I found this awesome website with a variety of affordable wedding invitations to choose from. The Best Little Wedding Shop also has very unique invitations including wedding thank you cards and save the dates. They have a wide variety of invitations to fit everyone’s budget. While you’re surfing, take a look at Green Earth Bamboo for everything bamboo. They carry wonderful bamboo items from bamboo clothing too bamboo sheets. I buy all of my gifts on this fun site!

Sunday's New York Times included on the front page of its Arts & Leisure section an article by Michael Kimmelman declaring that "it's time to take parking lots seriously, as public spaces." It's a worthwhile but perhaps unfamiliar consideration for environmentalists or anyone who is interested in an overall improvement of the American landscape. Parking lots are such ugly byproducts of American civilization, and yet they're certainly not going anywhere soon.

The Times article indicates that estimates of the number of parking spaces in America range from 105 million all the way up to 2 billion, with about a third of them being clustered into parking lots. The text is accompanied by a photograph of a handsomely landscaped parking lot, and an aerial view of another that is broken up by large islands filled with trees. Spaces like these are, of course, uncommon sights. But it would be meaningful progress if real estate developers began looking to such examples in the future.

Environmentalist interests can't be advanced solely by focusing on narrowly idealistic goals, like preservation of natural lands. The parts of the American landscape that represent counter-environmentalist trends shouldn't be treated as lost causes. They can be made into the most ecologically responsible and naturally aesthetic versions of themselves. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the measure of our environmental future will not be how many national parks we have set aside from the rest of the modern world, but rather how well we integrate care for the environment into all the trappings of a post-industrial society, including our usually sprawling and monotonous parking lots.

Environmentalism, with respect to economic growth and other concerns, is not a zero-sum game. As a society, as individuals, we can do things that advance one end, and make up for the harm they cause elsewhere. Even those of us with very green consciences tend to create waste and leave behind carbon footprints. It's merely a consequence of living in the developed world. But we can demonstrate our interest in reducing that impact in everything we do, even wearing that commitment on our backs in the form of bamboo clothing.

Accepting the imperfections of our current lifestyles doesn't diminish the value of our efforts to improve them. Quite the contrary, it strengthens that value, because it shields both the environmentalist and the developer from the accusation that he is willing to sell one cause down the river in order to advance his own short-sighted ends. That shouldn't be our aim, no matter on what side of the divide we fall. Everybody's goal should be the same: Not a future that seems to limit the freedom of movement that we enjoy now, but one wherein, when we must rely on our cars, we can tuck them away amidst clean consciences and natural beauty.

Eco-Friendly decorating isn't just for celebrities! Jessica Alba chose sustainable and repurposed supplies for her bedroom and now you'll be able to join the trend! Millions of dollars aren't required - just some bamboo along with a little sweat. Build a beautiful bamboo headboard to complement your bamboo sheets and bring a contemporary, all-natural vibe to your bedroom.

Here's what you need to make your Bamboo Headboard:

 Bamboo Canes
 Masking Tape
 Fine-Tooth Saw
 Twine
 Scissors
 Wall Hooks

Here's how to make your Bamboo Headboard:

 Cut the poles to the height you prefer for your headboard. You can make the poles all one height or vary the height and width to make your own exclusive design. (Tip: Wrap the poles in masking tape where you plan to cut to help prevent splintering.)
 Lay out the bamboo poles on a flat surface. Cut twine in two feet sections, two pieces of twine for every two canes of bamboo. (Twine would be the classic choice but depending on the design you want use rope, string or even silk scarves.)
 Place one piece of twine one third of the way from the top of the bamboo pole. Create a figure eight with the twine to join two adjacent bamboo poles together. Knot the twine securely in a knot. Make an additional figure eight and knot two-thirds of the way down from the top of the same poles. Continue tying the bamboo together in this pattern until the desired width of the headboard is accomplished. For an added visual impact, you can stagger the placement of the knots or should you prefer, you can hide the knots behind the headboard.
 Attach the wall hooks to the wall behind your bead and hang the headboard from the hooks. The twine will serve as the hook for your bamboo headboard.

A brand new year, a new you and a lot of common resolutions include the best way to improve one's fitness. From quitting smoking to quitting drinking to decreasing anxiety and working out more, each New Year brings a brand new chance to far better ourselves and of course, that brings more trends to coincide with our objectives.

After the gluttony that is our holiday season, getting in shape and losing weight stay high on our resolution list. Before you make the most of any of the fitness trends for 2012, be sure you have the best gear! Bamboo clothing is not only incredibly soft but it also has amazing wicking properties to help keep you comfy during your workouts.

2012 Fitness Trends consist of:

Boot Camp - Intense and uniquely-challenging, boot camps are popping up around the country to ask fitness fanatics if they are being all they can be. Be prepared though - if you are not a fan of heights, the ropes course may do you in.

Yoga - While Pilates is declining in popularity, yoga remains a mainstay on several fitness plans. Possibly it is for the flexibility it gives (no pun intended) from beginning to advanced and standard yoga to modern styles like Bikram Yoga. Regardless of your desire, there is a yoga class for you. Make the most of a bamboo yoga tank top and womens bamboo yoga pants to help you breathe and stretch a little more easily.

Functionally Fit - The least trendy with the fitness trends, this movement utilizes real world everyday movement from lifting to stooping to work on balance and strength.

No one too young or too old - Fitness programs are expanding beyond their 21 - 35 demographic to include more school-age youngsters and retired adults. Kids are battling a national obesity epidemic and many are also facing lost recess time on top of too many sedentary online gaming options to keep them occupied. Retirees, alternatively, are searching to spend their discretionary earnings on staying fit and healthy for as lengthy they are able to.

Strength Training - It is not just about aerobics anymore. More and more, fitness specialists are touting the benefits of weight training. It increases the metabolism, improves posture and like aerobics, improves our cardiac health.

ZUMBA - The Latin invasion continues with this high-energy, fast-paced interval training dance class set to Latin dance music. Get ready to sweat for this class!

Working out at Work - With rising health care expenses, employers are taking preventative measures to keep their workers wholesome and out of the doctor's office. While some organizations are offering incentives to keep in shape, many are also going one step further and bringing the fitness classes to the conference room to encourage participation.

No matter what your fitness aim is this year, there's a workout calling for you. Good luck!

Best Little Wedding Shop has all of your invitation needs covered. They have a great variety of affordable wedding invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations to choose from. You’ll also find save the dates and save-the-date wedding magnets. The site has articles on proper etiquette for wedding invitations and wedding receptions as well. I always give bamboo sheets or bamboo towels as shower or wedding gifts. Everyone loves them and are very pleased with their bamboo gifts.

You'll discover the most affordable wedding invitations at best-little-wedding-shop.com. They have graduation party invitations and anniversary invitations. I really like the photo invitations. You can also find themed wedding party favors, accessories and gifts. For those of you getting married they have terrific wedding invites to choose from. If you’re searching for a unique shower or wedding gift I would suggest a cozy set of bamboo sheets.

With 2012 comes a slew of predictions - what will be new in technologies (rumors of iPad three abound), what will fashionistas be wearing this year (I, obviously, hope for sustainable selections like bamboo clothing) and what will the presidential elections hold for the altering course of our country. 2012 also brings "green" predictions according to eco-friendly trends and reactions to 2011's many natural disasters.

Here are just several predictions to ponder for 2012:

Trend #1 - Alternative building supplies for houses - Not so much on a domestic level as there are importing issues at hand but internationally bamboo continues to grow in popularity for not simply its abundance but also for its tensile strength in buildings. With many more earthquakes lighting up the Richter Scale within the United States, such as one on New Years Day in Ohio, the flexible strength of bamboo is one that should not be ignored.

Trend #2 - Much less throwaways, far more focus on repair - The value of a dollar is evident in 2012 and our throw-away culture is slowly transforming to a lot more repair of older items and DIY projects with salvaged materials. While this could be done with a different type of green in mind, the investment in restoration and repurposing is also lightening the load on our landfills.

Trend #3 - The issue of Electricity - It's by no means a straightforward answer. Yes, electric vehicles keep pollutants out in the air and yes, we are a more knowledgeable public with the ability to plug into news 24/7 with our iPhones and iPads. Nevertheless, with this comes a huge demand on existing, and in some instances outdated, power grids. The best way to get more electrical energy with no offsetting the environmental benefits gained by electric automobiles and falling behind in technological trends is a great challenge for 2012 and will force us to take yet another look at solar power and wind power projects.

Trend #4 - Keep it local, Keep it sustainable - Many more communities will continue to keep farmer's markets in business and a lot more community gardens will pop up as folks take a stand against rising grocery costs and processed foods. Look for a throwback to the communes of the 60's too as cluster housing and community co-ops rise up about the country. (For an excellent example, take a look at the Urban Farming Guys!)

Trend #5 - The Acknowledgment of Global Warming - This may sound like a no-brainer but with presidential hopeful Rick Perry lately referring to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," as a work of fiction, certainly there's some more work to be done. Maybe we require more scientific evidence or maybe an easy acknowledgment that when an ice cap melts (not an ice cube, but a gigantic mass of ice), we ought to start taking global warming seriously.

Piles of presents making eyes twinkle, Christmas cards flying by way of the postal service to warm loved ones' hearts and millions of trees lighting up living rooms all equal a festive holiday season and also a whole lot more trash on the curb. Nationwide there is an estimated 1 million extra tons of trash right after the holidays which indicates that folks are too busy singing Jingle Bells and forgetting about Recycle Reduce Reuse.

In today's electronic age, much of our waste is outdated phones, TVs and computers. If at all doable, donate outdated electronics to Goodwill and check out these alternatives to recycle your cellular phone. With tiny children within the house, batteries are a toxic culprit in the landfill. Return old batteries to a neighborhood battery retailer or use a mail based service for example the Battery Solutions iRecycle Kit.

Even the smallest bit of trash takes up room in a landfill so if you've overindulged and over-celebrated, donate your wine corks to ReCORK America where they will be repurposed into everything from floor tiles to building insulation.

The National Christmas Tree Association (yes, there actually is one) estimates that 30 million trees are cut down every single season to adorn our homes but they are able to live on as wood chips to utilize for plant mulch or to line pathways. If Santa didn't leave you a wood chipper below stated tree, locate a local recycling center inside your community. Nearby Parks & Rec staff will use the chips in neighborhood parks and to create or maintain hiking trails.

Save as much wrapping paper as possible to reuse the following year and consider fabric wrapping paper from Rewrapables for your 2012 Christmas (or any other occasion for that matter!).

Cleaning out your closet to make way for new eco-friendly bamboo clothing? Donate old clothing to a nearby charity or consider the inventive repurposing clothing swap, swap-O-rama rama. Bring a bag of unwanted clothing and a modest donation to add to the swap pile. Right after diving in to discover the items you like, take a seat at a sewing station for a DIY workshop that shows you how to transform your finds into a unique outfit.

I'm still surprised at the amount of paper cards in circulation with so many e-card choices but at least paper cards can be transformed into gift tags for next year or even decorative wreaths. Uncover a spherical tube from your local crafts store and cut fun designs out of your cards. Stick to the tube with pins or glue. Then you have a truly personal Christmas decoration for the following year.

I found this excellent on line store called Best Little Wedding Shop. They have exceptional invitations for all occasions. I bought the save the dates, wedding thank you cards and the very affordable wedding invitations. I’ll be ordering quite a few anniversary invitations soon for my parents anniversary party coming up in a couple of months. They also carry themed wedding party favors, accessories and gifts.

In the course of this cold and flu season, savory soups not only soothe the throat and satisfy the stomach but they can also help in the battle against germs and illness. Bamboo shoots add a wholesome punch to winter soups as they are loaded with antioxidants, potassium and fiber. So cozy up in your bamboo bedding and enjoy a hot bowl of yummy soup and a good movie!

Here's what you need to make Hot and Sour Chicken Soup:

 3 cups chicken broth
 1/2 cup water
 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots, drained
 3 slices fresh ginger root
 2 cloves garlic, crushed
 2 teaspoons soy sauce
 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
 1 tablespoon sesame oil
 2 green onions, chopped
 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
 2 tablespoons cornstarch
 1 egg, beaten

Here's how you make your Hot and Sour Chicken Soup:

 In a saucepan, combine the chicken broth, water, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
 Put the chicken slices into a bowl and toss with the sesame oil to coat. In a separate bowl, stir together the cornstarch and vinegar, and set aside.
 Turn the heat under the broth to medium-high, and return to a rolling boil. Add the chicken slices. Return to a boil, and then drizzle in the egg while stirring slowly to create long strands of egg. Stir in the vinegar and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and the broth has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Serve garnished with green onions and cilantro.