{tidbits of green}

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Hello there! Me again. Changes are in progress here at RYD and I’m really excited. Soon you will be too!

Going green is on the brain 24/7!  Since it’s always on the brain and I always have ideas swirling around…

I’m going to start sharing tibits of juicy information with you all in one post. This helps alleviate some of my anxiety on trying to bring you rockin’ green news on the daily! So, I’ve started a new series here at RYD called {tibits of green}! Lots of tidbits here and there and everywhere to bring you weekly.

I haven’t decided if I want to do this on Thursday’s on Wednesday’s with Wordless Wednesday. I will also be starting a Mr. Linky here as well for WW and Meatless Monday’s. This way other’s can participate too.  I may even start a forum…but one thing at time my pretties!

Without further ado…

{tidbits of green}

:::racking brain:::

….///…///…/// here goes…

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Entertaining Toddler’s a la Green

Yesterday was a busy day here. With what seems like longer days we’ve found ourselves trying to keep busy. You know me, as a green mom I like to entertain my son in green style-  here’s what’s we did yesterday in a nutshell.Even though it’s cold out I try to find ways to get my son outdoors and enjoy nature.

It’s a known fact that kids these days aren’t getting enough fresh air. Instead they are stuck inside playing video games and watching t.v. rather than being outside and using nature as a stage. I know some of you live where it snows quite frequently in the winter. Even a 5 minute snowball fight or even just a tromp through the snow- kids need nature! Nature nutures…and besides- we need to teach our kids to appreciate nature before we try to instill sustainable values upon them. Anyway… Read more

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Eco Link Love Edition: # 1

The other day I shared my favorite raw foodie sites- well, since then I’ve found even more, I really enjoy- lol!! The bloggy world is amazing. You can learn so much all in one day!

Today, I’m going to keep this short because they’re isn’t much time in my day right now to blog! Baby C has been restless and I can’t seem to keep up with everything. Which means, I’m not superwoman- after all- shh!!!! Don’t tell anyone- LOL! Honestly, though, it feels like some days I have to be Super Woman in order to keep some sanity– but that’s just me.

My husband has been working night and day since the start of the summer. He goes to work for the company and then he comes home and works on the rental house my parents own. He’s doing a complete re-model to it. It’s a lot of physical work and TIME. Besides working day and night- he’s been working the weekends pretty much all year long. Before the rental- there was a side job- and before this turns into a rant- I’m going to stop! You get the drift. Things seems a bit crazy at times and I feel like pulling my hair out. ARGH!

Since my life is a bit hectic at the moment I hope you will allow me to spare you some juicy eco details and allow me to break up the monotony…

Here are some GREEN blogs I regularly visit- in no specific order…

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Going Back To School Green

This month, the Green Mom’s Carnival topic is Back to School.

August is traditionally the Back to School month where students stock up on what they’ll need for the school year. What usually comes to mind when you think “Back to School”? I immediately think supplies. Backpacks, pencils, pens, erasers, cases, notebooks, calculators, folders…etc. The list can get pretty lengthy! It’s no wonder parents go broke over school supplies each year. That’s not even including clothing or lunch money (both for splurge and for making).

I can remember, when I started high school my mom would give each of us $100 (3 of us = $300). With that money we had to buy our clothes and supplies. She always made our lunches and sometimes would leave two dollars on the days we didn’t have a lunch.

With the $100 dollars, I was smart. I had to make it last. The only way to do this was to shop second-hand. I’d fill up an entire cart of vintage clothes at “The American Way” and felt like I had an entirely new wardrobe when I walked out. It was a good feeling.

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Eco Tip: Cotton Swabs

You might be wondering how cotton swabs and the planet go hand in hand…

I came across this tip and thought it was one of the items you don’t often think about when you’re greening up your act. It’s a very good tip!

USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

I’m totally guilty of using the plastic spindles at one point in my life. They were cheaper and colorful. We no longer use these type of cotton swab we made the switch and so can you!

Be mindful. Be conscience. Make a difference.

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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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Green Speak @ Descanso Garden’s with Amy Stewart!

This weekend I was fortunate enough to attend Green Speak: Becoming More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly with Amy Stewart.

I arrived at the class about 10 minutes before and watched as the author of Flower Connection, Earth Moved and From the Ground Up walked up to the Vande Kamp Hall where the class was being held. I have to be honest, I had no idea who she was until I signed up and I’d never even heard of her books. That all changed…and now I’m officially a fan!!! Amy spoke about various topics that mainly focused on the floral industry. It gave me a whole new perspective for where our flowers are coming from and the processes they go through just to be perfect. Right now, “flower miles” as much as “food miles” is something we’re thinking about. Sustainable practices are a huge concern for flower growers and for consumers alike. As we learn more and more about toxic chemicals entering our systems through many common household cleaning products to the plastics we use to store our food in…the flower business is also learning how they can become more earth friendly in their growing standards. It was very interesting to hear about her travels to Equador and Amsterdam where she visited the famous flower market! Telling us the tales of ”green”house growing and how BIG the world of flowers really is. Think about all the traveling a flower does before it actually makes it the U.S. Most often their flown on flights that are coming here already but at times like, oh say, Valentine’s Day- your flowers are being flown in a stripped out jet plane here and then flown back EMPTY and so on. NoW you know why, roses are so damn expensive on V-Day! Part of the class was geared for the florist and the other half for us gardeners. Mainly, pointing out that the horiticulture industry is a huge consumer of plastic (which is it, and I totally agree) and how to be environmentally conscious when gardening! Here is a bit of what I learned:

* www.circleoflifeplants.com- Bingo! Sustainable Horticulture at your finger tips- find out more today!

“The CIRCLE OF LIFE Garden has been chemical-free for three years. We use environmentally-friendly practices like double-digging and applying compost teas and organically-based fertilizers. Our garden, planted in the form of six circular beds, has shown that CIRCLE OF LIFE plants develop better roots, establish faster when planted and are generally more tolerant to climatic stresses, insects and diseases.”

“The CIRCLE OF LIFE Garden is a demonstration that sustainable gardening can be easy and beautiful. We believe that, given a choice and the right tools and information, many gardeners will choose to garden in this way.”

* Monrovia plants is working on becoming eco-friendly…

* Due to heavy metals and diseases in commercial compost,  use local compost-rather than purchase- whether you make it or get it from the local farmer!

Don’t throw away the baking soda from the boxes that have been sitting in your fridge, absorbing odors- re-use to clean your kitchen sink, tub, or toilet. Don’t forget to recycle the box when finished!

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