Oprah Power, Green Style

We here at Green is the New Pink love Oprah! (Shocker, we know...)

Even if you think it's annoying the way she consistently stretches her guests names out ("Please welcome my friend, John Travooooooool-ta!"), you've got to admit, it's amazing how she worked her way up in life from nothing and is now one of the most significant and influential women in the world. When she says to read Steinbeck, people read it. When she told us to eat the red Velvet cake from Doughboys in Los Angeles, we did it gladly. And last week, she did a special "green" episode, telling us all to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, so we guess we have to listen! Come on, if Oprah's doing it....how can you not?

The resources and tips she suggested on her show last Friday are many of the tips we have talked about in the last 6 months, but we can all use a refresher. Remember the compact flourescent light bulbs you intentioned to buy...but didn't. Or the junk mail lists you want to get off of...but haven't yet? Our Tip this week is to CATCH UP on your resolutions! Oprah, being the wonderful mogul she is has compiled a ton of resources for you....see our highlights of her ideas below (or go to www.oprah.com for even more info).

WATCH… It's easy being Green Slide Show
Sweet, short and informative. It gives you of all the tips and stories from the show of which there were many little gems, including really easy tips like using less paper napkins per day and choosing not to get a reciept at the atm. Plus there are some nifty videos about recycled products....

READ… The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen
Things you can do to save the planet. Find more info here.

BUY… Re-usable water bottles and Canvas Shopping Bags
GrOcery Bags…Oprah wants you to start using canvas bags at the market so badly that she created her own from organic cotton on sale for $10.00. To try to buy one click here, but last we saw they were already sold out (told ya everyone listens to Oprah). You can also get great shopping bags at www.ecobags.com.

New Wave Enviro Products Water Bottle…The amount of plastic water bottles we all go through is astounding and a huge waste. Get a filter for you home and get the next-best-thing when you’re on the go. The New Wave Corn-resin bottle comes WITH A FILTER so you can fill it with tap water and it turns it into pure, clean drinking water before it touches your lips. It can be reused up to 90 times, and the bottle biodegrades in just 80 days ($8.99). For more info click here or call 800-592-8371.

SAVE... Energy, that is.
BITS Ltd. smart power strips…Even after turning off a computer, power continues to flow to peripherals like printers and scanners. This power strip ($32.99) stops the energy from being wasted. For more info, click here.

GE Energy Smart lightbulbs…GE Energy Smart bulbs use 70 to 75 percent less energy than incandescent lightbulbs and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. For example, by using a 26-watt compact fluorescent lightbulb—equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent lightbulb—users can save up to $59 on energy costs over the life of the bulb. Saving energy saves money and is better for the environment.

CLEAN…With Green Friendly Cleaning Supplies
This part of the episode was classic Op-dogg..there was a family on there who's son was greatly suffering from asthma. After they changed to non-toxic cleaning products, all his problems went away. Kind of makes you wonder what YOU'RE breathing in at your supposedly spic-and-span abode.

Method Home…Method offers some cleaners that are dye- and perfume-free, nontoxic, biodegradable, naturally derived and never tested on animals. For more info, click here.

Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies…All of their cleaning supplies are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free. For more, click here.

Seventh Generation products…Seventh Generation is one of the leading brands of nontoxic household products. For more info, click here.

Shaklee…Find out how to get a discount on Shaklee's Healthy Home Pack. You can order the Healthy Home Pack starter kit by calling 800-225-0600.

LEARN...a few new eco-tricks

Engines Off…Lynn Romanek from Glencoe, Illinois, has organized parents at her childrens' school to turn off their cars instead of idling in the parking lot during carpool. Idling 10 minutes less per day can keep 550 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air every year. For more information, visit www.enginesoff.org.

Greendimes…A group that gets your name OFF junk mail lists and then plants a tree for you, too! Added perk: Matt Damon is on the board and if you missed it, he recorded a very cute message to Oprah about it. For more information or to sign up, visit www.greendimes.com.

Stop Global Warming Tour…Learn more about Sheryl Crow and Laurie David's tour and what you can do to find solutions for global warming. Visit www.stopglobalwarming.org for more information.

Then you can write Oprah and tell her what you did and how inspired you were! And mention us because we want to be her new best friends! Sorry, Gayle!