicals and pollutants that act as hidden skin gremlins. In the case of most women, your skin is also exposed to all the harsh chemicals we keep lathering on it throughout the day in an attempt to secure some sense of beauty.

Most women want pure skin, but what most women don’t realize is that their skin is exposed to far more than they imagine. Read on to find out what acts as a skin gremlin and what you can do about it…

YOUR COSMETICS

There are an alarming amount of toxic chemicals in the majority of cosmetics. The FDA does not review, nor does it have the authority to regulate, what goes into cosmetics before they are packaged and marketed.

Some things to watch out for are:

1) Lead in lipsticks

2) Neurotoxins in fragrances and perfumes

3) Formaldehyde (a well known human carcinogen) in nail polish.

If you consider that all these products are applied to your porous skin, you quickly see the effect of daily/weekly product use on your health. A great alternative is to learn what goes into the cosmetics you use, and to opt for mineral-based products

YOUR BEDDING

Though your bed is seen as a sanctuary for rest and relaxation after a long hard day, you should take a moment to see the flip slide of it too. The average person is in their bed for between 4-8 hours a night.

And if you consider all the creepy crawlies, the dust mites scavenging across the plains of your sheets, you quickly realize that you’re not alone – and not in a good way.

Dust mites feed on your dead skin, which is continuously flaking off with every touch. As a natural organism, they produce excretions which go unseen and which most people are allergic to, making this not only highly unsanitary but it’s also an allergen.

Additionally, your face is squished up on the same pillow for hours on end and your body/scalp are excreting oils, which you’re then rubbing back against your delicate skin.

To make sure you have a healthy sleeping environment, change out your bedding at least once a week and vacuum your area often. However, your vacuum is not a black hole and you should take a moment to consider what's living inside your vacuum.

YOUR ENVIRONMENT

While you may be able to control your home or what you put on your face every morning, you have very little control of what free radicals and pollutants are actually in the air. This is especially true if you live in an urban area where car exhaust slaps you across the face as each driver passes by…or where fast food grease sets up a perimeter on nearly every street corner. The fact is that your face is constantly assaulted with chemicals, fumes, and other pollutants.

To protect your skin, the first thing you should do is make sure your natural layer is clean and unclogged. Take the time to wash and exfoliate your skin, or simply use a cleansing toner. Then take a moment to wear sun screen or some other daily facial protecting cream or spray to act as a barrier between your skin and your environment.

Your Mother Was Right: Organic Beaty Tips that Pass the Test of Time

2010-01-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone hates being told “I told you so”, and most women also hate thinking their mother was right. However, on stepping upon the threshold of 30, and with my South Asian mother now in her early sixties, I can’t help but notice that on a good day, she looks not more than maybe only five or ten years older.

And with each wrinkle, thinned out skin or spot I notice, I hear her quite literally echoing voice telling me “I told you so”. So what was it exactly that she used to always harp on about while growing up?

Quite simply - endless beauty tips that at that time seemed to have been carved on stone tablets alongside Moses’ 10 Commandments. But these then thought of as primitive beauty routines now seem charming and simple in an age where we’re constantly fed a barrage of beauty adverts and overly photo-shopped images of perfection.

In my own desperate attempt to look great, I have ventured down every possible winding road that ultimately lead me nowhere, pick-pocketing my hard earned dollars with daylight robbery rates and empty promises of youth and beauty. I finally decided to throw in the towel and revert to the ‘old ways’ of doing things…

Best Kept Beauty Secrets

Face

For smooth skin, crush four uncoated aspirins and mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Use this 2-3 times a day for incredibly smooth skin and as an alternative to washing your face in the morning.
Once a week, use a natural honey face mask for softer skin and cleansed pores. Honey is a natural anti-bacterial and the best type to use is a raw honey, which usually has a sugary texture and doesn’t drip like processed honey.
If you have sensitive acne-prone skin, stay away from rich spicy foods, which only irritate and inflame your system.
Sleep. Staying up too late or not getting enough sleep wreaks havoc on your skin, causing it to look dull, tired, and likely leading to breakouts.
Use patchouli oil to quickly get rid of acne. Mix 10 drops of this strong smelling oil with 10 oz of almond oil as a nightly moisturizer and anti-wrinkle treatment.

Hair

For soft hair, massage your head with rich coconut oil once a week, working it into your hair. Leave it in there for about 3 hours prior to washing it out with shampoo. Use just a dab of conditioner at the ends.
For shiny hair, mix one egg with a mashed up banana and apply it as a thick paste to your hair. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes, depending on your hair texture. Then, wash it out as usual and use conditioner only at the ends.
For natural hair dye, use henna and add in a bit of lemon to the paste. Leave it in your hair for about 30 minutes to one hair for a natural reddish/auburn tint.
To eliminate build up, rinse your hair with one cup of apple cider vinegar, followed by a minimal use of shampoo.
Washing your hair with boiled rice water is also a great alternative for shiny hair.

Body

Use a mixture of pure olive oil with 1/2 parts sea salt as an in-shower body scrub. This combo completely eliminates the need for lotion and is great for winter weather.
Make sure you get in some sort of physical activity. Our mothers and grandmothers stayed in shape with simple stretches, and not grueling hours at the gym. Try reaping the benefits of yoga as a way to maintain your girlish figure.

Quick Guide to Holiday Decor

2009-12-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

With Christmas only a few days, follow these quick steps to getting your house ready for the holidays.

Tree Trimming – if you’re short on time, then throw a casual holiday hot coco and cake party and have each of your friends pick up one ornament to decorate the tree with when they enter the house. If you don’t have time for a larger tree, then try a mixture of sparsely different sized faux trees.

Floral Displays – Nothing says the holidays like wreathes and poinsettias. Thankfully, they’re not too expensive either. But a few dozen and disperse them around your home, hanging wreathes on doorways and windows, and using poinsettias as quick centerpieces.

Accents – The list of quick accents is endless:

• Pine Cones: If you’re lucky enough to be around pine cones, whether it’s in the yard or the local park, make uses of them by collecting and arranging them as a décor item in a flat bowl or large vase.

• Christmas balls: Just like pine cones, set up ornaments in a bowl or large vase.

• Cranberries: Buy fresh cranberries to fill up glass vases.

• Chandeliers: Make use of your hanging structures by draping them in Christmas décor such beads, ornaments and plumage.

Wall Hangings – Make use of all the cards you’ve received and hang them off of a very broad strip of ribbon. Then hang the ribbon along doorways, creating wonderful little niches and conversation starters.

Deck the halls – Nothing is as warm and inviting as garlands draped across a door frame, a simple yet stunning décor element. Go one step further and spray them with faux snow and a bit if silver or gold glitter.

How to Set up the Perfect Home Office

2009-12-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

Though the benefits of working from your home include not having to deal with rigid schedules, commutes and irritating co-workers, we do still have our share of drawbacks. Those of us working from home have our own set of challenges to deal with, including unwanted visitors, family intrusions and carving out your own little niche that lets you separate your home life from your work life.

This is possibly where the biggest challenge comes in. If you’re working from home and have a family, how do you set aside a personal space that help you focus and also set up clear boundaries for family members who often have a difficult time disassociating the work you from the home you.

Everyone is different; your environment and available resources are different. Depending on what you have to work with, and what your preferences are, there are likely quite a few good home office options to get you well on your way to a productive new year.

The Budget Office

If you’re main concern is cost, then chances are you’re also highly business minded and want quick effective steps to get you started on the bigger job at hand. For a budget office, begin with what you have. Look for a sturdy work table, a comfy chair, lighting and a quite nook. If you’re starting your office from scratch, then consider:

• Buying used furniture – Many cities have liquidation, overstock.com, or warehouse sales, where the listed price is lower and you have the option of haggling with them for a lower price. You can also use Craigslist’s “free” section to see if anyone is giving away any furniture, requiring you to only go and pick it up.

• Buy a refurbished laptop – Look around Craigslist, ask your local electronic dealer for this type of deal, or call up the manufacturer directly asking if they have a special offer for refurbished computers.

• Purchase all-in-one – instead of buying a separate scanner, printer, copier, and fax, try purchasing an all-in-one unit. It might be slightly pricier as a whole unit, but you will definitely be saving by not having to buy individual units, nor dealing with the cost of multiple ink cartridges. You’ll also save a little on electricity since you’ll only be using one outlet rather than four different ones.

Budget office ideas are also great for those who have smaller spaces to work with, since they’re looking for quick space-saving economical choices - great for East Coast homes where space is often an issue.

The Kid-Friendly Office

If you’ve got little rug rats running around, then you have a whole different set of concerns when it comes to your home office. Here are some ideas of how you should go about setting up your space:

• Be Boring – There’s nothing kids of any age love more than to satisfy their curiosity, and there’s nothing that interests them more than clutter, cuteness and lots of interesting colors and shapes. Keeping your workspace boring helps keeps them disinterested.

• Setting up a Mini-Me Station – Kids love to be like you, so setting up a little work desk of their own in the same room as yours will give them a sense of pride and belonging. Plus they’ll be too busy with their own desk to be puttering around yours. This little trick also helps you keep an eye on them while you’re working.

The Shed Office

One of the biggest problems in setting up a home office is a lack of space. If this is your problem, then considering having an outdoor office. An outdoor office is a great alternative that lets you work from home but have a completely separate, private area in which to work out of.

The easiest way to set up an outdoor office is to follow these steps:

• Unit – Purchase a outdoor shed from home improvement warehouses such as Home Depot or Lowe’s.

• Insulation – Add dry wall and wood flooring to insulate it, this is particularly important if you’re in a colder climate.

• Cost – The total costs can run anywhere from two to six thousand, depending on the quality of the shed, the level of insulation, and wiring work. However, even the higher end cost is still far cheaper than building an addition, dealing with zoning/construction permits, or striving to maintain your sanity with a make shift in-house office.

Alternative to the outdoor office include setting up a garage office or even making use of your stable if you have one. If you do opt for this choice or even if you’re in a shed, then you should likely think about the ozone air quality of your work area.

Nature is the Best Designer

2009-12-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

Several decades ago, a few creative thinkers started redefining the traditional idea of home. From coast to coast, people started looking at their environment and began building with eco-inspired homes. Hawaii’s famous Onion House is one popular example of a creative idea, now a national landmark and a beautiful testimonial to shift toward bio-architecture. Designed in tune with the curves of an onion, with a layered feel that mirrors the lucid skins of an onion, the house is a beautiful demonstration of the possibilities when nature if design icon.

Further down south in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the Shell House takes the idea literally by designing a house that looks like a magnified shell. Senosian Arquitectos has the same idea with their design called “The Nautilus”. This Mexico-based design firm went beyond a shell exterior and designed an entire home patterned after a shell with a winding organic interior. And there's also Bangkok's "Temple of the Dawn", constructed entirely out of seashells.

A student of the world’s best designer, bio-architecture seeks to emulate the principles in naturally occurring constructions. In studying the natural principles of the most long-held designs, this form of aesthetic design looks at fundamental shapes in nature – the most recognizable being the seashell.

The seashell is the best representation of a math-centric natural element that shows why nature is the best designer. Encompassing the Fibonacci Sequence, or “the Golden Ratio”, a seashell shows perfection in proportion that has been the foundation for some of the greatest designs, including the Parthenon, and by some of the greatest minds, including Leonardo Da Vinci. The pattern has also been replicated in some of the world’s most cherished poetry by regulating rhyme and meters, as well as in music, such as Beethoven’s Fifth and many of Mozart’s sonatas.

The term “bio-architecture” is also often referred to as “organic architecture”, a thinking that has gained popularity with the rise in eco-awareness. A shift toward green thinking took bio-architecture a step further and had creative-minded people thinking of how building could merge with the environment as well as reflect it.
Working with the Environment

Bio-architecture can not only emulate natural designs, but can also become a part of natural constructions. Rather than create jarring buildings jutting out of plains, this type of architecture looks to emerge as a part of natural settings such as mountains, caves, and wooded areas, as well as present a home that uses resources wisely by cutting utility costs.

Even though these newer designs are based on older shifts toward innovative thinking, the earliest and most architecturally stunning design is still the pyramid. First built in 2700 BCE, pyramids reflect that most natural and easily recognizable natural element, the sun, by building a structure that represents the descending rays of light. These ancient structures are still being replicated today with the Louvre and Kazakhstan’s Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.

Traditional Beauty Tips that Pass the Test of Time

2009-12-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone hates being told “I told you so”, and most women also hate thinking their mother was right. However, on stepping upon the threshold of 30, and with my mother now in her early sixties, I can’t help but notice that on a good day, she looks not more than maybe only five or ten years older.

Quite simply - endless beauty tips that at that time seemed to have been written on stone tablets alongside Moses’ 10 Commandments. But these then thought of as primitive beauty routines now seem charming and simple in an age where we’re constantly fed a barrage of beauty adverts and overly photo-shopped images of perfection.

Best Kept Beauty Secrets

Face

For smooth skin, crush four uncoated aspirins and mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Use this 2-3 times a day for incredibly smooth skin and as an alternative to washing your face in the morning.
If you have sensitive acne-prone skin, stay away from rich spicy foods, which only irritate and inflame your system.
Sleep. Staying up too late or not getting enough sleep wreaks havoc on your skin, causing it to look dull, tired, and likely leading to breakouts.
Use patchouli oil to quickly get rid of acne. Mix 10 drops of this strong smelling oil with 10 oz of almond oil as a nightly moisturizer and anti-wrinkle treatment.

Hair

For soft hair, massage your head with coconut oil once a week, working it into your hair. Leave it in there for about 3 hours prior to washing it out with shampoo. Use just a dab of conditioner at the ends.
For shiny hair, mix one egg with a mashed up banana and apply it as a thick paste to your hair. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes, depending on your hair texture. Then, wash it out as usual and use conditioner only at the ends.
For natural hair dye, use henna and add in a bit of lemon to the paste. Leave it in your hair for about 30 minutes to one hair for a natural reddish/auburn tint.

Body

Use a mixture of pure olive oil with 1/2 parts sea salt as an in-shower body scrub. This combo completely eliminates the need for lotion and is great for winter weather.
Make sure you get in some sort of physical activity. Our mothers and grandmothers stayed in shape with simple stretches, and not grueling hours at the gym. Try reaping the benefits of yoga as a way to maintain your girlish figure.
Washing your hair with boiled rice water is also a great alternative for shiny hair.

The results of my little experiment and in following these tips have been absolutely smashing. I never looked better and the extra savings from not having to splurge on beauty products is the fondant on the cake.

Master the Art of Hosting

2009-11-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

A simple green and cost-effective guide to know what you’re doing. Use these tips for your upcoming holiday parties and say good-bye to the old long drawn out ball and chain bashes of yesteryear.

Green Wine: Going Beyond Just Red and White

There’s a lot more to the aged drink of perfection than just red, white, and rose. With the rise in environmental awareness, there’s now a mushrooming rise of eco-friendly wine and wineries. There are three categories of eco-friendly wines: sustainable, organic, and biodynamic.

“Sustainable” means that grapes were grown with few to no chemical, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This method nurtures the soil naturally, whereas “organic” wines are grown in organically certified vineyards and are made without added sulfites. On the other hand, “biodynamic” winemaking goes way beyond organics by viewing the farm is viewed as a living system.

If one of your hobbies is collecting exotic or expensive wines, then the next thing you have to think about is how you're going to maintain your investment. There are a lot of different types of wine storage units and between coolers, racks, and wine cellars, it's easy feel overwhelmed.

However, with an easy to follow guide on the importance of storing your investment properly and a quick breakdown of the different types, you'll have this category covered

Presentation is Key

As easy as it would be to pull out a bottle of red from under the kitchen sink, fact is anyone that does anything well does with style – besides, if you’re dusting off wine it should be because its aged with precision rather than because it’s simply forgotten about it. There are three basic types of wine cooler storage devices: bottle coolers, (multiple bottle) coolers, and cellars.

If you're a beginner, you may want to consider a wine bottle cooler, which maintains the bottle temperature while you dine. However, if your collection is a little larger, then consider a wine cooler that comes equipped with wine racks to prevent your bottles from clashing together. With thermoelectric multiple independently controlled temperature zones for both red and white wines, touch screens, sleek lighting with glass doors, an ability to house anywhere between 14 to 32 bottles - how could you possibly go wrong?

When buying a wine cooler, you should also understand the specific differences between a wine cooler and a wine cellar. Wine cellars are ideal for if you have aging wines or need long term storage. But above all, don’t be a wine hoard. Remember that wine is for enjoyment and the best way for any single to enjoy a great bottle of red, white, or rose is to throw a wine party.

When it comes to entertaining, nothing beats good company paired with wine alongside a roasting fire. And apparently we’re not the only ones who think that way. As Jacoba Budden pointed out in Moussaka, even the ancient Greeks with their “thinkers and some of the greatest philosophers ever known,” had in-home taverns capable of hosting hundreds of people for drink, festivities, and profits. I say, why argue with some of the world’s most brilliant thinkers.

Putting Together a Stylish and Sophisticated Evening

When hosting your own bash, the center of any lively combination should be several bottles of wine alongside a casually but well-thought out platters. Conventionally, platters were limited to cheese, but excellent hosts know that mixing it up with breads, chocolates, and some delectable deserts works equally as well. With such a colorful sensation for the palate and the array of pairings to choose from, you and your guests will be marveled by how easy it can be to have a great time with such minimal effort.

In fact, in light of the recession many people are forgoing conventional dinner parties and instead opting for a rich but simplified menu. Having come to be known as chic “Wine Parties”, guests usually delight in being able to have a more casual get together that isn’t meal-oriented. These new types of parties are not only friendly on the wallet, but are also far more time/cost efficient – requiring less preparation and clean up, they can be thrown at the last minute while still being a hit with your guests. Guests also enjoy the opportunity to sample new types of wines in a relaxed and friendly circle.

But in going beyond just the basics of wine, any great wine party host will take the time and considering to set the stage for his or her guests. After all, a cold barren room is hardly going to foster an evening of warm and engaging conversation – especially with winter at our heels.

Equally as important as the wine and pairings you serve, is what type of setting you serve it in. With winter here and everyone huddling indoors, make sure your space creates the ideal ambiance for a memorable evening. While you may choose to use a heater, it’s much more practical and both cost and energy efficient to use a single portable space heater. An electric space heater is far more eco-friendly to use than a central heating unit. It’s like your guests will be in one, maybe two rooms – so why waste energy and money heating the whole house when a space heater can do the job at a fraction of the cost. However, if you prefer an outdoor venue, you can achieve that too through using a couple of portable patio heaters.

After process of sorting through wine, pairings, and creating the perfect warm welcoming environment, you’re well on your way to a creating wonderful holiday memories without the usual hassle normally associated with holiday living.

Top Image: Southern Accents

The Outdoor Office

2009-11-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

Eco-culture stepped into the corporate playing field as soon as business started realizing the money saving and PR benefits of going green. Since then a whole new mindset has been adopted in corporate culture.

In a business culture war where brand identity and employee loyalty are key to survival and growth, businesses are now realizing the value of another commodity – their employees.

Merging eco-awareness with employee satisfaction, more and more business are redefining their corporate culture. Stepping away from galley ship set ups like those artfully played out in Monty Python’s The Crimson Permanent Assurance, employers are now recognizing that an unhappy stressed out employee means smaller profit margins.

Endorsing Public Workspaces

Nivea also took advantage of the outdoor office shift, and London’s willingness to host them, by offering the oxygen powered office space. Available through bookings, Nivea offered space with a reception area, three meeting areas, two work stations, with Wifi, coffee, plasma screens, and a beauty area hosting Nivea products that serves a place for employees to freshen up.

The move is not only of a benefit to businesses sponsoring the event, who gain exposure and publicity, but is also proving to be a creative outlet for companies who want to encourage out of the box thinking.

But businesses aren’t the only groups who are realizing the benefit of outdoor workspaces. The City of London transformed St James’s Park into an outdoor office space for two days, from July 3 to 4. The park provided free Wi-Fi, a boardroom, a breakout room, 12 desk clusters, and a receptionist.

Selgas Cano’s Take on the Outdoor Office

An outdoor workspace was also the creative inspiration for Selgas Cano Architects in Madrid, Spain, photographed by Iwan Baan. Selgas Cano took the outdoor office to the next level by looking toward long term harmonization merging indoor and outdoor spaces.

The design boasts effective use of space, employing a sleek tube-like structure sunken into the ground. The long window curving along the wall and toward the ceiling creates an open space that not only lets in natural light but also fosters a synchronicity between the indoors and outdoors.

The sinking foundation is also a classic design strategy that improves building insulation, requiring less energy to heat the interior. The interior color scheme is also reflective of natural greens and yellows found outdoors, making the shift between indoor and outdoor seamless.

Shifting to an Outdoor Work Space

Fortunately, you don’t need to live in London, work in Spain, or rely on locally set up corporate sponsorships to get a feel for the outdoor office. Depending on where you are, you can easily set up shop in your own backyard or patio.

There are dozens of options for outdoor offices, such as turning your shed into a detached office space, or using your deck or sunroom as an office extension. Whatever you decide, there are certain things you should consider when setting up your new space:

· Weather: If you’re in colder climates, consider investing in a portable table top patio heater. Patio heaters come in all sizes and styles, from freestanding patio heaters, including portable patio heaters, mounted, table top, electric, propane and natural gas heaters. Getting a patio heater makes the idea of an outdoor office a practical option.

· Electricity: if you’re a die-hard tech junkie and consider your laptop your ultimate life line, then you’re likely going to need to create a space that has access to an outlet. Set up shop in a spot that allows you to use an extension cord to source an outside outlet or trek one back indoors through a window.

· Coverage: Having some sort of roofing or canopy is critical to an effective work space for two main reasons. 1) It protects you from the weather and 2) It helps deflect excess light away, which is particularly important if you’re an avid laptop user. Canopies can also be purchased and readily assembled from most retail chains.

· Furniture: Your outdoor furniture should be practical. Try going for easy-to-clean glass surfaces that don’t face rust and corrosion problems. For furniture, depending on whether you have a functional canopy, try using furniture with upholstery that is easily cleaned or weather resistant. Often, even a great outdoor patio chair will do the trick.

Josh Onysko of Pangea Discusses the Importance of All-Natural Body Care Products

2009-11-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

"Our skin is the largest organ on our body and 87 percent of what we put on our skin goes into our body. We don’t need chemicals to grow the ingredients we put in our products. They are sinking into ground water and getting into our food supply — we’re finding traces of herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers all over the world. By supporting organic agriculture, we’re supporting a greener future. Go home and start reading the ingredients on your personal care products. If you can pronounce everything on a product’s label, it’s close to natural.

The average American woman uses more than 150 chemicals on her skin a day. A lot of people think that the health and beauty industry is regulated, but of 100,000 ingredients, only 10 percent have been tested for safety and none has been tested for safety when combined with other ingredients. If you want something natural, you should be able to eat every ingredient on the label. If you can’t eat it, why would you put it on your body? Many people are racing to create natural and organic products, but not working to create truly efficacious products (to make an ingredient claim you only need to use 100th percent of an ingredient). There’s a lot of science, technology and experience that goes into making natural products. When nature is used properly, in the right amounts, it can have amazing effects."

Source: MSNBC Today. View complete article

Image: CEO of Pangea, Joshua Onysko

Eco-Inspired Homes

2009-11-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Long before the mod designs of today’s sustainable homes, there was the “Glass House.” It was built in New Canaan, Connecticut, in 1949 by Philip Johnson for his personal use. It was a ground breaking project in its time and still continues to astonish those of us today who cannot fathom living in a see-through house.

While most people love the concept of a glass house, they have one major problem with it - privacy. But there’s a simple solution – curtains. Lightweight curtains would provide both shade during summer months as well as privacy, without compromising the structure’s aesthetic appeal. But what a lot of people also don’t realize is those eco homes aren’t cookie cutter houses. On the contrary, they can be built with a lot more forethought and personalized design than traditional real estate. Just ask Michelle Kaufman of MK Designs.

When Michelle Kaufman and her husband moved to California, they decided to fill the market for clean green homes after their own difficulty in finding one. Clients can design their own custom home and choose the features that work for them. According to Michelle, “the real challenge, and the critical area for a successful project, is the implementation and the production.” Fortunately, through many years of being in the business, Michelle and her team have been able to iron out this wrinkle.

Regardless of whether or not you’d choose to live in a glass house, our love of aesthetic and design are instantly drawn into Johnson’s minimalist creation. A balanced sense of proportion and a design that connects with the environment is what ultimately has paved the way for modular and prefab.

Yet no matter what your home is like, you can get it be more sustainable – and contrary to what some may think, sustainable doesn’t mean living a ‘bare bones’ lifestyle. A sustainable lifestyle can be chic and creative while still be eco-conscious.

But if you’re a quick-fix type, there are still versatile ways you can prep your home and reflect your stellar taste – especially if you’re a notorious coveter of wooden floors.

If you’ve got wooden floors (hopefully bamboo), try covering them with rugs during the winter. The use of rugs is a quick DIY insulation that gives you a chance to add a new style element in your living space. Far from perhaps over bearing eclectic themes too strong for certain tastes, some eco-inspired pieces are also designed for the utilitarian thinker. For the military-mined eco-enthusiast, there’s Rebekah Rauser’s Redeploy Rug that combines the necessary military durability of surplus blankets with organic fluidity. Made of 100% wool Russian army blankets and with topographic pattern, the Redeploy adds a unique dimension that makes the piece not only necessary but stylish.

Ultimately, no matter which route you choose, the goal is to create a home that is both functional and stylish, while still doing its part for the environment.

Image 1: Philip Johnson’s ‘Glass House’

Writers: How to Break into the Green Industry

2009-11-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

The green industry is one of the hottest industries to work in these days. But contrary to the antiquated perception of green, working in the industry doesn't really mean working in the fields. The concept that green businesses literally toil away is hilarious, but it’s a very real misconception of the past.

It wasn't until Hollywood emphasized green living, that eco-consciousness really took off. Fortunately, with that many industries also realized the importance of going green. Realizing it would save them money and serve as great PR, today's green business are some of the most competitive businesses that offer some of the best products or services.

Just about any profession can find their niche in the green workforce. However, some of us have it tougher than others. For writers, the first thing you have to do is educate yourself on your subject. Give yourself enough time to check out all the different resources there are for green living. This includes green blogs, green businesses, green ideas, green policies...the wealth of resources are unlimited. With there being so much out there, it's important to have an idea about what type of green writing you want to do? Do you want to focus more on urban living, home ideas, businesses, etc? Once you have a clearer idea, you can streamline your search.

Whatever specific subcategory you choose to focus on, make sure you become an expert in the field. Go to events and conferences, borrow or purchase some books on the subject. The more you know about your subject, the better you can write about it.

What You Can't Do

Just as with any other job, you can't just waltz into a company, whether figuratively or literally, and demand a writing job. You have to show you have experience in the field; you have to demonstrate a skill. Writers have it toughest in this regard. While other careers translate well across the board, writers tend to work in a very specific niche and usually adapt to a very specific style of writing. So while you may be a great writer in one area, you may not necessarily translate well to a green industry. Writing for this industry can be different from writing for other industry, and to survive in the green business you've got to start learning to adapt your voice and writing style.

Here again we go back to the subcategory you want to work in. If you want to be a part policy changes, or business services, your writing has to be more technical. If anything else, is has to be more conversational and friendly, yet informative. This is why it's best to do the research and test out the field.

The Perks

A career in environmental conservation writing has a great number of perks. One of the biggest perks is that it can be done from anymore. Many writers are able to telecommute, a trend that’s been made even more popular with the recent events. The recession has made it cheaper for many employers to contact writers and have them work from home, which allows them to save on administrative overhead. Additionally, the decline of print media has finally gotten publishers to pay attention to the vast resource of internet media. With these trends, there no longer a need to drive to work, clock in and clock out. These days, your corner coffee shop is as effective an office as the corner desk.

There's also a great deal of flexibility with a green writing career. As mentioned there are a number of different sub categories. Your expertise in one specific green area can be expanded up and used in another area. If one editor is slow for a week or so, you can start networking with other business and publications. With a green writing career, there's always something to learn - and someone to writer for.

How You Can Get Started

Find a pitch. Whether it's green energy, air quality trends, anything in health, technology, or latest green news. Once you start looking into the specific subjects, you'll see how much coverage there is for eco-friendly lifestyles in both the personal and business sector.

No matter what you choose to write about, be sure to always cite your sources, use only stock free, approved, or public images, and link to higher quality publications such as .edu and .gov, which tend to have higher rankings. If writing for online content, be sure to brush up on SEO keywords. And remember, the average piece shouldn't be more than 900 words, and your pitch to me should be 50-200 words max.

Most publications will be happy to feature well-written quality content, out of which you get a piece for your portfolio, and a byline. But before you clickety-click away, send me a quick pitch and let's see if we can guide you in the right direction.

However, if you choose to go on it your own, then take in the advice here and give it your best shot.

10 Ways Your Business Can Go Green

2009-11-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

If you’ve got a business, one of the most profitable things you can do is to go green. Going green has been proven to be rewarding in two key ways:

Why Go Green

Positive PR – Showing a commitment to recycling and energy-saving habits is a great way to boost your company’s profile. It gives you a reason to talk about your company and market it in a unique and consumer-friendly way.

Don’t just save money, earn more - some companies, such as Whole Foods and Harbec Plastics have generated millions for cost cutting moves. They marketed themselves as eco-friendly, which got them featured by major online and print publishers – generating the kind of publicity that money can’t buy.

For the rest of us, there are still dozens of little things we can do around our office that can save big in even the shortest amount of time. Some slight policy changes here and there and an active interest in learning new ways to be more aware of consumption, can and does make a big difference toward protecting the environment.

Here’s what you can do…

Rooftop Gardens - Many urban landscapes are now utilizing green rooftops. Having vegetation, even something as simple as grass, on a rooftop not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but helps combat higher temperatures associated with urban environments.

Use Smaller Font – Aside from just recycling papers, using smaller front will actually saves reams per week. Other little paper saving tricks include double-sided printing and using electronic files over printed hardcopies. Not only will you be saving paper costs, but you’ll also be saving printing costs and trash-hauling costs.

Hewlett Packard is one example of a company putting these ideas to use, recycling as much as 43 million pounds of paper – that’s about 367,000 trees.

Alternative Cooling – Portable air conditioners are another great way to save cooling cost. The average 1200 sq. foot office can see cooling costs as high as $3,000 per month. Instead of cooling the entire office, get each room a portable cooling unit that’ll do the same job at a margin of the price of normal cooling.

Switching off – One of the most notorious office habits is leaving your PC running – now times this by the millions of business and times that by how many computers each business has! Simply switching your PC off can prevent an extra 1,000 pounds of greenhouse gases each year. Contrary to popular myth, this practice doesn’t hurt your computer, but if for any reason you have a program running or have a deep-rooted aversion to turning your computer off, then just set it to sleep mode before you call it a day.

Refurbish Furniture - Rather than buying new office furniture, see if your existing furniture can be refurbished. Not only is refurbishing cheaper than buying new furniture, but it also helps companies do their part in not wasting resources.
Lighting – Lighting amounts to about 44 percent of an office’s electrical consumption. Little things like shutting off the lights at the end of the day or when you leave the room for more than ten minutes

Recyclables – Set up different types of receptacles for recycling. You can get a separate one for trash, paper, plastics, and even metals/plastics since many gadgets face the trash bin as new ones get purchased.

Eco-friendly Cleaning - The average office is cleaned about once a week, four times a month. Each time products are used with little thought of what they're made of and what companies are washing down the drain. Simply opting to go with using environmentally friendly cleaning products, companies can do a big part in conservation.

Solar Energy - Depending on the size of a business, some companies may want to look into solar energy panels as an alternative means of energy. While solar energy systems can be expensive to set up, they are considerably favorable systems for larger companies willing to invest in long term savings. An added bonus is that many states now offer incentives for solar energy users, including rebates and purchasing extra energy back from the company.

Create a Niche - Many companies are quartering off a small section of their break room and setting up a small information section on eco-friendly habits. This not only shows your employees you're serious about conservation, but it reinforces positive office/home habits. Businesses can also encourage employees to think of new ways to save around the office.

10 Ways to "Green" Your Home

2009-11-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Many people thinking "going green" in your home means added expense and hassle. However, incorporating a few eco-friendly habits in your home can not only easily done, but it can save you money and teach your kids valuable lessons on conservation.

Rethink Bottled Water

As the world's leading consumers of bottled water, statistics show Americans spent over $11 billion dollars on 8.3 billion gallons of bottled water in 2006 alone. It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture the amount of bottled water Americans consume each year. Add to that the fact that an estimated 38 billion water bottles end up in landfills each year where it takes an average of 700 years before they begin decomposing.

There are many bottled water facts that boggle the mind when we look into the nitty gritty data of this industry, and the simplest way to break this bad habit is to switch to tap water. With one of the best water purification systems in the world, our tap water is just as safe to drink as that bottled variety. However, if you're already twitching from bottle withdrawal, then get a reusable bottle and invest in a water filter that will work with your tap.

Alternative Cooling

With a scorching summer right around the corner, the average American household will spend $231.34 a month on cooling alone. Turning on the AC not only kicks up the cost to stay cool, but also does a number on the environment. A great way to keep your cooling cost down and do your part for cleaner air, is to limit central AC use and opt instead for portable air conditioners. Portable AC units cost pennies on the dollar to run - saving your family hundreds of dollars that can be either saved or better spent on family outings.

Green Cleaning

The type of cleaning product you use not only affect the environment but also have a huge impact on your family's health. Most cleaners are chemical based and each time you spray to clean, you release toxic chemicals into the air you breathe. Not wanting to poison their own homes, many moms are now cleaning their homes with non-toxic chemical free cleaners. These cleaners are relatively inexpensive and do just as good of a job as the brands you're already used to.

Unused Appliances

We all know that we should unplug unused appliances. But did you know that one of the biggest 'appliances' in your home is your computer? Our computers are usually always left plugged in, and turned on. According to EPA, powering down your computer each night (or at least setting it on 'sleep' mode) can reduce energy usage by up to 70%.

Good Old-Fashioned Recycling

When we think of going green, we think of recycling. And when we think of recycling, that age old picture comes to mind of separating paper and plastic, of running down to the local recycling center with our bottles and cans. There's no better way to start being green than by doing the things you're already familiar with. So start saving up cans and bottles, old newspapers and magazines, and make a weekly trip down to your local recycling center. This is a perfect "green" habit to get the kids involved with as well. Make them in charge of collecting recyclables during the week, and let them keep the money they earn from recycling each week.

Dryer Habits

There are a couple of good dryer habits to help make sure your appliance is performing optimally. First, get in the habit of cleaning the the lint from the filter. This not only helps with air flow, but it'll also help prevent any dryer fires. Next, think about adding a couple tennis balls or dyer balls to your dryer load. Dryer balls not only help keep your clothes from sticking to the sides of the dryer, but they make your clothes tumble around faster, which means they'll dry faster - which means you'll be using less energy.

Get Rid of Trunk Junk

Studies show that Americans spend about 233 hours of their life commuting. For a lot of people, their car is like their second home. That being the case, you may want to think about how you can take your green home habits and apply them to your car. One of the simplest ways to do this is to get rid of unwanted or unused good in your trunk. Open up your trunk and take a good look at what's in there. Do you need the extra set of dumbbells, or the pile of books, or even the heavy oversized bag of dog food? The more weight you have in your car, the lower your gas mileage is and the more pressure you put on your car because it has to work that much harder to run. So not only are you reducing your car's aerodynamics, you're also wasting fuel - which harms both the environment and your wallet

"Green" Paint

Traditional paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release pollutants into the air. However, you can shop around for low-VOC or no-VOC paints. A lot of companies now offer eco-friendly paint that comes in just as many colors and costs just the same as other brands. The plus side is that these 'green' paints don't have the same linger toxic order as older paints.

Eco-Friendly Lunches

The average child will produce about 67 pounds of garbage each year from lunch time paper bags, plastic bags, plastic containers, etc. This figure escalates to about 3.5 million nationwide, causing many "Green" moms to opt for "litter-less lunches". So instead of sending your kids to school with a lunch that will inevitably end up in a landfill, moms are now going back to good ole lunchboxes with reusable bottles, containers and utensils. A few great sites considerations are Kleen Kanteen, Lunchopolis, and Greentainer. Getting your kids to start using reusables, and teaching them how they're doing their part, is a great way to ensure healthy green habits at an early age.

Print-out Possibilities

Aside from reusing unwanted print outs, little things like widening page margins to 0.75 can reduce the amount of paper used by about 5%. This small but effective habit can save over 6 million trees per year. Additionally, adjusting your print out settings to "draft", instead of "normal", will save you a considerable amount of ink. Ink may seem like no big deal, but if you consider the plastics it takes to make a cartridge, and the petroleum/oil needed to make plastic, you begin to start seeking how even the smallest tweaks can make a difference.

Going green is hardly ever just about one resource. If you consider all the resources it takes to make one resource, you start realizing the chain of conservation (or waste) involved. Green habits are really easy to develop - start with one or two that seem doable or assign one idea to each member of your family.

What Are You Breathing During Your Hotel Visits?

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

In July of 1976, the American Legion held a conference at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia to celebrate the country's bicentennial anniversary. Within two days of the event, the veteran attendees were diagnosed with pneumonia-like symptoms. The incident resulted in 221 veterans diagnosed and 34 dead.

In January 1977, the cause of the mysterious epidemic, which came to be known as Legionnaires' disease, was identified as a bacterium (Legionella pneumophila) growing in the hotel's cooling tower and introduced to the building via the nearby fresh-air intake.

The first recognized outbreak of Legionnaires' disease focused national attention on indoor air quality, and thus changing building standards forever. To engineers and designers, the challenge became one of providing a healthy indoor environment without sacrificing comfort or energy efficiency.

According to the International Hotel & Restaurant Association: “People spend 80 percent of their time inside buildings. While energy efficiency is critical to cutting costs and emissions, the indoor environment is the most fundamental element of service quality. Guests want a comfortable environment in order to be productive at meetings and enjoy their leisure time, be it in their rooms, in restaurants, or around establishment premises. At the same time, employees need to concentrate to work efficiently and creatively. To guarantee these expectations, a good indoor environment is essential.”

With the proliferation of the concepts of sustainability and “green”, travelers are making decisions based not only on price, but a hotel company's commitment to the health and well-being of its guests. They want an environment free of airborne pathogens. As time has passed and studies have continued, scientists have continued to uncover additional hazardous sources that trigger headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Additional studies into indoor air quality revealed the existence of radical elements infiltrating the air. From asbestos-stained walls to volatile organic compounds, to radon poisoning, the fact is that now there is more to be cautious of than in the past.

However, when in a poll, the majority of hotel guests stated ultimately only a good night's sleep was a factor in their hotel choice. Yet, many factors affect a person's sleep, including the conditioned environment.

Commuting Culture

2009-11-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

Perhaps inspired by the Doctor Who episode entitled "Gridlock", where a futuristic society spends literal lifetimes stuck in a seemingly enternal gridlocked path layering levels of lanes - the episode was a wake up call to our own diminished quality of life when we consider that the average American spends about one fourth of their day commuting.

Trains

Millions of rail passengers are suffering chronic health problems as a result of travelling on grossly overcrowded carriages, a situation that has prompted the first official investigation into 'cattle truck' train syndrome. The cumulative impact of journeys on crowded trains is the culprit behind high blood pressure, chronic anxiety and even fatal heart conditions.

Experts modeling high traffic patterns have weighed in and state that the ritual of coping with an overcrowded, unreliable service ensured commuters were stressed long before they arrived at work and long after they returned home. Some even warned that this tension could prove fatal, depending on the duration of exposure to this type of repeated high-level stress, combined with the individual's own resistance to anxiety-driven pressures.

However, regardless of the situation being fatal, it is certainly far less than desirable. Cary Cooper, professor of psychology and health at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, said: 'People develop a constant internal anger on crowded trains that they cannot easily displace.

If you’ve ever ridden a subway, particularly New York’s aged system, you’ve probably experienced the ear-splitting shrieks as the train takes a fast turn or screeches to a halt. Those sounds are more than just annoying; they can actually contribute to hearing loss, according to a new study published in the August edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers took sound level readings while waiting for and riding buses, trains, subways and ferries in the New York metro area, and found that subways were the loudest. But they also found that all commuter systems were loud enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss in some riders, given sufficient length of exposure.

The actual risk varies from person to person. But according to the researchers the highest maximum sound level of 102 decibels, recorded at a subway platform, could cause hearing loss over time for some people within just two minutes a day—based on guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency. The average sound level for the entire New York subway system of 80.4 decibels could cause hearing loss if regular exposure exceeds about an hour and 40 minutes a day, or just 18 minutes per day on some of the noisiest platforms averaging 90.2 decibels.

And with iPods and cell phones now a common accessory, subways themselves may not be the only in-transit exposure. "Imagine someone on a subway who is getting 80 decibels of exposure in the car," explains Rick Neitzel, a research scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle and one of the study’s lead investigators. "Most people would turn their MP3 player up at least a few decibels above the background noise, if not five or six. So now their exposure isn’t 80, it’s 86. And when we start getting up to sustained levels in the mid-80s that’s a concern because your recommended daily exposure duration is pretty short at those levels—less than an hour based on recommendations from the EPA."

One would think that the sound mode of transportation would be a car, but considering that billions of cars hit the roads everyday, this alternative is far from feasible.

Cars

Scientists at the University of Southern California studied urban commuters and found that though they spend only 6% of their day in the car, during that time they're exposed to up to 45% of the air pollutants they encounter in a 24-hour period. That makes getting to work in car-centric cities the second biggest weekday health risk—topped only by smoking.

"If you don't smoke, it's the next worse environment," aid Scott Fruin, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at USC Keck School of Medicine. "The air coming into your car is the worst air in the whole city,"

An electric car tracked just how much pollution drivers are exposed to. Los Angeles commuters spend an average of 90 minutes sucking in diesel fuel fumes and ultra fine particles or UFP every day. These particles, smaller than 1/1,000 the size of a human hair, can enter the bloodstream and disperse throughout the body. They have been linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

"They get deepest into your lungs. They get into your bloodstream, and those are particularly high on freeways and busy roads," said Fruin. The American Heart Association found high concentrations of diesel exhaust increases clot formation by almost 25 percent, which can lead to deadly cardiovascular problems.

The USC study also found the biggest concerns are fumes from diesel trucks and following cars that hit the gas pedal too hard - kicking up those deadly particles into the air and into your car.

The solution? During a high traffic commute, try driving with the windows shut and the air conditioning on, even if set to low. Make sure not to switch on the vent, as that only pulls in the outside. A real-time solution is to try a using an air purifier to make the air you do breathe as clean as possible.

Thanksgiving Draws Attention to Mass Resource Depletion

2009-11-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Why You Should Green Your “Meat”

Not to long ago, there was a bigger to-do about our carbon foot print. More recently, people started looking at the carbon foot print of cattle, or what they called a “cow emission”. According a 400 page report by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s report entitled “Livestock’s Long Shadow”, the world’s 1.5 billion cattle are responsible for 18 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than all other forms of transportation combined.

A great measure of how much awareness is spreading about this issue is to look outside of the green community. When my non eco friends started discussing "factory farming", I knew were starting to gain ground on the importance of the impact cattle has on our environment.

It’s a more commonly known fact that cows produce a tremendous amount of methane a year, adding to an already increased global warming problem. As a natural part of a collective species, it’s a small and likely insignificant “contribution” – but when considering cattle is farmed to sustain a billion dollar beef industry, we can start seeing the compounded impact to our ecology.

Cows aren’t the only one. Any livestock that is farmed bears a similar burden on the environment. And if you recall the number of turkeys harvested and killed to cater to a Thanksgiving feast, you can start using your abacus to tally up the figures.

The Problem with Turkey

Turkey dinners have their own carbon foot print, or in this case a “wing print”, according to NPR, which did a piece on tracking the amount of resource it takes to raise a turkey and then transport it to its final destination. The added global impact of transporting livestock also strengthens the case for homesteading your poultry. Each step along the way burns natural resources from farming turkey to the fuel it takes to transport them.

DID YOU KNOW: A landmark study at Cornell University revealed that turkey meat “production consumed energy in a 13:1 ratio to protein output.” The study goes on to add that:

· Animal agriculture is a leading consumer of water resources in the United States.

· Livestock are directly or indirectly responsible for much of the soil erosion in the United States

· According to David Pimentel, Professor of Ecology at Cornell University, “More than half the U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of the world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans.”

With these clear cut facts, we find ourselves hard pressed not to switch out turkey for soy even if just for one day. My recommendation is to email this article to your friends and family, particularly your guest list to get them thinking about the importance of an eco-friendly Thanksgiving feast.

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is not about the food as much as it is about community – a gathering of loved ones over a feast regardless of what type of feast it is. And it’s hardly a celebration of gratitude if you’ve forced a turkey sacrifice for it, who I’m sure isn’t very grateful to have been included as an unwilling participant.

DID YOU KNOW: Approximately 45 million turkeys are (killed) cooked and eaten in the U.S. on Thanksgiving? That’s about a sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year.

If you’ve got to get people to consider alternative lifestyle choices by hook and by crook, then so be it. We’re on about 45 million turkeys here that will be very grateful to you for your efforts.

A Champagne Holiday on a Beer Bottle Budget

2009-10-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

And even though we’re penny pinching these days, [see 7 Easy Ways to Entertain for Less] we can still have a fabulous get together – and with the slightest bit of effort and inventive spirit, we can host a splendid evening boasts of eco-chic brilliance. When thinking of winter, my first thoughts escape straight to a “Winter Wonderland” theme and with a slight obsession for eco-friendly entertaining, I’ve been able to source some charming ideas.

One of the great things about winter is that you can get really creative and free-spirited with the décor. (During what other season would you get away with bringing trees indoors and the decking them with magpie-envying pieces?) When you think of “wonderland”, think odd, magical and strange. Think Alice in Wonderland meets the Snow Queen, where everything is just slightly off the wall, creative and wonderfully mad – with a rich frosty touch.

Because There's No Reason Your Home Can't be Theatrical...

Ambiance is everything. This is especially true if you’re going to host an evening of kaleidoscopic proportion. Think white candles, silver accents, pops of color, reflective surfaces– just about anything that would catch the eye. The great thing about the holiday season is that just about anything goes and the best way to get this is to pay attention to details. Make sure you include lots of accents and clusters of décor pieces.

A quick inexpensive and recyclable option is to top your cake platters with old Christmas tree ornaments. This ensures that you’re using them not just around the holidays, but in a clever festive way that actually gives you the thrill of holiday decorating without sacrificing a tree for it. You can use either tiered cupcake platters or single level ones. Standard cake platters are also great to use as a base for nesting pillars of candles among pine cones and branches from your yard.

Not forgetting our Winter Wonderland theme which embraces creativity, start by breaking convention and bringing in a tree earlier in the year – then turn it upside down. The idea has been popular for a few years now, and it’s both gorgeous and eco-friendly since these trees are of the faux variety.

Another simple idea that heats up the evening was discovered in Sunset Magazine, which suggested that “vases of varying heights [can] contain conifer sprigs in an inch of water.” White votive candles behind each jar adds a mesmerizing glow. This is a much more sustainable décor idea than flowers, since branches can be found in most yards and can last up to a month in an inch of fresh water. The idea makes even more sense when the taken the scarcity of naturally available flowers during the winter, and the high cost of store-bought stems.

Bon Appetite

No matter how much time and energy you’ve invested in creating a lush atmosphere, there’s one key element that always wins out – and that’s taste! Your party doesn’t have to have a five course meal but it does have to have rich savory foods perfectly paired with a winter setting.

For a beer bottle budget, try either a cheese and bread fondue party and for dessert take the evening outdoors. Set your patio or deck with a couple patio heaters about a half hour before you expect guest to step outdoors – this way by the time you enjoy the next half of your evening, you’re in a nice toasty niche.

Next, have your guests collect twigs from around the yard and bring them back to serve as marshmallow skewers. Pair that with organic chocolate and your classic cup of hot chocolate, and you’re set for the evening.

Image: Sunset Magazine

Spiritual Sustainability

2009-10-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

They say people in glass homes shouldn’t throw stones Well, this is one glass home you’re not likely to find a squabbling pair in. In 1984, Buddhist monks in Thailand began gathering bottles to decorate their shelters. The interest not only attracted a lot of tourists but also resulted in a flood of donated bottles to help the monks realize their luminary vision. Since then, Thai monks in the Siasaket province just 370 miles northeast of Bangkok, have used approximately 1.5 million glass bottles to create their temple.

While many eco-enthusiasts have incorporated recycled bottle into their décor, these creative and dedicated monks have taken it to a whole new level. Using a mixture of green Heineken bottles and brown Thai beer bottles, the monks find that the use of bottles as building materials is a practical solution since the bottles don’t lose their color and are easily cleaned; plus the thickness of beer bottles makes them durable enough to resist wear and tear. The monks have also cleverly put beer bottle caps to good use as well by created stunning mosaics depicting Buddha.

Moving beyond simple sustainability and to spiritual sustainability, Thai monks have taken beer, normally associated with common erudite culture, and have created a cultural goldmine out of beer byproducts. They’ve single-handedly redefined recyclability, and raised the bar in an eco-conscious world. If a handful of monks with limited resource can create this, what about the rest of us? The temple is a testament to eco-living that fuses practicality and spirituality to create a whole new forum for aesthetic design. The bottles create a structure that holds up the number one of rule in architecture, which calls for an awareness of how the building uses light. The “Bottle Temple”, as it’s now referred to, not only takes this concept but actually draws every last bit of light in and reflects it throughout, creating a warm glow unmatched by electrical lighting. Imagine how a stained-glass church looks – now imagine the incandescence of an entire building arising out of glass with reams of sunlight stretching from wall to wall.

While it's unlikely the rest of us have a glass house, we can certainly learn from the design element.

Eco-Chic Draws from Bacchus-Inspired Aesthetics

2009-09-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

As the saying has it “one man’s trash is another’s treasure”. Yet with a little bit of creative thought, you can turn your trash into your treasure.

That’s exactly what has inspired a new wave of sustainability that goes beyond practicality and into decadence.

The idea of artistic living is a growing trend in eco-friendly culture, which has already witnessed a significant growth in consumer interest when it comes to modular living and organic decor. Even non-greenies are getting interested now that being green has brought with it a new level of stylish eccentricity.

And what comes more easily in this economy than an assortment of empty wine bottles after you’ve just thrown a smashing get-together? With the preference being on sourcing cheap entertaining ideas, most people now see staying at home with a good meal and great wine as a viable alternative to spending money on restaurants and clubs. If your home is the newest place to be seen, then ice maker machines are indispensable for cocktails while compact wine refrigerators are an inexpensive alternative to costly built-in wine cellars.

Wine Bottle Ideas:

There are a number of ways to reuse wine bottles. Among the more common ideas are reusing them as water pitchers, votive vases, torches, and flower bed liners. However, there are dozens of other smart options that are rarely explored.

Rewined Recycled Glassware – Get uniquely hued wine bottle glassware made from orphaned bottles left behind at local restaurants and bars.

Water Feeders – On a very hot day or when you’re away, fill the bottles of water and stick them into the pot or soil near your plant. The water will slowly percolate from the bottle and into the soil.

Wine Bottle Chandeliers – In addition to the popular row lighting and pendant lighting, Pottery Barn put together an interesting chandelier with wine bottles strung around it. Even though four dozen other people will likely have the same statement piece, at least you know it’s a unique sustainable element in your home. Plus it catches the light beautifully during the day and especially at sunset.

Wine Bottle Cheese Boards – What could be quainter than using a cheese board made out of wine at you next cocktail. Apparently that’s exactly what Vineyard Designs thought when they started offering their custom recycled wine glass boards.

Wine Bottle Building Blocks

Rather than just one element, your entire home can serve as a creatively designed showcase - a testimony of your creativity and commitment to sustainability.

Wine bottles can be used to create an interesting mosaic-styled wall piece. The most gorgeous of these displays is just outside of Montreal at a place called Bottle Houses, Prince Edward Island. PEI is known for its lush landscapes and pastoral living, which makes the wine bottle homes stand out that much more, offering a mixture of ingenious modern design paired with an idyllic setting; and the combination works brilliantly.

This theme of bottle wall art has been running strong from coast to coast. Javier's, an upscale restaurant in Crystal Cove, features bottle-inspired wall art as a key feature in their eclectic setting.

Using wine bottles as building blocks shows creativity and ingenuity that can be carried to stylishly eccentric levels when used in restaurants. Morimoto’s Japanese Restaurant has an entire wall created out of bottle. The result is a dazzling creation that has the potential to launch a restaurant.

An alternative design is found at the Boa Steakhouse in Hollywood, where rows of bottles are lined along a clear wall.

Wine bottles go beyond just building blocks and have become integral parts of a building’s thermal dynamics, providing a unit that’s not only appealing to the eye, but also meets our duty to our environment.

But if you’re not a wine drinker, you can ask local pubs and restaurants for their bottles, who will be more than happy to give you their rubbish to turn into your own treasures. The same ideas can also be achieved with beer, liquor, Pellegrino or other glass water bottles.