Santa Barbara Green Spot is now GreenFixes

Many of the conscious spending blog readers are also fans of Santa Barbara Green Spot, so I wanted to let you all know that Crystal's bitchin' blog has officially been changed to GreenFixes, located at http://www.greenfixes.blogspot.com/.

This blog has a national focus in environmental issues, thus the name was changed to best communicate/fit the solutions presented in the blog.

If you were a subscribed reader, please change your saved website link to the new one.

Green Fixes is for all things related to sustainable business industry trends and best practices.

The green fix blog and business goal: Uniting businesses with our natural environment by allowing them to value the services provided by a rich and diverse natural environment while still remaining profitable, competitive, and valuable to shareholders.

:0)

Electric Bikes = Happy Environment

We stumbled upon a great article on Santa Barbara Electric Bicycle's blog about The positive Impact Electric Bikes have on our environment

According to the post, "Using an electric bicycle instead of an automobile greatly reduces your carbon footprint! The average car emits 1 pound of CO2 for every mile driven. By using an electric bike you will be reducing pollution in the form of CO2, as well as NOX, tire and brake lining fragmants."

So you reduce carbon emissions AND get fit - how coolio is that? :)

You can learn more about electric bicycles at http://www.sbebc.com/ or on their blog http://electric-bicycle-sb.blogspot.com/

Big deals at Patagonia

Patagonia, one the the goodest (I know that's not a word, but it's our blog and we can do what we want to) companies on the planet. If you need any great gear that will last a lifetime, then check out their uber-fab dealios:

From a Patagonia email:

After your downwind paddle, glide on over to the Web Specials* section of Patagonia.com and dig in to some discounted gear. The list below is just a sampling of the off-season and special make-up items you'll find at 30-60% off retail prices. Styles, colors and prices change periodically so check back often.

M's Synchilla® Marsupial - Special Was $80 NOW $40

M's Micro Synchilla® Jacket Was $99 NOW $49

M's Nooner Jacket Was $138 NOW $70

M's Buckshot Flannel Shirt - Special Was $78 NOW $39

M's Super Guide Jacket - Pro Patrol Was $165 NOW $82.50

M's Lightweight Stand Up Shorts® - 7" Inseam - Special Was $50 NOW $29

M's Capilene® 3 Crew - Special Was $44 NOW $26.40

W's Retro-X Jacket - Special Was $175 NOW $105

W's Braata Flair Pants Was $50 NOW $30

W's Brushed Vitaliti Blazer Was $90 NOW $54

W's Synchilla® Marsupial - Special Was $80 NOW $40

Overhead Shed Was $245 NOW $125

Critical Mass® Bag Was $99 NOW $49

Kids' Synchilla® Marsupial - Special Was $59 NOW $35.40

You can now shop by size or browse all Web Specials

Organic Style Early Bunny Special: Tulips + Chocolate Giveaway

Hey Conscious Spenders! If you are in the market to send flowers, go organic!

Organic Style sent an email out announcing a special flower deal with OrganicBouquet.com - they are offering a FREE chocolate gift with Easter Tulips!


Organic gifty fabulousness!

Our way of life is killing the planet

I rarely use the blog to rant - it is my job to give you ideas about how to spend consciously, but I had a crude awakening over the weekend that I wanted to share as I think it applies to some of our planetary pitfalls and if we don't become more aware of the connection of our lifestyle and the impacts of it on the planet, we will hose ourselves.

Okay, here I go....

I travel a lot for work and as a conscious spender, I work to offest my impact with things like Terrapass to offest my carbon emissions for driving, 41pounds.org to stop junk mail, I use eco-friendly cleaning products and I support conscious businesses....BUT...I was strapped for cash last weekend and selected a more budget hotel (vs. a sustainable hotel) this weekend (I was teaching in the Bay area) and because I had time alone to think and observe, I really got a nasty taste of our time-crunched culture and how our way of life may be a direct link to the negative dent on the planet....

Let me explain....

I stopped to get gas as I drove up the coast and the places I stopped at for gas only sell junk...plastic water bottle everything, packaged foods, ick. I watched as my fellow travelers purchased dozens of plastic bottled goods and body-toxifying items (that really aren't food when you think about it) All the junk being sold at "convenience stores" have packaging that can end up in landfills OR hopefully some plastic will get recycled, but it's really disturbing when you look hard at it...

I will not name the hotel I stayed it, but I can tell you that I am NEVER staying there again! I got up for my continental breakfast and I was abhorred by:
1. All the crap that was out for breakfast
2. That ALL the serving utensils were plastic or foam!
3. All the trashable crap that was in my room from coffee making items, toiletries and more.

To help diminish my eco-impact at breakfast, I went up to my room and got my personal cup for coffee but I was really freaking out as I watched my fellow travelers eat fast, eat stupid and worst of all - waste, waste, waste.

Shame on the hotel for not being mindful of the products they put out, but

SHAME ON US for our time-crunched culture where we all move so fast and multi task and eat on the run so we make so much waste. I really believe that our culture is the culprit and until we change our lifestyles, we cannot make the best choices for our planet and future generations.

It's hard being a single girl on a budget...it's not always easy to support eco-friendly hotels when you have bills to pay, but frankly, I'd rather be poor in paradise then go cheap and stay somewhere like I did last weekend.

We CAN make a difference if we care and are aware. I want everyone to think about ways they can ease the time crunch so you have time to fill your own reusable cups before you hit the road, actually eat while sitting down so your body gets the nourishment it needs and you can take a moment to breathe and remember to recycle, make conscious choices and give a damn...

I welcome all opinions - I need ideas, thoughts, challenging opinions!

WorldofGood.com eBay community is LIVE!

I am so excited to share with you all that we have a great new conscious spending resource! WorldofGood, powered by eBay, is an awesome online community where individuals can create positive change through commerce, as part of a global community.

The founders saw the need for education and collaboration so people could be more empowered with the choices they make to better impact people and the planet. World of Good partnered with eBay to marry passion with web power and voila! Super conscious community!

What I love about the site is the people-powered component. It's all about collaboration, trusted information and transparency into how and where products are made.

Three Leaf Cards blogs periodically on World of Good, and I encourage you to bookmark their site and create an account and make a difference!

There was a great interview on Treehugger.co, about the founder - check it out! Treehugger Interview: Robert Chatwani, eBay’s Greenest Rising Star

Day One of No Water Bottle Use

It is day one of my no water bottle usage committment. I would like to thank my new friend Amanda from the Brooklyn Green Team (how eco-hot are they, by the way?!!!) for emailing me back so fast when I pledged my committment. Y'all rock!

Day one is off to a good start. I have this old Starbucks almminum mug that is going to come with me everyhere to spare any desire to buy or use a water bottle.

Right now it is full of coffee, but nonetheless, I have not used a water bottle yet.
I will also commit to bringing my own pre-filled water bottle to they gym to spare any desire to buy a plastic water bottle.

If you haven't signed up for the NO WATER BOTTLE CHALLENGE, get on it! Every little thing makes a BIG difference!

'Mood lighting' can still save energy

I get a great eNewsletter from Community Environmental Council and they had a great tip on mood lighting!

"Dimmable lights in your home or office can have their bulbs replaced by highly efficent CFLs. Learn where to buy them on www.GetEnergized.org"

20% OFF at Greenloop for Valentine's Day - Ends Soon!

Valentine's Day is coming and Greenloop is offering 20% off green Valentine's Day gifts! The coupon good through February 10th. Use code: GREENLOVE

Organic Style Magazine - PaperLESS Edition!

Organic Style Magazine now has a paperless digital edition so we can still get their great organic style news AND Save Trees!

Read the free edition of Organic Style and make a conscious choice to recycle any magazines you do not read anymore.

Good recycling magazine tip - to get more life out of the printed magazines, take mags you have read already to your gym so your guy buddies can share!

Give TOMS this Valentine's Day

Conscious Spenders,
Since Valentine's Day is coming, I thought I'd focus my posts on socially responsible companies that serve a greater good (Since Three Leaf Cards is all about making a difference, we'd feature companies in our same camp!)

If you give Tom's shoes as a gift (gifts to yourself are ok too!) every pair you buy = one given to a child in need.

Oh, and let's not forget to mention that Tom is a megababe, we can consciously support cute do-gooders - woohoo!

Be well!

Send Meaningful Valentine's Cards Online!

Hey Conscious Spenders,
I rarely plug Three Leaf Cards but since it's almost Valentine's Day (and it is my blog and I can do what I want to!), I have to suggest conscious spending by getting an annual membership to send great online greeting cards that serve a greater good!


Three Leaf Cards has GREAT Valentine's Day Cards that have amazing imagery and beautiful quotes...have fun making cards and you can schedule them in advance so you can hit up all your loved ones!!!

I love the Hotel Triton so much that I want to marry it

Well, after a post like that I don't really know how to follow, but I'll give it a go! I was up in San francisco this week and stayed at my favorite hotel EVER! Hotel Triton is owned by the Kimpton Hotel Group. They are a socially responsible company. Their mission says it all:

"Be a leader in the hospitality industry in supporting a sustainable world, by continuing to deliver a premium guest experience through non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services."

I love supporting Kimpton Hotels 1. Because their hotels ROCK and 2. Because of their Earth Care committment:

"Kimpton Hotels has made a life-long commitment to environmental responsibility. Being environmentally responsible is not a one day job. It is a commitment and one that Kimpton is dedicated to for life. Every three months, new products and practices are introduced to Kimpton EarthCare, furthering our vision to reduce our impact on the environment. Of course, all the while we protect the high quality hotel experience our guests expect."

The service is stellar, the eco-friendly emphasis makes me feel good about where I put my moolah and I am surronded with conscious care.

Sustainable Furniture - New Conscious Choice

When I attended last year's Co-Op America Conference in San Francisco, I walked away inspired and committed to making choices about where my money goes to help make a difference.

My conscious choice of the week was investing in new office furniture, but not just any office furniture, sustainable office furniture!

I am buying National Office Furniture not because it's a cheap deal (oh noooo!), but because they are a company that cares and I am buying (or should I say investing) in a QUALITY product that I will have forever. Plus, my home office will look really sexy and that's a plus too!!!

If you want to make conscious choices, support companies that WALK THE TALK. Need advice on how to find these companies? Check out members of 1% for the Planet. Three Leaf Cards is a member of 1% for the Planet, a very conscious choice that counts to consumers who want to support companies that put their money where their mouth is!

Ernesto Soy Lube for Bikes

Ernesto is trying to build name recognition with a soy-based bike lube. It’s biodegradable, and you can even send the empty bottle back when it’s gone to get it refilled.

If you’re looking to lower the environmental footprint of your bike, this might be the only way to increase your righteousness while winding a cargo bike through streets crowded with SUVs.

A 4oz bottle of Ernesto Lube is only $6.

Kudos to a Santa Barbara Day Spa Owner for Recycling!

I stumbled upon a Busy Working Moms Blog run by a day spa owner in Santa Barbara. Check out her cool tips about recycling.

I LOVE business people that care!!!

Read the Recycling Made Easy Article from the BusyWorkingMom blog and support conscious business people where you live!!!

Free Envirosax Shopping Bag with a $50 Greenloop Purchase

Need clothes? Buy green! Greenloop has sustainable clothes that look as good as they make you feel AND they are giving away sweet bags with a $50 purchase! Just enter code ENVIROSAX into the Order Comments box under your Payment Method at checkout, and Greenloop will include 1 FREE Envirosax Shopping Bag for each $50.00 of your purchase.

Shop on conscious spender!

Confessions of a Conscious Shopper

Sometimes it's tough being a wild web woman. You live behind a computer screen, your only interactions with the outside world are via email or web conferencing and you feel all alone in your little wild web world. Now, don't get me wrong...my lack of commute and work flexibility is great, but sometimes you just have "one of those days"...

...And sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough just has to go shopping....

So I was at a meeting (yes, an actual get in the car and meet people in person meeting) and the shopping mall was on the way home...going back to my home office and sitting behind the laptop was not desirable and since I was already in the shopping area, I realize that it would be less impactful to shop now versus make a second driving trip (you are hearing all the shopping excuses already!) back to the mall, so I make a conscious shopping choice to STOP, SHOP and ROLL....keep rolling with me as I confess my not-so guilty shopping sins....

Let me first pat my conscious spending self on the back for taking my canvas bag with me before I started my shopping extravaganza. Go me...ok, rolling on...

First shopping stab - AVEDA. I love Aveda so much I want to marry them. Their products are amazing, the company is cool and most importantly, they are dedicated to making a difference. I try to consciously support companies that do good and Aveda is top on my shop therapy list. Did you know that they are the first beauty company manufacturing with 100% certified wind power?

So, I walk into Aveda feeling pitiful and tired and I am overwhelmed with a stellar customer service "Welcome to Aveda!" greeting. As I sip calming Aveda tea, I get pampered with makeup help (and honestly, I needed some help in the beautification department) a hand massage and overall stellar service. After I look like a naturally glowing goddess thanks to my Aveda superstar, I use my Aveda points (BTW, I am going to Jamaica on Aveda points, mark my conscious spending words!) and as the women are ringing me up, they thank me profusely for bringing my own canvas bag. Getting shopping support when I try to be green really rocks. Then we proceed to talk about their new wind energy movement, my goal to go to Jamaica (a la supporting Aveda) and I'm off....

My seond shop therapy stop was lululemon athletica. I had a gift certificate to the store burning a hole in my pocket and there was no better time than now. Conscious spender note - lululemon has great shopping bags I use as a gym bag or lunch bag and they give you $.50 off when you bring in any shopping bag. I love stuff like that!

I find some great workout wear that is in line with my gift certificate amount and I bought basic black so I can wear this stuff forever. Suggestion for conscious fashionistas - buy classic and the shelf life of clothing will be super long...saves shop time because you have the basics you need and you don't have the trend factors that kill clothing shelf life. lululemon has a great manifesto
that is very pro balance, health and what really matters. Another cool company that I am happy to support.

Once my canvas bag had new workout clothes and Aveda goodies, I was consciously shopped out and wanted to call it quits. I supported two great companies, felt good about my choices and now feel some redemption from my conscious shopping confessional......

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

OrganicStyle.com Offering 10% Discount!

Don't Panic - Organic Style is offering a 10% Discount! I got an email from them today - follow this link to get 10% off (they build the discount in and you see it in the shopping cart.

eco-friendly acne treatment - tea tree oil

It's a shiny new year (YAY!) but my shiny new blemish is not rocking my new year world. I am a HUGE advocate for tea tree oil, an extraction from the Melaleuca tree.

It is a natural antiseptic and antifungal and it kills my blemishes! You can get
tea tree oil at any health food store and it lasts forever.

Tea tree oil is one of those great must-have items to use on cuts, when you make all natural cleaning products for the household, to kill zits and more!