Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Simple Ways to a Green 2008 Holiday

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 12/21/08

Every year there are things we do to minimize the consumptive haze. This year, with the economy being what it is and people mowing each other down at Wal-Mart, many are choosing alternatives to corporate Christmas debris. Here are some of the tips that help my family to slow down, enjoy each other and breathe.

1. Get Outside: This is always the number one answer for us. When cabin fever settles in or the air is getting stale, we head for the wild. Today we took our screaming toddlers for a cross-country ski. The gray sky broke as the sun set behind snow-covered trees. My son, who only has a few words (mama, dada, eat, lulu doggie) said “Weeeeeeee” as my husband glided on the snow. Moments like this make it worthwhile.

2. Avoid wasting energy with lights, inflatable snowmen and massive automated plastic snowglobes (these strange spheres that send styrofoam snow in circles are perhaps one of the signs of the capitalistic Apocalypse?)

3. Make stuff: This year I made my tahini, garlic, lemon dressing for friends. My hubby makes a mean roasted butternut squash soup with garlic, ginger and cinnamon and we put it in mason jars with a bow. I have friends who knit, make homemade lip balm, and create art to share with loved ones.

4. If you use Christmas trees, there are several sustainable options. One choice is to use a potted tree. If you don’t want to keep it after the holiday, you can find a planter who will take the tree. Here is a great resource page on how to manage live trees. Some municipalities collect trees for mulching. Use Earth 911 to find your local waste management. Fresh Christmas Tree is a great place to find sustainably harvested trees, but by this time of year they are usually sold out. They might be able to refer you to local farms that are growing trees responsibly.

5. Recycle Wrapping: instead of spending money on wrapping I actually save old wrapping and ribbons. Gift bags get used multiple times in our house. Re-gifting is also a really good way to avoid wasteful spending.

6. Donate to a cause: For those who don’t need ‘stuff,’ giving to local charities is a great way to give a gift with meaning.

7. Give an experience: Yoga classes, massage, theater tickets, or an afternoon of hiking…

Here is an excellent resource for other environmentally conscious holiday ideas. Mahalo!
Wishing everyone warmth for the season.

bags, charities, Christmas, dress, Energy, farm, farms, giving, Hiking, holiday, Home, homemade, local, mom, Outdoors, plastic, recycle, soup, sustainable, Tea, trees, waste, yoga

Coats for Cubs: Give Your Furs Back to the Animals!

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by Stephanie Rogers · 11/13/08

So, you’ve got some furs in your possession, and you’re not feeling great about it. Maybe they’re from back before you became aware of just how awful the fur industry really is, or maybe they’re hand-me-downs. Regardless, if you’ve got some furs you’d like to get rid of, now’s your chance! The Humane Society and recycled clothing company Buffalo Exchange are working together on a fur drive that will use those furs as comforting bedding for wildlife.

The Humane Society explains:

Our staff spends hours each week packing and labeling boxes of fur for shipping—not to fur shops, but to wildlife rehabilitators who use it as bedding for orphaned and injured wildlife such as raccoons, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, and even bobcats. Wildlife rehabilitators say the fur reduces stress in their animal patients, perhaps reminding them of the comfort of snuggling up to their mothers.

In one case, the fur from Coats for Cubs made the difference between life and death. Lynne Slater, a rehabilitator in Arkansas, received a week-old bobcat whose mother had been killed by a car. Slater tried removing the bobcat kitten from the bed at feeding time several times, but the kitten simply would not suckle a baby bottle. Then inspiration struck, and she cut a hole in a Coats for Cubs fur, stuck the baby bottle nipple through the hole, and voila, the kitten drank hungrily. This technique worked until weaning time. Slater said, “Without the Coats for Cubs program, we wouldn’t have been able to help this bobcat kitten survive. Thanks so much.”

Since the furs are going to the Humane Society, it doesn’t matter what condition they’re in. So bring your real fur apparel – including trims, accessories and shearling – to your closest Buffalo Exchange store anytime between November 15th and Earth Day.

If you don’t have a nearby Buffalo Exchange, pack up your furs and send them to the following address. Include your full name and address if you’d like to claim it as a tax deduction.

The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L. St. NW
Washington, DC 20037
attn: Coats for Cubs

This is really a great way to turn a terrible, cruel product into hope for animals in need.  If you know anyone who owns fur and isn’t aware of just how bad the industry is, send them to the Humane Society of the United States Fur-Free campaign website to learn more and ask them to donate their fur items to this very good cause.

Animals, charities

Bush Strikes (Animals) Again!

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by Starre Vartan · 09/03/08

How much damage can Bush do before he leaves office? Lots, apparently. And….more new green gadgets, yay!!

Bush, charities, gadgets

Etsy's handmade goodies

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by Courtney Tenz · 05/30/07

A few weeks ago, while strolling through a farmer’s market in Amsterdam, I came upon a stall selling these purses …

I chatted with the seller for a bit and he explained the process his partner went through making these. The idea was simple, really … recycled munitions pouches from the army surplus store were made to look pretty with ’60s and ’70s era material leftover from Scandinavian home goods stores.

I bought one, he handed me his card, and lo and behold – my unique Amsterdam find is also available online at Etsy. At first, I was sad to know that I’m probably not the only one carrying a Katrina Kaye handbag. But then I checked out the Etsy shop and discovered it’s filled with handmade goodies!

Basically, Etsy’s a creative community. Artists from 84 different countries use this platform to sell all sorts of clothing and housewares and just about anything else that can be hand made, including baby clothes, bathing goodies, journals, furniture, and Ts.

In addition to all the unique creations on sale, they’ve also got a group of sellers who call themselves Etsy for Animals and donate part of their profits to various animal rescue charities. It’s all so inspiring. I think I’ve found my ideal place for serious internet shopping.

Animals, Baby, baby clothes, bags, bath, car, charities, clothes, clothing, community, Etsy, farm, farmer's market, fur, Furniture, handbags, Handmade, Home, purses, recycle, recycled, Shopping

Thoughtful Things

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by Starre Vartan · 06/02/06

ona is a Lithuanian-based home decor and online art store. Need I say their stuff is gorgeous? I don’t know about you, but I have ended up buying gifts for many a wedding/baby shower/house warming of late. And not everyone appreciates a donation to Greenpeace in lieu of a gift! 

While not everything at ona is organic, it is all made from natural materials and 3% of your purchase is donated to one of three charities (buyer picks which one) that includes The Lituanian Fund for Nature.

The owners of ona, Kristin Baird and Vaida Ulvydiene, have also launched “Give Boxes a Chance”.

ona now collects boxes from local businesses and reuses them for shipping in an effort to avoid waste and conserve the earth’s natural resources.

Since the boxes are free, the ”Give Boxes a Chance” program also yields savings on packaging expenses, which ona happily donates to the Lithuanian Fund for Nature.donates to the

Baby, business, charities, decor, Home, local, Organic, resources, reuse, spa, waste, wedding