Eco-friendly Swimming

By Melinda Toussaint

Swimsuit season is upon us therefore we are presented with another opportunity to bring green into our lives. Here are some top designers who have produced eco-friendly swim lines for us to support the environment with.

1. Aaron Chang International- Aaron has been a leader in the green industry created swimsuits from polyester yarn he made from recycled soda bottles. To see his collection visit www.aaronchang.com or www.faeriesdance.com.

2. Anna Cohen- Anna’s vision for her collection has always been to create products using sustainable resources through globally responsible business practices and she would like to inspire the fashion industry to do so as well. She created a swimsuit line using mill-end fabrics (fabrics at the end of their life cycle) as well as organic cotton and bamboo. Visit www.annacohen.com or www.btcelements.com for more.

3. Jungle Gurl- Jungle Gurl has made a name for itself with celebrities like Nicole Richie by making a swimsuit line from vintage fabrics around the world. With a variety of colors and sizes that range from 0-22 Jungle Gurl is setting the pace. It is however a little pricey, with suits that start just above $200. Visit www.junglegurl.com for a look at the entire collection.

4. Kelly B- Kelly is making suits from bamboo and organic cotton that is grown, processed, and produced without using pesticides or other harsh chemicals. For around $100 you can get a beautifully and responsibly made suit. Visit www.kellybcouture.com or www.faeriesdance.com.

5. Meadow- This line is made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and soy and comes with a variety of designs. Priced reasonably around $100 as well you can view them at www.bymeadow.com or www.shopmodify.com.

6. Niksters- My personal favorite collection is made from soy and organic cotton as well as bamboo. They also donate a portion of their proceeds to worthwhile causes like saving the sea turtles. Niksters is also a little pricey with bikinis and monokinis starting around $100 to $130. Visit www.niksters.com for more information.

7. REI- Another great line of eco-friendly swimwear that is made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, or post-recycled materials. Not all of REI’s clothing will be but if it is made from those materials it will sport a tag saying it is “Eco-Sensitive” to let consumers know. For suits under $100 visit www.rei.com.

Swimsuit season has been kicked off in full force so make sure you are taking all the necessary steps to think green while you are diving into the blue. Everything from suits, to towels, to beach totes, to cover-ups can be more eco-friendly so take the steps to make them so. Now is a great time to be thinking about the environment while you and your friends are enjoying it.

Green is your style

By Melinda Toussaint

Spring is a time for change, both internal and external. Spring is the time that a lot of people want to change the look of their home or just a specific room. Below is a list of 10 categories of design that can be taken to a green level. These are just a few examples for you to build from.

1. Bedding and Bath- there are many companies that provide organic linens. Two of them are Natura. Natura provides pillows, bedding, and mattresses that are filled with wool and covered with organic fabrics. They aim to provide better sleep and organic fabrics help because they more pure. People with allergies or sensitivities tend to benefit from organic fabrics because they are more pure.

Also, bamboo products are beneficial as well. Bamboo is a sustainable and eco-friendly product that is anti-bacterial and deodorizing. The fiber structure is also four times more absorbent than cotton. These qualities are great for buying towels, shower curtains, bedding, and bathrobes.
Visit www.naturaworld.com and www.bambooandorganiclinens.com

2. Fabrics: Mod Green Pod is a great alternative to fabric. They produce 100% percent organic canvas. The fabric is grown, woven, and printed in the U.S. and uses non-toxic pigments. Visit www.modgreenpod.com to order or just get an idea of what organic fabrics offer.

3. Lighting: One designer that provides an inspirational, creative alternative to lighting is Jerry Kott. He hand makes lighting out of recycled wine bottles. Color Block Hanging Lights by Jerry Kott uses recycled wine bottles that are cut and reassembled to produce lighting art. Visit www.jerrykott.com to discover them.

4. Rugs: There are many options to green flooring. Angela Adams provides wool rugs at an affordable price or go to FLOR for carpet tiles that allows you to decide color, pattern, and size. With carpet tiles from FLOR you can pick up one tile to deep clean or dispose of. Also, when the tiles have reached the end of the life cycle return them to FLOR to reuse or recycle them properly. Visit www.angelaadams.com and www.flor.com for more ideas.

5. Furniture: Around this time outdoor furniture at an affordable price is what everybody wants. World Market provides that with their Kona Collection made from plantation-grown, fast-growing Acacia wood. The collection includes a dining table, dining chairs, side chairs, a coffee table, a side table, a lounger, an occasional chair, and even barstools. All of the pieces are sold individually for you to mix and max your perfect look. Visit www.worldmarket.com for pricing and pictures.

6. Candles: BsaB Candles provide the perfect green alternative for smell. They are made from 100% natural beeswax or soy wax with 100% cotton wicks. Their beeswax bamboo pillars are refillable with their soy wax refillable kits. They are also packaged with plant materials and made with fragrances from essential oils. Check out www.BsaBcandles.com for more.

7. Art: Art is a tricking situation but the following two designers create some great looks. Alexander Girard makes ply prints out of hand-screened prints made in the U.S. from sustainable harvested plywood. He reduces waste by using wood that could not be sold due to imperfections in the wood.
Dolan Geiman also used green solutions by making eclectic art from salvaged wood and found objects. He puts them together and uses recycled paint from Chicago Paint Exchanged Program. Check out www.maximodesign.com for Alexander Girard’s designs as well as www.dolangeiman.com for his.

With all of these designers and tips is gives you the opportunity to think outside the box for green home décor ideas. All of these ideas are inspirational to bring green into your home no matter what room you trying to redesign for Spring. Visit www.greenhomedecor.com for tips on every area of design like storage, windows, pillows, and more. Remember how to make every facet of your design more eco-friendly. Reuse, recycle, rethink, and reupholster everything you already own to reduce your consumption on new items to redesign your home with.

Earth Day 2009

By Melinda Toussaint

With Earth Day coming up in less than a week many organizations are jumping on the band wagon, hosting events, gathering volunteers, etc; but no other organization is doing it as globally at the Earth Day Network. The Earth Day Network and their Green Generation Campaign are attempting to take Earth Day to the next level.
Held on April 22nd, Earth Day has been important to citizens since 1970 when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson put together a nationwide grassroots demonstration on the environment. Since then organizations have dedicated themselves to protecting the Earth and producing education for others to do the same. The demonstration was meant to thrust our environment into the national agenda and for 39 years it has thrived. But now the Earth Day Network is responsible for another major environmental step for our nation.
Starting this year, the Earth Day Network has introduced us to a two year initiative that launches the Green Generation Campaign. Green Generation Campaign comprises their efforts to educate, protect, and conserve the Earth. The campaigns core principles are as follows:
- Carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuel, such as coal.
- An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption
- Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.
Thus, the Earth Day Network is holding a celebration in conjunction with Green Apple Festival. America’s largest Earth Day celebration will be held April 17th-19th of 2009. In which time, volunteers from all across the globe can log on and sign up to help in the following locations: New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco

During the Green Generation Campaign launch, the Earth Day Network will be introducing a worldwide education and media campaign to mark this new beginning. With many major sponsors like Timberland, FedEx, Planet Green, TreeHugger, USA Today, and more this event looks like it will be a success.
To read more about the Green Generation Campaign or to volunteer in your area log on to: http://ww2.earthday.net/.
To show your support for the Green Generation Campaign you can even sign their petition dedicated to show the government we need help getting out of our environmental crisis. Visit: www.earthday.net/greengeneration.
Even if you can’t participate on this large of a scale to show your support for Earth Day, come April 22nd, 2009 grab some friends and enjoy the day outside. Plant trees, work in your garden, help pick up trash and recycle. Whatever you do, remember to honor our planet like it deserves.

Deep Green Living

By Melinda Toussaint

There are many ways you can start to green your home. For many the process of greening your living space can be very overwhelming. Where to start? What to do? What makes the biggest impact? What am I doing wrong? Well now there’s a company to help you get started or help you through the entire process. This company is called Deep Green Living.

Deep Green Living is a company started by a woman name Susan Short. She recognized a need to provide a support network to homeowners seeking to match their environmental values with their everyday practices. According to their homepage, “Deep Green Living helps clients create healthier lives which reflect personal values and global ideals of ecological responsibility.”
In essence they perform three major duties:

1) Come to your home and analyze everything
- Utility bills
- Products under the sink
- Appliances

2) Identify green opportunities
- Explain your right decisions and areas for improvement
- Implement immediate changes
- Answer questions

3) Set up appointments with a network of service providers
Help make green changes in your home

Log on to their website, www.deepgreenliving.com, and you will see they have a variety of programs offered to green your home living areas as well as your business areas. For example, here are a couple available programs related to your home:

1) Deep Green Living Launch- provides a general overview of energy use and water practices. They will look at light bulbs, power strips, energy efficiency, junk mail reduction, recycling, and composting. All of your basic green details that can be changed pretty quickly.

2) Home Purity- provides education about harmful toxins that occupy your living space, your air, and your water. It provides an overall guide to eliminating those harmful toxins from your home.

3) Energy Efficiency- an overview of where in your home do you emit the most harmful CO2 emissions and how to eliminate them.

4) Deep Green Living Signature- provides a complete package of the above three: Deep Green Living Launch, Home Purity, and Energy Efficiency.

These are just four of the nine programs they offer. Deep Green Living even offers specific programs for the individual like Baby Well-Being, Cocktail Presentation, and/or Green Office. Visit the website for more information regarding this great company. You can even write to them asking what a service like this would cost and if they are able to visit your area. Deep Green Living is changing the world… one living space at a time.
www.deepgreenliving.com