Check out my article on natural indoor pest control in the January/February 2010 edition of Backhome Magazine.
Discover chemical free ways to prevent pests from coming indoors in the first place…..and chemical free ways to take care of them even if they do. The ideas are quick, easy and simple. Check it out on newstands everywhere!
Your kitchen sink is dirtier than your toilet. Hard to believe, but true.
Want to clean your kitchen sink effectively and kill all of the bacteria, but don’t want to inhale harsh fumes or chemicals? Then try this all natural one-two punch to kill germs and get your sink clean.
- Clean with soap and water, using a sponge or reusable rag.
- Spray it down with white distilled vinegar.
- Spray it with hydrogren peroxide.
- Let air dry.
The vinegar kills all kinds of nasties, from germs to mold and even cuts grease. The hydrogen peroxide is just as effective at killing bacteria as bleach is, only without the toxic fumes. Just DON’T mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide together to save a step.
What’s better than using an all natural and effective way to kill germs and clean the kitchen sink? The fact that these cleaning items are really cheap! So you’ll actually save money in the long run. Not bad.
Why It’s Better For Your Health: Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide don’t have the nasty chemicals and toxic fumes of traditional cleaners, meaning you’re not inhaling questionable ingredients – some of which have been shown to have negative health effects.
Why It’s Better For the Earth: Using less artificially created chemicals, many of which are harmful, means less of these chemicals get into our public waterways and in the ground.
Using ingredients you already have on hand means you have to buy less products, which means using less packaging.
Ever heard of Cream of Buckwheat? Probably not, and I hadn’t either until I was trying to find something to eat in the morning that was gluten free and not crisped rice. Then I came across Pocono Cream of Buckwheat Organic Cereal and thought, Why not give it a try? I did, and I’m glad.
Even though the name buckwheat implies that it contains gluten (because of the wheat part), buckwheat is indeed gluten free. And for a fringe food that’s not widely available or readily known, it actually tastes pretty good. I found mine at Whole Foods, and you can order online through the company or www.Amazon.com.
Pocono’s Cream of Buckwheat 100% Organic Cereal is Wheat and Gluten Free, Fat Free and Sodium Free. It’s a healthy food for a lot of different dietary needs so thankfully it also tastes good! And it also works as a starter infant food.
Cream of Buckwheat has a consistency just like grits with a milder flavor. There’s not that classic corn taste that you get with grits, just a gentler grain flavor that pairs well with whatever you might top this hot cereal off with, such as milk, cinnamon, butter, cheese….you name it, it will probably go well with Cream of Buckwheat.
Buckwheat is a surprising ingredient twist to many recipes. On the box of Cream of Buckwheat that I have, there are recipes for Creamy Buckwheat with Green Chilies and Cauliflower Soup. There’s even an entire Buckwheat Recipes Cookbook you can order through the company or check out some of their recipes online by clicking here.
For even more information on this surprising grain that can be a delightful addition to your morning breakfast routine, check out www.thebirkettmills.com.
Why It’s Better For Your Health: If you’re on a gluten free diet with celiac disease, or are just mildly gluten intolerant, this is a great choice for you.
One cup of prepared Cream of Buckwheat provides 14% of your daily iron needs, and a whopping 34% of phosphorus.
It’s fat free and sodium free, along with no preservatives, fortifiers or additives.
Why It’s Better For the Earth: Buckwheat can grow in poor soils, grows quickly and supplies nitrogen to the soil, creating richer soil for future crops without the need of artificial fertilizers.
Organically grown buckwheat contributes no pesticides or herbicides into the environment.
I recently received a copy of Anna Getty’s I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas. I’ve been living “green” at Christmas for quite a while now, so I was pleasantly surprised to read a brand new book with new creative ideas on how to have a greener (if not, more sane!) Christmas that is full of beautiful photography, inspired ideas, gourmet recipes and a gentle sense of encouragement that yes, Virginia, it is possible to have a more meaningful Christmas for both you and the planet and still have fun!
Anna Getty’s book is packed, quite literally, with all things good for the entire Christmas season. If you’re looking for gourmet, good for you recipes that will still inspire and awe your guests, it’s in there. If you’re looking for craft ideas and activities to do with the kids – or on your own – it’s in there, too. And there’s plenty of practical information on how to go green throughout all aspects of the Christmas season, from energy use to how to pick caviar and everything in between.
Interspersed throughout I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas are short stories of how Christmas is celebrated throughout the world as well as personal tales of going green at Christmas from celebrities and other notables in the field of green living.
I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas is not just a craft book, it’s not just a recipe book, and it’s not just a green living handbook. It’s a hybrid of all of these things which makes it a go-to book for the holidays that you’ll be able to enjoy year after year. I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas is a fabulous addition to anyone’s library. I know I’ll be pulling out my copy every Christmas, and you’ll want to, too!
I really enjoyed reading I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas, so I’m thrilled that Anna Getty shared some of her thoughts with me about writing the book. Here’s what the author has to say about dreaming up a green Christmas book that aims to help everyone simplify their lives during Christmas – both on a personal level and on a global one, as well.
What inspired you to write a book about going green specifically at Christmas time?
Between Thanksgiving and The New Year the United States’s waste output increases by roughly 30%. I felt that it was important to address this statistic in the book and then create a book that would help people be less wasteful and more resourceful. It also seemed that with such a stressed out nation that it would be nice to encourage people to slow down and create more meaningful traditions. Lastly, if Christmas is about giving why not give more to the planet?
Where did you come up with the craft ideas and recipes in the book?
Many of the crafts and recipes where part of my childhood traditions like the Walnut and Salt Dough Ornaments as well as the Butternut Squash Soup and Apple Strudel. Others I came up with along side my friend who worked on the crafts with me and then others I had seen or heard of and decided to do my version of them like the Recycled T-shirt Pot Holder.
If someone new to living a greener lifestyle were to make just one switch this Christmas, what would you suggest?
Forgo traditional conventional wrapping paper. Most of it is made from virgin tree paper sources and then coated with toxic ink and are non-recyclable. Instead make your own reusing maps, magazines, newspaper and sheet music. Save paper shopping bags from the grocery store (most are already made from recycled paper) and do blocking printing with sponges, cabbages or potatoes like in the book.
How does your daughter feel about living a greener lifestyle at Christmas?
My daughter has only experienced Christmas in our home. I know she cherishes taking nature walks around the holidays and being a part of creating traditions such as giving away some of her own toys every year, making and decorating cookies and making homemade ornaments. As she grows she asks more questions about the way we have chosen to live our lives but with discussion she seems to understand. We try to find balance by minimizing plastic toys in the house and she knows why. I know she values wonderful experiences with her parents more than she does toys but she still receives gifts from Santa, a little bit of a greener Santa.
Physicians Formula Organic Wear makeup line has an organic mascara that really does work. (For my review, click here)
Try out Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara for free with this rebate. The offer is good until December 31, 2009. The rebate says to look for specially marked packages labeled ”Try Me Free.”
For more information and to download the rebate form, click here.
