Sometimes the hardest gifts to think of are those for birthdays. We usually don’t plan ahead for birthdays like we might for Christmas. Christmas can also be much more simpler because we can buy in bulk and give everyone the same of similar gifts. Birthdays tend to be a little more personalized.

I started thinking about what good, sustainable gifts would be for birthdays when my daughter was invited to one of her good friend’s fourth birthday party. Most people assume buying a toy of some sort is the best gift for that age group and if you can find a sustainable toy or organic t-shirt then it is a good option. For our family though, a sustainable toy is usually out of our price range for a birthday party. So here are my ideas for sustainable and organic gifts. Read more…

Recycling is an admirable thing to do but alone it doesn’t serve a just purpose. Reusing items is also a wonderful and sometimes creative act; although beware of items that really aren’t safe to reuse, like certain plastics. I’m amazed by the people who turn normal household items into functioning decor, such as water fountains and such keeping them out of landfills. But the best thing we can all really focus on is reducing. Read more…

Al Gore has been caught again for being an energy guzzler. According to an article found in NewsMax “Gore’s Home Still Guzzling Energy“, Al Gore’s home uses more energy in one month than the average American home uses in one year.

… Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Remember when about a year Gore was running his mouth about how we need to act now and save the planet? Kind of ironic, huh?

The real sad part is that after he got caught the first time, he greened his house with new light bulbs, solar panels and more… only to end up using more energy resources after the “green overhaul”.

We’re so glad to see Mr. Gore pitching into the green effort… he’s definitely showing the American people and the rest of the world his true colors… and it isn’t red, white and blue… and it definitely ain’t green.

Is your mailbox getting a little fat?

Like many others, we’ve always received hordes of direct marketing junk mail. Even more so since we bought a house. One night I thought about starting something profound like a “Green Advertising Initiative.” I ran it by Carrie and she said there are already companies like this in place but a paid membership is required. Why didn’t I already know this?

I Googled “do not mail list” and found the Direct Marketing Association has a list that you can register to be removed from certain mailing lists. I haven’t registered yet but plan to as soon as I’m done with this post. I am involved in internet marketing so I’m fully aware of my counterpart, direct marketing. DMA is in my mind, the authority on direct marketing best practices, they are a very reputable organization. I urge people to register with the DMA Do Not Mail List for starters to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive and reduce the impact of unwanted, excessive waste.

Green Dimes is another “stop the junk mail service.” They offer a few different packages to choose from, the basic package is free….they will actually pay you $1 to register and it is totally safe. You then have to do the data entry through your Green Dimes account to be removed from major junk mail lists. Purchase a package and Green Dimes will do it all for you.

There are several other do not mail list registrations, which like we said, require a paid membership. You’ll have to review each for yourself and decide whether you feel it’s safe to register with any given list, as it could result in even more junk mail if you register at the wrong place.

If you know of other safe “do not mail list registrations” please share/post the information here.

Camping may already be a low-impact vacation compared to what a hotel stay might consume. But is your camping style up to par with your at-home green lifestyle?

Here are some tips to make sure we are only leaving footprints and taking nothing but pictures.

1. Ditch paper plates and pack up some melamine dishes. They are super durable and reusable.

2. Forget the plastic ware and stop by the thrift store for some fancy silverware to eat with while dining in the world’s finest campground.

3. Complete your tableware with some reusable cups. We recommend plastic because they pack and store easy.

4. Leave the paper towels at home and toss in cloth hand towels. This will help reduce waste and you’ll need them for drying dishes anyway.

5. Spend at least one morning picking up all of the bottle caps and cigarette butts around your site. We believe in leaving a place better than how we found it.

6. Do dishes away from any natural water sources. Even if you are using earth-friendly dish soap, those little bubble still need the soil to make it bio-degrade.

7. Don’t burn plastic trash and certainly don’t leave your fire pit smoldering. Just a handful of campsites with smoldering pits can make for a bad air day…let’s be the good guy and just put out the stink.

8. Even if you aren’t camping in bear country, put your food up so the other little creatures don’t get it. Human food just isn’t good for those little guys.

9. If you think it might rain make sure you bring a tarp big enough to fit just under your tent and a full rain fly. When you set your tent up check out the lay of the land and don’t put it close to what looks like a small, dry creek bed. This will help you avoid the work of digging a trench and will ensure that we leave a small footprint.

10. If there aren’t showers available pick up a solar shower. These are wonderful since you can have a heated shower rather than dipping in the cold river or lake. You can even make it private by putting a tarp up around trees. This once again keeps that earth-friendly soap moving through the soil so it has the opportunity to bio-degrade.

There are a ton of ways to green up our camping experience, the most obvious is to reduce the usage of products. Hopefully these ideas will help the campsites you visit be even greener when you leave.

Looking for more adventure than just camping? Head for the river and experience white water rafting with green companies.