Reduce Unnecessary Waste This Holiday Season
Cara SmusiakThe holidays are a time of joy and sharing, a time spent with friends and family. Of course, theyre also a time of excess and waste. According to the City of Chicago, household waste jumps 25 percent during the period between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. In the United States alone, used gift-wrap and shopping bags weight in at 4 million tons. Thats the bad news. The good news is you can do y...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and Holidays | Eco LivingGift Giving Made Healthy
Naturally SavvyFinding the perfect gift is a challenge, especially when your wish is to promote a healthy and environmentally-conscious lifestyle. This year, give the gift of health with these great ideas: Gift Baskets Large or small, DIY gift baskets can be customized for each person and inspired by holiday events. Here are some suggestions: Fruit and vegetable baskets. Ma...
Read more...CategoriesNaturally Green | Eco Living | Gadgets and Gizmos | Miscellaneous Green | Travel and Holidays10 Reuses for Paper Gift Bags
Cara SmusiakWe all have some: Gift bags that have been reused, but have a tear or are generally looking too rough around the edges for another use. It may seem like time to toss them in the recycling bin, but many single-use gift bags is they have a plastic coating, meaning they cant be recycled. The good news is that even when a gift bag has outlived its intended purpose, it can be upcycled in a numbe...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen Living On A Boat
Kat RobertsonThis is horrible! I exclaimed to my partner Jrn as we rode the dinghy back to our sailboat and home, the Ritmo Di Vita. Following a mild squall lasting fifteen minutes with heavy downpour and increased winds, we were overwhelmed by a staggering mound of trash and debris that was floating in the water. All of this filth had floated into the anchorage area in Chaguaramus, the small port in T...
Read more...CategoriesEco Living | Travel and Holidays | Miscellaneous GreenGreen Camping : Put Nature First
Cara SmusiakGreen camping may seem redundantwhats more green that spending a weekend or a week or two in the wilderness? But many campgrounds cater to our comforts rather than nature, and a lot of campers are anything but green. The good news is, greening your camping trip is simple: its all about planning ahead and putting nature first. The first step toward greener camping is to think light when pack...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysPioneer-Inspired Green Living
Naturally SavvyThere are lots of ways to be inspired to live a greener life. You might take notes from the Ed Begley Juniors of the world, or you might learn something from an ad in a magazine. Teens might be swayed by the latest Hollywood heartthrob, and parents may find inspiration from their kids homework. In that spirit, we thought wed share a few lessons about green living that we can all learn from pion...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysToyota’s Green Building Initiatives
Naturally SavvyWhen we hear the word cars, green and eco-friendly arent the first words that come to mind. But Toyota has taken many proactive green approaches to change such conception by taking energy-efficient and green building initiatives. Stratford Toyota, a new dealership in Stratford, Ontario, Canada that opened in 2010, is the first Toyota dealership in Canada to receive a gold certificatio...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysClunker Buses Become Hip B&B in Israel
Naturally SavvyWe may send old clunkers to the junk yard here in North America, but one family in Israel recycles old busses into bed-and-breakfast digs. The Zimmerbus Bed Breakfast, located in the tiny village of Ezuz, in the foothills of Mount Negev, sits on a hilltop overlooking the Negev desert. The retired buses have been covered with adobe and the roofs are thatched with palm leaves, making a stay at...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and Holidays40 Ways You Can Go Green on Earth Day
Cara SmusiakThis year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day started as a protest of sorts, a counterculture movement that united Americans and shed light on environmental issues. By the turn of the century more than 180 countries were involved in Earth Day activities and celebrations. In honor of four decades of Earth Days, here are 40 way you can go green (and celebrate) this Earth Day: ...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysTraveling & Souvenirs
Cara SmusiakAn exotic tortoiseshell necklace, an unusual bone statue, a lovely piece of corral—it's always tempting to bring home a little token of your spring vacation, but what may seem like a simple souvenir is often anything but. Goods made from animal products are a staple in shops around the globe, but bringing them home is generally prohibited. Wildlife trade is a booming business that includes...
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Avoid Souvenirs Made from Animal Products
Cara SmusiakAn exotic tortoiseshell necklace, an unusual bone statue, a lovely piece of corral—it's always tempting to bring home a little token of your spring vacatio...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGo Green: Valentine's Day
Cara SmusiakThere's nothing quite like the romance of Valentine's Day. Detractors say it's overly commercial and blame greeting card companies for all the ho...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysMake Valentine Cookies for Your Child's Class
Cara SmusiakIt's right about now that the kids are clamoring to buy Valentines—and since you can get them just about anywhere, there's really no reprieve from it....
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysKeep Your Green Resolutions in 2010
Cara SmusiakThe Chinese Zodiac may say 2010 is the year of the tiger, but it may also be the year of green. Being more eco-friendly is a New Year's resolution many peo...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGo Green and Save on a Post-Holiday Budget
Naturally SavvyThe holidays can really put a dent in your wallet . . . or worse, max out those credit cards. If you're trying to curb excess spending in the wake of holid...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and Holidays25 Resolutions for Going Green in 2010
Naturally SavvyIt's that time of year when we make promises about how we'll change ourselves in the upcoming new year. We look for ways to make a change in our lives...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysMake a Cute Gift Box from an Old Holiday Card
Cara SmusiakIm a last-minute holiday shopper. Every year I tell myself Im going to start early, and every year I end up scouring stores and crafting handmade gifts in th...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysMake a Super Easy Nutcracker Prince
Naturally SavvyNutcrackers are a holiday tradition for many. Whether you head to the ballet every December, watch one of the many nutcracker movies, or just display brightly c...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysTrim the Tree with DIY Wine Cork Ornaments
Naturally SavvyEat, drink and be merry! It's a common sentiment during the holidays, but one that could help you decorate. If you and your friends have shared a few bottl...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysTurn Trash into Christmas Tree Treasures
Cara SmusiakI love the holiday season especially when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree. Tree trimming is serious business in my family, and I'm usually conten...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen Your Thanksgiving Feast with Simple Changes
Cara SmusiakGobble, gobble may be the sound turkeys make, but it's also what humans do around Thanksgiving—and boy do we generate a lot of waste in the process. Betwee...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen Gifts to Wow Your Thanksgiving Dinner Host
Cara SmusiakThanksgiving is about celebrating all the things you're thankful for. But it's also about celebrating the fall harvest, giving thanks for the food the...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysBuild a Haunted House from Stuff You Own
Cara SmusiakWhen I was little, there was this one house that always made an incredible haunted house in their garage, and it never failed to elicit screams of terror and de...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGo Green with DIY Halloween Costumes
Cara SmusiakAll Hallows Eve is quickly approaching, and as we get closer to the spookiest night of the year, talk about Halloween costumes is everywhere. Store-bought co...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysStop the bus! Walk to School Day is Oct. 7
Cara SmusiakThese boots were made for walkin'... Whether your child is wearing boots, sneakers or pretty little Mary Janes, walking to school is a must on Oct. 7, as i...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysCamping Cuisine: Cook with Hot Rocks
Cara SmusiakCamping is one of my all-time favorite summer activities. For a week, the din of city living is replaced by the haunting call of loons, the whispering breeze...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysAAA to Launch Eco Icon in TourBook Guides
Naturally SavvyYou're on a road trip when you take a detour and decide to make an unexpected stop for the night. Do you think about whether there's a green hotel, m...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysDIY Drawstring Bag for Camp Gear
Cara SmusiakSummer is the season of camp. If your kids are headed off to sleep-away camp in the next couple of months, then you probably have a long list of things they ne...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen Your Independence Day Picnic
Cara SmusiakAt Naturally Savvy we love Independence Day as much as the next person, but there's no denying a big holiday makes a big mess. Of course we'd be rem...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysCamping: Go Green, Tread Lightly
Cara SmusiakTheres nothing quite like slowly waking up to the sound of loons calling to each other, unzipping the sleeping bag and getting that first blast of cool morni...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysMake Earth Day Resolutions!
Cara SmusiakI don't want to rain on the parade, but I'm not 100 percent in love with Earth Day. Don't get me wrong—I love the awareness and the fact that pr...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysCelebrate Earth Day: April 22
Naturally SavvyEarth Day is celebrated each year on April 22, but with the additions of Earth Week and Earth Month—not to mention Earth Hour—the historical precedent that the...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen T-shirt Design Challenge for Earth Day
Naturally SavvyIs your passion for tees as big as your love for the planet? Have a little artistic talent bottled up inside? We have a contest for you. Online t-shirt company...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysMake It A Green St. Patrick's Day
Naturally SavvyThe color of St. Patrick's Day is undeniably green. People parade around in green clothing, paint themselves green, eat green foods and drink green beer. ...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysHow To Green Your Travel Abroad Routine
Cara SmusiakTravel is hard on the environment. Taking the train is a much better than if you're flying, but you can't take a train across an ocean. And if you�...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysDIY: Give Paperless Valentines
Cara SmusiakThe day of love is quickly approaching, and row upon row of gaudy, sparkle-encrusted cards and boxes of cartoon characters professing friendship and love are ...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysRing in the New Year with Organic Alcohol
Naturally SavvyEat, drink and be eco-friendly.Whether your tastes run to fine wine, refined spirits, or a cold bottle of beer, there is an increasing number of organic options...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysHold the Wrapping Paper This Holiday Season
Cara SmusiakIf visions of shredded wrapping paper are taking over the sugar plums that should be dancing in your head this time of year, it might be time to put down the w...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGreen Your Holiday Cards
Cara SmusiakHalloween has come and gone (even if the candy-induced stomach aches linger), and November 1st marks the official beginning of the holiday shopping seas...
Read more...CategoriesTravel and HolidaysGo Paperless for Thanksgiving Dinner
Cara SmusiakAmericans use a lot of paper products. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, about 544,000 trees are used to make paper towels for U.S. household...
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