Over the years I’ve received several WiltonArmetalepieces but only just now found out about their concern for the environment.  Their products metal are actually made from recycled metal and their glassware is made of recycled soda bottles.  Their literature and packaging are produced with recycled paper and corrugated materials, which hopefully consumers recycle at home.  My latest piece of WiltonArmetale is this Chip & Dip plate that we got as a wedding gift.  Their products are super cool – you can cook in them on the stove, oven and grill.  So, rather than dirty one pan to cook on and then another to serve in, you use just one item, so less washing up!  The metal holds temperature well, so hot or cold, it’ll keep your food at the correct temperature for longer than conventional platters.

Check out this video to see that they really are multi-functional pieces!

These foldable speakers from OrigAudio are super cool.  They’re made of recycled materials and fold up for easy transport.  They work with any device that has a headphone jack – so computer, ipod, etc.  Time listed these as one of the 50 best inventions of 2009!  The company is based in Chicago which I think is cool that in purchasing from them I’m supporting a local business.  Not only do they make some cool speakers, but they care enough to support non-profits – Music National Service.

You can even create your own foldable speakers…designed however you want them!  I’m not sure what the minimum order would be but if you were using them as a business gift or something where you needed a large quantity they’d be a fun idea!

I must admit that as eco-friendly as these are, I didn’t purchase them so I can’t say first hand how they are.  I did however purchase the Sphere…of all their products it has the best sound quality so I just decided to go with it.  It’ll be great to take on the honeymoon next week!  I haven’t tried it yet but I will this weekend, so I’ll report back on the sound quality

$29.99

West Elm has some great organic bedding right now.  This is the set we got as a wedding shower gift and I just love it.  I love white bedding in general but the pin-tuck adds a little something more.

I registered for these awesome wine glasses.  I know they aren’t really eco-friendly but, they’re virtually indestructible so unlike glass which will eventually break, this will last a life time and since I don’t like plastic since it leaches, these are a great alternative for durable glasses!  I also love that they’re dishwasher safe!  We used them outside on the deck for the first time this weekend and it was great to not worry about them getting broken outside.  Amazon has them fro $24.00 for two and they’re eligible for super saver shipping which is a bonus

At my last wedding shower I got this Eco Life Salad Bowl & Server Set.  It’s made from rice!  Isn’t that cool?!  I’ve never seen anything like it so I was super excited!  Mine came with the brown bowl and serving spoons but the colored bowls.  I absolutely love it.  My cousin found them for me at Younker’s.

This is what they say about their stuff:

Eco Life Rice Hull serveware and accessories are not only functional and stylish, but they also leave less of a carbon footprint on the planet. Each piece is constructed primarily from rice hull, the hard covering on grains of rice. In fact, each piece is 90% biodegradable within approximately six months when in a compost setting (with the exception of its glue, which is required to adhere the natural components).

• Durable for many years
• Rice hull and other natural, sustainable materials like plant fibers and bamboo
• Food and dishwasher safe
• Not for microwave or oven use
• Imported

I absolutely can’t stand when they drop off a pile of phone books in front of my gate.  No one ever wants them so not only have they wasted paper, but the plastic bag to protect/carry them in!  I’ve always wished there was a way I could tell them to stop bringing them – apparently there is a way!  So with my pre-wedding jitters, I was up at 5:29am with nothing really to do other than clean out my inbox, which is where I found an email from a friend who passed along the info on Yellow Pages Goes Green!  According to the site they “will contact the local telephone company and provide them with your name and address and tell them to stop the nonsense.”  for FREE!  so cool!  Go to the site and click on Opt Out.  When I did it, it gave me a couple companies to call but a couple were easy online things to fill out.  Yea!  So easy!

I LOVE this idea from Eco Etsy!  What a great way to use up things you have around the house!   I rarely have paper or plastic bags as if I don’t have my reusable bags then I opt not to shop, but I do live with someone else who isn’t quite as disciplined as I

I know I’ve posted plenty of make your own cleaners before, but I just came across these in a PETA Newsletter so I thought I’d share them.  It never hurts to be reminded of more ways to clean green

All-Purpose Cleaner
To make a simple cleaner for wiping down counter tops, sinks, and cupboards, mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.

For cleaning linoleum and tile floors, place this same mixture in a bucket and dip your mop in.

Air Freshener
To get rid of unpleasant odors, leave out a halved lime (make sure that the cut side is facing upward) in a bowl of baking soda. Instead of throwing the lime and baking soda into the trash when you’re finished using them, grind them up in your garbage disposal instead to freshen the surrounding area.

If you’re a coffee drinker, don’t toss out your coffee grounds after use. Instead, put them in a bowl to absorb odors.

To keep kitchen cupboards and drawers smelling fresh, add a few dried bay leaves.

Fabric Freshener
To freshen couch cushions, use a spray bottle filled with water and two drops of an essential oil such as lemon, orange, or peppermint. Essential oils are very potent, so one or two drops is all you need. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients and mist whenever freshening is needed.

Carpet Freshener
Crush a couple of bay leaves and mix them with a bowl of baking soda. Add one to two drops of an essential oil and mix with a spoon. Sprinkle this mixture on rugs and carpets, and allow it to stand for a few minutes before you vacuum it up.

Cooktops and Ovens
For cleaning cooktops, dust with a bit of baking soda and squeeze some lime juice over it. You can use the cut lime half as a scouring tool to scrub the cooktop. Use a toothbrush to scour any hard-to-reach spots. For tough spots, make a paste out of some lime juice and baking soda, and let it sit on the problem areas for several minutes before scouring.

For ovens, make a paste out of lime juice, baking soda, and salt. Wipe out the inside of the oven with a damp sponge, then apply the paste. Allow the paste to stand for about a half-hour, then scrub it off using a scouring pad.

Hard-to-Reach Grime
Have an oddly shaped vase that you can’t seem to clean the inside of? Squeeze a drop of dish soap or some vinegar into the vase and add water along with a small amount of dried rice. Cover the top with your hand, shake and swirl the rice around, then rinse.

I’m in LOVE with my new bottles and think I’ve seriously found the perfect beverage bottle!  Lifefactory makes these glass bottles with silicone sleeves.  First of all, aren’t they cute?!  I have the orange, Eric has the midnight blue (although I’ve been using it – I’ll eventually surrender it to him) and I’m giving the green as a mother’s day gift.   There are so many reasons to love these bottles…

BPA free

Dishwasher safe!!!  – this may be my favorite part!  I’m SO sick of hand washing my Sigg Bottles   I don’t like washing one thing at a time, I prefer to wait until I can fill the sink for several items, but I hate having a messy kitchen and don’t like when my counter is filled with bottles waiting to be hand washed!

Large mouth – this means, for those of you that like ice, you can easily pack it full of ice.  I’m not a fan of ice so what excites me is that I can toss in slices of lemons or limes, or even fresh berries to make my water slightly fruit flavored!  that sure makes drinking your 8+ glasses of water each day a lot more exciting.  The wide mouth also makes them a lot easier to clean.  I drink a lot of green kamut and because it’s a powder made from greens, it sometimes leaves residue inside my bottle, meaning I can only put it in a bottle with a large enough mouth for me to get in there with a good scrub brush to make sure I get it all out.

Odor free – since the bottle is glass it will never develop an odor like plastic would – or even the stainless bottles seem to do – likely due to the coating inside that holds the smell.

220z – it doesn’t seem large in the sense of being a burden to carry around, but it does hold 22oz!  that’s nearly 3 of those 8 glasses of water you need for the day.  Sunday I drove to Michigan to try on my wedding dress so I filled up two bottles and they lasted me for the ride there and back – no need stop and purchase a plastic water bottle

and not that I’m in the market yet, but…someday…these baby bottles are just too cute and SO SAFE!

Active Ion ionator $169

I want one!  I saw something similar a few years ago at one of those gadget stores but they don’t seem to carry them any more.  This seriously cleans WITHOUT chemicals.  I love that it doesn’t have a cord so it’s easy to carry around the house.  This is a fantastic invention!  We all need one!  Imagine how many bottles of different chemical solutions we could avoid and how much more room we’d have under our sinks!  Put this on your wedding registry, birthday list – whatever it takes!

Get it from Active Ion

Thanks to Zem’s List on Ecofabulous for introducing it to me!