Sage and Sassy

You might be surprised to know that the air inside your home could be dangerous. In fact, our indoor air is often what causes common illnesses and ailments. We spend 65% of our time in our home, which means biologic, chemical and even electrical pollutants fatigue, asthma, skin conditions, learning disabilities, ADHD, digestive issues, infertility, obesity, and cancer.
And if you’re home bound, inactive or live in an area where the weather keeps you inside a lot, you’re more susceptible.

You might also be surprised to know that one of the best ways to clean your air indoors is by simply using what nature provides. Plants, because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, actually filter the air as they’re doing what comes naturally to them.

Plants are natural air filters and are quite successful at eliminating harmful household pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene and toluene. NASA has actually conducted studies and lists the following plants as excellent natural air filters:

* English Ivy
* Peace Lily
* Aloe Vera
* Chinese Evergreen
* Bamboo Palm
* Green Spider Plant
* Chrysanthemum   
* Gerbera Daisy/African daisy
* English Ivy/Common Ivy   
* Philodendron
* Mother in law’s tongue
* Golden Pothos
* Weeping fig
* Boston Fern

The general rule of thumb, when using plants to filter your air, is to position them so there are two plants per 100 square feet. So for example, if you have a home that is 1000 square feet, then you’d want ten twenty plants around your home. If you have multiple levels in your home, you will want to divide the plants between the two floors. However, NASA’s guideline is to use 15-18 plants in a home of approximately 1800 square feet.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a “green thumb,” spider plants and ferns are easy because they’re easy to care for and they don’t take up too much space. And because many of the plants listed are tropical plants, they’re easy to find at your local nursery or even your local home and hardware store.

Using plants to keep you’re the air in your home clean is a fantastic way to protect your health and the health of your family. And plants have a knack for making us feel better, more connected to nature and more positive.

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It’s amazing how fast children grow, and how fast those jeans wear out in the knees. Rather than toss them or patch them again, make them into something useful, and cool!  Turn those old jeans into a funky backpack.

Here’s how:

Step One:  Measure and mark. Turn the jeans inside out. Using a fabric tape measure, measure from the waist band down to two inches below the crotch. Make a mark with pen, not a sharpie because it might bleed through.
Step Two:  Cut the jeans at that mark. You’ll have what now looks like an inside out pair of cut offs.

Step Three:  Cut the straps. Using the remaining legs, cut two long straps from them. Make them twice as wide as you’d like the backpack straps to be. For example, if you want the straps to be one inch wide, cut them two inches wide.

Step Four:  Fold and sew the straps. Fold the straps in half width wise and sew along the edge.

Step Five:  Pin the straps to the top inside edge, the waist that will be against your back when you’re wearing it, of your cut offs and sew them on.

Step Six:  Turn the jean cut offs right side out, pin the other end of the straps to the legs on the same side the top straps are sewn on. Put the backpack on and adjust the straps as necessary so the backpack hangs where you want it to. Sew the straps.

Step Seven: Close the bottom of the backpack. Turn the shorts inside out again and cut through the crotch. Sew one long seam, about ½ inch in, to close the bottom of the bag.

Step Eight. Closing the top of the bag.  Turning the shorts right side out, you now have a backpack you can wear. If you want to close the top of the bag, which is the waist of the shorts, you can grab a bandana, a belt or even a piece of string or twine to keep the items stored safely inside.

You can personalize the backpack with a bedazzler, patches, pins, and fabric paint. Enjoy!

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The number of gadgets each household owns continues to grow. Between cell phones, music players, personal organizers and of course computers, printers, faxes and cameras we throw away tons, literally tons, of electronics each year.

This waste is the most hazardous waste, not only filling up landfills but putting toxins into our soil, our ground water and then back into our homes. Cathode ray tube (CRT) television monitors have several pounds of lead in them. Lead, as you probably know is extremely toxic.

Cell phone batteries made of nickel and cadmium are toxic because Cadmium is a carcinogen that causes lung and liver damage.

So how do you protect the environment?’

Recycle Your Electronics. Donate your electronics to a person or organization that needs them. For example, many women’s shelters take your cell phones to hand out to the residents who need anonymity. You can also donate computers, printers and other similar equipment to urban schools.

Check out local recycling programs. Many areas offer recycling programs and special drop off days for electronics. If your area doesn’t have curbside pickup, check your local listings to see if there are recycling centers nearby and what, if any, electronics they take.

Check out federal recycling programs. Believe it or not, the federal government wants to help and sponsors several recycling programs including but not limited to: erecycle.org and the federal electronic challenge. Your state may have a sponsored program.

Check out retailers. Most electronic retailers, big box and online, have recycling programs. Your cell phone carrier probably has a program to recycle your phones and your local office supply store or electronics store most likely has programs to recycle your electronics.

Beyond Recycling - In addition to becoming more conscious about your electronics and how you get rid of them, consider purchasing refurbished electronics and cutting back on consumption.

Before you buy another new cell phone, ask yourself if you need it or if the one you have right now is doing the job. The more we’re able to protect the planet we live on and the natural resources it provides, the better off we’ll be.

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If you’re conscientious about being more environmentally friendly and living a greener life, then one of the things you may want to check out is your carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint, as defined by carbonfootprint.com is “a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment.”  It is specific to climate change and the amount of greenhouse gases your day to day activities create. Here’s how to measure your carbon footprint.

Primary and Secondary Footprints

While your carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases you produce, there are actually two measurements you can take a look at
Your primary footprint – This is a measure of your emissions based on your direct usage. For example, if you drive your car to the grocery store, you’re using fuel and having a direct impact on the greenhouse gasses you’re emitting. You have control over your primary footprint – you could walk or ride your bike to the store or make one trip a week rather than two or three.

Your secondary footprint - is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the products you use. For example, if you buy produce grown locally that will have fewer emissions than produce that was grown halfway around the globe and transported to your local market.

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

There are several online tools you can use to calculate your carbon footprint. As you work your way through these tools they’ll ask questions like:

* How many people are in your family?
* What type of home do you live in?
* What state do you live in?
* How many bedrooms do you have?
* How much do you spend on electricity each month?
* How much do you spend on gas each month?
* How much do you drive and what kind of car?
* How often do you fly?
* How often do you eat organic food?
* How often do you eat meat?
* Do you recycle?
* Do you compost?

Your Results

Your results will be given in tons as in tons of carbon dioxide emitted each year. To provide some insight, the United States annual average is 110 tons per year for a four person household. The global average for the same four person household is 22 tons per year. As you can see, the US emits a lot of greenhouse gases!

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

A lot of what you can do to reduce your primary and secondary emissions are things you’re already familiar with:

* Carpool
* Walk when you can instead of driving
* Cut back on your home heating and cooling bill
* Turn off lights and electronics when you’re not using them
* Use cold water to wash things instead of hot
* Buy energy star appliances
* Buy local produce
* Recycle
* Travel less

Consider making it a goal, once you know your carbon footprint, to reduce it. Hitting the global average is surely a significant goal if you’re like the average US household!

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Thanks to the growing trend in reducing, reusing and recycling items, it’s easier than ever to find eco-friendly products. In fact, many products now have their own story to tell. For example, there’s a gym teacher from Germany who now makes bags out of old gym equipment. Whatever your style, personality or taste, there is an eco-friendly laptop bag for you. Here’s how to find one.

Eco-friendly can mean many things. One way to buy an eco-friendly bag is to look for a bag made from recycled items.

Laptop bags can be found online and in specialty stores made from bamboo chopsticks, cleaned and sanitized of course. You can also find laptop bags made from the following recycled items:

* Bicycle tires
* Old movie posters
* Plastic bags and newspaper
* Plastic and PET plastic
* Cork
* Wool
* Old clothing, jeans and other materials

Another option is to choose bags made from organically grown materials.

Well you can’t just grow the bag but you can grow the materials to make the bag. For example:

* Hemp
* Sea grass
* Cotton

Finally, you can find bags that help you conserve energy. For example there is a bag with solar cells so you can recharge your cell phone or laptop. And of course there are laptop bags available whose proceeds go to environmentally focused charities.

To find the environmentally friendly laptop bag that’s right for you:
First decide how you want it to be environmentally friendly. Do you want it to be made from recycled materials for example or organically grown materials?

Secondly, determine the size you need and if you want any additional functions, like do you want it to have a solar cell so you can recharge items? Do you want it to hang like a messenger bag or is a hard sided bag more your style?

Next, determine your budget. Bags can run anywhere from $30 to $300, and more, so you’ll probably want to set a budget before you hit the stores.
Finally, hop online or head to your favorite store to get shopping. Make sure if you’re shopping online that you’re shopping with a reputable retailer and your credit card information is protected, as well as your privacy.
Buying an eco-friendly laptop bag is a great way to accomplish two goals, you protect your laptop and the earth!

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The job market is tough right now and you may be looking for a career that promises longevity as well as a career that helps make a difference in the world. A job working for a company that is contributing to new energy sources, recycling, or environmental cleanup. The good news is the career potential is growing as more and more ‘green’ companies are finding success in today’s market. Here’s how to find a green job.

#1  Determine your qualifications, skills, education and interests/passions. This is the important first step because you want to be able to position yourself with the right company and opportunity. This means an honest self examination. How can you contribute? What are your strengths and skills?

#2  Write your resume. Your resume will likely be tweaked for each position you’re applying for however, because you never know who you’re going to meet and when you’re going to meet them, it’s important to have a well written resume on hand at all times. Write your resume with your ideal green job in mind. Highlight your strengths, skills and experience. Demonstrate your accomplishments.

#3 Start searching online. There are a number of job posting sites online that have either separate categories for green opportunities or that only work with green companies. Monster.com for example, has a green jobs section. Begin searching these listings. Of course if you see an opportunity by all means apply for it, however the larger part of this step is to begin to analyze what’s available in the way of opportunity, and what skills are in demand and to assess how your current skills and strengths match. If you find you need training, get it. You’ll be better positioned to land your dream green job.

#4  Network. Join environmental organizations locally. Become active in the community and don’t be afraid to let the people you meet know you’d love to work in the industry. Networking is an extremely effective way to find a good job.

#5  Target specific companies. If you know there’s a company that you’d just love to work for, do your research on them, draft a cover letter and send them your resume expressing your interest. Keep tabs on their website job postings.

Finding your dream green job is possible. It may take a bit of patience and perseverance however, if your goal is to work in this industry and leave a positive mark on the world, go for it!

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If you still take pictures with film, rather than a digital camera, or you have film canisters lying around the house, there are some wonderful ways to use them. It’s environmentally sound, they’re not going into a landfill, and it saves money. Here’s how to reuse film canisters:

#1  Use them to hold vitamins. If you take vitamins and supplements on a regular basis, you sometimes don’t want to take them all at once. Spreading them out throughout the day is easier on your system and they’re used more efficiently by your body. Use film canisters to carry your vitamins with you so you can take them on your schedule. The tops snap on tightly so you don’t have to worry about your vitamins and supplements spilling out.

#2  Use them to house pushpins. Reaching into a desk drawer and coming out with a pushpin stuck in your hand isn’t any fun. Use a film canister to store your pushpins. They’ll be easy to access and you’ll stop jabbing yourself every time you reach into your desk drawer.

#3  In your sewing kit. In your sewing kit you can use film canisters to store loose needles. You can use another canister to house old misplaced buttons or extra buttons and another to hold snaps or other small fasteners.

#4  Use them to keep your jewelry safe. Earring backings, earrings, necklaces and other smaller items can be stored safely in film canisters. In fact, if you struggle with keeping necklaces untangled in your jewelry box, this can be a great way to protect them. One necklace in each container.

#5  Toothpick & matchstick holders. Film canisters can be used to hold loose toothpicks and matchsticks – they’re great in the kitchen.

#6  Use them for travel. In addition to holding prescription and over the counter medicines, you can use a film canister to protect your toothbrush in your suitcase too. Just cut a hole in the film cap lid, large enough to fit the handle of your toothbrush. Put the handle over the end of your toothbrush and slide up and fit onto the canister which is covering the bristles.

#7  Baby teeth. If you have children, it’s tough to know what to do with those little teeth when they fall out. Throwing them away seems somehow wrong but so does putting them in a jewelry box. They’re safe in a film canister. You can label it and put it in your box of memories.

Extra film canisters can also be used for a variety of crafts. Keep them on hand, both the lids and the containers, and let your child’s imagination soar. Film canisters don’t have to end up in the landfill or bulk up your kitchen junk drawer. Use them around the house for quick and easy storage.

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We all want to do our part to protect the environment, but without a large paycheck, that can be seem difficult, if not impossible. But doing your part doesn’t have to be hard. Small steps add up to a big difference, you just have to know which ones to take. 

Use less water.

Saving water is all about small steps, here are a few that will help save big.

- Shut off the water while you brush your teeth
- Take showers that are a minute or two shorter
- Only flush the toilet when you need to
- Only run full loads of laundry and dishes
- Buy from sustainable producers. These are farmers, ranchers, and other producers that use techniques that pollute less and use less water. You can do some research online or ask at your local organic market to find these products.

Use less energy.

If you don’t have the money to buy a hybrid car or convert your house to solar power, you can make a big difference with small changes.

- Buy energy efficient appliances.  They may be more expensive, but make up for the increased cost in lower energy bills.
- Unplug chargers when you’re not using them.  Cell phone and other chargers use up powers even if there’s nothing attached to them.
- Put devices with remotes, like T.V.s, VCRs, and stereos, on a power strip and turn it off when you’re not using them.  These devices use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is off.
- Walk or ride your bike for short trips.
-  Buy local products. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local not only supports your local economy, it helps them use less energy.

When it comes to saving energy and water, it’s a great idea to get the kids involved. You can even make it a game. Have them track how much water and electricity everyone is using. You can compete to see who uses the least water.  You can often count on your kids to help keep you on track when given the task. 

Reuse. 

Most of us know the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, but when we work on conserving, we often leave reuse out of the picture. While you can often find tips on how to reuse common products from other people, what you need most is creativity. With a little thought there are many items around your home that can be reused – toilet paper holders can be used to sow seeds for the vegetable patch. And old yogurt containers can be cut into strip to make plant labels. Old food jars can be refilled with homemade foods or can make great impromptu vases.

Use environmentally friendly products. When you go to the grocery store, you probably see more and more “natural” or “eco friendly” products every time.  There are generally two big problems with these products: 1. Just because they’re more natural than regular products, doesn’t mean they’re entirely natural. 2, They’re often expensive.

If you want inexpensive, natural, safe products, why not just make them yourself. Vinegar is a great way to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces. Need to remove stubborn stains? Just add some baking soda to your vinegar cleaner. Some quick searching online will lead you to hundreds of other natural safe home-made cleaning products.

We all knowing that going green means better for the environment, but it’s also better for you.  Conserving resources also helps save you money, which is something most of us are happy to live with. 

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The air inside our homes is far dirtier than the air outside, according to experts. Why is this? Most likely because of the products we choose to sprinkle, spray and shake around our dishes, furniture, appliances and laundry.

In order to protect the health of our loved ones who breathe indoor air as well as the long term health of our planet, here are 5 quick tips anyone can implement to make their home healthier and less toxic.

1) Start with laundry - According to Malcolm Rands, founder of EcoStore, switching to a safer, natural laundry detergent or soap is probably the most important first change to make to green your home. Why? Because most of us wear clothes 24 hours a day. Much of what our skin rubs up against will end up in our blood stream. Find biodegradable detergents with plant based ingredients. These are available online and in major health food stores.

2) Clean green - If you do a little digging, you can find recipes that utilize such basic ingredients as vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and olive oil for most of your cleaning projects. Not the type to make your own? That’s fine. There are many effective non-toxic cleaning products on the market. If you wouldn’t drink it, you shouldn’t use it for cleaning.

3) Pest smart - One of the most toxic offenders are pesticides. Pesticides are linked with a variety of health problems including fertility issues, breathing difficulties, leukemia and other cancers. You can purchase products (such as boric acid) that are safer for use in your home and are quite effective against pets. Some herbs and spices also repel various creepy crawlies.

4) New? Not - Obtaining most of your furnishings used can go a long way towards keeping formaldehyde and other toxins from offgassing into your home. Not only will you save money, you’ll also keep great stuff from hitting the landfill. Check out ebay and craigslist next time you need a piece of furniture.

5) When In Doubt, Air it Out - While sealing up your home may make it more energy efficient, it also has the effect of trapping in pollutants. Make it a point to open doors and windows whenever possible. Spend some time outdoors every day. Avoid the use of “air fresheners” and even scented candles since they are full of known toxins. Airing out your home and using items like baking soda, lemons, essential oils properly diluted, and herbs and spices will clean your air safely.

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A12-piece set of Cuisinart Green Gourmet Hard Anodized Cookware. They are energy-efficient and eco-friendly with Cermica nonstick surfaces that reduces your carbon footprint and with the nonstick coating also allows for easy food release and the ability to use less fat and oils while cooking.

Review: As a family that buys a lot of organic and healthy foods for higher price tags than most I have always been really alarmed to know that conventional non-stick cookware can be dangerous and even toxic to use. The Teflon is the non-stick cookware off-gasses and can easily be scratched off and end up being eaten by your family. Eating Teflon and breathing in dangerous chemicals when cooking over high heat did not appeal to me in the least so I have avoided the convenience of non-stick cookware for years.

That has all changed though with the release of some new greener and cleaner cookware lines including the Cuisinart Green Gourmet set. It is made with petroleum-free Cermica and this new technology creates a non-stick surface that works just as well as Teflon but without the safety issues. I am finally getting to use non-stick pots and pans again and it feels great. The food flakes right off after cooking with them, making clean up time a snap. You don’t need to use grease and oil on the pans to avoid the “stick” issues so food cooked on these is healthier too. After years of making eggs in bacon grease I am happy to say that all there is in our scrambled eggs now is eggs! The Green Gourmet line is also a very nice looking set of pots and pans. I am recommending them to all my friends.
Where to Buy: Amazon.com

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