It’s a good time of year to let you know about a product that I just learned about: a dimmer that works well for dimmable CFL bulbs (and most other bulbs too). Like most people, I have been switching out my incandescent bulbs for CFL bulbs in the last few years. (As a side note, you probably already know that pretty soon, we’ll have to do that on all our lamps since incandescent bulbs are due to be phased out of the marketplace starting January 2012. Eeesch, that’s just around the corner!)

You might have noticed how CFL bulbs really don’t work well with dimmers that were installed for incandescent lights. There’s very poor dimming control, or hardly any dimming at all or lots of flickering going on. I have found this very aggravating when I looked to change the level and quality of the light in a room and have been unable to do so with CFL bulbs. So, at a dinner party, I end up closing all lamps and using LOTS of candles because really, there’s not much mood setting to be had with CFL bulbs. Candles are nice, but not really all that practical!

So yes, I wasted my own energy being aggravated over this, that is, until I discovered that there are now dimmers made specifically for (dimmable) CFL bulbs. Duh! And these dimmers happen to work with most types of bulbs, including dimmable LEDs and incandescent bulbs.

And there are other advantages to dimming the lights too. Beyond just creating a cozy atmosphere, there can also be additional energy savings, up to $30/year per dimmer and extending the life of the bulb (up to 10 years. See the reference here).

Made by Lutron, the dimmers in question are available at Amazon (here’s one model) and certainly at your local hardware store (here’s one a Lowes).

Thought you’d like to know about this, especially in preparation for all the festivities of the coming months, when you will want to create that perfect setting (and not worry about burning the place down with all those candles).

I will admit that I do not have much use for an eco-friendly leaf pick up and biodegradable bag as I live in Southern California, but I do remember that while growing up in Canada, raking the leaves before the first snowfall was a task for the entire family.

Dsolv bags makes this chore a little bit easier and far more eco-friendly than the traditional paper leaf bags. The compostable dsolv lawn bags are easy to fill, can hold more leaves and debris than paper bags and are more cost efficient. The dsolv bags are made with corn and other plants to create the resin that is 100% biodegradable but, at the same time, strong and durable.

Since the dsolv bags are clearly marked as biodegradable, their contents can be placed directly on the compost or in the green garbage bin for garbage-day pick-up.

Here is a quick video that shows how the dsolv compostable lawn bag system works.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The dsolv Starter Kit includes the spring loaded sleeve, carrying handle, eight dsolv bags and a case to conveniently store everything until next fall. Buy the Starter Kit directly from dsolv for $19.99 and bag refills for $6.99.

And then, with the switch-over to electric clothes dryers, air drying became a thing of the past, a blight on the urban landscape even. Until very recently, there was a definite stigma attached to outdoor clotheslines, as these became icons of impoverished neighborhoods, i.e. those that couldn’t afford the mechanical dryers.

But, all things old are new again. For different reasons now, we are going back to outdoor air drying:

•    It’s economical. Clothes dryers are among the top energy users in homes today
•    It’s green. Zero greenhouse emissions!
•    Less fabric wear and tear (think of all the residue you find in the lint trap)
•    There is no static cling (and no need for toxic dryer sheets)
•    And clothing smells natural, fresh, sunshin-y…

With all those benefits on the pocketbook and the environment, it’s hard to believe that there are still communities that ban outdoor drying of any kind (there’s even a movie, Drying for Freedom, which ridicules the subject).

If you have an overzealous HOA or watchdog-type neighbors that will put up a stink over outdoor clothes drying, you may might still be in luck with a transportable rack (see the last item below). Otherwise, here are some options that were not necessarily available in our grandmothers’ time:

	Minky Rota Lift Outdoor Drying Rack: Made in the UK, the Minky rotary rack is planted in the ground (with a stake) and can hold many loads of heavy laundry at once. The dryer arms close like that of an umbrella and can be covered when not in use. Available at Lowes and Amazon (check for different sizes).
	Retractable Clotheslines: Moerman (another European company) makes air dryers/clotheslines in every possible configuration, including these retractable clotheslines with 1, 2 or 5 lines. The line can immediately get out of sight when it’s not laundry day. Available online at Aubuchon Hardware.
	Mrs Pegg’s Handyline: This product is perfect for the apartment dweller or those with postage stamp-sized backyards. It folds flat when not needed. Probably the best to use for those with pesky community vigilantes lurking around: you can get the evidence out of sight as soon as the job is done. Buy on the Mrs Pegg’s website or Amazon.

Don’t forget the clothepins!

And by the way, it’s not called a blight anymore. It’s called eco-chic. So there.

Solar power is definitely an important part of the future for electronics. It’s cheap, green, renewable, and universal. With modern devices consuming less and less power, the efficiency of solar cells is increasing. And, as we get increasingly mobile ourselves, we expect our electronic devices to keep up with us, no matter where we are and where we go. Here are few solar products that are well worth your attention. You may even find something here for Father’s Day and new grads…

	Laptop Case: This Solar Laptop Case by Voltaic comes with the most powerful battery packs available that will hold enough energy for a full laptop battery charge. The case is large enough to hold a 17” laptop inside. The bag is made of recycled materials and is water resistant and lightweight. Perfect for on-the-go travelers. Just keep the case in direct light and your laptop computer will always be charged. Buy directly from Voltaic Systems for $499.00.
	Solar iPad Case: I take my iPad everywhere I go, since I not only use it for entertainment purposes but also as a laptop. This case is perfect because not only would it keep your iPad protected but also continuously charged. Buy from Sun-Plugged for $160.00.
	Solar Backpack: This backpack is ideal for hikers and outdoor activities. Perfect to keep your small emergency devices charged, such as, a phone or GPS. It comes with a charger and adapters for most portable devices. Buy from Amazon for $139.99.
	Solar Charging System: Ultra-light USB solar charging system fits easily in your pocket. The solar panel can charge in one and a half hours and it can recharge your cell phone up to three times on the one charge. Buy from Goal Zero for $139.99.
	Suntrica SolarStrap: The Suntrica SolarStrap looks like a luggage tag. It attaches easily to your purse or briefcase as it keeps your small devices charged for when they are needed. The tags are designed for rough use with their sturdy case that protect the flexible solar panel and internal battery.  Buy here or see list of retailers here.
	Solio Solar Chargers: The Solio charger charges your handheld devices at the same rate as a conventional charger. It can store the sun’s energy, for up to a year, until you need it. So, there is not need to worry if you need to charge something at night. How cool is that! Perfect for the outdoor adventurer who will be away from civilization (and source for electricity) for a few days. Buy directly from Solio from $59.95.
	Juice Bag – Solar Beach Tote: Worried about your phone or iPod dying while at the beach? Or that your iPad will die right at the good part of that great summer read? No worries, this beach tote has a thin, heavy duty, flexible solar panel built right on the side that can easily be removed when the canvas bag needs cleaning. Simply bring your own electronics’ car charger to plug into the panel. Inside the tote is a convenient pocket to keep all your chargers. Buy at Reware for $249.00.

And we care, not just because there are over 30 billion plastic bottles filling our landfills EVERY YEAR in the U.S. alone, but it’s also the deception from the bottled water industry and the completely unnecessary cost to us as consumers. Watch this little eye opening video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And since we know that not everyone has been converted to reusable – yet, we thought that we would provide even more reusable water bottle options. You’ll certainly find something here that you’ll be proud to lug around…

	BottlesUp Glass Bottles - Certainly one of the prettiest water bottles around. Made from 75% post-consumer recycled glass. It’s obviously BPA and plastic free and safe to drink from. The food grade silicone cap and rings add color, style, grip and shock absorption value to the bottle. LOVE.  Buy directly from the BottlesUp website.
	The Bamboo Original - Clean, safe and stylish bottle that is made from the practically inexhaustible resources of bamboo and glass. This insulated bottle is great for sipping cold or hot beverages. Available on the Bamboo Bottle website,  BuyGreen.com or Amazon.
	Rivé -  So elegant and graceful. This is certainly the water bottle I would have sitting on my desk if I worked in the chichi fashion industry. Being glass, this bottle is, bien sûr, completely non-toxic and won’t leach. Gorgeous. Buy on the Rive website.
	KOR Vida Hydration Vessel – We love the original KOR bottles. And we love their brand new designs even more. The KOR vida is made of steel with a tapered profile, an ergonomic handle and a threadless spout to drink from. Sexy. Buy from KORwater.com or from Amazon.
	Life Factory Glass Bottle -These glass bottles are wrapped with a cool silicone sleeve. We love that this company also makes baby bottles with the same modern sensibility. Teething rings too. Let’s keep our little ones away from harmful BPA, phthalates, PVC, polycarbonate, lead and latex. Buy from the Lifefactory site or from BuyGreen.com.
	Gobie H20 – If you are still not convinced on the quality (or taste) of tap water, go with a reusable bottle that incorporates its own water filter. The Gobie H20 is BPA free, of course. Buy it here.
	Brita Water Bottle – Finally, Brita has brought its filters to the portable water bottle. this bottle is BPA-free, NSF certified to reduce chlorine taste and odor and one filter is said to replace 150 plastic bottles. Completely worth it. See a list of retail spots here, and that includes Amazon.
	h20 Spring Water - IF YOU HAVE  TO go with disposable (there are definitely plenty of occasions that necessitate that), at least consider a water like H20, packaged in an earth-friendly, renewable, aseptic package. Available through a variety of retailers, including Whole Foods, Kmart and Amazon.

Get in the habit of using your reusable water bottle and I’m quite certain that soon enough, like me, you will cringe when you see shoppers picking up that carton of 24 single use bottles destined to spend a 1000 years or so in a landfill…

BTW, plastic bags are just as harmful, with Americans alone using 1 billion shopping bags every year, creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste. See our reusable shopping bag guide to help with that.

Yeah. We DO have a thing for water.

That would be Full Circle, a company that produces green lifestyle tools that are stylishly designed, functional and made from sustainable, recycled and renewable resources (bamboo, cellulose, organic cotton….). Full Circle lives up to its name, operating under the premise that a product’s lifecycle should be cyclical: “products make from materials that come from the earth can have long, functional lives, and then return from where they come, rather than collection in a landfill.”

To that point, Full Circle estimates, as an example, that there are about 120 million scrub brushes – made of non-degradable plastic materials – that end up in our landfills every year. Yes, that’s just for scrub brushes. Now, let’s scale that to the rest of our everyday cleaning tools and we quickly see that cumulatively, we can start helping our environment by making these little imperceptible switches in our household lifestyle. Yes, let’s replace our everyday mass-manufactured cleaning supplies and tools with something more eco-conscious. It’s so easy and inexpensive and in the end will have great cumulative impact.

Here are some of the Full Circle items that we have particularly fallen for…

	Come Clean Natural Cleaning Set – The eco-friendly kit includes everything you need to make your own NATURAL cleaning solutions so that you can eliminate toxic chemicals from your cleaning routine. The guide book includes recipes to create cleaning products based on kitchen ingredients, to clean every area of your home, even your car. The spray bottles incorporate a lemon juicer, lemon juice being a magnificent provider of fresh scent and disinfecting cleaning power. Available on Alice.com and Amazon.
	Fresh Air Odor-Free Compost Collector – Why fill our landfills with “wet garbage” (food scraps & yard trimmings) when we could actually be easily transforming this trash to our own benefit: the best and most natural fertilizer for own gardens and yards. That’s a literal “return to the earth”. The countertop Fresh Air Compost Collector, as the name implies, is not an actual composter (you have to do that outdoors), but provides an easy, convenient way to collect compost-worthy scraps. The Fresh Air’s compost collector’s unique design prevents the build-up of liquids and hence the creates less mess, less odor and no flies. We have not found it on sale anywhere, but encourage you to contact the company to motivate them let us all know when & where this will become available.
	Reach Bottle Brush – We know that using a reusable water bottle is one of the easiest ways for us to behave a little more eco-responsibly. But washing some of those bottles is a pain. Unless you get this super smart brush which reaches deep inside the bottle and will clean both the inside and the outside of the bottle at the same time. A great tool to help us maintain the reusable water bottle habit. Available on Alice.com or Amazon.

The Full Circle products are available for sale online through one of favorite online retailers, Alice.com and through the other retail stores listed on this page.

Be green AND clean on Earth Day! Woot!

I am a huge fan of Fresh Wave odor eliminators. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they have no strong perfumes or fragrances to mask odors (which give me a serious headache). They are made of natural ingredients such as lime, pine needles, aniseed, clove, soy and cedar wood. This blend of ingredients, somehow, allows the products to neutralize strong smells without being overbearing in their scent. In fact, you can barely smell Fresh Wave. But work, it does.

Designed to get rid of strong odors in places like solid waste facilities, rubber manufacturing plants and asphalt factories, I thought, for sure, it would work in my teenage son’s room. I used the Odor Neutralizing Crystals to rid Chase’s bedroom of those teenage-son smells of dirty clothes, stale food, smelly soccer bags and lord knows what else…

The crystals, made from biodegradable food-grade polymer, completely dissolve when the natural odor ingredients slowly dissipate (about 30 days). The container can then be discarded in the recycle bin.

I have also used the Fresh Wave Soy Candle. Our home has an open concept floor plan so when we cook our whole house smells like the kitchen (even into the next morning). The lightly scented candle eliminates food odors before they spread, keeping the whole house fresh.

To view Fresh Wave’s complete line of products, to make a purchase or to find a retailer near you check out their website or buy on Amazon.  While there you may also want to order their Stinky Dorm Kit to send directly to your college student.  They will thank you. Because it’s always the roommate’s fault.

Our ideas give you but a glimpse… Have fun exploring & getting inspired as a master gift-giver.

	Urukundo Earrings handcrafted by women in Rwanda. Urukundo means love in Kinyarwanda, one of the indigenous languages spoken in Rwanda. These earrings, along with the hand-embroidered bracelets from Palestine, are brought to us by the HANDS UP NOT HANDOUTS organization which invests in the lives of women around the world, providing a Hand Up.
	Global Girlfriend – Woman-made, eco-friendly and fair-trade. The Global Girlfriend program helps women in need help themselves by bringing to market their a collection of trend-setting, women-made, fair-trade products. We love these belts but the store is filled with many fantastic gift ideas, everything from apparel, fashion accessories, bath & body products. Shop Global Girlfriend here.
	Laga Handbags – “Handbags that rebuild lives”. The founders launched the company to help the people of Indonesia after the 2004 Tsunami. And they are doing so one beautiful embroidered handbag at a time. See the gorgeous Laga Handbags collection.
	Engage Green – This company uses earth-friendly materials and environmentally safe production processes that have low or no impact on the planet. Eco-friendly designs that are fashionable. This messenger bag is made of recycled Plastic (PETE) and reused about 26 plastic bottles. Shop at EngageGreen.com.
	Aid to Artisans – Any purchase of handmade products on this site supports the Aid to Artisans program that creates economic opportunities for artisan groups around the world where livelihoods, communities, and craft traditions are marginal or at risk. This organization has been around since 1976, has worked in over 110 countries and has over 30,000 artisans participate in their program each year. A beautiful cause and beautiful gift ideas. Shop the Aid to Artisans store here.
	Prosperity Candles – This is a truly wonderful, unique gift that warms my heart – candles made by women who are rebuilding their lives in the shadows of conflict. Made by women in Baghdad, many of them widowed, and by Burmese and Bhutanese refugees recently resettled in the U.S. The soy candle in a beautiful glass container and gift box makes a great gift. Prosperity Candle partners with women entrepreneurs in places of conflict and natural disaster to help them not just survive, but truly thrive. Buy the Prosperity Candles here.
	Make Love Not Trash EcoFashion – Cute, edgy and functional and all the while promoting reusability and reducing the ecological footprint. MLNT also supports a number or organizations.  The company uses natural or eco-aware materials and non-toxic printing techniques.  See the edgy indeed collection here.
	Manos de Madres is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and their families through income generation. It works with existing cooperatives to foster entrepreneurship and sustainable businesses for craftswomen around the world. We particularly love the Ineza wax fabric designs from Rwanda. Shop the website here or see the list of retailers here.
	Resource Revival -  Didn’t think anything pretty could ever come out of an old bike chain, huh? Or any other greasy bike part for that matter…  Bike shops all over the US send this company their old bike parts and they make all these great gift items out of them. Perfect gift for the avid cyclist, among other people. See the whole Rebike line here.
	Plover Organic - Plover textiles are produced from the best quality 100% organic cotton non-genetically engineered seeds grown in soil that is free of pesticides, herbicides or other cytotoxins and use only only low-impact, fiber reactive dyes. All that plus some very pretty design patterns. Shop the Plover home textile collection here.
	HopeClips – These hair clips are handmade and hand-beaded by women in South Africa. A portion of all of the proceeds goes directly to Hopes & Dreams International, an organization that helps prevent, as well as rescue and heal victims of child sex trafficking. Online orders are coming soon, but for the moment, HopeClips accepts orders via phone or email. Details here.
	Original Women – Shop by item category (accessories, books & music, home, jewelry…) or by country (choose from 23 countries). Original Women celebrates the artistry of women from around the world. The company follows Fair Trade principles and supports women in using their skills to provide a better lives for their families. Lots of wonderful gift ideas to be found in these pages. Start here!
	[wired] is a collection of accessories made entirely from reclaimed and surplus industrial materials, which include alternator wire, rubber and transistor… Very modern, very edgy, very green. See the Wired collection here.
	Magnetic Chalkboard – By Shabby Vintage Mom on Etsy who collects found frames to upcycle them into modern and functional decorative accessoires. Very cute. See the shop here.
	Poopoopaper – Love the tagline: “Precious Movements” (insert preschool-ish guffaw sound here!). Still, have no fear, this poop-made paper is 100% recycled and, more importantly, is odorless.  And we certainly know that it’s made from a renewable resource. Duh. The company collects poop from fiber eating animals to make its innovative products. You will want to read more about it here and shop here.
	Alexandra Ferguson crafts snappy decorative pillows with felt appliqués. The material she uses is made of 100% post-consumer recycled felt that is made from recycled water bottles. I’m getting this for my son’s dorm room. As a reminder to all his friends too. See all of Alexandra Ferguson’s pillows here.
	Belartes creates unique products that are kind to the earth and its people and that uses Fair Trade practices when working with underprivileged women in Colombia. We love this eco-chic jewelry, particularly the tagua nut jewelry in vibrant colors. Tagua is said to be the NEW ivory. Now you know! Shop here.
	180 Designs – We’ve mentioned this company earlier this year. We love the eco-decorative accessories. And this season we are fawning over the Tool bowl made of various tool shop items. The ultimate man’s gift. Buy from the 180 Designs website or see the list of retailers.
	Spiral Foundation promotes humanitarian projects that benefit the people of economically developing countries while maintaining a consciousness toward sustainability.  The pages of this website are filled with beautiful traditionally crafted goods from all over the world at extraordinary prices. Among other things, we love the soda can frames… and the serving trays… and the telephone wire bowls…
	Green Glass Go – This company began their glass recycling efforts in 1992. Today, they are the largest producer of reclaimed glassware in the world. We think that the tumbler collection made from Boylan Soda or Corona bottles make a great gift for the recycling minded. Shop Green Glass Co. here.
	Recycled Art Company creates eco-friendly art from from reclaimed and recycled materials. We love the genuine license plates art pieces. They do custom pieces too. Shop here.
	Smart Glass Recycled Jewelry. We have mentioned this designer before, but the we like here work so much that we definitely needed to include her eco-chic work in this gift guide. Smart Glass Jewelry is made completely from recycled beer, Coca-Cola, and wine bottles transformed into wearable art. Modern and sleek. Shop Smart Glass here.
	The “pearls” you can find on Etsy… Like this Foosball coat hanger… This designer, TodoCecilia, will customize these converted table soccer/foosball rods to any team color that you specify. Love. See the designer’s items here.
	Tag Bag – Made from recycled African license plates and inner tubes.  The organization’s motto is “buy a bag, change a village”. It is that simple. Each bag is one of a kind and named after the woman who made it. View the Tag Bags here.
	Nikaya’s Simple Peace Brass Pendant – We have featured Nikaya’s pendants here . Nikaya support in the rural poor Cambodian communities help the locals achieve economic independence by utilizing their traditional handicrafts skills to create beautiful home and fashion accessories. The pendants are made from found shell casings that were used during the war in Cambodia. See the Nikaya website to view all their products.

P.S. when the term FAIR TRADE is used, it means that artisans in developing countries are paid a fair, earning livable wage and work under safe and healthy working conditions. Thanks to Fair Trade, vulnerable and displaced communities of artisans ( 85% of whom are women) can rebuild their lives (more here).

Need more inspiration still? Here are ALL our Gift Guides. Or, go directly to the Jewelry-is-always-the-perfect-gift Guide, the Hostess Gift Guide, the Lil’ Kids Gift Guide, the Teens Gift Guide and the Men’s Gift Guide… And, that’s for just for starters….

This unique and stylish umbrella is the brainchild of Pamela Zonsius. She was inspired by the styling of the beautiful Asian parasol to develop the Brelli. It’s the answer to the ubiquitous and style-less black nylon umbrella that typically brakes upon its first exposure to mild wind, and ends up littering city streets and adding to landfills.

Pamela worked with leading researchers, scientists and developers to create the patented eco-plastic biofilm that covers the umbrella’s bamboo frame. The fact that the Brelli is biodegradable does not take away from it strength and durability (the biodegrading process would only happen in a landfill or composting bacteria rich environment). In fact, the Brelli is designed to be strong enough to withstand moderate wind gusts (up to 40 mph – see the wind testing on this video) yet it is incredibly lightweight and easy to carry in its organic cotton carry case.

We also love the clear canopy BrelliWear trench coat and the poncho for kids made of the same patented biofilm. Oddly enough, it is the very transparency of the trench that allows it to make and oh-so stylish statement. It’s great to NOT hide what you are wearing underneath, though exhibitionist types might find other benefits to this product…

For the artistically inclined, the Brelli Markers are very cool (and permanent, non-toxic) to customize any of the Brelli products.

Green is getting more beautiful every day, isn’t it? These make great gift ideas for the  environmentally-focused or green-in-training peeps in your life.

So, when an item like the Green² Laundry Washing Ball comes along, I can’t help but embrace it and spread the word. The Laundry Washing Ball is an earth friendly product that replaces the need for bleaches, harmful synthetic detergents or softeners.

I found out about this item on Alice.com (you know, my second home after Trader Joe’s) and bought it about six weeks ago. Plenty of time for testing. Let me report that that I’m loving this product and now wish to sing its praises here. The main love-points: I LOVE that I am not putting more pollutants in our water stream, I LOVE that it’s so super easy to use (absolutely nothing to do but leave it in the washing machine tub) and I LOVE the cost per load.

Here are some of the other stated benefits:

• Hypoallergenic with no remaining chemical detergent residue in clothes
• The Antibacterial agent eliminates mold, pathogenic organisms, and unpleasant odors
• Free of dyes and fragrance
• Excellent cleaning with cold water and therefore uses less electricity
• As there are no synthetic detergents or tallows (animal fats) there is no need for the rinse cycle which saves electricity and water
• Protects the discoloration and oxidation of fabric caused by chloride in the city water and helps to maintain the elasticity of fabric
• Reduces Scale, Rust and Lime buildup in the washing machine and pipes.

My litmus test: my husband’s hockey stuff. Yes, you get the sniff. Ugh. But, after a single wash with the Laundry Washing Ball, everything came out smelling like… there had  never been a sweaty hockey game, as if the clothing had never been worn. Complete neutrality. I also accidentally performed another test: I left some items forgotten in the washing machine for a couple of days. Long enough for them so start smelling mildewy. Eeech, I know. But another quick cycle spin with the Laundry Washing Ball and there was not a trace of odor left. I know that regular detergents could not have achieved this under two more rounds of washing and added detergent.

So, I’m completely sold. The only advise that I would need to give, is that you will want to pre-treat with a stain remover on stained or heavily soiled fabrics. That part is not much different then when using regular detergent.

For more information about how the Laundry Washing Ball actually works, (it’s not just magic) watch this video that explains the science behind it:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And, of course, you must also consider the Green²Dryer Balls for the drying cycle. I bought these as well. I prefer them to other models that I have tried as the Green² Dryer Balls contain no PVCs and the rounded edges of the star balls do not snag as clothing and especially at towels.

Now we can be all Green in the laundry room at least. Doesn’t that feel good?