The Truth About Honest Tea

You want the truth? Can you handle it?

Alright, alright, here goes: Honest Tea is really good! In more ways than one! The folks at the Honest Tea mothership were kind enough to send me some samples of their new Jasmine Green Energy Tea and Citrus Green Energy Tea. Naturally, Hubby and I, without really discussing it, scrambled to see who could drink the most the fastest. Luckily, he preferred the Citrus while I preferred the Jasmine variety. Hence, happy marriage soldiers on to see another day.

But I digress.

Here's what I like about Honest Teas:

1. They're yummy. Honestly, they are. Particularly the Jasmine variety. (Cue male voice in background voicing contrary opinion. Cue female voice singing, "It's my blog, and you can cry if you want to." No crying is heard. More tea is consumed.)

2. They're USDA organic certified.

3. The Jasmine and Citrus Green varieties are taking a huge step toward carbon-neutrality! Yup, Honest Tea buys renewable energy credits to offset the CO2 emissions generated during production of the teas.

4. They're low-calorie...and sweet enough to hit the spot without tasting like a bottle of sugar water. I hate when you can't taste the tea in a bottled tea.

5. Lastly, I like Honest Tea because they also sent me Honest Kids drinks which came in little pouches with straws. They're organic too and I probably love them more than I should, being an adult and all. But then again I'm a sucker for anything with a miniature straw.

Super Exciting Oprah News!!

(Image by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com and c/o Usmagazine.com)

Looks like it's time to add Oprah to the list of celebrity vegans. Yup, it's true. No more meat for Oprah! At least not for the next 21 days. She's not only going on a 21-day vegan cleanse, she's blogging every step of the way. And sharing recipes! Kudos, lady.

Now, I've gone 16 years without eating meat, so giving up the carne is no biggie for me. But no cheese? Man, I don't know if I could do it.

Oprah seems to be embarking on this detox to drop some pounds, but of course the added bonus is that being vegetarian is green, green, green. As I've mentioned here before, a 2006 study by the United Nations found that raising animals for food creates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars and trucks of the world combined.

Whoa, hang on. Let's read that again.

RAISING ANIMALS FOR FOOD CREATES MORE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAN ALL THE CARS AND TRUCKS OF THE WORLD COMBINED.

Whew, I got so excited I accidentally held down the caps key. Total accident. Apologies.

Object of My Affection: Temple Birdhouse

Between the sunny spring days and all of the yard work I've been doing, I guess it makes sense that I'm focused on garden-related finds these days. In particular, I'm totally enamored with artist Carol Garringer's gorgeous Temple Birdhouses. Made with recycled chandelier parts and lighting fixtures, they epitomize the magical spirit of outdoor spaces and the unique beauty of found objects. Each piece is signed and numbered by the artist. Available here for $50.

Let's Talk About Jeans, Baby!

I'm back and I need jeans. And I'm not afraid to spend a little dough because when I like a pair of jeans I wear them all the time....a perk of working from home.

Here's the thing: I've yet to go organic with my jeans. I've bought used jeans (hello, Crossroads), but I haven't gone green with a new pair. Any suggestions? I'm thinking of springing for some Del Fortes (pictured above)...anyone tried them?

(PS - Happy bday, SSTW! Today is our 150th post. Let's eat some cake.)

I'm Impressed: Timberland's Billboard Tote

So I receive about a billion press releases every week, and I would say a good 80% of them are about eco-friendly grocery bags. I think by now we probably all know we should try to take reusable bags shopping, so unless these press releases reveal something really truly above-and-beyond cool, I don't usually write 'em up.

But these are cool! So I'm writing about them, and you'll just have to look elsewhere for a moment if you're sick to death of being told about reusable bags. Here's what I like about these Timberland bags: they're made using old billboards campaigns! Talk about recycling. They peel those big ol' billboards down and make waterproof totes which they're selling in Timberland shops for 25 buckeroos.

There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Anyhoo, I'll be on a plane most of the day tomorrow...which means today is my Friday! So you won't hear from me tomorrow, but if you're really missing green goodness I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you reading in the archives. Have a great weekend!

Me Wantee: Bamboo Blanket & Eyemask

I'm off to the East Coast on Friday and I sure wish I had one of these awesome PB bamboo blankets and eyemasks. I bet they're super soft!

So Crazy it's Cute? Green Birdcage Wallpaper

As much as I love the look of wallpaper, I haven't been able to make the leap from admiring wallpapered rooms in domino to actually papering a room in my own house. There's something so adult, so permanent, and, yes, so expensive about the whole process that I haven't been able to bite the bullet quite yet. Still, if I were to paper, I'd want to do it with a bang - I mean, why go to all that trouble if you're not going to make a statement? Isn't drama the whole point of wallpaper? I have a fantasy of papering a dining room with something wacky and fun like this Woodson & Rummerfield's green birdcage wallpaper, which is made with recycled paper and vegetable dyes ($55, at Green With Glamour).

What do you guys think, is wallpapering worth the trouble and expense?

Shiny and Black and Holds Tea, Oh My!

Often I find myself with a big, growing crush on a style or color of which I don't own a single example. Sometimes, the crush develops until I eventually cave in and buy something. But more often than not the crush just simmers for months, sometimes years, and I never buy a single piece of whatever it is I'm quietly (or, thanks to this blog, not so quietly) daydreaming about.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere. Must I always have a point?

Just kidding. I'm babbling on about my weird crush phenomenon cuz I have one right now on black lacquer. It's so cool and shiny and rock star glam and of-the-moment. Right? Yet I don't own a single black lacquer item. And I don't think a black lacquer anything would look particularly good with our home style, which tends more toward organic-modern than sleek-modern or retro-glam.

Nonetheless I really love lightenup design's black lacquer tea set (made w/ natural clay and nontoxic glazes). It looks like something Madonna or Ozzie will own in 30 years. Maybe by then I'll buy one too.

Perfect Purple Party Dress: EcoSkin's "Dahlia"

A group of us are throwing a champagne and desserts engagement party for a couple near and dear to our hearts tomorrow, and this is what I really want to wear. Instead, I'll just be digging some ol' number out of the depths of my closet. But hopefully maybe probably someday you will see me in this gorgeous 100% bamboo Dahlia dress from EcoSkin. And you'll know that I ordered it from Green Loop, which offsets all shipping-related carbon emissions and donates 1% of each purchase to environmental causes. Sigh. Someday...

Wanna add some low-carbon activities to your life? Check out my piece on Sprig today!

Object of My Affection: Loll's Modern Outdoor Chair

So, after a recent redo of our yard and a string of sunny SF days, I'll admit I'm feeling a little obsessed with outdoor living. In particular, I've been doing some low-grade stalking of the Loll website, and lovin their modern, 100% recycled plastic (yet another use for milk jugs!) outdoor furniture. I mean, how cool is Loll's sleek take on the usually preppy Adirondack chair?

Wanna read about 6 other decor/lifestyle companies fighting global warming? Check out my piece on Sprig today!