One Man's Garbage is Another Man's Treasure

The above bracelet is made from recycled guitar string (!)

"Oh how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...."
1. I'm a larger than life fan of music
2. My boyfriend plays the guitar (slash guitar players in general are hot)
3. I love things made from other things...especially recycled things
4. A percentage of the profit of these bracelets goes to charities that support music

I scored this cool bracelet from WearYourMusic.Org. While this particular bracelet is one of their "Fashion" bracelets, the organization also sells something called "Artist" bracelets, which are made from recycled guitar strings of world-renowned artists...Clapton, Ziggy Marley, John Mayer, Santana and more. To follow through on the green theme, the clasps are made using 100% recycled silver AND the bracelets come in recycled DVD cases. 100% of the profits go back to the musician's charity of choice. 

It looks like most of the Artist bracelets are between $75 and $100. If you think the idea is cool, but are looking for something a little cheaper, the fashion bracelets start as low as $7.

[Photo courtesy of dmbelo]

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What's worse for the envrionement, Transportation or Agriculture?

All right, we admit it, we've been slacking. This past month got CRAZY busy for both Gawky and I. Sometimes, educational pursuits and career activities have to take priority status. But, no worries, we're back. And still as cool as ever. I noticed that we've done a lot of product reviews lately, and not so many stories and articles. So, behold, a story presents itself for discussion and debate: Global Warming. Yes, it's not a new subject - but the below linked article does bring up an oft-ignored aspect: Agriculture. Read the full story here, then click "read more" to hear my thoughts.

Story factoid:

"According to the brief, between 1990 and 2005, greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture in developing countries increased by around 30 percent and are expected to rise further. It stated further that agriculture 'is a major source of greenhouse gases accounting for 14 percent of global emissions. Land use changes such as deforestation account for an additional 17 percent.'

FAO says soil carbon sequestration through reduced-tillage, improved grassland management and restoration of degraded lands 'form the major part of mitigation potential from agriculture.'”

Interesting, but a lot of jargon. Let's break it down.

Carbon sequestration (CS)- what is it? Other than being an obnoxiously long word, CS just means "the intake and storage of the element carbon." (Trees are a good example - they soak up carbon. Good stuff.)

What is the policy brief looking to achieve? For the most part, improved agricultural practices - particularly in areas that are still considered "developing countries". These areas don't have the means or finances, generally, to practice eco-friendly farming. They're a bit too concerned about you know, eating and staying alive... (I don't blame them.)

In addition, the brief states that agricultural activities and land use changes (i.e. deforestation) account for a grand total of 31% of global emissions. (That's about on par with the global admissions attributed to the transportation sector, btw.)

Ergo, the solution is more government control!

Well, that's one option, but I'm not quite OK with that. In fact, I think the author of the article, Elton Robinson, says it really well:

"It makes me wonder which is the greater threat to humanity — rising temperatures wreaking havoc with growing seasons, food supply and human life, or allowing government bureaucracies to choke the life out of free enterprise with rules and regulations that might or might not have any impact on climate change."

Well said.

Now that I've opened up a whole can of worms, what are your thoughts? Let's discuss. Ready? Go!

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Freebie Alert!!!

I love a good glass of Riesling. And now, I love it even more. Why? Because Pacific Rim, an eco-friendly wine company, is all about sustainability and has a super cool campaign to reduce the wasting of plastic bags. Cool by me. Read on to find out what they're doing, and how to get your "freebie".

Pacific Rim is giving away reusable shopping bags with the tag line: Save Water. Drink Riesling. Woot! I love it! I already put in for my super nifty bag (see pic). I hope you'll do the same! Click here for details.
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Yep, I'm Bringing It Up

So, a while back, TGGG received an interesting email regarding a very vocal Christian advocate for the environment. At the time, Gawky and I chose not to do something with it, because of the nature of the email – it was just a bit weird.
But, it got me thinking.

I’m fairly right-wing in my political leanings (no, I’m not apologizing for that, by the way), and my Christian faith is one thing which I hold to dearly (again, not apologizing for that either). So, right off the bat, I’m not even close to your stereotypical environmentalist. Considering these two factors, what is it that drives my eco-conscious nature? Well, read on, and dig a little deeper into what I found out – about myself.

Let’s start off with the whole Republican thing. If we look at the history of the Republican Party, its nature was to be conservative. Rather than promoting expensive, social programs, they encouraged hard work and having as minimal governmental oversight as possible. Over the past decades, it has become clear that our party’s “conservative” nature has not weighed as heavily in regards to our environment. Many of our leaders just brushed it off as mythical or unimportant, etc. Recently, that view has shifted to the better. In fact, during the 2008 presidential election, Senator and Republican nominee John McCain took a very strong stance – and he had a history of doing so. Did you know that in 2003 McCain co-sponsored the first bill in the senate calling for mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions? (Joe Lieberman was the other sponsor.) He’s also a supporter of nuclear power and clean coal facilities. While McCain didn’t win, he certainly served to remind the country that not all Republicans think environmentalists are wack-o.

When it came to religion and the environment, it took a little longer to figure things out. What do the two have to do with each other? Well, from my perspective, as a Christian, I have no choice but to be as environmentally friendly as possible. How so? Well, look at the very beginning of the Bible (literally): Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And in verse 26: - “God said , ‘Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” Hmmm… Let’s see, my God took the time to create this beautiful planet…. all the oceans, all the plants, all the animals… and he placed the human race in charge of it. Pretty sure I should do my best to show Him honor and respect by conserving, protecting and taking care of His creation.

So that’s me in a nutshell. What about you, friends? What is it that drives you in your eco-path? Let us know!

Gingerly

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How does organic makeup compare to my hodgepodge hot mess of toiletries?

With the exuberant amount of samples we've been getting (no, that's not a complaint), we've decided to share the wealth with some of our closest friends. Back for some TGGG action is avid reader Marina. Check out Marina's review of Lavera makeup products below the photo. The photo is of Marina and Gawky Green frolicking through the alley ways of Michigan:
I'll be the first to admit- I have a hot mess of a toiletries case. If you took a peek inside you'd find a hodgepodge of products- underneath 4 tubes of different mascaras and a few eyeliner pencils you'd find my assorted face care products: Neutrogena's Invigorating Daily Scrub, Aveda's Dual Nature SPF 15 moisturizer, and Estée Lauder foundation.

So, as you can imagine, when co-author of TGGG Gawky Green asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing a complete line of Lavera's all-organic and all-natural facial products, I jumped on the opportunity. What I was really interested in finding out is whether an organic line of facial products could compare with my comparatively industrial strength set of random facial products. Without further ado, here's my review!

Overall, I can confidently say that I'm a fan of Lavera's "Faces" line of products. The Organic Mint Cleansing Gel genuinely felt good on my skin and didn't leave it feeling dry and tight as my current exfoliant does. The next product in line was the Organic Wild Rose Toner. Unlike my current industrial strength toner, this one was way gentle on my skin and didn't leave that piercing/tingling sensation. Instead, it left a really sweet rose smell on my face.

Next up was the Organic Aloe Vera Protection Creme (moisturizer). Out of all the products I tested, this was probably my favorite because it didn't leave my skin feeling oily like other moisturizers often do. This, too, had a sweet rose/aloe smell to it.

Lastly, there was the Soft Bronze Anti-Aging Energy Tint (a tinted moisturizer). This was my least favorite product, mostly because I'm not a fan of applying thick foundation all over my face, and that's what this felt like. Also, it turns out that "Soft Bronze" is the darker version of this tinted moisturizer and my fair-skinned face would have been better suited with the "Cool Beige." My roommates (who have no regard for subtlety) replied with "Did you just, like, lather bronzer all over your face?"

At the end of the day, my feelings on Lavera boil down to this: I love the fact that these products are made of all-natural products- it makes me feel like I can't possibly go wrong using them. I like the fact that this face care line was especially made for sensitive skin and can honestly say I felt like my skin reacted to these products in a calmer way than they would with my everyday face care products. However, (and there's always a however) I can't say that I would trash all of my current products and replace them with Lavera. What I would do (and am currently doing) is keep my current exfoliant (I know those scrubbing beads can't be good for my face but I feel like they're too effective to get rid of), and replace my toner and before-bed moisturizer with Lavera's.

Gawky Green- thanks for letting me test out these products, it was way fun and a learning experience. All in all, I walk away from the experience with a new appreciation for all-natural facial products, but with a stubbornness and loyalty to my trusty "industrial" (and significantly less-expensive) products.
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21 And Up

Considering I don’t support underage drinking whatsoever, all minors have to skip this post. Just kidding, but still.

About a month ago, TGGG received an intriguing pitch from an even more intriguingly named PR gal. (Avril – think the singer, not the month. Isn’t it gorgeous? I dig it.) Anywho, I digress as per usual. Avril shared with us a bit of information on LOFT Organic Liqueurs, the first certified organic liqueur in the United States. This immediately struck a chord – who wouldn’t like a delicious beverage that also happens to be eco-friendly? Even better, Avril said ok to sending us a sample. Score.

Want to know how it faired? Read on to find out.

The most important question to ask about a product is why it’s eco-friendly. Here’s LOFT’s take: “LOFT is an artisanal liqueur that is produced in small batches from fresh-picked fruit and botanicals, ensuring authentic fresh flavors. The delectable portfolio includes lavender, lemongrass, spicy ginger, tangerine, blueberry and raspberry. All ingredients in LOFT are grown without chemicals, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, radiation or bioengineering, and when possible, sourced from local farms with a like-minded commitment to sound agricultural practices.”

Not too shabby. But does it taste good?

Being that I’m a very un-selfish person (ok, usually unselfish), I decided to host an impromptu beverage tasting for a few of my coworkers. Our group of five lovely ladies each simultaneously sampled the sample (lemon cello) – which came delightfully packaged in an adorable olive green box thingy. Too cute. (See photo.) The ladies’ reactions? Mixed. Here’s a couple of their comments:

“Sweet without being too syrupy, which I liked…but the fact that it had a flavor that I couldn’t readily identify was a little disconcerting. At first, it tasted a little citrusy but it also had this strange earthen flavor mixed in…kind of like freshly cut grass and dirt. Not tasty. It also wasn’t very smooth – I couldn’t imagine pouring a glass of it and drinking it straight. If I tried it in a killer mixer that complements its earthy flavor (ala mojito) it would taste a bit better.”

“It smelled very ‘perfume-y’ - not sure I could handle more than the sip. Very sweet, but I could imagine it might be good with crushed ice—maybe a ‘snow cone’ or on ice cream. Yeah, that would be delish!”

“Yummmmmmmm”

Overall, we came to the conclusion that straight up it was “ok”, but if we combined it into a mixed beverage the effect would be AMAZING. So, I’ll give it one and half of my two thumbs up.

Want to try products from this cool company yourself? Shouldn’t have too much trouble finding or buying, because they’re available nationwide and have a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Cheers!
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DIY Business Cards

So it’s Earth Day. And I must confess, I littered today. It was by accident, but I cannot help but feel guilty about it.

I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say it involved a piece of paper, a huge gust of wind and a car in the middle of traffic....then some hazard light action, and a big fat lost cause.

So when I got home from work today, to reduce my anxiety, I recycled.

You see, tomorrow I am attending a conference and I wanted to bring some TGGG business cards. With little time, little money and the guilty-desire to be greeeeen, I did some do-it-yourself cards.

Super simple. And cute, which is the ultimate goal, isn’t it? Basically, here’s what you’ll need...

• Used cardboard boxes preferably with fun designs on them (e.g., cereal boxes, cracker boxes, old ink cartridge boxes, you get the point). Check your recycling bin.
  
• 2"x4" white shiping labels--I bought mine at Office Depot. They do make some eco-friendly labels, but they were slightly out of my price range. One day...
• Someone’s old business card to use as a tracer
• Water-based glue
• Scissors
• A computer with the SPRANQ Ecofont installed on it (See step 1 for more information)

Steps to making your very own ecofriendly business cards:


1) Design your labels on the computer using a label template. I chose to keep mine very clean and simple. Twogirlsgogreen in BIG font...my e-mail below it....and a cutsey little tagline “Please consider the environment before tossing me out.” I typed this out using a font someone passed along to me called the Ecofont. It’s a font that is made up of tiny holes, only noticeably visible to the eye at around size 15. The point being, it uses up to 20% less ink. Neat eh? Best part, it’s free.
2) Print your filled out template onto your sticky labels.
3) Flatten all the boxes so you’re working with a smooth flat surface. Try not to use cardboard that has creases or dents.
4) Place the label down onto the cardboard. Make sure the entire label fits onto the piece of cardboard you’ve selected.
5) Cut carefully and tightly around the edge of the label. So one side is just the white label, and one side is the colorful cardboard.
6) This next step is optional. I did it so my cards were the same size as a standard business card. I took the “model” business card (my boyfriend’s dentist’s card) and laid it onto my label/cardboard concoction. The height was perfect, but the width was slightly off. So I held the card up and cut the sides off.
7) I repeated this thirty times, for thirty business cards. Then I laid them all out on my table and sealed them with a water-based glue. Both sides—just to give them a more polished look. Badda boom badda bing.
8) Let them dry.
9) Hand them out!

Happy Earth Day everyone.
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