Looking for a "Going Green" Blessing?

Yesterday, I visited a local Whole Foods and found myself inexplicably drawn to a display in the produce section. It wasn’t an impressive tower of red tomatoes or wild pile of fresh corn, it was a collection of baskets.

Orange is my favorite color and I walked right up to an orange basket. Something about its artistry spoke to me, and it had an energy I liked. Then I read its tag . . . and put it in my cart.

It’s a “Blessing Basket,” a handmade piece of utilitarian art by woman in Uganda. And the women actually sign a card that comes with the basket: Kasagga and Prossy made my basket.

Their story is as lovely as their art form.

According to their site, “The Blessing Basket Project exists to reduce poverty by providing sustainable jobs that pay prosperity wages. When you buy a Blessing Basket, you bring hope to the weaver who made the basket. Each basket sold is a life changed. Every basket is signed by the artist who made it and comes tagged with the story of their struggle. Those tags are assembled in the United States by adults with disabilities. Depending on the size and style, prices for one of these incredible works of art range from $20 - $55.”

I hope you bless your home—and the homes of your friends and family members—with a Blessing Basket.

Question of the blog: Does going green influence the way you decorate?

Want to Go Green, Get Knowledgeable, and (Sometimes) Get Mad?

The path we walk as environmentalists isn’t always easy—it has twists and turns, forks in the road, missing or misleading signs, and more than its fair share of brambles, boulders, and bugs.

But we walk on because we have to (it’s the right thing to do) and because we want to.

I enjoy sharing with you some of my favorite green finds in order to encourage you to go green in every area of your life . . . and venting every once in a while about the frustrations of being green in a black and white (and grey) world.

What I’m not able to do is get “scientific” with you; however, knowing the behind-the-scenes details is vital. And so I’d like to introduce you to another green blog, produced by the owner of Real Green Goods, that’s exceptionally enlightening: http://www.realgreengirl.blogspot.com/

I encourage you to visit this site daily, as I do, to learn about the things most of us don’t know, and probably aren’t supposed to know. As the passionate owner of a green department store, Debby does her homework, asks the questions we might not know enough to ask, and gets to the heart of the issue. Then she shares what she knows with us.

She’s my green guru, and she can/should be the same for you.

Question of the blog: Do you reach out to the government with your green concerns?

How Green (and Cool) is Your Side Table?

A side table can be a wallflower (a piece of furniture with no personality and nothing to offer expect a flat surface on which to rest objects) or it can be a rock star (a show-stopper of a piece that can stand alone—in the spotlight, of course).

Which kind of green side table do you think I’m recommending?

ReVision tables are Hall of Fame-worthy rock stars (website pictured). Available in three styles—which I’ve nicknamed cool, cooler, and coolest—these innovative, modern, and sustainably designed tables highlight reclaimed junk mail and magazines and a no-voc eco-friendly resin.

And that’s just half of the story.

ReVision is the brainchild of teen artists who apprentice at Boston’s Artists for Humanity. The mission of Artists for Humanity is to “bridge economic, racial, and social divisions by providing underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.” The teens decided to create a green furniture line, and their mentors helped make it happen.

To these rocks stars (both the teen artists and their tables) I have one thing to say: Encore!

Question of the blog: Do you have a favorite green furniture line?

Can Plants “Clean” Your House?

On Saturday morning, I watched a TiVo’d episode of “World’s Greenest Homes” on Planet Green. During the episode, host Emmanuel Belliveau introduced us to a home in Toronto with a living wall, which is basically a partition of plants. According to Belliveau, “15 to 18 good-sized plants can actually filter the air of a 1,800-square-foot house . . . purifying the air and even cooling it by several degrees.”

A biological air filter-slash-air conditioner? Yup.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air in our home is more polluted than the outdoor air in most big cities. Called indoor air pollution, this can lead to all sorts of health ailments, including allergies.

In addition to going green in your house with non-toxic flooring, window treatments, furniture, and other design elements, you should literally go green with an array of plants. A NASA-sponsored study determined plants in a closed environment actually extract pollutants from the air—the foliage removes pollutions and the roots act as carbon filters.

Apparently, different plants have different cleaning styles: English ivy battles off-gassing from petroleum-based products, spider plants tackle formaldehyde, and aloe vera works its magic against most toxic materials. Do your research to see which plants will work best in your home and in the lighting available in each room.

After watching the “living wall” episode of “World’s Greenest Homes,” I suggested to Mark that we should add to the six plants already in our house. He agreed, and so yesterday we bought seven more along with organic potting soil. We’re not up to 18 plants yet, but we’re on our way . . . and we started by concentrating the plants we have into the rooms we use the most: our bedroom, living room, and kitchen.

Now, if only “cleaning” our house meant plants would wash the dishes.

Question of the blog: Do you have any green tips for developing a green thumb?

Want an Exclusive Discount on Green Beauty Products?

Earlier this week, I blogged about my green beauty regime, and I asked you for recommendations on eco-friendly make-up . . . and you came through. [Thank you!]

Heather, from Kiss My Face, recommends the line’s 3Way Color and Tinted Moisturizers. “3Way is designed for use on cheeks, lips, and eyes for a natural, healthy looking glow,” she wrote. “Our Tinted Moisturizers give sheer coverage to even skin tone while moisturizing. Good for your skin and easy to use.”

But Heather didn’t just give advice—she also gave us a discount code for Kiss My Face. Until Aug-07-08, we’ll get 25% off our order with this Kiss My Face discount code: KMFBLOG3.

Bob Macleod, the President and Founder of Kiss My Face also wrote in, encouraging me to try other Kiss My Face products, in addition to the Kiss My Face Organics Jump Start, Exfoliating Face Wash I use every morning. Mr. Macleod, if you’re reading this, you should know that my list of green beauty products wasn’t complete.

While I use your Exfoliating Face Wash in the morning, I end the day with Kiss My Face Citrus Cleanser and, a few times a week, I follow that with Kiss My Face Scrub/Masque (this product has fragrance, so I use it sparingly). And the soap of choice in our house is Kiss My Face Moisture Soap (Fragrance Free). [I even snapped a picture of my bathroom counter as proof.]

I don’t know about you, blog readers, but I like how Kiss My Face is actively involved in online conversations about green beauty products. It shows their commitment is more than just skin deep. I, for one, look forward to trying their 3Way Color and Tinted Moisturizers.

[Question for Heather: Which colors do you recommend for blue-eyed blondes? And here’s a suggestion for Mr. Macleod: Make beauty product recommendations on your site based on skin tone, eye color, and hair color.]

Question of the blog: How much of your beauty regime has gone green?

Are You Cheering or Dissing L.A.'s Ban on Plastic Bags?

Yesterday, I read an article in USA Today about how Los Angeles is set to ban plastic bags starting in July 2010. After that date, shoppers can either bring their own cloth bags or they can pay $.25 for a paper bag or biodegradable bag.

Of course, I give two thumbs up to L.A. for taking this environmental stand. According to the article, “The city estimates more than 2 billion plastic bags are used each year in Los Angeles. About 5% of plastic bags and 21% of paper bags are recycled in California.”

As someone who not only recycles but composts (and probably accumulates enough garbage to fill one garbage bag every two weeks) I literally can’t imagine putting a plastic bag into the garbage. It’s such a mindless act! This is a we’re-all-in-it-together issue. It’s not my job to save your planet.

I realize the economy is bad and people are busy raising kids, but neither one is a legitimate excuse for not taking care of the environment. Sorry. Try again. This is a live-or-die issue—it might not come to that in our lifetime, but that’s where the human race is headed if we don’t change course. So are you too busy working hard to live? Are you too busy raising your kids to raise them with good morals, good eating habits, and a good future?

Think about it.

And here’s something else to think about: The negative comments posted to the USA Today article. People, for the most part, aren’t happy with the ban. I understand that change is scary and that being asked to be accountable when you’re used to being wasteful will be a shock to the system. I think we need to be shocked and I hope other cities are inspired by L.A.’s ban.

Question of the blog: Do you agree with or oppose L.A. ban on plastic bags?

Interested in Green Fashion?

In tonight’s eco-episode of Bravo’s Project Runway, the contestants are challenged to think and design green.

As I’ve blogged about before, I’m usually disappointed that stores either don’t carry environmentally friendly clothes or they carry only the standard crewneck t-shirts with cute designs and funny sayings (which I love, but you can't build a wardrobe around t-shirts).

When I went to New York several weeks ago, it was a breath of fresh green air to walk into stores like Organic Avenue and find myriad eco fashion options that were classic and stylish—the kind of adult-friendly clothing that doesn’t scream “GREEN” but whispers it softly.

I can’t wait to see what the Project Runway contestants come up with . . . and I hope I don’t see any cute, funny t-shirts!

Question of the blog: What is your favorite on-line eco fashion retailer?