In My Grocery Bag

Above is my loot from last night's trip to Whole Foods. My strategy for green grocery shopping on a budget is to go to Whole Foods only for items that are hard to find at my local (cheaper) market. For example, I know my local store carries organic salad mix, so at Whole Foods, I just get organic versions my fav salad toppers such as walnuts and dried cranberries. And while many grocers carry Annie's products, Whole Foods has the USDA certified organic versions for only 10 cents more! Plus, there is no denying that the body section of Whole Foods as a better selection of natural/organic/local products than other grocery stores or drug stores. I picked up some phosphate-free laundry detergent, all natural shampoo (with Tea Tree, which my scalp needs in this weather), and a toothbrush made from recycled yogurt cartons.

Spotted: Green on the T

There is a new add campaign (I believe it is for AOL, but I could be wrong... it was very subtle) in Boston's T Stations. Loved seeing a green themed poster:

GWBW in Energy News

It has been a good week for LED Christmas lights! Everyone is getting ready for the holidays and I'm excited to see more and more LEDs put up this year. I even saw them on my street at The Florentine Cafe! Using LEDs saves a lot of energy: regular incandescent lights use 40.8 watts per 100 light strand (0.0408 kW). The 100-light strand of LEDs used 8 watts (0.008 kW). 

It has been a bad week for the Chevy Volt. Chevy has launched a rental car program for volt owners while they reassess safety concerns. Some crash testing recently revealed that the volt can cause electrical fires.

pictured above is a private Connecticut garage after a fire believed to be caused by the Chevy Volt.

The Carbon Footprint of Holiday Plants

You might love your yearly poinsettia, but do you know where its from? Although they are considered winter plants, poinsettias are actually grown in warm climates and are native to Mexico. Most poinsettias in North America are grown in Mexico and Southern California, and then shipped everywhere else during the holiday season. Poinsettias are perennial, but are very tricky to keep alive all year round in a New England climate. Green thumbs may be able to keep their poinsettias alive past the holiday season and even put them outdoors in the summer, but for those of us who tend to kill plants, we may want to opt for a more hardy holiday plant in order to avoid waste.

One such alternative is a Christmas cactus. These are not native to New England either, but are much easier to keep all year round so there is no need to order a new plant each year. Plus, it blooms right around the holidays each year, making it a festive addition to any room's decor. Theses cacti can adapt to a variety of temperatures and amounts of light (unlike poinsettias), but do need to be regularly watered (and like most plants, does need some sunlight). So cut your longterm holiday footprint by opting for greenery that will last from year to year!

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Image Courtesy of GulfNews.com

Bamboo Smooth Anti-Humidity Hair Spray Review

Dry winter air = static hair. I have frizzy wavy hair and have tried lots of products to tame and smooth my hair. Hair products are basically bottles of chemicals, so searching for a healthy hair spray alternative was no easy task. After reading lots of labels, I settled on Bamboo Smooth Anti-Humidity Hair Spray by Alterna. The claims were promising: No parabens, sulfates,synthetic dyes, phthalates, GMOs, or triclosan. And though none of it was third-party verified, I was excited to read this:

"This product is made with sustainable ingredients that are ethically traded, eco-certified, fair-trade compliant, and certified organic. The production and sale of the ingredients aids in supporting the development of local communities.    This product does not contain sodium chloride, gluten, and TEA phthalates."

So now you're probably wondering: does it work? Yes, it works well as a medium-hold hair spray. I suggest using it with a light touch because over-spraying makes hair look greasy. Although it didn't have as firm a hold as my previous hairspray, my hair styling lasted all night, and I was delighted to see that my hair was still straight the next morning - no need to brush before brunch!

I highly suggest this product for women with thick or frizzy hair. Girls with straight or more oil-prone hair may want to try a different product though because the organic kendi oils and bamboo extracts may make the hair look wet. (On thick hair, these oils have a great smoothing and shining effect). 

This product is not yet reviewed on the EWG Skin Deep Database. 

When "Eco" is Evil

The words "green," "natural," and "eco," are widely used to market products in today's economy. When they are used properly, these words help consumers purchase more responsible products and make a positive difference in how goods are produced and sold. However, these buzzwords aren't always used to market good products, for example, I was shocked and horrified to see an add for "eco-friendly" cigarettes! I was flipping through a popular woman's magazine when I found this add:

While it is great that this company (Natural American Spirit) is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize its waste, it is still shocking that it is using this to sell cigarettes. This add is morally confusing! Smokers should still strive to quite - regardless of whether they are smoking "green" cigarettes. Afterall, by smoking, they are posing immediate environmental hazards to everyone around them...even long after they've stubbed out their cig (see: 3rd Hand Smoke).