Green Thinking Blog

I was loving Kate’s Halloween post, and I had a few more ideas for cheap, easy costumes that you could find at home or at a Goodwill. This is for all of you slackers who have waited until tonight or tomorrow to get a costume. Or maybe you have a friend who still needs a costume. I know I wouldn’t want to be at Party City on October 30th to fight for the last costume on the rack. Plus, those all-in-one-bag costumes can get expensive!

On to my ideas and memories of fun costumes I’ve seen in the past. Thanks to my friend Lauren who helped me think up some easy last-minute ideas.

• One of your friends - dress up as another friend of yours
• Famous athlete - wear a jersey of your favorite player and make yourself injured or dead with makeup and bandages
• 4 Seasons (this one is probably best for girls)  - round up a few friends and go as the four seasons. Get creative by wearing the obvious colors for each season and match your makeup and accessories. For example, the Winter season girl could check out Goodwill or a thrift store to find a faux-fur coat or something warm. Do frosty blue and white makeup and sparkles like an ice queen. Think whites, grays, and dark blues. Throw on a scarf, beanie hat, or gloves for accessories.
• Ace Ventura at the psychiatric hospital - all you need is brown boots, a pink tutu, and a white short sleeve button down shirt. Use hair wax to make your hair stick out like his. See picture here.
• Ron Burgundy or cheesy anchorman - get a blazer, a mustache, a tie. See picture of Ron Burgundy here.
• Tornado - wear black shirt and pants, and attach toy trucks and animals to your outfit. Add some leaves and small sticks.
• James Bond - wear a black suit and tie, carry a fake gun, and talk like Bond. Memorize some one-liners to say to people and don’t forget the shades!

Plenty Magazine also posted some Cheap Green Halloween Getups on their website. My personal favorite is The Carbon Footprint. Genius, super easy, and cheap!

UPDATE: I just heard about another fun, easy costume idea. A group of girls are going as the Robert Palmer video girls. I’m sure you remember them from the “Addicted to Love” and “Simply Irresistable” videos. Wear a tight long sleeve black t-shirt, a slim black skirt, black pumps, red lipstick, and slicked hair. Picture here.

All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween is upon us!  As a tradition it is time for ghouls and ghosts to knock on your door & collect sugary treats in non-recyclable wrappers.  A time for malicious tricks to take place & painstakingly carved jack-o-lanterns to be smashed to bits for revenge of no King Sized candy bars…

Agh, those were the days…

These days we can celebrate Halloween the green way…and I am not talking about dressing up like an asparagus!

Treeswing has sponsored a community movement called, Green Halloween.  This non-profit, month-long event started in Seattle in 2007 to educate communities on health, the environment, and community change.  2008 marks the groups’ first nationwide event to promote a healthy, fun, Halloween!

GreenHalloween.org has a plethora of resources from healthy teeth to organizing your own neighborhood Green Halloween block party.  It provides useful tips on what to buy & being conscious of what not to buy to reduce waste, how to invite people, what food to serve, and how to make it festive to the holiday…

My fave recipe has to be WASABI EYEBALLS….muhahahaha!

TRICK OR TREATING

Parental units and kids at heart and people looking to make a difference:  Check out Reverse Trick or Treating.  This is a new concept for kids to help spread the word of fair trade and to help end poverty in cocoa farming communities.  It never ceases to amaze me what things you can learn in a day or how impressed you can be by your fellow mankind.  Awesome, and all in the name of fun.

Or, just serve something healthy. I know kids - boo hiss!   Come on, you really do like granola bars.

COSTUMES:

My friend always has great ideas for costumes that use household items.  Some that are suiting to the environment: 

Dress as the sun.  Wear a yellow t-shirt & sunglasses.  If you have a little sister, steal her headband and afix some used aluminum foil from your leftover pizza in the shape of sunbeams so light reflects off it.  Carry a flower around as your friend.

Dress as sleep.  We all need this to be happy happy happy and promote a peaceful world!  Wear an airplane pillow around your neck, slippers, and afix a sleeping mask to your forehead.  Bring a stuffed teddy with you as a friend.

This is my idea: Reuse last year’s costume!  Who remembers that stuff anyway?!  or Trade costumes with a friend, or pieces of costumes to create a new one! Fun Fun Fun!

HAVE FUN!  BE SAFE!!!

The countdown is on for my hair to disappear.  Not completely mind you, I have enough to share!  Here is the whole story…

I had short hair, but I missed it being long, so it grew & it grew & it GREW!  Probably a little longer than hair should grow…I had it down & flowing for a friend’s wedding celebration & when that was over…

it grew & it grew & it grew!  You can imagine how long it must be with all that growing!

The time has come my friends for me to cut my coif, but I thought it a shame all that shampoo & conditioner go to waste for my locks to be tossed in the trash.  So, I tried to come up with who or what would want it most.

• Birds for their nests.

• Hitchikers to stuff their pillows.

• Artists for their paint brushes.

• Terminally ill patients to create wigs to ease the pain of society while they are already not feeling so hot.

THAT IS IT!  That is who wants my hair!

Locks of Love only requires 10 inches of hair in a pony tail or braid to create a wig that will help a terminally ill child have some chance at a “normal” life. 

When I started to talk to people about this, they said: “Oh, well your hair can’t have been dyed,”  lucky for me, mine hasn’t.  Lucky for you, they accept dyed hair!

“Well, you have to go to a specific hair dresser to get that done.”  I would, but lucky for me  (and everyone) I can go to my normal hairstylist.  Granted, it has to get chopped off in a pony tail on one end, but you will be right in the barber’s chair to get it fixed up into a very stylish style.

“Well, not everyone who requests a wig gets one.”  This is true. Sadly the truth.  This organization needs some extra love & attention & if you have a couple months & a pair of scissors on your hands, you can help! 

Keep checking back for the results of my new ‘do and donation!  If you care to join me, check out these video instructions - then send us pictures!  

Remember, the season is upon us to give back to the world - Don’t be fooled, that season is not just the holidays, it is year round.

Thanks for reading!

PepsiCo has graciously provided volunteers to assist in installing over $200,000 worth of donated materials to the San Francisco Green “X-Ray” House.  This house was a dilapitated ruin that is turning into a green gem that will act as a showcase for affordable green options to homeowners.  Green Building Exchange, Building Quality Communities, and PepsiCo are installing such fabulous features such as:

• Energy efficient windows
• Solar panels
• Tankless water heater
• Drought tolerant landscaping

Better yet, the house will have cut away walls to show the difference between a green home and traditionally built homes.

Their website isn’t fully updated yet, but check it out for further information & check back in the future for more pics… I am dying to see this diamond in the rough!  I will keep you posted too…

According to Eco-Wordly, South Africa recently debuted their first electric car at the Paris Motor Show.  The country’s Joule, an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) was created for $6.2 million, $4.5 million of which was contributed by their Department of Science and Technology.

This vehicle can run up to 400 km on 2 battery packs, using a variety of battery styles.  Optimal Energy created the car to create 0 emissions, however, they did not count for the emissions that would be created at a power station.  This vehicle is designed to recharge between the hours of 11pm and 6 am when there is a surplus of energy available.

Not only that, but energy is recovered from the regenerative brake system, providing an extra charge.  For all extra technical mumbo-jumbo, check out Optimal Energy’s home page.

The electric car is going to be quite the phenomenon in the coming years, Zap, Zero Air Pollution, out of Santa Rosa, California has been operating electric vehicle technology since 1994, include trucks, scooters, and sedans.  While three wheels may not be completely practical for cross road trips, if you have the extra $11,000 to spend for your local commute - HECK YEA!  And they come in such cute colors! I pick the green one!

Another excellent resource to further research electric, hybrid, and plug-in vehicles is EV World.  Recently celebrating their 10th anniversary, they feature the most up to date articles & information on the electric & hybrid world.

Granted, no one wants to spend money on gas, but more importantly, we have to consider the pollution and the carbon emissions we are releasing into the world at each given moment.  If you are now in the market to look for a new vehicle, consider researching your alternatives further - in the long run, it could prove to be the more economical & wise decision.

Do you drive an electric, hybrid, or plug-in vehicle?  Leave a comment!  We wanna know what the real deal is!

Footwear News recently reported that Payless is teaming up with Summer Rayne Oakes on a line of sustainble shoes. Summer Rayne Oakes is a fashion model and eco-consultant. She is also the fashion and beauty expert for the Discovery Channel’s Planet Green TV network.

I am so excited to hear that affordable, eco-friendly shoes will be available to the masses. One unfortunate thing about many sustainable products is that they can be expensive. As we all know, you can count on Payless to have seriously low prices. Plus, I’ve noticed that they’ve offered more trendy and stylish shoes over the past couple of years.

The collection will initially consist of 8-12 sustainable shoes and handbags for women, but will eventually include shoes for men and children too. Payless plans to purchase certified-organic, recycled, and local materials to produce the eco-friendly line.

The sustainable footwear will hit 500 Payless stores in April 2009, but the line doesn’t have an official name yet. I’ll be sure to give you an update once more info is released. Maybe we’ll get a few sneak peek pictures too!

The Natural Resources Defense Council recently investigated the chemical levels in some common air fresheners. The scary results? 12 out of 14 air fresheners had hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates in them. What’s even more frustrating is that some of the air fresheners they tested were labeled “unscented” and “all natural.” The only two air fresheners that were free of phthalates were Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects.

Children and unborn babies have been found to be especially susceptible to these toxins. The state of California maintains the stance that five different types of phthalates are “known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.”

I don’t know about you but I just love a fresh smelling car and home. To do it the “green way,” fill up a regular spray bottle with water and then add a dash of your favorite essential oil. One recipe I read said to mix 1 cup of water with 30-40 drops of oil. Just shake the bottle to mix the the oil before you spray each time.

A lemon or other citrus mixture would be nice for the kitchen and maybe lavender or other flower oil might be nice in your bedroom. For me, I’m going to make a peppermint spray for my car. Mint is proven to help you wake up and feel energized. That’s exactly what I need on my morning commute!!

Need some advice on where to get your supplies?

• Spray bottle - You can get cheap spray bottles at any drug store, Target, Walmart, Dollar Store, or Sally Beauty Supply. I always see them in the hair care section by the hair brushes, combs, etc.
• Essential oils - These are actually pretty easy to find if you know where to look. Check your local health food stores in the personal care section or a bath and body store like the The Body Shop. Of course, a google search of “essential oils” will also offer you a huge variety of online stores where you can buy in bulk. One of my favorites is a store called Leaves and Roots. They have a huge selection of oils, plus a great supply of natural herbs, extracts, and teas.

Have you heard of the We Campaign? It’s a major effort from The Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit effort from former V.P. Al Gore. The idea is that we can join together to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. I talked about the We Campaign this past April when I posted a link to Urge the Media to Ask Global Warming Questions. The Campaign managed to get 28,000 people to participate in 72 hours, and the petition was sent to the major TV networks.

Today I was checking out the We Campaign site and I noticed a new petition that’s available. Apparently the television network ABC recently decided not to air the We Campaign’s “Repower America” ad which provides an important message. The ad says that “massive spending on ads by oil and coal companies…is a key reason our nation hasn’t switched to clean, renewable sources for energy.” However, ABC does run ads from oil companies that provide misleading messages about fossil fuels and their effects on our climate.

Want to help out? Visit the ABC page on the We Can Solve It site and participate in their petition. Over 223,000 people have already sent the message, including me. Personally, I think it is so important for the major networks to finally get on board with climate protection. If enough people get the word out, ABC may reconsider their decision and play the ad this Friday on 20/20.

Need more background info? Read this article from Advertising Age to get those important details on why ABC chose to block it and why the We Campaign decided to go public with that refusal.

If you hadn’t read our previous post, Your Kicks Helpin’ the World, you are in luck that you will now be introduced (or re-introduced) to Simple Shoes.

Check out the videos posted to get the full scoop on these most amazing shoes. They bring new meaning to walking-in-another-person’s-shoes, cuz you could be walking on their car tires, bike tires, or on a cotton field, or walking on that person’s beverage bottle they sipped from at a nice lunch.

After viewing, if you are interested in making a purchase for these most eco-conscious friends of feet, we have a link just to the left of your screen for product selection and overflowing shopping carts.

Planet Walkers

Simple Shoes Story

GreenThinkingBlog has a new friend!  Check out Mestew.com.  I am bias because I love their writers, but seriously, this blog is an excellent outlet for peoples’ opinions on any issue.

You may ask, how is this green?  Well, I ask you, what is peace?  Non-exisistent - but, if everyone were able to share their opinion, and have that opinion heard in a venue that would allow for reflection and understanding versus retaliation, it could make quite the difference.  

Having an opinion is a freedom that we often take for granted.  Freedoms of this form can sometimes disrupt the peace if it doesn’t agree with another.  I say, if you know what someone else’s opinion is, you understand a little more about them & a cultural revolution is born.  Of course, don’t give up your own opinion, hold on to it tight, but know that everyone has their own…like an a**, you know the rest…

Just after we were featured on Mestew, posts appeared stating a disbelief or negative viewpoint on “green” living.  Frankly, I am thankful for those the most.  These opinions have given me insight and provided a challenge to convince them it is extremely important for our health, our planet, and our relationships to practice a greener way of life. 

To our normal audience, there is no convincing to do, but we will always welcome a friendly reminder that you don’t have to be a hippie, a vegan, or an orthodox practioner to be considered green - you just have to make an effort to be mindful of what you do affects everyone and everything in the world around us and for generations to come. 

Thank you Mestew for your support, we can’t wait to see what other opinions are “Served up hot!” YEAH for friends!