One of the first tasks of my new year was to send out “thank-you” cards to everyone I had received gifts from this Christmas season. Easy right? It would have been, however I needed to find masculine-looking cards since they would also be from my boyfriend. What I found was a boxed set of eco-friendly blank notecards by Greenroom. Green, versatile, and man-approved (by my boyfriend) the cards features a wood grain texture on the front, available in green or a teal color, (other prints also available).

About Greenroom

Greenroom is founded by a husband and wife team making California inspired, sustainable products ranging from notebooks, binders, expanding files, clipboards, stationery, planners, etc. Only available at Target, make sure to check out these man-approved recycled set of notecards.

You can read more about this company and their products at Greenroomeco.com

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Greenroom Recycled 24-Count Boxed Notecards

Hey y’all - on this fine inauguration day I just wanted to let you know Green Behavior is now listed in the Best Green Blogs directory. Go check it out an leave a review. Back to our regularly scheduled posts tomorrow!

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Best Green Blogs Listing

The winners have been chosen and contacted!

Our winners of the Yes to Green for 2009 Giveaway are:

1st Place

Paige

• YES to environmentally friendly cleaners for my home
• YES to using my car as little as possible
• YES to encouraging the entire office to recycle

2nd Place

Sewart - @ nrohtrawets

• YES to getting fit and healthy
• YES to carbon offsetting my friends cars for their birthdays
• YES to cleaning up my office

3rd Place

Vanessa

• YES to starting a 6 acre garden to teach people how to grow their own food and help the hungry
• YES to using those fabric grocery sacks I bought
• YES to walking as much as possible instead of driving

I am loving and supporting all of their ideas and some of the other great green ideas that came out of the giveaway.

Carolyn G is saying: “yes to growing my own veggie garden” and Rachel is saying yes to “bringing my lunch to work.” Daniele even contributed the idea of saying yes to carpooling in Europe.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Yes to Green in 2009 Winners

I stopped at Walgreens earlier this week to pick up a prescription and found all the holiday gift packs on sale. Amongst them a green product that caught my eye.

I snagged a 5 brush set of EcoTools makeup brushes and bamboo holder for $5 usd in a post-holiday gift set sale. I’ve been using the brushes ever since and I love them.
Even when not on a super duper clearance EcoTools’ makeup brushes and bath products are really affordable. The powder brush is only 7.99 usd, the blush brush 6.99 usd and the eye shading brush only 3.99 usd.

I’ve use cheap drug store makeup brushes in the past and those end up in the trash quickly. I also own a number of MAC brushes that I adore and would highly recommend to any woman looking to play up her makeup a bit.

Even beauty blogs picked up on these great brushes earlier this year noting, as I did, that the brushes were not like those other synthetic brushes you’ve used before.

This earth-friendly brush set is packed with the 5 high-quality brushes you need to look beautiful.

What makes EcoTools Makeup Brushes green??

• Bamboo handle has a low impact on the earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant that can grow up to 4 feet daily
• Synthetic taklon bristles are made from soft and pliable synthetic hair and are 100% cruelty free.
• Sleek ferrule (silver band that holds bristles) is made from recycled aluminum.
• EcoTools utilize resources that minimize the negative impact on the environment
• EcoTools (a product of Paris Presents) is part of the 1% for the Planet program

They often come in very un-green, PVC packaging and while noted in last months’ post on treehuger the company states they use the acid-free PVC packaging with plant-based inks intending the consumer will use it to protect the brush or a great case to use when traveling or on-the-go.
You can get a set of 5 brushes inside a natural cotton and hemp case. Which might be more along your green lines of ‘reusable packaging’ standards.
The gift set I purchased with the bamboo cup came in recyclable plastic and cardboard - so maybe in the future we will see this company use greener packaging solutions and let us buy a vinyl case on our terms only.

I can’t fault a company for not going 100% with their products or product lines. As far as I’m concerned it’s always better to start getting green then wait till it’s convenient to go 100% green. Do what you can - to go as green as you can - now!

More Info

• Learn more about ecoTools
• Buy ecoTools at Walgreens
• Buy ecoTools at Target

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Eco Makeup Brushes - EcoTools

What Green Changes are you Saying Yes to for 2009?

2009 is right around the corner - what are your New Year resolutions?

Are you going to get greener this year? I am. So join me in letting everyone know what you are saying yes to in 2009!

Terri’s 2009 Yes List

In 2009 I’m saying yes to:

• Yes to Recycling, I’m a recycler, now I want to convert the people around me to being conscious of recycling efforts
• Yes to Natural and Organic Products, I’m going to continue to make an effort to purchase products and services from eco-conscious companies and their greener product lines to prove the green movement has buying power.
• Yes to Carrots - hehe of course I’d say that! Yes to Carrots is sponsoring this giveaway!

Did you say Giveaway?!?!

Yes sir - One lucky commenter will win 2 free tickets to the new movie ‘Yes Man’ staring Jim Carrey, which opened December 19th. View trailer.

There will be bonus yes to carrots gifts for other lucky entrants!

Someone will receive the new awesome Frosty Loves Carrots lip butter pack - I love the lip butters as we all know, I actually got some of these in my stocking this year. Santa knows me so well He must be an RSS subscriber.

Another lucky winner will receive either the Travel with C Shower Essentials or the Travel with C Body Essentials kit.

Frosty Loves Carrots Lip Butters

Hydrating, conditioning, soothing. Contents

• C Me Smile Lip Butter - Carrot 0.15 oz.
• C Me Smile Lip Butter - Berry 0.15 oz.
• C Me Smile Lip Butter - Mint 0.15 oz.

Travel With C Body Essentials

Say yes to fresh, say yes to on the go, say yes to inner beauty. Contents

• C Me Smile Lip Butter - Carrot 0.15 oz.
• C How to Shower Carrot Rich Shower Gel 60 ml.
• C Through the Dry Spell Delicious Rich Body Butter 35 ml.
• C is Smooth Body Moisturizing Lotion 18 ml.
• C a Softer You Hand and Elbow Moisturizing Cream 18 ml.

Travel With C Shower Essentials

Say yes to confidence, say yes to on the go, say yes to tranquility. Contents

• C How to Shower Carrot Rich Shower Gel 60 ml.
• C is For Conditioner Daily Pampering Conditioner 60 ml.
• C Loves your Hair Daily Pampering Shampoo 60 ml.

Three awesome freebies - and all you need to do is tell us your three awesome green resolutions!

How Do You Enter the Giveaway?

Leave a comment below about that 3 things you are saying yes to for 2009

Don’t forget to Twitter this to all your followers!

You have till 11:59pm EST New Years Eve (December 31st, 2008) to enter. So think about your 3 new years resolutions - and share them with us. Winners will be chosen at random on January 1st, 2009 using numbers generated at random.org

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Say Yes to Green for 2009

Over the past few days I, @greenbehavior on Twitter, have been reaching out about green gift giving and green gift wrapping and I wanted to share the responses with you.

What Green Gifts are You Giving this Holiday Season

@leeanthro1, of soy is the new black, said:

@sunny4257, of creative interests, said:

@saveessentials, of Save Essentials, said:

Wrapping for the holidays: what are/were your green efforts?

@BeautyWriter, of Simple Ways to Save, said:

@TreesInstead, of Trees Instead - Memorial Trees, said:

@drflower, of Dr Flower’s Essentials, said:

@MJSchrader, of MJ Schrader, said:

@paigepresley said:

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Green Holiday Wrapping via Twitter

When I launched Green Behavior onto Twitter (@greenbehavior) I found an interesting Twitter follower, @saveessentials. It’s a PR guy letting us know that Arm and Hammer is looking to cut Essentials cause there’s no one buying it.

Why buy it?

• It’s a great product that really works
• Less packaging = less weight = less transport cost = smaller carbon footprint
• Why waste bottles - reduce and reuse.

Video via the Save Essentials Campaign

Cleaning with Essentials

I grabbed the multi-surface cleaner and went to town cleaning and testing for y’all. I picked a good and dirty place to clean: my best friend and boyfriend’s condo kitchen.

The kitchen looked and smelled clean once I was done - the multi-surface cleaner cut through microwave grease and baked on stove top goodness. The faucet sparkled and the glass was streak free and see through (again.)

About Essentials Multi-Surface Cleaner

• Cleans without streaks
• Uses plant-based cleaners with other biodegradable cleaners derived from coconuts and palm kernel
• Effective and safe, When used as directed — with no ammonia or phosphates
• Light, fresh scent — no harsh chemical fumes
• Refill 2-pack uses 80% less packaging than 2 pre-filled spray cleaners

Safe and Effective Cleaning - the Multi-Surface Cleaner Works Great On

• Counters
• Appliances
• Sinks
• Kitchen & Bathroom Tile
• Glass
• And more!

Register to Get Essentials Coupons here

Featured on saveessentials.com 12/23/2008

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Arm & Hammer Essentials - Green Cleaning

One of my biggest green initiatives has been to start line drying items that can easily and conveniently be line dried. The house I live in had a clothesline already, and though I wish I’d started line drying in the summer I find it’s not hard or bad in a New England fall.

There’s a number of benefits to line drying

• Saves electricity costs
• Some people prefer the smell of line dried clothes
• Keeps clothes in better condition
• The sun is a natural whitener

You don’t necessarily have to line dry outside either, plenty of drying racks and clothes lines exist that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Rain, sleet and snow don’t stop the mailman, there’s no reason it should stop your line drying. Drying racks come in many different styles so you’ll want to get one that firs your needs best. I find that the prices at Amazon.com are great and many are available for free shipping or super saver shipping which beats driving to a brick and mortar store to spend more and waste gas! Go check some of the out and compare the ones you like!

How I Line Dry

I started out by only line drying items like my bedsheets, living room blankets, towels, hang dry only items, delicate and jeans. I’ve always line dried my dedicates and I still do put them out on a rack but I typically keep that rack indoors. I don’t use pins on it since there’s no wind in my basement, though I do often turn on a fan in the room. This helps circulate air which is very stagnant in that area and dries the clothes faster.

White bed sheets are great to hang dry outside. Check the weather first so you don’t get your plan all rained on and if it’s going to be a sunny or partly sunny day just toss the sheets and pillow cases in the wash in the morning before you start getting ready for work. By the time you’re ready to head out the door your wash should be done and you can quickly grab the moist sheets and go hang them outside. You will fall in love with the smell of fresh air dryer sheets that night and the natural whitener makes your sheets look fresh without damaging the fabrics like bleach and an electric dryer do.

Towels are great to line dry too. You hang them to dry after a shower and they are bulkier than most items so why waste the electricity to dry them in an electric dryer when for a few hours in a day you can line dry them as though you had just showered with all of them and they’re drying, waiting for the next shower.

You Don’t Have to go 100% Overnight

I still toss a load or two every now an then in the dryer. I’m just always conscious that planning ahead to leave myself enough time to line dry clothes is better for my wallet and my clothes.

Additional Resources

As always, we encourage you to learn more on the subjects we talk about here at Green Behavior!

• The site laundry list.org has a great cited top 10 list of reasons to line dry
• Here’s some data on energy efficient appliances. A great read for anyone who is going to buy or use a washer / dryer / fridge / dish washer
• Get some eco-facts about line drying from a company that specializes in line drying products: Breeze Dryer
• Get your math on with some calculations about the advantages of line drying with TerraPass
• Mom always knows best! Read up on the benefits of line drying on Mom advice
• Instructables with tips on line drying and a windy day solution for line drying on hangers
• Tree Hugger covers battling the man for your right to hang a clothesline

Products for You!

I perused through Amazon.com and found some really useful drying solutions and products for you to check out.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Line Drying Clothes - A Green Initiative