Brrrr! I'm Taking the Plunge!

Why I Plunge
Visiting the home of Mike Tidwell, the executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, in the summer of 2006 for one of his clean energy open houses turned me from light green to dark green. I credit CCAN for the sustainable practices I engage in at home and in my business and I’ve developed quite a passion for the fight against climate change. I’m trying to do my part to raise awareness about it and to help CCAN in their battle to change legislation. Accordingly, it has been my pleasure and honor to participate in their Annual Polar Bear Plunge for the previous 3 years even though I’m not a fan of the cold.

Make a Pledge!
If you'd like to make a pledge -- I'll take pledges of $5 to $500 -- go to my plunge page.

I Hope You’ll Join Me
I always have a great time at the Plunge. Seeing people of ALL ages is so inspiring and some folks wear amazing costumes. We drink great organic/fair trade coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (we also provide hot tea and cocoa) and Dale Ball from New Leaf Vegan Society gets up at the crack of dawn to prepare her tasty vegan muffins and cookies. Be sure to get to the Plunge site early because Dale’s treats go fast! Our food and beverage spread always looks so nice because Perfect Settings party rental company donates the most beautiful table linens. And afterwards, Waste Neutral Group takes away all our waste – compost, recycling and the tiny bit that goes to the landfill.

The actual plunge itself is less than a minute. In fact, your time in the water is mere seconds. It’s a small sacrifice for a great cause.

Afterwards, we all head to an after party close by and nosh on great food and many of us have an adult beverage or two. This year, we’ll be at McLoone’s Pier House, a restaurant that cares about the environment.

If you'd like to join me, you can register at Keep Winter Cold.

Tips for an Effective Plunge
When I arrive at the Plunge site, I have my bathing suit on under my multiple layers of clothes (long johns under pants and about 3 or 4 layers up top). When it comes time to plunge, we all head into the heated tents to strip down to our suits. I then put on a bathrobe and wrap myself up in a blanket. I also bring a towel. For the previous 3 years, I’ve worn flip flops which is NOT a good choice because they fly off as soon as I hit the water. This time, my plunge attire will consist of a pair of old athletic shoes, my bathing suit, a hat, a scarf and some gloves. After the Plunge, we head back into the warm tents to change back into our warm clothes. Be sure to bring a Chico bag (or some other nylon bag – no plastic!) in which to place your suit and any other wet clothing.

If you are on the fence about plunging, I hope you’ll – pardon the pun – take the plunge and participate in the Plunge! You’ll have a great time!

Eco Gifts for the Holidays

My family has decided not to exchange gifts this year because we already have enough stuff! But if you have gifts to buy, make thoughtful, fair-trade, eco selections that will be easy on the Earth.

Here are some of our favorites in alpha order:

All for the One
Educate your child today about a greener tomorrow by purchasing the beautifully illustrated book Easy to Be Green. If you would like it autographed, at check out, indicate in the gift message block that you want it signed by the author AND if you want it personalized with the gift recipient's name and/or the gift giver's name (Santa, Mother Earth, etc.).

Carbon Fund
Give a gift this year that reduces the carbon footprint of someone you care about. Your donation supports projects that help the climate by reducing carbon emissions. Choose from guilt free wrapping paper, coal for being naughty, carbon offsets for yourself, your family or your office, or plant 10 to 100 trees.

eco-artware
Not just art, this site sells all types of cool gifts from recycled, reused and natural materials.

Green America
Check out Green America's list of simple holiday gift ideas.

Herban Lifestyle
You'd be surprised how many evil chemicals are in traditional bath and beauty products. Herban Lifestyle's are chemical-free and good for the Earth.

Ten Thousand Villages
With stores all across the U.S., Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America.

If you like to shop in person and live near the Baltimore/Annapolis/DC area, here are some more picks:

Community Forklift
If you are looking to give your home a makeover for the holidays, come to Hyattsville, Maryland to check out this not-so ordinary home improvement center which not only sells surplus and salvaged building materials, but also new green materials. They also have cool antiques such as mirrors and lighting fixtures.

Earth Alley
Located in the kitchy Hampden section of Baltimore, this store sells eco-friendly and fair trade gifts.

nest
Located in Clarksville, Maryland, nest sells items that are organic, recycled, environmentally friendly, fair trade, hand made, and supportive of a healthy lifestyle.

Enjoy!

This Holiday Season, Entertain to Sustain

Below are 5 quick tips to help entertain to sustain for the holidays

Source Your Food Locally and Select Organic Options When Possible

It is always best to pay a little bit more for organic options for food and beverages since they contain less of those evil "ide": pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Your body will thank you for ingesting less toxins which will contribute to better health in the long run.

Local options are also better because the average distance our food travels from source to table is 1,600 miles. In contrast, the average distance from local farms to the farmers market is less than 50 miles. Going local is a much better option because you not only reduce the carbon footprint since the food travels a smaller distance, but you also support your local economy. For every $100 spent on a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community. Finally, the food is fresher and therefore, tastes better and don't you want to serve tasty food to your family and friends? To find a farmer’s market near you, go to Local Harvest. Many are open year-round.

Opt for Dishware Over Disposables

When serving food, I urge my clients to use glassware, silverware and dishware over disposables. It is best to select an option that you can reuse over and over again. Be sure to use an earth friendly detergent such as Seventh Generation and don't let the water run while washing your dishes! Use the dishwasher and make sure it is full before you run it.

If you must use disposables, stay away from that evil plastic stuff that takes decades to biodegrade. I use bambu Veneerware

Made of certified organic bamboo, it is compostable and breaks down in 4 to 6 months. Many grocery stores are carrying compostable disposable plates made of bamboo, fallen palm leaves, sugarcane pulp and other natural products. You can also get cups that look plastic, but are made of corn. They may cost a bit more, but your grandchildren will thank you for taking care of the planet instead of throwing more plastic in the landfill.

Use Soy or Beeswax Candles

Traditional candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum byproduct, which burns dirty and pollutes the air. Soy and beeswax candles are the earth friendly option. Years ago, the only beeswax candles I could find were taper candles, but Beeswax Candle Company sells tea lights, votives and even pillar beeswax candles. They'll ship to you in earth friendly packaging and while it may look like they've used those evil polystyrene packing shells, they actually dissolve in water.

Floral, Greens and Other Decor

The name of the game is to stay local and seasonal and/or pick floral that can be dried and reused. Ask your florist where they source their flowers from. You don't want flowers coming from another continent – that causes a huge carbon footprint. If you put up a Christmas tree, aim to get one that is balled in burlap so that it can be replanted. Also, when decorating around your home, use any tree branches trimmed from your tree or leftover from the tree farm. I've lucked out and snagged FREE greens from a tree farm that I later used for a client's holiday party. I decorated the tables with these, bubble vases filled with water, cranberries and floating beeswax candles. It was inexpensive and festive.

Carpool with Your Family

When I think of the song, "Over the River and Through the Woods" it makes me think of a family traveling together in one sleigh to their final destination. Too many times in our modern society, we pick convenience over the earth friendly option, but it can have a huge carbon footprint. So when the 30 members of your family are gathered at grandma's house before going out to dinner, instead of taking 10 vehicles with 3 people each, aim for 5 vehicles with 6 people and mix it up a bit. You'll form a stronger bond with your relatives and may have some funny stories to tell later.