Natural and Sustainable

Many of us want to change our homes to become more green and we also want to change our family for the same ideas in mind, but where to start with the home?

Making simple changes such as, changing out the light bulbs, turning off lights when we leave the room and recycling all that we can are great changes to do now, but what about more in-depth changes? Like adding solar panels to the roof or in the yard to help with the pull on electricity or investing in wind energy. These options are a major step forward in the same direction and here are a few more of the major green treatments to give you home and you life to becoming a more sustainable household.

1. If remodeling is in the cards to help get on the right path to a greener household, sit back and be realistic about your changes. Just because you can afford the changes doesn’t meant you should go in full head on and change everything at once. This can be over whelming and unless you have done your research and know what you are doing, it is best you make one change at a time.

2. If you can’t change anything large in your home right now, stick with the basics and get them down concretely while you are able to save for the larger changes. Turning off the lights and turning down the thermostat, or even placing the electronics on a power strip, will all help you save money while you can save up for the larger changes such as installing solar panels on your roof.

3. Buying local has always been a great way to live a greener lifestyle. This change can help you household overall as well, by cutting back on carbon emissions from your car and also giving back to your community as well.

4. Before you make the big household changes in your own home, always ask the suppliers and never be ashamed to ask too many questions. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your home and the environment.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If you windows aren’t modernized and still leak air, consider a make over for your home in the aspect of getting windows that are better insulated. Hold a candle in front of your windows and if the flame flickers, than call for a free-in home estimate from an Energy-Star approved window dealer today.

With the summer just about over and fall knocking at the door, there is still an issue in some parts of the United States as well as other places with bugs. Instead of grabbing the so called best bug spray ion the market, why not try a more natural approach, here’s how.

1. Kill ants with some soapy water or a citrus essential oil mixed with warm water. You can even destroy the nest with a mixture of sugar and boric acid.

2. Kill moths with hot or cold. Dry the moth larvae with a hair dryer or placing the garment in the dryer or even placing the garment in the freezer.

3. Kill and get rid of cockroaches by placing boric acid in random places throughout your house. Always keep your kitchen clean, never let food set out on the counters or even anywhere else in your home.

4. Kill and get rid of bedbugs by applying petroleum jelly around the legs and posts of the bed. Seal the floor cracks around your bedroom too. If your bedding has already been effected, replace that bedding or have it steam cleaned.

5. Bugs don’t like pepper, so combining this with boric acid into cupboards and crawl spaces will keep them from coming into your home to begin with.

6. You can also get help for your garden and home outside with ladybugs and lacewings.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If you have a reusable water bottle made of polycarbonate material, avoid washing it in very hot water and never store hot liquids in the bottle. Recent research states that heat will release bisphenol A (BPA) into what you are drinking or what you have stored in the bottle. BPA has been linked to many health issues. So be sure and wash your reusable bottle in mild detergents and luke warm water. Never run through a dishwasher and don’t let them heat up in the car or in the sun as well. If they ever start to discolor or crack, get rid of them immediately.

• 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.

Many health food stores carry quality eco-products that are ready made and ready to go. There are many stores nation wide that carry quality products and they specialize in eco- and environmentally friendly products as well. It’s always best to find out about the company before finding out about a specific product.

There are many companies out there that say they are “green” but just because a company packages their product in a green container doesn’t mean their product(s) is good for the environment in a green way. Be leery of the term “non toxic” as well. Any company can claim that their product is “nontoxic”, “all-natural”, and even “eco-friendly”,mainly because their are no regulations on the use of these terms on any product. There are however, certain policies that a company should follow. Below is a list of those terms and things to avoid.

1. Their product is bridgeable within days not years.
2. There are no petroleum based ingredients in the list.
3. There is a clear list of ingredients not clear use of words.
4. No artificial fragrances or should be use in a well ventilated room.
5. No warming labels on the products container or anything that is flammable.
6. Avoid “phenol”, “glycol”, or any term ending in “-ene”.

If the products you are currently using contain any of the above, then consider changing them to something more eco-friendly.

Enter theThoughts Unveiled Contest!

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Capture light in a jar during the day and use that light at night to brighten any corner or area within your home. With the Sun Jar you are able to capture the sun during the day and with the help from LEDs, you can use the captured sun that the solar panels gathered in the evening around your home or on your porch. To find out more, please visit the Charles & Marie web page.

Americans throw away enough office paper to build a 12-foot-hgh wall from Los Angeles to New York. Recycling one time of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, a 380 gallons of oil. Making new paper from recycled paper used 30 to 50 percent less energy than making paper from trees, and it produces 95 percent less air pollution. Encourage everyone in your office to print and photocopy only when necessary, use both side of the paper when you do print, and try to reuse paper. Fro when you must print, here are a couple of accessories and ideas to help you work more green:

1. Recycled paper with 30 to 35 percent post consumer content, which is available at Office Depot stores.

2. Paper from nonwood fibers, such as Ecopaper made in Costa Rica from agro-waste. Paper made from agricultural residue is pricey, but this does encourage careful paper usage. The price will come down as production increases.

3. Recycled paper with 100 percent post consumer content, processed without chlorine, from The Green Office. Locating a green paper resource near your office will minimize pollution from transportation.

4. Use refillable pens made from recycled plastic.

5. Recycle your printer cartridges-for every ink or laser toner cartridge that is recycle, two quarts of oil are kept out of landfills.

6. Chlorine free and tree-free papers are the most ecofriendly choices to go.
(Source: Organic Gardening 2008)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always turn the lights out in a room or closet when you are finished. What’s the point of leaving the light on anyway?

VERY GREEN HOUSE: Building a new home or redecorating a room? Visit the Green House at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. It’s a 7,00-suare-foot re-creation of the Glide House, a low maintenance, affordable modernist home. Guests can check out 60 eco-friendly products from countertops to carpets. If you can’t make the trip visit the website for ides to use in your own home.

When it comes to indoor air quality, what we can’t see can really hurt us. Here are some easy tips for clearing the air:

• Make fresh air your friend: Newer homes are designed to keep out the chill, but because many lack proper ventilation, they also work to trap in pollutants. In the case of air quality, what we can’t see can hurt us: the more microscopic the particles, the more damage they can be to our health. These particles can build up over time, so it’s important to open windows and let fresh air inside as often as possible-even in the heat of the summer and cold of the winter.

• Heat your home more healthfully: According to the American Lung Association, more than 70 percent of Americans have forced or central air heating ion their homes, yet nearly 50 percent don’t change the filter in their units regularly. And 10 percent have never replaced the filter. It’s important to have your central heating system inspected every year and to change your filters once every three months. Also, keep in mind that any fuel-burning appliances (ranges, ovens, water heaters, clothes dryers, fireplaces and grills) can be a potential source of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide if they are not well vented or maintained.

• Go green with household cleaners: Unless you are using products scented with natural oils, your favorite “clean smell” is likely the result of a chemical concoction that is man made. Try natural cleaning agents such as baking soda and white vinegar. Or look for brands with non-toxic ingredients like Shaklee’s Get Clean or Mrs. Meyers Clean Day. If you’re a fan of scented candles, consider switching to soy, which burns much cleaner than petroleum-based counterparts. To keep the bugs away, use boric acid-based bait stations as an effective alternative to chemical sprays.

• Enlist the power of plants: While formaldehyde (found in plywood, adhesives, carpets and paints), benzene (found in Styrofoam, plastics, lubricants, detergents and synthetic fibers) and carbon monoxide (off-gassed by heating or cooking equipment) are bad news for people, plants can thrive on them and help remove them from the air. Peace lily, bamboo palm. English ivy, mums, and gerbera daises top the clean-air list. Plus, they are easy to care for, so even if your don’t have a green thumb, you will still have a good chance of keeping these beauties alive in your home for a long period of time.

• Keep mold and mites at bay: To help prevent mold, make sure bathrooms and kitchen are well ventilated and use dehumidifiers in basements and garages (just remember to change water trays frequently). Wash bedding in hot water at least every 10 days to kill dust mites, and use a high-quality, HEPA (high Efficiency Particulate Air) filter vacuum (which won’t release fine dust particles back into the air).

• Declare your home a shoe-free zone: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90 percent of most people’s exposure to pesticides occurs indoors. A lot of these and other toxic chemicals enter our homes through our shoes, so it’s best to check them at the door.

• Shield yourself from secondhand smoke: Secondhand smoke contains as many as 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons, such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, as well as 43 carcinogens. If you or your friends smoke, be sure to light up outside.

• Out radon on your radar: An estimated one our of every 15 homes in the United States has radon levels above what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers healthy. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas found at high levels in every state in America, can seep into our homes through the surrounding soil. Indoor radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in our country after cigarette smoke. Because this gas has no color or odor, it requires special detection kits. In expensive and easy to use, you can purchase one at your local hardware store. Or visit EPA/RADON for more information.

• Beware of off-gassing: Before your bring new furniture, drapes or carpeting, which usually contain formaldehyde (a colorless and pungent gas known to cause mild to severe eye, nose, skin and throat irritations), into your home, air them out in your garage or backyard for a few days. And be sure to open your windows and run exhaust fans for the first week following any remodeling projects. Or as an alternative, but products and bu8ilding materials made with green materials.(Source: Conscious Choice Magazine)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Swap paperbacks with other people from around the world at Paper Back Swap.

As with past postings on building more green, there are many things in which a person wanting to change some minor details in their home currently or to build fresh can use to help with that process. Here are a few other ideas that can be incorporated into those green ideas for your newly green-building project.

• Passive solar orientation with UV-filtering shades on southern side.

• Through tree preservation work by certified arborists.

• Recyled-content steel framing and concrete.

• Energy Start HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system with efficient heat exchanger.

• Floors made of FSC-certified wood and cork.

• Carpet made from natural wool and recycled plastic.

• FSC-certified maple kitchen cabinets with wheatboard interior cores and VOC-free finishes.

• Low- and zero-VOC paints.

• Low-E glazed, double paned, argon-filled, wood-framed casement windows. While these windows cost more than conventional, they’re around the same price as premium, custom-sized designer windows.

• Extra-high R-value formaldehyde-free insulation.

• 100 precent recucled content drywall.

• Decks made of FSC-certified ipê wood and Trex (wood/platic composite.)

• Local stone used in terrace, garden paths, and even use them in landscaping.

• Native specied plants in the gardens to filter driveway runoff before it reach local tributaries.

• Rainwater catchment used for irrigation.

• Rainwater harvesting containers to use to watering plants indoors and outdoors.

• Furniture designed with eco-friendly, natural fabrics.

• Energy-Star appliances.

• Energy-saving light fixtures; Smart Home dimmer system.

• Long-lasting soapstone kitchen counters.

• Bathroom countertops made of salvaged stone and recycled-glass composites.

• Low-flow, motion-activated sink faucets (price in line with conventional Kohler faucets.)

• Low-flow toilets.

• Permanent conservation easement planned.

Material:

1. Solid Wood:

• Pros: Is widely available; FSC certification ensures sustainablity; Comes in an infinite cariety of styles.

• Cons: Rewuires felling of trees; Stock FSC-certified cabinetry is not usually available. (Custom orders are more expensive.)

• Cost: Medium to high in cost.

2. Wood Sheet Products (medium-density fiberboard or MDF, plywood, particleboard):

• Pros: Are inexpensice and widely available; Some sheet goods have high recycled or waste-wood content; FSC certification is available.

• Cons: May contain formaldehyde or binders that emit VOCs; FSC-certified products are used by few cabinetmakers.

• Cost: Low in cost overall.

3. Bamboo and Biocomposite Boards (made from wheat, sorghum, rice or sunflowers):

• Pros: Are made from rapidly renewable sources; Agricultural waste is used; Has an unusal, attractive grain; I susually formaldehyde free with low-VOC binders.

• Cons: Is slightly more permeable and prone to warping than wood; There’s little certification available yet for organic or pesticide-free biocomposites.

• Cost: Medium to high in cost.

4. Reclaimed Wood:

• Pros: Is widely available is a variety of species and textures; Can be acquired from local sources; SmartWood certification ensures sources.

• Cons: Some new wood may be sold as reclaimed; May be shipped long distances or imported.

• Cost: Medium to high in cost.

Most people don’t understand the importance behind a greener lifestyle. Some brush it off as “not a big deal” that global warming is happing. But, it is. It is a very real occurance.

I got into a conversation with a past high school mate over global warming. Here is a bit of the converstaion:

It’s all a bunch of hogwash! The UN wants us all to ratify the Kyoto thingy which would empower the UN to tax/ fine the US for not reducing our “carbon footprint”. Al Gore is a liar; his crockumentary was based on a bogus google-type search. It’s all hysteria-based nonsense that has captured very ignorant people who have bought into the entire idea that people can control the climate. His so-called scientific consensus is based on a select group of non-climate “scientists” who agreed with their own UN report. HOGWASH! Here are some facts: During the past 120 years the average temp. of our planet has increased just over 1 degree F. That is insignificant! Science has verified that our planet has undergone several global freezing periods (aka ice ages) which were followed by as many global warming periods (when the ice melts). These have all occured naturally and WITHOUT mankind’s interference. This naturally occuring set of events is continuing presently. Why in the world would we assume that all of the sudden this particular warming trend (albeit insignificant over the past 120 years!) is man-made and/or worth all the hysteria? Word up: It’s not!!! Get over it and get a life, you green-weeny global warming morons. There are several books available that completely reveal the lies and the agenda behind the current global warming hysteria. Happy Reading! Stay warm!

My comeback to that statement was this:

Global Warming is happening whether people want to admit it or not. I have seen first hand what the effects of what it is doing to the Arctic. The polar bear being one of the top Arctic animals that will become extinct if Global Warming continues. What is so sad about the affair is, there are just certain people that don’t want to face the facts. Even if Al Gore had not brought about more attention to the matter, Global Warming would still continue. I feel sorry for these people that state it is only, crock.

It’s unfortunate that global warming has taken such a back burner to some and front and center to others. In order to keep global warming from happening, one must change their habits and lifestyle. Not only would changing the lifestyle a person leads will it help with global warming it will also help you and yours live a healthier lifestyle. Example of such is using love VOC paints. Not only because they are bad for the environment, but do you really want to have your children breathe in chemical ladden paints in their rooms when they sleep or play?

Here is ways to help green your home today:

• Use salvage door whenever you can: To let in more natural light, it’s retrofitted with tempered glass. Most can be found at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore supply.

• Lighting should be considered over all: Lights are the best. Try to convert. Solar energy is stored as DC power and convereted to AC by an inverter in most green homes, so this arrangemtn will save wear and tear on the solar inverter in the long run. Consider doing this in your own home and you will see the difference right away.

• Storage shelves: Try to sculpt some while using your own creativity from scrap metal and glazed caly or even try Earthen plaster on some places within your home as well.

• Poured concrete floors: While using concrete can at times run a pretty penny,they are worth it in the long run. Thermal mass keeps the floor cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

• Sink and shower: Make your sink and shower from handmade glazed clay, and have you drains drain into a graywater system that will irragate your yard so that water donesn’t just get wasted.

• Less counter waste: Use reclaimed granite.

• To avoid expensive wiring: substitut new, energy-saving appliances, such as a dishwasher, refrigerator, and install an insulated oven for general heat retention. Use natural lighting whenever you can.

• VOCs: All-natural paint which contains no solvents and low toxic fumes.

• Door and windows: Instead of installing new doors or windows, convert a window into a door or visa vera.

These are just some of the ideas that modern home owners are trying out in the “live a more greener lifestyle” changes. Anyone can begin a greener lifestyle, the only change that will happen is change within yourself and your own habits. Once others in your family see how important it is to you, they will begin to change along with you and the changes will become easier and easier.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Each year 3.5 billion wire hangers end up in U.S. landfills, and they aren’t going away. Now comes a biodegradeable alternative: recyled-paperboard EcoHangers. Marketed by advertising firm Hanger Network and free to dry cleaners, the hangers carry ads from companies, like Van Heusen and L’Oréal, that see a new route into the home. I hope these end up being the norm and plastic hangers become so “last year.”

Build your home the energy efficient way.

When you build or have a contractor build for you, ask about and shop for an energy-efficient home. You can end up getting $2,000 in government tax credits for enviro-smart construction. Typically, these homes have state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, as well as features like windows with insulation coatings and energy-saving lighting and appliances. Many owners of these new modern age homes have cut up to 50 precent or more off their utility bills.

Upgrade and save: You don’t have to buy a new home to reap the rewards of energy efficiency. Just upgrade the house you already own. Invest in double-glazed windows, a high-efficiency furnace, and other energy-saving products and techniques to save big on repairs and energy bills. You will also benefit from nice tax breaks. Here’s an idea of some energy break down in billing:

• Solar Panels (San Diego; difference between efficient and standard models): Cost-$20,925; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$4,350 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Double-Glazed Windows: Cost-$2,700; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-$550; Savings per year-$310 (includes one-time tax credit)

• High-Efficiency Furnace: Cost-$2,000; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-$480; Savings per year-$230 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Composite Decking: Cost-$2,000; Premuim (above-average electric rates and sunlight) -$950; Savings per year-$203

• Upgraded Insulation: Cost-$580; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$155 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Duct Sealants: Cost-$1,200; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$133

• A total of $5,381. That really starts to add up once you crunch the numbers out and find out where the savings can happen within your own home or a newly build home with energy-saving beenfits.

Building a green house for the ground up is easier than you think. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when planning your house plans out.

1. Solar panels mean lower energy costs all around.

2. Insulation is key to preventing heat loss, even in the hottest parts of the house.

3. Duct sealant stops ait leakage at connection points. Be sure and include duct sealant inside the home as well where the duct work meets the furnace or visa versa.

4. Windows with coated glass reflect heat back into a room. You can also have this put on or do it yourself to your existing windows.

5. High-efficiency furnaces reduce costs and greehouse gases. If you model is older than 1998, even if it is in good shape you might want to consider an upgrade to a more efficient one to help curb energy useage.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Living green is good for the environment, but did you know it’s also good for you wallet too? With energy-saving light bulbs to affordable solar paneling for you your roof. You could very well save more than a thousand dollars a month in these changes alone.

1. Make design changes while they are on a computer or on paper rather than in the field-It’s a lot cheaper: Take advantage fo the drafting software program AutoCAD, which makes viewing interiors easier. Some architects will include this service at no additional charge.

2. Clear communication is critical: When possible, deal directly with those who preform a service or make a product. Properly recording decisions can save money and time.

3. Provide ample opportunity to store in the sun’s heat: Houses designed to maximize solar gain need concrete and extensive stone sturfaces to capture and rediate heat back into the house after the sun goes down.

4. Beware of “Greenwashing”: Hire good advisors. Ask questions, and if you don’t get satisfactory answers on a product’s materials and sourcing, choose another product.

5. What’s good for the earth is good for you: New cabinets, furniture and carpet can outgas toxic chemcials for years, contributing to indoor air pollution and possible asthma. Avoid medium-density fiberboard (MDF), pressborad and particleboard interiors, which contain formaldehyde.

6. Avoid “boutique” appliances: Choose appliances based on energy efficiency first, brand reliability second, and aesthetic and other features third. Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are best, because they take advantage of the natural properties of air movement: Heat rise, cold falls.

7. Choose green floors: Ask for carpet with the highest amount of post-consumer (best) or post-industrial recycled face fiber. Also, look for carpet made with nontoxic adhesives. Select cork or certified-sustainable hardwood.

8. Quality details count: Don’t skimp on good design and finish materials, which reduce waste by lasting longer. Remember, however, that less is more. Do you really need molding and wainscoting?

9. Use low-VOC paint: Avoid the darkest colors, which fade in sunlight and contain the most toxic volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Spend more time outdoors.

Bring to your home some of their best eco-friendly kitchen practices.

1. DRINK LOCALLY: Water filtration systems are a great alternative to constantly buying water in plastic bottles. Local water systems are tested daily and contaminates are caught before they reach your water glass. Water bottles sit on store shelves for months before they are purchased and all the while they are being contaminated with chemicals from the plastic they are bottled in.

2. SALVAGE STILL-GOOD FOOD: Cut way bruises or soft spots in otherwise good produce, and use what’s left. By the same token, a little speck of mold needn’t ruin a whole block of chese-remove moldy bits and eat what’s left. Recyle semistale bread into breadcrumbs or bread pudding ingreients. Be creative and generate less waste.

3. SAVOR SCRAPS: Don’t toss vegetable scrps. Bits of carrot, onion. mushrooms, celery, and any other vegetable trimmings make great ingredients to add to soups or stocks. It’s a great way to eliminates unnescessary waste and cut food costs drastically.

4. CLEAN GREEN: Most cheap, store-bought cleaners with harsh chemicals, bleach, and phosphates in favor of biodegradeable products like Simple Green and those that use natural cleaning ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and citrus oils. These cleaning solutions may cost a bit more but as far as your health and impact on the earth, you shouln’t mid paying a bit more for those cleaning products.

5. BAG THE PLASTIC: Plastic wrap may be a convenient storage tool, but it’s also am environmental nusiance. Spend more money and buy containers for storage to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic wrap. You can use recycled bakers’ parchment paper to wrap up your food. IT’s recycled and biodegradeable, so it doesn’t stick around on the earth forever.

6. LOOK FOR THE ENERGY STAR: Next time you buy a new appliance or other household product (even eindows qualify), be sure it bears the blue-and-white Energy Star label. This label tell you the product has net the quality and energy-efficency guidelines of both the Environemental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. That means they use less energy, save your money all around, and protect the environment.

**Toni over at Watching the CW says she was left “hanging” after the last episode. Read her story behind how she felt about it and see if you don’t agree. While you’re there leave her a comment on how you felt as well.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Shred old paper for packing insteadof using Styrofoam peanuts. Even use shredded newspaper or left over material. If it’s soft, pretty much anything will work for packing material.

16. Barter for Service with Carpenters: Try Time Banks.org.

17. Buy Into a Piece of Land with another Family or Your Neighborhood: Be sure to check local zoning ordinances to be sure you can legally sudivide a property before you buy it.

18. Build with Natural Materials Found On-Site: If you have wood, the equipment to mill it yourself is relatively inexpensive compared to buying lumber. If you want to really go all-natural build with stone or straw and use clay as plaster.

19. Close Off Unused Rooms: Especially in the summer when you run an air conditioner. It will save on cooling your home in the heat.

20. Be efficient with Your Appliances: Have a big baking night when you are going to use the oven. Let your woodstove also be your dryer and water heater.

21. Take Advantage of Natural Weather Patterns to Heat and Cool your Home: In the summer, open the windows at night and close them again by noon.

22. Place your Refrigerator in the Coldest Part of the House: It will require less energy to keep the temperature low.

23. Wash your Clothes in Cold Water: It’s the friction of the clothes rubbing against each other that does most of the cleaning, not the heat. For serious stains, use hot water only on those clothes.

24. Switch off Your Water Heater: When you are not going to use it for an extended period of time, like going on vacation.

25. Buy Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs: The savings on your electric bill adds up fast when you use these over time.

26. Unplug any Unused Electric Items with Lights, Clocks or Timers: They use some much power just sitting there.

27. Carpool with Friends or a Co-Worker: Some cities maintain online listings to help people connect with other carpoolers.

28. Ask if Your City Has a Carshare Program: Or start one with some people you trust.

29. Covert a Diesel Car to Run on Used Vegetable Oil: You will pay once for the conversion kit, but after that all your fuel will be free. All you have to do is find a restaurant that wants to dispose of their used oil and will let you cart it away.

30. Keep Track of Your Gas Milage: Look for ways to improve it. Keep your tires properly inflated and don’t speed. (Source: NH 2007)

**Ever wonder what else you can use an avacado with besides just for dip? Over at Earthly Eating, there are several recipes given to help you with that. Read them here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Pass on the paper towels and paper napkins, opt for cloth ones and just wash them. At your favorite restaurant, ask them to switch to cloth napkins instead of the paper ones.

Mixing your own cleaners at home almost always will save you more money than buying then. You are not only paying for the cleaner, you are also paying for advertisment, packaging. Here is a list of cleaners everyone should have on hand to make yourself and save that extra money:

• Baking Soda: This mild alkaline powder can be used for a variety of household cleaning purposed, such as absorbing odors, cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, loosening baked-on food from pans, and removing stains from tile, glass, oven doors, and even fine china. It also acts as a stain remover for fruit juices and other mild acids.

• Castile Soap: A mild soap in liquid or bar from that can be used for general purpose cleaning. It was once only made from olive oil, but now might even include vegetable oils. It is a great cleaner because it is free of petroleum-based ingredients.

• Hydrogen Peroxide: A mild alternative to chlorine bleach, its oxidation abilities make it useful in stain removing and sterilizing.

• Lemon Juice: This familiar acidic ingredient can be used to lighten stains and cut grease. It also can be used to remove tarnish on brass, copper, bronze and aluminum. Never use it on silver or sterling silver though.

• Washing Soda: A stronger slternative to baking soda, washing soda can be used as a water softener in conjunction with laundry detergents (gloves are recommended as it may irritate the skin; do not use with solks, woolens or vinyl). It’s also good when trying to lift oil or grease.

• White Vinegar: Good for a variety of household cleaning tasks, vinegar may be used to help kill germs and deodorize, removes some carpet stains, and clean coffee makers, chrome, cookware and coutertops. It’s acidic enough to clear minor drain clogs. Vinegar has an odor when it’s wet, but once it’s dry the odor is gone. Don’t use vinegar on some delicate fabrics because it will eat the fabric.

**Pushing Daisies wins satellite award. And over at the Pushing Daisies blog here at 451 Press, Lira Cruz has the whole story behind the award winning show. Read it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Buy Fair Trade products whenever you can. If you can’t buy Fair Trade, at least buy organicly grown products. It’s better for your health and the environment.

Known to block male hormones and lead to reproductive feminization in laboratory animals, phthalates are environmental toxins found in plastics and many synthetic personal care products. A recent study may have discovered on way in which these chemicals harm humans.

Compairing phthalate metabolites in blood and urine samples of more than 400 men between 18 and 55 who have vistied a Boston Fertility center, researchers linked higher levels of this chemical with altered thyriod hormone levels. While more clinival stufy is needed, the thyroid connection has been found in male rats as well.

In addition, research at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry shows that pregnant women using beauty products containing phthalates gave buirth to boys with smaller genitals. Since the thyroid glans stimulates energy production and impacts basal metabolic rate, it influences all bodily functions, including reproduction.

Phthalates may also cause asthma as well as liver and kidney damage.

These chemicals are hardly essential - in most cases, safer alternatives do exist.

• PVC-free building products.
Steer clear of vinyl windows and doors and choose wood instead. For flooring, choose linoleum, cork, bamboo, or wood instead of vinyl. Adhesives, caulk, grout, and sealants may also contain phthalates.

• PVC-free shower curtains.
Avoid vinyl shower curtains in favor of natural fibers, polyester, or nylon.

• PVC-free packaging.
Look at the recycling symbol on products you purchase in plastic packaging. Plastics marked with the #3 symbol contain PVC. Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath and Body Works have agreed to phase out the use of PVC in their packaging. Ask the companies you buy products from to do the same.

• PVC-free toys.
Toymakers Brio, Chicco, Early Start, Evenflo, Gerber, Lego, Prime Time, Sassy, and Tiny Love have pledged to stop using PVC. Look for products labeled as PVC-free.

• PVC-free food storage.
Buy plastic wrap and bags made from polyethylene, such as GLAD. For food storage, use glass containers or plastic containers marked with recycling symbols other than the #3. For heating food, microwave food in glass containers, not plastic. Dispose of all clear, shiny plastic baby bottles, unless the manufacturer states they are not made of polycarbonate. Use filtered drinking water (even bottled water may contain phthalates).

• Phthalate-free cosmetics.
Check ingredient lists and avoid products listing ‘fragrance’ or phthalates. A wide variety of personal-care products may contain phthalates, including perfume, cologne, after-shave, deodorant, soap, hair and skin-care products, and makeup.
(Sources: Some information pulled from TFL 2007)

**What is “one habit of moderately successful people”? Over at Get Incensed, Mark Jabo has the answer in more ways than one. **

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Purify indoor air with plants instead of with artificial room fresheners.