See this lovely tree:

Nice right? Tall, well shaped, watching over what could be a blank field. Well, my pal Scott over at Health and Men has a sad story up about this tree today. One you should head over to read. Scott usually blogs about health and music, but today this story put him in a mood, so he veered off topic to cover it. And I’m glad he did. It’s a great, thoughtful post, that will make you think. Also, I like this post because if issues like one tree can’t affect someone, somewhere, well, just where does that …read more

The paper towel challenge has been a tad bit quiet, but maybe some of you are following along in silence. Or maybe you’re saving it for next month.
I feel that just keeping track of my use has helped me reduce my consumption of paper towels. I figured I was already being good by not using them to dry my hands, for napkins, or most cleaning jobs, but I found out I was reaching for them more than I thought. I used one roll from May 1-23, and have used a little of a second roll since then. I’m going to …read more

I’ve been thinking about this since Arbor Day in Washington is coming up next week. I used to think there was a set Arbor Day across the U.S. but really we all celebrate on different days.

The Arbor Day Foundation has an easy chart that shows when your state celebrates Arbor Day. Some communities celebrate with week-long events, others for just a day. However, many celebrate in April, so if this is something that you and your family is interested in, I’d check the list today.
For those not in the U.S. you can check their handy list of Arbor Day events …read more

Many of us are welcoming spring today, so I thought it would be nice to go over some nature loving, tree hugging, eco-friendly ideas that will carry the entire family through the better part of spring and into summer.
1. Quit looking at nature through your frosty windows. It’s warming up, so get out there and enjoy nature in real time, in real life, in full blown color.
2. Throw open your windows wide and let in the fresh air. Natural ventilation is actually a really effective green home goal to aim for. Proper cross ventilation naturally helps to remove any indoor …read more

Etsy is cool. It’s easy to get addicted to their handmade goods. Some of their green goods are questionable; such as recycled sweater coffee cup sleeves (um, why use paper cups anyway), but many of the items you’ll find are very cool.  Like…
Green Handkerchief:  Nice for a reusable handkerchief. 100% cotton and vintage to boot. Adorable design and so much less waste than using paper based tissues.

This is one reusable item I’m a little concerned with, mainly because I always wonder about the overall germ issues – and believe me, I’m not germ-a-phobic or anything. But when you’re sick you …read more

Arieanna from Cooking Gadgets posted this cup and I had to show you. I said, “Greenish” in the title, because frankly the packaging is bad news, (it looks like there’s a lot more than necessary) but over all this cup is pretty slick.
The ‘I am not a paper cup’ cup:

Porcelain not paper – but strikingly similar. Visit Cooking Gadgets to learn more about this handy alternative to disposable.
[Thanks to Gayla for the heads up]

In the previous evil-filled post; Peggy noted her issue with paper baking cups and then Marye the ever helpful baking mama reminded me about Silicone Baking Cups which are amazing. Marye has an entire review and post about them at Baking Delights so hop over there to check them out.
I will say that these baking cups are great. They’re reusable so save both paper and money. Also, they come in fun shapes that kids will adore.
Like…
Silly Feet, Diamonds, Triangles, and more.

If you get the cool silly feet cups you and the kids will have hours of fun making …read more

The Sugar Maple is the official state tree of Vermont and is lovely. Tall, winding, and spread out for shade with beautiful leaves.

The Sugar Maple is considered the best source for maple sugar — read more about specific Sugar Maple characteristics. Grow Native also has some great info for Sugar Maple huggers.
NPR recently offered an alarming, but great article on the future of the Sugar Maple as global warming continues to advance. Sugar Maple trees are delicate; or I should say sensitive and while global warming is not healthy for anyone or anything on the planet it could be very …read more

I was going to do this as a holiday gift idea — which it most absolutely is but decided that it warrants it’s own post. Void of the holiday gift category.

Eco-Libris is this very neat website that’s promoting eco-savvy by means of reading and books. Their goal is a world where books and reading does not have a detrimental affect on the planet. Books are; as we well know mostly paper. And we all know paper comes from trees. As a big reader myself I do get stressed out about books vs. the planet. If you’re wrestling with this …read more