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Living Green Expo

This is a photo of the entrance to the Living Green Expo in the Grandstand Bldg at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul that I attended today. I will not be sharing an interior shot because, despite being thrilled about the huge attendance, I do not relish large crowds. I much prefer the solitude of a quiet trek through the woods or my own backyard. I completed my volunteer duty inside, cruised through the vendors, sampled some food at several booths, and attended two workshops then I was outside to enjoy what remained of the most perfect sunny spring day with temps in the high 60s.

These are some purchases and freebies I picked up at the Living Green Expo today at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. To align my practices with my leaner greener lifestyle, I was very selective about what items I chose to bring home with me. I purchased the Fizzion stain remover because it's supposed to be very effective, but I was impressed by its concept. It is an empty spray bottle that you fill with water then drop in the two tablets attached to the label. When shipped, there is no water weight... just a lightweight reusable bottle. Somebody's using their brain. The Blue Sky Guide is jam-packed full of coupons for groceries, restaurants, entertainment, healthy living, travel and recreation, yard and garden, and home. The guide, which sells for $20.00, was given out free to the first 100 or 150 people in line when the expo opened at 10 a.m. I was the 3rd person in line at 8 a.m. which required that I roll out of bed at 3 a.m. to depart my home in Brainerd (Minnesota) at 4 a.m. You're right... I'm stupidly crazy. Target gave out the pretty red fabric bags with the trademark bullseye logo artfully arranged as as trees printed on both sides of the bag. The oversized bag from Whole Foods is made from recycled plastic bottles... perfect for a trip to the grocery store. The only other item that I purchased was a bottle of Shaklee Basic H for a fruit and veggie wash. It only takes a couple drops in a bowl of water. 

  

To round out my freebies, I came home with a biodegradable peat pot filled with compost and two corn kernels... such a little insignificant thing, but I will nurture it throughout the season like the runt in a litter of puppies because it holds a memory... a snapshot of a moment in my life. I also picked up a few "$2.00 off any one Organic Valley product" coupons and two bookmarks with cartoony-type drawings of  wind turbines from a company named Windustry.

The two workshops that I attended were both scheduled at the very same time, so I had to split my time between the two. One was about setting up a small wind turbine and the tax benefits, rebates, and grants available. Dave Winkelman, the presenter who owns a business called Eco Domes LLC located 10 miles S.E. of Brainerd, is extremely knowlegeable if you are interested in setting up a turbine on your property. At his business, he has many other eco things going on... a very interesting place to visit. The 2nd workshop's presenter, Marty Bergland, discussed open pollinators/heirloom seed saving which covered drying, fermentation, storage, seed viability, and germination. I have been gradually planting more heirloom seed varieties, so I have a deep interest in seed saving.   

May 3, 2009

Today's mileage: 1-mile walk

Total mileage for May: 5 miles

Bible reading? No.

green ideas

This weekend is the Living Green Expo at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. If you're unable to make it, or even if you are planning to attend, you can get a jump on some green ideas by clicking over to my daughter Jess's blog for information on a biodegradable paint tray made from recycled pulp fiber, read her critique of the product, and find out where you can purchase it. 

While you're at it, check out her vintage sewing themed packaging idea and a gift packaging kit using "sewing pattern tissue that is a green alternative to store-bought tissue" in addition to other creative gift packaging ideas for Christmas, a baker/cook, and a child's birthday. She has generously provided detailed instructions for how to create your very own gift packaging kit... so very cute and unique! Now all you need is something to wrap up for a gift. Jess has that covered, too. On her other blog, The Gift Enchiridion, she has categorized gift ideas with descriptions and links to web sites where the items can be purchased. Now you just need to think of a special person in your life to surprise with a little gift. No need to wait for a special occasion. The just-for-no-reason-at-all gifts are the best kind of all.

May 1, 2009

Today's mileage: 2-mile walk

Total mileage for May: 2 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

 

 

 

      

Earth Day

I think it would be a great idea to create bracelets with How much did you save today? imprinted on them. Ya know, like WWJD (What would Jesus do?). This bracelet I envison would cause us to think about our choices that impact the environment throughout each day. Until then, I have framed this brown paper bag I saved from a trip to the grocery a while back as a reminder. How much electric power did I save today by hanging my laundry outside to dry, by opening up the windows in my house and car instead of turning on the air conditioning, by adding layers of clothing rather than turning the furnace setting up? How much space did I save in the landfill by recycling, by choosing to purchase recyclable packaging material or reduced packaging, by thinking of alternate uses for things that no longer serve their original purpose, by repairing items rather than throwing them away and buying new, by bringing my own silverware to fast food restaurants rather than using plastic throw away utensils? How many trees did I save by declining paper napkins when ordering at a fast food drive-thru, by choosing the option of e-newsletters vs. a paper copy, by printing on both sides of the paper? How much fuel did I save by growing a vegetable garden, buying products that are locally produced, buying produce that is in-season so it's not being transported from halfway around the world? You get the drift... 

   

I also liked the bag's statement, "Check your savings on your receipt." The receipt is our carbon footprint. The savings is what we choose to do to make a difference in our own little piece of the puzzle. Happy Earth Day!

Living Green Expo

The 2009 Living Green Expo is being held Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 3  from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. It is a free event with over 200 exhibitors and dozens of educational workshops. The expo "inspires people to lead healthier lives with less impact on the environment." Come check it out! You will come away with new products, fresh ideas, and a renewed desire to make a difference. I will be volunteering at the event again this year.  

 

April 20, 2009

Today's mileage: 2-mile walk

Total mileage for April: 62.25 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

local eco-friendly paper products

 

I am committed to supporting local business owners whenever possibe, so I have been purchasing my bed and breakfast's toilet tissue and paper towels from Rohlfing Supply in Brainerd. Never would I have dreamed that a roll of toilet tissue could excite me, but Rohlfing is now offering both toilet tissue and paper towels in an "EcoSoft" brand, which is made from 100% recycled paper products. Therefore, it is a double bonus. I am able to support the local economy and make an eco-friendly product choice.

Did you know that "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day" products were developed in Minneapolis... our own backyard? Their line comes in such lovely fragrances... lemon verbena, geranium, lilac, basil, baby blossom, and limited-edition rhubarb. They are biodegradable, phosphate-free, and cruelty-free products made with essential oils. 

 

As long as we're talking toilet tissue, this is what holds the rolls in the majority of our bed and breakfast's inn rooms and cabins... a tree branch. An exception is in the "cabin in the pines" where I used an old metal serving spoon with a long handle that the roll slips onto. I'd take a photo of it, but I have a guest residing in the cabin for six weeks. In that same cabin, I tied an apron around the front of the bathroom's pedistal sink. So cute! I can't wait for you to see it! 

green routes destination

Whiteley Creek Bed and Breakfast has completed a rigorous in-depth application process and has been approved to be a Green Routes destination! Green Routes maps tourist sites to make it easy for you to plan a getaway to destinations that aren't your typical "tourist traps". Instead, they guide you to businesses that give you insight into a community and its people who live there. In the August 2007 issue of Midwest Living, the editor profoundly stated, "To know a community is to know its pie." Dick and I can so relate to that because, as we criss-cross the country, we are in continual search for the tastiest pie. In order to sniff it out, we must get off the interstate and detour onto the backroads where we can ask the locals, especially the guys who hang each morning with their coffee buddies. The very best way one can get to know a community is to talk to the people who live there. That's what Green Routes is all about. It's searching out businesses hidden from the strip of chain restaurants and mega stores. Green Routes has paved the road... or, more accurately, unpaved and added gravel to the road leading to a more authentic destination.

How are Green Routes destinations selected? Green Routes businesses are selected by regional advisory groups made up of business owners, community leaders, and community-based organizations. Each advisory group reviews applications and decides which to include based upon how each business meets the following criteria:

1)       Contributes to the local economy by employing local residents, using local products and growers, and supporting local businesses.

2)       Conserves and/or enhances our natural resource base (e.g. through use of renewable energy, recycling, green building techniques, wildlife habitat protection)

3)       Uses sustainably produced or organically grown products.

4)       Engages customers and visitors through active, personal, and meaningful participation in nature, people, places, history, and/or cultures.

Tread Lightly, written by Rachel Hutton in the February 2007 issue of Minnesota Monthly Magazine, is an insightful article providing an overview of the Renewing the Countryside/Green Routes initiative founded by husband and wife duo Jan Joannides and Brett Olson.

best buy's trade-in program

Did you know that you can trade in used electronics... iPods, digital cameras, computers, cell phones, etc. and get a Best Buy gift card? Go to Best Buy Trade-In Center online to fill out a "value estimator" for the particular product that you no longer need. Next, click the "get estimate" button and up will come your trade-in value. You even get a prepaid shipping label. Within 7 days, you'll receive a Best Buy gift card for the trade-in value amount. Kudos to Best Buy for offering this green alternative to filling the landfill with electronics castoffs.

2008 living green expo

      

Living Green Expo

Minnesota State Fairgrounds St. Paul

May 3-4, 2008

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free Admission

60 workshops ("How to Create a Simpler, Happier Life", How to Green Your Commnunity and Make a Difference", etc.)

Samples

Food and Musicians

Rain barrels, non-toxic lawncare

Locally grown food information, Minnesota-made fabric

Solar, wind, and geothermal green builders

So much more…

I have attended this Expo for the past three years. Each event teaches and inspires me to return to my corner of the world and make a difference. This year I will be volunteering a portion of my time spent at the event manning a computer station to sign up attendees for the Living Green 365 e-newsletter and other info electronically to reduce paper waste. I will also be giving out a prize for signing up for Living Green 365.