Natural and Sustainable

Harry Chapin sang “Cat’s in the Cradle” in the 70s, but was he aware of the Cradle-to-Cradle-Certified plan?

Of course the song was so very popular then and it’s still bringing in the dough with remakes and collector’s editions sold almost everywhere. The song is a far cry from the actual Cradle-to-Cradle-Certification and with that comes the need to make sure everything that falls into that category is eco-friendly as well.

Cradle-to-Cradle-Certification is a great way to ensure that what you are using comes from the earth and goes directly back into the earth in the end. It guarantees that is has minimal environmental impact and maximum reuse to it.

There are many companies, wanting to change for the better of the planet adopting this practice and getting this certification. Recently Brad Pitt was behind the making of the paraben-, sulfat-, and dye-free Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleaners by Kiehls that sells for about $17. The wash is certified Cradle-to-Cradle.

Kate Hudson was behind the creation of the non-animal-testing product from David Babaii for Wild Aid Hair Care line that sells for about $12-$16. These products incorporate blue algae and Dead Sea Salts as well. They are also prarben, sulfate and petrochemical free in every way.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: When it comes to polishing silver look for a better way like clean them. Look to ketchup, Worcestershire sauce or even toothpaste or baking soda will do the trip. You can clean almost any type of metal with these household products from copper, silver and even brass.

Cancer-causing chemicals could be all around your home and you aren’t aware of it.

Laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaners and even air fresheners could be hoarding more in the solution than just a quick cleaner for the stove. Many products contain one or more chemicals like acetone, limonene, acetaldehyde and 1; 4-dioxane and many of these chemicals aren’t even listed on the labels of the products. And it’s not the short-term exposure that you should be as concerned with as the long-term exposure to these chemicals that could lead to cancer and nervous-system damage as well.

When cleaning, whether it’s by doing the laundry or cleaning the oven, chemicals from those cleaners are given off in the form of toxic air particles that in turn we inhale and they sit in our lungs and are absorbed by the body through the blood stream. This can be potentially dangerous to children over time too.

The best way to avoid this is to look to cleaners that are non-toxic and can offer what’s exactly in the make-up right on the label. Look to cleaners like Seventh Generation or the like.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Look to online bill pay to save on paper waste as well as cut the carbon emissions that are given off to produce the paper as well. If one in five households made the online bill pay switch it would save 151 million pounds of paper and avoid producing nearly 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emission each and every single year according to Pay It Green.

1. Boskke Sky Planters: Quality air is a must for anyone who breathes and with that comes the upside down growing air-purifying plants. They hang from your ceiling and are self-watering.

2. Numi Organic Tea: When it comes to tea Numi claims to be the purest tea on the planet and rightly so they should state that. Made with 100% organic ingredients found in China, South Africa and even India and Japan. You can purchase a tea set that has a teapot, strainer and matching cups for under $35.

3. Capable Arts T-shirts: These t-shirts offer 100% organic cotton and fair trade labor which is made in the USA as well. Printed with eco-friendly inks and garment dyes as well. And the best part is the printed designs don’t crack or peel with wear. Pick up a t-shirt for under $30. You can feel good about these t-shirts when you wear them and the goal is to help those that want to make better purchasing choices easier. The t-shirts have a clear message of where you stand on your environment and soul as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Summer is coming, so the best way to go green in the summer is to grow your own veggies. Nothing beats being able to sow the soil and plant the seeds to wait for growth and to harvest what you have sheltered and babies the whole time. You take care of the planets and they will give you plenty to reap. To learn more about great gardening techniques, look to Earthly Garden.

Cloth diapers come any many forms and most people steer clear of them because of the cleaning involved. Our world has come to conveniences and disposable seems to be more convenient than the cloth.

Although cloth diapers offer a rash-free skin, because they need to be changed right off and they offer less stress on the environment because of the lack of plastic and the ability to wash and reuse them time and again.

Wee Bunz in Oregon offers stylish cloth diapers that can be worn just like the disposable type, with a little more flair than just the normal designs and structure like plastic diapers.

They offer colors in a wide range of styles that offer a Velcro closure and they look great on boys and girls that are still in diapers and potty training as well. Check out their wide range of disposable diapers and change your thinking to a more sustainable one.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always try to see the bright side of life and to help with that allow bright light to flood your living space. Open curtains on sunny days and always look to the positives in no matter what the issue. When you wake in the morning look for one or more optimistic points in your life each morning. In no time it will help you realize how positive your life really is.

When I say for a better environment I not only mean the planet, I also mean your present environment as well, your breathing environment and your family and living environment as well. The air quality in our homes can be 10 times worse than the air quality outside. With that comes illnesses and other sickness. To help prevent that, go green with your cleaning and here are some ideas to help get your started.

• Rust Remover: Sprinkle sea salt on the rust, and then squeeze a lemon or a lime over the salt. Leave on the rust for about 2 hours then scrub the area with the rind of the citrus fruit.

• Window Cleaner: Mix together 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/2 tsp. castile soap and 2 cups warm water. Pour into a spray-top bottle and use with newspaper to clean windows, stove tops and even shower doors and curtains.

• Wood Cleaner: Mix together 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp. castile soap and a drop or two of olive, canola or other carrier oil in a bowl and with a sponge, soak up some of the mixture and ring out the excess. Wash the wood surface and all to dry. If the smell of vinegar is too much, place a few drops of essential oil into the mixture as well.

• All-Purpose Cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 tsp. borax, 3-1/2 cups hot water (not too hot that it burns the skin though), 1/4 cup castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap or the like, 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 10 drops lemon essential oil and 10 drops peppermint essential oil.

Mix everything together but the castile soap into a spray bottle. Add the castile soap last and use on surfaces like kitchen counters and bathroom sinks.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: No matter what your budget allows, simple cleaning solutions can be made from everyday household products that are really inexpensive. Look to baking soda and vinegar first before spending money on something more expensive and that can pose a health risk.

Plastic bags have been under scrutiny for years now and with that come the making of useful canvas and other bags such as the ones that can be packed in a backpack, your pocket, or even in a purse. These bags make it easier for you to steer clear of the plastic bags that are no almost everywhere you go anymore. There are certain companies and businesses that are allowing you to bring back the plastic bags to be recycled into new bags and this is a great way to help keep them out of landfills and clear up the environment, but just to recycle them puts a strain on the eco-system of earth as well.

Reusable bags are as easy as ever to pack away and almost everyone has at least one by now and to add to that you can now find ones that zip closed and tuck into anywhere so you are never without. Here are some of the best easy-to-carry bags available.

1. Chico Bags: This company is all about reducing the strain on the environment with their options of The Original bag, the Vita, the RePete and the Limited Edition. These bags are easy to carry in and store in the glove box of your car. Bags run about $10.

2. BAGGU Bags: These bags, when used, will replace about 300 to 700 disposable bags. They are bright in color and care really fun to use. The company offers the bag options of the regular Baggu, penguin bag, produce bag, Lincoln bag, baby bag, the big bag and even a grocery kit that comes with plenty of Baggu bags to carry all of your groceries.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Taking showers can use a lot of water and a lot of water gets wasted as well during showers. To help with this try timing yourself with a shower time from Ripple Products. You can even make it a game and try to beat other family members.

We have all read the reports on how much carbon emission our cars give off and the gas and the oil and everything else about a car, but have you really sat down and actually thought about the cost involved in the transportation your car offers you everyday? I am not just talking about getting you from point A to point B, I am talking about the over all cost of even owning a car. The cost out of your own pocket and the cost on the eco-system and planet around said car?

Transportation is a lot more than just the roads and the cars on the road and it’s a lot more than just getting from work to home. Transportation shouldn’t be that in which we have to take our over-extended Suburban’s to a local park because there isn’t any form of sidewalks or bike paths to help us get there without using the lanes. The fact is, whether there is a path for you to walk on or not, we should find a better way to get from A to B.

If you think about transportation, do you ever consider where and how your food is trucked in? Transportation covers how our food is shipped and transported to us as well. How far and how many miles has that beautiful bouquet of flowers taken to get to your table in that vase?

When we consider transportation in a new light and we see where we can cut out unnecessary miles just with simple changes, then we really grasp the concept of how you can better your traveling and the planets strain when it comes to transportation.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Alternative transportation is the best way to go when getting to a location that is within walking distance.

The Harry Potter book series got a lot of negative effects when it first came out in book form in school libraries. A lot of teaching professionals didn’t want the books on the shelf because it seemed to be “witchery” in a sort and teaching kids that magic is okay. With that a lot of parents raved about the series because it was allowing their children to read in ways they never had before.

With all the controversy of the books aside, the movies proved to be great profits of the creators with the five Harry Potter movies being in over $5 billion as of 2007. With that the books have brought in that much more in sales as well.

When a book is published paper is use, of course and with that paper comes trees. Many trees are cut down everyday and what is left behind is deforestation of the trees. The publishers behind The Harry Potter books wanted to put a stop to this and with that came the idea to use recycled paper as well as paper printed on wood that has come from the Forest Stewardship Council forest option.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows can now be found printed on paper that comes from 30 percent post-consume waste fiber and 65 percent of the 16,7000 tons of paper will be certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council. The deluxe edition of the Harry Potter book will be 100 percent post consumer waste paper and made using wind energy. Read more about it here.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Want in on the latest celebrity gossip? Then log onto Ecorazzi. They have the latest and greatest fashion forward and up to date information the green efforts of celebrities from around the world. President Obama is even featured in an article about his green efforts for the United States. Check out the latest in eco gossip on Ecorazzi by click here.

Waterpik® has been on the consumer scene since they came out with the tooth cleaner and now they have taken a hand in water-saving as well with the Eco Flow™ shower head.

The shower head offers six spray settings from massage to the water pause option that will save you money. It also helps save annual household water expenses by over half.

It comes with a flexible 5-foot house that makes it great for bathing not only yourself but also young children in the bathtub and even bets and special needs bathing as well. There is a flow regulator that doesn’t exceed 2.0 gpm at 80 psi and it is super easy to install as well.

The Eco Flow™ showerhead will save you money and water with long term use and the best part of the showerhead is the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Everyone can go green even Prince Charles has made the change over to a greener lifestyle. He has been reducing is royal carbon footprint since 2007 and has installed solar panels, a green activities center, and a rainwater harvesting system that produces power. Read more about it here at The London Evening Standard.

When it comes to building or remodeling an existing home there are a few thoughts that might come to mind, one is cost the other is saving money. With the recent climb in greener options for the home, one can’t help but wonder what the best choices are when adding new options to their home. Here is a few quick tips to keep in mind that will not only help save you money, but also save the environment in the process as well.

2. Low-E Windows: This is always a plus because they help to reduce the heat loss in your home in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

3. Energy Star Appliances: This thought has been around for awhile now. It’s the best way to ensure you are getting top of the line appliances that will indeed save you money over all. If it’s an older home look at what the Residential Energy Services Network gives the home as a Home Energy Rating as well.

4. Low-Energy Lighting: With this comes low energy bulbs and fixtures that will ultimately lower your energy bill as well.

5. Sustainable Wood Products: This can include everything from your flooring to your cabinets.

6. Water Conservation: Make sure you are conserving water in everyway possible from low-flow toilets, to low-flow showerheads and faucets.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Looking for organic cotton bedding then look to Rubie Green. They carry organic cotton bed skirts and linens as well as upholstery fabric.

As silly as it may sound, denim from recycled old jeans and other denim clothing items are being recycled at an alarming rate into insulation for homes, buildings and other structures daily. With this recycled denim comes a better product that is not only 100% recycled by also have a better impact on the environment than conventional fiberglass insulation.

The denim insulation is made from cast off from denim manufacturing or some companies might even get denim from landfills as well. No matter where the denim comes from the bottom line is it helps lessen the burden on the environment caused by fiber glass insulation and textile wastes as well.

There is denim insulation dealers throughout the nation and you can find one close to you by visiting this link and looking up your area.

No matter what you are wanting to insulate, denim insulation is a great and eco-friendly way to do. Fiberglass insulation is not only bad for the environment it is also bad for you to inhale. It is made up of tiny shards of fiberglass that has been combined with polymers to bring the insulation together and it was the only way to go for the longest time when insulating houses was important.

There are other options besides denim out there that are better for the environment, just doing a simple search before you go with what’s convenient will help the environment and it may even help raise your homes LEED factor as well. And with that, it’s not only a better investment it’s a great investment in a greener home.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Adding greener options to your home can up the value of your home and its LEED factor. Before you go with whatever is available do your homework on what is better for your heath, home and the environment.

Going green by paying bills online is a great way to save on paper and save you money as well. With one company, Comcast, they offer the option to pay your complete bill right off their site here.

The Ecobill from Comcast offers the ability to save on paper waste that comes with your paper bill monthly. The Ecobill is the exact replica of the paper statement you would otherwise receive. The exact replica of your paper bill shows all of the charges and amount due. From the homepage site you can set up an online account and start paying with a bank card or a credit card.

This Ecobill will not only save paper that in turn saves trees, it also will help save on other paper waste that comes with your bill such as new product flyers and the paper envelope that comes as well. The bill also will save you gas used when headed to pay your bill in a local office and it also saves a stamp and address labels when mailing your bill as well.

The Comcast Ecobill is a great way to help save the environment and when you sign up for the Ecobill you are doing your part to help save the environment as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: One of the best ways to save the earth is to enjoy what it has to offer. Instead of watching TV on a free day why not head out to a local park or hike through a local state park and see what your earth has provided you. Taking in the air and the smells this time of year will open your senses and help you grasp a better concept of what you are trying to protect.

One such program is the FEED Bag Project that help to raise money for the United Nations World Food Programme. The project was started by Lauren Bush with an and activist and former model, because she felt the crisis was important enough to her to help.

The FEED Bag project create burlap sacks that are sold to the open public and every cent raised goes to the U.N. WFP. One bag sold through her project can help to provide a school lunch for 1 year to a child in these countries. The meals are offered through the incentive to get children to attend school hand the most important part is they give the children the proper nutrition they all need to grow.

You can purchase your FEED Bag, which will feed one child in school for a year, for $30 or a FEED 2 Bag, which will feed two children in school for a year, for $100 of the website or at Whole Foods Markets. The project is geared to help the environment by using recycled burlap sacks as well as help children in other countries get the proper education and a proper meal as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Learn more about what you can do to help the earth at Earth Pledge. Get tips and insight on the best approach to take when changing your thinking and you practices to greener ones.

Going green is as easy as simple changes in your everyday life. Here are some ways to go green that you may have no considered.

1. Your Roof: When it comes to your roof options the best way to go green is with a roof that works with your own climate area, such as a tin roof that can help reflect the heat or a roof that will soak in the heat. Do some research for your own are and to learn more about eco options visit Eco Roofs.

2. Your Furnishings: Go vintage like old candelabras and draperies. You can never go wrong with vintage and it also brings forth personality to your home that others might not have.

3. Your Jewelry: Go vintage as well. Anything that is already made is a great way to go green with your accessories. Look to vintage jewelry like the selection sold by Deco Jewels in New York.

4. For Kid’s Toys: Always go organic. Ones made with organic cotton and even clothing for your kid’s dolls made with Unconventional items like reclaimed candy wrappers like the doll dresses or reclaimed bath towels made into stuffed animals. Or look to antique stores for vintage toys or solid wood toys that haven’t been painted.

5. For Animals: Get yourself a few chickens and ducks if where you live allows it. They help cut down on bugs and if you live in an area prone to ticks, they take care of that issue as well, all in a greener fashion.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Do you buy shirts online? Pass the word along to the company you purchase shirts from to change their shipping methods to the HangerPak.

It’s an eco-friendly way to ship and hang your new shirts. Saving the environment is easy, we just have to spread the word.

When it comes to collecting there are a few that seem to go over board and then end up with zero space in their home or apartment. Instead of filling every shelf in your house with something, why not make you collection a functional one.

If you collect items such as vintage rug beaters, such as the one pictured below being sold on eBay currently for under $100. You can pick up a few and display them on a wall in your home to fill a space that would otherwise be occupied by an expensive painting or the like. These beaters can actually be used in the everyday as well. Use them for what they were intended to be used for and hit your heavy rugs or your quilts.

You could collect vintage oil lanterns and actually use them outside for a picnic time in the late evenings. Some other functional collections could include the following.

1. Vintage Cooking Items: Bowls, Pyrex, etc. Using them everyday will give them life and make your kitchen cooking one-of-a-kind.

3. Painted Vintage Containers: Use them everyday for flour or sugar. You could even find ones in larger form (may be more expensive) for dog food as well.

Whatever your taste in collecting, the more functional the collection is the more green it becomes as well. Look to function rather than enlarging your collection everyday. If it adds to your collection and you can find a use for it in your everyday, then grab it up.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: The Crisis of Water!