Taking a holiday break

Happy Holidays everyone! Going to sign off and enjoy my family for a few days.

Compostable toothbrushes?

I bet you never really thought about it, what happens to your toothbrush after you toss it in the trash. Well, thats where it stays-except in the huge landfill we all know is so bad. The thing is, landfills have a lesser known evil too; all the things we toss away, even paper products lke newspapers, NEVER decompose in a landfill because there is so much stuff, no oxygen can get to it! So, in an effort to have one less item I toss in the trash without much thought, I have found toothbrushes that can be composted when I am finished with them.
http://www.environmentaltoothbrush.com/
or if you can go to Trager Joe's and get one that at least is made from recycled material AND can be sent back to have a third life as well.

The down side to wrapping paper

Check the link below for information on wrapping paper this season-try and buy paper made from recycled paper since once used, it can rarely be recycled!
http://earth911.com/recycling/paper/wrapping-paper/facts-about-recycling-wrapping-paper/

plastic recycle codes

Ever wonder if one of your empty plastic containers can be recycled or not? Flip it over and you will see a number inside of that recycle triangle we are all famaliar with. There will be a 1 through 7 printed there. Each number means something specific but for the short version of it:
1 means yes, you can toss it in the recycle bin
2 means yes
3 means no
4 means no
5 means yes
6 means yes
7 means no
For more detailes visit the following website:
http://thegogreenblog.com/a-guide-to-recycling-codes-on-plastic-containers/

Featured green vendor of the week....

I had the pleaseure of having tea with Jill, the owner of a beautiful antique shop in Danville the other day. Her shop, Sweet Magnolia is filled with the most amazing and well thought out selections of European home furnishings and decor mostly from the last two and a half centureies. While browsing through the store, I learned that she and her husband restore most of the items themselves! Re-wiring unique light fixtures, sanding and re-finishing the furnishings, and even doing some of the upholstry. There are so many delightful surprises that I would say that one should take a trip to this shop and see for themselves. I especially liked the custom artwork that was made from found objects and re-purposed into one of a kind pieces.
As her business has grown over the past six years, so has her selection of green products. Of course, antiquies by nature are green as they are re-purposed, re-vived and re-used items. But what I mean is the little accessories like candles and such. She also carries a line of furniture that promises to plant a tree for every item of furniture you buy from them-what a grand idea!
So, go check her shop out and tell her I said hello
http://www.sweetmagnolia.com/
Sweet Magnolia
404 Hartz Ave
Danville, CA 94526
925.855.9845 Jill Cox
Here are some photos to inspire a visit:

Re-upholstered vintage mid-century sofa-wow!

I found this sofa at Antique and Modern shoved off in a corner and looking rather sad. My client was just about to make a purchase of a brand new sofa when I talked her into giving this one a second life. We found a stunning flannel grey fabric and .....well look for yourself!

Pantone 2011 color of the year......

I love it!
http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?ca=4&pg=20821

Use no VOC paints

A quick fix for sprucing up your home is to paint-but did you know that there are dozens of very toxic chemicles in regualr home paints? I know they took out the lead decades ago, but there is still plenty in there to knock a girl out!
Enter low or no VOC pants. When you use these paints, it will smell like wet clay while you paint, NOT a bio-tech firm! Any color you would get in standard paint, you can get in one of the earth friendly versions-and almost EVERY paint company has their own line of eco-friendly paints.
Paint in the morning, sleep in that room that very night with not a hint of smell-now that is good on so many levels!

Can't afford to always buy organic? A helpful guide to what to "skimp" on

Buying organic is expensive! We all know we should, we all want to. We understand all the reasons why; it is better for our health, for the health of the planet and the health of the farmers and their workers. The problem is, in these tough economic times, organic is not always in the budget. In response to this, I have put together a list of the "Dirty Dozen" as well as the 12 least contaminated fruits and vegetables so that when you REALLY can't make the organic choice, you can know what you are buying and how to lower your exposure to pesticides.
"Dirty Dozen"
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Imported grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potaotes

12 Least Contaminated:
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (frozen)
Pineapples
Mangos
Asperagus
Sweet Peas (frozen)
Kiwis
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
I hope this list is helpful to you when making your shopping choices at the grocery store!

Featured Green Vendor of the week......

While pursuing a greener life and business, I have come accross many wonderful "green" home decor businesses that I thought I would share with you in a weekly "Green Vendor of the Week" segment of my blog.
The first one is called re4m and it is a gem of a place. Lisa Tana, the owner of the store has made it her mission to find products that are either re-claimed, re-sourced, or re-invented. The products range from home decor, children's toys, jewelry and handbags, and seasonal decoration....the re-purposed Christmas ornaments are amazing!
Re4m's missions statement says it all:
"We believe that sustainable living means more than just conserving and preserving the world's resources. It's also about re-examining how our resources are utilized and and who reaps the benifits. By promoting the use of reclaimed, organic and sustainably sourced materials, as well as supporting fair trade practices around the world, we hope to be a part of a growing consciousness about waste and inequality."
I have included a few photos of what they have to offer in order to inspire you to visit this beautiful shop.
They are located at:
2054 Mountain Blvd on Oakland
510.339.re4m (7346)
http://www.re4mreform.com/

www.thredup.com totally cool kid's product swap site!

I don't know about you all, but I  LOVE kids clothes! It is so fun to get cute outfits for my little three year old. The problem is, they grow out of them so fast and now you have more "stuff" to deal with. Plus, I never feel great about buying new, just more product out there in the world to be dealt with......enter SWAPPING! There are lots of sites out there, but one that is really great is http://www.thredup.com/ I was recently introduced to it-free boxes are provided and there is so much great stuff to get your kids for a fraction of the cost and even less impact on the environment since it is not new. The best of both worlds, huh?
Enjoy

Energy saving holiday lights

I saw these on Susnet's web page and thought it is not only a great idea-but beautiful. Looks easy enough to make the light balls for a tree or even in other colors for different holidays. I think I am going to make some for Valentine's day in pink, silver and red! Check it out at
http://www.sunset.com/home/natural-home/energy-saving-christmas-lights-00400000061671/

Ants!!

I don't know about you, but our house seems to be the central meeting place for ants this winter! Perhaps it is all that early cold weather that drove them in. Whatever the cause, there is a safe and eco-friendly way to get rif of them....dish soap and water mixed together in a spray bottle. Simply spray it on the line of intruders and watch them dissapear. It really works!
Have a good day

Free water saving devices for EB MUD customers

Did you know that the average American uses 400 gallons of water per day?! Somethings are hard to avoid, I don't know about you but I want a shower every day. But there are free ways that will not impact your life that can save hundreds of gallons of water each day. EB MUD offers free low flow shower and sink faucet heads, free water bags for your toilets to make them low flow and free adjustable sprayers for your lawn hose! Just go to http://www.ebmud.com/for-customers/residential-customers/conservation-incentives/free-conservation-devices and follow their instructions.
Have a great day!

Green living tip

So we all are well aware of the reusable grocery bags and are usually good about remembering to bring them to the store with us. But what about those plastic produce bags? Those can't even really be re-used at home like the large paper or even the large plactic bags can. I have the perfect solution......mesh reusable bags!  I got a pack of six for $6.99 at Whole Foods about 10 months ago and am still using them every week! I toss them in the wash when they need to get cleaned-easy as can be.
You can also go to their website and get some that way if you don't find yourself at Whole Foods ever
http://www.washableproducebags.com/ get some today and take one more step towards a greener life!

3form goes green!

This product is truely amazing! It can be used in so many ways: as a room divider, to cover a window with a terrible view, on a table top, for a backsplash... this list goes on. Check out this incredible product at
http://www.3-form.com/materials-varia_ecoresin-remix.php
have a great day!

Bringing new life to old chairs

I found these vintage original 1957 Saarinen Executive dining chairs several months back and decided to "rescue" them from a client's garage. They were just delivered with new seat cushions and a beautufil new eco-friendly fabric by Duralee. Now they are simply amazing! What do you think?