A Benefit Corporation – or B Corporation for short – is a new type of business charter that allows businesses to prioritize having a positive social and environmental impact. Traditional corporations are legally bound to serve the short-term interests of their shareholders, often making this difficult. While many large corporations in America and around the world have entire departments dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility and giving back to the community, B Corporations actually use their business model to achieve these goals. This idea is clearly catching on across America, with 476 B Corps in 60 industries grossing over 2 Billion dollars a year!

B Corporations are assessed and certified by a non-profit called B Lab, which looks into the business’ operations, products and/or services, and — very importantly — mission. Certified businesses are audited regularly to make sure that compliance is taking place, and that the B Corporation brand is protected. Business owners sign the B Corporation “Declaration of Interdependence”, promising that the business ”is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.” Several states have recognized the uniqueness and potential in the B Corporation model, and have passed legislation to support businesses making these efforts.

As you may know, New Living is proudly a B Corporation. We were certified in January 2010 and have been working hard to do justice to the certification ever since. We start by offering green, healthy products and services — from our organic mattresses and furniture, to our sustainable and recycled building materials, to our relationships with quality designers, architects, and installers. The Green Painter, a more recent New Living spin off sells non-toxic paints and coatings and houses a Certified Green Painting service. We diligently screen our suppliers and subcontractors to make sure that your projects are as healthy and green as they can possibly be! In our day to day operations, we are also very careful to be socially and environmentally responsible. We recycle nearly everything, support small, local businesses when possible, and have transparent and equitable business practice policies.

Education is also an important part of our mission – and an important part of being a B Corp. We have programs training Certified Green Painters, and we would love to expand this type of training program to other professions. We also regularly hold environmental and health education events for the general public. We are always planning and expanding our educational programming, and have made it a priority to make Houston the most informed population as relates to healthy, green living.

For more information on B Corporations, please see B Lab’s website or just stop by either store. We’d love to talk to you about it!

The event, sponsored by the Blackwood Educational Land Institute in partnership with the City of Houston will cover topics as varied as pollution, nutrition, recycling, energy, and community engagement. With a line-up of world-class speakers, panel discussions, and food provided by some of the best and greenest sources of food around Houston, this is sure to be a great weekend!

This conference and its organizers are very special to New Living, and we are grateful for the support they have given us over the years. Additionally, on Saturday, our very own Jeff Kaplan will participate in a panel discussion called “There true cost of Building Green (or not)” along with several friends of the store.

The conference will take place at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church at 1900 Bering Drive in Houston. To register and see attendance prices, please visit the event website. To help reduce waste at this event, please bring a reusable cup or mug.

For more information, please check out the event’s facebook page!

Event Details:

• November 2  from  6:30 to 8:30 at New Living
• Delicious canapes and drinks will be provided
• Cost is $35 (advanced purchase) or $50 at the door

This year’s BTC Conference features speakers and classes to enrich participants’ understanding of healthy mind, body, and planet. Emphasis is placed on living a healthy lifestyle and especially on deep breathing and mindfulness as a way to achieve this.

Along with a list of other presenters, Keynote Speaker Barry Estabrook (author of Tomatoland: How modern industrial agriulture destroyed our most alluring fruit) will give his take on healthy living. Breathing and yoga presentations, many of which will be interactive, fill out the rest of the day. Classes will be offered by many local yoga studios, including Cura Yoga. All in all, it looks like a great way to spend a Saturday, and a great way to begin your own healthier lifestyle!

Details:

- The conference takes place at the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center at Rice Village

- October 29, 9 am to 9 pm

- Entry fee: $150

- To register, go to btcconference.com

This year, New Living is proudly participating in the American Cancer Society’s Holiday Shopping Card Program. Proceeds from the sale of this $70 shopping card go to the American Cancer Society which funds cancer treatment, research, and education in America and around the world. Those who buy this card can save big on their holiday shopping while contributing to this most important cause. New Living, the Green Painter, and many other local merchants will be giving a 20% discount to card holders on select items during the 10-day event. This is a great time to purchase one of New Living’s non-toxic, organic mattresses or some non-toxic paint from The Green Painter.

New Living and The Green Painter have chosen to support this cause not only because we support and admire the work of the American Cancer Society, but also because of our shared mission to increase public awareness of the links between environmental and public health. We hope that together, our support of this program can lead to a better, healthier future in Houston and beyond!

Details:

- Purchase the Holiday Shopping Card at New Living or any other participating merchant.

- The card-holder will receive 20% off of mattresses at New Living and paint at The Green Painter during the week of October 27 and November 6.

- Proceeds from the sale of the card will go to The American Cancer Society. New Living will keep none of the proceeds.

- For more information, please check out the program’s website.

The need for better painting practices and products was highlighted when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) listed the painting profession as the only profession to have a demonstrable occupational risk for cancer. A painter’s cancer risk is elevated because of constant exposure to toxic chemicals in paint commonly referred to as VOCs – volatile organic compounds. Health concerns for those living in recently painted homes (up to a year after painting) have also been studied extensively and shown to be worth considering. With better practices and products, painters and clients alike will be able to breathe easier and worry less about paint-related health problems.

The green painter certification program began in Houston in the Summer of 2010 as a partnership between New Living and Green Painters, an Australian not-for-profit. Attendees are educated about nontoxic and natural paints and coatings, green painting techniques, and green business practices – all to ensure that painters are trained to both have a minimal impact on the planet and that they provide safe and healthy environments for their employees and clients.

Those who complete the course receive a certificate from New Living and The Green Painter verifying that they are one of Houston’s certified green painters. Certified Green Painters will use natural products with low or no VOCs, and they will reduce waste and environmental impact by purchasing the right amount of paint and cleaning their tools responsibly.

Details: For $175, painters can be dubbed certified green painters and receive a $50 credit to The Green Painter. The full day program runs 9-4 on Saturday, September 10 (with a one hour lunch break). There are 10 spots open for this day, but more courses will be run in the future. To sign up, stop by New Living or call Heidi Massin at 832.488.5418.

New Living is excited to partner with our friends at The Modern B&B to offer you a night’s stay on an organic mattress in the Treehouse Room for only $100 (Normal price is $225).

You will get to experience firsthand the comfort and health benefits of a truly healthy bedroom, with a luxurious organic mattress from OMI and an air filter from Austin Air, right in the heart of Montrose.

If you decide to purchase a healthy, organic mattress from New Living, the night is 100 percent applicable
to your purchase. For more information, visit us at 6111 Kirby Dr or call us at 713.521.1921.

Two Houston organizations aimed at creating healthy homes and bodies team up to bring the benefits of yoga to all. On June 1st, New Living, Houston’s green building and home store opened its doors toCuraYoga in an effort to provide the first ever “pay as you can” yoga experience in Houston.

YOGA POWERED BY GENEROSITY

Classes are held seven days a week in the Rice Village store located at 6111 Kirby. The studio, complete with eco-friendly paint from New Living’s The Green Painter, is surrounded by organic materials–the perfect setting for instructors to emphasis the health benefits of breathing awareness.

“Kula is the Sanskrit word for community. At CuraYoga the concept of kula is as important inside the studio as it is outside our doors,” says CuraYoga founder Jennifer Buergermeister. “In fact, we love to support our community! Giving back to all of the wonderful organizations that make our city such a great place is a major part of our mission.”

Proceeds of the donations benefit Breathecure®, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing educational awareness to the general public about the benefits of breathing techniques, meditation and yoga. These methods are used both as prevention and complementary treatment of cancer and other illnesses to cope with symptoms of dis-ease and to provide wellness techniques to the general public.

B CORPORATION GIVES BACK

The donation yoga classes fit right in with with the mission of New Living’s B Corporation status, the first retail business of its kind to be designated with the status. A Certified “B Corp” uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Corps are unlike traditional businesses in that they: Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards; Meet higher legal accountability standards; and Build business constituency for good business.

“All products sold at New Living are harmonious with the breathing techniques practiced in yoga,” explains New Living co-founderJeff Kaplan. “Our pure, organic mattresses promote healthy, peaceful sleeping, air filtration systems allow people to breath clean air, and eco-friendly paints are free of toxins. It’s a perfect, healthy fit!”

YOGA FOR KIDS

CuraYoga at New Living is proud to announce the addition of Yoga for Kids, led by certified Rainbow Kids Yoga Instructor and lululemon atheletica educator, Laura Calcaterra. Kids Yoga will take place from noon to 12:45pm on Saturdays beginning June 18th.

Donation-Based Yoga Schedule
Schedule subject to change. VIsit http://www.curayoga.com/locations/new-living/ for updated schedule.

Monday-Friday 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 6-7:15 p.m.
Saturday 9-10 a.m.
Sunday 10:30-11:30 a.m.

ABOUT NEW LIVING
Opened in 2008 in Houston, TX, New Living is a green building and home store committed to providing healthy and sustainable design that is affordable. New Living is proud to be the first retail store in the country that is a certified B Corporation, a company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. New Living specializes in selling products that are used to make homes healthier and greener. The Green Painter, owned by New Living, offers the healthiest selection of non-toxic paints, stains, sealers, and wall coverings of any retail store. New Living is located at 6111 Kirby in Rice VIllage. For more information, visit us online at www.newliving.net.

ABOUT CURAYOGA
CuraYoga is a multi-studio organizationwith 3 studios in the Houston-area. CuraYoga is an open and supportive community committed to the study and celebration of yoga. Jennifer Buegermeister is the founder of the pioneering Houston studio CuraYoga: Live. Breathe. Do Yoga. and current president and founder of One Yoga USA, the Texas Yoga Association and Texas Yoga Conference. She has passionately studied many traditional and nontraditional subjects, and quantum healing techniques to synthesize what she callsPsycheSynergy: Synergizing the Heart with the Body, Mind and Soul. For more information on CuraYoga visit www.curayoga.com.

Join New Living + The Green Painter on Saturday, May 28th as we celebrate living green in the community!

We’ll be getting the new CuraYoga studio ready by painting with eco-friendly food-based Anna Sova Paint.

Plus, a special appearance by Anna Sova Paint Founder Whitney Walker!

Activities for the kids

Family-friendly fun

Food and Drinks from Green Plate Kids and Trentino Gelato

Paint and Product Specials all day long

We hope to see you in the neighborhood!

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