VeeV l'alcool!

It's Friday and and that can only mean one thing - HAPPY HOUR later! Once the clock strikes 5pm here at the office we've got the drink in us!

Did you know you can be green and get your drink on, too? Next time you're stocking your liquor cabinet be sure to grab yourself a bottle of organic liquor or wine! Organic farms emit about 60% less C02 into the atmosphere than conventional ones so give them a high-five by buying their products and asking for it when you're out at a bar.

Mix your next cocktail with VeeV, a spirit made from organic acai berries and prickly pear cactus. (Acai is said to be the new pomegranate according to Washington Post...and its got the Oprah stamp of approval!). VeeV is a carbon-neutral company and they donate $1 for each bottle it sells to preserving Brazilian rainforest.

Our company also sent out Rain Vodka along with Jello mix for organic Jello shots to some as holiday presents. Rain vodka is distilled exclusively from 100% organic white corn. See, you can be naughty and nice!

And for the wino amongst us check out the Organic Wine Company or just ask for it the next time you visit your local wine store or BevMo.


We totally need more organic alcohol here in the office. Suggestion box!

We're #1!

Co-worker Lisa Bee just passed this article along to me. To all the LA water haters I have encountered along the years, take THAT!

Apparently, we (Los Angelenos) have the tastiest tap water in the nation! Crazy, I know. We were baffled, too!

Read the article here

Water To-Go

Americans dispose of an estimated 30 million plastic bottles per day (!!!) and sadly only 14% are recycled. I do see many people reuse their water bottles to do their part to help Mother Earth but you may want to rethink doing this. You see, most plastic bottles are made from PET plastic (short for Polyethylene terephthalate). PET plastic bottles contain chemicals like Phthlalates and bisephenol that can seep into the water. (Ewww!) These toxins can disrupt your whole body, messing with your hormonal balance and trigger symptoms like weight gain and fatigue. Quite counter-productive when we're always told that drinking more water helps with weight loss and energizes you.

A perfect alternative for the agua drinker on the go is the oh-so-handy-and-dandy SIGG bottle! SIGG bottles are made from aluminum, so they’re durable and keeps your water toxin-free. SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching. My co-worker, Lisa Bee brought one of these to a meeting a few months ago and I naturally fell in love with its sleek look (hers is blue and shiny...oh yes, green envy!) and environmental benefits galore! It even keeps your water cooler! And you can take these babies anywhere! They even have special "lifestyle" designs to fit your personality. Order yours from the SIGG official site. I also hear that REIs carry them, too.

And as an added bonus, top off your water bottle by using your home water filtration system like Brita. I see shoppers load their shopping carts with water bottles galore when they can easily investsin their own water filtration system and reduce plastic usage altogether! Who doesn't like win-win situations!




EDIT: Per my sister's comment, here is another plastic water bottle alternative. It's Klean Kanteen. It doesn't seem to have as much variety in the design/look department but still another great alternative. Check it out!

Pull The Plug!

Not many people know that even when turned off many of our electronic devices are still energy suckers while still plugged into the socket.

I am completely OCD when it comes to the plugs in my home. I unplug everything (except for my refrigerator, of course). After I watch TV, I pull the plug. Once I've zapped my food, that microwave's plug is out of the socket. Really, I live alone so do I really need the microwave clock flashing for nobody. My laptop and lamps? Unplugged! Hell, I even unplug my electric stove! Neurotic, I know, but all for the good of the cause. It's my way of saving energy and some cash while I'm at it.

However, many of you may not want to have to deal with unplugging every single thing in your home. So for those of you who don't want to keep slipping your arm behind the couch or TV stand you can still help conserve energy with the Gaiam power strip!
You just plug in your TV (or computer) into the strip along with all the goodies that go along with it (DVD player, TiVo, cable box, and the like) and when you turn off your TV, the strip cuts the power to everything else. This simple action saves you 72% of the dinero you pay to power your TV. That's beaucoup bucks right there.


Order your strip for $39 on Gaiam.com
Or just unplug like I do if you don't want to spend the $39. Either or, do what you gotta do to do your part. Even little things like unplugging your electric toothbrush, lamps around the house, your phone charger that isn't being used at the moment, or your stereo.