Archive for December, 2009

• YMCA of the Rockies Awarded LEED® Green Building Certification

  Monday, December 28th, 2009

  YMCA of the RockiesYMCA of the Rockies was awarded LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high performing buildings.

• Green gifts for the holidays

  Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

  Buy! Buy! Buy! It’s the holidays, and the ads are calling out with their siren songs (or are they cattle calls?), and the overwhelming sense of obligation to hurry up and get shoppin’ begins. Commercials with bows wrapped around $40,000 cars may make you feel the expectations are pretty high, but before you max out three credit cards just to show your loved ones you care, consider a few different approaches to giving over the holidays that might bring a little more meaning to the season and leave you with a little more in your pocket.

• Give your kids green toys

  Monday, December 21st, 2009

  Your children may have smaller feet than you, but their carbon footprints are just as big as yours. Buy your child eco-friendly toys this year. Pass up the toys with the excess packaging, toxins and BPD and opt for a toy made from reclaimed materials. Shop locally for your green toys at Joe Brands, Ginger & Pickles, Grandrabbit’s, PlayFair Toys, ellie’s Eco Home Store, Into the Wind, Real Baby, Momentum, It’s Your Move and Shop Exclusive Baby.com. Here are some suggestions for hot, new eco toys.

• Recycle this holiday season

  Friday, December 11th, 2009

  If the material you’re looking for is not on this list, call us at 303-444-6634 or visit our website at www.ecocycle.org. Check our online Guide to Hard-to-Recycle Materials for other unusual recycling items you may accumulate over the holidays or year-round.

• Gifts for gardeners

  Friday, December 11th, 2009

  A recurring theme emerges when asking local nurseries and garden-supply stores about their hottest gifts of the holiday season.

  Several mention hydroponic growing systems. Hmm.

• Give eco gadgets as gifts

  Thursday, December 10th, 2009

  Here’s the dilemma when it comes to electronics: they rock — sometimes, quite literally — but they often leave a large carbon footprint.

• Thrift shopping for the holidays

  Thursday, December 10th, 2009

  Save money and give something unique this holiday season by hitting up local thrift and consignment shops. Not only are you getting a bargain, but you’re helping the environment through recycling. Also, if you shop at a nonprofit thrift shop, like the Salvation Army Thrift Store or Boulder Humane Society Thrift, you are also funding a local organization. Thrift shops are filled with unique gifts that you can’t find at your nationwide retailer. Looking for a yellow-paged Jane Austen or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic? Check out a used bookstore. Or how about a gently worn Michaels Kors coat or vintage flapper dress? Boulder has thrift shops for vintage garments as well as recent high-fashion apparel. Or stop by a furniture consignment shop and pick up some decorating bric-abrac for a gift.

• Eco holiday decorating

  Thursday, December 10th, 2009

  More than 28 million Christmas trees were chopped down and decorated in U.S. households during last year’s holiday season, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Some say that is 28 million trees too many! This year, give something back to our environment by not chopping down a Christmas tree. There are many ways to decorate using natural elements found in your home and yard this holiday season.

• Weekly TidBites from Boulder Weekly

  Friday, December 4th, 2009

  Bitter Bar hosts holiday cocktail class By Marissa Hermanson Happy Noodle House’s Bitter Bar is hosting a holiday cocktail class on Saturday, December 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. where you can learn how to create a Tom and Jerry, Holiday Pimm’s Cup and Holiday Rum Punch. The class is $25 per person and includes [...]

• Open for the holidays

  Friday, December 4th, 2009

  Arugula Bar e Ristorante will be open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.