Green Spot

After quite a hiatus we are back to blogging daily! We would like to wish everyone a happy Lunar New Year, it’s the year of the Tiger and we are very excited to see how this year will be even better than last year.

I would like to start this off with a blog about Gifts.com . After browsing the web for a while i stumbled upon this great section under the already popular Gifts.com . They have a great selection of items that cater to the über-earthy Natural Woman and the eco-fabulous Trendanista at the same time.

Follow this link to check out some great ideas and comparisons of gift ideas : Eco-Friendly Gifts for Every Style.

Here are some great gift ideas that i thought were worth browse:

Sun Jar

The Sun Jar shown above comes equipped with a solar-powered cell and rechargeable battery. Its energy efficient LED light will automatically switch on when it gets dark to give you 5 hours of candle-like light. I thought this idea was pretty cool! Basically your catching the ” Energy of the Sun ” in a jar!

Solar Powered Path Lights.

These solar powered path lights are great items! They not only improve the appearance of your yard but they also provide safety lighting. These lights on a full solar charge can last up to 10 hours!

Orvis Wine Barrel Dog Bed

“Crafted from an actual retired white oak wine barrel and solid white pine, this wooden dog bed is perfectly sized to fit our small round Dog’s bed. Dog’s nest not included. Measures 13″H x 27″W x 10 1/2″D. For dogs up to 25 lbs.” We’ve seen numerous attempts at eco-friendly dogs beds but this one is pretty interesting as well as ingenious. Orvis has actually decided to Re-Purpose these retired wine barrels rather than just throw them out. We feel that whenever you can give a item a second life you are taking that one extra step to a sustainable lifestyle.

For more great gift ideas please stop by: Gifts.com

The Urge to Adorn uses a paper medium for their designs and seals them with 8-10 layers of non-toxic materials.  Each buckle is hand-made so the texturing (one of the layers) may differ from buckle to buckle. All of their buckles are made with 100% lead-free pewter and made in the United States.

Their ” Recycled Belts ” are:

• Made of recycled, eco-friendly agricultural tires
• Closely resemble black, matte leather
• These tend to run a bit narrower than their leather belts –measuring approximately 1″ wide
• Available in black only

Their ” Leather Snap ” Belts are:

• Made of high-end latigo leather (not pressed)
• Made in the United States
• Very durable and soften with wear
• The standard width (1 1/2″ wide) fitting most jeans, etc.
• Come in black and saddle tan (brown with a hint of red)

Egrets Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

Royal Elephant Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

Great Wave Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

Geisha Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

Vintage Rose Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

The Sweetest Kiss Belt Buckle. Buckle only ( $73.00 ) Belt & Buckle ( $98.00 )

If you liked what you saw please follow this link to their online store: The Urge to Adorn

Ford Blazer. Was $250.00 Now $75.00

Launched in New York City in 2004 by designer Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn,
Loomstate was founded as a casual brand dedicated to creating demand for certified organic cotton
using socially and environmentally responsible methods of production.

I personally LOVE Loomstate’s clothing line and as i was browsing the web today i just so happened to find out that they are having a huge sale on a lot of their fall and winter apparel!

All three items i am highlighting today are pieces from their Men’s Jacket & Outerwear section. Please check out their great selection below:

Santa Paula Jacket. Was $325.00 Now $97.50

Montana Jacket. Was $325.00 Now $97.50

Never With-Out Hood. Was $165.00 Now $49.50

Please follow this link to see Loomstate’s full product line: www.loomstate.org

EDUN Founder Ali Hewson (photo by Kai Joachim)

With the Holiday Season right upon us i would like to highlight one company that stands out from the rest. Edun’s selection of men’s and women’s garments takes the cake!

My sister referred this company to me after my last post about Deux fm. Thank you very much Kristy! She is also a top Yelper so please check out her reviews of various eateries around Los Angeles and Southern California: Kristy “The Enforcer” I.

“ EDUN is a socially conscious clothing company launched in Spring 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono. The company’s mission is to create beautiful clothing, while fostering sustainable employment in developing areas of the world.

In March 2007, EDUN launched the EDUN LIVE brand of blank tee shirts. The EDUN LIVE range enables EDUN to drive trade into Africa through high-volume sales direct to the wholesale market. The tees are 100% African produced, from the fields where the cotton is picked, to the factory where the final garment is sewn. ”

In the consumer world a conscious selection and variety are key. EDUN is one company that has something for everyone while still staying very mindful of the process that it takes to create the garment. Please check out these great garments:

MASERU: GUY'S V-NECK - CLASSIC NAVY

NDALI: GAL'S LONG SLEEVE - CLASSIC NAVY

EQUALITY CARDIGAN - BLACK

BOOKER T CARDIGAN - GUNMETAL

ZIMBA WRAP DRESS - BLACK

METEOR STRAIGHT LEG - JET BLACK

KID'S ONE TEE WHITE - WHITE

POEM SCARF - RAW STEEL GREY

Deux fm is a great Canadian fashion line!

I stumbled upon their line while i was browsing the web for some holiday presents, and i was very happily surprised to find this great company that has a very sleek and elegant aesthetic.

Deux fm’s founder and designer Anna Gilkerson, was raised in Nova Scotia, Canada. Anna studied fashion design at F.I.T. in New York and at Polimoda in Florence Italy. After working for great companies such as Buffalo, Dalia Private Label, and Matt & Nat Anna moved back to Nova Scotia and launched her very own line in the fall of 2006.

Deux fm’s mission is ” to inspire ethical and environmental awareness by implementing sustainable action through innovative design. ”

They successfully achieve this by making use of a wide array of environmentally friendly fabrics while utilizing fair labor practices.

Please support and check out Anna’s line by checking out their website : www.deuxfm.com

Here are a couple pieces that i felt were simply amazing:

Click on each image to visit their online store. SALE SALE SALE!

deux fm 'Lois' Dress

Energy Star

My mother was recently looking into getting a new dishwasher and in conversation she asked me ” So Mr.”Green” what does ‘Energy Star Efficient’ actually mean?”

My response was honestly:  ” You know what…. I am not completely sure..”

This conversation between my mother and I sparked my interest in finding out what exactly all of those “Energy Star” ratings actually mean.

This is what i have researched and found through the Energy Star website : www.energystar.gov

“ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.”

Here is the history of Energy Star:

“In 1992 the EPA introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products. The ENERGY STAR label is now on over 60 product categories including major appliances, office equipment, lighting, and home electronics. The EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.”

Essentially ENERGY STAR has become the go to authority for how efficient the items a consumer purchases are. I think it is a great thing to have items that have been approved to actually save you money in the long run, and as a consumer i feel that it helps me make a more conscious purchase.

Here are some great monetary figures that highlights how using ENERGY STAR products can save you cash annually:

“The typical household spends $2,200 a year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save more than 30% or more than $700 per year, with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort.”

ecoSkin Is yet another company that Simply Green Solutions would like to bring to you. ecoSkin is a privately-held California apparel company offering chic, contemporary designs for the eco-conscious but fashion-savvy woman. Core to its planet-friendly mission, ecoSkin uses only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics woven, dyed and sewn in the USA.

To read more about this company please visit their great site : www.ecoskincollections.com

Here are a few great pieces from their Winter 09′ collection:

SILVERBELL DRESS

CALCITE SCARF

JUJU DRESS

Once again we have found another great company that shares our concern in what products we purchase as consumers. Based upon the model of using Organic and Vegan Products that are produced sweatshop free the Autonomie Project has developed and successfully grown a great company that not only cares about what is used to make a product but also how that product is made.

Here is a explanation of who and what the Autonomie Project is off of their very own website:

“Autonomie Project is a new Fair Trade fashion company offeringstylish sweatshop-free & eco-friendly footwear, clothing and accessories. Launched in late 2007, the founders of Autonomie Project were inspired by the lack in the social marketplace of a truly wearable & affordable ethical clothing brand. With the strong desire to effect positive change in our world, these few good friends set off to start a small company with big dreams that aligned with the values of the growing grass-roots movement towards global sustainability”

They work exclusively with small, independent cooperatives and Fair Trade-certified facilities located in developing areas of the world where we can also allot a portion of our funds to be used for initiatives that will affect their entire community, such as building a health clinic or bringing a steady water supply to a small village.

They provide their workers with a fair wage so they can beat out sweatshops and enjoy a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. They assist them with the development, design, and marketing of their products so that their businesses may prosper and become thriving participants in a reconfigured global marketplace.

Here are a few products that we really love:

Ethletic Flip Flop

Women's Bikefish Tee

Keep the Planet Cool Hoodie

Keep the Planet Cool Hoodie

Organic Cotton Shoulder Bag

Please check out their full product ling @ www.autonomieproject.com

Tide Coldwater

At Simply Green Solutions we always promote items that we feel can be integrated to you daily lives. Tide now offers a new detergrent that has all of the stain fighting power of regular Tide, but now is highly effective in cold water even on your whitest of whites.

Tide Coldwater is specially formulated to clean in cold water conditions better than the next leading regular liquid detergent in warm. And, with Tide Coldwater, you can save money on your energy bill.

In fact, you can save up to $10 on energy by washing in cold with 100 oz. bottle of Tide® Coldwater*

Great savings and great stain removal. Now, that’s cool.

*By switching from warm/cold to cold/cold for all loads in a vertical axis machine with an electric water heater set at 140F.

They currently only offer one scent: “Fresh Scent”. But here is a listing of the amounts each different size yields:

• Fresh Scent

• 26 loads, 50 oz
• 39 loads, 75oz
• 52 loads, 100 oz
• 78 loads, 150 oz

How it Works

Like regular Tide, Tide Coldwater contains surfactants. Surfactant molecules have two parts. One is “water loving” and the other is “water hating.” The water-loving (hydrophilic) part breaks the surface tension of water. The water-hating (hydrophobic) part is attracted to oil and grease in soils, loosening and removing them from fabrics.

Tide Coldwater is specially designed with an increased amount of surfactant chemistry (as compared to regular Tide) that allows it to penetrate easily into fabrics. Tide Coldwater is also specially formulated with an increased amount of polymer technology (as compared to regular Tide) to suspend dirt particles to help prevent them from redepositing on fabrics, helping keep both your colors bright and your whites white.

whiteapricot.com

White Apricot is a website and online newsletter that is your “go to” place for the latest trends, news and information on eco fashion, organic skin care and natural cosmetics, as well as other cool eco and socially conscious products and services to incorporate into your lifestyle. They will tell you about new products, give you their picks for the top eco friendly shoes, handbags and rejuvenating serums, let you know which celebrities have been spotted sporting which brands and styles and follow your favorite mainstream fashion designers who are now creating eco friendly clothing. They will even put you directly in contact with the designers and celebrities who are shaping this movement by publishing their thoughts and giving you the opportunity to communicate with them.

Don’t mistake them for your typical “deals” website. They don’t robotically search the web and pull down every deal electronically that you can find anywhere. Their offers are qualified and hand picked by their staff, exclusively for White Apricot, and for you. Make sure you sign up for their free newsletter to be the first to find out about new exclusive offers and the latest news and information.