5 last minute mother’s day green gift ideas
if you’re reading this, you’re probably a horrible son/daughter - too wrapped up in your own life tasks (tweeting and FBing updates about the swyyne flu and kfc) to have properly prepped a gift for the most important lady in your life!
fear not! your inexcusable procrastination might actually be a good thing. for one, you didn’t get lassoed into purchasing something that your mom doesn’t want/need, and therefore have not contributed to the waste stream. here are some easy, eco-friendly ways that you can make it seem like you knew exactly what you were doing this whole time.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
that gall-darned swine flu is giving swyyne a bad name! solve it by making me give up bacon
in addition to making people even more paranoid about kissing pigs (don’t they have it hard enough already?!!!), the swine influenza is really giving swyyne a bad name. or, as some of my closest friends pointed out, i gave swyyne a bad name when, fueled by my narcissistic tendencies, I created a word that when typed into google search, returns “did you mean sweyne?” as the first line. no, i did not mean sweyne. i didn’t even know what that was until i clicked on it out of curiosity, thereby convincing google that a person actually did mean sweyne. curse you google!
anyhow, a couple (true) friends and my marketing mentor jim hopkinson of The Hopkinson Report have pointed out that perhaps this unfortunate event is a blessing in disguise. after all, whether it be for health reasons or to pine for the mcrib like this guy, swine hasn’t been on most people’s minds since the last luau they attended. so i’m turning this frown upside down with a challenge that i hope most of you cannot refuse:
if this post receives 300 comments by next week, i will quit eating bacon. that’s right, off the pork, cold turkey. to clarify, i’ll still be able to eat cold turkey, just not cold bacon. heck, to make it even more interesting, i’ll cease all of my pork-eating forever or at least until i am older and need collagen to keep my face up. the one exception to this will be visits to the yuen household because if i can’t eat pork there, i’ll just be eating water.
is this a blatant marketing ploy? probably. but i really hope everyone thinks of it more as a way to promote a cleaner, less wasteful lifestyle. i don’t know, i just keep thinking about those pigs walking upright at the end of animal farm…with no pants on. i think about that a lot actually. it’s not healthy. here’s the segue - wait for it, wait for it…
and neither is living this unhealthy, throwaway lifestyle that we’ve all become used to.
so come to the site, comment, and look around a bit for tips on how you can clean up your act a bit. help me make living a lifestyle where we’re more conscious about where our stuff comes from and goes to when we throw it an epidemic.
and i’ll stop eating this:
 |
and this:
 |
| yes, that is a snout. |
but i probably won’t stop doing this:
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
vivienne westwood + melissa jellies!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sustainable nyc: the new one stop shop for the new york ecosumer
new york city econnoisseurs rejoice! sustainable nyc, the lower east side’s new eco-store is open for business. not only does the store boast a colorful array of some of the coolest and best-designed sustainable products, check out the features that make the storefront itself eco-friendly:
1. built from 300 year-old reclaimed lumber from NYC buildings.
2. the furniture fixtures are recycled and for sale.
3. the wallpaper and paint are eco-friendly.
4. the store is powered by alternative energy.
5. even the sign outside is solar powered!
 |
 |
 |
some of swyyne’s picks for what to buy at sustainable nyc:
 |
preserve razors made from plastics (like yogurt cups) that usually can’t be recycled in new york. you can even send these back to be recycled again in a pre-paid envelope that the company supplies once you’re done using them!
 |
natracare organic tampons that are made from cotton not treated with pesticides, because if there is any place that you don’t want pesticide residue, it’s there.
 |
ingenious g diapers flushable diaper refills address the environment and take care of that funky smell in your house.
 |
chicobags in all different colors are durable and easy to carry around with you everyday.
sustainable nyc is located on Avenue A between 9th and 10th streets:
 |
| From Screen Captures |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
like a name ring, but on steroids
i wish that i could somehow put an eco-friendly angle on this post, but it really doesn’t have one. i just really, really wanted to showcase the work of sarah van gameren because i think it is unique, delicate and beautiful. her latest piece, family tree jewelry, is the most gorgeous necklace i have ever seen.
“the piece of jewelry I made for her has every single name of her family members. from her ancestors on her breast to her close family embracing her neck. she wears the collier like a genetic palette.” says the artist.
two hours later: i finally thought of an eco-related spin to put on this post. as we approach gift-giving season, why not commission, or better yet, make yourself something truly one-of-a-kind for your loved ones this year instead of purchasing a mass-produced product that will be thrown out in a couple of months anyway?
now to get started on my own family tree ring - good thing there are only 3 people in my family!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
greenhouse: sometimes obvious works
greenhouse, nyc’s first eco-friendly luxury club, opened last week in soho. it seems like the natural addition to the lineup of owner john b., who also owns such hotspots as guest house and home. the venue is applying for leed certification, a designation granted by the u.s. green building council for leadership in energy and environmental design.
but don’t be fooled by greenhouse’s bamboo dancefloor, waterless urinals and recycled glass bar. there’s nothing crunchy about this space. you’ll still find all the same types of plush surroundings that grace john b.’s other clubs. they’re just green versions. a night out at a tropical retreat with two floors, multiple vip sections, and a ceiling fixture made of 5,000 crystals is an apropos way to thank yourself for those long hours you spent setting up your compost.
photos courtesy of greenhouseusa.com and guestofaguest.com which reports that kevin spacey was there on opening night!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
why is this a site?
swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.
look for stuff
feed yourself