A few weeks ago, I introduced you to the newest toy in my kitchen, the FoodSaver vacuum sealing system. The challenge was set: I was to use it for three weeks and record how much money I saved by preserving food items in the FoodSaver bags. The problem? The way I shop.

In order for the FoodSaver to be a truly cost-saving device, it requires a shift in shopping methods. For so long, I have been used to buying only what we need and will use before it spoils. That means a single bag of bread, or two containers of strawberries or a one bag of potatoes. It is rare for us to throw these things away because we go through them before them go bad.

In the three weeks since I started the challenge, I never really got the hang of buying more than we needed in order to save money. I typically go to the grocery store with a list and a budget, and I do my best to stick to them. In other words, if buying 3 extra pounds of fish because they were on sale means that I’ll have to blow my budget, chances are I won’t buy them.

I realize, of course, that I’ll save money in the long run, but I’m still working in making that mental shift. So while I started out with all these grandiose ideas about trips to Sam’s Club and the farmer’s market, that just didn’t happen because those things were so far outside my routine. It didn’t help that Thanksgiving was smack dab in the middle of it all, so we were actually doing something counterproductive: we were actually trying to clear out the fridge of all extra stuff so we’d be able to fit the seasoned turkey and all the leftovers in there.

However, there were two situations for which we were able to use the FoodSaver consistently: for preserving steaks and marinating meat. And when I say consistently, I mean “by trial and error.” Need proof? Check out this video of my husband and I trying to figure out how to seal properly:

My husband is the only one in our house who eats steak. Consequently, when he buys a pack, it’s not likely he’ll eat all of it in a hurry. He became well acquainted with the FoodSaver because he wanted to preserve his precious steaks He would buy them on sale for $3-5 apiece, then season and vacuum seal them. The result? We saved money because he could buy larger quantities instead of running to the store whenever he wanted a steak and buying them at full price, and the vacuum sealing resulted in very well-seasoned meat. We also did this with chicken, seasoning it the day before we planned to cook it and sealing it up. I have to say, I loved the result.

So while I probably failed in an overall savings strategy for the FoodSaver, I did find two specific situations in which it is useful for us. And now that I’m more aware of how to use it (buying in bulk, shopping sales, etc) and I’ve learned from the steak example, I’ll try to do a better job of using those strategies on a regular basis. So in my mind, the challenge isn’t over!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing my FoodSaver experience with you. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I am a very big proponent of using real dishes all the time — even on occasions when you have to serve a lot of people. But if there was ever a time to pull out and use your “good dishes”, it’s during the holidays. And as it turns out, good dishes also make a pretty sweet gift.

Baked in the Balkans Dinnerware is a collection of tableware imported from Eastern Europe. Why import? Well, in the Balkans, pottery is still hand-produced via traditional methods: On wheels, glazed with salt and enhanced with watercolor paints. These pieces are free of toxic paints, dyes, artificial glazes and anything else you wouldn’t want touching your food.

There are several styles to choose from, some in solid colors, and some featuring more elaborate patterns. Personally, I love the Glosee collection, which features a glossy (hee hee) finish that makes for a very contemporary look. I also love the fact that these dishes are both microwave and dishwasher safe, since I’m not a fan of putting plastic in the microwave.

Baked in the Balkans pieces are designed to be durable and stylish, and they’d make a great gift for almost any adult on your list.

Why it’s Green:

• Handmade using traditional methods
• Free of toxics paints, lead, dyes and artificial glazes

Price: $99/4-piece place setting

(sponsored post)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I am addicted to soaps and cleaning products with potent, natural fragrances. Really. Not addicted in the “I’ll sniff it to get high” sense, but I love a lasting fragrance when I take a shower or clean the bathroom. It may be illogical, but the fragrances make me feel “cleaner.”

And since we banished toxic cleaning and personal care products, I’ve realized that my nose has become extremely sensitive to chemical smells and artificial fragrances. Case in point: My husband bought a bottle of bleach sometime last year in an attempt to battle mold in our old apartment. When he opened it, I was three rooms away and had no idea there was bleach in the house. Yet, I smelled it and immediately got a headache. I ran to him screaming my head off about the bleach while he stood there confused about how I possibly could have known he was using it. To put it mildly, chemical smells are not welcome in my house.

Given the choice, I absolutely prefer scents created by Mother Nature herself. Not by a scientist in a lab coat. This also applies to perfumes and other fragrances for personal use. I’m more likely to rub a tiny bit of frankincense or orange essential oil on my wrists than I am to buy scented oils or “Eau de Toilette” at the mall.

By far, though, my favorite scents from nature are lavender and peppermint. They may be cliche, but I use them in everything and can’t get enough. I even mix them together when making homemade bath salts and carpet powder. The combination is intoxicating! I’d like to think that when my daughter is all grown up, these smells will bring back happy memories of her childhood. The smell of lemongrass and thyme absolutely do that for me. One sniff, and all of a sudden I’m back in the Virgin Islands.

They make me think of mornings drinking breakfast tea with my aunt and grandmother, and days when my mother would send me outside to pick some thyme leaves to add to her arroz con pollo, Puerto Rican-style chicken and rice. And the smell of ripe soursop never fails to make me misty-eyed at thoughts of my granddaddy, who once “forced” to me to drink a glass of milk. I hated milk. Still do. As it turns out, the “milk” was really soursop juice, so all my moping and complaining about having to drink it was for nothing. He thought it was hilarious.

Seventh Generation understands that Mother Nature knows best when it comes to fragrances. Their collection of dish liquids is a testament to that. You’ll find options like fresh citrus and ginger, lavender ( ), and lemongrass and clementine zest. In celebration of the fields from which their fragrances are derived and the hands that cultivated them, they are having the Nature Makes Great Scents Sweepstakes. You can enter to win a trip for two to either France, Italy or Vermont — the regions where lemons, clementines and lavender grow.

What natural fragrances do you love? Do they remind you of your childhood? A loved one? Have you ever seen the inside of a soursop? lol

Photos: Stock Xchng and Davity Dave

Disclosure: I was compensated for writing this post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I hate grocery shopping. There. I said it.

I am one of those people who will put off going to the store for weeks, forcing my husband to stop in at the nearest store to replace staples like milk, eggs and bread. That said, I am always looking for ways to get out of regular grocery shopping trips. If I can save some money and buy more fresh food in the process, I’m all for it. So when Walmart recently offered me the chance to take the FoodSaver challenge, I was all for it!

A Food Saver is simply a machine that allows you to vacuum seal food — or anything else, really. What this means, in practical terms, is that I can buy more produce, meat, etc., in a single shopping trip, then vacuum seal it and store it for longer than normal.

Need some examples? No problem. A head of lettuce stored in the refrigerator will usually last about 3-6 days before it begins to spoil. We eat a lot of sandwiches, but with 3 people in the house, we almost never get through all of it. With the FoodSaver, the same head of lettuce can last up to 2 weeks.

Sounds good, right? I thought so too. It sounds like I’ll be able to save money in a couple of ways:

• Food will last longer, so there will be less waste (ie. wasted money)
• I’ll be able to buy more items in bulk, because I’ll be able to store the excess longer (saving money AND getting rid of excess packaging)
• I’ll be able to buy more organics from the local farmers markets because I’ll be able to keep produce fresher longer (yay, organics!)
• I’ll be able to stock up when items are on sale, because we’ll be able to store the extras until we need them

Plus, unlike a lot plastic packaging, the storage bags used with the FoodSaver system are BPA-free. So I’ll be able to remove food from potentially toxic plastic packaging and put it in something less toxic that will help it last a lot longer.

So what is the FoodSaver challenge?  Simply put, over the next few weeks, I’ll be tracking how much money I spend and save on groceries while using the system and compare it to what I normally would have spent in the same period. I’ll also be trying to find creative uses for the FoodSaver, like sealing important papers.

Check back in a few weeks to see how I did!

Have you used the FoodSaver or a similar vacuum-sealing system?  If you’d like to take the challenge with me, you can get a coupon for $10 off a FoodSaver system at  SmartSource! Just look for “FoodSaver” from the brand drop-down menu to find it. You can use the coupon to pick up your FoodSaver and supplies at Walmart or Walmart.com.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing my FoodSaver experience with you. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Lately, I’ve been a bit of slacker when it comes to the personal care and household products I’ve been using. I haven’t completely fallen off the bandwagon, but sometimes I really don’t want to spend $15 for a small bottle of laundry detergent. So I’ll go for the $4 Purex Naturals which isn’t horrible, but has ingredients I can’t really verify. Or I’ll grab Clorox Greenworks instead of Mrs. Meyers because the latter is hard to find in person.

Case in point: Rewind to last August. I remember my excitement at learning that Walmart would finally carry Seventh Generation products. Then reel back that excitement once I realized that Seventh Gen never made it to the shelves of my local store. Still haven’t, actually. And while I CAN find it elsewhere, I knew with everything in me that the prices at Walmart would be better. Like I said, $15 for a small bottle of Seventh Gen laundry detergent is not a good look for me. And I’m not into ordering cleaning/household products online when I can help it.

So when the Walmart Moms were approached to try Walmart‘s new offering, Home Free Shipping, I jumped at the chance to see what the Seventh Gen prices were like online. I was not disappointed.

But first, a little about Home Free. This new service offers free shipping to your house on all orders of apparel and consumables over $45. Thousands of items are eligible for shipping via Home Free, including beauty products, diapers, clothing, household cleaning products, snacks, personal care products, vitamins, pet food and more. There’s also an option to sort items by those that are available for Home Free, so you won’t inadvertently put something in your cart that won’t qualify for free shipping.

Given this opportunity, I figured why not check out the green household product selection. Tons of products were available, and I opted to buy the one thing we constantly run out of: Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent. I grabbed a 150 oz. bottle for just $19.99, a big step from $15 for a much smaller bottle of the same detergent. And as shown above (click the image to view it full size), you can also see on the product page whether it is eligible for Home Free. But the threshold to receive free shipping is $45. So I added a bottle of Yes To Carrots conditioner (which I really needed) and two cute shirts (that I just wanted) to my shopping cart and called it a day.

Within 4 days, I had my order, though it came in 2 separate deliveries. They also included a free lip balm from Yes To Carrots, which was a sweet little surprise. Next time I need some Seventh Gen  or YTC products, I’ll know where to shop, and I can’t wait until Walmart extends this program to all their other products as well!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing my their new Home Free shipping program with you. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

As grateful as I am to have a bed to sleep in each night, there are few things more uncomfortable than sleeping in a lumpy, outdated mattress. My husband and I had been doing just that for the past 2 or 3 years. While our mattress was just 6 years old, and its recommended you replace your mattress after 8 years, ours had a little more wear and tear than your average bed. In the years we’ve had it, we’ve moved a whopping 8 times. Sometimes the moves were across town and sometimes across state lines, and for a long while, we slept on the mattress and box spring right on the floor, with no bed frame. Needless to say, all of that hustling and bustling turned our once-comfy pillow top mattress into a lumpy mess that made for restless nights and mornings filled with back pain.

A few days ago, though, all that changed, and you couldn’t pay me to go back.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had partnered with The Clean Bedroom to rebuild my master bedroom from the ground up — starting with the bed. And I have to say that of all the partnerships I’ve made at Green Your Decor over the years, this one has already been one of the most rewarding. You don’t realize just how restless your sleep is until you have a night of really great sleep.

My husband and I received the queen Oyasumi (oh-ya-su-mi) Natural Latex Organic Mattress by Naturally Organic, a Clean Bedroom exclusive. What I immediately loved about this option, before we even received it, is that the natural latex mattress can be customized with medium or firm cores on each side. Thanks to the Sleep Number store in the local mall, my husband and I learned a few years ago that while I prefer a relatively firm mattress that offers great back support, my husband prefers the comfort of something softer. So he chose the medium core and I chose firm.

Once we placed our order, it took a few weeks to build and ship the mattress and foundation. However, the delivery process was seamless. I received an email from the shipping company requesting that I choose a delivery time from 4 options — each more than a week away. Because of that, I was able to plan my schedule around those hours. And because we live on the third floor of our apartment building, I was relieved to know they’d deliver the mattresses right inside our front door. Bringing groceries up those stairs is a workout, so I wasn’t looking forward to the prospect of lugging anything heavier.

Plus, I’d heard that natural latex mattresses are heavy. And what I’d heard was absolutely correct.

The foundation was about the same weight as a typical box spring, but the mattress? It was Really. Heavy. Plus natural latex is much more flexible than a standard mattress, which means once we opened the box in which it was shipped, it was really hard to keep it upright so we could pick it up and move it into our bedroom. It took some trial and error, but eventually, we were able to move it and lay it on the foundation. The latex cores shifted, but we simply unzipped the organic cotton cover and shifted them back in place. Easy peasy.

And of course, once the bed was set up, albeit sheetless, I couldn’t help but give it a test run. And as soon as I laid on it, I knew we’d made the right choice. My first comment to my husband? “Wow babe! It’s like sleeping on a cloud!” He laughed and gave me a side-eye, but as soon as he gave it a try, the look on his face was priceless. Pure, unadulterated comfort.

I was so lost in CloudVille that I didn’t even want to get up to put sheets on the bed. But since we also received two Natura DreamMate Organic Pillows and a Naturally Organic wool, summer weight comforter, I knew I needed to cover them up to maintain their pristine condition. But once I put sheets on the bed, it was lights out. I took my first afternoon nap in years. And not because I was really tired. Seriously, once my head hit the pillow, I couldn’t help myself. I was out in minutes.

When I woke up about 2 hours later, my daughter had already eaten dinner and taken a bath (did I mention how much I love my husband?), and I felt like a million dollars. Really.

And lest you think I’m the only one with this opinion, here’s another tidbit. My husband and I will usually lay in bed and watch TV or play golf on the Playstation for a few hours before we actually go to sleep. In this bed, that is all but impossible. The first night, my husband fell asleep in minutes, and I wasn’t far behind. And when we woke up in the morning, it was hard not to notice how great our backs felt. The pain was negligible, at best. We weren’t stiff or cramped or complaining like we usually had been. It was great!

Plus, unlike an innerspring mattress, there is very little movement in the mattress itself when a person gets on and off the bed. Sort of like those commercials for memory foam mattresses when they put a cup of wine on one side of the bed and have someone jump up and down on the other side. We didn’t try that test, for obvious reasons, but the difference in bed motion was immediately noticeable. I used to wake up nearly every morning when my husband got out of bed, or more specifically, when he sat back down. Now, he’s up and dressed before I even realize what’s going on.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better sleep experience, and it has only gotten better with time. The Natura pillows are incredibly soft and cushy, and the summer weight comforter offers just enough loft and softness without being too hot. I’m one of those people who will sleep with a blanket no matter how hot it is, because I just like the feeling of being in a cozy little cocoon. But 90 degree Georgia nights will change that in a hurry. This comforter is a Godsend, because it gives me the comfort I want without making me sweat.

I hate to sound like I’m overselling this, but this trio of organic, natural sleep products has completely changed our nights and mornings for the better. I like to read in bed, but lately, I haven’t been able to get in more than a few pages at night because I fall asleep so quickly. I couldn’t even stay awake long enough to finish watching Burn Notice! And if you know me, you know that I Do. Not. Miss. Burn Notice.

But, is a great night’s sleep worth it? Absolutely! Now we just have to make rest of the room look as great as the bed feels!

(sponsored post)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I have planned a lot of bedrooms over the past few years — all decked out in beautiful, eco-friendly furniture, bedding and accessories. But with each of those rooms, I overlooked what should have been the most important building block of any truly functional bedroom — the bed.  No matter  how beautiful, for a bedroom to provide the respite for which it is designed, the bed has to be comfortable. In our previous master bedroom, we achieved aesthetic beauty, but my husband and I were waking up morning after morning with stiffness and pain because we needed a new bed.

This asymmetry between the way the room looked and the way it functioned made me seriously rethink the way I plan a bedroom. So I have partnered with The Clean Bedroom to rebuild my master bedroom from the ground up — starting with our sleep surface.

About the Sponsor

The Clean Bedroom is exactly what its name implies: an eco-friendly online retailer designed to help you clean your bedroom of harmful chemicals and toxins by providing all the building blocks: organic and natural latex mattresses and foundations, organic bedding, pillows and robes, sustainable furniture, air cleaning systems and more. You’ll find proven green brands in their store, including Savvy Rest, Natura, Naturepedic, Coyuchi, Pacific Rim and Green Sleep, among others. They researched each brands, in many cases visiting their factories to inspect materials and production quality. All of this means that what you get is truly green — not greenwashed.

Featured Products

Oyasumi (oh-ya-su-mi) Natural Latex Organic Mattress by Naturally Organic, a Clean Bedroom exclusive | Queen: $3086 | This all-natural latex organic mattress can be customized with medium or firm latex cores. Each partner selects the comfort core on their side of the bed, or the mattress can be configured the same on both sides. The outer cover features a stretch knit organic cotton fabric, and organic wool is quilted beneath providing additional pressure relief and temperature regulation.

The Clean Bedroom 300-thread count Organic Sheet Set | $100-185 | Made in Thailand of undyed SKAL 100% certified organic cotton and shipped in biodegradable packaging (hemp and corn film).

Natura DreamMate Organic Pillow | $93-123 | The secret to the comfort of the Dream Pillow is found in the latex fill, which imitates the feel of down. It features a non-removable organic cotton cover, natural Talalay latex core and Natura Wool™ lining. It is designed to regulate temperature next to skin for healthy sleep,
provide proper head and neck support, and to be naturally antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant.

Naturally Organic Wool Comforters | $348-624 | These comforters are made of certified organic Argentinean wool with a 100% organic cotton cover. You can choose between two fill weights: Medium (fall) and Light (summer).

All of these products are designed to maximize comfort and air flow — the exact opposite of what our current, sagging 6-year-old mattress is doing.

So now that the important parts are taken care of, here’s what else we plan to use to fill out our master bedroom and make it the calming, relaxing retreat we’ve wanted it to be for so long:

1. Sweet Pea Purple Vase, Large  |  $40  |  Made of hand-thrown porcelain
2. Sunburst Mirror  |  DIY  |  Remember the mirror I made last year from bamboo skewers? It will have a new home (if I can convince my husband it won’t impale us in the middle of the night
3. Cotton Canvas Printed Tortoise Window Panel | $34-49/ea. | Made of traditional cotton canvas (not organic, but better than synthetic fabrics like polyester)
4. Upholstered Nailhead headboard  |  DIY  |  I plan to make this myself. Tutorial coming as soon as it’s complete.
5. Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover + Shams | $19-119 | Made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.
6. Peony Pillow  |  $149  | Made from hand-felted wool in Nepal, layers of soft, voluptuous peony petals blossom forth from this dazzling decorative accent (aff).
7. Mid-century Dressers & Nightstands  |  $350  |  We found these on Craigslist just before we moved into our new apartment — a 6 drawer dresser, tall 5 drawer dresser (shown) and 2 nightstands. We needed to replace my and my husband’s dressers, and these 60-year-old beauties are perfect for us. They are made of solid wood that has already stood the test of time. All we did was replace the drawer pulls — some of which weren’t in great shape.
8. FLOR Toe the Line Rug  | $8.99/tile  |  Made partially of recycled materials and fully recyclable.

Our hope is that all these changes, most specifically the bed, will improve our sleep and help us wake up without pain. We will report again once we receive the bed and again once we’ve slept with it for a while. Wish us luck!

(sponsored post)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

At the moment, I’m not a fan of spending a lot of time in the bathroom. At one time, it was one of my favorite places to “get away” from everyone. I could go in there, close the door and be alone. But when your bathroom is as boring and utilitarian as mine was, spending time there gets really old really fast. Unfortunately, we’re renters, so there’s not a whole lot I can do about it beside add a few accessories and maybe paint. But what I wouldn’t give for my bathroom to look like this:

Now THAT is a place where I could spend some time! But because this site is about style with substance, you know there must be something more to this image than good looks. This eco-friendly bathroom vanity is made of solid, FSC-certified cherry wood.

Can’t you just picture it paired with some gorgeous recycled glass tile? Add the tub shown above, also made of FSC-certified wood, or any of a variety of other eco-friendly bathroom products and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous green room you won’t be able to wait to use!

Why It’s Green:

• Made of FSC-certified wood

Price: $3369.99

This is a sponsored post. As usual, all opinions are my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

This year, I created the Green Gift Guide with the benefit of perspective based on the last few years. And with that experience, I’ve realized that point blank, it’s pointless to give a green gift if it won’t be loved and used. Because no matter how eco-friendly a gift may be, any gift that winds up sitting in a corner will is really just more “stuff.”

That said, how do you define a green gift? Is it green because of what it is made of or how it was made? Because it will be loved forever, and never thrown away? Because it is a gift of experience (for example, ballet classes) rather than something that requires raw materials and creates waste? Because it can serve another purpose later in its life?

Personally, I think it can be all those things and more.

Whenever I give gifts, I get a kick out of coming up with something I know the recipient will love, whether it’s something I can buy, something I can make, or whatever. I listen carefully when the people on my list are talking about their interests and needs, and I try to gift accordingly. For example, someone on my list (who shall remain nameless in case this person happens to be reading) loves art and spends a LOT of time sketching, painting and building. So my gift is art supplies, with a green twist. The sketchbooks are made of recycled paper, the pencils from recycled wood, etc. At the end of the day, I KNOW they’ll be used, but I’m able to tack on an extra lesson about buying responsibly by making careful choices.

Hindsight has led me to shift my gift giving strategy.Instead of giving gifts that are technically green just because of that fact (which I did last year, to some extent), I’ll give gifts that the recipients really want, but try to find a green alternative (like looking for a used video game console or guitar instead of a new one).

What is your gift giving strategy this year?

If you’re looking for a simple, virtual gift, send a Gift of Green eCard via Facebook. This application allows you to pledge the green acts you are doing every day and encourage others to follow suit. You can remind them to run the dishwasher only when it’s full, to turn the heat down or other simple pledges. Either way, the minute it takes you to send a card can help someone make a shift to a greener lifestyle.

Disclosure: Rockfish Interactive, in partnership with Cisco, has compensated me for my time on this campaign. All opinions and thoughts are my own, as always. For more information, please read my disclosure policy. See what the other green bloggers have to say: Sommer from Green and Clean Mom, Lisa at Condo Blues and Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess. (sponsored opp)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I don’t know about you, but the prospect of having guests for the holidays always sends me scrambling to make sure my home is in tip-top shape. That’s not to say it isn’t in good shape all the time. Just that having guests makes you take a second look at things and rooms that normally wouldn’t get much attention — like the bathroom.

I fully admit that beyond our choice of shower curtain and an inexpensive picture on the wall, we didn’t give our bathroom a whole lot of thought. The room is very small, and I always wonder how we can best use the space to make it more functional and stylish. This is especially true around the holidays with the prospects of guests and their additional towels and personal care products. The teak towel ladder shown above from Verde Lifestyles is a great solution. It can accommodate a bunch of extra towels, and the shelf can hold soap dishes and more. Plus, it would be a great replacement for our over-the-door towel rack, which is both an eyesore and an obstruction when we’re trying to get into our closet.

If you really want to make your bathroom feel like a spa, add a teak spa mat for when you step out of the shower and bath bar for long baths. I can just imagine relaxing in the tub with a book, a cup of tea and a fragrant soy candle. If you have a little extra space, a matching wall shelf and spa stool also are available. Roll up a few towels for your guests, and it’ll look like you made a lot more effort than you really did

Why It’s Green:

• Made of fast-growing, farmed teak regulated by the Royal Forestry Department of Thailand.
• Finished with all natural, non-toxic teak oil
• Hand-carved and finished, so each product is unique

Price: $57.75-162.75

(sponsored post): This post is sponsored by Verde Lifestyles. As always, all opinions are my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Last week, I introduced you to Cisco’s One Million Acts of Green and briefly told you about the Three to Green Sweepstakes. It’s actually a pretty awesome deal.

If you sign up and pledge to just 3 acts of green, you will be entered to win a $5000 shopping spree at BuyGreen.com. The great thing about BuyGreen is that all of the products for sale on their site already have been vetted as green. You can buy everything from eco-friendly furniture to recycled earrings, organic clothing and safer cleaning supplies all in one place. The decorator in me loves the entire “home” cateogory, but a $500o windfall would be a big boost for anyone trying to make their lifestyles greener.

A word of warning though: As tempting as it would be to spend $5000 all at once on whatever you like, a better approach would be to use it on things you need over time. Giving in to over-consumption isn’t a very green thing to do, no matter the source of the spending money.

You can enter once or many times. For every additional three acts of green you do, you’ll earn another entry. If that’s not incentive to participate in One Million Acts of Green, I don’t know what is! And look at it this way: Even if you don’t win, by the time you’re through pledging and completing acts, you will have made a change (or many) in your lifestyle that can only serve to make this planet a better place.

Disclosure: Rockfish Interactive, in partnership with Cisco, has compensated me for my time on this campaign. All opinions and thoughts are my own, as always. For more information, please read my disclosure policy. See what the other green bloggers have to say: Sommer from Green and Clean Mom, Lisa at Condo Blues and Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess. (sponsored opp)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I’m always looking for ways to make our lives a little greener, and I’ve mentioned more than once that I’m a lazy cook (when I cook at all). No matter how hard I’ve tried, I can’t kick my habit of eating out a few times a week when my husband and I don’t feel like cooking. So we’ve decided that we’ll try to do a better job of cooking at home (even when we don’t want to) AND taking our own containers when we do buy food from a restaurant so we won’t have to throw away theirs. Only, we’re often just too lazy to cook, and we always forget our reusable containers at home.

I really needed some way to remember to do this. When I learned about Aladdin’s Do The Reuse Challenge, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally kick the takeout habit. I started last night by making my favorite ziti recipe with some of the herbs and spices we bought through Locally Grown last week. I made enough to last us a few days so I don’t have to cook again for a while, but we’ll still have a hot, home-cooked meal. I’ve also put a bag in the car that contains two reusable containers so they’ll be at the ready whenever we do eat out again.

So what is the Do the Reuse Challenge? Put simply: It’s a 30-day commitment to give up disposable paper cups, water bottles, or food containers. The first two are no problem for our household, since we’d given those up a long time ago, but that last part is the sticking point. Everyone is welcome to participate in the challenge, and 9 families will blog about their experience on the Aladdin website. By accepting one of the Do the Reuse Challenges, you can also get discounts and free shipping on select reusable Aladdin products, many of which are made of recycled plastic.

I don’t know about you, but it’s easier for me to commit to a change when I give myself a specific challenge and when I can get encouragement from others who are doing the same. I know we’ll eliminate a lot of packaging waste just by cooking at home and using our own takeout containers, but imagine the impact it will have if a whole family decides to take all three challenges. You can even join Aladdin on Facebook to get additional support and read others’ stories.

Here are some stats just to get you thinking about the impact this challenge could have:

• Seven million barrels of oil are used to produce the disposable bottles Americans go through in one year.
• In the U.S. alone, 50 billion disposable water bottles are consumed per year; 137,000 per day; 1,585 per second. (Reusable bottle anyone?)
• It costs about $165 a year to make drip coffee at home versus $636 to buy drip coffee at your local café. (Put that money back in your pocket and brew your organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown coffee just how you like it.)
• Unless we change our habits, 23 billion paper coffee cups will be thrown out in 2010. (That’s BILLION.)
• Nine dollars will generally cover a decent lunch out. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week, you shell out about $2,350 a year. (More money I’d gladly keep in my pocket.)

If that doesn’t convince you, then do the challenge just for the sake of holding me accountable

So will you accept the Challenge? If so, why, and how do you want to help reuse and save? Share your experience in the comments below!

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Aladdin. All opinions are 100% mine.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

A lot of things have changed for my family since January. When my daughter was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), it felt like someone pulled the rug out from under us — like things would never be “normal” again. In part, we were right. The doctors and nurses charged with my daughter’s care warned us that we should expect to find a “new normal,” and that we eventually would find our footing, even if it took a while.

They were right.

One of the things that we’ve had to reevaluate is how clean we keep our house. This is not to say that our house was nasty before, but that we have become even more vigilant about keeping our home clean. If you’ve been reading Green Your Decor for a while, you know that the idea of cleaning green is nothing new. I’ve been touting the benefits of safer cleaning products directly made or derived from natural ingredients for years. But having a sick child put new pressure on me not just to clean the house, but to disinfect it as much as possible.

ALL is technically a blood disorder, but the disease combined with chemotherapy weakened my daughter’s immune system, particularly during the first few months of intensive treatment. We were warned to make sure that the house was clean and to tell anyone who might be sick to stay away. I won’t lie — this pushed me into full on paranoia, wanting to make sure that the house was spotless when we brought her home from her first (and thankfully only) extended hospital stay. We bought new organic sheets, afraid to let her sleep on the ones that were already on her bed, and cleaned to house from top to bottom (doorknobs, light switches and all) with the natural cleaning products that were already in our cabinet, including Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, Dr. Bronner’s and peroxide. (aff)

Before then, I was content with the house simply being clean, and I had never worried before that cleaning without bleach meant I might be wiping bacteria away, but not killing it. That first day home, though, I seriously contemplated buying my first bottle of bleach in years to make absolutely certain nothing would make my daughter sicker than she already was. In retrospect, that sounds absolutely crazy. I was more worried about killing germs than I was about the toxic chemicals I KNOW are in bleach.

In the months since then, my husband and I have learned that our daughter isn’t as fragile as we thought. We thank God every day that she has never caught and infection or come down with a fever. We still put a high priority on keeping the house, particularly the kitchen, dining room and her room and bathroom, clean. But I’ve had to find other ways to disinfect the house that go beyond bleach.

One of my favorite tools is the ActiveIon sprayer. As hard as it is to believe, this tool allows me to not just clean, but to sanitize, surfaces with nothing but water. I admit — I had it in my possession for months before I really started using it because I believed there was no way water alone would really clean anything, much less sanitize it. But now that I know its power, it is my first choice when I’m cleaning my kitchen. It even removes food splatter from painted walls and get the microwave clean and fresh with just a few sprays. I tend to keep it in the kitchen, though. I prefer something with some suds when I’m cleaning the bathroom.

So a few weeks ago when Seventh Generation sent a few of the Walmart Moms their products to test, I was ecstatic to find that those products included a Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner that is designed to kill 99.99% of germs botanically. The active ingredient in this product is thymol, which is a compenent of thyme oil. Imagine that.

I’ve been using Seventh Generation products for a long while, and have even written for their blog in the past. However, I tended to stick to the laundry detergent, dish liquid and dishwashing detergent, preferring other products for deep cleaning. This disinfecting cleaner has really made me change my mind about that. The knowledge that I can not just clean Ja’Naya’s room and bathroom, but disinfect them, all without resorting to bleach really makes me feel at ease. I’ve even let her help me clean with this product, which I think says a whole lot. I refuse to use any products that I can’t use around her, and this is not a problem with Seventh Generation or any of the other green cleaning products I prefer.

It has literally been years since I have allowed a traditional cleaning product in my home, and the proliferation of companies like Seventh Gen means that I’ll never have to. I can remember when the only way to find these products was shopping online or finding the one or two small stores in your area that carried them. Now they will be on Walmart shelves, where those of us who are committed to going green can find them, but also where people who know little or nothing about greener products can pick them up. This is a huge deal. It’s great when people who are knowledgeable about green issues buy green products, but I think it’s an even more powerful statement when those who know nothing can make a change. Having Seventh Generation products that REALLY work on the shelves right next to more traditional cleaning products will hopefully make consumers think twice about what they use to “clean” their homes.

Truly, I’m excited about that.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Seventh Generation and Walmart challenged me to take a month and share the things I’m doing to make my home greener. That’s a little tough, since making my home green is all I ever aim to do. Still, we can always do more, right? In this series, I’ll share with you some of the new, and old, things I’m doing to make sustainability a priority in my home. Next week, I’ll share a video with some of my favorite tips. You can see what other Walmart Moms are doing, too. Sheena from Sophistishe, Monica from MommyBrain Reports, Jenn from Frugal Upstate and Denise of Wholesome Mommy are also participating. Be sure to come back next week for more!

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Seventh Generation has provided me with products. Walmart has provided me with compensation to blog about attempting a more sustainable household for a month. Participation in this program is voluntary. All opinions are my own. (sponsored post)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Mid-Mod Bedroom: It’s been a long while since I’ve done a Green Room in a Box, but there’s no time like the present to get started again, right? Today’s room is sponsored by one of my all-time favorite companies for eco-friendly home decor, Amenity. The design is a heavy mix of old and new that meets somewhere in the middle for an eclectic, but sophisticated look.

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Amenity Home offers a wide array of eco-friendly products for thoughtful modern living. They are dedicated to the never-ending process of maintaining harmony with the environment. For Amenity, simplicity is not a dirty word. Simple can be luxurious, and luxury can be quite simple. Taking a thoughtful and minimal approach to production, Amenity offers its own distinctive brand of modern organic living for the conscientious consumer in search of comfort, timeless beauty, and elegant functionality.

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Muir Platform Bed |  Queen: $1900  |  The Muir Collection is beautifully hand crafted from reclaimed hardwood that has been rescued from local buildings slated for demolition. Low VOC stains, developed especially for Amenity, enhance the beauty and unique characteristics only a vintage wood can embody. Perfect for modern living, this elegant, minimal furniture collection was designed with function in mind. With inspiration from classic modernists such as Paul McCobb and Charles Eames, the line incorporates gracefully curved corners and simple nickel legs.

Fern Duvet Cover, peacock  |  Queen: $330  |  Amenity adds to their collection of nature-inspired bedding this season with the debut of a new, bold design that reflects the excitement of emerging spring. Each limited-edition, large-scale image is printed individually with non-toxic, water-based dyes onto 100% certified, 300-thread count cotton percale that has been organically grown and processed. Duvet covers are printed domestically with non-toxic, water-based dyes and sewn locally in Los Angeles.

CURRENT PROMOTIONS

• Get 20% off the brand new Fern collection with coupon code “fern20.” Today and tomorrow only! (1/28-29/10)
• Get 30% off the entire Amenity site, excluding the Fern and Muir collections, with Coupon code “green30.” Valid today through Sunday. (1/28-31/10)

And now, for the rest of the items I used to fill out the room:

1. Bungaloo Color Liquid (ie: paint) |  COLOR: Greg  |  $27.95 per 100 oz. bottle; $55.90 for 2 bottles  |  Base paint and colorant are both zero-VOC.
2. S10 Bamboo 85 print by Parvez Taj  |  24″ x 32″: $298  |  Printed with zero-VOC, solvent-free inks on bamboo with no added formaldehyde  | This piece includes all the colors used in the room: a muted blue, warm wood tones, and the red accent color.
3. Block Printed Pillow Cover by etsy seller HomeSweet  |  $50/ea; $100 for 2  |  Block printed by hand on a hemp/organic cotton blend fabric.
4. Turquoise Pottery Vase from Etsy seller ArtfulVintage  |  $20  |  Vintage.
5. Soho Large Balloon Vase from Bambeco  |  $38  | Made of recycled glass.
6. 50s Mid-Century Modern Russell Wright Conant Ball Desk & Chair from Etsy seller fabulousness |  $750  |  Vintage.
7. Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Slipper Chair from etsy seller wrightathomevintage  |  $1472.50  |  Vintage.
8. 46″ Round Vintage Sunburst Goldtone Mirror from eBay seller igotguitars  |  $95  |  Vintage.  |  Normally, you couldn’t pay me to like anything that can be described as “goldtone,” but this mirror just looks like it belongs in this room.
9. Organic Basketweave Drape from Pottery Barn   |  96″: $99.99/ea., $299.97 for 3  |  Made of organic cotton  |  I would get 2 in natural and 1 in porcelain blue, to hang the blue drape between the two white ones for a thick, layered effect.
10. Exclamati Collection, Neptune Lamp by Lightenup Designs  |  $320  |  LightenUp Design uses only natural clays and handmade, non-toxic glazes.
11. Fern Pillows by Amenity  | $89/ea.; $178 for 2  |  Covers made of hemp/organic cotton blend fabric printed with non-toxic, water-based dyes. Printed and sewn locally in Los Angeles, and filled with Eco-fill fiber made from recycled plastic bottles.
12. Muir Side Table by Amenity |  $475  |  Made from reclaimed vintage Douglas Fir rescued from local buildings slated for demolition and finished with water-based, non-toxic stains.
13. Round Jute Rug from Pottery Barn, espresso  |  8′ round: $249  |  Handmade of jute, a rapidly renewable, natural fiber. Imported.

TOTAL COST: $6581.37 |  By no means is this room cheap, and I mean that in the most literal way possible. This is a bedroom full of investment-quality pieces that can, and likely would, last you a lifetime, including a couple of vintage pieces that have already lasted a lifetime of their own.

Any tips or suggestions for what could have been included, or excluded, in this room? Leave them in the comment area below. If you’d like me to turn one of your rooms into a beautiful, eco-friendly space, check out my Decor Advice page to get started! If you’re a product manufacturer or brand who’d like to sponsor a Green Room in a Box, you can do that too! And if you are a new reader, you may want to consider subscribing to Green Your Decor via RSS or email newsletter to make sure you don’t miss more great “Green Rooms in a Box”!

(sponsored post)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Back when I first started Green Your Decor, there weren’t very many websites dedicated to selling eco-friendly home furnishings. They existed, but tended to be hard to find or feature only a limited number of items. At the time, green retailer Green Culture was the exception to the rule. There’s a reason I included the retailer on my list of the top 10 online resources for eco-friendly decorating. They have a vast collection of eco-friendly furnishings for every room. For decor addicts like me, it’s easy to spend hours browsing the sites under their umbrella.

Even today, when more and more eco-friendly online retailers are popping up almost daily, their collection is tough to match. For decorators who like the simplicity of being able to shop in one place, Green Culture will make your life a lot easier. You can find everything from coffee tables to chandeliers and everything in between. The other bonus is that you can find decor for every budget, whether you’re pinching pennies like many of us these days or have a little (or lot) of breathing room to buy what you want.

I’ve featured their products before, including the Gorgeous Ibiza  Panel bed, which is still on my wish list for my daughter’s room whenever we move into our own home. On my wish list for today? The Napoli Console Table shown above. The metal mixed with dark wood makes it a dream for me and my living room.

(sponsored post) – I was compensated for this post, but not for my opinion. Click the link for more information.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.