Written on
February 13, 2009 by
SusanC
Let’s face it, in this economy nearly everyone is having to cut corners and eliminate things from the budget. Sadly, it has come to my attention that one of the big things people are cutting back on are eco-friendly and organic products, in favor of cheaper, run of the mill alternatives.
Well, in this little post I would like to show you just some of the small ways that being green can save you those hard earned pennies to put toward the things that matter most!
Ditch the paper towels and paper plates (if you haven’t already)! By simply using dishcloths for your everyday messes and your actual dishes for dinner, you can not only contribute to a healthier environment with less garbage, but save a hefty little sum over a years’ time.
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Written on
February 12, 2009 by
SusanC
For the past few weeks, my family has been preparing for a big move. We are not moving down the street or to the next town, but instead across the country.
During our lives here in our current home, we fortunately did not accumulate a lot of “stuff,” but much of what we have will not be traveling with us. We have decided that the memories created with some of our personal belongings are not worth the expense and time of packing them up and hauling them across country. Don’t get me wrong, we are a sentimental family, but my days of holding onto my lost baby teeth (I kept them way into my college years), have been replaced with a more common sense mentality of only keeping what I am going to use eventually, preferably sometime this year.
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Did you know bleach has to sit on a surface for 30 minutes before it works? Did you also know bleach is a pesticide? And it doesn’t work if the surface is dirty.
Women that work at home have a much higher risk of cancer than those that work at home. And repeated exposure to cleaning products is a big factor in this. Pretty scary right?
So why eat organic food when you are cleaning your home with a pesticide? A pesticide that cause all kinds of health problems from asthma to hormone imbalances that can cause cancer. There are tons of products out there to get rid of your “need” to use bleach.
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Written on
February 6, 2009 by
SusanC
It’s the month of another holiday filled with paper, sugar and imported goodies, also known as: Valentine’s Day.
Personally, I’m of the mindset that the romance and sparkle of Valentine’s faded ago, but I’d be fibbing if I didn’t admit I’d be a smidge disappointed if I ended the day without a token of affection or three.
Then again, if someone shows me the love and doesn’t show Mother Nature the love too, I’ll be even more disappointed than if I’d left the holiday empty handed.
So, what’s a green Valentine to do?
- If you’ve got to go for flowers, go for local.
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Written on
February 5, 2009 by
SusanC
As winter drags on I find that one monotonous day seems to drag into the next with no escape. All the “green” hobbies of other seasons, such as gardening, hiking or going for a nice family bike ride, are much less practical, if not impossible, during these blustery days.
So, what should you do with all this extra time you find wasting away indoors?
Why not take up knitting?
At it’s heart, knitting is one of the most relaxing and rewarding crafts you can enjoy, not to mention incredibly green and sustainable if you stick with wool and cotton yarns (especially those dyed with natural dyes or handspun by one of the many wonderful WAHMs on the internet).
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When my husband and I moved in together in college, we were both going to school full time and working, and so we always ate at least one meal away from home each day. Eating out was getting too expensive, so we started packing our lunches each morning. That took care of a lot of the excess cost, but I was still unhappy with how much we were spending on plastic zipper baggies. I had recently become really involved with the environmental club on campus, and was examining our lifestyle for ways in which we could lessen our impact on the planet.
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Written on
February 2, 2009 by
SusanC
I am sure some of you would have experienced a moment like this–you look at your overflowing recycling bin full of paper, cardboard, tin cans, glass, and plastic bottles, and think to yourself “what a great job I’m doing to save the environment”. But to the contrary, it is actually a sign that something is wrong.
I myself realised this when looking at our recycling bin over Christmas!
The common saying “reduce, reuse, recycle” is actually a hierarchy expressing the order of importance of these ideas.
Firstly, and most importantly, you must reduce what you consume and reduce your generation of waste.
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Written on
January 28, 2009 by
SusanC
A few years ago I lived my life in 20 minute increments. Then I had to rest. Fibromyalgia and Asthma ruled my life. With 3 children, a husband and all the normal mess that life assures, my brain constantly told me that I wasn’t doing enough. But I simply did NOT have the energy to spare; it needed to go to things that HAD to be done, not things that I wanted to do like living a greener lifestyle.
I’ve since been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and eating a gluten-free diet has improved my quality of life massively. But I still remember the dreams I had, the ones that seemed so far away from my reality.
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Written on
January 27, 2009 by
SusanC
Every week we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week I thought it might be fun to feature envelopes only: creative and 100% recycled (and repurposed!) alternatives to standard letter carriers you can use to transport the smallest or largest of notes.
Below are some of my favorites (And please feel free to link to your own favorites in the comments, too!):
Romeo & Juliet Envelopes
Send a little Shakespeare mail to your favourite literature buff or teacher or student or Shakespeare enthusiast or actor or playwright or really anyone who likes to read or write!
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Here in Western Michigan, it is cold. Real cold. My bet is that unless you live quite far south, this time of year it is cold for you as well.
It can be hugely frustrating to stay green while also staying warm. Not to mention the fact that we are all trying to be more frugal, and an enormous gas or electric bill is not something anyone is happy about. In my home, with a small toddler, I am more concerned about her comfort and warmth than my own.
So what is a cold, eco-friendly mama to do? Make a list, that’s what.
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