I wish I could go to this event but I’ll be off getting some sun in Mexico   If any of you are in Chicago February 27, please try to attend!  This is a great cause – dogfighting is a disgusting industry.  I’ve seen some pretty disturbing videos.  One thing that stands out is how loyal these dogs are to their owners.  They’ll be put in a ring and told to fight and even while they’re getting their faces ripped a part, they keep wagging their tails as they hear their owners shouting, encouraging them on – in their mind they’re being obedient and they’re pleasing their owners.  It’s extremely depressing

The annual Spotlight Humane gala features dogs, drinks, and fine dining…

Jorja Fox, of the CBS hit crime drama “CSI,” will host the fifth annual Spotlight Humane: Chicagofundraiser at the Hotel Sofitel Water Tower on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010.

The benefit will support End Dogfighting in Chicago, a program of The Humane Society of the United States. EDC is an innovative, community-based program that works to turn Chicagoans away from dogfighting through street-level intervention, free dog training classes, humane education in Chicago public schools, religious leader outreach, and collaboration with law enforcement.

“As a dog lover, I am honored to be the host of The Humane Society of the United States’ Spotlight Humane: Chicago,” Fox said. “All proceeds from this event benefit the End Dogfighting in Chicago campaign, which reaches directly into high-risk communities. No one else in the country is doing more than The HSUS to end dogfighting.”

Spotlight Humane: Chicagois a festive evening of live music, dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and extra features, including:

• A special presentation by HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle
• The Humane Chicago Awards, presented to those performing outstanding charitable work for animals in the Chicago region
• Silent and live auctions for items such as Oprah Winfrey Show tickets, trips to sunny getaways and autographed sports memorabilia

Spotlight Humane: Chicago
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
7 p.m. to midnight
Hotel Sofitel – Water Tower
20 East Chestnut St.
Chicago, IL 60611
To register, please call 866-448-5052 or visit spotlighthumane.org.

I’m very excited to invite all of you Chicagoans to PAWS Chicago Animal Magnetism on Friday, February 5.  The event raises money for PAWS and all the great work they do saving animals and dramatically lowering the number of euthanized pets in the city.  I’m on the committe for the second year in a row and I absolutely can’t wait for the event.  It’s a fun, young event where you can even bring your four legged furry friends!  There will be buffet for humans and a buffet for pooches, cocktails, dancing, a fun photo book, a silent auction and a live auction.  Click on the graphic above to go directly to the site – you’ll even see Eric, Winston and I at last year’s event in the little slide show on the front page!

On a side note we’re looking for donations for the silent auction, if you or someone you know may be interested in donating something let me know!  I really appreciate it!

At the holidays we’re all so busy wrapped up in ourselves, our families and our friends that we often don’t stop to think of people outside of our bubble.  I’m sure like me, you’ve received countless emails from various organizations asking for money and most likely you’ve quickly deleted them or maybe in your rush to get somewhere you haven’t had time yet to slip $1 into the hanging pail the Salvation Army Bell Ringers hold.  As Chanukah quickly goes by and Christmas nears, take the time to slow down and see where you can help.

In an effort to do something good for others I created my own way of giving that might work for you too!  I live in Chicago where there are countless homeless people and it always breaks my heart to see them out in the freezing temps this time of year.  This will be the second year that I will pass out gift cards to them so they can get a hot meal.  Many don’t like to give people money as they’re not sure what the person will use it for.  This is a great way to give money but be certain that it will spent on a hot meal.  I have chosen a particular fast food establishment which I will not name as to be honest I don’t even eat there since even their fries have beef flavoring on them and nor do I really care to advertise them but they’re on nearly every block downtown.  Thus, they’re convenient, cheap, provide three meals a day and are open long hours, and as far as I can tell wouldn’t discriminate a homeless person coming in to purchase food.

I purchased several $10 gift cards which should cover a meal and a cup or two of hot coffee on other occasions.  I simply take a marker and write $10 on the plastic gift card and pass them out to the people that I see on a regular basis downtown.  It’s a small gesture but I’m happy to know they’ll be able to enjoy a little warm food on these terribly cold winter days.

Sunday I made it over to Nina to check out her selection of organic cotton yarns.  She carriers a pretty vast selection of colors from Blue Sky Alpacas line of hand spun organic cotton.  I do love the stuff yarn I’ve been using from JoAnn’s but they don’t have many colors and of course it is always better to support a local business

Blue Sky Alpacas Handspun Organic Cotton, the perfect addition to our expanding line of feel good yarn. Grown from 100% organic cotton, there are no pesticides, herbicides, agro-chemicals or dyes used in the growing, harvesting or production of the fiber. The yarn is hand spun on drop spindles by a women’s cooperative in Arequipa, Peru. Knitters will love the rich feel of the yarn. They’ll also feel good, knowing that the yarn production is helping preserve a centuries-old tradition of eco-friendly cotton cultivation in Peru and improve the lives of the poverty-stricken women who live there. Working with a local charity, Blue Sky Alpacas employs women to spin Hand Spun Organic Cotton, providing them with a living wage that helps them care for their families and send their children to school.

nina: a well-knit shop
1655 west division street
chicago, illinois 60622
view a map

I’ve gotten crafty and have started knitting.  I learned how to knit as a child but haven’t done it in so many years that I’d rather not say as it kinda makes me feel old – even though I know I’m not really old!  There are so many great websites with instructions and lots of videos out there on You Tube to guide you every step of the way.  I found some great 100% organic cotton yarn by Lion Brand at JoAnn’s which I’m in love with – it is super soft and lovely.  I just finished this scarf as a birthday gift for my sister and am looking forward to starting my next project!

Nature’s Choice is grown and spun without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. The dyes used to create our beautiful colors are certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard by the Institute of Marketecology. Nature’s Choice is a soft, versatile yarn that’s so easy to work with and perfect for everything from baby blankets to fashion items. It’s good for your knitting and good for the planet.   Made in the USA

Recently Marisa from Kind Green Planet and Vegan at Heart included Eco-Cupscious in her weekly mission!  What an honor!  Marisa sends a weekly mission for veganism.  It isn’t just for vegans or people who are making that change but for anyone!  You learn so much about food, health and good things for the environment!  Check out her site and sign up for her missions.

Anyway, the misison I’m referring to was called Insta-Community: Awesome Vegan at Heart Reader Blogs & Sites.  She was so kind to connect all of her followers so we can learn from each other as well.  I’ve gone through most of these sites and they’re fantastic.  What a great way to connect with other like-minded people and share information!

Blogs

http://sistersvegan.blogspot.com
Cooking, comics, current events, and the hijinks of our loopy vegan sisterhood!

http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/
Your guide to glamazon living

http://vegangirlnextdoor.wordpress.com
It’s Easy Being Vegan!

http://zpoeschl.wordpress.com
Conscious consumerism for every aspect of life

http://www.ecocupscious.com
Living eco-consciously and other fun stuff!

http://www.tinychoices.com
Our thoughts on small (and not-so-small) environmental choices

http://nashvegan.wordpress.com
Eating (and living) as a vegan in Nashville, IN

http://friendordoe.blogspot.com/
Featuring vegan fashion & recipes, it’s a lifestyle blog that highlights veganism as both normal, easy & pretty hot too!

http://www.organikook.com
An organic, vegan, green living website

http://www.theapeman.blogspot.com
“Recipes for vegan dinners and baked goods and a few vegan tidbits that keep me motivated to be a vegan activist”

http://vivasustainable.tumblr.com/
Ideas, tips and philosophy on sustainability as it relates not only to our environment and both our personal and universal health, but our lives in general

http://itsnoteasybeinggreen.typepad.com
A planet and animal friendly blog dedicated to sharing the daily little things that make all the difference in the world– it’s not easy being green but it sure is worth the effort!

http://greenergirl.typepad.com/
Green, ethical, animal-friendly cosmetics, body care, food and fashion

http://www.vegansoapbox.com/
An online portal into the vegan world

http://www.twolia.com/blogs/livin-veg/
Livin’ Veg – animal rights, veganism and living a humane life

http://esgonevegan.blogspot.com/2009/04/dude-i-hear-ya_11.html
“My experiences with the hows and whys of starting a vegan diet.”

http://www.troofoodliberation.com
“Fighting Food Crime Since 2009″

http://pandoras365.blogspot.com/
“This is my 365 blog where I post a pic (or more) each day for a year, a way to get inspiration for the future by looking back.”

Social networkingOrganizations

http://www.meetup.com/Vegan-Long-Island/
Vegan Long Island is a meetup group for vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious founded in April ‘08, now with over 200 members.

http://meetup.com/Northwest-Connecticut-Vegan-Outreach
Northwest Connecticut Vegan Outreach is a meetup group whose purpose is to help folks meet vegans, vegetarians, and raw foodists in the area, and be an active voice for farm animals.

http://www.novoiceunheard.org/
A non-profit organization who has found a niche as an independent publisher of books about animals, including Ninety-Five:  Meeting America’s Farmed Animals in Stories and Photographs, due out next spring

Businesses

http://www.twoinatree.com or http://kitcolorado.etsy.com
Unique, often up-cycled, hand-crafted jewelry (we do custom orders!)

http://www.mdyoga.com/
Chicago and Indialantic, FL-based yoga teacher who is “spreading joy and mindfulness for a kinder, gentler world.”

I think these Ecopods are the coolest things – if only they had a kitchen and/or bathroom.  They’re a little rustic for me to use as a vacation home – a once a year camping trip yes, but probably not much more than that   If you’re the type of person to enjoy the more rustic vacationing these are for you!  – WAIT!  there is a chance they do have some sort of kitchen or bathroom as I just read on their site something about a refrigerator and a composting toilet.  It is possible there is a toilet but not a shower and a refrigerator but no stove.  They’re $27,000 Canadian and can be put anywhere – so if you have a piece of property in a beautiful area and want something a little more substantial than a tent the Ecopod is perfect.  The floors are made of recycled car tires and the one side of the shipping container folds down and becomes the deck.  So – if you really could have a toilet and some kitchen amenities I really might enjoy it after all!

Since I’m a Michigan native I found this Time article interesting.  I’d love to see this happen!  Michigan is such a beautiful state.  These repurposed roads would ideally draw many more people to Michigan to enjoy our great summers on the lakeshore, fantastic fall colors and fun winter sports.

Off the Interstate: Turning ‘Blue Highways’ Green (Time)

Kim Gallagher has a plan for America’s “blue highways,” the thousands of miles of dusty, old, single-lane heritage routes that wend desolately through the countryside: turn them green. Superseded by high-speed interstates, many of these narrow byways have been long forgotten, along with the faded small towns they connect, says Gallagher, a project manager for the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. But off-the-beaten-path America could be revived, she says, by transforming little-used roadways into “green highways” that cater specifically to electric-vehicle drivers and other slow-moving, eco-minded tourists traveling by bicycle or on foot.

“We need innovation in [Michigan]. We’ve got beautiful scenery. And we see the low-speed, low-range electric-car industry bringing them together,” says Gallagher, who is heading up a project to revitalize the U.S. 12 Heritage Trail in Michigan, her home state. She thinks green corridors could resuscitate Main Streets in Michigan and across the country. “This could be a small boon to local merchants, healthy-café owners, bed-and-breakfasts,” she says. “We just want everyone to slow down and enjoy the view; the road is like a destination itself.”

read the rest…

I just came across a great new site - Going Green DC.  If you’re in the DC area this site should be on your daily list – it’s great! Even if you’re not in DC you can still pick up some great things.  I’ve had a lovely time checking it out and have added it to my favorites to keep checking.  She covers a wide variety of subjects and there is plenty of stuff to take away from the site for those of us not in DC.

The author, Sacha Cohen writes about the things that interest her: organic restaurants, urban farming, natural health and beauty, green events, sustainable communities, and local eco-friendly businesses.

Fairly similar to what I do for the Chicago area!

I saw this game at the All Things Organic Show and thought it was the coolest thing!  What a fun way to test your green knowledge and learn lots of new facts and tips!  It is made from 100% recycled material, soy inks and wood composite game pieces.  It is 99.8% bio-degradable and is carbon neutral due to the six drink coasters  that will sprout and grow wild flowers when planted!  The Green Game retails for $26.99.