Just last week we showed you how to turn a Mason jar into a to go cup for hot drinks, but what about when you're toting plain old water? Obviously, you don't want to buy bottled water when you're on the go, because it's crazily overpriced and comes with all sorts of environmental and ethical issues. So, what's the busy eco-ista to do?

Reusable plastic water bottles definitely have their benefits. They're lightweight, usually easy to clean, and they can take a beating at the bottom of your purse. The problem with plastic bottles is that they're made from plastic. Not only does that mean they're a petroleum product, but chances are they're leaching some nasty stuff into your water. Even if your bottle is BPA free, plastic contains a host of other chemicals, and there are suspicions that the plasticizers companies are using to replace BPA aren't much better from a health standpoint.

Metal bottles can be a pain to clean, but at least you're avoiding the plastic in contact with your water, right? Not really. To keep your metal bottles from giving you water a metallic taste, companies tend to coat them with - you guessed it! - plastic.

That's where the glass water bottle comes in. Glass doesn't leach into your drink, and there are no coatings to worry about. You can stick glass bottles right in the dishwasher. Heck, you don't even have to go out and buy a fancy one like in my photo at the top there. In fact, reusing something is way greener than my store-bought glass bottle that's encased for some reason in plastic. Here are a couple of ideas for how to get a glass water bottle without shelling out the bucks:

• Next time you get a single-serving glass bottle of juice or sodapop at the store, just stick it in the dishwasher. Voila!
• You can also use a straight up Mason jar to tote you water.

No need to buy anything special or spend $10-$15 on a fancy pants bottle. You probably have a jar in your pantry that you can start toting water in right this moment, if you want. Do any of you guys use a glass water bottle? Is it store bought, or did you repurpose it?

I was at the farmers market with my girlfriend last week, and she picked up a coffee to sip while we walked around. It's been a minute since I visited this particular market, and they changed up their whole coffee situation. Instead of the Styrofoam cups (*shudder*), they now use a compostable paper cup that I'd never seen before: EarthChoice.

Like with anything making claims like "renewable" and "sustainable," I was a little bit wary of these new cups. Sure, they were better than Styrofoam, but how much better, right? Those corn cups make a lot of eco-friendly claims, but they're not nearly as squeaky green as they claim to be!

Just plain old paper would be compostable on its own, but when it comes to hot beverage cups, you need some sort of lining to keep the liquid from seeping out and getting coffee on your shoes. The lining is the thing that really is going to determine whether you can compost this EarthChoice cup. These cups are lined with NatureWorks Polymer. So, what does that mean?

I looked into what NatureWorks Polymer is, and it's made from "Ingeo," a trademark name for corn-based plastic. According to the NatureWorks site, you can't compost these suckers in your backyard bin, they need to go to an industrial site. They also won't biodegrade in the landfill. So, how green is this cup? It's certainly better than the Styrofoam that the market was using before, but of course it's not as good as bringing your own reusable to go mug.

Pros of Paper Cups Lined with Corn Plastic

It's not compostable in the back yard, but corn plastic does have some benefits over conventional plastic.

• If your town has municipal composting, you can divert these from the landfill.
• Unlike paper cups lined with conventional plastic, these aren't petroleum derived.
• They may be recyclable in some areas at some point.

Cons of Paper Cups Lined with Corn Plastic

These cups are better than some disposable alternatives, but they have their downsides.

• You can't recycle them now.
• They don't biodegrade in the landfill.
• You can only compost them in a municipal composting facility, not a backyard bin.
• The corn is most likely genetically modified.
• Instead of growing food for people, we're growing corn to line disposable cups on arable land.

So, are these cups an eco-friendly choice? I think they do OK at the beginning of their lifecycle, but when you're talking about sustainability, you have to look at a product's total lifespan. Once the coffee's gone, chances are these cups are going to pile up in the landfill, where they don't break down. Not so green, if you ask me.

The best disposable cup is always to not choose a disposable cup in the first place. That way, you don't have to worry about weighing pros and cons. Just wash, rinse, refill!

Remember those super nice gals at Greyslater who gave away a shampoo and conditioner bar set? Well, they are at it again with another awesome no-waste idea: the mason jar to go cup for your coffee or tea!

By now I'm sure you've seen the Cuppow. It's a special lid for a Mason jar that instantly turns it into a sippy cup. The trouble with toting your hot coffee in a glass jar is that the steamy liquid is going to turn the glass awfully hot. The super savvy ladies at Greyslater have a genius solution: add a cozy to keep your hands cool and help your coffee stay warmer for longer. You can find all the supplies you need to make a Mason jar coffee cup over at Greyslater! Already have a stash of Mason jars? You can just pick up the Cuppow and the cozy, but they carry glass Mason jars, if you need one.

Have you guys seen any cool to go cups lately? As you have probably figured out, I'm a little bit obsessed with to go mugs.

I was at the grocery store the other day shopping for the week and I popped into the pet aisle to grab a can of wet food for our pup who's being a little finicky about eating lately. It was right there that I spotted them: organic cans of pureed pumpkin and sweet potato for dogs!

This is something I'd never seen before, so I did a little research. Apparently, sweet potato and pumpkin in moderation can be good for dogs who have unpredictable tummies. My dog tends to get car sick and she also barfs when she's stressed, so working a little sweet potato into her diet sounded like a great idea! If you do feed sweet potato to your dog, there are two things to keep in mind:

1. It's fattening. This should be a treat, not a major food source. For a small dog, a couple of tablespoons of sweet potato will do the trick. If your dog is larger, you can feed her 1/4 cup or maybe even 6 tablespoons a day.
2. Skin your sweet potatoes. The skin is full of fiber, and the idea here is to settle their tummies. Plus, if there's any mold at all on the skin, it can be bad for your pup.

A quick peek at the ingredients revealed that there was nothing particularly special about this food. All that's in them is the pureed veggie. And they were charging almost $3 per can for the stuff! That seems crazy to me. Instead of shelling out big bucks for a dog on the label, try these simple alternatives to expensive store-bought sweet potato treats:

• Organic canned sweet potato or pumpkin. The kind you'd get to make pie is basically the same as the kind I saw in the pet aisle, but it costs over $1 less per can. Just make sure it's unseasoned and not salted. You want 100% sweet potato or pumpkin.
• Cooked sweet potato. Microwave or bake a sweet potato, remove the skin, cut into cubes, and cool. My dog wasn't interested in eating the plain sweet potato, but you can also mash some up with their regular food to make it more appealing.
• Dried organic sweet potato. Use your food dehydrator or your oven to dry strips of sweet potato. Need a recipe? This dog treats site has some great info on how to make your own, natural, dried sweet potato treats.

Do you guys make your own dog treats? I'd love to hear what homemade goodies your pups love best!

Like I mentioned earlier this week, I've been getting more into gardening, mostly growing my own food. It's tough to keep that up in the winter! Most of my plants have seen better days. Some of the winter greens, like bok choy and Swiss chard, are doing all right, but my food garden isn't nearly as diverse as it was in the spring and fall.

One of the best ways to keep growing food in the winter, if you don't have a green house or hoop house, is to keep some food plants indoors. I love this indoor herb garden, featuring mint, parsley, and rosemary all in one pot!

Mint really likes to take over whatever container it's in, so I'd probably keep the mint separate and replace it in this arrangement with something like basil or pineapple sage that's still hearty but also plays well with others. I love the idea of mixing up herbs in the same pot, though, to maximize what you can grow even in a small space.

Are you guys doing any indoor gardening this winter?

Image Credit: Remixed Creative Commons photo by kpaulus

I am a total sucker for eco-friendly snacks and goodies, so when the folks at Conscious Box offered to send me a sample of their November box of goodies to review, I jumped at the chance!

The Good

It was super fun getting a goodie box in the mail. It reminded me of when mom would send me care packages when I was in college full of my favorite treats. The box even included a sweet note, just like the ones from mom!

Everything in my Conscious Box was vegan, which is a big plus for me. It's such a bummer to get samples of food and beauty products that I discover I can't try out. Here's what was in my November box:

• A vegan cookie from Mary's Gone Crackers. I may or may not have eaten that while writing the first paragaph of this review.
• Two samples of vegan lotion from 100% Pure. These little packets won't travel well, so I'll try them out at home instead.
• Dried pineapple from Funky Monkey. That may or may not also already be in my belly.
• CocoaWell energy caps. Dietary supplements for energy.
• Two Kind bars. Kind makes vegan, whole food energy bars. They're delicious!
• A juice pack from Honest Tea. This looks almost like a Capri Sun, but without the sugary juice inside. The tea is juice-sweetened, but the pack has only 40 calories, which is much less than those sugary kid's "juice" drinks.
• Samples of Glee Gum. All natural chewing gum.
• Mini bottles of vegan lotion and body wash from 100% Pure. They'll be great for next time I'm traveling!

I was definitely impressed with the caliber of products in the box and with Conscious Box's minimal packaging.

They do think quite a bit about waste, as well. Here are some deets on their packaging, from their FAQ:

As a company, we strive to operate with zero-waste. Every box contains recycled tissue paper and is made of recycled materials with soy-based inks. We encourage our users to upcycle their boxes or even send them back to us, where we’ll put them to use or have them sustainably recycled.

They also are members of 1% for the Planet, which means they're dedicated to giving back.

The Less Good

A couple of things about the box gave me pause. First, it's not terribly eco-friendly to have a monthly subscription of anything that you're shipping out. I looked through their site for information on how they offset the carbon from that shipping and couldn't find anything. That doesn't mean they're not doing it, but I didn't see that information out there.

While Conscious Box itself does a great job addressing the packaging problem, there was a lot of packaging in the box when it comes to the goodies inside. This comes with the territory when you're sending out samples, right? Smaller sized items still need to be protected from damage when they travel, so a box of tiny things is going to have a lot of wrapping. There was more plastic in my Conscious Box than I would have liked.

The Verdict

Overall, I was pretty happy with this box. While I'm not sure that a monthly subscription is the greenest choice, it would be a neat surprise to send to a friend or family member that needs a treat.  I shared a photo of my Conscious Box at the top of the post, and I'd love to hear what you guys think, based on the photo and the list of goodies!

According to Feeding America, a U.S. based nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and food rescue organizations, we waste over forty-one billion tons of food throughout the United States in 2009. Last week, Jocelyn mentioned a study by the University of Arizona in Tuscon, which found that the average American households waste approximately 14 percent of all food purchases. It is critical to review our relationship with food as we strive to create a more sustainable environment and reduce overconsumption.

When it comes to food, there's probably no more wasteful time of year than the holidays, and Thanksgiving in particular. The focal point of the entire holiday is sharing a large meal with family and friends. The holidays are a prime time to focus on reducing food waste, so what can you do to reduce food waste this holiday season?

1. Limit Your Purchases

Before you shop, be realistic about how much food you'll actually need for Thanksgiving dinner. Estimate what you need and then buy only slightly more. For example, if you think you need four pies, buy five, not eight "just to be sure!"

The exception to this rule is with frozen or canned goods. Since those have a longer shelf life, it's OK to stock up. Just make sure you keep an eye on the pantry and freezer and use what you have, so they don't spoil.

2. Use Leftovers Responsibly

Be realistic when assessing your tolerance for Thanksgiving leftovers. You'll probably get tired of turkey after a couple of days, and end up throwing the remainder out. It’s a better idea to freeze any remaining leftovers you won’t be eating after a couple of days.

The key is to really use it! Frozen turkey even several months old can still make a great pot pie for Easter celebrations!

3. Be Conservative with Packaging

This one isn’t so much about food waste as about waste in general. There really is no need to individually bag every produce item separately as you pick it up from the produce aisle. It is just a force of habit but certainly not necessary. Save some plastic and leave those potatoes loose!

Opting for whole foods, rather than heavily processed and packaged foods is healthier for your body and produces much less waste.

4. Donate Leftovers

While most food banks won't accept cooked or fresh food for donation, you can donate canned and dried foods. With the current downturn in the economy, more and more people are turning to food banks to help feed themselves and their families. Don’t let those canned and dried foods go to waste, donate them!

5. Tour Your Neighborhood

This may be easier for those who live in urban areas, but walk down any block and notice the number of homeless people living on the streets or in shelters who would be so grateful for your leftovers this holiday season - and all year round. They'd probably appreciate a turkey sandwich made from your leftovers a lot more than you would, right?

Daniela Baker is an eco-conscious mother of two and blogger at CreditDonkey. She helps families compare grocery credit card cash back at her blog. With Thanksgiving around the corner, she hopes this post will help you live a greener life.

The Thanksgiving Table. Creative Commons photo by lanemcfadden