Whether it’s a family road trip or an extended car pool with friends, you can make the most of your travels by checking out Road Trip America, where they have helpful tools like route planners and gas mileage estimators.  I consult this site every time I plan a road trip – actually, I check it out even if I’m considering flying to see if driving is a cheaper alternative.

After I make my decision to drive, I go to Roadfood.com for restaurant recommendations along the way.  The site features eateries from off the beaten path, which makes for a nice alternative to fast food or generic chain restaurants.

Kathy, the CEO of Sun & Moon Ecolight, loves DogFriendly.com because she can always find a place that welcomes her and her Keeshond co-pilots, Sophie and Osa.  Make sure to browse this site if you have four legged passengers coming along for the ride!

Here are some things to include in your road trip checklist:

• Herbal Roots Eco First Aid Kit.  A first aid kit is a must to treat any minor injuries incurred along your journey, and now there are several green options, but this one is my favorite.  It’s packed with fair -trade, renewable, sustainable products, and includes a booklet explaining the various medicinal herbs and their appropriate uses.
• Clip on book lights.  Our line of Mighty Bright book lights are great for reading books, or used as a Kindle light, but I also use them to read maps after nightfall, so I don’t distract the driver by turning on the overhead lights.  There’s a ton of styles to fit your needs, including travel book lights.
• Laptop light.  Everyone travels with laptops these days, but trying to work or read in the dark causes a lot of unnecessary eyestrain.  Solve that with one of our USB laptop lights – just plug it into your computer’s USB port and voila!  Instant light where you need it.
• An LED headlamp.  This is another staple for me – I’m not a very big or strong woman, so when I need to change a tire, I really need both hands.  The headlamp gives me all the light I need to replace a blown tire, or check my luggage rack, and keeps my hands free so that I can work quickly and efficiently to get off of the side of the road faster.  If you do have to pull off to the side of the road for any reason along the way, you always want to spend as little time there as possible, especially at night when visibility is reduced, and accidents are increased.
• Visit GreenDrivingUSA to make your car as road-friendly as possible before you drive.  This site is packed with easy fixes to green up your vehicle so that you’re driving as cheaply and greenly as possible!
• Road trip games for the family.  Rad Road Trips is a great place to check out if you’ve got a lengthy drive ahead of you with children to keep entertained.  It has a lot of games the family can all play together, so you can really make drive time family time.

Above all, remember to be safe and have fun!  Always drive defensively and alert, and rest when you need to.  If you don’t have another driver, double check your route to find hotels, motels, and hostels along the way.

Where will the open road take you this summer?

]]> http://blog.sunandmoonecolight.com/2011/06/20/the-open-road/feed/ 0 http://blog.sunandmoonecolight.com/2011/05/11/dark-is-the-path/ http://blog.sunandmoonecolight.com/2011/05/11/dark-is-the-path/#comments Wed, 11 May 2011 15:03:30 +0000 Rochelle http://blog.sunandmoonecolight.com/?p=126 But it doesn’t have to be!

All too often, we leave our homes and return after dark, fumbling with purses, backpacks, groceries, shopping bags, kids, and pets, while trying to get our key in the door – all in the dark. The solution for some is to leave the porch light on all day long, resulting in high electricity bills and replacing incandescent bulbs every few weeks when they burn out.

“There has got to be a better way,” you think.

There is!  Not only is it a better way, it’s a virtually hassle-free way!  Motion sensing lights, like our Mr. Beams Weatherproof Motion Sensor Ceiling Light, gives you instant porch light!  You don’t have to do anything to turn on these easily-mounted, installation free lights – except show up at your door.  No wires, no buttons, no hassle!  Simply showing up is all it takes to activate the high-power LED and give you the light you need to see your way into safety.

Solar path lighting, like our Mr. Beams Remote Control Path Light set will get you to the door safely.  First and foremost, there’s no wires and no installation – just stake ‘em in the ground and wait for night to set in!  They  come on when either darkness or motion is detected, or with a push of a button from the included remote, so there’s no need to program them to come on at certain times, or run them all day.  Better yet, the super bright LEDs run off of solar power, so you’re not paying a dime to light your way to the door!

Did the kids leave a toy in the path from the car to the door?  Now you’ll see it before you take that next step.  These remote control path lights come in handy for me when my grey cat decides that the sidewalk is a great post-dusk napping spot (not to mention, it’s saved me several costly vet bills and the embarrassment of admitting that I accidentally stepped on my cat).

These are also great as garden path lights, especially if you like to entertain guests on your patio during the warmer months.  Pristine Planet has some great recycled patio furniture to compliment your new earth-friendly path lights.  EcoPatio.com is another good site to visit for all of your outdoor needs, from environmentally conscious hemp and rope hammocks to bird feeders to humane mouse traps.

To keep your lovely garden pest-free and impressive, consider some of the eco-friendly pest control options at Eco Gardening. Not only will your plants and flowers remain beautiful, but you won’t be harming the earth with chemical pesticides, and it will be a safer place for your kids, pets, and guests!

“We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light.”  -Earl Nightingale

My favorite lighting product for the summer are our LED Candelas by OXO.  The sleek, modern designs look great sitting on my coffee table, my dining table, my bedside table, my end tables, lining on my patio, or sitting upon a picnic table to keep the darkness at bay – because they are just that portable!  Pop any of our flame-less candles on the charging base to get them powered up, and you’re good to take it anywhere you want to light for the next 6-10 hours.  The OXO Glow makes a great outdoor lighting option – no open flame, so it’s safe and won’t blow out, and it doesn’t leave any messy candle wax or oil residue behind!

Personally, my favorite way to use the Oxo Demi-Glow is in the bathroom during a relaxing soak, since a curious kitty in my household has forced me to institute a house-wide candle ban.

But back to the barbecue – nothing says “summer time” like a heaping mound of grilled goodies with friends!  Kitchen Daily has some great eco-friendly grilling ideas, from healthier grill fuels to reducing waste.  Also, our pals at Let’s Go Green have the scoop on some compostable silverware for those who have more guests than forks.  Just toss ‘em in your compost bin after use, and they’ll break down into fertilizer.  Who doesn’t love guilt-free disposables?

With barbecues come lots of barbecue sauce and eating with your fingers.  While recycled napkins are widely out there (and are recyclable), think about getting some fabric napkins!  You can make your own from just about any prewashed fabric of your choosing, so they’re easy to custom to any theme or décor!  Constructing cloth napkins also make a great arts & crafts project to do with free-until-Fall kids.  If sewing just isn’t your thing, consider buying handmade from the great selection at Etsy.

Now that you’ve got your friends and family gathered around, some hardwood charcoal, your compostable eating utensils, and lots of cloth napkins for all those saucy, sticky fingers, what are you waiting for?  Get outside and enjoy that gorgeous sun – and remember to grab your Oxo Flameless Candles to illuminate your party long after dusk.