*Change in tonight's Green Drinks*

 

Hello all!


For those of you who were enticed to attend tonight's Green Drinks Cape Cod event, there has been a change in location! The event has moved from the Chocolate Peddler in Brewster and will now be held at:

SHIFT, Conscious Clothing
535 South Street, Hyannis

Again, that is tonight, September 29th, from 6-8pm.

Don't worry! It is still Chef Paul's event, and he will be there serving up his
amazing food and organic chocolates.

Green drinks and green drinks!

There are a couple of things that we wanted to tell you about.  Today's theme?  Green drinks.

Shiraleah Eco Green Dishware

First, a fun set of green cups, cocktail glasses, and sleek matching pitcher, made by Shiraleah Home Accessories.  They're green in color, and in composition.  Made from vegetable starch and other organic materials, these delightful beverage holders are biodegradable* (they're biodegradable in a biologically active environment, such as a compost pile or landfill; you don't have to worry about them breaking down in your dishwasher or during use!).  Not pictured are their classy matching martini and margarita glasses. You will notice in the picture above that you can purchase matching plates and bowls for an entire dining set. 

They're especially perfect for entertaining, but also make a thoughtful gift for a host or housewarming or wedding gift.  Whether the recipient is particularly environmentally conscious or not, they'll fall in love with the soothing green color, trendy shapes, functionality, and the fascinating fact of their biodegradability (a great conversation-starter!).  

In the age of throw-away goods, first it's important (paramount) to think about items that you purchase.  Do you really need it?  If yes, great!  And, when the goods have a built-in "contingency plan" for after you are through with them, even better!  That's one of the reasons the Shiraleah Home Accessories Eco Green dishware is so popular with us and you.  Stop in to 'g' to get a set today!

Second, a green event in the Cape Cod community to look forward to.  Cape Cod Green Drinks is part of the national "Green Drinks" movement, bringing environmentally conscious and sustainability-minded individuals together to network at fun and stimulating (and often educational) happy hour gatherings across Cape Cod. 

Tomorrow, September 29th from 6pm-8pm, Cape Cod Green Drinks is being held at our friend Chef Paul's Truffles and Catering.  His shop, cleverly called the Chocolate Peddler, is located at 2628 Main Street in Brewster.  he is known for his delicious and one-of-a-kind chocolate truffles, and will be serving them along with other delicious treats at the Green Drinks event.  We encourage you to go, meet some fun and interesting new people, and further the green movement and dialogue across the Cape!

Join us on September 30th, 5:30-6:30pm for a workshop: Understanding Your Home Energy Audit

Beyond The Bulbs - Understanding Your Home Energy Audit - a 'g' Green Design Center Event Everyone tells you to get an energy audit - "Find out the bottom line of your energy use"  and ways to cut down your energy costs.  So you call - get a free energy audit - they replace a few light bulbs (or many) around the house, then give you a list of other improvements you can make - insulation, window replacements, sealing, etc. But then the confusion starts...there are rebates, there are credits, there is a contract that they hand you, and recently they added a new list of area contractors who are approved to do the work.  Do you really understand what your options are?    Which is the best program?    You have heard about blower door tests, but they didn't do one for you - is that normal?  And what would that test have told you?    How about infrared imaging?  Come to our workshop on Thursday, September 30th from 5:30 - 6:30pm in our showroom in the North Market of Mashpee Commons (near Stop & Shop and New Balance).   There is no fee but we strongly suggest registering ahead of time as space is limited.   Find out about your options What do these options mean? How can you make good choices when it comes to your energy options? Call 508-477-7988 to sign up or click on the link below to register or RSVP

Register Now!

Please contact us with any questions about the event or how to register.  Thank you for your interest and response - we look forward to seeing you at our event. Where: 'g' Green Design Center Flagship Showroom Mashpee 28 Bates Road North Market Mashpee Commons (near Stop&Shop and New Balance Mashpee, MA 02649 Driving Directions When: Thursday September 30, 2010 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM EDT Add to my calendar

Product Spotlight: Sodastream Home Soda Maker

We haven't stopped smiling since we started stocking the Sodastream Home Soda Maker, and neither have our customers.  The Sodastream Soda Maker enables you to enjoy the freshness and convenience of homemade soda and protect the environment at the same time. Using no electricity or batteries, powered only by its carbonating cartridge, the countertop gadget turns tap water into soda (diet or regular!), seltzer water or tonic in seconds, with no cleanup! 


First think of the convenience benefits:  No heavy bottles to carry, store at home, or throw away!  Not to mention the savings: using Sodastream to make your carbonated beverages, the cost of soda comes to about $0.25 per can while the cost of a liter of sparkling water or tonic is also only $0.25!   Depending on how much soda or sparkling water is consumed in your household, it can take as few as 4 or 5 months to earn back your investment of buying the sodamaker. 


Making your own soda is green:  Buying bottled water is unnecessary, and takes its toll on the environment.  Sodastream uses your tap water, saves energy used in manufacturing, packaging and shipping soda and saves packaging waste. Using the Sodastream reusable carbonating bottles provided in the starter-kit eliminates one-time-use bottles and cans that have to be recycled  If you want extras to store in different places (work?  a few chilling in the fridge?), no problem.  You can easily purchase extra bottles.


Even greener: Sodastream encourages recycling in more ways than one. They take back, refill and reuse empty  carbon cartridges!  At 'g', we will take care of the shipping for you.  When you have used up a carbon cartridge, bring it back to your local 'g' retailer, and we will send it back to Sodastream.  To thank you, we'll give you an automatic $10 rebate towards the purchase of your next cartridge.

Sodastream Home Soda Maker Starter Kit

The starter kit comes with: Soda maker, 1 reusable CO2 Carbonator cartridges, 2 Sodastream reusable carbonating bottles (BPA-free plastic), and a sampling of soda flavors.  The maker also comes in an assortment of colors - choose the one that best matches your style!  *When you buy your starter kit, you'll receive a 20% discount off all sodastream accessories


Stop in to 'g' today to taste some freshly carbonated soda, see the machine in action, and purchase your very own Sodastream Home Soda Maker! 

Building at Breakfast



 Are you an Architect, Builder, Contractor or Designer?  We would like to invite you to join us on September 22nd for the first in our fall series of informational morning meetings, Building at Breakfast!  These meetings provide the opportunities for building professionals to meet in a casual yet informative setting to learn about new and best practices in green building.


Join us at our flagship location in Mashpee for coffee and bagels and:

• Participate in facilitated discussion of "green" and general building
• Get answers to your building questions and challenges
• Network with other industry professionals.

Each month there will be a featured topic in which to frame our conversation.  This month's topic: Radiant Floor Heating.   Radiant heating offers your clients an opportunity to incorporate an extremely efficient heating mechanism into their structure which will yield considerable energy savings.  

Schedule:
Wednesday, September 22nd 
7:45AM – Coffee and Bagels
8:00AM – Featured Training
8:15AM – Group Roundtable discussion

There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required.  Sign up today! 

Product Spotlight: Warmboard Radiant Subfloor

You might be enjoying the crisp mornings as a respite from the hot heat of this summer, or you might be cringing in expectation of the bitter cold mornings and high heating bills of the looming winter.  You could live in fear of the cold to come, or you can do something about it!  Prepare yourself now by updating your home heating system.


Especially if you are in the midst of a renovation and are, say, replacing your floors, you are in a key position to install a radiant floor heating system.  Or, if you are building new or doing any major room renovations, you owe it to yourself to consider radiant subfloor by Warmboard.  As the Warmboard panels with hot water tube system act as a subfloor, we will be the first ones to say that if you have a beautiful new hardwood floor in your home, it is probably wasteful to tear it up to put in a new subfloor, whether or not it is extremely efficient and provides optimum home heating comfort. But, for those of you who are in a position to turn to radiant heat, the one we swear by at 'g' is Warmboard's Radiant Heat Subfloor. 

Their 4' x 8' subfloor panels were designed for maximum efficiency.  Hot water runs through the tubes; the tubing that runs throughout the panels is aluminum and highly conductive and quickly spreads heat throughout the surface of the warmboard subfloor, which is lined with a sheet of aluminum.  The result? 


The time is takes to raise the indoor temperature is much quicker than other heating systems, even other radiant heat systems.  The energy-efficiency of Warmboard is the best in the business due to the innovative use of aluminum across the subfloor surface, as the panels super-conductivity allows the water to be heated to much lower levels.  Anyone with a radiant heat subfloor will tell you that the heating is impeccably even, much more so than relying on forced hot air spreading by means of an electric heat pump, as the heat source is spread throughout the room at the base level, and must rise.  



Installing Warmboard Radiant Subfloor will result in lower operating costs and extreme comfort of you and your family.  Please check it out at your local 'g' retailer today!

LOLL furniture sale! Up to 15% off + free shipping!

We have some exciting news of an early Autumn Sale.  LOLL is the maker of a line of 100% recycled plastic outdoor furniture (made from milk jugs) that includes both classic styling and contemporary flair.  Available in many colors and sizes, this furniture is a great addition to any patio, deck or backyard area.

Now through September 30th, LOLL is offering 15% Off all Black furniture, and 10% Off all colors + Free Shipping.  

This is a great opportunity to start collecting these beautifully designed, eco-friendly plastic furniture that will last years and years, and literally show no signs of wear.  So easy to maintain!

Come in to    to see for yourself - check out the fantastic colors, enjoy the comfort and selct just the right pieces with the help of our experienced design staff.

Let us help you...Create YOUR space!

We have some very exciting news to share with you.  

Today 'g' is debuting a new interactive survey on our website, "Create Your Space!"  

Using a series of check boxes, we will prompt you to provide us with information on your upcoming design and remodeling projects (or your dream projects that aren't in the works yet) as well as ask you some questions about yourself and your personal style.  Are you looking into a kitchen renovation?  Do you wonder what type of eco-friendly furniture you could find that meshes with your design taste?  The survey will take you mere minutes, and your responses will help your knowledgeable 'g' staff make product and design recommendations for you! 

So, visit the survey now and be one of the first to get our undivided attention on your schedule!

Back to School Special: Greening Your Dorm

Early September marks the time of the year when driving along the interstate you see station wagons, vans and cars stuffed to the brim with clothes, books, furniture and gear of college students across the country, heading back to school.  Many will be staying in dorm rooms or renting apartments, and they all have one thing in common: they need lots of stuff.  That's right.  Existing in a space without mom's kitchen supplies or needing to furnish a bare bones apartment with friends can be costly and quite the opposite of eco-friendly.  There's a lot of space to fill, and pressure to have a hip or even simply functional space to entertain and of course, study.  We at 'g' wanted to share some of our best ideas for preparing for the next college semester in the greenest ways possible - if you are a college student or have one in your life (child or grandchild, friend or other family member), read up and consider carefully!

Add personality with accents like vintage lamps and second-hand furniture

We're now at the start of another school year.  Take a minute to think ahead.  At the end of second semester, curbsides will be lined with furniture, appliances, and other dorm decor that students would rather ditch than pack up and take with them.  Dumpsters fill up with items purchased and used for sometimes less than a year - so, why contribute to the waste?  Starting with second-hand items is one of the best ways to green your dorm decor!

Brightly colored vintage glass bottles add a nice decorative flair. Why splurge for new when you can reuse?

First, raid your parents home for anything they might have in the basement of have duplicates of.  Sure, it's trendy to go out and purchase a veggie peeler with the pink enamel handle, but if mom has three in her kitchen utensil drawer, why get a new one?  New things mean new raw materials, and lots of energy going into the manufacturing and packaging.

Next, explore other avenues of cheap (and sometimes free!) second hand items.  Many cities now have a chapter of "freecycle" - a forum where people post items they are giving away free, no strings attached.  You may also have great luck finding functional and unique items at thrift stores and yard sales.  And, go to these places with an open mind.  Find a bookshelf that will suit your needs but hate the finish?  Paint it to suit your own style - you could even come to 'g' to pick up some eco-friendly (and VOC-free) Milk Paint.  Remember to consider the function, and whether or not you really need soemthing, before making the purchase.  We also liked this article that details how to choose used furnishings and decor. Come across a used sofa whose price is right but upholstery isn't?  Cover it with a funky throw blanket.  There are so many creative ways to make your mark with someone else's stuff. 


With a little bit of patience and an eco-savvy flair, your space can be one of a kind and reflect your unique style.  Continuing with your green-sense, at the end of the year before filling the dumpster with your decor, see if you have any classmates who may want to buy any of your belongings or take them off your hand for free.  Some schools have drop-offs to donate used goods to be given to shelters or sold the next fall for the next batch of incoming students...And, if yours doesn't have this service, be a green entrepreneur and start it!

Eco Timber #1 in Consumer Reports!

Consumer Reports Selects EcoTimber - Again - as Overall Top Pick for Honey Solid Woven Bamboo

The August, 2009 and 2010 issues of Consumer Reports has rated EcoTimber Strand Woven Honey #1 in the prefinished solid wood category! The Winner in this category 2 years in a row.

Visit our showroom to see these selections of bamboo and other hardwood flooring that can transform your home or office into a more beautiful, more healthy environment.

Consumer Reports Top-Rated Strand Woven Honey Bamboo floor by EcoTimber

EcoTimber woven bamboo time and again has come in as one of our clients' top picks for an eco-friendly, beautiful and sensible choice for their flooring needs.  Their lifetime residential warranty against construction defects and 27-year warranty against finish wear-through are attractive to some, the fact that the woven bamboo is stronger than most all hardwoods on the market, the environmental sustainability that bamboo represents and environmental values of EcoTimber as a company, the sheer beauty of the EcoTimber Strand Woven Bamboo flooring, and the very reasonable price are some of the many reasons our clients have fallen in love with it.  Stop into your local 'g' showroom today to see the product for yourself!

 
*EcoTimber has a special promotion going on right now, until September 30, 2010 to raise money for the Gulf Coast crisis.  For more information visit http://www.ecotimber.com/