Another Reason to Love Apple

As if I needed one...

Check out their "Apple and the Environment" page from the website.

I'm loving my iPad (post on the whys and hows of that purchase coming soon). One of the reasons I'm loving it so much is the battery life. I can go days before charging it!

I just think that Apple is so ahead of the curve in so many areas. It's not surprising that they are dedicated to reporting their life cycle and product usage impact. And check out their Recycling Program. I love you, Apple Inc.!

Now, if only I can find a great bamboo iPad case to try and review!! :)

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Eco-Friendly Dog Stuff!

I know. Can you stand it? I love that face. Erika took this picture and many more when she came by for Bob's headshots. She's such a great photographer... check her out at Eye Spy Candids.

So we went to the Holiday Pet Bazaar last weekend. Our friend Connie was there. She works for the RISPCA and asked us to stop by. We were happy to! Connie had some stockings stuffed with treats for the shelter animals, so we bought one for a cat (Goldie) and one for a dog (Rocky)... from Dave and Gruxy, of course :)

There were lots of tables set up with doggie stuff... home made sweaters, dog treats, crafty stuff. Alysha from Furry Friends was there as well. We chatted about the upcoming comedy show, Stand Up for Animals, to benefit the Providence Animal Rescue League. I'm looking forward to it... should be fun! More info can be found on the Furry Friends website.

Alysha had some eco-friendly Kong type things from Planet Dog at her table. I had seen them at Whole Foods, and Alysha told me all about them... minty smelling, recyclable and non-toxic. The boy loves it... he gets it before we leave the house every day and it keeps him busy for a long time!

We also got some great smelling waterless shampoo!!!! This stuff is so great... it smells like kiwi melon. It actually cleans, too... it doesn't just cover up doggie smell with heavy perfume. It's made by Happy Tails, it's all natural, the bottle is made from post consumer resin, and the labels are made without using trees!

I leave you with these thoughts...

• If you have a dog in your life, these are some great gift ideas for them and/or their owners.
• If you are thinking about adding a pet to your family this holiday season, please consider a rescue. There is something very rewarding about adopting... offering a warm home, consistency and lots of love. I feel like they know they are being rescued. I really do. I'll never forget the car ride home with Grux the day we picked him up. He curled up on my lap and just slept the whole way home. He wasn't scared at all. He's such a happy, loving dog. As much as we give him, he gives to us back...

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Less Chemicals for Pets, Too

We went down to Narragansett today. Bob got a hankering for Iggy's that couldn't be denied and we ate too much chowder and clamcakes. Our plans to have dinner at Antonio's had to be rescheduled. After that lunch, there's no way we would have been able to do both!

After lunch we went to the Point Judith lighthouse with Grux. He had so much fun down by the water... but his hound instinct is intense. He was all about the birds. He's not ready to be off leash so that was kind of a bummer for him :(

On our way home, we stopped at Psychic Kitty holistic pet center in South Kingstown. The owners are sisters and they are dedicated to offering different brands of organic pet food and treats, as well as leashes, collars, toys, topical treatments and gifts.

So after poking around for a little while, we got Gruxy a cool new hemp collar from The Good Dog Company and some toothpaste and a toothbrush. I love the little guy... but his breath is fierce. So as we're checking out we mentioned to Carolyn, one of the owners, that we're trying to help him with his "situation". Carolyn made a couple of suggestions - one of which kept Gruxy occupied for the better part of an hour.

Bully sticks. Any idea what this is? It's a frickin' dried bull penis. I'm not kidding. Google it if you don't believe me. Carolyn said dogs love them and they really help with teeth cleaning. The normal size is about 3 feet long. Again... not kidding. We got a smaller one for Gruxy, obviously. The dog could not be distracted from it. He ATE the whole thing. I would have loved to have been able to take it away from him half way through but he wasn't having it. Lesson learned - get the big one and give him smaller pieces. I can't even believe I'm trying to figure out the best way to serve my dog his bull penis.

Apparently, I'll be making monthly trips to see Carolyn.

For more info on Psychic Kitty, click here for an article in the Narragansett Times.

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We Have Tomatoes!!!!

Bob told me the good news this morning. We grew something! We totally have tomatoes on one of our plants. Aren't they pretty?

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I Wish I Could Think of Stuff Like This

Rocker, personal chef and food blogger Shirlé Hale-Koslowski is a genius. She has been making shopping bags from vinyl banners she gets from Whole Foods. The story of how she came up with the idea is here, as well as how you can reach her to order one.

Shirle kinda rocks my skull.

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Eco-Conscious Purchases of the Week

My latest eco-conscious purchases!

We don't make coffee at home too often, but now when we do we won't be using paper filters. Enter the permanent filter. I think it was about $6.00 or so and it's made to be washed between uses. Supposedly, the coffee is supposed to taste better too. And no more buying and throwing away paper coffee filters!

It's about time Reynold's Wrap came up with a foil made from 100% recycled materials. I was excited to see this in the store. It's also 100% recyclable, so the chain isn't broken as long as you recycle rather than throw away. And the packaging is even made from recycled materials, and the ink on the package is water-based. Good for you, Reynold's Wrap!

And finally... the BioBag for dogs. Dog waste is compostable, and traditional plastic bags are not. Gruxy likes his walks and he's not too choosy about where he does his business. When we use BioBags, which are 100% biodegradable, we're being responsible dog owners and when we start our composting pile, we can even throw them in it! BioBag also makes kitchen bags and other products.

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Green Goal of the Month - June

B and I like to go to dinner. Though we do it a lot less these days, we still eat an average of 2 meals out each week. B says he loves going out to eat with me because a) My sparkling personality always contributes to fascinating dinner conversation, and b) If I order an entree, I rarely finish it.

But sometimes, the man just can't eat it all. And because I am trying to be a less wasteful human being, I always take the leftovers home. So far, so good, right?

Here's the problem: Lots of places are still using styrofoam containers for leftovers. This website explains why styrofoam is bad for the environment.

Here's my goal for June: This month, I will purchase and begin using my own container for such occasions. To-Go Ware sells some cool stainless steel containers that would work perfectly. Easy to keep in the trunk, next to our shopping bags.

I think just with any new habit, it will take some time to remember. We still forget to bring our shopping bags in to the store sometimes. But I'm hopeful that this one will stick. Wish me luck!

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TerraCycle

I'm so excited. B and I are growing our first ever tomatoes. We're starting with some good, organic plants, purchased at The Good Earth Organic Gardening Center here in Rhode Island. We also picked up some other plants - basil, sage and lavender. We've had basil plants before, but this will be our first attempt at keeping a fruit bearing plant - and isn't that so much more exciting? We pulled our fig plant out of hiding, too. Figgie was picked up at the Scituate Farmer's Market at the end of last summer, and Alfred told us if we kept it in the garage for the winter, it would be ready for us this summer. It already has a little green bud!

Since I have no idea what I'm doing, I've spent the last half hour online doing research about natural fertilizers and pesticides. I've even got a message out to my herbalist friend Jone, who knows everything there is to know about herbs. I can't wait to pick her brain about lavender.

As I was researching, I realized I totally forgot about TerraCycle! When I first learned about TerraCycle a couple of years ago, the thing that I thought was coolest was that they package their products in re-used soda bottles. At the time, I had no use for plant fertilizer, so I never made a purchase. But as I revisit their website, I realize now that they have created many more products using "waste".

So what's so great about their fertilizer? It's worm poop. Yup. Worm. Poop. They compost solid waste (food scraps, coffee grounds, etc.) using worms, and the result is a fertilizer that's natural and effective. Lots of people compost at home now, since it's so easy to do. I'm proud of the fact that we have reduced our trash dramatically by recycling, and I wonder how much more we could reduce if we composted.

I'm not quite ready for a composter, so for now I'll let TerraCycle do my poop harvesting for me. Maybe next year I'll have some worms of my own... one step at a time.

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A Greener Cookout

Last year, my best guy posted on his blog about ways to "green" your Fourth of July cookout. It had some great tips, which are obviously relevant for any cookout.

We're headed to a family cookout tomorrow, and our assignment is to bring a rice dish. I love how vague that is... it gives me room to be creative! Wouldn't it be funny if I showed up with rice pudding or risotto? Heh.

So I'm making wild rice salad with pecans and cranberries. Sounds good, right? I got the idea from the Whole Foods website. They have some great recipes there and I definitely recommend checking it out for ideas.

Another favorite recipe website of mine is 101 Cookbooks. Heidi Swanson is kinda my hero. I received her cookbook "Super Natural Cooking" for Christmas last year and I've probably tried 2/3 of the recipes by now. She's so inventive, and the ingredients she uses are top notch. Oh... and her photography. Gorgeous.

I wish you a safe holiday weekend, complete with lots of fun moments and picture taking with people that you love.

This is someone I love

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