EVENT Join EcoSalon and SF’s craziest cyclist at Swig next week for a good time, a good cause and a chance to win an iPad and other prizes!

By now, you’ve probably heard of the AIDS/LifeCycle: a 7-day, 545-mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, starting June 5. The 2500 riders who participate, in addition to riding thousands of miles to train for the event, also raise money to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

Join EcoSalon as we sponsor one (slightly crazy) Zach Morvant of San Francisco’s Anatomy Creative. Zach is joining the ride this year, but, wait for it…he is riding a single speed bike, otherwise known as a ‘track bike’. (For the uninitiated, that is a stripped-down, single-speed, fixed gear machine.) To train, he’s been rising with the sun to ride up Hawk Hill before work, and recently charged Mount Tam via Four Corners to East Peak (which is reportedly “the hard way”…we’ll take his word for it).

To reach his $3000 fundraising goal, Zach needs our help: he’s got $1500 to go.

Good cause? Good time? You know we are so there.

EcoSalon is proud to co-host an event this Tuesday, May 31st at San Francisco’s very own Swig. ‘The Last Mile Fundraiser’ will feature some coveted items for raffle as well as discounted drinks, and, of course, Zach. Your $20 donation at the door gets you two raffle tickets. Additional raffle tickets will be sold for $10 a piece. Bonus? Top shelf susty cocktails with Fair vodka will be poured for just $3.00. Limited quantity, so get there on time!

Raffle prizes include: An iPad, a bottle of biodynamic bubbly, fair trade vodka from Fair, a $75 gift certificate from our favorite eco fashion boutique, Ecocitizen, a $75 gift certificate from EcoSalon’s stylish sister company, eco-chic home goods retailer VivaTerra, Giants’ tickets and other surprises.

Who, what, when, where: Everyone (including you!), “The Last Mile Fundraiser”, May 31st, 2011 6-9 pm, Map

Mark your calendar – we’ll see you there, sister!

Thanks to our friends at Swig for their hospitality. Special thanks as well to @LA, Fair, VivaTerra and Ecocitizen. All donations are tax deductible and receipts will be provided.

The post AIDS Lifecycle ‘Last Mile Fundraiser’: Good for a Cause, Good for the Planet appeared first on EcoSalon.

EventAn Earth Day party hosted by EcoSalon and SF’s Bar Agricole.

For greenies and foodies alike in San Francisco, one of the best things to come out of 2010 was the launch of Bar Agricole, the gorgeous modern tavern in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood. The all-star founding cast includes legendary mixologist Thad Vogler (Beretta), chef Brandon Jew (Magnolia), Eric Johnson (Delarosa), and Mark Ellenbogen (The Slanted Door). Tucked in next to Slim’s on 11th, Bar Agricole is rustic and sleek, a LEED-certified gem of reclaimed woods, exposed beams and enormous blown glass fluted chandeliers.

But it’s not just the design that wows. Bar Agricole serves delicious seasonal fare – think creamy chopped liver on toast and organic squash fritters – and farm-to-bar cocktails. Ingredients are sourced locally, including herbs and lemons from the patio garden. This comfortable, beautiful space is run by some of the friendliest bartenders and staff in the city, which is part of why I’ve been stopping by for happy hour and dinners since the restaurant opened last August. So when our managing editor, Amy, and I were there for a business meeting recently, we decided to ask Thad what he thought about an EcoSalon party on Earth Day.

Where else but a green, chic spot like Bar Agricole for EcoSalon’s Bay Area readers? Thad agreed, and a plan was hatched. We invite you to an EcoSalon gathering this Earth Day (April 22nd). Come by between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. for special organic EcoSalon cocktails by Thad and the team – a perfect way to end a day of volunteering and Earth Day activities. We’ll be enjoying drinks, tapas and chat, plus a few surprises. Stay tuned for updates! We look forward to meeting you.

Date and time: April 22, 2011 7-9 p

For location: Bar Agricole

For further information: editor at ecosalon dot com

The post EcoSalon and Bar Agricole Announce an Earth Day Party appeared first on EcoSalon.

Redesign and Categories

We’ve updated our design to reflect what we’re all about: a modern aesthetic with heart. You’ll notice new sections and at-a-glance browsing of exclusives and columns. We’re expanding News and Culture to better feature the investigation and reportage of our team covering a wide range of original topics, from pollution in the Gulf to a voyage in the Atlantic, to fashion in Paris, London, India and beyond. And who could miss the addition of Sex? This is something we all care about, and it is a fun part of our humanity – some might say it’s why we’re here! We’re also making it simpler to keep tabs on upcoming city events, guides and EcoSalon editorial exclusives. In short, we want to make it easier for you to find and follow the news and ideas you love, while enjoying a site that’s a snap to dig into – and a little bit sexy, too.

Giveaways

In partnership with our chic green pals at VivaTerra and dozens of select eco-fashion designers, we’ll be featuring daily giveaways of sustainable, gorgeous products. Yes, daily. ‘Nuff said.

EcoSalon TV

Catch some more fun by checking out our debut episode of EcoSalon TV tomorrow, with yours truly as your guide. From sex to food to culture and celebrity interviews, we’ll be exploring what’s now and next each week.

Why We’re Doing This

As the conscious culture and fashion website for readers of substance – and style – we want to delight, entertain, inform and inspire you daily with the best of all the things that make modern life such an extraordinary adventure: fashion, design, food, culture, and yes, sex! At EcoSalon, we believe these are the things that make the world go round, and we want to help you get around it with a little more fun. Isn’t that really why we’re all “going green”, anyway?

What does conscious mean to you? We believe it’s about being inspired by life. Awake and aware and immersed in the now – hip, and hip to the present. You might say inspiration is a series of conscious choices – and the amazing things that happen when modern minds possess hearts on fire.

So, enjoy the new look, and don’t forget to enter today’s giveaway! Of course, you can come back tomorrow for the next one. And I’d love to hear what you think about EcoSalon TV tomorrow, too.

Housekeeping

We’ve done plenty of technical tweaking to make EcoSalon easy on the eyes for iPad, iPhone and Android, so please let us know if you catch a hiccup. The site is also coded to automatically detect your monitor settings and adjust to a size that works for you.

More cool announcements are coming your way soon. Keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook, and drop us a line, anytime. (We love hearing from you.) And hang on for good times ahead!

The post Announcing a Brand New EcoSalon appeared first on EcoSalon.

How does one celebrate two years online, 3,000+ posts, 11,000 fantastic Twitter pals (thanks for ranking us #1 on Twitter!), and half a million readers we love? With a giveaway, of course! And lots of fun changes.

We’ve been very busy here at EcoSalon HQ recently, adding fresh talent to the fantastic roster of editors and writers bringing you green without the granola daily. We’re also introducing new content channels to better serve you.

Take a quick peek at all the latest and greatest at a glance – new sections, new writers, and giveaway details.

While I’m thrilled about the voices heading up our editorial, these new channels are taking their first baby steps, so your feedback is not only welcome, we will need it. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, what rocks your socks, what leaves you feeling like day-old oatmeal without the agave. Leave a comment, send us a note, or weigh in with a tweet @ecosalon.

New sections: Tech, sex, culture, entertainment, travel, pets, food, and design: We’ve been covering these topics and more at EcoSalon for two years, and considering how popular these subjects are, it only makes sense to dedicate channels to them.

RELISHOUS: Savor fare, foodie. The food lovers among you will be happy to see we’re breaking out our extensive food coverage from Wellness and giving delicious green grub its own vertical. Bring on the restaurant reviews and organic cocktails! To relish means to savor with gusto, and we think that’s what being an eco-friendly foodie is all about.

SHELTER: The way we build our cities, construct our homes, organize our gathering places and decorate our spaces is one of the most fundamental challenges for a society evolving to sustainability – and one of the most exciting. Design is an essential aspect of how humans will change the world for the better, and we’re excited to expand this content so you know not only where to scout that soy foam mattress but which architects are pushing for smarter buildings and how designers create the products you love.

CULTURE BITTEN: You’re a sharp, socially active and influential group, and I’m looking forward to your reaction to our culture coverage (both the high-brow and the just-rolled-out-of-bed-brow.) Expect a mix of insight, news, and discovery. Green as it pertains to our culture isn’t only about Leo’s new hybrid or, at the other end of the spectrum, the latest rally with Greenpeace. Culture is how we express our humanity – how we create, play, plan, act, engage (and enrage) each other. Culture Bitten is about the people at the edge of what’s new, inspiring, challenging, beautiful, intelligent and sometimes strange: artists, thinkers, leaders, musicians, activists and early adopters.

PASSPORT: We’re also breaking out a special travel section, but this is about much more than a carbon offset. Our travel section will help you green your vacations, clue you in to the best spas, hotels, and adventures around the world, and help you navigate the globe sustainably. But our mission is to go radically beyond “travel as consumption,” by including coverage of cause-related events, people making a difference and socially positive exploration.

HINT OF GEEK: What would a modern green lifestyle be without technology? So you aren’t going off the grid any time soon (hey, you’re reading this website). That doesn’t mean you want to buy the iPad and the Kindle, or waste energy around your digs. Hint of Geek will bring you all the best in hacks, gadgets, web news and tech to make your life greener, sleeker and more efficient.

FLORA & FIDO: Everyone needs a little Cute Rx, so Flora & Fido debuts today as our pet and garden content channel. We’ll also be covering the domestic side of life in this section, from organic kiddie products to smart living tips.

FEMME VITALE: Taking up where Wellness leaves off, Femme Vitale expands our health and nutrition coverage to include topics like sex, relationships, psychology…and sex. And while we will never tell you how to lose 10 pounds in three days just like Kim Kardashian or ponder 7 Ways to Change a Man (because we love them as much as we love you), we will be covering topics every woman can relate to – and asking tough questions, too.

FASHION: In the immortal words of Mae West, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” The fashionistas among you know our fashion channel for its edgy everywoman, Amy DuFault, and her leadership of our exclusive and original coverage of both famous and fledgling designers, backstage challenges, breakout brands and the truth in everything from manufacture to marketing of fashion. With new contributions from fashion writers on both coasts, we’re excited to bring you more of the thought leadership, provocative questions, style insights and fashion secrets you expect from us.

New writers: Check out this page for vital stats on all our new team members – we’ve more than doubled in size. Follow them on Twitter, check out their new stories and columns this week and in future days (you’re subscribing, right?), and drop them a line with your tips, ideas and suggestions.

From mainstream media and indie press alike, from Daily Candy alum to experts in their fields, we’ve got an exciting lineup of writers working on must-have, must-know content for you. You shouldn’t have to hunt the web for the kind of green goodness you want: the free-of-crunch, fascinating, useful, sexy and fun insider tips, ideas and insights. Our goal is to serve as that essential resource on the web for you in your pursuit of the chic, conscious, green lifestyle.

New writers Jess McCuan, EIC of Verve Magazine, and Heather Brubaker will scout the chicest restaurants and help turn your black thumb green, while Vanessa Barrington will continue her thoughtful reporting on food business and policy with The Green Plate, and Anna Brones will contribute Foodie Underground, a new column tipping you on everything from vegan taco carts to secret organic marts that debuts tomorrow.

From design to drool over to hacks for your home to reducing your pet’s pawprint, senior editor Luanne Bradley and new writers Lisa Hoover, Susan Johnston, Holley Simmons, Maggie Marton and Julie Knapp will keep you in the know with the freshest green finds and smartest designs for you, your tykes, your home and even your mother-in-law. I’m excited for you to get to know these talented writers this year, so lookout for their posts on the site.

Seasoned entertainment journalist Liz Barrett, art writer Melanie Reynard, culture writer Anne Keehn, and feminism blogger Naomi Zeveloff will bring incisive, insightful posts to our culture offerings, along with Luanne, Amy and Nancy Harrington, Christopher Correa and Stephanie Rogers (who’s never afraid to take on the big dogs).

Tech content will be headed up by New York Times blogger and EcoMeme columnist Lora Kolodny as Tech Editor, along with auto, gadget (and occasional beer) reviews by Patrick Sauer, plus a few new names you’ll notice in coming weeks.

Katherine Butler moves up to Beauty Editor, and we’re happy to be bringing you more beauty content on a weekly basis in Femme Vitale!

In coming weeks you’ll be going behind the scenes of the eco (and not so eco) fashion industry with fashion editor and green style guru Amy DuFault and her new team: the independent filmmaker and green fashionista Greta Eagan, Fashion Takes Action’s Kelly Drennan and West Coast fashion journalist, Rowena Ritchie.

Ladies and gents alike will be pleased to know our eminently patient lone male staffer, Mike Sowden, is now in more evenly distributed company with the addition of Wend Magazine founding EIC and environmental explorer Stiv Wilson, who will be heading up our travel content as editor of the new Passport section, and Christopher Correa of The Washington Post and True/Slant, who will be contributing a weekly Culture Bitten column, Hill/Street Greens, on green affairs from Capitol Hill and Wall Street. Expect equal parts adventure and awesome – and skewering aplenty. Check out Stiv’s first post, and check in next Wednesday for the debut H/SG.

Last, but certainly not least, I’m pleased to introduce our new assistant managing editor, the smart and savvy Heather Dale. Heather will be helping to wrangle our writers, chat with you about anything and everything green and great, keep me sane, and produce upcoming video content. (You can see our first videos here and here).

Contest:

EcoSalon is grateful for the incredible support of our green sister company and original eco retailer, VivaTerra. Founded in 2005, VivaTerra created a breakthrough, green-to-the-core, high style catalog company focused on gorgeous eco design and sustainable fashion before green was even a gleam in most retail companies’ eyes.

To kick off our new sections today, the first 1,000 readers to sign up for our newsletter will be automatically entered to win this beautiful living ecosphere ($89 value). Makes a perfect gift and goes with any decor scheme. We’re giving away five, so be sure to sign up for your chance to win! (Limit one subscription and entry per person; offer does not apply to VivaTerra or EcoSalon staff, family, or friends; offer expires 4/21/2010. See all rules here.)

But wait, there’s more!

We also have exciting site enhancements, special retail goodies and custom features in the works this year. Stay tuned for this and more. To get the firsthand scoop on site changes, meetups and events, sign up for our newsletter.

We couldn’t ask for a better bunch of readers, and I couldn’t ask for a better team. This is going to be a fun year, so stick around, baby!

The post Announcing Fresh Faces, Fun New Content Channels and a Giveaway! appeared first on EcoSalon.

This, from a male colleague, while we were chatting about EcoSalon last week. He turned his laptop screen towards me and there it was: the ubiquitous Evony ad, with an appropriately medieval maid inviting us to “Play now, my Lord.” We’ve all seen the ad; I just didn’t realize we were seeing it on EcoSalon. I hit refresh on my own screen and got some very nice yoga mats. Refresh again. Green cleaners, more yoga, greening your office. Again. No lady parts. “Hit refresh,” I commanded.

Impressive.

No matter how many times he reloaded the site, it was all decolletage all the time. (Is this because he’s male? We’re on to you, internets.) Now, we’ve had some pretty lame ads. It happens. But this was even more annoying than those damn acai ads. We set fairly strict ad filters (no poker or politics, you’ll have to try HuffPo for that), so evidently our wanton wench was very determined. And while I think we can all agree breasts of any century are wonderful, it’s a stretch to say they are germane to the conversation at Ye Olde EcoSalonne.

On this note, I’d like to ask you: what ads drive you crazy? I don’t mean just here, although you should tell me; I mean online, period. I posted this question on Twitter and got some great responses. Apparently people really, really can’t stand ads that rollover the content. (I’m with you.) But until we of the internet figure out a way to provide you with enjoyable content while paying the bills (more on that, soon), ads are a necessity.

I personally don’t mind ads at all, if they’re relevant or clever. Giving up a little personal data to get better ads coming my way doesn’t creep me out, either. And ads aren’t going away – yet. Until they do, we can try to make them better. So, how can ads be more useful, interesting, fun? And what kind of advertising would you like to see a lot less of? What would you like to see more of? Would you be willing to share some basic personal information, securely, to be served ads about things you actually like and need? Don’t be shy, now, Lords and Ladies.

The post Presenting the Least Relevant Ad Ever Displayed on EcoSalon appeared first on EcoSalon.

The post Special Last Minute Deals on Green Gifts: EcoSalon Readers Only! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Hi everyone. EcoSalon has a fresh new look that I hope you’ll love. Do you know it’s only been 9 months since we launched and we already have over 1,600 posts for you to read? I’m not even sure how we managed to do that! If you’re new, or just want to browse around and acquaint yourself with our new design and features, this post is a great way to get started.

Here’s a fun at-a-glance peek at some popular posts in the last few months at EcoSalon. The list will always be changing, so bookmark this post and check back soon to see what everyone’s buzzing about most.

• 20 Inspiring Works of Environmental Art
• 10 Simple Acts to Unlock Your Inner Green Goddess
• 7 Delicious Meat Alternatives (and not a Lick of Tofu in Sight!)
• A Sneak Peek into the Future of Green Homes
• Can Obama Green the Planet?
• Green Your Junk: Fun Ways to Turn Your Trash into Treasure
• How to Quiet Your Mind in 24 Hours or Less
• Ignite Your Brainpower with the Smartest Organic Foods
• Save the Planet, Save Cash: 25 Ways to Green Your Green
• 15 Books That Will Change How You See the World
• Weird Science: the Strangest Things You Can Compost

You can also browse content by your favorite author. (But you don’t have to pick just one favorite.)

Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed to get the latest in green. And to be automatically entered to win great green prizes, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly highlights.

Let me know what you think of our new look. See you soon!

P.S. Special thanks to Jon, Kurt, Mu, Matt, Joe, Danielle, Laurie and Gwen, Piper, everyone at VivaTerra (especially Claire), my amazing, amazing team and all the other friends who offered feedback and helped along the way.

Image: matrianklw

The post A Fresh New Look (and 11 Great Posts) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Hi everyone, it’s your editor and I need your help. I’d like to know your thoughts about EcoSalon. Many of you have emailed us this year with ideas, tips, thank you notes, and helpful criticism, and we’ve been tremendously appreciative of all your feedback. But I’d like to get a public conversation going. This is your site, after all. What would you like to see in 2009? Be honest, be candid, be yourself – tell me what you think.

What do you like best about EcoSalon?

What’s your favorite section or type of content, and why?

What’s your least favorite? What can’t you stand?

What’s missing? If you were in charge, what would you add?

I want to know what will make you feel refreshed, inspired, informed and entertained by your daily visit to EcoSalon. We’ve grown so much this year thanks to your amazing support, and we are excited to bring you our best possible work in 2009. So speak up! It’s your time to shine.

Image: ndrwfgg

The post This Site's for You appeared first on EcoSalon.

Here’s some great news for Amazon fans, especially those planning on doing some of their Christmas shopping online. Amazon now offers “Frustration-Free Packaging” which consists of streamlined packaging using recyclable cardboard.

Imagine, no more struggling to a get a gadget out from its packaging. No more plastic cuts (the dreaded cousin of the paper cut). And not only will it be easier to release the product from it’s packaging, the packaging itself is more environmentally friendly. Sounds like a win-win decision to me.

While Amazon’s CEO does hope to eventually offer Frustration-Free Packaging for all its products, they are currently focusing on 19 bestselling products from leading manufacturers such as Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend that have been traditionally enclosed in the notorious clamshells (hard plastic cases). Learn more at Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging.

Image: germes online

The post Amazon Introduces Frustration Free Packaging appeared first on EcoSalon.

Prunes, prunes, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you “¦neutralize free radicals and protect against cell damage?

Yes, you read that right: dried plums, also known as prunes, top the list of fruits tested for antioxidants in a Tufts University study, even surpassing the almighty blueberry. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score for unglamorous prunes: 5,770. The score for runners up raisins and blueberries: 2,830 and 2,400.

Of course, the researchers didn’t test cacao or goji berries, which blow prunes out of the water with ORAC scores of 62,100 and 25,300, but don’t tell “Ëœem I told you so. Maybe some chocolate-covered prunes would make the much-maligned fruit a little more palatable!

Image

The post Prunes Beat Blueberries for Antioxidants appeared first on EcoSalon.