I’ve been quiet over the holidays. Trying to keep up with work, holidays and life in general has been overwhelming. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was very nice, the kids had a great time that’s what really matters when it’s all said and done.

Just because things have been quiet on the blog-front doesn’t mean it’s been quiet around here. We’ve been working with some great companies on their new WordPress sites, mobile sites as well as trying out and gifting some awesome eco-friendly products. I wanted to take a minute to send out a big “thank you” to some great companies and let you know about some companies we’ll be featuring in the coming weeks.

First a HUGE Thank you to Kristin at the The GrapeSeed Company! Every year I work with a great green company to bring family, friends and clients a little eco-goodness. This year I teamed up with The Grapeseed Company, they offer premium eco-friendly vinotherapy spa & skin care for professional and personal use. Their line of bath & body treats are centered on the byproduct of wine in their new hometown, Santa Barbara, California. I was so giddy to send out mojito man shaving sets and shower sets to the special people in my personal and work life. I hope everyone loves The GrapeSeed Company as much as I have and if you haven’t tried their products before be sure to check them out!  Thank you Kristen!

Some more BIG thanks going out to some guys and gals I have gotten to team up with the past few months on projects and love working with them so much I want to share them with you!

Kendra Cote – Owner of Amathia Soaps, Kenna makes another awesome line of bath & body products which look and smell amazing and also found their way into many stockings this holiday! We first teamed up to launch her new website design which will be live very soon. Yet, as we worked together and chatted way too much on skype, I discovered she has a mad love for WordPress, too. We have been working on a few projects since and I can’t express how much I appreciate her! I know her true love is Amathia, but I hope we can continue to work on projects together when she isn’t knee deep in her suds. Thank you so much for all your help lately, Kenna!

Another Thank You going out to Applied Info-Systems. Applied Info-Systems pulled off a great mobile site design for a client in a crunch. Although EOG offers plug in set up for mobile versions of WP sites, this situation wasn’t going to allow for a quick and simple set up. Robert was able to create what the client needed, on the heels of the holidays and he did a great job! If you need to get your website mobile visit Applied Info-Systems for your mobile package solutions!

Tammy at Moonwell Designs has also been an awesome partnership for recent projects. I have teamed up with Moonwell Designs to offer logo design, ebook creation and much more. Her design skills are amazing and I’m so happy to have her to turn to for project needs. Thank you Tammy for all your help the past few months! Contact EOG for your design service needs – Tammy’s skills are sure to deliver!

Again a huge thanks to everyone for all of your help this year!

We have also been trying out some goodies from Shaklee, Naked Binder, Influenster & Fearless Chocolate we’ll let you know what we think of them soon!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy 2012 from Eco-Office Gals and the Smith Family!

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A Post Holiday Thank You!

Each year I partner with a great green company to sponsor Holiday gifts for my clients. This year I connected with Melissa Riviera of Naturally Good Soaps and it has been a true pleasure! A bit of background:

Naturally Good Soaps is currently a web based business. All my products are made in small batches to ensure quality control. You will not find any synthetic chemicals, animal by products, parabens, or petroleum based items in my shop. What you will find is quality vegetable oils, herbs, spices  and clays as well as amazing essential oils used to provide the aromatic experience. Naturally Good Soaps products are vegan friendly except for the products (2) that are listed to have honey.

I don’t believe in animal testing, I only test 100% on humans. I also try to leave very little imprint on the environment by recycling all packaging, using eco-friendly packaging, and by purchasing raw ingredients locally.

Naturally Good Soaps put together a great weatherizing gift set for my clients including: Classic Oatmeal Soap, Spearmint Lip Balm, and Healing Salve all packaged in handmade, NYC themed cosmetic bags. Melissa was even sweet enough to send me one and I love everything!

I love working with eco-friendly small businesses each year to bring a small token of appreciation to my clients during the holidays. The holidays are at our heals and Naturally Good Soaps make for great green gifts and stocking stuffers! Be sure to check out their store.

Thank you, Melissa!

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Green Gift Giving: Naturally Good Soaps

One area of our home that is not green is our kitchen cabinets. I confess, our plates, cups and travel mugs… they are littered with plastic. With 3 kids in the home and a husband that walks out the door with cups full of coffee or soda, never to return (the cups, he normally comes back), plastic is a cheap convenience. In our defense, we are paperless in the kitchen, no disposables, no coffee filters, no paper products and we recycle, and compost. Am I forgiven?

When I came across The Green Glass Company, I was intrigued. What better way to step beyond simple recycling efforts then turning wine, beer and soda bottles into tableware?

With origins dating back to 1992 in South Africa, The Green Glass Company has seen many incarnations and has grown into the largest producer of reclaimed glassware in the world.The Green Glass Company strives to satisfy not only its recycling heritage but also its eclectic and diverse clientele. With its patent on the unique wine bottle to goblet conversion process, The Green Glass Company team and its state-of-the-art equipment are at the forefront of the reclaimed glassware market.

Revered throughout Europe and other parts of the world as collectible art glass, The Green Glass Company goblets have even been chosen for the table of King Carlos of Spain, a former Mayor of New York City, movie sets, and, celebrity dinners. In addition to their popularity with consumers and collectors, The Green Glass Company products are quickly becoming a valuable marketing tool in the corporate world. Sandblasted with a company name or logo, the glasses not only provide enduring brand exposure, they also provide insight into a company’s awareness and commitment to preserving our resources.

From Kings and Mayors to the Smith household, we have had the pleasure of sampling a set of these glasses in our home for a few weeks now.  As much as I loved the goblets, I went practical with a set of tumblers, or the bottom section of the bottle.

Through a partnership with Cave B winery, these tumblers are created from reclaimed Bordeaux bottles collected from the organic restaurant, B&B and tasting room on the Cave B estate.

I was sent a set of 4 glasses, each one different from the other and they are really nice. They are thick, heavy weight glass, not the thin garbage you get in the sets from the store.They are made from wine bottles, after all. Another plus, my husband doesn’t walk out of the house with them and the little ones won’t touch them.

The Glass Company’s product line creations don’t stop at glassware. Their line includes vases, pitchers, candle holders, even coat hooks made with bottle tops! There is a wonderful variety to choose from when deciding on your Green Gift Giving this season!

How about giving (or receiving) something from The Green Glass Company this holiday season? The Green Glass Company is giving away a $40 gift code to one of my readers!  Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit The Green Glass Company Store and comment here on what you would love to buy if you won the GC.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Become a fan of The Green Glass Company or Eco-Office Gals and comment that you did.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from The Green Glass Company and comment 5 times that you did! Don’t forget to use the coupon code! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Friday 12/10/10 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry for each one of the above that you do and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

(In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.)

And the winner is….

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Green Gift Giving: Green Glass Company

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right on our heels, many of us will grab up the blow out deals on electronics. Use the tips below to keep in line with your Green Gift Giving.

Written by: James, a writer and social marketing from London. He is interested in Technology, Eco, Green, Writing, Travel, Marketing and combinations of the above also likes to spin fire (POI & Staff) and is known as Firespin Jay!

If you have the money to install a home theater in one of your, probably many, rooms, then you certainly have the money to make it an environmentally friendly one. And, with the right shopping and planning ahead, buying reclaimed and recycled items might actually save you money in the long run. Although it isn’t the easiest project to face, it is certainly possible to enjoy movies in a terrific home theater while still taking the environment into consideration.

Obviously, the first and most important part of a home theater is the screen. There are numerous environmentally friendly alternatives for all sorts of screens, whether projection or flat screen monitor. An up and comer in the world of televisions are LED screens. This technology has already been utilized in a number of venues including traffic lights and homes. The technology consists of light-emitting diodes which produce a picture that is just as clear as or even clearer than LCD televisions. They are very slender at about 1 inch in depth. This makes them superb for mounting on the wall or for a other small spaces.  Additionally, LED televisions use approximately 40% less energy than the typically LCD television. Numerous companies including Samsung, LG, and Sony possess these electricity saving alternatives.

If you prefer to purchase a projector for your home theater, there are several options in this area as well. LED technology has been utilized in the production of projectors, thus eliminating the need for toxic mercury lamps which also require replacement much more frequently. Many projectors also provide the ability to save energy through a “stand-by” mode which saves about 80% of electricity when in this mode. As is the case with flat screens, many companies including Samsung, Casio, and Sanyo offer this “green” projector option.

After you have chosen a screen option, the next step would be to choose comfortable yet “green” theater seating choices. If you have the time and the money and are perhaps looking to make your theater authentic, there are probably antique stores in your area or online which can provide you with retro seating from old movie theaters. The recycling of these older items will both add authentic décor to your room as well as prevent these beautiful old pieces from ending up in a landfill. If retro furniture is not your thing and you prefer a more modern look, you can look into comfortable “green” seating options that are composed of environmentally friendly materials such as sustainable or organic products. Additionally, ensure that your products have been produced using low emission manufacturing techniques and have been created using dyes which do not contain toxic
materials. Although it might seem a little obscure, there are certainly stores which sell environmentally friendly seating choices. You just need to do your research.

After you have purchased the necessities including your screen and your seating, the next step is to accessorize with items such as curtains, pillows, shelving for your movies, and perhaps a method for making your popcorn. Today, there are many options for eco-friendly curtains as well as pillows. Bamboo, a highly plentiful option for shelving, is also becoming increasingly popular. For your popcorn, a great option is an induction stove which uses less energy. As “green” products have become more popular, more and more stores are carrying the materials you will need to create a comfortable yet eco-friendly home theater.

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Green Gift Giving: Eco Home Theater Building

The Sodastream products had struck my fancy for a few holiday seasons. Several blogs had been giving them away and unfortunately, I hadn’t won one yet. So, I was excited when the company agreed to be part of my Green Gift Giving series this season!

Sodastream’s products are a great addition to the home or office making green steps:

How Does SodaStream Help the Environment?

SodaStream is an “Active Green” product, meaning that consumers  are actively reducing their CO₂ footprint every time they make soda  or sparkling water at home instead of buying it from the store. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO₂ footprint the user actively saves. (This differs from “Passive Green” products, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping the consumers save on their daily footprint.)

Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste is created, and fewer bottled beverages must be transported from manufacturers to distributors to stores to homes.

Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008). The energy required to make water bottles in the US only, is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002).
According to the US Recycling Institute, more than 80% of bottles in the US do not get recycled and end up in landfills. Also, an estimated 4.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions were produced in the process of replacing the 134 billion bottles and cans not recycled in 2005.

Using your own home carbonation system means:

• Less packaging waste from cans and bottles.
• Less pollution caused by transport of bottled beverages.

One SodaStream carbonator makes 60 or 110 liters, equivalent to 170 or 310 aluminum cans! When empty, the carbonator is refilled and reused, ready to make more fizzy and tasty soda whenever you want it.

I was sent the Fountain Jet Starter Kit in black and silver to review. It came with 2 1 liter blottles, 1 carbonator, 6 flavored syrups from their regular and diet line, 2 of their Sparkling Naturals, and a 3 pack of MyWater Flavor Essence retail $99.95.

The Fountain Jet was super simple to get together, just insert the carbonator and you’re ready to go. No batteries, plugs or assembly required.  The first and only problem with the product I had: when asked which flavors I wanted to try I mentioned that I am a Diet Coke Gal, so since I was the main reviewer be sure to include that. No Diet Cola syrup was included. Since I don’t really like any other soda I had to leave taste testing to the rest of the family. So far Root Beer has been the family hit, Orange falling close behind. My Mother-in-law really liked the Sparkling Naturals Apple Mango, we sent her home with a large glass and a stainless steel bottle full.

Now, I have found myself drinking something I HATED when I was younger… Seltzer Water. I haven’t tried any of the flavor essences, yet. It’s next on the list (when there is a spare bottle not filled with Root Beer), but I have a new found craving for seltzer and to be able to make it in seconds is really cool! My son took a swig of it (probably thought it was lemon-lime) I heard him gag! That’ll teach him to drink out of the bottle! How many times do I have to say it??

The guys in the house go through soda fast, so this is great. No running out of drinks, running to the store, we’re reducing waste from store bought sodas, too. This has many pros for sure! SodaStream is available at several retail locations and you can search for a location near you on the site. I’ll need to take a trip to a location near me to buy some of the diet cola, then I can start to really enjoy the SodaStream.

This will make a great green gift for the soda lover in your life. So why not try to win one? Yep, SodaStream is giving one of my readers a Fountain Jet to keep or give as a gift this holiday season!

Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit Soda Stream or the Ms. Fizzy Blog and comment here on which flavor or drink recipe you would love to try if you won the Fountain Jet.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow @sodastreamusa on Twitter or become a Fan on Facebook and comment that you did.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from SodaStream and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Monday, 11/22/10 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry for each one of the above that you do and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

(In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.)

Congrats…. um anonymous… at least you left an email

Comment:

I would love to try the Pete’s choice and the orange.

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Green Gift Giving: Soda Stream Review & Giveaway!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it means one thing: gift-giving season is just around the corner. But kind of clueless on what to get your co-workers this year? Below is a list of great green gift ideas that will help you shine at this year’s office Christmas party.

Reusable Water Bottle. Buying your co-worker a reusable water bottle is the easiest way to help kick-start their eco-friendly lifestyle. Not only will it reduce trash, but it will also give your co-worker a healthy and toxin-free way to keep themselves hydrated. Check out these reusable water bottles. Cost: $10-$40

Eco-Coffee Mug. Help coffee or tea lovers ditch Styrofoam cups with this perfect gift idea.  Almost identical-looking to a traditional coffee tumbler, these reusable thermal mugs are made of porcelain and have a silicone lid and sleeve. Try DCI’s I Am Not a Paper Cup. Cost: $11.95

Solar Chargers. These nifty chargers use solar energy to juice cell phones, iPods, iPhones, e-readers and much more. Help your co-worker conserve energy and reduce harmful pollutants into the environment with this modern gadget. Try ReVIVE Solar Power Pak. Cost: $27.99

Trees. Make the world more sustainable by planting or adopting a tree in your co-worker’s name. Trees not only moderate climate, but they also improve air quality, conserve water, and give life and shelter to wildlife. Check out Trees for the Future or Tree People to learn how you can adopt or plant a tree in your co-worker’s name. You can also simply donate money in your
co-workers name to help preserve the rainforest. Both organizations will send you a certificate in the receiver’s name. Cost: Whatever you’d like

Eco-Calendars. There are a variety of calendars that use sustainable, recycled paper and give daily tips on how to live green and protect the planet. This is a perfect way to remind your co-worker how to live a green lifestyle on a daily basis. Check out Every Day is Earth Day 2011 daily calendar. Cost: $13.99

Eco-friendly paper stapler. These crafty office staplers use no metal staples to hold pieces of paper together. Rather, they cut out tiny strips of paper in the corner of documents and use the strips to hold the pieces together. Try a fun and funky animal-shaped stapler produced by Made by Humans. Cost: $12.49

Gift Basket. Make your-coworker a green-starter kit gift basket filled with eco-cleaning products, body products, bamboo dishware or filled with organic treats and recipes. Cost: Whatever you’d like

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.

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Green Gift Giving: Great Eco-Office Gift Ideas

I have had the opportunity to review the innovative creations of Way Basics in the past, and was excited when I was contacted by them recently to review their newest line, the Madison Bookcase.  They sent me the Espresso version (also available in black and white), shown the the picture, to review. (Be sure to grab your valuable coupon code at the end of this post)

I had the perfect home for the bookcase, across from the girls room and main bath. We really struggle with storage space in our recycled home and this was an extremely useful piece of furniture. It holds the bath towels, and the girls hair accessory bins in the top and middle and all the girls books and DVD’s on the bottom. On the very top shelf we set up some of their porcelain dolls. So, although it’s proper use is a bookcase, this line also make for great looking multi-purpose storage. To make this  product even more awesome, if you have even less living space then we do, you can line a few of these together and they make a really nice room separator.

Not only does it have a sleek, modern look, but it was SO simple to put together. When they say “World’s Easiest Assembly” they’re not kidding, we had this together in minutes, no tools, no screws – nothing.

The Zboard that are used to build their products are safe and eco-friendly.  They contain no formaldehyde, there is no out-gassing, they’re made from 99% post-consumer waste and they’re recyclable. Way Basics product line is full of fun colors and products which would make great green holiday gifts for all ages.  Consider Way Basics to decorate the grandkids rooms with colorful storage cubes or a cute little table and stool set.  Maybe a bookcase for the book lover in your life. While you’re shopping use coupon code WBEOG10 for 10% off the entire store.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, the product was given to me free of charge to review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the company.

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Green Gift Giving: Way Basics

The holidays are coming up quick and it’s time for Eco-Office Gals to get in the giving spirit. Many of you will have printing needs for the season. Christmas cards or holiday catalogs may be on the holiday horizon. At Eco-Office Gals we promote paperless, but we know that’s not always possible.  So, in cases where printing is a must, consider printing responsibly!

Printing For Less offers several aspect of responsible printing services including:

• FSC Certified Paper
• Chlorine Free Paper
• Vegetable Based Ink
• Water Based Coating
• Wind Powered
• Land Preservation
• Natural Light
• and so much more!

PFL prints Holiday cards, business cards, note cards, catalogs, stationery, brochures and more. While treading as softly on the earth as possible. I have worked with PFL on several client projects and they have all been impressed with the quality of product delivered to them and the Customer Service is top-notch!

So, what does this have to do with my gift to you? Eco-Office Gals is offering 1 hour of our services free* for every $100 of printing services you purchase through our affiliate link. So, whether you need a business card designed, WordPress updates, a Facebook Fan Page set up, or any of our other services, you get an hour free per $100 spent at PFL. Additionally, PFL has some wonderful coupon codes to help you save! Including $50 off your 1st order of $100 or more! User coupon code MC5008 during checkout!

So, let us know how Eco-Office Gals and Printing For Less can help you print responsibly this holiday season.

* free service hours only apply to purchases made though the Eco-Office Gals affiliate links provided. Offer is valid through Dec. 31, 2010

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Free Services to Green Your Holidays!

How’s your Christmas shopping going? I haven’t even scratched the surface, but that’s nothing new for me.  If you are in need of a few fresh ideas there are several great Green Gift Guides already available around the blogosphere.  So, rather then reinvent the wheel, or bore you with strictly business related finds, I thought I would share some link love and feature other bloggers guides!  They’ve already done all the hard work for me.  Enjoy their great finds!

• Green Living Ideas – Green Gifting For The Holidays
• Nature Moms – Green Christmas
• The Green Parent – Green Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent!
• Green & Clean Mom – 2008 Green Holiday Gift Guide
• Z Recommends – The 2008 Z Recommends Mostly Green, Pretty Cheap Holiday Gift Guide
• Moms In A Blog – Green Holiday Gifts
• Eco Etsy – Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts For Him
• We Can Be Green – Gift Guide

Do you have a Green Gift Guide add it below for us to check out!

Happy Holiday’s!
Jen

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It’s a Green Christmas around the Blogoshpere!

You’re taking steps to make your office a nice shade of green and you are to be envied for your efforts! Now your partner or co-worker has a life even coming up; a wedding, a baby, retirement or any of the other many reasons we have to pass the card around and collect for a gift.
Are your green efforts being left at the door when it comes to gift ideas? It shouldn’t be!
Here is a list of eco-friendly ideas that can all be found through my resources on Eco-Gifts.
Happy Shopping!

• Unconditional Love Spa Kit $29.95 at Organic Style – This collection is created by Erbaviva, renowned for their uncompromising commitment to the ultimate organic standards in beauty and skincare, and used faithfully by some of the most famous and photographed women in the world. Great for a bridal shower gift!

• Businessweek Subscription $29.97 by Zinio Digital Magazine – for the business partner that is ALL business. This paperless edition of his favorite magazine will be sure to appeal to his green side.

• Resource Revival Business Card Holder $12.00 at Green Loop – a fun accessory for any one’s desk! This business card holder is made out of bike gears. Fun stuff!

• Natural Head to Toe Kit $15.99 at Watkins – For the work buddy that you’re always borrowing lotion from! Mini bottles of several of the natural head to toe favorites. BTW – the Lemon Cream sent is yummy enough to eat!

• Angel Baby Gift Kit $44.95 at TaraLuna – A wonderful baby shower gift which includes a 100% certified organic tee, Angel Bath Blossoms, Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Angel Baby Diaper rash Soap, & Angel Baby Oil.

• Organic French Roast $10.95 LeCafe Boutique – for your coffee loving co-worker! Entice them with coffee that is fresh roasted the day it ships. Maybe they will think twice before going to the local coffee shop!

• Organic Bath Towel Set $27.50 from GreenNest – A wonderful gift idea for the office wedding shower. Bath Towels are 600 gram weight twill weave in ivory or white. Size 28″ x 54″. All are made of Indian organically grown cotton, Ivory or White in 600 GSM (grams per square meter) twill weave.

• Change Shirt $20.00 at The Green Path Company – For the Nature Lover “Natural Inspiration: Change is inevitable, Accept it, Embrace it and take advantage of the opportunities it presents!” Printed on 100% Cotton T-shirts.

• True Green At Work $19.95 st the National Geographic Store – A gift for the break room. All your employees can take a glance at this informative book and figure out their next step to greening your office!

This is only a small sample of the many green options Eco-Office Gals has to offer so be sure to visit!

Don’t forget: Sign up for the Eco-Office Gals Newsletter by August 1 to be entered in for a chance to win eco-office supplies! Good Luck!

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Green Steps in the Office – Gift Giving