Happy Black Friday! 

To make your Black Friday a little greener, here are a few tips to kick off the holiday shopping season. 

1. Look for American-made products. This ensures that your purchase didn’t travel too far to get to your shopping cart. 

2. Shop vintage and antiques for that hard-to-buy-for relative. You can find loads of unique, inexpensive items at your local flea market and antique store. 

3. Draw names from a hat. My brothers and I started this tradition a couple years ago to cut down on expenses and holiday stress. If you have a big family, see if you can play Secret Santa or draw names to reduce spending (and packaging) during the holidays. 

4. Remember your reusable bags! Surely you’ve collected many over the past several months (I own at least 10!). Put them to good use when you’re out shopping, and who knows: If you only have a few bags, maybe that will deter you from overspending (or at least encourage you to take a break!). 

5. Hit up Cyber Monday sales and just avoid the craziness of Black Friday. Remember to be aware of shipping costs and carbon emissions when doing an online haul. Online shopping’s eco-friendliness may cancel out if you shop several online sites and rush ship everything you purchase. Make a list of gifts to purchase and figure out what hot spot you could hit up to minimize carbon emissions from shipping. 

6. Check out Craigslist or Freecycle for fresh finds from your local neighbors. You never know what you might find! 

7. If you’re buying for a child this year, consider contributing to his college fund instead of buying more plastic presents. Make cookies or other treats for the child if you’re worried about not having something for him to open. 

8. Make your purchase stretch the extra mile by shopping through sites that contribute to eco-friendly causes. Check out Earth Moment for carbon-neutral shopping.

9. For those of you who will be wrapping presents and stashing them away tonight, remember to choose recycled wrapping paper or, even better, use the paper you already have: magazine pages (I did this last year), comics section of the newspaper and any other scrap paper. Colorful collages look beautiful under the tree. 

10. Of course, I can’t write a greening your Black Friday post without mentioning that participating in “Buy Nothing Day” is the easiest way to be green and keep your cool on the busiest shopping day of the year. Avoid the craze and chill out at home with leftovers, family and a good movie while 128 million high-stress shoppers hit up the stores. 

Photo By ianqui/Courtesy flickr

Photo by lordog/Courtesy flickr
http://flickr.com/photos/loririelly/

I just wanted to step back and present you with this hilarious turkey cupcake. I'm a turkey baby, so this is the perfect combination of Thanksgiving and birthday celebrations.

Have a great, green holiday. Eat in moderation and remember to reheat your leftovers in glass (not plastic!), and I'll be back with you on Friday to discuss the ups and downs of Black Friday. Do you think we can make it a "Green Friday"?

Gobble gobble!

A potential class-action lawsuit against Victoria's Secret has some women itching to get out of their bras.

The problem? Complaints of allergic reactions to formaldehyde supposedly found in the fibers of the bras' cups. Some women have reported painful welts, rashes and blisters.

Photo by Jenny Downing/Courtesy flickr  

Formaldehyde in clothing is not uncommon. Many stain- and wrinkle-free clothing are laced with the toxin. The best way to avoid sensitive skin reactions to these harsh chemicals is to buy organic fabrics.

Your next best option is to launder your new clothing (especially undergarments) before wearing them. You won't wash out the chemicals completely, but you will dilute them and reduce the amount that comes into contact with your skin.

Your underwear is the closest thing to your skin, meaning whatever's in it (pure, organic fabric or chemical-filled fabric) seeps into your skin daily.

A typical Victoria's Secret Secret Embrace bra costs $45—some can go for more. A simple, organic cotton bra costs up to $45. No bells and whistles with these, though—just simple, comfortable and ivory in color.

How organic do you go when it comes to clothing? Would you forgo mass-produced style for simple, organic luxury—regardless of the pricepoint?

I never thought that I could say with a straight face that I use an eco-friendly hairbrush. What does that even mean?

It means Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood. It means natural rubber. It means synthetic- and animal-free products. It means rugged, natural beauty.

I got the Widu recycled wood large oval brush last month and have fallen in love with it. It's made in Italy and has wooden bristles that massage the scalp as you pull the brush through your hair. The brushes have a protective beeswax/linseed oil coating—no toxic lacquer here.

Who would have thought that a beauty tool could be so...beautiful?

Perhaps this brush would make a great stocking stuffer for the eco-conscious stylista on your holiday list? I may give a few to my girlfriends, too. The purse-sized, colorful brushes are very chic and beautiful.

Next time: Countdown to holiday shopping season, the best eco-beauty presents and Kim in the kitchen—it's not as scary as it sounds.

Growing up with three brothers in tiny living quarters didn't deter me from taking 30-minute showers when I was younger. Part of it was because I wasn't (and am still not) a morning person; the shower was the place where I woke up as I stood under the stream of hot running water. This didn't go over well with my siblings or my parents, who yelled at me a lot for this wasteful habit.

Now that I'm older (and paying my own water bill), I've perfected the art of the 8-minute shower. But now, I think it's going to get shorter: I recently chopped my hair to just about nothing, and my first short-hair shower this morning took all of five minutes (and less of the pricey organic shampoo!).

In the morning I am notoriously behind schedule, but with shorter hair and a greener mindset, I'm excited to save time and money in the morning. A few months ago, I installed a showerhead shut off valve to stop the flow of water in my shower when I'm lathering up; I've yet to replace my actual showerhead, though.

Any suggestions for a cheaper model showerhead or other time and money-saving techniques for the bathroom? I live in a rental, so I can't invest in a low-flow toilet. Leave me a comment and let me know!