Update on the bGreen Mobile Showroom

Dear bGreen friends, followers, customers & future customers,



We want to provide you with an update on the much awaited bGreen Mobile Showroom.  Things are moving along!  By now you've all seen pictures of the outside of the showroom and maybe even seen the truck around Boston.  The reaction has been nothing short of awesome.  People love the paint scheme and concept.



We're happy to report that we are making progress on finishing the inside of the showroom.  The materials have been ordered and have started to arrive.  The plans have been finalized, tweaked, and finalized again!  As we're learning, even the best laid out plans and schedules change, so we're working hard to adjust accordingly.  We're anxious to get the inside finished and bring you the latest and greatest eco friendly building materials.



It won't be long now.  In the meantime, why not try our bGreen Home Consultation?  Let us come to your home and discuss how you and your family can live a more eco friendly lifestyle.  If you're considering a home renovation or just want to incorporate more green products into your daily routine, we can help you.  We've got the knowledge and expertise to help you make smart, healthy choices for you and your family.  If you're interested, please contact us via email or at 617-910-0880.  We appreciate your support and continued business.



-The bGreen Team

Your counter is made of what? Part 1 - Material Selection

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A short time ago, we posted a video about our first bGreen building project.  This being our first major project, everything has been a learning experience.  From establishing a relationship with our fabricator to realizing home construction scares Maggie the bGreen dog into pooping in the house.  All in all this process has been a tremendous learning opportunity for bGreen.  So how did it work out?  What was the process and what can you expect if you choose bGreen for you next home renovation project?



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Let's start with the basics; define the project.  We wanted new counters. Our apartment in Boston's North End came with plain white Formica counters.  They had no character, were hard to clean, and worst of all, ugly (no offense Formica people).  The Formica counters were put in by the builder solely based on the fact that they were cheap.  At bGreen we are big believers that you can have nice looking materials in your home and not have to break the bank. This is  a topic for another post, but there is no real advantage to using cheap materials in a home project.  The bottom line, quality products will last you longer.



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We settled on counters from Richlite.  Richlite is made of compressed paper that comes from pre/post consumer waste and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified lumber.  Richlite is stain resistant, heat resistant, and denser than some wood counter tops.  It also comes in a variety of great colors.  We went with Chocolate Glacier - yes, it sounds more like something you'd want to eat on but it's a nice looking counter.  Look-wise, you can compare it to slate or soapstone - really stunning.



Prior to our project, the walls in the kitchen were just painted.  We wanted to do some sort of back splash throughout the kitchen to set it apart and because it is easier to clean then a painted wall.  Luckily we had leftover subway tile from a previous project.  The actual title is not green in any way.  However, using leftover materials is green.  If you are starting from scratch obviously we think you should use all green materials, but if you have something you want to reuse bGreen won't stop you! In fact, we'll help you figure out how to reuse what you already have and incorporate new green materials into your projects.



Now that the materials have been selected (Richlite counters and a Subway Tile back splash) we move onto the next step, Part 2 - Templating/Fabrication/Sink & Faucet selection.

bGreen's Word Cloud

In our travels on the interweb we came across a great site, wordle.net, that creates word clouds from content of your choice.  You can enter in text, a blog, or a RSS feed.  Out comes the word cloud.  Very cool stuff.  Below is the word cloud for the home page of bgreenlifestyle.com.

Word cloud courtesy of wordle.net

Top Sellers Through 5/17/2010

As always, we present to you our top selling items for the prior two weeks.  Enjoy a 10% savings on these items (and everything else) using code BLOG10 at checkout.  We look forward to your business!

• Skoy Cloths



• F. Rock Bags - Custom, Sustainable Men's Carryall



• HYmini Wind and Solar Charger



• Klean Kanteen 27 oz. Bottles



• Vers 1.5r iPod Player

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Costa Rica is an eco-tourist's heaven

Due to a certain volcanic eruption in Europe, we had the good fortune of having a European trip turn into a Costa Rican trip.  If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica (just a short flight from Boston via JFK, Atlanta, or Houston), we highly recommend you make the trip.  The weather is great, especially during the dry season (December - May), the people are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, the food is outstanding and fresh, and it's an eco tourist's dream.



We could write for pages and pages about our trip, but the purpose of this post is to highlight one particular aspect of Costa Rica.  Costa Rica recycles.  They recycle everywhere, even in the most remote locations where running water and electricity seem like they might not exist.  Recycling is just a part of life in Costa Rica.  The Ticos and Ticas are concerned with the environment and doing what they can to protect it.  Recycling and environmental consciousness is  just a way of life in a country where tourism remains their main industry.



It is inspiring to see a country commit itself to environmental responsibility.  They have been able to recognize the need for environmental protection and as a result they have had tremendous success in the eco tourism industry.  Costa Rica should be used as an example for the rest of the world regarding recycling and environmental issues.



If you've been to Costa Rica or are just a fan of recycling, leave a comment below.  We'd love to hear about your experiences.

Suggest a product to bGreen

We get asked all the time about carrying new and exciting eco friendly products.  We work hard to make sure we keep up with the latest products and trends, but occasionally we'll miss something totally awesome.



So, we've decided to make it super easy for you to suggest a new product to us.  If you're a manufacturer, salesman, or just a fanboy/girl, we want to hear from you!  Simply follow the link below, fill out the required information, and we'll be in touch.



SUGGEST A PRODUCT HERE!

F. Rock in Boston Globe's Innovation Economy

F. Rock, our favorite maker of men's bags, was featured in today's Innovation Economy article in the Boston Globe. We're thrilled for Nicole' and F. Rock.



Remember, order your bags by May 15 to guarantee delivery by Father's Day on June 20.

What's the deal with SKOY Cloth?

We've been using this great product called SKOY Cloth for a while now.  We use it instead of paper towels and even as an alternative to our Twist Sponges.  The beauty of SKOY is that they're reusable.  You can use it, wash it, use it again, wash it again, and so on and so on.  You can use a SKOY cloth for up to 1 year.  Imagine, an entire year without using paper towels.



Once your SKOY has out lived it's useful like in the kitchen (maybe it's too dirty, maybe it's a little worn), just downgrade your SKOY to rag status.  Use it in the bathroom, the garage, or even the car.  Once it's done there, it's time to consider sending it to that big SKOY apartment in the sky.  Simply toss it in your compost heap or toss it in the trash.  Either way is perfectly fine.  SKOY Cloths are biodegradable.  So have no fear.



Want to know how to care for your SKOY Cloth?  It's really easy.  Just rinse it out with a little soap and warm water after each use.  If it's getting a little grungy, just toss it in the dishwasher.  It'll come out looking as good as new.  If your SKOY starts to smell a  little, just wet it, and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Really.  But make sure it's wet!  We don't want you burning your house down.



So ditch the paper towels and stock up on SKOY Cloths.  You'll wonder why you didn't make the switch sooner.

How long does it take...

Our good friends at Practically Green wrote a post today about the Boston Water Crisis and the Gulf Oil Disaster.  It's a good piece, and I suggest you give it a quick read.  One paragraph really grabbed my attention:

How long does it take to form a healthy habit? I estimate it has taken me a year to switch to using cloth bags for grocery shopping 100% of the time, without a second thought. How many times did I spank myself and trudge back to the car to get the bags (“the walk of shame,” one friend calls it).

What I found troubling was how quickly people bolted for the grocery stores to load up on cases and cases of bottled water.  We've all worked so hard to break the habit of using bottled water and switch to reusable bottles.  It doesn't take much to fall off the wagon.



We're happy to say we made it through the water crisis with only one 6 gallon water cooler of clean water.  We didn't buy any individual bottles of water, and we didn't have to boil any water either.  Good thing we had a lot of Klean Kanteens to get us through the mess.

F. Rock Bags for Father's Day

F. Rock Bags make the perfect Father's Day gift.  They're stylish, functional, and made with reclaimed leathers and fabrics in Massachusetts.  They're custom made to your specifications.  Oh, they're also an incredible deal.



Orders placed by May 15 will arrive in time for Father's Day on June 20 and ship free!



So what are you waiting for?  Your dad deserves to look good.

Top Sellers as of 5/3/2010

It's been a very busy few week at bGreen.  We celebrated Earth Day with a week long discount of 20% off everything we sell.  The promotion was so successful that we extended it for a second week.



We attended the Boston EcoTweetup at Cafeteria on Newbury Street.  The EcoTweetups are always great events, and we were lucky enough to win one of the raffle prizes (thankfully not our own gift certificate that we donated!).  Be sure to check our blog often for details about the next event.



We brought our bGreen Mobile Showroom to the Sustainable Milton Home Fair.  We received a great response to the Mobile Showroom, our sample products, and our bGreen Home Consultation service.  If you want to learn more about what bGreen can do for your home, please email us.



As always, here are our Top Selling products:

1. Bite Reusable Bags



2. Chico Bags



3. Freeplay EyeMax Radio



4. HYmini Wind & Solar Charger



5. Klean Kanteen Insulated

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