Chairitable Giving – How to Donate Money

Tis the season, and many of us are in the giving spirit. With so many good causes out there, selecting charities can seem a bit daunting. It’s good to do a little research and ask some questions to find out a little more about the organization. There are some helpful guides which can give you financial breakdowns and spending habits …

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Finds

Here are some of my recent favorite finds, reader suggestions and sustainable or eco-friendly finds. Enjoy! Grain, a local (Seattle) design consultancy and studio has developed a really cool Eco-friendly DIY shower curtain. Based on their popular Ty recyclable shower curtain, the Ty D.I.Y. Edition includes a choice of blue, green or black permanent marker for your own personalized design. …

Winterize your Home for Energy Efficiency

Eco tips for saving money this winter. What works well in the winter, can also save you money on your cooling bills in the summer too! The Little Stuff: Seal up cracks – Common spots for drafts are entryways (the back door and garage doors are notorious for draftiness) window moldings and seals. Caulking windows, sealing cracks and installing weather …

Remove Indoor Toxins with these Specializing House Plants

Winter is approaching which means we will be spending a lot more time indoors, and most likely, a toxic indoors. Indoor pollution levels generally exceed outdoor levels due to all of the toxic off-gassing of carpet, furniture, paints, plastics and more. One of the best ways to fight this is the natural way- plants! I’ve been reading a lot lately …

Healthy Morning Blender Breakfast

Just wanted to share with you my favorite new breakfast treat from the blender. If you are a smoothie fan, give this one a blend, if not, you will be after tasting this! Roasted Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie Yeah, sounds a bit funky, but it’s the best way I could explain it. The roasted flax seeds give it a great …

Stylish Sustainable Furniture in Tel Aviv – Ubico Design Studio

With so much trash and waste in the world, it’s great to see individuals like Ori Ben-Zvi turning into something beautiful and useful. With stylish and thought provoking designs, Ubico Design Studio has been converting reclaimed materials into works of functional art since February of 2008. Materials are collected from dumpsters, renovations works and the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel …

Carbon Trading Scams – Who are you paying to reduce your footprint?

Ever bought a plane ticket and seen the little banner that says ‘offset your carbon emissions here’, or seen a company claim to be ‘carbon neutral’? More often than not, they are buying carbon credits. Carbon footprints are all the rage right now, so much so that a whole new industry is being built on carbon credits or carbon offsetting …

Design Within Reach Eco Design Water Filter

I do despise bottled water, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to drink artesian spring water. Lucky I came across this beautiful and elegant water pitcher by Design Within Reach (DWR). I do own a Pur water filter pitcher, but I have never liked all that plastic (and large disposable plastic water filters). DWR fills this need beautifully with …

Shoes that Biodegrade, even in a Landfill?

I was shocked, just as you might be after my last article on how long things take to biodegrade. It seems to be biodegrade month here on The Chic Ecologist, so I am very happy to be reporting on a company that has developed a way to allow their product to biodegrade in a non-compost environment – particularly a landfill. …

Fine and Raw Chocolates

Having been converted into a chocolate lover late in life, I was excited to explore new and exotic chocolate flavors. I can say I have eaten the fruit of a freshly picked cacao pod, chewed a raw bean, and grated freshly roasted coco beans into milk to make hot chocolate- so I like to really explore foods right down to …