Each set includes a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks all snug as a bug in a rug in a nice durable utensil holder made from RPET, recycled PET plastic (often called RePEat) which is made from recycled plastic bottles.

• These Bamboo utensils are heat and stain resistant and won't absorb flavors so you don't have to worry about chocolate pudding flavored pasta.
• They are sealed with a natural, vegan, food-safe sealant that has been tested and contains NO heavy metals that could leach into food.
• They are strong too, much stronger than those pesky plastic forks that always break and you end up trying to eat with a one or two tined fork by the end of the meal.

The RePEat utensil holders are available in a number of colors and styles so you can pick up a different one for each member of the family. We actually bought them as camping utensils but we have found there are so many more uses, and we can feel good about turning down plastic utensils where ever we go. Yes we are eco-geeky like that. As it turns out so is Oprah as the To-Go Ware was featured on Oprah's Earth Day show. (just a bit of eco-geek trivia for you)

Bamboo To-Go Ware utensil sets are for sale at a number of locations including Amazon (where you can often find them with free shipping), Whole Foods, REI and through the To-Go Ware web site itself.

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday

To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensils and Eco-Friendly Utensil Holder is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

I think I have found the best grass seed as I have the perfect lush green eco friendly lawn, well at least in my mind I do. And perhaps thanks to Eco-Lawn from Wildflower Farms that lush green grass I envision will become a reality. Oh, did I forget to mention my perfect eco lawn needs no watering, fertilizer, bug killer and only needs mowing once a month at most? Sounds to me like an Eco Lawn review is in order.

Is Eco-Lawn Really the Best Grass Seed Ever?

A lush Eco-Lawn, alas not mine

As hard as it is to believe that is what Eco-Lawn™ grass seed claims - eco-lawn grass seed produces an extremely drought tolerant, low maintenance lawn. Since the roots of this fine fescue grass blend grow 9-14 inches deep it crowds out any weeds (it is also allelopathic which means the grass exudes a natural herbicide to prevent weeds), and grows deep enough that harmful chemical fertilizers are not needed, plus an Eco-Lawn is naturally resistant to bugs, grubs and insects! If that doesn't sound like the best grass seed ever I don't know what is.

Actually I had heard similar good things about Zoysia grass seed, but after looking into it further I found out that Zoysia grass doesn't grow well in cooler climates. Eco-Lawn™ is produced in Canada so as you can imagine if it grows that far north it will thrive in cooler climates. As far as growing in hot climates like Arizona - Wildflower Farms says it grows great, but you'll need to water it maybe once a week - much less than traditional grass seed.

Reading all the claims and testimonials got me quite excited to try this low maintenance eco-friendly grass seed for myself to find out of it really is the best grass seed for my lawn and thanks to the fine folks at Wildflower Farm I get the chance to review Eco Lawn grass seed.

My Eco Lawn Grass Seed Experiment, and the Best Grass Seed Is...?

Before Eco-Lawn Seeding - What a Mess!

Since the front portion of our lawn was looking pretty burnt out I figured that would be a good place to start. The best time to plant grass seed is in the fall (for Northern climates), the second best time to plant grass seed is in the spring and like any kid with a new toy I couldn't wait to start so the spring it is.

The Wildflower Farms website has lots of information about the best time to plant grass seed, the best grass seed for overseeding and installation tips for planting Eco-Lawn™ grass seed in particular. If you over seed a lawn like I was planning it can take a few years to get a completely established eco lawn, but since the lawn was pretty burnt out already we'll see how it goes.

One tip for overseeding that I wish I had done was to de-thatch the lawn with a metal rake, but since it was spring they suggested not to do so because it stirs up the weed seeds. I found the weeds were plenty ready to pop up anyway so de-thatching the lawn seems like it would have helped the grass seed get established better as the areas where the thatch had been removed with a loose raking are coming up better. I may have to try another section of the lawn in the fall as a comparison.

Best grass seed for cooler climates: updates and overseeding tips

It has been a few weeks and some areas are coming up better than others, but so far things are looking good. I can tell though that with the overseeding method it will take lots of time and patience.

Stay tuned for my progress, I'll let you know how things go... and someday perhaps the eco-friendly lush green lawn I envision will be the one I see out the window.

Update: Fall 2010
It is now fall and time for seeding number two. I can tell already the over-seeding method is going to take plenty of patience. There was an area of the lawn that I had to re-bury the sprinkler system (long story - don't ask) and in that area I had covered it with compost. Over the summer the eco-lawn grass seed was coming up nice and thick in that area... problem was so was a mighty interesting collection of weeds. So here are a few observations and tips I would suggest.

Eco-Lawn Over Seeding Tips:
1. If you plan to over-seed make sure you have plenty of patience - it will take awhile.
2. For best results lay down a layer of compost and mix the seed into that - I strongly suggest you somehow pre-treat the compost for weeds. If anyone knows of a way to naturally prevent weed growth in composted soil please comment below - we'd all like to know!
3. Even though Wildflower Farms recommends you do not de-thatch the lawn with a metal rake for spring seeding I think I would have had better results if I had. The main reason they do not recommend it is because it stirs up the weed seeds, but I found both the compost covered area and the non-composted area were full of weeds anyway. Based on the areas of eco-lawn seed that were growing the best it was in areas that had looser soil.

Update: Spring 2011
A new season of Eco-lawn overseeding begins! Well, I've had a bit of a set back... we had some not so pleasant visitors over the winter - Moles! or voles or shrews or whatever those tunnel digging pests are that invaded my fall seeding. So my struggling patch looked like an ant farm if it was laid out over the lawn - lots of tracks and tunnels.

I laid down another run of eco-lawn grass seed so we'll see how this next phase of the overseeding goes. I still hold firm on my advice to just bite the bullet and till your lawn before planting your eco-lawn grass seed - overseeding isn't for the impatient.

Update: Spring 2012
I have to say my lawn had more issues than I was aware of - just look at the photo when I started and you'll see what I mean. If you are starting from a similar point your best bet is to start from scratch, till the lawn and start with a fresh layer of eco lawn grass seed. After reviewing eco lawn grass seed for the past few seasons I think it is the best grass seed you will find if you are looking for a slow grow eco-friendly seed. But there is a caveat... you need to be patient, at least that is my experience. But look what I had to start from.

Before you plant eco lawn grass seed it would be a good idea to have the Ph of your soil tested. From there you can determine if your soil is healthy - the happier the soil the better and faster your eco lawn will grow. For my eco-lawn review I am taking a step back and fixing some soil issues before I continue to seed. I am taking war out on the weeds by dousing the yard with corn meal gluten which is a natural pre-emergent (stops seeds from germinating - including grass seed) but once your lawn is well treated with corn meal gluten for a couple seasons there won't be as many competing weeds so I think the eco lawn grass seed will have an easier time getting established.

I'll keep you posted on my journey to have that rich lush eco lawn as it continues....

If you've tried converting your lawn to an eco lawn please comment below, I'd love to hear about your progress. And what is your opinion - is Eco-Lawn the best grass seed ever?

Low Maintenance Eco-Lawn – Best Grass Seed Ever? is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Unlike your little Fido there is nothing cute and cuddly about this post - in fact it stinks, or at least the thought of it does. Actually the Doggie Dooley is fairly odor free if you are using it correctly, but that doesn't stop the mind from conjuring its own remembrances of your latest dog poop collecting episode.

Just what is the Doggie Dooley? The 'ol DD works like a small septic tank - just drop in your doggie droppings throw in some all natural Digester Powder (they could have called it something not associated with eating in my opinion) fill 'er up with water and kapow! Instant pet waste-be-gone. Well not quite instant but the dog waste Digester powder uses natural bacteria and enzyme cultures to break down the dog waste so the ground absorbs it - simple clean and neat like magic, and better for the environment since you can say good bye to all the plastic bags. (and keep the money you save buying them to use for fun stuff like recycled dog collars!)

There are a number of Doggie Dooley systems - my favorite and the top dog in Doggie Dooley reviews that I've seen is the Doggie Dooley 3000. Since it is a galvanized steel tank it is more durable than the plastic Doggie Dooley 3800, 3500 or 2000 models plus it is cheaper for some reason - you'd think a nice strong galvanized steel would be pricey but it was less expensive last I saw at Amazon.

No matter what your personal preference steel or plastic these tips from Doggie Dooley users will start you off on the right paw...

Doggie Dooley Installation and Use Tips:

-Keep it moist - the enzymes can't work if the 'ol pooper is dry.
-Install the Doggie Dooley within reach of your hose - carrying buckets of water may be a good workout but you'll be wishing for a hose soon enough.
-Buy professional strength septic treatment for much cheaper than the Doggie Dooley Digester
-Don't widen the hole out to 14" until you have the 4 foot hole dug
-Don't leave the lip open while you are playing football in the backyard - 1) footballs and doggie doodie are attracted to each other 2) stepping in a septic tank at a full run isn't a good idea 3) Doing a face plant in your Doggie Dooley is even less fun than stepping in one.

Doggie Dooley 3000 – My Eco Dog’s Poop Doesn’t Stink is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

With Earth Day 2010 roaring into town this month on April 22nd in case you don't really pay attention to such things, stores everywhere are gearing up to take advantage of you, err I mean to cash in on your devotion to being green, or to help you in your quest to be green (whether you think you need it or not).

One product that I'm adding to my "must buy" list isn't as greenly glamorous as a huge solar panel array or even as handy as green household cleaners, but it will make your car breathe a little easier, and your pocket book will feel a lot greener as well - K & N Air Filters.

I know you are thinking buy a green air filter - wow that's exciting! But K & N Engineering, Inc ("manufacturer of the world's best air filters" self proclaimed but many will back those claims wholeheartedly) make High Performance air filters that are washable so instead of throwing away your air filter every year you can re-use this one for the life of the car (they even back it with a one million mile warranty). Not only is the K & N air filter environmentally friendly it is far superior to regular air filters.

K & N filters are designed to increase horsepower and acceleration (K & N first developed air filters specifically for the motorcycle racing market) and while they don't claim a savings on fuel efficiency, after reading the efficiency gains reported by long term users of these air filters that certainly is the case for many - some seeing a 3-5 MPG increase.

A lot of exaggerated claims are made by automotive products claiming to improve gas mileage, which K & N won't do but they basically say, if you read between the lines "read what others are saying and you'll most likely get better gas mileage"

After reading the testimonials and reviews for K & N air filters and hearing people with all types of vehicles say they noticed improvements in power, acceleration and fuel efficiency I was sold. Not to mention that K & N recommends cleaning the air filter every 50,000 miles vs the 12,000 miles for replacing a standard air filter (for lazy car owners that is a huge benefit!)

And when you do need to clean your K & N air filter it isn't a big deal, just remove the air filter, soak it in warm soapy water, let 'er dry out and lube it up with a K & N Air Filter Cleaning Kit which will only set you back 10 bucks or so and will last several cleanings - more than enough for the life of most cars. The cleaning kit restores air flow efficiency so your filter performs like new.

How to Green Your Car with a Re-Useable K & N Air Filter is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

My feet stopped unable to leave the mall. They had to know how they'd fit - these soft raspberry pink suede Jambu sandals with rugged black partially recycled rubber soles and cool feminine details. My feet slipped into the Contoured Memory Foam footbed and immediately relaxed. These Jambu shoes are the high heel equivalent for a hiker chic - flashy and stylish yet I could climb a mountain in a fuchsia pink minute or dance down Broadway with no blisters.

It was a match made in shoe heaven - they will sit proudly next to my Keens and Merrels only just a bit more prominent, eagerly awaiting a warm Spring day.

These Jambu Planet Vegan shoes are available for sale at Amazon, Endless.com and PlanetShoes. (PlanetShoes, Endless and Amazon all offer Free Shipping)

From Jambu: A sporty take on the Mary Jane, the Jambu Planet Vegan is a casual shoe with some kick. The cut-out designs through the leather upper give breathability. Heel and toe bumpers provide added protection and the adjustable Mary Jane strap provides a snug fit.  Unlike other outdoor brands, Jambu shoes are designed by women for women, therefore, details such as floral motifs, contrast stitching and materials keep Jambu a step ahead creating an outdoor fashion feel. With its Memory foam footbed, Jambu will cradle your foot and keep you comfortable all day. Shoes use partially recycled rubber outsoles and recycled and recyclable packaging.

Find more Jambu footwear styles for sale on eBay below.

Check out these Jambu footwear styles for sale on Amazon too.

Default Newest arrivals Featured items Price: low to high Price: high to low By Relevance Average customer review: high to low

Jambu Women's Shoreline Flat Sale Price: $99.00

J-41 Women's Tahoe Fashion Sneaker Sale Price: $89.00 - $89.99

My Raspberry Pink Jambu Shoe Love Affair is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Teak is such a beautiful wood with such a soft whirling grain and smooth warm feel. These teak window boxes are even better because they are crafted from teak grown from reforested areas throughout Costa Rica by a producer that adheres to the principles of the Forestry Stewardship Council. Diamond Teak has 12 plantations that protect more than 1000 acres of jungle and provide safe haven to diverse flora, fauna and 70 species of trees, including mahogany, purpleheart and cocobolo rosewood. These hardwoods make wonderful furniture but have a bad reputation because these rare forests are being logged to extinction, not to mention logging contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, and the displacement of indigenous peoples. The Forestry Stewardship Council strives to make sure these forests are maintained in a sustainable and safe way for the environment.

What this all means is by supporting companies who follow these strict guidelines you can feel proud to know you are getting a beautiful product in the most environmentally friendly way. I also love to hear companies going one step further... Goods For The Garden is committed to preserving America's historical gardens, landscapes, green spaces and mother earth! They contribute 5 percent of the purchase price of every product to an organization of your choosing or to their 1 Percent For The Planet Fund.

Now that's an Earth Friendly wood window box that will keep on giving year after year - plus you can get an early start on that Spring planting. As for me, I'm going to go kick some more snow into the driveway and think about what I want to plant first!

Below you'll find teak window boxes for sale from Goods for the Garden

Fair Trade Teak Window Boxes: Beautiful and Sustainable is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Swell Foop has created two new 100% organic Valentine's Day themed t-shirt designs celebrating not only the little chubby angel and his ministrations of huggy kissy's but a love for the environment and sustainable products.

You see Swell Foop is a two sister tag team who believe in the good things in life - like the earth we live on and the furry, fuzzy, scaly, froggy, buggy, beautiful critters that scurry in the woods and oceans at night (ok so ocean dwelling creatures don't do much scurrying but it sounded good). Their current designs feature animals that are threatened by a variety of conditions, including global warming, human encroachment into animal's habitat, and hunting.

And thanks to their generosity and the fabulously fantastic focus organic blog you and I have a chance to bring home a soft cuddly 100% organic t-shirt with a cool new design for Free. So swing on over to Focus Organic and give Swell Foop some fooping good attention and who knows you might just have something else to celebrate this Valentine's Day.

I’m A Swell Foop are You? Organic Cotton T-Shirt Giveaway is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

It's always fun finding new photos for Earth Friendly Photo Friday especially when you find a new artist when you aren't even looking. This gem of an artist was a delightful surprise while I was looking for featured photos for yesterday's post on ending rural hunger.

This month's photo comes all the way from the Northern Utrecht region of the Netherlands. The Dutch, world famous for their tulips and windmills have been utilizing wind energy way before alternative energy was the craze it is today. This beautiful misty morning photo is stunningly vivid as is all of Jeroen van Daal's work. If you love Dutch windmill photos or fantastic landscape photography in general swing by his site and immerse yourself in some very earth friendly photos.

If you'd like to share a windmill picture or other earth friendly photo leave a comment below, till next time have a fairly fun earth friendly photo friday.

Earth Friendly Photo Friday: Morning Mill in Oud Zuilen is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

"14.2% of rural households are food insecure,
an estimated 2.8 million households"

Tis the season for family fun and when our family gets together for the holidays it means good food and lots of it. But what is easy to forget when our kids are nestled all snug in their beds, visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, and we, all snuggled up in our warm winter caps watching a bit of TV or reading a good book by the fire with a bowl of fresh popped popcorn, is that some people don't have that luxury, or the festive holiday food celebrations.

I was reminded of this fact by a mass email of all things, one of those chain letters you get and either forward to all your friends or more than likely just delete. But this one caught my attention "Kare 11 TV & Land O'Lakes are donating $1 to a food shelf for every person who clicks on their web site." I figured I could take a second of my time for a dollar so I took a look.

Land O'Lakes has started a program called Feeding Our Communities - the focus is to help feed those in rural America who don't have enough to eat. It is an unfortunate twist of fate that the regions of this country that supply us with the good food we eat often don't have enough to eat themselves.

"Food shelf visits increased by 30 percent in 2008, and visits to local food shelves are up 40 percent this year over last, while donations are up only about 23 percent."

The Land O'Lakes Foundation wants to help. In partnership with farmer-owners and cooperative partners, they will make available up to $1 million to alleviate rural hunger. To up the anti they will even match dollar for dollar, up to $400,000, the cash donations of member cooperatives who can then use that grant money to fund their own hunger relief programs. Sounds like a nice circle of helping hands there doesn't it - someone has their thinking caps on.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program... you might be wistfully pondering if you were a pondering sort "wouldn't it be nice if we could just press a button to end world hunger?" Well thanks to KARE 11 and the Land O'Lakes Foundation you can press a button to at least help. With "Operation Co-operation" they will automatically donate a dollar to hunger relief programs for every click - you can even come back every 24 hours to do so again - so we'll see you back here tomorrow and the next day and the next day....

Have a wonderful Earth Friendly day from the gang at Earth Friendly Goodies.

Feeding Our Communities One Click at a Time is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

While some people might like that new paint smell it turns out that smell, or the chemicals that cause that smell are pretty harmful. Volatile organic compounds or VOC's are basically chemical compounds that are small enough to vaporize or become airborne. The VOC's in paints, air fresheners and household cleaning products build up in a home and can cause allergies, asthma, headaches, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system, or even cause leukemia. It is often called the sick building syndrome.

It is pretty frightening to find out just how many sources of VOC's there are in a home so when I read about Benjamin Moore's Natura Zero-VOC paint I had to check it out.

From what I've read it looks to be a very high quality low VOC paint that has gone through rigorous testing with regard to performance and more importantly environmental and health friendliness.

Natura paint qualifies as a zero-VOC paint, it even has lower VOC levels than other national zero-VOC paints as tested by California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). Which if you are astute sends up a "hey I thought they said it was zero-VOC!" red flag, so basically the zero-VOC label is a bit of a misnomer - it does have significantly less VOC's than most other "zero-VOC" paints and when compared to regular paints is practically drinkable. (I really wouldn't recommend that though)

Benjamin Moore created a new Green Promise designation to assure that the paints are environmentally friendly and meet or exceed the high standards of performance and eco-friendliness set by major environmental organizations such as LEED, MPI Green, Green Guard, CHPS, and Green Seal so as far as the major Green watchdogs go this paint is as good as you can get.

Natura paint comes in several finishes as well as a zero-VOC primer.

Eggshell, also called satin, eggshell paint has a slight sheen and is easy to scub and clean, however it has a reduced ability to hide uneven surfaces.

Flat, or matte is non-reflective and absorbs light. It hides surface imperfections well but doesn't hold up to scrubbing.

Semi-Gloss, is reflective, durable and easy to clean however it highlights surface imperfections.

For a great guide to painting with eco-friendly paints check out Painting Green: Color with Care by Timothy Klein. He gives an in-depth step by step approach to painting from a green perspective. Lots of tips and tricks for getting that professionally painted look in a more affordable do-it-yourself way. And best of all he highlights every way to make the painting process more eco-friendly as well as health friendly.

No More Headaches with Natura Zero-VOC Paint is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies