Phish Reduces Water Bottle Consumption at Festival 8 With Innovative Program

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Nick Chambers .

A crowd of 40,000 surrounds the stage at Phish Festival 8, Indio, California (Photo: Nick Chambers)

If you’ve ever stuck around after an open air rock show and witnessed the carnage that remains, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say that the amount of plastic disposable water bottles left on the ground is staggering. Really, try it some time. Not only will you be able to relax after the show and avoid waiting in line at the exit, it will be a lesson in waste management.

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Handmade Options for Winterizing Your Home

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

Brr! It feels like the temperature dropped over night! According to the folks at EPA’s Energy Star, about half of our home energy use goes to heating and cooling our homes, and we use the vast majority of that energy on heat during the chilly months. Luckily, those crafty Etsy sellers have all sorts of handmade options to keep your house a little warmer and help you cut down on your heating needs.

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4 Ways To Cut Over-Idling From Your Car’s Winter Routine

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Beth Buczynski .

Image Credit: www.aboutmyplanet.com

For most of us, winter is just around the corner, or as is the case in my Colorado town, you may have already experienced some of the ice and snow that make this season exciting and difficult all at the same time. Many people try to use alternative transportation in the Spring and Summer when the weather is pleasant, but as soon as the cold settles in, they run right back to their cars for warmth and protection from the elements.

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Naturally Sustainable Packaging: Apple Cider in Apple Cups

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

We’re all about simple, green alternatives to disposables around here. Not only do these apple cider cups fit that bill, they’re seasonal, too!

These look incredibly easy to make and perfect for any Fall-themed shindig.

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ThredUP Online Clothing Swap

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

Let’s be honest here for a minute. We’ve all got some things in our closets that we haven’t worn in years. Maybe it’s that pair of jeans that we’re hoping to one day fit back into. Maybe it’s a top that’s great in theory but just doesn’t seem to go with anything. Rather than trashing those unworn items or sending them to the Goodwill, the folks at thredUP want to help you swap them out for something new!

Well, not “new” new. New to you. Here’s how it works:

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Handmade Halloween: Easy Fabric Scrap Garland

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

Halloween is almost here, and I’ve been in spooky decoration-mode for a few weeks.

The plan is to have all handmade decorations for our Halloween party this year. My fingers are crampy from cutting out bats and I’ll be honest - things were going a bit more slowly than I would have liked.

That is, until Saturday when I had an idea for a recycled fabric garland that looks awesome, really fills out all the holes in my decorations, and helped put a nice dent in the ol’ fabric scrap bin!

These suckers take about 10-15 minutes to put together. Part of what makes them so fast to assemble is that you don’t have to iron the pieces. The wrinkly fabric just adds to the spooky appeal. Ready to make your own fabric banner? Here’s how!

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Wine in a box : the Eco-oenophile’s Dilemma

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Samantha Tackeff .

Last week, I took advantage of my part time status as a food blogger (here and here), to attend a FoodBuzz Community Table dinner at Spruce in San Francsico’s Presidio neighborhood, sponsored by Black Box Wines. I’ve been dying to patronize Spruce since trying Chef Mark Sullivan’s most blissful carrot soup at the Taste of the Nation event earlier this year, but must admit I was skeptical on whether the quality of any wine that came from a box could match to the food I was going to be eating. I shouldn’t have been worried. Black Box wines are nothing like their fraternity-favorite boxed counterparts which dominate the low end wine markets - a good reason for environmentally conscious wine lovers to rejoice!