http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 29 May 2008 09:32:50 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Coop America to see who you are supporting through your financial institution as well as some other amazing facts about the banks we do business with. It might be time to cast your vote for another bank.]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/05/is_your_bank_republican_or_democrat.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/05/is_your_bank_republican_or_democrat.html America banks Barack Coop Hillary McCain vote Thu, 29 May 2008 09:32:50 -0700 and in with the new. I woke up on New Years day and decided it was time for a serious declutter. A bold move delcutter. I knew I had to give away the pink fuzzy socks I hadn't worn in 5 years and all 5 pedometers because they annoy me and it was time to admit it. I piled up clothes that I have always hated, magazine articles that I was waiting to read or file, t-shirts that I was saving for dirty work but did I need 20 of them? My only rules were that if it didn't fit, if it didn't work or if I hated it, it was out. I did not follow the rule that if you haven't used it in a year toss it. If I had I would only own one pair of sweats:-) I am not finished. There is still the garage to deal with but this is a New Year and I want a new lean and mean start. Oh, yes, what was the 'new' I replaced everything with? Space - wide open breathable space thanks to a little bit of boldness and Freecycle! http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_new_years_day_1_-_out_with_the_old.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_new_years_day_1_-_out_with_the_old.html declutter New Years Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:33:53 -0700 It rained in Phoenix today - Ok if you're from Phoenix that's a BIG eco-deal. I had purchased 10 boxes of organic broth, on sale, over the holidays so I knew it was going to be a soup day and it was going to take all of 15 minutes to make - including doing the dishes! Into the pot went 1 box of broth, all the leftover veggies I could find - broccoli, carrots, green beans, and corn, a bag of frozen veggies and some onions and celery. I added a can of organic white beans and a handful of brown rice for fiber and additional protein. Can't forget a pinch of salt and pepper and chicken bouillon to taste. In 10 minutes I was enjoying the sweet smell of homemade organic soup faster than I could have picked up fast food. Or maybe it's s-l-o-w food simmering on the stove all day....... I also have an even faster organic onion soup recipe. Pour a box of organic onion soup broth in a soup pot, add 3 onions sliced and simmer....5 minutes to make and it is delicious serve with mozarella cheese and a loaf of multigrained bread. I add beef bouillon if I want it to be really flavorful. Both of these recipes are not only organic and fast they are cheap. About $4.00 for the pot of veggie soup and $3.00 for the onion soup. http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_day_2_one_fast_organic_me.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_day_2_one_fast_organic_me.html fast organic food rainy day soup Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:18:17 -0700 Let's not waste a minute and get started with some FUN green changes for 2008 The first my popcorn dilemma. I got rid of my microwave (more on that in another blog) so how do you make good popcorn without a microwave and popcorn in a bag where you only have to worry about which side goes up? I experimented and discovered: 1. Pan on the stove, hot oil method - popcorn was tough not fluffy like the microwaved version 2. Buying organic already popped corn from Whole Foods - too costly 3. Airpopped popcorn (my daughter bought me an airpopper for Christmas) - salt doesn't stick - no taste 4. Airpopped popcorn with spray butter so the salt will stick - couldn't find an organic spray butter Finally I stumbled on a great, healthy solution. As the popcorn is popping into the bowl I spray it with olive oil spray followed by a sprinkle of sea salt. Repeat and mix until all of the popcorn is popped. The olive oil gives the popcorn a light earthy taste and the salt now sticks to the popcorn. It was a hit and no one is whining any more that we don't have a micorwave. Another great popcorn recipe - instead of salt sprinkle the popcorn with cinnamon sugar.....yummm! We like the canola spray for this recipe. P.S. Be sure to use organic popcorn http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_day_2_popcorn_dilemma_1.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2008/01/2008_day_2_popcorn_dilemma_1.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:47:47 -0700 http://waltonfeed.com/rumford.htmlto ensure that everything you bake this holiday season is simply scrumptious. ]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_63_the_best_cat_litter_eve.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_63_the_best_cat_litter_eve.html aluminum baking baking soda holiday Rumsford Thanksgiving Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:32:14 -0700 My computer and I have been out of commission to many weeks so today it's back to blogging - hurray! I am in the crazy stages of transforming my home, house and soul to eco, green, sustainable and whatever else living healthier and happier might be called. Stage I is always tearing everything out and apart. I have torn out the carpeting in my kitchen and am now - slowly - taking out the tile, carefully so I can recycle it. I spent time with family over the past few weeks and, in particular, my parents, who have always been friends of the environment not because it was a movement but because it was the only way they knew how to live. It gave me a moment to reflect on the 'city' life I'm living. I am not sure if living a sustainable lifestyle is the perscription for a healthy life or not but it sure has worked for my parents. My dad, at 85 years of age is difficult to keep up with. Most kids notice that their parents get smarter as they get older. I, on the other hand, was a much slower learner - like decades slower! Here are the top ten lessons that I wish I had picked up earlier. 1. open you windows - ALL of them 2. take off your shoes before you come in the house - EVERY time 3. dispose of veggies and fruit in your compost pile or bin - FIGURE out a way 4. recycle, recycle, recycle - EVERYTHING that you can 5. buy local - WHENEVER possibe 6. connect with nature - OFTEN 5. build community - EVERY day 8. take your vitamins - ALL of them (without complaining, Dad!) 9. give back - WHENEVER you can and as OFTEN as you can 10. inspire the Joneses and live true to yourself! On a closing note I want to share a small town story with you. On the last day of my visit I went to church with 60+ members of my family at the small church across from the house I grew up in. Did I mention that I was home for a family reunion? Normally 60 members of my family are never in one place at one time - but I digress. My cousin was the minister, my aunt and cousins the choir, and various family members took on other assorted duties. It was the same way when I grew up only I was the one singing with my aunt in the choir. For a small town to work everyone has to pitch in. After services were were asked to step outside of the church to cheer on a local soldier returning from Iraq, who would be driving by. Soon the whole congregation was standing along the narrow country road (sidewalks are unheard of) and within minutes we caught a glimpse of the local volunteer fire truck soon to be followed by a procession of family cars and last but not least the Harley Davidson team who volunteer to welcome home those who serve. Every vehicle was decked out in American flags and as they drove by all 75 parishoners hollered and clapped for one soldier, one community, one nation. Step aside Disney you have nothing on Flat Rock, Michigan! Maybe it's time to inject a little small town America into our own communities. I am going to give it a try! http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_62_small_town_america.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_62_small_town_america.html Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:48:19 -0700 CBS News just alerted me about my dirtier than my toilet cell phone. OK, I'm over the 'why didn't I think of that' to what's the solution. According to Information Week cell phones can cause pimples, boils, pneumonia and meningitis from bacteria such as "Staphylococcus aureus which is a close relative of the superbug MRSA. OK I'm listening! The first line of defense for all bacteria is to wash you hands. It can be as simple as that. But if you are lazy in that department and you don't want to replace germs with toxins by using antibacterial wipes (sorry ABC) there is a solution. This article was the motivation for me to finally make a cheap, easy and green spray to keep that cellphone and other gadgets clean. Here's what I did - found one small, clean spray bottle (recyclable) - bought one bottle of lavendar essential oil (or tea tree oil will do) - filled the bottle with 1 cup of water, added 20 drops of oil and shook well - sprayed the solution on a microfiber cloth and wipe off my cell phone - while I was at it I wiped off my home phone, my office phone, iPod, computer keyboard, sprayed the kichen counters and, of course, I did not forget the toilet seat, just in case! Caution: Don't put essential oils near your eyes and check for allergic reactions. My mom is allergic to tea tree oil so she only uses the lavendar oil. HMM what else can I use this for?]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_61_bugs_on_my_cell_phone_o.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_61_bugs_on_my_cell_phone_o.html Wed, 04 Jul 2007 07:56:18 -0700 Live Earth is one of the most popular tags on Technorati today. Who wouldn't want to part of the biggest rock concert ever and it's happening in 7 continents for 24 hours. Amazing. Plus it's 7.7.07 today! Is it Mother Earth's luck day? It can be if we all make a commitment to change because a healthy planet means we are healthier as well. Global warming is the main reason for the Live Earth concert but a healthy planet goes beyond that. Pollution, pesticides, genetically modified foods, factory farming -- the list goes on. It's hitting our pocket book as well as our health and well being. Are we up to the change we need to be in this world to make it better? That we Save Our Selves (SOS)! Spend the night with Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkston, Keith Urban, Alicia Keys.....and it gets better. Just check this site out. While you are watching make a commitment. Make this not only the biggest rock concert ever but the biggest commitment humanity has ever made to change our home for the better. Put on your thinking caps and dig DEEP -- what can you do to SOS! My commitment is to vote with my dollars even more than I do today, to buy local whenever possible, to educate others and not harm others by the way I live my life. Not sure what to do? Submit a pledge on this Live Earth site and have a great 7.7.07!]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_61_live_earth_concert_sos.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_61_live_earth_concert_sos.html Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:42:36 -0700 didn't have a clue (including a college teacher), we gained independence from the British in 1776 and the first Independence Day was in 1777. Being an independent nation gives us freedoms many people in other countries envy, it gives us a voice and it gives us choices. We have a voice at the polls during elections to ensure our elected officials are environmental stewards for example but we also vote daily with our choices, our dollars. For every item we purchase there is a green choice...choices that do not harm our environment, our families or other people. Choices that ensure our future. We have fought for generations to keep our freedoms but everyday we make personal choices that may not be the best for the earth we are so preciously protecting with our greatest resources our sons and daughters. May we make our own personal commitment this July 4th to protect our Earth everyday by the way we live our lives everyday!]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_60_happy_july_4th.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_60_happy_july_4th.html Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:42:06 -0700 Forest Stewardship Council and they are the greenest solution when it comes to buying any wood products. When I finally get my shower hooked up I will use the greywater to water my apple tree and whatever else I plan to plant in the area. I soon found that buying my outdoor shower was just the beginning to my attempt at greywater collection. My shower will simply hook up to a garden hose but how will I filter out the chlorine? What types of soap and shampoo can I use? How will the water drain to the apple tree? How else can I use the water? How do I insure there is no standing water to attract mosquitos? How will I protect the wood with a product that is safe for my plants? Is there anything I haven't considered? Stay tuned as I unravel to answers to my first attempt at greywater collection!]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_59_first_attempt_at_greywa.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/07/day_59_first_attempt_at_greywa.html Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:40:48 -0700 FreeCycle or Craig's List so what to do? My dog solved the problem for me when I saw her cozied up on one of the cushions after her swim. I took them apart, sewed covers for them from old towels I have been saving and gave them to a pet shelter! Problem solved and the pet shelter was thrilled with their new doggie beds. So think before you toss someone may benefit from your 'treasures'.]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_58_out_with_the_old_in_wit.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_58_out_with_the_old_in_wit.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:55:25 -0700 Urban Farm using an exercise ball in lieu if the more expensive ball chair a few months ago so I decided I would give it a try. It works great at 1/4 of the cost. Plus if I get bored I can work on my abs! It is supposed to, however, release spinal pressure, encourage spinal alignment and increase circulation and energy. I was a 'slumper' in my office chairs and that does not happen on a ball chair. It's much more comfortable than I expected so problem solved. Thanks, Greg for an awesome idea.]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_58_steal_shamelessly.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_58_steal_shamelessly.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:07:17 -0700 assume now that I am trying to live a greener lifestyle however I have to admit that the answers always seem to shock me. If I were a pool store manager would I want my customers to know that there was a safer product on the market and not wait for them to ask? Am I satisfied? Not yet. I looked up Fiber Clear on the web and there wasn't a lot of data available so I wrote to the company asking for ingredients, manufacturing details and a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the product. Being green simply means being more aware!]]> http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_57_oh_its_carcinogenic.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_57_oh_its_carcinogenic.html Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:06:44 -0700 Yesterday my daughter bought 2 blow up rafts for the pool, brought them home, blew them up and tossed them in the pool. In a few minutes she was sunning herself floating in the pool on one of the rafts. Then I saw the rafts tossed on the lawn. It seems the rafts smelled to badly that they couldn't use them. The smell came from the toxic chemicals used to make the PVC vinyl soft and pliable. We will be replacing the floating PVC pool toys with noodles and have learned a valuable lesson. http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_56_stinky_pool_toys.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/06/day_56_stinky_pool_toys.html Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:57:28 -0700 I haven't purchased a new dryer in 15 years. I happened to be in the mall (not a likely place for me, BTW), happened upon a appliance outlet store which just happened to have an eco washer and dryer, reduced from the outlet price. The brand (Fisher Paykel) wasn't on the 'best eco washer and dryers to buy list' but they were within my budget so I bought the set and I love them. I no longer worry about what water level I should chose for the load I'm washing. My machine figures it out for me! I peeked at a load of towels I was washing today and noticed that the new washer uses substantially less water than my old washer. Note to myself - I won't be getting the gallons of water I thought I would when I set up a greywater collection system. Oh, the challenges if being green:-). I don't have a clothesline set up yet but the dryer has a 'damp' setting so I can fluff my clothes and then hang them on a hanger to finish drying. Since I live in Arizona I have convinced myself that my damp drying process also adds moisture to the dry air in my house. I can hope, right? http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/05/day_55_eco_washer_and_dryer.html http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/365_Ways/2007/05/day_55_eco_washer_and_dryer.html Mon, 21 May 2007 06:09:31 -0700