A few days ago I challenged you to make a Pledge to Go Green in 2012. My first challenge was to set a goal for yourself and to write it down. I promised that I would come back and share my own goal with you, so here it goes... My Green Pledge for January: To share more eco-tips with each of you on a regular basis. Don't I already do this? My blogging habits have not been the healthiest and I often feel like my blog is messy and unorganized. Probably because that is my style and who I am. But I'm setting my own goal for January to become a more organized blogger and that begins with creating an editorial calendar! I have thought about this for over a year and I'm finally implementing it. Guess what? It doesn't stop with writing it down either. I researched editorial calendars and I've printed one off - it's sitting right in front of me! I even have January filled in with ideas and plans. I have so many ideas and plans that February is almost full too. I found a great ... [ Read More ]
Pledge to Go Green in 2012
What do you think? Can you make one teenie tiny little change each month to be more green? I'm sure with a little help and encouragement you can think of 12 things you can do to be more green. Don't worry, you don't have to tell me what they are. You don't even have to know all 12 changes you plan to make right now. All you have to do is make a commitment to go green. To begin your pledge simply complete this simple pledge form: Pledge to Go Green in 2012. Once you make your pledge you'll be subscribed to receive my monthly newsletter with more easy tips for going green. ... [ Read More ]
How to Go “No Poo” – You Tell Me Because I’m Clueless!
Thanks to my friend Jenny at Conscientious Confusion I have decided to take the "No Poo" pledge for 2012! My hair is actually quite healthy and I'm not overly dependent on hair care products. I hate mousse, gels, and other products that promise to make your hair bouncy or full or sleek. I embraced the fact that my hair will always be straight and will never hold a curl or bounce for more than 5 minutes. When I add all of those other products to my hair it just weighs it down and makes it look frumpy and dirty. I've never paid much attention to my shampoo and conditioners either. For the past year I have been using TRESemme Naturals and I've never even researched the ingredients to find out just how 'natural' they really are. The worst thing that I do to my hair is color it 3-4 times a year. I'm a highlight and color junkie and I love to cover up the grey (shhh...you'd never know by looking at me how old I am so I won't let my hair give it away). Regardless of my current hair ... [ Read More ]
Wordless Wednesday – BlogHer ’11
Photos from our #HauteGreen Social during BlogHer '11. Link: Flickr Photo Album ... [ Read More ]
10 Ways to Green Your BlogHer ’11 Experience
Last year I was honored to be on the BlogHer Green Team to help advice them on ways to make the conference a little bit more eco-friendly. I hope that our efforts and our ideas are considered again this year during their planning and that maybe they implement a few new green initiatives each year. The official BlogHer sponsors (the one's that help keep our costs down, pay for the food we eat, pay for the speakers we listen to, and provide a lot of the swag we love) dictate a lot of the areas in which raise concern with some of the eco-minded attendees so there are limitations on how far BlogHer can change things. Regardless of what steps BlogHer and the sponsors provide we can each do our own part to help green our own experiences in California. 1. Carpool, take public transportation, or walk! One of the most amazing things about BlogHer is the ability to connect with other bloggers. As it gets closer to the arrival date start tweeting with the #blogher11 tag and look for a ... [ Read More ]
Want an Eco Chic app?
About a year ago there was a company who was turning blogs into iPhone apps and I thought it was a pretty cool concept. Once I started to look into it I realized that the service had suspended any new blogs because Apple had been overwhelmed with submissions. I dismissed it as no big deal and hadn't thought about it in a while. Then this past month I see a few of my bloggy friends have developed apps and I got the itch again. I hate to copy what everyone else is doing but I did - after all - I have to keep up with the Jones' right? So two weeks ago I sat down and started working on my app. It really made me look at my blog and realize there is a LOT of work that I want to do around here to make it even cooler and more resourceful for you. Some days I feel like I have more ideas than I have time - I know I'm not alone on this one! Anyways - as of today - if you have an Android power phone you can install The Eco Chic blog and open it anytime and anywhere! Funny thing, I ... [ Read More ]
You Are What You Eat
This post is going to be hard for me to write because it's one area in my life where I'm still learning - eating green. What does it mean to eat GREEN? Does it mean eating locally? Does it mean to eat organic? Does it mean that I have to be a vegetarian? Do I have to shop at a natural food store? Do I have to eat raw food? Do I have to eat only fresh food? Eating green is actually all of those things - and you may incorporate some or all of the aspects of eating green - I don't believe that there is a right or wrong way to eat green. My history- I come from a family who likes food, a lot! I can remember many family reunions with everyone huddled in the kitchen cooking for hours, making more food then we could eat in a week. My fraternal grandmother was a tiny frail lady who knew how to cook - she didn't have a choice with 5 hungry kids and a husband. My favorite family memories as a child involve turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, gravy, gravy, and ... [ Read More ]
Plan a Green Halloween & Costume Swap
In a little over a month it will be one of my favorite days of the year - Halloween! I've always enjoyed dressing up and trick-or-treating when I was little. I remember being so sad when I was in first and second grade because I couldn't go trick-or-treating - in first grade I had pneumonia and was actually in the hospital. Then in second grade I was sick again but luckily was not hospitalized that year. I was the oldest child and my brother was so cute and sweet that he would trick-or-treat for the both of us - being sure he would tell everyone that his big sister was sick at home. When we were a little older we spent most of our Halloween nights with our good family friends and used his HUGE neighborhood to stock up on candy for the year! I remember one of the last years we all went out I even dressed like Madonna (circa 1980's) - which wasn't too far away from my normal clothes but it gave me an excuse to cake on the make-up. Now as a parent we have our own traditions. ... [ Read More ]
GreenSewn – Sustainable Silk Scarfs
COUPON: Save 10% with my affiliate code GREEN-1848 when you shop at GreenSewn. Do you love fashion? Do you love scarves? Do you wonder how to green your wardrobe? It seems like the fashion industry in America becomes more disposable each year. I try to stay on top of the trends but as a mom of two I tend to stick with a few basic pieces and lots of accessories. It's easier for me to update an outfit with modern accessories than it is to purchase new clothes. I'm also a big fan of sharing - or should I say acquiring new items from my best friend. Since I have a flexible job that allows me to work at home my wardrobe has shrunk and I don't actually shop for clothes more than a few times a year. My friend on the other hand knows the ladies at Dillard's by name (or at least that's what her husband thinks)! When she cleans her closet she knows who to pass them along to - sometimes I think I should just pay her to shop for me! Anyways - the point of my story is that fashion ... [ Read More ]
Healthy & Green Back to School Tips
It's that time of year again - children across America are going back to school! While many of us make the extra effort to ensure our children are healthy and living a green life at home; what are our schools doing? Check out Eco Chic Parties and the #HealthyBack2School Twitter Party on 8/26/10 to learn more tips about going back to school with EcoMom.com and Dr. Alan Greene. Here are some areas where you can make a difference: School supplies: If you've looked at a school supply list lately they are littered with unhealthy and sometimes toxic requests. The standard school supply list includes crayons, scissors, glue, paper, folders, binders, notebooks, paper, paper towels, hand sanitizers, cleaning wipes, and other items that are less than green. Don't feel like you have to be tied down to those lists - talk with your students teacher about the alternatives and be responsible with what you send in with your child. Here is my son's school supply list for second ... [ Read More ]