BlogHer ’09‘s gotten a lot bigger this year — not only the conference itself but even LobbyCon sold out — and the conference shwag even more plentiful and sponsors a lot more — noticeable. My hotel room had flowers and a sponsor message on the flatscreen when I got in –

The conference has gotten greener too (the Sheraton’s also part of the Chicago Green Hotels Initiative (PDF) — though honestly I haven’t seen much evidence of eco-friendliness in the hotel beyond a note encouraging people to reuse their towels) — with the conference shwag bag itself made of recycled materials. Inside’s a second organic cotton tote bag from Green Works and a certified organic lip balm. There’s also a lot of of not particularly green stuff — including a Mr. Potato Head I got my roommate to take off my hands….

If you’re at BlogHer ’09, come to my Green Leadership panel tomorrow at 3:15 pm in Michigan A&B. Then say hi afterwards — I”ll be giving out free BPA-free water bottles from FilterForGood, my trip sponsor, post-panel.

If you’re not here, follow the liveblog.

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Though I’m writing this while stuck at an airport, I’m really looking forward to my BlogHer ’09 trip to Chicago next month — especially since the city’s made some very impressive green changes since BlogHer ’07, when I was last there. The Windy City’s hard at work on the Chicago Climate Action Plan, after all.

But for this post, I’ve decided to focus on the important stuff: Food. Yummy green Chicago dining spots I’ve visited:

Coffee lovers: Swim Cafe. Go here for 100% fair trade coffee from Just Coffee, tasty food that supports organic agriculture, and a relaxed atmosphere. The indie coffee shop’s been made famous by Young American Bodies — Above’s the panini I ate during the last BlogHer. Find it at 1357 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.

Pizza lovers: Crust. This organic restaurant makes very tasty flatbread pizzas — great with organic vodka cocktails organic pinot blanc  or other yummy organic drinks. 95% of the ingredients used at this eatery are organic. Two  years ago I had a “Shrooms” pizza with yummy fresh mushrooms, goat cheese, and seasoned spinach. 2056 W. Division St., Chicago.

Veg and vegan food lovers: The Chicago Diner.. This very chilled out and popular spot’s proudly meat free — and serves up some yummy organic cocktails and fair trade coffee too. Vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodies will all find something to love here. The vegan reuben’s apparently the house specialty, but I can attest to the wilted spinach salad’s yumminess too. 3411 N. Halsted., Chicago.

Fine diners: Green Zebra. This higher-end, well-known vegetarian restaurant isn’t cheap — but the food’s delicious and the atmosphere chic. The staff’s very accommodating of any and all odd eating requirements and quirks. 1460 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.

Since I’ve already tried all those spots, I plan to try out these eateries this time around:

Butterfly Social Club. Organic cocktails, from Goji Kombucha Cider to Funky Budda’s Margarita. 726 W. Grand Ave.

Hopleaf Bar. Lotsa beer, organic wine, and organic meat options — plus a nice array of vegetarian dishes to choose from. 5148 N. Clark St.

Lula Cafe.  Seasonal, organic, local produce at a cafe in Logan Square. 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd.

Other non-dining green spots I hope to check out this time around include:

Pivot Boutique: Eco-fashion boutique at 1101 W. Fulton Market.

Working Bikes Co-Op. The kids here fix up donated bikes, donating some to countries where bikes’re scarce and selling others cheaply in its Chicago store. 1125 S. Western Ave.

Parks. 90% of Chicago’s parks are pesticide free, according to Grist. I’ve visited one — Above’s me and my friend Anne under the bean.

Know of other green spots in the Windy City? Share your knowledge in the comments –

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Are you going to the BlogHer conference this year? If you’re planning to go but haven’t registered yet: Early bird pricing ends tomorrow, so sign up before Sunday to get a $100 discount.

BlogHer ’09 happens at the The Chicago Sheraton and Towers from July 24-25, 2009. More importantly — for me, anyway — I’ll be there! And I’ll be on a panel — Leadership: Green and Eco-Blogging — along with Diane MacEachern, author of Big Green Purse which I reviewed here, Jennifer Taggert, and Sommer Poquette. We’ll be discussing this:

A movement is afoot to save the planet, and bloggers across demographic profiles are pitching in. This isn’t only about making personal choices. This isn’t just about paper or plastic. This is about how to be a resource for real change for your readers. And it’s about how to impact companies, organizations and governments to join us to save the world.

Last year I drove a Tahoe hybrid up to San Francisco; this year, I’ll be flying to Chicago again. Looking forward to seeing Britt Bravo, fellow contributing editor at BlogHer, career coach, and my hotel roomie for that weekend.

Update: Will you be at BlogHer? Lemme know — I might throw a party for us.

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>> October’s the month of the Eat Local Challenge — and as you may have guessed by my local yogurt snack post, I’m Giving the Eat Local Challenge my full 33%.

>> Power To The Gym Rats is my latest article in Whole Life Times — about a Portland gym that powers its grid with the human power expended on its stationary bikes and soon, elliptical machines.

>> 3 Lessons from the Chicago Climate Action Plan. I’m hoping Villaraigosa will pick up some tips from Chicago, which just launched a comprehensive plan to prevent chi-town from feeling like East Texas.

>> Why you hate Palin. “The very thing that appalls us about Sarah Palin — her discomfort in the realm of reason — is her main selling point. This is so mind-boggling that you have to take a minute to let it in. Take a deep breath. Read that sentence again. Face it: Sarah Palin represents what many people want: a retreat from reason; a regression to childhood.”

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I got to try out a few organic restaurants — like Crust and The Chicago Diner — but couldn’t make it to most of them.

Thus a list of places I hope to visit next time — which’ll hopefully be helpful to any green LA girl readers planning to travel to Chicago — Feel free to add your eco-recommendation in the comments.

Butterfly Social Club. 726 W. Grand Ave. 312.666.1695. Organic cocktails, from Goji Kombucha Cider to Funky Budda’s Margarita.

Green Zebra. 1460 W. Chicago Ave. 312.243.7100. A higher-end, well-known vegetarian restaurant in Chicago.

Hopleaf Bar. 5148 N. Clark St. 773.334.9851. Lotsa beer, organic wine, and organic meat options — plus a nice array of vegetarian dishes to choose from.

Lula Cafe 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd. 773.489.9554. Seasonal, organic, local produce at a cafe in Logan Square.

Unrelated to food and drinks: The Working Bikes Co-Op sounds like the best place to buy a bike. The kids here fix up donated bikes, donating some to countries where bikes’re scarce and selling others cheaply in its Chicago store. 1125 S. Western Ave. 312.421.5048.

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