10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup & Green Living Fair

I attended the 10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup & Green Living Fair this past weekend in Fredricksburg, TX. Even though it was an uncomfortably warm weekend weather wise, the event seemed to have a great turnout. My husband (who is starting a renewable energy consulting business) said he got a lot of value networking with exhibitors as well as sitting in on numerous presentations. I too enjoyed networking with the exhibitors although spent most of the day chasing around and playing with my 20-month old son! There was an electric-powered train ride for the young kids that we road once or twice and the older kids enjoyed making solar-powered ovens out of pizza boxes and constructing solar-powered toy cars. I was impressed too with the little amount of waste produced at this fair. Most people brought their personal water bottles to fill at various water stations and to my knowledge none of the vendors sold bottled water. For more information visit the website.

Soji Solar Lanterns

Check out these modern solar-powered LED lanterns. They collect power from the sun all day and then turn themselves on at night to cast a beautiful shimmering glow. Because each lantern is hand-made and constructed with a silk-like material they are a little more expensive than your typical paper lantern. They are great for any outdoor wedding or special event. According to the company, each lantern (if set in direct sunlight all day) should glow up to 4-6 hours at night. I haven't had a chance to check this out personally yet but hopefully they last as long as they say. To learn more about LED solar-powered lanterns please visit here.