A Website For the Boys..Finally.

photo by tricia chatterton

A friend of mine passed this onto me: a lifestyle website for the boys. It's pretty entertaining.
http://www.thrillist.com/the-deal.html?Sub_Else

This Week's Green Tips...

photo by tricia chatterton


6 Ways to Go Green at Work


I'm not going to get all kinds of granola on you and start dying my hair with henna, use that crystal rock for my pits (so does NOT work, by the way), and live in the woods. But, I am going to make an effort to evolve into my greenness- as we all should. Here's this week's tips to break you into your new green lifestyle.

1. Be bright about light
Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings. Turn your lights out if you're not using them and make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency
Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.

Turn off your computer when you're not using it—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy. And make sure you recycle old computers/electronic equipment.

3. Print smarter
The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.

Try to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode when possible.Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."

4. Go paperless. Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item. Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

5. Watch what (and how) you eat. Bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.
Institute a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

6. Create a healthy office environment. Use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution. Suggest to management that they should make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

The Frisky: Sarcasm Abound. Love it.

My favorite site today is

www.thefrisky.com

It provides humorous insight to life as a woman. Men, you can learn much from this site. Check out "Four Words That Should Never Be Uttered" under the "love" section. HILARIOUS!

It's ALL About the Green

photo by Tricia Chatterton

NO, not green as in money or green beer, but green as in "saving the environment"- which we all should be more concerned about. After reading a few magazines and books about how to live organically and save the environment, I'm now thoroughly petrified of all the chemicals in my apartment. Being the product queen that I am, it will be challenging to keep my attention span a la green but I'm going to try my darnedest. Not only does "going green" save the environment, it saves you money. So, toss all of your air fresheners, detergents, Glade plug ins, scented candles (OH, that's painful) and cleaners and break out the vinegar, Borax, lemon juice and baking soda (bleach and ammonia projects create asthma attacks and allergy issues).

Here's a site to help guide you into your greenness. I'll pop up with more from time to time and if you have any sites, you'd like to add to this blog, please comment back! Thanks!

www.greenchoices.org

Earth Hour Countdown...

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.

Participate and see what different you can make.

http://www.earthhour.org/