Top 5 Silliest Eco-Inventions According to InHabitat

Happy Friday Everyone! It is absolutely gorgeous outside here in Toronto which is perfect for an upcoming long weekend! Not sure if it's a long weekend for you where you're at... But this Monday is a Civic Holiday here in Ontario. While I freelance full-time and therefore it's not quite a holiday for me... I may not be blogging again till Tuesday.

So here are five laughs for you courtesy of InHabitat... The Top 5 Silliest Eco-Inventions. Let me know which is your fave. I think the two solar-powered products the bra and fan hat are mine...

5. PETaPOTTY for Dogs "Just because it contains grass doesn't make it green."

4. Solar Powered Bra "that comes equipped with two-cup holders, an electronic billboard, and can charge my cell." LOL... Completely unnecessary and hilarious!

3. The Hybrid SUV "Tracing along the lines of oxy-morons like jumbo shrimp, free love or working holidays, the hybrid SUV gets worse gas mileage than most sedans and requires tremendous amounts of virgin resources to produce. This “green” vehicle certainly falls short of ever really being eco."

2. Eco Button "Plug this earth-emblazoned eco button into your computer and then press it to automatically send your computer into sleep mode. I have heard that one could achieve a similar effect by either closing their laptop or using the ever-so-complicated drop down menu."

1. Solar Powered Fan Hat "Sure to brighten your day or the planet - if only because you will be laughing and pointing at the person wearing it. It does absolutely nothing to help the environment, and one could probably produce the same amount of cooling air by waving a magazine in front of their face."

That's it for now... Have yourselves a wonderful weekend! Thanks for checking in to my site. I love to see that I am slowly growing a following. Just a final friendly reminder that the final day of my Flickr Photo Contest is this Monday ;) So get those photos in ;D

xo,

ej

Love Happens... Starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston and... Ecojot!

That's right there's a movie called Love Happens, yes a romantic comedy is starring yours truly, no not me, the journals!

A little over a year ago a production company contacted Ecojot for some product for a movie filming in Vancouver (although set in Seattle). I tried to get a still showing our products but the best I can do now is the trailer... But unfortunately I can't embed it so just click here or on the poster image above to view :)

I'll be sure to post pics if NBC-Universal Studios sends me any ;D

It looks cute... I am a sucker for a good chick flick, so I suspect I'll enjoy it!

Am off to Ecojot Headquarters since I didn't make it yesterday due to the monsoon-like weather!

Happy Thursday!

xo,

ecojotter

"It all comes back to you"

This is a funny ad by WWF reminding us to recycle...

It has been 36 days and the Toronto City-Wide Garbage Strike has finally come to an end. And I must admit, while it has smelled like garbage, I am happy to see that people haven't been littering that I've see anyway.

Now if only summer would arrive! July has been particularly rainy here in southern Ontario :,(

Happy Wednesday! Here's hoping the weather is nice and sunny wherever you are!

xo,

ej

Do you remember the Blackout in 2003? A special sweepstakes...

World's biggest blackout in 2003 NY & Toronto
Originally uploaded by bright star

Well in ecoCollaboration with BlackOutDay.ca and Organically Gifted, Ecojot is co-hosting a special sweepstakes similiar to my rolling Earth Day Giveaway... For the next three weeks, once a day, you can visit: here and share how you intend to be green and save your eco-smarts!

Each week, until Friday, August 14th, 2009, in celebration of the 6th year anniversary of the unexpected Northeastern Blackout that effected Toronto down to New York City... A special sweepstakes that gives you a chance to win prizes from Ecojot and Organically Gifted. So check it out and share your eco-tips.

Please note, unfortunately only Canadian residents over the age of 18 may participate...

BlackoutDay.ca is a great cause that approached me less than a month ago, and we're thrilled to be sponsoring such an awesome ecoEvent... Good luck!

xo,

ej

Being green and saving green when you're traveling...

Please excuse my absence on Friday... The day just ran away from me with lots to do... Then I woke up this morning admittingly unsure what to blog about. A bit of writer's block I suppose ;) Not to mention that I don't like blogging unless I have something exciting and relevant to say...


Well at it happens, as many of you know I absolutely love to travel. Especially on a budget! Last year in particular was my year of travel, I made it all across France, bits of Italy, Beglium and Netherlands, Bangalore and Mysore, India, the Philippines... Not just Manila to surprise my family, but a small town called Donsol with my older brother G and his friend Jack to swim with whale sharks, plus an unexpected trip to the Bahamas! (We spotted one whale shark, and got a chance to swim above it... Unfortunately no photos of the biggest fish).

All travel was on a super tight budget, needless to say I was thrilled when the Frugal Traveler Matt Gross of the New York Times featured my favourite notebooks on his blog!


So speaking of traveling turns out InHabitat did a great piece of the Top 5 Incredible Eco-Hotels and Hostels of the World... While they are not super affordable they are very environmentally friendly... I am particularly fond of the idea of turning an old plane that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill in to a hostel. Although it would likely be the most expensive hostel I've ever stayed at if that were the case!

The other worthwhile mention is the Shipping Container Travelodge in the UK... That's right a shipping containers... Check out this great little video of how it works here... Very affordable especially for expensive UK prices!

I was discussing the article with my Uncle M who happens to run a travel agency with his wife my Auntie A in Connecticut when they told me about a series of cottages in Litchfield, CT that just opened... However I was disappointed to see that there is no mention of the Winvian accommodations being the least bit green... Although they do apparently have a cottage with a helicopter in it.

While I am fond of luxurious from time to time... After all, I don't know anyone who isn't. I am convinced there are ways to enjoy the luxurious things in life and still be kind to the environment. That's why I am a strong advocate of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council which is quickly becoming a standard in architecture around the world.

I once worked in the architectural industry a few years back, and it was great to see so many architects take the rigorous steps to become LEED accredited. In fact, many institutions demand that architects have LEED qualifications to be considered to be their lead architects... no pun intended ;) Kudos to such institutions such as numerous universities, a selection of Green Buildings in Canada featured by the Canada Green Building Council available for viewing here.

That's it for now folks... It rained all weekend, as in ALL weekend long here in Toronto so with the sun shining I must spend the evening outdoors!

xo,

ej

Random Thursday YouTube and Ecojot Giveaway Smiles

So like must people I am on Facebook as frequently as I am logged on to my email... There is something about longing to know about the latest about my friends, their posts, etc. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised to find this new YouTube fave from my Friend Sarah in Nova Scotia...

With over 133,000 views, it's no surprise it's a cute video:

I also just wanted to promote DesignerJots's July Giveaway for a special Back To School Prize Pack of her newest Ecojot Designs! Simply click on the image below to go directly to the contest and comment as to what of her designs are your favourite :) You can check 'em out on the Ecojot website... So Good Luck! Contest ends July 31st.

That's it for now... Have yourselves a fabulous Thursday! I am meeting up with some friends I haven't seen in a really long time so I'm super excited :D

xo,

ej

Feature Finds Wednesday

So I am wrapping up at Ecojot Headquarters... And I am super excited to let you know about two features that I discovered today!

The first on Rachel McAdams, Megan and Didi's very ecofriendly website: www.greenissexy.org

It turns out Ecojot is their green sexy "July Product of the Month!" Megan kindly emailed me back when I thanked her for the mention, and as it turns out all three lovely ecoFabulous ladies discovered they all use Ecojot products and decided that meant they should feature us :)

The second find was thanks to someone who sent me an anonymous note via Ecojot's feedback page.... NYTimes Frugal Traveler Blogger Matt Gross featured Ecojot 3x4" notebooks as a Top 10 of this Travel Gadgets under $50! In fact we were number 10!

I love the quote, that jibed Moleskine a bit (which I'd like to mention is not the least bit green)...

"Some gadgets are newfangled and exciting, others time-tested and true — which is why, wherever I go, I carry a notepad and a pen. Moleskine is the ultra-popular choice, but I prefer Ecojot’s 3-by-4-inch recycled-paper notepads (about $5), which are smaller and more flexible, but with enough backing to provide a stable writing surface."

I am still trying to find out how Matt discovered us. Either way, it's a super great plug that's currently appearing on the first page of my favourite paper and online newspaper!

Well that's it for now... I've been receiving kind notes that my Ecojot Flair Winners have been receiving their buttons in the mail... YAY! Please remember to send me your pics. I have received a couple already... Much appreciated!

Stop-Motion Tuesday

I Heart Stop-Motion Photography, and was pleasantly to see my brother G had posted his latest stop-motion find on his Facebook wall. It's an advert for Olympus' 50th Anniversary. Very clever:



In fact, the moment I saw this I instantly thought of another stop-motion video I'd seen before with a wolf and a pig... Was happy to see that Olympus mentions Mr. Taijin Takeuchi's work featured below as an inspiration to their ad:



Have a lovely Tuesday everyone! I'm working on lots of exciting things for Ecojot, including an upcoming ecoCollaboration rolling contest, so stay tuned ;D

xo,
ej

green energy, green bikes and green buses

Happy Monday Everyone ! Bon Lundi Tout Le Monde !

Yesterday, D'Angelo left me a comment asking how green hydroelectricity is... From what I know, it's renewable energy source which uses sand to generate electricity, usually falling over a dam. The electricity is generated from the movement of water and it is therefore a non-polluting energy source ("no direct waste.") Therefore, it's pretty green :)

That's the extent of my knowledge on that area, but speaking of energy, kinetic energy specifically (such as "hydroelectricity") you've got a check out this very green bike that produces kinetic energy to help run the hybrid buses of London. This is only a prototype at this point, but WOW, très cool to say the least! The idea is one rents the bike, uses it, and any energy that is made when braking is stored for London's hybrid buses. Plus you get a credit towards your bus pass for the energy you helped create. How ecoAwesome is that?


In fact, also according to InHabitat (where I learned about the "Ingenious Energy-Generating Bike Rental System") London has already rolled out six of their Hybrid Double Decker Volvo Buses, and will roll out more if successful!

"London’s iconic double-decker buses recently received an eco update as six highly efficient hybrid Volvo vehicles hit the streets for the first time. The new B5L two-story buses retain their classic red color, but under the hood a hybrid drivetrain saves 25% on fuel consumption while significantly reducing emissions and noise. "

Needless to say London certainly appears dedicated to being in the forefront of sustainability. Kudos London!

That's my ecoInspiration for you today :) Here's to GREEN ENERGY =)

Thanks for asking your question, D'Angelo!

xo,
ej

A How to Friday Plus Green Dorms and Green-Lemonade

D'Angelo was kind enough to send me a "How To Make Paper Bangles..." via email Thank you D'Angelo :)

The paper pens and pencils look pretty straight forward, here's what you'll need to make the bangles...

Assorted Used Paper, such as
-old poems/snippets of stories, journals
-colourful flyers
-old wrapping paper
--other roughly 2-D material. Emily pressed a WEED ;D

Some HARD, Flexible paper
-maybe from packaging (cereal boxes)
-Your old, awe-inspiring poster paper
-Toilet Paper rolls

Liquid GLUE & Water. Just approximate a mixture; you don't need that much glue.

HOT GLUE GUN to glue ends of paper together, OR LIQUID GLUE and a CLOTHESPIN

A DISH to put that glue in, and a BRUSH/old Toothbrush/Finger to brush the glue on.

What you need to do:
1. Cut out a strip of the hard paper, proably about 4 cm wide, depending on how wide you want your bangle. Wrap it around your hand it see if it will slide off/fit nicely.
2. Now, if you have a glue gun, glue the TWO ENDS TOGETHER
3. Decorate the bangle with wet-glued pieces of paper. It looks more elegant if you cover the front and back, all areas.
4. Let dry.
5. If you don't have a glue gun, use liquid glue to glue to ends together, and clamp with clothespin to let dry.
6. Wear it!!

I agree with D'Angelo, "Handmade is way better than machine made!! :)"

Speaking of making things greener... Have you heard of "Teens Turning Green?" Ecojot is sponsoring them this fall as they kick off their Project Green Dorm initiative. More information to come soon, but in the meantime check out their website for some great ideas on how to become greener at any age really ;)

And finally speaking of green... How about some "Green-Lemonade?" I got a pleasant surprise this morning when I received an email from Rhaya, co-founder of Green-Lemonade.com letting me know that yours truly was featured as a "Friday Fave" today! How cool is that?
Well as I happen to actually be on a detox this week... It's been quite the week to say the least since I've never done one before. I am realizing that I do want to stick to eating healthier even after the detox is done (on Sunday... YAY!!!!) So I am so happy to have discovered Green-Lemonade.com... Thank you Rhaya!

That's it for now... Happy Friday and Bon Weekend!

xo,
ej

Could you be "NO IMPACT?"

Have you heard about this movie? I like to breeze through Apple's Trailer page from time to time.... Yeah I don't know what it is but I heart trailers... !

Anyway, apparently this movie called "No Impact Man" is coming out on September 4th. It seems like an extreme eco-version of "Super Size Me" to me. And I must admit, as a "self-proclaimed environmentalist" myself, I am definitely drawn to this movie...

For those of you who don't live in Toronto, and haven't heard but Toronto is going into its fourth week of a Garbage Strike which means none of our garbage, recycling or green bin waste has been picked up for four weeks... It's getting a bit nuts. Especially since until our landlady arranges to pick up everything, my roommate and I are car-less and can't drop it off at a temporary dump. Thankfully she's arranging to pick it up this week, but certainly gets one thinking about how much impact makes in a month just from everyday consumptions.

When Colin Beavan "No Impact Man" mentions that the average American produces 1600 pounds of garbage a year, it really makes you stop and think.... I certainly try and do my part, but you gotta admit an attempt to make that completely zero pounds, not only sounds drastic but impossible... What do you think? Interested in seeing this movie?

Check out the trailer below and tell me what you think...



xo,
ej

Stubby Pencils, plus "How to get up, eat breakfast and get ready for work in 5 minutes!"

Have you heard of Stubby Pencil Studio?

I just got sent this adorable picture in my inbox of Kate the owner of Stubby Pencil Studio, and so I revisited her site :)

If you're in search of Ecojot's Art Paper Supplies online Stubby Pencil's the place to check out :) Not to mention the fact that there are all things ecoKid-friendly on the site!

I HEART sites that promote being green from an early age! Don't you? Kudos Kate!

Okay, so on a completely unrelated note, but something I've been wanting to post since my brother G shared on his Facebook wall... Check out this handy Japanese video of "How to get up, eat breakfast and get ready for work in 5 minutes!"

Seeing as I am frequently waking up late and running late, it does have some helpful tips! I only wish I spoke Japanese and knew what he was saying in his commentary :D



On a special note, I am blogging from Ecojot headquarters today and have finally gotten around to preparing all 7 Ecojot Flair Winner Envelopes... Winners, expect them in your mailbox soon!

Some of you have asked if Ecojot buttons will become available for purchase... For the time being no, just as giveaways from me and at events... However, if there's enough of a demand perhaps in the future ;D

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

xo,
ecojotter

Ecojot NASA and lots and lots of Flickr Photos to VOTE for!

That's right you read it right... Ecojot ecoCollaborated with none other than NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their May Recycling and Affirmative Procurement/Pollution Prevention Workshop."

Check out the photos below, along with the lovely message from Sam of NASA's Recycling and Affirmative Procurement Dynamac!

" Hi Mark,

I think your products are awesome! I wanted to follow-up with you regarding the May Recycling and Affirmative Procurement/Pollution Prevention Workshop held at Kennedy Space Center. The event was very well received by our 50 attendees and thanks to companies like yours, we had a wonderful selection of recycled content products. Our team is grateful that ecojot was able to provide samples for our event and appreciate you taking the time to send the products to us. I have attached some photos from the workshop and wanted to let you know that I haven’t gotten any questions regarding your products, but if I do, I will certainly send them your way.

Thanks again for your participation,
Sam"

Speaking of photos... My Ecojotter Flickr Contest has received 39 entries and while we haven't yet picked a first place winner, we need your help picking a second place winner. So please visit: http://www.flickr.com/groups/ecojotter/pool/show/ and vote for your favourite with a comment of making one your fave :)

Plus be sure to tell your friends! Remember the person with the most comments and faves will receive $75 for him/herself plus $75 for his/her green cause of their choice! And note that you can still submit entries until August 3rd ;D



You will need to log on to Flickr to vote, but otherwise you're also welcome to post via commenting below... Simply copy the URL of the photo you love most and mention it my comments section :)

That's it for now... Happy Tuesday folks! Tomorrow I'll be mailing out buttons to all Ecojot Flair winners from Ecojot Headquarters!

xo,
ej

Recycled Fashion, Eco-Covers + United Breaks Guitars

Greetings Everyone!

Here's hoping you had as fabulous a weekend as I did! Mine was fun-filled to say the very least :) As mentioned in my previous post, my lil (taller) sis Pat is in town, and so my big brother and I took every opportunity to show off Toronto to her. Note how she's bending down to appear shorter in the pic below =p



Yesterday, we hung out with my über-fashionable friend Amanda and co. at a Toronto Fashionistas Closet/Yard Sale on Rusholme Drive. I love these type of sales, very green and such a great way to save green! In fact, my lil sis acquired practically a whole new wardrobe (4 dresses, 2 skirts, 2 purses, a sweater and boots) all under $50! Talk about savings!

Speaking of clothes, how about clothes for your notebooks, journals and/or agenda? Candied Fabrics as it turns out makes these gorgeous Eco Covers, that clothe Ecojot products! Check them out here. I just love the idea for the EcoAgendas... A place to put your pen and squeeze in some cards inside. Well done, Candy!

Finally, this weekend, my brother G was reading GlobeandMail.com when he came across this hilarious article about a Haifax musician who's turned a year of grief with United Airlines into an awesome YouTube music video! Check it out below.... It's quite catchy ;D



Tomorrow I'll be posting links to photos from my Ecojot Flickr Photo Contest. There have been some great entries... Now we just need some votes via comments and faves to pick out a second prize winner!

xo,
ej

my (taller) lil sis is in town!!!

My lil sis Pat is in town!!!! All right she's not little anymore... In fact at 5'10" she's taller than me!!! Can you tell I'm tip-toeing in the picture above? 0;)

Pat arrived Thursday afternoon all the way from the other side of the globe... The Philippines to be exact. She's only here till Monday since she continues to the US to visit my other brother. (There are five of us sibs to be exact). Therefore I'll be keeping this short and spending quality time with her 0;)

In the meantime, just a quick hello and a thank you to those who won and emailed me their addresses. I haven't had a chance to email the other winners yet. My apologies, fighting off this cold/flu has been particularly more enduring than I thought it would be considering it's been over a week! Yeah, it's no fun being sick :(

However, I recently came across another awesome YouTube music video that reminded me a bit of "Hibo no Neiro..." in its editing style. Made me smile when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself as I was coughing and sneezing, reminding me that each day is a new day... Check it out and tell me whatcha think ;D

Oh and if you're looking for a fantastic movie to check out, after a dinner of wings with my older brother and lillest ("taller") sister... We watched UP in 3D, definitely amongst my top 5 Disney faves!

Okay folks, that's it for now. Will be sending all my Ecojot Flair winners their flair by next week... Likely on Wednesday since that's when I get a chance to visit Ecojot Headquarters next ;D

Meanwhile, happy happy weekend! While I skype with my sis all the time, I actually haven't seen her seen her since January 2008! So needless to say I am SUPER EXCITED she's here!

xo,

ecojotter

A promise is a promise is a promise... Ecojot Flair Winners Announced!

And I promised to post the 7 lucky winners of the new Ecojot buttons today... With 11 minutes till midnight, I am determined to keep my promise.

Even took photographs of my girlfriend Amanda pulling out the 7 lucky names out of my straw hat since I wasn't in a state to vlog today. That's right am still fighting that mean cold/flu :(

However, I am totally spoiled by my girlfriends, especially when I am ill, and especially by one in particular... All I can say is...

Happiness is 2 lemons, a litre of freshly squeezed OJ, vitamin C powder, a big jar of chicken noodle soup, BioK and an afternoon of girly chat when you're home sick with a mean cold... Thank you for being you, Amanda :)

BUT I digress and am running out of time... 7 minutes left! YIKES! So without further ado (minus the photos, since it's almost midnight!) Here are the 7 lucky winners of Ecojot Flair...

Jenny
the life of a teenage scrapbooker
D'angelo
knittingwoman
CandiedFabrics
rachellovespeace, and
aichaku !

CONGRATULATIONS! I will try and mail your buttons out early next week. If you can please send me pics of your flair on your chosen locales ;D

Okay 3 minutes till midnight and I'm ready for some NyQuil! Sorry for the late night post 0;)

Many thanks to all the entries... Many more giveaways / chances to win to come!

xo,
ej

"Hibi no Neiro"

Hi Everyone! Was very much looking forward to vlogging as promised, but unfortunately I am fighting a cold/flu. In fact, have been fighting it off since day 2 of my 5 day vacation :(

Nevertheless, I had a great little rustic 5-day escape from the city in rural Quebec cottage country. While it did end up raining, making it more damp and cold than we'd have liked... I got some hiking, canoeing and kayaking when it wasn't raining, and lots of reading and board game playing when it was was!

Anyway due to my scratchy (less sexy more incoherent) voice and unbearable coughing fits, I am going to keep my fingers crossed that I am feeling much better tomorrow and hopefully pull out Ecojot button/flair winners from my straw hat tomorrow instead... Vlog or no vlog... Promise :)

In meantime, my friend Melissa posted this on her Facebook profile... And it's just too cool not to share... It certainly made me smile between coughs ;D ;D :D



What did you do for Canada Day and/or the 4th of July?

xo,
ej