EarthMoment

Yes, Thanksgiving can be a stressful time, and anyway to make it easier on yourself and those around you is beneficial.  But don’t throw your green morals out the window in your hunt for less stress.  Here are some simple ways to keep it green.  Stop by your local farmer’s market for organic produce.  For table accents, look in your yard or garden.  Spice up the aesthetics of your table with herbs and flowers from right outside your home. Don’t forget the wine, organic wine! Make sure to recycle all the aluminum cans and plastic bottles, add your unwanted leftovers to your compost pile. Lastly when cleaning up the mess don’t spread chemicals in your home, use non-toxic cleaners. 

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Here are some helpful tips for buying green cleaning supplies,

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/buying-guides/green-cleaning-supplies.html

Bring it

Need help picking out a good organic wine?

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/organic-wine.html

Not so guilty pleasure

Visit Organic Boutique for an attractive floral arrangement to add to the table.

http://www.earthmoment.com/overview/1566 

It’s NBC’s green week and they’ve got their NBC TODAY cast spread throughout the world.  The theme of the show this week is “Ends of the Earth” and they’ve already touched on green energy, preserving wildlife and water resources.  Poor Ann Curry has had the most difficult assignment this week, scaling Mount Kilimanjaro.  While Curry was suffering from fatigue and altitude sickness; Meredith Viera was in Sydney, Australia; Matt Lauer in Belize, and Al Roker in Iceland.  Curry has been climbing for a week now to showcase glacial shrinking.  The camera crew has caught images of areas that use to be glacial now just sprinkled with snow. I’d suggest checking out the show this week it’s pretty interesting.

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Check out the TODAY show’s site,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

Not so guilty pleasure

Learn more about the volcano that Ann Curry has been scaling.

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/23641620/Kilimanjaro-The-Great-White-Mountain-of-Africa

Ah the dramatics of the theater.  But these days’ thespians are focusing their passion for the arts on making their venues better for the environment.  The Green Theater Initiative has already taken on the theaters in London and is now moved on to Broadway.  The Green Theater Intiative “aims to both inspire theaters around the world to adopt more environmentally friendly policies, and to lessen their impact and increase sustainability.”

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Green Theater Initiatives recently launched their site that contains information and a bi-weekly newsletter to help educate its audience about creating a more sustainable lifestyle.

http://greentheaters.org/

Bring it

The site has a database of sources where theaters can find funding and tax breaks for adopting green initiatives. 

http://greentheaters.org/?cat=4

Not so guilty pleasure

This book explains the structure of theaters, after reading this you’ll have the basis understanding of theaters and you can learn just what components can be switched to sustainable means.

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/26508730/Theaters  

I just moved into a new place and treated myself to a new mattress.  After the shock of how expensive they are, I started to do some serious shopping around before giving away my leg and arm for a place to sleep. Here is what I learned in my search.  First mattresses wrapped in untreated wool are the best because they are naturally fire and dust-mite resistant.  Wool also breathes well so you won’t get too hot and wake up angry and clammy.  For the inside of the mattress, make sure you find one that uses natural latex (it’s tapped from rubber trees) and not the petroleum-based polyurethane.  Lastly, I was lucky enough to find a mattress that was constructed in the state where I live (less than an hour away from I live) so the distance it traveled from the warehouse factory to me was short and left a minimal carbon footprint. I suggest you all invest in a mattress you love because I’ve sleep like a baby since I got mine!

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Forget about counting sheep, you need the perfect mattress to fall asleep. The perfect mattress really does make a difference, I may even go as far as to say that it could be life-altering.  If you aren’t comfortable at night, then you aren’t sleeping well and you’re going through life exhausted.  But it is a big investment so make sure you do research and look for sales!

Not so guilty pleasure

Start your mattress search here!

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/16634177/DaVinci-Euro-Top-Mattress-Queen

Happy Halloween!!  Now before you go and cover yourself or your child in makeup from those Halloween makeup kits, think about what’s really in that stuff.  For instance many contain hormone-disrupting paraben preservatives and phthalates. Instead of taking the risk, try an alternative and just buy some natural makeup in the adult makeup section of your store.  Not only will you feel better about using it but also you can use the leftovers for your everyday makeup wear.  Speaking of reusing, for the costume head to your local thrift store, consignment store, Army or Navy surplus store.  Or if you’re like me and are scrounging at the last minute to find some costume in your closet, then use your creative edge and create something from nothing! Good luck and Happy Halloween!!!

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Go to any local drugstore and you’ll find Physicians Formula Organic Wear makeup. Or try mineral makeup, or Dr. Hauschaka or Burt Bee’s makeup!

Bring it

Need some ideas for your homemade costume?  This site is sure to help,

http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm

Not so guilty pleasure

Here’s some plant-based lipstick made from vegetable waxes, vitamin E and mineral pigments.  The color is made from iron oxides, making it FD & C dye free and petroleum-free.

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/332350/FlowerColor-Lipstick-Napa-Grape-Frost-0.1-oz

Thanks to Oregonian advocates, bike commuters are “eligible to receive $20 per month in tax-free reimbursements from their employer” as of January 1st.  A law was added last minute into the $700 billion bail out plan that now along with public transit riders, bike commuters will benefit slightly from the bail out plan.

GET INTO IT        

Not so guilty pleasure

Above is just more incentive to join the ever-increasing bike commuter population.  But don’t forget to be safe and wear your helmet!

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/26721496/HELMETS-R-US-HEL08SBLACK-YOUTH-BIKE-HELMET-BLACK-SMALL

Would you consider yourself artistic?  And you have a passion for environmentalism?  If yes then I’ve got a couple of options for you to combine the two with an opportunity for you to showcase your skills.  There are three contests with deadlines approaching fast. One is for filmmakers to make a video that shows “your activities and why you think it’s important to take care of rivers,” deadline is Halloween but you could win a Prius!  The second is for photographers to take a photo that shows “what fair financing and being a fair trade consumer means to you,” deadline is also Halloween, winner gets a chance to visit one of Olkocredit’s fair trade project partners.  Lastly, for those beat-making DJ’s you have a chance to win $400 bucks and be linked to a documentary if you remix bluesman Joe L. Carter’s song “Mr. Waterman,” deadline Dec. 16.  Get down with your planet-loving artsy-fartsy self!

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Filmmakers enter here, http://tomsofmaine.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/tomsofmaine.cfg/php/enduser/doc_serve.php?2=riverstories

Photographers enter here, http://www.oikocredit.org/fairtrade/en/doc.phtml?p=fairtrade_photo_competition_en

DJ’s enter here, http://www.waterfrontmovie.com/

Not so guilty pleasure

Here’s a bag that will work for all three art categories above, it has separate compartments for your camera, lenses and accessories and a spot that fits a 15 inch laptop.

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/21880976/CASE-LOGIC-SLRC-4-SLR-CAMERA-and-LAPTOP-BACKPACK

As we all know the economy isn’t looking so hot lately.  Unemployment is rising and many people are having a hard time finding a job while others are worried about losing their job. It’s the time to scrounge up as much extra cash as possible.  So here are a couple of options below that will add a little dough in the wallet but they are also good for the environment.  Yes, Recycling = Some moneys for you. No need to add guilt on top of the stress many American’s are under these days. 

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Don’t trash your old cell phone, recycle it.  Find which model your old phone is, submit your info and send off your useless mobile and wait for the cash to be mailed to you!

http://www.cellforcash.com/

Bring it

Here’s another site that allows you to ship in your old electronics to be refurbished.  Once your device is fixed or recycled, you get cash!

http://www.gazelle.com/

Not so guilty pleasure

Get rid of that DVD player you can’t fix by sending it off to get refurbished and with your extra cash you got from it, buy a new one!

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/11059857/Philips-DVP5140-DVD-player

Listen to ZZ Top; you’ve got legs, use ‘em!  Sure biking is great, but walking from place to place is totally underrated, thanks to Google Maps’ new walking directions feature you can utilize those gams more often.  Just type in your destination location like usual, then use the drop down menu to the left and instead of selecting ‘by car’ or ‘by public transit’ select ‘walking.’  Easy as pie, it’s picking out which shoes to wear for this trek that’s the hard part.

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Get to walkin’!

http://maps.google.com/maps

Not so guilty pleasure

Momma needs a new pair of shoes, decent walking shoes that is.

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/18478357/Spring-Boost-Womens-B-Walk-Walking-Shoes 

Challenge yourself this October and join the Eat Local Challenge.  For 30 days straight, (yes I know there are 31 days in October but the challenge only specifies 30 days) commit to eating only locally grown foods. The challenge declares “local” food as traditionally a 150-mile distance from your home but it says you can decide for yourself if you want to change the distance to food grown in your county, state or region.  Even if you already make an effort to support locally grown food don’t look past this idea, it’s still a challenge to eat only locally grown food for an entire month straight.  Testing yourself is the best kind of competition, either way your always happy for the winner right? 

GET INTO IT        

Why not?

Sign up today to challenge yourself and support locally grown foods, it’s a win-win!

http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/sign-up-page-october-2008.html

Bring it

Here’s a little incentive, 10 reason to Eat Local Food,

http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/10_reasons_to_e.html

Not so guilty pleasure

Grow some of your own herbs in these little pots,

http://www.earthmoment.com/product/21913183/BLOOM-BABY-BLOOM-POTS