Earth Month Day 5: Amazon Green

In 2008, Amazon.com launched their new Amazon Green section, listing all eco-friendly, natural and sustainable products they sell.  If you are looking for a specific eco-friendly item or just browsing for books to help you live a more green, sustainable life then Amazon.com Green should be your starting point.  They have made it so easy to go green by offering millions of Green products and great prices. They have everything from home improvements to books to toys and clothes.

AmazonGreen is a cross-category program that includes a list of products that customers have selected as the best green products offered by Amazon.com and a place for customers to discover Amazon's entire green product selection. Customers can easily find products that meet U.S. environmental rating systems, including EPEAT® (the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), ENERGY STAR®, WaterSense and USDA Organic, when shopping on Amazon.com. 

Check it out: Amazon Green



Also see Amazon's Earth Day 2011 - it's a great page sharing Amazon's top ways to live green.



Go Green!
*~Sprout~*

Earth Month Day 4: Learn about Landscape Architecture

National Landscape Architecture Month

As I mentioned in my first post this month, April is National Landscape Architecture Month.  As a landscape architect myself, I feel it is part of my duty as a steward of the land, to educate those who do not know or understand exactly what landscape architecture is. 

Do you know what Landscape Architecture is?

From the American Society of Landscape Architects:
Landscape architecture encompasses the analysis, planning, design, management, and stewardship of the natural and built environments. Types of projects include:

• Academic campusesLandscape architects have advanced education and professional training and are licensed in 49 states.
• Conservation
• Corporate and commercial
• Gardens and arboreta
• Historic preservation and restoration
• Hospitality and resorts
• Institutional
• Interior landscapes
• Land planning
• Landscape art and earth sculpture
• Monuments
• Parks and recreation
• Reclamation
• Residential
• Security design
• Streetscapes and public spaces
• Therapeutic gardens
• Transportation corridors and facilities
• Urban design
• Water resources

Want to learn more?  Check out the latest Landscape Architecture Magazine - this month's digital issue is FREE for anyone to read:

http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416163142&o=ext&RF=LAM_April2011

I will have many more posts this month on individual topics related to landscape architecture - this is just a taste!  Stay tuned for more!

~* Sprout

Earth Month Day 3: Where to recycle electronics

Americans rely so much on electronic equipment - from tvs to kitchen appliances to computers/laptops to ipod and all other digital gadgets - and these devices all have relatively short life spans due to constant technological advancements and upgrades.  Recycling electronics helps reduce pollution that would be generated in order to manufacture a new product as well as reducing the need to extract valuable and limited virgin resources. Recycling also reduces the energy used to produce new electronic products. Fortunately, many companies and manufacturers recycle electronics as well as many municipalities.

Amazon.com supports the responsible disposal and recycling of electronics products.


Check out their complete list of guidelines for each state for Recycling Electronics

I find this list to be incredibly useful - so if you are not sure what to do with your used electronics, check it out for your state.
And if you want to recycle your computer - check out this book available through Amazon.com:

GrowNYC's Stop N' Swap Today!

Have you been doing your spring cleaning and have bags or boxes of things to get rid of that are still usable?
Donating your good used items is a great way to reuse and recycle.  If you live in NYC, GrowNYC offers a great way to donate your goods and even swap up other used items that you can reuse!

Community "swaps" provide the perfect opportunity to find new homes for things you no longer need. By taking home items that you can use, you are also helping to prevent waste from production, packaging and transportation required to get new things.
When: Sunday, April 3, 11am-2pm

Where: Columbia University - Butler Walkway (rain or shine)
Enter campus at 116th Street & Broadway 

Directions via Subway: 1 to 116th St (best route) or b/c to Cathedral Parkway/110th St (walk down 110th and then up Broadway or Amsterdam to avoid a difficult walk through Morningside Park).

This is a free event - just bring your used items and a bag or two to bring home anything you might find!

For more information go to: http://www.grownyc.org/swap

Happy Earth Month!

Although Earth Day is April 22, the whole month is dubbed EARTH MONTH by many organizations because there is so much we can do to celebrate and spread the word about protecting our planet that it couldn't possibly be done in one day!  EVERY day should be Earth Day!  So in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the month long celebration, I will be posting a green tip, idea, link, topic, craft, image or product every day this month!  This will certainly be a huge task for me since I am really a part-time blogger (I work full time as a Landscape Architect and I'm a mommy of 2 young kids so only have time at night or on weekends..) but I am up for the challenge! 

So to start out Earth Month, I want to share a few websites that I love that relate to Earth Month or offer great ways for you to be more environmentally aware:

Planet Green - One of my favorite multi-media sites for everything about sustaining our planet and making healthy, smart choices: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/feature/earth-day/

Treehugger - From nature to science to architecture to fashion to food and travel, this is the A#1 place for everything green!  Another one of my favorites, this is a site to be following and reading everyday: http://www.treehugger.com/

Inhabitat - Inhabitat.com is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.  Sign up for their daily emails and get inspired every day with green design: http://inhabitat.com/

Mother Nature Network - MNN is the leading resource for daily environmental news, green commentary and simple steps to save money, stay healthy, and support the planet.  It's a cleanly designed website packed with interesting articles  http://www.mnn.com/ 

Practically Green - This is the best website to get tips on how you can be more eco-friendly and to set goals for yourself and to green your home and lifestyle.  If you already live eco-friendly, find out just how green you really are!  I did a few blog posts recently about this fantastic website - check it out: http://sprout5.blogspot.com/search/label/Green%20Living

April is also National Landscape Architecture Month and since I am a landscape architect, I will be sharing projects, info, and topics with you all month long!  To learn more about Landscape Architecture, check out;

The Dirt - the official blog of the American Society of Landscape Architects: http://dirt.asla.org/

Stay tuned, follow and forward this blog this month for some exciting surprises, giveaways and blog hops to celebrate Earth Month!

~ Sprout

Favorite Online Discount and Deals Sites

I love to save money!  I am also a huge online deal seeker and do a lot of research on where to find something for the best price.  I love the fact that I can almost always find a promo code, coupon or discount on almost everything I need and don't have to pay full price for much!  I thought I would share some of my favorite sites - many have bonuses if you sign up with my referral.  Check them out:

Groupon - the original daily deal site is the source of thousands of copy-cat sites, leading the trend of online daily deal sites. Launched in November 2008, Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in more than 500 markets and 44 countries.  It's a simple process - you sign up, you get an email each day with a local deal saving you 40-80% off the normal price, you can buy it then you receive an email with the gift certificate. 

When you get friends to sign up you get $10 too! 

Check it out: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu5415789

Totsy is another one of my favorites, offering moms on-the-go and moms-to-be access to brand-specific sales, up to 70% off retail, just for them and the kids, ages 0-7.  Each sale lasts only 48 to 72 hours - longer than the daily deal - and offers many deals each day. Totsy is the first company in private sales to take on sustainable and socially responsible initiatives in all areas of business. With every purchase you make through Totsy, they will plant one tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effects of deforestation.  Again, referrals give you bonuses - $15 for each referral! Check it out and sign up now: http://www.totsy.com/join/jcarmich5

Zulily  is fabulous! It's a new online store offering daily sales events on top-quality apparel, gear and other goodies for moms, babies and kids. They carry the best brands at the lowest prices. Members enjoy savings of up to 90% off retail prices.  They have several deals every day and each deal lasts 72 hours.  The savings potential is huge so check them out now:  http://www.zulily.com/invite/jnitzky353
So if you love saving money and shopping online, check these sites out and stay tuned for part 2 of this blog post!  Oh - and pass it on!  I'm sure your friends will love saving money too!!

Springtime deal on Kickboard USA Scooters!

It's Spring!  Time to head outdoors with the kids...and a great way for the kids to get around these days is a scooter!  Scooters and Mini-scooters are not only fun but super popular with the 3-10 crowd!

Take advantage of this promo offer from Kickboard USA. It runs tomorrow, the 21st, through the following Monday, the 28th.


You can purchase any scooter with this code. Please forward to anyone who might be interested in buying a scooter!

Promo code: westsidepreschool

Promo details: $10 off purchase of mini and $10 donation to school for every scooter purchased (w/ code)

Effective: March 21, 2011 - March 28, 2011

Go to their website and check them out: www.Kickboardusa.com

Happy Spring!!

West Side Preschool Fundraising Auction

The West Side Preschool Online Auction is Now Open!

 

The online portion of West Side Preschool's 2011 Auction is now open, and will run from March 6, 2011 to March 20, 2011, with the live event taking place on April 2, 2011. We will be auctioning off over 150 fabulous and unique items that YOU can bid on to raise money for our great school.

West Side Preschool offers a program of the highest educational quality at an affordable tuition. Founded in 1989 by a group of dedicated teachers and parents who believed in affordable, quality education for three- and four-year-olds, WSP offers a loving and accepting environment dedicated to the social and emotional growth of its children.  My son is in his second year here and absolutely loves his school, teachers and classmates!

The 2011 Spring Auction will help support many activities that improve the life of the children at our school. It will provide much needed funds for books, paper, blocks, paints, and educational materials.  For more info on West Side Preschool, go to their website: http://www.westsidepreschoolny.org/

Go to the auction website and check out all the AWESOME items up for bid - many great things can be snagged below retail price!!  Many items are for kids classes, restaurants, tickets and services in the NYC area, but so many other things like toys, jewelry, clothes and even vacation packages can be shipped or emailed to you no matter where you live!  Click on the banner above or click here: West Side Preschool Auction on Bidding for Good

Thanks and Happy Bidding!!

Psst.... some of the fantastic items include: Yankees Tickets, Opera Tickets, Autographed Superbowl XXI MVP Phil Simms Football... and even a few package deals from My First Art Gallery!!
:)