tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42706293805734601302024-03-19T03:04:47.115-05:00Neon GreenOne girl trying to make a difference in the global warming crisis by altering her lifestyle and going NEON green.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-17709136715447810292009-04-27T11:04:00.006-05:002009-04-29T10:42:07.479-05:00Happy (belated) Earth Day!I know that Earth Day was last week, but really, don't you think that we should celebrate our Earth everyday? I do. So that's why I don't feel bad about posting this a little late.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I did on Earth Day 2009</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">By, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SuperCareo</span><br /><ul><li>I celebrated with my office by making cupcakes from scratch (with organic baking flour from <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods</a>). They were Devil's Food with chocolate frosting (also from scratch) topped with organically dyed green and blue sugar crystals on top. They were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">scrumptious</span>! - Pictures coming soon!<br /></li><li>I went to the <a href="http://earth911.com/">local recycle center</a> to drop off the recycling for my office.<br /></li><li>Thought about ways to make this blog <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">more</span> awesome (that counts, right?)</li><li>Dug recyclables out of the trash (at work and at home)</li><li>My dad took me to lunch and told me:</li><ul><li>I could start a garden in their yard</li><li>I'm turning into a hippie (so I want to live on a farm with some chickens, sheep, a lama, my friend's sickly horse and grow all my own food. Is that so wrong?)</li><li>(Oh, and also a <a href="http://www.miniaturebull.com/">mini cow</a> or two).</li></ul></ul>How did you celebrate your Earth Day?Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01323986750035976264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-66636443729793053482009-04-16T11:32:00.002-05:002009-04-16T11:50:03.913-05:00Cooking at home never looked so good ...How ironic. On the day that I get <a href="http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/misfortune-cookie">this tip</a> from <a href="http://www.idealbite.com/">Ideal Bite</a> about skipping the take out, I also read about the two employees at Domino's who filmed themselves shooting snot rockets onto sandwiches that then then delivered to some poor soul. If you want to read about the Domino's scandal, you can check it out<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/media/16dominos.html?_r=1&ref=technology"> here</a>. If you want to check out the video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unMJR9-4MdA">look here</a>. Want to know what Domino's has to say? Then you should watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l6AJ49xNSQ">this video</a> too.<br /><br />Um ... gross. I have already really cut down on the number of times I get take out during the month (partly because it saves me money and partly because I'm on a health kick right now) and seeing stuff like this just reminds me how much I dislike having other people (read: people I don't know) prepare my food unless I can see what they're doing. Also, whenever I am at a restaurant, I am always super nice to the waiter or waitress. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Armini</span> used to wait tables and we both saw waiting ... I am terrified to piss off anyone who will be going near my food when I am not there to protect it.<br /><br />I feel bad for domino's because this is going to lose them a ton of business I'm sure but at the same time, it just reinforces my desire to bring my food preparation into the home. I want to know where my food has been, who has touched it, and what is in it. The other day I made my 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nd</span> and 3rd loaves of bread (ever - and without a bread machine to boot) and it is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">so</span> delicious. And whenever I eat a piece of it I know that I don't have to worry that it has been overly processed or that it has high fructose corn syrup in it or that somehow I am going to get some salmonella in it from the one bad peanut in the place (which I suppose could still happen, but at least I won't be sending it out into other people's homes and I will only have myself to blame).<br /><br />I know that this post isn't exactly the most 'green' that you will find here, but keeping abreast of the goings on of our country is good for you. Plus, maybe this story will inspire to take the time to whip up some homemade pizza dough, sauce and get some organic and locally produced cheese (and other toppings) and make your own pizza. It'll be less expensive overall AND you will have the satisfaction of eating food that you made with <span style="font-weight: bold;">your bare hands</span>. And take it from me, it's a pretty cool feeling (plus, everyone who hears that you made your dough and sauce from scratch will be <span style="font-style: italic;">so impressed</span> with you. It's very good for the ego).<br /><br />I have a few really fun challenges in the works, some product reviews that are getting ready to be posted and I plan on revisiting some older posts to actually make the projects. I think that I am also going to start posting my favorite recipes for easy meals that you can make from scratch. Make sure you stay tuned!Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01323986750035976264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-36956060218371972392009-04-02T12:20:00.004-05:002009-04-02T12:45:11.204-05:00Vermicomposting: Going for the WormsAs just one of the Neon Green projects I plan on starting this spring, I want to start <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vermicomposting</span>. That is: composting food scraps with the help of some delightful little red worms. I know that Beth had talked about composting before in <a href="http://goingneongreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/digging-little-deeper-into-composting.html">this post</a>, but that's all I could find in the archives (but to be honest, I didn't feel like spending more than a minutes looking so there could be more).<br /><br />If you read that post than you know that there is a super awesome, one stop shop website called <a href="http://www.redwormcomposting.com/">Red Worm Composting</a> that's run by The Compost Guy. So naturally, that's where I decided to start looking for information and ideas for my own happy little compost bin.<br /><br />And will you LOOK at what I found. It's awesome, and good looking and I totally think that this is what I am going to use to start my journey into composting:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5920246"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsAu__AdHyQRwuQINUkZfROnZkQZHqbFuQ6prJwo318Lut63zRAA_hD7AbKb9qb6Rt9osZBA-yu8_9ejTbF-2Q_bz7noqV-J9BCdo0SEn5JXZMDyOZoa4yTR57V62PBkG7cukqy8_VUZF/s320/worm-inn-brown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320149334718357634" border="0" /></a><br />It's called a <span style="font-style: italic;">Worm Inn</span> and I think that is not only great looking, but from the reviews that The Compost Guy have give it, it works just fine. Plus, on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">RWC</span> you can purchase your very own Worm Inn with 1 or 2 pounds of worms. I think I'm going to go in for the Inn with 1 pound of worms. It's only $88 and just think of how much space I will be saving my local landfill (and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">besides</span>, it's cute so I won't have to dig out space under the sink for a bin) AND I will get some awesome fertilizer for the garden that will be happening ... soon.<br /><br />So what do you think? Would you spend that much for an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">aesthetically</span> pleasing compost bin or would you just make one of your own?Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01323986750035976264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-68929616200572869312009-04-01T14:05:00.004-05:002009-04-01T14:23:19.252-05:00We're Baaaaa-aaaack!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1E0-LG6lIX9WIedCPgJDrsG9C9OOMcEyN6-K-gdrk1RxxPURA_nlpITN0OfBts2hzLBQ8Scwq5emGB79kzeDr-WhKfjeT-jLuDmAG6qvVjlqkKlJrMbHNqzxLBAEBW4yyHqBjVrZhLWo/s1600-h/untitled.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1E0-LG6lIX9WIedCPgJDrsG9C9OOMcEyN6-K-gdrk1RxxPURA_nlpITN0OfBts2hzLBQ8Scwq5emGB79kzeDr-WhKfjeT-jLuDmAG6qvVjlqkKlJrMbHNqzxLBAEBW4yyHqBjVrZhLWo/s320/untitled.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319805571720819666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi! I'm SuperCareo and I am super excited to be a contributer to Neon Green!</span><br /></div><br />I'm sure that since there hasn't been any regular posting going on here, the readership (if there was any) has dropped off considerably. Well, that's why I'm here! To bring the green-ness (and maybe the reading-ness) back to Neon Green!<br /><br />My interest in "going green" is something that has started small and continued to grow with every new <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276978,00.html">salmonella</a> <a href="http://www.marlerblog.com/2009/03/articles/case-news/1-million-pounds-of-salmonella-pistachio-products-recalled/">outbreak</a> and every news story talking about how all of the ingredients in our food are going to give us <a href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/1/28/mercury-found-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html">crazy fat</a> and ultimately <a href="http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Diet/Eat-well/Whats_in_Your_Grocery_Cart_Exposing_Hidden_Trans_Fats.aspx?trans=1&du=1&gclid=CIec6YWx0JkCFSMeDQodXypwuA&ef_id=1350:3:s_3ec6034010ef603ae891ebdb0486f020_2540042555:EL8LJUNIYWUAAFulMEQAAAAC:20090401191014">kill us</a>. It's enough to make anyone stop eating. At least if you starve to death you can be assured of the outcome.<br /><br />I also just really like spending time in the yard and in my kitchen. This spring will mark my first ever garden, and I have just recently started cooking 95% of everything that I eat. It just seems like it's the right direction to take.<br /><br />So, since Beth has so graciously allowed me full access to her blog to do as I please (BWA HA HA HA - I mean ... just kidding!), I hope that we can take this journey together. Also - Beth has laid a completely awesome foundation of green information for me to build upon further. In fact, I think we may have a post with pictures on candle making coming in the future.<br /><br />So stay tuned. Neon Green is coming back online and it is going to be totally awesome - I promise.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01323986750035976264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-50110411769334817812008-10-16T13:42:00.005-05:002008-10-16T14:55:45.183-05:00Vinegar and Vodka = Natural CleanersI realized the other day that I have never, not even one time, talked about how to make cleaning supplies with vinegar. Which is just awful because if you look at any other green blog it's probably going to be one of the first things they will tell you to start doing. But today I am going to remedy that by not only telling you about the wonderful things you can do with a little vinegar in a spray bottle but about another, surprising, liquid that can help you clean around the house and avoid using nasty chemicals - vodka. Yup I you read it right, vodka. Now you'll have an excuse to have a little drink while you're cleaning the house. How much better can it get?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">White Distilled Vinegar<br /></span>The most basic surface cleaning recipe I found for vinegar is this:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><ul><li>Equal parts water and white distilled vinegar</li><li>Essential oils as desired for smell</li><li>Shake well before using to be sure that everything is mixed up<br /></li></ul>I mean, how much easier can you get? I looked around for a recipe that could be made using apple cider vinegar (since you might already have a bottle in the house if you have decided to go no 'poo) but I couldn't find any. However, I did stumble across this page from <a href="http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html">the Vinegar Institute</a> that has recipes that use vinegar for everything from freshening up your laundry to making sure that your car windows don't frost overnight.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vodka</span><br />Yes, that's right. You can use vodka around the house as you clean ... can you imagine being able to take a swig out of your spray bottle whenever you wanted to and not having to call the poison control center after you do it? Oh the freedom (and the fun)! With these as one of my household cleaning tools, I might actually <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to do some cleaning.<br /><br />Here are few of the things you can do with vodka, all of which I found on a page from a website called <a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/vodka-uses-460424">the Daily Green</a>.<br /><ul><li>Bug Repellent</li><ul><li>Spraying directly onto the bugs or on yourself will help to keep you from becoming a moving buffet.<br /></li></ul><li>Hair Beautifier</li><ul><li>Adding a jigger (1 1/2 ounces) to your bottle of shampoo (you'll need to add 1 1/2 oz for every 12 oz in the bottle) will help keep your locks soft and shiney.<br /></li></ul><li>Mold Killer</li><ul><li>Load up your spray bottle and let fly. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then attack with a toothbrush and your problem should be solved!<br /></li></ul><li>The Natural Version of Febreeze</li><ul><li>Just spritz it on your smelly clothes and let it dry in a well ventilated place. When the vodka's dry it won't leave an odor and it will take the nasty ones with them! (A tip that can also be helpful the next time you want to sneak out to the bars ...)<br /></li></ul><li>Poison Ivy Remedy</li><ul><li>When poured directly onto the affected area right after exposure, vodka will wash away the oil that will make you itchy and give you that nasty rash. It just one more reason why taking that flask with you on your next camping trip is actually a great idea!</li></ul></ul>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-24775465283713272722008-10-06T12:42:00.000-05:002008-10-06T12:42:00.714-05:00LOG: Candle MakingWelcome friends to the first installment of the 'Living Off the Grid' series!<br /><br />While my mother was off visiting my grandmother, she learned how to make candles. I thought it was a pretty cool idea, and the candle she made was very cute. So I figured this could be our first 'how to' in the Living Off the Grid Series. I mean, you're going to want to see at night and electricity will probably be one of the first creature comforts to go if we do end up in the dark ages 2.0. I mean, it's helpful but not completely necessary for your survival.<br /><br />First off, you're going to need to gather some supplies. You are going to need:<br /><br /><ul><li>A candle mold</li><ul><li>You'll want to be sure that it's something that has a base wider than the mouth so that you can get the candle out of the mold when you're done.</li><li>Soup cans won't work either ... they have ridges that will stop you from taking your candle out.</li></ul><li>A medium sized pan and a coffee can</li><ul><li>These will work as your double boiler to melt down your wax</li></ul><li>Last, but certainly not least, you'll need some wax</li><ul><li>You can choose to use paraffin (the most popular), bayberry (pricey), tallow, beeswax or soy wax.</li></ul><li>Thick cotton string for the wicks<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candle Making:</span><br />First, you'll need to set up your boiler. Place the coffee can in the medium pan and fill the pan with water. You will always want water in the pan, but not enough for the coffee can to bounce all around. Once the wax starts to melt though, the weight will help with this problem.<br /><br />Now, put your wax (you can also melt down old candles if you have some laying around your house) into the coffee can and let it melt. Cut your wax into chunks and if you're using old candles, remove charred wicks before putting the candles into the boiler. Stir the melting wax with an old spoon and fish out the old wicks from the used candles.<br /><br />Once the wax is really nice and melty, it's time to pour the wax into the mold. You'll take the coffee can out of the pan and let it sit for a minute before you pour it. Remember, you will really want to use an oven mitt or towel to pour the wax - the coffee can will be hot! Leave a little space between the bottom of the candle and the top of the mold, it'll make taking your candle out of the mold a little easier.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making the wicks:</span><br />I bet you were worried that I wouldn't cover this topic ... well, never fear! You will want to measure your string so that it's the length of your mold with an extra couple of inches so that you have something to burn on the top part of it.<br /><br />Before you pour the wax into the candle mold, you'll dip the ends of the wicks into the wax and either hang them on a clothes line or lay them on some wax paper to harden. Be sure to lay them out straight ... they will go into the candles better when the time comes. <br /><br />To insert the wicks into your freshly poured candle, wrap the long un-waxed end of the wick around a pencil and lower the other end of the wick into the candle. Do your best to be sure that your wick goes all the way through to the bottom of the mold. But if not, don't despair. You can always melt down the left overs for another candle!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Removing your candle from the mold:</span><br />You'll want to wait about 24 hours before taking your candle out of the mold. While the outside of it may be solid, that doesn't mean that it's cooled the whole way through. To get a fully cooled candle out of the mold, just flip it over and tap it. If your mold was made of paper, just peel the paper off of your new candle. <br /><br />If tapping the bottom doesn't work you can insert a knife and run it around the edge of the candle to sperate it from the mold. If that doesn't work and your candle is refusing to move, you can submerge the mold in really wamr water which should soften it up enough that it will just slide right out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resources:</span><br />If you want to some more information, I found these websites to be quite helpful. <a href="http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/mkcandle.htm">How to Make Candles</a> and the <a href="http://www.happynews.com/living/create/types-candle-wax.htm">Types of Wax Used for Candle Making</a>.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-51143547967313510202008-10-04T12:35:00.000-05:002008-10-04T12:35:00.863-05:00Living Off the Grid:In the last few weeks, with the economy collapsing and all, the thought has occurred to me that if you were ever interested in becoming self sufficient, now would probably be the best time to try it out.<br /><br />I mean, if the economy collapses what are you going to do when the grocery store runs out of bread or beef? Would you be able to take care of yourself and your family? Personally, I think I want to start a commune-like community. Totally self sufficient - and completely unrealistic at this point in my life. But it's fun to imagine. And so I thought I would take a little time and write some articles about being self sufficient and, hopefully, Earth friendly. That way if everything really does goes down the potty and we're sent back into the dark ages, you'll at least be able to do something for yourself. But you might want to write this stuff down because I don't know if there will be any internet left when we hit the dark ages 2.0. Stay tuned!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-22583318022198609132008-10-01T12:11:00.001-05:002008-10-01T12:11:00.923-05:00Challenge - 3 months down!Hey all! I know I've been neglecting the blog lately and I'm sorry. It's a combination of having a ton going on in my life and being lazy. I will do better, I promise!<br /><br />I seeing as how it's the end of September/beginning of October, and about 3 months since I started my No New Duds challenge, I thought I would check in with you and let you know how it's going. And ... it's going well! I did slip and buy a bra, but I was desperate, and I have worn it a ton so it was money well spent. Other than that the only other clothing items I've purchased was a dress and shrug to wear to a <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">very, very fancy</span> wedding reception. My cousin got married over the summer and my family was invited to join her on the west coast at a super fancy party with her co-workers. So, the purchase falls under the "being asked to stand at a wedding" category of exceptions.<br /><br />But other than that, I haven't spent one dime on clothes or shoes. It feels good not to do it. And I've finally gotten to the point that I can go out shopping and not have the urge to buy stuff. It's nice to stop, almost like I've broken an addiction I didn't know I had. Although, I still run out of money at the end of the month so clearly, not buying clothes isn't really doing much for my budget. But I'm working on that.<br /><br />I did get some hand-me-overs from my BFF Abby and she got some from me too! I love clothes swapping, especially with someone I know. I already called her this weekend and asked if I could borrow one of the sweaters I gave her for a family get together next month. It's the only time I'll wear it, but Abby wears sweaters all the time so it works out just perfectly.<br /><br />I also stumbled upon a blog that is completely devoted to not shopping. It's called <a href="http://hollyisstoppingshopping.blogspot.com/">Holly's Stopping Shopping</a>. She's not shopping for a year also, but it sounds like she really has more of a problem spending than I ever had. But it's another resource, and a good read, for those out there who are challenging themselves too!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-68443269310740485352008-09-26T10:26:00.003-05:002008-09-29T12:10:04.080-05:00The No 'Poo MovementWhen you think about it ... pretty much everything that you use in the shower is loaded with chemicals. Your shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream, body wash (unless you, like me, are using some Method wonderfulness), and face wash. There are a myriad of websites that will tell you what to look out for ... just run a <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> search for "harmful chemicals in shampoo". Personally, I liked this article that I found on <a href="http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/121/shampoo">The Green Guide</a>. It even had a list of suggestions for shampoo alternatives at the bottom.<br /><br />But I think it's also important to also take a look at the homemade no 'poo movement which I had the pleasure of discover on <a href="http://poorerthanyou.com/">Poorer Than You.</a> There I found a link to a fabulous blog post on <a href="http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html">Babyslime</a> which will tell you everything that you could ever want/hope to know about it. And I mean everything, including an FAQ. It's pretty sweet. In the interest of saving myself time and helping you, the avid reader, avoid reading the same thing twice I am not going to re-write everything here. The post on Babyslime is a super easy read ... plus her blog is amazing.<br /><br />If you want to go plastic free - which is not only easier on your wallet and the environment - there are bar shampoos that you might be interested in trying. I found some that looked nice, were tested by the people selling them, and listed all the ingredients at <a href="http://www.prairielandherbs.com/hair.htm">Prairie Land Herbs</a>. Burt's Bees also makes a <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=-71&categoryId=10007&subCategoryId=-83&catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1">mint rosemary shampoo bar</a> that may be worth trying. From what I've read on the internet, people seem to really like them. <br /><br />And now, dear readers, comes the really good part. I have officially deemed October to be "No 'Poo month"! I am going to try out the baking soda and apple cider vinegar mix for two weeks (I've read that it takes about that long to get non-oily results), followed by a shampoo bar and a all natural liquid shampoo. Well, now that I think about it I might need more than a month to try all these out. I will give each about two weeks ... which means that No 'Poo month might last into the middle of November. <br /><br />Every two weeks, you will get an update and a review of the shampoo alternative that I'm currently using. Stay tuned!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-36942366975226509982008-08-14T10:46:00.000-05:002008-08-14T10:46:00.713-05:00Going Green with LaundryI seem to be on a laundry kick for the last few days, probably because I've been doing my monthly washing this week, and to continue this laundry love fest I thought I might look around and see what I could find in the way of Earth and people friendly detergents.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sunandearth.com/productdetailspage.aspx?Pid=3">Sun and Earth</a> products are made in the USA and are free of dyes, perfumes, and petroleum based solvents. It's even safe enough to use for baby!<br /><br />This link will take you to a list of the <a href="http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/top-5-eco-laundry-detergents?utm_campaign=partner&utm_source=partner_yahoo_green&utm_medium=web">top 5 Eco-friendly detergents</a> (I don't know who decided that these were really the best ...). I do have to say though, I have used Method's detergent before and I liked it a lot. Thinking about it now, I don't know why I ever switched back to the regular stuff.<br /><br />I also Found <a href="http://www.ecos.com/pages/ecosliquid.html">Ecos detergent</a> which retails in the US, Canada, and the UK! I also thought this would be good to add to this article because of the fact that it has a store locater which could lead you to find a natural market in your area that you may not have ever known about before. When I tried it for my zip code it listed several little shops that I've never heard of before but would be interested in hitting up!<br /><br />If you know of any detergents or recipes for detergents, please email them to me and I would be more than happy to add them to my list!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-41015345185895322152008-08-12T10:11:00.002-05:002008-08-12T10:11:01.128-05:00Conserve: Water in the Laundry RoomThere are not quite as many ways to save water in the laundry room as there are ways to save energy, but I still felt that the subject deserved to be explored.<br /><ol><li>Run the washer only with a full load</li><ul><li>It might mean that you have to go out and buy a few more packs of panties to make it through the month without doing your laundry every week, but if I can do it, you can too!<br /></li></ul><li>Adjust your settings to accurately reflect the size of your load</li><ul><li>If you have a smaller load (like your delicates) make sure that you adjust the load size thingy on your washer.</li><li>Do you really need to fill up the whole washer for a load of three sweaters? I don't think so.</li></ul><li>Wear your duds more than once before tossing them in the hamper</li><ul><li>Most of the time your clothes are just fine to get folded and worn a few more times before they are really dirty (or smelly) enough to warrant a washing.</li><li>My personal rule is that everything (with the exception of pants which get worn for a few weeks) gets worn at least 3 times before it gets washed.</li></ul><li>If you're in the market for a new washer, consider this ...</li><ul><li><a href="http://eartheasy.com/live_frontloadwash.htm">Front load washers</a> use a lot less water than top loaders (why? I'm not really sure.)</li><li>Getting a front load washer that has an energy star label? You are going above and beyond my friend.</li></ul></ol>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-32676673799468274782008-08-10T09:49:00.000-05:002008-08-10T09:49:00.554-05:00Conserve: Electricty in the Laundry RoomNow that you aren't using your dryer anymore and are getting the maximum usage of your <a href="http://goingneongreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/line-drying-back-in-style.html">drying line</a> (you are, aren't you?) in the backyard before you move the operation indoors for the winter, I think it's high time to talk about how you can save energy in your washing machine.<br /><br />If you go to Google and type in "wash in cold" the first page that comes up is one from <a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/beat-the-heat-wash-in-cold.html">Carbon Conscious Consumer</a> and I can tell you that every page after that pretty much will tell you the same thing (and then tell you that they got it from this page). It pretty much says that heating water uses a ton of energy nationwide and that you really don't need to wash in hot water to get your clothes clean. <br /><br />And I can attest to that. I have been washing my clothes in the cold/cold cycle for so long that I can't even remember when I started. I do know that the reason I started was that I found out that washing in cold means that when you wash that new red shirt in a load of whites (yes, I am speaking from experience here), everything comes out the same color it was when it went in. <br /><br />If you're worried about the nasties in your clothes stop and think about it. How dirty do you really get during the day? If you aren't a toddler, I bet the answer is not very. I throw a little bit of color safe bleach with every load anyway to make sure that my clothes are genuinely clean.<br /><br />If you need to wash something in hot water there are still a few things that you can do to cut down on your energy consumption. Use the warm option instead of hot and be sure to use cold in the rinse cycle (it's the warm/cold setting on your washer).<br /><br />And of course, using an Energy Star washer will save you even more.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-53589044305202307522008-08-08T08:27:00.004-05:002008-08-08T09:43:25.484-05:00Conserve: PaperDid you know that the average American uses 749 pounds of paper a year? That's <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot</span> of paper. I don't know about you, but when I read that number it made me want to work hard to make my number much smaller. So what can you do to make your usage number smaller? Here are a bunch of good tips that I've found.<br /><ol><li>Go paperless when you can</li><ul><li>I already have been receiving paperless statements from my credit card companies. I've also heard that there are lots of banks that are now offering paperless accounts.</li><li>Pay your bills online. Not only will you be saving paper, you'll save money on checks and postage.</li><li>Instead of printing off your receipts online, consider downloading a <a href="http://www.cutepdf.com/">Cute PDF</a> writer that will take a screen shot of your computer and put it into a PDF file for you to keep forever, sans paper.<br /></li></ul><li>Recycle it when you're done</li><ul><li>This is a no brainer for you all, but I felt it was worth reiterating (need to know where to take your paper? Check out this post on <a href="http://goingneongreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/closer-look-recycling.html">recycling</a>).<br /></li></ul><li>Make the most of what you have</li><ul><li>When you are printing things that aren't that important, think about printing them on the back of paper that has already been printed on. This is how I used to print off my notes for my college classes.</li><li>You can also set your printer to print on both sides of the paper.<br /></li></ul><li>Consider using paper made from materials other than trees</li><ul><li>The <a href="http://www.visionpaper.com/kenaf2.html">Kenaf plant</a> is gaining popularity for being a fast growing crop (versus trees that can take 70 years to mature).</li><li>You can get it from <a href="http://www.visionpaper.com/">Vision Paper</a>. Talk to your employer to see if maybe you can switch from plain old recycled paper to awesome new tree-free paper.<br /></li></ul><li>Just avoid it</li><ul><li>When you give a presentation at work, keep it in Power Point and only print off hard copies for the people who really need them (like your boss). Offer to email it to anyone who wants a copy.</li><li>Send emails instead of paper memos (but I don't think it's wise to skip sending that birthday card to your niece).</li><li>Before you hit the print button think about if you really need a hard copy. Can it be saved as a PDF instead?</li><li>Or you can follow in the footsteps of one intrepid artist and <a href="http://unibloggal.blogspot.com/2007/06/conserving-paper.html">stop using paper</a> altogether.<br /></li></ul></ol>Keep in mind that these ideas can be applied in the office and at home. Now, go forth greenies, and save a tree (or plant a tree if you are feeling really Earth friendly).<br /><br />I got my information from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/technology/personaltech/07askk-003.html?em">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806290316">Guampdn.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.ecology.com/features/paperchase/index.html">Ecology.com</a>.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-26693393299794529982008-08-04T16:16:00.002-05:002008-08-04T16:23:28.550-05:00Challange check-upSorry for the several days of no posting. I went out of town for a wedding and didn't have access to a computer. Plus, I am starting to struggle for post topics. Hopefully I will start up again soon and you will have everything you could want to read about being/going green.<br /><br />I thought I might do a little check in about my challenge, even though it hasn't been a month yet (it seems like a lot longer). So far so good. I keep forgetting about it but I always remember if someone says something about shopping. I haven't had to go out of my way to avoid temptation and honestly I haven't had the desire to spend money I don't have. <br /><br />I'm still looking for a quality website that will tell me where I can purchase responsibly made garments. I'm sure something is out there, it's just a matter of being persistent enough to find it. <br /><br />If any of you are challenging yourselves also, I hope that you're doing well so far. I would love to hear from you!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-73960472841937294072008-07-27T09:55:00.001-05:002008-07-27T09:55:01.536-05:00Method Body Wash - Follow-up ReviewIt's been almost 3 weeks since I started using my Method body wash and I have to say that I am still digging it as much as I did the first time I used it. My skin is soft and smooth and I smell good when I get out of the shower. I mean, what else is there to say?<br /><br />I would recommend getting a loofah or a sponge or so meting to make the wash lather a little before you put it on. I usually just use my hands and get it all sudsy before I wash but this body wash doesn't lather all that great. The bottle will last longer and you'll be able to wash more of yourself if you use something.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Final Verdict:</span><br />I am really digging this product and I will buy it again when I run out. It smells great and it delivers on its promise to give you ridiculously soft skin. But, like I said, it's probably time to get a loofah.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-7234414442023920302008-07-26T08:31:00.000-05:002008-07-26T08:31:00.580-05:00Kiss My Face Deodorant - Follow-up ReviewWell, so much for the two week mark. It's more like a 2 and a half week mark. I have been faithfully applying my deodorant everyday to make sure that I can get back to you with an honest review and because I care about you, my readers, I spent more time that anyone should smelling my own armpits. But after many a smell test and several sweat tests I have this to report back to you: This stuff rocks!<br /><br />As you may know, I live in Kansas where it's not just insanely hot it's muggy too which means that any time spent outside in the sun means that you will be sweating like crazy. Last week while I was babysitting I decided to put the kids in the stroller and take a spin around the neighborhood to see how well my deodorant stood up to some <span style="font-weight: bold;">real</span> sweating. When we got back to the house I was soaked in sweat (and ready for a nap) but my armpits smelled just fine. I was shocked.<br /><br />I even asked my mom to do a pit smell test, just to make sure that there were smells that I was missing. And let me tell you folks, she had her nose <span style="font-weight: bold;">in</span> my armpit taking some very deep sniffs and she says that she couldn't smell anything. She was so impressed that she has decided that she is going to start using it to. <br /><br />I have found that it works the best when you apply it liberally to your pits, but even on days when you go a little on the light side you still don't have to worry about smelling bad. And while it might feel a little weird to put liquid in your armpits for the first few days you start to use it, you will grow to love it. I love it. My armpits have become quite sensitive (which is the whole reason that I bought it in the first place) and when I get out of the shower and they hurt from shaving, nothing is quite as soothing to them as rolling on that cool liquid. It's pretty awesome.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Final Verdict:</span><br />I love this product and I am going to start recommending it to everyone I know. I mean, you know it's good ... I even got my mom to switch from her old spice stick (she has sensitive armpit skin too and it's all that used to work for her - until now!).Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-19687170706967107092008-07-25T09:30:00.000-05:002008-07-25T09:30:00.730-05:00Yet Another Way to Reduce and Reuse!Every now and then I will go out into the world wide web and just keep my fingers crossed that I will find something worth sharing with you all. Well, yesterday I found something amazing. While wasting time on the internet I stumbled upon this <a href="http://www.perpetualkid.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1330">Twist and Spout</a> which can turn a 20 oz or 2 liter soda bottle into an instant watering can. Amazing!!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-71338234078068111112008-07-24T09:09:00.000-05:002008-07-24T09:09:00.799-05:00Drive Without AC? I Do It.The most common response I get when I tell people that I don't drive with AC unless I'm on the high way is a very surprised look followed by, "Why in the world would you do that to yourself?" I just smile because, yes it is hot sometimes, but for the most part I really enjoy doing it. And I'm one of those weirdos who likes to be warm - or hot - so unless it's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">really</span> hot I'm usually not all that bothered.<br /><br />Yes, you might get a little sweaty, but think of how wonderful it is to feel the wind blowing through your hair during your morning commute. Or you could be like me and use it instead of your blow dryer (I think my air looks better overall when I let it air dry instead of subjecting it the heat of the dryer everyday).<br /><br />Here are my tips to drive with the windows down and still be pretty and not smelly when you get to the office:<br /><ul><li>Get a good deodorant.</li><ul><li>I am in love with my <a href="http://kissmyfacewebstore.com/detail/KMF+1900371">Kiss My Face</a> deodorant. It won't stop you from sweating, but it will block any and all smells from exiting your armpit.</li><li>My mother swears by <a href="http://www.prairielandherbs.com/baby.htm">baby powder</a> and it's ability to soak up your sweat whether it be on your feet or under your arms.<br /></li></ul><li>Wait to put on your make-up.</li><ul><li>I have ridiculously oily skin, which means that foundation has a tendency to turn orange and streak down my face when I get sweaty.</li><li>Waiting until you get to the office means that you can have the chance to <a href="http://www.kissmyface.com/oofcpages/oofcpage.html">wash your face</a> and give your make-up a chance to stay on your face without streaking.<br /></li></ul><li>Keep a hairbrush in the car at all times.</li><ul><li>If you drive with your windows down, your hair will probably need to be brushed when you get to where you're going (if you have long hair, that is).</li><li>Find a <a href="http://www.internatural-alternative-health.com/ingr/ingr049610.cfm?source=froogle">small hairbrush</a> to keep in your glove box or in your purse.<br /></li></ul></ul>And here are some positive aspects of driving with your windows down that you may not have thought of before:<br /><ul><li>You can make friends with the people in the cars that you sit next to you at long stoplights.</li><li>You could stumble upon your next favorite band thanks to the guy that's playing his music really loudly.</li><li>You could have a stoplight dance party to the music that the guy next to you is playing really loud (yes, I have done this before)</li><li>If you sing along to your music in the morning, you might find yourself next to a record producer at a stop light you will hear your lovely vocal stylings and will sign you on the spot for a million billion dollar contract. How about them apples?</li></ul>You also might want to stop and consider the fact that you will be saving gas when you shy away from using the AC when you're running your errands around town. By own calculations, my 4-door sedan usually gets 200 miles to a half tank. The last time I filled up I payed close attention to my AC usage (as well as some other hypermileing tricks which you can read up on <a href="http://goingneongreen.blogspot.com/2008/06/driving-green.html">here</a>) and managed to get an extra 40 to my half tank of gas. 40 miles! I have to say, I am willing to get a little sweaty if I can get that many more miles a gallon overall.<br /><br />If you really can't bring yourself to endure the heat of the afternoon, which I understand (it's 93 degrees here today), then consider just doing for your morning commute. Usually at the time that you're driving to work it's just starting to get warm out which means that the breeze from your windows should still be kind of cool. If you look a little wind-blown when you get to the office, brush your hair and you should be good to go. I bet you'll see an increase in your gas mileage too. Even if it ends up only being a small jump, a little is better than nothing!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-6120155012889727132008-07-23T09:58:00.000-05:002008-07-23T09:58:02.283-05:00Buying Green Products ResponsiblyI'm sure that at some point in your life you've heard of businesses who are caught using child labor or exploiting works. Kathy Lee Gifford comes to my mind and I found this article that talks about <a href="http://www.cnn.com/US/9712/14/sweatshop.retailers/">worker exploitation</a> in New York City. So how can you avoid buying products that have been greenwashed into looking like sustainable, responsibly made products when they're really being made from trees from the rain forest by children in China, Japan, Vietnam, or some other far away country that has a record of using child labor.<br /><br />A website that I happened to stumble upon called <a href="http://www.rateitgreen.com/about/default.aspx">Rate It Green</a> can help. It's an online community of people who are concerned with purchasing their products from green retailers who are really green. Although it seems like it's used more for people who are contractors, you still might find something helpful.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greenpeople.org/">Green People</a> is a website that is dedicated to bring you the resources you need to bring your shopping to the next level. They have links for everything from baby products to eco tourism. All of their lists of suppliers are available to view by location or as a complete listing depending on what you're looking for. This site looks like a great resource for finding what you need. <br /><br />I also found a website called <a href="http://www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/location.cfm">Green Seal</a> that will only give it's seal of greenness to companies whose products have passed their stringent testing and comparison to other products in its class. They also provide resources to find the products that they have given their seal to. Their list isn't very long but it is another good place to start looking to find the products that you might need.<br /><br />Keep your eyes open and please feel free to let me know if you find any other websites that do the same! I would love to keep adding websites to this list.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-25933234717780643782008-07-22T08:44:00.000-05:002008-07-22T08:44:57.696-05:00Online Shopping vs. The MallI know that I provide you with a lot of links that take you to websites where you can purchase things to help you green up your life ... but have you ever wondered weather or not online shopping is better or worse for the environment? It's something that I've been thinking about lately. Sure, I could buy all of my 7th Generation products from Amazon but I know that I can also get them at some grocery stores. Is it worth purchasing everything online? I decided that I wanted to find out.<br /><br />There is no getting around the fact that in order to get anything you need you'll probably have to burn some gas to get it. Unless you have a big basket on your bike and live fairly close to the store and you have the leg power to get you there and back (if you do, you are my hero). But if you consider the distances and the number of trips it takes for you to get the item that you're looking for, you will probably find that online shopping is better suited for some products while physically going to the store is better for others.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Grocery Store</span><br />A typical trip to the grocery store for me has two legs: I drive there and then I drive home. As long as I know that you will find everything on my list in one store, I figure it can't hurt to drive there. But you can get your groceries delivered to your door if you would rather. You can read an article about it <a href="http://online.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Online_Grocery_Shopping">here</a> and you might want to look at companies like <a href="http://www.netgrocer.com/">Netgrocer</a> and <a href="http://www.dinewise.com/">Dinewise</a> if your local grocer doesn't have their shopping site online yet. Personally, I like to get out of my house every now and then and I think grocery shopping is something that you don't have to take online if you don't want to.<br /><br />If you want to be a little greener about it (and have more fun at the same time), ask your neighbor if they want to go along with you. You'll save gas when you carpool and it will be great bonding time for the two, or maybe three, or you. If you're scared to ask your neighbor to go with you because you've never talked to them before, you can start the conversation by making them a batch of cookies just to be nice. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mall</span><br />This was quite interesting to read about online when I was doing my research for this article. There are several things that malls are doing these days to green up the way they run business. This includes providing <a href="http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2007/07/shopping-malls-.html">recycling options for retailers</a> when they are disposing of their cardboard stock boxes to putting a <a href="http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/02/07/shopping-mall-installs-23-acre-green-roof/">garden on the roof</a>! However, this doesn't make up for the fact that these sprawling malls take up a ton of land space, space that probably was a farm at one time, and covers it with tons of asphalt. This alters the landscape and can cause all sorts of drainage problems when rain water can't be absorbed into the ground like normal. You can read about all the different problems that can come from paving large areas in this <a href="http://www.sptimes.com/2004/04/18/Pasco/Parking_lot_runoff_ma.shtml">article from Florida</a>.<br /><br />But again, you can make a mall trip only have two legs: one to get there and one to get back. And usually when I go to the mall I go with another person so I carpool too. But depending on where you live, your mall could be very far away (it takes me 20-30 minutes to get to mine) and the traffic could be terrible on the drive over. My mall is in the middle of a commercial area with tons of apartments and neighborhoods around it which means that there is always traffic and there are tons of stoplights. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shopping Online</span><br />There are many benefits to taking your recreational shopping habits online rather than to the mall.<br /><ol><li>You save gas, time and energy.</li><ul><li>You save money on gas because you don't have to drive to get to your computer, hopefully. <br /></li><li>You save time because you don't have to drive anywhere and you can find websites with the wares you want in 5 minutes with a Google search.</li><li>You save energy in two forms: it costs less and does less harm to the earth when you run an internet search than it does for you to drive to the mall and back home. Also, you don't have to wear yourself out walking around the mall to go to every store that you need to.<br /></li></ul><li>You can shop and compare from multiple stores at once, in the same browser.</li><ul><li>The next time you're at the mall and you see a pair of pants you like but you want to compare them to the pants that they have in the store down the hall, you have no way of doing that without getting tackled by a security guard in the end.</li><li>Using the internet you can read reveiws and compare your pants to any other pants your little heart may desire without the fear of getting any shoplifting charges added to your rap sheet.<br /></li></ul><li>You can find exactly what you want instead of settling for something close.</li><ul><li>There are lots of times when I go shopping I have a picture of something in my mind but I can't find it anywhere and I end up settling for something that's close but may be something that I don't necessarily want.</li><li>You may have trouble finding all the eco-friendly products that you need at a store near you. Rather than drive all around town, you can check around online and find exactly what you want.</li></ul></ol>I found a couple articles that are worth reading about the benefits of shopping online, for you and the environment. This <a href="http://www.ecoiq.com/magazine/features/feature52.html">EcoIQ article</a> sums it up very well and while this <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1D81230F936A15757C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all">New York Times article</a> may not be about online shopping, it talks about how shopping malls affect our environment. Quite interesting.<br /><br />The bottom line is, if you can get everything in one trip at the same store without spending a bundle to get there, then shopping in the real world is the way to go. If you know that what you want is going to be hard to find then I think that online shopping is the way to go. Use your head, be smart, and shop on my greenie friends.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-48381830180857035652008-07-21T09:30:00.002-05:002008-07-24T08:23:02.945-05:00Line Drying - Back in StyleLine drying your clothes isn't just for your grandmother anymore. There is a movement afoot in the green community to get back into the habit of line drying your clothing for a few reasons.<br /><ol><li>It will save you money.</li><ul><li>No joke! Your dryer, refrigerator and washer are the biggest electricity hogs in your house.</li><li>The sun acts as a bleaching agent and it's antibacterial which means that you don't have to buy any more bleach.<br /></li></ul><li>It's relaxing.</li><ul><li>Just pretend that you're playing house in the 1950's. Dig out that apron you have with the ruffles and saunter into your back yard to get to work - I like to do it at least. The trick is to reward your hard work with a martini when you get back in the house.<br /></li><li>Lots of blogs I've read on the subject mention that it's just nice to spend some time outside and getting their chores done all at the same time, and I agree.<br /></li></ul><li>Your clothes will last longer.</li><ul><li>The lint that you pull off the screen in your dryer comes from your clothes, but did you know that it's because they're being destroyed? I never put 2 and 2 together until a few months ago.</li><li>The less time your clothes spend in the dryer the more fibers stay in your clothes which will make it much easier to make it through the <a href="http://goingneongreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-first-self-challenge.html">365 no new duds challenge</a> with your pants in one piece.<br /></li></ul><li>Your clothes will smell "sunshine fresh".</li><ul><li>Another common 'thread' (haha) in blogs and articles about line drying is just how good your clothes will smell when you bring them down off the line.</li><li>You can stop paying more for the smelly detergents because you are now getting the smell for free.</li></ul></ol>Don't believe me? Check out this <a href="http://www.momadvice.com/money/line_drying_clothing.aspx">Mom Advice</a> article on the subject as well as <a href="http://thriftyjinxy.blogspot.com/2008/06/benefits-of-drying-your-clothes.html">Thrifty Jinxy's</a> thoughts on the matter (which also happens to be an Ideal Bite tip!). They will pretty much tell you the same thing. The Mom Advice article also give you some great ideas on how to reduce the amount of wrinkles in your clothes as they dry on the line.<br /><br />Don't let your line drying days come to an end when it starts to get cold outside! You can just as easily dry your launder on a few folding racks, which is what I use right now anyway. I find that my clothes get dry just as fast as they do when they are in the dryer and I haven't had any trouble with stiff clothes at all, something that can happen when you dry outside.<br /><br />Now that I know you're all ready to get out there and line dry your clothes you will need some supplies to get you started. Here's where to get the goods:<br /><ol><li>A clothes line</li><ul><li>I found this <a href="http://www.stacksandstacks.com/outdoor-12-line-umbrella-style-laundry-dryer/130/1415/">outdoor clothes line</a> setup that was something I thought I might like ... if I had a backyard.</li><li>You might also want to consider a <a href="http://www.stacksandstacks.com/retractable-single-drying-line/130/239/">retractable clothes line</a> if you don't want a giant thing standing in your back yard all the time.<br /></li></ul><li>A drying rack</li><ul><li>Thanks to Ideal Bite, here is a site that is dedicated to sustainable production of <a href="http://www.abundantearth.com/store/WoodenDryingRacks.html">wooden drying racks</a> and boy do they have a bunch of styles. I was really impressed.</li></ul><li>Clothes pins</li><ul><li>You can't get the clothes to stay on the line without these little guys! You can find them several places around town probably.</li><li>Here are some <a href="http://housewares.hardwarestore.com/37-186-clothespins/wood-clothespins-623851.aspx">wooden clothes pins</a> and here are some <a href="http://housewares.hardwarestore.com/37-186-clothespins/plastic-clothespins-131110.aspx">plastic clothes pins</a>. I personally prefer the wooden ones.<br /></li></ul><li>Clothespin bag</li><ul><li>Here is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Cotton-Clothespin-Bag-Clothespins/dp/B000KBSGH8">basic clothes pin bag</a>.<br /></li><li>But you can also make your own with things that you already have in your house. Check out these <a href="http://homemakingdreams.blogspot.com/2008/04/clothespin-bag-tutorial.html">awesome instructions</a> I found for this style and these other equally <a href="http://appliejuice.com/2007/09/03/a-clothespin-bag/">awesome instructions</a> to make another style.<br /></li></ul><li>A ruffled apron and martini shaker</li><ul><li><a href="http://www.laylagrayce.com/detail.aspx?ID=3538">This apron</a> will blow your neighbors away.</li><li><a href="http://www.montaguelinens.com/page/1163575">These aprons</a> have a very vintage look to them if you really want to look authentic.</li><li>I found a site called <a href="http://www.martiniart.com/">Martini Art</a> that should become your one stop shop for any martini supplies you might ever want or need. They even have drink recipes!</li></ul></ol>And there you have it. Every question you may have had about line drying your clothes answered and several resources at your finger tips. So what are you waiting for? I'll see you in the back yard!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-11152230499363354452008-07-20T10:43:00.000-05:002008-07-20T10:43:00.606-05:00Conserve: Water in the GardenSo now that you've got your shower bucket catching all the water that you were wasting before, and you have your nifty container garden started, it's time to talk about how you can use the water your saving more effectively.<br /><br /><ul><li>This little snippet talks about <a href="http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/outdoor/container-gardening/">conserving water in your container garden</a>. It's important to keep in mind that your container plants have limited root systems, which means that they don't get watered as much as plants in the ground do.<br /></li><li>Watering in the morning means that more of your water will be absorbed in the soil instead of evaporating into the air. Watering at night can invite pests into your garden, which is not something that you do not want to do.</li><li>Adding some organic matter, like compost or peat moss, is almost like adding a sponge to your soil. It will help retain water, which means that you can water less often.</li><li>Water by the roots. It's where the water is needed and it avoids getting the leaves wet, which can lead to fungal diseases.</li><li>Be sure not to over water your veggie plants! Looking for signs that your plants need water, like wilted leaves, is a good sign that it's time to water.</li><li>This <a href="http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/horticulture/conswater-veg.html">fact sheet</a> from the University of Georgia is quite helpful and easy to read and neatly summarizes everything I've read about how to conserve water in the garden.</li><li>Here are a <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2284734_conserve-water-garden.html">few last tips</a> from <a href="http://www.ehow.com/">eHow.com</a> on how to save water in the garden. I found their idea on how to clean your garden tools without water quite helpful.</li></ul>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-1969015476160154642008-07-19T09:30:00.001-05:002008-07-19T09:30:00.586-05:00Digging a Little Deeper into CompostingEvery now and then I like to go back through my old posts to hunt for ideas for my newer posts and I discovered that while I do have some helpful links for you on how to start your own compost box (or pile), I didn't provide much beyond that. So today I decided that I would spend some time exploring the lovely world of compost.<br /><br />There are a few different ways that you can compost.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.compostguy.com/composting-basics/#other-kinds-of-composting">A pile</a> out in the yard (the old school way)</li><li><a href="http://http//www.compostguy.com/worm-composting-basics/">Vermicomposting</a> - a bucket is filled with stuff and red worms are added to the mix to break down all the stuff you throw in.</li><li><a href="http://www.compostguy.com/bokashi-resource-page/">Bokashi</a> - similar to vermicomposting but instead of worms you mix up some wood shavings and microbes that break everything down.</li></ul>From everything I've read, vermicomposting is the way to go if you're short on space and it produces a better end product than bokashi composting does. So I will be looking mainly at it.<br /><br />If you clicked on the click above you may already know everything that I will be writing about because <a href="http://www.compostguy.com/">The Compost Guy</a>'s website is so awesome it almost hurts. So, let's talk worms and trash.<br /><br />The first thing that you're going to need is a bin with a lid. From everything I've read it's best to get one that about 10 gallons of softer plastic (like a Rubbermaid Tub) and you need to make sure that it's a solid color. The worms are light sensitive and if you have a clear bucket you will cause them unnecessary stress and make your new pets very unhappy.<br /><br />Next you'll need to drill holes in your bin to make sure that your worms and your compost can get the air that they will need. I would recommend that you watch the video that is posted on the compost guy's vermicomposting page (click the link up above to access it). He builds a deluxe worm habitat, but once the movie is over with you have the option of watching other videos that he has posted and several of them are all about making smaller and simpler worm homes.<br /><br />Once you have your holes drilled, you will need some bedding. Tear up some newspaper and cardboard (the compost guy's favorite because it allows for more air to get into the mix) and spray it down until it's damp. Once your bedding is in and damp, add your food scraps. Now comes a very important question that must be answered.<br /><br />What exactly can I put into my vermicomposting bin?<br /><br />Well, according to this list I found on <a href="http://www.redwormcomposting.com/">Red Worm Composting</a> (the Compost Guy's other site) here is a basic list of what is good and bad in a worm bin: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Good</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li> Veggie and Fruit waste (but at citrus in moderation) </li><li> Starchy Materials like Bread, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta </li><li> Aged animal manures </li><li>Shredded newspapers, cardboard, and used paper towels</li><li>Rinsed out and crushed up eggshells</li><li> Coffee Grounds</li><li> Tea Bags</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad</span><br /><ul><li>Human/Pet Waste</li><li>Non-Biodegradable Materials </li><li>Dairy/Meat</li><li>Oils/Grease</li><li>Harsh Chemicals</li></ul><br />And then the last thing that you will need are, of course, your worms. You can toss them right in and they should get to work right away. According to a few other sites I've looked at (including the ones in my old post) you might want to think about keeping your scraps in the fridge for about a week and then putting them all in at once so that you don't disturb your worms quite as often. Your dirt should be ready to harvest in about 3 months.<br /><br />If you want more information I would high recommend either looking at either of the compost guys' websites. They are both wonderfully informative and easy to navigate. He also sells the worms that you will need to purchase to really get your compost box on the move!<br /><br />I am going to be starting my own worm bin in the coming weeks so that I can have some soil ready for when I start my container garden next spring. I will be sure to post pictures and updates as I go along!<br /></div></div>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-43881077523578558472008-07-18T09:30:00.000-05:002008-07-18T09:30:00.439-05:00Conserve: Water in the KitchenSince I recently looked at the many ways that you can conserve water in your bathroom, I thought I might look into conserving water in the kitchen. And when you look at conserving water in the kitchen you can't help but stumble upon the question that everyone is asking ...<br /><br />Is it better to hand-wash dishes or use the dishwasher?<br /><br />Well, I am here to tell you that every website I looked at said the same thing. Dishwashers use less water overall than you would if you were hand-washing your dishes. Especially if you have a energy star dishwasher. There was even a study that proves that using a dishwasher is better for the environment than if you were to wash your dishes by hand. <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/dishwasher_vs_h.php">This is a link</a> to an article on <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/">Tree Hugger </a>than also has a link to the study.<br /><br />So now that we have that figured out, are there any other ways to save conserve water in the kitchen? You bet there is.<br /><ol><li>Make sure the dishwasher is FULL before you run it.</li><ul><li>It not only saves water, it saves you money and the time that you would spend putting away those 5 loads that could have all gone in at the same time.<br /></li></ul><li>Don't let water run down the drain.</li><ul><li>Don't defrost meat by running water on it. Plan ahead and let it thaw in the fridge or use the defrost feature on your microwave.<br /></li><li>When you rise your veggies, do it in a plugged sink or in a bowl of cool water.</li><li>Consider keeping a jug of tap water in the fridge so that it's just the right level of chilly so that you don't have to wait for the tap to get really cold.</li><li>Save all the grey water you can! You can use it to water the garden or anything else you can think of.</li></ul><li>Use your garbage disposal sparingly.</li><ul><li>You will save quite a bit of money by not running the water to wash all the nasties down your sink.<br /></li><li>What is your other option? Start your own compost bin! Save water and make your own dirt for your garden.<br /></li></ul><li>Get an aerator for your kitchen sink.</li><ul><li>By these work like a low flow shower head and can significantly cut down on the amount of water you use.<br /></li></ul><li>Be sure to have any leaks fixed.</li><ul><li>Leaks = wasted water (and a higher utility bill).</li></ul></ol>I found these and other fabulous tips at the <a href="http://www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au/your_home/kitchen/saving_water_in_the_kitchen">Queensland Government</a> site, <a href="http://www.savewater.com.au/index.php?sectionid=154">Savewater.co.au</a>, and <a href="http://www.townofcary.org/depts/pwdept/water/waterconservation/kitchentips.htm">The Town of Cary</a> site.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4270629380573460130.post-81270002944173271822008-07-17T12:58:00.004-05:002008-07-17T13:22:06.572-05:00My First Self ChallengeYes that's right, a challenge. And even though it says SELF challenge up there in the subject line I would like to think that you, loyal read and like minded person, would also like to challenge yourself to make less of an impact on your earth and do something to better yourself. My first self challenge is one that I came up with while I was cleaning my room last night. I had clothes <span style="font-style: italic;">everywhere </span>and I couldn't help but think about what a pain it was to have so many things to find homes for. And that's when it hit me ... are you ready for it? Drum roll please ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am challenging myself to go 365 days without purchasing a new article of clothing.</span><br /><br />Now, this may seem daunting to some of you out there, but don't be afraid. I know that when I stop and think about it, 9 times out of 10 when I go shopping I buy things that I know (or think I know) I will wear even if I don't really <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">need</span> it. My favorite jeans are holding up just fine, but that didn't stop me from buying another pair in a different color last week. I wanted them, I don't need them. And unless you're a kid and either out growing or destroying all of your clothes then odds are what you have now is sturdy enough to see you until the end of the year.<br /><br />If a year seems like a few months too long to go without purchasing another pair of jeans then that's fine. You can shorten it however much you would like. A month, 2 months, 6months ... whatever feels right to you.<br /><br />And, if you were curious, there are a few exceptions to this challenge.<br /><ol><li>If I get pregnant and need to get some maternity clothes (doubtful)</li><li>If I am asked to stand in someone's wedding and need to buy a bridesmaid dress (also doubtful)</li><li>If my apartment should catch fire and all of my closet is burned (very, very doubtful. I hope.)</li></ol>I think that this challenge will do a few things for me. I think that I will be able to better appreciate what I have, which is something that a lot of Americans could benefit from. I don't need to constantly add to my closet in order to be happy. I think that it will fun to talk about with other people. I can finally really figure out what I don't wear and send it to a charity or make something out of it. Plus, think of all the money I'm going to save!<br /><br />Did you know that on average Americans throw away more than 68 pounds of clothes per person per year? 68 pounds! These are textiles that could probably be mended, given to a charity, or recycled into something new. If you are curious to read more about the <a href="http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/115-9/focus.html">environmental impact of the clothing industry</a> you can click on the link and it will take you to an article from the <a href="http://www.ehponline.org/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a> website which I found very interesting and really helped me become more motivated to stay out of the mall for the next year.<br /><br />And there you have it. My self challenge. Are you going to do it with me? Post a comment and let me know!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02831979562528089733noreply@blogger.com0