Going Green

Here are some tips to help up the value of your home, save your money over all and help out the environment as well.

• Replace your furniture with more sustainable choices. Donate what you replace, don’t throw away. Others less fortunate can benefit from the old furniture till they can replace for more sustainable options as well. Look for furniture that is made from organic wool, batting and natural latex foam rubber. Use wood for shelving and other options from salvaged trees that are local as well.

• Look for room lamps and other options from items that have been recycled or repurposed such as fruit crates and other sources.

• Look for flooring options that are backed by the Forest Stewardship Council.

• Ask about carbon credits through your natural gas company in your area. Also ask about renewable energy credit through your power company where you can purchase wind energy from wind farms.

• Look into installing your walls and ceilings with eco-friendly foam insulation or even insulation made from old blue jeans.

• Install solar panels on your roof within the few years you decide to go eco-friendly. It can help supply the energy to your hot water heats or radiant heater and your other power sources throughout the home as well. Once you get established and know how much power you actually use, you can eventually go off the grid in time.

• Look into installing a geothermal-powered heating and cooling system. These heat and cool your home without producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Choosing the right toy for your kids this season shouldn’t be a hard task, but choosing a better and eco-friendly toy should be just as easy. Here are a few to keep in mind for that special child on your Christmas list this year.

• ABC Blocks: These blocks are made from basswood and come in a hardwood wagon that keeps them all in one place. They have a four letters sides and each block is 1 3/4-inches. Made in the USA ($50)

• Duck Pull Toy: This pull toy is made of Bavarian beech wood, elm wood, or even maple wood. Made in Germany and has a bright red painted beak and wheels with a yellow top. It is made uneven so it “waddles” as it is pulled. ($28)

• Bamboo Organic Blankets: These blankets are hand-woven and made of bamboo and cotton. They are eco-friendly and made from a sustainable source. Colors come in blue, pink, lemon, celadon and are fair trade as well. Made in China. ($85)

When I was just out of high school I got two jobs in order to try to save up enough money to move out of my parent’s house. One of those jobs was working at a children’s center and I was in charge of cleaning up and watching the two and three year old classes while the teachers for those classes took their breaks. Even though, at that time, I knew nothing about how to tend to children, I was pretty good at cleaning up spills and sanitizing the toys at the end of the day.

One of the main cleaning agents this child facility used was chlorine bleach. At the time I would stick the toys in the bleach, it would coat my hands and I would even touch my arm and my face not knowing exactly how health-effecting it really was.

The Health Department requires cleaning with the chemical because it was the only thing at the time, which was 12 years ago, that would kill germs and bacteria. So with this knowledge of bacteria-killing properties, parents would use the cleaning agent in their own homes as well. But, since that time when chlorine bleach was the number one bacteria-killing choice, there have been some drastic developments and a lot of facilities and even households have stopped using it. But, where does a parent turn if they still want to have a germ-free and sanitary environment for the children and their toys they play with everyday. Here are some other sanitizing toy suggestions without having to bring in deadly chemicals into your home.

1. Prevent and get rid of Smells: Place a stuffed toy into a plastic bag with a few tbs. of cornstarch and shake. Dust the cornstarch off the toy and the smell has disappeared. If the smell is heavy, continue till it is gone entirely. 2. Prevent bacteria and get rid of dirt: Run plastic toys such as action figures, toys cars and even baby rattles through the dishwasher on the upper rack. You can also throw stuffed or cloth toys into a pillowcase and run through the washing cycle, then in the dry on a low setting till almost dry then hang to dry the rest of the way.

3. Soak the toys to kill germs: Instead of the more popular known method of soaking in chlorine bleach, soak the toys in one part distilled white vinegar and 1 part water for about 20 minutes or overnight if need be.

During the holidays a lot of us tip the glass and drink up for health and a new year, but we should all be tipping the glass for the environment as well. Here a few things to look for on the label on that great wine that are green and will allow you to tip the glass without the eco-guilt.

1. “USDA Organic”: What this means is the wine is made with 100% organic grapes. Nothing has been added. Also contains no sulfites as well.

2. “Organic”: What this means is the grapes used to make wine are 100% organic and grown without the use of pesticides and other chemicals. These wine sometimes contain sulfites.

3. “Salmon Safe”: What this means is no wildlife was harmed in the making of the wine and the wine has been certified by the Oregon-based Salmon Safe certification program and every effort has been done to make salmon safe in the Pacific Northwest.

For other green wine options visit here.

Choosing eco-friendly clothing is a great way to go green. And it can start with simple changes such as your socks or your intimates. There are many companies that are behind the making of many of the clothing we wear everyday. Why not make the change in your clothing for the winter. Clothing items like winter hats and scarf. But, the greenest of all clothing is the clothes you already have in your closet. Why? Because no resources are used to get them to you, they have already made their journey. And the best way to keep them looking their best is to take care of them. Never replace an item of clothing that can’t be made or used for something else. If you have a hole in a sweater, repair it before replacing or throwing it out.

Going green is just basic knowledge of how to make small changes. Let’s go green together, shall we?

Solar ovens have been used for cooking since the Indians prepared meals. Of course their version of sun cooked food didn’t use foil, but with modern foil conveniences, the solar oven that is made in your home gets a revamp. Here is a great way to teach your children about the importance of sun and conserving energy.

Materials you will need:

Medium sized-box with lid

Smaller box that will fit inside the medium-sized box

Roll of Foil (at least 75 square feet)

Newspaper

Scissors

Plastic wrap

Stapler

What to do: You want to make sure that your smaller box definitely will fit inside the larger box and have a bit of gap on the sides. The smaller boxes lid needs to be removed or cut away so that you just have the box itself. Set the smaller box in the larger box and fill the gap on the sides with newspaper, pack it pretty tight because you want it to insulate the box to keep the heat in. Cover the smaller boxes inside with aluminum foil and use the stapler where needed to hold it in place. Once that is done, cover the lid of the larger box and if it isn’t attached to the box already use the stapler it attach it to the larger box to where it will open and shut. Cut a small window in the box and cover with plastic wrap and attach the wrap with the stapler. Don’t use tape, because the solar ovens inside gets up to temperatures well above 250 degrees at times and can melt the adhesive. Using the lid of the smaller box, cover it with aluminum foil and secure to the back of the box so that the foil covered side is at a 90 degree angle above the lid. Once everything is in place, try cooking some chocolate chip cookies or a personal pan pizza in the oven. Place the solar oven in direct sunlight with the lid closed for about 30 minutes and place the food inside. Allow the cooking time to be doubled for it takes longer for food to sun cook as it would in your own oven. Once the food is ready, open the lid and enjoy.

Going green is actually pretty simple. The simplest way to prepare for change is to change within your home and then work out from there.

Just simple changes like “cleaning habits” are a great way to start. The first step you want to take is to throw away any products that aren’t considered biodegradable back into the earth. Many chemicals and metals that are organic come straight from the earth, so bringing them back to where they started is a natural process.

There are many products on the market that offer biodegradable options, but there are also items right in your own cabinets that can be used as cleaning products as well. Items such as baking soda, for scrubbing, vinegar for your windows, or even peroxide for a natural bleaching option just to name a few.

Once you make the change, it will become so easy to stick to. With a bit of elbow grease you can clean almost anything with vinegar and baking soda.