I mentioned a couple weeks back that I was unhappy with the way my dishes were looking after being ran through the dishwasher. Crummy, foggy and just plain dirty. After most washes I’d have to examine them all and re-do the REALLY bad ones and say O’WELL to the others. The reality is I don’t have time to rewash dishes. Sometimes, I’d even dampen a cloth before I’d eat off a plate if I could feel detergent powder. Gross!

I started using eco friendly dish washing detergent awhile ago to clean green up my act! I’ve used a few mainstream products in both liquid and powder form. So far I have not been impressed. I have an energy efficient Frigidaire model AND so far the following versions I have not had success with.

- Trader Joe’s

- Seventh Generation

- Ecover Tablets

- Method Smarty Dish

- Earth Friendly

I decided the next step in my quest for a dish washing detergent was my own version. There are many reasons why this approach is beneficial. For one, your wallet is spared since you’re more than likely buying less and the ingredients can be bought in bulk.  I also like the simple fact that it will create less waste. A biggie in my book. Okay, so on with the recipe and less chitter chatter.

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@La Mama Naturale asked: What do you do to conserve energy?

@OrganicSister be a couch potato and way too many other things to list!

@PsychMamma During the summer? Don’t set air too cool & keep blinds shut during hottest part of the day.

@dsfq We never run an unnecessary appliance during the peak hours of the day (washer/dryer/dishwasher, etc)

@AlainaFrederick I try to keep lights, tv, chargers ect off and unplugged when not in use!

@Luvschweetheart I try to hang the laundry out when the weather is good, turn off lights when leaving a room #greenThursday

@cdnchick I’ve turned the power setting on my LCD tv to High & see savings of around $20/mowith no compromise to picture quality

@spennasaurus flick off lights in unoccupied rooms, biking or busing to practices, green bins for food waste/others!

@barleyandbirch I don’t use elevators and walk up and down 9 flights of stairs each morning… Currently out of breath…

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As writers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but even the most intelligent among us can not make change without DOING something!

So The Good Human & Twilight Earth, along with Grass Stain Guru, Lighter Footstep, My Green Side, The Smart Mama, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish, Allies Answers, Natural Papa, and Recycle Your Day have teamed up to carry our message with one united strong voice. The message is that there are great organizations out there which are suffering in this economic downturn through decreased donations…and they need our help! So we have decided to give you, our readers, a voice and a choice. We have decided to take on a very simple fundraising mission, and we are asking you to donate just $1.00.

A single dollar; that’s all.

Who cannot afford a buck even in these times? We know you can spare a dollar to help out our fellow humans!

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The other day I blogged about kicking the bottled water habit! In that post I mentioned a promotion that 7-11 is having regarding their .99 cent SLURPEE straws.

It has come to my attention from at The Smart Mama herself: the straws were tested with the XRF gun and found to be made out of ALUMINUM ALLOY!

DEAL BREAKER!!! I apologize for any inconvenience! Thanks for understanding. 

Also, for all you cloth diapering mama’s or mama’s thinking about fluffing your baby’s bottom…

There’s a new site- or “new to me site” I just learned about- www.clothdiapering.com

Check them out! They have a ton of info on cloth diapering and bit on potty learning.

And, they hold the following contest each Friday>>>>

Don’t miss out!

Stay tuned for posts on my cloth diapering experience and how EC’ing with the boys is going…

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This Guest post is by guest blogger, science teacher and green activist Glenn Fay who is passionate about sustainability, renewable energy and social responsibility.

When you flip that light switch or click on your toaster oven did you ever wonder how our power grid electricity is made and where it comes from? This short slideshow shows all the exciting details, from using moving water, wind, fossil fuels, nuclear power and even the sun! Which source(s) of electricity make the most sense to you?

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Please forgive me and let me continue on this green path to betterment.

The hub and I bought a Chevy Silverado DIESEL back in 2005 it was the perfect vehicle at the time because my husband commuted (great fuel mileage) and diesel fuel was inexpensive. It was a win-win. That was then. We’ve done so much to improve our carbon footprint since then that we haven’t really managed to tackle the vehicle situation. Although, we did get rid of my Jetta and downsized to only one mode of transporation!

Fortunately, for me I live in a small town and I’m within walking distance to my little community.  I do stroll up to those businesses when I can but for the most part *I drive*. Granted, I don’t drive much but still- It’s a diesel. On top of that, my husband and I are known for being speed demons. My husband more so than me- shhh! don’t tell him I said that!!!! Anyway, luckily, he no longer commutes with our diesel truck, he drives a work van for the company. A little better. But, when you consider all the equipment they haul everyday inside those vans…plus the mileage it can add up to a very bad eco faux pas!

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This is my second attempt at this post. Don’t ya hate it when that happens!!!! I’m not even sure how it happened…but all I have to say is don’t fall asleep at the keyboard. I hate loosing an ENTIRE post. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to tell you write about.

Have you ditched the bottled water habit?

It’s been 2 years since we’ve purchase bottled water. We’ve definitely noticed a savings in our grocery bill. I’m a firm believer of getting in my 8-10 glasses a day, therefore I do drink a lot of water. We invested in Klean Kanteen’s last year. Prior to that we’d been using Migo water bottles we’d purchased in a 3 pack at Costco . The buzz about BPA had just hit and we’d been trying to cut back on our plastic consumption so we figured it was the right time to make the switch from plastic to stainless. Either way both are reusable and allow for a lifetime of sips.

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@LaMamaNaturale asked:

Which reusable water bottle do you prefer- Sigg, Klean Kanteen or Other?

I {HEART} Klean Kanteens!!

And twitterland SAID-

@BabyDefender I have one too I love it!!! Gotta get some for the kiddos

@DreamyMama KKs here - sport top for hubby, regular for me, spout for our toddler. They’re great!

@littlehumbugs My daughter and I both love our Klean Kanteen, the boys have a mixed collection.

@austinmomto2 I love my Klean Kanteen 2. My daughter loves her astronaut Sigg bottle

@Kblogger Hey! Where did you get your klean kanteens? We’re trying to make the switch, but I’m looking for the best deal.

@screamtobegreen Started as a sigg guy, but I really like the wide-mouth of the Kleen Kanteen-although I think the taste is better with sigg.

I have the new Klean Kanteen sport top and it rocks! I recommend it.

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