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

Whenever I thought about handkerchiefs I imagine my Grandfather and his hankie that he used to blow his nose into and hack into all the time - it grossed me out.

I was 10. A decade later as I started to take a look at how environmentally friendly my decisions were I started to reconsider. After a nasty bout with a cold I had a sore nose - I found some great natural solutions for my dry nose but could the dry nose have been avoided by not using 1,000,000 facial tissues?

Yes. In a recent purchase from Lunapads I ordered a few small Organic cotton handkerchiefs and contacted Lunapads customer support about the use and care of this reusable facial tissue.

One of their support staff, Sandra Allen, was quick with a response to me. I just asked her what was on my mind and after I read her response the first time I needed to blow my nose it felt right in that cotton hankie!

She assured me the following is the case with handkerchiefs:

• They aren’t going to leak snot everywhere or into your clothes in the wash
• If you have a cold you will produce more mucus and might want to rinse your hankie in warm water and hydrogen peroxide to keep it naturally fresh and white
• Just toss it in your pocket - use it - the toss it in your laundry. Then repeat!

Handkerchief Q & A With Sandra Allen of Lunapads

Are there a lot of germs in my snot and boogers (aka mucus)?

Sandra: I did a bit of reading and generally snot is produced to help keep the respiratory system free of germs. The time when it may have germs in it is when you are catching a cold. In that case I would soak them in hot water and add some hydrogen peroxide. But generally a hankie is a personal item that is used only for you so they’re your own germs. Check out Wikipedia’s definition of mucus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_mucus#Respiratory_system or do some Google searches to read more about it. I am all fascinated by our wonderful mucus-producing bodies now that I’ve done some reading up on the subject!

What should I do with dirty or used reusable handkerchiefs when I’m not at home?

Sandra: I personally just keep them in my pocket or bag, the snot really doesn’t go anywhere and unless you’ve got a bad cold it’ll be minor what comes out.

What’s a good solution to keep clean handkerchiefs separate from dirty in my pockets, handbag, desk, or home?

Sandra: Again, you don’t need to be so particular about it. I usually only have one hankie on me during the day, but sometimes I’ll keep a folded one in a pocket of my bag/purse. The used hankie can just be kept in your coat or pants pocket, always turn the snot part inwards and it won’t get anywhere. But we do have these cute little pouches – the Luna Pouch (nylon lined!) or the Pochette (pictured below) that you could use to store your hankies in.

Terri (me): I had to let her have that little sales bit It’s just how I roll!

Should I soak my handkerchief first to make sure the snot doesn’t get all over my clothes?

Sandra: Unless you’ve got a cold (and therefore more snot!) you can just throw them straight in to the wash, no need to pre-rinse but you can if it makes you feel more comfortable.

How can I soak, pre-wash or clean a handkerchief?

Sandra: I’d just soak them in water, but if they seem little dirty then add a bit of hydrogen peroxide or a product like oxy-brite which are both natural bleaching agents. It’ll help keep them a nice cream-white and won’t damage the fabric or the environment.

Are you sure it won’t get on my clothes if I wash them in with my regular laundry?

Sandra: It won’t get on your clothes. I promise you won’t even be able to tell you had snotty hankies in with your laundry if you do combine them. Once you start using hankies you’ll be amazed at how the snot just kind of disappears in the fabric.

Terri (me): And yes, she does mean the “fabric of the handkerchief!”

Additional photo from the Lunapad website (that’s Sandra on the left.)

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Not Your Grampa’s Handkerchief

Valentines day is less than a month away, if you’re shopping for your environmentally conscious girlfriend or you want to look sexy for you eco-hero boyfriend this is the Valentines Day to do sexy right - by the earth’s standards.

Here’s our top picks for Valentines Day 2009 - Be sure to order your Internet purchases early to ensure delivery by Saturday, February 14th 2008!

BambooDreams Cleo Gown by DreamSacks, Inc

This lovely nightgown is an empire waist, tank top that comes just above the knees. Made from 85% pesticide free bamboo - a sustainable and renewable resource. A beautiful cozy nightgown is a great deviation from PJ pants and will get much more wear for you dollar! Make every night as sexy as Valentines Day! Available in 6 colors, from small to x-large.

Price: $57 USD
Available from Dreamsack.com

Perfectly Imperfect Organic Cotton Lace Nighty

A beautiful imperfect gown - it’s fitted through the bodice with adjustable straps. Made from 90% Organic cotton the contrasting lace adds beautiful detail in numerous shades. The line is inspired by the wabi sabi way of life, an ancient Chinese philosophy for thos who like fresh simplicity and rustic natural beauty. Available in 5 colors, from small to large.

Price: $62 USD
Available from TheGreenLoop.com

O Girl Babydoll

Soft, delicate with all the bows, frills and lace a girl loves. An eco-conscious girl will love that it’s 100% Organic cotton jersey. As seen in Lucky Magazine in December 2008. Available in 2 colors, from small to large.

Price: $57 USD
Available from Eberjey.com

Mya Underwear by g=9.8

This hot bra and boxers set is made from ultra soft recycled white pine-tree pruning. Available in red and blue using low impact dyes. Sizes A-C and small - large.

Price: Separates are 38.95 / 21.40 ea. EU
Available from By Nature

Bedrock Betty Chemise by Enamore, Ltd.

How about some Flintstones for Valentines Day? This racy number is made from soft bamboo leopard print jersey with delicate details and a pink bow to complete the look. Get some animal on in the bedroom! Available in sizes small to x-large.

Price: 75 EU
Available from ENAMORE, Ltd.

Camisole & Boy Short Set by CEL Lingerie

This hot two piece is fair trade friendly 95% Organic cotton. The French embroidered lace accents perfect the pieces with beautiful detail. She can be comfortable and sizzle in this machine washable number! Available in two colors in sizes small to large.

Price: $155
Available from Noblivity.com

Sleeper Set

Simple can be sexy too! This cozy two piece sleeper set is made from Organic cotton with adorable ruffled edge accents. Available in black in small and medium sizes.

Price: $54 (marked down from $90 thru Jan 31) Available from Kaight

Lacey Set Handmade by Urban Fox

A sexy two piece - this perfect pair features wide lace details and a perfect unfinished touch. Adjustable or silk ribbon straps tie options at the shoulder and the lace detailed panties have extra tiers of wide lace across the bum. Too cute! All of it is sewn by hand using Organic cotton and bamboo blends. Available in sizes small - large.

Also check out their stocking and garter panties sets that would compliment the lacy cami look perfectly!

Price: $85 Cami set / $75 Stocking set
Available from Urban Fox xoxo

Green Knickers

These adorable panties are one size fits all with adjustable straps. They are low carbon, 100% recycled, with Organic cotton gussets. Each pair is unique and their site has a number of different colors to chose from. Each order includes an optional fair trade, recycled gift box. Guys, you can’t go wrong with a one size fits all gift! Just find a cure simple organic cotton cami to go with it and you’ve got a beautiful set.

Price: 15 EU
Available from GreenKnickers

Victoria’s Secret Organic Cotton Wireless Bra and Hip Huggers

Victoria’s Secret is starting to get into the Organic game and this new set is beautiful. In the past they have typically stuck to Organic cami, panties and shirts, but this bra is adorable. It’s refreshing to see them continuing to step into the Organic cotton apparel market. I own a number of VS Organic cotton cami’s and panties and i love them. I prefer them over all the other bottoms I own! There’s two matching prints for the set and it’s available in x-small - large.

Price: $26 USD Bra / $10 USD Hip Huggers
Available from Victoria Secret Online

More Ideas?

Got any other ideas, post ‘em in the comments! Don’t forget to find ways to jazz up boring lingerie you already own, a little lace, bows and some ruching will spice up any piece.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Top 10 Eco Lingerie for a Very Green Valentines Day

I know I’ve heard it before - tea is good for you. Well why and what’s the big deal about green tea?

Both green and black tea are include a number of active ingredients, especially potent antioxidants like catechin, flavonoids, polyphenols and a type of phytochemical called EGCG. Antioxidants help prevent or slow oxidative damage to our body which happens when our bodies use oxygen which can often produce pb-products or free radicals that can cause damage. Those antioxidants act as scavengers and reduce the free radicals and repair the damaged caused.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a substance in green tea has been found to halt a specific stage in the cancer process more effectively than current cancer drugs do^[1] in lab tests. Though it is also reported that in large population studies the results are less consistent. Though green tea has been cited to decrease the cardiovascular disease mortality in a population study over the course of 11 years but not the cancer mortality rate. This Japanese study: Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan published by the American Journal of Medicine discusses that study in depth.

Green Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea is always rumored to be linked to weight loss, Japanese researchers have claim replacing your morning coffee with green tea can help you burn more calories through thermogenesis, the process of heat production in organisms, due to the caffeine content and possibly even the EGCG content.

Organic Green Tea

It makes perfect sense to seek out Organic teas. You’re drinking water that has had leaves steeped in it. Even if tea leaves are cleaned after being harvested wouldn’t you rather drink tea that comes from leaves that have never been touched by chemical fertilizers or pesticides? I would!

Be sure to check your local market or a local tea/coffee shop for Organic tea varieties!

Should I Drink Green Tea?

Why not? It’s tasty, and seems to have plenty of health benefits. Green tea also has anti-inflammatory properties which can be good for you inside and out!

How to Prepare Green Tea

Boil water and allow your green tea bag to steep 3 to 5 minutes to bring out the antioxidants and be sure to drink it freshly brewed to ensure you enjoy the full benefits of those antioxidants.

Add sugar, lemon, milk or honey as you see fit. I enjoy Organic honey in my teas and have a bottle of it in the cabinet at home and work.

So go on, replace you coffee that probably isn’t doing your body any good with some green tea every morning.

Tea Leaves photo by indi.ca via flickr used under the creative commons

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Green Tea and It’s Health Benefits

There’s a great Dirty Jobs episode on the Discovery Channel where Mike Rowe goes to Terressentials in Maryland and makes and gets his hair washed in organic shampoo. I must divulge that I love Mike Rowe (my boyfriend is often jealous) so I hopped on their website and online store, Terressentials.com, to see what they had to offer!

The first order I made included the Fragrance-Free Facial Care Sampler. I’ve often had problems with scented products so I figure since my face doesn’t need to smell good: fragrance free would be my best route.

The samples are small but they go a long way, I used my sample package for a bit over 2 weeks, anywhere between 1 and 3 times a day. The bottles are small but the recommended amounts to use are very small as well - good things really do come in small packages.

Fragrance-free Organic Facial Cleanser & Toner

Of the four items in the sample pack these two items: the fragrance-free organic facial cleanser and fragrance-free organic facial toner, have made me a loyal Teressentials fan.

I’ve had a hard time with my skin in my early 20’s to the point where I considered using some of the prescription strength systems but the responses I read in blogs to such systems were overwhelmingly negative. So I started trying new face washes and low and behold the first organic one I tried I fell in love with.

The Terressentials fragrance-free cleanser and toner are USDA Certified Organic. They’re for all skin types and the naturally gentle cleansing power of these two are just what your face wants.

I’ve been using the face wash 2, sometimes 3 times a day and the toner at least once a day and I have never been happier with my skin. I have seen a drastic reduction in breakouts and my skin feel softer and battles the New England dry winter weather very well. I’ve noticed my skin even out a bit and I don’t ever feel the need to use harsh scrubs to “exfoliate” like I had before.

The best part - Terressentials is affordable organic. Their products might seem pricy per bottle but when you usee only the recommended amount your bottles will last a long time!

Fragrance Free Organic Facial Lotion & Moisture Cream

The other two products in the sampler fragrance-free organic facial lotion and 100% organic fragrance-free moisture cream, were a great compliment to the cleaners and toner. The Moisture cream is perfect to naturally soothe a dry nose during a cold and the facial lotion provides the moisture locking I look for in a moisturizer without a lot of weight or scent.

More USDA Organic Face Care Options by Terressentials

Terressentials also offers a flower therapy organic skin care system that I may try next order now that my skin feels more balances than my pre-teen days!

If you’ve used any of the Terressentials face care lines let me know what you thought otherwise - get to ordering! You won’t regret it.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Terressentials Face Care System

Looking or a healthy snack? Try Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies.

I got turned onto Annie’s by an old friend who hated blue box mac and cheese and insisted I try Annie’s Mac. I was hooked after I tried it and have since kept an eye out for more of Annie’s products with their mascot Bernie the bunny on the box.

The other day I was looking for a healthy snack to leave on my desk at the office and I saw Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. I grabbed ‘em and was again hooked. I think Annie’s Cheddar bunnies taste better than Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish. Cheddar bunnies are made with organic wheat flour and real aged cheddar then baked to delicious perfection. Their nutritional value and cost is comparable to Pepperidge Farm’s Cheddar Goldfish but I like knowing there are organic ingredients and that my products are coming from an eco-conscious company.

Need some other healthy reasons to grab a box and try them for yourself?
Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies have:

• 0g Trans Fat
• Low Saturated Fat
• No Cholesterol
• No Sugar Added
• Contains Non-GMO

Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies come in a few different flavor varieties that I am dying to try once I ask my local grocery market to carry more than just the cheddar variety.

• Sour Cream & Onion Cheddar Bunnies
• White Cheddar Bunnies
• Whole Wheat Cheddar Bunnies

Learn more about Annie’s other snacks and more about Annie’s Cheddar bunnies and their new Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies - made with even more organic goodness on the Annie’s website: www.annies.com

Have you tried Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies before? What did you think?

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies - Healthy Snack

Every time I hit the stores I poke around to see if I can find any new organic, green or natural products I didn’t know existed. The other day I was at the grocery store and I saw some body butters with packaging that caught my eye.

Their clever packaging with hand drawn retro pinups girls give an old Americana feel to a fresh 72% organic product. Their packaging has been recognized by the NACDS in Boston in ‘06 and ‘07 for best packaging and their products can also be purchased at some retail locations without the unnecessary cardboard packaging.

All of their products come in 4 fun fresh scents:

• New York Cheesecake with an Edge
  Scented with vanilla and strawberry
• Toast to the Coast
  Scented with ocean and grape seed
• Southern Belle
  Scented with peach and mango
• Vermont VaVa Voom
  Scented with green apple, maple and blueberry

The lotion comes in a tin or pump - I prefer a pump. At first the body butter appears a bit greasy but locks onto your skin and is absorbed in seconds with no greasy residue - leaves you feeling fresh for hours. It feels extra good on fresh shaved legs since it contains no alcohol.

I am now in love with the Body America Organic - Toast to the Coast Body Butter. Though part of it might be a scent memory there’s something about Toast to the Coast that sends me back to my Gram’s beach house as a kid.

You can buy Body America products online on amazon (see above) or in stores such as Target, Price Chopper and PRice Rite.

Body America Promo Video

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Body America Organics - Body Lotion

Interested in updating one you you most used pieces of furniture to your new found green lifestyle? For about $250 you can have a beautiful organic bamboo desk!

It’s not the sleekest design I’ve ever seen and at $250 for a desk, that’s a higher price point than most of us would ever consider.

But consider the value behind the $250 before you decide if that is beyond your walet forever.

• Solid bamboo = desk is strong Bamboo is one of the strongest building materials, it’s tensile strength is 28,000 per square inch versus 23,000 per square inch for steel
• Tool less assembly The desk uses a tab / slot design to put the desk together like a puzzle, testimonials on the site actually describe it as fun to put together.

Don’t forget that a tab / slot design would be easy to disassemble. If you have to move you don’t have to move the big clunky desk the same way you have to move your dressers and couches - you can easily disassemble it and not worry about losing screws or weakening the structural integrity when you reassemble it in your new home.

Detail Photographs

This is a product I will highly consider the next time I am in the market for a desk. Bamboo is great sustainable and durable building material! I also like the way it has 7 additional (and optional) pieces to customize the bamboo desk to your specific needs. maybe you need a little more space, or you want to connect it to another bamboo desk.

You can read more about the organic bamboo computer desk at Abundant Earth.com

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Organic Bamboo Desk - Green Office

The Green Behavior Yes to Carrots giveaway is about to begin!

That’s right Green Behavior is getting into the Christmas spirit by giving away all five flavors of the Yes to Carrots Lip Butters. It’s our first promotional giveaway so I hope you are all ready to enter and someone is ready to win!

Read more about this awesome product on our review last week!

The Prizes

Grand Prize

• Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter (full sized) in all five flavors.

Runner Up

• Yes to Carrots t-shirt^[1]

I’m trying to line up a runner up prize if someone from Yes to Carrots will get back to me

How to Enter

There are two easy ways!

• Follow @greenbehavior
• Leave a comment on this article

If you are entering via comment be sure to include your e-mail address in the space provided or I can’t contact you if you win.

An Additional Note all current followers of @greenbehavior are automatically re-entered into the contest as part of a pre-registration weekend promotion.

The Rules/Fine Print

One entry per person, per e-mail address or twitter account. Winner will be selected at random via Random.org. Winner will be announced in the morning Friday, December 19th 2008. They will be contacted wither by email (for comment entries) or by direct message on Twitter and will have 2 days (48 hours) to respond. If they have not responded within 48 hours they are disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.

The giveaway includes free shipping to the continental US and Canada. International winners can either forgo the prize to another randomized winner or pay for shipping.

Contest runs from today - Monday, December 15, 2008 - Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 11:59 EST.

Giveaway haws ended - Winners can be viewed here.
A big thanks for everyone who entered!

Good luck to you all!

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Soft Organic Lips for Winter Giveaway

One of my favorite day to day green health and beauty products is by far the Yes to Carrots Lip Butters.

The lip butters come in five lip smacking delicious flavors:

• Melon
• Citrus
• Berry
• Carrot
• Mint

The lip butters are actually the product that first drew me to Yes To Carrots. I grabbed a melon lip butter one day at Walgreens cause I didn’t have a Chapstick in my pocket - a daily staple. I used the melon lip butter all night and the next day I promptly bought the other 4 flavors.

Melon is still by far my favorite with citrus in a close second. The smell of the citrus is really refreshing , I can’t wait for summer to use this one!
The mint flavor is really energizing - mostly because of the smell. It’s a good pick-me up in the morning - especially a cold rainy morning. Carrot is pretty plain but the berry is one of the tastier varieties.

What? Quite Tasty??

Oh yes, since the lip butters are 95% Organic (USDA Certified Organic too) and all natural I don’t worry about how much I ingest. One downfall of many lip balms on the market is when they smell good and taste good you tend to smack your lips often - wouldn’t you feel better knowing you’re eating organic lip balm?

You can learn more about Yes to Carrots’ Organic Lip Butter on their website. I have officially replaced all the Chapsticks and lip balms in my life with these - they’re the best organic lip balm I’ve ever used.

You can buy the Yes to Carrots Lip Butters at Walgreens, Target and online at Drugstore.com and Amazon.com.

Check out some interesting and unusual uses for lip balm - besides soothing your lovely lips!

Upcoming Green Behavior Contest

Keep an eye out for Green Behavior’s first freebie content on Monday, December 15th! I mean come on - everyone loves free stuff! Subscribe to the Green Behavior newsletter (up top), follow @greenbehavior on Twitter or read the feed for updates!

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: 95% Organic Lip Balm - Yes to Carrots Lip Butter