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Showing posts tagged Green
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Green Halloween-Toscana
As a natural extension of our corporate mission, Taking Care of the Way People Live ®, Gables is dedicated to Taking Care of Our Environment. We are mindful of our impact on the local environment and we hope to spread some of that sustainable living onto our residents.
Below are some great tips gathered we’ve gathered from EarthShare and Green Halloween® on how to green your Halloween!
Green Halloween Costumes
- Reuse or recycle costumes.
- Rent or create a costume out of recycled material.
- Create a Green Halloween box to gather recyclable materials throughout the year. Next year, you’ll have lots of eco-friendly materials to make new costumes.
- Join the National Costume Swap Day revolution!
Green Halloween Treats
- Instead of giving out candy, consider giving coins, pencils, erasers, cookie cutters, crayons, fake jewels, temporary tattoos or stickers. Besides reducing the waste of all the single-serving packaging, you’ll be providing a healthy alternative to candy.
- Other alternatives that are healthy and from eco-friendly companies include:
- Organic juice boxes or pouches from Honest Kids
- Organic apple sauce snack packs
- Real-fruit strips and rolls from Stretch Island Fruit
- Whole food bars such a LARABAR minis
- Bare Fruit trial size packs
Green Halloween Decorations
- Go natural, with gourds, pumpkins, apples and Jack-o-Lanterns! They are great for porches and table tops, and you are not using plastic or paper décor.
- Make window decorations out of recycled paper. Then recycle the paper again.
- Use colorful reusable dinnerware and candles for decoration - preferably soy or beeswax candles!
- Use paper grocery bags to be cut into spooky Halloween trees, masks, and painted white for ghostly effects.
Green Halloween Trick-or-Treating
- Send your children trick-or-treating with reusable buckets, canvas bags or pillow cases. Most folks these days have the reusable grocery bags, try using those!
- Trick-or-treat in your neighborhood and get to know your neighbors. Less driving, more walking.
Green Halloween Party
- Send Evites! Rather than paper invitations through the mail.
- Have reusable dinnerware at your party rather than plastic plates, cups and utensils.
- Use cloth napkins, you can then wash them for the next party.
- Recycle bottles and cans, and compost leftovers.
- Buy local or organic food, little packaging.
- Shop with your reusable totes.
- Get all of your errands done at once.
- Try to cook with less meat.
- Choose foods that are in shades of black, orange and green (that is just for fun).
Green Halloween Cleanup
- Recycle and/or compost if you can!
Let us know what your suggestions are! -
Parking GREEN - Toscana
What do Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, Tesla Model S, and the Mini e all have in common? That’s right, they are all Electronic Vehicles.
Gables Residential has begun the implementation of EV charging stations in select retail property parking garages in Texas! Go Gables!
While these charging stations are currently located in the retail parking areas only, we are hoping to accommodate residents in various regions with conveniently located Charging Stations within resident parking as well! Until then, please note that anyone is able to park and charge their EV in the designated retail garage spots! Enjoy!
Here is a current snapshot of where we have begun the operation of accessible EV Charging Stations:
1. Austin (Austin Energy administers the program): All are active
· Gables 5th Street: two stations
· Gables Pressler: two stations
· Gables Park Plaza I: two stations
For more information regarding Austin Energy’s Plug-in EVerywhere Network and membership details, please visit: http://www.austinenergy.com/about%20us/environmental%20initiatives/Plug-In%20Partners/chargeOnTheRoad.htm
The form to sign-up as a member can be located here: https://www.formstack.com/forms/?1050890-CvJsRgjvdR
2. Dallas (Blink administers the program): All are active
· Gables Villa Rosa: two stations
· Gables Park 17: three stations
For more information regarding the Blink Network and their InCard, please visit: http://www.blinknetwork.com/3. Houston (Blink administers the program): Not installed yet
· Gables West Ave: two stations planned. We are hoping to install by the first week of November.
This is exciting news as our goal is to be a leader in sustainable apartment living! Our communities. Our Environment. Our Responsibility.
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Please don’t print this blog post - Show pollution & the demise of the tree who wears the pants on this earth!
So, today is the last day of January which means we are one month into (or out of…) our New Year’s Resolutions! TBQH, (I just learned that means “to be quite honest” in the social media world), it is a recognized fact that a good majority of folks drop their high hopes for change about 3 to 4 weeks in! Well…we got your back. We are going to dedicate a majority of this month’s blogging to getting back or staying on the wagon. Is it just me, or does “the wagon” always make you think of either the buggy from Little House on the Prairie or those old school station wagons with the wood siding? I digress…
First Up: Being more Green
These are easy and good for apartment living. Most of them anyhow…
- 10 Painless Changes You Can Make for a Green Home
- Funny Tips for Going Green(I like the way this person thinks!)
Next Up: Resolution TBD, any ideas from you?
Sources- EHow Home & Real Simple
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Too Much Tossing?
Well…there goes the 84thbag of carrots – 3 of which were actually consumed …AGAIN! It never fails, every time I hit the grocery store, I buy a bag of those mini carrots with the intention to munch on them at work with a little hummus instead of gobbling up processed granola bars or consuming the whole trail mix jar in the office mail room; however, I end up eating pita chips with the hummus, and the carrots never sound good at 10am or 3pm when I want my snack. Ergo, I waste yet another bag of those darn carrots!
Do you find that you waste food from time to time or a lot? Maybe you end up buying too many perishable choices at one time, or in my case, choices that you don’t really want but feel you need to like because they are the “smarter choices?”
Check this out: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-avoid-wasting-food-46510
This blog from theKitchn will give you 3 great tips on how to avoid food waste, (which I am fairly confident 80% of us are guilty of), and it also includes some other helpful links to implement your eliminate-food-waste-strategy!
Let us know if you have any tips too!
Happy Friday Eve!
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So Your Pooch Can Celebrate Saint Patty’s Day Too!
St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, and your pets want to celebrate too! Check out this green treat for your furry friend!St. Patty’s Day Patties Recipe
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups green peas, drained (about two cans)
- 2 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Fry bacon and reserve drippings; cool. Put peas in blender or food processor and blend. Mix blended peas and bacon with drippings; add dry ingredients and mix well. Knead dough and pat out or roll to under 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters to desired shape and place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until browned. Cool and serve.
Source: www.dogtipper.com
Recipe and Photo below by Paris Permenter and John Bigley
