Quote of the Week - 01.30.11

"A good deed is never lost: he who sows courtesy reaps friendship; and he who plants kindness gathers love."

~Basil

"…and he who gives Fair Trade chocolate earns good chocolate karma."

~Coco-Zen

Coco-Zen Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles earns a spot in VegNews Magazine's truffle taste test... and other news!

The editors over at VegNews Magazine compared ourVegan Dark Chocolate Truffles head-to-head with several other brands. Though we didn't take the top spot, we did earn a place among their top five thanks to our "incredibly rich filling" that's best enjoyed "late at night with a dessert wine."

Coco-Zen truffles were also featured this month in:

Stuff We Found Today - 01.23.11

GM's EN-V Car of the Future

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• 5 Kids Tech Projects that Foster Creativity & Critical Thinking - (Inhabitots) Uhhhh... something us grownups could use more of!
• NEW STUDY: Most Pregnant Women Carry Harmful Toxins - (Inhabitots) "A new study published at The University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) shows that virtually every single pregnant woman in the United States carries multiple harmful environmental chemicals in her body - some that have been banned for years."

Food Stuff

• 'American Wasteland': Why so much food becomes trash in America - (Mother Nature Network) "Author Jonathan Bloom documents how America throws
  away nearly half of its food — and provides ideas for wasting less and enjoying more."

Home Stuff

• Rip + Tatter Kid's Chair by Pete Oyler - (Inhabitots) Cool kids chairs... we know some little boys who would love to go to town on these!
• How I brought my electricity bill down to $5 - (Mother Nature Network) Totally awesome!!
• Ubabub's Modern Eco Pod Cot Grows With Your Child - (Inhabitots) Not the cheapest bed (yeah, it's pricey), but pretty darn cool looking.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Meet "Herself," the World's First Air-Purifying Dress - (Ecouterre) Hmmm... really?? This could be quite innovative.
• Electricity-Generating T-Shirts Could Someday Power Your iPhone - (Ecouterre)

Tech & Science Stuff

• GM Shows Off Their EN-V Car of the Future at the Detroit Auto Show - (Inhabitat) Cool! Hey city drivers who can't ever find parking...this is the car for you!
• The top 5 Greenest Gadgets from CES 2011 - (My Life Scoop) Oh how we love our green gadgets...
• Top 6 Wind Powered Gadgets - (My Life Scoop) Kind of diggin' the foldable, portable wind turbine.

School, College & Student Stuff

• Fourth Annual National Valentine's Day of Action - (Global Exchange) Calling all teachers... win prizes for teaching about Fair Trade Cocoa!!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 12 Weird Animals And Unearthly Creatures - (WebEcoist) Ahhh... nature at it's most interesting and unusual.
• Scientists Discover Solar-Powered Hornets - (Wend Magazine) Wish we could harness solar power to give ourselves a little energy boost...goodbye coffee addiction!
• Striving to Preserve Coral Reefs - (Palisades Post) Cool story about 12yr old fighting to save coral reefs and educating others about it.
• Free Entrance Days in the National Parks - Get out there and enjoy the outdoors... here's list of days where entrance fees will be free. Yosemite anyone??

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Sleeping in Trash, Trains & Drains: 14 Recycled Hotels - (WebEcoist) Most of these are real...and pretty cool.

International Stuff

• Tianjin Eco City is a Futuristic Green Landscape for 350,000 Residents - (Inhabitat) So interesting... China is a dichotomy of industrial pollution and eco innovation.
• Prince Charles To Build Massive Eco-Village In India - (Ecorazzi) "...and epically awesome badass..." Haha, love it! Or should we say "eco-badass"?!!
• Elderly Madrid Man Builds Incredible Spanish Cathedral Entirely From Trash - (Inhabitat) Rather impressive...

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Winter Fun: Homemade Bubble Solution - (Recycle Your Day) Do we really need to spend money on little plastic bottles of stuff we can easily make in 5 min??

Quote of the Week - 01.23.11

"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."

~Buddha

"Better than a thousand pieces of chocolate, is one piece that is Fair Trade."

~Coco-Zen

VIDEO: New Year's Resolution: Kick the PLASTIC STATE OF MIND (Parody)

Apparently this YouTube video has been making it's way around... but, if you haven't seen it, check it out. Awesome rap parody by environmental activist group Green Sangha. There are some great lines in here...

VIDEO: Don't Mess With Karma - Bus Stop

*Previously posted on 11.20.08

Quote of the Week - 01.09.11

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure."

~William Feather

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure in Fair Trade chocolate."

~Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 01.06.11

Gold Nanoparticles Could Transform Trees Into Street Lights

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• iPhones and Cell Phones May Have Potentially Deadly Side Effects for Kids - (Inhabitots) Okay, this is potentially pretty scary.
• Boon Glo LED Nightlight With Portable Glowing Balls - (Inhabitots) These are neat!

Food Stuff

• 10 Freakiest Things About Frankenfish - (The Huffington Post) GMO fish may soon be headed for our grocery stores without even being required to be labeled!!
• Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry - (Organic Consumers Association) Some videos here worth watching.
• Chocolate is getting greener - (Examiner.com) Well...it's always been green here at Coco-Zen!
• Chocolate: Worth its weight in gold? - (The Independent) Maybe chocolate shouldn't be sold so cheap, huh?

Home Stuff

• 10 of the smallest homes in the world - (Mother Nature Network) Not sure how livable some of these are, but pretty cool to look at.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Compassionate Coats: Feather And Fuzz Free - (GirlieGirl Army) Some gorgeous vegan coats to covet.
• Vintage-Inspired Newspaper Costumes Are Black, White, Read All Over - (Ecouterre) Haha...just a litte green fashion fun.
• 4-in-1 Sneaker by Nat-2 Offers Endless Built-in Options - (Ecouterre) Neat...can see kids mixing up the colors already!
• Gustav Reyes' Natural Wood Bracelets, Rings Are Wearable Sculptures - (Ecouterre) Diggin' some of these bracelets.

Tech & Science Stuff

• Massive Solar Serpent Winds Along the Santa Monica Freeway - (Inhabitat) Now this is kinda cool!
• Gold Nanoparticles Could Transform Trees Into Street Lights - (Inhabitat) Now that would be cool...living street lights!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Incredible Miniature Sculptures Carved From Pencil Tips - (Inhabitat) Now here's something to do with used up old pencil stubs!
• The Largest Ice Hotel on Earth - (Environmental Graffiti) Wow...this is kinda cool!
• NPR: Morning Edition - A comedienne has collected the phone messages left by her very over-protective mother...seriously hilarious! (saw this on GirlieGirl Army)
• Earth 350: the First Global Climate Change Art Show - (Environmental Graffiti)

International Stuff

• Sonnenschiff: Solar City Produces 4X the Energy it Consumes - (Inhabitat) How cool if all cities were like this?

Other Random Cool Stuff

• 'Trash is Cash:' Kenyan kids rap about a green revolution - (Mother Nature Network) "A hip-hop group made up of kids who grew up around Nairobi's slums rhythmically illustrates how recycling can create a new green economy."

Keeping the fun in 2011 both earth-friendly and wallet-friendly

The ladies over at Celebrate Green are starting off the New Year by passing on some great tips on how to make parties and celebrations both green and economical throughout the year. There are wonderful ideas for kids events as well as grown-up festivities.

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Focus on no-cost eco-friendly fun in 2011

Bring sustainability into every celebration this year by making fun the memorable centerpiece of your holidays and special events.

Instead of spending hours and lots of money on gifts, food and decor, focus instead on activities that everyone will enjoy and remember.

Cooking or crafting bring people together and can cost little. Group games, whether indoor or out, can be enjoyed by everyone from tots to grandparents.

Five years ago, to celebrate her birthday, Lynn Colwell, co-author of Celebrate Green!, started an annual tradition-hosting a chili cook-off for a dozen friends. She crafted a trophy for the winner and guests take home samples of chilis they like (assuming there are leftovers!), in specially decorated glass jars. Everyone looks forward to her waste free event.

For Valentine's Day, what could be nicer than preparing chocolate fondue together with your love, then doing with it what you will?

Or if you're hosting a Valentine's party, punch out old cards in the shape of hearts, cut them down the center in a zig zag shape and have teams put the puzzle together.

For an all-ages party, how about this competition?Fill boxes (based on no more than six people for each team) with an assortment of houshold items, everything from spoons, to hair brushes, blocks, small boxes, tape, old CDs, anything goes.

• The goal is for each team to create a game (with rules) using only the things provided in their box. Set the timer for 15 minutes to create the game, then let everyone play each other's.
• If everyone enjoys it, you can mix up all the stuff and do it again.
• You can do the same thing with an environmental focus by going ona walk at the beginning of the party and having everyone pick up items like rocks, twigs etc., then basing the competition on those items.

Think about how you can change or work with a traditional game to make it relevant to your event without spending buying anything new. That old favorite, Pin the Tail on the Donkey can be turned into "pin the X" on anything. Lynn made a "Pin the Trees on the Earth" game for one of her grandchildren's birthday parties.

Variations on tag are always a favorite. ("Clothes pin tag" is pictured below. Just attach several clothes pins to each participant's clothing. The idea is to grab as many clothes pins as you can.

You can imagine the strategizing that can go on to "get" the last player!)

White elephant gift exchanges when everyone brings something they already own that they'd prefer not to keep, are popular at Christmas. But why not enjoy the fun for a birthday. Instead of purchasing junky toys for kids to take home from the party, have each child bring one they're tired of and exchange it for a new one. Take it from us, when a white elephant exchange is the center of a birthday or anniversary party, adults will enjoy the hilarity too.

Speaking of birthdays, hiding gifts instead of wrapping them is a way to engage everyone in a fun activity while avoiding buying and tossing wrapping paper. With young children, play "Hot and Cold." Older ones enjoy hunting via clues.

Thousands of ideas for games and activities for any age are of course, at your fingertips via the internet. One of our favorites sites for kids games and activities is Family Fun. We're also fans of cooperative game sites like this one.

The next time you're hosting a party or celebration, be sure to plan some eco-fun for everyone!

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Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net.

VIDEO: Don't Mess With Karma - Orange Juice

*Previously posted on 11.20.08

Quote of the Week - 01.02.11

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

~Buddha

"When you realize how perfect Fair Trade chocolate is, you will tilt your head back and enjoy the chocolate."

~Coco-Zen