The PEG harvests one of the biggest energy hogs on earth–you. Place the little device into your bag or briefcase, plug in your cell phone

, GPS, or iPod, and let your kinetic energy power up your gadgets while you walk. You can get an 80% charge in one hour through your own energy alone. Green and brilliant.

With the nPower^® PEG, you’ll enjoy never-ending entertainment, communication, and security. Used to charge handheld electronics, the nPower^® PEG is a small, lightweight device that allows you to create renewable energy while you walk or run.

Just place the PEG in your backpack, briefcase, or handbag, and plug it into your iPod, cell phone, or GPS. As you walk, the PEG harvests the kinetic energy that you’re already generating and converts it into usable power for recharging your handheld electronic devices.

The PEG is lightweight and easy to use, try it out today and see how it well it works, all that is required is your motion, no outlets for charging, just good old fashioned leg work.

Today the Fed-Ex guy came and brought a very large package, but when I picked up the package it was super light, so I was interested to see what was inside. I just kept thinking that certainly they wouldn’t put something small in a large box, would they? After opening the package, we found out that yes they would package something small into a very large box.

Ecohearth.com has an article on Unwrapping Wasteful Packaging. Also you should check out the Sustainable Packaging Coalition for the Indicators and Metrics Framework that they released recently.

Can we do something about this? Yes we can! Many companies have already begun to recycle old boxes and package their items in boxes that fit their products, not everyone is as thoughtless as this company above but we should be aware of the companies we do work with and their eco friendly or non-eco friendly practices. Ask questions, see if packages can be picked up or specifically ask them to send your products in appropriately sized boxes.

It seems that we tend to get a bit overly excited and throw a lot of stuff away when we could be saving or recycling. Christmas doesn’t have to be a wasteful time of year, lets keep the recycling going all year round. Teach your kids how to recycle too. Here are some tips to make this Christmas a recycled one.

Zero waste wrapping paper – Why not take a deep breath and open your gifts nicely so you can save your wrapping paper for next year? Fold your bags, tissue and paper so you can have an assortment to use all year long.

Save or Recycle – When a gift is open, either recycle the box it came in and wrapping paper(if your not saving it) or save the box for a few months in case you need to return the item and then recycle.

Christmas Cards – You can always keep save your Christmas cards for crafts/cards  next year or put into your recycle bin right away.

Christmas Dinner – You can even recycle your Christmas dinner. Don’t waste your leftovers, save up your turkey for curry or stew, treat your pets to a Christmas meal or compost your vegetable trimmings and left over vegetables.

I don’t know how you are doing with getting your Christmas shopping done, but I still have a fair amount to get done. I would love to make some more gifts but time is running out. Below is a list of great do-it-yourself, quick, Green Christmas gifts.

1. Bath and Body Treatments from Planet Green and Martha Stewart. Click here for the recipe.
2. Make some Caramel-Corn Clusters for Christmas gifts from Planet Green. Click here for the recipe.
3. Make a pine cone bird feeder. Click here for instructions.
4. DIY Natural Christmas Candles. Click here for the instructions.
5. Do-it-yourself Organic Chocolate. Click here for the recipe.

Its not always easy to find gifts for guys, especially those guys that have it all and don’t need a thing.

Below is a list of great green gifts for that hard-to-buy-for guy in your life.

Tree Hugger Tee’s – Free shipping on orders over $50. Each 100% organic cotton tee costs $25. and they have a bunch of fun ones to choose from.

Recycled Necktie & Suit Wallets from Uncommon Goods – Recycled neckties and suits turn into wallets for the eco-friendly man.

Shake and Shine Flashlight – Handy little no-battery emergency flashlight is extremely bright and reliable. It never needs batteries and generates power by converting mechanical energy (shaking) into electrical energy to power the light.

Bike Chain Bottle Opener – Uncap your favorite beverage with this bottle opener made of recycled bike chain.

If you have a chef in your family, someone who loves food and loves to cook, check out the list below of 6 wonderful, green, Eco-friendly Christmas gifts for the food lover in your life.

1. Duo Pressure Cooker from Fagor – This contemporary update on the classic pressure cooker recycles stainless steel in streamlined modern design with high-functioning performance.
2. The Organic Wine Company Monthly Wine Club – Each month, they will send you a selection of 3 wines from our collection. New vintages or interesting, but rare wines will be offered in priority to expand your horizons!
3. Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge Logic – Its legendary cooking performance keeps it on the list of kitchen essentials for great chefs and home kitchens alike. And check out their Eco-responsibility practices.
4. Organic Spice Collection – Each spice can contains 12 one-teaspoon packets. These flavorful organic herbs complement the global cuisines of today’s kitchen. Includes, Basil, Dill Weed, Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon and Thyme.
5. Green Your Kitchen – Includes everything you need to green your kitchen and replace those non green items that you have been keeping around.
6. Bamboo Salad Bowls – 100% organically-grown bamboo, non-toxic adhesive, natural food-safe wood oil. These bowls are made from vertical-grain bamboo, which makes them not only beautiful, but also extremely durable. They do not impart or absorb flavors.

U.S. residents throw away more waste per person than those in any other nation. Between Thanksgiving and New years Day alone, Americans produce an extra one million tons of trash per week compared to any other time of the year.

1. Be creative when it comes to sending out Christmas cards. Emailing is much more Eco-friendly but giving a card is so much more festive to . If you are going to send out card, try reusing old cards and cutting them apart to make your own. You can make your own envelopes out of old paper, maps and the like. Have fun and let the kids join in.
2. When wrapping gifts, use left over wrapping paper from last year (I save wrapping paper from holidays and birthdays if they are in good shape so I can reuse it). You can make your own bows from newspaper or magazines, also you can use cut up old clothes to wrap gifts also.
3. As far as gifts go – stop generating waste by giving concert tickets, museum tickets, movie tickets or gift cards for things you need like grocery stores. The gift of time is a great one too. Offer to babysit for families with kids or offer to help with yard work for the older recipients.
4. Forget about using disposable party-ware. If you are having a potluck and don’t have enough dishes for each person then have each family bring their own along with their own silverware.
5. Ornaments and Decorations. If you need new ornaments, try your hand at making your own, the Internet is full of easy-to-make, DIY ideas. Using what you already have is the best way to generate less waste. If you must buy more, check your local thrift stores, they usually have a bunch of Christmas decor and ornaments that people have just got rid of.

Living in the wet Northwest climate makes for some daunting tasks when it comes to keeping your houses in tip top shape. Constant roof and gutter care are needed, to take care of things such as moss on your roof and weeds growing out of your gutters.

There is a company, JNR Industries, in Milwaukie, Oregon that has implemented a green policy.

First of all, we have put in an extreme effort to choose the right chemicals for roof moss removal in Portland, Oregon, that kill moss only and are friendly to the environment. There are many chemicals that have a detrimental effect, but we’ve taken the time to select the right products for Portland roof cleaning that don’t negatively affect the environment. Zinc application has been proven to be the best moss killing method, while still protecting nature. Our Zinc blend has been further enhanced and tested to be even more effective, but still safe.

Second, building a new roof uses a tremendous amount of our Earth’s natural resources. Proper roof maintenance, our primary service, saves materials, debris, garbage and potentially a heavy use of chemicals at a later date. We feel good about our decision to go green, and our most conscientious clients agree wholeheartedly.

Don’t leave all this work to the Roof & Gutter cleaners, there is stuff that you can do too – maintain your roof properly to prevent a large outlay of dollars and natural resource consumption for a new roof.

If you need some roofing help and don’t live in Oregon, click here for a list of Eco-friendly roofing companies around the country.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Ecofabulous has a list of the Greenest Pink Ribbon Purchases online.

Use your pink ribbon buying power to choose the greenest pink ribbons, ensuring that your dollars still make a contribution to the cure, while supporting companies that are taking matters into their own hands and eliminating any chance of known carcinogens. We’ve rounded up our top ecofabulous picks for making the greenest pink ribbon purchases –  stock up now for the holidays!

• Best To-Go Ware Utensil Set
• Sweetgrass Farm Fragrance Stick
• Julia Failey Eco Friendly Jewelry
• Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
• Think Pink – Go Green Collection
• Recycled Glass Awake Bird
• Gretchen & Grace Greenwear
• Breast Cancer Bracelet
• Love Hearts Organic Catnip Toy
• Organic Zoo Hemp Dog Toy
• ARCONA Cranberry Toner

Buy any of these great gifts in this list and a percentage of your purchase price will be dontated to the Breast Cancer Fund.

If you have run out of ideas for kids costumes this halloween, check out these costumes in a box. Yesterday I found this great article in the Statesman Journal newspaper, in the Life section, about Costumes in a Box.

Trying to be green this Halloween requires that  I try to reuse and recycle and with these box costumes I think it would be fairly easy to do. With just a box, some paint and some clothing match ups you can be on your way to making a great costume. And as a bonus its on the cheap too!

Costume Ideas:

• The Tin Man
• Lego Block
• Sponge Bob Square Pants
• iPod

Click here for the complete article and instructions. And if your looking for an adult verion of any of these you would just need a bigger box, ask your local furniture or appliance store for boxes.