Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my avid readers!!! Hope you have a great one!

Every few weeks, I plan to update my list of eco-friendly products and services that you see below.  This list allows people to jump between my posts a lot easier depending on what they are looking for.  The links next to the items will take you to my posts, but each post has links to buy the products or find further information on the services.

Again, I am just trying to make it as easy as possible to help you put a little green in your life.  Enjoy!

PRODUCTS

Browser

• Flock: Eco-Edition (Free)

Office/School Supplies

• Smencils ($14.00)
• Water-Powered Clock ($16.99)
• Mac Book Pro

Kitchen

• Blue Honey Pot Composter ($29.95)
• Reusable Coffee Filters ($5.95)
  

Bathroom

• Preserve Toothbrushes (4 for $11.00)
  
• Preserve Tongue Cleaners (4 for $11.75)
  

Misc.

• Recycled Bottle Coat Rack ($75)
• Love This Planet Reusable Bag ($5.50)
• Totes Eco-Umbrella ($17.99)
• Organic Magnets ($1.99)
• Used Cardboard Boxes
• USB Cell Rechargeable Batteries (2 for $17.49)
  

Vehicles

• 100% Electric Car by Tesla Motors

Cleaning Supplies

• Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

SERVICES

• Faxing
• Stop Junk Mail

A couple posts back I wrote about how to make your own dry laundry detergent and I gave you links to all the ingredients for the detergent.  I picked up everything but the Arm & Hammer washing soda at Wal-Mart. I got online, clicked my link and was ready to purchase the washing soda when I realized that it cost $4.50 then shipping was $6.50.  That is crazy, so I figured it had to be cheaper somewhere.

And it was.  Call 1-800-524-1328, one box is $3.99, which is already cheaper than before!

Keep in mind if you buy 3 or more boxes of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda they wave the shipping.  I bought 3 boxes yesterday for a total of $12.71.  That is cheaper than it would have cost me to get one box from the link I gave you in my previous post.

To return to the post about how to make your own laundry detergent, click here.

One way that businesses typically use a lot of paper is through faxing.  Not all businesses, but a good amount; especially large ones.  So let’s look at ways to reduce the amount of paper used in the office.

1. Email instead of fax.  Everyone that is anyone has an email.  This way if it is absolutely necessary, they can print it.  If not, then they can just keep it in their email records.

2. Make a reusable cover sheet.  This is easy and saves you one piece of paper each time you fax.  Print out a generic cover sheet with all the essentials and laminate it.  Fill in all the important information with a dry erase marker and send the fax.  Once it is sent, wipe the cover sheet clean and it is ready for reuse.

3. Look in the trash(recycling bin) for a piece of paper that has only been printed on one side.  Print the cover sheet on the back of the trashed paper.  No one sees the back of the cover sheet, so it shouldn’t matter what it looks like.

4. Have a label made with the pertinent information on it.  Cut out the cover page all together and stick your label in the upper corner of the actual document you are sending.  This saves two pieces of paper each time you fax!

5. For smaller businesses that don’t do much faxing, there is a great site I found that lets you fax 2 free documents a day.  Just enter the sender information, receiver information and attach the document.  Check out FaxZero.

Each of these helps out the environment and saves you paper, which in turn saves you money!!!

Here are few of my favorite picks for eco-friendly Christmas gifts.  These gifts are very random as I have come across them while doing research for my blog.  Some of them were too cool to keep all to myself, so I figured I would share my great finds with everyone!  Check them out!

Recycled Bottle Coat Rack for $75

For wine loves I found the perfect gift.  It is a coat rack that is made of the tops of wine bottles.  The wine bottle tops were saved before they were sent to the landfill.  Not only is this a recycled and unique gift, but you can also personalize it when you add your favorite corks to the end of the bottles.

Blue Honey Pot Composter for $29.95

A kitchen compost is a great way to reduce the amount of trash that is throw into the garbage.  It also proves to be a very nutritious plant food for your garden.  The blue honey pot is very attractive and can easily be placed on the kitchen counter.  Incase you were wondering, it is also leak proof and odor free, which are two features that are necessities.  Finally, to keep your composter clean you can purchase biodegradable bags to line the inside.

Love This Planet Reusable Bag for $5.50

It is what it says, a reusable bag.  The reason why I chose this bag over all the others is because it holds 3-4 plastic bags or 2 paper bags!  These bags also look nice and stylish.  Some of the other ones I’ve seen are very bland and not appealing.  Plus the stores usually sell very tiny reusable bags.  I would have to bring 20 of those with me to the grocery store and that just isn’t going to happen.

New MacBook and MacBook Pro

I’m sure you have seen all the commercials about the new MacBook, but have you really listened?  The MacBook has eliminated mercury which is one of the typical toxins that other lap tops have, it is highly recyclable, more energy efficient, and Mac has reduced packaging by 41%.  If I needed a new lap top, this would definitely be the one that I would get.  For more information on the efficiency of the new MacBook be sure to check out their site!

Smencils - Scented Color Pencils $14.00

What could be better than scented color pencils?  That is every kids dream.  I always had scented markers, which unfortunately weren’t eco-friendly.  But these are!  They are made from recycled newspapers and are infused with natural scents.  This gift would be perfect for little kids.  Maybe if my little sister is lucky, I will order her some of the smencils, but only if she lets me color with them too!

Totes Eco-Umbrella for $17.99

The Eco-Umbrella is 44″ in diameter and is made of 100% recycled PET plastic bottles.  It is very similar to a regular umbrella, but better because not only is it very efficient, it is also great for the environment. These umbrellas come in many different colors, so pick your favorite and add it to your list.

And here are a couple stocking stuffer ideas.

Eco-Friendly Water-Powered Clock $16.99

This clock is powered by water!!!  How cool is that?  All you have to do to make it run is add water.  The company recommends adding a little bit of salt and some lemon juice to make it run more efficiently.  Does you time get reset when you change the water?  No.  It has a memory function that remembers the time as you change the water.  Also, the clock comes in four different colors: green, blue, orange and charcoal.

Organic Magnets for $1.99

These magnets are expressive and can be attached to your car, at home or in the office.  You can choose from a number of different magnets that describe your particular view.  Spread the word!!

Every year I keep all of the holiday cards, birthday cards, etc. that I receive because they are just too nice and thoughtful to throw away.  But, how many times do you go back and look at them?  Not often.  I’ve got quite the stack of cards, so I figured there had to be a way to turn them into something useful.  Here are some thoughts…

First, you can cut them into name tags for your Christmas presents this year.  Creative and saving money!!

Second, you can cut them and make them into a collage.  This would serve as original holiday cards to send to your friends and family.  A money saver once again.

Lastly, you can make them into coasters.  I found a lady at Etsy.com that transforms old holiday cards into seasonal coasters.   Take a collection of cards and make them into a unique pattern.  Brush a layer of PVC glue over them and back them with cork. Ta Da!!  Easy, recycled Christmas presents.

Here are a few easy tips to help the environment everyday.

1.  Click no when the ATM and gas pump ask you if you want a receipt. I used to take the receipt just because I have always been taught to do so for records. But if you think about it how many times do you really go back and look at it? I would just crumple it up and throw it away…absolutely useless.

2.  If you receive a newspaper, see if there is an online subscription available. If you enjoy having a newspaper in front of you with your coffee in the morning then just make sure it is recycled after use.

3.  Have your employer direct deposit your paycheck. This method is often preferred because the check is immediately available in your account and cannot be lost in the mail. Plus no wasted paper!

4.  Pay you bills electronically. I pay all of my bills online and it is easier. You don’t worry about your payments not making it or being late. You will receive emails when the payments are due and you can send them in whenever you have time and on whatever day you want.

5.  Receive your bank statements electronically as well. In this instance, you will also receive an email when your statements are available. You can review these statements at your convenience and as often as you want.

Tesla Motors has come out with an eco-friendly car. So, what’s the big deal? According to the website, the Tesla Roadster is 100% electric, goes 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph, burns no oil, gets 244 miles per charge and only costs pennies per mile. And the question that everyone wants to know…how much does it cost? “The 2009 Roadster available to US residents has an estimated base price of $109,000.”

But wait there’s more: The site also states, “The tires and the battery of every Tesla Motors vehicle are recyclable. The cost of recycling is built into the purchase price of the car, so there‘s never a reason “why not” to recycle.”

And more: “The typical four-cylinder engine of a conventional car comprises over a hundred moving parts. By comparison, the motor of the Tesla Roadster has just one: the rotor. So there’s less weight to drive around and fewer parts that could break or wear down over time.”

To see more about how the car works click here: http://www.teslamotors.com/efficiency/how_it_works.php

Of course there are many advantages to driving an electric car. The Tesla Roadster has reduced dependence on foreign oil, zero emissions, and a cost of less than two cents per mile driven. And finally, some countries and cities also offer carpool lane access and/or special parking privileges for electric cars, which would definitely be an added bonus to buying the car.

For some free Wall paper downloads click here: http://www.teslamotors.com/learn_more/wallpaper.php

And last but not least, if my boss is reading this…a Tesla Roadster would make an amazing Christmas present. I particularly enjoyed the Premium Electric Blue or Metallic Twilight Blue. Just a thought!

This post is for all of the avid coffee drinkers. I don’t drink coffee, so I don’t have this issue, but if you drink and brew you own coffee every day that’s 365 coffee filters. I know they are relatively cheap, but that is a ton of unnecessary waste. Now what you could do is quit drinking coffee…this is an unreasonable request, I know. Most people would literally die without their daily cup.

All the coffee drinkers that I have come in contact with use paper filters. These paper filters have a few disadvantages. It is said that paper filters actually filter out some of the coffee flavor. Now why on earth would you want to drink coffee and not get the full flavor that is intended? If you use bleached paper on purpose or don’t realize the difference between bleached and not bleached, you could be drinking some chemicals that are very bad for you. Bleached paper gives off an unhealthy dose of dioxin. Yuck! And finally and most importantly, if you run out of paper filters, you CAN’T MAKE COFFEE!!! That would definitely put a damper on your day, if that is what gets you going in the morning.

Like some of the products I have discussed previously, the upfront cost is going to be more expensive, but if you drink coffee regularly, it will save you money shortly. And they aren’t that much more expensive, just a few dollars.

The first reusable coffee filter I found was Nubius Organics for $5.95. It is a filter made from hemp fabric. You can reuse it everyday, after use you rinse it with water or natural dish soap and let it dry. Once it is dry, you can use it again!!! You will never have to buy paper filters again.

The one you need may or may not be the brand of the coffee maker. If not, just search for reusable coffee filters along with the brand name and hopefully you can find one to fit.

I found a few more brands and they are listed below. Hope this helps.

Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter for $9.88.

Cuisinart Gold Tone Basket Filter GTFB for $6.68.

Mr. Coffee GTF2-1 Basket-style Gold Tone Permanent Filter for $8.34.

All of those prices are under $10 and will most definitely save you money in the long run.

If you need a new coffee maker or you are thinking about starting to drink coffee, remember to look for coffee pots with reusable filters included!

Everyone is plagued by junk mail. It is constantly there and constantly unwanted. So how do you get rid of it? Yesterday I signed our house up for a few different options to have our junk mail stopped!  This will save paper and the environment!!!

GreenDimes is the organization I want to mention first because it specifically relates to my theme with this blog. They stop 90% of your junk mail guaranteed and make sure that you only receive the mail you want. There is a free option as well as a premium option. The premium option is $20 a year. Not a bad price at all and with the $20 they plant 5 trees!! If you decide to sign up for either option, there is another plus. First, you get to choose how you want to redeem your dollar FROM (your not paying a dollar) GreenDimes, just for signing up. Do you want them to use your dollar to plant a tree on your behalf, keep your dollar and send you an issue of Plenty, the magazine for green living, or mail you a check for $1?

Check it out for yourself. https://www.greendimes.com/gw/chooser

After you verify your account and sign in, you have 3 steps.

1. Choose the catalogs you no longer wish to receive
2. Remove your name from common junk mail lists using the methods below
3. Track your progress toward a junk free mailbox

GreenDimes looks up the junk mail that typically comes to you house and gives you a list. Click on “read instructions” next to each direct marketer and it will tell you how to get off their list. Then on the pop up window click “take action”, it will immediately open a window to that site and you just fill out your address. Once you take the steps to one site, go back to GreenDimes and click that you did it. This will add it a completed list and help you keep track of what marketers you are blocking.

If you want to visit a couple more sites to get a rid of junk mail, they are below.

ValPak - According to their site, ValPak is mailed to 45 million houses in North America. Does that make anyone else cringe?? That pack they send out goes straight into my recycled paper pile and I’m sure it happens the same way with the majority of those 45 million households.

The DirectMail.com National Do Not Mail List - Uses their direct marketing expertise to get your name off of those lists for you. The mail-order companies don’t want to waste their money sending mail to people who don’t want to receive it. So they will take you off their list as long as you ask them too. Scoll down the page to fill out the form.

Opt Out - Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the opt-in and opt-out. Choose Opt-Out for 5 years or permanently.

Also, if you are getting mail from someone who previously lived there, instead of throwing it out, write “Return to Sender/Not at this address on the envelope and drop it in the mailbox.

I wanted to get rid of our junk mail and help the environment in the process, so I signed up for all of them. It only took me 15 minutes and they are all FREE!