calling all twin cities residents!

It’s the first weekend in May… do you know what that means? It’s time for one of my favorite events of the year! No, I am not talking Cinco de Mayo, people; I am referring to the Living Green Expo! With more than 300 exhibitors, demos, and workshops all dedicated to educating people about sustainable lifestyles, this is an event you don’t want to pass up!

What makes the Living Green Expo so fabulous? Well let me tell you! The expo is an awesome way to…
- Get loads of free coupons, product and food samples, plus an immense amount of information about embracing a greener lifestyle
- Discover new companies and local businesses that are implementing sustainable practices
- Find out how to get involved in your community to make the world a better (and greener) place

Some of the big names that you can expect to see: Peace Coffee, Chipotle, Xcel Energy, several Twin Cities co-ops, plus many more!

When: May 5, 9am – 6pm &  May 6, 10am – 4pm
Where: MN State Fair Grounds – Northeast corner (Education Building & 4-H Building)

In a nutshell, the Living Green Expo is a great outlet for learning about being green in a variety of ways – transportation, art, recreation, food, gardening, home remodeling, etc.!

Also good to know: the fee for the event is $3 online or $5 at the door. If you plan on buying items from vendors, make sure to bring cash (many do not accept credit card or check). Oh, and this is a very kid-friendly event!

I could go on and on abouthow awesome the Living Green Expo is but I’ll spare you a never-ending blog post and direct you to the website for any other questions you might have about this event: http://www.livinggreenexpo.mn

Hope to see you there!

happy earth day!

Happy Earth Day! – A day dedicated to increasing worldwide awareness and appreciation for our environment!

Head on over to my Earth month post to learn more, or check out my post on easy ways to go green to do your part in honoring this special day!

Not only do people all over the world celebrate Earth Day, but big businesses do, too!

Stop into your local Caribou or Starbucks with your reusable mug today for a FREE fill of coffee! Dunn Bros is offering a FREE beverage when you purchase any regular priced retail travel mug.

Or visit your nearest Target to receive a FREE re-usable bag (quantities limited). Target also currently has a link to a wide variety of coupons for earth-friendly products that you can print: http://coupons.target.com/earth-month-coupons  Go green while saving green – win, win! :)

How do you plan on celebrating Earth Day?

happy earth month!

It’s pretty common knowledge that April 22 marks the official date of National Earth day, but did you know that April is Earth month!? While not everyone recognizes April as ‘Earth month’, here a few of my favorite companies/businesses that do: Aveda, Whole Foods Market, Origins, Seventh Generation, plus many more!

So what exactly is Earth month? It’s a month dedicated to inspiring awareness of the environment and implementing ways to preserve it for generations to come!

With that being said, I challenge you this year to get involved by doing one ‘green’ thing a day for the month of April. Whether it be something as simple as picking up a piece of trash from the sidewalk, or as large as buying all of your produce organic, every step counts! Better yet! – I challenge you to perform one act of green-ness each day, no matter what the month, because when it comes down to it, every day should really be Earth day, right?

Get started by reading my top 10 easy ways to green up your act. (Also, be sure to click the ‘green’ category on the left sidebar for other eco-friendly blog posts)!

Don’t get why being green is so important? Here is a brief article for your reading pleasure. :)

sustainability for snail mail.

Remember this post from a while back about snail mail where I encouraged you to send a card or letter to a loved one? Well, first off - did you? If not, you should! And now you can do so while being green! I’ve recently come across a few eco-friendly snail mail items that I simply had to share :)

First up – Night Owl Paper Goods. They have a whole range of green greeting cards (along with other stationery-type items) made from 100% reclaimed and recycled cotton, or sustainably harvested yellow birch wood - all of which boast very fun and unique prints!  Here are two of my faves (out of many):

Second, Waste Not Paper note sets. They are made of 100% recycled cotton and envelopes made of at least 30% post-consumer waste paper. Available at Barnes & Noble in various designs!

Third, the Green Inspired brand sold exclusively at Target. All of the products are made with soy-based ink and use chlorine-free processing for whitening the paper. Not to mention they are very affordable! I bought a few packs of their blank cards so I always have cards on hand to send.

Lastly, the USPS “Go Green” stamp collection. The stamps offer tips for conserving resources and helping maintain an ecologically healthy environment. What a fun and simple way to raise awareness of going green!

So now not only can you make someone’s day by sending a little snail mail their way, but you can also do so while being green and promote sustainability in the process! :) Simply chic – sustainable style!