Unidentified mushrooms growing in your yard where you don’t want them? Easy. Edible mushrooms growing orderly in your garden? Not so easy. But you can make growing mushrooms easier with Gaiam’s Pearl Oyster Mushroom Kit.

All you need to do is place the kit in a dish and add water. Within two weeks, mushrooms will grow. After the kit has run its course you can use it to encourage mushroom growth in your compost pile or garden. Mushrooms make a great addition to lots of meals and while they used to be overlooked as a nutritional source, it turns out fungi have a lot to offer. Studies suggest they can reduce cholesterol levels and that they have anticancer properties.

Growing food in your own backyard is just about one of the most eco-friendly ways to fill your plate. With a green garden, there’s no carbon cost of transporting the food and you’ll know what natural fertilizers and pest products were used.

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After the opening weekend of Julie & Julia, the whole world seems to be obsessed with the art of French cooking. Want to get in on the action, but want to do it the eco-friendly way? Start greening over your kitchen with an eco-friendly cutting board built for pros, because after all, before every beautiful Beef Borgignonne and crowd-pleasing Cassoulet comes chopping and dicing.

Swissmar’s Bamboo Crumb Catching Cutting Board is a sustainable solution since it’s fashioned from the quick-growing bamboo plant. And when you slice baguettes to serve alongside your French masterpieces, you can do it with the Wenger Grand Maitre Bread Knife that’s included and slips perfectly into the board for storage. If your guests watch you in the kitchen, you’ll wow them with your ability to keep crumbs off the floor.

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If you live in suburbia, the sound of gas-powered lawnmowers on Saturday mornings is probably part of the usual routine. But do you ever think about the pollution they cause or the gas they use to get the job done? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power mowers account for 5 percent of air pollution and a lot of gas gets spilled when filling lawn equipment, too. If you want to have a green lawn in more ways than one, it’s time to go low-tech. Keep your lawn manicured with an eco-friendly reel mower.

Not only will you finally be able to enjoy some quiet time as you do yard work (your neighbors will enjoy less noise pollution, too), you’ll also be able to enjoy the smell of fresh-cut grass, rather than freshly burned gas. Since you power this lightweight mower, you’ll save money by skipping gas and burn extra calories as you cut. Your lawn could end up healthier as well: This mower doesn’t rip or tear the grass, it gives grass an even cut, which helps the blades retain moisture. For a natural fertilizer, let the clippings land on your lawn. Otherwise, you can add on a grass catcher to collect them for your compost pile or garden.

If you have a big lawn, a reel mower might not be the best choice for you. Click here to read more

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For students getting ready to go back to college this fall, it’s time to start racking up the green dorm decor. Beyond the bunk beds you’ll want comfy seating for hanging out, napping and of course, studying. Here’s a big green twist on the old favorite, the bean bag. Bean Products X-Large Comfy Loveseat is big enough to hold two adults. And the thing college students will love is that you can customize it to fit your personality and eco-friendliness.

You’ll have 26 fabrics to choose from, but if you want to be green, select from the eight organic fabric colors, which range from avocado to pink to black. Next choose your filling. Bean Products offers recycled polystyrene beads, not a great material, but at least here it’s made from recycled plastics; or shredded foam, which comes from scrap furniture cushioning. Can’t decide? Go with Superfill, a mix of both. If you want to fully personalize your bean bag, have your name embroidered on it.

Need even more comfort?  Click here to read more

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If you walk down the streets of Chicago neighborhood Oak Park, you’ll see fantastically painted rain barrels placed along the streets. The 100 colorful 55-gallon kegs are there to catch rain and catch your eye. The League of Women Voters of Oak Park/River Forest, organized the eco-friendly art display to stir up interest in rain barrels.

They’re a smart way to conserve water right in your own backyard or rooftop. If you have a barrel out in the open or connected to a gutter, it’ll collect and store rainwater every time the sky opens up. Each one is equipped with a spigot at the bottom, so it’s easy to use the collected H2O for watering plants, watering your yard, washing your car or for any other reason you may need water outside other than drinking.

Conservations love rain barrels and they’re a great addition to a green garden, but they haven’t caught on in a widespread way yet. So campaigns like the one in Chicago are important to get the ball rolling. Another plus–aside from saving water, you can also save money on your water bill.  Click here to read more

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