The Reclaimed Yankee Stadium Cuff Links at Red Envelope are the perfect gift for any fan of the Yankees and make a subtle fashion statement. They are made out of actual reclaimed wood from the seats of Yankee stadium that has been repurposed to be used as a cufflink. This is a genuine piece of Yankee history from the famed Yankee Stadium and it really makes a unique gift.

You don’t just have to buy from the Yankees, either. There are lots of different stadiums and sports teams that you can buy similar cuff links from at Red Envelope. These stadiums change with availability, so you’ll have to check out the red envelope site from time to time and see what they have on hand. You may not be a huge fan of the Yankees, but their cuff links aren’t just limited to the Yankees. This way, everyone is able to get a little piece of history that means something special to them.

Red Envelope has a great selection of lots of different reclaimed and repurposed items that you can check out. Take some time to check out their line of reclaimed items.

Zasra Shop at Etsy

There are a lot of great shops on Etsy that let you buy upcycled clothes, but the stuff being sold at the Zasra shop in the Etsy marketplace is taking it to another level. A lot of people simply make stuff that “looks” like clothes out of older clothes. They feel like they can bring in customers no matter what the clothes look like since the fabrics are upcycled and that’s what customers “really” want. Zasra doesn’t take this tact. This store actually provides you with clothing that will be something that you’d be proud to wear for more than just environmental reasons. The selection here is great and you’ll like what you see.

Anita Spero Design Shop at Etsy

Also on Etsy, you will find the Anita Spero Design shop to be a high-class operation with a lot of great upcycled clothes. The clothes here are stylish and they can be worn for any occasion from formal events to lounging around at home. This shop really makes it easy to shop with an environmentally friendly mindset.

Obviously, the major benefit of using corn resin plastics is that they don’t require the input of oil. That’s a benefit that just about anyone can get behind. However, there is an added benefit to that lack of a reliance upon oil. Unlike regular plastic, these products also are able to biodegrade over time. Instead of sitting on the ground until the world explodes, these plastics will all be out of our hair in a reasonable amount of time. This is not only much better for the environment, but it is also much better for our peace of mind.

One great use of this corn resin plastic is this Biodegradable Watch by Sprout. I love that the green movement has become so normal these days that not everything “green” needs to have some stupid design plastered all over it talking about how “green” it is. This is a very simple, very elegant watch that goes with just about any type of outfit that you can muster. It even uses a mercury-free battery, which is part of a major shift in wanting more eco-friendly batteries.  It’s a great addition to your green arsenal of clothing and accessories, and you really shouldn’t overlook things like this. I’m sure you can also find a ton of other products made out of the same type of resin that they make this watch out of.

Greenology Bamboo Socks

These socks are a great way to stay comfortable while doing your part for the environment. Bamboo is well-known as a material that grows very fast and creates a very small impact on the environment. It makes sense that they would want to start using it as a fabric and not just for building houses. One of the things that really shocks me about this fabric is just how soft it is. I really have a hard time understanding how they take a material that is so hard and splintery and turn it into something this comfortable.

Recycled Yarn Crew Socks

These are pretty much everything they sound like. Don’t let the name fool you. These recycled yarn socks only use top of the line yarn to get the job done and they don’t skimp on the quality. Most people would probably be pretty shocked at just how usable most of the things we throw away are. Instead of just letting it go to waste, these people take the old yarn and ensure that it sees a new life. I’m a huge fan of stuff like that.

Among the most popular trends in the eco-friendly purchasing movement has been the push toward more eco-friendly clothes and accessories. Things like bags are often made out of eco-friendly materials for a very reasonable price. Compared to things like electronics, eco-friendly clothing and accessories are very popular and are becoming much more accessible to people. A great example of this affordability, style, and eco-friendliness is the Nuo Eco-Friendly Vertical Canvas Messenger bag.

This bag is a great example of the ability of eco-friendly accessories that don’t look like only hippies would carry them around. The problem that had been hounding eco-friendly accessories and clothes is that they have often been associated with the counterculture. The resulting problem is that it has turned many people away from eco-friendly materials due to not wanting to be lumped into a group that they didn’t feel they belonged to. The great thing about these more “subtle” eco-friendly alternatives is that they allow people that care about that sort of thing to indulge their eco fantasies without giving away how much they love the environment. Sure, I don’t necessarily think that anyone should be ashamed of that. However, there are a lot of people in this country that don’t share my enthusiasm or shamelessness.

The Movember line of shoes from Toms is a really great example of the type of stuff they offer. They’re a low profile shoe that doesn’t skimp on comfort on its path to sustainability and social responsibility. One of the great things about this line is the popularity it enjoys with both avid Toms fans and newcomers. They are renowned for their unbelievable comfort right out of the box, and they are known for being very durable. A lot of people sometimes shy away from investing in shoes that are made out of recycled or sustainable fabrics because of this misconception that they are less durable. The Movembers blow that concept out of the water, and they do so in a very stylish and comfortable way. If you are looking for a shoe to replace your current low-profile sneakers, then you really should check out what Toms has to offer.

While there are a lot of great ways to help the planet and the global community, few are as satisfying as doing it while you are doing your normal shopping. Since we decide so much by the things we decide to spend our money on, it’s important that we decide to use that power to empower companies that do good for the world while they provide us with essential services. That’s the best way to enact change, and that’s why I like buying from Toms.

Plum is a unique company that offers a great alternative to buying new clothes all the time. Billed by many as the “Netflix of baby clothes,” Plum allows subscribers to simply swap out old clothes for new ones as their child gets older. For example, let’s say that you have a newborn baby. Instead of buying all new clothes, you’d get a subscription to Plum and they’d send you the newborn clothes you need. Then, when your baby outgrows those clothes, you simply send them back to Plum and they send you larger clothes. The older clothes are sent to other customers with smaller kids, and the cycle goes on and on. Obviously, if the clothes are so messed up that they couldn’t reasonably be sent to another customer, they are recycled and not sent back to more customers. It’s a really great system for conserving resources and saving money at the same time.

Part of the problems that arise from having kids is the cost. It simply costs money to raise kids, and that is an absolute fact. However, if you take some specialized steps to help mitigate those costs, you can go a long way toward saving way more money than you ever thought was possible.

Instead of just gushing about why I like this hat so much, let me give you a rundown of exactly how it works. See, the brim is made out of a flexible solar panel unit. During the day, the solar panel collects sunlight. It doesn’t even need to have that great of sun exposure to work very well, either. The solar panel in the brim charges up a battery that’s integrated into the hat itself. The battery is attached to a set of lights that are in the brim, and… boom. You have yourself a functional, useful, self-powered, bright-as-can-be headlight.

Now, the hat is around $40 or something like that, but here’s why I think that’s an amazing deal. There are a lot of hats out there that are this much money, after all. Most of those hats are only making you pay for a logo, too. You’re really just a branded advertisement with this stuff on, and you know it. On the other hand, with this hat you are walking away with a fricken power plant on your head. I will take that over some stupid logo any day of the week. Might as well save a few batteries while you’re roughing it on the trail or taking that long walk to the car after your shift is over.

The point is that I talk too much. Period.

I’m bringing this up because I was researching things to write about for this blog post, and I came across something from Patagonia called the “Better Sweater“. It’s made out of sustainable materials, it’s made by a company whose founder is dedicated to blowing up dams around the world, and it’s just a great piece of gear. This is why I love Patagonia so much. They seem to have an absolute obsession with staying true to form no matter what they do, and I can appreciate that. Not only are they a great company in terms of what they do for the environment, but they are also rated as one of the top companies in the world to deal with on a customer service level. It seems that it’s one of those “hole in one” things when you deal with these guys.

With the world getting more wasteful by the day, it’s important for us to do what we can with our purchases and our lifestyle choices to help make things better. Dealing with Patagonia is something that I totally love, and I am a huge fan of everything that they sell. Just take a few minutes to look them up online, and you’ll see so much good stuff written about them that it’ll be tough to do business anywhere else.

What I didn’t know is that National Geographic has a huge assortment of clothes on display at this store website they run called Novica. There are a lot of different things on here, but the ones that are really cool are the ones that are environmentally friendly. Not only are they made out of sustainable materials in a fair way, but they are also REALLY good looking. I don’t mind telling you that it was worth the money, and I was slightly less mad at my wife when the newest assortment of clothes piled in.

Hemp Shoulder Bag: This is a nifty little take on something that we all sort of need anyway. The thing I like about this bag is that it’s made out of one of the most useful fibers on the planet that we, in the west, simply can’t bring ourselves to use for some reason. Hemp plants used for fibers aren’t even plants that people can get high with (it’s a chemical, biological, and physical impossibility), and it could completely eliminate our use of wood for everything but construction. Think about it.

100% Alpaca Sweater: This is one of those cool things that I love just because it’s made out of something that I love. Alpacas are awesome, and I wish I had some to call my own. Some day. Until then, I’ll have to settle for buying it, and so will she. This thing is soft, awesome, and made in a completely sustainable fashion.

100% Alpaca Shawl: Sue me. I love Alpaca. She knows that I do, too. Otherwise, I would have been a little more upset about all of this. I’m glad she got this stuff, though, because now I can go off and spend money on whatever I want. Oh, the wonderful games you play when you’re married!

If you didn’t know that there was a National Geographic store, well now you do. I had no idea, and I’ve had photos become very popular through National Geographic. So who knows. All I do know is that this store is great, and I may buy my own fancy little shawl through it.

No judgements.