In August I wrote about Project Green Search’s call out to eco-friendly models to participate in its green modeling competition.

The ten finalists for Project Green Search have been chosen! Who will be the next green girl? Photo Courtesy Project Green Search.

Now the ten finalists are heading to Hollywood for the last part of the competition. The ten finalists include Rachel Avalon, Ariel Clay, Zion Francis, Rachael Joy, Vanessa Meier, Leilani Munter, Karen Pannocchia, Erika Schmid, Juliana Tran and Jessica Williamson.

The finalists will participate in an eco-fashion shoot with photographer Courtney Dailey on November 5. Each finalist will model apparel and accessories from eco-designers Deborah Lindquist, Peligrosa, Mountains of the Moon, Stewart+Brown, Rain Tees, Charmone Shoes, Jonano, Smart Glass, EcoSkin, Hess Natur, and McFlashPants. Josie Maran and her team and Aliesh Pierce will do the finalists’ make-up using Josie Maran Cosmetics and Jane Iredale mineral cosmetics. Using its own nontoxic product line, Shades Natural Color, a salon in Beverly Hills, will have its stylists do the models’ hair.

On November 6, the judges will hold one-on-one interviews with each finalist. Then, that evening, the Project Green Search Wrap Party will be held at the ECCO Ultra Lounge in Hollywood. At the party the finalists will mingle with the guests while the judges critique the models on their speaking abilities and their representation of the eco-friendly brands they will be wearing. The judges will choose a winner that night. The event also benefits Global Green, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to creating a sustainable future.

Follow the models’ progress and find out who the next green “it” girl will be on the Project Green Search website.

As more people are becoming increasingly conscious about the environment, they are also concerned about their home’s environment. The choices you make about the type of furniture you purchase can affect your home’s indoor air quality and can drastically affect the environment. The next time you go furniture shopping consider purchasing sustainable furniture, which is made from nontoxic, renewable resources.

Sustainably built furniture uses materials and processes with low environmental impact.  Photo By Mazzaliarmadi.it/Courtesy Flickr.  

Environment Furniture is a sustainable furniture company which honors its commitment of using materials and processes with low environmental impact. Environment Furniture combines its keen eye for aesthetics with its diverse sustainable woods and materials to create eco-friendly furniture. Environment Furniture’s collection is made from reclaimed, recycled and sustainably harvested wood. The primary wood used is Peroba Rosa, which is a Brazilian hardwood. Environment Furniture obtains this wood from old houses and buildings in Paraná, Brazil. The Perboba Rosa is then combined with other responsibly harvested woods, such as Indonesian Mahogany and North American White Oak. The selection of furniture pieces ranges from beds to benches. Environment Furniture has partnered with the Tropical Forest Trust to support the company’s continuing effort to use responsibly harvested wood for its furniture collection. Tropical Forest Trust is a global organization, established in 1999, that promotes sustainable forestry at the local level. Environment Furniture has revamped its carbon inventory and eliminated stains that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from its production process. Environment Furniture strives to raise awareness about sustainability through outreach to its customers and retailers.

When artificial wood and other materials are used to make furniture, it releases various toxins into the air. Formaldehyde is the most common toxin found in artificial wood furniture, which is a chief contributor to poor indoor air quality. The amount of formaldehyde in furniture corresponds with the quantity of glue used to make that piece of furniture. The more glue the wood contains, the more formaldehyde is present.

Have you purchased sustainable furniture? Will you in the future? Leave me a comment in the comments section.

In my family, people fall into two categories: tea drinkers and coffee drinkers. I belong to the former category. I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth, so the thought of light, aromatic teas appeals to me more than taste of bitter, black coffee (not to say I abhor coffee; I just take it heavily doctored).

Many different kinds of tea appeal to me, but my favorite brand is probably Choice Organic Teas. It’s an ethical brand by many means—it’s USDA certified organic and TransFair USA fair trade certified—but as a consumer, one concern trumps the others: the taste. In that category, Choice Organic Teas never lets me down.

Choice Organic Teas offers a wide diversity of tea flavors, ranging from the traditional flavors of Early Gray and English Breakfast to more unusual blends, such as Sweet Liquorice Mint and Mango Ceylon with Vanilla. My personal favorite is the Chamomile Citrus, a mild blend with a sweet, floral taste; a close second place is the Lychee White, a delicate and sweet white tea that’s blended with lychee fruit and osmanthus flowers.

Not sure which tea you'll like? Try the sampler. Photo Courtesy Choice Organic Teas.

A few months ago Choice Organic Teas introduced a new product: the Whole Leaf Organics Sampler. If you’d like to try Choice Organic Teas but aren’t sure what type of tea to order, consider this product. It includes eight tea bags, each in a different flavor:

• Lychee White

• English Breakfast

• Jade Green

• Earl Grey 

• Jasmine Green

• Chamomile Citrus

• Sweet Liquorice Mint

• East Blend Darjeeling

The sampler sells for $4.75 and is available online.

Are there any other Choice Organic Tea fans out there? If not, please share your favorite kind of organic tea. I’m always on the lookout for new things to try!

My roommates and I are tracking leaves in to the house. The bathroom sink isn’t looking its best. And I wish I knew how to get these stains out of the carpet.

Lucky for me I stumbled upon a nice list of nontoxic cleaners you can make at home that can (and will) solve my cleaning problems. My three favorite cleaning recipes are below.

Stop buying all of those harsh cleaners and start using homemade, nontoxic cleaners for most of your needs. Photo By himmelskratzer/Courtesy Flikr. 

First, stock your pantry with these great green cleaning supplies:

• Baking soda

• Bon Ami Cleanser

• Borax

• Lemon or lime juice

• Liquid dish soap

• Vegetable or olive oil

• Washing soda

• White vinegar

• Non-scratch scrubber sponge

Rust remover

If your tub or sink has some rust on it, sprinkle salt on the rust and soak it in lime juice for two to three hours. Nothing special is needed to soak the area, just juice the lime right onto it and let it sit. After that, use a rag to rub off the lime juice and salt; you can also (preferably) use the the lime rind to scrub it off. Your rust should be gone!

Bacteria, mold and germs

A spray bottle of vinegar, straight out of the store bottle, is a great way to kill germs anywhere in your house. The smell will dissipate in a matter of hours, and is proven to kill 99 percent of germs. I like to use it in my home because we have a cat, and I don’t want to spray possible toxic cleaners where he’ll be pawing around.

Carpet cleaner

After a spill, blot the area with a water dampened rag. Sprinkle the spot with baking soda, cornstarch or borax and allow it to dry. Wash it with club soda, blot with a rag and vacuum.

What nontoxic cleaners do you use in your own home? Which do you not recommend? Share below in the comments section.

Here are a few more nontoxic cleaning recipes from Natural Home, and if you must use store-bought cleaners, here’s a run down of what to look for in pre-made cleaners.

Once Halloween ends and you’re done displaying your pumpkins, don’t let them go to waste! You can use all of the parts of an uncarved pumpkin.

Uncarved pumpkins can last weeks to months depending on how they’re stored. Pumpkins stay fresh longer if kept in a cool, dry place. If left sitting outside in the cold fall weather, they probably aren’t good to eat. Check to see if the pumpkin is moldy or the outside feels soft and squishy. If so, it will have to go to the compost bin.

Don't let any parts of your pumpkin go to waste! You can use all of the parts of an uncarved pumpkin. Photo By elana's pantry/Courtesy Flickr.

Get the most out of the pumpkin by roasting it. Follow these steps to roast your own pumpkin.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Cut off the stem of the pumpkin. Compost the stem.

Step 3: Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. It’s easiest just to pick them out with your fingers. Set the seeds aside.

Step 4: Use a spoon to scrape out the pumpkin “guts.” Compost these.

Step 5: Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, leave the skin on.

Step 6: Place pumpkin into a roasting dish.

Step 7: Roast for 1 to 2 hours or until tender.

Step 8: Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool.

Step 9: Remove the skin from the cooked pumpkin and compost it.

Step 10: Mash the cooked pumpkin with a food processor until smooth.

The roasted pumpkin can replace canned pumpkin in any recipe. The inside of the pumpkin can go into tons of recipes—pies, muffins, cakes, soups, breads and more. Try using your roasted pumpkin in these yummy recipes: pumpkin thyme scones and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

The seeds you set aside when roasting the pumpkin can also make a tasty treat. Try making cinnamon-sugar roasted pumpkin seeds or spicy pumpkin seeds. You can also store the seeds to plant your own pumpkins next year.

What are you going to do with your left over pumpkins? Let me know in the comments section.

With the exception of winter, I get excited for each of the four seasons. Each fall I look forward to crisp weather, warm colors and brilliant foliage. In Lawrence, Kansas, where I live, beautiful foliage is at a premium. We have an abundance of trees that turn beautiful shades of deep red and vibrant orange (and that distract me while I’m driving).

Although I’m satisfied with the trees in Lawrence, I know that the best place to go for fall foliage is New England. One great place to visit in fall is the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 500-mile span of highway that stretches across the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. The landscape around the parkway reaches its crescendo in October, making this month peak visitors’ month for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Enjoy beautiful fall foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photo By ncbrian/Courtesy Flickr. 

Don’t be fooled by the term “parkway.” The Blue Ridge Parkway isn’t just a road, a way to get from point A to point B or something to breeze through. Nevermind the fact the speed limit tops out at 45 mph (in some places 25 mph), the Blue Ridge Parkway is an experience—and one to savor this time of year.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the parkway offers bird watching, fishing and many hiking and biking trails. History buffs will find a variety of attractions to appease them along the way. From early European homesteads to the Cherokee Indian Reservation the highway meanders through, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers a host of educational and cultural opportunities.

If you’re looking for a green attraction along the parkway, check out the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination & Visitor Center. Constructed to LEED standards, the visitor center boasts green features such as radiant floor heating and a green roof. The center also features interactive exhibits and touch-screen computers where visitors can learn about the history of the parkway as well as its natural and cultural resources.

A blackberry plant along the Blue Ridge Parkway, between Buena Vista and Montebello, Virginia. Photo By Martin LaBar/Courtesy Flickr. 

Green lodging is a must when enjoying the natural beauty of the parkway. Camping is an eco-friendly option for those willing, but if you’re not into “roughing it,” get into the New England spirit with a green bed and breakfast.

Belle Hearth Bed and Breakfast (North end)

The Belle Hearth Bed and Breakfast is located in the historic district of Waynesboro, Virginia, on the north end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Part of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Green Lodging program, it features low-flow toilets, compact fluorescent lighting and a recycling program.

Miracle Farm Bed and Breakfast (middle)

Miracle Farm Bed and Breakfast is a little off the beaten path along the middle of the parkway. Located near Floyd, Virginia, this little bed and breakfast was built from recycled building materials and other materials found on the land. Miracle Farm serves only fresh, organic food grown on-site. Meat is never on the menu, so vegetarians should feel welcome here. The bed and breakfast shares its 25 acres with Miracle Farm, a nonprofit Sustainable Living Center and Animal Sanctuary. Miracle Farm features on-site fishing, bird watching and hiking/walking paths.

Asheville Green Cottage (Southern end)

The Asheville Green Cottage is located at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Ashville, North Carolina. This bed and breakfast features natural latex mattresses with organic wool toppers, organic cotton sheets and towels, bamboo floors, chlorine filters in the showers and organic food, coffee and teas. The bed and breakfast markets itself as both PVC-free and carbon neutral.

Germs are everywhere. Bacteria lurks on the surface of your keyboard, in the air we breathe and in the water we drink. Though most germs are harmless because our bodies immune systems protect us from these tiny organisms, it is still important to practice healthy habits- especially hand washing.

When you can’t wash your hands, be sure to keep a healthy hand sanitizer in your bag. A healthy, natural option is Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer. Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer combines ethyl alcohol, aloe vera and witch hazel to kill germs and soften hands. Witch hazel is used as an herbal remedy to cleanse skin. Witch Hazel also contains flavonoids, which contribute to its soothing, anti-inflammatory properties.

Burt's Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer kills germs and softens hands. Photo Courtesy Burt's Bees.

For centuries, aloe vera has been used as a home remedy to heal wounds and various skin conditions. Aloe vera contains 18 amino acids all of which strengthen its healing capabilities. One of its many uses is to soothe sunburned skin.     

Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer is an all-natural product, which means it does not contain any synthetic or petrochemical ingredients. Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer costs $5 for a 2 fl. oz bottle. It is available online and can also be purchased at Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens and Whole Foods.

Do you use hand sanitizer? What kind? Leave me a comment in the comments section.

My kitchen lacks a garbage disposal. My roommates and I have been amiss about what to do with our kitchen scraps. Throw them in the trash? Stinky kitchen. Let them slip down the drain? Clogged sink. Throw them out the back door into the backyard? No way.

What we need is a composter—but what we need to decide is if we’re going to build our own compost bin or buy a premade one.

A composter is an superb way to get rid of your kitchen scraps.  Photo By amber in norfolk/Courtesy Flickr .

Ideally, we would make a bin because it would push us to actually use it, and it will be more visually appealing than a compost pile, which might be somewhat of an eyesore for our neighbors.

If we made a compost bin we could use most any material in our shed to trap in heat and moisture. Recycling old wood would be a great choice, along with some chicken wire for the sides. Though most hardware or superstores offer premade compost bins, there’s something about using old materials to make one that just feels right.

Use the wood to build the frame, and wrap the chicken wire around the outside to keep in all your compost.

Here’s a real rundown on how to make your own compost bin.

You don’t want to make your bin or pile bigger than 5’ x 5’ x 5’ because it will be difficult to turn and sustain. A good-sized composter for an average sized garden is about 3’ x 3’ x 3’.

Hopefully this works out for my roommates and me. I don’t want to start throwing egg shells, orange rings and strawberry tops out in the back lawn.

How did you make your own compost bin? Share in the comments section below.

Check out all of the benefits to composting and other ways to make your own compost.

When it comes to jewelry, I envision diamonds, rubies and sapphires. I never imagined wearing newspaper, industrial waste and  instrument strings around my wrists, neck and fingers.

I should have known better. Anything is possible, especially when it comes to recycled, reused and salvaged jewelry.

Green jewelry, like recycled fabric clothing, is in style. Emeralds are no longer the only way to green your treasure chest. Choose conflict-free diamonds, eco-friendly gold jewelry or fair-trade gem jewelry to green your jewelry box. For the daring among us, there are a few more eco-friendly options.

Newspaper jewelry

Not only does green jewlery designer Holly Anne Mitchell use newspaper to create bracelets, brooches, cufflinks, earrings and neckpieces, but she has added sweetener packets, unlucky lottery tickets and expired coupons to her assortment of green jewelry designs. To protect the papers from rain and body moisture, she coats the beads with a moisture resistant sealant. Holly Anne Mitchell’s green jewelry ranges in price, from $59 for a comic strip brooch to $599 for a crossword puzzle bracelet with sterling silver trim.

Newspaper jewelry is becoming increasingly popular.  Photo by feltrinella/Courtesy Flickr.  

Wired jewelry

The handmade green jewelry from Wired are crafted from salvaged materials from the waste piles of several local Chicago industries. The salvaged material used to create these one-of-a-kind pieces determines the design. The green jewelry collection features necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Wired produces green jewelry in limited quantities and the jewelry costs $25 to $125.

Instrument string jewelry

Combining her passion for music and the environment, Xavior, founded green jewelry company, Strings and a dare. Taking the strings from guitars, violins, pianos and cellos, she constructs and revives these once-retired instrument strings into pieces of green jewelry. Prices range from $40 to $200.       

What are your thoughts on green jewelry? Tell me what you think in the comments section.

My college roommate and I often talked about technologies that we thought were designed to break, like light bulbs for instance, so that you have to buy more. How could we create a product that would last longer and have less of an impact on the environment?

New light bulbs featuring LED technology will be available soon. Photo Courtesy Panasonic.

Phillips is releasing Everleds, a new line of LED light bulbs for home use, in Japan on October 21. The light bulbs have a 40,000-hour life span, which breaks down to 19 years of use if the switch is flipped on for five and a half hours every day.

A 60 watt bulb costs approximately $40, but the approximate cost of running the bulb is significantly lower than an incandescent bulb—$3 a year in comparison to $25.80.

Currently Panasonic is conducting research in other markets and is considering selling the bulbs in the States, too.

Think you’ll use these LED bulbs if they come to the American market? Share your views in the comments section below.

A recent study conducted by a group of researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder shows that showerheads collect and disperse bacteria at levels that could be harmful to your health.

Your showerhead might not be as clean as you once thought. Photo By WhatKumar/Courtesy Flickr.

That’s not what I was expecting when I washed the sleep from my eyes every morning.

The researchers took samples from 45 showerheads in nine cities and found that bacteria not only collects in them, but is often found at levels 100 times higher than what naturally forms in tap water. Those bacteria are then shot into the air in aerosol form, and are small enough to infiltrate your lungs.

So when you first fire on your shower in the morning and step right in, you’re blasted with microbes that could cause bronchitis, asthma or pulmonary infections and diseases.

Though the researchers’ findings are slightly startling, they say people at most risk are those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly, pregnant, young or ill. Everyone else, for the most part, should be fine taking showers. I wasn’t planning on switching to baths, so that was relieving to learn.

I’m still planning on waiting 30 seconds before entering my shower every morning, to let the microbes blast out and dissipate before I step in. I might even start cleaning my showerhead with vinegar at least once a week, especially since it’s a plastic showerhead, which collects more bacteria than metal showerheads.

If you want to avoid some of the bacteria lurking in your showerhead, check out this metal showerhead.

Don’t forget to clean your bathroom with green products or homemade cleaners.

How do you keep your shower clean? Share your green cleaning strategies in the comments section.