5) Keep it Close to Home

While many cities become major destinations for New Year’s Eve, a wonderful time can still be had at home by flexing your eco-conscious muscles. Cooking ahead of time or even catering a sit-down dinner can be as classy as going out without as much hassle for your guests or gas, paper, or waste that going out can entail. Hosting people to sleep over or enlisting designated driver carpools can also ensure that a safe time is has by all.

4) Carpool or Use Public Transit

If you are planning to go out, however, how you get there can make a big difference for how green your evening ends up. Taking a look at the public transit available to get you to your destination ahead of time will make things much easier for you the night of the 31st. If you are driving, carpooling is both the greenest and the safest way for both you and your loved ones. Beyond driving from point A to B, navigating the traffic as well as finding a place to park all add up to much more gas spent than on an average night out. As such, the fewer cars on the road, the better for us all.

3) Green your Food and Beverages

Wherever you do eat your last meal of 2009, try to keep it green. When choosing a special restaurant, try for one that offers local or organic fare. When it comes to beverages, there are many great organic sparking wine varieties, such as those from Diamond Organics. If you don’t have time to order online, call your local liquor store and ask what organic wines they have in stock. If you are going out, it can sometimes be hard to ensure that you’re ordering a green drink. A good bet, however, is to order things produced locally, as well as those on tap. The rationale being that, while hopefully all beer bottles and cans are recycled, skipping that step all together will ensure that you’re doing your part to keep your waste down.

2) Dress up Something Old

Instead of rushing out to get a festive new outfit, comb through your closet and see what you can think of with what you already have. Revitalizing a garment long since forgotten with your favorite accessories will not only save you money, but also save you carbon emissions. Reuse is one of the three R’s of sustainability (the other two being reduce and recycle), and this is a great way to reuse. If you can’t find what you want in your own closet, try raiding a friend’s for their old outfits and inviting them over to return the favor. You’re sure to come up with something fabulous and chic without spending a dime!

1) Make Green Resolutions for a Sustainable 2010!

As the ball drops in time square, you can be setting goals for making 2010 the best year yet. Taking a quick inventory on your daily life and then setting goals for making those actions more sustainable will give you a great orientation for the new year.

So, cheers to these tips sending you towards a greener New Year’s Eve and into a happy, and sustainable, 2010!

Image Credit: Relax It’s Done, New Year In, The Wine Riot, University of Manchester, Sign Industry

In order to contribute to a long, happy life for pets, an increasing amount of owners are turning towards the magic of natural, eco-friendly, and holistic pet food. While natural edibles for pets typically cost more, gourmet selections achieve much more than pampering a pet. A healthier combination of ingredients has the power to extend the life of pets, as well as prevent medical conditions, like cancer, allergies, and arthritis. Below you will find a list of luxury pet foods finding innovative ways to safely please the palate and maintain the health of our furry companions.

Innova Holistic Dog and Cat Food

From the Nutrient-Enhanced Innova Flex stews to tasty solutions for overweight dogs, Innova takes full advantage of healthy ingredients found in the meat, dairy, vegetables, fruit and grain food groups. Combined with essential fats and oils, this pet food brand packs quite a nutritional punch for your dog or cat. I’d also like to point out a unique addition to Innova pet foods – their use of Vitamin E for natural preservation. This essential antioxidant is known to fight free radicals, as well as protect cells and tissues from damage. When mixed with Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) and rosemary extract, Vitamin E is an impressive, all-natural food preservative. A few Innova pet products to consider include:

• Low Fat Adult Dry Dog Food: Containing 35% less fat than other adult brands, dogs also benefit from the combination of fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy and grains.
• Large Breed Senior Flex Beef & Barley Stew: With added DHA and EPA, older dogs obtain an extra boost to improve brain function, as well as receive more fiber that aids in digestion.
• Innova Cat Treats: Offers healthy ingredients representing all essential food groups, important fatty acids, fresh-farm ingredients, and a rich source of Vitamin E.

Karma Organic Food for Dogs

With the motto,” Good for the Body. Good for the Soul. Good for the Environment.” – how can you resist the luxury line of dry dog food and treats by Karma Organic. Using the highest quality ingredients, this company has created an organic brand of “super-premium dog food.” You just can’t ignore the health factor of using 95% USDA-Certified Organic ingredients.

Absent of artificial preservatives, flavorings and fillers, Karma Organic Food is filled with organic oats, brown rice, and free-range organic chicken. Other ingredients include organic blueberries, carrots, and spinach. The whole, raw fruits and vegetables contained in the dog food delivers an anti-aging boost of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals. In addition to its organic qualities, Karma Organic also adheres to the strictest of manufacturing standards in an effort to place less strain on the environment.

California Natural Pet Food

California Natural Pet Food offers a wide selection of natural dog food, cat food, puppy food, and dog treats that doesn’t rely on fillers, by-products or artificial preservatives to make their brand tasty. Instead, they use wholesome, unrefined pet food ingredients that aim to prevent allergic reactions or agitate pets with sensitive stomachs. If you’re looking for one of the best hypoallergenic pet food brands on the market, look no further than California Natural Pet Food. A sample of their products include:

• Lamb Meal & Rice Adult Large Bites: Dry dog food using 100% lamb meal combined with white and brown rice, and sunflower oil.
• Herring & Sweet Potato Adult: Dry dog food offering highly digestible herring for protein and essential fats with a boost in nutrients and fiber from sweet potato. A salmon and sweet potato option is also available.
• Venison & Brown Rice: This interesting canned cat and kitten food mixture is sure to satisfy the pickiest the eaters.

Mother Nature Healthy Dog Treats

When Fido masters a new trick or simply bats his big brown eyes at you, a healthy dog treat is in order. Mother Nature Natural Dog Biscuits is the perfect way to reward your pooch with a flavorful, gourmet assortment packed with nutritional benefits. When you hear just some of the selections available, you’ll be surprised that these natural dog treats are especially made just for dogs. Options include:

• 4 Way Treat: Apples, cheese, chicken and turkey help keep teeth and gums healthy.
• Beef Stew: A blend of genuine sirloin beef and fresh vegetables.
• Buffalo Stew: A delectable combination of buffalo meat and stone ground grains.
• Carrot Cakes: A refreshing break from the norm with fresh carrots, molasses, real butter and milk.
• Chicken & Turkey: Real ground chicken and turkey mixed with whole cranberries and fresh carrots.
• Honey Glazed Chicken: Heighten your dogs taste buds with real ground chicken, real honey, whole apples and a touch of cinnamon.

EVO Premium Pet Food

Interested in feeding your pet a raw food diet? Gently prepared with love and concern for our four-legged friends, EVO Premium Pet Food boasts the “first grain-free ancestral diet” that offers modern nutritional benefits with natural ingredients that have been safely cooked. Providing pet owners with a complete and balanced natural approach to feeding dogs, cats, and even ferrets, take care in knowing that EVO pet food is grain-free, contains high-quality meats, and possesses the highest protein content of any meat-based dry pet food on the market.

With the Red Meat Large Bites dry dog food, your pet will enjoy four different red meat selections –beef, lamb, buffalo, and venison. EVO canned dog food selections include 95% beef, chicken, turkey, venison, duck, and rabbit. For cats, choose canned food that includes 95% chicken, turkey, and duck without the fillers and grains that other pet meals contain. When feeding your ferret, choose dry food that supplies a high protein, low carbohydrate diet comprised of raw food ingredients.

Image Credits: Naturapet

Pet Bedding

Hemp Stripe Rectangular Bed
Take advantage of the highly durable and naturally mildew-resistant fabric of hemp with 100% organic hemp bed covers that use Harry Barker dyes for the perfect, stylish pet bed. Recycled post consumer plastic bottles also help to produce hypoallergenic bed inserts. Hemp beds from Modern Tails are $135 and also come in circular selections as well.

Green Cradle
Pamper your pooch with this irresistible pet cradle – an elegant treat to look at. Easy to transport, twisted thread handles are decorated with an attractive ribbon. The flower pattern and pure cotton frill also add to the overall look and feel of the bedding. Composed of organic cotton, the Green Cradle ($195) caters to dogs with sensitive skin.

Eco Nap & Eco Slumber (shown above)
Taking a nap has never been so stylish, as the Eco Nap offers an earth-friendly option to pet bedding. Made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic soda bottles, the inner stuffing provides a comfortable nap, while upper stitching offers additional support. Each year, thanks to West Paws Eco Products, more than 25 tons of plastics do not make their way to landfills. The Eco Slumber provides a much larger version of pet bedding. For added convenience, when you’re ready to wash, simply open the zipper and remove the cover. Both pillow and cover are machine washable.

For the Dogs

Bamboo Pooch Buckle Collar
Since bamboo is naturally resistant to stinky odors and possesses antibacterial properties, it makes a suitable material that is faster drying and more absorbent than other natural fabrics. Collars are comprised of 100% organic bamboo ribbon (sewn by hand) and 100% dye-free organic bamboo webbing. Also, take care in knowing that no pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizers were used to create your bamboo dog collar.

The above design shows Bamboo Pooch with the Wagging Green logo dog surrounded by a lime green bamboo forest set in a chocolate brown backdrop. Other selections to consider: Honey Dog, Making Waves, Fresh in the City, Mod Dog, Save the Pack, and Solar Powered Pooch. To make your dog’s ensemble complete – don’t forget the matching lead.

Bamboo Pooch Engraved ID Tag
Outfit your pooch with the Wagging Green logo dog around his or her neck – made from stainless steel and enamel with just enough room to fit a name and phone number on back.

Bamboo Pooch Doggie T-Shirt
Let’s say you want to dress your best friend, but their ultra-sensitive skin reacts to many of the products on the market today. Offering a fashionably hypoallergenic alternative, the Bamboo Pooch Doggie T-shirt contains a mixture of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton fabric.

For the Cats

For felines living in the lap of luxury, the Kitty Pod and Couchette offer just the right pieces of kitty furniture to elevate their in-house status.

The Kitty Pod ($329) is mostly comprised of recycled materials (like industrial-strength corrugated cardboard) and provides your cat with a comforting curved egg-shape pod that serves cats of all shapes and sizes. Soft, breathable, and durable – cats will truly enjoy their very own cozy hideaway. (Dimensions: 28″ L x 20″ W x 19″ H)

The Couchette ($329) is a double-sided pedestal that accommodates one or more cats. The cradle-like design allows you to provide a soft perch and hiding spot underneath for your feline all at the same time. (Dimensions: 30″ L x 14″ W x 22″ H). Interested in cat furniture? These pieces are made to order, and usually ship out within 3 to 6 weeks.

Photo Credits: Modern Tails

A day at the park. Walking around the block. A lungful of sea air. Who likes to carry around a plastic bag or other noticeable pooper scooper equipment in public? With Doggie Walk Bags, you have the luxury of toting a small designer handbag that conveniently conceals biodegradable waste bags.

Doggie Walk Bags measure four inches and look just like your typical pouch or travel pack. An opening at the bottom dispenses disposable waste bags, which come on rolls that neatly fit inside. The option to clip the bag to the leash is also a winner with those who don’t wish to carry around a bag in their hand.

A pet owner may choose from a variety of opaque colors and scents to camouflage the contents of the bag. Available scents and colors for Doggie Walk Bags include: Citrus Blend (pink), Floral (reddish pink), Ocean (yellow), Lavender (purple), and Rainforest (green).

The company has also taken their 100% biodegradable bags to the streets with Doggy Walk Bag Dispensers, which further encourages pet owners to pick up after their furry companions. Attaching to trashcans, fences, wooden posts, and walls, the dispensers offer an array of attractive colors, from forest green to terra cotta to blue. All in all, it is important to recognize that proper pet waste management:

• Reduces the health risk to pets, children, and adults
• Keeps neighborhoods safe and clean
• Decreases local dog nuisance concerns
• Promotes cleaner parks and walkways
• Enhances community pride and pet approval

With an attractive design, well-suited function, and biodegradable features – pet owners will certainly take delight in reducing the carbon paw print of their pooch. If you are interested in purchasing a doggy bag or dispenser for your neighborhood, contact Doggie Walk Bags Company at P.O. Box 228 Balboa Island, California, 92662 or call 1-877-DOG-BAGS. Email your questions and concerns to bigdog@thedogbag.com.

Image Credits: Doggy Walk Bags