The Perfect Gift Bag

Gift bags are great because they can be used over and over again as gift bags if you take care of them. But here’s an idea for a gift bag that can be used over and over again for lots of different things.

It SNOWED here yesterday! When it starts getting cold and dark, I start feeling the need to nest. If I’m going to be stuck inside, I want to be happy with my surroundings. Karen from EcoHomeResource.com wrote the following guest post to teach us what to look for in an eco-friendly rug. For more information to help you make your home comfortable and green, check out EcoHomeResource.com.
When looking for a new area rug or carpet, look for options that are eco-friendly: rugs can be made from recycled materials and from renewable resources—those that are quickly replenished without much strain on the environment, such as wool and bamboo. Read more…

Some readers had questions about Lisha Lynn Mineral Cosmetics, so I went straight to the source to get answers. Alicia Redden, owner of Lisha Lynn, was kind enough to take the time to fill us in on her makeup.
I made the switch over to full RSS feed. If the summary feeds were keeping you from subscribing/staying subscribed, please consider subscribing now!

Fake Plastic Fish is grateful for plastic pollution?
Little House in the Suburbs makes soap out of left over food grease.
Mark from Blogfish is swimming aroung Bainbridge Island.
Ecorazzi says Cory Feldman is releasing a sustainable album with a new green song. Yup.
The Good Human isn’t buying the biofuel hype.
The Green Life says big bucks are going toward trying to convince us HFCS is safe.
If you need a reusable shopping bag, Frugal Dad is giving one away.
My pepper post was featured in this week’s All Things Eco Carnival.

Please check out my post at Why Things Matter. It’s non-partisan voter information to help you make sure you can safely cast your ballot.
We’re at the tipping point with global warming and we desperately need better environmental policies. Let’s make sure we get out there and tip things in a positive direction.
P.S. I haven’t forgotten to put up a new tip. I’ve decided to keep this up until Election Day. On November 5th, you’ll get a new tip, I promise!

I’ve had a really hard time finding affordable foundation that isn’t full of icky chemicals, doesn’t make my skin break out, and isn’t too heavy or gloppy. I even tried a drugstore brand mineral makeup, but it left my skin looking overly powdered, and caked up quickly. I was convinced that mineral makeup just wasn’t for me, but Lisha Lynn Mineral Cosmetics sent me some samples, and I’m hooked.

And, according to the Random Number Generator, the winner of the Act 2 - Green Smart giveaway is . . . Read more…
Just wanted to take a minute to ask you all how the new site design is working out for you. If there’s anything you miss from the old site, or you have any suggestions, let me a note in comments or drop me an e-mail at alliesanswers at gmail dot com
And don’t forget to enter to win a bag from Act 2 - Green Smart here and here.
Check back on Monday for the winner!
Have a great weekend!

I had the opportunity to ask Tom Larsen from Act 2 - Green Smart a few questions about his business, thoughts on the environment, and even college sports. His answers are really interesting.
1. What inspired you to start making bags out of recycled plastic? What kind of research/learning process did you have to go through to go from the idea stage to making it happen?
My wife and business partner was the inspiration. In December of 2005 she asked me whether or not I thought there was yet developed a supply for “green materials” for bags that was parallel to the developments that she was seeing in the apparel markets through her readings of Yoga magazines and such.
As a result of my research and efforts, I found an emerging supplier in Taiwan that was far ahead of the U.S. or other Asian suppliers of rPET polyester. Of course, to determine that, I had to get myself a quick education on the state of the art of fabric making and raw material sourcing, etc. It was interesting. Most bags any of us buy at the store only have a material specification, not a selected vendor. They are designed somewhere and then handed to a Chinese supplier (well over 90% of ALL bags are made in China, now), which then shops their traditional fabric suppliers for the best price on say “nylon” or “neoprene”. The quality of the fabrics is so high now that the fabrics are often just commodities allowing suppliers to simply shop their known sources. Read more…

Gift bags are great because they can be used over and over again as gift bags if you take care of them. But here’s an idea for a gift bag that can be used over and over again for lots of different things.