greenliving

I’ve not been able to keep my Earth Day commitment, of writing a green blog as often as I’d like to! Work has been busy and that’s good news. I’ve also started writing for a new client, a site called Mind, Body, Sanctuary. They have a variety of health and wellness topics to read about and subsequently, I’m enjoying my writing for them.

You can see my work on the following links:
http://www.mindbodysanctuary.com/index.php/article/eco_friendly_jewelry_cleaners/22119
and
http://www.mindbodysanctuary.com/index.php/article/bollywood_s_popularity_on_the_rise_in_america/22957

The site is full of great eco friendly, health and wellness topics. I have a whole host of other articles to be published there on fun and informative subjects such as ‘At-home pedicures’ and ‘Everything you need to know about exercise’, so keep going back to check them out!

With summer around the corner (though given today’s weather, it seems like a long way off!), most of us have begun to dig out our dresses and shorts. And when that happens, can dusting off our razor kits be far behind?

According the Gillette, the largest supplier of disposable razor blades, over 1.7 billion men shave daily. And that’s just men! Factor in the number of women who shave their legs, underarms etc. on a regular basis, and the numbers that emerge can be quite staggering.

If you must use a razor, go in for the reusable kind. Electric razors are another alternative as though they are filled with toxic hazards (and there’s an upside to that??); they last for years. Select one that plugs directly into a socket rather than the battery operated ones, which don’t last as long.

And while we’re talking razors, why not go in for organic, natural shaving creams? Weleda and Avalon Organics both make excellent natural shaving creams.

There are always alternatives and if you do know of some excellent organic options, do share them with us!

I’ve not been updating this blog as much as I’d like to. But ‘Green Living’ is something important and something I believe needs sharing; so as of today, my earth day gift to myself is to update this blog with simple, easy to follow ’single tips’ on a regular basis. And if and when I get the chance to turn out good articles, I shall add them on.

Carbon Footprints

Aviation may account for 15% of all greenhouse emisisons. You may not be able to avoid flying, but you can do something about it. Companies like Carbon Fund (www.carbonfund.org) will allow you to calculate your carbon footprint online and negate it by buying offsets. They then reduce your Co2 emmissions by various methods such as planting trees.

This Earth Day, how about doing something special and teaching your kids all about going green. They are never too young to learn about it and even a toddler or preschooler can contribute to a better planet.

Here are some easy ways you can teach your child to live green:

1. Help them conserve water and electricity by teaching them to switch of taps while brushing their teeth or soaping their hands, and switch of lights when they leave the room.

2. If you carry a cloth bag, why not get them to carry one too? Kids love to create works of art- buy a simple canvas tote from a craft store or sew up a small bag using leftover cloth. Make sure you include two sturdy handles. Get them to decorate their bag with paints or beads/buttons. Let them use their bag for the library, swimming pool or even when they come shopping with you!

3. Make recycling a game and they’ll learn to do it the right way. Explain how certain items can be cleaned and recycled and certain items like milk cartons, which have waxed paper, cannot.

4. Encourage them to walk, skate or bike rather that be driven around. Explain how this is better than using a car and if you need to go a longer distance, take the bus or train. Not only does it become an adventure, but your kids will be happy they’re contributing towards a greener lifestyle.

5. Get them involved when shopping for healthier, non-toxic items. If you are creating your own home-made cleaners, they can even help by rinsing out the bottles or measuring non-toxic items like baking soda. However, beware of getting children involved if you are using potentially harmful ingredients like borax.

6. Teach  your child how to select seasonal, local produced fruits for their snacks. You can also take them on a field trip to a local farm so they get to see firsthand where their snacks come from.

7. Children love to get involved in activities such as composting. Allow them to throw egg shells and fruit peel on the compost heap. Don’t forget to explain why you’re doing this.

8. Get them involved in recycled craft projects. Toilet paper rolls, empty carton boxes, scraps of unused cloth and gift ribbon are just some of the things that can be used to create wonderfully creative projects.

There’s so much you and your child can do together to make a wonderful, cleaner, greener planet. All it takes is a little time and initiative on your part, but the good habits they learn today will last with them a lifetime.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.
–Doug Larson

If like me, you welcome spring with a good clean scrub, then you are probably getting ready to dig out your bucket, gloves and cleaning equipment. But before you do, take a moment to think of the chemicals you’ll be using- toxic to the environment, the body and the home itself. And how about your kids who crawl on the newly cleaned carpet or pets who drink from your freshly scrubbed toilet bowl? Are they breathing and ingesting these harmful products?

Most regular household products are non-biodegradable and may contain toxic chemicals including bleach and ammonia. Not only do we harm the environment by using these products, but we do no good to our own bodies either.

Transitioning to greener products is very easy as nowadays most supermarkets and stores carry natural based, biodegradable cleaners. You can also try the following:

-Make your own products at home. Visit www.busymadeeasy.com for some excellent home-made cleaning recipes.

-Buy natural non toxic products.

-Recycle your toxic products and product containers where appropriate.

-Read all labels before you make any purchases.

-Invest in a green cleaning company.

-Use flowers, beeswax candles and other natural aromas to freshen your home.

-Keep your windows open for at least a few minutes each day to air out your home.

-A good wash of all your linen and sofa/cushion covers will also add to a clean, fresh feel.

Simple yet effective remedies to welcome spring into your home!

If you’ve ever found the odd sock or have an old pair of gloves that you can’t give away, but don’t want to stick in your recycle box, then do visit this site: http://www.freekidscrafts.com . It’s got incredible ideas about recycling stuff into crafts, and there’s lot to keep the kids busy (we have one whole week of spring break with no school or activities lined up, so I know I’ll be visiting this site pretty often!).

We copied finger puppets from their site and as soon as I figure out how to download my camera pics, I’ll upload them onto the site. The instructions are as follows and you can visit their site to get a whole lot more ideas:

 Supplies

Rubber glove
Scissors
White glue
Small white dot stickers
Marker pens
Yarn scraps

InstructionsCut the fingers from a rubber glove.
Draw faces on the small white stickers.
Use the yarn scraps to prepare some fancy hair-do’s for your finger puppets.
Stick them on using white glue. This is quite easy if you peg some clothespegs along the side of a box, then place your puppets on the pegs to keep them steady and upright.

Give it a go!

I can’t believe it’s over a month since I last blogged on this site. However, green living is never far from my mind- indeed, it has become an integral part of my daily existence. And while I am not as ‘good’ as I should or want to be, I do believe that in doing simply what you can each day- recycling your discarded items, investing in energy saving devices etc, it can help to an enormous extent. Having said that, this blog is all about the simple and easy ways you can make your life greener and more enriched. It’s not about investing in a hybrid car or replacing your roofs with solar panels (though of course if you can do that, you should!). It’s about how the average joe (or jane) can make a difference in his or her life.

So these are some of the things I’ve learnt this last month:

Newspapers can be used of course to polish glass and window panes and also mirrors and stainless steel objects, such as your bathroom fittings. They can also be used to soak up the moisture in damp shoes (such as those that have been out walking in the rain or that belong to sweaty feet owners).

Erasers (a lot of them live in our home simply because they make great goody bag stuffers!) can be used to remove scruff marks on the floor as well as apparantly clean piano keys! ( I don’t have a piano, but I read that it works wonders).And finally, my favourite, eggs! We consume a lot of organic eggs at home and I hate to throw out the shells. They’ve been painted and used as plant holders by my preschool kids, have been crushed and thrown into the soil as fertilizers and will be decorated for easter.

Any other ideas for using everyday objects in a multiple number of ways? Write me!

There are so  many ways to stay warm this winter and spring, and finally, I’ve given myself the green light to go ahead with a sewing machine (I’ve had one for a long time, but just never got the chance to use it these last couple of years).

Some great ideas that I’ve nicked from family and friends include:

The outdoor blanket: Buy a cheap plastic table-cover from your neighbourhood dollar store. Ensure it’s sturdy enough to weather some wear and tear. Next, invest in a few inexpensive fleece blankets. You can buy a single large one, or if you feel creative, invest in a few smaller sized ones to create a patchwork effect. Sew them ontop of the plastic cover and you have a great blanket for use outdoors. It works well on grass, sand and even damp ground.

Kids duvets: Kids bedding can be quite expensive and so when we moved my kids from a single to larger beds, I had no idea what to do with their single ‘themed’ bedding. My husband had a brilliant idea. We cut an adult queen size duvet in half. Next he sewed the bed-sheet and cover sheet (princess themed for my daughter and a train theme for my son) into duvet covers. The spare section was turned into an extra pillowcase.  So now, each kid has their own themed pillow and duvet cover and it’s in a size that’s perfect for them.

The scarf blanket: If you’ve ever received woolen scarves as gifts and don’t know what to do with them; here’s an idea. Lay out 3-4 scarves, depending on their size, side by side. Sew them together for an instant, colourful, warm blanket.

How do you keep warm this winter?

I’ve been recently trying to teach my 3 year old about saving water. Like any child his age, he loves to play with water and leaves the tap running for minutes on end while washing his hands. My 4.5 year old girl has already grasped the concept of saving water, so I figure it’s time my son learnt about it as well. The lessons are going well and with a little assistant to help, I’m sure he’ll get the idea fairly soon. But it’s got me thinking- what else can we do in the ‘water department’?

Some common water saving techniques such as shorter showers and low flow shower heads are pretty common knowledge. I’ve added some more to the mix:

-Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket- it really helps to keep the heat in.

-Set your water heater to 49 degrees Celsius.

-Install a solar water heating system in your home if possible- an easy, efficient way to heat water.

-Wash dishes in cold water- It may not be the best for your hands (and I do rely on gloves and long handled sponges); but your dishes get sparkling clean with it.

-Wash your clothes in cold water- Not all clothes require your washer to be set on hot-water setting. Cold water washes clothes equally well and saves you a lot on your electricity bill as well.

-If you must use hot water, use a front- loading washing machine which saves water.

-Hang laundry to dry instead of using a dryer. Because we don’t have the outdoor space required for a long clothes line,  I do use a dryer for my bed linen. But for all else, I always use my trusty foldable drying line. And I’ve notice my children, who as infants both suffered from severe eczema, have benefited from it too. No more harsh chemicals in the wash and no more irritants from the drying /fabric softener. We have clean, chemical free clothes that allow the skin to breathe the way it should.

Let me know if you have any more ideas on how to save water and keep your bills to a minimum!

Well it’s that time of the year again to talk of (no points for guessing correctly!), New Year’s Resolutions!

We all make them, even if it’s for fun. But keeping them is a different matter. I just learnt that according to recent research done through various surveys and polls, only 45% of Americans make serious resolutions and only 15% end up keeping them! Shockingly small figures for such a large nation!

But end of the day, it’s all about quality, not quantity. And if you can add a few GREEN resolutions to your list, then what better way to start the New Year!

Some simple ones to toss into the mix (along with your more serious commitments) are the 3 R’s. We all know what they mean (or should), but how do we apply them with the least amount of difficulty?

REDUCE: Not such a hard concept really, but very difficult in a consumer based economy like ours! We’ve been taught to spend more and our entire lives are sometimes defined around not who we are, but what we buy! How then do we cut back on wastage and stick to the bare minimum? In our home, we ask ourselves- do we really really really need this? (thrice is our lucky number). If the answer is yes, yes and yes again (such as the kick-ass TV which my husband insisted we need, and now just sits there!),  then of course we buy it. But if the answer is no or a maybe, then defer the purchase till tomorrow. You’ll see that in most cases, ‘tomorrow’ doesn’t come!

Reduce also means cutting back on things you already have, but don’t need to use that often- the extra lamps in the living room which don’t need to be switched on each time you sit down or the extra heating for the guest room, which is hardly ever used. Cut back on all those excesses and you’ve already kept part of your resolution.

REUSE: This does not mean gather all the possible junk in your home and pile it in your garage. You do not need to save all those empty toilet paper rolls in the hope that one day you’ll find the perfect craft use for them! Nor do you need to keep all those bottle tops in a jar. This leads to clutter. And maybe the occasional bug or two! Reusing what you can ‘immediately’ is the key to being environmentally friendly and clutter free at the same time.

RECYCLE: This one is not hard folks! Recycle everything that can possibly be recycled! And what’s more, you’ve even been provided with the big blue tubs to do so. Nothing could be simpler than keep a few strategically placed baskets, bags or boxes in each room of the home, in which to chuck in your empty bottles, pens, shampoo containers or whatever else that needs to be recycled. End of the week, empty it into the big blue box and it’s that easy!

Doing all three, or even one of the above is a small, yet effective step in the right direction. So do add it on to your New Years resolution list, and do make it one (or three) of the resolutions you’ll keep!

Happy New Year!