January ‘s Conscious Box arrived this week. The theme is “Renew Your Intentions”. I guess it is fitting that so many of the products seek to provide help with health and wellness goals since that is usually tops on our list! I enjoyed this box but have to admit that several things in it did not interest me.

Here is what it contained:

Raw Rev 100 Chocolate & Coconut Bar – This was the first thing to be touched in the box and it was divine. It is raw, vegan gluten free and dairy free. It’s made up of fruit, seeds, nuts, and cocoa so it is grain free and acceptable in this paleo household. Yum is an understatement!

Sacred Chocolate Mylk – The tiny package had a single candy heart in it but it was enough to elicit a moan of pleasure. It was creamy smooth like silk and really delicious. 100% organic and 60% cacao. I am not sure if you can buy these at Whole Foods but next time I am in there I will be hunting for them. I only want or eat chocolate once a month so these would be nice to have around so I don’t go bizerk and try to buy a Nestle bar.

Green Tara Spirulina Energy Bites – Sadly I did not like the taste of these at all. The ingredient list is organic bananas, organic sesame seeds, organic coconut, organic dates, and spirulina. So why did these taste like a bar of nasty soap? Ew!

But I do like the idea of eating more spirulina so I plan to save these and throw them in green smoothies.

Think Thin Crunch Bar – Can’t comment on this one as it did not pass the ingredient test and will be chucked or donated (since I have some other food to donate). It has soy protein isolate in it, as well as peanuts, which we are trying to avoid.

Parma Vegan Parmesan – I haven’t tried this yet but I think I will add it to a salad later this week. I have no issues with regular parmesan cheese but the ingredients aren’t bad in this alternative. It is gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. Ingredients: raw organic walnuts, nutritional yeast, organic pumpkin seeds, organic sunflower seeds, kelp, organic garlic, organic hemp seeds, organic sesame seeds, Himalayan crystal salt, & organic herbs.

Kelapo Virgin Coconut Oil – Organic, cold processed, and fair trade. This is good stuff and we use coconut oil quite often around these parts.

Guayaki Yerba  Chai Spice Mate  - Herba Mate, tea… it’s all the same to me. I did brew one of these and it was okay but why drink something unless you really like it? That is the way I feel about tea and coffee. I only like them if I add lots of cream and honey, so why bother?

Ancient Treasures Tea – See above. I am giving all teas to my husband.

Golden Earth Perfume – These perfumes are made of 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils and are infused with crystals. The Euphoria blend, which is what I got, is rose, jasmine, and agate crystal. No synthetic fragrances. Since I am not big on perfume and especially not jasmine, I gave this to my daughter who is happy as a clam with smelly stuff. I do love the concept of their perfume though!

Eco-Dent Tooth Powder - Very foamy and efficient tooth powder though not great tasting but what tooth powder is? None that I have tried. There was also some Eco-Dent gum. I am not a gum person so I will likely give it to my kids.

Ancient Minerals Magnesium oil and Magnesium Gel – I squealed in delight when I saw these. I love Ancient Minerals Magnesium products. Magnesium is so important for staying healthy and yet supplements are not absorbed well. Topical magnesium is much better and I was all out of the oil, which I prefer over the gel.

CleanWell Hand Sanitizer – I like the company and I like the product but I am just not a big user of hand sanitizer. This will likely be donated to the local homeless shelter.

Jo-Sha Eucalyptus Wipe – This product did not thrill me either for the same reason. I suppose an essential oil wipe could be used to clean off gym equipment or dirty hands but so can soap and water. Stuff like this is just not practical in my life when there are easier and cheaper solutions.

I hope there is lots of chocolate in February’s box!

I am a glutton for learning. I usually have 20 books checked out at the library at any given time, I am toying with the idea of taking some foreign language classes at a nearby college, and I have many hundreds of blogs in my RSS reader. I LOVE to learn and read about new stuff. That is what makes life so wonderful IMO. I am here to learn and absorb like a sponge. Lately that has been headed in the financial direction so many of my links will be to awesome financial resources and blogs.

The book that has recently changed my whole outlook on money and finances is first at bat. I have never been very responsible with money even though I have read tons of books about the issue. We don’t struggle to make ends meet but we can never manage to save much. For people who have two VERY old cars that could break down at any moment and who want to buy a house soon… this is not good.

At the library last month I picked up The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach and I am sooooo glad I did. The title almost put me off because I hate cheesy titles like that and I don’t aspire to be a millionaire either so it seemed like a waste of paper to me. It was the “automatic” part that made me check it out. In my job (I work from home) much of my income is passive… it is on autopilot. So the idea of set and it forget it is my kind of tactic. I ended up devouring the book in a couple hours an haven’t shut up about it since. It motivated me to reactivate my Mint account (which is a most awesome free money management program), encourage my husband to double his 401K contributions, set up a ING account for myself, and an IRA fund. The book not only demystified a lot of financial jargon that eluded me before … the automatic process that he recommends is spot on. I now have a habit of taking any income that comes to me and taking 12% off the top immediately… for our future.

The only thing that slightly bothered me while reading the book was that it was several years old and written before the 2008/09 financial mess. But alas he also wrote a book written last year called Start Over, Finish Rich which addresses finances in bad times. It is equally awesome.

Oh and if you are looking for good fiction books to read… I read an amazing one recently. Wither is a new trilogy that knocked my socks off. It is about a young girl who lives in the US after an attempt to genetically engineer humans so they are disease free, goes terribly wrong. A genetic mutation spread the world over now causes men to die at 25 and women to die at 20.

Okay… on to other links.

On Mint Life I spied the article Don’t Let Your Baby Blow Your Grocery Budget. It has some great advice that is pretty green too.. aka not buying that yucky processed baby food and not buying all the baby gadgets that are marketed to us.

On My Dollar Plan this morning is a great article titled 6 Surprising Benefits of the One Car Household. We went with one car for so long that even now we mostly use one car out of habit. Our second vehicle is parked 95% of the time and it saves us tons of money but there are other benefits to.

Did you know that people with cluttered and messy houses are typically the same people who have have messy finances? Yikes! Yesterday I picked up an ebook that I am actually enjoying quite a bit. I posted a link on my Facebook page along with a coupon code to get the book for 1.00. That deal is expired but you can get it for $2.00 at the moment. The book is Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule. Ironically I was thinking the other day that I wanted a chore chart of some kind to check off loads of laundry and see a visual of my “success” when I manged to stay on top of it. This ebook has a couple printables and one of them is a checkbox list where you can check off each load of laundry to go in the washer and dryer. I ended up doing 5 loads yesterday! Still can’t see the bottom of the basement floor but hey.. progress is progress. Code: 200for2

LOVED this Slow Family Living Post: Do You Want to be Right or Connected? Powerful stuff.

The Artful Parent posted an awesome tutorial on making Leaf and fern print t-shirts. I have some blank tees that could really use some fern printing on them to spice them up! I so want to do this!

DealPulp is offering a  group buy deal on stainless steel cups. We have had some of the steel tumblers for years and we love them still. They are actually pretty hard to find so when I saw this deal I knew I had to share it. There is also a sale on BabyLegs until 9/6. Use code HALFOFF to get 50% off. That makes most pairs only $6. We had to get some of the candy corn BabyLegs.

And lastly the Nourished Kitchen is offering an awesome ecourse on How to Cook Real Food. Learn to prepare wholesome, traditional foods easily with this online course.

Spied any awesome articles or blog posts this week? Share below.

As more and more people are going green in their own homes and lifestyle choices, why not include entertainment? For your next dinner party, try a green theme. Yes, some friends might be afraid you will make them eat tofu and cardboard or play Scrabble by the light of a solar lamp but this would be a great opportunity to show them how fun and easy it is to go green. Here are some ideas for keeping it fun and eco friendly.

* Invitations – This is an easy one in this day of Internet savvy and smart phones. Consider going informal and inviting your guests via electronic invitation. You can send an email invitation or even a mobile invitation from your phone.

* Green food – Choose local, seasonal food with a vegetarian emphasis. Meat has serious eco issues so going meatless can be a great way to help reduce the impact of any meal. If you do serve meats, choose organic, grass-fed beef and free range, organic poultry and ham. If you can find locally-raised meat, that is also a good choice. For vegetarian menus, emphasize bean dips and whole grain dishes with fresh fruits and vegetables. 

* Beverages – Serve organic, fair-trade wines, teas and coffee in re-usable cups and mugs. Avoid soft drinks, water or juice in plastic bottles or cans. Instead, serve home-made punch in re-usable cups and hot beverages in insulated pitchers. You can also get organic liquor and use real glasses. Also instead of pre-mixed drinks in plastic bottles or margaritas in plastic tubs buy glass bottles that can be recycled and channel your inner bartender. Having a stainless steel martini shaker and a Vita-Mix make it quite easy I might add. You could also ditch the alcohol altogether and make sparkling fruit smoothies.

* Decorations – Get creative with your decorations! Look to the outdoors for inspiration, and cut greens if it's winter, fall foliage if it's autumn, and flowers for a spring or summer party. Your local farmer's market will have seasonal fruits and veggies that can make attractive centerpieces and decorations, such as colorful squash, cranberries, apples, pears, peaches, etc. Just be sure you use the decorative foods and don't throw them away – in fact, your guests could take some of them home as favors. You can even use live plants as decorations. I LOVE the look of wheat grass growing on kitchen counter tops and dining room tables.

* Lighting – Light your home and table with eco-friendly candles and LED lights, whether as regular-sized bulbs or in festive strings of mini bulbs. You can also get beeswax or soy candles and thrift store jars in various sizes. You can even decoupage the jars with left over holiday tissue paper first if you want colored lights.

* Compost – Don't toss the leftovers! If your menu is vegetarian, leftovers can be composted. Ask your guests to put their veggie and fruit scraps into a designated bin.

Can you have fun and be green? I say yes, how about you?

This week I have been keeping an eye on my junk mail. After seeing all those plastic windows from junk mail envelopes on Beth Terry's plastic video I can't help it. Junk mail is a hugely wasteful practice and it is so unnecessary. I don't want that junk mail, do you? The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year. Thankfully, there are things we can do to stop the waste and say no to junk mail.

1. Think twice before giving out information

Typically, you receive junk mail because someone, somewhere has sold or given your name and address to a marketing company or other businesses. When you give out personal information and have it entered into a database (such as when you apply for a library card, mail forwarding service, or credit card), request that the organization does not share your personal information with anyone.

Also in this category of informational caution are product registration cards, sweepstakes, raffles, and contests. The chances of winning these are actually tiny. What they really want is your address so they can sell it.

2. Don't let them follow you

If you move, don't fill out a change of address form at the post office. Just contact your friends, colleagues, and respectable businesses personally and let them know of your move. Otherwise, the junk mail will start showing up at your new residence shortly.

3. Send it back to them

Hehe… when I used to pay bills via check and envelope I would stuff the wasteful little fliers they put in with the bill and any junk mail they sent inside the provided envelope along with the paid bill. I figured they were responsible for getting rid of their own waste. Now that I pay all bills online I don't get to do that anymore. With other junk mailings that have return addresses I have also put Return to Sender and then stuck it back in the mail.

4. Have your information removed from mailing lists

You can contact the major marketers (such as the Direct Marketing Association) yourself, or save time and have someone else do the legwork for you. An organization that specializes in such help is 41pounds.org. For $41, or a little over $8 a year, 41pounds.org will remove your name from mailing lists for five years. When you get junk mail look for a number to call and ask that they stop sending you further mailings AND not sell your address to anyone.

Do you have a tip to share for reducing the volume of unwanted mail?

Photo Credit: Saunderses

I have fallen in love with a new reusable bag. This one is more like a bag/basket hybrid and ever since I got one last month I have been using it non-stop. They are polyester bags (wish they were canvas), on an aluminum frame. Mine has an attached cover that zips around it to enclose the basket. It is super light too.

Here are some of the things I have already used it for:

Shopping the produce isles at the supermarket
Shopping at farmer’s markets
Using it to hold books at the library
Packing lunches for the zoo or a picnic
Holding towels and sunscreen at the public pool
Cleaning out miscellaneous junk from the car
Holding my other reusable bags in the trunk
Holding takeout so I don’t have to take a plastic bag home

How did I manage without this nifty bag before??

You can find them on Amazon and Reusablebags.

Nowadays there are green printing companies you can patronize for business cards, fliers, brochure printing, etc. I don’t have a need for any of that anymore but if I did I am so happy there are options. I would be sitting my old boss down and telling her we needed to go green with our printing and I’d be talking about how we could market this to attract conscious clientele and offset costs.

PSPrint is an environmentally conscious printing company that prints business cards, custom stickers, custom postcards, custom greeting cards, posters and more. They recycle all wasted paper and used soy based ink that emit fewer volatile organic compounds than petroleum inks. They are also involved with or members of several eco-friendly organizations. Now if only we could get more businesses on board with this!

Just look at some of these scary statistics:

The US imports 200 million pounds of beef from Central America every year and much of the land used is rain forest land. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rain forest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. Ouch! Rain forests are like the lungs of this planet and they house many different species of animals and could contain life saving medicinal plants. As a society though we have decided that meat is more important than our rain forests. As one man who lives in my small town said, “We don’t have a rain forests in the US so who cares.” We should all care that American dietary “needs” are destroying another part of the planet.

One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water, whereas a pound of soy requires 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat only 25 gallons. With more than one billion people worldwide who “lack enough safe water to meet minimum levels of health”  our meat eating/water guzzling ways should bother us. Source 

Waste run-off and pesticide run-off from livestock crops create dead zones in our oceans where fish and marine plant life can’t live anymore.

Certain fishing practices endanger many fish species and result in overfishing that results in an imbalance of marine ecosystems.

To produce one pound of meat, an animal needs to consume as much a 10 pounds of grains that could be consumed directly by humans. Imagine how many people around the world we could feed if we stopped giving the bulk of it to livestock that will in turn feed just a few. We are literally living high off the hog while other countries are starving.

1.4 billion tons of solid fecal matter is produced by US farm animals per year and it is often left outside in open pits or pools that seep into groundwater, lakes and rivers. Because the animals are often diseased, and injected with hormones and antibiotics this renders their waste toxic and not suitable for fertilizing crops.

Livestock are responsible for over half of the country’s erosion and sediment issues. They are destroying the land they graze upon and rendering it useless for growing.

The global livestock industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the planes, trains and automobiles in the world combined. Yes we should feel good about our decision to bike instead of drive or use LED light bulbs but when we eat meat with every meal we are cancelling out the good we did in other areas.

This doesn’t even begin to cover the health issues we experience as a result of eating meat..for that side of the debate read my post over at Goddess of the Garden, Why Meat Consumption Is Bad for Your Health.

So should we all go vegan or vegetarian? Well, you certainly could…I know I lean more in that direction every day but in actuality you don’t need to go quite that far.  I love this post from Green Living Tips that shares a plan to only eat 3 meat meals a week. Many of us were raised in homes where meat was the centerpiece of every meal but it doesn’t have to be. Meatless meals are making a comeback. Try to make it  goal to only eat meat 3-4 times a week and go veggie the other nights. Slowly work toward that goal if you have to.

Cutting down or cutting out meat is a win-win-win situation. It helps in the fight against global warming, and environmental destruction and it’s good for you. Not to mention all of the animal cruelty issues it brings up. Watch a couple videos along those lines and you just might find the inspiration you need. If you do eat meat, it is soooo important that it be organic and raised by small scale ethical farmers. Same for other animal products like cheese and milk. But that kind of meat is expensive so factory farmed “cheap” meat is what most people buy. The video below illustrates what you are supporting when you buy that meat. It is graphic but if if you eat meat…you need to watch it.

Other sources

Dear (Inserts Teacher’s Name),

My son/daughter (insert name here) is happy to be a part of your class this year. To help us get prepared we shopped for the necessary school supplies together and used the list you and the school provided to guide us. I wanted to write a quick note to you to explain why there are some deviations from the specific products you recommended.

In our household we have “green” values and we strive to live our lives with as little environmental impact as we possibly can. This no doubt effects some of the choices we make in our every day lives and the type of products we buy. We believe that every consumer choice we make is essentially a vote for the type of world we want to live in and we want a clean and beautiful earth for generations to come. To that end we have made the following deviations from your original list. I hope you understand why we have done this and will support our efforts for a cleaner planet.

Purell Hand Sanitizer – This product has some unsavory chemicals that can be potentially dangerous for children so instead we have purchased a bottle of Clean Well hand sanitizer. In lieu of harsh chemicals, it uses essential oils from plants to kill bacteria. While it may not be the specific brand or type of sanitizer you had requested I hope you can see that it has the same function and it is a product I am comfortable with as well.

Brawny Paper Towels – I have purchased a package of Seventh Generation paper towels for this requirement. While we generally do not use disposable products such as this in our own home but I recognize the need in a school setting where clean up resources are limited. To that end we are positive that these unbleached paper towels made from 80% post-consumer waste paper will work well.

Ziploc Plastic Bags – We do not use plastic bags in our home as they have many negative environmental impacts and recycling facilities for these are hard to come by. I would appreciate a quick note or phone call (insert number) to let me know what these bags would be used for so I can find an appropriate alternative that will work for us both.
Thank you for your time. I know I will enjoy working with you this year. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Respectfully,
The Nut-job Parent

One of the drawbacks of scrapbooking is that it requires a lot of materials, especially paper. Each scrapbook page requires a piece of fancy paper or card stock for the background, and then of course more paper is used for die cuts, frames and other embellishments. Then there are the non-paper embellishments, and let's not forget the scrapbook cover. The finished product is priceless really, but this hobby can have an impact on the environment. 

Lucky for us there are environmentally conscientious scrapbook materials on the market. Read on for some ideas on how to incorporate some earth friendly practices into your scrapping adventures.

Recycled Paper of Course!

When we think of environmentally responsible scrapbook supplies, the first thing that should come to mind is recycled paper. Buying post consumer recycled paper is a step in the right direction. Buying recycled paper cuts down on the demand for new and this saves trees. But when you purchase recycled paper products, it's essential to know what you're buying.

For instance, how much of it is actually recycled? Is it a substantial amount or is it just a marketing gimmick? Each package of paper should list the percentage of recycled materials that were used in manufacturing. The higher the percentage, the better. It is also important to identify the percentage of post-consumer waste used. Post consumer waste paper has been recycled after it has hit the market and been used, as opposed to pre-consumer waste, which is just scraps created when cutting the paper during the manufacturing process. Pre-consumer waste is not really recycling in the traditional sense because manufacturers almost always recycle their own scraps anyway…it is just good business. So touting the word “recycled” for pre-consumer paper scraps is selling something…literally.

Another important factor is the type of ink is used to print on the paper and most scrapbooking papers do have elaborate printing and design. Many of the inks used can be damaging to the environment. Always look for vegetable or soy-based inks, which are environmentally nontoxic. Your local craft store representative should be able to point you in the right direction and if they don’t carry these items, ask if they will start ordering them. You can always buy plain recycled paper and use non-toxic ink stamps or have your children paint the backgrounds with watercolors.

Recycle Your Own

Using recycled paper is a great start when you're trying to be environmentally conscious in your scrapbooking. But it would be even better to use items that you would have otherwise thrown away. This can also help you save some money. It takes some imagination and creativity, but there are lots of things you can reuse in your scrapbooks. These include:

* Old Children’s Books – Have you ever been to a yard sale where they are selling old children’s books that are falling apart? I know I have…many times. Instead of passing them by because they aren’t very readable buy them up for pennies and cut them up to use in your scrapbooks. The old early readers like the Dick and Jane classics make wonderful scrapbook additions.

* Maps – Maps are great for matting and backgrounds. You can also cut out the states or countries you recently went on vacation and incorporate them into memory pages. Fun!

* Old calendars – These are wonderful to use because you can cut out dates and use the high quality pictures.

* Wrapping paper – You can make all sorts of nice embellishments or backgrounds out of wrapping paper or tissue paper. Ribbons can also be used so save your gift wrapping materials after someone gives you a gift or raid some one's party garbage (with their permission of course) to get some raw materials.

* Greeting cards – Not only can you cut out the handwritten notes and add them to a page for a personal touch, you can also cut out pretty illustrations and verses to use like die cuts. Instead of letting sit in a box or tossing them…use them!

Digital scrapbooking is also an option and quickly gaining popularity. You may want to try it. Few (if any) physical supplies are required for this type of scrapping.

Reusing items and buying recycled and non-toxic scrapbook materials will greatly reduce your scrapbooking hobby's impact on the environment. Doing some of these things might require a little more time and effort, but Mother Earth will thank you.

Looking for a new showerhead? Why not pick one that is green/smart and helps you save on water AND energy.

I recently got a 1.6 GPM Energy and Water Saving Showerhead and it is a great product for a green home. It addresses a common habit…leaving the water running while it heats up. Of course no one wants to step into frigid water but it is all to easy to turn it on and then leave to do other things. I know I am guilty of that and my kids can be to. We end up wasting hot water and energy many times when we do this. But with this showerhead it is no biggie if you need to go run to the laundry room to get a clean towel because this showerhead is SMART.

It has a built-in ShowerStart technology sensor that senses when the water is warm enough. It senses when the water reaches normal bathing and showering temperature (95 degrees) then “pauses” the flow of water, retaining instead of wasting your hot water. When hear the water stop running and know your shower is ready to go. When you are ready to get in, jump in and turn the valve to resume water flow. Easy!

You save water by not wasting it and you save energy by not heating up water that just goes down the drain..your shower waits for you. It is also a low flow showerhead, and will save about 8 gallons or water for every 5 minutes you shower and according to their web site that should save you around $230 on utility bills and more than 7,600 gallons of water per year. It pays for itself after 3 months.

Here is a video to show you how it works. The only difference between the one in the video and ours is that ours has a cord attached to it so even the kids can pull it and re-start the water….very cool.

Other Eco Shower Heads I Like:

The Evolve Rain Showerhead - At 2.5 gallons per minute, you can enjoy a luxurious shower knowing you are saving money with ShowerStart technology. Adding to its ShowerStart technology, the Panda features and offset ball for maximum extension from the shower arm which creates ideal balance and great flow through its powerful rain spray pattern.

Waterpik Eco Flow Hand Held Shower - Water saving head saves up to one gallon of water a minute, fingertip pause control. Pays for itself in 6 months!

Photo Credit: mikemacadaan

I have some personal news I find rather exciting. This month marks two years since my cancer diagnosis. Can you believe it has been that long! Well, I am 1.5 years cancer free at the moment. I hope I am not getting too cocky posting that! I still think about all the great people I met during treatment and of course I have gnarly scars to remind me everyday that life is a precious thing. Well, as I got to thinking about this today I decided that my kids and I are going to do something for children affected by cancer. I am directing my efforts at kids so I can involve my own and get them excited about it. But of course adults are also victims of this horrible disease. So I will also be volunteering to provide “Chemo Rides” for those who may be alone and need a lift to their weekly chemo sessions.

For the children I was thinking about sewing crayon rolls and then giving them to children at The James, a cancer hospital in Columbus, Ohio. I need to speak with them about it but I soooo hope they will agree to let us do this. And oooh, if I could get soy crayons at wholesale rates…hmmmm.  Anyway that will be my little project to work on. I am just looking for a more reliable sewing machine and I will be set.

Other interesting things:

My good friend Carrie at Natural Moms Talk Radio has a great post up about eating cooler in the summer. Cooking in the summer and heating up an already hot kitchen presents a problem for many folk but her post has lots of great suggestions.

No Impact Man is talking about how religion and faith in God can’t be used as an excuse for being environmentally lax. Awesome post!

Re-purposing marbles to make lovely marble suncatchers. Which reminds me that I am now using Flickr to document our family adventures. Check it out if you have a moment!

It is yard sale season!!! I have been yard sale hopping 3 weekends in a row now and have scored some great things. Just today I found 3 handmade costumes for a little girl. They were worn in school plays and are so adorable. Now my daughter can be a renaissance lady, a pilgrim, and wear an Asian Kimono. My son also got a pair of roller blades for a $1….they just need new wheels. It got me thinking about some of my posts here about yards sales. See budget and style on a cheapskate budget.

Well, I am off to enjoy my weekend! See you later!

1. Do I really need and want this – can I get by without it? Sometimes the answer might be to STOP shopping.

2. Is it made from renewable, or nonrenewable resources? We are always going to want to choose renewable resources where we can. Also, no renewable resource are used to ship items around the world so shopping locally is VERY helpful and it supports your local economy.

3. Is it made of recycled materials and is it recyclable? Buy products that come in containers you know you will be able to recycle later on.

4. Can it be maintained and repaired? Or is it one of those products that once it breaks you pretty much have to throw it out and buy new.

5. Could I borrow, rent or buy it secondhand?

6. Is it overpackaged? It is wrapped in plastic and then wrapped again a cardboard box?

7. Can it be reused?

I hope you enjoy the interview…thanks Chele for asking me to come and chat with you!

Woot! This week I was named as one of TreeHugger.com’s favorite greens of the week! They are a huge blog (the big daddy of green) with a huge readership so I am honored. You can see their banner with my blog in it at the bottom of this post.

I received a very useful link from a new Twitter friend this week which I think nicely sums up the ways you can reduce waste. I especially like #8.

Vanity Fair has done it again. Another awesome green issue! Last year I wrote all about their feature article which took on anti-global warming liars lobbyists. This year they took on my all time most despised company on this planet…Monsanto. The article was pretty scathing too. Monsanto, for those that don’ t know is a chemical company. They make Round-Up weed killer and they genetically modify (GM) seeds and patent them. The article talks much about how they have a huge network of spies that haunt farmlands to see if anyone is using their seeds without paying for them. They bring lawsuits willy nilly even if there is no proof and seek to bankrupt the farmers guilty or no. They even sue farmers who have had the misfortune of having GM seeds blow onto their land from nearby crops. Let’s not even get into how WRONG it is to be able to patent a seed…a living biological organism that they did not invent and could not replicate even if they tried.

Monsanto is also the company that makes rBST, the growth hormone given to cows to make them produce milk at hyper speed. It is dangerous and unhealthy for the cows and many think it is dangerous for us. In fact these products are banned in Europe. Well, Monsanto is suing companies that advertise that they do NOT use rBST…they don’t think it is fair. They are also going state by state lobbying to get laws passed that ban milk companies from labeling their milk hormone free. This company is EVIL and they control much our country’s food supply. Scary stuff!

I also enjoyed an article from Rachels’ Democracy and Health News about how the attitude that economic growth outweighs environmental harm is biting us in the backside as we have exceeded many of Earth’s ecological limits as of now. This was VERY interesting:

 About six months ago, the United Nations Environment Programme’s fourth Global Environmental Outlook Report (GEO-4) concluded that we humans presently require 22 acres per person to support our global average lifestyle — but, the report said, Earth has only 15 acres per person available.

In other words, we have already exceeded the Earth’s “carrying capacity” — it’s capacity to “carry” (or support) 6 billion humans. And the human enterprise is poised for a massive spurt of economic and population growth — expected to raise our numbers to 9 billion by roughly mid-century and to double the size of the human economy every 23 years.

Where I live in rural Ohio I would be rich if I had a nickel for every time I have had someone tell me that my environmental concerns need to take a back seat to economic growth. Talk about short-sighted.

And in unrelated news I am a big fan of Homemaker’s Mentor and just wanted to shout out about their April homemaking lessons. The one on sewing simple curtains for your home is awesome.

Lastly, I wanted to say thanks to all the readers that have been emailing with requests about specific topics. I LOVE that so keep it up. I have many posts coming up that were specifically requested and don’t forget if you ever want to give me a day off and write for me…just contact me.

Have a great weekend everyone! Mine will be spent spring cleaning my 2.5 acres in central Ohio and planting in the garden.

Ideas for Recycling Blue Jeans:

1. An iPod pocket protector – Use the pocket area of your blue jeans to make a nifty little purse for small electronics like cell phones and iPods. It would also be perfect as a little snack bags for young kids. Get instructions here.

2. Use the legs to make a wall organizer perfect for sewing notions.

3. Stuff them with straw and use them to create a scarecrow for fall decorating.

4. Cut them into squares and make a quilt or cut them into strips and make a rag rug.

5. Make denim pot holders.

What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

You may have heard of farm sharing programs or Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) before. They are gaining popularity and getting a lot of media exposure in recent years for their ability to help bring real and local food back to the table every night and support local economies. They are instrumental in helping people to eat their meals from farm to plate.

All those small scale farmers in your area are at a serious disadvantage these days. They simply cannot compete with large agri farm operations that sell to major grocery markets. Small farmers usually have to sell to their neighbors, at roadside stands, and at farmer’s markets. They have had to work hard to find a loyal customer base and unlike large agribusiness operations, small farmers might find themselves out of business the very first time their crops are destroyed or fail to thrive. It is such a sad state of affairs. So….realizing that smaller farms serving the locals might soon be gone with the wind some of them have gotten creative and decided to extend an invitation to their local communities in the form of CSAs.

I am happy to see that many have answered that call.

So how does it work? CSAs work when the farmers sell a portion or a share of their harvest to their neighbors. For a seasonal fee they get a box of fresh farm fruits and veggies every week. I remember being giddy on delivery days each week…just waiting for my box of farm fresh goodies. The CSA that I belonged to in Arizona was run by a gal named Kelly and she included pertinent recipes every week so I was in culinary heaven each week. It was that first year that got me hooked on Kale…because I was swimming in it, LOL. Before that I had never even tried it so being a CSA member also exposes you to new and exciting foods. I did an interview with my local CSA farmer in Arizona at Desert Roots Farm if you want to read about it.

Here was Kelly’s definition of a CSA:

Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Supporters cover a farm’s yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season’s harvest. CSA members make a commitment to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Members help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season. Becoming a member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and those who grow it.

As Kelly touched on, the farmers have more freedom, security, and flexibility when their costs and products are paid for up front. The consumer benefits by having continuous access to local and healthy foods that don’t have to cause planetary destruction on their way to you. The consumer also absorbs some of the risk involved in farm management because if the crops fail for whatever reason the farmer has already been paid and he or she will not be forced out of business. The consumer, although unhappy to see no food that season, is satisfied in supporting his local community and protecting his or her local food sources.

There are some CSAs that allow you to pay for your farm share or a portion of it in trade for labor. You might be put to work weeding, harvesting, packaging CSA boxes, or delivering the food. This arrangement keeps costs down for both the farmer and the consumer. In my area (Ohio) a whole share from May to October costs about $650 and that pays for a box of farm fresh goodies every week. You can also do a half share for a smaller family. In Arizona it was a bit more expensive.

You may also be able to find CSAs that raise livestock and thus offer shares of beef, raw milk, chicken, eggs etc. There was nothing like that in my area but I get fresh eggs from the local Amish farms and hoorah….I found a herdshare program nearby that offers a share in a dairy cow and I will be getting 2 gallons of raw, organic milk every week. For the first year the price works out to be $3.65 a gallon and every year thereafter it is $2.65 a gallon. I have to pinch myself that is such a steal….I was paying $8.00 a gallon in Arizona.

Other benefits of joining a CSA include the fact that the whole family starts eating healthy veggies and leafy greens more frequently. It also makes eating raw easier. Joining a CSA in your area might be one of the best things you can do to support your local economy and make a commitment to healthy eating.

So where do you find one? Try Local Harvest for a listing in your area. And if there aren’t any don’t worry, you might be able to do what I am doing which is take a blended approach with a little grow-your-own, farmer’s marketing, shopping with the Amish, pick-your-own day trips, and herd sharing. You would still be eating healthier, eating local, and supporting your community by keeping your dollars local.

Other important links:

Real Milk – To help you find raw milk, raw cheese, and herd share programs.

Pick Your Own – A farm directory where you can visit local farms and pick your own food.

Here is a video I did last summer of our berry picking adventure. Doesn’t it make you long for spring????!

[tags]CSA, community supported agriculture, local food, farms[/tags]

I have not been a fan of conventional laundry detergents for a long time. My general fondness of natural detergents and laundering methods was cemented when I did the research for a cloth diaper detergent chart on one of my other sites. You should check out the chart…it was meant for cloth diapers in particular but it is a good resource for detergents for ANY kind of laundry. I have basically taken a ton of different detergents and rated them based upon their use of enzymes, optical brighteners, dyes, fragrance, and fabric softeners….which are pretty much all bad news and I explain why at the bottom of the page.

Something always bothered me about even the most natural detergents though…..the packaging. It is very wasteful…especially the big plastic bottles of liquid detergent.

So I was jazzed recently to get to try Dropps Liquid Laundry Pacs finally. They are tiny little packs of natural liquid detergent with no enzymes, optical brighteners, or fabric softeners. The scented version has dyes and fragrance but the unscented has neither. So the detergent is healthier for humans and for the planet right off the bat but the packaging is also very cool.

A regular plastic jug of liquid detergent is only 2 times concentrated. That means it is 75% water. What a waste! The Dropps on the other hand are 6 times concentrated…so you aren’t paying for a teeny bit of detergent and a bunch of water. Also only 75% of that plastic jug is made from recycled plastic and the cap is not recyclable so 100% of those end up in the landfill.

The Dropps are tiny little baggies of detergent and you throw the whole thing in the wash. The plasticy film completely dissolves like those Listereen breath strips so there is no waste. The Dropps do come in  a larger plastic bag but I hear they are changing that aspect of the packaging so I am excited to see what they come up with. Overall this detergent means far less waste and after a few weeks I find that they clean just as effectively as my other detergents and without residue build-up, so Dropps are a big winner in my book. They are good for people with sensitive skin in my opinion too, because that is me for sure…I get hives when things irritate my skin.

I have a bag of unscented and dye free Dropps to give away! Just leave a comment and you are entered to win.

[tags]Dropps, liquid detergent, eco friendly, recycle, natural[/tags]

So here is a run down of what I generally use to clean:

Furniture Polish - 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 lemon juice. Mix in a spray bottle and shake before every use. Spray on rag and then rub furniture.

Window Cleaner – Put 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle along with several lemon peels and then fill to the top with water. Spray all surfaces and use a lint free rag to wipe off. Crumpled newspaper works well to wipe up after too.

Scented Soda Scrub – Mix several cups of baking soda with several drops of peppermint or Candy Cane blend essential oils. It smells heavenly and can be used as a deodorizer too. Often times I sprinkle it on carpet and then vacuum to make the whole house smell yummy. I use this along with my window cleaner to clean tubs and sinks.

Floor Cleaner- For floors I use a small amount of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap diluted in water and a 1/2 cup vinegar. Plain vinegar and water works too. I use a broom and dustpan to sweep them first (no vacuum) and I wash them by putting two cloth rags on the floor and sliding around on them with my feet…no mops. It is a good workout. Just put on some music…The Hustle…and away we go.

Natural Dishwasher Soap Recipes – Follow that link to 2 homemade recipes I use.

Natural Carpet Cleaner Recipe- I also use soap nuts on occasion but I am using BabyGanics now. I have white carpet…these natural cleaners DO work.

I also use lemons to clean my garbage disposal, bleach cloth diapers in the sun, and boiled in enamel pots to remove stains. Also, because I have white Corian sinks (and counters) I will throw some cut up lemons in the sink and them seep in boiling water to remove stains…which I find that Corian is prone to get. They come right out.

For rags I use old towels cut into squares and I have some microfiber towels as well.

So…as you see my cleaning regimen is pretty simple and no fuss. I hope you enjoy trying some of these recipes in your home!

For additional info I really like the book Clean House, Clean Planet.

It is important to me that I only clean my home with products that are safe, natural, and green. Conventional cleaners might be effective in cutting through dirt and grime but they do so at the expense of our health and the environment. While many might use cleaning products like Windex or 409 with very little prior thought or concern….I actually like to know what I am spraying all over my home. These cleaners contain many chemicals that can be toxic, reactive, corrosive, or flammable. There is also the potential that they can cause serious health issues and environmental damage. Technological advances allow us to do things faster, easier and more efficient than ever before but those advances and products have to be safe!

Remember my story awhile back about how my son reacted to chemicals in toilet cleaner? All he did was sit down at a toilet that had toilet cleaning chemicals in it and I ended up calling 911. I don’t want my children to be exposed to harmful chemicals day in day out and I get hives at the drop of a hat so I avoid conventional cleaners all together.

Usually this means I make my own with simple and natural ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, pure castile soap, vegetable oil, lemons. etc. They work so well and they are so easy to make I usually won’t bother with buying any of the green cleaners on the market. I have tried many of them and they just don’t live up to the hype or they won’t disclose their ingredients like a certain company that Oprah endorses…ahem.

That said though, I was REALLY impressed with the BabyGanics line of cleaners. So much so that a few of these products are going to have a permanent home in my cleaning cabinet. These products are specifically formulated for the safety of children, pets and growing families, and they are environmentally safe. The BabyGanics line of cleaners is:

And a big plus for mommy…they work! Below I have given my thoughts on each of the BabyGanics products. I tried the unscented and the lavender scent versions alike.

BabyGanics All Purpose Household Cleaner - You just can’t beat and all purpose cleaner that cleans a multitude of surfaces through out the house. Instead of petroleum-based ingredients, or added dyes that are common triggers for respiratory and skin irritation, BabyGanics created an all-natural cleaning blend that is based upon natural soybean and palm kernel oils. I used it on kitchen and bathroom counters, on my stove and range, on my hardwood dining table, on walls decorated with crayon, and probably dozens of other places. I LOVE this cleaner and the lavender scented version is scrumptious. I am not big on fragrance so my kids noticed the yummy scent immediately and they liked it.

BabyGanics Tub & Tile Cleaner - Normally I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my tubs and showers. It works well but it I have to admit that the BabyGanics tub and tile cleaner is more more simple and just as effective. And of course it has none of the harsh chemicals and harsh acids in conventional tub cleaners that can be corrosive and toxic. The BabyGanics version is a special formula that is based upon a naturally derived urea salt which provides tremendously effective cleaning without the negative corrosive aspects many other products can leave behind. I used it extensively in my home recently and it works pretty darn good. I have been keeping a bottle in the shower to do a quick clean-up every week…otherwise it might be a once a month job in my house. ;)

BabyGanics Glass and Surface Cleaner - This product contains a unique, naturally derived biodegradable surfactant system that eliminates the need for solvents, glycol ethers and ammonia. I usually use a vinegar and water solution but I have to admit the BabyGanic glass cleaner is less streaky. It did a good job getting my car windows clean too and they were pretty grimy from all the salt spray on the roads this winter. I will likely just stick to plain old vinegar and water for indoor jobs but if you don’t like to make your cleaners or you hate the smell of vinegar this could be what you are looking for. I might keep some of this on hand for outdoor windows on my home and car.

BabyGanics Floor Cleaner Concentrate - This was my favorite BabyGanics product and I think it deserves a permanent place in my home cleaning repertoire. Its unique formula includes a combination of all-natural soybean and palm kernel oils and it is designed for use on tiles, laminates, and hard floors. I used it on the tile in my bathrooms, the linoleum in my kitchen and hall, the stone in my dining and foyer areas, the wood laminate in my family room, and get this…my carpet! When I was reading the back of the bottle I was super surprised to see a mention that it could also be used on carpet in addition to hard floor surfaces. So I diluted it according to the instructions and put it in my carpet cleaner and I cleaned some carpet in the bedrooms and in my kids play room. In the playroom the white carpet was starting to look gray and it had some stains from strawberry smoothie. The BabyGanics floor cleaner worked wonders. In fact I think it is one of the best carpet cleaners I have ever used. I have always tried to use soap nuts for my carpet but I find that harsh chemical cleaners are the only ones that can usually lift stains. Well not anymore…I will be using BabyGanics exclusively. Woot! I was very pleased. :)

So overall I REALLY like these cleaning products. They are safe and natural and they work good…a winning combo. I know I will definitely be keeping some of the All Purpose Cleaner and the Floor Cleaner on hand in my own home.

[tags]BabyGanics, organic, natural cleaning, green cleaning[/tags]

And here a few more simplistic ideas for that special day:

Nothing says “Love” like your time – Spending time with your sweetie has to be the easiest and lowest impact way to “gift” your valentine. Instead of showering each other with material objects why not set aside some time to spend together alone. Go to a movie or a museum, take a bike ride or a hike, take in a opera or a play… give each other the gift of time…there is nothing better….sigh. :)

If you can’t get away together because you have rugrats maybe you could gift each a few hours each to go out on your own or with friends. Maybe you could give your husband some time to go out with his buddies, watch some sports at a nearby sports bar, etc. and he could give you a few hours to go shopping, have coffee with a friend, or browse a good book store. Sometimes time to yourself can be just the thing you need.

Breakfast in Bed – There is no need to cook up a storm for this one. I have the perfect solution. Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat cereal by Kashi. It is like a healthy version of Cheerios with soluble fiber from natural whole grains, antioxidants, like white tea. In additions to the Os you will also find adorable little hearts! I have been eating this cereal for a few weeks and it is yummy good and available at most grocery stores.

Have a happy and green Valentine’s Day!