Green Christmas 2009 - Power Your Music Player

I think this is a great gift for my green-minded Air Forces friends. The AF announced starting in January folks will have to take two PT tests a year...one being un-announced. Plus, the run is now 60% of the over all score. So why not harness some of the kinetic energy and power your own MP3 player with these?

Green Christmas 2009

Well it is that time again...time to spend, spend, spend...all in the name of Christmas cheer. Last year, I had fun finding practical green items for Christmas...and I plan to do it again. Have any one in your life who is tough to buy for? Need some ideas? Send them to me and I'll try my best to find just the right gift. Here is my first idea:

Need to buy that perfect black coat for the green-geek in your life? Here is your answer:Ecotec Solar-powered jacket.

Five Days Until Green Christmas

Why not swing down to your local thrift store, or purge your own closet and make a clock out some really cool vintage stuff. Swing over to Clockworks to pick up a clock kit, then you're off!



Have a few records laying around the house? Then try making a unique business card holder for the green-person in your life this Christmas/Chanukah! If you don't feel like making one, then for $30, you can pick it up HERE!

Lastly...stop wasting energy! Check out this new Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector. (Link is to one of my favorite new sites!) This looks like something that would keep me occupied for hours.

Iraqi Medical Center Goes Green

In a country where four-six hours of continuous power is rare, The Ameriya Clinic in Baghdad now has continuous power. It's source...SOLAR power. Why doesn't the entire Middle East use solar? Everytime I've been in Iraq it has been hot and sunny!

Here is the link to the TV story over on AFNEurope

What Is Wrong With This?

So I went out and bought some re-usable bags and this is what I got.

What is the deal with this. Isn't the purpose of these great green bags to not have to use the plastic bags? Only at AAFES...your friendly shoping store. Thanks. Does anyone else see the humor in this?

On the flip side...these bags are huge. You can almost fit an entire shopping trip into one bag. The even better news...I hope you think this is better news...I'm going to send one of these bags to one of you. Fingers crossed...it just might be you!

Green Christmas List...Continues

I LOVE TO BBQ. I can't think of too many things I don't like to throw on my BBQ. I've also upgraded my BBQ to a Weber Genesis. Now I have even more reason to throw pieces of meat and fresh veg onto my piping hot grill until they get a nice and charred. YUMMY! My current home in Italy has motion detecting lights outside with compact fluorescent lamps. This makes me happy, but they really don't help me out around the magic-making area...my Weber! So, I'd like to add this fantastic item to my Green Christmas list. A must for all men.

This is a solar-powered, LED BBQ grill light. At $58, I think it is a pretty good bargin. I guess the only thing to talk about now is Charcoal v. Propane? I'm a propane man!

Green Christmas List Starts Today

I was surfing the internet today and found a perfect green christmas gift for every dad. When we moved to Italy I bought a push mower. I do enjoy the workout. But this product is the "best of the best." I love this line from the product review:

Not only does it appeal to the environmentally-conscious part of us, but it also appeals to the "I really hate mowing the grass" part of us.

If you want to read more check out EcoGeek

A Great Re-Use Project

We order a lot of stuff online because we live overseas. This means we have a ton of cardboard boxes. They usually pile up in the garage until I get a good car-load full to take them to the ECO-Center. Each city in Italy has one. Plus, there is one on base. Just about everything is recyclable. (Not as much as Germany!) Another benefit of living in Italy is...well maybe it isn't a benefit. Cut to the chase...there are a ton of wild weeds here. Shelly and I spent a good bit of time (and money) to make our raised garden look nice...only to be taken over by three different kinds of killer weeds. One looks and smells like thyme. Another is like an ivy...and this guy spreads fast! The last is a crazy looking fella. Not even sure what to compare it to. I've let these menacing plants take over for the past few months. I've been waiting for the weather to break so I wouldn't have to pull them out more than once. Well today was the day. In Italy, most stores are closed...well almost always it seems...but every month, all of the stores open on one particular Sunday. That was TODAY! I swung by a garden center I've had my eye on and bought some small rock. I know what you're thinking. Rock won't save my little gnome! And you'd be right. This is where Green This! comes into play. Shelly and I planted a real nice zero-scaped garden...complete with solar lights from IKEA. (Our home away from home.) Turns out...the weeds require very little water too. Herbicides are out. Both because we don't like them..and you can't buy them here. Landscape fabric is too expensive and the last time we used that method it didn't work. So, Shelly...the smart one jumped on the internet and found out...sure enough...cardboard boxes work better than the expensive landscape fabric! The added benefit. We're re-using a product by recycling it into our garden.

So with two hours of work, Shelly and I cleaned out the garage, removed all of the wicked weeds from hell, reduced, reused, and recycled cardboard boxes, plus made our garden look that much better. Of course I didn't buy near enough rock to cover all of the cardboard. That's OK because the folks at the garden center where really nice. When I go back I just might pick up another gnome for the yard. By the way...not in these pics...two real cool gazing balls. Plus, the plants are from IKEA too. Really! What can't you buy from this awesome Mecca?
You can see there are still some freedom fighters on our steps. Impossible to cover these suckers with cardboard. So we will use a secret weapon on them later this week: Hot water and salt! Die suckers!


Unfortunately we were unable to reuse all of the recyclable items in the garage, so I will have to take these items to the ECO-Center in the morning.

Green This! Coming Soon..

As soon as I get settled in Italy!