Tax season is in full swing and I am slowing climbing out of the sea of paperwork and bookkeeping.  Its a good thing that someone else is going to file for me this year!   Its hard to imagine doing it all.

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Though I have tried to “opt out” of junk mail, certain magazines and catalogues, I still get my fair share of junk in the mail.  I Hate Junk Mail – 10 Uses for Unwanted Junk Mail gives you a few creative ideas for your junk mail. Blog: dk Mommy Spot

10 Surprising Ways You’re Killing the Earth Without Even Knowing It by Carolyn Friedman goes into just that. From not eating farm raised fish, to not ignoring home inspections, she outlines a few changes we all can make in our day-to-day lives.  Blog:  Becoming a Radiologist

Before I started Green and Chic, I was told time and again that it was going to fail.   Though I have had thoughts of giving up Stop Thinking You Are Going To Fail Just Because Someone Says You Should really helps put things into prospective.  Blog: My Wife Quit Her Job

Giveaways

EarthLust Review and Giveaway - Win a BPA free, eco-friendly stainless steel water bottle  from Simply Stacie blog. Giveaway ends on March 4, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

Giveaway – Tropical Traditions Teeth Cleaner Set by Sweeps4Bloggers. This delicious coconut oil based teeth cleaner is free from artificial flavors and foaming agents.  Giveaway ends on March 8, 2010 at 8pm PST.

Seventh Generation Review and Giveaway Seventh Generation is offering one Free and Clear Cleaning Starter Kit. Giveaway ends on March 10, 2010.

So far, the year started with a bang, and time is going by faster than I can count the days.  Its a beautiful today because unlike in other parts of the country, the weather has been very mild (50′s) and sunny… in Portland!  I actually had to break out the sunglasses if you could believe it!  I hope it stays that way, at least for another day or so.

Did you know you can recycle your old bras instead of tossing them?  Ecouterre tells you why and how in Recycling Old Bras, Eco-Fashion Dire Straits, Faux Fur Pas

Its amazing how much food we as a nation trow away.  David of  The Good Human talk about the Environmental Implications Of The Food We Throw Away

Do you want to know how to How To Boost Your Metabolism In 3 Minutes 29 Seconds? My favorite fitness blogger, Kat of Body Incredible will tell you how! Trust me, you will not be disappointed – (wink wink!)

Is it realistic to have a home office space this clean?  Is yours?  Maybe at the end of the day after you clear off your desk and throw everything in a box, I suppose.  A Showcase of Minimalist Workstations by Web Designer Depot leaves me a little disoriented.

Win a Dandelion Earth tote bag from Focus Organic: Giveaway! Dandelion Organic Cotton ‘Keep it Green’ Tote Bag. Giveaway ends February 20th.

This is my first “link love” post of 2010 and I admit, I haven’t been doing many of these posts over the past…six months.  I recently found a few ‘must read and save’ links to start the new year off on the right foot.

Blogging (what else?)

If you have a blog, what are your blogging goals for 2010? Barbara Swafford with Blogging Without a Blog poses the question in her post: Looking Forward

If you have an eCommerce business, do you really need to blog?  This article: Do I Really Need a Blog For an eCommerce Business by Nate Moller of Thou Shall Blog gives you the answer you’re looking for.

Are you having a hard time just getting started with writing/blogging? Joanna with Confident Writing gave us a list of resources to help us get started (or continue) in 10 Posts to Help with Getting Started.

Fashion, crafts and green living

Though I try to avoid buying anything, if possible, I still love browsing online stores and boutiques. Top 10 Online Eco-Boutiques by Ecosalon kept me occupied for a while.

I’m currently on a sewing binge and Fab Fabrics: 2009 Retrospective by Crafting a Green World gave me additional ideas and inspiration for 2010.

Just Say No to Plastic - We all know just how toxic and destructive plastic is.  The problem its everywhere and its sometimes easy to forget that we should avoid it.  Lisa Sharp asks, “what are you doing to reduce plastic this year?” and offers a few suggestions.

Happy Hump Day!

Photo by: SummerTomato

I rarely talk about food and nutrition here on Green and Chic, but I’ve recently stumbled across a few blog posts that are worth sharing.

What Passes For Food in America by Cheeseslave is an eye opening account about what’s severed in many hotels and certain restaurants.  Did you know that the scrambled eggs served in many hotel buffets are not real eggs?  Many times, its powered or artificial eggs made from a substance called “oxidized cholesterol”.  You will be floored when you find out what that is.  If I’ve ever eaten that in the past by mistake, I don’t think I want to know.

21 Ways to Sneak More Vegetables Into Your Diet by RawFoodsWitch gives us some very appealing ways to incorporate more vegetables into our diet.  Foods such as zucchini “pasta” and kale chips will have you forgetting that what you’re eating is good for you!

Another killer reason to avoid packaged foods by Food Renegade – Think mercury is only in fish? Think again. Mercury can also be found in a lot of prepackaged and processed foods containing HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Read more about it here.

The Secret To Losing Stomach Fat No, this is not one of those Google advertisements that promises you a 6-pack if you drink magic berry juice. Kat Eden with Body Incredible gives us effective ways to lose that belly fat though diet, exercise and overall lifestyle.

Why Go Organic Now? by Green Girls Global gives us a few great reasons why we should “go organic”.

Besides bath and body products, I like to emphasize the importance of eco-friendly (homemade or store brought) cleaning products. Here are a few great tips from my fellow bloggers on green cleaning:

Are you still using bleach in your laundry and to clean your home? I remember when bleach was the be all end all of cleanliness while growing up. Little did we realize how toxic it is.   Eco-Friendly Alternatives To Bleach by The Good Human gives us a few great alternatives.

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Photo by: Carla Rose | Bolinas, CA

Its hard to believe summer is almost halfway over!  Here is some good information to help get you though the dog days of summer.

Guide To Finding Safe, Eco-Friendly Sunscreen by David | The Good Human offers a great deal of information about sunscreen and sun protection.  David outlines what a higher SPF really means, UVA verses UVB and some of the chemicals used in these products.  There is also a list of the top five sunscreen recommendations rated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and top five of the least effective sunscreens with a higher health hazard rating.
Follow The Good Human on Twitter

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Green Grechen | Mountains of the Moon Giveaway

Its about time I spread more love in the blogosphere!

Green Jobs: Where are they? by Low Impact Living offers a large list of  resources to help you find your dream “green job”.  Pass it on to anyone who is looking for work.

How To Compost Without Raising a Stink If you need step-by-step instructions on how to compost without creating a huge barrow of slime (like I did), this post is definitely a good start.

Ever since I found out about the  Pacific Gyre Plastic Trash Island, it frightens me every time see photos or graphs of it. This is a “trash island”  located in the Pacific that’s twice the size of Texas and 30 feet deep.  The Chic Ecologist goes in to how this happened, the problems that its causing and possible clean-up solutions.

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My favorite eco-friendly/green home blog, Green Your Decor was recently nominated for the 2009 BlogLuxe Award in the  Best Eye Candy Blog category.  The eye catching design of her blog’s theme is what has caught the attention of many readers.

Its not just the aesthetics of the blog that I was drawn to though.  Jennae’s blog is your one stop shopping for everything having to do with eco-friendly and chemical free home interiors. You will find everything from furniture,  paint, rugs, kitchenware, for baby, bath, pets,  to linens and more.

You can check out all of the nominies here and vote for multiple blogs in other categories as well.

A few days ago, I realized that its been over a year since I started the Green and Chic Blog!  Time definitely went by fast.  I would not have made it though this year without the support of my faithful readers, commenters and fellow bloggers.  There are way  too many people to list but I will make a shout out to two of these bloggers.

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Photo credit: Empracht

Previous posts in this series:
Eco Fashion: What is it?
Eco Fashion: Do it yourself – Organic Fabric
Eco Fashion: Do it Yourself – Yarn
Eco Fashion: The Cost of Eco Fashion
Eco Fashion: Consignment

Thrift stores are another type of second hand store.  Unlike consignment stores, thrift stores are usually non-profit, charitable organizations.  Depending on the store, the proceeds benefits local hospitals, disease fighting organizations such as the Out of the Closet chain that’s owned by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), and the famous Goodwill and Salvation Army.  In general, I find that the clothing and accessories from thrift stores are cheaper than  consignment stores.  You may have to do a little digging  to find a diamond in the rough.

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