Eco-Office Gals: Green Virtual Assistant Services » Random Green

2nd Annual Green My World Earth Day Giveaway 2010!

Jen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:54:49 +0000

Earth Day (Month) is approaching and Eco-Office Gals wants to get as many people as possible on board to grow a little greener. If you’ve been wanting to, trying to, thinking about growing a little greener there’s no better time to do it then now! We don’t want to make you go it alone either. We have once again reached out to our great green cyberspace friends to bring you green products to Green Your World!

Last year Eco-Office Gals Green My World Giveaway was a HUGE hit and we will give it a go again!!

Today, we’ll just get things started. We’ll give you a chance to check out a few of the initial sponsors and a peek at the prizes coming in, look around their sites and get your creative green juices flowing. So, lets get started!

Welcome all our Earth Day Giveaway Sponsors for 2010 and their generous donations to Green Your World (I will be adding to the list throughout the coming weeks!):

EcoStore USA – Gift basket with 10 products
Affordable Mineral Make Up – $25 Gift Certificate
Naked Binder – Set of 9 project binders (one of all colors)
Ely Organics – $25 eGift Certificate
Recycled Bottle Cap Necklaces – recycled bottle cap necklace of their choice
BuyGreen.com – $50 Gift Certificate
Watercheck.biz – Niagara Conservation XSWEK07 Indoor Water Conservation EcoKit
Kir DeVries – $25 Gift Certificate
Ecominders – Ecominders Gift Bag – A reusable tote with packages of all 3 Ecominders product lines – Home, Office and Kids & Schools, along with organic cotton adult & children’s Ecominders t-shirts
Barefoot Books – One World, One Planet Gift Collection
weeBgreen – 1 kidzsack
Project GLO – very adorably wrap 3 sets of 5 pens made from biodegradable cardboard and corn plastic!
Cactus & Ivy – Body Souffle
Sarva Soap – $25 gift certificate plus 15% coupon off first purchase
Intention Kits – 1 Intention Kit made on Recycled Paper
Natural Luxe – $25 eGift Certificate

This list is growing by the day sooo… here’s the deal, one person will win it ALL! Put your green recycled thinking caps on since you will need to do a little work! You need to green up your act! Absolutely, no “Thanks for the great giveaway” comments, they WILL be deleted. DO NOT copy and paste someone’s comment as your own, be original. You can enter as many times as you’d like as long as you follow one of the options below. For shipping purposes – US residents only, please. On April 22nd Earth Day, one winner will be picked to win the whole thing! This will not be a random drawing, rather the person that really seems to put some effort towards making a difference in their life will be given the chance to make their changes with there great products!

THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM FOR THE CONTEST, THIS IS JUST AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR GREAT SPONSORS. WE WILL OFFICIAL START THE GIVEAWAY SOON. BELOW YOU WILL FIND THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER TO WIN! HOWEVER, IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT HERE IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL WINNER CONSIDERATION.

Pick a green step that will help the environment. Something new, that you are not already doing. Leave a comment about it, or if you post about it on your own blog, provide a link in your comment so we can check it out!
Leave a comment about any progress and achievements in your green goals, too. Let us know how it’s going!
Leave a unique tip to be green, chemical free, etc
Visit the sponsors and let us know how one of their products could help your green up your act. Leave a link to the product so we can all check it out.
Send out a tweet about the giveaway & consider using the #earthtweet hashtag – be sure to include a link to it.
Use other Social Networking avenues to get the word out about the giveaway and let us know which ones you did.
Add the giveaway button to your sidebar and let us know you did. Here’s the code:

Think a product is so awesome on one of our sponsors sites, you can’t wait to win before you buy? Leave 5 separate entries telling us what you bought from who — we will confirm.

Be sure to sign up for Eco-Office Gals RSS by feed or email. I’ll be continuing to bring you information, tips and events from our sponsors and may just throw in a few extra ways to enter as we go along!

Want to help sponsor this giveaway? Contact me! or fill out the following form and I will be in touch!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

2nd Annual Green My World Earth Day Giveaway 2010!

Green My World! The Eco-Office Gals Earth Day Giveaway! Earth Day is this month and Eco-Office Gals wants...
Earth Day Giveaway Round Up There are many awesome giveaways going on this month...
Earth Day is over… Now what? Well, Earth Day ended up being interesting in many...

Top 10 Green Sites of 2009

Jen — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:17:00 +0000

As I wish all of you a Happy Healthy & Safe New Year I will leave you with a little Green link love to those green sites I have learned so much from in the year past!

The Good Human – “encourages people to be better humans through working to clean up the environment, being active in political issues and being more aware of one’s life and surroundings”
MNN – “your one-stop resource and an everyman’s eco-guide offering original programs, articles, blogs, videos, and how-to guides along with breaking news stories.”
Green & Clean Mom – “a mother of two young children, wife, educator, green entrepreneur, humanitarian, enthusiastic social media fanatic, internet marketer, social media and marketing consultant and blogger.
Natural Papa – “Natural Papa focuses on natural parenting and fatherhood, home remedies for common children’s ailments, homeschooling, green and simple living for families, and natural foods.”
The Green Mom Review – “we’re not experts on the environment but we are experts on loving our families and wanting the best for them and we’re on a mission to find products and services that are kinder to the earth and better for our children and families.”
Best Green Blogs – “The web’s largest directory of green and sustainable themed weblogs.”
Green Biz – “Business Voice of the Green Economy, is the leading source for news, opinion, best practices, and other resources on the greening of mainstream business.”
Recycle This – “over 600 items and had over 8500 suggestions of ways to reuse, re-purpose or recycle things that would otherwise go in the bin.”
Sustainablog - “Since July 2003, sustainablog has been providing information on environmental and economic sustainability, green and sustainable business, and environmental politics.”
Big Green Purse – “women must act – intentionally, collectively, and with the full force of our purse power behind us – if we hope to leave our children and grandchildren a better world.”

That’s my 10 for 2010. There are many, many more for sure. What are your faves? Let us know in the comments so we can check them out! Looking for a few new green sites to add to your reading list, besides the ones mentioned above? Scroll through Green Alltop or MyAllTop for WAY more then a handful!

All the best in 2010!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Top 10 Green Sites of 2009

Your Green Steps for 2009? So, what will your Green Steps be for 2009? ...
Top 10 posts of 2009 The countdown to a new year always brings lists...
Not-So-Green Confessions Guest Post by Lori Stewart – Green Gigs As...

Merry Christmas 2009!

Jen — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:58:13 +0000

Another year has past and the eve of Christmas is here. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my readers, clients, friends and family for all of their support through a year that has proven to be trying for many. I wish all of you a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

I look forward to a new year of sharing, bonding and growing. I wish the same for all of you! Dream big, work hard, love lots… See you in 2010!

All The Best,

Jen, Troy, Sebastian, Chloe & Abby

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Merry Christmas 2009!

It’s a Green Christmas around the Blogoshpere! How’s your Christmas shopping going? I haven’t even scratched...
Your Green Steps for 2009? So, what will your Green Steps be for 2009? ...
Happy 2009! Wishing All The Best In 2009! Jen Post from:...

Are You On Board #HugTrainUSA

Jen — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:25:47 +0000

Probably around a year ago I “met” Arie Moyal on Twitter a fun and resourceful guy that always seems to be moving from one spot on the map to another. Well, as he packs up and relocates once again, this time to the UK, he is making one last swing around the US via rails.

I’ll be traveling around the USA by train starting in New York on December 27, 2009 and ending in Boston on January 10th , 2010.

I figured since I’m doing this anyway why not add a social change/charity aspect to it and make it fun?
I also thought that since the holidays can be tough on people some cheer could be useful and what better way than to spread it with hugs?

And that’s how I came up with the HugTrain!

8 stops in 15 days including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta and Washington D.C. spreading holiday cheer and raising money and awareness about mental health!

I loved that one person could be so inspired to lift people up that I had to see how I could help get this off the ground. Still in the baby stages, HugTrainUSA has a home at HugTrain.org, Twitter & Facebook. All of these platforms will be growing fast since there are only 16 days until departure! There is still a lot to do and so much help needed from each and everyone of us! How can you get on board the HugTrain? Here are a few things we need help with. If nothing on this list fits into your skill set, maybe you can do a blog post? Tweet about #HugTrainUSA? Show your support by becoming a FB Fan? Are you on the route? Meet Arie at a stop near you and donate a few dollars or just share a HUG and take a picture to share on the site! Bring all of your friends with you, too! Pending confirmation, all donations will go to Mental Heath America.

There is something we can all do to keep HugTrainUSA on track, no effort is too big or too small, so please show your support this holiday season.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Are You On Board #HugTrainUSA

It’s a Green Christmas around the Blogoshpere! How’s your Christmas shopping going? I haven’t even scratched...
I’ve Been Tagged As I was getting my daily dose of Twittering...

EarthTalk®: Living Buidings

Jen — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:08:48 +0000

EarthTalk®

From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk I recently heard the term “living building.” Can you explain?

– Rebecca Gordon, Seattle, WA
Over the past couple of decades, architects and builders looking to green their projects turned to the addition of various piecemeal elements to save water here or cut down on electricity there. Those who added more than a few green touches could apply for and get certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) under its Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) program. While these efforts have been laudable—essentially launching the green building industry as we know it today—they represent merely the infancy of what green building might someday become.
The concept of the “living building” has now emerged as a new ideal for design and construction. The Cascadia Region Green Building Council (CRGBC)—thePacific Northwest chapter of the USGBC—defines a living building as a structure that “generates all of its own energy with renewable non-toxic resources, captures and treats all of its water, and operates efficiently and for maximum beauty.” The group has been pushing for adoption of the concept by construction industries here at home, and also helped to launch the International Living Building Institute to promote the concept internationally.
“We view our role as the organization that is meant to ask the really tough questions, to push the boundaries as far as possible,” says Jason McLennan, CEO of CRGBC. To this end, in 2006 the group launched its Living Building Challenge (LBC), a “call to the design and construction community to pursue true sustainability in the built environment.” So far 60 different projects around North America are vying to meet the high standards of the LBC, which exceed even the highest status of LEED certification.
The first building to be completed for consideration under the LBC program is the Omega Center for Sustainable Living, in Rhinebeck, NY. The 6,200 square-foot, one-level building, which serves as headquarters for the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, features a geothermal heating and cooling system, solar panels, rain gardens that direct water run-off to irrigate plantings, a 4,500-square-foot greenhouse that helps filter wastewater for reuse, “daylighting” design that brings natural light indoor to minimize electric light usage, and eco-friendly building materials all around. It was designed—per LBC criteria—to be “net-zero,” meaning it uses no more energy than it generates itself. Once the building has been in operation for a full year next summer, CRGBC will audit it to see if its performance lives up to the green hype. Dozens of other LBC contenders around North America will be audited as well.
Of course, the costs of creating a living building today are very high. Achieving net-zero can be especially, and stands out as one of the biggest obstacles to greater interest in the living building concept. Another challenge is finding materials that meet LBC standards, since many common building materials such as PVC piping for wastewater transport—off-gas chemicals and have other hazardous attributes. LBC also expects builders to source locally as many materials as possible to boost local economies and make efficient use of nearby natural resources. McLennan remains confident that costs will come down as green materials, technologies and methods become more commonplace within the general building industry.
CONTACTS: USGBC, www.usgbc.org; CRGBC, www.cascadiagbc.org; International Living Building Institute, www.ilbi.org; Omega Institute, www.eomega.org.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

EarthTalk®: Living Buidings

EarthTalk: Enertia Homes EarthTalk® From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear...
Is #5 plastic safe? Dear EarthTalk: It seems like more products are being...
What is Microfinance? EarthTalkTM From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear...

Monday Morning Green Blogoshpere Love!

Jen — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:12:24 +0000

So, I’m waiting for shipment on some really cool Flaunt It Monday products and we will be having some awesome green fun very soon! Meanwhile, I thought I would share with you some of the posts I’m reading. Some green, some biz, some fun! Enjoy!

The Green Mom Picks Her Battles on chemicals in the classroom.
I love the Good Human’s Greenwash of the Week series so just check them all out!
The Huffington Post wants to know if your Ass Is Worth a Million Trees A Year?
Check out this neat Uni-tool featured on Treehugger, I like this puppy!
Wanted: Green Job from Green Gigs!

Need More? Check out the Alltop – Green feed. Share your favorite green blog below, tell us why.

Oh an when you’re done greening up your act go check out The Bloggess: She’s crazy, pure crazy. I can’t pick just one. I can read this all day if I didn’t have to work! Giggles! Have a great day friends!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Monday Morning Green Blogoshpere Love!

It’s a Green Christmas around the Blogoshpere! How’s your Christmas shopping going? I haven’t even scratched...
Not-So-Green Confessions Guest Post by Lori Stewart – Green Gigs As...
Gearing Up Your Blog For The New Year! Wait! Isn’t it Flaunt It! Monday?? Yes, but since...

Labor Day: Confessions of a Non-Green Summer

Jen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:58:16 +0000

Labor Day, the symbolic end of Summer. For me it’s good riddance. This has been one Summer I will be happy to forget! Between Abby’s toe, the construction field continuing to struggle, and way too much more to burden my readers with. All in all, it is best to be forgotten.

As a result I have seen my green efforts slack. In an attempt to annihilate the staph infection that plagued my baby girl, I brought many harsh chemical back into the house. My recycling efforts diminished, maybe not 100%, but it’s not where it was. Composting, eating organic… forget about it! Eco-Office Gals has suffered, posts have been less frequent, Flaunt It Monday… sporadic at best.

This past couple of weeks all of the lack of discipline and misfortune of Summer finally took it’s toll on me. I couldn’t get off the couch for days. Call it a mix of stress, depression, allergies, poor eating habits, too much soda & sweet tea, not enough water, and every other thing I can inflict on myself. I was just plain miserable!

Now let me say, I’m not a push over by any means. I have taken every obstacle thrown at me this Summer and I came out standing, I never gave up. However, I didn’t take care of me and my surroundings. So, moving out of Summer changes are a must. Here are my goals for Fall:

Eat healthier, more organic and fresh
Less soda & tea, more water
Phase chemical cleaners back out of the house
Pick up my recycling and composting efforts
Manage my time better, reduce waste of my own energy
Renew life into Eco-Office Gals Posts
Stop letting those reusable bags collect dust in the laundry room!

So, why confess to my readers, clients, family, friends & the spammer just trying to sneak his link into my posts? Accountability, how can I sit here encourage you to green up your act when I am not practicing what I preach? I can’t. Period. I started Eco-Office Gals with the desire to have my readers take my green steps with me. I’m not an expert and I’m far from perfect. However, I can look around and see what I can change and do something about it. So, that’s where I am today… you with me?

photo credit: John Loo

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Labor Day: Confessions of a Non-Green Summer

Not-So-Green Confessions Guest Post by Lori Stewart – Green Gigs As...
Is #5 plastic safe? Dear EarthTalk: It seems like more products are being...
Green Gem of the Week: Safer Brand As some of you may know. We have passed...

Summer Vacation at the Hospital?

Jen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:35:56 +0000

WARNING! This post may not be for those with bad gag reflexes! View at your own risk.

Where has Eco-Office Gals been? What’s up with Flaunt It! Monday? Oh if you only knew! My 4 year old apparently found her way into some nasty bacteria patches. I have no idea how it happened, but what started as a normal happy girl quickly downward spiraled to a nasty mess of unknown symptoms.

Starting with a stubbed toe, she then spiked a fever and a rash which was trip number 1 to the ER. They said her foot was not broken and the fever and rash was Strep and Scarlet Fever. Home we went after a healthy injection of penicillin. Over the next few days her symptoms did not improve and her poor toe continued to grow. Trip number 2, to a different ER ended with her being admitted for 4 days, IV antibiotics and a trip to the operating room. With doctors and nurses giving us warning of MRSA, it was really scaring the daylights out of me. Turns out she had also gotten a Staph infection in her toe, in addition to the Strep infection. The rash was toxin released by the Staph, not Scarlet Fever.

Finally, we are home and she is recovering well. She became a little spoiled at the hospital with Grandma, the nurses and I tending to her every need, but she deserved it. Minus a few follow up visits, 3 weeks of antibiotic, and catching up on rest, Eco-Office Gals will be getting the shop back up and rolling.

Thank you to everyone that has kept in contact and shown their support during this miserable experience. You are all wonderful!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Summer Vacation at the Hospital?

No related posts.

Wordless Wednesday: My Girls, My Joy

Jen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:30:48 +0000

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Wordless Wednesday: My Girls, My Joy

It’s a Green Christmas around the Blogoshpere! How’s your Christmas shopping going? I haven’t even scratched...