3r Blogging's One Year Anniversary

Wow, one year ago today we launched 3r Blogging. I can't believe it has been a year already! Thanks to Susan Marcinek and Ben Jervey for contributing with posts over the course of the year. Thanks to my friends Amy at It's the Environment Stupid , Jasmin at the Worsted Witch , the gang at WorldChanging New York , and Ethan at Green Brooklyn . Also, thanks to all of you, who stopped by to hear my ramblings. I really appreciate it.

May the next year of blogging be bigger and better.

A link to our very first post is here .

Beauty - Pure and Simple

We are very pleased to carry a new bath and body collection by a Brooklyn-based entrepreneur, Kathleen Lewis. Her handmade, hand-poured and hand-wrapped products are good for men, women and children alike because they are so pure, simple and gentle.

Her product line includes soap, foam wash, lotion, bath salts, bath oil and cream -- all with highly-pronounceable and downright delicious ingredients like aloe gel, honey, sweet almond oil, grapefruit seed extract, coconut oil, sea salt and essential oils. We carry them in four simple, single-note fragrances: Good Plain (no-scent), Honey, Sage, Verbena.

The good plain scent leaves the soap so versatile that it can also be used as an old-fashioned kitchen soap. The foam wash, too, is all-purpose -- for your skin, hair, fine washables, dishes, you name it! And as Kathleen says, "the cream is not only fabulous for chapped winter skin or parched summer skin but it can also be used as a balm for thick curly hair." We love it when products can do so much and be so natural.

-Susan Marcinek

Note from Mark:
I recently visited Kathleen's studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn and took a few photos. You can check them out here

Also, you can buy Kathleen's amazing products in our store or online. Here are the links to the products we sell:

Bath and Body Oil
Foam Wash
Bath Salts
Good Plain Cream
Honey Dream Cream
Lotion
Soap
Travel Kit

The Green Oscars

What kind of green blogger would I be without mentioning the Oscars last night? You know, the fact that the stars rode up in eco-friendly cars ? Yeah, the same thing happened last year and the year before and the year before, I know. This year was a bit different because they tried some new vehicles, like plug-in hybrids and the Tesla Roadster . Believe it or not, I wrote about this issue just under one year ago (yup, it's almost 3r Blogging's one year anniversary.)

Also, congratulations to Al Gore and the gang for receiving an Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth and to Melissa Etheridge for receiving an Oscar for writing the theme song to the movie.

Finally, I'm told that the Oscars officially went green last night.

Welcome to the Weekend

As you can see, I changed my profile photo this week. The photo that I had in there for the past 11 months is now nearly two years old. It was time for a change, especially since readers of this blog were sent into shock when they met me in person and found out that I have long hair now.

Anyway, I'm working in the store today from 11-8. Darya will be working on Sunday from 11-7. Sunday is her last day, as she is leaving us to concentrate on her graduate work. If you get a chance, stop by the store and say goodbye!

Black Google

Interesting post on Treehugger yesterday about the energy used by websites with white screens. It seems that cathode ray tube monitors use more energy while displaying white screens. Who knew?

Anyway, the article used an excellent example: Google , which is completely white and gets 200,000,000 visitors a day! Just think of all of the energy wasted! So what's the answer? Black Google , of course.

Unfortunately, our website 3rliving.com is also pretty white. Maybe we should change our site to black as well, to set an example? As you can see from the poorly Photoshopped rendition of our website, I think the answer is no.

Greenimation

I was watching the Sundance Channel last night, largely because I couldn't find anything else to watch but also because I kind of like the show One Punk Under God .

Anyway, while watching, I saw a commercial for a new feature called Greenimation . It seems that there are six green-focused cartoons on the Sundance site, each made by an up-and-coming animator. You can watch them all and vote for your favorite. It looks like the winner will get a show!

Animation + The Environment= Perfect for Mark

I hope I have time to watch them!

New WorldChanging Post

For those who read 3r Blogging, this topic may seem familiar. My latest post on WorldChanging deals with our last two trips to the New York Gift Fair, something that I have chronicled with painful detail on this blog. Upon stepping back and thinking about our experience, I recently came to the realization that something more positive was happening at these shows (and presumably to the American consumer); a trend that every environmentalist should welcome.

Check out the post here .

Something

Well, nothing really popped into my head today. However, a lot of craziness popped into our store, including many Internet orders, 10 large boxes of boat wood picture frames and two boxes of new books. In addition, Jake was with us in the store and got pretty restless.

So, what am I saying? I guess I'm saying that it's time to call it quits for the day and try again tomorrow! Some days are just like this, you know?

I Got Nothin'

I'm sure it is just one of those days, but I spent a long time last night and this morning trying to come up with something to write about and I couldn't find anything to inspire me. Oh well, I'm sure it doesnt speak to a lack of exciting things happening in the green world. I'm just tired and overworked.

Check back later. Something may pop into my head.

Rub a Dub, Your Science Lesson in the Tub

Need a refresher course in metamorphosis, the elements of the periodic table or maybe how the weather works, but can't fit a bio or chem class into your hectic schedule?

That might strike you as funny unless you have a curious child in your life who looks to you for many, many answers. To prepare you for that onslaught of questions or for your future appearance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire , a New York-based company called Simple Memory Art is making that much-needed science lesson fun, memorable, efficient and, of course, eco-friendly for you. They make 100% EVA shower curtains with bright stylish science-themed graphics to help you set those elusive facts to memory.

Now for today's science lesson: EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) is an environmentally-friendly alternative to PVC (polyvinyl chloride) because EVA doesn't contain chlorine. To further sort out the vinyls, check out this helpful summary .

The only catch with SMArt curtains is that you have to read them; they don't make one that explains osmosis. Check out all their courses on our website .

-Susan Marcinek

Welcome to the Weekend!

We're still kind of digging out of the snow here, in New York. Sure, it only snowed 1", but I'm not sure that they counted the ice and sleet that feel for nearly 24 hours this week. The results were not pretty. Thank God the weather is warming up this weekend.

I'm in the store today, from 11-8. Darya will be working on Sunday from 11-7.

As always, if you are in the area, bundle up and stop in and say hi!

Interesting Angle on Childhood Obesity

The Economist featured an article about some interesting (and sad) consequences of childhood obesity recently. It seems that since more children are staying inside and watching television or playing video games these days:

* Overnight stays in America's most famous National Parks has dropped by 24% (this isn't good because when park visitor numbers drop, the budget is vulnerable to cuts);

* Membership in major environmental organizations like The Sierra Club is in serious danger of dropping. After all, many members joined in the past because they had good experiences with nature as children.

Before an entire generate quits on nature and lives the rest of their lives online in Second Life , advocates are fighting back with a campaign known as No Child Left Inside.

Check out the full story here .

Buried in Ice=No Global Warming?

We made it home from Florida just in time to be slammed by a major snow/ice storm. Woo Hoo! Good times! Actually, I kind of like snow storms and shoveling, so no big deal.

Anyway, it was kind of entertaining reading stories about the weather yesterday on conservative websites. It was almost like there was a coordinated effort to argue that Global Warming doesn't exist because it was cold and snowing in the Northeast. Nice try. See, that's why it needs to be renamed "Climate Change" or "Climate Crisis". "Global Warming" is too easy a term to manipulate

The Worsted Witch did a great job of looking at this issue recently. Also, check out this ironic article from an Indian news site.

Stay warm!

Photo via Gothamist .

Back from Our Trip

We made it back before the snowstorm hit. Of course, every time we take a vacation, we get buried in emails, customer questions/requests, issues, etc. So, I don't have much time to write today. I can, however, share our vacation photos. Check them out here .

Happy Valentines Day!

You have new Picture Mail!

Yup, we're still in Florida. We should be back Tuesday, if the weather allows.

You have new Picture Mail!

I think this picture says it all.

You have new Picture Mail!

Welcome to the Weekend! Samantha, Jake and I are in Florida visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Jake's first plane ride!

You have new Picture Mail!

I'm writing this as a test. Hope it works! This is my first attempt at using Blogger's new mobile blogging service. I just sent a phone photo and text message blog post to a blogger address and it popped up automatically. So Cool! It will definitely come in handy!

'Duh' Moment at the Cleaner's

The more I am tuned into how much my household consumes, throws away and even wastes, the more I feel like Sisyphus fighting an uphill battle to be greener. I was feeling rather discouraged last week while staring down a whole rack of those clear plastic non-recyclable dry cleaner films in my closet.

Do you already know where I'm going with this? Bear with me.

In the many how-to-be-green handbooks and blogs, much is said about the "wet cleaning" technology that avoids the use of PERC , a known carcinogen that contributes to the familiar smell surrounding dry cleaners. But green cleaners don't serve all markets, yet. (If you are in NYC, check out greenapplecleaners.com for this eco-friendly option.)

But despite regularly using my reusable bags at the grocery store, it never dawned on me to give my cleaner a reusable garment bag in which to return my clothes. A zip-up suit bag from my husband's last suit purchase worked perfectly. (I checked out NYC's Dept. of Sanitation's "waste prevention tips" right after my "duh" moment and, yes, it's one of their suggestions .)

Since there is now a green cleaner in my neighborhood who provides their own reusable garment bags AND uses wet cleaning technology, I won't make that mistake again. But if you don't have a green cleaner in your area - and you haven't thought of it already - you can still implement this painless waste reduction initiative on your own.

-Susan Marcinek

Recycling Underwear...So Hot!

Samantha received an email yesterday from Patagonia regarding their recycling program. Apparently, since 2005, Patagonia has been running a Common Threads Garment Recycling Program . Some of you might know about it already. They recycle anything made of Capilene and recently added Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece from other manufacturers and organic cotton t-shirts.

Included in this list is underwear. Yup, underwear. Check out the adventures of Patagonia's superhero Timmy O'Neill as he tries to convince the Japanese to recycle their underwear.

Click here and then click on the Mission Recycle Video link, half way down the page.

Enjoy!

Crazy Folding Chair

As I've said before, I read Treehugger pretty much every day. I try not to blog about things that I read there because, what's the point? They do a good job without me. Still, sometimes amazing things pop up on Treehugger, and it's worth blogging about. Check out this crazy folding chair video. Man, I really could use that in my apartment! It looks like it is made of cardboard, which is cool. However, no one seems sure of the product or its origin.

Enjoy the video here .

A Couple of Things

Well, I was pretty close on the score of the game! (see this weekend's post ) I feel bad for Chicago, they had a hell of a season. But, it just seemed to finally be Peyton Manning's year. Plus, Rex Grossman (Chicago's QB) played another putrid game. I'm not sure what's up with him. I'd hate to see his career end over one game, but I'm betting that sports fans in Chicago are calling for his head.

Anyway, I'm pretty busy today, so I thought I'd provide you all with a link on the growing green trends in business, found in a recent edition of Business Week. I don't really read Business Week, but Susan does and she brought a copy of the article to the Gift Show for us to read. Enjoy!

Welcome to the (Superbowl) Weekend

Is there anything else to talk about, other than the Superbowl? Yes, we are open this weekend. I'm working today from 11-8. Darya will be working tomorrow (Sunday) from 11-5. We will be closing at 5:00 because, after all, who shops at 6:00 or 7:00 on Superbowl Sunday?

As for the big game, I'll be watching as a sports fan and I have no favorite. I only cheer for my teams ( Bills , Sabres , Yankees ). I do, however, think that this game is one of the most difficult Superbowls to call. The best defense v.s. the best QB in football. Usually defense wins championships, but I have a hard time believing that Manning will blow this opportunity after working so hard to overcome the Patriots.

So, maybe Colts 24-17? Who knows? Just remember, this is the first Green Superbowl.

Not a (Recycled) Box

As a parent of a toddler, I am always on the look-out for a good picture book with the right amount of text to tell a simple, short, imaginative story. I saw a rave review for Not a Box by Antoinette Portis accompanied by picture of that eye-catching brown paper cover and thought it would be perfect for my son. It is a really sweet book.

In addition to the cute illustration, it reinforces an important "R" lesson -- reuse. But, who's kid doesn't like to play with and in a cardboard box? I cut out windows in a large box we got and we played in it everyday until it wouldn't stay up anymore despite repeated reinforcements.

But the neo-green in me can't help but give the marketing folks at Harper Collins a "C" for not using recycled materials. The cover is brown paper for crying out loud. They are missing a whole other marketing angle. Haven't they heard that being green is good for their bottom line?

-Susan Marcinek

Day Four: Last Day at the NYC Gift Show

Good lord, my back is killing me! After more than 30 hours of Jake strapped to my chest in our Baby Bjorn, the adventure is over. I did manage to take a few more photos. You can access them here . Look for LOTS of new products in our store and online over the next couple of months!

Photo Right: We spent most of our day at the Hudson River Piers. They look pretty shabby, but they make good additional space for conventions and events.