Holly Green Guru

Traveling Green is easier than you might think!   You don't need to sacrifice creature comforts or go off into the middle of nowhere to be a green traveler; the heart of the matter is the importance of protecting the natural and cultural environment of the places you visit, just as you would at home.

Planning your trip:
Book flights with airlines that recycle the waste created when serving food and beverages to passengers. British Airways, for instance, has a very strong environmental agenda. Southwest Airlines recycles all cabin waste, and was the first to offer electronic ticketing system-wide.

For shorter trips, take the train instead of flying -- especially in Europe or other regions where train service is fast and frequent.

Pack light!  Your luggage is weighed at check-in so that the amount of fuel needed for the flight can be calculated. When it comes to luggage and emissions, environmentally speaking, less is more.

If renting a car, choose the smallest vehicle that can comfortably accommodate you. Decline any "free" upgrades, which will cost you, and the environment, more in gas.

Taking a long road trip? If your personal vehicle is large and not very fuel-efficient, consider renting an economy car instead. You'll save gas and avoid putting miles on your own vehicle.

Before you leave:

• Take these steps to save energy at home while you’re gone:
• Turn off AC/heat or adjust the thermostat to the most economical setting while still protecting pets, plants, water pipes, etc.
Appliances, such as TVs and cable converter boxes, should be unplugged because they can draw or "leak" as much as 40 watts per hour even when they're off.
Turn icemaker off. Stop your newspaper or in many areas, you can donate your papers to a local organization while you are traveling.

Once you arrive:
Hotel: During your hotel stay, continue what you perhaps already practice at home:  turn off the TV, switch all the lights off and turn the A/C or heat down when you go out.  Also, opt for short showers and use your own toiletries instead of the small and usually over-packaged hotel toiletries.  Here are some other green hotel tips:

• Participate in hotel linen programs, or let the hotel know that it's not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day.
• Instead of leaving bathroom lights (and fans) on all night, pack a small night light.
• Participate in hotel recycling programs by placing recyclables in appropriate bins.
  

Sight-seeing:  Walking and non-motorized bike tours are a most enjoyable way to immerse yourself in the local culture.  Get to know a new location by walking or biking where sensible.  Other green sight-seeing tips:

• Use public transportation, the hotel van or share taxis instead of renting a car. 
• Encourage your tour-bus driver to turn the motor off when idling.
• If you're driving, turn your motor off when idling.
• Don't allow anything to be thrown out of your car windows—ever.
Avoid disposable cameras and bring your own digital camera. Like any other modern device which takes loads of energy to make and only gets used once before being dumped, disposable cameras are rather wasteful.
• Take only photos, leave only footprints.  Avoid taking or purchasing souvenirs that hurt the environment, like pieces of a coral reef or products make from endangered animals and recycle or dispose of trash properly. 
Support the local economy and get a taste of native cuisine by buying local products whenever possible instead of those that have been flown or shipped in from overseas.

A big part of being a green traveler is striving to understand different people, cultures, and history. “Traveling Green” means being mindful to protect and conserve resources; respecting local cultures and ways of life; and contributing positively to local communities.

Spring is finally here and the countdown has begun!  Only two weeks until my favorite holiday, Earth Day!  April 22nd is my most favored day of the year, not only because it reminds us to care for our beautiful planet, but it also happens to be my birthday! 

And what better way to spend your birthday than to buy yourself some well-deserved presents!  I just returned from a green shopping spree, weighed down with shopping bags filled with cool eco-friendly gifts.  I started off at Old Navy and learned that they carry recyclable jeans and tees, and I just had to buy a few.  Every girl needs a new birthday outfit, right?!  Next I stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond and spotted these awesome reusable thermoses.  I ended my day at Target, where I bought the Eco Tools Makeup Brush Set and some environmentally friendly make-up.

Enough about my shopping obsession, lets talk about Earth Day!  This year over 1 billion people in 190 countries are celebrating Earth Day’s 40th Anniversary.  Over the past four decades we have been faced with a vast range of environmental issues.  Earth Day 2010 is no different; our greatest challenge being climate change.  While this is an extremely dangerous concern, it gives us the opportunity to take action in reducing our daily contributions to global warming. Earth Day Network has a list of actions YOU can take to prevent global warming; I have listed a few of my favorites:

1. Use ENERGYSTAR light bulbs; they are highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs and they will last for years.
2. Buy Recycled Products; it takes a lot less energy to manufacture recycled products than to create new products.
3. Buy organic, locally grown, in-season products.

 Go to www.earthday.net for more information and also browse your city’s website to see how you can locally support Earth Day 2010.

I hope you are just as excited about Earth Day as I am!  Even though I have already bought myself presents, I still have an Earth Day Birthday wish!! Please help celebrate my Earth Day Birthday by pledging your effort to sustain our environment this year! Write your statement in the space below. I will pick my top 25 favorite pledges and send the winners a special earth-friendly gift.

Have a great Earth Day!

Spring is just around the corner and we all know what that means-

Time to open the windows and dive into the dreaded Spring Cleaning.

Let’s face it, to most of us this is an ill-fated task that we would rather put off, but this year, let’s try to think of it as a new way to live green and get a fresh start on the season.

Today I’m focusing on how we can “Clean Green” this Spring Season.  American consumers spend millions of dollars each year on cleaning supplies filled with toxins and chemicals that harm our earth and our health.  The Clean Water Fund estimates that the average American uses about 40 pounds of toxic household cleaning products each year. 

Large corporations have realized the necessity of “living green” and have come up with alternatives on how we can clean our houses top-to-bottom in an eco-friendly matter. The more commercial this issue is getting the better.  Large companies have the voice to spread the “living green” message far and wide.

Here are a few of my favorite tips for cleaning green this spring:

1.  Make your own air fresheners! Simmer cinnamon, orange peel and cloves on your stove for a welcoming aroma. Instead of buying expensive electric filters to remove indoor air pollutants, buy a houseplant to naturally freshen your air.  Good choices are chrysanthemums, English ivy, spider plants, and Boston ferns.

2.  Clean with re-usable cotton or micro-fiber cleaning cloths instead of wasting paper towels.  Or create your own rags using old bath towels, tee-shirts and socks. Throw them in the washing machine after each use.

3.  Mix water with baking soda or vinegar to clean almost anything OR use one of the many new “green” house cleaning products available in stores

Most of us know by now that we should be using “green” house cleaning products, but which ones are the most effective to use in a hefty Spring Cleaning mission?

Good Housekeeping Research Institute did a study of the best “green” cleaners on the market.  After testing 23 cleaners, all made from plant-based ingredients, they came up with four winners, all of which you can find at your local grocery or super-store.

I have listed the winners and runner-ups below, go to www.goodhouskeeping.com/best-green-cleaners for more info.

Best Laundry Stain Removal

• Arm & Hammer, Essentials 2x Concentrated ($3.49 for 50 ounces) and can be found at select Wal-Mart and Costco stores

• Runner Up: Purex Natural Elements ($7.00 for 100 ounces) and can be found at select Meijer, Publix, Jewel, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Kmart, & Safeway stores

Best Dish Detergent

• Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid ($3.09 for 25 ounces)

Best All-Purpose Cleaner

• Sun & Earth All Purpose ($3.79 for 22 ounces) and can be found at select Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s & Giant Foods stores

• Runner Up: Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner from Clorox ($3.32 for 32 oz) and can be found at CVS Pharmacy, Dominick’s Jewel-Osco, Kmart, Target, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart

Best Super Strength Cleaner

• Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner ($5 for 32 ounces) can be found at Target, Walgreens & Wal-Mart)

I know it can be overwhelming to think about changing your entire “Spring Clean Routine,” but even changing one habit can help.  Good luck and always keep me posted on ways you living, giving, saving and cleaning green : )

A big congrats to our Ski Trip Winner, Gayle Lorens from Lansing, Michigan!

We look forward to hearing all about Gayle's trip and posting some highlights, so stay tuned! 

• Buy or make a special bookmark and give it with a book you’ve already enjoyed.
• Put a purse-size lotion and eco-friendly lip balm in a “previously loved” handbag.
• Recycle picture frames. Put a special photo in that the recipient will enjoy.
• Pair a coffee mug or teacup and saucer with a box of organic tea or bag of fair-trade coffee.
• Check out your “junk” costume jewelry. Give these as vintage items, or if you know someone who enjoys beading, pull apart stones and beads from necklaces you no longer wear, and give them new life! Create a jewelry kit by purchasing a few tools, and put the beads and stones in a compartmentalized box, cute sheer drawstring bags ─ or an egg carton!
• Speaking of egg cartons, why not fill one with used golf balls (perfect for golfers wanting to go out and hit a bucket of balls). Buy a set of biodegradable golf tees to finish it off.

Wow, the holidays already?! I was just getting the hang of 2009! This is the busiest time of the year for most of us, but let’s not lose sight of our commitment to go green and save green! Today, I’m focusing on green feasts. Here are 10 tips to enjoy a green holiday dinner, from Thanksgiving to New Years! But first, a fact that might make you lose your appetite. The Nature Conservancy reports that each year, we discard 96 billion pounds of food! And Americans gobble down 45 million turkeys on Thanksgiving! We all enjoy holiday leftovers…but a lot of leftovers get left, and then tossed! Be thoughtful about menu planning. Cut back on the number of dishes, or make smaller amounts. Send guests home with food, and get creative with leftovers. These simple efforts can save you time and money ─ as well as save you from excess waste and waistline!

1.Let’s talk turkey. If you can buy an organic, free range or heritage turkey, great! A lot of us are watching our budgets, however, so maybe this kind of green isn’t this year’s scene. In that case, save green! Cash in on the free (or nearly free) turkey offers rampant in grocery stores. Then try to buy organic for other dishes.

2.Bag it. When shopping, bring your own bags, of course. But when you must accept paper or plastic grocery bags, be sure to reuse or recycle them. The same for produce bags. These are great to pack shoes in when you travel, clean up when you walk your dog, or clean the kitty litter box.

3.Keep farming the organic produce. Organic produce is more than abundant in local supermarkets and grocery stores.

4.Can the can when you can. Many of us are so accustomed to holiday traditions, that we blindly reach for canned goods like yams, green beans, cranberry sauce and pearled onions. Whoa! Get out of the center of the store and head to the perimeter to shop fresh! This typically means healthier (often organic) food and greener production, and it definitely means no cans for the trash or recycle can!

 5.Bulk up. For holiday stuffing, baking and snacks, purchase nuts, grains, sugar, flour, dried fruits and more from bulk bins. You’ll save money and reduce packaging waste.

6.A toast to organic spirits! Wine, beer and other spirits have gone green too! If you’re serving these beverages, try to find organic or those produced locally or with sustainable techniques. Every state in the U.S. produces wine, and microbreweries abound. Finding a local beverage might be easier than you think.

 7.Give a jar a job. Save jars and containers to pack foods when you send guests home. Zipper baggies and reusable plastic containers you buy are okay, but you’re probably recycling jars and plastic tubs anyway. Hang onto them for the feast. Or ask guests to bring a bowl or container.

 8.Go light on lights. Using soy candles, rechargeable no-flame tea lights and Sun Jars (solar-charged lights in a jar) is a lovely way to turn off the lights and turn up the ambiance ─ and green living.

9.Clean green. Ah, the mess. It’s time to do the dishes. Research (from the University of Bonn, Germany) shows that most dishwashers are more efficient than hand washing. In fact, they typically use half the energy, one-sixth the water AND less soap! To make them more efficient: cut back on pre-rinsing. Only run full loads (I personally can really pack ‘em in). Run a shorter/lighter cycle. Air dry the dishes, or turn off the heated drying option. If you are hand washing dishes, stay green! Use two “sinks” ─ one of them a dish tub. Wipe the dishes with a sponge to “pre-rinse” them. Fill the regular sink halfway with hot water and half-teaspoon eco-friendly soap. Then wash cleanest dishes first (like water glasses), and end up with the worst. Once everything’s clean, create a tiny stream of water to rinse the dishes, and capture the rinse water in the dish tub. Then give the rinse water to your plants!

10.Let your green be seen. Your holiday table can go green and save green too. Cloth napkins mean no paper waste. And here are two ways to decorate green.

Look to nature for inspiration! Press fall leaves, and fan them in the center of the table, or hang them from the ceiling using thread. Use pinecones, cedar or pine boughs, pomegranates, oranges or cranberries (the ones you didn’t use in the sauce) for a center piece. If you have little pumpkins or gourds, wonderful for Thanksgiving! But if you are trying to save money and eliminate waste, don’t buy things that you’ll end up tossing.

Look to your life for inspiration! Place framed photos of loved ones in the center of the table, along with small items with great sentiment or that you are grateful for. It’s a nice way to share with others, and to bring the spirit of giving thanks and holiday joy into view! Whew. That’s it for today. Have a safe, happy, Holly Green Holly Day!

Turning your paycheck green means more than just opting in for direct deposit. Although, I of course highly recommend doing so, my post today is more focused on Green Jobs.  With the economy in a slump and people losing their jobs everyday, it is sometimes hard to stay positive and focused on finding that “dream job.” Now it seems so many of us have to settle for what is available and worry less about finding a career that makes us truly happy, and even then a miserable job may not even be a question.  Well, today I’m writing this blog in the hopes to inspire anyone who reads it. I want you to know that things will get better and although it might not seem like it; there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Most of my closest friends and family consider me to be an optimist, but even I understand that the reality of today is that jobs are harder than ever to find and salaries are less than expected. However, I like to say, “Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out!” So, instead of getting down and out about the current economic situation, get up and about! View this time as an opportunity to train yourself in a new field; the “green” job field and I promise you will find success if you want it bad enough and at this point, maybe even a pioneer in the “green” field.  Green jobs can be anything from an environmental consultant or engineer, a green building leader, a job in energy efficiency, organic farming and agriculture, sustainable teaching, etc.    As part of the Obama administrations stimulus package, 3.5 million jobs are to be created and/or saved over the next two years, most of which are considered “green” jobs.  The ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) provides $500 million to operate a system of competitive grants for training and placement in careers that “prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy as described in the Green Jobs Act.”  Now, I know there is a lot of animosity towards the stimulus package and the money spent and “yada, yada, yada”, but I am not here to get political or take a stand on either side. I am here to let you know that there are resources available and programs that do exist to get you interested, trained and qualified for the jobs that will shape our country in the years ahead.   Whether you are reading this happy at work or you stumbled across my blog endlessly searching for jobs online, I hope each of you will take a minute to visit, www.recovery.gov.  This site is administered by the Recovery Board and offers information on grant money, job postings, schooling and the investments given to your state.  There are resources and jobs available; you just have to find them and maybe put a little more effort into it than we’ve been used to in the past! Good Luck!

That's right; its only August 10th and I'm already talking about Fall! It comes and goes too fast year after year (summer that is).  However, this year I'm looking forward to the cooldown and if you love fashion; you know that fall fashion is the best fashion! It seems like no matter how many cardigans and sweaters you acquire, you can never have enough. As the economy begins to turn around a bit, I know how important it is to continue saving your "green" so I'm sending more direct mail pieces to your doorstep! Be on the lookout for some truly great savings from my team; you'll save enough to buy as many cardigans as you want without breaking the bank! AND, more importantly, you'll get the scoop on my Fall/Back-to-School giveaway; its a good one! I'll have all the details and entry forms posted on the site soon. 

 I also just want to thank all of my loyal friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter! I enjoy chatting and sharing my daily green tips with you. If you haven't found me on Facebook yet, do so now. I'm constantly giving great gifts away through trivia posts and conversing about green trends and topics! Just search for "Holly Green", or click here: Holly Green on Facebook. If you have a hard time finding me, you can email me at hollygreen@inland-western.com. 

 Thanks again for "Fall"owing me and get ready for some great Back-to-School Savings!