Green Tip Tuesday: How Green is your Car?

Can you believe it?  Another Green Tip Tuesday?  And just when you'd given up hope forever...

Today let's talk about cars.  Over the summer we traded in my big ol' gas guzzling Saturn Outlook (16.9 mpg)

I loved this car, but the gas mileage was awful

for an itty bitty Honda Insight Hybrid (45.6 mpg). 

Obviously no 7 passenger seating here, it was a trade-off

We made the trade because the lease on the Saturn was up anyway and we were looking to buy something less expensive, smaller, and great on gas mileage.  Fortunately you don't have to trade in your old vehicle to "green up" your car.  There are actually lots of little things we can all do that make a big impact.  Most of them involve unlearning what we were taught about cars.

According to a post from Consumer's Report there were two mistakes I was making with my cars:

1.  Oil should be changed about every 3000 miles?  Nope.  That was true for cars 15 years ago, but most cars now are designed to go about 7500 miles between oil changes.  While changing the oil unnecessarily won't hurt the car, it certainly impacts the environment by adding a lot of hazardous waste (oil).  Save yourself some money and change your oil less often.

2.  You should let your engine warm up a few minutes before driving?  Absolutely not.  While my grandfather was right when he told me that, it's no longer true.  Now you are just wasting gas and adding unnecessary carbon monoxide into the air.

I further researched and found an interesting article on a government webpage (so it must be true) about keeping tires properly inflated as a way to save on gas and ensure proper braking.  Less gas = less dependance on petroleum = better for all of us.

Finally I have to mention washing your car.  My husband is a tiny bit fanatical about keeping our cars clean and he usually wants to wash them himself, by hand, in the driveway, regardless of the temperature.  Believe it or not, this is the least green way to go.

I prefer touchless so I don't have to worry about my paint being scratched

 Many car washes now recycle their water but even for those who don't most states require a proper drainage system so the dirty, soapy water doesn't go directly into the groundwater supply.  You can save a lot of water by going to a car wash instead of washing your car yourself.

Frequently I hear people say that they would love to be greener but it is so expensive.  Not true, I say!  You can use all the money you are saving on oil changes and extra gas from not idling your car to pay for your car wash and you'll still come out ahead.

My new car is silver, but it's a lot greener.

Green Tip Tuesday: Planning a "greener" yard next spring

Believe it or not now is the perfect time to begin planning for a more earth friendly yard next spring.  Have you ever heard of xeriscaping?  Xeriscaping is landscaping in a way that reduces your dependance upon watering.  While the use of native and drought tolerant plants is nothing new, the idea of planning my yard to make the most of those plants, while still attracting butterflies and bees, was a foreign concept to me.  I thought landscaping occurred by looking at what was already in my yard, adding some stuff to it that looked good, trying not to have too many planting beds so I didn't have to mulch a lot, and calling it a day.

I didn't know I was supposed to plan.

Well now I do and here are some tips I've learned:

1.  No matter where you live many drought-resistant plants have some characteristics in common: they have leaves which are small, thick, glossy, silver gray or fuzzy.  Look for these plants at your local nursery and be sure to ask the nursery attendant for more drought resistant plants.

Creeping phlox is perennial, gorgeous, and drought resistant

2.  Use native plants.  Trying to keep a tropical plant alive in my northeastern climate would require not only a tremendous amount of work, but also a tremendous amount of water.  Forget the exotic palm trees, I'm sticking with silver dogwoods which are, you guessed it, native to the northeast.

3.  Mulch.  Me and my black thumb thought that mulch was just to make the dirt look good for the neighbors.  I didn't realize how important mulch is to retaining soil moisture, insulating plants' roots, and regulating soil temperature.  Mulch layers should be several inches thick.  Beware: colored mulch is dyed mulch so many of the benefits of the mulch are reduced by the negatives of the dye.

4.  Weed your landscape beds.  Having a lot of weeds competing for water may pull water away from your landscape plants causing you to have to water more often.

5.  Use perennials when possible.  Perennials tend to be more drought resistant by their very nature.  Use annuals sparingly because in addition to requiring more water they frequently are not as hearty and require more fertilizer, pesticides, or plant food.

6.  Consider some hardscape:  landscape walls, rocks, gravel, benches, etc., can all be beautiful additions to your planting beds and require no water at all.  I'm not saying you should fill your lawn with garden gnomes (though you'll never hear me besmirch the gnome!), just a few well chosen implements can replace plants quite nicely.

The differing sizes of rocks and mulch fill in this area nicely

If you're lucky enough to have an irrigation system it's a great idea to install a moisture-sensitive monitor so the sprinklers only run when necessary.  If you're lucky enough to have a gardener then thank your lucky stars, give him or her a refreshing glass of lemonade, and go relax.  If you're me then you'll be out there this fall digging up the poorly-placed-too-big-for-the-bed-and-in-the-wrong-place-for-sun-requirements plants and finding new homes for them.

Now go play in the dirt!

Green Tip Tuesday: Let's Talk about Toothbrushes

Oops, it looks like Green Tip Tuesday is once again being held on a Wednesday.  Sorry!  My last days of summer are kind of running together a bit.  Anyway, let's talk about toothbrushes!  If you're listening to your dentist you are throwing away your old toothbrush every six months or anytime you get sick.  That could add up to a lot of waste.   Luckily, there are some greener solutions.

Powered toothbrushes only replace the toothbrush head

The first solution is to use a rechargeable powered toothbrush.  These kinds of toothbrushes have a base that can be used for years with only the toothbrush head needing to be replaced.  I use an Oral B rechargeable and absolutely love it.  My teeth feel cleaner, I know I am brushing long enough because it has a self timer that tells me when 2 minutes is up, and because I am actually brushing for 2 minutes (instead of what feels like 2 minutes!) I am more apt to do a complete job.  You do have to be careful not to press too hard on your gums or you can cause sensitivity and pain.  The toothbrush head that gets replaced still generates waste, it simply generates less waste because of its size and the fact that a complete toothbrush doesn't have to be manufactured.  Of course my toothbrush base does get plugged into the wall so there is still a carbon footprint.  Also, it can be very hard to find eco-friendly replacement heads that fit the toothbrush.

These wooden toothbrushes are natural but not made from sustainable wood sources

Recycled yogurt containers make up these toothbrushes

Another solution is to buy a toothbrush made from recycled material.  There is an eco-friendly toothbrush manufactured by Recycline, Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts.  The toothbrush base is made from recycled yogurt containers that are supplied by Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt.  It's a great option for manual toothbrush users because you are already re-using what has been re-cycled and re-purposed.  Pristineplanet.com carries a line of eco-friendly toothbrushes that are BPA free and phthalate free.  There is only one problem that I have with these toothbrushes: price. 

As you well know from my organic butter ($4.99/lb) I definitely pay a premium for what I consider to be superior products.  HOWEVER, at roughly $7.99 per toothbrush, if you have a bad winter of colds and flu you could bankrupt yourself just buying toothbrushes.  Not to mention that these toothbrushes are not widely available in stores and so you may encounter shipping costs when buying online.  Yikes!

Having said all that, you may want to make the toothbrush investment and here is why: most toothbrushes contain BPA, acrylic, nylon, and phthlalate.  Add to this a nice toxic chemical like fluoride that will help these substances to break down and you have your average teeth brushing experience.  If you're having problems with bleeding gums, mouth sores or ulcers, any kind of mouth, throat, or lip cancers, or have a suppressed immune system it may be worthwhile to consider a natural toothbrush.  Now I suppose the argument can be made that if you're having all those above listed problems you probably want to make a lot of lifestyle changes and your toothbrush may be the least of your concerns, but why add toxins, right?

For the Average Joe who doesn't have bleeding mouth ulcers there is something else to consider: if you have a toddler that likes to chew on toothbrushes invest in an eco-friendly toothbrush.  Wash it regularly to preserve it as long as possible and don't replace it until it is gnawed completely but don't let your babies ingest all those toxins.  Why bother to invest in the BPA free water bottle and then give your baby a toothbrush to chew on?

Whatever type of toothbrush you use the really important thing is to use it regularly.  Having a clean mouth reduces air pollution and that my friends, is Green.

Green Tip Tuesday: Surprising Areas of Waste & How to Be Greener

Being smug is fun, isn't it?  I'll admit it: as I walk around my house on freshly washed-with-vinegar floors wearing organic cotton socks that will later be washed with Earth-friendly detergent sometimes I just can't help but let that smug little smirk creep onto my face.  Oh yeah, I'm sooo much better than all those Mop-N-Glo-using-synthetic-sock-wearing-folks!  Right?  So my smug-little-self decides to take out the trash (of course a very small bag since environmental smugness and recycling go hand-in-hand) and would you looky here...Plastic baggies with zipper top, batteries, single use Keurig cups, banana peels, a peach pit, and a styrofoam meat tray all getting ready to go to the landfill.  And all completely unnecessary waste.  Perhaps I'm just a mere mortal after all...

So what are the options?  Well, what about trying this:

Most plastic bags can be recycled but they may have to go to a "special" recycling center which can be a pain to find.  I found out that the same recycling bin at my grocery store that will take the plastic grocery bags will also take sandwich style bags as long as the zipper is cut off.  I also know that some people wash and reuse their baggies.  I am  not a huge fan of this option because these bags were not made to be washed and reused.  Aside from the potential for harmful bacterial growth is the fact that the bags are breaking down with use leaching their petrochemicals into whatever you have in the bag.  The best option is to forego the bag completely and find a reusable container that will fit your needs.  This can be super challenging because who is going to pack a glass bowl in their child's lunch, right?  I have found that the reusable bags from snacktaxi (http://www.snacktaxi.com/) are a good option, as well as using recyclable plastic containers for dry goods (get a thermos if you're packing anything hot,like soup).

I keep meaning to make the investment in rechargeable batteries.  The problem is that when I remember I need batteries for something tends to be at the checkout when that conveniently placed little package of Duracells jogs my memory.   Despite all my good intentions those old batteries end up in the trash where they get to leach some good ol' heavy metals like mercury and nickel cadmium into the soil.   So if, like me, that rechargeable battery purchase hasn't materialized, be assured that it's actually getting easier to recycle batteries.  A lot of office supply stores are creating drop boxes for battery recycling, as well as bigger chain stores like WalMart.  The best information on how to recycle the battery may come from the packaging itself which frequently gives a website to go to for information.  My plan: hang a bag under the sink, label it 'Batteries', throw all the batteries in there instead of in the trash.  When the bag is full (which will take some time in most households) find a recycling center and take it there.  (Yes that solution did combine two of my favorite things: procrastinating and recycling!)

I'm guilty, guilty, guilty.  We even have the reusable Keurig insert that enables us to put coffee, tea, whatever, into the machine without using the single-use cup.  I don't believe we've ever used it.  Those little cups are so cute, convenient, have great flavors, I can't find my green chai tea in bulk, I've got dozens of reasons why I don't use the reusable cup.  None of them are Green.  The only option is for me to change my wicked ways and use the reusable filter giving the K-cup manufacturers time to develop recylable packaging.  In order to get the green chai tea I love I'm going to have to make it myself.  Here is the recipe:

1/3 c loose green tea
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom

Mix the ingredients together.  If using K-cup reusable filter, put 1 TBSP into the filter, store the remainder in an airtight (glass!) container.  I like to add rice or soy milk to my brewed cup, but that's just me.  Enjoy!

Banana peels and peach pits.  If I had a compost pile these would be excellent candidates to go on that pile.  In the past I haven't felt too bad about throwing away things that will naturally break down because, well, they naturally break down.  They don't clog up landfills for years and years, they self-compost.  Unfortunately this thinking is pretty flawed.  First of all they do clog up landfills because it's not like they break down instantly, it takes time.  Secondly that plastic bag they are stored in isn't exactly breaking down quickly (if at all) either so what good does it do to have some quality compost trapped in plastic for the next millenium?  My quick fix has been to throw a lot of my peels and pits over my deck and into the woods behind my house.  (Note, I own the part I'm using as a personal landfill so no neighbors' rights are being infringed upon).  However creating a heap of rotting food in my backyard isn't exactly composting, so again, not ideal.  I looked it up and composting is actually easy!  Here's what to do:

Choose a shady spot.  Put down your green compost (coffee grounds, fruit and veggie waste,  grass clippings).  Now add your browns (twigs, branches, etc.).  Now add a little water to moisten.  Keep doing this.  Keep a shovel or pitchfork nearby to mix things up every once in a while and make sure to keep it moist.  Your compost will be ready in a few months.  Note: don't let your pile get too large or get too much sun.

Now this is rudimentary composting, at best, but it will work (according to the EPA website) and so I'm going to give it a shot.

Finally the styrofoam meat tray.  The solution to this one is easy: get your meat from the meat counter instead of what's already been packaged and put on the shelf.  You'll get exactly the amount you want, the cut you want, it's fresher, and it will be wrapped in recyclable paper, not stored in styrofoam.

See how easy it is to be Green?  (And think how unbearably smug I can be once I have accomplished all this Greenness!)

Green Tip Tuesday: Hosting a "Green" Cookout

I love grilling out!

I love grilling out.  I love the smell.  I love how the food tastes.  I love the excitement that I can't help but feel about the whole process.  Until I learned a little more about cooking out I was (mistakenly) thinking that it wasn't a very "green" option.  It turns out, cooking out can be quite environmentally friendly.

This is how we used to grill out

Most important is the choice of grill.  We have a gas grill.  Up until last year we had a charcoal grill.  I thought the charcoal grill was "greener" because charcoal is a renewable resource but unfortunately the emissions are so high from burning charcoal that it apparently cancels out all the potential good.  I read here a pretty good arguement for gas grilling.  There are also electric grills.  Sadly these grills tend to not be very efficient, especially when grilling multiple food items, thus the good done by their reduced emissions is negated by the amount of energy it takes to completely cook a meal.  Finally there is lump charcoal.  Lump charcoal is free of the additives found in traditional charcoal that create the noxious emissions but it is not readily available from local sources creating the need to ship it great distances.  The transportation emissions far exceed the "good" done by using this type of energy.

Gas grilling is more environmentally friendly than charcoal grilling

The point is that unless you are choosing a raw-food-lifestyle you're going to be cooking your food in some form or fashion.  The smallest carbon footprint comes from gas grilling.  Something about grilling seems to inspire us to invite our friends and families to join us, thus making for an even greener cooking experience as more people are fed from the same amount of energy consumed.  Heating up a grill is far greener than heating up an oven.

I love veggie kabobs, especially marinated with a little Italian dressing!

Finally it's important to note the types of food being grilled.  You could go for the heart attack special: steaks, brats, burgers, hot dogs,  mayonnaise-laden potatoe salad, macaroni salad, jello "salad", some creamy cole slaw all topped off with s'mores for dessert.  You could eat that way.  I certainly have in the past.  Now I choose black bean burgers, grilled vegetables, vegetable kabobs, grilled portabella mushrooms, and grilled corn-on-the-cob.  And s'mores.  It's best not to "char" food when grilling, in fact the shorter cooking time for veggies, the better because many nutrients are destroyed by heat. 

Pineapples and apples grill up nicely

Grilling food is an excellent opportunity to try out new foods.  Not sure if you like summer squash?  What about adding it to your kabob? Haven't ever tried grilled fruit?  Well peaches are in season and they grill up beautifully, as do blueberries, blackberries, and pears.  You could even go for more nutrients and eat the fruit raw, like in strawberry shortcake.

Who am I kidding?  Grilled fruit?

I still eat the s'mores.

What if we gave our country a birthday present?

Happy Birthday America!

We all recently celebrated our country's birthday.  It also happens to be my dad's and older brother's birthdays.  With all these birthdays around me I started thinking about what kind of gifts our country could use.

What if, just this month to honor our country, we recycled every plastic bottle we saw?

What if, just one time this month, we contributed to the American Red Cross?

What if we hung an American flag from our homes?

What if we smiled and welcomed every person we encounter this month, even if they are not citizens or do not speak English as their first language?

What if we all said just one good thing about this country this month?

What if we thanked a veteran?

What if we all planted just one tree?

What if we picked up the garbage in just one tiny spot in this country?

What if we shopped, just once, at a local Farmer's Market for our produce?

What if we all registered to vote?

What if we unplugged just one item in our homes?

What if we all mowed our grass after 5 p.m., just once this month?

I wonder how our country would be a year from now if we all just did one thing on the What If list?  I wonder how our country would be if we all did all of the things on the What If list?

Happy Birthday America, I hope you have a great year.

Green Tip Tuesday: Alternatives to the car

Yesterday we took my visiting mother-in-law into "the city" (I mean Boston, of course!) for the day.  We did what many people do when they go into Boston: we parked our car at the Alewife garage and took the subway the rest of the way.  We walked poor Grandma's legs off as we went on the Freedom Trail, to Faneuil Hall, on a Duck Tour, to the public garden, to Boston Commons, the Prudential Center, to the North End for a fabulous Italian Dinner, and finally back to Alewife.

If you know anything about Boston you know that we criss-crossed that entire city.  We walked a lot of it, but we also took a lot of subways, in fact we took all the subway lines except the silver line which only goes to the airport.  Even our Boston Duck Boat was retro-fitted to run on vegetable oil.  It was a Green Day.

Now as a Midwestern girl up until 2 years ago, I didn't even know mass transit like this existed except on TV.  I didn't know anything about subways, trains, or buses.  In fact my only experience with the public bus was getting on the wrong one to go home from the mall when I was 12 and ending up in the "wrong part of town", trying to find a pay phone, and having a tearful conversation with my mom as I begged her to come get me.  Since I've moved to Massachusetts it's a whole different story. 

First of all I live in town which means I can walk or bike to the library, post office, dry cleaner, pretty much anywhere I want except the grocery store which is too far away and on a wicked busy street.

Secondly I now regularly go into a big city with an advanced, practical, easy, cheap, and reliable mass transit system.

Thirdly I live in an area of teeny tiny little towns that have to be self sufficient because they are so small and so scattered and so walking and biking is more common as opposed to the midwestern suburban sprawl I was used to.

All of this has me wondering if all of this dependance upon mass transit, my own legs, or my bike are a result of my new geography or of a growing shift in perception about the way we travel?

What do you think? In your area are there viable alternatives to your car?  Have you considered alternatives to your car in the past, oh say 2 years or so?  If you have considered alternatives, is it because of gas prices?  Car prices?  The environment?  All of the above?

My legs are t-i-r-e-d tired from yesterday's jaunt, but my heart is happy.  We spent 10 hours traipsing around Boston leaving lots of footprints on the old bricks.  But our carbon footprint?  Pretty small.

My house smells like fresh spring air...and last night's dinner...and the litter box...

...and the undone laundry...and my daughter's softball cleats...you get the picture.  Spring has definitely come to my little town in Massachusetts and it's beautiful here.  The air is fragrant with the scent of the lilac bushes growing wildly in my neighbor's yard.  The trees have all blossomed.  My lavender bushes are gorgeous.  And my windows are wide open to air out the smells of, well, of life I suppose.  Cooking, people, pets, laundry, and fresh paint (of course) have all combined to create the special potpourri that is our home's unique smell.   All of these thoughts about fresh air got me to thinking about my home's indoor air quality.  After all we burned wood fires in the fireplace all winter, I never use the vent when boiling water for pasta, I do have a cat, and for 6 long months the windows weren't open very often.  Perhaps most importantly I have a lot of furniture with stain, paint, veneers, particle board, stain protection, and glue.  All of those things are the real culprits of indoor air pollution.

Spider plants significantly reduce formaldehyde in the air

Luckily all we need to reduce/remove toxins from the air inside our homes is a few common household plants.  Formaldehyde is a toxin commonly found in homes because it is released by wood veneers, plywood, foam insulation, natural gas, wood, and gasoline.  Oh and it's also present in grocery bags, waxed paper, and most fabric protectors.  It's kind of hard to not have a formaldehyde problem if you have any furniture, carpet, or fabrics in your home.  In a study conducted by NASA it was discovered that placing a spider plant in an area likely to be high in formaldeyhde is an excellent way to clean the air and it has the added bonus of sucking up carbon monoxide as well.

These daisies look beautiful while they scrub the air of benzene

Benzene is a solvent used in plastics, paints, inks, and rubber that is an irritant to our mucous membranes when inhaled.  The NASA study also found that benzene can be easily mitigated by having a few chrysanthemums or gerbera daisies around the house.

Now I have what you may call a black thumb.  Keeping my kid alive just about taps me out, so keeping plants alive has never worked out that well.  I over-water, under-water, let them get root bound or shock them with too large of a pot.  I never seem to have the "right spot" for the sunlight required so I either burn them or let them wither in darkness.  If you have this problem as well then I am here to tell you that there is hope: it turns out that having a variety of flowering and/or evergreen plants outside of your home is helpful too because everytime you open a door or window you get the benefit of the clean air flowing in which is why regularly "airing" out the house is so important.

I think I can manage to occasionally buy a gerbera daisy or two.  I wouldn't mind having a few chysanthemums in a vase.  But I can defnitely get into having lavender bushes, pear trees, flowering dogwood trees, azaleas, hostas, and all other kinds of plants outside my home.  Beautiful curb appeal and cleaner air, what a deal!

Oh and scooping the litter box daily will help both me and the cat.  Another win win.

Green Tip Tuesday: The Yard Sale

(I apologize that Green Tip Tuesday is being held on Wednesday...that's how life is going right now!)

In New England they say Yard Sale.  In the Midwest it's a Garage Sale.  In a church it's a Rummage Sale.  To a techie it's eBay.  Yuppies go Antique-ing.  Whatever you call it it's recycling.

On any given weekend a sign like the one on the left can be found somewhere in my neighborhood.  Anything and everything is for sale and usually at rock bottom prices as long as you have cash and can take it with you. It's one of the greenest traditions we have.

Buying things new-to-you sometimes takes a bit of a mental shift.  For years I couldn't quite get past the idea of wearing, sleeping in or on, or cooking with something that has been used by somebody else.  What if they were gross?  I'll never get all the dead skin cells out of that sweater!  I don't want to wear somebody else's dead skin cells!  That purse is gorgeous but it probably has someone else's purse crumbs in the bottom.  Or old gum wrappers.  Surely I can't be expected to use a previously-gum-wrappered-purse?  What a little snob I was.  The truth is that I'm more likely to spend time swimming around in other people's dead skin cells in a movie theater seat than I am in clothing/bedding I can wash.  And gum wrappers?  How about throwing them out, putting in a little baking soda, letting it sit for a few hours and then vacuuming out the purse to reveal a fresh interior and a beautiful new bag?

I have a deviled egg platter that I bought years ago.  The price tag is still on the box: $18.95.  I use that egg platter once every..oh..say 3 years.  I don't think I've ever gone to a yard sale where I failed to see an egg platter, usually around $1.00.  I spent $17.95 (plus tax!!)  I didn't need to spend.  Dishes, cookware, gadgets, tchotchkes, the minutiae of life that costs so much to buy new, both in dollars and environmental impact, can all be found at the yard sale.

About that environmental impact...according to the box my egg platter was made in (wait for it...) China.  Big surprise, right?  That platter had to be manufactured, boxed, and shipped all the way from China to where I purchased it in Ohio.  It probably went by boat rom China to a port in the United States where it was then trucked to a distribution center where it was then scanned, inventoried, stored, then ultimately trucked again to the store where it was once again scanned, inventoried, shelved, then finally sold to me who drove it home and stored it for 18 years.  Every time it's on a boat or truck it is using oil and every time it is being scanned and stored it's using electricity.  That's a pretty big carbon footprint for something I have used 6 times in the  years I've owned it.  And with the advent of eBay, forgeddaboutit!  There's no excuse for not being able to find absolutely anything you need no matter how obscure, probably from several different sellers!

I've really gotten off easy since my daughter was born because my in-laws are avid garage-salers and pretty much kept her outfitted in her baby years with their finds.  Toys, clothes, books, they found everything for me so I didn't have to look myself.  Now that we live so far apart it's up to me to become more recycle savvy and seek out used options first.  It's virgin territory for me and I'll let you know how I do with it.  My first order of business will be picture frames.  I am embarrassed to admit how much I have spent on picture frames at Target.  And napkin rings.  And throw pillows.  All things that I could have easily found used.

Also I'd like to acknowledge the people who take the time to have a yard sale as opposed to simply throwing away what they are no longer using.  I'm more of a leave-it-on-the-front-porch-for-the-charity-truck-in-the-neighborhood-to-pick-up kind of girl but perhaps one day I too will find myself with a  few tables set up on my driveway and my no-longer-needed household contents artfully arrayed.

Hey!  I bet I could even wear my apron with the big center pocket!

Green Tip Tuesday: Getting the Petroleum out of your beauty products

I do love to rant about reducing my dependence upon petroleum products, don't I?  I have good reason though, petroleum, which contains petrolatum, was never intended to be used on the human body and it certainly wasn't supposed to be eaten (lip balms, food dyes) or rubbed onto our feet and hands (ever used Vaseline to cure your really dry skin?  I used to rub it on my feet and then put on socks.)! 

Pure petroleum jelly is pure petrolatum, a known carcinogen

And just like those dangerous parabens, it's chemical markers are showing up in breast cancer tumors.  (As a side note I once saw an excerpt from the Tyra Banks show where she extolled the virtues of Vaseline to keep her breasts firm, she rubbed a known carcinogen right into the lymph nodes in her breasts!)

Chapstick not only contains petrolatum but a healthy dose of saccharin as well.

Luckily there is a safe, readily available alternative: beeswax.  Beeswax which is a natural product of, well, bees, isn't a by-product of crude oil manufacturing.  It doesn't need to be heavily processed to be used, it contains only natural ingredients and there isn't any harm to the bees to harvest the wax so long as the products come from a competent beekeeper like the Burt's Bees company.

Burt's Bees lip balms contain only beeswax and natural oils

I really like the Burt's Bees products and though they are not the only all natural beeswax products available, they are probably the most readily available and cost efficient.  Want to go even more natural?  Rub a drop or two of almond oil directly onto your lips or dry skin.  The naturally occurring vitamin E will heal the skin while the oil protects against drying.  You can even make your own lip balms or lotions by buying beeswax pellets (available at most craft stores, like Michaels) and melting 2tsp. beeswax in a double broiler with 7tsp.  oil like almond oil, safflower oil, or castor oil.  When the mixture is combined remove it from the heat and add 1 tsp. honey and 4-5 drops of peppermint oil for scent and flavoring.  The mixture will begin to harden quickly so put it into a small glass jar, one made for spices would be perfect, and use at your leisure. 

Soft skin, reduced dependence upon petroleum, and not a single carcinogen to be found.

Reader Request: What is a Carbon Footprint?

I received an excellent question recently from my friend Debbie, she wanted to know what is meant by a "carbon footprint."  Lately I see the term used in a lot of different ways, some more relevant than others, but what I mean when I say carbon footprint is the amount of energy you use existing on this planet.  Do you have a big footprint?  Do you consume a lot of packaged goods, using a new bag to bring them home every time?  Do you circle the parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a "good spot" rather than parking and walking a little farther?  Do you leave on lights, computers, TVs, radios, and stereos even when you're not in the room using them?  Do you have a bunch of chargers plugged into the wall that aren't charging anything?  Do you create a lot of waste by buying but not recycling packaged goods?  If you are nodding yes to all these things then the cost of keeping you on this planet is pretty high because tremendous amounts of energy must be used to support your lifestyle and most of the energy created in the U.S. has a lot of toxic byproducts.

On the other hand perhaps you have a small footprint.  Perhaps you are reducing, reusing, and recyling everything you can.  Perhaps you are walking more and driving less, when possible.  Even walking on a track or outside is preferable to using an electric treadmill.  Right now it is still cold and rainy where I live.  This morning I spent 37 minutes on an electric elliptical machine so I'm certainly not living off the grid.  I did, however, rescue 4 earthworms that would have been stranded on my driveway...

Unplug, turn off, reuse, recycle.  Any little change and every little change makes a difference.  I wear a size 8 shoe, but I try to have a tiny footprint.

Green Tip Tuesday: Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Stainless Steel water bottles don't need to look boring!

By now I think I've probably heard all of the debates about plastic water bottles and the possible water contamination that takes place as the plastic begins to break down due to time, sun exposure, heat/cold exposure, or rough handling.  I know that the water inside the bottle may not necessarily have been regulated and could be worse, much much worse, than the water from my tap.   I know I can't leave the water bottles in my car because I'll speed up the plastic breakdown due to the heat buildup inside my car, so I have to be really organized and remember to bring a reusable water bottle with me.  It's hard to turn on the news without hearing some new danger posed by bottled water - so why is it still so popular?

Convenience definitely plays a part.  I am guilty of purchasing water because I didn't plan very well, forgot my bottle, or had to choose between buying water or buying soda - water is definitely the lesser of the two evils there (remember, the soda is packaged in a plastic bottle too and is subject to the same toxic leakage from the plastic - or worse due to the harsher effects of the chemicals in soda).

To counter these problems I've decided to make an investment:  I have bought 3 stainless steel water bottles.  One is for the car.  It's still cold enough here that my water is actually chilled whenever I drink from that bottle throughout the day.  The second is for my gym bag.  In a pinch I have had to refill it from the gym's water fountain, but I suppose that's (somewhat) better than buying bottled water.  The last bottle is the pinch-hitter.  It steps in whenever one of the other bottles is being washed, cannot be immediately located, or whenever my daughter wants a larger bottle than the little ones I bought for her.

It's never a good idea to let water sit in a bottle for long periods of time because bacteria can really build up inside that bottle, but at least if it has to sit for awhile, it's better that it does so in a container that won't leach toxins into the water, won't contribute to bacteria growth by allowing sunlight in, and won't increase our dependency upon petroleum products.

We need to drink water.  All day, every day.  Proper hydration can cure headaches, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, shine your hair, increase your metabolism, ensure proper digestion, aid kidney function, and help you fight off disease!  Unfortunately it can't do any of those things very well if the water itself is the source of toxins.

Be good to your body.  Be good to your planet.  Drink water from a safe, reusable, stainless steel water bottle.

Green Tip Tuesday: Creating your own container garden

It has long been my dream to have an herb garden.  Two years ago my friend Chellie cultivated a little corner of her neighbor's garden and grew the herbs she used most commonly in cooking.  Every time we would be chatting on the phone and she'd casually say "I'm walking outside I'm going to cut some basil for dinner tonight." I reaffirmed that one day I too would have an herb garden.

This year is my year.  I'm not tilling up any soil, making any grandiose plans, or marking off rows in the backyard, I am merely purchasing 3 large planter pots that hook on the railing of my deck.

This planter is designed to fit over the deck railing.

Now all I have to do is fill these planters with herbs.  To make the most of the small planting space I am going to plant some herbs together.  Some herbs grow better together than others so I researched a little to see what will work best.

Pot 1: Sage, rosemary, and thyme

Pot 2: Cilantro, oregano,and parsley

Pot 3: Basil and mint

Mint grows very well in a planter environment because it has a tendency to take over gardens if not contained.  I plan to grow a lot of Basil because I love pesto and it takes a lot of Basil to make a small amount of pesto.

There are a lot of different ways to grow herbs in small spaces

I have only ever tried to grow tomatoes and I had pretty good success so I am feeling a little more adventurous.  I like that I can grow these herbs organically.  I like that I reduce my dependency on grocery stores by creating a garden.

Have you ever had an herb garden or done container gardening?  I would love any tips or hints you may have!

Green Tip Tuesday: Low VOC paint

Today feels like spring and spring, to me, always means painting time.  I am an incurable decorator with a fickle love of color and a passion for change.  I love every single wall color in this house but I will probably have them all changed within the next few months.  I can't help myself.  I love to paint.  I am fearless on a ladder (though that did once cause the 'incident'...) and love the look of  clean, smooth, freshly painted walls.

But all paint is not created equal.

Enter the new variety of low-VOC or zero-VOC paints.  These paints are a class of latex paints that are made with reduced or zero amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  They are purported to be better for our health than regular paint and I agree with that statement because reduced exposure to chemicals such as formaldehyde is definitely a good thing.  The reason that VOCs are in paint at all is because they are an excellent binder - they help the paint go on smoothly and the paint molecules to adhere to each other thus creating a smooth finish on the wall.

Low VOC or zero VOC paints are not going to go on as smoothly.  There will be more splattering, especially if you roll quickly.  You will definitely have to put on a second coat because without those binding chemicals your paint will look more "open" on the wall.  Low VOC or zero VOC paint is more expensive and you will use more and you will have to paint more slowly to ensure that you are not splattering your ceilings, trim, and floors.  It's worth it though.  It really is a worthwhile expense. 

See paint isn't the only thing around you leaking VOCs and polluting your air.  Your printer ink, your craft glue, your stained wood furniture and your veneer furniture are all leaking VOCs into the air.  Scrapbookers working with lots of different adhesives and papers may be breathing in large amounts of VOCs.  We are all receiving a lot of exposure to a potpourri of chemicals that we can't even begin to imagine so it's important to reduce our exposure whenever we can.  Low VOC or zero VOC paints are an excellent way to coat the largest surfaces in your home with something that won't cause headaches, allergies, and, with enough exposure, cancer.

It's not a treat or something just to be used in the kids' rooms, although please, please, please use this paint in your bedroom where you spend 6-8 hours a night breathing in whatever is leaching from your walls, floors, and bedding (frequently with your door closed!) and with very little ventilation during those hours.  You wouldn't consider an antibiotic a "treat" if you had an infection, right?  This is preventative medicine, my friends. 

I have used several lines of paint, all of which I recommend though I don't recommend one over the others: Mythic paints have a beautiful color palette all their own, though many other colors can be mixed using a Mythic base.  Benjamin Moore Natura is also very nice - no odor within about 5 minutes of finishing the job. 

It's nearly spring.  Freshen your home with some beautiful new colors that inspire you.  Freshen your air with products that won't harm you.  Freshen our planet by committing to doing just one Green thing this spring.  Just one.

Has anyone used any other low VOC or zero VOC paint they would like to recommend?

Green Tip Tuesday: The Programmable Thermostat

Is this how you look when you're at home and trying to save money on your energy bills?  I spent all last winter when we lived in an-over-200-year-old-and-who-even-knew-windows-could-last-that-long? rental all bundled up.  The sophisticated heating system was either all on or all off and I definitely couldn't afford to heat that whole house all day, so I chose to freeze until my daughter came home from school when I would grudgingly turn on the heat.

This house is equipped with 5 heating zones (heat only, no air conditioning).  This is the first time I have ever had zones and I am a fan.  We have oil heat so I get "instant" feedback as to my consumption by the size of the bill left in my front door after the oil truck has left.  Did I forget and leave the heat on in the basement for  2 weeks?  Well, that accounts for the those extra 20 gallons @$2.69/gallon.

Keeping track of all these zones would be a royal pain if it weren't for the programmable thermostat.  Available at any major hardware store (we bought ours from Lowe's) they can range in price from a simple model to the cadillac-of-thermostats-that-will-practically-keep-track-of-your-periods-too models which can get pretty pricey.  We spent about $50 for each thermostat.  I used to run around the house trying to remember to turn up and down the heat.  Inevitably I would forget a zone and would either pay to heat an unoccupied space or freeze while putting on my pajamas because I forgot to turn on the heat.  Here's how we do it now:  On Monday-Friday I don't heat the upstairs from the hours of 8:30a.m.-5:30p.m.  Nobody is up there during those hours with the possible exception of me doing laundry and running up and down stairs hauling baskets full of clothing is enough cardio to keep me warm.

The basement is only heated to 50 degrees.  The temperature is turned up "upon request."  Our main floor is heated to 68 degrees from 7a.m. to 10p.m. and then it automatically drops to 60.

When we have school breaks or sick days or snow days I can override the programs and keep everyone toasty - but I am always amazed at the difference I see in our oil bill.  Just a few sick days can mean 10 extra gallons of oil.  Winter break consumed almost 40 extra gallons!  That there's a lot of reliance upon petroleum.

I've even heard-tell (my southern vernacular is legit, I was born in Texas) of some utility companies that give discounts or credits to customers who have programmable thermostats.

How do you reduce your heating bills?

Green Tip Tuesday: Donating to charity

I hate clutter.  One of the good things about having moved 6 times in the almost-19-years Steve and I have been married is that I get the opportunity to continually purge.  Sometimes this is not such a good thing.  There have definitely been times when I regretted giving away something in one of my why-do-we-have-all-this-stuff-I-can't-stand-this-clutter moods.  Those regrets only occur when I impulse purge, something I don't recommend, so when we moved to this house last summer I decided to try "box purging."  The concept is simple: take a box, put it someplace it won't be in the way but is accessible (for me this was the basement storage room), and fill it.  All of the blinds we removed from this house went into the box.  Over the past 7 months I have added clothes we don't want, miscellaneous household items, Christmas decorations I have decided I don't like anymore, etc.  Last week a postcard came in the mail advertising that the Epilepsy Foundation truck would be in my neighborhood and if I just attached this postcard to my donation they would take it right off my front porch and leave me a receipt. 

Perfect.

I quickly sifted through the items in the box (okay boxes, I did have 2), decided I still didn't want any of them, had Steve carry them to the front porch and this morning POOF! they're gone.

They will recycle all my clutter.  I don't have the clutter.  It took no effort on my part (especially since Steve was the one who carried the boxes!).  It's being Green at its best.

Green Tip Tuesday: Online Bill Pay

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of mailing stuff.  Like most people prone to procrastination having to do something that takes effort, planning, and stamps, all of which are in short supply in my household, is to be avoided at all costs.   Online bill pay was designed for people like me.  Bonus: it's Green too!

I do all my online bill paying through my bank's website.  I've been doing this for about 10 years, though I will admit that when we moved to Massachusetts and had to switch banks and get a new email address it was a little daunting to set up all the bill paying details again.  Still, it was worth it because it really does make my life so easy.  

A lot of companies with whom I do business have graciously offered to simply suck the money they need right out of my checking account with no effort from me at all.  This method is great for all your super-organized-and-have-a-lot-of-money-in-your-checking-account people, but it would never work for me.  I need to see in one place all the money that is going to be paid out versus the current balance.  I like to move pay dates around sometimes to match up with Steve's every-other-week pay cycle.  I like to move whatever money is "left over" to savings as soon as possible.  Inevitably I would forget about that one little car payment and have no money in the account when they went to make the online transfer.  It's good to know your personality type when choosing a bill-paying method.  Especially if you've decided to live "paycheck to paycheck."

Did you know that most banks will even write a check and mail it for you at no charge?  I don't know how or why they do it, I am just glad they do.  Clearly bankers either 1. always have stamps on hand or 2. don't mind mailing stuff.

I like not having to find an envelope, line up the mailing address in the little window, find a stamp, get my bills out in time for delivery, remember my federal holidays when no mail is delivered, and wait for a check to clear.  I like the simplicity of clicking my mouse a few times and BAM, the bill is paid. 

No environmental impacts from mail trucks, envelopes, checks, or stamps.  And good credit because your bills are always on time.  What could be simpler?

Green Tip Tuesday: Using Vinegar in the Laundry

I really like doing the laundry.  I like sorting the clothing by colors, it appeals to my sense of order.  I like remembering to rescue all of my favorite fitted T's or comfy sweaters from the dryer because it makes me feel like I am top of my chores.  I love the warm, clean smell of clothes fresh from the dryer.  My laundry "room" is really just a closet in my daughter's bathroom.  I don't have any fancy shelving or cabinets.  My washer and dryer are serviceable 11 year old Maytags.  I have absolutely no lighting in the closet, and almost no storage.  I always say that someday my laundry room will look this one, but right now, not so much.  I even love putting away all the fresh laundry because we (finally) bought a dresser last year and there is enough room to put everything away properly.

I began investigating "greener" laundry detergents about  5 years ago when my friend Chellie bought her new front-load washer and dryer.  The purchase came with a few years of free servicing and Chellie, who is good at remembering that kind of stuff, scheduled the visits.  The woman (!) who came to service the appliances complimented her on how clean her machine was after a year of constant usage.  The technician attributed the condition of the appliances to Chellie's commitment to not using petroleum-based detergents.  I am embarrassed to say that I honestly didn't realize that my old favorite Tide was a petroleum-based detergent!  I like to reduce our exposure to (and dependency upon) petroleum so I started using the Seventh Generation line of laundry products.   I still do use the laundry detergent, but let's face it, those products are

expensive and not always widely available, so I searched for something else to use as a fabric softener.  That's when I discovered vinegar. 

Vinegar is the perfect fabric softener.  It removes soap residue, freshens the load, brightens colors, whitens whites, and causes no harm to the environment.  My washing machine has a large center cup for adding fabric softener so I add 1/2 cup of white vinegar and about 8-10 drops of lavendar essential oil to each load.   The clothes smell great, they are soft (even the towels and jeans) and it costs about half of what Downy costs.  I buy Heinz white vinegar at the warehouse club in a 1.32 gallon jug for $3.99 and it lasts about 36 loads of laundry. 

The great thing about vinegar is it's versatility.  I can spray it directly on my workout clothes to remove sweat stains and odors.  I can run it through my machine with hot water to remove any musty smells in the washer.  I can spray it on stains to help them dissolve.  I can combine it with baking soda and really whiten socks. 

Perhaps if you have some vinegar in your pantry you could try adding it to just one rinse cycle, just to see if you like it?  Or put some in a small spray bottle and very lightly mist shirts you are about to iron.   I like using products with which I can create dressing for salad, scour my coffee pot, and clean my clothes.

Be green, your socks will get whiter.

Green Tip Tuesday: Digital Music

I am married to a techie.  Not only is it Steve's job to be on the technical cutting edge, it is his passion.  We had mp3s, iPods, and iPhones in their first generations while they still had some "bugs" but lots of potential.    As a teen I loved music and spent hours listening to records and the radio.  Then tapes.  Then CDs.  Then my mp3 player.  Now my iPod and iPhone.

The advent of digitized music has made it possible to carry thousands of motivating, uplifting, encouraging, and happy songs with you everywhere you go without creating a lot of waste or toting heavy equipment (remember the 'boom boxes' of the '80s?).

Having music in your life is good for your body because it gets you moving.  It's good for your mind because listening to music is proven to increase intelligence.  It's good for your soul because (depending upon your song choices) music can be so uplifting.

Go green.  Digitize your current CDs then donate them to the library.  Commit to buying your music online thus eliminating packaging and shipping impacts on the environment.  Reduce the electro-magnetic footprint in your home, and your carbon footprint by unplugging those CD and tape players.  Donate them to charity and happily take the deduction on your taxes.

Dance.  Sing in your car.  In the shower.  Everywhere you go.  You'll be healthier.  So will the planet.

Green Tip Tuesday

It's Green Tip Tuesday!  Most of my friends and all of my family live a thousand miles away.  Due to my "strained" relationship with the US Postal service and my basic procrastination I am notorious for being late, (sometimes very late), sending out cards and gifts.  I have found the answer to my prayers and it's made even better because it's environmentally friendly.

Send e-cards and e-gifts.

I know, e-cards have existed for years, but they weren't always that great.  Recently though, while looking for a way to connect with my 3 year old niece and celebrate her potty victory, I re-examined http://www.hallmark.com/.  Their website has completely changed in the past couple of years.  No longer are you stuck with just a few designs with dicey clip-art that appears on the screen while tinny background music plays too loudly or softly in the background.  Gone are the days of e-cards that look like a 6 year old got hold of PowerPoint.  Now there are many e-cards available, many of them are hilarious, that contain animation, music, and dialogue that will have your recipients laughing and sharing the e-card with others.  I went ahead and bought a subscription for $9.95/year.  I have already sent about 15 e-cards (which would have cost $.99 each) and plan to send many, many more.  I am even considering sending e-cards for Christmas to all my friends and family who have email.  I don't know if I can go quite that "green" yet, but I am considering it.

And the e-gift-card options are endless.  You no longer have to send a gift card that may get lost in the mail, or not have a proper activation code, or that just ends up in a landfill when the credit has been used.  It is a procrastinating environmentalist's dream, I tell you.

Now if only I could convince my puppy-wanting-daughter to get an e-pet instead...