Publix customers in Fort Lauderdale can now charge their electric cars for free while grocery shopping.

The Publix at 601 S. Andrews Ave., in downtown Fort Lauderdale is one of the first in the grocery chain’s stores to have an electric car charging station. The Andrews Avenue Publix is the only store in South Florida with the charging station. The service is free for customers.

Publix plans to install more electric car ports within the next year. The first station opened at a GreenWise Market Publix in Tampa in September. Stores with parking garages are targeted for future installations.

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Justine Griffin on Twitter@SunBizGriffin and sign up for Deals text alerts.

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/happy-earth-day/993

Bring in your own mug or travel cup and get a free hot or iced coffee or tea at participating Starbucks stores on Friday, April 22, for Earth Day.

Watch the Starbucks YouTube video "How one person can save trees but, together we can save forests."

Also, according to the Starbucks blog, bring in your own mug and get 10 cents off your drink purchase every day. If you don't have your own mug on Friday, ask for a “for-here” cup and Starbucks will give you a free drink, too.

SHARE AND WIN: Share your tip for living greener on our Facebook fan page and you could win one of 10 full-sized Origins Plantscription Anti-Anging Serums, valued at $55, for free, compliments of Origins!

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter@PrettyGoodIdeas and get mobile alerts: Text DEALS to 23539.

Lowe's is giving away a million free trees in stores on Saturday, April 23, in honor of Earth Day.

Can't get much greener than that!

Click here for the deal. Get there early, because they'll make a like a tree and leave -- fast.

SHARE AND WIN: Share your tip for living greener on our Facebook fan page and you could win one of 10 full-sized Origins Plantscription Anti-Anging Serums, valued at $55, for free, compliments of Origins!

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter@PrettyGoodIdeas and get mobile alerts: Text DEALS to 23539.

Pep Boys is offering amazing deals on three eco-friendly lawn mowers as part of a settlement agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency over violations of the Clean Air Act.

Trade in your old working gas lawnmower (minus the gas) and get for free a 18-inch, five-blade GreenWorksTools Reel Lawmower, valued at $99.

If a human-powered mower doesn't make the cut, trade-up for two other models at up to 75 percent off the retail price:

20-inch 12 amp 3-in-1 mower for $75, ($249 value)
20-inch 24V 3-in-1 mower, right, for $150 ($299 value)

These mowers are listed on Amazon.com for full retail or more.

Pep Boys is making the offer as part of a settlement agreement the company signed with the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a May 2010 press release. The company is offering the lawn mower exchange program to help reduce emissions in the communities where stores are located, according to the release.

Unfortuantely, I couldn't find any details about this program, other than the press release, on the PepBoys website. Several calls to Pep Boys media relations have not been returned, either.

I called several Pep Boys stores in Central and South Florida and employees confirmed they had the all three mowers and were participating in the exchange program, which began on April 1.

Visit PepBoys.com to find a location and call to confirm they have the mowers before you go to get one.

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter@PrettyGoodIdeas and get mobile alerts: Text DEALS to 23539.

In honor of Earth Day on Friday, April 22, Target is giving out 1 million reusable tote bags with purchase beginning Sunday, April 17, while supplies last.

Did you know Target gives you 5 cents off your bill for every reusable bag used?

What's your best Earth Day tip? Share it with us on our Sentinel Deals fan page on Facebook.com and you could win an Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum valued at $55, compliments of Origins.com.

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter@PrettyGoodIdeas and get mobile alerts: Text DEALS to 23539.

If you're in Publix, be on the lookout for the Proctor & Gamble Future Friendly coupon flyer offering $13 in P&G product savings, a free Publix reusable bag valued at $1 and a mail-in offer for a free $50 National Geographic Wind Power 2.0 Kit with an issue of National Geographic Kids Magazine. I grabbed the flyer by the front entrance on Saturday.

The program is designed to help you save water, energy and waste by using -- surprise -- Procter & Gamble products.

Here's what you get:

$3 off any Duracell Recharger
$1 off Pampers Diapers, Wipse or Pants
55 cents off any Dawn product
$1 off Charmin
$1 off Bounty 2 Huge Rolls
$1 off Tide detergent
$1 off Downy
$1 off Cascade
$1 off Swiffer
$3 off any PUR product
Coupon for free Publix Reusable Tote valued up to $1
Mail-In form for the free $50 National Geographic Wind Power 2.0 Kit with purchase of $25 in P&G products from Publix; offer ends on April 30.

Click here to learn more about the P&G Future Friendly program.

Three ways to keep up with the latest deals: "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook; follow Doreen Christensen on Twitter@PrettyGoodIdeas and get mobile alerts: Text DEALS to 23539.

Owned and operated by Chelsea and Fred Marando, the market and nursery sells fresh-from-the-farm fruit and veggies, fresh eggs, potted herbs, wonderful fresh hummus, pies, breads, pizzas and frozen soups. Or grab a bag of freshly-popped heirloom popcorn (from 270-year-old seeds!) or fresh roasted peanuts. New Jersey Beefsteak Tomatoes are expected to arrive in a week or so.

The Marandos, whose mission is to produce and enhance the sustainability of farming, get the produce from organic, conventional, and transitional farms located in Florida. During Florida’s growing season in fall and winter, the couple travel up to 800 miles around the state in their truck and bring the fresh food to back to the market.

Upping the cool factor is the U-pick, hydroponic garden where you can harvest lettuce, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and green beans. Can’t get it fresher than that!

Further adding to the charm of the place is the chickens, rabbits and resident pigs, Templeton and Rumplestiltskin, who just welcomed two piglets into the Marando menagerie on Monday.

On Sunday nights, the Marandos donate leftover produce and goods to the grandparents raising grandchildren program at The Pantry of Broward.

“Our mission is simple: Think globally. Eat locally,” Chelsea Marando said.

The market is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It is located at 1401 S.W. First Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-713-6441; www.marandofarms.com.

Don't forget your reusable grocery bags! After you visit the market, be sure to stop in across the street at the Eastside Antique Market & Architectural Depot at 99 SW 14th Street; 954-523-3202.

-- Doreen Christensen

Courtesy photos, Marando Farms, Cal Deal

Keep up with the latest shopping deals. "Like" our Sentinel Deals page on Facebook.

Today is Earth Day’s 40th anniversary and we offer a few fun and easy ways to go green, from energy- and money-saving tips from Florida Power and Light to local Earth Day celebrations to buying and making eco-friendly cleaning and beauty products. Save the planet (and money) man!

Home: Energy costs take a huge bite out of our budgets and our super-consumption harms the planet. Florida Power & Light offers these ideas and links for rebates and incentives to upgrade to more energy efficient appliances with home insulation; leaky air ducts; air conditioner; and major appliances (*Florida program only available through Sunday, April 25th).

Celebrations: There are family-friendly eco-events in Broward and Palm Beach counties on Saturday and Sunday.

Release ladybugs, see live marine animal shows and take a guided boardwalk tour at Earth Day 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at Daggerwing Nature Center in the South County Regional Park, 11200 Park Access Road, Boca Raton; 561-629-8760. Click here for more info.

Learn how to live more green and meet the recycling robot as the Broward County Waste and Recycling Division throws and Earth Day Extravaganza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 25 at Plantation Heritage Park, 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane. 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation

Free trees: Coconut Creek residents can get a free tree and two plants per household on Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Government Center, 4800 W. Copans Road, Coconut Creek; 954-973-6756. Choose from seven different tree species. Click here for more info.

Chemical-free cleaning: Eco-Me Kits are a great holistic way to take care of your family, pets, home and body without the nasty chemicals. The kits contain everything you need to make your own cleaning products with common household items like baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. There are five starter kits: Eco –Me Body, Eco-Me Baby, Eco-Me Home, Eco-Me Dog and Eco-Me Cat. The kits range in price from $16.99-$36 at Amazon.com

Beauty: Cargo’s PlantLove line will really grow on you. This brand is serious about its Earth-friendly mission. The organic Natural Origin Collection includes lipsticks, foundations, eye shadows, blushers and bronzers, and they're all free of parabens, phthalates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes and fragrances. PlantLove’s colorful, groovy bio-plastic containers made are from corn so it won't take 100 years for these to return to Mother Earth once you toss them in the trash. The awesome Botanical Lipstick comes in 20 shades and the box is infused with wildflower seeds. Just wet it, plant it and watch 'em grow. Now that's truly green. Get 'em at at CVS.com through May 9 and get 20 percent off on all beauty purchases.

Books: “Just Green It: The Ultimate Consumer Shopping Guide” by healthy-home experts Lisa and Ron Beres is the black book on being green. The guide offers tips and advice on making eco-friendly choices and compares brand-name products side-by-side to help you make good environmentally-friendly purchases on everything from mattresses to baby food. Get it here.

Online resources: Visit the EcoMall. According to its website, EcoMall provides educational articles, a comprehensive list of environmental companies, products and services. The site offers listings of hundreds of sites on the Internet with green products. Find everything you could possibly need from A-Z.

When we recycle and reuse, we all win. As the Native American proverb goes: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Share you're favorite green tip with us. Best one gets an Eco-Me Body Kit!

-- Doreen Christensen

Seeing as it's Earth Day on Thursday, here's how recycling can pay off: Broward and Palm Beach county residents can get free exterior house paint.

Broward County residents and non-profit organizations can get free high-quality exterior paint through the county’s “Paint it Broward” recycling program. The Household Hazardous Waste Collection program offers residents up to 20 gallons of the re-blended latex paint, which comes in beige, gray, turquoise or terra cotta colors. The paint comes in five-gallon buckets.
This is a great way to save some serious dollars since five-gallon buckets of paint can cost $90 each at the local home improvement store.

Collected through the paint recycling program, Broward County offers the free paint to 26 municipalities whose public works departments in turn distribute paint to residents. Cities offering the paint include Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Coral Springs, Oakland Park, Plantation, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Pompano and Deerfield Beach.
Click here for a list of participating cities and phone number to get the paint.

Broward County recycles and distributes an average of 70,000 gallons of latex paint per year to residents, according to the county’s website.

Broward residents can drop off unwanted paint and other hazardous chemicals and goods at two permanent Hazardous Waste Disposal drop-off locations: 2780 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach and at 5601 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd, West Park.

Palm Beach County also offers free paint to residents in need through its Solid Waste Authority Recycled Paint Donation Program. Offered in 10 colors (click here to see color swatches) such as beige, off-white, brown, blue and yellow, the Palm Beach County goes a step further and also offers volunteer painters in a program called Paint Your Heart Out. Residents must fill out an application for the paint. The SWA office then calculates the amount needed based on square footage. It typically offers 10 gallons of paint for walls and two gallons for trim for a 1,000-square-foot home, said Joanna Aiken, community services coordinator for the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority. For information on the program, call 561-697-2700, ext. 4701; or click here.

Also, Palm Beach residents can drop off hazardous waste and paint Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon at the South County Transfer Station,1901 SW 4th Ave., Delray Beach and at the Central County Transfer Station, 1810 Lantana Road, Lantana and at the West Palm Beach Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, 6161 N. Jog Road, West Palm Beach. Click here for locations and times.

Isn't it easy being green when you save some green?

-- Doreen Christensen

So you've made the eco-friendly move from paper and plastic to a cloth bag. But you're not thrilled with advertising "Publix" or "Whole Foods" as you cart your groceries around town.

Buy a more fashionable bag for groceries, books or gym gear -- the Saxsy Stuff bag. The bags offer a wide bottom, collapsible gusset design allowing the bags to expand, carrying up to 30 lbs.

Made with 100% cotton fabrics, Saxsy Stuff bags collections include: Fall Saxs, City Saxs, Flower Saxs, Bright Saxs and Fruit Saxs. The company also makes Stuff Saxs to store Saxsy Stuff Bags when they're not being used.

Stephanie Heinecken of Old Snowmass, Colo., came up with the idea of offering hip and stylish reusable grocery bags last year. Now they're offered online at Saxsy Stuff Bags -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

I bet you're wondering why a shopping blog has a photo of Longleaf Pines? No, we haven't lost it. At least, not yet. Check in tomorrow.

Anyhow, this is a great way to shop and help the environment at the same time. The Plow & Hearth catalog and the National Forest Foundation are working together in a "Campaign to Re-Forest America."

Every time you buy something from Plow & Hearth, the company will dontate a seedling to the National Forest Foundation. You can even pick the forest, including our own Ocala National Forest, where more than 30 plant and animal species are threatend or endangered because of the pine forest's decline. They will plant a seedling that will eventually grow into one of these towering Longleaf Pines.

Now, the fun part. What do they have in the catalog? If you are nostalgic for northern Fall, you'll love this "Autumn Leaf Wreath," which is made with berries, jumbo acorns, tiny twigs and maple leaves in fall colors. Unlike the real thing, these realistic leaves and seapods won't crumble. It's $49.95 and for indoor use only. See plowandhearth.com.

XOXO-- Shopper Girl

I was searching for some items featured in the August issue of Country Living magazine when I came across Vivaterra.com. I wasn't hot on the stuff featured in the magazine, but these two other items on the Website rock.

If you love bringing nature inside the house, check out this side table made out of glass and wood branches from fallen trees. I love the shape, and the fact it brings texture into an indoor living space. The size is 19.5"D x 20.5"H and it sells for $198.

Never feel guilty about all those magazines you read again. This is the ultimate recycled item with style. This rolled magazine storage crate is made from magazines around the world, which create the vertical striations on the base. Above you can see the foreign magazine covers. Each one is different and coated with a natural finish. It's 16.5"W x 11"D x 7.5"H and sells for $69.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl

Far be it for me to make you shoppers feel quilty about your pleasurable pastime.

But this video about the harm caused by all those plastic shopping bags is something many of us never really thought out properly.

Buy an eco-friendly and fashionable bag or two. Save the planet.

XOXO-- Shopper Girl

Got my mom a birthday bouquet of gerbera daisies from Organic Bouquet, which uses only organic and sustainably grown flowers. And the prices are no higher than any other online florist. Check out their Mother's Day selections HERE. At left is their organic bunch of lavender roses, for $49.95.

By the way, Mom's flowers were gorgeous -- and eco-friendly.

If you're among the first 250 people at your local Whole Foods store, you'll get a free reusable grocery bag. So hurry in!

Here's a post from our diet and fitness blog The Skinny:

I celebrated the very first Earth Day at my elementary school; I wore tie-dyed pants and carried a "Stop Noise Pollution" sign that I attached to a snow shovel (we lived under an O'Hare Airport landing pattern that made the house rattle).

So in honor of this Earth Day, we at Skinny HQ are letting you know about our favorite reusable water bottles.

I'm a fan of Rubbermaid's chug-top 20- and 32-ounce water bottles, which I buy at the grocery store. (The 20-ounce bottle is at right.) It's a non-leaching No. 5 plastic and both sizes fit in my car cupholder as well as the elliptical at the gym.

Laura likes Rubbermaid's 2-quart MixerMate bottle, which is fridge-door friendly and also No. 5 plastic.

Yahoo's cool new Shine e-mag has an article about water bottles. Check it out HERE. One interesting thing I discovered from reading it was that Camelbak is reformulating all its water bottles to be bisphenol-A free by May 1. Yay!

Got a water bottle that you love?

Trista Sutter, former Miami Heat dancer and lucky in love on ABC's The Bachelorette, has a new line of diaper bags being sold on eBags.com.

The Trista Baby line (well, only two bags right now) are made with eco-friendly materials, organic hemp fabric and manufactured in the USA. And in the grand tradition of celebrity-designed stuff, they retail for $145 (why, why?).

But for the next three days, they're 20 percent off at eBags. Check here.

If you think every furniture store looks alike, check out Arhaus Furniture at Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens. I hadn't been there in a long time, and it never disappoints.

The eclectic mix of furniture has something for everyone. If you've got kids who love Pinnochio, there's a great wooden one on sale for $50 that originally sold for $199. They also have a great selection of mirrors -- round with wooden swirl patterns and square ones with hammered metal frames.

If you're eco-friendly, they have a large organic fabric colelction for the upholstery pieces as well as some recycled items.One cool find that would add a great accent to a casual room is the red wooden bird cages. Take three and hang them together at different heights. The three sizes are on sale now for $24, $29 and $34.

To get there from I-95, go east on PGA Boulevard. It is on your right adjacent to Lake Victoria Gardens Drive. For more info, see www.arhaus.com.

XOXO-- Shopper Girl

I was picking up some echinacea at Whole Foods in Plantation this morning and at the checkout I was given one of Whole Foods' adorable new reusable shopping bags.

Green and free -- bonus!

They're giving away the bags (extra bags are 99 cents each) because the store is phasing out its plastic bags (they'll still have paper bags).

These bags are much cuter than their other reusable bags -- they have a bit of an Orla Kiely vibe to them.