Practically Green Archives

This recycled newspaper dog costs way too much money

This dog from Viva Terra is made with recycled newspaper. But for $100, you can...

Perfect way to waste time at work: My favorite green sites

Every journalist/blogger needs a good source for ideas. Thanks to this fancy thing called the...

Picture worth a thousand words

A friend of mine that's currently traveling through India recently posted this picture on his...

Last call for farmers markets ...

Pumpkins offered by Genesis Growers at the Chicago Green City Market last year at the...

Just say no to plastic bags

Want a super-easy way to tout your eco-friendliness to the world? Stop using those plastic...

Chicago budget cuts hit recycling program

Tribune file photo Parts of the recycling program are among Mayor Daley's latest list of...

Freezin' your butt off? 7 ways to keep warm at home

Think warm thoughts ...Ugh, I hate that our heat is on in October. We tried...

Coffee with a side of trash

Hearing about Thursday's "Take Your Mug to Work Day," sponsored by International Delight, reminded me...

Recycle those worn out athletic shoes

It's hard to get rid of perfectly good shoes ... even if they're not perfectly...

Cigarettes, check. Used condom, check. Beach sweep a success!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Shedd Aquarium Beach Sweep this past Saturday!...

Too cold for the beach? Nope!

Just because Chicago's Olympic bid is over doesn't mean we should stop trying to keep...

Green pick: Vapur water "anti-bottle"

There are lots of different types of water bottles on the market these days, with...

T-shirt takeover: 10 ways to reuse your old shirts

I have countless cotton T-shirts at home. Some are in my dresser, others are in...

Huge party tomorrow--food, music and us!

Heard about the Great @redeyechicago Outdoor Tweetup? It's a huge social media party in Pioneer...

Locavore Challenge: Week 2

What a Moon & Stars watermelon looks likeAlright, I'm busted. I haven't been doing a...

Ditch your 4 wheels for World Carfree Day

Happy Carfree Day, everyone!Every Sept. 22, the World Carfree Network asks everyone to leave the...

3 natural ingredients for softer skin

Sometimes, there's nothing better than staying in on a chilly night and pampering yourself with...

4 cities Chicago could learn from

I found out today that starting Oct. 21, San Franciscans will be required to have...

Locavore Challenge: Days 3-8

Palisade peachesI've fallen off the local wagon. In my defense, I was on vacation in...

Locavore Challenge: Days 1 and 2

It sure is hard to break to break habits, but I managed to steer clear...

Green products worth picking up

Things that caught my eye recently:>> One of my biggest pet peeves is picking up...

My Locavore Challenge

Tomatoes from my parents' gardens, and a few jalapenos from mine.I'm getting myself ready for...

Are you up to the Locavore Challenge?

I dare you to eat only local grown and produced foods for 2 weeks....

6 reasons to ditch that plastic bottle

You might have heard about the recent SIGG water bottle drama--it turns out that bottles...

Bike your way to food, beer

The Active Transportation Alliance's Veggie Bike & Dine definitely makes my list of top birthday...

Why don't you love the planet?

Check out my powerpoint/rant from Saturday's edition of RedEye. The cover story was about greening...

Product review: Want kissable lips that are organic?

Burt's Bees is typically my to-go lip balm because of its eco-friendliness, as well as...

Rick Bayless' victory for eating local

Chef Rick Bayless looks for fresh tomatoes while on the roof top garden of Frontera...

Product review: Eco-friendly meds? And fashionable too

At RedEye, we we tend to get random stuff in the mail. Magazines, batteries, candy--even...

Bingo, booze and ... free money

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyotausa/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0So many cool things, so little time to write a post...

8 ways to save money--and go green

Replace your regular light bulbs with CFL bulbs and save money.I'm always talking about how...

Hit a fest, listen to music--it's green!

Art Brut, playing Saturday @ 9 p.m. at the Chicago Green Music FestStreet fests don't...

5 reasons I don't miss Chicago

Me at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colo. Pretty impressive, huh?I'm on vacation!...

Eco-conundrum: How much will you pay to go green?

It's made from dismantled Thai fishing boats, but would I pay $198 for it?I want...

Product review: Tom's of Maine deodorant stinks

Dear Tom, I appreciate that you make products that are good for the Earth and...

Top 15 organic foods to buy and eat

So many organic options, so little money. What's a conscious eater to do?...

Farmers markets: Chicago has its perks

I bitch and moan about Chicago's green practices a lot. I can't help it. It...

Product review: These cleaning cloths are sweet!

Eco Friendly Cleaning ClothForget paper towels, or any other cloth you've ever used to clean,...

Top 10 ways to reuse your RedEye (or other newspaper)

I obviously love newspapers, but there's always the dilemma of what to do with them...

Snacks, wine and chocolate tastings at Fiesta!

It's finally here! The Greenheart Shop (1911 W. Division St.) is hosting its opening party...

Greenest home in Chicago? Probably ...

Check out the Trib's story on a "net-zero" house in Chicago--it will produce about as...

Recycle or face the penalties in Wisconsin

While in Door County, Wis., this past weekend to watch a half Ironman triathlon, I...

Cheap, easy, green and clean

THE MAIDS Home Services was nice enough to send me a list of tips for...

Shopping you can feel good about

Remember the Greenheart Shop? Well they've moved to a bigger location on Division and their...

Timberlake puts the green in golf course

How do you make a golf course more green? Just ask Justin Timberlake. The singer's...

You trashy people, you

By you, I mean 1) The people who visit the Chicago parks and beaches, then...

Tomato, tomaaaahto, locavore, localvore

It's true! Locavore--defined as "one who eats foods grown locally"--is official. The word is one...

A beer while you shop? You can at Whole Foods

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a tour of the new...

Take it off! 'Sleeping Naked is Green'!

"Bridget Jones's Diary" meets Al Gore. That's the impression I get from the book "Sleeping...

Trader Joe's shocking ranking on seafood sustainability

Greenpeace sent out their Sustainable Seafood Scorecard earlier this week, ranking grocery store chains. I...