Lifestyle

Being environmentally conscious isn’t just about waste reduction and carbon offsets. Admiring our planet’s aesthetic beauty and complexity plays an important role as well – it gives us a reason to keep it intact. Today, ecotourism in Costa Rica is thriving. Ecotourism continues to be Costa Rica’s largest foreign exchange earner, surpassing other exports such as pineapples, bananas, and coffee. Tourists from around the world travel to Costa Rica to visit the country's many national parks and beaches. It's no wonder – Costa Rica has the largest percentage of protected land in the world. Find out more about Alex's trip (And see the GORGEOUS pics) - after the jump!

One of my FAVORITE things that I used to buy (but now realize) but is a waste of money is salad dressing. They pull you in with fancy labels and delicious-sounding names, but with organic dressings in the upwards of $3-5, the price can add up too fast.

Mason jars made a huge comeback over the past few years. You see them on many a foodie blog, they are all over pinterest, and cafes & gastro-pubs alike often serve whimsical cocktails in these glass jars. A few things that make mason jars so great: 1. They're easy to clean 2. Portability 3. High versatility (see below) 4. They're reusable! With proper care these babies could last for decades. Click through for five fun ways to use mason jars.

First a disclaimer: I won't stray too far from the 'green' theme on today's blog post. Just let me take a minute to get there. Yesterday, my Facebook news feed was filled with Miley Cyrus updates. At lunch, I dropped off a huge bag of donations at Goodwill and then went inside to peruse. (Did I mention I scored a $3 unused french press?!?) As I was enjoying the thrift shop like Macklemore, I overheard one shopper’s tirade about how Cyrus’ ‘career is RUINED” and she is an absolute terrible human being. This morning on the Today Show, Matt Lauer & others once again discussed if “just being Miley” crossed the line yet again. OK, I understand that Miley was performing the “song of the summer”, which is essentially about getting laid. (In the ‘equal rights’ category, does anyone blame Thicke for his lyrics? Did everyone block their memories of Britney Spears wearing a snake or the Janet Jackson/JT superbowl moments?) I won’t get into my full opinion on this issue, although I can’t quite understand why anyone over the age of 15 watches the MTV music/VMA/movie awards. But there is something more disturbing here. The Onion summed it up pretty well: as the day journalism was overtaken by Miley Cyrus. CNN’s top headline was twerking. I now would like to bring in the important question: Why? (Find out how I related Miley's latest scandal to the environment, after the jump.)

Dear Non-Recycler, This morning I was in a fabulous mood. Nothing extraordinary happened, minus the fact I was able to do some cleaning and throw the ball around with my cat for a few minutes before work. Then, I saw it. A plastic bag. In. The. Trashcan.

I must admit - When it comes to drinks, I save any calories for booze. Therefore, I typically only drink water, coffee (with organic soy or almond milk), and homemade smoothies. When I received a batch of Organic India Tea to try, I was so psyched - but I didn't want to try all of this hot tea when it was 8000* outside. Therefore, I experimented with iced tea. Here's one of my fav combos thus far: The Arnold Palmer Makeover: Healthier, less cals & delicious.

Between my love of whiskey, local brews & organic wines, it's no secret I love a nice drink to unwind. But if you were like 20,000 of my closest friends at the Food Trust's South Street Night Market last evening, you may have enjoyed some delicious food last evening. (I sampled our fav Farm Truck, the Cheese Curds & a cupcake.) Oh, and maybe tried a few drinks last night. And like me, you may be faced with one of those obnoxious hangovers. So how do you deal with the sweaty palms, urge to drink like a camel and not-so-hot hangovers? And if you don't turn to juicy burgers & greasy bacon, WTF do you turn to as a veg? Here's 7 hangover cures without meat:

Growing your own herbs & plants means you get SO many fresh veggies. You almost forget about about those dreaded winter nights where you can't find anything growing besides mold in your leftover takeout. So rather than let your plants over-blossom, why not preserve your herbs now? Here are 4 ways to Preserve Your Herbs for Colder Times:

When you're adopting a furry child, you're faced with many choices from beds to toys. Yet nothing prepared me for the worst day of being a CatMom. Find out about what happened to Pounce and what you should do during pet emergencies, after the jump!