It’s getting harder and harder to pick out a good green coffee. There are lots of coffee labels just aching to confuse you – it’s worse than trying to find ec0-friendly wine! However, if you break down the terms used for green coffee, it’ll make your selection easier. Good thing too for us coffee addicts (read me).

Roasted – this is a term you can safely ignore. ALL coffee is roasted what differs is the amount of roasting time and the level of heat used to roast. Roasting, unless a company is boasting that they use some sort of renewable energy …read more

After the holidays you’re bound to have some extra wrapping paper on your hands. No need to toss it though. Gift wrap can be recycled in many ways.

First things first:
First grab a big box and have it at the ready Christmas morning. You can toss wrap into the box as you open gifts – it’s also smart to have two smaller boxes for filler items like shredded paper or packing popcorn and another for reusable gift tags and bows.If you’re prepared it makes it easier to recycle as you go.
How to recycle your wrap:

Sort and save – sort out usable …read more

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) recently tested about 250 toys and children’s accessories from local Bay Area and San Diego retailers, including Target, WalMart, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Sears, Walgreens and other stores this fall and then had said toys tested for lead (pdf). Although lead has been banned from toys here in the US, seven of the toys were found to contain high levels of lead including a seemingly innocent, Mattel Barbie bicycle accessory set and a Disney “Tinker Bell” necklace set.

While the bike accessories and necklace contained the most lead, the CHE also found levels of lead …read more

In the last post we looked at how to start planning your eco-friendly wine & cheese party, including how to choose the cheese, wine, and other edibles. Now we’re going to tackle serving and set up, plus some bonus tips all meant to keep your wine & cheese party super green.

THE PARTY GOODS:
I hope I don’t have to say this, but make sure to use real dishes; like some cute little glass plates and real cloth napkins, not paper goods. There are also plenty of serving options available that will make your party an eco-friendly one. Above are some super …read more

I actually hate, with a big old capital H cheese. All my friends and family LOVE cheese, but if it were up to me everyone would throw beer and chocolate parties. However, if your taste buds run more sophisticated than candy you may be considering a cheese and wine get-together this holiday season. With that in mind I can’t let you thrown an un-eco party, so here’s how to keep it green. We’ll start with a look at the food choices then move on to presentation plus some other handy tips.

THE CHEESE:
Cheese that’s organic is a must. Dairy products contain …read more

There are a million eco-friendly websites around, but some of the best focus on issues that directly affect your health, your family’s health, and of course your pals. To stay up on the latest and greenest news that directly affects how you live visit the following four sites; bookmark them, and visit often.

Skin Deep – allows you to find out what’s really in those beauty and body care products you use daily. I use this website all the time. It’s one of my top three picks. This site makes it easy to compare products and find the safest beauty and …read more

We recently looked at some eco-friendly stocking stuffer options, but most stockings aren’t complete without some yummy treats as well. When stuffing an eco-friendly stocking look for treats and sweets with minimal packaging (although this is hard with smaller treats) and organic or at least natural ingredients. Avoid treats containing stuff you can’t pronounce; that’s a good sign the treat is full of icky chemicals.
Some options…

100% USDA Certified Organic Maple Candy – in fact this candy ONLY contains organic maple syrup.
Natural Popcorn Balls – contains just popcorn, salt, sunflower oil, sugar, vinegar, and lecithin (soy).
Lavender Caramel – great for an …read more

In yet another reason to ban BPA from your home, The Washington Post released info about a new study last week that claims bisphenol A (BPA) may be behind certain, um male issues such as erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, is interesting since up until now, all reproductive / BPA studies have been conducted with mice or rats. This new research actually involved human males. BPA is a toxic issue and one that’s hard to beat. It’s found commonly in thousands of consumer products from dishes to baby bottles to canned foods …read more

South Park’s brash and somewhat over the top humor is not for everyone, but love em or hate em, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have one major likable trait that everyone can appreciate – they’re tree huggers. I know right?

Parker and Stone recently built an environmentally friendly mansion in western Colorado (Steamboat Springs). The $5 million home has eco-friendly features such as ceilings made of Douglas fir timbers salvaged from a rail trestle that once spanned Great Salt Lake, recycled carpet, in-floor radiant heating, and of course nature.
This pricey vacation getaway is going to be featured in …read more

When it comes to Christmas Stockings, it’s tempting to stray from your eco-friendly mindset. There are lots of fun looking plastic toys out there that can be had for cheap. However, plastic toys aren’t the best in terms of quality of safety. You can find eco-friendly stocking stuffers for less. It’s not necessary to give up your first born just to stay green. Following are a bunch of stocking stuffers for $10 or less that not only are eco-friendly, but your little one will LOVE these small gifts…
Peggy over at Tree Hugging Family has some good green stocking stuffer up, …read more