CELEBRITY SWAG IS GOING GREEN!
Diamond necklaces, expensive electronics and even eye surgery have been some of the gifts the stars receive during award season. Attendees and presenters of everything from the Oscars and Emmys to the MTV Awards are lavished with gifts at high end suites across Los Angeles. Now it's looking like celebrity swag is finally going green.
Hollywood has become more socially and eco-conscious. Many celebrities are becoming more vocal as proponents of greener living. Some production companies are offsetting their carbon footprints and hybrid vehicles are prevalent all over town. Hollywood is coming to the forefront of the green movement; so it's only natural that celebrity swag would follow suit.
So, purely in the interest of research of course, I decided to visit to some of these "swag suites" for myself and see how they are adapting to the cause. To my surprise plenty of greener and healthier products were being offered this year. One of my favorite gifting suites was the "Green with Emmy" suite at the Peninsula Hotel. First up, I checked out some eco-friendly transportation with a Vespa scooter. Although I would prefer an all-electric version, the Vespa is known for it's hip style and 70+ MPG is respectable for local jaunts. Next, it was onto some great cruelty free handbags by Chinese Laundry. Hip organic knitwear was shown by Eco Clothing company Peligrosa, who helps to dress some green minded celebrities. After taking a breather with a drink of organic Acai juice, it was onto the rest of the suite.
I couldn't help but love some of the hip "new" products made from recycled materaisl from old billboards. The messenger bags and garment bags have a unique look and style and gives old billboards a great second chapter. Of course I was lucky enough to leave with a "new" garment bag made from an old Cadillac billboard!
Not to be outdone, another gifting suite for the Emmy's, the "Green Living Lifestyle Lounge" also had everything a healthy, eco minded celebrity could need. So it was out of the Prius and into one of L.A.'s coolest green home stores, Cisco Home. Once inside it was time to get carbon offsetting for my driving for the year from www.drivinggreen.com . We were off to a great start! Earth Friendly's line of green cleaning products is an easy way to keep your home free from toxins. Then I had a nice hand massage courtesy of Origins and even took home one of their stress busting aroma therapy treatments. With a wide array of natural cosmetics, spa treatments and organic hair care product the "Green Living Lifestyle Lounge" had a great selection of products to please the green-conscious celeb.
Of course we had our camera crew there to capture the action so be sure and watch our Green Suites TV clips to check out more cool stuff!
Celebrity Fit Club
Even celebrities need some help staying in shape. Michelle visits the set of VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" where she and gal-pal Maureen McCormick get a boot camp work out with celebrity trainer Harvey Walden. Michelle also visits with pop singer Tiffany and Ross the Intern from the Tonight Show to discuss losing weight and getting in shape.
Hollywood Green Suites Part 1
When awards season hits, the stars can "get their green on" at the luxury green gifting suites. Join Michelle and her Hollywood pals as they hit the suites to check out some healthy and green goodies.
Hollywood Green Suites Part 2
In Part 2, Michelle visits some green Hollywood gifting suites to see how the stars stay eco-friendly. Guests include Kate Flannery from the television show "The Office".
Hollywood Green Suites Part 3
Part 3 reveals celebrity spa treatments and wellness secrets. Michelle checks out everything from a heated massage bed to portable rebound trampolines.
Green Rides Part 1
Some of the hottest cars on the market are green! The Tesla and the new Jaguar hybrid are some of the most exciting, sleek and sexy new green vehicles.
Green Rides Part 2
In Part 2 Michelle shows you the amazing plug in hybrid the GM Volt. The Toyota Prius is hotter than ever with new models that get even better mileage!
Krav Maga Part 1
Dr. Rey from Dr. 90210 joins Michelle as she tries Krav Maga, a hot new trend in fitness based on an Israeli martial art. It's a great way to stay in shape and practice personal empowering self-defense. See why Hollywood celebs are staying in tip-top shape with Krav Maga.
Krav Maga Part 2
Celebrities love Krav Maga for a great workout and to learn to protect themselves. In Part 2 Michelle will get to try some Krav Maga moves for herself!
Fast Food Nation - Greg Kinnear Interview
The book and the film "Fast Food Nation" show how fast food impacts our health and everyday lives. Michelle sat down with actor Greg Kinnear ,one of the stars of the film "Fast Food Nation", to speak to him about the film and how it effected him personally.
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Hollywood Hot List
Eat Green - What do Pamela Anderson, Anthony Kiedis, Lenny Kravitz, Ted Danson, Janeane Garofalo, Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone, Thom Yorke, Woody Harrelson and William Shatner all have in common? They all go green every day by simply eating a vegetarian diet. Think the biggest cause of greenhouse gases is automobiles? Nope, it's actually the meat industry or what they call factory-farming. It takes @ 2400 hundred gallons of water and @ 100 pounds of edible grains to produce just one pound of beef, not including the oil, gas and electrical energy wasted. You could go two years without taking a shower (not recommended) and still not save as much water as skipping just one pound of beef. Consider a veggie burger and you can save the environment and your waistline!
Offset Like the Stars - Whether it's to make up for energy consumed making a Hollywood blockbuster or for that world tour, celebs are using carbon offsetting programs to balance their footprints. You can too. These programs are designed to offset the greenhouse gasses produced while traveling. Driving Green www.drivinggreen.com can offset your drive, flight and even boat ride. They calculate the amount of emissions you are producing and then offset them for a fee. The money is used to support renewable energy and other methods of reducing greenhouse gasses.
Hollywood Skin Secret: How do Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts keep their skin looking dewy and dreamy on the red carpet? For these lucky nominees/presenters at the People's Choice Awards, there's Prevage cream (www.prevage.com) -- one of the hottest beauty items in the giveaway gift baskets this year. Each of these lovely ladies received a 2 oz bottle of the stuff, which claims to reduce wrinkles by 29% in six weeks.
In the Bag - Celebs have helped make reusable shopping bags a must-have sustainable accessory. Plastic bags (which are made from petroleum-based oil derivatives) are not biodegradable. Paper bags, although biodegradable, require the use of 14 million trees to produce the 10million paper bags we use every year. Both types of bags take a tremendous amount of energy and resources to create. It's so easy to get reusable bags and simply keep them in your car like I do. That way you have them when you need them.
Cellulite Solution: No self-respecting celebrity wants to be seen with dimpled thighs, so stars such as Cameron Diaz are turning to Vacuodermie. A non-invasive procedure done at medi-spas such as the Beverly Hills Spa 415 (www.spa415.com), it's taken Tinsel Town by storm. Gabrielle Union and Tyra Banks are also believers in the treatment, which uses suction cups to create a vacuum effect that stimulates circulation and helps eliminate toxins, reducing the look of cellulite. Inquire about it at a spa near you.