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Handy Travel
Menus
Try
some of these quick travel menus when you're on the road this summer--and
beyond!
#1:
In-flight
Flavor
- Steamed
vegetables
- Brown
rice
- Tamari-roasted
almonds (not recommended for younger children)
- Fresh
strawberries
- Teriyaki
sauce
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#2:
Fast Food Favorite
- Avocado,
tomato, cucumber and hummus on a franchese roll
- Dried
fruit medley (Try apricots, cranberries, apples, peaches, raisins,
prunes, pineapple, and pears.)
- Popcorn
(not recommended for younger children)
- Fresh
green beans and baby carrots
- Thousand
island dressing
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#3:
Anywhere Meal
- Baked
tofu with lettuce, tomato, and pesto on a sweet French or whole
wheat roll
- Fresh
sugar snap peas
- Yogurt
- Banana
chips
- Dried
unsweetened coconut (shredded)
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Green Opportunities
Some
earth-friendly tidbits that have landed in our office in recent weeks...
- Got
a solar powered calculator? Visit E Magazine's Earth Talk column at
www.emagazine.com/view/?2648
to find out what other solar-powered accessories and gadgets are growing
in popularity and where you can purchase them.
- Sustainable
Table (www.sustainabletable.org),
which provides information about sustainably-produced food, has just
launched its Summer Picnic section. Here are a few fun facts:
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•
The health benefits of watermelon
Watermelon
is an ideal health food because it is 92% water, doesn’t contain
any fat or cholesterol, and is a great source of vitamins A,
B6, beta-carotene, not to mention the cancer-preventing antioxidant,
lycopene. Although many only think of watermelon as a juicy
dessert treat, it can also be chopped, grilled, pureed, and
added in as a delicious and sweet ingredient to many recipes.
•
Hot dogs—history and ingredients
In
1957, the US Chamber of Commerce designated July National Hot
dog Month. Each year, 2 billion hot dogs are eaten in that month
alone. But did you know that in a seven-year study of a multi-ethnic
range of 190,545 men and women, those who regularly consumed
processed meats had a 67% higher risk of developing colon and
pancreatic cancer? Though the study did not explicitly point
the finger at sodium nitrite (a key ingredient of most hot dogs)
as the culprit, cancer research from the Cancer Prevention Coalition
does. According to their research, during the cooking process,
nitrites combine with amines to form carcinogenic compounds.
•
Tips for creating healthy, cool beverages
Trying
to stay hydrated without resorting to sodas filled with high
fructose corn syrups? A great way to get your fizzy drink without
the sugar load is by mixing fresh or 100% fruit juice with seltzer
water or sparkling mineral water. Iced tea—herbal, black, or
decaf—is always a refreshing and healthy option. Although studies
have shown that the antioxidants in tea can reduce the amount
of iron absorbed from plant sources (though iron absorption
from animal products is not affected), simply squeezing some
lemon into your tea can counteract this effect.
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-
The
Vegetarian Resource Group has just printed the 4th edition of Vegetarian
Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the United States and
Canada. The 432-page book (over 2,200 listings) makes a great gift for
yourself, friends, relatives, or libraries. Order five copies before
the end of June, and they'll send them to you at half price and include
a sixth free copy. And they'll pay postage in the United States. (One
copy = $18. Six copies = $45.) Order by calling 410-366-8343, sending
a check or money order to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203, or visit their Web site at www.vrg.org/catalog/guide.htm,
specifying in the notes if you want the limited offer.
- Don't forget to spend meaningful time with your kids on National
KidsDay, Sunday, August 7. Forget your hectic schedule; do something
fun with the family instead. Visit the National KidsDay Web site at
www.kidsday.net for information
on events in your area and activities you can do as a family. National
KidsDay was established in 2001 by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
and KidsPeace and is held annually on the first Sunday in August.
- If
you're planning a wedding this year, check out, www.felicite.com,
www.greenfeet.com, or www.organicweddings.com
for green wedding ideas.
New Retailers
We're
pleased to announce that Laptop Lunch products are now available at these
fine stores. Please pass this news on to friends and family in the area!
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Honest Weight
Food Co-op
484 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
Telephone:
(518) 482-2667
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Hopscotch
Kids
352 Miller Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Telephone: (415) 381-9858
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Mirador
Community Store
2106 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97202
Telephone:
(503) 231-5175
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Roy's Nutrition
130 Preston Royal Shopping Center
Dallas, TX 75230
Telephone:
(214) 987-0213
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Sign of the
Times
112 Main Street
Nyack, NY 10960
Telephone:
(845) 353-4059
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www.diaperdrawer.com
www.organizersnw.com
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4
Tips for Eco-Friendly Organizing
Simplify your life while being environmentally
responsible!
by
Joshua Zerkel
Getting organized can be a fantastic way to simplify and streamline
your busy life. The process of getting organized can involve weeding
through (and discarding) some of the belongings that have been
keeping you from living how you want to live, and finding other
products that can help you live in a more comfortable, effective
way. Tossing some things out while also potentially getting new
things may seem to be at odds with eco-friendly living, but there
ARE ways to be eco-friendly while getting organized. Here are
four things to keep in mind:
1.
Repurpose what you have. Before getting rid of your stuff, see
if you can use what you have in new and different ways. Turn things
on their sides, take them to different rooms, and match things
up in unusual ways. For instance, an extra bowl from the kitchen
can make a great "key-catcher" by the front door. Checkbook
boxes transform into drawer dividers, and plastic trays that fancy
chocolate comes in are great for organizing earrings. Another
example: I have a client who is a scrapbook artist. We used transparent
plastic bins to store her supplies, which were functional but
not very attractive. Instead of buying new bins, we used some
of her extra decorative paper to line the bins and hide the contents.
Look around your space - what can you use differently?
2.
Buy eco-friendly products. You may need to buy specialized organizing
products, such as desk accessories, drawer dividers, and other
things that will help you get and stay organized. Stores such
as Good Girl Goods (www.goodgirlgoods.com)
and the Container Store (www.containerstore.com)
carry many products that are made from recycled or natural materials.
Consider products that will make it easier for you to recycle,
such as sorters that can help you separate glass, paper, compost,
etc.
3.
Store the right way. Store your items in a way that will best
preserve them. First, make sure you have the right containers.
If you're storing photos or documents, choose acid-free boxes,
not plastic bins. Keep clothes in a sealed container, not in a
suitcase. Second, be conscious of the location where things are
stored. Keep issues such as moisture, light, and temperature fluctuations
in mind. A damp garage isn't the right spot for paper, and a bookshelf
in direct sunlight will quickly fade your precious photos.
4.
Discard responsibly. After weeding through your stuff, you'll
probably be left with lots of things that need to find new homes
and some that can be recycled. When working with clients, I usually
recommend that they get rid of things in this order: sell, donate,
and recycle. Items of value can be sold on eBay (www.ebay.com),
Craigslist (www.craigslist.org),
at a garage sale, or in your local paper. Call your favorite charities
and see what items they are accepting - frequently charities will
come and pick up your donations for you, saving you time. Items
that are left over after selling or donating can often be given
away via Freecycle (www.freecycle.org).
Finally, the items that have no value to you or others can be
responsibly recycled.
Simplifying
and organizing your life while being environmentally responsible
is possible! When embarking on your next organizing project, keep
these four tips in mind. You'll be able to feel good about taking
steps toward living the life you want in an eco-friendly way.
Joshua
Zerkel, Organizing Expert, helps busy people save time, space
and money by getting organized at home and at work. For more FREE
organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com/laptop
or call 415-830-8297.
©
2005 Joshua Zerkel and Custom Living Solutions. All Rights Reserved.
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Summer
2005
Let's
Do Lunch
While
trimming costs, many airlines have cut in-flight meals from all
but a few itineraries. Admittedly, less airline food is probably
for the better; still, a case of the munchies at 35,000 feet is
tough to sate without a ready source of sustenance--and a place
to put it. Enter Obentec's Laptop Lunch System (laptoplunches.com),
which measures just 11 1/2 inches wide by 8 inches high by 3 inches
deep. An insulated carrying case houses a main container (designed
to fit airplane tray tables) that holds five food organizers--perfect
for keeping your food court-bought roast beef sandwich and chef's
salad from ever mingling. For $34, you also get a water bottle,
fork, spoon, and some recipes. Mini-pretzels not included.
Reprinted From Interval World Magazine
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What Works...Success
Stories
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"My kids totally love their Laptop Lunches.
They love the little servings of fruits and the box with yogurt. Even
the box pack looks slick. Thanks for such a handsome product without
commercialized animations on them."
--
Sanjana Kapur
- "My
4 year old has used your laptop box for the past year. We've had many
comments about the clever design. It is very handy & I like avoiding
the disposable plastic."
--
Mary Thorstad, Nashville, TN
- "We
love our Laptop Lunchboxes. They are now my standard gift to friends
and family. And we never take a car trip without them! My six year
old daughter would like you to consider pink for your next new color!"
--Michele
DeCroix, Los Alamos, NM
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"Thank
you for the lunchboxes." Daniel, age 11
Do
you have a success story or photo to share? Email it to us at newsletter@obentec.com.
Featured Web Site:
http://www.GreenDrinks.org
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Every
month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a
drink at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.
Green
Drinks is a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government,
and business. Just show up and say, "are you green?"
and they promise they'll look after you and introduce you to whoever
is there. It's a great way to make new contacts and catch up with
people you know. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s
always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing
network.
These
events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have
found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, made deals,
and had moments of serendipity. They're pleased with what they've
seen so far, and they're hoping that Green Drinks will spread
to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info.
www.greendrinks.org
You
can also email edwin@greendrinks.org
if you want some tips on how to set up Green Drinks in your city.
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September Highlights
Fresh Sandwich Ideas,
Green Opportunities, Where Simplicity and Sustainability Meet, and Tips
for Healthy Schools.
© August 2005 Obentec,
Inc.
849 Almar Ave., Suite C-323
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-457-0301
REPRINT PERMISSION
Feel free to reprint
or forward this newsletter with the following acknowledgment and contact
information clearly visible: "Thank you to Obentec, Inc. for permission
to use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec,
Inc. by email at info@obentec.com
or by phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com.
Reprint permission granted with this full notice included."
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