Green Gifts for Dad.

This year Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 19th. It’s not too early to be thinking about your favorite dad – ours (of course!)  is St. Joseph.  We always suggest an EcoJoe as a gift for Father’s Day, but in case you need a few more ideas — here are three unique green gifts for dad to get your wheels turning early:

The Areaware Torch Flashlight is simple and eco-friendly with an energy efficient LED bulb. The end cap, which unscrews for easy battery replacement, houses the convenient on/off switch. The Torch Flashlight is made from eco-friendly new growth Beech Wood, aluminum and rubber.

A solar power watch combines modern technology with a sleek, stylish design. They never need batteries, because they remain charged for months at a time, even when in left the dark.

Recyclable playing cards Go green! Bicycle® Eco Edition is a fully recyclable case and deck. These cards are made from sustainable forest papers, starch-based laminating and vegetable-based inks.

Father’s Day is such a special day for St. Joseph — we’ll share more of our faves as we get closer!

Contemporary Earth Housing.

A few weeks ago, this beautiful green home caught our eye and we shared it in a post on Staged4More‘s blog.  We did a little extra research on this and found some interesting things we wanted to share about this building method.

This piece of Sedona real estate is made of “rammed earth,” one of the most ancient, yet sustainable, building techniques. The method involves compacting raw earth — most commonly soil, gravel and chalk — into thin layers to form thick, sturdy walls. Those thick walls contain thermal mass and retain heat during the day and slowly release it at night, keeping energy costs minimal. Not only are rammed-earth homes inexpensive to build — you can source material right from the property — it’s fire and rodent-resistant and can last for years. (Zillow)

This building method dates back 10,000 years.  It is weather resistant, thermally efficient and maintenance free.  It is also known as taipa^[1] (Portuguese), tapial (Spanish), pisé de terre or simply pisé (French).  While very strong and durable — construction can be labor intensive.

Here are some pics of a few rammed earth properties around the world:

A do-it-yourself rammed earth home in Australia, complete with detailed instructions. Source:  Rogers in Australia

This six-story structure was built in 1826 in Weilburg, Germany.  Source:  Rammed Earth

The mud can be can be sculpted into beautiful relief designs, as seen here at the People’s Co-Op of Portland, Oregon.  Source:  Cobprojects

We love how different each of these properties look and that these properties are unique in their own way, but share the common building technique in common.  We’re wondering how long these houses stay on the market?

St. Joseph the Worker.

Photo by Lawrence OPHere at EcoJoe, we like to refer to him as “the hardest working saint in real estate” — but did you know St. Joseph is referred to as the hardest working saint of all the saints? In response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955.  St. Joseph the Worker is celebrated on May 1st. 

Joseph spent a lifetime laboring as a carpenter. His primary motivation for working wasn’t a quest for riches or status, but a desire to serve God and to care for his family in a loving way. Joseph never worked any miracles; he never made any important speeches; he wasn’t a public figure, but was known only as a humble carpenter (Matthew 13:55). Joseph labored in obscurity, but was nonetheless given an important part in God’s plan.  (Source:  Catholic Exchange)

Photo by KalabirdSome nice lessons we can learn from St. Joseph from the Catholic exchange:

1. Work is not intended to be an end in itself or a path to earthly riches; rather, it’s meant to glorify God and to help us prepare for eternity. As Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Matthew 6:20-21).

2. Honest and humble labor is a source of true human dignity. Though St. Joseph worked as a simple carpenter, he achieved great holiness, and his example influenced Jesus, Who — though the eternal Son of God and the Source of all creation — Himself learned from Joseph and for a time followed in his footsteps as a carpenter (Mark 6:3).

Certainly an inspiration to start the long work week ahead!!

Our first Celeb Fan! Ed and Rachelle Begley!.

Our first Celeb Fan! Ed and Rachelle Begley!

A thank you note from Ed and Rachelle Begley! Ed and Rachelle will be selling their home soon, we want to wish them a speedy and fruitful sale!

Edward James “Ed” Begley, Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Mark Craig’s intern, Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St. Elsewhere, for which he received six consecutive Emmy Award nominations. He currently has a reality show about green living called Living With Ed on Planet Green with his wife, actress Rachelle Carson. (bio from Wikipedia)

Making Your Own St. Joseph Miracles.

Photo by flickrolfSt. Joseph’s Day was a while ago — March 19th to be exact, but we recently found this post about creating St. Joseph Day traditions that we really wanted to share.  These ideas seemed very unique compared to many that we have seen and think that people could come up with original ideas just from these suggestions. 

St. Joseph’s Day is traditionally celebrated with acts of kindness — given the recent onslaught of tornadoes in the South and the devastation caused by these, there are plenty of opportunities to help people and we thought it would be nice to share this message.

Three things you could do to create your own traditions fro St. Joseph’s Day (and all year round) from “From Out of the Blue“:

Give shelter to someone. Forget about giving a dollar, or ten dollars, to a homeless person. Instead, offer one person a place to shower and a meal, and maybe a place to sleep, if the comfort level to do that exists. (Through your church or other civic organizations, there are many ways that this can be done safely.)

Host a potluck in which friends bring extra meals. After you gather and have your meal, take the extra meals out and give them to random people.

Find the location and times for your local soup kitchen. Go there, not as a volunteer.  Instead, stand in line with the others, receive the meal given you, and sit with the others there. (Simultaneously creating this feeling of community and empathy is very empowering and can teach a lot.)

What’s Your (Un)Lucky Number?.

Chances are you have a lucky number — a number you play when you buy lottery tickets or one that pops up time and time again and you are sure that it has some special lucky significance.  But what about unlucky numbers?  Of course we avoid these — but it helps to know some background so we can make educated decisions about our superstitions. : ) Here are a few superstitions about numbers, including a couple you may not have even heard of!

Photo by anneohirschSo this one is pretty common.  We notice that the 13th floor is missing in buildings and maybe you have even notice that it’s missing on airlines.  But some airlines actually do have a 13th row.  And the explanations for it’s presence or absence vary.  Our favorite explanation is perfectly acceptable: “I believe the goal of airlines omitting it is to help reduce anxiety that fliers may have,” said Matt Daimler, Founder of Seatguru.com.  Isn’t flying stressful enough?

Photo by Tiberiu AnaThe most unfortunate number in the Chinese language is four, due to its similar pronunciation with, among others, “death.” So strong is this “tetraphobia,” or fear of the number four, that its presence in an apartment number or street address can even have a decreasing effect on the value of the property.  (We suggest that if your property has the number four in it and your determined to sell, the purchase of an EcoJoe couldn’t hurt.)

Photo by edansFourteen is by far the most feared number in Chinese superstition. The combination of the words, shí = ten and sì = four, can mean “accidents” or, when both numbers are read separately, yāo sì, “will die.”

Add a five in front, and the death wish is made even more personal, as the string 514 is pronounced the same way as “I will die,” wŭ yāo sì. Let’s make a mental note to leave that number out of our lottery predictions, shall we?

Information from Radio86.

April is Not Just For Fools!.

Photo by Cat SidhWe at EcoJoe love to share religious holidays, dedicated saints days, and pretty much any special day we can think of (just check out the rest of our blog!) — so here’s a list that we thought was a great find.  You will want to break out your planners/calendars and take notes!

Did you know there’s an entire webpage dedicated to Bizarre and Unique Holidays?  The month of April is a great one, considering it starts with April Fool’s!

Photo by Nationaal ArchiefThe first of April, in addition to being the best day of the year to pull pranks is also International Fun at Work Day.  April 7th is “No Housework Day,” April 13th is “Blame Someone Else Day,” April 17th is “Blah, Blah, Blah Day.”  Click here for the complete list.

The month of April is also both National Humor Month AND Stress Awareness Month.  Coincidence? I think not.  Enjoy!

Thinking About Green Washing? Some Tips from EcoJoe.

Photo by rcrowleyAs a consumer, there are so many choices today when it comes to shopping green, seeking out eco and earth friendly products and doing our part in helping to save the planet.  As a businessperson – there are even more choices on the various ways to show your customers that you are doing your best to stick to environmentally friendly practices.

One such practice is called “Green Labeling” – this is a process where a business can certify their products and methods as green, with a seal or certification. The idea is to make it easy for consumers to see which businesses follow eco-friendly practices or meet a rigorous set of sustainability standards. Such programs often appeal to small businesses that need help navigating the evolving world of sustainability and perhaps believe a label adds some credibility to their efforts.

Photo by iammikebWhen looking to do this for your own business – here are some helpful tips from Small Biz Trends that you won’t want to skip:

1. Read up! There are several online resources that can help you select a reputable green certification program.
2. Assess the program. What kind of information and guidance will you get for going through the certification process? Are they simple? Are the standards meaningful from an environm,ental prospective? Is the recognition valuable? Will your customers and prospective customers know and care about the green label?
3. Weigh the alternatives. Are there other, more cost efficient ways to market your greenness without getting a green label? By creating a dialogue with your customers and utilizing social media and creative marketing to express why your business and products are environmentally sound – you could eliminate the need for the green label. Sharing information about your green business practices can be a more authentic way to connect with like minded consumers.

Here at EcoJoe, we pride ourselves on our green practices:

***Our statues are the made with 100% clay. Earth-friendly and won’t harm the earth if you forgot to dig St Joseph back up!
***Our new packaging measures 1.5″W x 4.75″L x 1.25″D, easy to stock! The size of 1 gift packaging is roughly 4 of the new packaging.)
***Our packaging is made with 100% eco-friendly, bio-degradable materials. The paper itself is made with STONE, 70% marble powder.
***Packaging printed with soy based ink.
***As a 1% for the Planet member, 1% of our annual profits will go to environmental charities approved by the non-profit 1% for the Planet.

St. Joseph and the Bottle of Beer, Another Believer’s Miracle.

This is an excerpt was from the Catholic Forum.  This is an interesting resource for Catholics and non-Catholics, sharing interesting tidbits of information as well as more in depth discussion about the Catholic faith.  When we came across this story, we just couldn’t help but share!

When she was living in Brooklyn many years ago, my grandmother was friendly with a priest, Fr. Gonzalez. He was very fond of her and would visit her home sometimes and tell stories.

Fr. Gonzalez was also the Chaplain for the Little Sisters of the Poor. One time when he was over visiting the sisters, he noticed an empty beer bottle in front of a statue of St. Joseph. Thinking that was odd, he asked one of the sisters about it. She told him, “Father, the poor men that we feed often like a bottle of beer with their dinners, and whenever we run out, we put an empty beer bottle by St. Joseph’s statue and St. Joseph always provides us with more beer.”

A short while later, Fr. Gonzalez was chuckling to himself over what sister said, while waiting for the subway train that would take him back to the rectory. A man standing on the platform came over and spoke to him, asking, “Father, I see you’re chuckling. You must have a funny story. I could use a laugh. Why don’t you share it with me?” So Fr. Gonzalez related the story about the statue and the beer bottle. After he’d finished, the man said, “It just so happens that I own a brewery here in Brooklyn…” (This was back in the days when Brooklyn had breweries–long time ago.) “I’d like to supply your nuns with all the beer they need.”

And he did.

While we at EcoJoe can’t advocate using your St. Joseph’s statues for this very same purpose, we can say we have had some success with selling houses so anything is possible!  It’s all about Faith!

Join EcoJoe for Earth Hour!.

Dear EcoJoe Friends & Fans:

This Saturday, March 26th, at 8:30 pm we invite you to participate in Earth Hour.  Lights will switch off around the globe and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.  This includes all forms of electricity, power, etc.  — no television, computers, and *gasp* computers or handheld devices!

Check out these stunning before and after Earth Hour pics from last year’s event:

India, Before

India, After

Egypt, Before

Egypt, After

What will you do with your hour without electricity? Here are five suggestions from EcoJoe of things you can do with friends and family:

1)  Spend family time playing board games or telling stories.

2) Candelit dinner party.

3) Spend an evening gazing at the stars.

4)  Meditate.  (Without napping.)

5)  Run around in the dark, burying EcoJoe statues.

Share your ideas on what to do for Earth Hour on our Facebook page or in the comment section of our blog for a chance to win an EcoJoe in his new and super groovy and eco-friendly packaging!

Image Source:  Greenwala

A Short Prayer to St. Joseph, the Workman.

Every once in awhile we like to share different versions of prayers to St. Joseph.  After the earthquake and devastating tsunami that hit Japan — the world watched events unfold this past week, as 50 workers bravely stayed behind at the troubled nuclear reactors in Japan.   This prayer to St. Joseph composed by Pope St. Pius X seemed especially touching and we wanted to share it with our readers:

Prayer to St. Joseph the Workman

O Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations, to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God, to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties, to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account that I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thine example, O Patriarch, St. Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death.
Amen.

The power has since been restored at the Fukushima plant, but the death toll in Japan has passed 18,000.  Our thoughts and prayers our with the Japanese people.

The Feast of St. Joseph, Our Favorite Holiday.

This Saturday, March 19, is the Feast of St. Joseph or Solemnity of St. Joseph.  Saint Joseph’s Day is the Patronal Feast day for persons named Joseph and Josephine, for religious orders, schools and parishes bearing his name, and for carpenters. And of course for EcoJoe.

Let’s see how The Feast of St. Joseph is celebrated around the world:

In Sicily, where St. Joseph is regarded by many as their Patron Saint, a large feast is prepared to honor him.  The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint. Giving food to the needy is also a St. Joseph’s Day custom.

Upon a typical St. Joseph’s Day altar, people place flowers, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads, and cookies (as well as other meatless dishes), and zeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. Because the feast occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat was allowed on the celebration table. The altar usually has three tiers, to represent the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, & Holy Ghost.

In Spain, the day is a version of Father’s Day. In some parts of Spain it is celebrated as Falles.

In the Philippines, many families keep a tradition in which an old man, a young lady, and a small boy are chosen from among the poor and are dressed up as St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the child Jesus, respectively. They are seated with the family and served several courses, sometimes literally spoon fed!  The Novena to St. Joseph is recited at the family’s altar. 

However you choose to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, enjoy this special day of family and food! Cheers from EcoJoe!

Also, don’t forget, we are launching the new generation two of EcoJoe!

As you can see, the new packaging is a bit smaller than the gift packaging we are offering currently. The price will also be a bit less! It will be retail at $8.99. The packaging this time is produced via stone paper, made by 70% marble! Pretty cool, huh?!

Photo credits (from first to last): Photo by fradaveccs, Photo by Baptiste Pons,  Photo by Lawrence OP and EcoJoe