Go Green With Beanpod Candles

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There’s nothing better than a clean house with a lit candle or essential oils diffusing. Since going green and cleaning up my toxic act, one of things I’ve kicked to the curb are all the plug in air freshners and candles that burn off toxic fumes and contain nasty chemicals. When I say clean I mean candles too! Candles that are safe for the environment and safe for us too! You know the kind that  don’t contain hormone disruptor’s or nasty black soot.

You can bet that I was jumping up and down when I found Beanpod soy candles about two years ago at my local candle shop I was truly impressed. What’s so great about them, you ask?

It begins with soybeans.
A beautiful, fragrant candle that is made with a lead-free wick. Candles created with our patent-pending Tempacure™ process that provides rich fragrances and colors that last from first light to final flame.

Wholesome Soy Wax.
At Beanpod, we take pride in using real soy wax. Giving you a wholesome candle that other large candle makers strive to measure up to.

Quality.
It has to endure. And with Beanpod Candles it does. You’ll discover it the moment you see a Beanpod Candle’s bright color and experience its rich scent. More than 60 fragrances. Candles proudly poured in America’s heartland with the very best ingredients.

The burn time on these candles lasts awhile before you’ll find yourself splurging on a new one. Beanpod candles are infused with essential oils in their candles and do not test on animals. These earth friendly candles and the jars are made in the USA and to top it off- Beanpod uses recycled glass!!

For Earth Day, Beanpod has a limited fragance called Earthly Embrace. The special edition, Earth Day jar features a botantical paper hang tag that when planted yields wildflowers! The seed tag is printed on recycled paper and the ink used to print the tag is soy based.

I haven’t found a scent I don’t like yet. I usually go with Lavendar or Orange Vanilla. I also like Cranberry Clove and Cherry Almond. Cinnamon Bayberry is great around the holidays! Beanpod also has these wonderful Soy Beads that you can mix and match with other candles or melt them using a diffuser. They’re unique and versatile.

I just bought a few votives and a tea light set in the scent Solitude for the day of birth. The votives are Lavendar and Eucalyptus Lavendar for a calming mood to help with labor. I’m so glad I found Beanpod candles and more importantly that I’m burning pure, clean and non toxic scents in my home. Whether it be for the day I give birth or for everyday use…they get a green kudos in my book!

Eggscellent!

Henrietta layed a ginormous egg the other day! Ouch.

Today we finally used it in our pancake batter for breakfast.

It was a double yolker but that second yolk was huge- could’ve been a triple!

Check out my post over at Eco Child’s Play today on Raising Chicks to Hens…

Have a Happy Saturday!

Pregnancy Update: 38 Wks.

I’m still preggo! The due date of April 4th is now looking like a HUGE possibility (pun intended). Saw our midwives today and everything measured right on. We also heard the heartbeat which sounded great. My midwife did an exam to check if I was “open” – dilated in the medical world…and I’m am not!! Cervix is still closed. I’m going to begin taking Evening Primrose Oil 2 x day. It will ripen the cervix and help get things started (cuz I really don’t WANT to go over). There is no concern that I’m not open yet though. It took a load of my husband who’s been stressing about it (when I’ll give birth). Only because he works about 1hr. 1/2 away and wanted to get an idea. Otherwise, we probably would just went on with the appt. as normal.

The midwife offered and he really wanted me to do it. All this means, is that baby will probably not show up anytime soon…and when I do start to open it will take at least 48-72 hrs. His parents are leaving town and they really don’t want to miss the birth. My husband is relieved he can go to work without worrying I’m going to call him and he’ll have to hall booty to get here to make sure he doesn’t miss it either. ME? Well, I’m ready to have Clark but also okay with the fact that my body is not ready yet. I suspected today would be the day- but my instincts have proved me wrong. My mom swears it’ll happen Sunday night. In any case, I’ve looked up the dates of March 30th and on in our Birthday Book…

A few of our friends and family are saying April 1st-  just because it’s April Fool’s Day…and here’s what the book says:

April 1- The Day of Dignity! – No Fool’s here!!! LOL!

Strengths- Goal-Oriented, Sincere, Technically Skillful

Weaknesses- Isolated, One Track, Workaholic

April 4- Due Date

The Day of Initiative:

Strengths- Innovative, Lively, Ambitious

Weaknesses: Impulsive, Unstable, Rebellious!

Not bad! The Birthday Book is lots of fun- it really nails the personality traits and ways that those born on the dates are! My husband and I are at amazed at how close it nails our friends and family.

I was born on The Day of Precocity – Tyler is The Day of Continuity and Tristan is The Day of Established Presence (and he sure established his presence the day he arrived)!!

Clark is kicking a lot and jabbing me in my lower half which tends to make me feel like something might be happening! I’m still having contractions and they come and go but obviously are not regular enough to go into labor. I’ve been taking lots of pictures and am glad we still have a bit more time because we are going to do a few family shots this weekend.

I’m more than ready to receive Clark and hope he arrives soon. I’ve been envisioning the birth and have been practicing the Hypnobirthing Method. I’m also cherishing the last few days- week I have with Tristan. It’s just amazing how time has flown and we’re going to be a family of four. I’m truly looking forward to it. I know Tyler is too…and Tristan is ready to meet Clark and finally put the name with a face! I just envision him and how he’s going to react. It makes me emotional thinking about it. We’re all going to be in babymoon heaven!

My father in-law is giving my husband a week off from work. I’m totally looking forward to soaking up that first few days of family bonding time. I’m going to need Tyler. I’m grateful he’s being so generous. Between my mom, his mom, my sis and a few friends. I think I’m going to make it.

I’m planning to have my placenta dehydrated and encapsulated and take orally- I did this with Tristan and it helps with energy, keeps Postpartum Depression at bay (I was fortunate that I did not experience this), and provides you with all the vitamins and minerals that were stored inside the placenta that have a slew of other benefits. Will keep you posted on this.

Clark will come when he’s ready and my body will do it’s thing soon…. I keep telling Clark that we’re a team and when he’s ready I’ll follow his lead.

That’s all for now.

Chicken Run!

My son enjoys feeding the chickens every “mornin”! He won’t let me forget about it. “Beed Chickens”…even when he wakes up from a nap that’s the first thing he says. Even though we’ve already done it. He loves to pet them and chase them around. They love him too. We usually get two eggs a day but sometimes it’s only one- we did end up with two yesterday- the hens lay at different times of the day. We are planning to get two more chicks very soon.  They’re great pets and love food scraps. They also love lawn clippings. We haven’t had to buy eggs in soooo long. I love it. It’s a great part of our day. Plus, having fresh eggs on hand is awesome. We eat eggs almost daily. My son is our big helper!! He’s getting to the point where he enjoys doing random chores for us…like putting his own dirty laundry in the basket, feeding dogs, and chickens etc.

The EV fleet will become our future energy storage network

Editors Note: The following post was originally posted at Smart Energy Groups by Sam Sabey. Sam is a featured writer at SEG. He is also an energy aware individual trying to make a difference by helping people get together and build a more sustainable energy future. You can also find Sam on twitter: @samotage <link to twitter.com/samotage> Please welcome Sam Sabey to RYD! You’ll be seeing more of his posts here in the future

To make renewables work well, our smart energy future is going to require lots and of battery storage, and the Electric Vehicle will become the cornerstone – a massive distributed battery storage network.

Right now, I believe much of our thinking and attitudes towards EV’s is all wrong. We consider them in terms of

• how many miles per charge,
• time to charge,
• where are the charge points going to be (and who’s going to pay for ‘em)
• …and the list goes on

We also consider EV’s in terms of like for like replacements of our current gas pumping vehicles – which most of us know it’s pretty hard to compare a peach to a lemon.

There is also another thing to consider in terms of renewable energy – if the the wind’s not blowing, and the sun’s not shining, just where are all the electrons going to come from?

In the future, many will drive less, and we will use bikes more and more to get about – both the normal human powered and the electro variety. Cars, like many today, will sit about in the street and in the garages, “resting”.

Now consider a fleet of EV’s, each with it’s internal battery. That’s a lot of energy capacity just sitting about, and it’s unlikely we won’t utilise it. Our fleet of EV’s in reality will become a massive mobile battery storage network. The missing link in a sustainable energy future that will need electricity storage to work.

These EV’s will be grid connected using the millions of charging outlets about …I rekon I’ve got at least 50 of them in my small home

Owners of EV’s will be able to offer their electron storage facility to their local energy community, as a kind of electron swap and share program. Some may even be able to profit from selling their stored energy back into the grid at peak times!

This will allow our cars to power our evening activities, and provide for plenty of spare capacity for people who can plan to need a certain amount of energy to go for a trip. Think of it like asking you neighbor to borrow a few buckets of electrons so you can pop down to the shops and collect the weeks groceries.

In time, solutions applications and technology will be developed that will make this a reality, and allow for seamless management of our energy on an increasing community basis.

Things will be very different in time, and it’s going to be amazing to watch our smart energy future evolve.

Buy a Book, Plant a Tree: Earth Tales!

{ATTN: GIVEAWAY AT THE END OF THIS POST}

I LOVE eco friendly books and books that children can learn about other cultures. Reading to my son is an important part of my day and I especially love books that are nature related. One that opens the mind for them to explore and dream about later…

Earth Tales offers a look into the beautiful anthology of folktales in different cultures around the world. Your child will learn how different cultures live in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of nature. The book is filled with eye capturing illustrations. Earth Tales engages future eco kids with fun activities that accompany each story, such as, making a mini water garden or building a willow den, It’s a fun and bright colored.

Earth Tales is an educational book and is recommended for “Read Together” between the ages of 4-8 and “Read Alone” between the ages of 6-10. It would make a great addition to any teacher’s classroom or children’s collection. The stories are all beautifully written and the entire book has easy eco-tips for young readers to learn about.  

Seven countries are explored in Earth Tales and it is a perfect book for the curious mind. It opens the imagination with all the vibrant colors on every page. My favorite folktale was from India “Amrita’s Tree”. I won’t go into story details but you’ll want to become a “Chipko” after reading such a lovely story. Your child will learn to appreciate other cultures and the planet through this influencial hardcover book. Discover how the rest of the world is “Living Green”!

In honor of Earth Day, which is April 22, 2009- Barefoot Books is partnering with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for each copy of Earth Tales sold this April. An outstanding cause for our precious Mother Earth~ The paper in the book is ancient-forest friendly. Overall, this book is fantastic for your future eco kid. Enter the code “SCETALES” for 10% off online purchases- this code is valid through April 30, 2009!

Barefoot Books is also offering one Recycle Your Day reader a a copy of Earth Tales!

ENTER TO WIN!!

1.       1.  What is your favorite Barefoot Book?

2.       2.  What are you doing to conserve?

3.       3. Post about this giveaway!

You will have until Tuesday, March 31st to enter! Winner will be announced on the April 1, 2009. Make sure you leave a valid email address.

La Bassine Birthing Pool

Hi all,

We finally blew up the tub over the weekend- amongst all the other things we did! I’m so stinking happy about it too. I LOVE IT. My son does too. We had to make sure there were no flaws and it’s still blown up so we can notice any leaks of air. So far so good!! We;re in good shape. Immediately when it was blown up my son wanted in. I think he’s going to be the same way when there’s water in it the day of birth. Tyler would like to do a “spa night” with it before the birth but I’m not sure if that’ll happen. We might just have to make it happen!!! It was actually something suggested to us by the owner of yourwaterbirth.com and I think it’s a neat idea. We’ll just have to make it work out here in the living room since our little guy still sleeps in our bed. We’re working HARD on trying to transition him into his on room but it’s definitely a work in progress.

I digress- the pool is sturdy and easy to get in and out of. If your considering a waterbirth I highly recommend a La Bassine birthing pool does not have phthalates, lead or cadmium it’s eco friendly in the toxic sense. We plan to re-use the pool for the kiddies after the birth!

For now it’s just waiting for action time….any day now! It’s going to be surreal.

Clark Nicholas Quigley were ready to receive you! Your baby brother is anxious to meet you- and so are we!

Love your Mommy, Daddy and Tristan.

World Water Day!

 

Kick the water bottle habit and get your Sigg or Klean Kanteen….it’s time to invest in a re-usable water bottle.

Say no to plastic and yes to conserving water!

It’s World Water Day! In oberservance I wanted to take the fam and March in downtown L.A. but since I’m almost 38 wks. preggo I figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to go into labor during a 3 mile march. NEXT YR. for sure.

With millions of people without water in foreign countries around the globe…we Americans have to appreciate the water we have access to!

 
 

Here are a few water quotes from a site called Global Watering….

“Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes – one for peace and one for science.”
- John F. Kennedy

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.”
- Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997)

“Every human should have the idea of taking care of the environment, of nature, of water. So using too much or wasting water should have some kind of feeling or sense of concern. Some sort of responsibility and with that, a sense of discipline.”
- The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso quoted in Peter Swanson’s Water: The Drop of Life, 2001

One that really sticks!

“You think we have bad fights over oil. Just wait until we start fighting over water.”

-Anonymous Jordanian quoted in The Washington Post, 28 Mar 91

*** BE SURE TO READ MY EARTH HOUR POST BELOW***

Saturday, March 28th: Mark Your Calendars!!

EARTH HOUR BEGINS AT 8:30 PM and will last till 9:30 PM!

FOR ONE HOUR THE WORLD WILL GO WITHOUT LIGHTS.

JOIN IN AND BECOME PART OF THE MOVEMENT.

IT’S ONE NIGHT- FOR ONE HOUR!

 

Earth Hour is about raising awareness on the climate crisis/change. 

What can you do to celebrate Earth Hour…

Usesoy or beeswax candles and have a dinner or dessert by candlelight. Make being in the darkness a fun night. Bring out the flashlights and have a light show on the ceiling. Get your community or neighborhood to participate. The more people the better. If you have a neighborhood darkness party – sit by a fire and roast some marshmallows and make s’mores!!

Although, it’s only one night for one hour- try to incorporate Earth Hour monthly or weekly.

Make a difference in climate change and do your part to support the crisis.

VOTE EARTH- YOUR LIGHTSWITCH IS YOUR VOTE! and we all know EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!

Spring Has Sprung: Green Up Your Spring Cleaning!

Happy Spring to you!

It’s that time of year again…time to get down and dirty and clear out the clutter. Think of alternatives this year by avoiding harsh and dangerous chemicals. For your home and for you! Did you know that indoor air pollution in our homes can be as much as 100 times worse than outdoor air pollution?

Here are a 5 ways to green up your cleaning routine for your Spring cleaning this year:

1. Make your own household cleaners: Ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, borax, or club soda can be combined to clean your home. The best part is that each of these is non toxic! Don’t have the time to combine…purchase green cleaners such as Seventh Generation, Ecover and EcoDiscoveries products to name a few. Avoid using bleach or anything that contains chlorine.

2. Take advantage of the sun: Air dry your clothing and textiles or cloth diapers out in the sun. Save energy and let your clothes dry naturally. The sun is a natural brightener so consider hanging up your “whites” the sun will whiten them naturally.

3. Consider purchasing a few houseplants: Help your indoor air quality and kill toxic chemicals by adding some spider plants, english ivy, gerbera daisies, or peace lilies to your decor. Or just open a window and let the fresh air in.

4. Donate unwanted items: Drop off your unwanted belongings to your local thrift store or Freecycle them;

5. Use Skoy clothes: Instead of using paper towels to clean with consider investing in a sustainable solution;

Do you have any natural/green spring cleaning tips? Do tell!

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