Thanks to everyone who came out to Pikes Peak Eco-Festival. It was a great turnout and a day of great fun!

Come and visit us at Pikes Peak EcoFestival! We’ll be giving away coupons for $10 off a gallon of Mythic paint, plus raffling off tons of other prizes and discounts!

Saturday, August 28, 2010 |10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site
30th Street & Gateway Road | Colorado Springs

Visit www.pikespeakecofestival.com

This is a great time of year to get locally grown fresh vegetables and fruits from your local Farmer’s Markets! It’s estimated that the average American meal travels 1,500 miles to get to our table. When was the last time you drove that far? How did you feel after the trip? Your food feels the same. Reduce your food’s carbon footprint and support your local Farmer’s Markets. Below is the 2010 summer schedule. You can also go to www.springsgov.com/page.aspx?navid=1733

Acacia Park Farmers’ Market

(115 E Platte Ave.)
Every Monday from 7:00 am to 3:00 p.m.
June 7 through October 11
Info: Miller Farms 970-785-6133

America the Beautiful Park
Colorado Farm and Art Market
(126 Cimino Dr.)
Every Wednesday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
June 16 through October 13
Info: Amy Siebert 719-640-6154

Doherty High School Farmer’s Market
(4515 Barnes Rd.)
Every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
June 26 through October 2

Margarita at Pine Creek
(7350 pine Creek Road)
Every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
June 19 through October 16

Memorial Park Farmer’s Market
(East Pikes Peak Ave. and Union Blvd.)
Every Monday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
July 1 through October 5 Except September 6th
Every Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
June 28 through October 7
Info: Franklin Schmidt (719) 574-1283

Old Colorado City Farmer’s Market
(West Colorado Ave. and 24th St.)
Every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
June 12 through October 30
Info: Franklin Schmidt (719) 574-1283

InteriLife is working on expanding our product line to include healthy stains, sealers, Quartz countertops, Kentwood flooring, cabinets, and an array of cleaning supplies! Stay tuned for new product updates!

Green Tips:

1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are harmful to your health and to the environment. Re-vamp your room with Non-Toxic, no VOC paint, and save your health and the environment.  InteriLife offers Mythic Non-Toxic paint, so you can feel confident with the performance and the safety of your family!
2. Use a rapidly renewable product such as Kirei Board to construct some unique, eco-friendly  shelving for your home or office. Kirei Board is made from rapidly renewable sorghum stalk that has been reclaimed and made into beautiful, strong, lightweight, and durable panels. Refer to this website for ideas.
3. Use the Cradle to Cradle concept “what comes out of the earth, has to go back to the earth” as your remodeling mantra. Choose finishes that are good quality and will last. This will not only reduce landfill, but will also save you money in the long run.  InteriLife offers a wide range of products that are not only durable but are made with minimal harm to the environment.  Stop by our showroom for inspiration!

Events Coming Up:

Come join us at First Fridays Artwalk on July 2nd from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm outside of Squash Blossom in Old Colorado City (2531 West Colorado Avenue).  We will have a booth set up with product literature and samples.

We will be hosting Green Drinks for Green Cities Coalition in August!  Please come to InteriLife’s showroom, located at 301 E. Pikes Peak Avenue between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Thursday, August 26th, for drinks and appetizers.  For more information on Green Cities Coalition, please refer to www.greencoloradsprings.org.

InteriLife will be participating in Pikes Peak EcoFestival in August.  Join the fun on Saturday, August 28th from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site.  For details, please refer to www.pikespeakecofestival.com

Spring Greening!

Ahhhh spring time. Its that time of year when we all get the itch to start cleaning the dust bunnies and killing dandelions. Here are some healthy alternatives to cleaning without the harmful chemicals. It will take the headache out of weeding and cleaning!

Consider using Eucalyptus oil as a multi-purpose household cleaner. www.greenlivingtips.com suggests using it for these items:

• Make a general disinfectant for toilets etc and again, it’s a very simple recipe. mix 50 ml (1.6 oz) of eucalyptus oil with a litre (quart) of water. That’s it – you can store it as you would a normal disinfectant.
• Eucalyptus oil can be used neat in order to remove sticker/decal residue from glass
• Add 1-2 teaspoonfuls of eucalyptus oil to your load of washing for a fresh scent along with the anti-microbial benefits
• Use the oil neat to help remove paint, grease and ink from clothes
• If you have a hanging car air freshener that’s almost dead, reinvigorate it by adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil
• Half a teaspoon mixed with half a litre (half quart) of water makes for a good bug repellent for plants
• To use as a room air freshener, Mix a quarter of a teaspoon or 15 drops of eucalyptus oil with a half teaspoon of vodka, place in an atomizer/spray bottle and add 2 cups of water. This should be quite subtle, so you may need to add more.

Earth-friendly, non-toxic weed killer. Instead of using really nasty commercial chemicals to rid your garden of noxious weeds, where possible just try using water. Click Here To read more!



Ran across an interesting article today on Colorado Springs and our nation wide recycling statistics. Read the full article below, or click HERE.

Residents of Colorado Springs may imagine their city, with its sparkling skies, clean streets and mountain air, would be one of America’s greenest cities.

After all, the city ranks high on most “best places” lists.

It appears, however, that they’re too busy enjoying life here to recycle our trash.

Among 100 cities rated for residential recycling by Men’s Health last year, the city finished a dismal 98th.

The ratings were based on whether cities have mandatory recycling programs, the convenience of recycling for residents, and the percentage of households that participate in recycling programs.

The Environmental Protection Agency does not rate cities or states, but maintains recycling statistics for the country as a whole. The EPA estimates that a mere 4.6 percent of municipal solid waste was recycled in 1960, compared to 33.2 percent today.

Colorado Springs, it seems, remains stuck in the 1960s.

Since it is Earth Day and all, we thought we would compile a few eco-friendly tips to help lessen our impact. These simple tasks will not only save you money, but help you live a healthier lifestyle.

• Unplug appliances when not in use or plug them into a power strip and turn the power strip off when not needed. According to switched.com, 5% of the U.S. electricity is wasted on “Vampire Electronics”.



• Make a recycled re-usable bag by taking an old t-shirt turning it upside down and cutting the sleeves off.
• Drink from re-useable water bottles such as aluminum or stainless steel.
• Bring your own mug or thermos to your favorite coffee shop.
• Use washable cloth napkins instead of paper.
• Check out www.earth911.com to find the nearest recycling center for your odd things (electronics, batteries, hazardous material, etc.).
• Ride your bike or walk whenever possible.  It’s good for the environment and it’s good for you!

Allyson and Sarah at InteriLife

Allyson Buck and Sarah Heinbaugh are taking an Earth-friendly approach to interior design.

The friends-turned-business- partners are the owners of Interi-Life, which opened in January at 301 E. Pikes Peak Ave., on the eastern edge of downtown. The store sells sustainable, eco-friendly interior finishes such as cork and bamboo flooring, recycled glass countertops and Mythic paint, a nontoxic, low-odor paint.

“We’re the only dealer in the Colorado Springs area that has this paint,” Heinbaugh said.