We shouldn’t just celebrate Earth for one hour or one day, we should celebrate it every day. The community of Serenbe does just that. Located below Atlanta, Georgia this is a green community that was built on the concept of sustainability.

“Each home is certified to EarthCraft Homes “green” standards.” - From Serenbe website

What first struck me after the gorgeous land and homes was the eclectic style of the community and people. Everything from street-lamps, trash cans, and benches were made from recycled/repurposed materials. The lawns at each home have no grass (to probably save on water usage), and where there is grass it’s allowed to grow as nature intended it. It makes you wonder if this community can do it, why can’t these ideas be implemented into other communities around the nation?

Serenbe is separated into three districts: Selborne - center for arts, residential homes; Grange - organic farms, stables, and forestland;  Mado -  still in the planning stages, but should have an upscale hotel, destination spa, etc.

HGTV Dream Home 2012

Inside Serenbe is the new 2012 HGTV Dream Home. If there’s any ‘Dream Home’ to win this is the one. Not only do you get a fantastic eco-friendly home, but a community based on reusing, recycling, and repurposing.

The Organic Food

If you can only do one thing at Serenbe grab a bite to eat. With two restaurants and a bakeshop (and a vegetarian restaurant planned for the future) there is something for everyone, even gluten free options. It would make sense that the food is so fresh, real, and delicious since both the founders Steve and Marie Nygren have backgrounds with food.

“The Hil” was our choice of food for Earth Day dinner. From Crispy Calamari to a Margherita Pizza almost everything on this menu is from there organic farms.

Here’s a few menu items we tried and would recommend (some might not be available all the time):

• Organic Whole Wheat Bread with Butter
• Crab Fitters with Remoulade Sauce (this is made of almost ALL crab, highly recommend!)
• The Hil Burger with Shiitake Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese, Smoked Bacon, H1 Sauce and “Hil Made” French Fries
• Pan Seared Maine Scallops and Crispy Braised Pork with Roasted Turnips and Mustard Jus
• Warm “Hil Made” Waffle with Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream and Bourbon Caramel Sauce (I think this was everyone’s favorite of the night.)

You can see more photographs here or learn more about this green community here.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Live Earth Day Every Day in Serenbe

Going green seems to be the new movement. This could potentially be from an increased awareness in the suffering state of our environment, or perhaps maybe just a conscious effort on the forefront of morality. Regardless, our environment is where we live and if we want to sustain a healthy, comfortable life for future generations, then we need to do what we can now to preserve it. That is where the so-called “green movement” kicks in. Every green effort, no matter the magnitude, is fighting for the greater good and preservation of the world we inhabit.

For some, being green means a never-ending, pocket-emptying struggle to purchase the latest and greatest products and services. However, while dropping a pretty penny on a Prius would be great, it simply is not feasible for most. The good news is that being green does not have to empty your bank account. In fact, you can make small efforts from the comfort of your own home. For example, the kitchen is one of the easiest places to promote a green lifestyle. It is also the room in the house that usually consumes the most energy so starting your greener lifestyle in the kitchen is probably a good idea.

Green Kitchen

For some reason or another, a lot of people are oblivious to the amount of energy a common appliance, such as a refrigerator, consumes. Not only do your appliances consume a substantial amount of energy, but they also use electricity even when not in use. This consumption of energy has wittingly become known as “phantom” or “vampire” energy loads. To combat against this, one of the cheapest methods is by purchasing a special power strip that controls the amount of electricity being used. Aside from that, basic preventative maintenance is next. Simply do a visual lookover of your major appliances, such as your dishwasher, and look for any obvious signs such as a worn out gaskets, broken seals, or standing water. If a problem is found, it can usually be remedied by a visit here, or locally, at a home improvement store.

Naturally, the best option in transforming your energy-hog of a kitchen into a sustainable, green kitchen is by purchasing newer appliances boasting the famous Energy Star logo. However, as we all know simply by walking through Home Depot, new appliances are not cheap. If you’re lucky enough to not be constrained by a budget though, more power to you; or should I say less power?

Outside the Kitchen

A green kitchen does not necessarily stay confined to the kitchen. You would be surprised at how environmentally un-friendly the supermarket you shop at is. Moreover, open up your refrigerator and look at most any food product in there. What do you see? Plastic! Most manufacturers wastefully enclose their products in plastic wrapping and packaging. This plastic may not seem to harmful, but when you think about how much of it ends up clogging our landfills, your perspective may change. To reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic in your kitchen, create a meal plan that incorporates fresher, home-cooked meals. The reasoning behind this is that fresh ingredients usually possess much less plastic because they are intended to be used immediately, not needing to be enclosed within a thick plastic packaging.

There are plenty of ways to promote sustainability in the kitchen, and mentioned above are just a few of the possible methods. Notably, your appliances are the biggest culprits promoting an unhealthy kitchen. If you truly want to make your kitchen green, begin your battle there.

© 2012 Andrew Brusnahan

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Is Your Kitchen Holding You Back?

Other than my office my favorite thing to buy products for is the kitchen. Green products are becoming more and more readily available at stores we shop at everyday and at prices we can afford so what’s your excuse for not going green? At your local grocery store I’m sure in the aisle with all the kitchen gadgets and tools you will find Eco-friendly products like the two I’m going to feature in today’s Green-Behavior product reviews. The first is TruBamboo’s 100% recyclable cutting board. It has all the features you want from a cutting board and did I mention it’s bright neon orange? Another Eco-friendly product for the kitchen I fell in love with is Core Bamboo’s Comfort Grip Crushed Bamboo Utensil with silicone grip (this one has a bright green grip). Read about them below:

About TruBamboo

They have been manufacturing Eco-friendly products since 2003 and have over a hundred items distributed across the world. They harvest their materials from one of the largest bamboo forests and create what is considered by them “World’s Finest Bamboo Products.” TruBamboo’s cutting board is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which won’t chip, peel, crack or dull knives.

About TruBamboo 100% Recyclable Cutting Board

• nonporous and easy to clean
• dishwasher safe
• made with FDA approved material
• BPA Free Plastic

You can read more about this company and this product at TruBamboo.com

About Core Bamboo

Core Bamboo also makes some of the “Worlds Finest Bamboo Products,” from cutting boards & utensils to bowls. All bamboo is 100% organically grown and FDA approved. This utensil has a totally different look from most bamboo products you see out there, because it’s crushed bamboo (which is now my new favorite type of bamboo). All products are hand made by Core Bamboo’s 2000 artisans that are located throughout the world.

You can read more about this company and their crushed bamboo products at Corebamboo.com

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: The Green Kitchen

I’ve always recycled grocery bags, but over the past two months grocery bags have actually become a commodity here in Montgomery County, MD. A law was passed to require certain stores to charge five-cents on each plastic or paper bag they provided us. Being a green enthusiast I am all for this! The Law which is similar to Washington D.C.’s Bag Law was designed to reduce the use of disposable bags by bringing reusable bags.

Reasons Behind the Law

• Plastic bags are the biggest single source of waterway litter.
• Montgomery County spens 3 millions dollars to clean up these plastic bags.
• To have a trash free Potomac River.
• The county’s way to meet state-mandated MS4 stormwater permit requirements.
• To reduce litter and therefore pollution in the Anacostia River.

Other Facts

• Retailers retain 1 cent of each 5 cents for the bags they sell to a customer.
• The leftover 4 cents goes into the County’s Water Quality Protection Charge (WQPC) fund.
• Awesome Visual Aid about grocery bags and the effects it has on the environment - Washington Post
• Click to read more about the bill and the FAQ’s.

Now, I make sure to always have a reusable bag in my purse and a few extra in the car (for those unplanned grocery store stops). Since these bags are actually worth money now, I thought they deserved a nice container to put them in. Being an Etsy addict I went instantly on there and found the most stylish Eco-friendly grocery bag holder made of 100% cotton from Sunshine Sisters. I ordered the “Pernilla’s Journey Paradise Green Mamba” designer print and waited only a few days for it to arrive in the mail. Getting a package is always exciting, but knowing it has the personal touches of an Etsy seller makes it so much more enjoyable.

About Sunshine Sisters

Janna Perry a mother, teacher and fellow Creative who sells not only these grocery bag holders, but also cloth dinner napkins (another item to use for less waste and also fits into the grocery bag holder), etc. Check out Sunshine Sisters store on Etsy.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Reduce & Reuse Grocery Bags

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

UPDATE - This contest is already over. Thanks for participating.

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