Eat Less Meat. Save the Planet.

Ideal Bite had a really great tip yesterday that I thought I would share:

Don't wanna give up meat altogether?

The Bite
Try for a happy medium - go meatless at least once a week for ginormous environmental and health benefits, without compromising your taste for the occasional sustainably raised burger.

The Benefits

• More-than-middling health payoffs. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians have lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity.
  
• Coming together for the planet. Livestock accounts for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 8% of water use - and a meatless diet is 50% more effective at cutting CO2 than switching from a standard car to a hybrid.

Wanna Try?

• Try cutting out meat one day a week. Meat substitutes and eco-focused cookbooks make it easier.
  
• 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian - facts to help you stick with it ($3).

I created a poster on this same subject matter for a course last semester:

Giving up meat just once a week is not only good for you, but the environment. Start a family tradition -- Meatless Mondays! :)

YellowPageGoesGreen.org

I don't know about you, but it seriously seems like we get a new phone book once a month. First of all, I can't remember the last time I used a phone book. Umm... there is something called the interwebs, people.

So every time we receive a new phone book, we literally walk it straight over the the recycle bin. I don't even want to think of the carbon footprint of that whole industry. So I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Movement Against Unsolicited Phone Book Delivery. Just click here to sign up to remove your home or office from receiving the telephone directories! Awesomeness!

Who ever came up with this brilliant plan, I love you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart.

Thanksgiving is for Lovahs '08.

Man, am I exhausted. It's been a busy week for the Johnsons. Trip's mom is in town for almost two weeks, we hosted Thanksgiving, made a trip to Sacramento, another to San Francisco, and up to Summit Road to cut down our Christmas tree.

We'll start with Thanksgiving... My parents came the night before so that they could cook the turkey for all the meat-eaters (meaning everyone except Trip and I). There were 11 of us, and it was really wonderful. I filled up early on butternut squash soup, then casseroles (yes -- the broccoli casserole was a hit again), and of course dessert. And bit more dessert. And then some more. A few of us went for a little walk afterwards, which probably saved me from heartburn hell. Although baby did somersaults all night from all the sugar I fed him. Bad mommy.

Baby is thankful for Mommy being such a piggy.

The next day Trip and I went with Zack and Vicky and their kids to cut down a Christmas tree. Now, if you remember from last year, I did quite a bit of research and tried to find the "greenest" (as in eco-friendly) option for a Christmas tree -- which was to get a live tree. Well, apparently you also need a green thumb to go along with that live tree... something I apparently do not have. So we gave that tree to a better home, where it could be planted and flourish. After more research, we decided our next best option would be to cut down our own tree at a tree farm. So it was perfect timing when Zack and Vicky invited us along.

Purdy!

Saturday we went to Sacramento to go to my parent's house, and then headed to Old Sac for some piddling and dinner at the Firehouse (which, by the way, was one of the best meals I've ever had. And I've had some good meals.)

Adam and Nay watching the train conductor having a heck of a time trying to connect.

Trip, Rachel, Nay and I all took Monday off (and Amii joined us, who always has Mondays off -- great job on waking up early, girl!), and we took my mother-in-law to the new California Academy of Sciences. Another great excursion! The  aquariums are mind-blowing, and the rain forest is truly a unique experience. 

Leave it to Amii to provide the biggest laugh of the day. "Control, some lady dropped her hairbrush on the Living Roof." Hil-ar-i-ous. 

The Living Roof... and Amii's Brush.

So it's been a busy Thanksgiving holiday, as I'm sure it has for all of you.

I'M THANKFUL FOR:

• The most amazing partner, the love of my life, my best friend.
  
• The most loving and caring family a girl could ever ask for. I know without a doubt any of us would do anything for each other. 
  
• The best in-laws in the world. Like, for reals. 
  
• Friends that love me unconditionally, just as I love them.
• Two kitties that always seem to know when we need a kissy or some nuggles.
  
• And of course, our amazing little miracle, that now moves whenever he hears his daddy whistle. <sniff sniff>
  

How To Buy Organic and Not Go Broke.

Trip and I went shopping at Trader Joe's on Sunday, and noticed a few of our staple items had gone up in price. We usually buy all organic, but with the ever increasing prices of produce, we've had to put some items back on the shelf.

Well, no need to skip the bananas. Just skip paying the extra dollar on organic. Vegetarian Times recently had an article on "How To Buy Organic," with a list from the Environmental Working Group of the 12 most pesticide-laden conventionally grown fresh fruit and vegetables. So here's the list of the produce items where you shouldn't penny-pinch (buy organic):

1. Peaches
   
2. Apples
   
3. Bell Peppers
   
4. Celery
   
5. Nectarines
   
6. Strawberries
   
7. Cherries
   
8. Lettuce
   
9. Grapes (imported)
   
10. Pears
    
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

In general, thin-skinned vegetables that grow underground can absorb pesticides and heavy metals, so organic is best. So fruits and vegetables such as avocados, bananas, mangoes are okay to buy nonorganic. Also, there are quite a few fruits and vegetables that do not appeal to pests and are rarely treated with pesticides, thus have low pesticide residues (if any): asparagus, broccoli, corn, eggplant, garlic, onions, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes (domestic), grapefruit and watermelon. These are all okay to buy nonorganic.

As for dairy, it's best to always buy organic. In particular, organic milk contains no hormones or antibiotics, so is highly recommended. I know, $7 for a gallon of milk seems ridiculous. But trust me, there is a huge taste difference (I drink milk all the time now! Could also be the pregnancy thing, but it really does taste better.)

Another thing to keep in mind is buying local. According to Vegetarian Times, not only do some farmers claim that after the food industry took over the "buy organic" philosophy they often ignore traditional organic values such as sustainability and a connection to the local economy, but there are certain highly perishable foods whose flavor and nutrients are so dependent on freshness that it pays to buy local whenever possible. So hit up those farmer's markets! Even if they are not certified organic, they can be a great way to put the freshest, tastiest food on your plate while supporting your local economy and helping the environment. Who wouldn't want that!

Some Good Spam For Once - I Know! Oxymoronic, Right!?!

Okay, maybe not so much spam as one of my other frequented design web site sharing my info with another *new* design web site, Feel More Human.

Jill rules. Joy is jealous of Jill.

I do love modern design! I too am interested in new ideas on sustainability! And lord knows I think every aspect of life could involve a bit more hugs and kisses. I'm so excited! Can't you tell?!?!? Exclamation marks rule!!!!

More to be excited about — here are just a few images from the email:

Skull Modern Gnome

Austin's Metrohouse

Naturally I was intrigued by these images of modern goodness, and went straight to the site (mainly because I had to have that gnome, dang it).

Ummm yeah... think again. This lovely "Skull Modern Gnome" is $100.

After more poking around I found this eco-friendly pillow that would look perfect in my bedroom. Like PERFECT perfect.

Perfect Pillow

$145.00

For one pillow.

Okay, so maybe I'll be visiting this site more for it's Tips on How You Can Make a Difference then for purchasing purposes.

But a very inspiring, beautiful site nonetheless to add to my growing "Design" bookmarks.

Sustainable Love Makin'

For all you eco-conscious lovers out there, TreeHugger has put together a really cute Valentine's Day Gift Guide. My favorite (PG-rated) tip? Make your own Valentine's card. I know Trip would appreciate that since he yelled at me and called me a hypocrite for sending store-bought Christmas cards this past year (I hate it when he's right).

They also have the How to Green Your Sex Life (Warning: there are some photos of um...toys. So either scroll really fast past them if you're at work, or take a look at home.). It's actually got some interesting tips and statistics. Like this fascinating one:

Since days of yore, lovers have turned to natural herbs and special foods to find stimulation, endurance, and sexual health. While we can’t vouch for any of these, and all supplements should be taken with caution and/or professional advise, it is rumored that herbs like ginseng, kava kava root, damiana leaves, kelp, tribulus, ginko biloba, rhodiola rosea, and of course horny goat weed can help stoke the flames of passion—even more so if certified organic.

Horny goat weed? Who names this stuff? "Ginseng, kava kava root, damiana leaves, kelp, tribulus, ginko biloba, rhodiola rosea, and of course horny goat weed". Love it.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

So now Thanksgiving is over, making it officially the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

We went back and forth on what to do about a Christmas tree this year. Last year we got a real one, but it just seemed so sad that first week of January, sitting in the gutter. So then we thought of an artificial tree, but found out that they're made of PVC. Ummm ya. That's not biodegrading like EVER.

So Mr. Johnson had the best idea! Getting a live tree! Per TreeHugger (and you know they got the tree love), "if you’ve got the space for it, getting a tree with roots and replanting it is obviously the most eco-friendly solution". Well we don't have a yard, but the nice lady at OSH told me it well be good in a pot for at least 5 years. Then we may need to think about transplanting it.

I loooooove my little tree! And we've picked out the perfect place for it on the patio once Christmas is over. Now let's just pray I don't kill it.

The Greener Google Alternative.

Ideal Bite had the best tip today!

Can you help the planet just by searching the web?

The Bite
We don't just think you can. We know you can. Little search engines that could support your fave causes and save energy - and are as free and as easy to use as Google.

The Benefits

• The same good results. These search engines pull their results from the Google or Yahoo databases.


• Donating to charity. Get on the donation train - each search you do via a charity search engine generates about $0.01 for good causes (the money comes from the ads on search-engine sites).


• Saving energy. Some engines have a dark background color instead of white, which when viewed on older, CRT monitors - consumes 20% less energy than typical engines.

Wanna Try?

• GoodSearch - powered by Yahoo, it donates 50% of revenues to a charity you choose each time you search.


• Blackle - an unofficial black version of Google that uses less energy than the white version on some screens (for a more colorful option, try The Green Spider).


• CatchTomorrow - customizable news, weather, and search options; donates 50% of revenues to the public school district of your choice.


• Green Maven - though it's not for charity, this Google-based search engine yields results from green-related websites only.

If 10,000 people use GoodSearch just twice a day, in a year we'll raise $73,000 for good causes!!

Do Your Doody.

Some green tips from today's Ideal Bite:

• If 10,000 households replace one old-school toilet with a dual-flush, in just one day we'll save enough water to flush 350,000 number ones.


• Replacing one pre-1994 toilet (which use around 3.5 gal per flush) with a high-efficiency one can save a family of four $90 on their water bill each year

Check out this controllable flusher that converts your standard toilet into a low-flow toilet - for only $36! Seriously, thats only like 3 lunches. Do it.