Natural and Sustainable

1. Line dry your clothes whenever possible.

2. Find a greener dry cleaners and bring your own garment bags.

3. Don’t use your dishwashers’ drying cycle.

4. Shut your computer down at night and when you leave you office on Fridays.

5. Always vote for change within your own community.

6. Drive a hybrid if you can, if your in the market for a car, try to find a hybrid.

7. Join a local food co-op.

8. Swap your paper back books over the internet. Try Paper Back Swap, and get fee books in return.

9. Take your own water in a reusable water bottle instead of plastic water bottles the stores sell.

10. Remove your name from junk-mail lists by registering here.

11. Purchase a shredder and use the shredding for packing instead of Styrofoam peanuts, or bubble wrap.

12. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

13. Be sure and always check your tires on your car, under inflation will cause low or even poor gas mileage.

14. Buy recycled toilet paper and paper towels.

15. Print and write on both sides of the paper.

16. In the winter months, after you are finished baking, turn the oven off and leave the door open to heat your kitchen.

17. If you eat fish, only eat sustainable harvested fish to help protect the ocean, read more here.

18. Always go carbon-neutral, no matter what.

19. To save on gas, don’t speed. And cut back on driving.

20. Never use pesticides on your lawn. Never use grass killer on your lawn as well. Nothing beats a good physical activity of pulling the weeds by hand. You not only save on chemicals in you lawn but get exercise as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Prolong the life of your stuff. Keep your things out of the landfill by taking care of them.

• CFLS: The Philips Soft White CFL comes in a recyclable packaging and according to Philips, they claim that it contains the lowest mercury levels of any CFLs on the market. To find a CFL disposal site near your own home, visit Earth 911

• Local Eating: You can’t get anything better than something that is organic, locally grown and even purchased from your neighborhood farmers’ market. So Support them. Do it for yourself, your family and your local farmer. Find farmers’ markets in your own area by visiting Local Harvest.

• Hybrids: The Toyota Prius (48 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy) leads for a fifth straight year in a row as the best hybrid purchase anyone can make. The Honda Civic Hybrid (40 mpg city/ 45 mpg hwy) also places high with U.S. News, and CNET.

• Biofuels: Not everyone knows how to make up an alternative fuel in their own garage, but there is help. By going to Biodiesel America you can find someone that can and has. You can start today in converting your own vehicle to take an alternative fuel source.

• Bioplastic: Opt for a durable, reusable carryall like the compact Chicobag or Baggu tote. And some markets now offer their own, like Safeway, Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, and even Wal Mart now.

• Bamboo Clothing: Bamboosa and Certaintees are tow of the most environmentally responsible brands that carry the best clothing line from bamboo materials. Their clothing is soft and durable and will last a lifetime if they are taken care of.

• Mineral Makeup: Companies like Larénium Mineral Makeup and Afterglow Cosmetics, they are both free of nano-particles and bismuth oxychloride. Companies like Avon and Mary Kay also have their own line of mineral makeup that is great for your skin. Just be careful when picking a mineral makeup product and read labels.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Save water all the time. Take shorter showers and if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down, when it comes to your toilet that is.

Biodegradable Seed-Starter Pots:

You will need:

• Scissors
• Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
• Potting Soil
• Seeds of Your Choice

Cut each roll in half and press them all flat as you can. Use a book or a brick to get them flat. It’s best to use recycled toilet paper rolls for this project, that way you already know they are environmentally friendly and haven’t been chemically altered with man-made ingredients. Next, make four, half-inch to three-quarter-inch slices on one end of each roll to create four equal-sized flaps. Open up the roll and fold in the four flaps on the tub that you just made, like a box-bottom. Fill the pot with the potting soil, and plan your seeds, and be sure to water gently or have another bowl or dish under the pot if you are having them inside. When the seeds have sprouted and are ready to go in the ground, either pull the plant straight out of the soil, or plant the “little pot” you have made directly into the ground. This a great project for kids and even for the entire family. There is no need for tape, glue or even rubber bands, which aren’t all made earth-friendly. These little pots can be used over and over again if you pull the seedling sprouts out of the little pots directly. You can experiment with different plant types to see which ones work best inside you little pots. I like to plant pumpkin seeds and squash seeds inside mine. Mainly because, their roots tend to grab the soil better and it’s easier to pull them out. With strawberry sprouts, I plant them directly into the soil inside the pot. Have fun with your kids and planting seeds and teaching kids how wonderful and great the world really is.

Bush’s recently approved economic stimulus package is supposed to help boost our economy that is slowly shrinking away, by returning funds back to the Americans who are cash-strapped. Bush assumes that all Americans who are going to receive their checks will turn around and spend it in the shopping malls and for purchases online as well. The federal debt is already at $9 trillion, will this little bit of return help our earth’s future? I have already heard so many people tell me how they already have their money ($600 or $1,200) spent. The earth is trying to heal while Americans are thinking, turn that money into a big screen TV or even something that will be thrown away when it’s time is done and used up.

Why not take that money and turn it around for the good instead of the bad? Here are some ideas to help you in the process.

• SRIs (Socially Responsible Investments): These are a way to invest financially in corporations that are legit as far as the environment is concerned such as:
1. Domini Social Investments
2. Pax World Mutual Funds
3. Calvert
All of these companies offer socially responsible mutual funds with companies that embrace fair labor practices, environmental preservation and human rights, to name a few.

• Green Century Funds, Portfolio 21 and the Sierra Club Stock Fund go the extra green mile with super strict eco-criteria for their mutual funds they offer the public.

• Village Banking, Accion, Grameen Foundation, and Kiva: These companies bolster a small business in the developing world through a micro loan. For a small investment, you can help third-world entrepreneurs escape poverty and improve their standards of living.

Here’s a timeline of when you might receive your money:

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be transmitted no later than:
00 through 20 May 2
21 through 75 May 9
76 through 99 May 16

PAPER CHECK

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be mailed no later than:
00 through 09 May 16
10 through 18 May 23
19 through 25 May 30
26 through 38 June 6
39 through 51 June 13
52 through 63 June 20
64 through 75 June 27
76 through 87 July 4
88 through 99 July 11

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Cooking and baking with organic and natural products and food choices is a great way to avoid pesticides, and eating locally is a great way to keep the money in your own community and help the small-time farmers.

Try the Neuton.

It’s easy to use with a removable battery and instant handlebar starting, lightweight and easy operation to its innovative design and materials. It has professional grade cutting results that equal gas-powdered mowers. And the best part is the environmental piece of mind. It gives you the opportunity to “do the right thing” and have a beautiful lawn as well.

The polypropylene deck is lightweight and it never rust. And the vibration you get from gas-powdered mowers is eliminated with the Neuton.

Some other great qualities to the Neuton are:

• Easy, instant start every time.

• A smaller environmental footprint that comes when you don’t use oil and gas.

• A quiet mowing experience, so you can mow at any time of the day.

• Less cost by eliminating expensive spark plugs, air filters, tune ups, clogged carburetors and a host of other expensive maintenance.

• No more least minute trips to the gas station to fill up your mower.

• Approximately $5 per year for electricity over the $70 a year for gas, oil and tune-ups on your gas mower.

• Starts instantly with a simple squeeze of the handlebar over a pull string start.

How it works-Plus the Neuton mower battery into any standard household outlet. Charges in about 8-12 hours and costs about 10 cents. One charge gives your Neuton Mower up to 60 minutes of high-powered mowing. Plus, with an optional spare battery, you will have a fully-charged backup battery ready to go. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends battery-powered mowers like the Neuton Mowers. And when you compare the facts, it’s easy to see why it’s a better choice for any eco-conscious minded individual.

1. A gas mower spews 87 lbs. of the greenhouse gas CO2 and 54 lbs. of other pollutants into your air every year.

2. Over 17 million gallons of gas are spilled each year refueling lawn and garden equipment-more petroleum than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

3. Gas mowers are so noisy that health experts recommend hearing protection if you’ll be using one for more than 15 minutes.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip:

You can reduce your energy bills and even help cut down on your carbon footprint with these eight ideas.

1. Powering down you personal computer: Computers as a whole consume a load of power. Placing these energy suckers on a power strip helps cut cost and energy coast by saving almost $178 a year and a return of 890 percent over all. So when you head to bed or are done for the day with your energy-using equipment, just simply hit the power strip switch and shut it all down.

2. Go throughout your house and replace the bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs: You may spend a bit more for the bulbs in the beginning, but overall savings is way above what you would spend on incandescent bulbs throughout your home. Even replace your porch lights and your garage lights with the same bulbs. If you have a barn or a workshop, consider replacing those bulbs as well with the CFLs. A yearly savings of $117 and a 234 percent return.

3. Insulate your heating ducts and do sealing around them in your home: Your attic and crawl spaces are prime areas where air loss is felt in the heating and cooling bill. By sealing and insulating these areas, which are low cost and inexpensive and overall you will have a yearly savings of $75 and 375 percent return in the long run.

4. Seal your home’s air leaks: Air leaks occur mainly around doors and windows, and especially around plumbing, wiring and light fixtures that lead into your attic and through the roof (sun windows or skylights.) You will see a change in your yearly energy bill of about $156 and a 312 percent return on the cost.

5. Venting your dryer inside your home during the winter months: Never vent gas dryers inside your home and if you still use a gas dryer you might want to consider upgrading to an electric, Energy-Star-approved model. Make sure when you do vent you use panty hose or cheesecloth to catch the lint. You will see an added benefit of savings overall of $63 and a 315 percent return.

6. Use bubble wrap in more ways then one: Using bubble wrap to insulate your windows is nothing new, it’s just a not-so-common-used practice. It won’t allow you to view out the window, but it does allow for the sunlight to come through. This is a fantastic idea for garage windows and attic windows or even windows that are in rooms you don’t use or hardly use. You will have a yearly savings of $75 and a 197 percent return.

7. Avoid phantom electrical loads: Even when you turn that VCR or DVD player off, something has to still run that digital clock on the front, right? Yes, and it adds up. You will see a yearly savings of $57 a year and 81 percent return if you unplug these energy drainers. This goes back to the “personal computer power strip idea #1″ as well. If you don’t want to unplug all those appliances, put them all on a power strip and hit the off when you are done. Getting a power strip with a phone and fax/modem option will save you even more.

8. Using electric mattress pads instead of electric blankets: You are told to turn the heat down at night so that you sleep better, but what about if it gets too cold inside your home to even sleep? That’s when you need the electric mattress. You can get the same effect with a high-end, good down comforter as well. You will have a savings of $186 a year and a 148 percent return in the long run. (Source: MEN 2008)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Add more attic insulation; add more crawl space insulation; buy a new, efficient clothes washer; buy a new, efficient refrigerator; install storm windows; install a storm door; install thermal shades; and above all, turn everything off at night or when not in use.

Do you love tearing into a beautifully wrapped package but feel guilty about all the trash that is created? Then get into the green gifting phenomenon. Here’s how:

Start with eco-kind wrapping paper because traditional types can be loaded with environmentally unfriendly dyes and chemicals. Companies that carry Earth-friendly options are:

• Paporganics: Has vegetable-based ink prints on a blend of hemp and recycle paper ($5 for two sheets).

• Importica: Offers vibrant tree bark ($6 for two sheets).

• Also use old maps, classified ads and comic ads. Even try using brown grocery sacks as well.

Top off your gift wrapped masterpiece with a bundle of pinecones, holly berries or poinsettias, tied with 100 percent biodegradable, natural cotton ribbon from companies such as KidBean ($4.99 for ten yards.)

Add a gift tag from companies such as Bloomin. The biodegradable paper tags, featuring a dove, tree or a star, are made with wildflower seeds and are meant to be planted ($7.95 for a dozen.)

If the bags are more your style, try a reusable version from Lucky Crow ($4.49 to #13.49), they are cute fabric pouches that come with an attached ribbon on the bag already.

Even if you use wrap from the previous year and not just throw out wrapping paper because you can, you will be helping save trees, waste in the landfills as well as money out of your own pocket the following year or even the following month.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use eco-friendly paint whenever you can’t and if you can’t seem to find any colors you like, try water-based paints that are low in VOCs.

• When you buy a new carpet, ask the showroom to unroll it for 2 weeks before delivering to air it our. Low for low-or no VOC paints carrying the Green Seal and carpets with the Carpet and Rug Institute tag; these labels guarantee few emissions.

• Plug gadgets-especially your cell phone charger, computer, and all its peripherals-into a surge protector strip. When you turn off the strip, it’s like you have actually unplugged them completely and they are just draining the power still.

• Can’t invest in a new model of fridge just yet? Then keep your fridge full,. since it takes more energy to cool an empty space in your fridge. Just don’t overstuff it, cool air can’t circulate when food is crammed against the top and sides of the fridge.

• Don’t use a snow blower to clear your driveway or sidewalk of snow, instead use a Wovel, a wheelbarrow-like shovel that lets you clear your driveway without straining your back. When spring comes, trade your gas mower for a lightweight, push-operated reel mower instead as well. This burns more calories and not carbon, which is a great change.

• A glass door is safest for the shower than a shower curtain. Wipe it daily to prevent mold and mildew. If you don’t want the expense of installing one, choose a curtain made of nylon or a natural material. Hemp cloth won’t leak through, so no liner is needed for that choice. Just close the curtain to let it air-dry, and wash it every few weeks.

• When washing your laundry, set the temperature gauge to slash your household’s energy use. But, wash sheets on hot to kill dust mites and reduce allergies. A study found that washing bedding in hot water killed 100% of dust mites, compared with only 6.5% in warms water.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Unload your truck, the lighter your load, the less gas your car consumes. Ending up saving you money and also helping the planet.

1. Switch to rechargeable batteries for alarm clocks, remotes and small appliances. I use them in my digital cameras and CD Players.

2. Keep good company around you that thinks in the same green way. People in green building are the best: Intelligent, dedicated, fun and some are even funny! Hint, hint!

3. Insinkerator. A tea-drinkers dream come true. Instant water! This additional faucet, which connects to an under-sick tank, offers instant gratification and energy efficiency that beats the old stove-and-kettle method used.

4. NASA scientist found that certain indoor plants filter contaminants from the air better than others. It take 15 to 20 plants to clean a 1500-sq.-ft. area. Here are three of the best:
• Boston Fern: Nephrolepis exaltata
• Dracaena: Dracaene freagrans ‘Janet Craig’
• Rubber Plant: Ficus elastica

5. Install green shelves. If you’re considering built-ins and are looking for FSC-certified materials to build them with or pre-made ones, be sure to check out Rainforest Alliance’s “Smart Guide to Green Building Wood Sources.”

6. If you just discontinued cable TV. Like magic you suddenly have more time for reading, playing music, discussing things within your own household, and even doing home projects and exercising. In our house we have family game night every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Our son, Skylar, gets to choose any game he would like to play. Around dinner time we play a high/low game as well. We ask around the table what was that person’s high and what was their low for the entire day. Even if we have supper guest we ask them as well. It gets a conversation going at the table and is a fun and great game for children. It gets them to talk about their day and you learn more about your kids in the process.

7. Use a reel or an electric mower rather than a high-polluting gas-powered one to mow your lawn and if you have to use a gas powered on, use them in moderation. Don’t be the crazy one on your block always keeping your grass 3-inches high. Let it grow to 5 or even 6-inches. It will be okay!

8. There’s a lot of artificially distressed teak around but this is the real things, old-growth wood from demolition houses. They are great and they get their look and character from nature itself. Try floors made of Terramai.

9. After finishing the dreary work of “WORKING”, throw a party at the end of the week. And get crazy. Everyone needs their own personal sustainability at one point or another throughout the work week.

10. Buy in bulk. Packaging can be seductive, but it’s clogging landfills with unnecessary crap. Cut down on the excess by buying either jumbo containers that hold more or from bins of loose flour, rice, etc. This also means fewer gas-powered and wasted trips to the supermarket.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If you thought I couldn’t quite possibly fill your head with more N&S Tips, think again, because here’s one more for ya: Spend an hour daily in a special spot outdoors, listening to nature. The birds, wind in the trees, etc. You don’t realize how much this will effect you till you have done it for a week or more and then stop. Watch what happens. This is particularly great for ones that work all day in a cubicle.

Greening your bathroom is easier than you think. Even if you rent, there are things you can do to green your bathroom that cost little to no money and you will even get your deposit back. Some landlords will even let you do improvements to the place and will deduct what you do or spend from your rent or even add that to your deposit when you move out. Check with your landlord or lease holder before you do anything though.

Here are some quick things you can do today to your bathroom to make it more greener:

• A beautiful pieces of custom glass evokes for a whimsical outhouse feel on your bathroom door.

• Remove an existing window and install an exterior wood door that access the patio or a already existing balcony.

• To go the extra eco-mile, look for doors that are salvaged from old buildings or built from sustainability forested wood. Try Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for salvaged building materials

• To save bathroom space, place shelves and a niche in the shower. Glass enclosure helps give the illusion of a larger space if you are dealing with a small bathroom. A Solatube skylight adds natural light. A rimless shower glass, natural stone, a water-resistant mahogany cabinet and a wall-mounted faucet create an easy-to-clean environment.

• The bathroom can be resurfaced as well. American Clay earth plaster is a great choice. Nontoxic and practical, earth plaster can be mixed on site and applied over existing walls. Earth plaster has the softest, most beautiful colors, especially under natural light. The plaster “breathes” and is table in a high-humidity environment, such as the bathroom.

• The wall and floor can be compromised as well. The wall tiles can be replaced or installed with natural stone. The floor tiles can be natural stone, and you can even add pencil accent tiles that are made of porcelain. These tiles mean easy cleaning if you choose to go this route.

• The shower floors can be replaced with natural tiles as well or finished with natural, honed river rock. A good place to start can be your choice of rock from DuraTile. They are sustainable, chemical-free webbing and good slip resist.

• Mahogany cabinets can replace your particle-board or water-ruined existing ones. Mahogany cabinet, because the tropical wood is water resistant-ideal for a humid bathroom. Be sure and purchase the mahogany from a company that gets their supply from a sustain ably managed forest and they are certified through the Forest Stewardship Council as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use vinegar to clean windows, walls, floors and counters-it’s environmentally safe for not only the earth buy also your health and your family, pets, and company’s health as well.

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.

1. Companies that are eco-friendly.

• Dell: For being one of the first PC makers to take hardware back from the consumers and recycle it for free.

• FPL: For being the largest generators of solar power in the U.S.

• IKEA: This inexpensive furniture store avoids toxins and purchases only wood that meets the Forest Stewardship Council’s criteria.

• Toshiba: On the cutting edge of eco-efficient products like fuel cells for notebook PCs.

• Motorola: Among the best at disclosing environmental data- and it takes back used equipment.

• Philips Electronics: A top innovator of energy-saving appliances and lighting.

2. Smart ways to zap sponge germs.

• Microwave the sponge for 1 minute, which kill virtually all bacteria, yeast, and mold. Just make sure it’s wet first or it may catch fire.

• Run the sponge through a complete wash-and-dry-dishwasher cycle; it’s nearly as effective as microwaving.

3. A Good Way to Gauge Success.

As Hybrid vehicles gain traction on American roads and gas prices stay stubbornly high, expect to see more of a new breed; the hyper mile. These motorists are consumed with fuel economy. They’ll do whatever they can (over inflate tires, take alternative routes to avoid red lights, shift into neutral and coast whenever possible) to squeeze every inch out of a fill up. You can find these gas-smart people at websites like:

• Insight Central

• Green Hybrid

4. Consider buying a hybrid.

Gas prices can affect whether the investment is worth it financially, but it’s one of the single best things you can do for the environment right now. Need a bit more incentive? If, for example, you buy a Toyota Prius, you’re entitled to a $787.50 tax credit. Then there’s the sleek 2007 Lexus GS 450h, worth $387.50 in tax credit savings. But you don’t have to go the luxury car route. All the hybrid models below can save you big.

• Ford Escape Hybrid (4WD); Year: ‘05-’07 Credit: $2,600

• Honda Civic Hybrid CVT; Year: ‘06-’07 Credit: $2,100

• Mercury Mariner Hybrid; Year: ‘06-’07 Credit: $1,950

• Honda Insight CVT; Year: ‘05-’06 Credit: $1,450

• Toyota Prius; Year: ‘05-’07 Credit: $788

• Toyota Highlander Hybrid; Year: ‘06-’07 Credit: $650

• Honda Accord Hybrid; Year: ‘06 Credit: $650

• Lexus RX 400h; Year: ‘06-’07 Credit: $555

5. Ultra low-Power computers.

Check out Energy Star to find a computer that uses 70 percent less energy than a typical PC. And be prepared to upgrade before long: The government is working hard to boost efficiency of new computers and office equipment even more. The predicted savings: $4 billion over five years.

6. Fax Giveaways.

Have an old computer, fax or printer you need to get rid of? Well, whatever you do, don’t throw it out! You would be surprised how many charitable organizations, schools and techies are interested in your outdated equipment. At Share Technology and Throw Place, you can list your office machines on a community board. Everything at the websites is given for free-but if a charity takes your junky computer, you just might have yourself a tax write-off worth hundreds. You help someone in need, recycle goods instead of tossing them and get a tax break as well. (Source: Rd 2007)

*Natural and Sustianable Living Tip: Fill up your freezer, since the fuller it is, the less energy it uses to keep food frozen.

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.

With Valentine’s Day coming up more and more people are headed to the supermarket for Valentine’s Day card retailer to grab “mass-producted” valentines. At our home we make eco-crafts whenever we can. From dehydrating fruit rings and making our own homemade potporri to handmade crads made with all-natural materials. Here is one craft that I love to make and it doesn’t just have to be made for Valentine’s Day, it can be made for any occasion when you just want to tell the one you care for that you love them.

Materials Needed:
• Freezer paper
• One cup of water, in a bowl
• Paper towels
• Iron and ironing board
• Towels
• Cardstock and envelopes
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Soy Silk Fusion Kit
• Embroidery floss and needle
• Small paper punch
• Glitter
• Sewing machine and thread (optional)
• Decorative all-natural paper

To make the soy silk for projects:
1. Place a sheet of freezer paper (about 18″) shiny side up, on a flat surface. As if your were pulling apart a cotton ball, seperate the Soy Silk fibers. Lay seperate pieces out on the paper, overlapping and crisscrossing each layer while taking care to leave at least a 1″ border between the fibers and the edge of the paper. Make the final product about 1″ thick. You can also add some glitter or yarn scraps to the top layer.

2. Once you’re happy with the look of the fiber laid out, lay mesh over the whole thing. Mix one part medium to three parts water and sprinkle lightly over the fibers. Starting in the center and working outward, gently massage this mixture into the fibers, adding more water when necessary. Watch the fusion take place.

3. Slowly remove the mesh and set it aside. Keep the fiber backed by the freezer paper. Let it dry for several hours. Then, cover the fusion fiber with a towel and press it with a medium-heat iron for 15-30 seconds. Now you’re ready to create anything you want with the silk creation you just made.

To make a card:

Cut out soy sil in the desired shapes for your card design. Print out messaged in font on yoru computer on plain paper. You can cut a card out of a paper sack and what you don’t use you can print your messages on the discarded paper bag scrap. Use your imagination. To make a cupid’s arrow: Cut our a heart from the soy silk and attach it top a card front with your sewing machine. Just follow the edges of the heart or sew an arrow shape through it in a contrasting color with the soy silk. Use a little glue around the edges if needed.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Replace your lightbulbs in your home and office with compact fluorescent ones.

Clothing has come along way in ways of protecting us. They can block UV rays, insects and even help if you have alergic reactions. Here is a guide to help you understand the latest on high-tech threads.

• Insect Repellent Apparel: Buzz Off clothing keeps mosquitoes and other bugs away with permethrin. A safe synthetic version of a natural bug repellent, permethrin is applieth to the clothing and lasts for 25 washes. Like Coolibar clothing.

Who needs it: Any tots spending a lot of time in buggy areas (you won’t have to slather them head-to-toe with chemicsl anymore. They carry pants, shirts and outerwear.

• UV-Protection Factor (UPF) Clothing: Sunscreen applied to the fabric guards against ultrviolet radiation. The clothing is rated like sunscreen, look for items with a UPF of at least 40 and the Skin Cancer Foundation seal. Like Jonano clothing.

Who needs it: Kids who should-circuit when you attempt to apply lotion; fair-skinned kids who need extra protection.

• Hypoallergenic Attire: Clothing made from natural bamboo or a silky sunthetic fabric called Dermasoft soothes delicate skin. Both fabris wick away moisture and anre antimicrobial.

Who needs it: Little ones with irritated skin caused by allergies or conditions like eczema (particularly common in babies).

**Want to know how to make Salmon Croquettes? Over at Coaching Cooking, Farley Walker has an easy and delicious recipe for you to try. Read how to make it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Fix all the leaky faucets in your home, whether they are outside or inside. Water that is just dripping from a leaky faucet waste more water than it would 5 baths a day in a week period. Leaky faucet (fast drip): 20–30 gallons per day. Leaky faucet (slow drip): 5–10 gallons per day. You can determine how much water your faucets waste during a 24 hour period by clicking here.