If you're one of my previous readers, you'll notice the extreme makeover of my site.  My previous addresses of ecofriendly.thebentleys.ca, paula.thebentleys.ca and mark.thebentleys.ca should now direct you here to greencoloredglasses.ca.  Please bear with me while we work out some of the technical details that this has entailed and let me know what you think of the site makeover.  My husband, Mark, has put a lot of hours into the revamping with several more still to come.

In the future, I hope to have an about me page, contact information available and other details added.  For now, expect there to be slight changes to the site format/layout and design on a regular basis until things work themselves out.  That's what I call it when my husband works his tush off on something apparently ... things just work themselves out! lol Thanks for all your help and support of all the technical details here Mark.  It's appreciated more than you know!!

Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions here and have a great weekend!

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If this is what your idea of an eco-friendly wedding looks like then you need to get seriously updated!! Check out a brand new Wedding Blog that will keep you up to date on all the new wedding trends and fashions. The blog is run by a team of experts (wedding planners, designers, etc.) with posts by brides and grooms that are in the midst of their own planning! They have a ton of resources for you to rely on and posts that cover a huge range of topics.

My favorite topic would, of course, be everything eco-friendly. This site has a range of wedding planning ideas that incorporate a variety of lifestyles, including the earth friendly lifestyle. I read a really interesting post about creating an eco-friendly gift registry which is something that I've never even thought about! This blogger, Melanie Salerno, will be posting an eco-friendly article every Friday as an ongoing series on this wedding blog. She is also featuring handmade finds monthly on this site which is something I'll definitely be keeping my eye on.

Whether you're planning your big day or helping with a friend's, wedding websites are a great resource for up to the minute wedding information. Weddings are a momentous life ocassion that require lots of planning, budgeting and information. They mark a new beginning and what better way to start your life together than by honouring the planet at the same time! Keep your eye on this wedding blog for hints and tips for wedding ideas for every lifestyle. They definitely have a bit of everything from make-up ideas to decorating ideas to invitation ideas! Let's face it, brides (and grooms) need all the help they can get with their big day. Turn to people who know what they're talking about!

This is a sponsored post with 100% real opinions.

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There are tons of eco-friendly websites starting up in the big green web out there and that's great news for everyone.  But how do you make your green site even greener???  You look for a green web host to run your green web site because it only makes sense, right?

The problem is that green has become the new black.  Everyone thinks it's fashionable or chic to go green and those materialistic corporations and the people behind them are cashing in on this trend.  Many things that look eco-friendly on the surface turn out to be nothing by green-washed when you really look into it.  People really need to research where they are spending their money if they really truly care about the environment.  The truth is that people and companies will only do what they can get away with.  If green washing no longer becomes something that a company can get away with and make money, they will stop doing it.

There are many ways that a web hosting service can go green.  Alternative energy sources, carbon credits, waste recycling, tree planting and renewable energy sources all go into making a web hosting service "green".  However, these practices are followed differently by each company so you really need to look into what you are buying into.  Comapnies like web hosting geeks can really help you to figure out what your best options are for web site hosting by giving you a look into what different services offer, what their bonus features are, how users rate their services, and just how "green" that host provider may or may not be.  I'd definitely recommend that people look into what "shade" of green their web site host is before they choose.

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It seems like everyone is shopping for a deal in this economy.  The recession has hit everyone hard -- from every walk of life people are looking for ways to earn more and spend less.  Many people are turning to the internet to add income to their households.  Fortunately, it's a great way to make some much needed cash!

Having a professionally designed website is a vital tool to increase your recognition and professionalism in the industry of your choice.  Everyone has their own site now, from stay at home mom's to models to photographers to students.  The problem is that most sites are poorly designed and don't do their owners any favours when it comes to increasing your visibility.

Web pages need to be laid out in an easily understandable way with properly formatted and constructed content to gain the exposure that they are designed to obtain.  Many people simply lack the skills and time needed to make such a website a reality.  These folks are also very wary of the cost of hiring a professional to do the job for them.  But what if you could get it for only $99?

Getting a Professional Website Design doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg or even your firstborn!  Reflect studios is offering a sale, $99 for a html/css website with up to 5 pages.  This package comes complete with the design, code, and install to make it easy for people to start up a website of their own.

Simply go to their site to check it out for yourself www.reflectstudios.com.  Click on "The Brand" and look at the red label section for affordable website design.  Click on "apply for red label" and enter the promo code of REFLECT09.  This design studio really has a flair for fashion and design.  Their website features an array of their work as well as the services that they offer.  It's definitely worth checking out, regardless of what kind of website you are trying to set up.

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Everyone's looking for a way to earn money during this recession which really does seem to be never ending.  There's tons of ways to earn money online from blogging to freelance writing to online surveys.  The problem is that most of these programs themselves cost money to set up or join so instead of making money, you end up spending it!

Companies really do sponsor tons of paid online surveys to gain information about their products, services and customer bases.  The trick is to find these surveys without giving your money to a website claiming to offer access to the surveys.  Check out myopinionnow.  It's a website that is free to join and gives you access to online surveys for free -- no catch!

They also don't spam you.  I can guarantee this as I've been a member there for a couple of months now.  They only send you email when they have a survey available that you qualify to complete.  They will send a maximum of two links per month for surveys for you to complete.  The surveys completed give you different point amounts.  The points can be exchanged for a huge variety of prizes and cash!

Another cool thing about this site is that they do product testing sometimes.  This means that you may qualify to have free products delivered to you in exchange for filling out a questionnaire about the product after you've tried it!  That way you don't even have to save up your points to qualify for free merchandise.

They have a great referral program to help you add points up more quickly.  So, let's recap...It's free, you can get cash, gifts and free products to try.  What's there to loose??  It's definitely not going to hurt anything if you want to join now.   You might just find that you're able to get a couple more Christmas presents than you were foreseeing in your budget!  You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that manufacturer's are actually hearing (and caring) what your opinions are on their products and services.  These kind of surveys are one of the few ways to bring about change to a range of industries.

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It's a big scary world out there for a mom of a teenage boy who seems to spend half his day online playing games, chatting with friends and who knows what else.  I try to monitor his online activities by doing all the things experts recommend -- having the computer in a "public" area of the house as opposed to his bedroom, talking to him about what is appropriate and what is not to reveal to people he "meets" online and spending a ton of time telling him to get off of the computer!  However, the reality is that kids his age are plugged in to new technology and new modes of communication.

We have blockers on the computer to prevent him from accessing certain sites or keywords but I know they're not fool proof.  He's been hooked on computers since he was a baby and knows far more about them than I probably ever will.  The only sure way that you can know what they are doing online is by having Parental Control Software.  I would never use this software to invade his privacy but only to ensure his safety.

With this type of software, you can see which programs they are running, what sites they are visiting and even check their activities on Facebook and MySpace.  Many teens can quickly spiral out of control as they search to find themselves.  It's a tough few years when society expects you to make a slew of decisions, act responsibly and grow up when your brain is still in the process of forming and you are seeking to distance yourself from your parents and family.  You might think your child is behaving relatively well until you see their posted pictures on Facebook which sometimes may involve underage drinking and who knows what.  It's a scary world out there and it's our job as their parents to make sure that the kids are safe as they journey into adulthood.  They make easy prey for the people in the world who seek to damage them.  I haven't yet gotten any such software on my home computer but I am definitely thinking about it.

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Addiction is a huge problem in our society.  Everything from drugs, alcohol, gambling and many other things seem to draw people into their lure and trap them.  Recovery is definitely a hard path to go down but it's also one of only two ways out of addiction.  My cousin is in the hospital right now battling for her life as she tragically follows the only other road out of addiction.

Meetings and support groups have been proven to provide the support and aide to addicts that they require.  Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous all have 12 step programs that can help addicts to follow the other path out of addiction.  Addicts and their families need to remember that there is hope.  There can be a brighter future.

Support groups are fantastic, however they are not available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  To have someone to talk to when you really need it, I'd highly recommend InTheRooms Meetings.

This is a social networking site where members can come together to talk about their addictions, their paths to recovery and to serve as a huge support network in between regular meetings.  It is one of the top recovery sites on the web today and is only growing in size.  There are over 75,000 different discussions occurring right now on the site and the members have over 100,000 years of recovery time!  Imagine all of the experiences, knowledge and information could be gleened by checking out this social networking site.

InTheRooms could help you or your loved one find your way to a healthy and sober future.  This is a sponsored post but also an idea that I believe strongly in.  So many people seem to be falling through the cracks in our society.  These people may be addicts but they are first and foremost people.  They can and do make a brighter future for themselves and others.

It seems like everyone and their dog, quite literally, have their own websites.  It's amazing how easy it can be to connect with an audience, learn new things, make new friends and share your ideas with people.  There's a ton of different software out there to help even the least tech-savy person to run their own websites on their own.  For instance, check out Wild Apricot.  They've got bucket loads of features that allow people to have their own site up and running in a matter of minutes with a free 30 membership to give their system a trial run.

Wild Apricot has some special features that make it really quite easy to Engage Members.  The social networking tools and forums are both great ways to grab readers attention and interest.  All this is offered in an easy to use package that allows for the site to set up and be updated as easily as editing a Microsoft Word document.  If you already have a website that you are happy with, you can either replicate it using the Wild Apricot software or update it with widgets from them to get the versatility of their system's functions.

They also make it simple to set up private pages for group communications that allow for secure sharing of documents, forums and information.  As well as being very secure, this system also has the versatility to send out targeted mass emails to keep members informed of current events, changes, new information or whatever you'd like.

This program can virtually eliminate the need for extremely tedious administrative tasks like new memberships applications, renewals, payments of dues or event registration.  At the same time, it keeps the data extremely secure as it is protected constantly by their team of security experts.  Engaging members is the key to success and this software can definitely help you to do that by having a dynamic website that allows them to keep abreast of all current situations and really keep in touch.  All this is available with easy installation, no special training required and easy access for users.  The convenience of having all of these software tools available in one package saves not only time, but money as well.

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How do you get antivirus software that's eco-friendly?  How about open-source software?  An article from 21st century citizen details why freeware is better on a global scale.  It cuts down on packaging, obviously.  When you can just download it straight from the computer, nothing is packaged in cardboard three times and sealed in plastic.  Downloading removes the use of all that unnecessary materials from the cycle.

Open source software also allows software to be put out without resource heavy management, validation procedures and anti-piracy issues.  This saves the cost and resource issues involved in these processes.  You also don't have to worry about advertisement using extra energy, paper, money, time, or any resources whatsoever.

Antivirus software is some of the most important software that can be installed on your computer.  Sometimes it's the only thing between you and the hackers trying to get at your information.  There's some great sites now that review the different antivirus software programs available.  I'd definitely recommend checking out these sites before buying or installing anything.

This site goes over the advantages, disadvantages, prices, features, supported operating systems, technical support, virus definitions and program updates that each antivirus program has.  It even has links to where you can buy your software if you choose to go that route instead of the open source route.

If you're going to purchase an antivirus program though such as Norton download it instead of using the resources involved in driving your car to the mall and buying a box full of packaging.  Make sure you check out the various options available to you in your antivirus software and get the one that would suit you and your needs best.  You don't want to buy something to only have to replace it in a couple of months.  Your computer, budget and planet will all thank-you!

Twitter is a social media tool that has an exponentially increasing following of users.  The Ashton Kutcher/Larry King competition for followers really emphasized the kind of power that twitter has and exactly what it can be used for.  Malaria sufferers were the real winners in this race with thousands of mosquito nets donated to areas in need and the cause gained some much needed attention.  In this day and age where a beauty pageant's response to a question from a gossip columnist can send what seems like the entire world into a flurry, causes such as water pollution, malaria and sustainable practices are virtually ignored.  Twitter can be used to really gain recognition.  It's become THE way for people to organize and take action online.

People can use twitter for anything really -- status updates virtually the same as facebook, starting social movements like Max Gladwell's #EcoMonday, rounding up participants in the Green twittersphere, keeping in touch with friends and relatives, running your own blog, promoting blogs and ideas, or even just straight promotion of products and services.

Many businesses have their own twitter pages (VistaPrint Twitter), most webpages have their own twitter accounts, bloggers are joining in record numbers and various charities and causes are discovering the advantages to Twittering.  Grassroots movements have made some major technicological improvements through social media outlets.  If you're not already there, I'd definitely recommend joining.  Join a movement or a cause that you're interested in and start making a difference today!