Sprout was on the scene at this year’s Minneapolis Home and Garden Show at the Convention Center. Highlights included hearing Metro Hippie Josh Foss talk about how we can overcome “eco-villians” like pollution and ineffiency in 2010; and chatting up the vendors who are aiming to turn your homes + gardens into eco-paradises. I was also a little starstruck meeting Sasha Andreev, the host of Curb Appeal on HGTV who just became a Twin Cities homeowner himself!

I have to thank my creative Aunt for making me this awesome hand-knit bag. Isn’t it great? She told me that when she shops for projects like this she heads to Darn.Knit.{Anyway}, a new craft boutique in Stillwater, which recently opened for business last fall. Owned by two crafty cousins, it has a nice selection of fabric and yarn (including natural, hand-spun and locally manufactured) + lots of handmade items from local artists.

I now stow my laptop and wallet in here, along with other knick-knacks that seem to pile up in a purse. I’ve never felt so stylish showing off a handmade tote on my hip!

Who in their right mind would run a ceiling fan in winter, you ask? Why that would be me, thank you very much. I recently learned that flipping the switch on my fans so that they run clockwise helps distribute heat that gets trapped near the ceiling, which in turn means no more need to run the heater at full blast. {In the warmer months, fans should run counterclockwise for the opposite effect.} Sources say doing this might cut my energy use by as much as 10%. Such a brilliant reinvention of a traditional home fixture: A fan for all seasons!

For more info on installing and using ceiling fans, and generally cutting your energy bills, CLICK HERE.

Okay, so it is more blue with pink flowers, but you get the picture. In place of those tossable brown bags we used to tote to school, a couple of little girls I know take this reusable lunchbox equipped with BPA-free containers from PBKids. I like how the boxes are insulated + can be monogrammed, but there are lots of cute versions out on the market + just about any divided containers you like will do. I’m all for less waste, less cost, + less smooshed food.

On my way out of Ikea the other day, I grabbed a frozen yogurt cone + noticed the option to toss my leftovers and napkin into a dedicated organics recycling bin. The directions alongside made it super easy for your average Joe—who might not know the ABC’s of composting—to sort and go. If only picking out the right lighting were so easy…

After months of neglecting my damaged hair, I decided it was time for a new look. Wanting a little more “organic” in my styling, I found an all-natural Mpls. salon to trim my locks: Kasia Organic Salon. I was lucky to spend some time with Kassie, the founder of the salon + a natural health and beauty care expert, who shared some of her wisdom.

Sprout is sticking around…on neighborhood shop windows! We’re excited to announce the arrival of our window clings, which will make it easy for you to identify Sprout merchants + find out what deals they have to offer through Sprout.mn. At Sprout, we are very proud of the vibrant TCities eco-metro economy, and wanted to tag the businesses with sustainable practices so you can spot ‘em for yourself. Be sure to stop in soon…

Whether you celebrate V-Day or Singles Awareness Day, it’s hard to argue against the allure of fresh flowers—like these beautiful arrangements at Minneapolis floral design firm Luna Vinca. When possible, LV purchases their posies from local flower distributors; they also use biodegradable planters which naturally dissolve into the earth (just throw them into your garden after your plant wilts). So please tell my honey that he and LV share the same office building…

The United States cuts down millions of trees every year to supply the demand for paper shopping bags. And don’t even get us started on plastic bags… But just so you know, the average reusable bag has the lifespan of over seven hundred disposable plastic bags (!) For more motivating facts, check out ReuseThisBag.com

I think most of us can agree that those stylish totes at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and other metro grocers, are the best way to go {the build-up of paper bags in my pantry alone is enough to ditch ‘em entirely}, but how many of us have purchased a few only to forget them at checkout? Good intentions, but lack ofpractice {and a million other things on our minds}.

Watch this video and you’ll see my substitute for the string-around-the-finger trick. “There’s my reusable bag. Right. Bring it into store. Right…”

I don’t blame you for hating me for enjoying many mojitos at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. The stay was pure luxury; the weather, a winter dream…

In between Mojito sips, I did charge a few brain cells to read about the hotel’s green initiatives (low flow water systems; a rigorous recycling program) and a sweet Miami Everglades package they offer in partnership with the World Heritage Alliance and Everglades National Park. This package includes a day trip to the park where guests get a special tour and can participate in “voluntourism” activities such as tree planting, recycling projects, and weeding out exotic plants.

I learned about it too late, but next time I’m yearning for the Miami heat, I’m taking this green opportunity.