I found a really interesting article today about the ten best and worst foods.

What made the BEST list:

1. Sweet Potatoes

2. Grape Tomatoes

3. Fat Free or 1% Milk

4. Broccoli

5. Wild Salmon

6. Crispbreads

7. Brown Rice

8. Citrus Fruit

9. Butternut Squash

10. Spinach or Kale

And what made the worst? Well, a Starbucks Caffe Mocha was called a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup, cheesecake was called a prime rib for dessert, and Campbells’ Tomaoto soup is a salt nightmare. Read the full article here.

There are lots of ways to make your personal finances a greener and more hassle-free issue. I am all for minimizing the amount of paperwork in my life so I put together some tips. I already do all of these and it is great. I don’t even own a filing cabinet or the like because I have so little paper that I need to keep.

1. Pay your bills online. This is so easy I am not sure why everyone isn’t doing it! I don’t even have any checks or a checkbook anymore…everything is done online. I balance things out once a week with online statements and I pay all bills online through the vendor site, they do a direct withdrawl from my account (love this feature), or my bank cuts them a check on my behalf at the click of a button.

2. This tip is closely related to number one. Request that that your bank stop sending paper statements and get them emailed to you instead. Most banks offer this option. IF I ever need them I can just print them out.

3. Request that all bills be sent electronically as well. For instance, my verizon bills, my cable bill, my Internet bill, etc. are all sent to me via email. I just go to my account and hit pay and it is done.

4. Use online checkbook and finance software like Quicken or Money. You can even use a simple spreadsheet. I REALLY like the free budgeting system from Pear Budget. Some of these programs…like Money can be linked to your bank accounts and they update with your latest transactions whenever you open them.

5. Invest in a good scanner and scan all important documents and receipts. I end up recycling alot of my important papers after I scan them. If you have alot of receipts you need for tax purposes consider Neat Receipts. This program scans your receipts, bills, etc. and organizes them. Of course some I keep…like W2s, income tax returns, etc. Those things I keep in three ring binders in the basement.

6. Instead of printing receipts for online purchases, online bill payments, etc. do a screen capture (control+alt+print screen) and paste into a graphic application like Paint…save it as a .jpg file and file it on your computer with your scanned receipts.

Less paper. less waste, less hassle. Do you have any ideas to share?

Want to find some other ways to de-clutter your life? Read Clutter’s Last Stand & It’s All Too Much.

[tags]money, finance, green living, budget, paperless, recycle, pear budget, receipts[/tags]

As I was compiling a list of 15 things I do to save money I was amazed how many of these things I do to further my causes as a natural and green mother.

1. I cook from scrach.

2. I buy foods and home products in bulk.

3. I make my son’s school lunches.

4. I use cloth diapers and even created a web site dedicated to them. I also sew them.

5. We do crafty things and DIY projects at home. For instance, we make our own play dough.

6. I shop at garage sales.

7. I make my own household products or beauty items.

8. I buy greeting cards in bulk and get them for pennies a piece.

9. We go to the library alot…to get books and to attend free seminars and kids classes.

10. I garden and I make my own compost.

11. I am very good at saying no when my kids ask for toys at the store. But before you think I am an ogre…trust me they have plenty of toys at home. ;)

12. My husband and I share minutes on our cell phones.

13. I repurpose or reuse things if I can.

14. My kids get alot of their “entertainment” outside…at home. If we do go out someplace it is with my husband who is only home every other weekend.

15. We don’t eat fast food. This saves our health and our money because that stuff is expensive!

So how about you? I am going to tag a few people and see what they have to say:

Carrie, Jen, Nell, and Activist Mommy. Anyone can join in…let me know if you do!

[tags]save money. frugal, buy in bulk, crafts, toys, cloth diapers, gardening, cooking[/tags]

Hey Mama…here is a little pick me up to start your day. There is nothing like Nina Simone and this particular song to make you feel good or make you breathe deep and smile even when things are bad. Its a new day…a new dawn.

One of the first things my kids do in the morning is get their multivitamin. We have tried a bunch of different brands and I have spent alot of time strolling the vitamin isle at Whole Foods. I use to get them gummy vitamins but I have heard they are not the best for young teeth and my kids would eat them like candy if they could get ahold of them. So we settled upon Nutri Stars Multivitamin and Multimineral Children’s Chewable from a Rainbow Light.

Besides all the regular vitamins and minerals you would expect to find in a chewable vitamin it has some bonuses like veggie concentrates from carrots, spinach, grean beans, broccoli, and beets. It also has organic spirulina and wheat sprouts. It is 100% natural with no artifical colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, or other additives that are often found in other vitamin products. And here is the most important thing….kids like them.

It can be a bit pricey but Whole Foods has them for 40% off last I checked and I get a nice 50% discount from a natural products co-op I belong to.

Recently Nicole commented on this post that she wanted me to post the recipe I used for the delicious organic Peanut Butter Carob Balls I described. So here it. I got it from one of my favorite books: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood.

Peanut Butter Carob Balls (makes 30 small balls)

1/2 cup carob powder

1/2 cup honey ( I used raw)

1/2 crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup oats

1/2 ground flax seed meal

Mix all ingredients together by hand. Form the batter into bite size balls and roll them in shredded coconut.

Yum!