Gufflify your Kid with Xeko

Today Jordan and I went to the River Days Festival in Detroit to represent a game called Xeko (pronounced zee-ko). I don't know why I haven't written about this before (well maybe because I am not an 10 year old kid) but this game based on sustainability and biodiversity is definitely Guffly. Xeko is a 2-player trading card game that is played similar to Pokemon. A player gets a starter deck and builds upon it in order to get the best "Xeko-system." The point is to build a deck that balances resources and species.

The game is designed for kids 8 years old and above. It's competitive and fun, but it also teaches them the value of this fantastic Earth of ours and the little critters that live on it. The cards and packaging are made of recycled or recyclable materials, and they use soy-based inks. Likewise, the company donates 4% of game net sales to Conservation International. The starter sets range from $20-32, while booster packs range from $4-10. The game prices range between editions or "missions", which include Costa Rica, Madagascar, and Indonesia.

If you know a kid who would love this, you can visit Xeko for information on where to find a retailer near you. You can also purchase this game online at Xeko Shop where they offer free shipping in the US.

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.

Better Brushing

The thought of a dirty toothbrush makes my stomach hurt. I guess that is why like to buy a new one every two months, instead of three as the dentist recommends. Though this is a good idea hygienically, this isn't so guffly of me. So, I was pretty excited when I heard of Recycline at the Green Festival in Chicago. Recycline makes eco-friendly choices for the home, included the Preserve Toothbrush which is made from recycled plastic containers, like yogurt cups. The company also makes a Preserve Triple Razor as well as tableware and kitchen products. Each item is made in the US with 100% recycled materials, and the toothbrush and razor handles are completely recyclable. You can even send these items back to them when you are done, and the company will recycle them for you. In addition to their greenness, Preserve is guffly because they make things simple. For $13.00 you can sign up for a four toothbrush prescription on their website and select how often you want your brushes sent. Now, you won't even have to think about changing your brush, let alone actually remembering to pick one up the next time you're at the store. Just wait for it to come to you. And if your not down with online toothbrush ordering, you can find their products in Whole Foods and Target.

Watch this cool video on how these brushes are made:

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:)

Trashy.

Last night I talked with one of my most favorite people, my Aunt Kelley. Other than being totally awesome in general, she has been eating organic food, using organic products, and been an all-around guffly individual for some time now. She asked me if I knew anything about eco-friendly trash bags. This got me thinking. A lot of green people are using reusable bags for groceries and shopping, are recycling what they can, but are still throwing out their trash in icky, regular old plastic trash bags. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought about this before. Turns out there are some pretty simple options. Check 'em out:


1. BioBags - 100% Biodegradable and Compostable. "BioBags are GMO free, certified for use in organic agriculture and certified for restricted use of metals in our vegetable-based inks and dyes. Their products meet the ASTM D6400-99 requirements, which is the gold standard for compostable plastic. BioBags are shelf stable, just like paper towels, yet biodegrade quickly when exposed to nature's elements and micro-organisms, leaving no harmful residues behind." These bags can be found at Drugstore.com, $6.19 for 12 count 13-gallon bags.


2. Nature Value Eco Safe Bags - biodegrade in 12 to 14 months. They are made from 10-20% post consumer recycled materials, are certified Kosher, and the box they come is also made from recycled materials. You can find their various products on Lets Go Green where they are very reasonably priced in comparison; only $2.99 for 15 count 13-gallon bags.

The Goodness of Crocs

This past weekend, Jordan and I went to the Green Street Fair in Plymouth, MI where we learned some new stuff and met some great people. Amongst the many small independent vendors (which was great) were some of the larger corporations, including the beloved shoe company, crocs. Though I'm not a participant in the crocs craze myself, I was pleased to hear about a great initiative the company is taking part in, called SolesUnited.

It's pretty simple. A crocs owner can take a pair of crocs that are on their way to croc-heaven and mail them in to a crocs recycling center or drop them off at a participating retail location. These old crocs will be ground up into tiny pieces and made into new, SolesUnited recycled shoes. These new recycled shoes are sent to approved non-profit organizations all over the world. This year, SolesUnited anticipates donating a total of 2 million pairs of shoes to Armenia, Cambodia, Chad, Darfur, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Philippines, Romania, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Watch this info for more information on this guffly initiative:

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.

Why You Should Love Peace Love Earth

My usual random internet searching led me to find this great green jewelery company called Peace Love Earth. If you like letting the world know about your values or if you don't want to be like everyone else who has the same silver Tiffany's heart necklace, then these necklaces and bracelets are for you. The designer, Anna Mkhitarian, who also designs clothing and accessories, fuses her love of fashion with her passion for peacefulness, positive change, and her care for the environment.

The sterling silver designs are made with recycled, pure .925 sterling silver. The super cute pendant shown here is hand-polished, and other items in the store are hand-made in Los Angeles. I'm digging this pendant, but they also have more subtle designs, if that suits your fancy. The prices range from $60-275, which varies based upon how many charms go into each piece.

Peace Love Earth = adorable, sustainable jewelery with a great message.

Jewelery that Turns You Green

No, not cheapo jewelery that turns your skin green after wearing it. I'm talking about fine jewelery with an eco-conscious and people-friendly purpose.

There's been a lot of engagements and weddings going on around me lately. So, as with most things I don't feel like thinking about, there's been this constant stream of wedding and engagement info going on around me that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed. It always happens that way, right? I've seen TV segments on how to be a "green bride" and how to have a "green wedding," and lately I've even found some guffly engagement and wedding rings.

I found a store called greenKarat, an ecommerce jeweler of jewelery made in more ecologically responsible manner. The company has a strong philosophy and also goes deep on the issues surrounding gold and gems, like conflict diamonds and the impact of mechanized mining processes. Additionally, they go beyond taking issue with conventional practices and actually deliver alternatives. Each piece of jewelery they sell is evaluated on 8 characteristics:

1. Eco Metal: is it made of ecologically mined gold or platinum?
2. Eco Alloy: is the alloy a recycled metal?
3. Eco Findings: are the small parts of the jewelery comprised of recycled gold or platinum?
4. Eco Gems: are the gems ecologically mined?
5. Eco Other: are the other components of ecological origin?
6. Non-Eco: are there items used that are not ecologically responsible?
7. Eco Refinery: did the precious metal on the piece come from an ecologically certified refinery?
8. Eco Bench: did the jewelery maker use eco-friendly procedures in the workplace?

Using these guidelines, greenKarat gives each of its pieces a rating called a Green Assay Record. This allows the customer to view the characteristics of his or her jewelery, and understand how green it is. While they understand that each piece isn't ecologically perfect, because the system isn't yet perfect, greenKarat does pledge to be open and honest with customers about what goes into each piece of jewelery. Plus, the primary metal is every greenKarat design is recycled from another piece of jewelery.

greenKarat also has a section on their site called myKarat that allows customers to recycle their gold for store credit, to reuse their gold to make rings, or to donate their gold to benefit the environment. And with gold at premium value lately, now is the perfect time to start exchanging.

Recycle Your Janky Cell Phone

My poor cell phone is on its last leg. It functions 100%, but the screen gets all weird and fuzzy sometimes and it doesn't flip open with ease as it once did. It's a sad, sad situation for all parties involved. I'm preparing for this unfortunate event by looking for electronics recycling companies. I found this article by Earth2Tech on 5 great places to send your dearly departed or obsolete gadgets.

I'm most interested in SecondRotation and BuyMyTronics.com, because I wouldn't mind getting a little money for my phone. I went through the steps at BuyMyTronics.com, which included giving information on my phone model and its condition. Their calculator estimates that I could receive $49 for my phone. Plus, they give an option to donate the money to a charity of your choice. At SecondRotation, their calculator estimated my phone's value at $41. You have to mail your gadget in yourself, of course, but both sites can send payment through Paypal for a quick, simple turnaround.

Pretty Guffly stuff.

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.

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.

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?