Have a Lovely Green Weekend + A Few Green Things

Hello, Friends. How was your week? Have you already taken down your holiday decorations? I just finished up – it feels great to have our home back in order and buzzing for the new year. Eben goes back to school on Monday – he had a super long winter break. It has been perfection having him home every day, we have had a lot of fun.

Today, we were planning on going paddle boarding – however, since it is only 46° right now, we will have to see. Come on Florida – you can do it! If not, we will spend the day visiting a local nature center or walking along the beach. While I finish up for the day, here are a few green things I though you might enjoy.

– Can I please have a baby Pygmy Hippopotamus as a pet?
– Have you made your garden resolutions for 2012?
– A travel size Paper City Paris!
– If I still lived in Colorado, I would have to see this ice castle!
Micaela’s book was published in Chinese. Congratulations.
– Would you wear sweater print TOMS?
– 25 breathtaking islands that are threatened by us.

I hope you have a lovely green weekend.

xo,
Sweet Greens

photo credit 

Pottery Barn Eco-Friendly PB Comfort Sectional Sofa Collection

When it comes to furniture, the one piece that gets the most wear and tear in our home is our sofa. And it has seen better days – we really need a new one. As a holiday gift, Mr. Sweet Greens and I decided to purchase a new eco-friendly sofa. We did a lot of research and decided we wanted to find an eco-friendly sectional sofa that was made locally and most importantly affordable. I was a little surprised that finding those three qualities was a little tough. I was able to find a couple of companies that made eco-friendly and affordable sectionals, but they were in California. It wouldn’t exactly be eco-friendly to ship a sectional all of the way to Florida.

Then, I remembered that Pottery Barn makes all of their furniture in North Carolina. And since everything that we have ever purchased from Pottery Barn seems to last forever, I crossed my fingers and checked to see if they had any eco-friendy sections. Guess what? Their PB Comfort Slipcovered Sofa Collection are made using sustainably harvested wood, have recycled steel springs, soy based cushions, recycled patting, and are affordable too! [We found ours on sale for $2000] And since all of their sofas are slipcovered it will be easy to clean and in the future instead of purchasing a new sofa, we can simply purchase a new slipcover if needed.

Have you found other eco-friendly section sofas that you would recommend?

Winner of Inhabitots’s 2011 Favorite Editors’ Choice Post

My article “5 Easy Craft Projects that Reuse Orange Juice Cartons” was the winner of Inhabitots’s 2011 Favorite Editors’ Choice Post. Thank you to everyone who voted for me, I really appreciate your support. What a lovely way to start 2012.

7 Healthy Family New Year’s Resolutions for 2012

2012 has arrived! Have you and your family made any new year’s resolutions? Living a healthier lifestyle is one of the most popular resolutions, and it can be one for the whole family to tackle. But don’t think your resolution has to be a chore, it can actually be a lot of fun. The key is to make resolutions that are attainable, fun and don’t take a lot of time. Check out the top seven healthy new year’s resolutions that I will be making with my own family, and you’ll see that getting healthy as a family is much easier than it may seem.

**UPDATE: We spent New Year’s Day snorkeling at one of our favorite reefs. Then, we crossed the street to the intracoastal and spent the afternoon paddleboarding. The best part (besides being together) was when we encountered a group of approximately 12 Manatees. We paddled with them for a couple of hours, it was the most fascinating experience. (We didn’t want to leave!) There were giant males that were much larger than our boards, it was amazing to see them swim underneath us. And there were several mothers and calves, it was the most fantastic day we have spent paddleboarding yet!

photo volantra via Inhabitots

Please Vote: Editors’ Favorite Inhabitots Stories 2011

Hello, Friends. My article “5 Easy Craft Projects that Reuse Orange Juice Cartons” has been nominated as one of the Editors’ Favorite Inhabitots Stories of 2011. Yay! Would you please vote for my article, I would be very grateful.

Thank you so much!