Archive for May, 2009

To Market, To Market

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

‘Tis the season for farmers markets! From fresh produce to homemade bread and fragrant flowers to handmade truffles, you’ll find a bounty of locally grown and produced goodies at a market near you. We recently made a trip to the Traders Point Creamery green market to sneak a peek at what’s in store for the season.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjE0z02ex6o

Remember, buying items produced in Indiana not only supports the state’s economy, it helps reduce pollution since the items don’t travel as far to get to your dinner table. You’ll find markets in Zionsville, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Broad Ripple, 38th & Meridian, Binford Blvd., Ellenberger Park, City Market, Mass Ave., Greenwood, Chateau Thomas Winery…all around town!

Piece out,
Renee, Meghan & Eric the Video Guy

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Build It Up, Buttercup

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Summer is just around the corner, and faster than you can say “do-it-yourself,” visions of a freshly remodeled bathroom or sleek new kitchen countertops have begun swirling in your head. But home improvement stores are expensive. Surfing online classified ads can be time consuming. And hitting up a half-dozen yard sales in search of a good deal on a pre-owned pedestal sink is, frankly, not our idea of a good time.

Fortunately, the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI) is pairing up with Habitat for Humanity to host a special kind of home goods sale. From cabinets and plumbing to hardware and roofing, you’ll find an array of new and used building products available for purchase on May 29 and 30 at the DIY Mart, taking place at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 1011 E. 22nd St. Sale proceeds benefit the BAGI Remodelors Council. Best of all, everything that is not sold during the sale will be donated to the ReStore.

Happy hunting!

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Posted in At home, For the office, Reusable | No Comments »

The Magnificent Mile

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

The problem with eco challenges is, not all of them are quite as simple as they sound. Cutting your shower time in half? Only eating foods grown within 100 miles of your home? You can drive yourself bonkers trying to overhaul old habits. But here’s one to try: the One Mile Solution.

The idea is to replace one car trip per week with biking or walking to places within a 1-mile radius of your home. Take a moment and think of the places in your neighborhood that you frequent. The farmers market? The hardware store? The park? All of the above? While we wouldn’t be so backwards as to suggest that you lug a week’s worth of groceries home on your bike, the One Mile Solution works for numerous other errands. Remember: The idea is to try it once a week, not to make a full conversion to Pedestrianism.

In Meghan’s neighborhood, she could easily return library books and DVDs, meet friends at the movie theater, grab a cup of coffee, or walk her dog, Ollie, to the pet store, all within one mile of her home. Besides being good for the planet, the One Mile Solution also does wonders for her waistline…and Ollie’s.

In the spirit of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare, we encourage you to take the physical challenge.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

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Something Borrowed, Something Green

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

What couple really wants to commemorate their new life together by creating tons of carbon emissions? A wedding, though a joyous occasion, can swiftly turn in to one big waste fest (and no, we’re not talking about your wasted uncle and his signature dance moves). Incorporating green elements into a wedding, such as recycled paper invitations or locally grown produce, is easy enough. If you’re ready to take it to the next level and pull off a truly low-impact wedding, these Bloomington-based eco-conscious vendors are ready to be a part of your big day. They’ve even teamed up to offer a green wedding package (ask one of them for details).

Closer to Indy, there are numerous Aveda salons, farmers market vendors to choose from, and for locally grown flowers, Cate’s Cottage.

For you purists out there, we’re afraid the only 100% green wedding is the kind that takes place at City Hall and includes an eco-friendly commute. Bicycle built for two anyone?

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Posted in Buy Local, Carbon Footprint | No Comments »

School’s Out For Summer

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Okay, not just yet. But in mere weeks, children all over the Indianapolis area will shut their textbooks, clean out their desks, cubbies, and lockers; and head home for the most glorious three months of the year. Before they do, we have one easy classroom recycling suggestion to make, one eco-friendly school to applaud, and two others on the way to celebrate. Gold stars all around!

REDUCE
We were very impressed to learn that The Orchard School  uses reusable lunch trays and silverware daily, as well as corn-based forks, knives, spoons, plates, and bowls for catered events. They have also reduced waste by refraining from purchasing products with lots of packaging. Kitchen staff recycles cardboard, cans, and bottles; donates leftover food to Second Helpings or other local agencies and shelters who serve children; and grows their own lettuce and herbs and composts their food scraps in their onsite “hoop house.” Students recycle batteries, computers, electronics, and other materials throughout the year. Even parents get in on the action by not idling their cars when picking up their children. Extra credit: This summer, Orchard will host a two-week long camp with a green focus. Campers will research and design a strategy for turning the school completely green.

REUSE
Coming this Fall: The Indianapolis Early Learning Center is more than a pre-school - they believe that preservation and sustainability starts with our youngest citizens. Coming in August 2010: The Paramount School of Excellence is a green360™ charter school for Kindergarten through 8th grade. Extra credit: The schools are located in a previously rundown home and the Brookside Masonic Lodge…both great ways to reuse a building.

RECYCLE
Don’t dump all those worn-down and broken Crayolas in the garbage…recycle them! Mail your unwanted crayons to LAF Lines, a Wisconsin-based recycling program that melts down old crayons and makes them into new ones. Closer to home, campers at Waycross Center, in Morgantown, use old crayons to make candles. Call for details on donating.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

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Through the Grapevine

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Have constant spousal nagging and over-scheduled children left you feeling a little like wine grapes lately? Stomped all over and pressed for time? Before you give in to dying on the vine, put yourself in a grown-up timeout at Vine & Table on Tuesday, May 19.  From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Scott Woodward, owner of California’s Appellation Wine Company, will lead “From Vine to Wine: Sustainable Viticulture.” Taste eight wines from sustainable vineyards and learn how sustainable viticulture is different than simply organic.

Kudos to Mass Ave Wine Shoppe, which also stocks plenty of organic, biodynamic, and sustainably farmed wines and offers some of these varieties at their Tuesday evening wine tastings (no charge!). The store also scores big bonus points for collecting recycling and compostables from their customers.

And don’t forget: wine and Champagne corks can be recycled by sending them to Yemm & Hart, a Missouri-based company that turns the old stoppers into new floor tiles. You’ll even receive a free sample tile in the mail for participating.

If that’s not enough to make you pop your cork, we don’t know what is!

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Posted in Dining, Entertainment, Great Gifts | No Comments »

Piece of Scrap

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Unless you consume an unhealthy amount of soda or beer, you probably won’t get rich selling your aluminum cans at the scrap yard. But these days, money is money, and every little bit helps. On that note, we called Circle City Metal Recycling to find out the going rate for some commonly recycled materials.

Copper: $1.45-$1.50/lb.
Aluminum cans: 25 cents/lb.
Aluminum siding: 28 cents/lb.
Stainless steel: 25 cents/lb.

Before you head next door to remove your neighbor’s copper gutters and downspouts (don’t laugh-this actually happened to one of Meghan’s friends), think about what events are on your horizon. Are you getting ready to remodel your home? Or host a huge Indy 500 or Memorial Day party for 100 of your closest friends? Before you chuck that old stainless steel sink or all those beer cans, consider taking them to your nearest metal recycler.

We think it’s a smart way to turn a piece of scrap into pocket change.

Trying to start up a recycling program in your community, university, or place of work? The Indiana Recycling Coalition will hold its 20th annual conference and exhibition June 2-4 in Bloomington. Topics of discussion include “Sustainable Schools,” “Greening the Medical Community,” and “Waste Reduction for Hotels and Restaurants.”

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Correction: The INPAWS Native Plant Sale and Auction is May 9 from 10 to 12:30, followed by the Mapleton Fall Creek Unity Plant Exchange from 1 to 3. Both at Trinity Church/St. Richard’s School.
Addition: Same day, from 9 to noon, the Sierra Club, Indy Parks and local geocachers will be hosting a Pulling the Greens event to pull the non-native, invasive garlic mustard from Marott Park.

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Bloom Where You’re Planted

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

OUT: Silverbells and cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row. We didn’t know Mary Quite Contrary, but we’re pretty sure the girl had a lot of time on her hands. How else could she maintain such a pristine garden?

IN: Plants that are native to Indiana, which tend to require less water and TLC than the non-native varieties. The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (INPAWS) maintains an online guide, including a list of nurseries and landscape designers that specialize in native plants.

OUT: Shelling out a small fortune at your nearest big-box garden center. Recession anyone?

IN: Purchase, trade and learn about native plants from experts in the community. On Saturday, May 9, INPAWS will host its annual native plant sale and auction at Trinity Church/St. Richard’s School (3243 N. Meridian Street) from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring non-invasive perennials or leftover vegetable seedlings to share in the plant exchange.

OUT: Plants that give off oxygen. How predictable!

IN: Plants that give off oxygen AND give back to the community. Stop by the Garfield Park Master Gardener Association’s annual plant sale, taking place May 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Garfield Park Conservatory (2505 Conservatory Dr.). A portion of the proceeds are donated to local organizations. Past recipients include the Damien Center and Irvington’s Kile Oak, a 400-year old tree believed to be the oldest of its kind in the country. You can even pick up your copy of Green Savings Indy while there!

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

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