10 Unusual GreenCupboards Products

 Technology  No Responses »
Nov 172011
 

GreenCupboards.com offers a wide variety of products ranging from dreadlock starter kits to electric bikes and wind turbines. Here is a top ten list of GreenCupboards more unusual items:

1: Dreadlock Starter Kit: http://www.greencupboards.com/knotty-boy-dreadlock-starter-kit-dark-misc.html

Getting bored of the “normal” hairdo? Why not try dreads? The Dreadlock starter kit includes everything you will need to get your dreads started: wax, soap, comb and brochure.

2: Robomow: http://www.greencupboards.com/robomow-rl-2000-robomow.html

Tired of mowing your lawn? Why not have a robot do it for you? Robomow will mow your lawn for you so you can sit back and relax with a lemonade. Robomow can mow lawns up to 17,200 square feet and the mulch produced is a great fertilizer.

3: Obama Air Force 1: http://www.greencupboards.com/holgate-toys-air-force-one-obama.html

A soon to be collectors item this wood Air Force One celebrates the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. This wood airplane is complete with a silkscreened image of our president on the tail.

4: Miniature Ecosystem: http://www.greencupboards.com/brands/blue-iq/blueiq-miniature-ecosystem-pack-of-15-30486.html

Want a fancy new addition to your home office or possibly dorm room? The GreenCupboards.com ecosystem may be just what you need. The ecosystem is not only aesthetically pleasing but also educational as you can see on a small scale how real life ecosystems work. This miniature ecosystem includes shrimp, snails, plants and substrate.

5: Electric Bike: http://www.greencupboards.com/brands/currie-technologies/currie-tech-women-s-trailz-electric-bike-red.html

Need a little help up the hill? Try using an electric bike. These bikes have motors, which can give you a little boost when you need it, but leave you with the option to turn it off when you don’t.

6: Sun Oven: http://www.greencupboards.com/sun-oven-global-sun-oven.html

The sun is the most enjoyable of all the known renewable cooking fuels. It rises every morning and is free. Sun Ovens enable the sun to bake, boil and steam a wide variety of food while enhancing the taste and benefiting the environment.

7: Pool Cleaner: http://www.greencupboards.com/floatron-natural-pool-cleaner-algae-free-no-chemicals-toy.html

Have do you have a pool in sunlight? If yes, then you might be interested in using the Floatron a solar powered pool cleaner. Floatron can clean a pool of up to 40,000 gallons and it does it without chemicals. Floatron cleans your pool using mineral ions.

8: Sea Scooter: http://www.greencupboards.com/x-treme-scooters-x-160-dual-speed-electric-sea-scooter.html

There is no need to swim with the Sea Scooter, just grab on and hold tight. The Sea Scooter can dive down 100 feet. Sea Scooter is the only underwater scooter with an all metal gearing system so it is built to last.

9: Wind Turbine: http://www.greencupboards.com/brands/sunforce/sunforce-whisper-100-900-watts.html

Interested in harnessing your own power? How about a wind turbine? Carbon fiber blades allow for a low noise-generating machine.

10: Salt Water Fuel Cell Car: http://www.greencupboards.com/toys-games/elenco-salt-water-fuel-cell-car.html

Just for fun, the Salt Water Fuel Cell Car is powered by nothing other than saltwater. A great toy for kids learning about alternative energy sources. This car can drive for over 5 hours without needing to refuel.

Super-Natural Granola Muffins

 Do It Yourself, Do It Yourself (hidden), Recipes, The Green Life  No Responses »
Aug 152011
 

Super-Natural Granola Muffins

Super-Natural Granola Muffins are a great way to start your day as a breakfast treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole bran cereal (not flakes)

1 cup boiling water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

2 uncaged hen eggs

2 cups almond milk

2 ½ cups whole-wheat organic flour

2 ½ teaspoons of baking soda

2 cups natural granola

Step 1:

Stir together bran cereal and hot water, cover and  let stand for 10 minutes.

Step 2:

Combine vegetable oil, sugar, and honey in a bowl. Beat in eggs and add almond milk.

Step 3:

Add the bran mixture with the oil, sugar, and egg mixture.

Step 4:

Stir together baking soda, salt, and granola in a bowl.

Step 5:

Mix the baking soda, salt, and granola in with the rest of the muffin mixture. Add organic whole wheat flour.

Step 6:

Pour into greased muffin tins, makes 24+

Step 7:

Place in oven heated to 400 degrees, for 22-25 minutes.

Cupboards Cherry Crunch

 Do It Yourself, Do It Yourself (hidden), The Green Life  No Responses »
Aug 152011
 

Cupboards Cherry Crunch

Indulge yourself in a cheery cherry delight, a holiday favorite.

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1/2 cup of butter

2 cans of cherry pie filling

1/2 cup of chopped almonds

Step 1:

Mix cake mix (plain) and butter together in bowl until meal-like.

Step 2:

Set aside 1 cup of cake mixture.

Step 3:

Fill pan with cake mix, gently pat up the sides.

Step 4:

Pour cherries over mix in pan, even out with spatula.

Step 5:

Stir in nuts with left over cake mix.

Step 6:

Pour nut and cake mix over cherries evenly.

Step 7:

Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until browned.

Pre-Bake

Post-Bake

Sun Oven

 Technology, The Green Life  No Responses »
Jul 052011
 

Sun Oven

How do you cook your food, with electricity or with gas? What if you could cook your food by the power of the sun? Would you do it? Sun Oven is an unplugged all natural way to cook, which harnesses the power of the sun.

Few Americans see where their food comes from (Farm or factory?) and approximately the same amount of people don’t know where the fuel source to cook that food came from either. In an age of drive through, plug in, and on the go citizens it is easy to forget to look up, at the sun. Not only does the sun brighten up our days but it also is our world’s largest fuel source.

Scientists are now coming to a better understanding of the sun’s energy that will benefit us on Earth (Solar panels that work at night). It is safe to assume that if the sun were not around, humans or any life would not be around either. Harvesting the suns energy is a good investment because if that “generator” goes out, so will the whole world. Unlike oil and coal, which have negative environmental effects when harvested, harvesting the sun is less toxic and virtually anyone can do it from anywhere.

A Sun Oven’s fuel source is (hopefully) going to be around till the end of your days, without a power outlet or a gas line you will be able to tap into an unlimited power base anytime the sun is shining.

From Sun Oven’s site:

“Even though it is called an oven, food can be boiled, steamed, roasted or baked at cooking temperatures of 360° F / 182° C, making it ideal for cooking the majority of foods in the developing world. This ruggedly built solar appliance weighs only 21 pounds / 9.5 kg and will last more than 20 years.

Over 2 billion people cook with wood, charcoal or dung as their primary cooking fuel and the social, economic and environmental impacts are significant. The GLOBAL SUN OVEN® has been carefully engineered to provide an alternative to using wood and dung. These fuels are becoming increasingly scarce and costly. The use of these solar ovens can be very beneficial to women all over the world by reducing the cost of fuel and/or lightening the everyday burdens of life.”

Now you might not be using the Sun Oven as an alternative to “wood and dung”, however, the benefits of changing your fuel method to a free and bright source from the sun (or any star) is universally the same (unless you live in a place where sunlight is limited throughout certain times during the year, like Alaska).

Perhaps you have already been thinking about switching to solar power for food preparation, but do not know what system to buy, or are considering building your own. Sun Oven sets themselves apart from other solar cookers, and is proud of the unique features it has to offer. Sun Oven has this to say:

“GLOBAL SUN OVENS® are not the same as other solar cooking devices. They have a number of unique qualities and features that are not in other solar cooking devices. They are often compared with box cookers that are made out of aluminum foil and cardboard or homemade boxes of various sizes and shapes. While the energy conversion principles are the same, the materials utilized in manufacturing a GLOBAL SUN OVEN® have been carefully researched to include the most efficient materials available. In order to capture the maximum amount of energy, achieve the highest possible temperature, and retain the greatest amount of heat possible, while minimizing the weight, the materials utilized have been selected based on efficiency and quality. Other than cleaning, no other ongoing maintenance is required.”

Whether you’re a camper, a city dweller or just trying to “go green” the sun oven can work for you, preparing an unplugged and all natural hot meal.

Some of Sun Oven’s features include:

Single piece collapsible reflecting panel:

The Sun Oven can be set up for use or taken down for storage in a matter of seconds. The reflectors literally fall into place at an angle that allows you to maximize the power of the sun. The reflectors are made of highly polished, mirror-like anodized aluminum that can be cleaned quickly and easily with glass cleaner, and they will never oxidize or rust.

Spill-proof levelator:

There is never any need to worry about your food spilling in a Sun Oven. While cooking, your food rests on a shelf that self adjusts to always stay level as you refocus.

Easy temperature monitor:

A built in thermometer allows you know the temperature at a glance.

Self-contained leveling leg:

As the sun is at different points on the horizon the Sun Oven can readily be adjusted to follow it. A simple adjusting leg allows you to choose from 9 angled positions.

Extremely well insulated:

A thick batt of non-toxic insulation retains heat. Food cooked in the sun and left in the oven will remain hot for hours. Cold air is held out allowing the Sun Oven  to be used on sunny days year around regardless of the ambient temperature.

Lightweight and easy to carry:

The Sun Oven weighs only 21 pounds (9.5 kg), folds up like a suitcase, and is equipped with a handle for easy transport.

By switching to a sun oven not only will you save money on energy, but you will also save the environment by saving the energy you would be using.

To checkout the Sun Oven on Greencupboards.com click, HERE.

For Greencupboards.com homepage, HERE.

Mosquito Season

 Animals, Animals (hidden), Current Events  No Responses »
Jul 012011
 

Beware of Mosquito

Mosquitoes suck, your blood. This week, June 26-July 2 was declared a National Mosquito Control Awareness Week by the Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission. The week is now coming to a close; do you feel more aware about mosquitoes now? If not, then never fear! Greencupboards Community is here to give you the 411 on Mosquitoes, because chances are you will have a run in with them during these summer months- which are often referred to as “Mosquito Season”. Here are three basic things any Mosquito savy person should know about:

  1. Mosquito prevention
  2. Mosquito-related diseases
  3. Mosquito deterrents

Mosquito’s breed in water. If you own a pool and leave it stagnant through the winter, then spring chances are you have provided your mosquitoes with a nice, little incubator. Mosquitoes do not drink blood for food, but for breeding, a mosquito’s diet is mainly flower nectar and decaying organic matter. Male mosquitoes do not drink blood, only females do, and they do it in order to fertilize their eggs. So if you leave your pool un-drained you’re not only providing them with a place to nest you’re blood is also aiding in the breeding process too. If you have any bodies of water around your residence it is s good prevention measure to cover them in the winter, or drain them in the spring so that you’re not an un-intended helper to the mosquito manifesto.

The Life Cycle of a Mosquito:

  1. An egg in a female mosquito is fertilized with the blood of a mammal.
  2. The eggs are laid on the surface of a body of water, either singularly or in a group.
  3. The larvae that hatch from the egg are often referred to as “wigglers”. “Wigglers” grow to be about 1-2 cm long and live in the water shedding their skin, which is called molt, an average of four times over a period lasting anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.
  4. After the larva, “wiggler”, stage the mosquito becomes a pupa. Pupas do not eat but move around in the water breathing air. The final stage of the pupa could be compared to the cocoon stage of a butterfly, inside of the pupa the larva is transformed into a mosquito.
  5. Male mosquitoes emerge from the water to find plant nectar, and female mosquitoes seek blood so that they can fertilize their eggs and start the process all over again.

Malaria is the most common mosquito-related disease. Between 300-500 million people are infected with malaria every year. One million people die of malaria annually, and every day roughly 2,500 people die of the disease. The disease which we now know as Malaria has been documented as far back as 2,000 BC in ancient Chinese writings. Mosquitoes themselves have been around for over 30 million years. Four Nobel Prizes have been awarded in association with Malaria; this should denote how influential Malaria has been, and how desperately people have sought prevention against it. Four Malaria related Nobel Prize winners are:

  1. Ronald Ross received the Nobel Prize in 1902 for an experiment that concluded that Mosquitoes were responsible for transmitting Malaria.
  2. Camillo Golgi won the Nobel Prize in 1906 for documenting the systematic-periodic fever associated with Malaria.  He also noted that there were different kinds of Malaria effecting how frequently the fever would emerge.
  3. Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran was the 1907 Nobel Prize Winner for the discovery of Malaria parasites in the bloodstream.
  4. Othmer Zeidler was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1948 for synthesizing DDT, which after WWII, was found to be an effective defense against Mosquitoes.

For many developed country’s the threat of Malaria is not a huge deal, but less developed countries like Africa are still struggling to control the pest-bound-killer. Malaria is the biggest killer of children under five in Africa. Over seas U.S. Troops are also still at risk for Malaria contraction. Malaria it is the most influential infectious disease plaguing the troops. Mosquitoes are better fit for warmer climates, so as global temperatures increase it is suspected that the worldwide Malaria outbreaks could increase as well. Mosquitoes can also carry diseases other than Malaria, examples of these include:

  1. Yellow Fever is much like Malaria having many of the same symptoms and can also be fatal.
  2. Encephalitis is a virus that causes a range of symptoms like muscle contraction, disorientation, and a high fever.
  3. Dengue Fever can trigger viral flues and hemorrhagic fevers.

Not all people bait mosquitoes equally. According to WebMD: “One in 10 people are highly attractive to mosquitoes,” A quote by Jerry Butler PhD. Genetics are mainly responsible for how susceptible people are to being mosquitoes meat. Scientist attribute 85% of human-mosquito attractiveness to genetics, this explains why out of a group of people one person seems to be complaining of the mosquitoes more than others (or perhaps this person is you) and has more bites to show for it. Jerry Butler goes on to say, “People with high concentrations of steroids or cholesterol on their skin surface attract mosquitoes,” Mosquitoes can track their prey from between 50-100 meters away and are attracted by chemical, visual, and heat sensors. All of these sensors are located on the mosquito’s head. Only female mosquitoes have a proboscis, which is used for penetrating the skin, and sucking blood, the males biting apparatus is softer and thus incapable of penetrating the skin.

Now days it is very easy to find mosquito prevention products, here is a list of products Greencupboards offers to combat against the blood sucking mosquitoes:

Natural Insect Repellent:

http://www.greencupboards.com/jason-natural-cosmetics-quit-bugging-me-natural-insect-repellant-4-5-fl-oz-spray-pack-of-3.html

Sun and Insect Repellents:

http://www.greencupboards.com/kiss-my-face-sun-swat-with-sun-screen-natural-instect-repellent-pack-of-3.html

Tick and Insect Repellent:

http://www.greencupboards.com/kiss-my-face-swy-flotter-natural-tick-insect-repellent-pack-of-3.html

Bug and Sun Repellents for Kids:

http://www.greencupboards.com/all-terrain-kid-s-herbal-armor-bug-sun-lotion-spf-15-pack-of-3.html

http://www.greencupboards.com/all-terrain-herbal-armor-bug-sun-lotion-spf-15-pack-of-3.html

Burt’s Bees Bug Bite Relief:

http://www.greencupboards.com/burt-s-bees-bug-bite-relief-pack-of-6.html

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/history/

http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/global-health/malaria-26-facts.PDF

https://amca.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=112

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/are-you-mosquito-magnet

http://www.howstuffworks.com/mosquito.htm/printable

http://www.control-mosquitoes.com/

http://freehold.patch.com/articles/mosquito-season-is-here

Images:

http://virtuelvis.com/archives/2003/08/index

http://inhabitat.com/genetically-engineered-mosquitos-could-prevent-dengue-fever/

http://www.cejournal.net/?p=3139

http://signal94.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

gamerabis.com

http://www.omegapestcontrol.com/mosquitos.html

http://www.adaweb.net/WeedPestandMosquito/MosquitoAbatement/WestNileVirus/AreYouBreedingMosquitoesAtHome.aspx

Grobal

 The Green Life  No Responses »
Jun 302011
 

Grobal

Grobal makes growing easy with their self-watering planters. Grobal is a “simple, design-conscious hydro-gardening unit for the masses” (From Grobalworld.com). Treg Bradley, Grobal’s founder, has long since had the dream of every household having a garden. With Grobal, this dream is becoming a reality.

Acclaimed designer, Karim Rashid, designed the Grobal to be an innovative design which takes the mess and stress out of indoor gardening:

“The Grobal originated from an ambition to create a techno-organic base for nurturing life and cultivating growth. The digital age we live in no longer accepts the semantics of ancient craft and demands multi-sensorial experiences – any object we bring in our house should be an expression of our modern being and development. The iconic egg-like object functions as the foundation for new life – it is a material visualization of digital and sensual technology and nature synthesizing.” – Karim Rashid (bghydro.com)

Grobal is targeted to help the working professional keep in touch with his or her “green” side. A Grobal planter is a great alternative for those people who are considering getting plastic plants for aesthetics. Grobal offers all the same natural beauty of a plant, and the self-watering feature allows for carefree upkeep.

All this week Greencupboards.com is offering a special deal of $9.99 on our Grobals, click here to check out this deal and more.

Sources:

http://www.grobalworld.com/page.asp?p_key=CBD0E6A429F740C7A8AE049817AC53FF&ie_key=25FE8D1C6DFD42539C901B130ABF45E7

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemMatrix.asp?GroupCode=HGSAAGRB&eq=&MatrixType=1

Images:

http://www.grobalworld.com/images/GrobalEarth_Instructions2010.pdf?ie_key=0E6C3C960E964193918C4867E03C14A4

http://www.grobalworld.com/page.asp?p_key=5F87E0FC84594A11BCB5A45470064024&ie_key=2FB075FD6D834272AB2973EB79EE3095

Anji Mountain Bamboo Products

 The Green Life  1 Response »
Jun 202011
 

Discover Anji Mountain

Anji Mountain is a leader in all-natural bamboo mats and rugs. Unlike other trees, and hardwoods, bamboo has an ability to reproduce at an unparalleled rate. Oak, for example, can take up to forty years to harvest where bamboo takes just three years.

A bamboo plant can grow up to three feet in a day. It is the fastest growing plant on Earth. A bamboo forest does not need to be replanted after harvest because it’s roots, which are not deracinated, will produce a new shoot with time. Bamboo even has all the same commercial applications as paper. For a full list of Bamboo Facts check out Aji Mountain’s site, HERE.

Anji Mountain Chairmat & Rug Co. is a family run business with a sustainability mission centered around never taking more from the earth than can be tolerated. On the About Us page of Anji Mountains website it accredits bamboo as being “astonishingly renewable” and can create “ecologically positive possibilities, at a time when they are desperately needed”.

Since 2003 Anji Mountain has been doing their part to conserve the environment, and make a living in a sustainable way- much like Greencupboards.com strives to do.

In addition to its renewability rate, bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than hardwood trees when taking in C02 (combating air pollution). Virtually all of the bamboo plant can be processed into commercial products (besides the root, which is left so the bamboo can re-grow). And Anji Mountain takes advantage of this in order to conserve production waste, and environmental demand.

Greencupboards invites you to check out our Anji Mountain product selection and experience the benefits of bamboo, as a product, a plant, and an environmental advocate for yourself.

Anji Mountain’s Product Page:
http://www.greencupboards.com/brands/anji-mountain.html

Featured Products:

Premier Bamboo Area Rug

Bamboo Roll-Up Chair Mat

Contemporary Bamboo Area Rug

And all this week you will definitely have to check out our Deal of the Week, which is featuring Anji Mountain’s Contemporary Chocolate Bamboo Area Rug 5 x 8 ft.

This Weeks Featured Product June 20- 26

Direct Source:

“Anji Mountain.” Anji Mountain Bamboo Chairmat & Rug Co. Web. 17 June 2011. <http://www.anjimountainbamboorugco.com/>.

Images:

http://www.sweetgrabs.com/store/index.php/home-garden/furniture-decor/rugs/about-anji-mountain-rugs.html

http://www.greencupboards.com/anji-mountain-contemporary-chocolate-bamboo-area-rug-5-x-8-ft-19782.html

Badger Powerfully Pure Body Care

 The Green Life  No Responses »
Jun 072011
 

Powerfully Pure

The sun, age, and even certain lotions cause our skin to wear, and dry. It is impossible to protect your skin at all times, unless you’re bubble boy, but you can restore it using natural lotions, balms, oils, and the ever important sun screens.

With summer coming into full bloom, Greencupboards.com would like to recognize Badger health care products. Badger products consist of Certified USDA Organic ingredients; the most wholesome, organic, healthy, and safe ingredients. You will not find any chemicals, synthetics, parabens, or GMOs in Badger products.

The Badger Startup Story:*

Bill Whyte was a carpenter by trade and an herbalist by avocation. He could never find a product to heal his rough, dry, cracked hands—the result of daily hard work in the tough New Hampshire winters. Bill whipped up a batch of the original Healing Balm in his kitchen using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Beeswax, Castor Oil, Aloe Vera and Essential Oil of Sweet Birch—a traditional New England herbal remedy.

Today Badger is run by a team of about 40 people and has been going strong since the company started in 1995.

Currently all Badger Products are 100% natural, meaning all the ingredients come from natural sources and are not chemically processed. Badger supports organic farming and all of their products contain certified organic ingredients. Badger Headquarters, known as the Badger Mines, is located in Gilsum, New Hampshire and uses local resources whenever possible. Recycling is the forefront of the Badger business. They say on their website that even the Styrofoam packing peanuts get recycled. To learn more about the Badger ingredients and recycling efforts click, HERE.

Badger Business Principles:*

  1. Individual responsibility in a team concept
  2. Personal and caring approach in communications
  3. Supporting organic, sustainable agriculture through our purchasing practices
  4. A business environment that is respectful and supportive of all employees, and of the people we serve
  5. Personal and social healing through our charitable giving
  6. Environmental responsibility
  7. Honesty and integrity in our business practices
  8. Fun is good
  9. Generosity

If your bathroom cupboards are not stocked and prepared for the summer sun, or the winter cold, make sure to check out Badger balms, oils, and sunscreens at Greencupboards.com. Greencupboards strives, much like Badger, to provide the most environmentally and health friendly supplies available on the market today. Greencupboards is proud to provide Badger products and testify to their healthy greenness.

Badger on Greencupboards.com

To learn about Badger community involvement

* pulled from http://www.badgerbalm.com/default.aspx


Images: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=120780811294799

http://www.liquidyogaandsurf.com/2010/03/

New and Improved GreenCupboards.com

 The Green Life  No Responses »
Apr 212011
 

The GreenCupboards.com logo

Are you “green”? As Kermit will tell you, it’s not easy being green, but it doesn’t have to be like that. GreenCupboards.com (THEcommunities parent site) has just re-launched their new and improved website. GreenCupboards.com provides eco-friendly products that are solutions to those products that are usually made with harmful toxins or excessive packaging. GreenCupboards.com strives to find the companies that offer the greenest products, packaging or manufacturing process.

At GreenCupboards.com we offer a wide range of products with top brand names like Badger sunscreen, Natura mattresses, Biokleen household cleaners, Way Basics furnishings, Switch bikes, Workx Eco lawn and power-tools, and much more. So check out GreenCupboards.com for yourself, you might just be surprised at our “green” selection for your “cupboards”, and other areas of the house.

We have all the products you need; only greener. Conserve your carbon footprint by not only buying “green”, but saving a trip to the store as well. Check exactly how much carbon you are saving using our carbon calculator on each product page.

Our goal is to be your one stop shop for all things “green”, so check us out and let us know how were doing.

Come save big (green) bucks weekly with “This Weeks Fresh Deal” This week you can get a Mini Countertop Spin Dryer on sale for $99.99 and shipping is free as it is for all orders over $75.

In celebration of Earth Week check out our Facebook page and join our “Like-a-Palooza” campaign.

And as always, check back in with THEcommunity daily to see what’s new in the world of “green”.

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