Friday was a great day! We had a booth at the Green Dream. The Green Dream is a presentation of the Seniors at Beachwood High School. It was held at the Beachwood Community Center. This was their second year, and we were proud to be a part of it. I was so impressed at how a group of young people could be so committed to their cause, and how well organized the entire event was. In addition to vendors, there were free reusable shopping bags, crafts for the kids and great art projects made from salvaged bottle tops.
I managed to chat with the school’s principal, and he was equally proud of what his students were able to pull off. The vendors were a wide cross section of businesses. I was surprised at how many of them were young people. It just goes to show that the next generation is taking the lead on environmental issues. One great vendor was Inkling. Inkling is an on-campus business formed at the beginning of the Fall 2008 semester by four students in the the Entrepreneurship Program at Kent State University. Dealing in eco friendly printing and office supply products, they have been so successful that they are expanding. They are launching their online store as well as an off-campus retail location in the coming year. They are working to create Green Fundraiser opportunities and bring soy laser printing to offices that may not even know about it!
We were glad to see Fresh Fork promoting their business. Helping to promote local farms and local foods to area restaurants, Fresh Fork has finalized their CSA for consumers. They changed it around a little and I think they now have it just right. It is a great way to bring local foods into your home.
Speaking of food, I have to mention the sweetest booth at the event: Better Bit of Butter. The most delicious and artistic cookies that you have ever seen! The only thing sweeter than the cookies was the owner. Christine Mehling and I chatted about her business and I was impressed at her commitment. She shared with me her trials in finding the perfect tasting butter, and her struggles to find eco-friendly packaging. The cookies were absolutely amazing. Delicious and so pretty, they would make the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, or a great alternative to centerpieces at the wedding. Hand crafted with local ingredients and cage free eggs are the icing on the cookie.
GE was there, bringing good things to light. When I replaced all the bulbs in our house with CFLs, there were few choices. Now there are white, soft white, and daylight color tones. There are bulbs in nearly any base size, as well as a selection of bulb shapes. In honor of Earth Day, they have a “Plant a Bulb” promotion. I highly recommend that you check it out. For every new visitor that visits their site before April 30, they will plant a flower bulb. There is an energy calculator, so you can figure out your savings by switching to CFLs and even coupons to get you started. Even better, this is a great LOCAL company, so by buying GE you support your local economy.
I also had a great conversation with Joe Forcht from Forbo Flooring Systems. Environmental responsibility is a core value of this company. They even publish an annual environmental report. Their products are made from natural materials and make less of an impact on the environment. Additionally, they are durable. The longer the life of a product, the less its impact on the planet. The styles and designs they feature are fresh and modern, too. This is not your Grandma’s linoleum-they offer a full line of attractive floor covering options. These are not just my opinions, they have received designations from environmental groups all around the globe. Check them out for your next project.
I was glad to see Jak Prints there. They have been making great strides in printing. More options are available every day for your printing needs. We chose them to print our business cards and were extremely satisfied. Now, as we prepare to print our next run with our new address, we will be using them again. This time we will have the option of more environmentally friendly choices: recycled paper and soy based inks to name just a couple. you can order online or call 216-622-6360 and ask for Alicia Ross.
There were plenty of retailers there as well. Two of my favorites were Planet Green and Green Smart Gifts. Both are great shops, and Planet Green has the natural cleaning products of Green Clean. Green Smart Gifts is the perfect place to shop for corporate gifts.
I picked up a booklet from the Nature Center at the Shaker Lakes. They are gearing up for their 27th Annual Plant Sale. This year it is on May 9th at the Nature Center. The Nature Center is located at 2600 South Park Blvd in Cleveland. This year’s sale runs from 9-3 and will have seminars on gardening, rain barrels, rain gardens and more. There are activities for both parents and kids, so bring along the little ones. In addition to plants, they will have Organic mulch and biodegradable pots for sale. I hope to see you there.
Across from us was the table of Savannah Moon. They offer a comprehensive line of all-natural handcrafted products that are healing and nourishing to the Body, the Mind and the Soul. With relaxing essential oil scents like LavenMint, Lavender and Chamomile/Lavender, you are sure to find something you love. They even have a Baby Angel line is gently scented with Chamomile essential oil. I liked the eye pillows!
I had a great time at this event. The foot traffic was terrific, and I got to talk at great length about our new office. Surprisingly, I ran into many of our new neighbors. Obviously, the residents of the Detroit Shoreway are concerned about the environment.
Tags: environment, Events, Go Green, shopping bags
