How to Have A Green and/or Vegan Valentine's Day

photo and cookies by Kristin Kolnacki

I wasn't planning on writing about V-Day this year because there's already so much coverage on other sites/I haven't had time, but decided to do a quick video summarizing my thoughts and tips. Additionally, I asked the Eco-Vegan Gal community for their advice and got some great responses, so here are some resources for you:

Green: Now and Then

A friend of mine in her 50s posted this great perspective about being green on Facebook, which was written by a friend of hers. Definitely worth a read and would love to hear your reactions.

From photographer Jackie King:

Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days". The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations". She was right about one thing--our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have....

Video: How To Turn Black Friday Green

Black Friday is right around the corner. Some people prefer to call it "Buy Nothing Day". While I try not to consume too much, it is a good day to save money on holiday gifts. So why not look for deals on  eco-friendly presents (or items for yourself that you can't normally afford)? Here are some tips for greening the whole day, in video and bullet point form:

Video: Eco-Vegan on the Cheap: Interview with the Groupon Deal Site of the Cruelty-Free World

One thing that often gets in the way of people going vegan or having a healthy vegan diet is money. I've been there too, but someone I always get great organic food in my life (sometimes it's just more basic than other times!). It's no wonder deal sites like Groupon have taken off - everyone wants to save money! And fortunately, there has also been an explosion of green offerings, like GatherGreen, WinWinLiving, Blissmo and Daily Gourmet. Unfortunately, as great as these eco-friendly deals are, they're not always vegan friendly, so when they pile up in the inbox or social media feeds it can become a little frustrating for vegans who want to save too. In comes VeganCuts, a deal site that is exclusively vegan, featuring discounts on beauty products, clothing, shoes, food, etc. and is the subject of today's video.

Video: Eco Bags for Dog Poop - Biodegradable, Compostable, & Flushable Options

Did you know that there are over 70 million dogs in the United States? And each one creates up to 300 lbs of waste a year on average! It's the law to pick up after dogs to prevent pollution and water contamination, but many people use plastic bags to do this. These bags end up in landfills where they may never degrade, and the waste inside can't decompose naturally. With dog waste taking up about the same space in landfills as baby diapers, this is a problem.

Luckily, there's a solution. Check out the post and video at Eco-Vegan Dog to learn more about companies BioBag and Flushdoggy, who are helping make the world a cleaner, healthier place...and preventing people from stepping in dog shit (hate that!)

Video: Eco Sex, How to Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally, Hot Rich and Green Woman, Blissful Food, & Ecolissa Giveaway Winner!

Weekly roundup day! The video says it all, and below it are links to all the amazing people and products I mention in it. Congrats to the Ecolissa winner!

Video Interview: Plastic Water Bottles Suck! Go Completely Stainless with Klean Kanteen!

The most memorable company I met at Expo West 2011 was hands down Klean Kanteen. I had heard about their new plastic-free reusable bottle and I couldn't wait to see it in person. They call it the  Reflect and it literally took my breath away (I'm such an eco nerd!). Of course this bottle is BPA-free because no plastic is involved, but it also has no paint or glue, and no welding is used. Klean Kanteen figured out a way to make this bottle super simple (less is more), and even put sustainably harvested bamboo on the top of the lid for a little some'n some'n.

Good Gossip: Roseanne Barr's Organic Food & Yoga DVD, Mark Ruffalo Fed Up with Fracking, & Food Network Spares Sharks

Time for another episode of ecorazzi's Good Gossip! I think my favorite story this week is Roseanne Barr -  check out the video to find out why.

Video: Fashion Giveaway, New Vegan Movie, Man = Meat, Gluten-Free Bagels & More!

What better way to beat the Monday blues than with a weekly roundup?! Here's what I share in this week's video (hint - I'm giving something away worth $50!!):

ecorazzi's Good Gossip - Episode #3: Tofurky News, PETA Praises Planet of the Apes, & Amazing New Whale Documentary

It's Wednesday and hopefully by now you know what that means - a new episode of ecorazzi's Good Gossip is live! I have so much fun with these! Enjoy this weeks eco entertainment news! 

Hosting ecorazzi's "Good Gossip" Series! Green Celebrity & Entertainment News Without The Guilt

Exciting announcement! I've joined the fabulous ecorazzi team as the host of their new video series "Good Gossip"!! Ecorazzi has been one of my favorite eco sites for a while and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. Tune in every Wednesday morning for the entertainment news style show, where you'll hear about the latest celebrity do-gooder(s) and green going-ons, in 3 minutes or less.

Check out the first episode, in which I talk about the cool things happening with Ryan Gosling, Betty White, Michelle Obama, and some exciting eco news! And if you don't care about any of that, tune in just to see me make a fool of myself. ; )

Eco-Vegan Weekly Roundup: A Green Hair Tip, Vegan Wine, Whale Rescue Video, Healthy Recipe, & More

I'm excited to introduce a new segment of Eco-Vegan Gal - the Weekly Roundup! Every Tuesday you can tune in for a summary of my favorite healthy and sustainable discoveries, consisting of tips, articles, videos, products, restaurants, books, and websites! 

This past week I found some great green things and here are my thoughts:

EVG Q&A: Reusable Menstrual/Sanitary Pads & Tampons

Question:
I'm working on going eco-friendly/fair trade/organic and I was wondering what you thought about reusable menstrual pads. I've been thinking about maybe trying them but what about when you're out all day or not able to get home?

Answer:

Video Guide to Small Reusable Shopping Bags For Produce & Bulk Items

By now, most people at least know that they should bring their own reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. This prevents waste from plastic and paper shopping bags, which get at best a few uses after returning from the store. However, one eco trend that hasn't quite caught on yet is reusable produce and bulk bags - every day thousands of shoppers use the provided small, thin plastic or biodegradable bags at the market without even realizing there's an alternative, and they usually end up in the landfills. Good thing there's a fantastic option: reusable produce bags made from cotton, canvas, or related plastic! Skip to the bottom for the video.

A Green Job: How Your Office Can Save the Environment

I am thrilled to be part of The Neat Fleet, a group of specialists who are passionate about using Neat products to reduce paper clutter and increase their productivity. After I did a video on Neat Desk last year around tax season, I was asked to be Neat's eco fleeter and I am featured on their site now in honor or Earth Month! This is a great opportunity for me to teach businesses and their employees how to make their offices more eco-friendly.

Join me for a live web cast this Thursday the 28th at 11am PST/2pm EDT called "The Waste-Free Office: How to Become a More Organized & Eco-Friendly". There are already close to 150 people signed up for this, so be sure to register for a space!

Win a Free Consultation on “Going Green” with Me! One person will receive a one-hour phone session and learn how to “green” their job or business, including customized, simple tips and inspiration on how to make the office more sustainable. This is a great opportunity to ask about specific eco-friendly products and additional resources that can help you go green!

Check out my articles as well:

5 More Easy Ways Your Company Can Go Green
Think of your office as your living space. How do your daily actions effect your personal environment? Learn how with some simple tips.

7 Steps to Celebrating Earth Day Every Day
Earth Day is on April 22nd every year and it is a day in which people honor the planet and strive to do more to protect it. But how can we celebrate it everyday? Learn some simple ways you can make a difference in just a few moments out of each 24 hours.

Why & How to Leave Go Daddy (or Boycott them) & Find an Elephant-Friendly Domain/Website Host

If you've been watching the news and/or following social media trends, you've likely heard about the Go Daddy scandal. In summary, Bob Parsons, the CEO of the most popular domain name and website host company, killed an elephant in Africa and bragged about it on his blog. Animal activists are outraged, many people are alarmed, and lots of Go Daddy customers are closing their accounts - including myself.

How I Wear Eco Fashion on Eco-Chick

I'm featured on an amazing green site called Eco-Chick where incredible women share their ideas on how to save the planet. The site has a new series called "How I Wear Eco Fashion" where gals like me talk about how their clothing is environmentally-friendly. You can check out my feature here, and be sure to read about some of the other green fashionistas like my beautiful pals Rachel Avalon and Tracy Hepler.

The Green Life is looking for a part-time Store Manager

My favorite green store in Los Angeles is hiring a part-time store manager - what a great job opportunity for a environmentalist! The owners of The Green Life are some of the nicest people I know in the eco world and I'm sure they would be fantastic employers. Plus, the store is really nice - small but packaged with great products, open and bright, and in a great part of town (Main St in Santa Monica). Check out the job description and contact Scott if you're interested. Maybe I'll see you there in a few weeks!

Why I'm Still Using the Original iPhone (Sorry Verizon)

For those of you who don't know, I'm a big Apple nerd. I absolutely love their products and own many of them. I know how to use almost all of their software. And one of my favorite things is when they make big announcements. Therefore I was on the edge of my seat for the past few days while waiting to see if Verizon was finally going to support the iPhone. You see, I still own the original iPhone - yes, the very first generation that came out over 3 years ago.

Video from Just Green It book launch

Last week I went to a party to celebrate the launch of the new book Just Green It by Lisa & Rob Beres. Here's the video montage I made of the event: