As a child, I LOVED Marvin the Martian. Truth be told, I’m still a bit of a fan. He has the cutest voice!

Would you believe that I own a mug with a very adorable picture of Marvin in his trademark green helmet and skirt? Now that I’m older, I’m trying to be less like Marvin. Marvin, who hailed from Mars (hence his red skin), had a penchant for trying to destroy the earth. Well, I like being an earthling, and I am trying to be more green not only in my personal life, but also from a business standpoint.

On the personal side, I unplug most appliances when they are not in use. I’m still working on unplugging the microwave. I now use it less frequently than I used to so this should be an easy transition. My washer/dryer is energy star compliant and I am replacing my usual bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. I only use regular liquid soap, not antimicrobial ones and am switching over to cleaning products that have the Green Seal or EcoLogo. I print less so I don’t have to shred as much. Next on my list:

1. Getting a stainless steel sports bottle to replace my plastic one
2. Replacing my vinyl shower curtains for PVC-free curtains

On the business end, I help clients recycle and/or donate their old and unused items, but do I practice what I preach as a businesswoman? Is there anything I can do as an entrepreneur to be more green? I am still trying to figure out how to do this so I decided to attend EcoTuesday to get some ideas. EcoTuesday is a business networking event where everyone in attendance has a huge interest in a sustainable future. I have never talked with such a diverse and passionate group of people whose major focus is to keep our planet healthy. From IT and marketing people to civil engineers to representatives from Greenpeace, everyone was atwitter (no pun intended) with the prospect of sharing the green wealth. Did you know that there are printers made specially to work with soy-based inks? Did you also know that many businesses will only do business with companies that are green?

Yes, green seems to be the new black. The folks at DC’s Green Festival already know this and have been organizing the festival for the last five years. This year’s two day event will be held at the DC Convention Center on November 8th (10am-7pm) & November 9th (11am-6pm). There will be over 125 speakers, 350 eco-friendly companies, “HowTo” workshops, yoga sessions, cooking demonstrations, organic beer/food, and a reggae concert on Saturday morning. For more information, visit www.greenfestivals.org. By the way, tickets are just $15.

What will you do personally or as a business owner to be more green? Still need ideas? Check out my colleague Krista Colvin‘s blog post, Vampires in Your House -eek for some quick and easy tips.

*Image Credit: Snarkerati

P.S. Here’s a picture of my Marvin mug, a little faded due to age (not you and me, of course…we’re glowing with wisdom!). It sits next to the phone on a shelf in my green kitchen. Yes, the walls are really painted green…soon to be really green and eco-friendly.