The team at CasaSugar helps us celebrate outdoors.

If you’re planning on hosting a party for Fourth of July festivities, you’ll want to make sure that your backyard is up for the challenge. Choosing decorative elements that are multifunctional is key, but it takes a bit of preparation. To ensure that your Fourth of July bash is a beautiful success, get organized with this list of backyard entertaining essentials.

• Shop for extra seating that can be easily stashed once the party is over. Folding wooden chairs, benches, and garden stools can be stored or repurposed in other parts of the house after the party is over.
• Add a pretty and protective service to outdoor tabletops with tablecloths. Oilcloths are offered in a variety of patterns and colors and are ideal for easy cleanup.
• Set down the bug spray and keep mosquitoes at bay with beautifully packaged citronella candles. We especially love the classic, subdued elegance of glass votive citronella candles.
• Make sure your yard has ample lighting by adding temporary options that can be taken down at the end of the season. If you have trees, arbors, or other tall structures, use string lights. If not, look for tiki torches or stake lanterns.
• Avoid having guests make multiple trips in and out of the house for a cold drink by shopping for stylish tubs to fill with ice and beverages.

• Instead of washing dishes throughout the night or dumping plastic and paper dinnerware, consider using biodegradable versions that can be composted.
• If you’re expecting warm weather, be sure to provide shading so that your guests don’t overheat. Umbrellas, tents, and DIY canopies go a long way.
• Let guests know it’s a party by decorating with festive touches like flag bunting, tissue pom-poms, or balloons.
• Trays are a fantastic way to transfer and organize items, but they can also provide extra table surface. Look for trays that can rest on stands or be removed when you have to haul something.
• To avoid confusing beverages, provide a way for guests to mark their drinks. For a hassle-free but stylish way to identify drinks, set out a roll of cute washi tape and a sharpie pen and let guests mark their own drinks. Or set out tags with ribbons for wine glasses and bottles.
• For double-duty centerpieces, assemble shiny red apples in glass vessels or pot pretty blooms to set at tables.

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Images: CasaSugar

The post Outdoor Entertaining: 11 Essentials for a Backyard July 4th Bash appeared first on EcoSalon.

Is it just me, or does summertime beckon you to move your living space into the outdoors? Who doesn’t love soaking up all that the sunny weather has to offer? This brilliant company called Loll Designs creates colorful, affordable and modern 100 percent recycled plastic outdoor furniture to make the transition from indoor living to outdoor reveling easy and appealing.

From Adirondack rockers and chairs sized for adults and children, to sun loungers, table and chair sets, birdhouses and dog bowls, it’s time to cozy up to the notion of spending quality time in your backyard!

All of Loll’s sustainably designed outdoor furniture is made in the USA from 100 percent recycled post-consumer HDPE, and Loll furniture is also 100 percent recyclable. You can sit pretty knowing that “for every pound of weight in a Loll chair there are an estimated eight recycled milk jugs being used, saving natural resources and reducing land-fill waste.” The furniture is also easy to clean and requires no upkeep!

Kids will love indulging in green art projects under a calm sky, at the cheery, kid-sized Loll table seen above. And parents can relax in the sleek de Luge sunbed while reading a great novel or writing in their eco gratitude journal.

Bird lovers will delight in Loll’s chirpy birdhouses, which come in a variety of punchy colors; and the dog bowls perched in convenient stands will help welcome furry friends to enjoy some R&R as well. The folks at Loll certainly have nature’s best interest in mind. To offset their carbon emissions, they spend one day per year planting trees for each order they received during the previous year!

The post Recycled Outdoor Furniture Eye Candy From Loll Designs appeared first on EcoSalon.

“˜Tis the season to entertain outdoors, and if I had a patio of my own, I’d be all over these solar lanterns from Bambeco ($39) (like moths to a flame, if you will).

Not only are the included solar panels eco-friendly, but they also eliminate the need for hanging ugly – and potentially dangerous – electrical wires. They also come equipped with two high-powered Amber LED lights, a AAA rechargeable battery, and stainless steel hardware so you can hang them from trees or perhaps a porch roof. And the hard-formed plastic is sturdy enough to withstand the elements. Genius!

The Soji Modern lanterns turn themselves on at dusk, adding instant romance to an outdoor space. Whether illuminating a summertime fête or lighting the way for you to return home after an evening out, the lanterns radiate a warm golden glow and ooze modern style.

They’re available in three patterns (pure white, pearl motif, and mineral motif), so you could mix and match with different textures to add more visual interest or cluster together several of the same pattern to create a more unified look.

Do you decorate your patio or porch? How do you create an inviting, yet eco-friendly space?

The post Green Crush: Soji Solar Lanterns appeared first on EcoSalon.

A week on the slopes means good things for your body and soul, but it’s equally important to consider the impact on those slopes you’re skiing down. Still, a busy girl’s gotta prioritize her time, and planning your winter ski getaway shouldn’t be a research headache. Fortunately, there’s the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition, an independent organization that rates ski resorts and areas according to a strict set of environmental criteria in four areas: habitat protection, watershed conservation, climate change consideration, and environmental policies and practices.

So what’s your best best in terms of an eco-friendly ski resort? Here are the SACC’s top five, meaning that you can rest assured these places are doing their part to keep the environment in mind, and all you have to focus on is enjoying your time on the slopes.

1. Squaw Valley, California

The top-ranked ski resort, Squaw Valley does a great job when it comes to habitat protection, particularly because it puts a high value on protecting undisturbed and environmentally sensitive areas and making sure that local endangered species are protected. But it’s also a world class resort with over 4,000 acres of terrain, which means you’re sure to enjoy yourself.

2. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort, Colorado

Known for its amazing runs, Aspen also gets top environmental grades across all four SACC categories. But even though the resort may be green, if you’re planning a trip to Aspen it’s also important to consider the environmental impact of your travel as well as lodging. Fortunately, the resort is close to the heart of town, cutting your transportation needs.

3. Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort, Colorado

Along with Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk is part of the four resort consortium Aspen Snowmass. It’s currently the home of ESPN X Games through 2012, giving this green resort great national exposure and hopefully encouraging other ski areas to take similar steps to protect the environment.

4. Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, California

Another Lake Tahoe gem, Sugar Bowl is a great venue for a family trip, complete with an extensive network of kid’s trails as well as plenty of slopes for the more experienced. It also does a great job when it comes to protecting local watersheds.

5. Sundance Resort, Utah

Established by Robert Redford, and situated on 6,000 acres of wilderness, the Sundance Resort has everything from skiing to theater, all with four star comfort. Being located in such a beautiful area of the country, the resort is fully committed to doing all it can to consider the environment. Beyond implementing common green policies like a recycling program and offering organic goods in the restaurant, Sundance also has its own glassworks kiln, where glass bottles are broken down and turned into artwork used around the property.

To learn about more green ski areas, you can read the full Top 10 list here.

Don’t see one that’s near you? The SACC also lets you compare ski areas by state. Here’s to a relaxing, and environmentally friendly, ski getaway!

Images: Rennett Stowe, dcwriterdawn, Zach Dischner, mariachilly, GLiving

The post Green Winter Adventures: Top 5 Eco Ski Spots appeared first on EcoSalon.

Organic, textural and highly ornamental, cabbage is an ideal crop to plant in your garden during those fall and winter months when falling leaves can be the only color abundant in the garden.

Planting rows of the cabbage was a great solution for my own raised veggie bed (below), which is very challenging to maintain this time of year. I long for pumpkins but we never seem to get them going in time.

A garden designer friend suggested the purple, low-water use option of the Cruciferea family (from the same family as cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards and Brussels Sprouts) as a way to fill in the blank bed.

I love how they look, rather modern and clean as a design feature, plus, they actually like living in my San Francisco yard (not one has complained about the morning fog).

As a cool season crop with color that can be enhanced by cold weather, they can tolerate chillier temperatures of nearly 32 degrees, according to Vegetable Garden Suite 101. You can keep them as a lovely design feature, or cook them in a variety of dishes, from savory soups to simple steamed side dishes and  wonderful, healthy slaws.

Still, many prefer ornamental cabbage and kale as low water use plants rather than food, finding other members of the family of plants are much more tasty as food crops.

Apparently, the cabbage originated as a wild crop along the Mediterranean and Western Europe where it was used medicinally, and was one of the first Cruciferea crops to be domesticated some 2,000 years ago. Part of the popularity is the fact ornamental varieties need virtually no maintenance.

There are many sites for buying the flowering cabbage seeds, including Park Seed and  Neseed, or you can find them at a local nursery that deals in organic plants.

Park Seed recommends starting the seeds indoors and covering them very lightly before transplanting when the leaves begin to shoot.  The color evolves around 3 1/2 months from sowing to form a rosette of colorful leaves with cream rose, pink and purple shades, 10 inches high and 12 inches wide. To dig up hints and growing rich and ruffly cabbage as borders or in containers, visit Garden Blaze.

Tell them Peter Rabbit sent you!

Main Image: Raelene G

Image One: Luanne Bradley

Image Two: Garden Blaze

The post Autumn Cabbage: Pretty and Edible Outdoor Decor appeared first on EcoSalon.

The garden is going brighter in all respects from drought-resistant plants to brazen glazed pots that add summer sizzle to the favorite gathering spot.

Here are a few favorites containing the G-words we love: Green (as in material); Gutsy (as in use of color) and Garden-friendly (as in they will last beyond one season).

Flora Grubb Gardens: The fiery red pot (above) and these new, blue glazed vessels from Vietnam are hot houses for hanging out – that is, if you’re a wild thing.

Eco Source: As pleasing as scoops of sherbet on a hot summer day, the green organic planters from Eco Source will lift your spirits and happily hold your specimens and mixed varieties. Also check out the more muted Nova Series made from rice.

Arizona Pottery: For smaller plant accents, blend in these reproductions of William Gates’ deco art pottery, produced from 1899 to 1920 by the American Terra Cotta and Ceramics Company in Terra Cotta, Ill. Made with eco-healthy materials, the water-tight vases bring retro flavor to your garden decor.

Modernica: In the right light, there is nothing brighter than white. Position these Case Study planters on wood in the right spot (indoors in a sunroom or on a protected outdoor patio) and watch them shine.

Bio Pots from Rush Creek Designs: Color them pretty in these biodegradable containers made of bamboo fiber, rice husks, wheat straw and corn husks. They break down two to three years after discarding and are gems for boosting the sunny attitude in your yard.

The post Contain It! appeared first on EcoSalon.