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Archive for the ‘Green Living’ Category

How Green Are You Contest!!!

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

ss-2Ok readers we want to know from all of you “How Green Are You”. Tell us your story on what you do to impact the environment in a positive way. No impact is too small or large and we want to hear about it to share with the world and continue increasing awareness. If you recycle we want hear about it. If you have a solar electric system we want to what your system’s environmental impact has done. If you stopped using plastic bags we want to know how you adjusted from plastic to eco-bags. If you do it all WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!!!

Bringing environmental awareness to our readers is a top priority for So-Cal Solar Inc. That is why we have decided to run a contest and hear how our readers have changed their lifestyles to help the environment. The “How Green Are You” contest will be from February 22-March 17, 2010. Below you will find the rules to enter:

1. Email your story to info@socalsolarinc.com
2. All ages are welcome to enter
3. Have your story submitted by March 16, 2010 6pm
4. Include pictures if available
5. No purchase necessary to enter
6. No restrictions on prize winner
7. Winner will be selected by So-Cal Solar Inc. staff via e-mail
8. No limitations on entries per household

The winner of the contest will be featured on our website along with his or her story. We want the story to be heard to start changing the mindset of those that do not contribute in a positive light to the environment. Along with being featured on our website the winner will also be receiving Homeology’s All Purpose Cleaner. Homeology is a green cleaning product line created by Gold Canyon. Homeology has carefully been created to ensure the products are non-toxic, natural and safe for the environment, pets, kids and your health. To learn more about Homeology please visit www.mygc.com/Lamonica .

So-Cal Solar Inc.
2010 West Ave K
Lancaster, CA 93536

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Posted in Green Living | 3 Comments »

Product of the Month

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

homeology

If you are thinking about buying green cleaning products for the first time but are unsure of which products to buy, you might want to consider buying Gold Canyon’s green cleaning products called Homeology. The products are made with natural ingredients and have received great reviews from magazines such as Better Homes and Garden and Everyday with Rachael Ray. The ingredients that are used in Gold Canyon Homeology products are purified water, essential oils, and coconut based cleaners.

The type of products that are available in Gold Canyon’s Homeology green cleaning products line are Rosemary Mint All Purpose Cleaner, Mandarin Eucalyptus Clove Cleanse, Lavender Eucalyptus Sweet Orange Floor Cleaner, and Peppermint Eucalyptus Glass Cleaner.

Below is a list of essentials that are used in each product:

Rosemary Mint All Purpose Cleaner uses peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, and eucalyptus essential oils.

Mandarin Eucalyptus Clove Cleanse uses lemon, cinnamon, clove, mandarin, and eucalyptus essential oils.

Lavender Eucalyptus Sweet Orange Floor Cleaner uses sweet orange, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils.

Peppermint Eucalyptus Glass Cleaner uses lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint essential oils.

If you are unfamiliar with the Mandarin Eucalyptus Cleanse, below explains where the natural cleaner can be used:

This product can be used as a natural scrub for appliances, tile, sink, countertop, bathtub, and much more. The Mandarin Eucalyptus Clove Cleanse can also be used as a deodorizer for a trash can, diaper pail, and other items in the home.

If you are interested in buying any of Gold Canyon’s Homeology products you can do so by going to the following website: www.mygc.com/Lamonica

To read more about Homeology products please take the time to visit the following blog:
http://fabulousgccandles.blogspot.com/

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Posted in Green Living | 13 Comments »

Turning the Holidays Green

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Deck the halls this holiday by turning the spirit green. As we frantically get ready for family and the holiday bustle, our first order of business is turning our homes into winter wonderlands. This year I challenge you all to turn your holidays into a recycled green occasion. Below are my helpful tips to get your mind going green.

Dazzling the Tree:
All trees need beautiful ornaments so why not make them instead of purchasing new ones. Hand made ornaments are a hit this year because they can be crafted from everyday materials found around the home. Grab some glitter, glue and sprinkle away. This is a great way to get the family involved and turn this event into a tradition for years to come. Next, make sure your tree lights are LED lights. This will ensure the extra lights won’t take a damaging effect on your already high electric bill.

Cards:
Every year our holiday card list seems to get longer and longer and also very expensive. Instead of wasting your time, money and paper why not send an e-card. Most e-card services are free and you are able to customize your own holiday messages with photos.

Wrapping the Gifts:
Although we all enjoy opening those shinny little boxes under the tree, the moment only last a few seconds. So make sure you use holiday newspaper ads, recycled paper, or reusable bags.

The Perfect Gift:
This year find the holiday spirit by giving non-traditional gifts to friends and family that they will enjoy after the holidays. Gifts such as a free housecleaning, babysitting or even a nice outdoor picnic once the holiday bustle slows down. I know we all wish we could have a little extra help in our lives so a thoughtful gesture such as the ideas above will make hearts melt. Plus your pocketbook will thank you later. If you insist on purchasing a gift get a present that will be enjoyable and good for the environment.
Such gifts as:

Solar outdoor lights
Bamboo cutting boards
Eco golf tees
Organic baby clothes
E-readers
Solar electric system

Going green on the holidays is not as hard as we may think. I welcome others to post their green tips for the holidays. Together we can make this holiday cheer last a lifetime.

Happy Holidays from the So-Cal Solar family!

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Posted in Green Living | 18 Comments »

Have A Green Wedding And Make That Day A Little Bit More Special!

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

You can help save the environment even on your wedding day. By having a green wedding, you can enjoy all the elements of a traditional wedding while making sure that you are minimizing any harm to the environment.

The first major consideration is the number of guests you are inviting. It is great to have a big wedding but it is expensive as well. A practical move would be to choose special friends, family, and relatives to invite for your wedding. This will cut down your expenses and also reduce the carbon footprint because fewer guest will mean less travel!

Try to make use of local ingredients and hire a local caterer who has enough knowledge about how to produce those sumptuous dishes you want but from local produce. You are not only helping the environment but you are also patronizing the local growers by buying their produce. These foods are relatively healthier compared to those from other places that may have preservatives in them.

Why not wear a vintage bridal gown instead of a new one that may contain many synthetic materials. Or try choosing a gown that is made from organic cotton or hemp.  The wedding dress is one the most important elements of your wedding so you will be proud, knowing that what you are wearing not only looks great but is also good for the environment.

Instead of importing out of season flowers from abroad, you can make use of the local grown blooms. Some couples even use flowers from their own garden!  Another tip to consider is sharing flowers with another couple who has the same wedding date as yours. After the celebration, you can also send your flowers to some nursing homes instead of throwing it away.

For your wedding favors, you can give away flower seeds which will also serve as a lasting memento for your wedding as your guests can enjoy for a long time the blooms that will result from these seeds.

Perhaps the most significant impact on the environment is you choice of wedding venue. Try to have your wedding outdoors and during the day.  Make sure you ask the venue important questions like whether they participate in recycling or conserve water.  If you really want to have the biggest impact on your green wedding day choose a venue that utilizes solar electric.  This would mean your wedding day would run completely on clean energy and help aid in the fight against global warming.

If you want to have an eco-friendly wedding that is sincere and genuine, you can check out Green Wedding. There you can find 101 tips on how to have the ultimate green wedding of your choice and a free green wedding e-book to help you get started planning your green wedding now.

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Posted in Green Living | 25 Comments »

Calling all Artist…Time to Turn Green

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” We’ve all heard it before and by now we’ve found some truth to it. All the non-believers will soon see the truth to that quote. Great things have been constructed from trash and even greater things are to come with the SMART Art Trash into Treasure competition. SMART is allowing submissions for the following forms of art: music, sculpture, photography, video, and functional items.

Art has inspired the world for centuries and now it’ll inspire a greener future. Art is one of the best ways to display innovative ideas. One great form of art is story telling and many stories talked about impossible technology that has become possible today. Harnessing the power of the sun was something ancient cultures only thought their gods could do. We’ve even been able to harness the power of the sun with solar technology. There are movies with sun powered and garbage powered cars which now exist because someone thought it and another person created it. We can do just about anything if we work together. This contest can only bring better things into our world by reusing waste.

Some people can’t imagine creating a masterpiece from waste and old junk. The results from SMART Art competition will show them otherwise. Tons of masterpieces have been created and inspired by waste. For example one of the most popular functional items seen today is the Spiral Island. Spiral Island is constructed of 100,000 plastic bottles, some nets, bamboo, and lots of sand. Rishi Sowa, a British eco pioneer and founder of Spiral Island, even incorporated solar technology to power an oven, waterfall, and pond. Solar goes with you anywhere and Rishi was able to harness the portability that you can only obtain from solar technology.

The ideas are limitless. Solar powering your entire project may even give you an extra edge in the competition. We hope to see a few entries for solar powered instruments, furniture, cameras, and other functional designs in this competition. Solar energy will reduce the need for other means of energy that are toxic for our environment. Imagine the fun that you could create with solar technology and recyclable products. There are designer lamps constructed of PET bottles and led lights. Maybe you could be the next Rishi Sowa and construct an artistic island or large habitable structure?

The winner of this competition will be able to participate in the Plastiki Expedition. The Plastiki is a boat composed entirely of recycled bottles. Its main mission is to inspire the world to rethink their waste. Waste has been recycled into wondrous things such as the Plastiki. The Plastiki has also incorporated solar energy to power their expedition. Most of the onboard electricity will depend entirely on solar power. The solar power used on the expedition will reduce the waste sent back into the environment because it decreases the need for oil and environmentally harmful batteries. This competition will have a positive impact on the environment as people go out pick up trash and turn it into a masterpiece or functional design.

Don’t limit yourself because these days everyone turns everything into junk. Show them it’s not junk. Show them a greener future.

—Additional Info For Those That Want to Enter—

Learn more here.

Deadline for submission is May 1, 2009. Guidelines are here.

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Posted in Green Art, Green Living | 5 Comments »

Gadget of the Month

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Have you given up on watches completely? If so was it caused by the hassle of having to change the dead battery over and over? Remember how annoying it was to pop open the back of a watch and replace the tiny battery? Do not give up on watches quite yet! Thanks to solar power and the company FreeStyle there is a new watch, the Boiler. That’s right it is solar powered for your convenience. The power of the sun will revive your lifeless watch when every bit of juice has been drained. Never mess with changing dead batteries again. One charge for this watch will keep you on time for 12 months according to FreeStyle. If you use direct sunlight to charge the watch it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. 10 minutes of charging is 12 months of power! Even if you don’t get out that often this watch will charge under fluorescent lights, or you can just leave it by your window.
The Boiler also benefits our environment with its solar technology. With old watches you’d be tossing away the dead batteries and more than likely you’ll dispose of it the wrong way. If not disposed properly, dead batteries can and will break down and emit toxins. The toxins affect wildlife, water, and the soil. Eventually all of that affects us, so end the problem before it starts by converting our lives towards cleaner sources of energy like solar energy.
We give Freestyle a thumbs up on creating a fashionable but yet convenient solar watch.

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Posted in Green Gadgets, Green Living | 17 Comments »

Get Ready for Earth Hour on March 28, 2009

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Many of us have certain days of the year that hold some sort of value, such as a birthday, anniversary or holiday. We all look forward to these special days by setting countdowns on our computers or placing big sticky notes preparing us for the occasion. What if we got excited about 1 hour a year? What if everyone or the majority came together for 1 hour and did something good for our Earth? I know it seems like a far fetched idea but in some way it carries the same idea of “pay it forward”. Who would of thought paying it forward to Mother Earth for giving us a home to exist on.

Earth hour occurs on the last Saturday of March and this year the event will take place on March 28, 2009 at 8:30. Earth hour is not using any electricity for at least one hour worldwide. Almost like a giant black out that we get to cause and control and not the electric company. Millions partake in this great event year after year and each year the number of participants increases. I challenge you all to take one hour to pay it forward to Mother Earth and increase energy conservation.

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Posted in Green Living | 5 Comments »

Don’t Forget the Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

paddy-celebration

We are now embarking the month of March and many of us are getting ready to celebrate one of the best holidays next to Christmas…St Patrick’s Day.  The first thing that comes to many minds when preparing for this joyous holiday is to ensure there is some sort of green in our wardrobe and of course green beer.  Why not go one step forward and also include some “green techniques” on this green day.  Here are some great green ideas to incorporate into your St. Paddy’s party planning:

 

1.      Make sure all beer bottles and cans are tossed into a recycle bin.  Not only are you doing a good deed by recycling but you can also recoup some money from spending so much on the party.

2.      If you are going to have other drinks other than beer make sure your guest use the same cup to limit the waste of plastic cups.

3.      When a spill occurs make sure to wipe up the mess with a towel to limit the waste of paper towels.  We all know a spill will occur so make sure towels are easily accessible.

4.      Make sure all guests know they must wear green if not they have to contribute $5 to the “green jar” which will be donated to a local eco charity of your choice.

 

Lastly, drink lots of green beer and enjoy the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Happy Green Day!

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Posted in Green Living | 12 Comments »