It's that time of year where people want to clean out their houses and get some Spring cleaning done. Well there's never a better time and this link may help if you are needing to recycle those "hard to recycle" items.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Green Initiatives Resources
Green Map is an iPhone app that directs you to local green living web sites and general green initiatives throughout your community.
Gasbussy.com will help you find low gas prices in the US and Canada. You simply punch in your zip code and local gas station prices will appear. You can determine the cheapest and closest gallon of gas. However, it is not very green of us to encourage driving. So in order to align with the overall green initiative, check your air in your tires while you are at your filling station and make sure your tires are full. That will help the overall gas mileage of your car, should you need to drive around.
To-A-T is an application that utilizes your iPhone's GPS system to locate the nearest public transportation stop and also tell you when the next bus, train, etc. will arrive.
Gasbussy.com will help you find low gas prices in the US and Canada. You simply punch in your zip code and local gas station prices will appear. You can determine the cheapest and closest gallon of gas. However, it is not very green of us to encourage driving. So in order to align with the overall green initiative, check your air in your tires while you are at your filling station and make sure your tires are full. That will help the overall gas mileage of your car, should you need to drive around.
To-A-T is an application that utilizes your iPhone's GPS system to locate the nearest public transportation stop and also tell you when the next bus, train, etc. will arrive.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Rubber Chicken Party Idea!
My 4 year old is wanting a rubber chicken birthday party. So I wanted to share some ideas on how to do this and stay green. We decided to do a "party full of laughs" and here are some of our ideas:
1. Invitations:
Use www.evite.com to send out your invitations to guests. This is quick, easy and green. This tool allows you to track who will attend and it also sends reminders to attending guests.
2. Cake:
Consider cupcakes over cake. That way you don't have to use paper plates, forks, etc. with cupcakes. There are so many cute ideas. We are going to decorate his cupcakes with a small rubber chicken on top.
3. Games:
Duck, Duck, Chicken: Everyone sits in a circle. One person goes around the circle and gently taps each person on the head with the rubber chick. They say "Duck" until they are ready to choose the "chicken." When they choose the chicken, they say "chicken" and drop the rubber chicken in that person's lap. That person will then chase the other person around the circle until the person sits down in the empty spot. If tagged, then they are it again. If not tagged, then they sit and let the person holding the chicken start the game. It's just like "Duck, Duck, Goose."
Woopie Cushion Musical Chairs: We are going to set up pillows with towels over them. One pillow will have a woopie cushion on it. The kids will go around the pillows while the music plays. As soon as the music stops, each person will run to a pillow. The one that gets the woopie cushion is out. Then you reset them up and play again. The goal is to have one person left. It's just like musical chairs.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey: We ended up buying the kit at a party store. It is very inexpensive and fun. You can use a neck tie or whatever you have to cover the eyes of each participant.
Read: Get the kids together to share jokes. The best joke gets a price and the guest of honor (the birthday kid) gets to choose who's was the best.
4. Time:
Since the kids are little, we are having the party from 10:30 to 12. That way, we don't have to serve lunch, disrupt any nap times, etc.
Have fun and make sure to capture the memories on camera!
1. Invitations:
Use www.evite.com to send out your invitations to guests. This is quick, easy and green. This tool allows you to track who will attend and it also sends reminders to attending guests.
2. Cake:
Consider cupcakes over cake. That way you don't have to use paper plates, forks, etc. with cupcakes. There are so many cute ideas. We are going to decorate his cupcakes with a small rubber chicken on top.
3. Games:
Duck, Duck, Chicken: Everyone sits in a circle. One person goes around the circle and gently taps each person on the head with the rubber chick. They say "Duck" until they are ready to choose the "chicken." When they choose the chicken, they say "chicken" and drop the rubber chicken in that person's lap. That person will then chase the other person around the circle until the person sits down in the empty spot. If tagged, then they are it again. If not tagged, then they sit and let the person holding the chicken start the game. It's just like "Duck, Duck, Goose."
Woopie Cushion Musical Chairs: We are going to set up pillows with towels over them. One pillow will have a woopie cushion on it. The kids will go around the pillows while the music plays. As soon as the music stops, each person will run to a pillow. The one that gets the woopie cushion is out. Then you reset them up and play again. The goal is to have one person left. It's just like musical chairs.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey: We ended up buying the kit at a party store. It is very inexpensive and fun. You can use a neck tie or whatever you have to cover the eyes of each participant.
Read: Get the kids together to share jokes. The best joke gets a price and the guest of honor (the birthday kid) gets to choose who's was the best.
4. Time:
Since the kids are little, we are having the party from 10:30 to 12. That way, we don't have to serve lunch, disrupt any nap times, etc.
Have fun and make sure to capture the memories on camera!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Getting Ready For School
It's that time of year where the Summer days are shrinking and school is breathing down everyone's neck. Some are excited; others a little bummed. Either way, there are some great ways to prepare for "Back To School" with green in mind. Here are some helpful tips to keep your costs low and be environmentally conscious:
1) For clothes: Look for hand-me-downs or do a clothing exchange with friends
2) For supplies: You may be surprised at how many supplies you already have around your house. Only buy what is truly needed.
3) Shop Garage Sales and Thrift Stores first. Reusing items is a great green initiative and prevents consumer spending.
4) If you don't already have one, consider a reusable lunch bag and containers.
1) For clothes: Look for hand-me-downs or do a clothing exchange with friends
2) For supplies: You may be surprised at how many supplies you already have around your house. Only buy what is truly needed.
3) Shop Garage Sales and Thrift Stores first. Reusing items is a great green initiative and prevents consumer spending.
4) If you don't already have one, consider a reusable lunch bag and containers.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Green Teeth Cleaning
With staying true to this website and my intention to make going green easy and affordable, I’ve outlined the four toothpastes and the one toothbrush line that I feel are great alternatives to the traditional oral care products.
Toothpaste: I researched one of my favorite sites, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, to determine the toothpaste products that ranked low on the site’s toxicity scale. (A score of 0-2 is considered low hazard.) I wanted to narrow the list to provide you with easy to find and natural toothpaste products that fell into the lower scale. The four brands of toothpaste that meet the criteria are: Jason’s, Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate, and Weleda. Most are available at any health food store, major shopping center, and online through a variety of distributors.
Toothbrush: To make it easy on you, I found one tooth brush that fits the bill. The brush of choice due to its accessibility, drum roll please, is by Preserve. The cost is affordable (just under $3) and can be easily purchased at local Target stores or online at www.amazon.com. There’s a great video on this tooth brush at http://www.recycline.com/. Their site evens outlines how you can recycle your old toothbrush back to them to be used for park benches, decks, and other plastic goods. To read more about their recycling program, go to www.recycline.com/recycling.html.
How about teeth brushing for toddlers?
My toddlers have both liked Tom’s Natural Toothpaste for Toddlers. They seem to enjoy the Strawberry flavored option and just the overall process of brushing. Preserve also makes a toddler toothbrush so this is a good companion to your natural and fluoride free toothpaste for your children.
Toothpaste: I researched one of my favorite sites, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, to determine the toothpaste products that ranked low on the site’s toxicity scale. (A score of 0-2 is considered low hazard.) I wanted to narrow the list to provide you with easy to find and natural toothpaste products that fell into the lower scale. The four brands of toothpaste that meet the criteria are: Jason’s, Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate, and Weleda. Most are available at any health food store, major shopping center, and online through a variety of distributors.
Toothbrush: To make it easy on you, I found one tooth brush that fits the bill. The brush of choice due to its accessibility, drum roll please, is by Preserve. The cost is affordable (just under $3) and can be easily purchased at local Target stores or online at www.amazon.com. There’s a great video on this tooth brush at http://www.recycline.com/. Their site evens outlines how you can recycle your old toothbrush back to them to be used for park benches, decks, and other plastic goods. To read more about their recycling program, go to www.recycline.com/recycling.html.
How about teeth brushing for toddlers?
My toddlers have both liked Tom’s Natural Toothpaste for Toddlers. They seem to enjoy the Strawberry flavored option and just the overall process of brushing. Preserve also makes a toddler toothbrush so this is a good companion to your natural and fluoride free toothpaste for your children.
Green Wedding
Having an environmentally friendly wedding is a great way to let your guests know that you are going green. It will also encourage your guests to think green and buy things for your wedding that are Earth friendly. Having a green wedding can be cost effective, which ultimately allows you to focus on the event and not the commercialized expenses. The following tips and information should help you get started. Congratulations.
What things should I do to have a green wedding?
1) Take your invites on line by using www.evite.com. If you want to stick with a more traditional approach, use recycled paper for your invites.
2) Serve organic food through your caterer. Search for local caterers that serve and prepare organic meals or local foods.
3) Use reusable plates, cups and cloth napkins.
4) Ask guests to not wrap your presents, or to use recycled paper or reusable gift bags. Better yet, just register for gift cards. Guests can even send you these gift cards online through many mainstream retailers.
5) Inform guests to hold off on the card, and instead have guests write a message in your recycled paper guest book.
6) Have an organic and earth friendly registry for gifts
7) Instead of buying favors for guests, donate to a favorite charity in the name of your guests. One great one is the elephant sanctuary at www.elephants.com. If you buy favors, consider organic chocolate or seed cards.
8) Buy your wedding party sustainable gifts or fair trade options. Also, consider buying them a gift certificate to an online green resource.
9) Buy organic wedding flowers or purchase from local growers in your area.
10) Instead of a new and traditional wedding ring, consider buying an antique ring. They are often unique, classic, and one-of-a-kind. Plus, now you have something old.
11) Use soy candles to light and decorate the guest tables
12) Throw bird seed instead of rice
13) Set up an organic tea and fair trade coffee station
14) Use cupcakes instead of a cake and save on having to serve slices of cake on a plate with a fork. Guests can just grab a cupcake!
Where can I buy a green wedding dress?
Some people might not think about buying a used dress, but you can come across some steals through Ebay. I did a search on Vera Wang and found a beautiful dress for a substantial discount. Another option is to buy one with charitable intentions, like at Brides Against Breast Cancer. Borrowing a friend’s dress is another great way to contribute to the green initiative.
What are some great online resources to help me plan my green wedding?
Two great resources to help you get started on your wedding plans are:
http://www.justgive.org/worldwildlifefund/weddings/tips.jsp
http://www.greatgreenwedding.com/
What things should I do to have a green wedding?
1) Take your invites on line by using www.evite.com. If you want to stick with a more traditional approach, use recycled paper for your invites.
2) Serve organic food through your caterer. Search for local caterers that serve and prepare organic meals or local foods.
3) Use reusable plates, cups and cloth napkins.
4) Ask guests to not wrap your presents, or to use recycled paper or reusable gift bags. Better yet, just register for gift cards. Guests can even send you these gift cards online through many mainstream retailers.
5) Inform guests to hold off on the card, and instead have guests write a message in your recycled paper guest book.
6) Have an organic and earth friendly registry for gifts
7) Instead of buying favors for guests, donate to a favorite charity in the name of your guests. One great one is the elephant sanctuary at www.elephants.com. If you buy favors, consider organic chocolate or seed cards.
8) Buy your wedding party sustainable gifts or fair trade options. Also, consider buying them a gift certificate to an online green resource.
9) Buy organic wedding flowers or purchase from local growers in your area.
10) Instead of a new and traditional wedding ring, consider buying an antique ring. They are often unique, classic, and one-of-a-kind. Plus, now you have something old.
11) Use soy candles to light and decorate the guest tables
12) Throw bird seed instead of rice
13) Set up an organic tea and fair trade coffee station
14) Use cupcakes instead of a cake and save on having to serve slices of cake on a plate with a fork. Guests can just grab a cupcake!
Where can I buy a green wedding dress?
Some people might not think about buying a used dress, but you can come across some steals through Ebay. I did a search on Vera Wang and found a beautiful dress for a substantial discount. Another option is to buy one with charitable intentions, like at Brides Against Breast Cancer. Borrowing a friend’s dress is another great way to contribute to the green initiative.
What are some great online resources to help me plan my green wedding?
Two great resources to help you get started on your wedding plans are:
http://www.justgive.org/worldwildlifefund/weddings/tips.jsp
http://www.greatgreenwedding.com/
Green Giving
Donate old cell phones to victims of domestic violence so that they can be used for emergencies www.ncadv.org and select donate
Clean out your stuff and make your donations count:
eyeglasses www.neweyesfortheneedy.org
shoes www.sharyoursoles.org
wedding gowns www.makingmemories.org
dvd's and videogames www.childsplaycharity.org
unwanted gifts www.givingworks.ebay.com
Laptop www.worldcomputerexchange.org
Volunteer at national parks www.nps.gov
Stick around and donate your frequent flier mile to injured soldiers' families www.heromiles.org
Clean out your stuff and make your donations count:
eyeglasses www.neweyesfortheneedy.org
shoes www.sharyoursoles.org
wedding gowns www.makingmemories.org
dvd's and videogames www.childsplaycharity.org
unwanted gifts www.givingworks.ebay.com
Laptop www.worldcomputerexchange.org
Volunteer at national parks www.nps.gov
Stick around and donate your frequent flier mile to injured soldiers' families www.heromiles.org
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