The idea behind this little Poladroid journey was that Sprout—a friendly symbol of everyday green—is everywhere you look in the Twin Cities. The miles of bike paths, the organic seasonal fare at our restaurants, the vintage treasures at local antique shops… The journey continues…

Sprout was always about letting folks discover their own definition of green while connecting to their local community. Thanks for the opportunity.

~Sprout

In honor of MN Fashion Week, I’ve been stopping in at some of favorite clothing and accessory shops (poor me that it’s part of my job). Just had to show these adorable coin purses made from recycled materials that I stumbled upon at Fast and Furless Vegan Boutique; a couple of them made it home in my bag. And I’m sorry I do not have a snap that does my new flippees—a vegan pair of flip-flops—justice. The soles will someday biodegrade in a landfill—but not until after I’ve worn ‘em down.

Welcome Liz! Our first guest vlogger!

Known to her fans as the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, she’s a blogger-scientist-garage band singer who, in her own words, is “culturing more germs than ever” as a mom of three.

We love that her blog encourages parents to open up the pantry and stir up some practical science with their kids. Just watching her demo on how to make Window Sprouts will make you understand why your kitchen can be a lab for a fun and valuable lesson too.

As Liz writes: “Our world has become too sterile and disconnected from nature. Like plants, we need dirt, sunshine, fresh air and clean water to survive. Who cares about a few bugs? So try planting a few bean and pea sprouts in plastic bags to show your kids how sunshine and water can make a plant sprout! Find your inner farmer and let your children find theirs—organic food is cheap when you grow it yourself!”

And besides, who doesn’t love watching a Sprout grow?

On their site, the Thomsons strike a really accessible chord: “Don’t panic. We are not purists or food bullies. We will present foods that will help you add healthy and delicious foods to your usual diet.” Sounds like Sprout’s kindred spirit.

I’m so sick of all the waste that’s invading my mailbox. How many versions of the same catalogs and sneaky credit card offers can one address take?

According to the Do Not Mail campaign, junk mail in the United States accounts for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world. That’s just plain crazy.

Ready to give your mailbox a makeover? So am I. Click here and watch.

To reclaim your mailbox, start by registering at the Direct Marketing Association, then start pulling your name off the marketers’ lists.

They offer a number of cool programs, including earn-a-bike, where you can volunteer your hours and get $7 store credit an hour. And if your bike is in need of some elbow grease, SD has open shop three days a week (wed, sat, sun), where you can ask the knowledgeable volunteers your questions, and use all the tools free of charge.

It’s not everyday that the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Empire State Building stand in total darkness. But they did this past Saturday, along with millions of other people and institutions around the world, for Earth Hour—remember our post from last Friday?

And while my own humble EH party didn’t quite reach that level of dramatic effect, it did make me realize that I don’t always need electricity to fuel the fun. {Though I might need to channel Henry Winkler to clap my lights back on.}

For more information on Earth Hour, click here. Planet Green also has an excellent guide to simple energy saving practices.

Even though my vacation is over, it helped coming back home to sunshine and warm spring weather. Has March in Minnesota ever been this good to us?