An exclusive EcoSalon playlist to prove you’re just as awesome as your new phone.

You know your just dying to show it off. Here are ten songs to show how cool you and your shiny new phone are next time you’re out.

iPLAY 6 by BehindTheWalk-In

Download the entire playlist for free here.

Tracklist:

• Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
• Too Close (Extented Version) – Next
• Honey – Mariah Carey
• You – Atlantic Starr
• Throb – Janet Jackson
• Humpin Around (Vocal Club Version) – Bobby Brown
• This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
• Let The Beat Hit Em – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
• Hit Me Off (Acapella Version) – New Edition
• All 4 Love – Color Me Badd

Like what you hear? Check out the rest of our 10 Songs series. 

Image: William Hook

The post 10 Songs To Play On Your New iPhone 5 in Public appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every day is better with a new track. 

Bit Funk – It Ain’t Easy by Bit Funk

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Bit Funk

The post Daily Track: It Ain’t Easy – Bit Funk appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every day is better with a new track.

Py – Lungs (prod. George Fitzgerald) by knockknocksyd

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: French Symphony

The post Daily Track: Lungs – Py (Produced by George Fitzgerald) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Everyday is better with a new track.

Breakbot vs. Chromeo – Baby Be Night (Ugly Kids Mash) by indieshuffle.com

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at marketing@ecosalon.com.

Image: Chromeo

The post Daily Track: Baby Be Night (Ugly Kids Mashup) – Breakbot vs. Chromeo appeared first on EcoSalon.

“How long can men thrive between walls of brick, walking on asphalt pavements, breathing the fumes of coal and of oil, growing, working, dying, with hardly a thought of wind, and sky, and fields of grain, seeing only machine-made beauty, the mineral-like quality of life?”

– Charles Lindbergh

Editor’s note: Look for “visual poetry” in the mix at EcoSalon every weekend.

Image: visualpanic

The post Visual Poetry: Lindbergh appeared first on EcoSalon.

Dog gone it, not again! My gluttonous pug – not satisfied with a veggie burger chew toy – has gone bin diving in my compost bucket and recycling bags. These receptacles for reusable waste are placed securely under the sink and not so securely beside the other trash cans in the kitchen. What a mess it makes on the kitchen floor as I catch him in the dirty deed, flattened face buried in the bag, chewing hardened flakes off a cereal box or licking up the yolk residue and eggshells now pasted to my hardwood floor.

I can visualize the sequel now: Smokey and Me. Now that Marley has been put to sleep, we focus on the next heartwarming saga of a well meaning conservationist and her beloved, mischievous family pet.

No matter how much I try pug-proofing my compost containers, the wrinkly chunk always finds the loopholes and manages to get his flat snout in the waste whenever we ease up on our security – a naughty act that begs answers to the following queries:

1. Is the pug an eating machine akin to the great white shark, propelling robotically through his milieu, jaws opening wide and devouring anything and everything in site – from Bounce sheets to cardboard to whatever foul things are carelessly discarded on the street or Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park?

2. Does the dog think of me as terribly wasteful and shameful for getting rid of perfectly good gristle, chicken skin, pork fat, egg shells, coffee grounds, biodegradable clam shell containers and rotting fruit? Does he eat it to teach me a valuable lesson about sustainability?

3. Am I simply dysfunctional in the temporary storage of  disposables?

“Be compassionate with yourself,” my therapist reminds me when I get frustrated about someone removing the rubber bands we connect to the cabinet knobs to proof them. Who would do such a thing? Was it the kids, neighbors, the cleaning lady?

Fine, I’ll ease up on myself and seek counseling for the dog, who might be undergoing some sort of eco-stress from all the talk about eliminating waste around the house. “I’ll eliminate it for you, you guys, if only you will stop trying to lock me out of the goods.”

I wonder what other green dog owners do that we aren’t doing. I would happily take pointers. Do you keep all your household recycle and compost containers outside of the house in a hidden spot, so they can be dumped in the bins collected on trash days? Do you maintain counter buckets that tenacious animals cannot reach? Do time outs? Take away treats. Tell me. I want to know!

Maybe I should resort to threatening no dessert or taking away the privilege of peeing in the doctor’s carport across the street. In the meantime, I’m trying to talk some sense into Smokey, hoping that those scoldings make an impression.

How does it make you feel when your family is doing its part to reduce and reuse, and you go and tip over the containers and cause a lot of angst? Look at the cat. She doesn’t behave like that. She also poops neatly in a box and never begged for food at the table until you came along and corrupted her.

He seems to think I’m speaking in a foreign language, like how some disbelievers glare at us when we talk about climate change and plastic poisons. He cocks his little head and seems to be saying, “When you can get the girls to pick up their wet towels off the floor and un-glue their Power Bars from the car seats, I will resist burrowing in your trash. Otherwise, talk to the paw!”

Guess I’ll have to rely on the blessings of the skinned knee. One day he will suffer a bad case of  diarrhea and projectile vomiting from consuming something nasty and disturbing my waste. He will learn from the pain of his mistakes and only eat kibble at meal time and be a more obedient pug-child. And if he won’t, there is always college.

Images:Mavis, Wickenden, Luanne Bradley

The post When Composting Goes to the Dogs appeared first on EcoSalon.

Earth Day is less than 24 hours away and it’s a great time to get your house in shape and figure out ways to make your little corner of the world a little greener. Whether your new to low-impact living, or could write your own book on the subject, take a look at this list of home-greening tips and see if there’s a project you might want to tackle.

1. Dial down energy consumption

Keeping your thermostat in check is pretty common advice when it comes to lowering your energy consumption. For instance, setting your air conditioner at 78 degrees during the summer can save you 3 to 5 percent more energy than keeping the temp lower. Now is also a great time to put all your home electronics on power strips so you can shut your computer or stereo down completely when your not using it. Electronics plugged directly into a wall continue to draw trickles of power even when turned off, which wastes energy and cash. Curious about how much overall energy you use in your home? WatzzOn is a cool little web-based application that can help you figure it out.

2. What about our furry friends?

Don’t leave Fifi out of your Earth Day shape-up. The pet care industry is filled with eco-friendly products like organic dog biscuits and natural kitty litter. Of course, the number one earth-friendly thing you can do for the planet is to get your pet spayed or neutered. I know it’s tough to resist the urge to have mini versions of your beloved cat running around, but the responsible thing to do is not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem. Make that appointment today, Fifi will understand.

3. Clean the house without holding your breath

If you’ve got a dozen bottle of harsh household cleaners under your kitchen sink, make a pledge to replace them with environmentally safe cleansers as they run out. You can buy them commercially from most big name grocery or retail stores, but if you really want to know what goes into the cleaners your using, just make your own.

4. Don’t forget the laundry room

Green blog Low Impact Living says a home’s washer and dryer can produce as much as 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in a single year of use, so get in your laundry room and figure out how to cut that figure down. If you’re able to, start by drying your clothes on a clothesline. If that’s just too much of a time commitment, then see what you can do about your washing machine. Whenever possible, wash clothes in cold water. They’ll get just as clean, but without using extra energy to heat your wash water. If you’re really ambitious, you can even collect the grey water from your washing machine and use it to water plants and grass.

5. Waste not, want not – water, that is

Speaking of water, grab a two liter soda bottle, fill it with tap water and sink it into your toilet’s water tank. You’ll use less water in the bowl with every flush. Spend a few minutes installing low-flow shower heads and faucets for an even bigger water savings.

6. Funny-shaped light bulbs are no laughing matter

Replace all the light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs for a huge energy savings of up to 75 percent. The corkscrew bulb may look goofy and 23rd century, but who really sees them beneath a lampshade anyway, right?

7. Ditch the paper towels

It’s habit to grab a wad of paper towels to mop up kitchen spills, but maybe it’s time to cease and desist. Frugal living blogger Maya over at SimpleMom took the plunge and says she loves her completely paper-free kitchen. She relies exclusively on cloth towels and napkins that she washes regularly, so check out her system if you want to know more. Our own Susan Johnston took SKOY cleaning cloths for a test drive and says they work “just as well as – if not better than – a regular paper towel.” That’s all the convincing I need to give it a try.

8. Compost is your friend

After dinner, you’ve got to discard piles of vegetable peelings and other food-related detritus anyway, so why not drop it into a compost pile and use it on your garden or lawn? Composting drums are widely available, but if you want to show off your DIY chops, make your own bin instead.

9. How does your garden grow?

Use Earth Day as a nudge to start your own garden. Nothing beats fresh tomatoes and crunchy radishes in a salad and in fact, they’re on the list of the 10 easiest vegetables to grow at home. If you’re already rocking a great garden patch or don’t have the space to get your garden groove on, how about a little vertical planting instead? The setup requires little to no soil and will make just about any bare wall look really awesome.

10. Green up your home office

If you work from home, you’re already making great strides toward a more positive impact on the planet – no air-polluting commutes, for instance – but are there ways you can improve your home office even further? Probably. The same power strips you used for your home electronics are perfect for your home office. Add your computer, monitor, router, printer, even your electric pencil sharpener to one and shut everything off at the end of your workday. Look around for eco-friendly accessories for your must have gadgets and cell phone. For instance, Hypercel makes a line of smartphone cases designed to extend the battery life of your favorite devices so fewer used batteries end up in our landfills (plus the company has great in-house recycling policies). For a comprehensive look at all the ways you can green your home office, don’t miss Planet Green’s Work From Home Guide.

How will you get your house into shape for Earth Day? Share your tips in the comments below.

Images: HGTV, turtlemom4bacon

The post 10 Tips to Get Your Home in Shape for Earth Day appeared first on EcoSalon.

What are the odds of winning a green house courtesy of HGTV? And we love us some green programming, but has NBC’s big brother-ish eco-placement gone too far? We’ll answer these burning questions in this week’s installment of I Want My Green TV.

To Dream the Impossible Green Home Dream

HGTV’s Green Home Giveaway premiered Sunday night. For the next 45 days you can enter to win a brand new eco-friendly house, a GMC Terrain and $100,000 (a smart move by HGTV to help pay all the taxes!)

There’s no way to predict how many viewers will enter, but if you hope to be victorious, you might as well play the lottery while holding a lightning rod and waiting for the strike. The odds are about the same.

Still if you dare to dream, here’s what you need to know. The cozy cottage is in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. It’s built with wood produced from sustainable forests, landscaped with native plants, and decorated with recycled furniture and local art. Plus, the rooftop solar panels feed excess power back to the grid.

Of course, the fact that the cottage is just 2,100 square feet, also plays into its low carbon foot print. The Energy Star rating of the home shows that it uses 41 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than a typical home of its size.

But if you aren’t the winner, don’t despair. There are a few Green Home features you can incorporate into your own house:

• A Serta mattress made from recycled steel and soy-infused foam that reduces CO2 emissions, but more importantly makes for a dreamy night sleep
• An induction cook top that heats only when the pan is physically on the burner
• A solar tube for your master suite’s closet that redirects sunlight to reduce the need for artificial lighting

NBC Goes Green with “Behavior Placement”

We’re all for positive reinforcement of eco-friendly issues on TV shows, but frankly, we’re still creeped out by the fact that NBC has been slipping environmental messages into its shows, and hoping viewers will follow suit. Last week when EcoSalon’s Christopher Correa discussed this subliminal advertising technique we couldn’t help but think about the upside to all of this. NBC is making sure that their shows push environmental issues, with the hope that big businesses will attach themselves to environmentally savvy series. No complaining here.

Remember Al Gore on 30 Rock last year? Yup, that was “behavior placement” in action. The movement kicked off again this week, as it does each April and November.

Tune in next time to see what’s cropping up on green TV.

Image: HGTV

The post I Want My Green TV appeared first on EcoSalon.

As I await a visit from the solar panel guy this week, I’m doing more layering than the Cake Boss. I even wore two pairs of socks last night under my Uggs, along with leg warmers on my hands. My PG&E bill ran into the hundreds this month and it burns me to think about paying that much for energy since I’m keeping the heat turned off most of the time.

Perhaps I’m like Sarah Silverman’s Nana: I’m not cold, just dying. I look around my drafty nest and see that my daughters are weathering the chilly environs in tank tops and going barefoot on the hardwood floors. Clearly, their circulation is better than mine. My husband, too, never seems to be cold. He grew up in Berkeley and acclimated to the tundra a half century ago. Ever since he added insulation to the doors, he never needs extra layers.

My dog has fleece, a blankie for lounging, as well as an extra coat of winter fur to keep cozy. Guess it’s down to my old tabby cat, Audrey (who is starting to resemble Grizabella) and me, the two creatures in the old cottage bungalow forever seeking the light. While she remains curled up in her round brown cat bed by the fireplace, I go looking for cheap heat – which is  a cheap thrill when you are as cold as me.

Here are some tricks to warm those lovely bones during this stormy, low budget winter:

1. The Hot Water Bottle

The delivery of the soothing rubber canteen is the one act of chivalry still alive in my home. My husband fills the red rubber bottle with hot water from the tea kettle and then screws on the top very tight, and places it beside me on the sofa or bed. It is less wasteful than an electric blanket or heating pad. I used one the other night to relieve muscle ache in my lower back, and fell asleep feeling toasty. The warmth can last up to eight hours if the water is hot enough. They are easy to come by, too, from the old hottie to new handmade versions. For tips on use, visit this site.

2. You Are What You Heat: Diet Can Adjust Body Temperature

Sure, wholesome organic veggie soups and peppery chilies served piping hot will help warm your innards, but did you know other foods can help raise your body temp? According to All Foods Natural, a variety of surprising snacks do the trick, including a handful of peanuts, almonds, and seeds like sesame and pumpkin. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and pepper are body warmers (i.e. swirl those cinnamon sticks in your tea). It’s probably no surprise garlic and onions boost your furnace while lowering cholesterol and fruits and veggies eaten daily in the winter warm the body by aiding the immune system and circulation. Which foods should you avoid in the winter? White foods, cold drinks, alcohol, processed crunchy things, cucumbers and large amounts of butter. Darn.

3. Cover Those Extremities

Heads, fingers and toes: Covering them outdoors works and so goes it for the indoors, too. A warm woolen scarf or organic cotton turtleneck and socks can be worn with your lounging gear, including your pajamas. And our ancestors weren’t so crazy when they wore caps to bed. I draw the line at donning a beanie and hand warmers after the dinner hour (my family thinks I’m eccentric enough), but keeping the toes warm is big. Even if kids complain they are hot, you should insist they cover up a bit around the house.

4. Quick and Dirty Window Fix

If that cold air is seeping in through small cracks in your window trim and frame, you can seal it with a piece of cloth or even duct tape. I find tape comes in handy for many household jobs. Associated Content even recommends patching cracks in the panes with either insulation board or heavy cardboard to prevent air leaks. Of course, it helps the most if you already have good attic insulation and have taken other measures to stop leaks.

5. Furnace and Filter Maintenance

If you must run your heat daily during the winter to keep the teeth from chattering, good old fashioned cleaning of furnaces and heating units and replacing filters each year can help your systems run more effectively while saving you money on your heating bills. It is suggested you check your filter once a month, because if it is clogged, it can’t do its job.

Images: Daryl Mitchell, TV Lesson; Montana.edu; Allfoodsnatural; Athleta; Tapemanblue

The post This Cold House: 5 Quick Fixes appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sure, you’re forced to take down the ghosts and fuzzy spiders (news flash: your neighbors are pissed if you haven’t done so), but some of the seasonal elements we put up to get in the mood  should endure until the end of the year, if not beyond.

Here is my list of favorite affordable decorative displays for the festive and frugal in all of us.

1. Lanterns

Rice paper lanterns bobbing outside (with solar lights) or in your rooms make a huge, happy statement. I love the cylinder shapes with Asian motifs like the ones found at My Green Party Goods, $3.50 each.  Keep out of wind and rain and purchase eco options.

2. Mini Pumpkins

Don’t toss these babies out with the bad Halloween candy. They transition to the Thanksgiving table (orange+pumpkin) and even co-mingle happily pomegranates and pepper berries for winter holiday merrymaking. You can buy organic by the case at Baldor, if you haven’t already succumbed to the adorable guys at the farmers’ market.

3. Bowls of shells

It’s likely you have amassed these already. Gather them in a pretty bowl for the coffee table, scatter on the table, line them on the mantle. Shells – often used to evoke romantic, seaside summer lazing – work just as well in fall and winter. I like combing the beach for sand dollars and tossing them into my mix.

4. Strung Cards

I string three rows of natural wire along my dining room wall to hang beautiful cards from the high holidays and my daughter’s October Bat Mitzvah to Halloween, Thanksgiving and winter holiday greetings. Just pick up some clamps and you’re in business. Guests love them and cards are so cool, why toss them out?

5. Photo Displays

I’ve mounted many photo walls for clients and friends, which is affordable art for the home and a way to display treasured memories from the year. Of course, assorting eco frames on various tables throughout the house works well, too (school photos, Halloween shots, other fun scenes).

6. Foliage

Harvest leaves, twigs and pine cones and branch out in your earthy styling of tables, entryways and other venues that smack of fall color. I like how Arenamontanus gathered a grouping for a desk.

7. Candles

Beeswax candles come in all shapes and sizes and really set the mood for seasonal statements. Mix ’em and match ’em, turn off the lights and turn on the tunes. For a great assortment visit 1000 Markets.

8. Recycled Cloth Coasters

Like these vintage treasures from Etsy, turn your excess fabric into coasters with easy sewing for delightful results. When do you put them away? Never.

9. Table coverage

Roll out the organic runners and roll out the fun, kids. This sumptuous moss design from Amenity can take you through the seasons and inspire unique styling. I use them to dress up many surfaces from the dining table to the buffet and entry way.

10. Vintage Dishes

This peach glass from Step Toes is a lovely example of the menagerie of collectibles you can break out to display and use for serving, from favorite heirloom porcelain to tea pots and even plates hung for display. This is where you canhave blast and save on that styling budget.

The post Styling on a Yulestring? 10 Frugal and Festive Fall and Winter Displays appeared first on EcoSalon.