Hands down, one of the biggest complaints I hear from people about “going green” is that it simply costs too much.   This is one of the reasons why I decided to partner with JCPenney because we’re able to create high-quality, stylish products under our Simply Green designation that do not break the bank.   Everything from green bath towels for just $6.99 to everyday recycled glass tumblers ($19.99 for a set of four), all of my friends are pleasantly surprised to find very green (eco-friendly) goods that don’t cost a lot of green (cash).   And here’s another example: this set of THREE (yes, three) Cooks bamboo cutting boards for just $19.99.  

In a previous post, I talked about bamboo being a great renewable resource because it’s a fast growing grass that can be made into a whole bunch of products, including the softest sheets you’ll ever sleep on.   It can also be extremely durable and tough, like this tough-as-nails cutting board set which can easily become your everyday choice for dicing and chopping right in the kitchen.   The larger cutting board is perfect for serious chopping; the medium one is great for vegetable prep and the small once could be used as a serving platter on the dining room table.  However you use them, you’ll appreciate the fact their eco-friendly and durable.  In my book, that’s a win-win combination.

You know how this works: leave a comment why you need a set of Cooks Bamboo Cutting Boards and I’ll pick a random commenter to win them all.   

Good luck!

-Danny Seo

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  Congrats to Amanda for winning.  She says:  “These would make great cheese serving platters.”

We used a random number generator to choose the winner.

The other day, my Blackberry battery was dying more quickly than usual and it wasn’t holding a charge when I plugged the adapter into it.   That’s when I realized the rechargeable battery needed to be replaced.  My uneventful day became an ordeal to find a new battery, recycle the old battery and then power up the whole  Blackberry again.  That’s when I thought how great it would be to have a solar powered phone that never needed a battery to begin with. 

Well, that imaginative product idea may not exist, but the next best thing does: the Citizen Eco Drive watch.    Citizen, which is the world’s largest watchmaker, created ecologically friendly timekeeping with their Eco-Drive collection, which runs continuously on any kind of light (sunlight or artificial) for a lifetime of use.   Fueled by light, it never needs a battery, which means it has no battery that needs replacing.    And the technology is available in a wide variety of styles for both men and women, meaning you can get a classic, timeless watch embedded with this futuristic technology.

Now, you know what comes next: one lucky reader will get a chance to own a Citizen Eco-Drive watch and I’ve chosen one of my favorites from jcp.com.    It’s a classic men’s style and I think can be worn by a man or a woman.    To win, leave a comment giving one easy tip that helps the environment and is quick to do.    For example, I find stuffing my shoes with newspaper helps detox them really well!    Good luck! 

-Danny Seo

Contest is now closed!  Congrats to JULI for winning.   We used a random number generator to choose the winner. Juli’s eco-tip is:

I pack flatware and a cloth napkin with my lunch. No need for plastic utensils or paper towels.

I think anytime you have a chance to buy recycled products, do it.   If you’re like me, you put out your empty glass jars and bottles, aluminum and tin cans, recyclable plastics and newspaper out for recycling.    But do you ever wonder where it goes?  Well, recycling is just the first step in a 3-step process.   The next step is to find companies willing to buy the recyclable trash and turn it into a new, recycled product.   Then, the final step is that we—the consumer—buy recycled products to help the process going.

There are many everyday recycled items you may be buying that are recycled.  There are countless recycled paper products out there, ranging from copy paper to toilet paper to even your Starbucks coffee cup.    And JCPenney sells lots of recycled PET plastic products (plastic water bottles) that are made into cushy bed pillows, throw rugs and even fleece jackets.   

But when I saw these Recycled Glass Decorative Rod Sets by Studio coming out, I had to stop and stare.   They are just a lovely product that could work in just about any home and blue-greenish recycled glass finials are just ethereally beautiful.

I think we need to share the recycled love by giving a set of these recycled glass rods away.  The winner will have a choice of 28-48”, 48-86” or 86-120” pair of curtain rods.  To win, all you have to do is leave a comment saying which room you’d use these in and anything else you feel like adding.  I’ll pick one lucky reader to win.  Good luck!   Winner will be announced Friday, June 26th.

-Danny Seo

UPDATE: Congrats to LENA for winning. We used a random number generator to choose the winner.  Lena says: We are in the process of redoing my daughter’s room and this might be the nice finishing touch. Very cute!

Soy what? When burning candles around the house, be sure to choose clean-burning soy candles. Traditional candles are paraffin-based, which is made from non-renewable petroleum; when burned, it emits soot and smoke into the air, polluting your indoor air. Yuck! Soy candles are a much cleaner choice and made from — yep, you guessed it — soybeans! They’re easy to find and here’s the best part: They burn longer than paraffin candles, so you get more soothing scents for your cents.

Bonus Tip: Place unlit soy candles in your sock drawer to gently scent them.

-Danny Seo

PS-What’s your favorite soy candle and scent? Share it here and I just might send you a JCPenney Simply Green tote bag as my way of saying thanks!  I’ll announce winner on Thursday, June 25th.

When it comes to birthdays, anniversaries, and special holidays, my inbox usually gets inundated with the same question: What’s the greenest to give? 

People are always surprised that I do not recommend some brand new solar powered gadget or organic cotton blanket, instead I always say this: give a gift card.    Yes, the gift un-creative types have given for years as the safe one-size-fits-all solution for everyone is my personal eco choice.   But in reality, it really is the greenest gift because the recipient gets to choose exactly what they need and will use.    No wasteful returns of the birthday boy or girl bringing unwrapped gifts back to the store and no stress for the giver in trying to find the perfect gift for the most finicky person and, a gift card can be used on jcp.com, saving travel time for you!

One gift wrapping idea I have for gift cards is to put them inside an empty Altoid mint tin.  Fill the tins up with something fun—shredded paper, jelly beans, whole coffee beans—and wrap the box in colorful tissue or ribbon.   Buy several gift cards and place each card in its own tin; stack them up and tie with string and give it to someone as a shopping spree.

To get all of you thinking about gift cards, I’m giving one lucky reader a $50 JCPenney gift card to use as you please and buy what you need at any JCPenney store or online at jcp.com.  Just leave a comment telling me what you’d buy with it and why.  Good luck!   I’ll announce a winner here on Friday, June 19th.

-Danny Seo

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS.  WE USED A RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR TO CHOOSE THE WINNER.  THE WINNER IS “STEPHANIE” WHO WROTE:  With a gift card I would buy some organic bedding because I really need it. I got a beatiful new duvet to go on my bed but have the most rag tag sheets. I normally buy everything from antqiue markets and garage sales but I prefer my bedding to be new- is that bad?

No Stephanie, it’s not bad to buy new bedding!  Enjoy and Congrats!

If you need to water the lawn or outdoor plants, do it at sundown. Watering the plants at night is the most ecological method, since there is no sun to evaporate the water immediately. If you have automatic sprinklers, set the timer to water the lawn at night. Not only does this save water, but the plants and lawn will get a proper soaking, too, and will thrive.

-Danny Seo

PS-Got a tip on how to get your green thumb growing better?   Share it here and I just might send you a JCPenney Simply Green tote bag as my way of saying thanks!

Lots of chances to win here, folks.    And it’s an everyday prize that I use all the time and I think you will, too.

Many retailers are now selling reusable bags since going green is something we’re all trying to do since using disposable plastic bags has become so passé.      Last year, JCPenney created one of the best reusable tote bags around, which features a reinforced bottom, wide-mouth opening and extra long handles; it’s strong and durable, easy to carry on your shoulder and it can hold A LOT of stuff.    And for just $1.99, it was easy to see why they sold out in stores all over the country.

This year, we decided to produce the same bag but do something different with the design by hosting a contest with fashion and design students around the country.   And here are the winning totes: I think they’re whimsical, fun and colorful designs that I anyone would love to carry around.   And the best part?   All proceeds from the sale of the totes goes to the JCPenney After School Fund, which provides children in need with access to life-enriching afterschool programs that foster their academic, physical and social development.

Since I have a nice stash of Simply Green tote bags here, I’ve decided to give (10) of you a free tote bag.    All you have to do is a leave a comment where you’ll use the bag.    Ten randomly chosen people who leave comments will win!   It’s that easy!  Good luck!  Winners will be announced Friday, June 19th.

-Danny Seo

PS-Check out this pic of actress Kerry Washington and me shopping at JCPenney with our Simply Green totes over at oprah.com.

CONGRATS TO THE FOLLOWING:   “HANNAH” “CASEY” “REBA” “MYFLOATINGWORLD” “JANET” “CAROL”"AMY ARCE” “BEC” “RYAN SULIVAN” and “JOSEPHINE” FOR WINNING.  WE USED A RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR TO CHOOSE THE WINNERS AND ALL WINNERS HAVE BEEN EMAILED DIRECTLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CLAIM THEIR TOTE BAG.

CONGRATS TO ALL!   STAY TUNED FOR MANY MORE CONTESTS HERE AT SIMPLYGREEN.COM!

If you can’t afford to go totally organic with your fresh fruit, start with the thin-skinned ones. Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries (see a trend here?) are like sponges; they absorb what’s sprayed onto them.

Tip: When you do see organic berries for sale, stock up. Put the excess berries on a sheet of parchment paper and store them in an airtight container in the freezer.    Curious about the photo above?  It’s from my book Simply Green Parties and it shows a simple idea on using a bamboo skewer with organic berries as a garnish for a festive drink; cut out circles from old paint chips and use a binder clip to make individual wine glass ID tags.  So resourceful and so easy!

-Danny Seo

PS-Got a tip on saving money on organic fruits and veggies at the grocery store?  Share it here and you’ll be eligible to win a JCPenney Simply Green tote bag as my way of saying thanks!

It’s funny to me that my friends and family obsess over the thread count on their sheets as the solution to getting a good night’s sleep.   For me, it’s really about the bedding basics that contribute to getting a better, more comfortable sleep.

In addition to having the perfect mattress (come back in a few days for a chance to win an extraordinary mattress), I feel strongly about resting on a great mattress pad and pile of bed pillows.  A mattress pad does more than protect your mattress (which also keeps the warranty valid), but it adds extra cushioning and support.   This organic cotton mattress pad from JCPenney is a great investment not only because it’s organic, but it’s incredible pricing of just $27.99-$69.99 (depending on size).     Now, these bed pillows are my favorite because they also feature an organic cotton ticking cover and are filled with recycled  polyester made from plastic water bottles.   Yes, the same bottles you put out for recycling are shredded and spun into down-like, hypoallergenic dreaminess.     Just $8.99 for a standard pillow; that’s what I call an eco-bargain.

To help someone slumber off into an eco, dreamy sleep, I’m giving away a queen size mattress pad and two standard size pillows.   All you have to do is answer this: What book do you love to read before slumbering off?     This contest will close Friday, June 12th and I’ll announce the winner on this blog.  Be sure to leave your email address (will not be published) when you comment so I can get in touch with you if you win!  Good luck and hope you win!    

-Danny Seo

PS-The organic cotton mattress pad and eco bed pillows are both on closeout right now at jcp.com.  A perfect time to save money and stock up.

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  WE USED A RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR TO PICK THE WINNER. THE WINNER IS SARA WHO COMMENTED “This is going to sound silly, but the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a great classic, interesting story, and pretty easy read right before bed.”

CONGRATS TO SARA!  SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO WIN?   STAY TUNED FOR MANY, MANY MORE CONTESTS AND INFORMATIVE POSTS AHEAD.