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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

Daily Greenz #64

If you think you can pull off the beach-y hipster dude look, check out Christys’ Crown Series Acapulco Gold hat. It’s handmade out of water-resistant raffia braid, a renewable resource. This durable, non-shrinkable hat comes from palm tree leaves in Madagascar, in case you need a fun fact to throw out there when you’re picking up girls. You can own this cool hat for just $38; visit hatsinthebelfry.com for more information.

Daily Greenz #63

Let’s face it: there’s a lot of drinking going on during the holidays. This year, celebrate by mixing up your favorite drink with a bottle of eco-friendly vodka. The 360° method of making vodka is supposed to have saved countless trees, water, greenhouse energy, and actual road mileage. Plus, the packaging is nearly 100% recycled- that includes the bottle and the label. Drink and be merry by checking out vodka360.com.

Daily Greenz #62

It’s not just the fact that these delicious teas  are available in white, black, and herbal varieties that make them calming. Zhena’s Gypsy Teas are all certified fair-trade and organic. You can take advantage of a variety of delicious flavors, including the red lavender pictured above, which can double as a beauty aid to sooth puffy eyes. The tins are reusable and refills are available from the website, gypsytea.com. 1lb. of the red lavender tea costs $35.90.

Daily Greenz # 61

For the stiff-fingered, hypothermic people out there, designers Stewart+Brown have come out with a new line of winter accessories that promise to warm away your winter woes. Made from Mongolian cashmere, their selection of hats, scarves and gloves are simple, stylish, and incredibly soft. The reason for their super-softness? The fibers are hand-combed by herdsmen. And because the designers keep all aspects of their cashmere production in Mongolia, they’re able to invest a part of their profits back into sustaining the lifestyle of the nomadic Mongolian herders. Stewart+Brown also donate at least 1% of their sales to non-profit organizations. Kiss cold fingers goodbye by picking up a pair of their cashmere mittens for $79 at stewartbrown.com.

Daily Greenz #60

If you still haven’t gone out to get your tree this year, remember that buying a Christmas tree can be life-giving. Come again? When you buy a tree (potted or otherwise) from a local, organic tree farm, the farm will essentially replace the tree by planting several seedlings in its place, which will oxygenate the air as they mature in 5-7 years. If you prefer the potted version, these perennials should be kept outside until right before the festivities, which will ensure their longevity and freshness. The New Leaf greenhouse in New York City sells them all week long, putting all its profits back into supporting its programs of teaching workplace skills to former addicts. Check out arguscommunity.org for more information. In other cities, you can locate your local farmers’ markets or organic tree farms at localharvest.org.

After you’ve picked out the perfect tree,  make sure you deck it out the eco-friendly way. Use LED lights since they only use a fraction of the energy of regular lights. Forever Bright offers some festive options, with bulbs shaped like snowflakes and strawberries, which go for $14.95 at christmas-treasures.com. As for ornaments, consider making your own out of origami and ribbons, or opt to buy Fair
Trade Federation (FTF)-certified decorations from Tara Projects in India. Their gold star ornament sells for $8 at tenthousandvillages.com .

Once the holidays are over, make sure you recycle your tree! Christmas trees are essential in providing the necessary wood chips to protect and improve park landscapes, and prevent erosion at local watersheds. To find the nearest service that will put your tree to good use, go to earth911.org.