Made from 100% natural products, Celestial Seasonings Green Tea is made of all that is good. Great flavor for good health, this Green Tea is smooth and satisfying. No strings, tags or staples, Celestial Seasonings’ unique pillow-style tea bag is made for the environmentally conscious and is not packaged in individual wrappers saving over 3.5 million pounds of waste from entering our landfills every year.

Serving over 1.6 billion cups of tea every year, Celestial Seasonings has been harvesting all-natural herbal teas since 1969.  All ingredients are grown around the world utilizing the philosophy of ethical trade practice, assuring fair market prices which spur local businesses, creating more jobs, empowering farmers and their communities.

Steeped in hot water (not boiling), you will experience the mild, delicately balanced taste and the healthy goodness that Celestial Seasonings aspires to create. For a special cold treat, try the iced tea recipe on the inside flap of the box, it is delicious.

• Water Efficiency
• Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Sustainable Furnishings and Building Materials
• Sustainable Food
• Energy
• Disposables
• Chemical and Pollution Reduction

The GRA also rates on new builds and renovation projects and events with required minimum points to earn a certificate. The GRA website gives you several ways that you, as a consumer, can green your dining experience. You can also sign up for their newsletter to get updated information on all Green Restaurant Association news.

By Dena Fritz

Buy your products in bulk and you can help save our earth! The landfills are being loaded up with consumer packaging and we can do something to put a stop to it. Wasteful packaging, for products like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins… buy a product in bulk and it is wrapped one time compared to buying it every week and in the end, you have thrown away several wrappers. You may even pay higher prices by buying food and produce in fancy excessive packaging. They look nice but when unwrapped, the quality is not better, just prettier. Buy your meat in larger quantities and break up, place in reusable containers to freeze. That means less Styrofoam, which NEVER breaks down in a landfill.

The same goes with many products that are boxed needlessly. Deodorant now comes without fancy boxes, who needs them? They go in the trash and kill trees anyway. Look at these things when shopping and try to buy things that go package free. Many manufacturers are looking at ways to display their products without all the needless dump fillers. You can do your part by shopping smart and avoiding all the over-done packaging that are most times just marketing ploys.

During this holiday season, and all year round, make sure to let your food cool down to room temperature before putting leftovers in the refrigerator. This will actually cut down on the usage of electricity to cool your fridge down. Being green is the best gift you could give mother Earth, so enjoy your wonderful home-cooked food and your holiday season!

Yellow & Blue 2008 Torrontes

Wine made from organically grown grapes are a growing trend. It makes us thrilled to know that even the drinks we imbibe are becoming greener, and it makes us want to open a bottle and enjoy a glass of great wine. Yellow & Blue is a great wine maker that has mastered the fruit of the vine.

Their 2008 Torrontes is an incredible white wine, that compliments cheese, smoked meats, and seafood. It has a medium body, and has a fresh flavor. One of the neatest things about this wine is the packaging. Yellow & Blue uses tetra pak containers, which means it contains more in each bottle. It also means that it makes less of an impact when shipping, and is recyclable as well. Don’t worry about it not fitting in your wine rach, as it easily slides in just like a regular bottle. So twist off the top, and enjoy a glass with your best girls or honey!

Check out Yellow & Blue.

Most grocery stores offer money back for utilizing reusable bags. So not only are you making a greener effort in ridding our world of unnecessary plastic bags, but you are saving money as well. In just a short time the reusable bags will pay for themselves, and you will be pocketing the rest. Cha-ching!

Tao of Tea 100% Organic Rooibos Tea

Tea often serves as a comforting part of the day, and there are many types to enjoy. A comforting option that we’ve come across is the 100% Organic Rooibos African Red Tea from Tao of Tea. This sweet, fruity loose tea has an earthy flavored undertone, and serves as a satisfying treat. Rooibos grows in the Cedarburg Mountain region of South Africa, which lacks nutrients, has acidic soil, and hot weather.

This delicious tea is caffeine free, and contains a solid amount of antioxidants. The best way to serve is one teaspoon per 8 ounces of water, and steep for about 5 to 10 minutes. The smooth, fulfilling taste will be the perfect antidote to the chilly fall air. If you prefer sweet tea, we suggest you put a drop of organic honey into your mug.

Enjoy now at Tao of Tea

Pacific Natural Organic Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

With a chill in the air, we find comfort in warm filling foods. Pacific Natural Foods has an incredible selection of delicious, organic choices. Our favorite for fall is their USDA Certified Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Creamy Tomato natural soup. This amazing, flavorful soup not only warms you up, but fills you up. We suggest putting a spoonful of non-fat sour cream in a hot bowl of soup, and enjoy the rich, gluten free goodness. If this flavor isn’t your cup-of-tea, there are 12 others to choose from.

Pacific Natural started in 1987, and has a focus in making delicious, natural, and organic food. They take great pride in aiding with community initiatives including a Wetlands Project, and the Oregon Food Bank. As far as their pride-and-joy goes, all of their food is Certified to the Source. This means that they track “the origin of every ingredient that goes into their food”. By doing this thorough process the are able to ensure the highest quality products.

Check them out at Pacific Natural Foods

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Frey Organic Cabernet Sauvignon

There’s nothing quite like opening a bottle of wine after a long week, pouring yourself a glass, and sipping away. Now there’s an even more enjoyable reason to stock your wine rack, Frey Organic Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, Frey Vineyards- Mendocino County makes only organic wine.

Aside from the lovely taste, the best selling point is that their wine does not have added sulfites. Sulfites can actually cause headaches or allergies, and are often the reason for that lothargic feeling the day after having wine. This heavy, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark purple color, fruity undertones, and is the perfect complement to a bowl of fresh organic berries.

So pop open a bottle, pour yourself a glass, and enjoy responsibly!

Klean Kanteen

It’s extremely important for all of us to stay hydrated, and there’s no better hydration than good old water. Many of us grab a plastic water bottle on the go, because they are convenient to take with you wherever you are. The problem with this is that we waste tons of plastic. We also risk having adverse health problems from the chemicals projected into water from the plastic.

Instead of purchasing plastic water bottles, invest in a reusable bottle that is made of aluminum or food grade stainless steel. One that stood out to us is the Klean Kanteen. These BPA free, stainless steel, reusable water bottles come in a variety of sizes and colors to match your personality. We recommend the 27 oz. size, so you can throw it in your purse, or clip it to your hiking gear on the trail.

By purchasing a reusable water bottle you will also save a ton of money over the long haul. Think about it…the average water bottle costs $1.50. The Klean Kanteen 27 oz. bottle costs $19.95. That means that for the cost of about 13 bottles of water you will never have to buy another plastic water bottle again. So buy one and drink up!

Buy now at www.kleankanteen.com.