You’ve heard it phrased a million different ways: essentially, green is the new black. 2012 brought us many new options for livin’ the green lifestyle. Whether you switched to a hybrid vehicle or didn’t get a chance to “go green” last year, there are lots of ways to easily transition to a more eco-friendly way of life.

Here are a few of the easiest, most impactful, and most affordable green ideas;

FOOD
Surprisingly, what we eat has more impact on the environment than the kind of vehicle we drive! But how can we know what the most eco-friendly diet is? There is so much conflicting information out there!

Well, let’s take a look at the facts and see which foods are kindest on Mother Nature while also providing us with absolutely radiant health.

Surprise, Surprise: organic fruits and veggies always come out on top!

Want a planet and a body that are fit for a king? Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables, and slowly reduce your consumption of animal products and grains.

MEDICINE
Pharmaceuticals are wack, on so many levels. One of the quickest ways to take back control of your health and stop financially supporting chemicals as “medicine” is to go natural. Homeopathic Treatments are a powerful, natural way to heal just about any illness. Plus, they are far more affordable than prescription medicine and don’t have any dangerous side effects.

COUPON: Save 12.5% on homeopathic remedies from Forces of Nature using coupon code “tweetdeal2″

BOTTLED WATER
You already know what happens when you leave a water bottle in a hot car, right? If water bottles are proven to be that toxic, then why would you gamble your health by using them at all? You deserve a better bottle, bro!

The Mable’s Team upgraded our water bottles in 2010 and we’ve been pleasantly astounded by the results. Our VibesUP water bottles have a funny little coaster glued to the bottom of the bottle, which uses simple quantum technology to make the water easier to drink. But here’s the really weird part… we’re not sure how, but this weird “vibration raising” technology makes it so that our water bottles never smell. You know how often you have to clean reusable water bottles, right? Not with VibesUP!

CLOTHING
Here’s a fun way to make a stylish and eco-friendly change: update your closet. When the time comes to replace any part of your wardrobe- from shoes to jeans to accessories- look for sustainable style. According to the Organic Consumers Association, “Cotton accounts for 50% of the world’s fiber needs, 24% of the world’s insecticide market and 11% of sale of global pesticides, making cotton the most pesticide-intensive crop grown on the planet.”

Thankfully, there are many great retailers of organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo clothing such as XYLME, and Blue Canoe. Amazon also has a growing selection of more affordable organic clothes, as does magical eBay

There’s a new company, Fashioning Change, that we’re really interested in, because they help us find eco friendly clothes based on our unique style preferences. Just choose your favorite style icons and designers, and Fashioning Change will match you up with gorgeous choices.

Plus, if you share the love and invite a friend to shop at fashioning Change, both you and your homie get $10 off.

Stylish. Safe. Sweatshop Free. Save Money. Give Back. It is our vision to help shoppers make better purchases and create bottom-up change in the fashion industry. ~ Fashioning Change

Another rad option is 10 Tree, which plants a whopping TEN trees for every item purchased. When people ask you how much your top cost you can be like, “$35, and it came with ten free trees. No big deal.”

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Upcycle?
This is a broader concept that challenges how we think about every area of our lives. You’re probably familiar with the first 3 concepts, but “upcycling” is quickly gaining momentum in the handmade community. Etsy has a great article that discusses how everyone can learn to “repurpose” trash-bound items into something useful. Not only can you upcycle your own goods, but you can also purchase products that are made of upcycled or recycled material.

Feeling DIY? Upcycle That will keep you inspired all year long.

Have you decided to go green this year? We’d love to hear your experiences and tips; please leave us a comment!

** SALE: Use coupon code genesis15 to save 15% **

Just over a year ago, I talked about the Genesis Water Ionizer in the post Do You Know They Sell an Actual Fountain of Youth?. I shared the personal story of my in-laws, who introduced me to ionized water:

All they did was add in the alkaline water instead of drinking bottled water/filtered tap water. With that ONE change, they began to lose weight without effort, had more energy and slept deeper, they ‘felt hydrated for the first time ever’, and the water was even ‘much easier to drink’.

I’ve got good news. Now it’s your turn to try.

The once a year water ionizer sale is ON.

Save 15% on the Genesis Platinum water ionizer. Use coupon code “genesis15″.

If you have questions – and I mean any questions at all – about ionized water, email me at .

I have been a solid gold fan of my water ionizer for over a year. Ask me anything, because I wanna help you feel healthy and vibrant, too

Have you ever noticed a weed growing in the sidewalk? The defiant way it springs up, surrounded by cement? Now that’s the original guerrilla gardening.

Wildflowers are notorious for “blooming where they’re planted”. Seed bombs take that idea and crank it to 11. They transform any gray urban landscape into a slice of reclaimed green space.

They come in 6 growing regions for the US; west coast, midwest, east coast, pacific northwest, southwest and southeast. Just pick the right region, throw, and your gardening is done.

Seed bombs are awesome for both gardening enthusiasts and anyone who can throw! Even kids can chuck these over a fence and watch the magic happen. Chuck a seed bomb in spring, summer, or early fall, and see what blooms.

If you look at history, now is a flippin’ sweet time to be alive. Need proof?

We have problems like “I want to constantly witness the beauty and mystery of a butterfly, but without harming it“. Beats the pants off of “I hope we chopped enough wood to make it through the winter”, doesn’t it?

Like an adorable confirmation from above, these electronic butterflies remind you how good life is. Simple, fascinating, beautiful. This is exactly the kind of gift I give to my Type A friends. When you tend to “live in your head”, reconnecting with simple pleasures is key.

What about kids? Check out the video below to see how enraptured they are playing with their butterfly.

Hmm, can you think of anyone else who might enjoy these little marvels?

On a scale of 1 to ohmahgah, how into your sweetheart are you?

Just tell the Uncommon Love Meter your level of lovin’, and it will show you hand-picked gift ideas perfect for your Valentine. Chances are, you’ll probably find a really stand-out Valentine’s Day present; this shop specializes in the truly unique. Check out how much of it is artisan made and eco-friendly, too.

So what’s your Love Meter at this year?

No matter who you spend the day with, or how you celebrate your relationship, have an awesome, heart-centered Valentine’s Day.

xoxo,
The Mable’s Crew

If Mable’s had a sister store, we would be total twins with UncommonGoods. They have so many truly unique and head turning items, and many of them are eco-friendly or artisan made. Pretty much the best combo ever, if you ask us.

This time of year UncommonGoods puts their customer favorite items into awesome gift guides. There’s categories for everyone, but here are the major ones;

Check it out and let us know your favorites. Like UncommonGoods’ slogan says, you’ll find anything but ordinary

The teeny History in a Bottle jars are part time capsule and part goodie bag. You never know just what you’ll get, but it’s guaranteed to be an assortment of vintage pretties.

What will you make with your bottle of time traveled treats?

Twine Shop is the perfect blend of lovely goodies and conscious consumerism. They offer “natural materials, great design, handmade goods, and unique surprises”. Visit their shop for more amazing gifts and goodies.

Why can’t all products have more than 1 use? Jackets are useful, but usually only for 1 occasion. Two jackets in one awesome reversible jacket equals uber hip and ready for anything.

Get one for yourself and suddenly you are reducing and reusing all in one stylish and comfortable product! This way when you borrow the cash from your friends you can let them know you’re buying it for the planet.

Check out Cordarounds for the Reversible Smoking Jacket available in a few styles.

P.S. act fast cuz their products are made in San Fransisco and only available online.

Do you go weak in the knees for striking scalloped furniture? Are you enchanted by the beauty of old wood, yet mindful of it’s eco impact?

The King Gustav Bed will please even the most royal of tastes. It’s hand crafted in the USA from wood that is repurposed from demolished buildings. That means no new trees were cut to create the Gustavian Bed, yet it’s materials are up to 100 years old! Now you can enjoy the gorgeous textural character of ancient fir wood and help the planet at the same time.

Comes in dark and light shades and fits twin all the way up to California King mattresses. Curious about the name? Visit Viva Terra to learn how Swedish King Gustav got this bed named after him…

** SALE: Use coupon code wfl15 to save 15% until April 15, 2010 **

Every once in a great while, we discover a new idea so brilliant that it takes the rest of humanity years to accept it and make it part of their daily lives. Electricity, telephones, cars, and even TV fall into this category. People needed time to wrap their heads around the idea that something so beneficial could be produced so easily.

I felt the same way when I first heard about water ionizers. “A little machine that makes magic anti-oxidant water? For way less than the cost of bottled water? That has to be a scam”, I reasoned. A few years later my in-laws were excitedly telling me about the holistic health benefits of their new water ionizer machine, and I had to reconsider.

So they told me their first hand accounts and I was shocked. They’re not health nuts by any means. All they did was add in the alkaline water instead of drinking bottled water and filtered tap water. With that ONE change, they began to lose weight without effort, had more energy and slept deeper, they “felt hydrated for the first time ever”, and the water was even “much easier to drink”. (That’s due to the newly “micro clustered” water molecules, which actually do hydrate our bodies much better than non-ionized water.)

Now as someone who eats and drinks in a very health-conscious way, I was skeptical that one could still make less-than-awesome food choices and feel great with the simple addition of water. And yet that is exactly what my in-laws experienced. They are still loving their water ionizer and discovering new cumulative health benefits as time goes on. There are other benefits that they, and their friends have experienced, but they are so wonderful as to be unbelievable sounding so I’m not going to mention them here. Let me just say that I think Fountain of Youth would be an appropriate name for the Genesis Water Ionizer.

If I hadn’t witnessed it myself, I don’t know if I would have believed these amazing claims. Ionized, alkaline water is not yet available in stores so it’s one of those products that we still have to experience through our friends and family. Or we act on faith and see what amazing results we will personally experience. Plus there’s a 60 day money back guarantee so there is plenty of time to SEE what improvements you notice from drinking and using ionized, alkaline water.

Have you tried ionized water? Leave your stories, questions, and comments below and share the love!