Natural and Sustainable

Normally going green to some means spending a lot of money, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Starting small then working your way up the green ladder is easier than you might first think. Here are some great ways to help save you on money and help you go greener in the process.

1. Organic: When it comes to organic foods you may think they are expensive and some are just down right way over priced, but you can buy organic without breaking the bank. Many stores that offer organic foods, such as Whole Foods or even Safeway offer their own brands of organic foods. Whole Foods has their 365 Organic and Safeway has their Organics line. Look to store brand organic to save money and eat better. And going local can help as well, and this is the prefect time of year to start. Better yet, start your own garden and you can guarantee it will be organic because you grew it yourself.

2. Cleaning: When it comes to cleaning there is nothing better than the natural cleaners such as baking soda or vinegar, but you can clean green everyday with other options as well. Salt, lemons, toothpaste and many others can be just as helpful. Look to previous posts here at Natural and Sustainable to learn more about natural cleaners that you already have in your cabinet.

3. Household Expenses: Sit down and consider the cost of things you spend every month. If you can part with a few things like a land line and a cell phone, pick which one you use the most and get rid of the other. In order to go green you must be willing to change. If a few months goes by and you still feel like you are in need of one thing or another, then bring it back in as an expense, if not then good riddance to a bothersome payment for you and the environment.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Look to dollar stores to pick up items in a hurry and cheaper than stores to make last minute casseroles, stews and even pasta dishes. Most stores sell items like canned tomatoes and crackers that are defective or even packaged wrong to save you money. Shop around for the best deal on items though to save on money in the long run.

If you have brought up green changes within your office and also to your co-workers or bosses and got a snubbed look or a no way. There could be other reasons to this other than them thinking they are too difficult to change or too pricey to afford. Here is a great way to get your brush offs to be heard.

If you are attempting to convince your boss you may want to show how these changes are actually cost-saving to the company and very simple to change. Some great examples of this would be refilling the ink cartridges instead of just replacing them altogether. It can save about 50 percent than it would to be just to replace them.

Simple things like shutting down computers at night and printers and fax machines can save your company huge amounts of wasted costs as well. Try to convey this to your boss and other coworkers and let them know the more money the company saves the more money they will possibly receive in return.

Convey to coworkers how important it is for them to bring in their own reusable cups instead of relying on the company’s paper or Styrofoam cups. This can save the company huge cost on their coworkers alone. These ideas may prompt other changes as well. So get the ball rolling.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If you have in your head the guilt from the carbon mess you are creating and fret about why you didn’t take the bus instead of walk or bike, then it may be time for you to visit a local eco-psychologist. These psychologists are sprouting up everywhere now days and if you feel the guilt to be overwhelming, schedule an appointment to visit one today.

Here are five tips to help cut your costs at home as well as help the environment in the process.

1. Leftovers at home are the number one way to cut your food cost and save you from using unnecessary resources as well. If your leftovers aren’t appealing for a second or even a third night, try adding them to a dish already prepared. Experiment with different left over food and you may make a whole new recipe and dish

2. Another way to save on food cost and help the environment out at the same time is to eat close to home. Why travel 50 miles to a fancy restaurant when there are many restaurants in your own town. Even if they are mom and pop stands, it’s nice to be giving back to your own community as well as eating at a place that you don’t have to drive so far to as well.

3. If you close up drafts around your home with things called draft snakes, you can make a few out of old fabric, you will save on energy cost that is slipping out the cracks. This technique works great for the winter and the summer as well. Install a programmable thermostat as well; program it to come on about 5 minutes before you come home.

4. Order your products online before heading out to shop for them. Yesterday was the infamous “Black Friday” and many of us could have saved a bundle, as well as the man’s life in New Jersey, if more of us had shopped online on Friday. Many of your regular products can be found in many online retailers and it cost less for you to pay online shipping then it is to drive from location to location. Many retailers have free or drastically cut shipping cost if you buy many products at once.

5. When you leave you home consider biking or walking to your location if it’s close. Even if it is a couple of blocks from your home, consider walking or biking there as well. The more you do it the easier it becomes and you will burn calories as well. We are a society of convenience, how convenient is it to head out on your own two feet and leave the same way you came without having to pay for parking or try to find your car in the parking lot of a large store? Pretty darn easy I say.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Large sized dog food bags can be made into a kitchen waste bag instead of wasting a plastic garbage sack. Just fill it the same way you would you regular garbage sack and save yourself that expensive of using yet another plastic bag.

Since the holidays are right around the corner, now is the best time to think about stuff you use during this time of year. There is a million times more waste during this time of year till the New Year than any other times. Not just from the gift giving but to the decorations, the party-ware and the foods as well. Here some simple ways to help reduce, reuse and recycle what we tend to over use this season.

1. Go with CFL approved lighting for your Christmas decorating and not the conventional 1-strand lights. Once one light goes out, most people just throw out the entire strand.

2. Collect the used ribbons, and bows after the holiday package and gift opening is over. Sometimes you can even reuse tags on packages as well. I like to keep the tags from packages that are given to me and cut my name from the tag and place the tag on the receiver’s gift the following year. It’s a nice added touch that save paper and also shows you care.

3. Check into your local waste company to see if they will compost your Christmas tree or not, if not compost it yourself or buy a potted tree and add it to your yard when the season is over.

4. Shop at local merchants and stores close to home and use reusable shopping bags when you do your shopping as well. If you can’t find what you need at local stores then plan one trip outside of town or order from the internet.

5. The best gifts are ones the receiver can buy themselves. Purchase gift cars and let the receiver be the shopper. These gifts don’t require extra wrapping paper or ribbons or bows.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: During the holidays, don’t forget to donate to your local charity.

1. Plug your computer, fax machine, copier, scanner, TV, DVD player, and even your Ipod and phone chargers onto a power strip and then simply switch it off when you are not suing them.

2. Replace 10 incandescent bulbs in your home or office with CFLs. Carpool to the office; donate used gear and sporting goods and even well worn older shoes that are good condition as well.

3. Turn down your water heater, air-dry your dishes and even use rechargeable batteries when you can.

4. Replace your clogged car filter; recycle plastics, paper, metals and glass no matter what. Look for recycled products as well and keep them in circulation.

5. Remove your car’s roof rack when you aren’t using it, drink filtered tap water instead of water that has been bottled and BYOB, bring your own bottle to places and refill it. Eat vegetarian twice a week at your home or at the office. Turn off the lights with you leave a room and turn off the ceiling fan when you aren’t in a room as well. Bike to most of your in-town errands and walk to places close like a friend’s house, or the library.

6. Cut down on your car washing, and sweep your driveway off instead of using the hose to spray it. Accelerate your speed gradually in your car to help save gas as well. Use the cruise control on the interstate and open highways. Always drive the speed limit, it’s better to be late then over-use your gas and even get a ticket.

7. Take a Navy shower by turning off the water while you soap up. Shave in the sink and not in the shower to help save water as well. Don’t overfill the bathtub.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use environmentally friendly insulation on your home. It will help cut your heating and cooling cost as well as helps with your impact on the earth as well.

• Collect rainwater from downspouts and use it to water your won garden and plants.

• Say no to carpeting. Carpet contains more contaminants and pollen and dust than anything else in your home.

• Buy green power when you can and ask your utility company to off it if they don’t already. The typical U.S. household uses about 10,000 KWH a year.

• Repair, and don’t replace appliances. Each fix means your won’t be buying a new one and it will keep your old one out of landfills. IF you feel you must replace, then donate the broken or semi-broken one to a company that refurbishes or repairs then and resells then.

• Buy energy-efficient appliance when you do replace. Energy Star appliance use 10 to up to 50% less energy and water and must meet EPA efficiency guidelines.

• Dry your dishes on the dishwasher rack and if your dishwasher offers the air dry option, use that as well.

• Buy secondhand clothing or household items as tag sales and save the carbon cost of new production.

• Hang your laundry out to dry on a clothes line and eliminate one dryer cycle per week or more.

• Clean AC filters or replace them when necessary to keep your AC unit running smoothly.

• Run ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner in hot climates; this can save you more than a ton of CO2 waste within your won home.

• Use cold water to wash and rinse your clothes, only use hot water when the laundry is very dirty and always wash your bedding in hot water to kill bed bugs and dust mites.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Go for low flow showerheads, this switch can save you 1800 in eclectic cost and 43o in natural gas depending on how your water is heated. Not to mention the savings in water cost and waste as well. Consider putting in a low-flow toilet as well.

1. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse: If you recycle paper you use 70 percent less energy and 55 percent less water than creating paper from new source. Whenever possible, use washable cups, napkins, plates and towels instead of paper one. Pay as many bills as you can online to reduce the paper waste when a bill is sent to you through the mail. Also, please consider the planet when you go to print something from your computer.

2. Eliminate the uselessness of packaging: Use reusable shopping bags wherever you go. Drink filters water straight from the tap. Avoiding plastic containers can help save 1.5 million barrels of petroleum each year.

3. Reduce your carbon footprint at home: Replace your bulbs with CFLs or LEDs and always turn off the lights when you aren’t using them. Turn off your ceiling fans as well. Unplug your stereos, phone chargers and also your video games when you aren’t’ suing them. Set your water heater no high than 120 degrees. Vacuum your refrigerators coils monthly and keep your freezers stocked full. Consider installing solar-powered items in your home such as ceiling fans on decks or porches or pool lights.

4. Travel more green: Check your tires often and get regular tune-ups. Consider investing in a hybrid vehicle or ride a bike or scooter for shorter trips within your town or to a friend’s house. If you work near co-workers consider carpooling and walk every chance you get that means even consider taking the stairs from time to or all the time.

5. Buy organic when you can: Organic has no pesticide residue or chemical enhanced ingredients. Also many organic products have been produced sustainable, using less energy and less water. This in turn protects the animal and water supply, which in turn protects wildlife and plants

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Garden outdoors as much as possible. Plant trees and shrubs to help shade your home in the summer and block cold winds in the winter. Select organic and heirloom seeds for your garden as well. Use paper and grass clippings as much and reduce your water usage. Water your garden heavily in the early morning or late in the evening. And never ever use chemicals fertilizers or pesticides.

• What you will need:

-Recycled, plastic container. Make sure it is pretty tall so you can continue to fill it without having to empty it as often.

-Utility knife

-Recycled paper

-Scissors

-Recycled tape

What you will need to do:

Wash and clean the plastic container thoroughly. Especially clean it well if it contained soaps or other washing liquids or cleaners. Next, tear away any labeling and add this labeling to your recycling of paper goods on the curbside pick up.

Take the recycled paper and make palm tree leaves or daisy petals to add to the top if your coin bank. You can even paint the outside of the container with paints or use the recycled paper and make additional designs and paste them on the outside of the container. Once the paints and the paste dry, start adding coins to your newly made bank. Once the bank is full, donate the money to a wildlife charity or buy seeds to plant in your garden. This project is good at teaching children the three Rs. Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Make you own paints and pastes, here’s how:

For watercolors: Stir 1/2 tbs. of powdered drink mix with 1/2 tbs. of warm water.

For paste: Mix 3/4 cup cold water with 1/2 cup cornstarch. Bring 2 tsp corn syrup, 1 tsp. white vinegar, and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly add the cornstarch mix to the boiling mixture. Stirring until dissolved. Let cool for 24 hours. Store in an airtight container. These two recipes are better for the environment and your child’s health in the long run.

1. Recycled tin is the best idea for any home furnishing. You can find many household decorating items, such as lamps or even certain light fixtures made of recycled tin. Try Stray Dog Designs.

2. Many of your beddings and throws are made with chemicals and other harmful ingredients. And most are dyed with unnatural dyes that can either bleed or cause asthma problems later. Try finding ones made of natural dyes and better ingredients. Try Garnet Hill.

3. If you are looking for stools or even nightstand try reaching for ones made of solid wood or a company that gathers their goods for salvaged or a sustainable source. Try ABC Carpet & Home @ (212-473-3000).

4. Rugs are made from a material that can leach contaminant for month and months after they are purchased. So reach for a rug that is made from better sources, such as wool, felt and twine. Try Felt Rugs.

5. An organization like Sao Paulo, allows homeless people to transform recycled newspaper into one of kind bowls that you can actually use within your own home. This program allows these people to work and they are paid a wages in order to survive. Try Brastilo.

6. Wallpaper and the wallpaper adhesive is one of the most controversial paints now days. Instead of using conventional wall paper methods to cover your walls in your house try using ones that are more eco-friendly. Try DDbuilding.

7. As stated above, using better furniture and wood pieces in your home is the better option for yourself and the environment and better made products last longer as well. For your next table purchase needs try Autoban-Delaespada to find stores that carry better for the environment goods.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Recycle your rechargeable batteries just the same as you would your conventional batteries. If it doesn’t hold a charge, send it in into for recycling. Call 2 Recycle is a company that offers drop-off locations for those batteries. Visit their web site or call them toll-free at (877-2-recycle).

Wildlife Birdfeeder

What you will need :
• 2-liter plastic soda bottle with the plastic screw top in place
• A Hammer
• A Nail
• Duct Tape
• Wooden Dowel
• Funnel
• Bird Seed
• Twine or Hemp String
• Paints or permanent markers

What you need to do :
Using the hammer and the nail, punch two pencil-sized holes on opposite sides of the plastic soda bottle. Make sure you punch them, just before the curve of the bottle begins near the top. Push the wooden dowel through the holes to form a perch for the birds to sit while they eat from your feeder.

Next, punch two larger holes about 1 in half inches from the perch, just above where the birds will sit. Be sure and make these holes large enough for the birds to be able to pick out the bird seeds while they are eating, but not too large that the seed falls out.

Finally, Punch two to four more holes into the bottle of the soda bottle so you can be able to feed the twine through the holes and hang your feeder from a nearby tree. Once the holes in the bottom are made, feed the twine through. Kids can now help paint or use a permanent marker to place whatever they want to on the outside of the bottle. Once the paint is dry, place a small piece of duct tape over all the holes so you can feed the birdseed into the soda bottle through the top using the funnel. Once your birdseed is in, screw the top back on, flip upside down and hang your feeder outside and remove the duct tape.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Making more for the birds. Preparing nesting supplies for your local birds is such a simple process. All you need is a mesh cotton grocery bag and fill it with items such as shredded paper, fabric strips, cotton balls, feathers or batting. Dry grass or pine needles. Hang this in a spot that is out of the way of predators and is easy accessible to many birds.

Most bottled water you purchase is basically just tap water in a mask. Most bottled water manufactures’ market on the idea that the consumer thinks they are buying better water in a bottle, but tap water is held in higher standard than most if not all bottled water is. But with this thought many people depend greatly on bottled water which is taking a great toll on our environment in a big way.

The environmental impact creates fossil fuel consumption, water consumption and ever massive amounts of waste every year. There is approximately 1.5 million gallons of oil, enough to run about 100, 000 cars for a whole year used in making the plastic which holds this water we are consuming. The water we are consuming is effecting nearby farmers that are close to the bottling plant. There are millions of gallons of water used to make the plastic to hold the water and 2 gallons of water are wasted in the purification process as well. The waste is what’s taking a toll the most. There are only about 10 percent of the plastic water bottles being recycled; leaving the rest in a landfill where it takes thousands of years for the materials to decompose completely.

There is a better and cheaper alternative to this ever growing problem. Simply turn on the tap the next time you want a quick drink of water. Installing a faucet-mounted filter or keeping a pitcher filter in your fridge will take out some of the tap-water taste from the city water as well. If you are away from home, be sure and take your own water in a stainless steel or plastic container with the numbers 2, 4 or 5 instead of buying bottled water. Always bring your own water (BOYW) whenever you can.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use recycled content toilet paper. If everyone in the U.S. used one recycled roll per year it would save 424,000 trees.

It’s hot, so what’s the first thing most people think to do? Get cooler, obviously. Most people have central heating and air conditioning inside their homes or at least a water cooled air system or even a window unit to help cool their homes. But, did you know that placing ceiling fans in proper locations within your home will help cool the air even more.

Ceiling fans use 90 percent less energy than an air conditioning system and they make the room seem cooler by seven to even ten degrees cooler. They ultimately help push the air around making it seem cooler automatically.

By placing a fan in your attic alone will help cut your air conditioning cost by at least 10 percent, depending on the size of the fan, of course.

If you must still cool the air in order to be in your home during the summer months, depending on where you live, look for Energy-Star-rated models, which have an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) about a 10. Call you local air conditioning dealer to ask which Energy-Star approved model is best for your home. Mike’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Royal, Arkansas sells brands such as Frigidaire/Nordyne and Rheem systems that are all Energy-Star approved. What’s more with nearer Energy-Star approved models is the change from R22 to new Environmentally Friendly 410 A. This new refrigerant isn’t harmful to the ozone layer and is better for the environment overall. Ask your local A/C dealer if they carry the new refrigerant and how to change your older model A/C that uses R22 to a more environmentally friendly model. Do it for your health and your environment.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Buy local by shopping at you local neighborhood farmer’s market. This option allows you to support farmers and introduce your children to fresh, seasonal foods. If you can, join a Community Supported Agriculture group, (CSA). These groups cost about $20 a week and give you access to fresh shares of vegetables, fruits and even some meats and eggs. Check out Local Harvest to get started taking advantage of the groups in your area today.

Kids love art projects, so why not use items within your own home to help with the art project basket or tote. You can find thing lying around or that were once used for something else to add to that art project basket and here’s how:

• For Paintbrushes: Use clean roll-on deodorant sticks, old tooth brushes, sponges, old pencil erasers.

• For Canvases: Use newspaper, cardboard boxes or inserts, paper bags, old tarp pieces, left over wrapping paper, or even left over carpet remnants.

• For Templates: Use plastic containers or lids for circles, an old flip flop and cut out pieces and designs from the foam of the shoe bottom, jug lids, old leggos for squares and even square pieces of wood.

You can get creative with just about anything lying around your house, your garage or even in your yard. If you take a trip around and use a bit of imagination, anything can be use to paint with. And it’s fun to reuse items and show off how you reused them to others.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If more people walked or biked to their two mile or less destinations there would be less need for foreign oils and less carbon emissions. But since many depend so much on their car there are other ways to help with this issue: Avoid idling in drive through lines, park and go inside instead of sitting and waiting in your car. Carpool whenever you can and take public transportation instead. If you cut just 20 miles out of driving a week you can save up to 1,000 lbs. of emissions a year.

Making your own recycled watering jug:

What you will need:
1. 1/2 gallon plastic jug, such as orange juice or milk jugs. Use a jug that has a sturdy handle so you child can easily hold the jug while using it.

2. Hammer and nail; to punch holes in the jug so the water can drain while using it.

4. Colored duct tape or paints (Use non-toxic, no-water-based paints for this project)

5. Small bucket (to collect water to use in the jug for watering the plants with)

What you need to do:

Using a hammer and nails to punch 10 to 15 holes about 1/4-inch apart in the upper corner of the jug on the opposite side of the handle of the jug. Cluster the holes just as you see in a purchased water can.

Kids can design the jug in anyway they want. You want to use water-proof sticker and or water-proof paints. If you use water-based paints, they will dissolve over time, so find some nontoxic paints that will withstand the use of water and your child using the jug.

The bucket can be placed in the shower to collect shower run off and your kids can use that extra water to water their plants with. Or go one step better and have them help you create a rain collection barrel. This will show kids the importance of saving water and also recycling old into something new.

Kids will love this jug project because it is something they made that they can use everyday on their own plants and/or garden plants.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Be smart about the toys your child plays with. Look for second hand toys at yard sales or second hand stores and the wooden toys with nontoxic finishes are the best for your child. Plastic toys aren’t so great all the time. Plus wooden toys last a lot longer than plastic ones do anyway so they are well worth your money and your health in the long run.

The best way to change for a greener lifestyle is to eat more fruits and vegetables and it’s a healthy way for the body, as well. The Environmental Working Group estimates that you can significantly reduce your family’s exposure to pesticides, chemicals and other harmful toxins by as much as 90 percent by going organic. There is a category known as “the dirty dozen” that every family should eat organic anyway. Pesticides are used in great amount on these 12 fruits and vegetables and it’s a great practice to get into by taking a list of these foods when you grocery shop.

The Dirty Dozen:
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Try this recipe to help get more veggies in you and your family’s diet.
Veggie Quesadillas
Serves: 4

1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cooked corn
1 cup refried beans
4 taco-size whole wheat tortillas
1 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup steamed vegetables such as spinach, squash, zucchini, etc.
Salt and pepper to taste

Steam the bell pepper with 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan with a lid for 2 minutes. Add the corn and other vegetables, and refried beans, cooking on low until heated.

Arrange the filling on 2 tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cover with remaining tortillas.

Arrange quesadillas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 400°F or until tortillas are golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

To find out other ways to eat more “green” visit Earthly Eating here at 451 Press.

Also check out Local Harvest to find the “greenest” farms around in your own area.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Save water in more ways than one.
1. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth to save 50 gallons a week per person.
2. Keep a water pitcher in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run.
3. Cut your showers to about five minutes or even less.