Many green options cost more than their replaced product – but the SodaStream Soda Maker offers a wealth of eco and health benefits for cheaper than buying sparkling water and soft drinks the old fashioned way.  So you’ll be improving your health, keeping tons of plastic out of landfills and saving money instead of lugging heavy bottles of future trash home from the market.

Some SodaStream Background

As a fan of all things that bubble, from champagne to sparkling water to soda (does beer count?), I’ve found it increasingly difficult to enjoy these great things due the myriad of challenges the conscious consumer faces when looking at purchasing these products.  These range from the health impact on you and your family (hey, only 33 grams of fructose corn syrup in most major single serving soda cans!), to the environmental impact that millions of plastic bottles of mineral water and the impact of transporting mineral water from some remote part of the globe to your favorite posh restaurant table. Keep reading →

So, you have decided to kick that nasty bottled water habit? Good for you! I’m sure you already know about the huge environmental impact of the bottled water industry, like the more than 1.5 million barrels of oil that are used to make bottled water each year. Or maybe that 90% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills, instead of being recycled. But, have you also heard some of the many benefits of drinking tap water? Most tap water in the U.S. is as safe or safer than bottled water, which makes sense considering that 40% of all bottled water is just filtered tap water! Haven’t you ever wondered what the “Municipal Source” or “Community Water System” labels mean on your bottled water? Yup, filtered tap water. So what if I told you that you could make this same bottled water, at your home or on the go, save money, and drastically decrease your environmental footprint? Here are some of my favorites that use high-end carbon water filters to clean tap water of chlorine, iodine and other bad tasting chemicals while you drink! Keep reading →

Ski Jumps and Half-Pipes and Curling Oh My!  Even if you are not competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Vancouver, you can still fuel up just like the pros do!  Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of your workout- and hey, who knows maybe we will see you in future Olympic competition!

Here are a few of the best things to eat pre-workout, and remember you want to keep the calorie count to no more than 300 calories:

Keep reading →

It’s a fact: Kids are going to snack. From toddlerhood – when most pediatricians sanction two snacks a day – all the way to college and beyond, kids will consume between-meal nibbles. It’s often up to you whether these snacks contain nutritional value, or whether they’re just sources of empty calories. The snacks you choose can also keep the planet in good shape, as well as limiting your child’s exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Let’s pit some standard snacks against their greener alternatives. Keep reading →

OK all you last-minute romantics out there!  You still have time to “wow” the love of your life this Valentine’s Day!  I have scoured the cyber-world and compiled my top green picks this season to secure cupid status with your sweetie-pie and do something good for the environment!  Note that there are selections at many price points so everyone will have options!  Have fun shopping and you can thank me later for making it appear you spent countless hours planning your special Valentine gifts! Don’t worry, I won’t tell…

Keep reading →

OK folks this is it – the final weekend of holiday shopping is upon you, and your remaining gift list reads like a who’s-who of the terminally hard to buy for.  Thankfully, Izzit has a great solution for you!

Our friend MaggieB at EatBoutique has assembled a fantastic foodie gift box that’s sure to satisfy even the pickiest Grinch this season.  The New England Gift Box includes a smorgasbord of treats from all over – you guessed it – New England.  Each product, including Taza Chocolates and a selection of Q’s Sweet Roasted Nuts among other goodies, is hand crafted by New England Artisans, and gorgeously wrapped by Maggie & Co.   So with each gift box you send, you’ll be supporting local creatively inspired entrepreneurs and producers while you and your loved ones indulge in holiday goodness.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

And as if the New England Gift Box wasn’t enticing enough, EatBoutique is offering Izzit readers an exclusive $10 Off Coupon from now through Saturday.  Just enter ‘IzzitGreen‘ in the coupon box during checkout for your discount!

So there!  You’re crunch-time shopping stress has turned into crunchy-time goodie enjoyment – provided you buy a gift box for yourself too.  And while you’re shopping, don’t forget to check-out all of MaggieB’s holiday food and entertainment inspiration on EatBoutique.com.

Happy Giving!

You know that Izzit loves to connect you with the coolest, most innovative and sustainably produced products on the market.  Along with these product and brand connections, we think it’s super-important for consumers to learn more about the groups that work every day to improve our environment, certify the credibility of green-marketed products, and advance public knowledge of important sustainability issue.

To that end – here’s a little multi-faceted Holiday gift from us to you…and the oceans.  More specifically, some knowledge for you, some support for our oceans, and something to put under the tree for a loved-one this season. Keep reading →

We’ve all been warned that in order to remain healthy, lose or maintain weight and maintain a strong immune system we need to drink at least 8 glasses water a day. Yes, this is a fact that we all know; and since water consumption does seem to be the cure-all solution for all of life’s problems, how many of us actually drink the recommended amount of water that we need everyday? I do…I think. But who can really be sure how many trips they’ve made to the tap everyday in order to fill up a reusable water bottle; and using bottled spring water or filtered water isn’t exactly environmentally friendly, even if it is more convenient for tracking just how hydrated we’re keeping ourselves. So what’s the answer? Is it really possible to remain hydrated as recommended while reducing the waste created by drinking from disposable plastic water bottles? Keep reading →

Cookware and cooking utensils tend to be anything but green and sustainable; they can break down, releasing toxins into food so diners end up with secret ingredients like phthalates (yum) in their eggs and they rarely last longer than a handful of months or years if you’re lucky. High end cooking utensils sometimes claim to have less terrible effects than their cheaper counterparts, but often they just use misleading marketing tactics to claim that they are eco-friendly, such as using recycled packing to sell the fact that they’ve gone green. Keep reading →

Whether you love the libation lifestyle or simply enjoy an occasional glass of fine wine with a refined dinner, you know just how much waste is generated once you get to the bottom of the bottle. The good news, is that now you can drink as much as you want without the guilt of environmental impact, because the Green Glass Company is creating sustainable, recycled products that not only reuse the discarded wine bottles, beer bottles, and pop bottles; they also provide you with a classy way to enjoy your favorite beverage with their unique line of sustainable glassware. So sit down with your favorite beverage, and know that you’re making a contribution to a full-cycle process that benefits the environment, although it may not do any favors to your liver! Keep reading →