Posts filed under ‘Bright Ideas’
America Recycles Day – November 15, 2010
America Recycles Day is coming up on November 15th. You can find a event near you here. Forever Young Photography has taken the pledge to recycle. Make a 
“Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.” Learn more.
2010 Jingle Ball Sponsor
Forever Young Photography is happy to announce that we will be a sponsor of the 2010 Jingle Ball held at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh, NC. This is the 3rd year that Forever Young Photography has been a sponsor of this event. Here are the details for the event.
17th Annual Jingle Ball
Thursday, December 9, 2010
6:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Marbles Kids Museum
201 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27612
Click here for directions
Admission: 21 and older, each attendee is asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child (ages 2-12) valued at $20 or more. For those not bringing a gift, admission will be $30 by cash or check.
The Capital City Clauses is happy to host their largest toy drive, the annual Jingle Ball. Last year they collected more than 2,400 toys, and this year their goal is to collect at least 3,000 toys for The Salvation Army’s Christmas Cheer program. Please join us and help bring brighter holidays to Wake County children! You can see photographs from the 2009 Jingle Ball here. I hope to see you there!
Scary Halloween Ideas, but not too Scary for the Environment
How to make this Halloween leave a lighter footprint on the world after it passes?
Here are some quick, easy tips to lighten the load of Halloween Havoc:
COSTUMES OPTIONS: Still haven’t figured out your costume for this year? Rent one from a local store. Or if you want something that will be one of a kind, make it yourself from items you already have and/or from items bought from a resale store. Both options save on packaging, production, and transport from newly purchased items. Additionally, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is often found in plastic Halloween Costumes which is a known carcinogen and leaches toxic chemicals. Who wants to wear a cheesy plastic store bought costume anyway?
I NEED BLOOD: There are lots of recipes online for making fake blood on your own from things that might already be in your kitchen. You can even make varieties that are edible with a few simple ingredients – red food coloring, corn starch and coca powder.
TRICK OR TREAT!: These boots are made for walkin’ – park the car and let the kiddies walk from house to house. Try toting a reusable bag or a pillow case to collect your goodies from door to door instead of a plastic one. Passing out candy? Buy candy in bulk to save on excess smaller packaging.
JACK O’ LANTERN: Use the seeds to make tasty treats for you or the birds. Don’t forget about the guts – the birds can chomp on this too or include them in your compost pile. Lay your pumpkin to rest as compost or burying him in your garden once he is done lighting the night.
I hope you and your family have a Happy Halloween!
The Story of Stuff
I wanted to share a couple of links with you. I am not sure if you have heard of The Story of Stuff {hopefully you have}, but if you have not, or want to learn more, please check out the links below.
We are surrounded by stuff. If you have not already watched this video, “The Story of Stuff” by Annie Leonard, carve some time out of your day to watch this short 20 min film. In our day to day life, it is easy to not think about where all our stuff comes from or goes. This video puts it more into perspective.
The Story of Stuff
You can also listen to a podcast with Annie Leonard via Green Talk Radio. There is also The Story of Stuff book available as well.
Eco-Beautiful Weddings – The Spring Issue & other great resources
The Spring issue is available online for Eco-Beautiful Weddings. View the magazine issue online for free. They have some handy tools to make viewing a snap plus it is pretty sweet that the magazine is linked up as well. See a cool product you want to learn more about in an article; just click on it to go to the product’s website. Check it out for some great ideas on weddings, health, etc.
Looking for other great websites to help in planning a eco-friendly wedding?
*The Green Bride Guide: Everything you need to plan a Green Wedding
*Recycled Bride: Recycled Bride is a free online marketplace for buying and selling wedding dresses, accessories, decor, and more
*Project Ruffle Swap: Buy or sell a wedding dress
*Dream Green Weddings: Favors, Invitations, Gifts
Greener Photography Certified 2010
Great news! Forever Young Photography has been certified as a Premiere Member of Greener Photography, an organization of eco-minded photographers. Here is a brief summary of the application process:
• Certification is only available to professional photographers.
• Complete an intensive application process and submit your environmental policy for your business.
• Further questions and verification of environmental policy.
• To achieve Basic level certification, applicants must demonstrating a sincere effort to integrate a minimum requirement of greener business practices.
• If you qualify for Basic Level certification, you will have the option to apply for the Premiere Level of certification.
• Premiere level members must demonstrate more integrated greener business practices, as well as a greater commitment to the environment by offering greener products.
Core Values stated for the Non-Profit Organization Greener Photography: “Photography is an art form that allows each of us to interpret the world around us. The nature of our tools and traditional materials makes photography a high-tech field; it is an energy-intensive activity. We believe that we can make our high-tech field more green by implementing environmentally-friendly practices, and encouraging suppliers to do the same.
• Preservation conserves all of the resources that go into creating photographic images. It is the single best thing we can do to reduce the impact of our photographs.
• Reduction: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. While we are trying to produce the most archival products in our industry, we will do so while using the least energy-intensive products available.
• Local Production: Shipping and transport are some of the biggest sources of pollution. Anything that can be produced, manufactured and assembled locally will have a significantly lower environmental impact than components manufactured overseas.
• Cruelty-Free: Animals and people are as much part of the eco-system as water, air, and trees. We do not see a difference between environmentally harmful products and those produced in harmful working conditions.
• We want to drive the industry standards for environmental awareness and pollution reduction.”
Spring Cleaning – Tips to make a Positive Impact
The Spring Bug is getting into all of us by now. Time to clear out any unneeded items. Here are a few quick tips and links to help make your Spring Cleaning a little more friendly on our Earth:
- Have old CDs, DVDs that you don’t need anymore? Here is a great way to recycle them through CD Recycling of America.
- Do you have clothes or household items to pass along? Donate them to Goodwill, Sell them on Craigslist, or gift them on Freecycle.
- Have a home project you want to start? Check out your local Habitat for Humanity Restores to see if they have some of the items you need. Reuse to help keep items out of landfills, find the items you need at a fraction of the price of buying them new, and your purchases help to support the Habitat for Humanity in your area.
- Have other items to get rid of, but don’t know how? Check out Earth911. “In our recycling database, we can help you find over 100,000 recycling locations across the country. With information provided by local governments, industry insiders, organizations and everyday consumers, you can recycle hundreds of products from packing peanuts to computers. We know where you need to go to get things done.”
- Now that you cleared out what you don’t need, ready to start cleaning? Check out this article for the How to go green cleaning to learn about a ton of great ideas, products, and more.
Happy Spring!
Website Update in the works this week, Earth Hour, Bridal Show
Happy Monday. Hope your week is off to a great start. Lots of fun stuff going on this week. My website is being redesigned, Earth Hour on Saturday, 8:30pm, and the Bass Lake Bridal Show on Sunday!
Website: I am really exited to start to roll out my new website design. You will already start to notice changes to my site but please be patient as all the final tweaks are unrolled and the new portfolio section is revealed. I will give you the “All Clear” when it is all up and running. :-) I promise you won’t have to wait long. In the mean time, you can always check out my blog for recent work and to learn more about Forever Young Photography LLC.
Earth Hour: If you have not heard of Earth Hour, you better check out the video below. Forever Young Photography has Pledged our Support for Earth Hour.
Bridal Show: Sunday is the Bass Lake Bridal Show. March 28, 2010 from 1pm-4pm. Come and sign up for a chance to win FREE Wedding Photography Coverage from Forever Young Photography! Hope to see you there!
