Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon

This is such an easy dish to prepare, it freezes well and is simply delicious—one of my favorite winter dishes. I like to serve it with pork loin and roasted Brussels sprouts. Perfect…

Potty Training Your Eco-Friendly Toddler

Potty training— it’s one of those things we want to just get done, but it’s such a daunting task. My daughter turned two a couple months ago and since that time I’ve been…

How Green is the White House?

The third Monday of every February, we celebrate President’s Day and honor the past Presidents of the United States, specifically George Washington whose birthday falls on February 22 and Abraham Lincoln whose birthday…

eco18 Questions – Sara Snow

Each month we will ask a new eco-maven 18 questions about his or her life, occupation and advice for other like-minded people. This month we were able to sit down with TV Host…

Green Gifts at The International Gift Fair

Walking through the aisles of the Gift Show, last month, it was easy to start envisioning your home being filled with all of the décor and gifts as I passed them by.  There…

Going More Natural at the Supermarket – Where to Start

The following is a guest post from Raising Natural Kids Because food and drink are the two things that we intentionally put into our bodies on a regular basis, they’re the best items…

Where Do Electronics Go To Die?

Most of us have old electronics sitting at home that are either broken or are so outdated that we will never bother to turn them on again. Besides throwing them in the trash…

Red Dress Collection 2012

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) launched The Heart Truth® campaign a decade ago. In 2002, only about a third of females were even aware that heart disease is the number…

All You Need Is Love!

The Art of a Hand Written Love Letter

“I more than love you, I’m not whole without you. You are life itself to me. When you are gone I’m waiting for you to return so I can start living again.” -…

Earth-Friendly Valentines for Kids

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day already! It’s a holiday I have never been terribly fond of (except for when I was a child). It always seemed a wasteful and overly commercialized holiday to me—a…

All-Natural Condiments to Keep Food Tasty

Have you ever stopped to think about how boring food would be if it weren’t for condiments? That burger without ketchup would be very dry and your favorite hot dog wouldn’t be the…

Winter Yoga

As the nights get longer and the winds get stronger, the cold air becomes less inviting and more something we shelter ourselves from. Our desire to stay in, curl up and warm up…

Whatever Moves You

The automobile wheel and tire have been around, well, ever since the automobile was introduced. The tire has evolved throughout the years to meet the ever-redesigning demands of the automobile industry. That means…

Homemade Granola Bars

So as I was checking out Facebook this past week, I saw a post by my friend Annie mentioning that she’d made homemade granola bars and how good they were.  This immediately grabbed…

How to Become a Better Morning Person

It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom. – Aristotle The reasons to get an earlier and more productive start to the day extend…

Where Did Your Lobster Come From?

Americans, we love lobster—but do we ever stop to think about where our lobster comes from? I thought they were trapped in lobster pots, but that’s not always the case. A lot of…

Pet of the Month: Allen

Allen was found wet, cold, and crying behind a postal truck tire one rainy February morning. Unable to leave a six week old kitten to starve in Chinatown, his owners decided to bring him…

Green City: Las Vegas

We, the editors at eco18.com, have decided to chronicle our travels and highlight some of the green aspects in various cities. Please feel free to submit city ideas and information for upcoming Green City…

Make The Most Out of Your Next Snow Day

When it’s snowy and cold outside, it’s easy to want to be as minimally productive as possible. It’s much more enjoyable to stay inside your warm house and laze around. Well instead of…

Greening Your Coupon Strategy

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about extreme couponing and the money these “couponers” save. The thing you don’t hear about is all of the paper that’s wasted, not to mention how much…

Do It Yourself Gift Ideas

This post comes from a guest contributor, Nancy Parker. Whether it be for a friend’s birthday, a Valentine’s Day present or just a nice ‘thank you’, what’s better for the environment than making…

A Little History Lesson About A Giant of a Conservationist

Only one U.S. president was born in New York City. Raised in a townhouse at 28 E. 20th between Park Avenue South and Broadway in a “romantic” enclave of Gramercy Park is (also known as Theodore…

What Is That? – 10 Unusual Fruits and Vegetables

Nature can provide some very humorous things every once in a while. We scoured the interwebs to bring you the ten funniest and most bizarre fruit and vegetables you will find. Image via…

Love And Your Heart Health

From infancy we learn to connect food with emotions. A baby associates the comforting smell and taste of milk with warmth, affection, soft caresses, gentle words and nurturing, cozy love. This multi-sensory emotional…

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

Is there a difference between sweet potatoes and yams? In the US, probably not. Yams are native to Asia and Africa and they are rare in the United States. What is readily available…

Simple Ways To Green Your Office Space

To many of us, our office is like our second home, with the average working professional in the U.S. spending upwards of 44 hours or more a week at work. Since we spend…

Company Wellness Programs: Tips to Get You Started

There is a trend that has been popping up in companies across the country: wellness programs. It seems that many companies are drawing the correlation between healthy employees and productivity–which, of course makes…

Shower Baby and Mom with Natural Gifts

It seems that a lot of women I know are pregnant right now, so I’ve been on the search for great gifts that will be gentle for the new baby and helpful to…

A Friendlier “Pause the Refreshes”

There is good news on the horizon concerning the material that is used to package our products in plastic containers. In an article published in the January 2012 edition of Packaging Digest, a…

Cool Runnings: Tips for Winter Training

It’s the tried and tested excuse for not squeezing in that run – “it’s way too cold outside!” It’s such a prolific excuse, in fact, that many people have never experienced the joys…

The Most Dangerous Person in America!

Celebrity chef Paula Deen is certainly stirring things up right now and diabetics all over the country are angry and calling her a hypocrite. In a battle that’s heating up to kitchen stadium…

Make Valentine’s Day Naturally Sweet This Year

When you think of chocolate, what comes to mind? I know that I envision a fantastic, quality piece of chocolate with nuts or caramel. Everyone’s different though. Of course it should do a…

Everything You Need to Know About Composting

Composting is an easy way to recycle food scraps, yard trimmings, coffee grinds, egg shells and saw dust, among other things, while turning them into a fertilizer rich in nutrients that can be…

Ideas for Beating Winter Boredom

Winter is upon us and it is cold outside. While it’s important to get fresh air, sometimes it might just be too cold (depending on where you live). With more time being spent…

Expand Your Vision in 2012

According to yourdictionary.com the word “vision” is defined as eyesight, something that is or has been seen or something imagined. An example of vision is what someone sees when they open their eyes,…

FRESH: The Movie

For those that have read any Michael Pollan books or seen the documentary Food, Inc., you might recall a farmer by the name of Joel Salatin. He runs Polyface Farms in Virginia’s Shenandoah…

eco18 Question–January Edition: Michael Clayton

Each month we will ask a new eco-maven 18 questions about his or her life, occupation and advice for other like-minded people. This month we were able to sit down with New York…

Pear Tart

I always forget how much I like pears until I eat them again. They are great in salads and absolutely delicious in a simple tart for dessert. This recipe looks good enough to…

Winterize Your Skin With These Fabulous Natural Spa Treatments!

What do you picture when hearing the word “spa?” Most would envision muscle-relaxing massages, rejuvenating facials and a chance to de-stress and relax without interruption. Most would agree that it sounds like pure…

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -Martin Luther King Jr. Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also known as MLK Day of Service….

A Vivid and Up Close Look At Wild Animals Thanks to “Curious Critters”

Published in November 2011, David FitzSimmons’ latest book, “Curious Critters” offers a collection of vivid photographs of animals you might not normally get to see close-up. My four year old son is absolutely…

The Difference Between Yoga and Pilates

Yoga and Pilates seem to be two of the more popular forms of movement and exercise at the moment. Many studios hold both yoga and pilates classes, proving that many people devote to…

Why Didn’t I Think of That?

The other day a friend of mine emailed me some interesting household hints that I thought were very clever and I would like to share them with you. They were called “Clever Ideas…

Battle of the Bottles

While the negative effects of the consumption of Bisphenol A (BPA) are becoming more widely known, many consumers are not aware of the risk posed to them. Studies show that BPA may interfere…

Sleep: Sometimes Elusive, Always Rejuvenating.

A recent article from Delicious Living (reported in New Hope 360) got me thinking about sleep. Until I reached menopause, I never thought about sleep. I was always one of those lucky individuals…

Pet of the Month: Mango

Mango is the cutest thing to jump for kisses this year! (And she’s hypoallergenic!) That’s right! Manny of us have heard of seen of the new poodle crossbreeds dubbed such things a golden-doodle…

The Greenest Celebrities

Celebrities get a lot of attention from the media and most of the times it’s focuses on the negative, such as the latest scandal or slip up—or things that just have no relevance…

Tips for Keeping Your Kids Healthy in the New Year

2011 was a challenging year in my home when it came to illness. My poor little girl was plagued with colds that always led to ear infections. In fact, in June she had…

Roasted Veggies

I’m a veggieholic, have always loved vegetables even as a kid. My younger brother and I would fight over the last roasted potato! So to me, any vegetable you can roast is a…

Start Off the Year with Inspiration

Some favorite quotes to help inspire and make us more aware of what our real gifts are to give and receive all year round beginning now. If you tweet or post on Facebook,…

10 Best Ways To Conserve Energy at Home

With winter upon us, the average American home tends to use more energy. With a few simple tweaks it’s possible to cut down on the amount of energy used at home, which will…

10 Tips to Eating Healthier

So, here we are again vowing to stop eating so much. The holidays are over and you have probably been avoiding the scales for at least the last two weeks. If you are…

Beauty Roundup: Freshen Up Dry, Winter Skin

Winter is a season that most people don’t look forward to. The harsh winds and the bitter cold air don’t bode well for keeping skin moisturized and hydrated. Winter air can very easily…

Clear the Clutter

Here it is 2012 already, yet the clutter from December 2011 is all you can see—especially if you have kids. If December was the month of over-consumption, then January should be the month…

How to Naturally Ease Symptoms Caused by the Common Cold

The temperatures have dropped and if you haven’t gotten sick yet, there is a chance you might soon. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cold and flu season can start as…

Eat Well, Fly Happy

Many of us will be traveling during this holiday season. Aside from the security hassles of taking a flight, the predicament of eating at an airport can be quite annoying. Yes one can…

Endangered Species

With the tragic news recently that the Western black rhino is now extinct in the wild, it’s worth highlighting the issue of endangered species in hopes of saving other animals. Since 1961, the…

Natural Pet Shampoos To Keep Your Pet Looking Great

Pets are our furry babies and companions. Some people even consider themselves “pet parents”, and take that role very seriously! This includes taking the best care of them, from their diet to the…

Green Living Resolutions for 2012

After all of the holiday decorations come down, presents have been unwrapped and leftovers have been stored away in the fridge, its time to put on your party hats and ring in 2012….

Mommy’s Minestrone

Living in Southern California means playing the guessing game with the weather on a daily basis. Our so called “winter” can be as warm as 80 degrees. In fact, last weekend we were…

Resolve to Be a More Eco-Friendly Family in 2012

The coming of the New Year symbolizes putting another year behind you and looking ahead to the future. According to Psychology Today, the most popular New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight, exercise…

Eco18’s Favorite Places to Give

The word agape in Greek, tzedakah in Hebrew, caridad in Spanish or charity as it is called in English are important in any language. During this season eco18.com wants to share some of…

2012 Trends

With 2012 just over a week away, we wanted to shared with you some trends that we see will either take off or continue their ascent in the New Year. Earlier this year,…

Traditional English Christmas Treats: Sausage Rolls and Mince Pies

These recipes are not healthy…but they are so much a part of my Christmas tradition that there is no way I’ll substitute any of the ingredients. For me, they are memories from my…

Naturally Red Lips

Red lipstick is classic and timeless. It seems as though it will never go out of style. The best thing about red lipstick is that it adds extra glam to just about any…

Sports Stars Talk St. Jude’s and Green Living

It’s always important to give back, especially during the holidays, and recently eco18 had the chance to rub elbows with the stars at an event to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital….

New Year’s Eve: What’s an Eco-Mom To Do?

When I became a mom, I stopped wanting things for myself and I started to only want things for my children. It’s rare that I buy myself something that I don’t really need….

eco18 Questions: December Edition

Each month we will ask a new eco-maven 18 questions about his or her life, occupation and advice for other like-minded people. This month we were able to sit down with none other…

It’s Christmas, Go Traditional

The origin of a Christmas tree is very interesting. The Germans where the first in starting the tradition around the 16th century where devout Christians brought trees into their homes and decorated them…

The Best Green Apps

The advent of the smartphone has made inconvenience an issue of the past. With a smartphone app available for virtually any task, it’s only logical that there are a plethora of apps aimed…

Pet of the Month: Avery Trumble Faint

Avery Trumble Faint is a constant ball of energy. In addition to playing with her many toys, she enjoys playing dress up and looking good on the streets!  Once during an evening stroll,…

It’s only ten days to Christmas Eve…. Get Wrapping!

I’m going to tell you right up front—for me, the wrapping is almost as important as the gift itself! As a kid, I loved trying to guess what the presents under the tree…

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

The holidays are here and the parties are in full swing. This time of year it’s hard to escape tempting treats such as eggnog, gingerbread cookies, pies, cakes, brownies and more. While we…

Man’s Best Friend: Finding the Best Match for You

Have you ever had a case of puppy love? I don’t mean when you fall in love with someone as kid, rather an adorable little puppy. It’s impossible to resist those furry little…

Six Websites Every Mom Should Bookmark

As I strive to be a more eco-friendly mom, I’m always looking for new ways to help the environment while not depriving my children of the things they want and need. I’ve compiled…

Winter Solstice: It’s Going to be a Long Night

There are many commercial holidays/celebrations to share this time of year, which can be wonderful. There are however more “natural” celebrations based around the clock, the earth, the moon, the planets, the stars…

Yoga: Off the Mat

When embarking on a yoga practice, you’ll notice that it’s often referred to as “more than just the physical body.” Teachers might speak about paying attention to your breathing to become more present…

The eco18 Holiday Gift Guide

There are so many great gift options out there that are also eco-friendly, so as we all work our way in to the holiday spirit, we wanted to share our top 18 holiday…

Winter’s Best Beers

Ah, the joys of family, food and festivities! We have already posted some of our favorite cocktails,  holiday recipes and decorating tips. But, we left out one of Nick’s favorites – beer! As…

Warm Green Lentils with Sausage

Don’t be put off by the long list of instructions this really is a very simple recipe. If sausage isn’t your thing, it works just as well with smoked trout. Makes 6 appetizer…

Make Eco-Friendly the Theme Of Your Holiday Baking This Season

Christmas is rapidly approaching! This holiday season is my absolute favorite. I love the Christmas trees and lights, all of the holiday buzz, and of course you can’t forget the baked goods! Baking…

Using More Green in Your Holiday Decorations

This is one of my favorite times of year— the Christmas season. At my home, the day after Thanksgiving was dedicated to decorating for the season. But, decorating for Christmas does not mean…

Ways to Give Back in the Spirit of the Holidays

The holidays are filled with festive parties, delicious treats and beautifully wrapped presents. It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year but its important to remember what the true spirit of the holidays are…

Is Today The Good Old Days?

Like most of you, friends are always sending me silly email jokes, pretty pictures, sayings and so forth. But the other day, I got this little vignette that peeked my interest and made…

Buy Fresh, Buy Local

By now, most of us have seen the Buy Fresh Buy Local logo prominently displayed in fine food stores across the country. But besides the obvious locavorian message and numerous studies, what exactly…

A Kind of “Turkey à la King”

This is a great way to use the white meat leftovers. It can be frozen in small batches and used as a filling for vol au vents, with buttered noodles for a main…

It’s Easy to Naturally Have Good Hair

As you make your way to the shampoo aisle of your local drug store, you start browsing all of the bottles on the shelves to select your choice. You see a lot of…

Eco-friendly Toys for a Greener Holiday Season

With the holiday season quickly upon us, I’m trying to find gifts for my children nieces and nephews that will not have a negative impact on the environment. It’s so easy to get…

The Greening of Macy’s

Not sure where to begin when discussing such an iconic brand and how it has meant so much to so many for the past 153 years. It was founded two centuries ago when…

What Are You Thankful For?

The Eco18 team would like to wish you all a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. We hope that you are able to spend time today with those that mean the most to you. We…

Unlock the Key to Your Dog’s Heart with Treats

There are many things in life that dogs love, but something that’s ranked very near and dear to their hearts are treats. Just mentioning the word “treat” to a pet will send them…

Sweet Potato Pie with KAMUT Wheat Crust

This makes a welcome change from the traditional pumpkin pie and is a “better-for-you” version with a delicious KAMUT® pastry crust – those with wheat sensitivities can often eat KAMUt®. I just love…

A Healthy Treat Your Child Will Love

When my daughter started preschool, as silly as it sounds, one of the things I looked forward to most was being able to make cupcakes for her class. I mean, I started making…

Green Initiatives from Popular Retailers

Major retailers have not been known for being the most eco-friendly, but in recent years it seems that many are voluntarily taking green steps. Some of them are taking baby steps and others…

Dirtiest Cities in the World

It is amazing the progress in past years that this and other countries have accomplished in developing systems, products and awareness to help save the environment. Whether they are large-scale endeavors in industry…

The Thanksgiving You Didn’t Know About

It’s almost Thanksgiving and we wanted to share some interesting facts with you. Below, we have detailed 18 interesting facts that you may not know about one of America’s favorite days. Be sure…

Cranberry, Pear and Ginger Relish

Do you throw away the cranberry jelly every Thanksgiving? This recipe is guaranteed to disappear right off the plate! It also makes a perfect hostess gift. You can make a week ahead of…

Eco-Chic Vintage Chairs: Simply Divine

There are several reasons I love the Divine Chair. One–because its vintage. Two–the patterns are beautiful. And three–its sustainable!! As you know I love vintage, beautiful designs and sustainability. The designer and owner,…

Adoptable Pets – Nikon

Some people think that black dogs don’t photograph well. But Nikon knows that black dogs are beautiful and can prove it! This gorgeous girl has never lived in a home but she knows…