Ok so this isn’t technically a website review, but there’ll be some links you can visit. Now for the big news… (if you haven’t already guessed it from the subject line) North Star’s pr client Snyder’s of Hanover, will have a product shown in the upcoming blockbuster SPEED RACER! So far we don’t have the exact details on which product or in what part of the movie BUT according to a Warner Brothers studio contact, it’s an “incredible placement.” How fun is that?!? The movie is coming out this Friday, May 9th!

Seth Godin had this on his blog today.  Too funny. I had to share.

Following the trend of kicking off a campaign with a new, funky website McDonald’s has decided to tackle the age-old questions, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” to support their new Southern Style Chicken Biscuit - for breakfast. But there is a twist! And I mean that quite literally- visitors actually can upload a photo of themselves and become a chicken or an egg, and then choreograph moves for a dance-off which determines the winner. So far it looks like the eggs have a slight majority. You can also check out videos of people on the street asking them which came first.

So I decided to let Luke be a chicken and boy, can he dance!

As of today, Earth Day, Whole Foods will no longer use/offer/buy plastic bags, instead they will offer recycled paper or  better yet, your own cloth bags. Considering it takes something like 1,000 years for a plastic bag to fully decompose in a landfill and Whole Foods is the nature loving “tree-hugger” type grocer - this is a great move for them in two ways - 1. it creates a lot of buzz and it fits with their brand image AND 2. it actually does help the environment. High-five Whole Foods!

So you bring your own cloth bags - great - but you aren’t off the hook yet. Whole Foods comprised a list of 25 ways to be green everyday…

25 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

In honor of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of Whole Foods Market, we have come up with 25 simple ways that you can make your life more “green.” These are easy tasks that can be incorporated into your daily routine, not only on Earth Day, but every day of the year. Give them a try, and you’ll find that active environmental stewardship is a breeze.

1. Think locally
   Purchase locally grown or produced food when possible to support independent, local farms and the environment. The quality and flavor of food grown near your home is often exceptional since it’s typically picked only two or three days before it reaches your plate.
2. Switch to organics
   Organic agriculture protects the health of all the earth’s inhabitants by limiting inputs of toxic and persistent chemicals in the air, soil and water. Organic systems support natural ecosystems by using long-term farming solutions that help preserve the earth’s resources for future generations. Plus, organic fruits and veggies taste great! learn more
3. Think green when you clean
   Many household cleaning products contain various chemicals and toxins detrimental to the environment and to your health. Read the labels and only purchase products that contain non-toxic ingredients or create your own by simply combining vinegar and baking soda. learn more
4. Start a compost pile in your yard
   As landfill space becomes increasingly scarce and expensive, composting is an extremely valuable idea for reducing needless garbage. Composting requires little effort and, in time, will create an earthy, crumbly substance to help your plants flourish.
5. Support companies with environmentally smart packaging
   When shopping for packaged products, seek out companies that use minimal amounts of materials to package their products.
6. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!
   At home or in the office, keep bins designated for recyclables. If recyclable products are not picked up outside of your home, there is sure to be a place nearby for dropping them off.
7. Avoid buying disposables
   Purchase durable, long-lasting products that can be reused or refilled in order to decrease waste. Consider using a refillable razor, rechargeable batteries, and reuseable containers to hold your lunch in place of disposables that contribute to extraneous waste.
8. Don’t throw away old or unwanted clothes
   Re-use worn t-shirts as rags for cleaning around the house or give unwanted clothes to friends, family or charitable organizations.
9. Buy in bulk
   Purchasing food in bulk allows you to choose how much or how little of a certain product you want so that little food gets wasted. Plus, buying in small amounts keeps your bulk items fresher! learn more
10. Help plant a tree in your yard, neighborhood or local park
    Currently, the majority of Americans live in urban areas with very few trees or open space. Planting a tree improves the view as well as the quality of the environment by reducing air pollution and lowering air temperatures.
11. Become less reliant on your car
    When possible, ride your bike or walk to work. If your traveling distance is far, take the bus or carpool. Fewer cars on the road equals reduced air pollution.
12. Reuse shopping bags
    Reusing shopping bags significantly reduces the waste associated with paper or plastic bag disposal. Make it a habit of bringing your own canvas bags with you when you head to the store. Whole Foods Market offers a nickel-per-bag refund at all of its stores to encourage this earth-friendly habit.
13. Stop junk mail
    Unwanted junk mail production wastes energy and trees. Sign up for a mail preference service (learn more about one service here) that can decrease the amount of mail you receive by up to 75 percent.
14. Grow your own
    Organic gardening is a natural way of growing fruits and vegetables without pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are harmful to both human health and the environment. And think of how convenient it would be to step out the back door to pick a ripe tomato!
15. Use fluorescent lighting
    Twenty percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is for lighting.¹ Using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent lights reduces energy and saves you more money than an ordinary bulb over the course of its lifetime.
16. Keep your appliances clean
    Cleaning your refrigerator coils and heating vents often will allow them to operate much more efficiently. When appliances aren’t forced to work as hard, you save money on your electric bill.
17. Conserve more water
    In the United States, 27 percent of our water is used in bathing. Instead of taking a bath, take a quick shower using a water-conserving showerhead. Also, don’t forget to repair leaky faucets as they could leak up to 100 gallons of water per day.²
18. Buy recycled products
    Buying recycled items allows consumers to “close the loop,” creating a market for items recycled curbside or in other recycling programs.
19. Choose your seafood wisely
    If you enjoy seafood, it’s important to know where the seafood you purchase is coming from since the majority of the world’s marine stocks are fully fished, overexploited, depleted or recovering at a slow rate. Ask more questions next time you shop for seafood such as whether or not the fish comes from a sustainable fishery. learn more
20. Adjust the blinds during extreme weather conditions
    Raise the shutters during the winter and lower them during the summer to reduce the need for heat or air conditioning and to reduce the amount of energy consumed in your home.
21. Turn out the lights
    Before leaving your home or office, make sure all of the lights are turned off. This simple task will save energy and save you money.
22. Perfect all documents before you print them
    To reduce the amount of paper that gets thrown away or recycled, triple check that spreadsheet before printing. If you have to print out an unfinished document, try printing on the other side of used paper.
23. Maintain your car
    Always keep your car tuned, tires inflated and never fill your gas tank to the top. This will not only add to the life of your vehicle but will also reduce air pollution and conserve some of the earth’s resources as well as your own.
24. Get involved
    Join a local action group that promotes environmentally friendly practices. One person really can make a difference (and inspire others to as well)!
25. Start small and teach others
    The most important step to becoming a good environmental steward is to keep your momentum going. Small, everyday actions can contribute to a more “green” life for you and your family and can encourage others to follow your footsteps.

1. The Oracle Education Foundation’s ThinkQuest: www.thinkquest.org2. Washington State Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.wa.gov

Any ideas?

They are a food type substance…

Used almost everyday by many people…

The thing on the left has been getting a bad rap lately…

And the weird thing on the right can make you sneeze!

If you guessed Salt and Pepper, you were right!

From the BBC News Site:
This image of a peppercorn and a grain of salt taken by David McCarthy is the overall winner (and close-up category winner) in this year’s Visions of Science Photographic Awards. The competition is sponsored by Novartis and The Daily Telegraph. (©David McCarthy)

It’s true, the latest extreme experience to hit the US - sky dining!

Strapped in, diners are lifted 12 STORIES up in the air, by a crane, to eat a gourmet meal prepared by a master chef.

The cost? A paltry $12,000!! And, get this, it’s BYO Chef and BYO Crane!? (Where would one rent a crane?!?)

It’s coming to Las Vegas but I think Niagara Falls would be so much more amazing. But considering I’m not a fan of heights, I probably wouldn’t do it anyway, even though I SO have an extra $12,000 laying around…and a crane. So I could.

Check out the website - dinnerinthesky.com

You can also see a video the Today show did here.

More photos…

As you might have guessed by now, I love food. I think about food, dream about food and yes, I even take pictures of food. But I have a confession to make. I hate dislike actually cooking food. Which can be a problem. Mostly I blame my mom ( she’s pretty much perfect, so I have to blame her for something.) She never really taught me how to cook. But then again, I never had much of an interest in learning either. Since she was happy preparing meals and I was happy eating them - I wasn’t going to mess with a good thing. So it’s partly my fault too, I suppose. But now that I’m on my own and actually have to cook from time to time - what’s a girl to do?

Search for help on the internet of course! And boy did I find it!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks website is heaven for any scared/nervous/unmotivated/disinterested cook. She describes each recipe (so you really want to make it) and then takes a photo of all of the ingredients (all simple things you can actually find in a normal grocery store! Amen!) and then, get this, she takes a photo of EVERY STEP of the recipe. Every time she chops up an onion - you see a photo - every time she adds a tad more flour - another photo! It’s the way all recipes in life should be. I mean, who needs a photo of the gorgeous finished dish if you have no idea how to make it! Am I right or am I right?!

So far I’ve made the Best Lasagna. Ever. and it actually was! Once you explore the site and see how all the recipes are made you can print them off here (no photos…) so going back to the site to see a step is not cheating - no, it’s helpful - and totally okay to do a few dozen times. Not that I would know or anything…

Rachael Ray is quite a phenomena. With several hit TV shows, her own product line, and her insanely popular day-time talk show - things are quite “yum-o” for this Upstate NY gal (gotta plug my roots when I can!) So it’s no surprise that her website would offer a wealth of information and delicious recipes galore.

Some of the highlights include:

• On today’s show - This large icon links directly to rachaelrayshow.com. When you have so much going on, like Rachael does, you need several websites to keep everything straight. (Check out the calendar at the top - love it!)
  • Side note alert: I feel it’s time to get something off my chest. I happened to find out about the RR show BEFORE it was ever on TV. So I might have requested tickets. And someone from the show might have called me directly, like the very next day. And since none of my awesome friends seemed interested in going, the tickets might not have been used. I only mention this story because if someone were to request tickets today, guess when they would be going to the RR show? 2012 basically! The waiting list is insane. I had people calling me, practically begging me to be in the audience. Errr.
• Rachael’s Blogs - Full of useful information, Rachael has her own blog and several others - one for food, travel, kids, and friends. Since they are updated pretty regularly you’ll always find something new.
• Recipes - Recipes are what Rachael Ray is most known for, and her website doesn’t skimp. Just click on the Food tab on the top nav bar and you’ll see a listing of the newest recipes, plus a search box to find exactly what you need. I searched for my personal favorite, mac and cheese, and it gave me 6 different variations - even one that was dog friendly! Wonder who I could make that for…

Explore on your own! Hope you find the perfect recipe to make tonight!

PS- Everyday on her show Rachael has a “Snack of the Day.” Well our client, Snyder’s of Hanover, has been on the show many, many, many times! And I happen to know that one of Rachael’s all-time favorite snacks is…

Since Easter was last weekend, Gourmet Magazine created a beautiful slideshow of a dozen different eggs. (Click on the emu egg above to view.) It’s really amazing the variety that exists in nature. I mean, who knew seagull eggs were so beautiful. But my personal favorite is the egg in the last slide. Shocking, I know.

PS. If anyone has any left over they want to give to me, I’m more then willing to help you out.

So one of our vendors recently sent the crew at North Star a few boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. (BTW- Brilliant idea, if anyone else wants to send cookies, please go right ahead, just make sure you address them directly to me…) As I was sampling a few Tagalongs and Samoas I realized - in horror - that I hadn’t had any of my favorite kind yet - the iconic Shortbreads! Since we didn’t seem to get a box of those (or someone maybe stole them!) I decided to check online to see if the Girl Scouts had a website showing where I could find their next sale.

Let’s just say I was very impressed with how plugged in, or rather, hip to the social media scene those Girl Scouts have become! Kids… just so high-tech these days!

As you can see, the site is very clean, easy to use and yet colorful/fun. What really impressed me is how they incorporated their social media sites along the top navigation. Check out the links to their MySpace page, Flickr site and Facebook application! Talk about integrated into Web 2.0!

Way to go Girl Scouts! I wonder if there is a Web 2.0 badge they can earn for this?

PS - Unfortunately, I do have sad news to report. After entering my zip code on the site, I found out that cookie sales in my area have ended!!! Please join me in a moment of silence……… Thank you.