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The Green Box Top Blog

Category: General

Nominate 2012 Beneficiaries!

September 13, 2011

Each quarter, we select a non profit that aligns with our values as our non profit beneficiary. This organization is featured on our website throughout the quarter and a percentage of every sale is donated to this organization at the end of the quarter. Now until April 30th, we’re accepting nominations for our second quarter 2012 beneficiaries. If you have a non profit you’d like to nominate, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or send an email to lynn@greenboxtop.com.  Please include why you think this organization is the perfect non profit beneficiary for Green Box Top.

Thanks for your support!

The Green Box Top Team

August Beneficiary-The Marine Mammal Center

August 01, 2011

The mission of The Marine Mammal Center is to expand knowledge about marine mammals—their health and that of their ocean environment—and to inspire their global conservation. The core work of this organization is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community.

Since 1975, The Marine Mammal Center has rescued more than 16,500 marine mammals along 600 miles of Central and Northern California coastline and inland areas.   Each year its education programs teach thousands of students and the public about marine mammals, what they can tell us about ocean health, and the urgent need for stewardship of Earth’s marine environments.

From now until October 15, come see their special exhibit Washed Ashore: Plastics, Sea Life and Art at The Marine Mammal Center.  Washed Ashore is an art installation of 15 extraordinary marine life sculptures with trashy origins! Lead by artist Angela Haseltime Pozzi, tons of plastic pollution was used to create monumental sculptures that are awakening the hearts and minds of citizens to the marine debris crisis. More at www.MarineMammalCenterArt.org

Washed Ashore Facts

–100s of community volunteers

–20 miles of Oregon beaches cleaned

–7,000+ lbs. of trash collected

–99% of the debris is petroleum-based: plastic items, nylon ropes and netting

Help Green Box Top adopt at seal!  A percentage of each sale in August will go towards The Marine Mammal Center’s Adopt-a-Seal program.


Green Box Top Beneficiary for July-Baykeeper

May 01, 2011

The mission of Baykeeper is to protect and enhance the water quality of the San Francisco Bay for the benefit of its ecosystems and human communities. Founded in 1989, this organization uses advocacy, science, on-the-water patrols, public education and legal action to strengthen clean water laws and hold polluters accountable.

Baykeepers accomplishments are impressive, and in the last six months alone this organization:

–Secured agreements from eleven different cities that will help significantly reduce sewage pollution in the Bay.

–Mobilized 120 environmental groups to oppose a federal bill exempting pesticides from the Clean Water Act.

–Won a major federal court ruling in its case against West Bay Sanitary District, which was found liable for sewage spills that contaminated local creeks and the Bay.

–Organized a committee of environmental advocates to help make the upcoming America’s Cup races green and Bay-friendly.

Baykeeper is  also one of twelve members of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, a non-profit organization that coordinates, supports and enhances the work of local California Waterkeepers in order to ensure Californians enjoy clean water and a healthy coast.

Contributions to Baykeeper help to:

• Stop millions of gallons of raw and undertreated sewage from entering the Bay;

• Hold cities accountable for keeping trash, oil and pesticides out of the Bay;

• Enforce new mercury pollution limits for cement kilns and oil refineries;

• Stand up for smart climate change planning in the Bay; and

• Make sure a plan is in place to protect our shorelines if another oil spill happens.

Green Box Top is proud to announce Baykeeper as its July beneficiary.  A percentage of each Green Box Top sale in July goes to support Baykeeper and its mission of clean water and a healthy coast.

Green Box Top Eugene’s Beneficiary for April-Next Step Recycling

April 20, 2011

Next Step Recycling (www.nextsteprecycling.org) is Green Box Top Eugene’s beneficiary for the month of April.  Next Step Recycling’s mission is to provide technology and training to children and adults who have barriers to employment and education. At the same time Next Step Recycling aims to protect the environment and community from hazardous waste.  NextStep Recycling seeks to create a network of people who are committed to the shared values of preserving our environment, working to bridge the digital divide, and enhancing the quality of life around the world.

A percentage of each Green Box Top Eugene’s sales for the month of April will go to Next Step Recycling.

The Power of Juicing!

April 08, 2011

By Blythe Christopher de Orive, Contributing Writer

There are many studies enumerating the positive effects of adding juices to your diet. Juice, defined as the liquid that is naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue, has shed the fiber that can trap vitamins and minerals. This makes juice a valuable contributor for an increased immune system response.

Adding vegetable and fruit juices can increase energy, promote a radiant complexion, and reduce the risk of some diseases. Important phytochemicals and polyphenols are present in vegetable and fruit juices that reduce the affects of Alzheimer’s and the spread of some cancers. Polyphenols are found primarily in the skins and peels of fruits and vegetables, and are abundant in juices.
Here are a few common fruit and vegetable juices and their benefits:
• Pomegranate juice
Reduces low-density lipoprotein
Slows growth of prostate cancer
Increases blood flow in individuals with coronary heart disease

• Celery Juice
Provides anti-inflammatory properties
Aids in lowering blood pressure
Prevention of kidney stones

• Cranberry juice
Promotes healthy cardiovascular system
Inhibits tooth decay
Prevents urinary tract Infections

• Wheatgrass juice
Reduces fatigue
Alleviates hay fever symptoms
Lessens the severity of hypoglycemia

Green Box Top Beneficiary for April-Friends of the Urban Forest

April 04, 2011

Friends of the Urban Forest (www.fuf.net) is a non-profit committed to the belief that trees are a critical element of a livable urban environment. The mission of the Friends of the Urban Forest is to promote a larger, healthier urban forest as part of the urban ecosystem, through community planting, maintenance, education and advocacy.

San Francisco is on par with the statewide average of 104 trees per street mile. However, approximately 56% of all street planting sites are currently unplanted (approx. 127, 500 trees) leaving ample room for upside potential. To help meet this potential, Friends of the Urban Forest helps communities plant nearly 1,000 trees each year. Neighbors organize the plantings. Friends of the Urban Forest obtains permits, removes sidewalk concrete, supplies tools and materials and selects, purchases and delivers the trees. On planting day, Friends of the Urban Forest volunteers work side-by-side with residents. After the work is done, everyone celebrates over a community lunch.

Urban Forest Benefits: What Trees Do For You.

A percentage of each Green Box Top sale in April goes to support the Friends of the Urban Forest.

Green Box Top Beneficiary for March

March 23, 2011

CUESA

CUESA (www.cuesa.org), the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, is dedicated to promoting a sustainable food system through the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and its educational programs.

CUESA’s educational programs include their Market to Table events, farm tours, weekly electronic newsletter, lectures and panel discussions, educational displays, and more. See their programs here.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a certified farmers’ market world-renowned for the delicious local products it showcases. CUESA runs markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the historic Ferry Building at the base of Market Street in San Francisco. Learn more about the market here.

In 2005, CUESA broadened its mission; in addition to supporting sustainable agrictulture as its name indicates, they are working to improve the sustainability of the entire food system. Read about CUESA’s guiding principles.

Green Box Top is proud to select CUESA as our March beneficiary. A percentage of each sale in the month of March will go to CUESA for its education programs.

It’s Not Just a Discount Site, It’s a Lifestyle…

March 22, 2011

By Lynn Roulo, Green Box Top Co-Founder

I didn’t start Green Box Top to become greener.  In fact, I started Green Box Top thinking I was already pretty green. But then, almost without me realizing it, something unexpected happened…

Since the launch of the company, I’ve bought the majority of our deals.  My motives are purely practical. I want to understand what we’re selling, what our subscribers are experiencing, and determine which companies we want to feature again. I never intended to become greener from Green Box Top, and I never expected to experience a lifestyle change.

But I did.

My pillows became cotton instead of polyester. Organic prepared meals began periodically arriving on my door step.  My home was cleaned with non toxic products.  My jewelry became triple bottom line. My dog started getting organic dog baths.  I tried acupuncture.  I got a green facial.   Daily emails arrived reminding me to buy in bulk and hang dry my clothes.  I refilled my laundry detergent instead of just replacing it.  But most surprisingly of all, I found I liked it.

It’s hard to say why it feels good to have a lighter footprint on the world. It just does.  And it’s hard to say why you become what you buy. But you do.  Greening becomes an automatic part of your lifestyle when you make conscious, eco-friendly purchase choices.

We hope you will come think of Green Box Top not just as a deal site, but in fact, as a lifestyle.   In my experience, it isn’t just a way to get a discount.  It’s a way to get greener.

The Benefits of a Raw Food Diet

March 15, 2011

By Blythe Christopher de Orive, Contributing Writer

A raw food diet consists of raw, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, seaweed, and coconut milk.

The philosophy of the raw food diet is that cooking our food destroys the beneficial enzymes in the food that aid in absorption of nutrients.  Going the raw food route has many benefits:

  • Raw foods are often better quality and have more flavor than cooked foods.
  • Eating a diet of raw food can help in the cessation of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
  • A raw food diet can protect you from acute diseases such as colds, flu, measles, etc.
  • You will be helping to save packaging from the landfills, thus reducing the already egregious greenhouse effect on our planet.
  • Eating raw food may save you money on drugs, health insurance, supplements, and clean up!
  • Most people who have implemented a raw food regimen have lower cholesterol, less fat intake, and experience a modest weight loss.

There are many first-person accounts of starting a raw food diet.  It may take some creativity and stamina to maintain, but the benefits are well worth it.

Signs that Your Immune System Needs a Boost

March 07, 2011

By Blythe Christopher de Orive, Contributing Writer

We all have an immune system. The overall health of our immune systems can fluctuate. Here are several signs that you might need an immune system enhancement:

Do you get colds easily or more frequently that others in your family?

Do you become exhausted at the beginning of the day?

Do you have reoccurring indigestion or irregularity?

Does your skin break out often?

Do common tasks drain you of energy?

If you said a “yes” to more than one of the questions then you might have a lower immune response to outside invaders.  You should see a doctor to have her evaluate how compromised your system is and get recommendations on how to bolster your body’s response to infections. In the meantime, there are some basic routines that help your body fight off environmental aggressors.

Drink five or six 8-ounce glasses of water per day

Take a high potency vitamin every day

Engage in a regular exercise program

Take 5-10 minutes per day to stretch

Experiment with deep breathing

Play and enjoy your family and friends!