Today’s post features an awesome concept design from French design firm Barreau&Charbonnet. It’s called Volet Végétal, and it’s designed to enable gardening in urban apartments or officies without access to rooftop planters or patio spaces. A simple mechanism lowers the trellis, almost like a drawbridge, to allow your plants to catch more sunlight! It’s one of those ideas that makes you say, “why didn’t...
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A recent study of 671 men between the ages of 20 and 40 found that 86 percent say spending money on experiences is more satisfying than spending it on mere possessions. This is not surprising to me but what is surprising is that we as a society continue to spend so much of our discretionary income on more possessions – new cars, more clothes, additional stuff to fill our lives. Instead of continuing to spend money on things that...
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The equivalent of four bottles of wine in a convenient and easily shippable cardboard box for the grand total of $10. This attractively designed packaging is not only easy on the eyes but easy on the budget and easy on the garbagemen. Trader Joe’s is the way to go. [image by me on...
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We tout the merits of eating and growing locally, but what about wearing locally? Most of the clothes Americans wear are outsourced internationally today, and the synthetic dyes that are used come from metal compounds and petroleum-based polymers. In short, we have off-shored the effects of our textile consumption (the average American throws away 64 lbs of fabric a year!), which has led to a great disconnect of the actual environmental and...
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Fall is just around the corner, and that means that schools are starting back into full swing. If you’re a student stocking up for the semester (or just looking for some supplies for work or home), check out this gallery featuring some nifty eco-friendly products for use at school, in the office and anywhere in between! Some of my favorites are the Eco Staple-Free Stapler, these pencils made from newspaper, and the...
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I hear you. It’s awfully tough to get motivated to eat breakfast in the morning when you can get a few extra minutes of precious sleep instead. But THINK twice about skipping breakfast! A Harvard School of Public Health study found that men who skip breakfast have a 21 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One of my favorite breakfast options is quick and healthy: oatmeal. I put the water on the stove while I’m getting...
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