Treat Your Dog With A Guffly Gift

I missed my dog Bamboo's birthday on June 28th. Yes I know, I should be ashamed of myself. I realized it on the 29th and I felt terrible about it. So I figured I should get him a new toy to make myself feel better. I went to The Good Dog Company to find him something guffly.

I found The Hemp Biscuit and it's made of natural fabrics. It's made of 55% hemp and 45% certified organic cotton. The biscuit is good for dogs that like to play fetch and catch; or just like to carry around comfort toys. Bamboo loves all of that so I really think he's going to dig it.

The Hemp Biscuit can be purchased from The Good Dog Company for $11.99.

Solio: A Portable Gadget Charger

The other day Chanell and I were working at a coffee shop near our homes. It was a beautiful day so we worked outside. After about an hour the batteries of both of our laptops were almost dead. We really wanted to stay outside and enjoy the day, but there weren't any power outlets on the outside of the building. Saddened by the inevitable truth, we packed up our stuff and pouted back into the cafe.


I didn't want this situation to happen again; so I vowed to bring an extension cord next time. Then I remembered, "there's a much more guffly way to handle this". I read about Solio, a wireless solar powered all-purpose charger. If I get one the cafe problem would never happen again.

The charger is small, lightweight, and unique; and it builds up power by sitting in the sun. One hour of sun gets you fifteen minutes of cell phone talk time, or forty minutes of MP3 usage. The best feature of Solio is that is reduces energy waste; since it can be powered by solar energy. Here's a complete list of Solio's features.

One Solio costs $99.95. I think that's a small price to pay for emergency power at your finger tips. I'm going to get one.

Guffly Summertime Flip Flops

With summer right around the corner, I've begun searching for some guffly flip flops to keep my feet cool. I found a great pair at Simple Shoes.

Toe Foo flip flops are stylish and sustainable. They are made from crepe, which is a natural rubber that is tapped from the Havea tree. The website says that the material makes a squishy sole. The flip flops are also made from bamboo and hemp; and they are all bound together by water-based glue.

The Toe Foo flip flops are available in black, tan, and olive colors; and they cost $45 dollars. I'm going to get the black ones for my summertime chillaxing.

Keyboard Cufflinks

I don't really dig the suit look, but occasionally work or an event calls for me to wear one. Since I have to wear one anyway, I figure that I might as well be guffly at the same time. Here's one element I can add to my formal wear that will allow me to do just that:

They're Keyboard Cufflinks and I think the name describes them well enough. The cufflinks are made from--you guessed it--old keyboards! You can buy any letters you choose, and get them in black, grey, or MAC keys . I think I'll get my initials in MAC grey.

The great part about these cufflinks is the fact that they only cost $14.95. They're inexpensive, look good, are unique, and have a more positive than negative impact to the environment. That sounds pretty guffly.

Wallets From Recycled Ties

I need a new wallet. The one I have now is busting apart at the seams. It only has four slots for credit cards and identification; however I've managed to cram ten cards in it. It's getting pretty ridiculous. I need more slots.

While shopping for a guffly wallet online, I found a company called Narwhal Co.. They sell wallets that are made from recycled ties, and they look pretty sweet. They are unique. You can buy one and be pretty confident that you wont see any one else with the same one. The wallet that you purchase is the only one of it's pattern in stock; and unless the company receives another tie of the same design yours will not be duplicated. That's great for those who pride themselves on being different. Narwhal also sells wrist wear from recycled ties; and cases for your iPhone and iPod.

I Want a P.E.T. Messenger Bag

I want to buy a new laptop bag. The one I have now is nice, but it isn't very guffly. It's time for an upgrade. So I searched and found this cool company that sells bags made from our kind of materials.

The company is called Green Guru Gear and they sell great products. Some of their products are: wallets made from billboard signs and repurposed bicycle inner tubes and tires; and tank tops and t-shirts made from bamboo. However, the product that I really want is the recycled P.E.T. Large Deluxe Messenger Bag.

This bag is made from old soda and water bottles; which assists in reducing the amount of plastic bottles in our landfills (something our landfills desperately need). It sells for $109.95 and can be purchased directly from the Green Guru site.

Recycled Beer Glasses are Guffly

What's your favorite beer? Mine is Hacker Pschorr Weisse; and now I can enjoy it and be guffly at the same time. I was searching through a great website called Uncommon Goods and found this product that got me pretty excited. It was a set of 2 beer glasses that are made from recycled automobile windshields. As the picture shows, the glasses have a blue tint to them because of the dye that was added to the original windshield to block the sun. I think they look sweet.

Two 15 oz. beer glasses retail for $20 at Uncommon Goods. If you love beer you should definitely check them out. Much guffly love:)

Good Stuff for Bamboo

I'm a softy for animals. I regularly find myself feeling depressed after seeing a sad story on TV about an animal suffering. The only good part about this is that my dog Bamboo brings me more joy than I could ever express. That's why I only buy him good stuff.

Last weekend I visited the Green Street Fair in Plymouth Michigan. At the event, I found a woman named Pam selling sustainable pet products. Her company Purrfect Play sells collars, leashes, chew toys, catnip toys, and pet bedding to name a few. However the one product that Purrfect Play sells, that really got me excited--for Bamboo--was a wool ball.

Bamboo's favorite thing in the world is a ball. He loves it so much that he's completely submissive to the very sound of the word. In fact, whenever I really want him to listen, the only thing I have to do is yell "Ball"; his ears perk up and he's at my feet waiting for a command (a trick that I try to use sparingly). He's so addicted to his balls that he'll stay up all night playing with them, if I were to let him. Bamboo has lots of balls, however he doesn't have a wool ball. So I listened to Pam as she explained why I should by one.

She told me that her balls are handmade from sustainably produced dye-free wool; which has only been processed with gentle non-toxic soaps. The wool is sustainable because it can be shorn from sheep annually, with no harm to the animal. It's biodegradable and has less negative impact to the environment--and ourselves--than oil-based synthetics.

So I bought a ball and brought it home to Bamboo. He loved it! He's been annoying me for the last few days with it, because he can't put it down. Here's a picture of him loving on it.

Guffly Designs

Did you know that nearly half of the world's original forest cover is gone? Also, there is only 5% of the United State's natural forest cover remaining today. This tells me two things: 1.) the growing demand for paper is negatively affecting our Eco-system; and 2.) we need to be more responsible about using wood pulp for products. Cardboard Design understands this too. The company is truly innovative and responsible when it comes to making their wood pulp based products.


All of the products that Cardboard Designs makes are made from recycled post-consumer materials. Materials like old cardboard boxes, newspaper, kraft paper, and even straw. These products were once used by consumers and thrown away. Cardboard Designs collects these materials and make responsible and innovative products.

Cardboard Designs' products can be classified into four categories:

1.) Kids Products: These products consist of doll houses,playhouses, chairs, and forts for kids to hide out and play in.

2.) Furniture: You can buy tables, desks, space dividers, and shelving.

3.) Vases and Placemats

4.) Liquid Cardboard: This product is truly innovative. A single piece of liquid cardboard can move freely--flowing easily from one shape to another. Each item can transform into many different shapes from vases, bowls, platters, candle holders, a stress toy, or even stylish table-top decoration.


For every one ton of scrap paper that Cardboard Designs recycles they save: 17 trees, 4200 kilowatt hours of electricity, 7000 gallons of water, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space. Not one tree is cut down to make any of the products. The glue that is used to adhere the products is vegetable based; and does not contain any harsh chemicals or animal products. Finally, not one person or country is exploited when making Cardboard Designs' products. In fact, everything the company makes is manufactured in the United States.

And that is truly guffly.

Think Outside the Space

Is anyone else tired of Myspace? I have to say that I am. I've recently noticed that Myspace doesn't add any value to my life or business. I write blog articles and post them onto my profile; and nobody reads them. In fact, most of the friends that I have don't even write in their blogs at all. I guess it's cool for the person that just wants to keep up with some old friends; but for people who actually want to educate--and be educated--there are far more effective ways to communicate online.

Take the Gaia Community for example. I also have a profile on Gaia with about seventy-five percent less friends than Myspace. Of course, I have eighty percent less page views on Gaia than I do on Myspace; but the Gaia page views are much more valuable. More people on Gaia are interested on what I'm doing; thus they leave me great feedback. I also find Gaia to be much simpler to maneuver through than Myspace.

Another useful networking site that I found is the Earth Day Network (EDN). The members of this site are dedicated to doing their part to better the world. I know that my friends on (EDN) are interested in guffly living, so I know to focus my time more on them. The functionality of (EDN) is even guffly. It was so easy to register and set up my profile. It literally took me 5 minutes to register, add photos, music, and widgets to my profile page.

The point is this: if you're trying to share knowledge with people over the Internet think about other online networks than Myspace. While Myspace is fun; there are other networks--in any area of interest--that are way better channels for transferring information.

Happy Earth Day!

Gufflebags and Belts

I found this company called Littlearth family of brands. The company is truly innovative and responsible when it comes to making their products. All of their products are made from recycled license plates, bottle caps, and car seat belts and tires.

What Littlearth does is simple: Old or obsolete license plates are donated to them; and the company transforms them into the shape of a handbag, or photo and CD holders, which are bound together by recycled automobile tire rubber. Littlearth also sells belts that are made from bottle caps and automobile seat belts, which are also donated to the company.

There are many variations of each product like Fender, Superflair, and Cyclone handbags; and you can buy a belt made from vintage soda, beer, old west, or classic soda bottle caps. You can also customize your own handbag, CD and photo holder, or belt. You can send in your own license plates--or bottle caps--and have the product of your choice made especially for you.

There is one more great thing that Littlefield does. They sell all of the products--minus the belts-- in a sports theme. You can buy the product of your choice with logo of your favorite sports team from the NHL, MLB, and NFL.

Littlearth has been in business for 15 years and is headquartered in Pittsburgh PA. According to the website, Littlearth is the company that is responsible for introducing the world to the term eco-fashion. I don't know much about that, but I do know that they have very innovative, stylish, and responsible products. And to me, that's guffly.

Eco-Tips to You

As some of you know, Guffly living is all about simplicity. If a product or practice can help us become more responsible people; and doesn't require us to drastically change the way we live, then that's Guffly. I found a service that is just that.

Ideal Bite has a service that emails their members a daily tip for becoming more eco-friendly. According to the About Us page on the site, each tip was selected because it is a "small change that adds up."

Signing up for the service took me about 25 seconds; and it was super-easy. Now I'll get a daily tip to help me on my quest in living responsibly. You should get it too.

Smart Cooking

I was watching Detroit Fox 2 News today, and began watching a segment that was dedicated to "green" products. A woman from Sur La Table demonstrated the products, while Murray Feldman added some color commentary. During that segment, the woman described a product that caught my attention. It was an inductive cooktop, and i was impressed by it. So I did some research and found this great article discussing the pros and cons of inductive cooking.

Inductive cooktops vary in price depending on factors like the number of burners and wattage. You can purchase a basic model at Amazon; or you can get one--with all the bells and whistles-- like this one at Best Buy.

So if I buy an inductive cooktop and some new stainless steel cookware, I can do my part to in preserving precious energy. And just as important; purchasing an inductive cooktop will save me money each month on my electricity bill. That seems simple enough for me.

Sustainably Stylish

Since my last post(Eco-Friendly Clothing 101), I've been searching for companies that sell stylish Eco-friendly clothing. I found a company called Livity, and they're based in Topanga CA.

I'd say that Livity is aimed at capturing the young adult, 18-30 year old market with their products. Livity's online store sells clothing for both men and women; unisex products like backpacks, hats, and laptop bags; and a wide selection of belts. All of Livity's products are made from organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, soy, straw, recycled plastic bottles, and vegetable oil-based synthetics (Read Eco-Friendly Clothing 101 for the benefits of using these materials).

Livity's products are stylish, fun, reasonably priced, convenient, and more positive than negative for the environment. And those reasons alone are why I'm writing about the company today. As for the product that I want--I'm eyeballing the white Re-Mix Painter Cap.

Eco-Friendly Clothing 101

I've been hearing a lot about Eco-friendly clothing lately. I'm hearing about clothing made from bamboo, hemp, and even recycled plastic bottles. However, the more that I hear about organic clothing; the more questions I have about . So I did some research and found a great article that answered the majority of my questions. Read "Wear Water Bottles (and look good,too)" by Marisa Belger, a contributor for the MSNBC.com blog.

What Can You Do With An Hour In The Dark?

I found this website that describes a new movement taking place globally. It's called Earth Hour and cities around the world are participating. In short, people are encouraged to turn off their lights for one hour on March 29, 2008 from 8:00pm to 9:00pm. Check out the video below for an in-depth look at Earth Hour.



Sydney, Australia was the site for the inaugural Earth Hour trial in 2007. In that one hour, the amount of energy that was saved was 10.2%; surpassing the goal of 5%, set by the World Wide Found for Nature-Australia. This year there are 20 cities participating so there's no telling what the "energy saved" number will be.

Earth Hour is guffly because I don't have to do anything to make a contribution. All I have to do is turn off the lights! In that hour I can walk my dog, plan my next day, do yoga, and even have an hour of conversation with a friend. Which is great because I don't have much time for conversation these days.

Clean Your Mailbox!

If you're like most people, you probably spend spend about 20 seconds a day filtering "junk" mail from "your" mail. That's 7,300 seconds or 121 minutes per year spent doing nothing. Your time is extremely important; after all, it's the one thing in this world that you can never get back.

Aside from taking up our precious time, junk mail also takes up valuable space in our landfills. According to Forest Ethics, by 2010 50% of the solid mass that takes up our landfills will be paper and paperboard waste. And each year, state and local governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars collecting and disposing of bulk mail that has not been recycled.

I haven't even gotten to the poor trees yet. It takes more than 100 million trees to produce the total volume of junk mail that arrives in American mailboxes each year (Forest Ethics). That's the equivalent of deforesting the entire Rocky Mountain National Park every four months.


So I found this guffly little business called 41 Pounds; and what they sell is a clean mailbox. The Ferndale Michigan based business promises to rid you of 80-95% of your junk mail for five years. According to the FAQ's section of the website, they can't stop 100% because some marketers simply ignore requests to stop mailing.

The 41 Pounds service is $41.00 for five years. That $41.00 covers an entire household. So mom, dad, the kids, grandma, and even your crazy uncle Larry can be covered; if everyone resides under one roof. And if you decide to move, 41 Pounds transfers their service to the new address.

There's one more feature of 41 Pounds that makes it special. For each new client that signs up for the service, 41 Pounds donates a third of that $41.00 to an organization--with environmental interests--that the client selects. If that's not guffly, I don't know what is.

To me, $41.00 is well worth it, as long as I don't have to waste my time on junk mail anymore. And the bonus is that I'm contributing toward better health for our Eco-system. I'd pay $8.20 per year for that.

Yuck Mouth

During my workout a few days ago, this big dude-with arms as big as tree trunks--asked me if I'd give him a spot while he bench-presses. I was between sets, so I didn't have a problem with it. So as this guy begins to push the weighted bar off his chest(much like the guy in the picture above), he exhales a huge, typhoon-like breath right in my face. It smelled like the crack of a dead rhinoceros's ass. Not that I've ever smelled one; I can just imagine how repugnant the crack of a dead rhinoceros's ass would smell.

All kidding aside, this guy has to have the worst breath I've ever smelled. I got the gag-reflex almost to the point where I had to walk away. I was kind of offended. I mean, here I was taking time out of my workout to give this lonely guy a spot; and the dude blows a huge breath of decomposition straight up my nostrils. How rude! 10 repetitions couldn't have come soon enough.

That day, I couldn't get the thought of old "hot-breath" out of my head; which got me to thinking: "I need to find a great organic breath freshener." I guess I just needed to get some freshness back into my life. So I began my search and I found a pretty great product.

It's called Breath Tonic and it's made by Herb Pharm, an organic herb farm in Oregon. There's three main reasons I think Breath Tonic is guffly:

1.) It's made from organic herbs: Breath Tonic is made from Cinnamon, Peppermint, Clove, and Ginger. All four have natural antiseptics that kill bacteria that causes bad breath (Health 911 and The Weekly Newsmagazine of Science go deeper into this); instead of just temporarily covering up the odor like some other breath fresheners.

2.) The farm that grows these herbs--Herb Pharm--is eco-conscious: The farm makes monetary contributions, or volunteer services to organizations that are on missions to preserve our environment. Click here for a complete list of these organizations. The Herb Pharm also researches and develops organic cultivation techniques for threatened wild herbs; and cultivate many such as Goldenseal, Echinacea, Black Cohosh, Bloodroot, Wild Yam, and many more. This assists with the survival of each species.

3.) It's cheap and easy to integrate into my life: A .50 oz. bottle of Breath Tonic retails for $4.91 at Amazon. A simple checkout and you're on your way.

Having found all of this out, I decided to buy a bottle. I haven't received it in the mail yet, but I'll be sure to write back and let you know how it works. However, I'm pretty confident that my oral hygiene isn't suffering in any way; so that might be a problem.

Anyone know any guinea pigs?

Get Your Guffle On At Coachella

A friend of mine told me about this huge music festival in California. It's called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and it's in the middle of the desert in Coachella California. The festival is a three-day event--which runs Friday through Sunday--and attracts over one-hundred thousand people each year. However I have read that one-hundred thousand people were in attendance when Rage Against the Machine performed on Sunday night in 2007; but I haven't been able to find concrete figures on that. Here's the Coachella movie trailer which should help to visualize the event.



The 2008 festival runs from April 25th to April 27th; and the headliners are Jack Johnson, and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon. Tickets for the three-day event are $269.00; single day tickets are also available for $90.00 each. For three days and nights, ticket holders will hang out under the blazing sun and brisk desert night; and enjoy music amongst friends. For $55 Coachella's children are able to purchase camping space along with their tickets, for a Woodstock-like experience. See On-site Camping for detailed information on Coachella camping. On-site Lodging and Off-site Camping are also available.

One of the most interesting facts that I learned about Coachella is the recycle program the venue uses. It's pretty guffly. Anyone on the festival grounds can turn in 10 empty bottles to specified locations; and in return they will get a free 16oz. bottle of water. Genius!

After writing this post I feel like I need to get to Coachella this year. Hopefully I'll be able to hustle some tickets. Anyone else going?

Things That Make You Compost

I stumbled upon this really cool blog called Things That Make You Go Green. I read an article that discussed the benefits of composting.

The article entitled "Composting Benefits" recognizes that there are two main benefits to composting:

• You reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill, which takes up much needed space.
  

• Compost allows the soil to retain more water. This saves money you money on your water bill, and adds more nutrients to the soil; which promotes healthier plants. Finally, healthier plants decreases the need for fertilizers, which saves you money and reduces the risk of water contamination.

Also read "How To Build A Compost Bin" for simple instructions on how to build a bin.

After reading Things That Make You Go Green's take on composting, I'm convinced. Composting can be an easy and cheap practice to integrate into my life and business. With that being said, I find composting to be worthy of becoming a Guffly practice, and the folks at Things That Make You Go Green are some Guffly kind of people.