Goldiehome ~ Eco-Conscious Homewares

I came across the home furnishing designs by {Goldiehome} on the {2Modern Blog}. Not only are the designs beautiful and sophisticated, but the products are also eco-conscious and inspired by the geometry and tactility of nature. Goldiehome has begun to set a whole new standard for luxurious organic modern design, all made from certified organic cotton.

Bite™ Produce Bags

With the ever-growing need to be environmentally conscious, there has been a huge move to make a change in our lives wherever possible to help do our part. One way people are doing this is by using reusable grocery bags. Here is a way to take that even one step further! Although we may be saying "neither" to the question "paper or plastic?", we are forgetting all the individual plastic bags we use for our produce. {Bite™} has come up with a solution, designing these amazing reusable produce bags. Here is a little fact off of their website that is more than convincing that this is a great idea: "500 billion (1 million every minute) plastic bags are used each year and are contributing to the endangerment of our environment." SOLD! They even have a drawstring to eliminate the need for twist-ties. These bags are machine washable, durable, lightweight, and made in the USA.

Staying Warm & Getting Tax Credit

{Morso} cast iron fireplaces and wood burning stoves are not only aesthetically pleasing and totally functional, but purchasing any of the {qualifying} products can get you up to $1500.00 in tax credit. This was also found via {2modern}.

Wiley Valentine ~ Inspired Paper Delights

Emily and Rachelle grew up inspired by each of their grandmothers' - Mary Wiley and Norma Jean Valentine - artistic and eclectic expressions of life. Their grandmothers inspired them to pursue creative endeavors. After working at the same graphic design firm in California, they both realized that they were going about passionless projects that were too mainstream. They found a common sense of enthusiasm for using their creative aspirations to revamp the paper industry. They left their jobs to found the E & R Design Group, which formed the groundwork for the fashionably classic line of paper products. They called it {Wiley Valentine}. With sustainably being more important now than ever before, they made the commitment to become a 100% sustainable paper company. Today, all of their paper prints are either 100% recycled PSC or 100% cotton, a natural, renewable resource. No trees! In their studio, they reuse all of the 100% recycled fax paper and shred every mock-up and misprint - they reuse all of these in resourceful and colorful packaging material!

Amenity - Modern Organic Living

Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo, longtime friends, started {Amenity} in 2004. They wanted to bring some of the peaceful tranquility of their youth into their urban, adult homes. This worked out perfectly because both of them are graphic designers who are passionate about nature and modern designs. With sustainability in mind, they are constantly working to find out different ways to create products that maintain harmony with the environment. Alpaca, linen, and hemp are among the materials they use. The products range from tableware, linens/bedding, organic baby products, pillows, and more.

A Green Lifestyle

In honor of Earth Day, which really should be everyday, I thought I would post some of my favorite re-usable and recycled products that help us do our part to save the environment. It is up to us to get ourselves out of this mess we have created around our planet. When there are patches of plastic the size of Texas in our oceans, when dead fish are cut open only to find lighters and trash in their stomachs, when birds are being wrapped up in plastic and dying - it is all a rude awakening - or at least it SHOULD be for us all.

From top to bottom:

(1) I love this idea of having re-usable storage bags for fruits, veggies and herbs. Cloth bags like these keep produce fresh for much longer than plastic grocery bags and are obviously better for the environment. These were made by {WonderThunder} - a great idea and a beautiful design!

(2) Re-usable/washable sandwich and snack bags - I don't know why I never though of this before! Such fun colors and designs, who wouldn't want one!? The Lunch Skins set is by {3 Green Moms} - they carry other great products and fantastic prices! They also carry the wonderful cornstarch spoons called Popcorn Ware, which is actually the kind of utensils at the take-out section of Whole Foods (man, I wish we had one in San Luis Obispo).

(3) {Bamboo re-usable utensils}! Perfect for children's lunchboxes or taking lunch to work :) I have to get myself a set of these!

(4) Re-usable {hot drink cozies} - take it along with you to your favorite coffee shop instead of using and throwing away their cardboard ones each time. They come in many great designs and colors too!

(5) {Bottle cap thumb tacks} make an easy, but fun craft project and a great way to re-use your favorite bottle caps!

(6) These great re-usable stainless steel food containers are a great way to reduce waste. They are available at {Go Green in Stages}.

(7) Last, but not least, this is a great DIY project for all ages! These fun night lights by {Mariposa Avenue} are made out of recycled soup cans! With a coat of paint and a drill, look at what you can create!

Earth Hour - Before and Afters

Earth Hour was something started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and quickly grew to be globally observed. On Saturday March 28th, 2009 - more than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed {Earth Hour} - in homes, office towers, and landmarks by turning off their lights for an hour starting at 8:30pm local time. This was done to raise awareness about climate change and the threats from rising greenhouse gas emissions. The before and after images were found on {The Big Picture}.