DWD Marries Fashion with Wellness

by April Lawson

They say green is the new black, but what the devil is a Nutrition Stylist? Debra Ward is a River North designer with a unique holistic approach to style. Her company DWD doesn’t just design clothing, but also bodies from the inside out. While some designers ensconce their clients in layers of diaphanous fabrics, DWD believes as within so without -viewing the person as a complete being. After 25 years in the business, Ward has evolved from her role as Wardrobe Consultant to Nutritional Stylist and now offers Nutritional Coaching in addition to chic urban style.

“We provide a nutritional plan based on fashion desires so you get an ideal body to go with the style. You get Little Black Dress meals, and Wrapped Sweater soups to maintain that body. It’s smart, sexy and healthy.” Says Debra.

You get the complete package:  whole mind, whole food and whole body. DWD is Located at 501 N. Wells near Illinois.

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SPA EMILIA Places Your Hands in The Lap of Luxury

by April Lawson

If you are accustomed to the factory assembly line get ‘em in and crank ‘em out philosophy of the average manicure joint then you are in for a treat at Spa Emilia on 21 West Elm. After 21 years they have developed a reputation for the best manicures and pedicures in Chicago bar-none. On any given day you may find yourself seated next to some of the city’s most successful and savvy businesswomen. Anyone from Christy Hefner to our nations current Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers to the founder of the original White party. Even HARPO Studio’s books a weekly spa day with them.

Partners Grace Sniezynski and Elizabeth Gilewicz are endearing and committed to providing unparalled customer service. You will be greeted at the door with a cup of organic herbal tea whose bright fresh green color is surreal.  (Even the premium tea leaves are a customized mix by wellness gurus DWD and cannot be store bought.)  “We want customers to have a lovely, pampering experience … an escape from their stressful lives. So every manicure and pedicure includes a fabulous massage to relax them and improve blood circulation,” says Grace. “Our staff is mostly European. The difference is more extensive training than the usual one year in the U.S. To protect our business, we are very selective about who we hire. They must take pride in what they do.” Spa Emilia is a Gold coast neighborhood jewel that no woman should miss.

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Party 4 a Reason

Next week you can feel like you’re making a difference with your binge drinking. GiveForward.org, a Chicago-based website that allows people to fundraise online for any charity or cause, is hosting Party for a Reason at one of Chicago’s newest bars, Old Town Social.

The event is technically the pre-party for Run for a Reason, a 5K race to benefit local Chicago charities. For those of us that consider beer pong the most exhausting athletic activity we can fathom, don’t worry: the proceeds from the party will also be going towards Chicago charities. Party for a Reason will take place on Thursday, September 10th at will and feature a two-hour open bar, appetizers, and what’s sure to be a young party-loving crowd.

To get your tickets today, head to http://www.party4areason.com. But wait, there’s more! Use discount code NBC before September 8th and get your ticket for $20!

Party 4 a Reason
Thursday, September 10th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Old Town Social
455 W. North Ave
Tickets: $25; $35 at the door

For more information on GiveForward, check out http://giveforward.org/

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Denim & Champagne

by April Lawson

Get over “hump” day tonight with a little bubbly and a fresh pair of jeans.  Join Veruca Salt and GO Green Management for The Try Something On cocktail party showcasing clothes from Veruca Salt on 520 N. Kingsbury. Veruca Salt is a great boutique that has everything from Primp, Susana Monaco, funky t-shirts and unique belts to Vincent Longo cosmetics. And for yoga enthusiasts like myself, they also carry Hard Tail workout clothes!

Steve’s Deli will be catering the event and Veruca Salt will be providing champagne for you to enjoy from 5:30pm-8:00pm. Guys, The Try Something On event is not just for women, men can attend too. But this cocktail party is all about the woman! So let’s make our ladies happy!

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Good music, art and cause!

Jeff Baraka, NBC Chicago Street Team

Tomorrow night (Thurs. 7/9, 8pm), Stonecutter Records (SCR) & Acoustic Chicago present a live music and visual arts showcase to support Chicago music & art, and build further awareness of the Green Star Movement (GSM). It’s all goin’ down at Lasalle Power Co., 500 N. LaSalle.

The concert will feature live performances by four of the best new musical talents in the city: Anna Soltys, Jen Porter, Whiskey Heartache and Taggart Transcontinental. Tickets are $8 at the door and $5 in advance from the SCR site. There’ll also be a raffle with proceeds going towards the current GSM project at Prescott Elementary School.

Background:

Stonecutter Records is an independent record company, headed by Producer/Engineer Chris Steinmetz, who over the past 20 years has worked with such diverse artists as Kanye West, Ben Harper, Tori Amos, Jay Z, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Mavis Staples, Common, Kiss and Feist. Acoustic Chicago is the fruition of a vision to expose some of Chicago’s finest indie singers and songwriters to a wider audience.

The Green Star Movement is a Chicago-based, non-profit organization, which has recently gained national attention. GSM works to raise awareness of the important role of the environment in daily life, through the creative collaboration of media, art, community and nature.

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Keeping it Fresh

Hungry Z, NBC Chicago Street Team

Ask any chef and they’ll tell you, fresher is better. The simplest dish can be transformed into a taste extravaganza if the right ingredients are used. The closer an ingredient is grown/harvested, the fresher the flavor. Glen Ellyn’s Glen Prairie (1250 Roosevelt Road) is taking this concept and running with it. In fact every dish is served up with ingredients from Midwest farms.

With such a focus on local ingredients, a must-try is the cheese board. Served with crostini and cranberry relish, this daily selection awakens your senses. The true standout though is the buttermilk fried, herb cheese stuffed mushrooms. Topped with bacon and chili sauce, these morsels sit on a pool of horseradish and simply burst in your mouth with flavor.

Click here to read the rest of this post on NBCChicago.com.

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Bike Munchies

Laura Lodewyck, NBC Chicago Street Team

Inspired by their love affair with their two favorite things–food and biking–Chicagoans Dimitra Tasiouras and Sharon Bautista founded Fork and the Road bike tours. Now they hope to pass on this perfect combination to you through this summer’s tours: Asian, Latin American, International BBQ, Vegetarian and “Unsung Chicago Classics” (teaser: Mexican street treats to “heroic sandwiches” to Greektown…hm). Hailed as an “eating adventure”, the tours are aimed at trying new foods in undiscovered places, while navigating the city powered by your own wheels (or rented, whatever). The total tour ranges from about 14-22 miles, reportedly at a fairly “leisurely” pace — which sounds like a good thing, given all the food that will be in your belly. From artisan cheeses and sustainable markets to Little Vietnam and”secret” Thailand cuisine, this is no typical Chicago deep-dish tour. Check them out at http://www.forkandtheroad.com.

Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com to report your favorite under-discovered Chicago events and check out my past blogs and entertainment reports with Nude Hippo at Nudehippo.tv and NBCchicago.com.

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Dance, Punch, and Kick for Alliance

Maureen Vana, NBC Chicago Street Team

Last Saturday night Crobar Chicago hosted the 1st Annual Dance for Alliance presented by Aveda Northbrook Court.  The event aimed to raise funds and awareness for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.  The organization strives to restore and protect the Great Lakes region through a variety of methods including education, volunteering, and events.  Attendees on Saturday showed support by purchasing tickets, making donations at the door, and wearing blue to promote the clean water cause.

See Photos From The Performances

Performances by local dance and martial arts groups kicked off the party at 10pm.  Breakdancers Boogie Knights opened the set and were followed by The Defensor Method Kali-Eskrima, Gingarte Capoeira, and Extreme Kung Fu/Wushu.  After the wowing display of flips, tricks, and sticks the party continued with dancing until dawn.

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Time To Be a McChicagoan!

Shlomi Rabi, NBC Chicago Street Team

Like many Chicagoans, you, too, will wake up on Saturday morning, scratch your head, kick the pizza box next to your bed, contemplate the meaning of life, and then realize that it is far too early (at least by hang-over standards) for that sort of thinking.

That’s why the best way to start your day is by indulging in the mindless–but visually engaging—spectacle of Dyeing the Chicago River starting at 10:45. The privately funded (but public accessible!) event will kick off at the corner of Columbus and Wacker Drive. Hey, if for no other reason, then you can at least take solace in the fact that you will have nothing with the river turning green, for once.

After you’ve watched icy blue turning emerald green head over to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will stretch from Balbo and Columbus all the way north to the Buckingham Fountain, starting at noon. The event will feature marching bands, giant leprechauns, men in kilts, floats, horse-drawn carriages, clover leaves, anything green, and yes, a heck of a lot of Irish pride.

If you’re still downtown (and upright), you might as well check out the following:

Fado Irish Pub
Come watch some live music with Nappertandy performing their rock versions of Celtic songs and Celtic-inspired take on old school rock & roll until 4pm. Sample the Irish beers on special and tell yourself that the only reason you’re getting your drink on at 1pm is because you would hate to dishonor such a noble Irish tradition.

Lucky Strike Lanes
Grab a Guinness (and a friend’s hand for balance), and slip on the world’s most unattractive pairs of shoes as you challenge your buddies for a game of bowling. Be sure to stick around for DJ Gusto’s spinning and the prizes & giveaways. True hardcores will try the $4 Jameson shots and $5 Irish Car Bombs. It may be time to write your liver that “Dear John” letter.

Grace O’Malley’s
Should your still retain most of your senses (and clothes) by that point, come watch the Shannon Rovers pipe and drum band and the World Academy of Irish Dancers bust moves that will probably have you wondering “How?” By that point, it might be a good idea to load up on food and go for the Irish sausage dogs, the fish n’ chips, the corned beef & sauerkraut, and wash it all down with some Green Miller Lite.

Once you get home, be sure to take off your green beads, wash your face of the green clover leaves you had some chick paint on your cheeks, and throw your leprechaun hat on the couch. Just for extra measure, look inside last night’s pizza box for any possible leftovers. You won’t know the difference anyway.

To learn more where Shlomi finds inspiration on special occasions click here.

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Metamorphosis Event at Martini Park!

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team GO Green Management and Maven hosted their business networking event on Wednesday January 21st at Martini Park. Metamorphosis is Go Green’s first event of the year, celebrating change and new life in 2009!

There were many sponsor booths like T-mobile, Green Exchange, MeGoGreen, and Prairie Organic Vodka. The event consisted of networking, a hosted reception, raffle and even a dance performance!

Check out more life-loving video at JenChicago.com!
Join the JenChicago fan page on Facebook!

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Are You Connected With Your Food?

D.C. “Fete Select TV” Crenshaw, NBC5 Street Team

We’ve heard and seen it several times this year.  A food recall that caused unwelcoming health problems and a major scare amongst consumers from around the world.  There was spinach, beef, tomatoes, jalapenos, mussels, tuna salad and even popcorn that hit the news wire at some point.  It’s great when the FDA finds the source of an E. coli breakout, but it’s very hard to a pinpoint the food origin.

Worry no more, well at least when you eat the cuisine catered by Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions.  Founder and Executive Chef, Cleetus lets his clients know exactly where their food comes from.  Therefore, he actually connects his customers to the food that they eat, by using local ingredients from local farms.  Imagine knowing the exact farm that your ham sandwich or tomato salad came from.  How great to have dinner at a farm that provides you with everything on your plate?  Everything is fresh, organic and good.  They have a suggested catering menu and specialize in custom menu planning.   

CleetusFriedman was recently selected as one of the Chicago Sun-Times 50 people changing Chicago.  He is definitely doing his part by using products that are easily recyclable or biodegradable.  City Provisions is doing everything possible to be Eco-Friendly.  They introduce a lot of their customers to their cuisine via Supper Club events.  I will partake in their five-course vegetarian Supper Club tonight where cuisine and beer, donated by Great Lakes Brewery, will be paired.  The theme is “Sustainability with Food and Drink” and their September 20th Supper Club theme is “The Farm Dinner” at Dietzler Farms.  For more information about reserving a spot at the table log onto www.cityprovisions.com.  City provisions is located at 1043 N. California Ave.

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Bolf-a-palooza!

Cara Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

It’s a party!  Tickets are only $40 and include all of your cocktails plus an opportunity to win great prizes, such as Cubbies tickets.  And, you’ll be helping out a deserving cause.  Need I say more?  Click on the picture for details.

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A Conversation With OAR’s Marc Roberge

Cara Carriveau, NBC5 Street Team

O.A.R. is in Chicago for two shows this week.

Marc Roberge

They play at Charter One Pavillion Thurday evening. And earlier that day they are putting on a FREE Mix lunchtime concert at Pioneer Court in the gold coast. Click HERE for details.

I spoke with lead singer Marc Roberge for The Chicago Music Guide. He talks about plenty of things including why he encourages you to record their shows and why it’s not a great idea to cruise across the country in an RV. Listen here:

(if you’re having trouble hearing the audio above, you can hear it at www.CarasBasement.com or www.ChicagoMusicGuide.com)

Type my name in the search bar to see/hear more of my posts including interviews with Alanis Morissette, The Bravery, Lovehammers, Triumph’s Rik Emmett, Matthew Santos, Shooting Star, Mike Tafoya, Absentstar, comedian Lee Camp & more.

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Come One, Come All to the Akira Carnival!!

Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

This Thursday from 5-10pm in celebration of their 6th year anniversary, Akira will transform their section of North avenue into a carnival/carnivale party scene.  Your $10 donation will be in turn donated to Gateway Green, an nonprofit organization dedicated to making Chicago a greener and more beautiful city for us all.  

Drinks are sponsored by Belvidere vodka and Miller and will be served inside the Akira stores. The party will spill out into the streets as well with DJs, carnival inspired games and live entertainment. Appetizers and quick bites provided by Hugo’s Frog Bar, LuxBar, Harry Caray’s, Big Bowl, Lucia’s, Food for Thought and Gene & Georgetti’s.

Akira’s reputation for giving back to their customers continues with 10% off all purchases made between 5-10pm with an additional 10% donated to Gateway Green.  Come on out and celebrate with us, you get all the fun and excitement of a carnival without the creepy carnies.  And stick around for the afterparty at Chaise Lounge, 1840 W North Ave.

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Beginner’s Luck: It’s All In The Cards

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

You ever wonder why it’s always the woman who doesn’t really follow sports and picks her favorite team based on uniform color who ends us doing well in your March Madness office pool? It never surprises me. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, or rather, too much information or knowledge can be a liability. Or perhaps, it all comes down to pure luck.

Whatever it is, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to play at the media table at the World Series of Poker Qualifying Tournament last week. Sponsored by Horseshoe Casino, it was one of many pre-events for Chicago Gateway Green’s Green Tie Ball XVII.

But here’s the rub — I’ve never played poker before. But I dutifully sat at the table, read up on some of the rules before the first hand was dealt, and jumped right in. Bottom line, I was on fire. Within a couple of hours, I had cleaned out most of the table, which included HGTV Design On A Dime host Ali Azhar, Survivor Fiji’s Mookie Lee and more importantly, the player on my immediate left, B96 general sales manager Ben Ponzio, who won $600,000 in the World Series of Poker last year and was sporting the gold bracelet to prove it. I’m not sure he’s happy about offering all that advice to a novice, but hey, who would’ve known?

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Slideshow: Poker Qualifying Tournament

Slideshow: Green Tie Ball 2007

Video: Green Tie Ball 2007

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Anyway, after advancing to the next round, I was quickly dispatched by some of the other players, and I walk away with the same view toward Poker as Blackjack — no matter how much you think you know what you’re doing, there’s not much you can do if you’re dealt a crappy hand.

By the way, this year’s Green Tie Ball (one of my favorite parties of the year), is scheduled for September 13 at a new location — Chicago Scenic Studios. This year’s theme is Greenivale — where Green meets Carnivale.

Two more pre-events will be held prior to the big September bash. For more information, visit www.greentieball.org.

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Organic School Project Audio Interview with Greg Christian, Chicago’s Concious Caterer

Jim Grillo, NBC5 Street Team

It’s Simple. Just Press Play!

The Organic School Project (OSP) seeks to help School-aged children become more mindful eaters, one school at a time.

 

What’s mindful? Imagine students sitting down to a school lunch. Not just any lunch – but a meal students have a hand in planning and preparing, full of fresh fruits and vegetables that they even helped grow. Imagine students more connected to the food they eat, and making informed choices about what goes on their plate.

 

What makes OSP unique?

 

It is the only organization bringing together hands-on gardening, organic food preparation and meal service with health-related curriculum and scientific evaluation.

 

This combination of interactive programs is designed to engage children – along with their families, school staffs and communities – in growing, learning about, and preparing the food they eat.

 

A unique collaboration of educators, public and private-area gardens, farms, food retailers and suppliers, parents, community organizations, cooking professionals and health care professionals, OSP seeks to reconnect the Chicago community with their food source.

 

The 3 Components of OSP Programs

 

Grow — Master gardeners, farmers, and green organizations lend their expertise to participating school students and community members in custom designed school and community organic vegetable gardens.

 

Teach — This educational component teaches children, families, food service staff, teachers and community members about all aspects of the food they eat: from the connections between food and health, food sources and preparation, to nutritional value, flavor and enjoyment. OSP teaching teams include culinary, agriculture/farming, gardening and health care professionals.

 

Feed — OSP works with schools and food service vendors to provide organic and all-natural meal service to students, including locally sourced foods whenever possible. Under the direction of OSP and participating food service staff and teachers, ingredients grown in the school gardens are often used in meal preparation or in food-based demonstrations held in the classrooms.

 

Visit their website to learn more about the Organic School Project

 

I would love to hear your comments.  Feel free to click on the comments button below and provide a comment on The Organic School Project interview.

 

Thanks for listening

Jim

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Green Fest: One last note – Care2

Fayth (aka Relaxocat), NBC5 Street Team

One thing I meant to post earlier is the sponsorship of the Green Fest by Care2.com. What a pleasant surprise!  If your intentions are good, but you’re lazy, busy, (like me) or something else that precludes you from acting on your various environmental or social concerns, check out Care2. It’s a one-stop site where your “click-a-day” actually donates to causes such as the Humane Society of the U.S. and Amnesty International. It’s also got “the petition site” and a wealth of information about eco-living, healthy eating, energy saving, and lots more including online shopping links for buying your eco-gear. As with other online communities you can get an email account there, store your pictures, and send e-cards that are cute and often animated. Don’t let the cuteness fool you though, Care2 really does provide a lot of information for the online activist in all of us.

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Green Festival: Planet Green

Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

One of the first things that grabbed my attention when first walking into the festival was the Planet Green booth. There were two cyclists whose bikes were hooked up to a generator that converted their energy into electricity,which in turn powered the IMac they were using for the exhibit.   You know I couldn’t just stand by and watch them have all the fun so I jumped on one of the other bikes to see if I could light all three of the bulbs they had set up. Most people could only light two, watch the video and see how I did. Beyond the bikes, the booth actually was set up to promote the launch of Planet Green,  Planet  Green is the first network to have an all green lineup to promote a more eco-conscious lifestyle for all, they even have a green cooking show hosted by one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Emeril Lagasse. I had the chance to  catch  up with Kelly WellBorn who gave me the inside scoop on the network’s new lineup, to learn more, check out www.planetgreen.discovery.com.

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Green Festival: Baring (Almost) All In The Name Of Green

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

So while we were strolling around the Green Festival, we ran into a group of students from the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program at National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL. I thought it looked like interesting stuff, so I interviewed one of the students while another performed an acupuncture procedure.

After we finished one of our groupies (yes, TV crews have groupies), suggested I do the interview with my shirt off while receiving a fire-cupping procedure. Whether she thought it would make for good TV, or she was looking for an opportunity to grope my bare back (which she did), I had to agree, it would make for a much better segment. So we re-did the interview, sans shirt.

Oh, buy the way, you can get more information about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program at www.nuhs.edu. All of their treatments are natural and they don’t use any synthetic materials.

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Green Festival: Totally Vegan

Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

After Marcus spoke with one of the co-owners of Totally Vegan, he gave us some of the meals to sample. I’m not normally the vegan type, but it was awesome. I’d definitely suggest the sunflower seed pate, the raw carrot salad, the lasagna and the spinach quiche. But after he started talking about how much weight he’s lost, and how low his cholesterol is since he changed his eating habits, I knew we had to interview him again. For more information, hit www.totally-vegan.com.

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Green Festival: A Couple of Standouts

Fayth (aka Relaxocat), NBC5 Street Team

Green Fest was really exhausting as far as I’m concerned. So much information, so many people, and so many samples. I think I had enough flax seed to fill my Omega 3 Fatty Acid quota for the month. After all was said and done, there were a few standouts that come to mind to share with you.

Earth Paints Collection Systems – Ever wonder what to do with your unused latex paint other than leave it behind in your old apartment for the next person? One thing to do is bring it to an Earth Paints Collection Center where they will recycle it into 100% recycled, usable paint or turn it into an additive for other building products such as concrete. There’s a small fee for disposal, but it sure beats having old cans of paint around the house.

Greenmaker Supply Company – Co-owner Ori Sivan described the company as “Green Home Depot in the city.” Which is pretty accurate as far as I can tell. Greenmaker carries “energy intelligent”, environmentally sensitive, and healthy building products. Everything from construction products to kitchen and bath fixtures can be found at Greenmaker. If you’re looking for recycled glass tile, environmentally friendly flooring, or any number of home improvement products, check out Greenmaker.

Credo Mobile – I really wondered how a wireless phone company could be “green”. They are (see the comment from Credo below), but they also help support environmental, humane and other charities through their mobile services. Running the on the Sprint network, you can get your service through Credo and have a percentage of your expense donated directly to charities included in the Credo group of charities. It’s not perfect for everyone, but the plans are simple to understand, include free “Credo-to-Credo” calling, and a number of other features. Best of all, your mobile phone can help you help a cause.

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Green Festival: Peace Coffee

Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

If there’s coffee around, I’m gonna drink it. I don’t care if it’s first thing in the morning to kick start my day, a quick cup before a work out, or a perfect accompaniment to my dessert, it’s going down. Walking around the festival was a little tiring so I followed my nose over to Peace Coffee and man am I glad I did. A lot of places claim to be ‘planet friendly’ or ‘green’ but this Minneapolis-based brand has really embodied the concept. For starters, their organic coffees come from free trade farmers in nine different countries around the world, each blend carrying their own distinct flavors, notes and characteristics. On top of that, all orders in the immediate Minneapolis area are delivered by bicycle and orders extending into the suburbs, by bio-deisel van. How cool is that? I will always stand up for the little guy and Peace Coffee provides the perfect pick-me-up that I would take over Starbucks any day. To pick up some peaceful coffee of your own, go to www.peacecoffee.com.

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Green Festival: Stop Beer Warming!!

Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

Does this situation ever happen to you? You’re at a house party with your trusty plastic cup in hand. You’re slowly sipping on your beer and schmoozing with the crowd. And just as you’re about to take a final sip you get that grimace across your face which is the product of warm beer? No longer do we have to be victims to those last few disgusting drops. The Chillster is a new glass that makes sure you never have that problem again. After sticking it in the freezer, it’s supposed to keep your beer cold for up to two hours. Talk about cool. The premise behind The Chillster is to cut down on the waste of plastic cups. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to help the planet by taking down a cold one. To purchase The Chillster, go to www.stopbeerwarming.com.

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