On April 24^th, Zappos hosted its second annual Earth Day Event in our Henderson HQ! We had 17 new and returning vendors join the Zappos LEAF Team in creating an awesome event to highlight how easy it is to go green.

Over 450 Zapponians hung out with us, enjoyed the sunshine, and learned about sustainable initiatives. Similar to last year, our metric for success is to teach each Zapponian at least one new eco-habit that makes a difference. Whether it is to use a reusable shopping bag or to buy brands that utilize recycled materials, every little habit or lifestyle change helps keep our planet a wonderful place to live.

We had all sorts of educational activities and giveaways for our employees. Our favorite: Repurpose America brought a giant earth mural painted by a local artist and hundreds of Zapponians used paint pens to leave messages of support for the planet by signing the canvas. The mural will be hung up inside the new downtown Zappos campus for all to see.

Special thanks to all of our friends who participated this year. Giant high fives to Zappos’ own DJ Ultra for bringing the beats and to our awesome Bistro team for grilling corn on the cob. We’ll see you next year at our 3^rd Earth Day party in downtown Vegas!

A Big "Thank You" goes out to these very special friends who made this Earth Day event possible:

Keen

prAna

Klean Kanteen

ChicoBags

EcoLUNCHBoxes

Whole Foods

Republic Services

Vegas Roots

Springs Preserve

Sierra Nevada

Vessel

BottleHood

Friends of Nevada Wilderness

A1 Organics

Repurpose America

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)

EnergyFit Nevada

Check out more awesome news from LEAF on Twitter: @ZapposLEAF and on Instagram: #zappos_leaf

When it comes to office dress code, we here at Zappos tend to lean towards more laidback attire. And since summer has decided to show up early here in our sunny Las Vegas headquarters, the ladies in the Zappos offices are trading in their boots for some lightweight and comfy Crocs sandals!

See how these lovely Zapponians rock their Crocs in the latest summer styles!

Check out the featured Crocs styles below in both fun summer colors and wear-with-everything neutrals!

1. Crocs Huarache Flat, 2. Crocs Huarache Mini Wedge, 3. Crocs Beach Line Boat Shoe, 4. Crocs Really Sexi Sandal, 5. Crocs Sexi Flip, 6. Crocs Really Sexi Flip Flop, 7. Crocs Huarache Flip Flop

The Content department decided to bring back its long-lost tradition of “Picnic Olympics” this year on Tuesday, April 9^th.  What a windy day it turned out to be!  At least I didn’t get slapped in the face by a flying hamburger again this year! 

The fun-filled shindig took place at Pecos Legacy Park, where everyone donned their Content t-shirts and creatively decorated themselves in their team colors.

While Dickey’s BBQ set up the catered spread of beef brisket, pulled pork, potato salad, baked beans and other picnic favorites, six teams feverishly scoured the park for scavenger hunt clues.  There was no actual hidden temple, but it was Team 1, the Purple Parrots, who claimed victory in this event. 

With bellies too full for any intense physical activity, the next round of competition involved five Minute to Win It-inspired games.  This fast-paced event really had everyone cheering each other on!  From fishing pennies out of pantyhose to stacking dice on Popsicle sticks, the hidden talents of some Content members became all too apparent.  Team 3, Vitamin C-ya, pulled ahead of all others in this round.

No one was safe from humiliation during the final round of competition!  Teams battled it out in several relay race games, which included jumping rope, running like a chicken, hopping like a frog, and more.  Team 4, Cruel and Unusual Content Chaos (AKA: Your Worst Nightmare), took first place.

As you can see, team and family spirit was in full swing at the Spring 2013 Content Picnic Olympics.  Some great prizes were awarded not just to the overall winning teams of the games, but also to these honorable mentions:  Team 5, Green Eggs and BAM!, for best team name and Team 2, Pinky and the Brains, for best use of team color.  A great time was had by all, and hopefully history will repeat itself at Content’s next Picnic Olympics this fall!

Trish C., a Receiving Exceptions Coordinator, was recently recognized as the recipient of the MOQ (Merchandiser of the Quarter) award for Q4. It is given quarterly to an individual who consistently goes above and beyond what is asked to make everyone's life a little bit easier and a whole lot more awesome.  We caught up with Trish and she shared some thoughts on the award and her shrewd thrifting skills, among other things.  She has a big heart, a warm personality and is a real team player.  It's easy to see why Trish was recognized for the MOQ award!

Congratulations, Trish!  How does it feel to be recognized by your Content peeps?

TC: I love Content!  Each department at Zappos is entwined in some way or another, but I like to think of Content as being one of my closest siblings.  It is such an honor to have them say I’m a superstar!

You are part of a very unique team as a Receiving Exceptions Coordinator.  Can you briefly describe what you do and how it relates to the Content and Merch departments?

TC: Briefly?  Oy.  LOL!  Basically, I communicate very closely with our fulfillment centers to ensure that product that gets stuck in the system somewhere gets resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible.  Product comes in that either wasn’t ordered, doesn’t have a PO (purchase order) attached to it, is the wrong color or isn’t even in our system.  I work with both Content and Merchandising to figure out what it is, why we have it and where it goes.

Share with us the single most crazy-busy day you have experienced so far at Zappos and how you persevered, WOWing those around you.

TC: I am nothing without my Peeps... and the ZCafe!  These are the things that keep me sane.  Crazy-busy day?  With 333 unassigned tickets in our queue, every day is a crazy-busy day!  LOL!

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever acquired from a garage sale?

TC: Probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten at a garage sale would be an electrical insulator bought for $2 that I turned around and sold for $2500!  Wooohoooo!

As a fan of the written word, which book has offered the greatest impact in your life?

TC: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Finally, the big question!  NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, actress Alyson Hannigan and actor Steve McQueen all share a birthday with you.  Of these three, whom would you most like to meet and why?

TC: Steve McQueen would be my choice.  He was a great actor, he drove a motorcycle and he starred in epic films like The Blob (1958)!

The neighborhoods of downtown Las Vegas got tidied up last weekend as the Moonridge Group and the El Cortez organized its fall Downtown Cares cleanup event. On a bright, crisp Saturday morning, members of the Zappos L.E.A.F. team joined local businesses, organizations and neighbors to pick up trash over several square miles surrounding the Las Vegas Arts District.

All the volunteers had a great time getting to know each other during the cleanup and were super appreciative that Zappos picked up the lunch tab. We can’t wait to get back out there and clean some more!!

For more information about Downtown Cares, check out this awesome write-up by Kim Schafer of the Downtown Project.

Alex C., a Merchandising Assistant for the Athletic Performance Department, was recently recognized as the recipient of the MOQ (Merchandiser of the Quarter) award for Q3. It is given to an individual who consistently goes above and beyond what is asked to make everyone's life a little bit easier.  We caught up with Alex and he shared some thoughts on the award, as well as a glimpse into the windows of his soul.  Okay, it wasn't that dramatic.  We asked him some questions and he thoughtfully answered them!

Congratulations, Alex!  How does it feel to be recognized by your Content peeps?

AC: It feels amazing to be recognized by such an awesome team.

If you were mentoring a new Merchandising Assistant on your team, what one thing would you stress is important to a successful work relationship with Content?

AC: Appreciate, respect and understand your content team. Collectively, they are your right-hand man or woman.

Share with us the single most crazy-busy day you have experienced so far and how you persevered, WOWing those around you.

AC: My first day at Zappos was my craziest day here. Going from line showing to line showing, meeting to meeting and being introduced to so many new people that day, it was pretty overwhelming. I can honestly say though, without being cliché, staying calm and carrying on did get me through that day.

Having graduated from CSU-Fresno, you may or may not know Fresno is the fifth largest city in the state of California.  Can you name five of your most favorite places or things about Fresno?

AC:

 1) The Tower District! It's an awesome place to hangout, meet up with friends, grab a bite to eat, check out a show or have a drink at one of the awesome bars in the area.

2) The food! Fresno has great local spots that can't be beat! Not to mention the fresh fruit and vegetables that are grown in Fresno that go into the great local dishes.

3) Fresno also has great culture in both the art and music scenes. There are weekly and monthly art exhibits that rival those of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Fresno is also a destination for big music acts but is still rich in its great local music scene.

4) Being in the middle of California, Fresno is only a few hours away from destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Yosemite, the Central Coast and my favorite, Disneyland!

5) Lastly, you can't talk about Fresno without mentioning CSU Fresno or as we call it, Fresno State. It's a great university and home to the Fresno State Bulldogs. GO DOGS!

What is your favorite word in the Japanese language?

AC: Ganbatte - Good luck

Finally, the big question!  Rap luminary T-Pain, author Truman Capote and actor Tony Hale (Buster Bluth on TV's Arrested Development) all share a birthday with you.  Of these three, whom would you most like to meet and why?

AC: Truman Capote. I'm sure he would have some very interesting stories to share.

We’re rolling out (literally!) our new, state-of-the-art office chairs here in the Zappos Campus and we’ve made a little infomercial to show off its mind-blowing features. Ergonomics have never been so cool!

Music has such an uncanny ability to lift spirits, brighten moods and sometimes, inspire spontaneous dancing in the office… if you’re lucky! A few of us here in our new Downtown Las Vegas headquarters put together a collective playlist on Songza* with tunes that make us feel happy.

We hope you enjoy some of our favorite feel-good music. Turn up your speakers (or headphones) and have some fun!

The Zappos Audio Happiness Playlist

*Songza is a super awesome music listening experience that you can check out at http://www.songza.com and you can download their app in the app store (iPhone, Android and Kindle Fire). They focus on curated playlists made by celebs, musicians and music junkies to fit your mood. It's 100% free and there are no audio ads.