What I Am Thankful For

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I just wanted to share all the things I am grateful for this year:

1. Family: I have the greatest parents and I am so thankful for all they give me throughout the year. They give me strength and love when I need it the most. Thanks mom and dad!
2. Friends: Although I haven't been able to see all of them as much as I would have liked this past year (it gets harder and harder as you get older and the responsibilities of life gets in the way), I am still grateful for the times I have been able to share with them. I have so many great memories and a year full of laughter and love. Thank you all!
3. Health: I am lucky to have great health and to be able to live a life without any health issues.
4. Endless opportunities: I have realized this past year that I can accomplish anything I want. Because of all the things I listed above, I can have the strength and motivation to do anything. It has been a rough year with all that is on my plate but I have had such an amazing time and I am so lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I want.
 5. Passion: I have realized this past year what it is that I am passionate about and I have had the opportunity to explore it more.  My passion for sustainability, architecture and volunteerism is growing each day and as I experience and learn more about each subject my interest and passion grows. I am excited to see where all of this takes me in the year to come.

All I can say is that I am a lucky girl and I only hope the next year is just as sweet!

Mission Valley River Clean Up

So this morning, I participated in the Mission Valley River Clean Up for the San Diego River Park Foundation and I had a great time just as I had last month. It's amazing what you find and to see that there is so much trash hiding along the river. I have posted some pictures and I will upload some video that I took as well. I urge all of you to take the time this month to volunteer for some organization. There are so many opportunities out there, you should be able to find a group that you feel comfortable with. My goal is to attend at least one volunteer event a month. Check out my blog from time to time to find out about more volunteer activities in the future.

Visit the San Diego River Park Foundations website to find out more about this organization. www.sandiegoriver.org

Great Sustainable Cooking Products

So I just made a great tilapia dinner using some of my new "bambu" cookware. This made me want to explore some other green alternatives to cooking. Another company that I have in my collection is Farberware. They have a line that makes Eco friendly cookware. It may be hard to find and the website doesn't have anything on the Eco friendly utensils but keep a look out for them in any retail store that sells Farberware. A great site that sells stylish and eco friendly products for the home is www.edenhome.com. They have really nice cookware, utensils and anything else for the kitchen. Take a browse through the rest of the site and you will find other great products for the entire home. Cuisinart also makes a eco friendly line, "Green Gourmet", that includes recycled stainless steel handles and a PTFE- and PFOA-free nonstick cooking surface on their skillets. You can go to Cuisinart.com to get more information and locations on where to buy.

I am really excited to keep my search on other eco friendly products and I will keep you updated as I find more. If you know of any other products, please post here and share your knowledge on green cooking.

Thanks and happy cooking!

So it's 12am..

It's 12am and I have decided that I need to be more conscious of what I do throughout the day. Although I am passionate about trying to improve the environment by being less wasteful and using the resources I have responsibly, I still feel that I am not doing enough. I still find myself using plastic bags at the grocery store because I forgot one of the 20 reusable bags I have at home. I am still wearing clothing that are made out of synthetic fibers, which will eventually add to the mounting landfills. Although I only live 5 minutes from both work and grad school, I am still using my car for transportation rather than riding my bike or using public transportation. Despite all this, I am trying to realize what I do on a daily basis and find ways to cultivate a healthier lifestyle.

We can all find ways (little or big) to help create a healthier world and by taking note of what you do everyday can help you realize the areas where you can improve. Why not tomorrow, take a notebook and jot down everything you do. At the end of the day, read back what you did and try to find alternatives to all the little things. Can you switch your hair products to a non-toxic and biodegradable product or can you find a way to live without the air conditioner? Small changes or large, they all make a difference.

Thanks for being green!

Whats coming up this month?

Good morning! November is here and with a new month comes new opportunities to become active in the environmental world. Here are a few events coming up this month in San Diego:

San Diego Green Drinks
San Diego November GreenDrinks - Return to Barrio Logan, at a new locale - Surface Design Studio, Thursday November 12 6-9PM

Where: Surface Design Studio
1815-b main street
(main between beardsley and caesar chavez) San Diego, CA 92113
street parking available, public transit stops close.

When: Thursday November 12 6-9 PM

(Plus - Save the Date - December San Diego GreenDrinks 12/17)

Sustainability Partnership Breakfast
Description: Nexus Between Business & Education Sustainability to be Focus of 2nd Annual Sustainability Partnership Breakfast

The nexus between emerging sustainability needs for both the business and educational sectors in the San Diego region will be the theme of the second annual Partnership Breakfast of the San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership, to be held Wednesday, November 18 from 7:30 a.m. to Noon at the Q Auditorium at Qualcomm's "Building Q": 6455 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121.

The Breakfast will feature two expert panels along with audience participation and discussion, geared toward anyone considering entering or transferring into the "green jobs" market.

The RSVP deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, 2009. The Breakfast will take place a week later, on Wednesday, November 18 from 7:30 a.m. - Noon at Qualcomm’s “Building Q”: 6455 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121.

Registration, breakfast, networking and booths start at 7:30 a.m, and the program starts at 8:30 a.m. Tickets will be sold (cash or check only) at the door the morning of the Breakfast, at the following prices:

$10 – Students with student ID
$15 – Partnership members
$20 – General admission

For more information: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs080/1101091656837/archive/1102783276876.html.

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Time: 7:30am-12:00pm PST

..and to keep your schedules open for the month of December, here is another event to consider attending:

Holiday Cocktail Party

Come ring in the holidays with USGBC at our annual Holiday Cocktail Party and Membership Meeting. The event will take place at the lush Marina Village in Point Loma and will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks, as well as networking and a Membership Awards presentation.

Come meet the 2010 Board of Directors.

Date: Wednesday, December 2nd
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Marina Village - Seaside Room
1936 Quivira Way
San Diego, CA 92109

Tickets:
$25 - USGBC-SD Members
$35 - Non-Members
Tickets include admission, food & one complimentary drink ticket
Join us for Heavy Hors D'oeuvres & Drinks, Networking & Membership Awards
Cocktail or Business Attire

Our "No-Host" Bar will include:
Sodas and bottle water $2 each
Beer and wine $4 each
Mixed drinks $5 each
Call drinks (premium liquor) $5 each

Register: http://usgbc-sd.eventbrite.com/

Location: Marina Village - Seaside Room 1936 Quivira Way San Diego, California 92109

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm PS

I will keep you posted with new events that I find out about. Networking and attending these great events is a wonderful way to keep yourself inspired and a great way to learn about sustainability.

Enjoy!

My First Blog!

Well, here is my first blog and I am not exactly sure what to write today but I thought I should get started. So here I am. Excited to start a new blog and get you informed on everything to do with being green, designing and living. I will get organized and post another blog in the near future so keep your eyes out for it!

Much Love!