1. House of Marley Headphones: eco-conscious headphones of superior quality and style made by a company honestly committed to giving back, but would Bob approve?

2. Eco-Friendly Kids’ Party Favors: some awesome ideas for filling favor bags at your child’s next birthday party that will wow their friends, parents and the eco-minded.

3. How to Recycle Butane Fuel Canisters: examines a nifty little tool that can help you easily and responsibly dispose of your used camping stove fuel canisters.

4. Pet-Safe and Eco-Friendly Lawn Care: some advice on fertilizers, pest control and weed killers that are safe for the planet and pets.

5. Eco-Barefoot Running Shoes Guide: the final installment of a three part series that outlines the top ten sustainable barefoot running shoes out there.

6. Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats: an in-depth look at different types of sustainable yoga mats and some recommendations for mats to try.

7. Very Eco Wedding Guest Dresses: fashionable and Earth-friendly options to turn heads at your next special occasion.

8. Top 10 Bamboo Lingerie, Organic Intimates and Eco-Underthings: a countdown of the top pics of stunning and feel-good pieces that are sure to please. Who ever said that eco couldn’t be exciting?!

9. 21 Bamboo and Organic Yoga Pants: an extensive list of the best yoga pants, shorts and capris from companies with a conscience.

10. Smaller Footprints with Recycled Material Tents: a rare look at two tents using recycled materials that you may have never heard of.

From all of us at IzzitGreen, thanks for all of your support to make 2011 an amazing year. Onward and upward!

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This celebration of my favorite, gooey substance prompted a quest to seek out the best good-green peanut paste the market has to offer. My discovery of Justin’s Nut Butter was the end of my search. Justin’s sent me a generous box of goodies from which I stuffed my pack for a hiking trip in northern Portugal. Read on to see why my hunt ended with Justin’s and how nut butter made my trip.

The Justin’s Difference

Justin’s all started in Boulder, Colorado in 2002 when founder, Justin Gold, longed for a tastier peanut butter. From that dream Justin’s Nut Butter has taken an amazing foodstuff and done the impossible. Justin and his company have created a superior peanut butter and in the process managed to completely re-conceive the category. So, how is Justin’s Nut Butter better? Please review the following steps. Start with super high-quality, natural and organic ingredients that are sustainably harvested and sourced as locally as possible. Then add a proprietary grinding method that boosts yumminess and consistency. Combine with innovative packaging that facilitates on-the-go consumption and mix with a company dedicated to reducing its environmental footprint. The result? A delicious, nutritious, and ingenious snack that will blow your mind.

The simple ingredients in each of Justin’s products make them easy to love, whether you’re into Vegetarianism, Paleo, Slow Carb, South Beach, Atkins’ or just being healthy. Justin’s products are certified gluten-free by the GFCO, certified Kosher by Scroll K and use only PPO-free almonds. Aside from the aforementioned amazingness, Justin’s also offers variety. Check out each of the ways that you can enjoy Justin’s creations below.

Squeeze Packs

A seriously perfect snack for hiking, traveling or munching at work. Justin’s squeeze packs offer a super convenient way to eat nut butter on-the-go. I figured I would mostly add nut butter from the packs to apples or crackers, but found myself just as happy eating it plain. It reminded me of my childhood when I would shamelessly steal heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter right from the jar. Regaining some of my long lost courage, I noticed myself several times desperately massaging the last bits of nut butter from my squeeze pack, only to catch my boyfriend boldly ripping open the package to lick the inside clean. The packs excelled one night as a surprisingly satisfying dinner during a seemingly never ending journey aboard Portuguese public transportation on our way north to the Peneda-GeresNational Park. From Justin’s wide scope of eight squeeze pack flavors, I was sent the Honey Peanut Butter Blend and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend. Both of the flavors have a rich, natural and grittier texture that you can almost chew for pure satisfaction. Justin’s Nut Butters use palm fruit oil that is sourced from a sustainably harvested, organic farm in Brazil to minimize oil separation. Not only does this provide excellent texture but palm fruit oil also has no trans-fatty acids and contains less saturated fat than many other oils. Once again, the quality shows. For me, the Honey Peanut Butter Blend flavor is the perfect combination of salty and sweet thanks to the unique coupling of sea salt and honey and a very faint sesame after taste. The peanut butter packs were a fabulous comfort food as the small pools of water in our tent slowly crept towards my sleeping pad. I thought the Hazelnut flavor would just taste like Nutella, but I was hit instead with a genuine hazelnut taste and hint of salt that lacked the artificial, over-sweetened, way-too-creamy faults of that other frosting stuff. The packs are generally easy to open, but can require some extra muscle with very cold hands. Plus,  REI just published some great tips for sleeping warm and it recommended eating peanut butter right before bed to give your body something to burn. No wonder I slept so well! Oh, and don’t forget to knead!

Jars

There can never be too much of a good thing, and that’s where Justin’s Jars come in. Not only are they filled with nut butter goodness, but all of Justin’s Jars are PETE-1 recyclable and BPA-free. If you’re not in a rush and have something more relaxing in mind, screw open a jar and enjoy any of the eight better nut butters on one of your favorite snacks. Make sure to try out each of the hazelnut, peanut and almond varieties. Here are some great recipes using peanut butter to check out, or there’s always just your spoon.

Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut butter cups are another fond memory from my childhood, specifically the hundreds that I consumed in the weeks following Halloween. Available in both milk and dark chocolate versions, Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups offer a refreshing look at a classic. In both flavors there is a pleasant absence of that cheap, milk taste and high quality peanut butter makes all the difference. The shell is made from decedent, fair-trade, organic chocolate that is Rainforest Alliance Certified. Using such virtuous chocolate, no wonder Justin’s decided to coat it on thick. The harder, more substantial shell provides a beautiful match to the normally overpowering peanut butter taste. Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups provided a particularly welcome lunch desert as we rested near a stream and bridge described by a local trail guide as, “a naturally well conceived scenario.” The dark chocolate mixed with peanut butter is an entirely new and wonderful experience, but even the milk chocolate flavor holds happily little resemblance to the unhealthy candies I enjoyed as a child. It’s like a peanut butter cup all grown up.

Sustainability

Aside from its earth-friendly kitchen, Justin’s takes steps throughout the business to reduce its impact on the environment. For a trip through their supply chain, visit Justin’s “Dirt on Nuts” to explore the company’s carbon footprint and what it is doing to reduce it. Already, the Justin’s headquarters is solar powered through panels in front of the office and sustainable packaging has become a priority. While Justin’s cardboard packaging is currently made from 100% recycled paper constructed using only wind power and dyed with Zero VOC inks, the company has also embarked on a unique journey towards a sustainable squeeze pack. The ultimate goal is 100% renewable packaging that can be composted at home, but the plan includes realistic stepping stones of 33% and 66% renewable packaging along the way. On the social side, Justin’s also supports Conscious Alliance in its work to distribute food to Native American Reservations through monetary contributions and of course, healthy food donations.

So, spread the love and make sure to spoon, squeeze and smear it on thick!

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Image Credit: Justin’s, Alina Jesien

Highgear Smartlite

The Highgear Smartlite is incredibly versatile with a reversible globe that allows it to be used as either a lantern or a flashlight. The one watt high power LED puts out 95 lumens of bright light, while the reflector provides advanced lighting to illuminate your dinner or a late night walk to the bathroom. When less blaze is needed just turn the Smartlite to low power for an ideal reading glow. Plus, the no-glare, frosted globe creates a gentle light perfect to enhance the romantic atmosphere. At seven ounces you might think that this lantern would be flimsy, but the Smartlite is highly water resistant and has a rugged rubber casing built for extreme weather conditions.

Guilt-Free Power

Possibly, what makes the Smartlite so smart is its power mechanism. The Smartlite is outfitted with a USB rechargeable battery that you can plug right into your computer to juice it up before a trip. That means no more toxic batteries to buy or throw away! One recharge can provide you with ten hours of burn time on low power and four hours on high. Still run out of juice? No problem. Pull up your sleeves and start cranking. The manual crank can provide ten minutes of power for three minutes of cranking. Not a bad trade off, and it sure beats lugging around ounces and ounces of extra batteries, not to mention the peace of mind knowing that you will always have access to light with no contribution to our nation’s growing landfills.

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Image Credit: Weather Connection, OD BOX

After working on an organic farm, company founder Kate Schade made organic a priority that is exemplified in all of her bars. These wholesome treats use all natural and organic ingredients from the honey and fruit to the oats and seeds. Kate offers five distinct flavors but all of the bars share some common characteristics. Every bar utilizes multiple flavors that work together brilliantly. They look a little bit like bird food, but don’t let that deter you. The bars stay together remarkably well and are seemingly uncooked, like no-bake cookies, but they have no problem packing in a satisfying crunch. Each bar is dense and satisfying with energy ranges from a hearty 190 calorie snack to a body-fueling 360 calorie meal bar. The compact bars and fast-acting energy can be perfectly described as fire starter cubes for your body. Here’s my take on each of the flavors.

Grizzly Bar

The Grizzly is one seriously meaty energy bar. You don’t just nibble on the Grizzly. You rip off a chunk and you chew and chomp for a satisfying meal. It’s like Kate made the best gorp ever, and then smashed it into a block the size of a soap bar. The Grizzly has a really nice combination of peanut and fruit flavors, and also makes use of an incredible honey-dark chocolate blending, that leaves a satisfied sweet tooth and a brick of energy ready to burn. Bye-bye Snickers bars.

Tram Bar

The Tram Bar was Kate’s original energy bar and I can see why she decided to launch a business after the reception she must have received for her first try. The Tram bar is another not-messing-around bar that is similar to the Grizzly, however the Tram uses milk instead of dark chocolate. This solid hunk of energy was a most welcome companion during a particularly treacherous ascent early in the trip that involved steep boulder clambering and a pack that seemed all of 30 pounds too heavy. The Tram Bar has smoother, sweeter taste that I preferred, while my boyfriend preferred the dark flavor of the Grizzly. Each to his or her own.

Caz Bar

The Caz was by far the most exotic of the bars. It has this great spicy aftertaste that lingers behind and smells a little bit like Christmas time. The chai tea flavors and sesame seed crunch really make meaningful additions. My boyfriend and fellow critic claimed that the Caz was, “The most original energy bar that I’ve ever tasted.”

Handle Bar

I think that the Handle Bar bar was my least favorite of the lot, but I would guess that my dissatisfaction is almost entirely due to my lack of a real love for cherries. However, if you are a cherry-lover, have I got a treat for you. Kate’s Real Food has done a wonderful job of incorporating high quality cherries into the Handle Bar. We’re not talking about small dried up tart cherries, but full, moist and sweet morsels. The interesting thing about this bar is that the chocolate and cherry flavors really almost mask each other until, BAM! At which point you encounter the pleasant zip of cherry or smooth comfort of chocolate.

Stash Bar

The Stash Bar was my favorite of the five bars that I tried. The Stash packs this awesome sea salt aftertaste that is almost sweet for a very pleasant experience. I really enjoyed the medley of flavors that this bar offers and they all seemed to work together while I still felt like I could taste each and every one. You just have no idea until you try one of these. Seriously.

In the end, after being thoroughly humbled by chain-lined descents, trail running Norwegian high schoolers and white-out conditions I reflected on my initial compromises. In hindsight, it was obvious that I was more than rewarded for my daring sacrificial decisions with originality, perfect flavor synergy and sweet, sweet energy. To Kate’s Real Food bars. Thanks for just being real.

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Image Credit: Erik Strahler, Alina Jesien, Kate’s Real Food

The Big Agnes Sleeping System

The Colorado-based company Big Agnes has developed a unique sleeping bag system that unites the bag and sleeping pad into one ingenious arrangement resulting in a slew of amazing benefits. Big Agnes has created a system in which a pad slides into an integrated sleeve on the now uninsulated bottom of a Big Agnes sleeping bag while the top two-thirds of the sleeping bag is insulated like normal.

This exclusive combination is based on the idea that when insulation is compressed under your body, it loses most of its insulating power anyway. The Big Agnes system eliminates the useless insulation and allows the pad to provide the needed insulation instead. Like your bed at home, the mattress is underneath for comfort, and the covers are over top for warmth. This minimalist approach allows for a smaller pack size, less weight to carry, more comfort and reduced risk, plus it’s eco-friendly. Try rolling off of your pad now!

A particularly avid fan of the Big Agnes sleeping system, Andrew from Rockville, Maryland, compares the system to a friendly woodland animal: “A Big Agnes bag system is a giant friendly bear, hugging you and never letting go, never letting you roll away from warm and divine hibernation.”

Big Agnes offers several eco-sleeping bags that utilize this beneficial system.

Big Agnes Encampment 15

A classic sleeping bag is a great choice for anyone who is looking for slightly more room than a mummy bag provides. Try the Encampment 15 degree bag for a great recycled synthetic bag.

Big Agnes Tumble Mountain 20

For a lightweight down bag, check out the Tumble Mountain 20 degree bag insulated with 725 fill goose down and has both a recycled shell and liner.

Big Agnes Women’s Lulu 15

The Big Agnes women’s specific bags are great because they provide some extra room in the hips, as well as more insulation at the feet and core where women tend to get chilled. Have a look at the Lulu 15 degree bag which is insulated with 97 percent recycled synthetic material.

An Eco-Conscious Company

Big Agnes has made its environmental impact a priority in not only its line of eco-friendly sleeping bags, but for the company as a whole.

Big Agnes purchases 100 percent wind power to run their offices and warehouse in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Big Agnes also ensures that all of their marketing and packaging materials have a high level of recycled content. This conservation mindedness even extends to the top levels of the company as its founder, Bill Gamble, has been living off the grid for the last 15 years!

For you wild sleepers, gram counters and hikers missing their bed at home, the Big Agnes sleeping system with an eco-sleeping bag could provide you the perfect union between bodily comfort and your eco-conscience.

Image credits: Big Agnes.

By hitting the trail this spring, you might be doing yourself a mental favor in addition to the physical ones. A recent study was conducted by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in the UK in which the college performed trials involving 833 adults and found that  exercising in natural environments could have a multitude of beneficial effects over working out indoors.

If you do decide to bundle up and get some fresh air, you may experience, “greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression, and increased energy,” according to the study published in the research journal Environmental Science and Technology in February. 

The Importance of Layers

People often dress too warmly only to find that they are overheating during exercise and then get quickly chilled as their sweat starts to evaporate and dry. One of the tricks to exercising outside is to properly regulate your temperature. By dressing in layers you can easily adjust your clothing to your changing needs and take off layers as you begin to work and put them back on as needed.

For my layering scheme, I am all about sustainable merino wool. Fine-cut merino wool is itch-free and has a great warmth-to-weight ratio. The finely crimped fibers create millions of air pockets to keep you incredibly warm without the bulk. Merino also does a great job of removing sweat from your skin, keeping you warm, dry and smelling great.

For an eco-friendly option try RedRam apparel. An offshoot of the Icebreaker brand, RedRam and Icebreaker are centered around renewable, biodegradable and ethically-sourced merino wool. Merino wool is a renewable resource using water, grass and sunshine as the raw inputs, and also takes considerably less energy to process than most other fibers.

Icebreaker and RedRam work directly with only 140 growers most of which are located in the beautiful Southern Alps of New Zealand. This small supply chain allows the company to create strong relationships with the growers and also enforce their strict animal welfare requirements.

RedRam Merino Short Sleeve Top

For a perfect base layer check out the RedRam’s Merino short sleeve top. A classic shirt with flat lock stitching for comfort and a flattering fit on both men and women.

RedRam Merino Long Sleeve Top

On chilly mornings you may need some more base layer coverage. Reach for the RedRam women’s and men’s long sleeve top. This piece provides a little bit more warmth while staying lightweight and easy to layer. Plus, the women’s version sports a very attractive scoop neck.

RedRam Merino Cami

And for even more layering options RedRam also offers a beautiful Cami for the ladies, which goes great under anything to give you an extra toasty core.

What more could you want from your go-to layering system? The perfect body temperature can make the difference between a refreshing morning of natural invigoration and a mind numbing slog on a stair stepper.

Image credits: MorgueFile, RedRam.

Close to Home

1. Backyard Camping – A great, no hassle way to introduce the joy of camping to your kids, and if they need some extra convincing you can always throw some s’mores in to sweeten the deal.

2. Start a Garden — Get your hands a little dirty and open your eyes to the potential of your own backyard. You’ll get a great source of fresh vegetables, spices plus beautiful scenery.

3. Build a Worm Compost Bin — Use worms to turn your fruit and vegetable scraps into great fertilizer for your garden by following a few simple steps.

4. Catch Fireflies — Turn off your outside lights and get your glass jars ready with air holes. Make sure to create a firefly-friendly environment by avoiding lawn chemicals and releasing them after the show.

5. Leaf Matching Game — Pick up leaves around your neighborhood and see if you can match them to their trees. You can also take bark rubbings with a crayon and paper to create a tree book!

6. Bug Hunt — You can be sure that your family will be amazed at what is living under the rocks in your own backyard. See how many different kinds you can find.

7. Build a Fort — Recycle old boxes or create a tepee with fallen branches and a sheet for hours of outdoor adventure.

8. Set up a Hammock — Spend some quality time swinging a beautiful afternoon away.

9. Blow Bubbles — You can even make your own eco-friendly bubbles!

Crafty

10. Nature Story Book — Go for a walk and document or draw all of the plants and animals that you see.

11. Keep a Moon Journal — Draw a circle for every day and then each night go outside and try to fill in the moon shape in your journal.

12. Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder — A fun way to keep your backyard full of feathered friends. All it takes is these easy steps.

13. Create a Sidewalk Masterpiece — Make your own eco-friendly sidewalk chalk and get creative!

14. Build a Water Scope — Help your kids observe the wonders of the underwater world with a homemade water scope.

Out and About

15. Go Geocoaching — Sign up for free at geocoaching.com, search for the caches in your area, grab your GPS and your bikes and go on an adventure!

16. Go Birdwatching — Start a “life list” of all of the birds that you have seen and identified.

17. Go for a Hike — Nothing beats a little exercise. Find trails in state and national parks, as well as in your own backyard.

18. Have a Picnic — Pack up some munchies and head to a local park for an afternoon of fun.

19. Teach Your Children How to Swim — Head out to your local pool and offer your children an invaluable and possibly life-saving skill.

20. Dance in the Rain — Don’t let a little water ruin your fun. Throw on some rain boots and head out to dance and sing, and see how full your rain collection barrel is getting.

21. Go Fruit Picking — Take a trip to your favorite berry picking spot or a local orchard to see what’s in season and fresh for the picking.

22. Visit a Nature Center — Have a family wildlife learning experience when you explore your local nature center.

So, there you have it. Plenty of reasons to enjoy nature this spring, not to mention a great way to provide your kids with priceless memories that will cement their appreciation for the outdoors for the rest of their lives.

What other great family outdoor games or ideas do you have?

Image credits: Morguefile.