Noooooo....It's almost time for back to school

We have over a month till the boys go back to school so I'm not feeling too bad about it yet, but I know elsewhere in the country, kids will be going back in the next two weeks. I don't think I'll do too many back to school posts this year, but last year I did quite a few of them so I thought I'd do a little summary for you.

Before I get into that, over on Mother Nature Network we're giving away a solar backpack filled with green goodies just in time for back to school. To win the backpack, become a fan of MNN on Facebook. On August 24, one random winner will be chosen. If you're already a fan of MNN on Facebook, you're already in the running - the winner will be picked from all Facebook fans. I'd love to win this thing, but even though I'm a Facebook fan, I'm pretty sure the fine print says I'm not eligible. But, I'd love it if one of my readers won it.

Okay, on to my back to school posts.

This one is my favorite:

Back to School Shopping Madness: From Kindergarten through College its Time to Curb the Stuff - I wrote it last year for Sustainablog when I read the unbelievable statistics on how much people spend on back to school "necessities."

These next 5 are a series a did last year, Going Back to School in Green Style:

Assessing What You Already Have
10 Easy Ways to be More Sustainable with Your Back to School Shopping
Trashless Lunches
Transportation
Getting Involved

And some miscellaneous posts

The Walking School Bus
Remember Paper Has Two Sides: Use Them Both

Image of girls: Pink Sherbet Photography (I've found myself using a lot of Pink Sherbet's photos recently - fabulous images)

Video: How single stream recycling works (with an unexpected guest appearance by me)

A while back I wrote about the fact that my town was going to single stream recycling. Paper, glass, and metals are co-mingled in one container and they get sorted later at a facility. I found this video from ZapRoot on YouTube that shows how it works once it gets to the recycling center. 

I had already decided I was going to post the video here when I got a big surprise. Right around the 1:30 mark, I show up behind the woman who is talking. There is an older post of mine from Sustainablog titled Shouldn't Every Day Be America Recycles Day by Now? that is on the screen behind her. Funny.

The part about recycling ends halfway through the video and then some other random weird stuff comes up. You can continue to watch if you want, but the part I'm interested in having you see is in the first half.

Agave nectar, Michelle Obama and Earth Hour

Here are some things I've written about recently that I thought you'd be interested in.

I've been using agave nectar as a substitute for sugar in some places recently (like this peanut butter chocolate chip granola bar recipe). I wrote about agave today over on MNN - Agave nectar: a sweet alternative. Check it out if you'd like to know more about this natural sweetener.

By now, you probably know that the Obamas are planting an organic garden on the White House Lawn. Michelle Obama has been talking organic, local, and healthy lately, and I'm becoming a fan of the first lady. 

I've been completely fascinated by the comments people are leaving on my MNN posts about the subject and many other posts around the web. They are anywhere from highly enthusiastic to downright racist to highly nitpicky about the method that's being used.  It can be both infuriating and extremely fascinating at the same time. 

Over on Sustainablog, I've got a post about Making the Most of Earth Hour with some ideas that go beyond just turning out the lights. Remember, Earth Hour is this Saturday night. 

Tomorrow, I'll be reviewing a product for you that actually got me doing a little housework and I hope to have my next interview for you on Thursday.

Happy Monday!

Blogging Roundup

Before I get into my blogging roundup, I wanted to know if you've heard about the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE? It's a private competition that is offering a 10 million dollar prize to a team that comes up with a vehicle that can 100 mpg or better. It's innovation through competition and the prize certainly is an incentive, isn't it? This, obviously is not my area of expertise, but it is an area of expertise for one of my friends from high school, Doug. He and his partner Bob have made it into "the first wave of teams that have made it past the first round of qualifications in the race to make a super-efficient and market-ready vehicle that gets at least 100 mpg." 

I wanted to say congratulations to team BDCOTSRUS and wish them good luck in the competition. With the mess that our automotive industry  in our country is in at the moment, I don't see any of the American car companies doing anything about innovation or improving fuel efficiency. It's reassuring to know that someone out there with a real incentive is working on this.

Onto the blogging roundup. Here's what I've been doing elsewhere over the past couple of weeks:

• Shouldn’t Every Day be America Recycles Day by Now?
  
• Closing Down Shop - Snooze Fest Hugg.com will Disappear at the end of the Year
  
• Thrifty Thursdays: Plan Ahead to Make Leftover Turkey Recipes
  

Does anyone else feel like time is passing super quickly lately? I feel like I just get my kids to school, sit down to work, and suddenly it's time to pick them up, and my work day is over. I'm not complaining - I get to do what I love and I've got plenty of clients right now. I'm just amazed at how the day flies. I've only got 2 1/2 hours till I need to pick the boys up today and my to-do list has barely been touched!

Mother Nature Network is Looking for College Interns

I haven't officially announced it yet, but I suppose I'm doing it right now. I'm going to be the food channel blogger over at the soon to be launched Mother Nature Network. It's a gig I'm very excited about, and I'll tell you all more about it another time.

For now, I want to let you know that the network is looking for some college interns to be video or blogging correspondents. I wrote about it on Sustainablog in Mother Nature (Network) is Looking for Interns. If you or someone you know is a U.S. college student and passionate about the environment, take a look at this please. Then pass it along to those you might know who would be interested in something like this.

Green Saves Green Month is Ending Early

Good Morning, All. I am officially ending Green Saves Green month a bit early. The readership is down. The comments are down. And I'm thinking that perhaps everyone is a little tired of hearing about how to save money and being reminded about the stinky economy. 

For those of you who were enjoying it, I tend to write about ways to save money frequently anyway, so please keep coming back. Tomorrow, I'll have a happy, uplifting post. For today, I'm just going to point you to some of my other blog pieces that I've written in the past week or so for Green Options. Perhaps you'll find something you want to read in these posts:

Are You Ready for a Four Day Work Week?

Thrifty Thursdays: How to Feed Your Cookbook Addiction without Breaking the Bank

It’s Hip to Drink Tap: 7 Reasons to Give up the One-Time Use Bottle

Will You Risk Your Image for Sustainability? How about Your Property Value?

24 African Countries Double Their Yield Using Organic Farming

Blogging Roundup

I had a very busy week last week so my posting over on Green Options was a little lighter than normal. But I did manage to get a few posts in.

People Need to be Sustained, Too: Donations to Food Banks are Down While Need has Increased

A little note about this post. It hasn't gotten a lot of traffic. I suppose the title turns people off - with the economy so bad right now, we're all in need of something. But what I've found interesting are the people who have commented on the post who have a problem with me pointing out the need. Go see for yourself.

Should Americans be Buying Olive Oil Made in the U.S.: Part 2

ChicoBag: Helping to Green Your Halloween

Blogging Roundup

I'm trying to figure out how to best put links to the other blogs that I write for. For a while I was posting each link as I wrote a new piece. But that seemed like it would get old really fast. Then I was trying to naturally imbed the links into other pieces I was writing, but that wasn't very effective either. So I think what I'm going to try now is doing a weekly roundup of other pieces I've written. You can pick and choose the ones you'd like to read by what interests you.

Your Trash Just Doesn’t Disappear, Stupid! (Or How to Make Sure Useful Things Stay out of Landfills)

Local and Seasonal Food: Amazing Applesauce Recipe

Want to Change the World: Start with a Light

Thrifty Thursdays: Make Your Own Bread in 5 Minutes (and Three Hours)

Should Americans be Buying Olive Oil Made in the U.S.?: Part 1

Things That Bug Me

I've got another busy day here, but I'll try to get in a real post a little later. Until then I just need to rant about something that bugs me.

I get mail from companies and sometimes on the envelope there is a little recycling symbol and the words "please recycle." Yet, there is no indication on the envelope that it is made from recycled materials. So, these companies want me to do the right thing by recycling but they can't do the right thing by buying post-consumer content paper. 

It bugs me.

And, speaking of bugs, if you're curious about the mating rituals of insects (especially when the insect is played by Isabella Rossellini in a bug suit), check out a post I wrote Isabella Rossellini Makes Porno - Available Online. It's not nearly as seedy as it sounds.

Follow Me

I've got a couple posts up on the Green Options Sites that might interest you.

A Tax on Plastic Utensils? How Would You React?

Meatless Meal Recipes for the Non-Vegetarian: 17 Bean and Barley Soup Mix from Trader Joe's

Book Review: David Suzuki's Green Guide - A Resource Chock Full of Ideas

I Took Public Transportation to GreenFest Philly

I attended GreenFest Philly yesterday and my first post about it is up at Sustainablog. Six Benefits of Taking Public Transportation that Aren't Environmental relays what I discovered as a semi-reluctant public transit rider. 

I'll have lots more about the festival here, and on Sustainablog and Eat.Drink.Better so keep an eye out.

Back to School Madness

I posted a few weeks ago about sustainable back to school shopping. I've got more to say about the subject today on Sustainablog with Back to School Shopping Madness: From Kindergarten to College, It's Time to Curb the Stuff.

Don't be one of the wasteful families who spend over $550 for back to school stuff!

Helping to Create Renewable Energy Through Facebook (Seriously)

If you're a Facebook user or a tree hugger who has considered having a Facebook account, my most recent post at Sustainablog will interest you - New Facebook Application, Green My Vino, Will Help Vineyards Go Green.

I've already installed the application and started the process of helping vineyards go green.

Two of my favorite things - wine and going green. You know I'm all over this.

New Post on Sustainablog - Can Big Oil Companies also Do Good?

Another post is up at Sustainablog - Can Big Oil Companies also Do Good. This time I muse over whether ExxonMobile should get the brownie points for sponsoring at-risk inner city youth for their Green Team program.

New Post on Sustainablog - Who is Responsible for Sustainable Consumerism?

A new survey of consumers reveals that many Americans think that the corporations should be more responsible for sustainable consumerism than individuals. You can read about it on my post at Sustainablog - Who is Responsible for Sustainable Consumerism.

New Post on Sustainablog - Small Town Bike Share

I've got a new post up at Sustainablog about a small town bike share program that's being developed in one of my neighboring communities. I love it when one person just takes the bull by the horns and starts something great.

New Post on Sustainablog - FishPhone

I've got a new post up on Sustainablog titled Sustainable Seafood at Your Fingertips via FishPhone
about a text messaging service that allows you to find out about the seafood you're considering purchasing. Check it out.

Related Posts:

Follow Me to My New Job

Follow Me to My New Job...

writing for Sustainablog. I'll be posting two or three times a week over on Sustainablog. The people over at Green Options have a little faith in me and have hired me as a contributing writer to one of their environmental blogs.

My first post is about the Ecocab ride that my husband and I took in Dublin while we were there. I'm quite happy to be contributing to this group of environmentally educational blogs.

I'll still be posting here regularly, and I'll be linking to my Sustainablog posts when they go up.