Written on
October 29, 2009 by
SusanC
One of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint is to use less fossil fuels- pretty simple right? The complicated part is expanding our awareness so that we understand the ways that we are consuming.
In the winter I notice my energy use raising. A few examples: I turn the lights on earlier in the day, I sneak the heat on, I tend to watch more TV, and I eat more cooked foods and less fresh out of the garden. Some of the less obvious might be: I buy more stuff. Ever notice all the catalogues that show up in late October, early November?
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Written on
October 20, 2009 by
SusanC
When I was little my parents didn’t buy Halloween costumes, we created them; it was so fun. Believe it or not, it wasn’t until I became a mother that I realized the overwhelming choices in commercialized costumes and decorations.
Driving through semi-rural, semi-suburban southern Rhode Island, I have noticed the abundance of gorgeously colored fallen leaves contrasted with plastic Halloween decorations. I have been in the checkout line at the discount store where many are purchasing stringy, plastic, scarecrows that will undoubtedly end up in a landfill in three weeks, if not torn apart and carried away by the wind.
I like a homemade Halloween; in second grade I was a tree.
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Written on
July 18, 2009 by
SusanC
It seems everywhere you look these days, someone is touting a new easy way to be green. These pushes to be green seem to crop up once every 15 years or so. Just think back to the early 90’s when Captain Planet ruled the airwaves and everyone wanted to be an eco-warrior. I even had a Little Archie comic where he started recycling at his school and roller-bladed as many places as he could. McDonald’s gave out tree seedlings with their meals. I got paid for my cans. Then it disappeared for a bit it seemed.
There were those of us that never backed down from being “tree-huggers” but most everyone else dropped it like it was a passing trend.
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Written on
June 23, 2009 by
SusanC
We received an awesome 338! comments on the NoPlastic.ca giveaway post, and today I have two! lucky winners to announce.
These two gals were chosen at random via the integer generator at Random.org.
Without further adieu, congratulations! to:
Commenter #42, Theresa!
Commenter #118, Heather H!
You’ve each won a stainless steel water bottle set. (Total value: around $30 USD, per set.)
Thanks to everyone for entering!
Happy! Tuesday, all.
An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. Read more about all things Kerri Anne, including her renewed commitment to green living and her affinity for talking in movie quotes at kerrianne.org.
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Written on
June 17, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the hand-drawn recycled notes from the Oxford-based Etsy shop, Squirrel In The Attic.
A little bit about Squirrel In The Attic, in their own words:
You know how sometimes you want a greeting card to simply say “hey”, but still want your recipient to feel special, knowing the card was chosen just for them? Well, here at Squirrel in the Attic, we produce hand drawn greeting cards that do just that by coupling the word “hey” with a fun descriptive noun.
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Written on
June 5, 2009 by
SusanC
I think by now most of us know we as a society and a planet use too much plastic on a daily basis. We’ve talked about it on the site before, about where our plastic goes to die live forever in our oceans, and about proactive ways to minimize our reliance on plastic.
I’m happy to introduce you to NoPlastic.ca, a Toronto-based green business helping consumers lessen their plastic footprint with every product they sell. Their passion and focus?
They’re here to help you clean your food from the outside in.
The story behind NoPlastic.ca:
We use enough plastics on a daily basis!
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Written on
June 3, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week I thought I thought I’d switch it up a bit and feature two recycled notebooks from an extremely talented Australian artist, Esta Sketch.
I love the fact that they’re discarded sketches re-purposed into artistic and usable notebooks. Which makes every one them (lovely, and) one-of-a-kind!
Recycled Art Notebook (blue)
From the seller:
This is a handbound notebook constructed from cartridge paper and silk screen prints. The cover features one of my ‘comfort’ prints that didn’t turn out perfectly.
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Written on
May 28, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the beautifully designed and playful cards from AC Bohman Designs, a North Carolina based freelance designer with an etsy shop filled with unique recycled cards.
Here are just a few of my favorites:
Rad Father’s Day Card
From the seller:
This A2 sized card is made of heavy eco-white stock and flat printed with a vintage illustration (in black) and typewriter text (in red). Paired with a recycled kraft envelope and packaged in a clear archival sleeve.
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Written on
May 20, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week or so we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week we’re showcasing the bright and artistic 100% recycled cards from Little Green Cards, an etsy shop based in the Pacific Northwest.
Here are a few of my favorites from the shop:
Birthday Beauty
From the seller:
I found this monarch butterfly during some travels and it was kept safe in a little plastic bottle all through Central America. I drew the wings and found some bright colors to recreate my find. Comes in two colors, pink and blue.
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Written on
May 18, 2009 by
SusanC
Every day we are faced with many types of pollutants. It can come from buses, autos, smoking, factories, detergents, pesticides and more.
Although it seems as though the safest place to be at times is your home, you may not be entirely right. Many indoor pollutants can trigger a LOT of different health issues. Asthma, allergies and carbon monoxide are just a few of the issues your home many have.
Luckily there are a few things you can do to make sure the IAQ (indoor air quality) in your house is up to par.
In the Bedroom:
- Washing bed linens in warm water weekly and keeping a low humidity (30-50%) will keep dust mite levels low
- Dust mites also hide out in other places so wash stuffed toys, dust often, and vacuum regularly
In the Bathroom:
- Mold is the allergen here and can easily be remidied by proper ventilation.
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