KAT

In my last visit to the lovely Lulu (way back in September), I walked many miles around Lu's campus (UT). While there, I noticed not only were that there were tons and tons of students walking to classes (OMG! UT is so big! I went to a college that has 100 times less students!), but that were also tons of students using the bus system.

(Pic from sleepless_aquarius, via Flickr.)

Knoxville's transit system is called KAT (Knoxville Area Transit), and I was impressed to find out that they use alternative fuels in the running of their buses. In further research, I discovered many of their buses are ran on biodiesel.

I am so happy to make this discovery. Especially, since I found it in a place where I did not expect it. I took a vacation from Asheville to Knoxville, and what did I find? Some of Asheville's best values right in the heart of a giant college campus. :)

So the next time you are in Knoxville make sure you use the bus system. You'll be helping out both the city of Knoxville and the planet Earth.
~Am~

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one you!

(Flickr)

We are so thankful for all of you! We are thankful to have met so many wonderful people through the blog world and to see that there are so many people that want to be green with us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

While all of us here are safely at home with our respective loved ones, we are deep down wishing everyone a lovely, joyful, eco-friendly and happy holiday. And one more...thank you!

~Am, Lu & Kimberly~

green your wedding!

I have to admit, even though I seem like a girl who doesn't dream of her wedding, I am. My dream wedding used to be extravagant and over-the-top and no doubt expensive. But as I 've grown older, more realistic and my priorities have changed, I now dream of a simple, green, eco-friendly, and of course, fun wedding. In building my dreams with real places, people and things, I've done a little research on how to make a wedding green.

(Photo courtesy of OnceWed on Flickr.)

Greatgreenwedding is probably the one of the most comprehensive green wedding sites. It has information on how to turn every facet of your wedding green. But other than greatgreenwedding, there are many sources to check out, like these...

http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/green-wedding/
http://green-wedding-ideas.blogspot.com/
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/weddings/
http://www.grist.org/advice/how/2008/04/29/

Have any advice for making a great, green wedding? Let us know!
~Am~

Blue Sky Beverages

Ok, so I've been on this really intense Root Beer binge lately. All I want to drink is root beer! I keep on trying different kinds and I don't really think I'm a root beer snob at this point, but I'm definitely digging the latest kind I tried! It's called Blue Sky and it's organic. This equals, my friends, yummy organic sweetness.

"Established in 1980, today Blue Sky Beverage Company provides a variety of all natural beverages including Blue Sky Natural Sodas, "Real Sugar" Sodas, Organic Sodas, Blue Energy energy drinks, and Blue Sport sports drinks. Our beverages are all natural with no preservatives, no artificial colors and only natural flavors. "

Give it a try. I have a six-pack of it in the fridge, right now. :)
~Am~

Email with a Difference

Today's tip finds us in cyberspace... emailing with a difference!

Care2.com is the "the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference". The site was started back in 1998 by concerned citizen and activist, Randy Paynter. Today Care2.com has over 9 million members, 400 nonprofit partners and hundreds of responsible advertisers contribute to making powerful, positive changes in our world.

The site not only hosts email accounts with groovy addresses like "@animail.net, @peacemail.net, @vegemail.net, and @whalemail.net" but has fabulous sections where you can:

* read news stories from around the world

* click to donate to causes that support the environment, the ocean, the rainforest and children

* send environmental-themed E-cards

* sign a petition on causes ranging from human rights, animal welfare and health policies

* shop for eco-friendly products

* further your healthy and green living lifestyle with recipes and health and wellness tips

* learn how to make a difference each day with the daily action section

* meet other like-minded people in the Care2 community

I have been a member since 2003 and have really enjoyed networking, furthering my knowledge on causes around the world, and earning butterflies ("Butterflies are Care2's way of saying "thank you" for taking the time to make a difference. Members receive butterflies for signing Petitions, creating a petition, clicking on Care2's "Click to Donate" Races, and completing Daily Actions.").

We are all using the internet these days, so why not check email and do some good at the same time by supporting Care2.com?

Company of the Week

Ship Greener. Ship Direct.

This is made possible by an international shipping company called First Global Xpress (FGX)



I received an e-mail from one of our readers (thank you Corinne! :) informing me about FGX. And sure enough this company is very post worthy.

Their promise to you:
your delivery will...
-arrive 24 hrs sooner
-cost 20% less
- use 30% fewer carbon emissions than the big shipping competitors we use and know.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

How do they do it?

FGX partners with commercial airlines that serve as 3^rd party carriers and transport your package in one direct flight, eliminating extra travel and carbon emissions.
Theres even a carbon calculator on their website, an they have an official FGX ship greener blog.



Corinne had a wonderful experience with them...if you have used First Global Xpress, let us know about your experience with them~ :)

Christmas will be here before we know it...there will be plenty of shipping going on...so you may want to check out their website before using another shipping giant. (New Clients at FGX)
~Lu~

Extra Articles on FGX
-FGX Website
-Daily News
-Yahoo Green

something pretty, something green

Today's pretty, green site is One Pretty Thing, and, trust me, it's got a lot more than just one pretty thing on it.

One Pretty Thing is packed full of how-to's, pretty pictures and snazzy captions. It's a total inspiration to anyone wanting to craft something new, whether it's just to look at or to use it. This blog is pretty much a compilation of the best crafty and artsy projects our there in this world of ours. It's the best. I spent over an hour just drooling over & dreaming about the the blog's "Daily DIY" section.

I command each & every one you: go to it. :) It's the best. It's pretty. It's green. It's DIY. It's everything we love around here.
~Am~

An eco-friendly Thanksgiving!

(WeHeartIt)

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This means lots of good food! But unfortunately lots of trash & waste.

A Few Tips to make this Holiday a little more green for our lovely planet.

1. We all have to go shopping for this holiday. Whether we are going to buy the ingredients to cook up an entire meal, or we are going to buy a pumpkin pie, or a little candle as a gift for our hostess...we're going. So don't forget to bring your reusable shopping bags, can you imagine all the extra plastic bags that are going to be used on Thanksgiving day! don't use them! plastic bags= no good
Facts on the Evils of Plastic Shopping Bags (Green Sangha)

2. There are always leftovers on Thanksgiving. always. avoid buying paper/plastic plates, paper napkins, aluminum foil to wrap those leftovers. Use reusable containers. We save everything at my house, the butter is empty (save the butter container, wash it and reuse it). So when you are cooking up a storm, save all those empty containers and reuse them to store your leftovers! and if you wanna be extra prepared, start saving all those containers now. make it a habit
(Leftovers- Planet Green)
(Eco-Friendly Food Containers-Pristine Planet)

3. Buy and eat locally grown food. support your community...more fresh, (sadly often times more expensive), better for your health, but you gotta support your local economy...especially these days.
(How does eating locally help your environment? About.com)

4. If you can stay home. do it. I am going to Iowa......so.....I am breaking this rule. we all travel on thanksgiving. let's face it. but be smart. ride a bike, carpool....bus......check your tires. etc

5. Invite those who are less fortunate...or simply have no family close by. My family and I didn't celebrate thanksgiving, because...we're French. but we always get invited every year, and we loooove it. We've now adopted this wonderful holiday, and have celebrated thanksgiving at our house many years.

6. Don't be trapped by the ridiculous amount of Thanksgiving commercialism. Decorations... make them, be creative this thanksgiving. Trust me, this will impress your family and guests a lot more.

(Martha always has great ideas.)

also ReduceYourFootprint has a wonderful post on creative ways of decorating for the holiday.
7. i'm about to get sappy on you.... (drum roll)

say thank you and i love you to your family & friends. be thankful for what you have...do it. really.


if you have any tips you wanna share...comment away! and happy thanksgiving!
-Lu-

- Also if you want to feel really good, find your local charities and organizations and see what you can do to make Thanksgiving available for those are are not so fortunate. Donate some blankets, donate a can of green beans, volunteer...

green trash bags!

What happens with your trash bags after they are thrown out with your other trash? Do they sit and rot? Do they sit there and leach chemicals from the plastic into the ground water? How long do they take to decompose? Do they decompose? To solve all these problems and queries try using recyclable or biodegradable trash bags!

BioBag: makes 100% biodegradable and compostable bags, for your trash can and other items. How do they do this? By making bags that are made out of corn. Yes sir-re, corn!

EcoSafe: has bags that are made of materials that have “controllable lifecycles.” These materials are commodity polyolefin and synthetic plastics. They are, therefore, biodegradable and compostable.

Natural Value: has bag products made of 10-20% post-consumer recycled plastic and are PVC and plasticizer-free. The bag boxes are also made from recycled materials.

Seventh Generation: ahhh, Seventh Generation, our trusted friend....makes trash bags from 55% to 80% recycled plastic.

So give these brands a try and let us know which one works the best overall for you!
~Am~

Hiya everyone! It's been a long time since I have visited the blogosphere. (I guess having a baby is a good excuse?) Though life is crazy at Chez Kimberly, I had to break my silence to bring up an important topic...As we sashay into the holiday season, it is important to remember our green values as we consider gift giving.

First, we should evaluate do we really need more stuff? Gone are the days when you waited all year to get that special item or toy. Today, adults go out and buy what they want when they want it. Children are "treated" on a regular basis. So do we really need to go over the top during the holidays? What message are we sending to our friends, family and children when we go into debt unnecessarily and indulge to excess? Let's follow "less is more" this year and consider these options:

1) Instead of buying gifts, how about making them? Some of my favourite gifts have been from neighbors and family who have put a lot of thought, time and love into handmade/homemade gifts. Bake a loaf of that delicious banana bread or share some 'friendship tea' in nice tea cup. This year, my 3 year old daughter and I will be making soap to pass along to our loved ones.

2) Consider making a charitable donation or support a good cause on behalf of the gift recipient. Does your mother love animals? How about a donation to the local humane society in her honor? Give to those who truly need. Last year, for my birthday (which is on Christmas Eve), my husband bought water jugs and mosquito nets from Oxfam's Unwrapped.

3) After considering the above alternatives, if you still want to purchase physical presents, at least purchase from fair trade sites. Auction site eBay recently partnered with the World of Good Development Organization to establish a green commercial site. World of Good.com is a "one-stop shop for environmentally conscious and socially responsible consumers". Unlike eBay's auction style, the items on World of Good have a price tag that isn't negotiable. Visitors can find items from around the world such as food, home decor, and clothing. I like that you can select a gift from a category such as "People Positive" "Animal Friendly" and "Supports a Cause".

Remember, the best gifts we can give are a clean environment and healthy planet to future generations. I hope that you will consider your impact during the holidays. For more ideas, please visit Buy Nothing at Christmas.

buying green paper products

While you can avoid the use of paper towels by creating your own cloth towels and rags, one thing you can't get around using is toilet paper.

There's just no way around it - you have to use toilet paper. So what kind of toilet paper should you use?

If you can afford it, go green and go recyclable. Here are some brands that sell non-bleached, post-consumer, and recycled toilet paper:

-Seventh Generation
-Whole Foods Markets' "365 Everyday Value"
-Green Forest


From the reviews I've read, the best value and bang for your buck is Seventh Generation's toilet paper. So give it a try! And if you can find any more post consumer toilet paper brands, let us know!
~Am~

delight!

Hey everyone! Sorry about this EXTREME lack of posting. Many, many apologies...but on the plus side...Obama is our next president! We are SO happy here at Lu-n-Am. The future is bright and so is the potential for green jobs and the U.S. becoming a sustainable nation!


Three cheers to a green present and future! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!
~Am~