Aromatic Infusions – Luxurious Gifts for Mom (or Yourself) - Sat, 12 May 2012
If you're heading to the Des Moines Farmers Market tomorrow, be sure to stop by Candi Karsjens' booth: #N208 2nd Ave. and Court. You'll find her selling items that we're quite smitten with here at Blue Planet Green Living. Your mom, grandma, or aunt will likely be, too. (It's Mother's Day on Sunday, if you didn't get my hint.) In my last post, I wrote about UpCycled Style, glasses, vases, and more that Karsjens makes from repurposed wine and liquor bottles. But that's only one of her product lines. She also sells pleasantly fragrant, hand-crafted soap and candle items that even this scent-free-workplace advocate can love....

Repurposing Goes Classy in UpCycled Style - Sat, 05 May 2012
Candi Karsjens is an ecopreneur in every sense of the word. She is an environmentalist, who repurposes and upcycles other people’s cast-off bottles into gorgeous glasses, bowls, vases, and more, giving each one an entirely new for years to come. She also creates candles and creams free of toxic chemicals and even pours candles into her upcycled glass holders. Karsjens has two built-from-the-ground-up small businesses she’s now combining into one: Aromatic Infusions/Upcycled Style. Next weekend, Candi’s products will make their first appearance at the Des Moines Farmers’ Market. If you’re in the area, I encourage you to meet the designer and see her full range of cool products....

Notes from Iowa: Earth Day 2012 - Mon, 23 Apr 2012
Like many of you, I’ve spent part of the Earth Day weekend celebrating our irreplaceable planet. Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, turned out to be a bit cool and overcast with scattered showers. Yet, thousands of Eastern Iowans came to the EcoFest, an Earth Day-themed event, to watch demonstrations, enjoy live music, and—especially—to learn about [...]

How to Plan a Green Vacation - Wed, 18 Apr 2012
As summer approaches, your thoughts are probably turning to planning a vacation. If you're already making eco-friendly choices in your daily life, there's no reason to ignore the benefits of going green while on vacation. With some planning and creativity, you can enjoy a vacation getaway that's as fun as it is good for the environment. Your vacation destination should be determined, in part, by how you plan to travel. In terms of carbon emissions, it may seem that driving is preferable to flying. Depending on the distance you plan to travel, this may not be the case. Traveling on a full plane with a direct flight path is often more environmentally friendly than a long drive in a car or RV with frequent stops. A train is one of the greenest travel alternatives, if you're not planning to cross any oceans and have some extra time....

Home Builders and Remodelers Are Greener Than Ever - Tue, 10 Apr 2012
According to a recent report released by McGraw-Hill, 33% of home builders are committed to going green by 2016. Similarly, 34% of home remodelers have claimed that they plan to implement eco-friendly practices by 2016. Just last year, only 17% of home builders and 15% of home remodelers expressed interest in developing strategies to increase the energy efficiency and decrease the carbon footprint of homes....