Daily Greenz #69

Hate the idea of your magazines being tossed into oblivion? So do the creators of Recycled Magazine Mirror. They have gathered up old magazine pages and fashioned them into a sturdy mirror; creating a virtual work of art. For every frame, thousands of glossy pages have been rolled and tightly coiled together. Then they are attached to a round mirror frame for a cool, finished look. Your foyer will have a new look with this $52 mirror from urbanoutfitters.com.

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Daily Greenz #68

The oxymoronic ‘heater fan’ is putting the smile back on everyone’s face this winter. Powered by heat, these circulating fans utilize the heat from the stove or gas room heater to send heat out horizontally rather than vertically, resulting in faster, more efficient heating. The brilliance of this fan is that there is no operating cost involved since its thermoelectric module runs on heat alone. Simply set it on top of your stove- and voila!- you can dream that it’s summer again. Prices range from $50 to $150 at amazon.com and they are worth every penny in energy cost savings alone. Plus, they’re designed to last forever, so pick one up before the chill sets in.

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Daily Greenz #67

The
next time your mother wags her finger at you for eating too much chocolate, you
can tell her that every bite is helping to save endangered species. The Endangered Species Chocolate Company has
now made it possible for you to be a do-gooder just by sitting on your couch
and indulging your sweet tooth. Their
100% ethically-traded cocoa not only sustains family-run farms in Nigeria and ensures fair wages for the farmers, but 10% of profits are donated to protect the endangered species featured on the wrapper.

Beyond
the Samaritan appeal, their distinctive chocolate is European in style,
offering a dense, buttery,

fruity flavor not found in your average Hershey
bar. And by dense, we’re talking 75%
cocoa content in their dark chocolate bars, packing a wallop in every bite. Bars are available for $1.89 and holiday gift
packs go for $5.25 and up at chocolatebar.com .

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Daily Greenz #66

With 25% more waste being generated during the holidays, we suggest a couple of simple ways that you can help to reduce unnecessary trash during the gift-giving season. For one, since shopping bags and wrapping paper alone contribute four million tons of garbage during the month of December, be sure to bring your own shopping bag to the mall and buy online, package-less gifts like downloads from iTunes.

If you can’t do without gift-wrapping, consider using re-usable shopping bags, design magazines, or leftover wallpaper. Another alternative is Gaiam’s Seed Gift Wrap, made entirely from biodegradable paper and embedded with wildflower seeds. Rather than tossing it, the recipient can plant it and have beautiful blossoms by the spring. Find out more at gaiam.com . For tree-less options, Fish Lips Paper Designs offers wrapping paper that’s made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based inks. Available for $4.00 a sheet at fishlipspaperdesigns.com .

Generic e-cards are a thing of the past. Opt to send free, customized e-cards this year with One True Media, which allows you to upload your own pictures, music, and videos for a truly personalized effect. Still feel an itch to send the real thing? Cradle to Cradle produces creative, tree-free
cards that can be recycled as carpet backing by being returned to Shaw
Industries. Available for $35 a set at reproduct.net.

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Daily Greenz #65

With all the buzz about toxic toys in the news, Santa’s helpers all around the
country are scrounging for safe gifts for kids this holiday. Fortunately, this
year there are a variety of toys on the market that are both safe for your
child and the environment. When shopping for toys, avoid toys that are made
from plastic, especially the dioxin–producing  PVC, which releases toxins
into the environment throughout it’s lifecycle.  Toys made from PVC’s may
also contain phthalates which studies link to hormone disruption and even
cancer. Also, try to buy toys that use water based and low–VOC or no–VOC
(volatile organic compounds) paints. Batteries are extremely toxic as they
break down in landfills, so try to find toys that don’t require batteries. To find
these wonderful green toys, shop local independent retailers who are more
likely to put more care into the products they carry. Look for toys made from
FSC–certified wood that will last for generations.

Here are some of my favorite toy picks for this holiday season:

1) Wooden Blocks Extra Large Starter Set from Haba. $89.00

What could be more timeless than a good set of wooden blocks? This set has 102
pieces of untreated, natural beech wood of varying shapes and sizes. They come
in a reusable fabric bag, practical for storing and transporting.Visit hazelnutkids.com to purchase.

2) Vegetable Garden from Plan Toys $14.95
This little gardening set comes with a watering can, wheelbarrow, spade, and 2
vegetable beds with removable lettuce, carrots, radishes, and turnips. It is
made from preservative-free rubberwood and non-toxic water-based paint. Check out stores.planethappytoys.com to find out more.

3) Crazy Crayons
Crazy Crayons are made from non-toxic recycled crayon stubs! Each crayon is
unique and come in 100’s of shapes and themes, and custom designs are even
available upon request. Visit crazycrayons.com for more info.

4) Madagascar - Starter Set from Xeko $19.95

Xeto is "an outrageously fun, new animal trading card game that’s driving
kids wild." It won the 2006 Toy of the Year Award from Creative Child
Magazine and the 2006 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center. The
game is made from recycled paper and soy–based inks. As an added bonus, 4% of net
game sales are donated to Conservation International. Go to stores.planethappytoys.com to order.

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