This year, if you’re searching for the perfect Valentine’s gift, think thoughtfully and responsibly about the gift and who it’s going to.  If you have a chocolate lover on your hands for instance, give Fair Trade chocolates.  Equal Exchange (www.equalexchange.coop) offers organic fairly-traded gourmet chocolate bars that are out of this world.  The chocolate is a rich and delicious treat that supports small-scale farmers and their families. The bars combine famous Swiss standards in chocolate making with cocoa from the farmer co-operatives CONACADO, in the Dominican Republic, COCABO, in Panama, and CACVRA, in Peru; fairly traded organic sugar from co-operatives in Paraguay and Costa Rica; and fairly traded vanilla from Madagascar.  You can even learn about pairing chocolate with organic coffees and how to “taste” chocolate.  The perfect romantic evening I say.

And we can’t mention enough, give a reusable gift.  This month CynerGreen is offering two of it’s Red Stainless water bottles for only $16.00 – WOW, 2 for $16!  You can’t beat it.  Just type in the code LuvMyBottle when you check out.  This is a hidden gem and won’t be advertised except in our blog and on Twitter so enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the folks at CynerGreen! 

ALSO NEW…

• CG Kidz on twitter @cgkidz
• CynerGreen on Facebook!  Help us get to 1000 Friends by Earth Day and we’ll donate an additional 100 reusable water bottles to the Planet Pals effort to green classrooms!
• Get your February Green Team Gazette www.cgkidz.wordpress.com

www.americanbusinessforcleanenergy.org

Recently, CynerGreen held a ribbon cutting and opened its first “green boutique” located just outside of Little Rock, in Cabot.  The store features the entire CynerGreen line of reusable stainless steel water bottles as well as green lifestyle products including Healthy Tap portable water filters, reusable shopping bags and Fair Trade products.  The store is the flagship boutique and first of its kind in the city of Cabot, state of Arkansas and surrounding states.  “It’s a place where consumers can easily find everyday, affordable options to living a greener, cleaner lifestyle” Danelle Hoffer, President and CEO of CynerGreen stated.  She continued to reinforce a message of eco-conscious living by stating, “Our goal with these easy to navigate stores, is to educate first about environment then offer products that help people to truly live and breathe greener lives.”  Outside the store, consumers can drop off their used cell phones and batteries to be recycled, and in return, receive a gift card to shop in the store. 

A unique feature of the first store is the construction methods used.  Everything used to build the store, warehouse and offices was recycled including materials, furniture and fixtures.  “Down to the shelving in the warhouse and the low flow toilet, we took all aspects into consideration” said Joe Hoffer, CFO of CynerGreen.  “The intention was to create the least impact on the environment and our surroundings.” It’s easily noticable from the moment you enter the store.  From stained concrete floors to open ceilings and the innovative use of natural light flowing into the office areas, all details were considered in this simple but trendy green concept store.

A special shopping experience awaits and includes a bit of environmental education, especially where kids are concerned.  In the CG Kidz section you’ll find the reusable water bottle designed by Riley Hoffer, the owners daughter and USGBC Youth Leader.  Posters stating facts and information on how to make a difference in your community can also be found.  Riley is on hand some afternoons to share about the message of environmental stewardship and facts about plastic water bottles. 

 See photos of the store here http://tinyurl.com/yjrupxo and watch for future additions, products and more to appear in the coming months. 

Interested in an exciting, first of its kind ”green boutique” franchise ?  Call us at 501.605.0197 for information.

U.S. Green Building Council – Central Branch Monthly Meeting
Featured Speakers: Danelle Hoffer of CynerGreen and Riley Hoffer of CG Kidz

They’ll share how they’re saving the world, one bottle at a time.

The U.S. Green Building Council – Central Branch will hold its monthly meeting, at 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Next Level Event (1400 W. Markham) in Little Rock. This month’s topic is historic preservation. Cliff McKinney, an attorney and USGBC-AR member will discuss:

■National programs & tax credits
■Historic structures in a green environment
■Restrictions for registered buildings

Members $18, Guests $20. For more information, contact Linda Smith at usgbcar@yahoo.com.

VIDEO CynerGreen on Fox News – Talk Business

VIDEO  Fox News – Talk Business Feature on CG Kidz, Riley Hoffer

Watch for the release soon…

Proceeds from the purchase of the CGKidz BPA Free, Stainless Steel water bottle go to support water bottle programs at elementary and middle schools in need of environmental programming across the country. www.cynergreen.com/shop

The CGKidz bottle is:
500ml | 16.9 ouncesComes with Twist Cap
Drinking cap may be purchased separately
Silver Carabineer included
Lead Free Paint – Completely chemical free
Perfect for lunchboxes or to clip to a backpack

The eco-friendly CG Kidz Logo was designed by Riley Hoffer, founder of www.cgkidz.com.

Research further supports that companies who manufacture products with a cause related story, will receive greater support from the consumer market as well. “You absolutely should expect to get a more favorable response to a cause-related item,” says Duke marketing professor Gavin Fitzsimons. This carries over into using items made from recycled materials and other eco-friendly products, he says. “If you’re using a recycled cup or shirt, there is a certain amount of pride. … I can think of examples for myself where, because I’m associating myself with a cause, I believe I feel like I’m starting my day on a positive note by wearing a cause-related shirt.”

“Our research has always found Americans have stronger favorability to companies that support causes,” says Alison DaSilva, executive vice president at the research firm Cone. Translation, find a way to incorporate a great cause into your holiday gift giving this year.

ABOUT CG KIDZ  CG Kidz believes that through eco-assemblies, educational webinars and events, kids in 2-5^th grade have the power to influence the environmental awareness of millions of children and adults. This initial concept and idea by then 11 year old Riley Hoffer, set the stage for our 2008 launch and it remains at the core of our mission today.

CG Kidz mobilizes students in elementary schools, educating them about environmental issues, which in turn, inspires them to take action. A pioneer in linking the power of children’s voices to environmental awareness, it was CG Kidz  who introduced Bottle Free Schools™, launching the concept of eliminating plastic water bottles from schools and campuses everywhere, and bringing the concept of reusable water bottles and refill or “hydration stations” to thousands of previously unaware districts everywhere.

A venerable liaison between the kids and the environmental community, our role is active and diverse. We work to share and educate with environmental messages in the most creative and influential ways. In tandem with CynerGreen, the founding organization and inventors of Bottle Free™ environments, CG Kidz offers practical guidance on how kids and individuals can green their day-to-day lives while taking a stand on important environmental issues that will impact their futures.   CG Kidz is a pending 501(C)3, non-profit organization in the state of Arkansas.

Our Mission      To bring environmental education, and awareness to kids in 2^nd through 5^th grades; empowering them to take action in their communities for a cleaner, greener future.  It is our mission to share information and influence children to have a voice and carry the message of environmental stewardship throughout their lives, helping to do their part and make a difference.

1 Anniversary of Basketball. Use laundry baskets or plastic bins to create your own kid friendly basketball game. Play with balloons, soft balls or even balled up socks!

12 National Day of the Horse. Play with horse or pony toys, sing “Old MacDonald Had a Horse,” and teach kids to gallop like a horse!

16 Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday (1770). Introduce your children to one of the world’s greatest composers. Listen or download music at amclassical.com.

25 Christmas Day. Celebrate Jesus’ Birthday with a birthday cake and party hats or balloons. Take time to sing happy birthday to Jesus during your family Christmas celebration.

26 National Thank-You-Note Day. Even very young children can make thank you notes for gifts received at Christmas. Type a short thank you in a big bubble font and let them color it in. Or have them color a piece of cardstock and then attach a picture of the child with the gift.

31 New Year’s Eve. Spend some time as a family talking about and looking at pictures of favorite events or activities of 2009. Thank God for good times and ask his blessing on 2010.

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing BPA, and they will release their recommendations next week. The more of us working together right now to finally rid food containers of toxic BPA, the better.

That’s why we’re partnering with CREDO Action on this last-minute push to keep our food safe. There’s nothing quite as good as doubling down to increase the odds of getting toxics out of our food containers.

It’s time for action. Join us in signing CREDO Action’s petition to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging a ban of BPA in all food packaging!

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/fda_no_bpa/

Did you know that Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been implicated in everything from miscarriages to cancer to sexual dysfunction? And it can be found in your food containers! BPA is in a broad range of food packaging including baby bottles, water bottles, almost all soda can liners and many other types of packaging.

Make no mistake, BPA gets into our food: Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group have both studied the issue and found BPA in many of the canned products they tested, including infant formula, vegetables, soda and soup. And we are what we eat. BPA is present in detectable levels in over 90% of Americans’ bodies.

Hundreds of studies have confirmed the dangers of even low-level doses of BPA. The risks are severe enough that the prestigious Endocrine Society released a special statement last summer explicitly warning that low-level exposure to BPA can adversely affect female and male reproduction, thyroid function, and metabolism, and could even increase obesity. ¹

There is already overwhelming evidence that BPA is dangerous to our health. It has no place in our food, or our children’s food, even at the lowest levels. It’s time for the FDA to put people’s safety above corporate profits. When the FDA releases its BPA review on November 30, the agency should call for an immediate ban on the use of BPA in any and all food packaging, including baby bottles and can linings, and should further require companies to fully test and disclose the nature of all chemical ingredients used in food packaging and linings.

Let the FDA know it’s not OK for bottles or food packaging to contain dangerous chemicals. Tell FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg that enough is enough, join us in signing CREDO Action’s petition, which they’ll deliver to the FDA.