Make 2009 a Green Year: 5 Calendars to Mark Your Days in Style (+ Giveaway)

For the past few years, I’ve made New Year’s resolutions that have fallen by the wayside within a few weeks. This year, I’ve decided to make a few resolutions throughout the year in hopes that I’ll be able to start the new year with most of them already complete. One of them has been to do a better job of organizing my work area. I’ll have to start over pretty soon as we prepare to move to a new state in a few weeks, but one of the things I know that organized work area will need to have is a great calendar. These would also make great, inexpensive green gifts for those on your holiday list. Here are 5 stylish, eco-friendly options I’ve found:

1. Susy Jack 2009 Deluxe Calendar

One of my favorite paper product designers is back at it, creating this bold, graphic statement of a calendar. It features 12 pages printed on cover-weight paper that feature abstract, graphic images, many of which are nature inspired. It would also be perfect for me because I have a habit of forgetting to flip to the next month. The pages can be separated and hung in a row, so I wouldn’t have to switch to a new page. Not to mention it would create an awesome, artistic focal point on the wall above my desk. This is a defiinite contender.

• Why It’s Green: Printed locally on recycled paper with soy-based inks
• Price: $34

2. Magnolia Moonlight 2009 shout Calendar

Etsy is always a great resource for well-designed paper products, and this one shouted at me as soon as I saw it — literally. The shout calendar features a thought- and talk-bubble theme in vibrant colors that appeal to the graphic artist in me. The addition of small hand-written notes would give this calendar even more personality.

• Why It’s Green: Printed double-sided on 100% recycled chlorine-free cover paper with soy inks.
• Price: $30

3. Birds in a Tree Letterpress Poster Calendar

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you probably expected to see at least one calendar with a bird motif in this collection. I can’t help it! I just love bird art. Not the photorealistic portrait kind, but I really like graphic depictions of these winged creatures. The calendar features a stylized tree that is the home to 6 birds and an owl, with the top bird in such a good mood that he is singing out “Yee-Haw!” Looks like a good time!

• Why It’s Green: Letterpressed on 100% recycled kraft card stock
• Price: $35

4. Jessica Gonacha 2009 Calendar

I am a graphic artist, but give me a pencil and paper and ask me to draw, and what you’ll get is a bunch of barely recognizable scribbles and stick figures. OK…that’s a bit of an overexaggeration, but let’s just say I’m better with a mouse and a monitor.  So I can appreciate artist Jessica Gonacha’s hand-drawn illustrations, which make this calendar a clear standout. Each month features a vibrant piece of art that will make me look forward to the months to come. I need that kind of motivation!

• Why It’s Green: Printed on recycled cover stock
• Price: $30

5. Asgard Press Vintage 2009 Calendars

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I have to consider my husband’s taste when I’m decorating. I tend to get all gung-ho and sometimes forget to ask if he likes something. So this pick is in his honor. These awesome calendars from Asgard Press feature vintage Mad Magazine covers, superheroes and football programs from nearly any big football school you can think of — from Alabama to Yale and everything in between. Sounds like a great gift for nearly any man. Even if he doesn’t like football, what man can resist a vintage Superman cover?

• Why It’s Green: Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks
• Price: $18.95

Want to win one?

The folks at Asgard Press sent me a couple of calendars to review and give away to my great readers. My husband went right for the MAD Magazine calendar, but I’ve got two more left — a DC comics superheroes calendar and a vintage University of Georgia football calendar. To enter, visit Asgard Press and take a look around, then come back here and tell me which calendar is your (or your husband’s) favorite. Do this by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Two lucky winners will be selected.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. All current subscribers are eligible to win. And there’s no need to leave a comment letting me know you subscribe by email. I’ll know you’re a subscriber
2. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS subscribers are anonymous otherwise.
3. Blog about GreenYourDecor.com and post a link to your blog entry here.
4. Stumble or give a thumbs up to any page at GreenYourDecor.com via StumbleUpon and post a link to your SU profile to verify your thumbs up.
5. Fave Green Your Decor on Technorati. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Technorati user name so I can verify it.

So that means every participant can receive up to 6 entries. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 18, 2008, to enter. U.S. mailing addresses only. Two winners will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!