Plantable Seed Calendar 2010

As 2009 comes to an end, there are a number of different things to purchase to get ready for the new year.  One of these things is a new calendar.  In fact, most people need two or three new calendars.  Usually, they keep a calendar in a few different places in the home, and they often need one on their desk at work and a travel calendar to keep in the car or in their purse.  But what happens to the 2009 calendars?  Most just end up in the trash, although some people do cut pictures out of them or recycle them.  However, the unique Plantable Seed Calendar 2010 offers a very different way of getting more use out of this calendar when 2011 rolls around.

Besides being a great looking calendar that works for the home or the office, the Plantable Seed Calendar 2010 features wildflower seeds embedded in every page.  On the first of each month, pull off the previous month’s page, take it outside, and simply bury it in the ground or in a pot.  Before long, you’ll have some beautiful wildflowers sprout up!  In addition to the different seeds each month contains, the paper is all 100% post-consumer waste that has been recycled.  This calendar is truly one of the most ecologically friendly gifts you could ever give.  Every page is handmade and features drawings and decorations designed to fit the current month.  It also comes in a nice reusable tin that you can use to keep pages in until you want to plant them or use for other items.

The Plantable Seed Calendar for 2010 is a really great gift idea that is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves flowers.

Produce Fresh Bags

Don’t you hate it when your produce goes bad?  One of the most annoying things in the world is to reach for that “fresh” tomato that you swear you just bought a day ago and find it squishy and rotten.  Sometimes, finding your produce not quite as fresh as you expected can even ruin your dinner.  But how can you keep your produce fresh for extended periods of time?  There’s just no way, is there?  After all, fresh produce will eventually go bad since it produces ethylene gas, the cause of rotten produce.

While it may not be possible to find produce that will never get rotten, you can slow down the process.  One way of doing this is to purchase produce fresh bags.  These special bags are created using a coating that actually absorbs the ethylene gas and removes it from the bag, leaving the produce safe from its effects.  This not only makes the produce last longer but it also helps to reduce the amount of vitamins that get lost as produce ages. In fact, produce fresh bags can actually help produce retain up to 50% of their vitamins and minerals, making them healthier for you!

The produce fresh bags also feature anti-fog surfaces that helps to minimize the amount of moisture that accumulates in the bag.  This helps to prevent the growth of bacterial and mold on your produce.  Best of all, each of these produce fresh bags can be reused up to ten times or so, making them ecologically friendly.  With a box of 20, you’re getting up to 200 uses, which should be enough to last a household for several months or more.

Recycled Copper Chiminea/Firepit/Grill

Do you love cooking outdoors?  What about sitting outside near a warm firepit enjoying the fresh air?  If so, you may want to check out the recycled copper chiminea/firepit/grill.  This three in one product not only gives you the option of cooking out and enjoying a chilly evening without being cold but it also looks neat and is a great decorative piece for your patio.

The grill and firepit portion of the product are designed to be easy to clean, which is great for those who do not like scooping out used charcoal, ash, and other waste.  You have enough room on the grill to make food for several people at once, so while it’s not the grill to use when you have large parties, it’s perfect for intimate dinners with just a few friends.  If you’d rather cook indoors, you can always heat up the firepit for later use.  It puts out enough heat to keep everyone cozy on cool nights, allowing you to look up at the stars or just enjoy the evening.

While many chimineas are made from copper, this one is unique in that it’s created from 100% recycled copper.  This means the product will not only easily survive most weather but that it is also ecologically friendly.  You’re not creating any new waste when you purchase one of these recycled products.

If you’re looking for a new grill to use for your dinner parties but would also love a small outdoor chimney or a firepit, you should consider investing in an all in one product like the recycled copper chiminea/firepit/grill.  It will save you space on your patio, and it will provide you with three different ways of entertaining.

Bee Condo

Do you love having a great garden or flowerbed in your backyard?  Some people have massive, beautiful gardens that include brightly colored flowers and gorgeous plants.  However, to really get the most out of your flowerbed, you need your flowers to get pollinated.  Bees are a great method for this, but how can you attract bees to your backyard?  Easy—set up a bee condo.

The bee condo is a very inviting place to the orchard mason bees.  These bees can be found just about anywhere in the United States, and they will help pollinate just about all types of flowers and other plants.  Now, if you’re scared of being stung by bees, you may be thinking that a bee condo is the last thing you want around your home.  However, the good news is that the orchard mason bees are non-stinging.  In fact, they are very gentle insects and won’t cause you any harm at all.

The bee condo is made from recycled wood, specifically reclaimed fir, so it’s very ecologically friendly.  On the off chance you don’t have any orchard mason bees in your area, the bee condo also comes with information on ordering bees (yes, you can actually order them).  It also tells you how to attract bees to the condo and gives you information about various companies that can help you order your bees.

Having a great garden is possible without bees, of course, but having a number of orchard mason bees in your garden to help pollinate flowers is an easy way of boosting your garden’s appearance.  It makes it easier for your flowers to grow and reproduce, and that means less work for you as a gardener.

Solar Hot Water Panel

Many people are looking for ways of cutting costs, and while installing solar paneling on their homes may not be the best cost-cutting method, adding a Solar Hot Water Panel can considerably help. In addition to cutting your electric bill down, a solar hot water panel is also a great way of becoming a little more ecologically friendly.

One of the top solar hot water panels was created by Heliodyne. The Heliodyne Cool Climate Packaged System is a hot water panel system that has been designed to work in all weather regions and with all types of water. It works with hard water, in areas that often have freezing water, and even in areas where there is little sunshine. The system is available in two mounting options: rack or flush. The Heliodyne is a closed loop system, which means that the heat transfer fluid actually moves through the collectors, not through the water. This results in fewer problems with the system and causes less wear on the parts.

How does the Heliodyne Cool Climate Packaged System work? Well, when the system has enough heat stored in the collectors, the system automatically turns on your water pumps. The solar fluid starts moving from the collectors into the heat exchanger. There, the heat is transferred from the fluid to the water in the tank. The solar fluid is them pumped back to the collectors, where it gets heated before going through the cycle again. As long as the collectors have heat stored in them, the cycle will continue. If it’s cloudy for several days and the collectors don’t store up heat, a backup system will come on that heats water using standard methods.

In addition to the standard system, a premium package is also available. It features upgraded heat transfer capability that will monitor how well the Heliodyne system is working and allow you to fine-tune how it works. It also comes with a Wi-Fi hub that gives you the option of accessing the system from any computer.

What is X-Board?

You’ve probably never heard of X-Board, but chances are, you’ve got some of it in your home.  X-Board is a fairly new, lightweight type of board that is created using a structural core of paper or a type of fiberboard support.  The result is a sheet of board made from recycled material placed between two layers of very, very thick paper.  When the flimsy inner material is placed between these two thick sheets of paper, the entire thing becomes very rigid and sturdy.

This type of green product is relatively new, but many companies have jumped on board the X-Board bandwagon.  It’s especially useful for creating lightweight, inexpensive home furnishings like those purchased from IKEA and other department stores.  It’s also an alternative to plywood and medium density fiberboard.  In fact, X-Board is often combined with plywood or wood veneer to make an even stronger piece.  For companies that do many trade shows, X-Board is perfect for creating temporary booths that are only needed for a week or so.  It’s also used in building bookshelves, desks, tables, and other pieces of furniture and as material for walls in buildings.

X-Board was designed by the Xanita company.  Its creators saw huge bales of recycle paper waste and realized that the waste could be put to some use.  They set out to create a board made from the recycled waste that would be completely environmentally friendly.  Today, Xanita creates a number of ecologically friendly boards and other construction goods, all of which are made from this post-consumer paper waste.  The X-Board is made to replace formaldehyde-based boards, petroleum-based PVC materials, and polystyrene/polypropylene sheeting.  Generally, the X-Board can be used in any construction project as a replacement to these products, although in a few instances, the light weight of the X-Board may be an issue.