A Great Eco-friendly Cleaner

Looking for a great all-purpose plant-based cleaner? Check out ecostore USA's Cream Cleaner. Using only plant-based ingredients including Lemon Verbena oil, it can be used everywhere from the bathroom to the stainless on your stovetop. It's formula is free from nasty chemicals and has ingredients you can pronounce - water, calcium carbonate (chalk),plant based anionic surfactants, plant based glycerin, plant base thickener, xanthum gum, and lemon verbena oil.

Do you already use this product and love it? Then I have some exciting news for you -ecostore USA, is offering a wonderful incentive and prize through their Facebook page to help promote their natural, plant based eco-friendly lemon cream cleanser. The concept is super fun and easy and the incentive is this: a chance to win a $500 Visa Card.

How to Enter

Make a 30 second clip of you using the lemon cream cleanser showing the effectiveness and how it is healthy and eco-friendly.

Download your 30 second clip to any service such as YouTube, Google Video or Viddler.

Become a ecostore USA Facebook Fan and provide the link to your video.
One winner will be chosen by the ecostore USA team based on creativity, uniqueness, and effective use of the product.

Video Contest begins June 15th and ends June 29th, 2009

What the Winner Receives

A $500 Visa Card
A link to the ecostore USA website and blog to the winner’s blog, video or both.
A link to the winner’s video, blog or both that will be used for a coupon at coupon.com to promote the lemon cream cleanser at Meijer stores.

National Flip Flop Day

Be sure to slip on your flip flops and head to Tropical Smoothie tomorrow June 19th, to celebrate National Flip Flop Day with a FREE 24 oz. Jetty Punch Smoothie!

Not only is this a great way to kick off summer which officially starts on Sunday, but you can feel good that your lunch purchase will help support Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine provides respite, support, joy and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families through various stages of a child’s illness. The year-round program is free of charge to all families, and includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups are also offered for families who have lost a child to an illness.

When you head to Tropical Smoothie make sure you are sporting the latest in eco-friendly flip flops like the fun pairs from the following companies:

Simple Shoes whose flip flops are made with sustainable hemp, carpet padding water-based adhesives, recycled car tire and natural rubber. www.simpleshoes.com

Ocean Minded which make their flip flops with recycled plastic bottles and donates a portion of its proceeds to Surfrider Foundation. www.oceanminded.com

Zoe & Zac from Payless made with certified organic cotton, a recycled rubber sole, and eco-friendly packaging. www.payless.com

Sustainable Surfboards

A great Maine company has brought surfing back to its roots by constructing gorgeous wood surfboards. According to their website Grain Surfboards are committed to building, promoting and riding surfboards that have less impact on the environment and more impact on your surfing. Grain uses locally harvested, sustainably forested Northern White Cedar. They also reduce waste with their creative designs which use a third of wood in typical wood boards, they reuse waste products, and support small, family-owned sawmills in Maine. The wood boards are finished with zero-VOC epoxy, glass or bamboo cloth, and a high-gloss UV coating to protect the board.

Why make the switch to a wood surfboard? Traditional boards are made with petroleum based polyurethane foam which creates dangerous chemicals in the manufacturing process and after shaping the boards are glassed with toxic fiberglass laminate and polyester resins.

For more info on Grain Surfboards visit http://www.grainsurfboards.com

Ocean Friendly Sunscreen

With conventional sunscreens you are not only exposing yourself to dangerous chemicals you are also endangering the ocean's health. Researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching. Choose sunscreens with plant-based ingredients and physical UV barriers which reflect UV rays, like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Some great choices are Caribbean Sol www.caribbean-sol.com or Soleo Organics www.soleoorganics.com

Remember these application tips for sunscreen to be the most effective -

1. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before heading outside

2. Reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating

3. Don't skimp on the amount of sunscreen you use, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends using an ounce (a shot-glass-full) of sunscreen for full-body coverage.

Beach Week

In honor of International Surfing Day on June 20, 2009 I will be checking out green beach products this week. International Surfing Day was created by Surfing magazine as a way to promote surfing and highlight the state of our oceans. So hit the beach this Saturday to catch some waves and participate in a beach clean-up. For more information on International Surfing Day check out http://www.surfingmagazine.com/isd

What to eat organic

Eating organic will reduce your exposure to pesticides, but can be expensive. In these tough economic times, buying organic foods can strain some families' budgets. What can you do? By purchasing organics for the 12 foods with the highest levels of pesticides, you can reduce your exposure to over 90% of the most commonly used pesticides. What to buy organic -

1. Apples
2. Bell peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Red raspberries
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries

Ceiling Fans

Looking for a simple way to stay cool and save electricity this summer - install ceiling fans in your house. With ceiling fans you can save up to 40% on your air conditioning bill while only using as much power as it takes to light a 100-watt incandescent bulb. While ceiling fans themselves do not cool the room, the air circulation will produce a comfortable breeze which will make you feel cooler. Be sure to check to make sure you blades are rotating in a counterclockwise direction during the summer.

Adopt a Shelter Cat

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. Last June we adopted our cat Shane from our local shelter and he is one of the greatest cats I've ever owned. We are not sure what kind of life Shane had before his 3 months at the shelter, but he is definitely enjoying the good life now. Also this year we fostered several kittens to get them healthy enough to adopt. If you are unable to adopt a shelter cat, I recommend fostering kittens - you get the joy of cuddling kittens while helping out your local shelter without the commitment of providing a forever home for an animal. I have also volunteered with the adoptions for shelter animals, the day I helped saved a life of an adorable orange tabby kitten by placing him with a local family is a special day I will always remember. If you are unable to adopt a pet you can help the shelter out by fostering animals short term, donating food, volunteering your time, or donating money. Be a responsible pet owner and spay or neuter your pet and the next time you decide to add a pet to your family, check the local shelter first.

Twitter your gratitude

Care2 is sponsoring a twitter your gratitude day today. Take a moment to express your gratitude to your family, friends, and members of the community for making a difference in your world. Giving thanks for the special people in your life will remind you of the wonderful people who surround you everyday.

How do you join Care2 in expressing your gratitude?

1. Start your tweet with the hashtag “#caretuesday”.

2. Follow this with a message of gratitude and the names of the great people you want to thank.

See what I am thankful for at http://twitter.com/chartreuselife

Greening Your Kitchen

Looking for some easy ways to green your kitchen?

1. Give up disposable paper napkins by switching to cloth napkins.

2. Whenever possible, use your microwave to save energy.

3. Become a label reader and educate yourself about different certifications like organic and Fair Trade.

4. When buying dishes, bakeware, and pots look for eco-friendly products.

5. Opt for a bamboo or natural wood cutting board.

6. Use your dishwasher instead of handwashing dishes. As strange as it sounds, dishwashers use less energy and water than handwashing.

7. Fill your pantry with products with minimal packaging and recycle as much packaging as possible.

8. Make your own natural cleaners from items found in your pantry like baking soda, vinegar, and lemons.

9. Instead of paper towels, use reusable cloths for cleaning up spills.

10. Relax with a glass of biodynamic wine with a cork closure. Cork is recyclable and earth-friendly since cork is sustainably harvested from living trees.