Enter to win! 2012 Buy Local Tea Towel + Roost Farmers' Market Basket

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Shelley Crist!

In this week’s December Giveaway, we’re celebrating the Buy Local movement. The idea of keeping it local appeals to many people, not just gardeners and farmers. When it comes to buying your food locally, it’s not just about supporting your local economy. You are buying produce that tastes better and is more nutritious; transportation uses less fossil fuel; and you can enjoy guilt-free dinners knowing your meat came from a cow, chicken, or pig that grazed freely in an open pasture.

This week is a two-part question: (1) Currently, how do you keep it local, and (2) what is one way you plan to become a better locavore in 2012?

One randomly selected winner will receive one 2012 Buy Local Calendar Tea Towel + one Roost Raspberry Farmers’ Market Basket {raspberry}.

How to Enter

Click image to see more detail

• Answer the question in each blog post by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
• Answer the same on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Yep, that’s right, you can enter your name twice for a chance to win our FREE gift idea. Keep ‘em for yourself or find some special to gift them to.

Week 3′s contest ends Sunday, December 18, 12:00 PST. The winner will be announced the following week.

Congratulations to Christina and Janis for winning last week’s December Giveaway!

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Christina for winning the first prize {terrarium + book} and to Janis for winning the second prize {book}.

Terrariums are the perfect gift for plant lovers, design junkies, DIYers, and crafty minds. And when you pair our Roost Recycled Glass Wall Terrarium with Timber Press’s Terrarium Craft book by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant, it makes the perfect giveaway! One lucky winner will win both the wall terrarium + the terrarium book, and a second place winner will win a copy of the book {pictured below}.

QUESTION: Terrariums are little scenes of nature in glass containers. What’s your favorite way to connect with nature indoors?

We're giving away 2 free copies of Terrarium Craft

Week 2 Giveaway: How to Enter

• Answer the question above by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
• Answer the same, or similar question, on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Week 2′s contest ends Sunday, December 11, 12:00 PST. Two randomly selected winners will be announced the following week.

Congratulations Julie Lanier for winning last week’s December Giveaway!

Create the Perfect Terrarium Gift

Want to make a big impression this holiday? Think about grouping terrarium related items your gift recipient will need to create their first or 100th terrarium.

• Terrarium Tools make fiddling with plants and dirt easier in tight spaces
• Idea Books like Timber Press’s Terrarium Craft
• Organic Potting Soil
• Small bag of Crushed River Gravel for drainage
• Small bag of Charcoal to keep mold and bacteria at bay
• Water bottle for spritzing the plants
• Plant material ranging from succulents and cacti, ferns, moss, and air plants.
• Accent pieces add a nice personal touch and fill empty spaces. Look for crystals, feathers, bones, seashells, bits of wood, porcelain trinkets

WEEK 3 Giveaway: one 2012 Buy Local Tea Towel + one Roost Farmer’s Market Basket {raspberry}

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Julie Lanier!

In celebration of my recent feature in Oregon Home Magazine by Vivian McInerny, I’ve decided to giveaway one Roost Hemmingway Muddler Set and my newly published book Garden Rules, co-authored by Billie Brownell.  You may be thinking, what do muddlers have to do with gardening? My new favorite obsession, Cocktail Gardening!

We’ve all heard the phrase Garden to Table or Farm to Table, but how cool is Garden to Glass? Just Google “cocktail gardening” and you find a handful of resources on what to grow in your garden, garden inspired cocktails, and there’s even a blog called Gardening While Intoxicated by one the Garden Rant ladies.

If you’ve never started your own garden before, Garden Rules is a quick way to learn the basics. One of the easiest herbs to grow is mint, and one of the easiest drinks to make with a muddler is a Mojito. Cheri Loughlin, the creative mind behind The Intoxicologist, suggests topping it with a little champagne during the holidays to add an even tastier and festive vibe.

QUESTION: You’re hosting a holiday get-together among friends and neighbors, what’s your favorite alcoholic beverage to serve your guests?

Week 1 Giveaway: How to Enter

1. Answer the question in each blog post by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
2. Answer the same, or similar question, on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Week 1 contest ends Sunday, December 4, 12:00 PST. Winner announced next week.

WEEK 2 Giveaway: one Roost Recycled Glass Hanging Wall Terrarium {small}

We’re getting into the holiday spirit by spreading some giveaway cheer!  For the month of December, starting Thursday Wednesday, November 30, 12:30 PST, we will be giving away one cool gift idea each week.

And what will you win you ask?

Cool Holiday Gift Giveaways

• Week 1:  one Roost Hemmingway Muddler Set + one Garden Rules Book
• Week 2: one Roost Recycled Glass Hanging Wall Terrarium {small}
• Week 3: one 2012 Buy Local Tea Towel + one Roost Farmer’s Market Basket {raspberry}
• Week 4:  one jar of Natural Sugar Scrub + a selection of Graham Garden soaps

How to Enter

1. Answer the question in each blog post by submitting your answer in the “leave a reply” section at the bottom of the page – good for 1 entry.
2. Answer the same, or similar question, on our Facebook page (you’ll have to “like” the page to make a comment) – good for 1 entry.

Yep, that’s right, you can enter your name twice each week for a chance to win a FREE gift. Keep them for yourself or find some special to gift them to.

A hostess gift is a sweet, simple and thoughtful way to show your host that you appreciate his or her hospitality. A gift doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant to show your host that you are grateful for all of the all of the time, effort and planning (not to mention cleanup after) that goes into entertaining.  With fall and winter holiday season upon us, it is time to be prepared with a stock of appropriate and tasteful hostess gifts for all of your weekend stays, cocktail parties, dinners, and potlucks.

Here are our top ten favorite hostess gifts for under $25

(1) Studiopatro Natural Linen Tea Towels — $22.00. These tea towels, which are available in 4 different prints, are made of 100% natural linen and made in the USA. For a hostess gift, wrap a Studiopatro Natural Linen Tea Towel around a bottle of wine and tie it at the top with a bow. Or, wrap a loaf of homemade pumpkin bread in a tea towel.

(2) Gather by Georgeanne Brennan — $22.95. A cookbook is an excellent hostess gift for any host who likes to experiment with new recipes. Gather is a great choice because it provides a variety of seasonal and holiday menus, all gorgeously photographed.

(3) Roost Basket Bird Huts — $17.50 – $24.50. A bird hut is a cool and unique hostess gift for the outside entertainer. If your attending an backyard barbecue or potluck, this is a clever gift idea. You can choose a Roost Basket Bird Hut in one of three different shapes: egg, oval, or round.

(4) Roost Lucie Hanging Votive — $13.00 – $14.50. These hanging votive candlee holders are perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Choose one of three Lucie Hanging Votive shapes, flare, tulip, or votive, and your host is sure to appreciate its simple and elegant design.

(5) Daub & Bauble Fig and Thyme Hand Wash — $9.00. A nice hand wash is always an appropriate hostess gift because it is so practical and useful. We love this earthy Fig and Thyme scent, which is just for the fall and winter holiday season. Plus, it’s packed with moisturizing Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. Also available in hand lotion.

(6) Roost Glass Bird Tealights — $22.00. A lovely match for any interior decor, the design of the Roost Glass Bird Tealights is delicate and beautiful. Choose from cardinal, blackbird, or robin.

(7) Winter Thorn Glasses — $17.50. Each brown and frosty white etched glass is a lovely work of art. For a nice hostess gift, fill a Winter Thorn Glass with a short-stemmed cluster of flowers, or a selection of individually wrapped chocolates. Or, pair it with a bottle of your favorite lager or sparkling water.

(8) Wild Herbs Record Plantable Paper — $6.71. It looks like an album, but this sheet of paper is actually brimming with herb seeds. All your hostess has to do is plant it for an awesome herb garden. Each pack of Wild Herbs Record Plantable Paper comes with 2 sheets of seed paper, and is packaged in pop art. Cool!

(9) ChicoBag Produce Bag Starter Kit — $15.95. Perfect for your Earth-loving host, the ChicoBag Produce Bag Started Kit includes three different mesh produce bags that are specially designed to maintain optimal airflow for fruits and veggies. Plus, they come in a super cute apple shaped storage pouch, making them nice for gift giving.

(10) Roost Carved Wood Doorstop — $22.00. To say “thanks for the overnight hopitality” after a weekend stay, we love the idea of the Roost Carved Wood Doorstop. Its carved bird design and leather handle make it both pretty and practical.

Still looking for more great hostess gift ideas? Check out last year’s post, Perfect Hostess Gift for Every Occasion.

Image from the I Heart Shabby Chic blog

One of our favorite parts about Halloween is decorating our home and garden. While we love store-bought decorations such as rubber bats and plastic skulls, this year we’ve renewed our commitment to be kinder to the Earth and use less plastic. So instead of rushing out to purchase Halloween decorations that are both made of and packaged in plastic, we’ll be creating our own super cool decorations from items we can find in our house and our backyard. After all aren’t real, natural and earthy elements just more scary looking than an inflatable ghost anyway? We think so.

Green Halloween Decorating Ideas

1. Spooky Skeletons. You know what’s spookier than some store bought bones made of cardboard or plastic? Real ones! Try looking around your backyard for exo-skeletons of cicadas. Because cicadas molt, they leave behind a “skin” that is an exact replica of their body. You are likely to find them along wooden fence posts, or clinging to the bark of trees in your backyard or in wooded areas. The exo-skeletons can easily be hooked onto the petals of a flower arrangement to make it ultra creepy.

You can also preserve and display other skeletons such as chicken bones and crab shells. To thoroughly clean them, soak them for one week in a solution of Dawn dish soap and water. Drain them, then soak them in a solution of 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide. (Do this in a garage or laundry room because it’s a bit stinky.) Remove the bones and let them air dry for 24 hours. The bones will then be clean, degreased, and white washed. They’ll look totally spooky arranged in a tall, clear vase on a fireplace mantle.

2. Eerie Moss. We love the idea of using natural moss from the backyard to create Halloween decorations. If you live in a temperate climate, you can find Irish moss growing in great green clumps in cool, shaded areas. If you find moss growing on concrete or rocks, you can easily peel it up in one sheet and carry it home with you to place it in a planter or terrarium. If you live in a warm Southern climate, you can instead look for Spanish moss, which is an air plant with a distinct green-gray color that drips down from tree branches. Take a look at this cool do-it-yourself Spanish Moss Wreath at Our House On Pender.

Our favorite use for moss, whether Irish or Spanish, is to place it in a Roost Hanging Terrarium for an awesomely eerie look. Check out our mini graveyard post from last year– so cool!

3. Recycled Paper Spiderwebs. Isn’t this a great idea from Vanessa Valencia at Green Halloween? It’s something that would be a really fun craft for kids, too. You could use any kind of paper you would like to make these, such as old newspapers, junk mail, or the extra sheets of computer paper that your printer spits out every now and then. Our favorite is the “spookified snowflake” pattern. While Vanessa used sparkly glitter to decorate hers, you could also brush on diluted black tea for an aged look, or you could apply “blood” splatters with beet juice. Alternately, you can also try this easy make-it-yourself spiderweb from Planet Green with cotton balls and hairspray.

4. Terrifying Turnip Lanterns. According to Waverly at Living in Season, children in Ireland and Scotland long ago would set out “souling” with turnip lanterns. Check out her blog for directions on how to make your own carved turnip lantern. If you have a kitchen full of harvest from your fall garden, you can also find other neat ways to use root vegetables as Halloween decor, such as carving beets or rutabagas, or making a “Kail-Runt Torch” by sticking a candle into the hollowed out stem of a cabbage. Make sure to light up your lanterns with candles made of beeswax, soy, or vegetable oil based wax, as these are all cleaner burning and more earth friendly than paraffin.

5. Hair-Raising Toilet Paper Tube Creatures. This just might be the easiest, cheapest and most fun Halloween craft to do with kids. It’s scary creatures made out of recycled toilet paper and paper towel tubes! The only other supplies you will need to make these are some water based paints and paint brushes. Take a look at the OhDeeDoh for their “Where the Wild Things Are” inspired designs. Awesome! This would make a fun activity for kids at a Halloween party, and the finished product can be arranged on a cake stand to make an interesting center piece, or lined up along a window sill. You could even thread some string through them and create a fun Halloween mobile on an old coat hanger.

For other green Halloween decorating ideas, check out this blog from One Part Sunshine. And don’t forget, sometimes the best decorating ideas are right in your backyard. An arrangement of fallen leaves, gnarled branches and acorns from your backyard is just right for October!

Studiopatro Tea Towels: Eat & Spoon Set $42

In 2009, San Francisco designer and art director Christina Weber introduced a line of bold, geometrically printed tea towels under the name Studiopatró. This means that for two years, we have been discovering more and more excellent ways to use them! Certainly not just for drying off clean dishes, Studiopatró towels are a versatile and modern addition to any kitchen. Here are our six favorite ways to use them.

(1) As an apron.

Here you can see how the Facade Tea Towel in orange can be easily used as an apron. All you have to do is tuck it into your belt. When you’re entertaining guests, you can easily keep your pants dry and clean during food prep, then pull the tea towel right off when you’re ready to party. Ta-da!

(2) As a wine cozy.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Gifting a plain bottle of wine is boring. To dress it up, wrap the bottle in a Live, Love, Eat tea towel and tie it at the top with a piece of twine or ribbon. Not only does this look pretty, but if you are headed to a dinner party, it will keep the chilled wine from sweating and dripping on you on the car ride over. Once the wine has been drunk, your hostess will have a much more lasting gift to use in her kitchen.

(3) As a salad spinner.

Conventionally marketed salad spinners are not very practical; they’re bulky and cumbersome. Instead of a salad spinner, just try using a clean City Tea Towel. Simply lay the towel out on your counter, rinse your salad greens, then place them in the center of the towel. Fold the four corners into the center, and grip them with your hand so that you are holding the salad greens in a bundle. Then, lift the towel above your head and give it a few twirls. This will “spin” the water off your greens, and right into the absorbent tea towel.

(4) As gift wrap.

Colored paper wrapping paper is so passé. All that paper is simply ripped off and thrown in the trash; how seriously un-eco friendly! For a much more creative and green alternative, wrap your gifts in tea towels. Here you can see that a tea towel makes excellent gift wrap for a potted plant. We also love the idea of wrapping a cookbook in a tea towel to make the perfect hostess gift, or housewarming present. Gifts in jars, such as caramel sauce or candles, can be easily wrapped and rolled in a tea towel to make a pretty cylindrical shape.

(5) As a potholder.

This is an excellent and attractive way to transport food to a potluck, or protect the surface of your wood dining table from heat and drips. Lay your casserole dish or dutch oven on the center of the tea towel, then tuck the ends into the handles. Voila.

(6) As table art.

Tea towels can create instant easy table art for your dining room. Use them as table runners, place mats, or even napkins. Since Studiopatró′s designs are bold yet simple, they will work well with nearly any decorating scheme, and the rest of your tablescape can remain simple and understated. We love the use of tea towels in this photo–super elegant.

Guide to Selecting the Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift

(1) Don’t give a boring bouquet.

Of course, we love bright, colorful flowers. And red roses are certainly a ubiquitous sign of Valentine’s Day. But there’s something awfully ho-hum about delivering a bouquet of blossoms in the grocery store or Farmer’s Market wrapping. Plus, the recipient has to then mess with trimming the stems, finding and filling a vase, etc. To deliver a bouquet in serious style, place your selected stems in a beautiful vase before gifting them, such as one of the Roost Glass Reed Vases. They are so pretty that when your Valentine has to throw away her blooms, the vase can stand alone as a work of art. Plus, guys would really like a Reed Vase as well. You may not think of a bouquet as a good gift for men, but we think it totally works. Just pick flowers that have a strong appearance, such as exotic Birds of Paradise, robust sunflowers, or our favorite for men- some spiky orange and gold chrysanthemums, which are a symbol of friendship. For a card inscription, try a twist on the classic “roses are red/violets are blue.” Fill in the end with your own creation- and make it unique! If you need some tips on how to easily arrange flowers in a vase, visit our blogs on easy flower arranging and arranging flowers in bud vases.

(2) Let your love take flight.

Bird themed gifts are perfect for Valentine’s Day because of what they symbolize: a love that is filled with song, lovely, delicate, and soaring. And we here at AML have an excellent array of bird-themed gifts from which to choose. Check out our Roost Utopia Bird Feeders, for example. Aren’t they gorgeous? A bonus about gifting a bird feeder is that it is a gift that can be used all year round, in every season. Or for a gift that is appropriate for indoor use, try some bird decor, such as the pretty Roost Glass Bird Tealights. Filled with a simple little tealight candle, these little birdies cast a sparkly glow that is just right for setting a romantic mood. For a full selection of bird-themed gifts, check out our Gifts for the Bird Lover. Don’t forget to deliver each one with an appropriately penned message, such as “you make my heart soar,” or “we’re two birds of a feather.”

(3) Gift some greenery.

Giving flowers just not your thing? Well, don’t exclude  plants entirely. Whereas cut flowers need to be tossed out in a few days, potted flowers, herbs, and other plants can last for years. And we’ve got a great selection of pots and planters for the plant of your choice. Check out our new Greenbo Planters. Aren’t they cool? This is the perfect gift for anyone who spends a lot of time in the cement enclave of an office building or apartment. It can be placed right on the railing outside a window, so you don’t even need floor space or a balcony for it. All you need is the Greenbo Planter, which is available in 6 different colors, some organic potting soil, and the flowers, herbs, or foliage plants of your choice. Deliver with a card that reads, “I know our love will continue to blossom and grow,” or “no one can uproot my love for you!”

(4) Get creative.

Don’t you just love hearing stories about when people get creative with their marriage proposals? We have friends who have gotten engaged under water, atop a mountain, and on the beach at sunset. Maybe we’re just sentimental and mushy, but we think there’s definitely something to be said for creativity when it comes to romance! This goes for Valentine’s Day, especially. You’ll earn some major points if you get creative. How about if you stock her kitchen with beautiful new accessories, like the Roost Cutting Board & Serving Knife, Apple & Pear Pinch Bowls, and the Farmers Market Baskets. Then cook a romantic dinner together using all the cool new stuff. I mean, seriously- with a kitchen full of awesome accessories, and a romantic home-cooked meal, you will earn some major points. Even if you’re not a “cook,” per se, you can still pull this off. Try a platter of french bread, nice cheeses, olives, pickles, crudités, and dried fruits. Simple, and no cooking involved. Plus, you can feed each other with your fingers. How hedonistic.

(5) Of course, you can’t go wrong with chocolate.

We love chocolate. You will never hear us claim otherwise. But those cheap heart-shaped boxes that you can get for 5 bucks at the drug store? Eh, not so much. We’d rather have something seriously decadent. If you’re gonna do chocolate, you may as well do it right. We suggest a sensuous hand and foot massage for your sweetie with Cacoa and Spice Hand Lotion from Daub and Bauble. If you think chocolate melts easily, wait til you see how your Valentine turns to mush with this luscious, spicy chocolatey scent and super softly moisturizing formula. Chocolate + massage = heaven. If you simply can’t have something luscious and chocolatey without sinking your teeth into a delicious dessert, check out these 10 decadent chocolate recipes from Food & Wine Magazine. And don’t forget to read their tips on what wines pair well with chocolate, too.

For some tips on how to mix up some sexy Valentine’s Day cocktails, check out our recent blog, How to Use the Roost Hemingway Muddlers. Or, for more gift ideas, take a look at last year’s Valentine’s Day gift blog, Top 5 Valentine’s Gift Ideas.

Flickr photo by JennRation Design

If you read our new year’s blog from last year, then you already know that we believe in making new year’s resolutions that we can keep. No unattainable ones like “lose 20 pounds” or “win the Nobel Peace Prize.” Just stuff that we know will help to enrich our lives, and make us feel great in the year to come.

This year, our focus is not only on healthy living, as it was for 2010, but also for a healthier Earth and an increasingly sustainable lifestyle. 2011 is going to be all about not just talking the talk of environmental stewardship, but walking the walk.

Our Green Resolutions for 2010

(1) Eat local

If you regularly read the AML blog, then you already know, we are totally on board with the locavore lifestyle. This year, we hosted a 100-mile Thanksgiving celebration and encouraged others to join a local CSA. We have made great efforts to eat local produce, and purchase locally made goods such as soap, spirits, and other household items. At first, it was a bit of an effort. But as any other locavore will tell you, after about a year, shopping for local goods becomes second nature. For us, 2011 marks the end of the “transitional” period to going local. We’re full blood locavores now! In the new year, we hope to continue to spread the word about the importance of supporting the local economy, and reducing the amount of energy that is expended to import food. The Locavore Way by Amy Cotler $9.00

(2) Help a friend start a garden

If you don’t yet have a home garden, 2011 is the year to plant one! Start planning now, so that come spring, you know exactly what you would like to grow, and where you want to plant it. For us, our resolution is to help a friend plant a garden. This particular friend is the kind who spends 12 hours a day at work, and who has never turned on the oven in her kitchen before- you know the type. We want to show her that a small garden, even just a couple pots on her windowsill, is all it takes to acquire a green thumb. I think we’ll start with a basil plant and some heirloom tomatoes. These are both easy to grow, and when when they’re ready to harvest, all she needs is a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil to enjoy them. No cooking required!

(3) Break up with plastic

It is estimated that about 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. Yes, that is an intimidatingly large number that looks like this: 500,000,000,000. These are 500 billion pieces of petroleum that do not biodegrade. Instead, they just break down into smaller and smaller pieces that pollute our environment, often ending up in great patches in the ocean, and in the bellies of wildlife. It can be easy to think that with a number this large, you cannot even possibly put a dent in it. But you gotta start somewhere, right? Canvas shopping bags are so common and inexpensive now that there is no reason not to use them. We also intend to take a close look at how we use plastic in our every day lives. Can we recycle our toothbrushes? Can we avoid buying individually wrapped snacks, such as granola bars? Can we purchase re-fillable glass milk bottles and have them filled by a local dairy farmer? Plastic is so ingrained in our every day lives. But 2011 is the year when we fully intend to break up with it.

(4) Cut down on paper towel and napkin use

Paper towels are advertised as just about the most convenient invention to come along since sliced bread. But is it really necessary to swipe water droplets off of your counter with a piece of paper, and then throw it away? No, definitely not. So we’re switching to pretty tea towels and reusable cloths for kitchen tasks such as drying dishes and wiping off our freshly scrubbed produce. Tossing a load of towels in the laundry is a lot friendlier on the environment than unnecessarily using trees. (Just stick to cold water, as the vast majority of energy used by washing machines is actually just spent on heating the water.) Same thing goes for paper plates. This spring, when you host your first backyard barbecue of the year, opt for sturdy melamine plates rather than disposable ones.

Eat & Spoon Tea Towel Set $42.00

(5) Drink sustainably produced wine

Here are three words that you may not commonly associate with wine: organic, biodynamic, and sustainable. So what do these have to do with a nice glass o’ red? Well, biodynamic wine production emerged in recent years after some farmers noticed that frequent use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides was resulting in soil degradation, and therefore weaker vines and grape crops over time. If you see a wine label that says “biodynamic,” that means that the grapes were produced by returning organic matter to the soil, and by avoiding the use of chemicals on the grape vines. “Sustainable” means that not only have soil health and crop strength been considered, but also the overall carbon footprint of the farm. Sustainable vineyards take the steps to reduce their environmental impact in everything from grape harvest to bottling and distribution. Now if we can find a sustainably produced local wine, that will really be a home run.

(6) Share gas powered tools

Did you know that every year, more than 13 million gallons of gas are spilled when people like you and me fill up power tools? Yep, that’s 13 million gallons of gas that go to waste- and besides the environmental impact, we all know that gas ain’t friendly on our wallets. So rather than buying that new weed whacker that we covet, we’re simply going to see if we can share one with a neighbor. We will, of course, return it in a clean and well cared-for condition. This way, we can cut down on expenses and gas consumption, and maybe even bring our curmudgeon of a neighbor from out behind his fence.

(7) Go meatless one day per week

Everyone should know at this point that red meat is not exactly known as a heart-healthy dietary choice. But did you know that conventional meat production is also one of the leading causes of global warming? It’s true. Plus, livestock grazing contributes to deforestation and water scarcity as well. According to Elke Stehfast of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, a piece of land the size of Russia and Canada combined could be freed from use as livestock pasture and land used to grow livestock feed if Americans and Europeans switched to a plant-protein based diet instead of an animal-protein based diet. In 2011, we are going to make a firm comittment to going meat-free for at least one day per week. Meatless Monday has quite the ring to it, don’t you think?

For more ideas on how to write your own environmentally friendly new year’s resolutions, check our these awesome ideas from Beverly Fortune at Kentucky.com. Our favorites include planting 10 native trees or plants, and picking up 10 pieces of litter a day. Then, once you have written your resolutions, make sure you share them with us here at AML, or with a friend. Because if you share your resolutions, you are much more likely to keep them!

New Year's Eve in Times Square, photo by Dan Weiner, 1951

Each year when we ask friends how they will be celebrating New Year’s Eve, we receive one of two responses:

1. Out on the town, partying and imbibing.
2. At home on the couch, and in bed before midnight.

It seems that there is very little in between. When we were younger, we always went the partying route. The triple-digit expenditure and walloping headache the next day hardly seemed worth it. The past few years, we have found ourselves gravitating towards couch land. But the next morning we always feel like we let a momentous occasion pass by without so much as a spark of acknowledgement. So this year, we are discovering fresh, cool ways to celebrate the beginning of  a new year. There are dozens of other fun, unique, and interesting ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve, sans wicked hang-over the next day.

Top 6 Favorite Ideas for Celebrating the New Year

(1) Review the year in images

Most of us have home movies, but how often do we actually watch them? Or now that digital cameras are popular, you may find that you have 400 pics stored in your camera, and not a single one printed out for the whole year of 2010. On New Year’s Eve, pop some popcorn and sit down with your family to watch a year’s worth of home movies. Or, if you have a Nintendo Wii, you can hook your digital camera up to it and watch all of your photos as a slide show on your tv. During the slide show, play a song that is special to your family, and include plenty of “pause” time so that you can all reminisce about your favorite events from 2010. If you decide to have pals over for new Year’s Eve, invite your friends to bring their cameras, too. You can finally see all those photos that your buddies took of you at your friend’s wedding last summer.

(2) Try making an unusual meal

Even if you are just cooking for you and your honey, try your hand at something new that you have never cooked before. This has the ability to turn making dinner from a chore into an exploratory adventure. Visit Oh Joy! Eats for some ultra yummy looking inspiration. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can munch on some barnacles (yes, BARNACLES) like Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff. Or, how about something that doesn’t involve cooking at all? Go to your local Asian market to stock up on essentials like nori, wakame, rice vinegar, and sansho.  Then Google “how to make sushi” for some how-to videos. Your sushi may not turn out as glamorous as it does at your favorite bar, but that’s not really the point. Have fun learning how to do something new. And then impress all your friends with your wicked sushi rolling skills. Food can be nourishing, and sexy, and everything in between. So take the time to explore and savor it in a new way.

(3) Plan a slumber party

Go all the way with your favorite sleepover party traditions. A sleeping bag is mandatory for every guest, so move all your living room furniture out of the way to make room for rows of bags. Include plenty of munchies, stupid horror movies, and board games like Monopoly, Taboo, Catchphrase, and Scrabble. If you have an adult party, this can be a pretty cool and fun way to make sure no one drives home after drinking. If you’re celebrating with kids, a living room campout is a fun change from the norm. Oh, and don’t forget to serve breakfast at midnight. Try something special and sweet, like this super delic looking Apple Crisp French Toast recipe from Sunset Magazine. *drool*

(4) Destroy your faults

Here’s an interesting New Year’s tradition that comes out of Colombia. At the end of the year, South Americans symbolically destroy all of their bad luck, faults, and mistakes from the last 12 months. To participate in this tradition, make a small dummy out of cardboard or wood, which represents the old year. Then have each of your guests or family members “dress” the dummy in an item of clothing that represents a mistake, fear, regret, or a stroke of bad luck from the past year. You can even write down your mistakes directly in the dummy. At the stoke of midnight, throw the dummy into a fireplace or bonfire, let the past year’s regrets burn away!  For some additional ways that New Year’s Eve is celebrated in South America, check out this blog about Año Nuevo in Lima, Peru.

(5) Set your intention for the new year

If every year you say “this is the year I will get healthy,” then why not start off the year on the right foot? Invite your friends over for a New Year’s Eve yoga session. If you are a beginner, look for a dvd that will get you start you off well, such as Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Beginners. If you are more advanced, look for a dvd that will kick your butt a little more, such as those labelled vinyasa, ashtanga, flow, or power yoga. At the end of your yoga workout, when you are relaxing in savasana (or corpse pose), meditate on what your intentions are for the new year, whether they may be to spend 10 more minutes gardening every day, or to buy 50% more of your food from local sources.

Whatever your intention is, make it something that is reasonable for you. Last year, we began the practice of actually making attainable resolutions. And you know what? We stuck with ‘em! So if you find yourself with a pen and paper on New Year’s Eve, or in savasana, look here at our resolutions for 2010 for some inspiration. Happy 2011!