Sales in Honor of Earth Day

If you missed getting the free CFL light bulb from Home Depot today there are other Earth Day (April 22) Sales you can take advantage of.

Amazon.com is celebrating a sale on selected green products for the entire month-from composters and solar chargers to a 400-watt wind generator.

Sears is offering an additional 10% off Kenmore Elite ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances – on top of existing promotional prices each Monday throughout the month of April.

Walgreens will be handing out reusable shopping totes with coupons.

Visit the Reynold Wrap site on Earth Day and get a rebate coupon for a roll of 100% recycled aluminum. You can also enter a sweepstakes for more green goodies.

UPDATE: Price Pfister is giving away its Ashfield Trough Faucet each day between April 20 and May 1. Ashfield is an EPA WaterSense certified bath faucet that will allow you to conserve water in style.

Electrolux is offering a 10% rebate on energy saving laundry appliances April 12 – April 26.

Other good offerings

KB Home is teaming up with Disney to celebrate Earth Day. Visitors to any participating KB Home community from April 18-26, 2009 will receive two flyers redeemable on-line for free movie tickets to EARTH, the first motion picture from The Walt Disney Company’s new film label Disneynature. EARTHopens in theaters on Earth Day and Disneynature is planting a tree in honor of every moviegoer who sees the movie in its opening week.

Bring in 3 empty plastic bottles on Earth Day to your local Disney store to recycle and you will receive a free commemorative Earth Day 2009 reusable water bottle.

Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970, by Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis.) to give the environmental cause national exposure. Since that first grass-roots effort, a growing population has supported Earth Day and what it stands for.

April 15, 2009

My New Favorite Outdoor Kitchen

I bookmarked this picture a while ago and I think today might be a good day to share it. The tree-house concept is reminiscent of childhood dreams and playtime, fairy stories of enchantment and imagination .

The Architectural component embodies a simple oval form wrapped ‘organically’ around the redwood tree trunk and structurally tied at top and bottom. The tree-house restaurant was designed by Pacific Environments Architects, a New Zealand firm focused on holistic environmentally sustainable design.

The ramp leading from the meadow up into the tree allows access for people in wheelchairs or who would otherwise not be able to climb a ladder. Even though this is a Yellowpages promotion, it’s a noteworthy project.

News Video Construction Video Diary

April 11, 2009

Linear Glass Mosaic Tiles

Interstyle Ceramic & Glass, one of North America’s leading glass tile manufacturers, has a new collection of linear mosaic tile with recycled content.

Icestix comes in 1/2″ x 2″ and 1/2″ x 4″ tiles in straight, running bond and random stagger sheets. The collection is available in 12 textured color blends.

Linear tile will be a hot trend in 2009. You can install it vertically as an accent at a range or cut up the sheets to mix it with large field tile.

April 9, 2009

Detergent Smuggling

I read a recent article about residents in Washington State going to Idaho to purchase detergents after a ban was placed on detergents containing phosphates.

Phosphates are a concern in consumer products because when they end up in streams, lakes and rivers (they aren’t easily removed in waste water treatment plants), they promote the growth of algae, which sucks up oxygen, stealing it from other animals and organisms in the water.

Phosphates in detergents tie up water hardness minerals (primarily calcium and magnesium) so the minerals won’t interfere with cleaning or deposits on surfaces. Phosphates also help keep food soil particles in suspension after removal from the soiled surfaces and prevent their redeposition.

Residents say that the greener alternatives – Seventh Generation, Ecover, Palmolive Eco+ and Trader Joe’s, – just don’t clean as well.

The Washington Lake Protection Association thinks part of the problem may be the hard water and is encouraging consumers to install water softeners.

Here’s a few highly rated phosphate-free detergents that may do the job.

Bi-o-Kleen Automatic Dish Soap
“A phosphate-free alternative with natural corrosion fighters that requires no pre-washing of dishes.”

Method “SmartyDish” Dishwasher Cubes
No toxic chemicals, no bleach, no phosphates just naturally derived biodegradable ingredients in pre-measured tabs.