A new way to read

There is a new product out there that could potentially reduce the need for tons of paper every year. The product is called the reader digital book from Sony. I came across this product after one of my co-workers received it as a gift for her birthday. Basically the digital reader allows you to keep roughly 160 books right at your fingertips. It's like an ipod for literature junkies.

My co-worker, Tina Williams said her parents paid about 300 dollars for the device and that she loves how light weight and portable it is. Also Sony has a site where the user can download books, like an itunes type setup.

" I love the immediate gratification because I'm a nerd like that," Williams said about being able to download titles at the click of a mouse.

With the device, Sony allows you to download 100 free classic books, like Huck Finn or Great Expectations, if you purchase the digital reader before September 2008. The credits would be automatically uploaded to your account and must be used before the end of October.

Williams said she is very impressed with the battery life of the device, and it also hold pictures and mp3s. Also, she said it's easy on the eyes because it is not back lit, like an ipod so there is hardly any eye strain.

"It's both eco-friendly and cool," she said.

Amazon makes a similar product called an Amazon Kindle. It runs for $399.99 on their site. While the Sony version is only
$299.99. The Kindle is a good choice if you are not very tech-savvy, because it does not require a computer at all.

The price of books in the Sony store range from 99 cents to about $15.00 according to Williams.

As far as not having that epic library collection, Williams doesn't seem to mind.

"I'm always getting yelled at for having too many books. And it's good for lazy people," she said.


here's a video review about the Kindle:




A Review of the Sony Model:

Going a little green on spring break

This past week I spent some time in Mexico. You know sun, fun. When it comes to sun everyone needs to make sure to use the proper protection. Living in Arizona has really made me a sunscreen freak. So needless to say, skin cancer is not on my agenda. According to the National Skincare Institute there are more than 1 million new cases of non melanoma skin cancer each year.

There are traditional sunscreens from companies like Banana Boat and Coppertone. But I decided to make my spring break a little greener by making a special trip to Whole Foods to get myself a bottle of organic sunscreen. Amy, the beauty specialist at Whole Foods recommended a sunscreen from the company Aubrey Organics. She let me know that this was the only sunscreen she was sure was completely organic. The company has been making organic and natural beauty products for about 30 years according to their website.

I picked up the SPF and packed it in my beach bag. I decided to do a test to see if the ingredients in organic sunscreen would protect my skin just as well as traditional forms.

The directions are no different than regular sunscreen, you have to reapply about every two hours and especially after swimming. I did the best I could to follow the directions, but I mean it was spring break, so sometimes I did not reapply as often as I should have.

Really I noticed no difference in the protection. The formula feels the same and is just as effective. The best part is, is that the price is comparable to traditional sunscreen formulas. At Whole Foods, the sunscreen ran about 8.99, which is not a big difference or really a difference at all from a traditional bottle of sunscreen.

Going green is a little bit at a time, so I try thinking about the little ways I can change my habits, like starting small, and thinking about my purchase of organic sunscreen.

Happy Spring Break, next time the beach calls, lather up with an organic sun protection.

Green at Target

I wrote this story for the site at first, but it wasn't quite formatted right for the publication. I think the information and my experience is still valid though:

Dilemma: You are green minded college student with no abundant amounts of “green” in the bank.
Solution: Figure out where going green is easiest and most accessible.
Fact: It’s easier to go green than ever. In the past, consumers used to have to go to special retailers. According to a 2002 USDA report, organic products are now sold in upwards of 73 percent of conventional grocery stores, making it easier than ever to jump on the green bandwagon.
How easy is it to go green really if you shop major retail? Only a day of running errands at Target—Wal-mart’s cooler cousin—with green on your mind and about 20 bucks in your pocket can tell.
First, it helps to make a list, then find what you need and see if there is a green alternative.
Item 1: Laundry Detergent- walking into the aisle of detergents at Target is overwhelming to many consumers; Purex, Cheer, Tide and each has several different varieties. The greenest detergent available at Target is Arm and Hammer Essentials. The bottle reads it’s 100 percent naturally derived, uses biodegradable plant bases soaps, no petroleum based cleaners, dyes, phosphates or bleaches. The price, at $ 3.39 for a bottle that does 32 loads is comparable to the Purex next to it that does not make any of those environmental claims.
“I use it for my child’s safety,” a mother in the aisle said.
Item 2: Light Bulbs- it’s easy to pick up the economy pack of light bulbs on the cheap at Target, but it’s not green at all. The crazy curly GE Energy Smart Light bulbs were $8.44 for a 2 pack of 60 watt bulbs, but the packaging say they last five years instead of the 1200 hours of the regular GE bulbs at $2.39. Feasibly a college student may not even have to change a bulb before they graduate—unless they change their major a few times—which in the long run saves cash. And plus, they are pretty cool looking and could qualify as art in your student apartment.
Item 3: Toothpaste- Now depending on the type of toothpaste you buy the prices can vary wildly. The only natural option at Target for toothpaste was Tom’s of Maine, at $ 4.29 a tube. It is on the expensive side. Comparably to other toothpastes boasting whitening gels and trendy flavors it’s only about a dollar more.
“I’ve never thought about buying natural toothpaste, I have never even heard of that stuff before,” University of Arizona student, Adriana Amaya said in the toothpaste aisle when asked about using Tom’s. For the record, she decided to go with her old stand-by Crest.
Item 4: Swiffer Sweeper refills- America loves convenience; enter sensation- the Swiffer Sweeper. Can you think of anything more unnecessary than a Swiffer Sweeper? Switch to a regular mop, at Target, the cheapest at $3.99 and you will be saving the planet in no time and have clean floors.
Target total $20.11 pre tax- find some change on the floor while roaming the store and you just went greener in one trip.

Items you can simply eliminate from your list and go green without any cash:

Item: Loofah- these netted germ incubators and the number one way to disseminate body wash for the female population, go if not green, healthy and switch to a wash cloth. You probably already have one that your mom made you buy freshman year.

Item: Trash bags- just reuse your Target bags your merchandise comes in and eliminate the need for small trash bags.

Bottom-line: Going green in a mass retail store, like Target, is easier than you think and can fit into your budget. Just go in with green in mind and reduce your impact on the same budget as before. It’s easy to be green if you want to be.

Green Hair

Now you can even have your hair go green! No it doesn't involve any hair dye. Please keep it as close to your natural color as possible.

This weekend I was up in Phoenix for a hair appointment at Looks Salon in Scottsdale, AZ. Yes I travel two hours to get my hair done. It's a girl thing, I trust my hair to nobody but my stylist Karen.

I realized as I was waiting for Karen to finish up with one of her other clients that the shampoo that she normally uses on my hair, pureology is 100 percent vegan and organic. And really I can say its one of the easiest ways to see how organic products can really change your appearance and your life.

The company's website says it is both cruelty free and vegan and all the ingredients are completely biodegradable. So the shampoo is not only eco-friendly but also animal friendly.

"I really see a difference in my clients hair when they use pureology and organic hair products," Karen said.

I have to admit, however, the price tag is a little bit daunting for a girl like me who usually only buys her grooming products at Target or Walgreens.

The big bottles of the shampoo run usually around as much as almost fifty bucks depending on the salon but it's definitely going to run you more than your normal bottle of Pantene or Head and Shoulders.

For women, though, this investment might be worth it if you normally get your hair colored. According to Karen if you use products with ingredients that are good for nature it may prolong your color and in the end, perhaps even save you money.

"I have definitely noticed a change in my hair's overall health as well after using products like these," Karen said.

Just another way, I have found out how you can be going green in every aspect of your life, head to toe.

Retail Waste

I work a retail job, are you surprised? I spend about ten hours of my week working at Ann Taylor. It's a women's clothing store. Although the back of the bags say "please recycle" there is a lot of waste going on.

I noticed this on a weekend recently when my manager and I were throwing away all of the holiday marketing material.

"We waste a lot, there is so much we cannot reuse because corporate is always sending us new stuff," manager Amy Kish said out by the trash compacter.

There it all was sitting in front of me and the only reason we were throwing it away was because it the bags were gold for the holiday season, not the normal gray for the rest of the year.

In the back room I began to notice all of the unused fixtures and mounds of marketing material stuffed behind every crevice.

Now, I understand the need to perpetuate a brand, but does it really have to come at such a wasteful cost? I take bags from my work and reuse them as lunch totes or even wrap gifts in them. Why can't the company take the same measures to reduce their own waste?

It runs along the practice what you preach lesson. It's like don't tell me to recycle and then waste so many resources. The website says that they are concerned about the environment I think I need to see it in a more direct way. The company does do great charity work and does list the environment as one of their top concerns, but I'm having trouble figuring out how they are reducing the impact on a smaller scale, store to store.

I would imagine that not many shopping centers have much of a choice about how they dispose of their goods. I have worked two retail jobs in two different malls and it's not the case. There is one giant trash compacter and only god knows where it ends up after you fling all that cardboard into the compacter.

I think if companies could put some of their power into trying to reduce their marketing material it could make a big difference, especially in chain store retailing. Ann Taylor takes up a very small chunk of the retail spectrum, who knows how Target or Wal-mart disposes of their trash?

I just think that instead of just planting a seed in the customer of a store to reduce their impact retail stores should start doing it too. I mean I really don't think we need a new window hanging every couple of months. This season Ann Taylor is rocking transparent red sheeting.

If you are going to tell me to recycle my bag, you should recycle some of your marketing. I think everyone would be happier in the end.