March Means Green

March 2009 - Green With Envy Leprechauns. Shamrocks. Green Beer. St. Patrick's Day... Wind?! Green is the color most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times. Since we celebrate this feast day in March, most would associate the color green to the month of March. In keeping with the spirit of green while taking a twist on the topic, this months newsletter will focus on one of the hot button issues of our country "Going Green" and provide tips on how little changes can make a big difference. So much of the green movement can be confusing. But instead of focusing on the macro side of energy efficiency and creating sustainable environments, this newsletter will give you some helpful hints that you can start doing today to reduce waste, save yourself some money, and help the environment. Admittedly, events do not necessarily lend themselves to being part of a tree-hugging industry. In fact, the nature of events are meant to be temporary. However, if each of us does our part, little by little, we can reduce our trashy footprint. Happy reading and all the best to you this month! Do Five and Keep Earth Alive Here's the challenge. For the next 30 days pick one of the following five activities (taken from greenissexy.org) and commit to making it your effort at going green. Or, if you're feeling especially overzealous, trying doing all five. skip it and shake it. Just entered a public bathroom that doesn't have a door? You know, those oddly placed circular entrances you can typically find when the bathroom capacity is over 20 or 30, like a theater, concert hall, football stadium, or airport? Well, if there's no door to close on the way out, there's nothing to touch once you're hands are freshly rinsed. And knowing this, you can kick your jazz hands into effect, skip the paper towel, and shake your hands dry! For extra emphasis, try the "it's raining!" trick to a friend. It never goes down well, but you can mention that you saved a paper towel and they'll probably remember. energy-less date. Hot date coming up? Show how sexy you are when you put less energy into your date - and get more out, if uknowhaddaimean. 1) Cook a meal without cooking: forget that ol' stove and oven and, heck, even your unplugged microwave. Go light, go raw, go fresh salad! Get your bean taco on! Show sandwiches who is stylin'. 2) Candlelight dinner: It's romantic, it's sincere, it's been a long time since you had one last, hey? 3) Play a game: Yes, RockBand is super fun to play on a date - but what about that power and creativity that lies in charades? Or Apples-to-Apples? Or even just some good ol' fashioned competitive WAR? You'll be skipping those extra watts to power your projector and getting back to the basics: getting to know someone. Go spend your energy where it counts, you sexy thing! dial it back. Here's a quick and easy way to reduce waste in your life: give condiment packages and napkins back to the restaurant that gives them to you. Try asking fast food chains and takeout joints to leave out the extras from your next lazy dinner, but if they still throw in a handful of ketchups or a months worth of napkins, consider giving them back to the person who doled them out. By actually returning these wasteful extras, you'll be reducing your own impact while reminding the restaurant that no means no. Who knows? Maybe they'll think twice before overdoing it on the soy sauce for the next customer. natural food dyes. Want a truly green beer for St. Paddy's Day this year? You've probably already found yourself a nice organic pint, but the green food coloring you buy from the grocery store's baking aisle just really isn't all that green when you look at its ingredients. Instead opt for natural food colorings to truly green that beer for St. Paddy's Day this year! Try mixing chlorella (derived from algae) or liquid chlorophyll in your organic pint for an intense green- they are both available at your local health supplement store. Or for a pint to make Popeye proud, add some juiced spinach strained though a piece of cheesecloth. Hmm, does this make beer healthy? nice stems. 122lbs a month. This is how much food a family of four throws away every month, estimated through a survey that appeared in the New York Times last year. There are a lot of things we can do to drop the pounds on this surprising stat, like eat your leftovers and planning your meals so that you don't end up buying too much. But today's simple tip includes using a piece of food you might not consider to be edible: the broccoli stem. Packed with vitamins, the stem can be boiled or pan fried, adding a crunchy water-chestnut like texture to your stir fry. For more tips check out: http://www.greenissexy.org It Ain't Easy Being Green It ain't easy being green when an event is meant to be temporary, but with these tips, being green is a breeze. Whether you are hosting an event for 10 or 10,000, here are some easy ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce by: 1. Using electronic registration or invitations (such as eventbrite.com or evite.com) and putting the program, speakers' materials and handouts online or send ahead via email. 2. Limiting or eliminating styrofoam (polystyrene) cups and containers. 3. Encouraging the use of mass-transit, carpooling and other environmentally preferable transportation choices. 4. Serving food that does not require plates or utensils such as heavy hor d'oeuvres on skewers, toothpicks, or finger foods Reuse by: 5. Producing signs and banners from durable, recovered materials. 6. Handing out gifts such as reusable mugs or sports bottles that can be used at the event, take home and use again. Recycle by: 7. Creating displays or giveaways from recovered materials that can also be recycled. 8. Setting up a system for recycling extra materials left behind by speakers, exhibitors and other attendees. Off The Shelf - Gorgeously Green This month's book off the shelf is, "Gorgeously Green. 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life". Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips. In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchen, even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how to: Green your entire beauty regime Detoxify your home Indulge in guilt-free shopping Adopt a home fitness routine Prepare eco-licious treats Give your kitchen a green makeover Become more aware of your impact on the earth The book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here. Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can make--and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious, time-consuming, or glamourless! Purchase Gorgeously Green Seared Scallop Martini Salad SERVES 4 Ingredients Salad: 3/4 cups mixed greens 12 sea scallops, patted dry 4 T black & white sesame seeds 1 T extra-virgin olive oil 8 dilly beans (pickled green beans) Dressing: 2 T lemon juice 1 t dry vermouth 2 T good quality vodka 1 t caper juice 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 8-10 jalapeno-garlic green olives, coarsely chopped salt and pepper to taste Coat both sides of each scallop with sesame seeds while heating a cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear scallops in olive oil, turning once. Mix all ingredients for dressing immediately before serving (use a martini shaker if you wish!) and loosely pile lettuces into martini glasses. Place scallops on top of greens and garnish with dilly beans. Click here to view the original recipe Green Tips for your Vehicle Motorists can do their part to help the environment by practicing a few 'earth-friendly' car care habits. 1. Get pumped. Keep the tires properly inflated and aligned. Under-inflated tires waste fuel by forcing the vehicle's engine to work harder. Moreover, properly maintained tires last longer, saving you money and lessening the burden at landfills. 2. Slow down. Speeding and hard accelerations waste gasoline. 3. Lighten up. Remove unnecessary items from the vehicle to reduce weight. This information was brought to you by Express Auto Center - "we don't exhaust your funds". All About Presentation is an event management company located in Richmond, VA. with event planners focused on your success. For questions or comments on Presentation newsletter contact the editor via email: benita@allaboutpresentation.com All About Presentation : Social Event Planning : Business Event Planning : Shop : Contact Us :