ThisNext Blog - *Lifestyle/Causes/Green/Pets

cute overload

VMA — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:30:59 +0000

As a lover of all things cute, I tend to rely on CuteOverload for my daily dose of small, adorable, furry creatures. It’s an extremely popular weblog that features…well, pictures and videos of outrageously cute animals. Clearly I’m not the only one in agreement as the site consistently appears on Technorati’s top 100 and boasts several online publishing distinctions including a Webby (2006).

The site’s cult following has generated a playful jargon deemed a cutecabulary, which consists of often used terms when describing it’s subjects. For example, “snorgle” means “snuggle” and an animal’s tail is referred to as its “Tailio Iglesias”. If you care to join the cute craze, try purchasing CuteOverload’s 2009 desk calendar. It’s 365 pages of premium cuteness including baby chickens, pandas, koalas, and of course the standard puppies and kittens.

Progress '08

VMA — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:26:53 +0000

As the Democratic National Convention comes to an end, we prepare ourselves for the official nomination of Barack Obama at Invesco Field tonight in Denver, Colorado. The theme of tonight’s speeches and remarks is Obama’s campaign motto, “change you can believe in.” Also speaking tonight is former Vice President Al Gore. You can catch a glimpse of he expected excitement in the video above. Below is some Obama ‘08 merch.

Yes We Can (Obama Swag)
Shopcast powered by ThisNext
Get this for your blog or website

honda fcx clarity

VMA — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:52:47 +0000

Gas prices got you glum? Introducing the FCX Clarity, Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen-powered sedan. How does it work? Well, to avoid all the technical jargon, let’s just say that it combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity which in turn powers the electric motor. Cool, huh? Though you can avoid the traditional pump entirely, you do have to refuel at designated hydrogen stations, a nominal cost in comparison to gas consumption. The only issue is that with few places to refuel, limited quantities will only become available to Southern Californians in the summer of 2008. It makes a great commuter car, but don’t expect to take any road trips.

So, what’s the price? Well, due to the demand and limited availability of refueling stations, for now, the FCX Clarity is only available by lease and runs $600/month for a three-year term. Trust that the customer queue consists of plenty of Hollywood A- and B-listers.

Eco-Friendly Cell Phones

Kristie — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:37:47 +0000

Cell phones (in addition to computers and laptops) are big-time polluters and can fill wastelands with up to 65,000 tons of trash a year,and that’s not including the toxic chemicals leeching into water supplies. Did you know over 130 million cell phones are thrown out a year? That adds up, and not in a good way. Thankfully, there are some companies reacting and responding to the eco-friendly rally cry, in particular, Nokia and Samsung. Nokia has plans to launch up to 40 new green phones with biodegradable components (think bioplastic, a corn-based plastic) in the upcoming year. Thus, the amount of cell phones in wastelands may not decrease, but the amount of actual trash will as they biodecompose. Of course, battery recycling or energy alternative cell phones are a part of that as well. Some companies are already recycling batteries and phones when they send pre-paid envelopes to the consumer for the phones to be sent in.

A drawback still being investigated is the usage of corn products for these terrific new eco-friendly phones. Corn crops are already being diverted for ethanol (corn-based) production, and as a result, general corn-based food and drink items (think soda) prices are going up. What would happen if even more was allocated to bioplastic production?

Either way, some new great features featured on the various upcoming eco-friendly cell phones (some are only available in Korea and China) include energy efficient chargers that beep or turn off when a phone is fully charged, OLED screens that reduce power usage, water soluble coating, and more. Companies are also finding ways to leave out the toxic metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, PVC’s, and more. Lastly, there’s a terrific idea Nokia is developing. They call it their Eco-Sensor Project which is based on a solar-powered bracelet that would have the ability to charge a cell phone, get the weather, and track the wearer’s health. Imagine that.

Eco-Friendly Cell Phones
Shopcast powered by ThisNext
Get this for your blog or website

Doing my part to Go Green

VMA — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:57:39 +0000

Green - it’s a word we throw around at lot, a sound bite, but what does it mean? I keep thinking about Kermit singing “It’s not easy being green” and for some reason that struck a chord. Yeah it’s not easy but why not give it a try. Start recycling, at least, get in touch with nature… and think of what the world is going to be like in another hundred years if you could even in the slightest imagine the exponential decline of our natural ecosystems in even the past 50 years… Ok, ok, I’m gonna get off the soap box but also mention that since it’s cool to go green -trying organic fabrics, switching cleansers is not only good for your planet but also for your street cred.

See more of the It’s Easy Being Green list by SamHope at ThisNext.

Pilot's Pens Have Gone green!

VMA — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:25:06 +0000

In response to heightened market demand and Pilot’s own conscience’s moral pressure, the ever popular pen company has created an entire line of environmentally friendly pens to make it that much easier for us consumers to go green. The pens are exactly the same as their non-green counterparts, and you may recognize the style as the same Pilot pen you already love and adore. BeGreen pens, however, are made up of at least 70% recycled content, with some versions climbing up to 89% recycled content. I am impressed by these high numbers, as most corporations usually say their products are made from recycled material without giving you the content breakdown, meaning it’s probably too low to be impressive. Then there’s Starbucks, who proudly advertises that their cups are made from 10% post-consumer recycled content. Bragging about using a measly 10% recycled content in the cups that are distributed by the thousands on a daily basis? Come on Starbucks. You can do better than that.

Personal rants aside, all BeGreen products also meet or exceed ISO 14001 and 14021 standards for environmentally responsible production, meaning this isn’t a hoax. All of their packaging material is made from recycled cardboard, as well!

And the best part is that Pilot promises that all BeGreen products will sell at equal or lower prices than their non-green counterparts. So really, there’s no excuse. Next time you need pens, choose Pilot’s BeGreen and feel good about it.

ThisNext Designer of the Week: Tees for Change

FashionKitty — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:43:32 +0000

Our latest installment of ThisNext’s Designer of the Week is not only stylish but sustainable too. Tees for Change is a tee shirt company that sends out a positive message and is good for the planet too.

Tag your fashion and eco-friendly recommendations “TN Fashion” for a chance to win 3 shirts from Tees for Change.

Andrea is the founder of Tees For Change, a line of eco-friendly tees adorned with inspirational messages. She started Tees For Change when she was pregnant in early 2007 and received a lot of negative reactions to her decision to have a natural home birth. Andrea wanted to create t-shirts to reinforce her positive thoughts. So along with the birth of her son came the birth of Tees for Change.

Buying these shirts also gives back to the environment. For each tee sold Global ReLeaf plants a tree. We chatted with Andrea from Tees for Change and she shared with us some of her favorite eco-friendly finds. Check out Andrea’s recommendations on ThisNext.

TN: What eco-friendly product do you never leave home without?

TFC: My Klean Kanteen reusable water bottle.

TN: What is your favorite magazine?

TFC: Yoga Journal

TN: What are three items that you always carry in your bag?

TFC: My Klean Kanteen water bottle, Rescue Rememdy spray, and my LipTrip lip balm.

TN: What are you favorite eco-friendly baby products?

TFC: Naturepedic Organic Cotton Crib Mattress and Bugaboo strollers.

You have added TeesForChange as a friend.

TeesForChange’s recommendations at ThisNext
Shopcast powered by ThisNext
Get this for your blog or website

(product)red

VMA — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Product Red is a charitable brand started by Bobby Shriver and U2’s Bono to raise awareness and funding in the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The brand is licensed to major companies - Apple, Motorola, Microsoft, Gap, Dell, and others - who produce Product Red branded merchandise and contribute a portion of the revenue to the Global Fund initiative.

Companies do not add a surcharge to Product Red merchandise so consumers can buy these products and make a charitable donation without paying a premium. The campaign has generated more than $60 million for the Global Fund. With no money deducted for administrative costs, 100% of the proceeds are distributed primarily to AIDS grants in the targeted countries. This funds HIV/AIDS treatment, preventative education, counseling and testing, and research. If you have the option of buying (RED), please consider the valued contribution that your dollar can make in the global fight against infectious diseases.

Political Product Wars

FashionKitty — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:05:40 +0000

I won’t say who we are voting for …. but I will say that the political products on ThisNext are going head-to-head. From Obama chocolates to Hillary nut crackers, the ThisNext community is nuts (hahaa) about political products.

For the Obama fans (see all 53 items tagged “Obama”) …

For the Clinton lovers …

Oh yeah, sorry McCain … the ThisNext community really doesn’t have anything for you except for this lousy tee-shirt.

Leopard Lust: Leopard Print Litter Box

FashionKitty — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:32:13 +0000

You would think a girl like myself who calls herself Fashion Kitty would already have a house full of cats — but I don’t. I haven’t had a cat since college but tomorrow I will be the proud new mother of two Bengal tiger kitties. When becoming a parent to kittens (this is as close as I am getting people) you have to think less about what you need and more about what they need. My cats need it all. My pretty kitties are going to be spoiled rotten little divas and nothing is too good for them.

The first things that I will need are food, water, litter, and a litter box. Food, water, litter … boring, I can just hop over to the store for those but the actual litter box needs to be special. i searched high and low until finding the perfect litter box and this one is it.

Kitty A Go-Go makes this awesome leopard print litter box. The litter box features a pull out tray and comes complete with a rake, sifter, and heavy duty liner — all good things. This stylish box will look sweet in my house as it won’t mess up my decor. I can’t have some kitties cramping my style you know.

PupStyle Preview

FashionKitty — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:05:19 +0000

Pet fashion is hitting the streets of Tokyo, Japan on January 12th through January 13. Take a sneak peek from the Pupstyle Lookbook to preview top designers and pawssibly the best pet gear around.

More products will be added to the PupStyle Lookbook - Pet Fashion Week Preview list by Snowflake at ThisNext, so check back often.

Fun working environments

matthew — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:24:21 +0000

Back in January, Fortune Magazine named Google the number one company to work for. The reason(s) being: Google “offers free food, massages, yoga classes, volleyball courts, pools, babysitting, haircuts - everything to make you feel good and able to work hard. “Work is such a cozy place that it’s sometimes difficult for Google employees to leave the office, which is precisely how the company justifies the expenses, none of which it breaks out of its administrative costs.” via

Watch the Video here and see if you would apply to work for Google. Google is a big company and is still growing, but that doesn’t mean that your little Company should be institutional, with cubicles and traditional offices. Coolhunter has this article on creative working environments, and it shows you how little creativity, decor, office furniture…can go along way in stimulating workers and in return increase productivity in a Company.

Images: thecoolhunter

The FEED Project - Charitable totes

matthew — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:23:46 +0000

Started by Laura Bush, The FEED project benefits the United Nation World Food Programme. Proceeds from the FEED products go to feed hungry children in schools around the world. Did you know that 400 million kids around the world go to bed hungry every night, or that hunger and malnutrition kills more people than Aids, Malaria and TB combined, and every five seconds a child dies because he/she is hungry. The Feed bag is also available for wholesale, and by the way 1 FEED bag = 1 child fed in school for 1 year.

Designed as a reusable bag, the Feed bag is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic shopping bags. It’s made of raw jute fibers, which are mainly rain-fed crops that grow best organically without pesticides or fertilizers. The bag also decomposes easily because the jute fibres used to make the bag, are carbon-dioxide neutral. The fact that jute fibres can be grown in 4-6 months makes them a renewable resource.

Something Wicked from Green Stuff Connection

FashionKitty — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:47:28 +0000

As soon as I opened my package from Green Stuff Connection I said to myself “This would make an awesome gift … for me”. Who knew a candle could make a girl so greedy?

When a candle says”Something Wicked” and comes with a pack of matching matches, of course it would make a girl go greedy …

My scent is called Neutra, which is a bamboo guava scent (delicious smelling). The best part about these candles is that they are eco-friendly. How is a candle eco-friendly you might ask? Well it is because it made out of a sustainable, toxin-free soy wax with a hemp wick. That stuff is important, think about it … you are burning something off in your home and breathing in the fumes. Better to be safe huh?

Not only are the ingredients used to make the candles good for the environment the packaging is recyclable too. There are 6 scents to chose from and they are all $24 a pop.

Buy it now at GreenStuffConnection>>

100 Days 100 Lists: Juicy Pup - Canine Couture

FashionKitty — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:57:10 +0000

If you thought Juicy Couture was just for humans you were so wrong. Make your pooch fashionable with this list of Juicy Couture duds for your dog.

See more of the Juicy Pup - Canine Couture #56 list by Snowflake at ThisNext.