Making the transition to being "eco-friendly" can be expensive and hard. If you are finding yourself struggling to make a difference, you are not alone.

Going Green is a process you should approach one step at a time. If you try to change at least one thing you do for the sake of the planet, eventually being green will become second nature.

A helpful hint is to try doing things the "Natural Way". For example if you need to clean your home and you run out of the usual cleaning products, try googling alternative ways to clean without using harmful chemicals. I ran across this dilemma last night when taking a shower and realized my drain was clogged, which brought me to my GREEN TIP OF THE DAY: PLUMBER CRACK IS WACK!!

Avoid the plumber (unless he is cute, of course!) and skip the Drano by choosing this alternative way to unclog sinks and drains.

FIRST- Put the DRY baking soda down the drain. I use about 3/4 of a cup.

SECOND- Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain after the baking soda. Be sure to cover the drain immediately afterwards with a rag or plug, filling the hole completely so nothing can escape. This is because the interaction of
the two will cause a “mini volcano” that will want to come up and out of the drain...you want to keep it down there.

THIRD- Leave this concoction in the drain for about 30 minutes. While you are waiting, boil a tea kettle full of water.

LASTLY - After 30 minutes, remove the plug and slowly pour the HOT water down the drain.

This works, I also use this method when my kitchen sink starts to reek! Try it, and you will be on your way to a greener you!

STAY GREEN YO!!!

This Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30pm people around the world will be turning off their lights for an hour to demonstrate concern about climate change. This event is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. For those of us here in Vegas, we'll get to see the Strip marquee lighting turned off. It's so cool that the hotel casinos have signed on to be a part of this!

So while this is an important environmental event, there's also a lot of opportunity for fun! I'm torn between going to the Springs Preserve or having friends over for a candlelit barbeque. The barbeque would be easy, but the Springs Preserve has a view of the Strip and also has a yummy cafe. They are hosting a viewing party that evening, which will be lit by LED candles.

You can get more information about Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org. Las Vegas is a flagship city and has its own Earth Hour page at www.earthhourlv.org. The Vegas page has links to a variety of events going on at this time around town. Definitely worth checking out! How easy to support the environment here, just turn out your lights!

Note: The focus of this event is not the energy saved during the hour. It's simply a demonstration of concern. Also, they are asking for non-essential lighting to be turned off, so streetlights and casino lighting will still be on.

When you think eco-friendly shoes and where to get them, I hope Vans and Zappos comes to mind. Nowadays everyone is trying to get their hands on anything "green" and some go as far as stepping up their game and producing green/eco-friendly product.

MY GREEN SHOE OF THE WEEK IS: Vans Rata Plus

A awesome after surf, or your ordinary comfort shoe, features all hemp and premium textile upper that are all eco-friendly.

Not to forget, the bamboo lined midsole, bio-degradable corn lace eyelets, and all over design made of water based inks.

Green Tip of the Day: SURFING

When you're looking for beach access before you catch the waves always keep your vehicle on marked pathways, and never drive across sand dunes.

You will be saving gasoline, coastal habitats and ensure the future of a good surf!

Surf's UP, Stay Green YO!

Ranked 23rd best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, where can we go next? Well, other than that number one spot! Zappos is slowly making a effort to green this company.

You have to start somewhere when changing a company, and I think Zappos is off to a good start. Just yesterday, with a mere $30 zollars, I purchased a stainless steel water bottle and Utensil set from the Zappos Zollar Store.

Taking it to the next level, Zappos is encouraging its employees to stop using plastic water bottles and plastic forks and spoons. It seems like yesterday when Zappos announced they would no longer provide the water bottle service that came almost once a week to fill our lunchroom with cases and cases of plastic water bottles. (I feel that was a huge step in the right direction, Kudos Zappos!!!!)

To encourage saving on plastics, Zappos provided free Zappos logo water bottles to every employee.

So, as part of the green tip of the day, I will keep you posted on all of Zappos's Green Efforts!

STAY GREEN, YO!

Zappos is awesome enough to provide us with free soup, salad and sandwiches every day, to which we are truly grateful!!

But, I must admit, sometimes we all get the urge to change it up and head to the nearest fast food joint.

But if your thinking of the environment, it is best to Home cook, Home Girl! (or Homeboy :) )

With fresh food, very little or no processing is involved. This minimizes the energy used to get it to your plate and reduces the cost to the environment.

In the US, it is estimated that as much as 30% of food gets wasted, adding up to 48.2 million pounds of food.

So next time you want to change it up, try home cooking and bringing your lunch to work.....and bring some for me, too!

STAY GREEN, YO!!

So if your on your way to WSA, MAGIC, FFANY, Project, whatever show you head off to, try to use your badge holder from last year! (If you don't own a badge holder, Please save the one you do receive)

Trade Shows produce 10 MILLION pounds of waste.

I browsed a couple websites for info and found the energy consumed by trade shows is MASSIVE!!!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Trade Shows and Conventions represent the second most wasteful industry in the United States".

So help the environment and Re-Use your badge this year and for the years to follow!

Stay Aware and Stay Green, YO!.

I'm sure you all have your friends that are Anti-Coffee, and Im sure they are always telling you that coffee is not good for you. You know those rumors you hear that it stunts your growth, etc, etc... Well, next time you get into a tiff about your cup of Joe, tell your friend to hit the road, Jack!

A study from the University of Madrid found that coffee does not lead to a early death, even drinking 6 cups a day!

The study found that patients experienced lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses because of the antioxidants that coffee contains.

So now you know that drinking coffee can be a good thing, here is how to Green your Coffee:

Select Organic: Its a little more pricey but organic coffee beans eliminate your exposure to hazardous pesticides

Look for Shade Grown Beans: Coffee is a shade loving plant and provides homes to many important birds who are not threatened.

Look for Fair Trade Certification: When you buy coffee that is fair-trade certified, you are insuring that the farmers who grew the beans are paid fair price and giving them assistance to transition to organic growing.

And of course bring your own mug to work :) STAY GREEN YO!

Want to save up to 16,000 gallons of water a year but dont know how???

There is something sooooo simple and easy to do to help you save water at home that a cave man could do it? Ooh.. wait they didn't have toilets back then!!

Ok, so if you own a 1-liter plastic bottle, then you are GOOD TO GO!

Green Tip: Put a plastic water bottle in your toilet

By filling up your water bottle and placing it inside your toilet's water tank, you will use one liter less when you flush, and for a family of 4 that's 16,000 gallons a year!!!

According to the EPA, the average American home uses more water flushing the toilet than running the shower.

BE WATER SMART! AND STAY GREEN YO!

And we are looking for the FEW, THE PROUD, AND THE GREEN! to switch to Draft printing mode!

Did you know that before printing out something you can click on properties, then click the tab "color", and under color adjustments check the "TONER SAVE" box.

This is on most computers called "Draft Printing Mode".It will print out lighter than on the regular setting, but its readable and saves on cartridge ink.

And to save paper, simply print on both sides of the page when printing multiple pages.

Remember to think about the environment before printing and STAY GREEN YO!

She recycled it OF COURSE!!!!! :D

And so we all can live happily ever after like Cinderella we should do the same with all our glass products.

Green Tip of the Day: Recycle your glass products

Glass is a good item to recycle because there are so many different types of glass to choose from before it can no longer be recycled.

Make sure you separate different colored glass and don't include metal bottle tops or corks that can contaminate the process.

KEEP IT GLASSY!!!... AND STAY GREEN YO!!

Hey My Go-Greeners! Today I must say I was very sad, and maybe a little furious when going into the lunchroom to rinse my mug out this morning.

Did you know that we as Zapponians are not taking being wasteful seriously? Sometimes I see employees take as many as Five styrofoam bowls in a sitting for their lunch break. There are so many ways that we as Zapponians can do our part to help Zappos as a company and the environment just by paying a little more attention to the waste we produce.

For example, if we brought in our own utensils such as bowls, forks, plates, mugs, etc., we would cut down dramatically on the wastes we produce as a company.

If one employee used 3 bowls a day (one for breakfast, maybe soup for lunch, and salad bowl for a snack) that would add up to 1095 bowls a year. If one employee used 2 styrofoam cups a day for coffee, that adds up to 730 cups a year.

Lets say 20 employees followed this trend of using 3 styrofoam bowls a day and 2 Styrofoam cups a day that would add up to 36,500 styrofoam utensils for the year. (and Zappos has over 300 employees)

So the Green Tip today is for employees, both a part and not a part of Zappos, to bring in their own reusable utensils, bowls and plates. Now if that's not going to happen, than at least try to use the same utensils and plates, etc. throughout your day, that way you're cutting back from 5 to 1 a day.

STAY GREEN, YO!!!

Hey Green Bloggers! Now I know I have been slacking on the green tips, but I'm back in effect and will loyally try to green blog Tues and Thurs! So, it's the holiday season and probably one of the months where Americans consume the most waste. I can't tell you how many goodies we have circling the office and moving straight to my thighs!!!

Aside from the Holiday cheer that surrounds us this season , we still need to be conscious about the environment.

Green Tip of the Day: Recycle your Trees (Yes, it can be done)

According to my handy dandy green book, if just ten percent of families purchased a natural tree over a artificial one, 44 million pounds of non recyclable materials could be conserved and diverted from landfills.

Real trees provide environmental benefits, as they grow and can be recycled after the new year.

Earth911 is a popular site if you need to find the best recycling centers near you! Please try to recycle this year, you'll find it's easy and a gift that keeps on giving!!

STAY GREEN YO!!

Sooo.... Today I carpooled!! And honestly, it felt goooooood. Carpooling is something that I think we take for granted. Facts show that carpooling cuts down on carbon emissions, even by choosing to carpool once a week!

1 car = half the gas

OFFICE CARPOOL ANYONE??

GREEN TIP: SAVE GAS AND MONEY

Did you know that by keeping up with car maintenance can save you both gas and money? ...... YES WAY! According to Green Hacks, you can lose 1/2 mpg if your tires are not at their maximum pressure and keeping your oil changed when needed can give you 20 more mpg!

That's definitely going GREEN! STAY GREEN YO!!!!

Have you heard the craze going on about bringing your own bags (preferably canvas) to the grocery store to stop plastic bag waste? Well, let me break down the importance of B.Y.O.B (BRING YOUR OWN BAG!)

Green Tip: BAG THE BAGS

Plastic bags start as petrochemicals, which are transformed into polymers and are, in turn heated, shaped, cooled, flattened, sealed, punched, and printed on, all of which require energy (1001 Little Ways to Save the Planet)

Still, only 0.6% of plastic bags are recycled, with the USA alone throwing away 100 billion bags a year!

So before you consider "Paper or Plastic", try to bring your own canvas bag which now you can get anywhere for $1!

If you still cant pick up that trend, try recycling or reusing your plastic bags.

When it comes to the planet you have it in the BAG, STAY GREEN YO!

Have you ever had a Acai bowl? Its this Harmonious mixture of Acai berries, granola, bananas and its addicting!!!

I love berries, but it really never occurred to me that all berries have seasons, and though it may seem they are available year round, truth be told it takes alot of energy to keep us eating blueberry pie for the holidays

GREEN TIP OF THE DAY

Buy Seasonal Produce
Next time you reach for the strawberries in the middle of winter, think about whether you really need them.

Keeping food available all year round leads to massive travel costs and pollution.

Buy foods seasonal to your local climate. Summer is Berry season and the best time for : Gooseberries, cloudberries, strawberries, blue berries, black currants, red currants, and raspberries.

Till Next time, Stay Green YO!