More Hip Than Hippie #156 - Going on Staycation

You might have noticed a little less change in your pocket lately. Gas prices are through the roof and Airlines are nickel-and-diming passengers for everything from the luggage they bring to a bag of peanuts. Save your money this Summer and instead of hitting the road for a little vay-kay, enjoy a staycation!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Pyramid Hefeweizen

Chocolate: World Market Sea Salt Dark Chocolate

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Paying a hefty price. Listener Trystan recently talked about the real cost of travel on her Yahoo! Green blog, Green Picks. Using a widget called Real Costs, you can calculate the carbon emissions of your upcoming trip, and compare the emissions between traveling by plane, car, bus, and train.
• Sharing a bright idea. This is from the Yahoo! Green blog EcoGeek. Sam Goldman is using his company, d.light design, to bring LED and solar-powered lamps to the 1.6 billion people in the world without access to electricity.
• The Green (and great) Guide. Pick up the Summer 2008 issue of The Green Guide for a great article breaking down the meanings of different beef labels. While you're perusing the pages, check out the Editor's favorite green products. One of the products featured is the Knoend Lite2go, available at Greenfeet.com!

Hip News:

• Seven B-B-B-Billion? The world's population will reach a staggering 7 billion by 2012 according to a new government projection.

 

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

This week's Teenie Weenie Greenie™ is courtesy of GreenBarMitzvahs.blogspot.com and is a great way to "recycle" the flowers and arrangements from your special event. At the end of your event, donate your flowers to a nursing home or hospital. Try talking to your florist before hand and ask if they will pick them up after the event and deliver them to a worthwhile cause.

Going on Staycation

You might have noticed a little less change in your pocket lately. Gas prices are through the roof and Airlines are nickel-and-diming passengers for everything from the luggage they bring to a bag of peanuts. Save your money this Summer and instead of hitting the road for a little vay-kay, enjoy a staycation!

• Urban Dictionary: staycation.
• Save money and gas with a staycation.
• Prepare your home for a staycation.
• Find free and cheap activities in your state.
• If you are planning on hitting the road this Summer, check out these road trip tips.

More Hip Than Hippie 3rd Anniversary Quiz: Answers

Thanks for everyone who entered! Here are the answers to the quiz!

1. Name 3 items from Co-Op America's list of 21 things you didn't know you could recycle.
   Click here to see the list.
2. What is the official EPA label for products designed to use less water?
   WaterSense
3. Val was featured as an Entrepreneur Mom in what magazine?
   Working Mother Magazine
4. In episode #132 "Frankenfoods", we learned about the FlavrSavr, a genetically modified:
   C. tomato
5. From episode #109 "Surviving a Dry Spell": what are the 3 types of drought?
   Meterological, agricultural, hydrological
6. A United Nations report named which country as the best in the world in which to live?
   Iceland
7. Episode #120 featured no beer. What was the reason?
   It was too early!
8. Which type of television uses the most power? The least power?
   Plasma uses the most power, rear projection uses the least.
9. Name 2 of the Top 10 Tips for Eco Kids.
   1. Throw away as little as you can.
   2. Buying used is more hip than buying new.
   3. Appreciate open spaces.
   4. Where electricity comes from.
   5. Appreciate water.
   6. The answer to "Paper vs. Plastic?" is "Neither".
   7. Grow something.
   8. Respect other cultures.
   9. It's better to give than to receive.
   10. Respect nature.
10. The first-ever Hipster meet-up took place in what city?
    San Francisco
11. Doing this wastes a cup of gas every 5 minutes. What is it?
    Idling in your car
12. We talked with Amy Tucker, inventor of Xeko trading card game. She told us Xeko's motto is:
    A. Have fun, do good
13. What is the name of the energy-saving version of Google?
    Blackle
14. Match the guest author with their book/magazine/website:
    1. Dan Esty - D. Green To Gold
    2. Bruce Littlefield - E. Merry Christmas America
    3. Patricia Carol Brooks - A. Aromatherapy Thymes
    4. Trystan Bass - B. Yahoo! Green
    5. Jen Trolio - F. Ready Made
    6. Leah Guy - C. A Girl Named Guy
15. Name the 3 types of alternative energy covered in our series this year.
    Clean coal, ocean power, nuclear power
16. Our friend One-F Jef owns the local Chico franchise of what eco-friendly business?
    Cartridge World
17. What should you spray to keep skunks away?
    Perfume
18. Name 2 concerts Dori and Val attended together this past year.
    Rick Springfield and Davy Jones
19. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of a good night's sleep?
    D. Freshen your breath
20. Hipster Kati Neville wrote a book called what?
    Fix, Freeze, Feast
21. WWOOF is an organization that puts travelers in touch with:
    A. organic farms
22. What does rBGH stand for?
    recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone
23. Which brewing company's beers were sampled more than any other in the past year?
    Lagunitas
24. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne received the 2007 Rubber Dodo award from the Center for Biological Diversity for what stunning accomplishment?
    Going 1 year and 90 days without listing a new species as endangered or threatened.
25. Vermicomposting involves the use of what slimy disgusting creature?
    Worms
26. Translate the following Boontling phrase into English:
    "I'm going to boarch a horn of steinber with my applehead."
    "I'm going to drink a beer with my girlfriend"

BONUS QUESTION:
What are the names of Dori's 2 goats?
Panda and Phoenix

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Happy birthday! Listeners and friends Elizabeth and Michele celebrated their 40th birthdays on the 21st (Michele) and 23rd (Elizabeth) of June. Check out the great picture of them above wearing their royal birthday tiaras. Have a Hip birthday ladies! Cheers!
• Recycling CFL's and how to save gas money. Kristi in Minneapolis sent in a couple links. First, she was excited to learn that you can now recycle old CFL's at Home Depot stores across the country. She also found a great article with 66 ways to spend less on gasoline.
• Step up to the challenge. Carrie and her mother have started their own 29-Day Chocolate Challenge. The only rule? They must consume of the chocolate nature every day for 29 days. Track their progress on Carrie's blog, She's Gone Wanderin'.
• Just for Rob. You know the story about Rob's cell phone museum . . . well now he can expand his collection. Big Ed discovered RetroBrick.com, a website that sells vintage cell phones.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com

More Hip Than Hippie #155 - Fabric of Our Lives

Polyester be gone! Dori and Val are talking about new, eco-friendly fabrics (and some old ones). Check the links below for more information.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Phuket Beer - and get your mind out of the gutter, it's pronounced "foo-ket"!

Chocolate: SmartChick Sara sent in 2 kinds of chocolate this week, both by Winnipesaukee Chocolates in New Hampshire: Rattlesnake Island dark chocolate with cayenne and Madame Chiang dark chocolate with candied ginger.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Cheers! Several major hotel chains, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Kimpton Hotels, have started carrying organic alcohols in their bars. This is a trend we could get used to!
• Scratch-'n'-sniff-'n'-win. The Colorado Lottery recently began selling $3 Scented Crossword tickets. When players scratch off the latex in the play area, the scent is activated. Choose from Crossword Bouquet, Chocolate Crossword, and Coffee Crossword.
• Live long and prosper. Extend your life and have fun while your at it with this list of 10 Fun Ways to Live Longer from About.com.

Hip News:

• Milk: Does a body harm? Government health officials are cracking down on raw milk because they are concerned about the spread of food-borne illnesses.
• Zero-emission car. The FCX Clarity is Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel car that rolled off the Japanese production line Monday, June 16th.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Purchase at least one eco-friendly garment for your Fall wardrobe.

Fabric of Our Lives

Polyester be gone! Dori and Val are talking about new, eco-friendly fabrics (and some old ones). Check the links below for more information.

• Organic Trade Association
• Organic.org
• OrganicExchange.org
• OrganicClothing.blogs.com
• Patagonia clothing and gear
• Greenyarn

More Hip Than Hippie 3rd Anniversary Quiz

You could win 1 of 2 totally awesome eco-friendly prize packs! We're not sure what all is in the prize pack yet, but we can promise that it will be some super fantastic stuff! Here's how you can enter:

• Answer all the questions to the quiz below.
• Email your answers to hip@greenfeet.com by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday, June 22, 2008.
• Two ways to win. The FIRST person to submit all the correct answers wins a prize pack. All others who answer all the questions correctly will be entered into a drawing to win the second prize pack.

More Hip Than Hippie 3rd Anniversary Quiz
1. Name 3 items from Co-Op America's list of 21 things you didn't know you could recycle.
2. What is the official EPA label for products designed to use less water?
3. Val was featured as an Entrepreneur Mom in what magazine?
4. In episode #132 "Frankenfoods", we learned about the FlavrSavr, a genetically modified:
   A. potato
   B. pig
   C. tomato
   D. mustache
5. From episode #109 "Surviving a Dry Spell": what are the 3 types of drought?
6. A United Nations report named which country as the best in the world in which to live?
7. Episode #120 featured no beer. What was the reason?
8. Which type of television uses the most power? The least power?
9. Name 2 of the Top 10 Tips for Eco Kids.
10. The first-ever Hipster meet-up took place in what city?
11. Doing this wastes a cup of gas every 5 minutes. What is it?
12. We talked with Amy Tucker, inventor of Xeko trading card game. She told us Xeko's motto is:
    A. Have fun, do good
    B. Don't worry, be happy
    C. May the force be with you
    D. Melts in your mouth, not in your hands
13. What is the name of the energy-saving version of Google?
14. Match the guest author with their book/magazine/website:
    1. Dan Esty
    2. Bruce Littlefield
    3. Patricia Carol Brooks
    4. Trystan Bass
    5. Jen Trolio
    6. Leah Guy

    A. Aromatherapy Thymes
    B. Yahoo! Green
    C. A Girl Named Guy
    D. Green to Gold
    E. Merry Christmas America
    F. Ready Made

15. Name the 3 types of alternative energy covered in our series this year.
16. Our friend One-F Jef owns the local Chico franchise of what eco-friendly business?
17. What should you spray to keep skunks away?
18. Name 2 concerts Dori and Val attended together this past year.
19. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of a good night's sleep?
    A. Keep your heart healthy
    B. Bolster your memory
    C. Reduce risk of depression
    D. Freshen your breath
20. Hipster Kati Neville wrote a book called what?
21. WWOOF is an organization that puts travelers in touch with:
    A. organic farms
    B. their inner dog
    C. ugly singles
22. What does rBGH stand for?
23. Which brewing company's beers were sampled more than any other in the past year?
24. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne received the 2007 Rubber Dodo award from the Center for Biological Diversity for what stunning accomplishment?
25. Vermicomposting involves the use of what slimy disgusting creature?
26. Translate the following Boontling phrase into English:
    "I'm going to boarch a horn of steinber with my applehead."

BONUS QUESTION:
What are the names of Dori's 2 goats?

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Across the Great States. As you might of heard on several recent shows, listener Mike is moving across country from Florida to Washington. You can track his adventures on his blog, Across the Great States.
• Soak up the Sun. Veggy Liz in NYC was looking for some sunscreen recommendations that are both health and earth friendly. Val's a fan of UV Naturals.
• Stick to it. Michelle was excited to learn that Elmer's Glue has a recycling program that accepts empty glue bottles and glue sticks, by any brand.
• Super singles. Doug in Kansas sent in a list of the top cities for singles.
• Sweet offerings. Annie wanted to let everyone know about Hometown Candy, which gives customers the option of paying a little extra for biodegradable packing materials to be used for their order.
• Child's play. Doug wanted to recommend EcoChildsPlay.com, a website/blog about green parenting.
• See ya later, Styrofoam. Sandy's son decided that he would like to help their hometown of White Plains, New York ban the use Styrofoam. Way to go! They plan to track their progress on their blog, TenantsoftheEarth.blogspot.com.
• Making fleas flee. Julie, who owns a pet sitting business in Chicago, wanted to recommend some natural flea treatments for your pets:
  • Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
  • Play Dead Herbal Dog Collar
  • Natural Chemistry De Flea Pet Area Spray
• Refueling. Brian sent in a bunch of links about how lower gas prices could be in our future:
  • Turning plant matter into gasoline
  • Can gasoline grow on trees?
  • Is the Enron Loophole to blame for rising gas prices?
  • Legislation updates regarding the Enron Loophole

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com

More Hip Than Hippie #154 - Third Anniversary Show

Dori and Val celebrate More Hip Than Hippie's 3rd Anniversary and talk about greening your green - socially responsible investing.

Listen closely - there's a coupod in this episode for some sweet savings at Greenfeet.com!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Hop Trip Ale by Deschutes Brewery

Chocolate: Chocolat Montignac by Cupidon Chocolatier sent in by Listener Sebastien. Thanks Sebastien!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• For your viewing pleasure. If you're looking for some green viewing, look no further than Discovery Networks Planet Green. Planet Green is the first 24-hour cable channel devoted to living a green lifestyle.
• A special 'tweet' for bird lovers. Whether you're an avid bird watcher or just need a break from the work day, check out Bird Cinema. It's like YouTube, but all clips of different birds in the wild.
• A different kind of Lifesaver. The Lifesaver is the World's first portable virus-filtering water bottle, offering clean drinking water from any source. Besides being convenient on when camping, this device could help to make safe, clean drinking water available in developing countries, war zones, and disaster areas.

Hip News:

• Just kill off 90% of the population, that's all. A professor at the University of Texas believes he's found a solution to Earth's environmental problems: kill off 90% of the human population. Well, you can't say he isn't creative, but I think we'll keep exploring other options. . .
• Do you still get full credit if the report is turned in late? The White House has finally released a Global Warming report, a mere four years after they were required to.

 

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Smoking weeds. Tired of those pesky weeds taking over your yard? Try this this simple homemade recipe to stop them in their tracks. Start with a quart size spray bottle. Mix 1-1.5 cups of vinegar (preferably 20% acidity) and 1.5 cup dish soap. Add solution to the spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake well. Spray directly on weeds. The vinegar kills the weeds while the dish soap holds it in place. The best time to spray is in the middle of the day.

Socially Responsible Investing

Putting our money where our mouth is. As we all know already, living a green lifestyle is more than recycling and bringing your own bag. Socially responsible investing grows your nest egg while supporting projects that are making the world a greener place. Check the links below for more information about how you can green your green.

• Cause investing: Do-it-yourself giving
• How to green your investments

More Hip Than Hippie 3rd Anniversary Quiz

You could win 1 of 2 totally awesome eco-friendly prize packs! We're not sure what all is in the prize pack yet, but we can promise that it will be some super fantastic stuff! Here's how you can enter:

• Answer all the questions to the quiz below.
• Email your answers to hip@greenfeet.com by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday, June 22, 2008.
• Two ways to win. The FIRST person to submit all the correct answers wins a prize pack. All others who answer all the questions correctly will be entered into a drawing to win the second prize pack.

 

More Hip Than Hippie 3rd Anniversary Quiz
1. Name 3 items from Co-Op America's list of 21 things you didn't know you could recycle.
2. What is the official EPA label for products designed to use less water?
3. Val was featured as an Entrepreneur Mom in what magazine?
4. In episode #132 "Frankenfoods", we learned about the FlavrSavr, a genetically modified:
   A. potato
   B. pig
   C. tomato
   D. mustache
5. From episode #109 "Surviving a Dry Spell": what are the 3 types of drought?
6. A United Nations report named which country as the best in the world in which to live?
7. Episode #120 featured no beer. What was the reason?
8. Which type of television uses the most power? The least power?
9. Name 2 of the Top 10 Tips for Eco Kids.
10. The first-ever Hipster meet-up took place in what city?
11. Doing this wastes a cup of gas every 5 minutes. What is it?
12. We talked with Amy Tucker, inventor of Xeko trading card game. She told us Xeko's motto is:
    A. Have fun, do good
    B. Don't worry, be happy
    C. May the force be with you
    D. Melts in your mouth, not in your hands
13. What is the name of the energy-saving version of Google?
14. Match the guest author with their book/magazine/website:
    1. Dan Esty
    2. Bruce Littlefield
    3. Patricia Carol Brooks
    4. Trystan Bass
    5. Jen Trolio
    6. Leah Guy

    A. Aromatherapy Thymes
    B. Yahoo! Green
    C. A Girl Named Guy
    D. Green to Gold
    E. Merry Christmas America
    F. Ready Made

15. Name the 3 types of alternative energy covered in our series this year.
16. Our friend One-F Jef owns the local Chico franchise of what eco-friendly business?
17. What should you spray to keep skunks away?
18. Name 2 concerts Dori and Val attended together this past year.
19. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of a good night's sleep?
    A. Keep your heart healthy
    B. Bolster your memory
    C. Reduce risk of depression
    D. Freshen your breath
20. Hipster Kati Neville wrote a book called what?
21. WWOOF is an organization that puts travelers in touch with:
    A. organic farms
    B. their inner dog
    C. ugly singles
22. What does rBGH stand for?
23. Which brewing company's beers were sampled more than any other in the past year?
24. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne received the 2007 Rubber Dodo award from the Center for Biological Diversity for what stunning accomplishment?
25. Vermicomposting involves the use of what slimy disgusting creature?
26. Translate the following Boontling phrase into English:
    "I'm going to boarch a horn of steinber with my applehead."

BONUS QUESTION:
What are the names of Dori's 2 goats?

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Cheers! Dakkar sent a link to East Green, the UK's first carbon neutral beer.
• Super salads. Rick is a big fan of salads and wanted to share a wonderful product he discovered. The SaladSac is made from 100% cotton and preserves the freshness of your salads by wicking away moisture, so your greens stay fresh for days longer than they would in a regular plastic bag.
• Natural flea treatments. Alison is looking for a natural flea treatment for her pooch. Val recommends checking out OnlyNaturalPet.com.
• Roadside attraction. Cassie wanted to recommend a good pit stop for Listener Mike on his cross-country trip. Thorp Fruit Stand is near the middle of Washington state on I-90, about 50-100 miles out of Seattle. It's a huge indoor market with a wide selection of fresh fruits, produce, natural body care, and more.
• Coral-safe sun protection. Did you know that some of the chemicals in sunscreen can bleach and kill coral reefs? Trystan did some research on this subject in her new blog post Sunscreen Safety Basics.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com

More Hip Than Hippie #153 - Green Your Screen

Dori and Val are talking about how to recycle old televisions and what to look for in a new one.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Kilt Lifter Scottish-Style Ale by Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, AZ. Thanks to Michele for sending this in!

Chocolate: Zotter Organic Beer sent in by Kellie. Thanks!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Swimming upstream. Chilean designer Claudia Escobar has unveiled her unusual new creation: a salmon-skin bikini.
• That's hot. Harness the power of the sun, and always be on time, with a solar-powered watch. The Eco-Drive series by Citizen uses an ultra-thin disk of silicone under the dial that converts light into electricity to power the watch. You know your watch needs a recharge when the second hand starts to move in 2 second intervals.
• Searching for a new mouse? Google has unveiled the new Google Recycled Mini Wireless Mouse. Available in red or blue, compact and portable, the mouse is made from recycled plastic and packaged in recycled materials. The best part? You can pick one up for just $19.20.
• I'm molting! Scientists in New Zealand have developed a process that turns animal protein waste (the blood and feathers) into plastic.
• Out of this world. Japanese beer company Sapporo Breweries will be testing a new brew made with barley descended from grains that traveled in outer space. Good luck getting your hands on Space Beer, as the will only be making 100 bottles.

Hip News:

• Look at the bright side. A recent study expects that jobs in the solar business will grow by an average of 50% over the next year.

 

Green Your Screen

For your viewing pleasure. In case you haven't heard, in February 2009 the United States will switch from analog to digital television signals. If you have an analog television, it will no longer work after the switch unless you have a converter box. Since so many analog televisions are facing the landfill, Dori and Val are talking about how to recycle old televisions and what to look for in a new one. Check out the links below for more information.

• Get your TV Converter Box Coupon
• TV recycling picking up steam
• Which Big Box Store Recycling Program is best?
• HDTV power consumption compared
• The basics of TV power
• TV power-saving tips
• Example of calibration settings
• TechSoup.com's TechFinder

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Cut down on catalogs. New listener Julie recently discovered that she was receiving 45 catalogs per month. Proudly, she now receives zero catalogs per month thanks to CatalogChoice.org.
• Number crunching. Michelle sent along an article about explains why a high cocoa number doesn't always mean higher quality.
• You must be mistaken. Kellie was shocked when she read that Fortune Magazine rated Anheuser-Busch as America's most admired company based on quality of their products and services. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
• Calorie counting. Michelle found Rompicollo Chocolate, a tablet of chocolate whose portions come printed with calorie counts carved directly on the surface. You choose your perfect portion!
• Cross-country travels. Ilsa wanted to recommend KOA (Kampgrounds of America) for anyone traveling across country. They're all over the country, very clean, and very affordable.
• Waiting to exhale. Tim found BreathingEarth.net, which is a visualization of population changes and carbon emissions.
• The benefits of being Green & Clean. Sommer wanted to let everyone know about the launch of her new and improved website, GreenandCleanMom.org. To celebrate, Sommer will be have weekly green giveaways for the next two months. Check it out!

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com