October 2008

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Happy Green Halloween!

October 31, 2008 in Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

It’s not the best day to discuss solar power, bamboo flooring, and other home issues, is it? No; I think it’s more a day for recycled spooks, green Halloween treats, and scary eco fun.

Here’s a round-up of some killer green-minded Halloween posts from all over the blogosphere… AND a link to a great Halloween blog contest.

From RiverWired:

From Tree Hugging Family:

From Inhabitots:

From all over the spooky green web…

I hope you, your family, and friends have a happy, safe, and eco-friendly Halloween. To celebrate, why not head over to Simply Thrifty and enter the Little Monsters Costume Contest! You could win a Seagate FreeAgent Go.

Green Cutting Board Know-How

October 30, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Ah the cutting board. Not something we think about all day long right? Still, in most homes the cutting board is a kitchen item that could be made greener.

Stay clear of plastics! Rule number one folks. Plastic anything is not so green, but a plastic cutting board, one exposed to the foods you eat, well, that’s worse. Aim for a sustainable cutting board such as one of these three available from Sur La Table…

Bamboo Cutting Board:

Teak Cutting Board:

Epicurean Recycled Cardboard Cutting Surfaces:

100% post consumer paper cutting board from Recycline:

You should actually choose at least two cutting boards – one for meats and one for other items.

How to green clean your cutting board:

Most studies note that super hot water and soap will do the job just fine. No need for chemical cleaners. For boards you used for meat, I’d run it through your dishwasher too if you have one. If you’re not on board with plain hot water and soap, try a homemade disinfectant. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda, 4 – 5 drops of tea tree or oregano pure essential oil, and 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Mix everything but the baking soda. Sprinkle your board with baking soda and then scrub down with the remaining ingredients.

I hate the smell of vinegar so I just use water and eco soap, but it’s up to you.

Tree Planting Where You Live

October 30, 2008 in Green Your Home, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | 1 comment

We talk a lot about tree planting here. In case you missed it, the following two posts are good places to start reading:

Planting Trees for Your Home and the Planet

Using Environmental Landscaping at Your House

Now, we all know trees are good. Trees can help guard against weather elements, improve air quality, create nice aesthetics, and lots more. However, the wrong tree or a tree planted incorrectly won’t help you or your home all that much – worse, you’ve just wasted a tree seedling or seed. To get the most out of tree planting follow these tips:

Look around your neighborhood and city – which trees thrive best? Which trees are plentiful? Trees that are local to the area almost always work better than imported trees. In fact, if you plant trees from other areas they can even create pollen issues and introduce problems into the local environment.

If possible aim for low maintenance trees. Trees that don’t need much care or water to thrive will usually do well, even if say, you go on an extended vacation.

Plant in the right place. If your goal is energy conservation, plant trees according to American Forests’ recommendations – they have a handy image you can follow (plus more tips).

Consider the canopy. A little seedling may not look like much, but eventually this tree will not only grow up, but out. Do you really need a massive canopy knocking into your home?

Consider the roots. Like the canopy, roots will spread and can even uproot sidewalks and gardens. Check with the right tree in the right place before planting to learn about roots and planting depths.

Learn more:

How to plant a tree

Care for a Tree

Types of trees

Green Toilet Paper Tips

October 29, 2008 in Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

Green toilet paper has many pros, and one major con. The con – cost. Recycled toilet paper is a lot more than basic toilet paper; especially if you have a large family and go through many rolls a week. We’ll look at how you can save money further down. First the pros…

Green toilet paper pros:

Green toilet paper is actually recycled toilet paper. Seventh Generation, one manufacturer of 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue, notes that if every home in America replaced one 12 pack of 400 sheet virgin fiber toilet paper with 100% recycled we could save 1.7 billion gallons of water annually and more than 1,000,000 trees. Also purchasing recycled toilet paper can reduce overall pollution and drastically reduces the chemicals in the environment and on our skin, (there’s chlorine in normal toilet paper).

What to look for in green toilet paper:

  • Chlorine free.
  • Made from 80-100% recycled content.
  • No added dyes or fragrances.
  • Safe for low-flow toilets.

How to save money on recycled toilet paper:

Seventh Generation offers coupons for their recycled toilet paper and other products. They change periodically though, so you have to stay tuned to their site.

Buy in bulk – places like Amazon.com and warehouse stores sell bigger packs of recycled toilet paper for less.

Look at size. Many recycled rolls have more squares than typical toilet paper, so the initial sticker shock may be uncalled for. Although this depends on brands.

Order online direct from a company vs. buying in a store. Check with various companies to see if you can get a deal for buying a lot at one time. Go in on the purchase with another family.

Places to buy recycled toilet paper

Read some green toilet paper reviews

Green Your Fridge & Freezer

October 29, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

Greening your fridge and freezer is easy and helps to contribute to an overall eco-friendly kitchen.Try these tips:

Buy Energy Star the next time you upgrade your refrigerator.

Own the smallest fridge you can live with that meets your needs. Not everyone needs a giant fridge.

Consider if you really need an extra fridge or freezer; say, in the garage. Even energy efficient appliances suck down on energy resources.

Maintain a tight seal on both your fridge and freezer doors. You should be able to stick a piece of paper in the door and it should stay put.

Most newer freezers self-defrost, but if yours doesn’t, be sure to defrost regularly because a freezer can’t function with thick walls of ice build up.

Vacuum the coils on the back of your fridge at least every six months which will improve performance and energy use.

[Wicked cool retro blue fridge available at Big Chill]

Salvaged Jack-o-lanterns

October 28, 2008 in Green Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

Look at these fun pumpkins!

Yes it’s Halloween (almost) so this is cool, but also I wanted to point out that salvaged can be very offbeat and unique; not to mention so much healthier for the planet. These clever guys are from Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage. Aurora Mills collects antique, vintage, and reclaimed architectural items, decor, and garden features. They have an on site warehouse, of course, located in Aurora, OR. That’s right near me, but if you live far away, they also offer an online selection of salvaged goods.

I was browsing their online site, and it’s one of the better online collections of salvaged home items that I’ve seen – worth a look if you’re building or remodeling. If you can get something kooky used, why waste resources buying new?

Visit Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage to learn more.

CedarWorks: Custom, Eco-Friendly Swingsets

October 27, 2008 in Children & Babies, Outdoor Living by Jennifer | No comments

I know you may not be thinking about swingsets right now; heck, summer is over. However, a custom swingset would make a great holiday gift for a lucky kid, and frankly, I like these swingsets too much to wait for summer to blog them.

CedarWorks creates beautiful quality swingsets that don’t take the aesthetics away from your yard. These aren’t typical plastic or metal swingsets, these are lovely, 100% Northern White Cedar sets.

CedarWorks has some stellar eco-goals as a company as well; which you won’t see with the typical kiddie playsets from Toys R Us. Eco-values include…
Read the rest of this entry »

Visual Green Inspiration – My New Favorite Eco Kitchen

October 23, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Need some beauty today?

Well, this should do it. This green kitchen is part of an amazing portfolio of green home projects and remodels at Green Fusion Design Center – the largest green retail showroom in the Bay Area. Visit their website to get design ideas, and to learn more about healthy and green spaces.

Create A Healthier & Greener Home

October 23, 2008 in Air Quality, Green Cleaning by Jennifer | 1 comment

Even if you think you have healthy habits; not smoking, wearing sunscreen, eating organic, your health could be at risk due to some basic home hazards. You can cut some of the damaging effects of home hazards by doing the following:

Take your shoes off: Studies show that a major cause of pesticides in the home is due to shoes. Shoes pick up everything and then drag that everything (pesticides, pollen, and other icky air polluters) to all the rooms of your house.

Don’t dry clean: Or at the very least try a greener dry cleaner. Dry cleaned items can release chemicals that cause cancer, plus, dry cleaning in itself is not a green process.

Grow some fresh air: If growing fresh air producing plants is not your style, invest in an Energy Star HEPA filter air purifier.

Light cleaner candles: Soy or beeswax candles are better for your health than wax candles. They burn cleaner, and produce less soot.

Buy sustainable real wood: Fake wood furniture is usually partially particleboard, which contains a chemical called formaldehyde, which can make you sick and cause allergy flare ups. When considering this tip also think about your wooden floors. Real, sustainable wood can be more expensive, but in the long run you’ll be healthier and so will the earth.

To learn more about cleaner, greener, healthier homes read:

What are you doing to decrease toxins in your home?

[image: Beeswax candles from Bluecorn Naturals]

10 Fast Ways to Green Your Kitchen

October 22, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

1. Green your brew: Use a reusable coffee filter instead of paper filters (I’ve had mine for four years now, and it’s in great shape). If tea is your drink, use loose leaf tea, instead of paper bound tea bags.

2. Green your trash: Recycle and compost more than you are now. Most of us can afford to complete a trash audit. You’d be surprised at what ends up in the garbage can.

3. Green your cleaning: You don’t need harsh cleaners in any room of the house. But there’s food in the kitchen, so being more careful in this room counts even more.

4. Green your herbs: Grow your own organic herbs. They taste better, cost less, and make your windowsill a little more beautiful.
Read the rest of this entry »

Six Steps to A Greener Laundry Room

October 20, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

There are several things you can do to green up the laundry room. If you’re new to green living, the laundry room is actually an easy place to start, because changes aren’t that tough to implement.

  1. Have an Energy Star washer and dryer.
  2. Wash all clothing on cold – seriously, no washer produces hot enough water to sterilize clothing. Cold cleans just as well, so why not save the energy.
  3. Use your dryer sparingly. You can hang clothing up outside in the summer, and in your bathroom during the winter.
  4. Use the right laundry products. Avoid harsh laundry soap, dryer sheets, and fabric softener. Things to avoid include chemical surfactants, chlorine, and chemical fragrances. One good green laundry soaps is Biokleen All Temperature Laundry Liquid.
  5. Skip the bleach.
  6. Wash the largest loads possible. Washing two shirts is a huge waste of water and energy.

Quick Green Tip: Cancel Home Newspaper Delivery

October 19, 2008 in Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Canceling your home newspaper delivery is a super fast green step you can take. It only takes a minute, but you’ll save an important resource – trees. Over 35% of the trees used each year, are being used to produce newspapers.

Instead sign up for the online addition of your favorite newspapers. Most are now offered online or can be sent straight to your pda, or other electronic device. AND in case you’re worrying, “What about energy costs and resources” – don’t. All that paper is far more destructive than the energy you’ll use reading online.

According to Internet: Death of the Newspaper?, “The U.S. Toxic Release Inventory report released by the EPA states that pulp and paper mills are among the worst polluters to air, water and land of any industry in the country.”

A greener choice is to go digital with your morning read.

What Uses Up the Most Water in Your House?

October 19, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances, Water by Jennifer | No comments

In most older houses the answer to this question is… The toilet.

Regular old toilets used to use a ton of water – up to seven gallons per flush. If you’ve remodeled your old house bathroom, or bought a brand new house it’s likely you have a new toilet, and that’s good news because newer toilets use far less water per flush (usually less than 2 gallons).

Options for older toilets… And by old, I do mean old. Models since the mid 90s have used less water. If you have a toilet older than say 1995 or so, that’s when you need to be concerned.

Replace it: Your best option, hands down is to replace your older toilet for a nice new model. You can upwards of 2000 gallons of water per year by changing out your toilet. Preferably you want to get a dual-flush model (available in the U.S. from Kohler and Caroma U.S.A), a water sense approved model, or an ultra low-flush. There are also some nice composting and waterless toilets available, which will save you even more money and water.

Besides water, there’s that additionally bonus that a water efficient toilet will save you lots of cash over the years. Costs to buy and install a new toilet (or 2 or 3) can seem high, but you’ll get back that money quickly. Visit Conserve Water Utah, to see a list of water efficient toilets.
Read the rest of this entry »

Good Energy – Solar Power at Home

October 18, 2008 in Alternative Energy, Green Building, Video by Jennifer | No comments

I posted this at RiverWired a long while back, but figured readers here deserve to see it. It’s a cool video. It does starts and end a little odd with a cow, but the middle is the part that counts. Watch how one family goes solar…

Green Home Book of the Week: Off the Grid Homes

October 18, 2008 in Books by Jennifer | 1 comment

I read a massive amount of green home books, so I’ve decided to offer a green home book selection each week – one I like, that I think you’ll like too.

This week, I’m obsessed with this book I recently got from the library – Off The Grid Homes by Lori Ryker.

Pros:

  1. Best luscious images ever. Every single home in this book is utterly beautiful.
  2. I thought it offered a nice balance of advanced information along with text that newbies to off-grid living would understand as well.
  3. Covers some very cool ideas that home owners can incorporate into their own homes, even if you’re not totally off-grid. Issues covered run from alternative energy to gray water to recycled materials and more.
  4. Handy resource section with architects, designers, and builders.
  5. Something nice about this green home book is that different area homes were discussed; it wasn’t all say desert homes, or NW homes, there was a nice variety. Often green home books seem to have a narrow location focus (not all of them – don’t jump me, but many).

Cons:

  1. I don’t own it yet (sadness).

When you get this book open to page 60 stat! That’s my favorite house. You’ll adore this book. Check it out at your library, or get it for the green home lover on your holiday gift list.

One Small Green Step You Can Take – Ban Paper Calendars

October 18, 2008 in Holiday, Home Office by Jennifer | 1 comment

With the new year almost here, it’s a great time to take this small step. Ban those paper calendars forever. Paper calendars are an ultimate eco-baddie, because you always need a new one. Every year you’re replacing paper with new paper. If everyone quit buying paper calendars, imagine how many trees we could save.

Other ideas:

Go digital. Use your pda, computer, cell phone, what have you. All these items have handy calendars – usually included in basic software programs. If not, you can always create your own, using say, Word and the table maker. Or you can buy calendar program, some people like Outlook. I hate Outlook (long story), but you can also try one of these options.

Never Buy A Calendar Again – Unique Perpetual Calendars

If you must own a paper calendar be sure to go recycled. Try one of these:

And for some fun recycling read: Uses For Old Calendars

What sort of calendar will you be buying this year?

Green Your Home On the Cheap

October 17, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | 1 comment

Hey folks; sorry that I’ve been missing in action. My laptop motherboard died – we’ll skip that story because it’s highly depressing. That said, stay tuned for some extra green home and living posts over the next few days to make up for my absence.

Since I’ve been having to spend massive amounts of cash on computer issues, saving cash has been on my mind. The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can go green without spending a lot of green. For example…

Free – $5 energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs – Every once in a while places like Home Depot or your local energy company give out free CFLs (check your local resources). Even if you have to buy a bulb, the cost is low compared to the green savings and money saving over time.

$10 weather stripping – weather stripping at most will only cost you about $10 per roll, and it’s a great way to conserve energy resources and costs.
Read the rest of this entry »

Quick Green Tip: Salt Your Oven

October 14, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Quick Green Home & Garden Tips by Jennifer | No comments

Besides drain cleaners, oven cleaners are at the top of the list when it comes to dangerous home cleaning products. Oven cleaners are totally toxic – why else would you need gloves and a well ventilated work area to use the darn stuff.

Instead of toxic harsh chemicals, try plain old salt. If you notice oven spills, sprinkle table salt liberally on the spill before your oven cools down. After the oven is cool, take a damp cloth and rub off the spill. This even works on tough greasy stains; but you have to work with a warm oven. I’ve tried this on col ovens, and had less luck.

For more green cleaning tips, read:

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulb Safety

October 13, 2008 in Save Energy by Jennifer | 1 comment

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulbs are much better for the earth than standard bulbs, so hopefully your home is full of them. However, there’s a slight danger to having CFL bulbs.

You may have heard that mercury is dangerous, and that’s not false. However, when it comes to CFL bulbs, you’re not dealing with a huge risk. CFLs do contain mercury, but not in large enough amounts to affect your entire household, say, if one breaks. Mercury will escape from your bulb if it breaks, but it’s such a tiny amount, that it’s not going to flow over all the rooms in your home, and it won’t pose a danger to you, your pets, or your kids, so long as you carefully clean up the broken bulb.

  • Kids should never clean up broken bulbs.
  • You should avoid touching the bulb pieces while cleaning them up.
  • Gently sweep pieces into a dustpan, and toss into an outside trash can.

There have been some strange, rumor-like stories about CFLs online, but when you get right down to it, they’re mostly safe, and save energy, so go ahead and use them.

[image via GE - visit the GE Lighting ENERGY STAR Program page to learn all about CFL bulbs.]

Quick Green Tip: Ditch Your Answering Machine

October 13, 2008 in Uncategorized by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re one of those people who still have a bulky answering machine hanging around, it’s time to upgrade to a greener phone message choice. Answering machines are plugged in all the time, thus wasting energy. Answering machines take resources to build and ship, plus, it’s just one more thing to clutter your counter. Skip the answering machine and have your phone service set up with voicemail.

In most cases, voicemail is more dependable than an answering machine, and in all cases voicemail will save you (and the earth) energy.

Hemp Shower Curtain

October 12, 2008 in Decor, Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Each little green step you take adds up to a whole bunch of green living perks. Even something as small as your choice of a shower curtain can make a difference. With all the dangers of PVC, you’ll want to look for a PVC-free Shower Curtain Liner. If you can’t find a decent PVC-free liner, a second choice is to choose a shower curtain that needs no liner at all.

For example, a Hemp Shower Curtain can be used sans liner. Hemp is not only naturally resistant to bacteria and mold, but hemp is a sustainable, easily renewed crop. If you have a well-ventilated bathroom a hemp shower curtain will work fine for your shower – just remember to wash it every few weeks.

The Hemp Shower Curtain from are naturals, is made from 100% natural hemp canvas, is a tight weave for leak protection, and is machine washable; a much better choice than having a vinyl liner.

10 Easy Reuse Ideas for Organizing Your Home

October 12, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

A green home is good. A green organized home is fantastic. Here are 10 simple ways to reuse stuff you already have in order to get organized. Trust me, with the holidays coming, it’s best to organize now.

  1. Take old wastebaskets; you know the ones too grungy for the house, and use them for storing long rolls of wrapping paper. No one will see it, because a mid-size garbage can fits neatly into the back of most closets.
  2. If you’ve given up clothes pins for an energy efficient dryer, you can spray paint the pins pretty colors and use them to hang pictures and your little one’s artwork. Simply hang a string across one wall. This makes changing your art decor fast and easy.
  3. Make your own reusable lunch bags out of old tablecloths. Very cute, and the perfect way to organize lunch outings.
  4. Old laundry baskets can be used for storing toys or out of season clothing. If you do use them to store clothes be sure to place clothing in a garbage bag first.
  5. Quit buying overpriced Tupperware. You can reuse sauce jars, butter tubs, and more for snack and left-over storage. Small yogurt cups are perfect for kid sized snacks.
  6. Reuse bubble wrap (start saving during the holidays) for protecting produce. Line your produce bins in the fridge with bubble wrap and you won’t have to deal with bruised fruit anymore.

    7. Read the rest of this entry »

Quick green tip: plasma TV is not so green

October 10, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 1 comment

See how I can rhyme my green tips! But that’s besides the point. If you like your TV big then consider a LED-screen, rear projector screen, or even just a biggie old fashioned TV – all three use less energy than plasma screens.

In fact, some figures show that with continued plasma use, TVs will end up consuming about 8% of the energy used nationally per year. 8% sounds small – but think of al the stuff we own that uses energy, and that makes 8% to TV alone seem pretty icky.

To learn more read: Televisions Will Consume More Energy Than a Fridge – yup even the title is scary.

Choose A Green Community

October 10, 2008 in Community by Jennifer | 2 comments

Part of living green is based on green building material choices for your home. Another green consideration is house size (the smaller the better). It’s also important to think about the goods you bring into your home. Working on all of the above help you to achieve green living. However, another green living choice is your community.

Community matters, or it should. I think people sometimes forget that where they live is just as important as the building materials around them. You can have a green home, far from green spaces, but that seems somehow redundant – don’t you think?

If you’re moving or building and want to go green, and build a love of nature and the earth in your kids, then look for the following in a community…
Read the rest of this entry »

The Urban Kitchen Compost Bin

October 10, 2008 in Organic Gardening, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 3 comments

[Stainless Steel Kitchen Compost Crock from Real Goods]

Just because you don’t live on a farm, or even somewhere with a small yard, doesn’t mean you can’t compost. No matter your size of home or land, you can compost easily with a basic kitchen compost bin – even if you live in an apartment in the city. Your local parks or community gardens, or your own potted plants can use the compost. Bonus; in recent years, kitchen compost bins have even gone down in price.

Composting basics:

  • Composting is simply allowing organic matter to decay and return to the soil, rather than tossing it in the garbage.
  • Composting can reduce household waste (i.e. what ends up in your trash can) but plenty – up to 30% or more.
  • If you have a  yard or even potted plants, compost is the perfect natural soil additive. Composting (adding compost to) your plants will reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and can even be used as mulch.

Items to compost:

  • Produce -veggies and fruit scraps or produce that’s gone bad
  • Coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Fireplace ashes
  • Yard clippings, and cut grass
  • Bread, pasta, old beans

To learn more about what can and cannot be composted, visit Compost Info Guide or Composting at the EPA.

Now about kitchen compost bins…
Read the rest of this entry »

Reduce the Junk Mail Coming to Your House

October 8, 2008 in Home Office, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 1 comment

Junk mail is a big bad; not eco-friendly at all. About 4 million tons of junk mail arrives at U.S. homes each year. Some of us recycle, but not all of us. Also, not all areas even have proper paper recycling. What to do?

Stop junk mail: This is obviously your number one option. Unless you find junk mail an exciting read (I sure hope not) then why not cancel it?Over 100 million trees are used up to create junk mail, and you really don’t want to be a part of that.

How to stop junk mail:

Contact companies personally who send you junk mail, and tell them to take you off their list. If they don’t listen, I’d start sending it back.

Join Green Dimes. Not only will they stop junk mail cold, but they’ll plant 5 trees in your name when you sign on as a premium member.

Register at Mail Preference Service.

Try the Stop the Junk Mail Kit.

If you’d like to put the junk mail you already have to work, save it up for holiday wrap.

Junk mail is annoying and an eco-baddie, but that doesn’t mean you have to take it.

Make Your House A Reusable House

October 8, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

You can apply green building features to your house. You can invest in eco-friendly furniture. You can even landscape with the environment in mind. However, one of the best ways to go green at home, is to make your house as reusable as possible.

First of all make sure that you’re only bringing goods into your house that you really need. Purchased goods take energy to manufacture, and most come with too much packaging. When you do purchase goods, make sure that they’re both recyclable, and if possible reusable. Look for items that can perform more than one duty. For example, no one needs a food processor, a blender, and a food grinder. One of the above will do the work of all three.

Items that can make your home reusable:
Read the rest of this entry »

Green Roof Homes for Pets

October 7, 2008 in Eco-Pets, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | No comments

When you’re greening your own home and lifestyle, don’t forget about your furry friends. While green pet homes are lacking, there’s one company you can turn to for all your sustainable pet home needs…

Sustainable Pet Design an amazing company creating beautiful green-minded homes for your best friend – at least, your best friend with a tail. “Greenrrroof” pet homes smell great, attract wonderful wildlife (think birds and butterflies), and even naturally repel fleas. Green roofs are becoming more in style among human habitats, but to put a green roof on a pet home is brilliant. Take a look:

Each “Greenrrroof” pet home is custom sized to your dog. If you live in California, you can have a nicely planted pet home shipped to you. For folks living outside of California, you can’t get a planted one shipped, but the company will send you a pet home, and plant recommendations for your region.

Each home is green to the max. The company used untreated recycled red cedar wood, zero-VOC paint, and beeswax waterproofing.

Look at these other cool green homes for pets:
Read the rest of this entry »

Grow Some Fresh Air at Home

October 6, 2008 in Green Cleaning, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

Anyone can buy an air purifier for their home. However, air purifiers are loud, can be expensive, and let’s face it, aren’t all that attractive. Add that to the fact that it takes plenty of energy to manufacture and ship these air purifiers, and it makes it seem like a less green, and more obnoxious choice.

A better choice: Grow your own fresh air with a lovely collection of indoor plants. Plants naturally clean your air of toxins and chemicals, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being; not to mention they look great and can add cheer to any room.

Some natural air cleaning plant options include:

Gerbera Daisy

Bamboo – read Bringing Up Bamboo at Savvy Gardening

Christmas Cactus – these are not just for Christmas time. A Christmas Cactus can last 30 years or longer.

This amazing chart from Good Magazine will tell you about common household pollution problems and the plants that help solve them. At your local library look for How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office the best book I’ve read on toxin reducing plants; covering plants that work well in small and large spaces, and plants that do well with low light, meaning, you can have air cleaning plants in your bathroom or office space (even with no windows).

Now, head to your local nursery, pick up some organic plants, and grow some fresh air.

Quick Tip: Arrange Your Furniture to Save Energy

October 6, 2008 in Decor, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

You might not think that how you arrange your furniture matters, but furniture arranging is actually a smart green action step.

If you arrange your furniture around the TV, most likely, the TV will be turned on. Instead arrange your furniture in such a way that motivates family gathering and conversation. Place furniture around a table with board games underneath. If you’ve got a reading or work space, arrange a couple of chairs around one nice light source, instead of having two lamps per room. Create a play space or art station for your kids in the brightest room of the house, and use dimmer, less energy draining lights in their actual bedrooms.

Each small step you take at home can help to save energy, create family time, and foster happiness – all you have to do is take the time to think it out, before you arrange your house.

Recycling Hazardous Household Waste

October 6, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

It’s easy to recycle cardboard, paper, and plastic, but what about recycling hazardous household waste? It’s a little tougher. However, you can’t just toss icky stuff in the trash, or down the sink. Hazardous waste is called hazardous for a reason; toss it out and it’ll pollute groundwater, soil, and streams.

Hazards you might have around the house include things like:

  • Paint and paint thinner
  • Varnish or wood stains
  • Motor oil, antifreeze, and other automobile fluids
  • Toxic cleaners
  • Weed or bug killer
  • Some adhesives, caulking, and other household fix-it supplies
  • Batteries
  • Some arts and craft materials

Some items like paints or art supplies can be donated rather than tossed. Get the full scoop on paint recycling here. Other items are more tricky. Follow these steps:

  1. Use up what you can. What you can’t use, should be donated when possible, and if you can’t give it away (think old batteries) move on to step two.
  2. Call your local community disposal or recycling company and ask. Most of the time, these folks will know where to send you and your toxic recyclables.
  3. Look up hazardous waste drop-off sites in your community. To locate these drop-off sites, a quick trip to your online city or county website will do the trick. Look under headings like waste disposal or recycling until you find what you need.
  4. Visit Earth 911. If you’re at a dead end, Earth 911 can usually help. Earth 911 has a super fast recycling search guide; all you do is enter your zip code and the item you’re looking to recycle.

You may also be interested in learning about Aerosol Product Recycling.

Planting Trees for Your Home and the Planet

October 5, 2008 in Organic Gardening by Jennifer | No comments

I always hear green skeptics say things like – “You tree huggers, always talking about planting trees!” Which of course is far from true, there are plenty of green actions you can take that have nothing to do with tree planting.

That said, tree planting (not to focus on green stereotypes) is one great way to green your house, and the environment, all at the same time. Here are some benefits of planting more trees near your home…

It’s easy: Of all the green action steps you can take, tree planting has got to be one of the easiest. Anyone can plant a tree. To learn specifics visit Arbor Day (if you join you even get 10 Free Trees) or How to Plant A Tree.

Trees save energy: Using smart landscaping, the average home can save $150+ a year on energy costs. Trees add as sun and wind blockers, create natural awnings, and more. Trees also help reduce water needs on plants planted nearby. To learn about earth-friendly, energy saving landscaping read: Using Environmental Landscaping at Your House.

Trees create, restore, and promote habitats: Birds, animals, insects, and people all need trees to enjoy. As habitats are destroyed, as we fill in land with concrete, we’re making the world a less nice place to be. Planting trees helps to restore balance.

Trees promote human health and well-being: Trees are relaxing. I always feel better in say, Oregon than the middle of Albuquerque, where large trees are rare. Trees reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, and a newer study shows that neighborhoods with plenty of trees have reduced instances of youth asthma.

Trees protect land: Besides cleaning the air, which is great for animals and people, trees stop massive erosion and create natural shade for other shrubs and plants. In fact less mulching is needed for plants who live under trees.

Sustainable Furniture Shops

October 3, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | No comments

The other day we were talking about sustainable furniture, and I promised to show some cool pieces. If you missed the other posts, read: Sustainable Furniture Guidelines and Re-purpose the Furniture You Own.

Green furniture shops to adore:

Modern Bamboo Spring Chair from Design Public: (Comes in Cherry and Ebony as well).

Donato 6 drawer dresser in bamboo from the always lovely Fernwalla:

Smile by David Trubridge from Greenergrassdesign:

Other sustainable shops:

For even more great eco furniture store visit Co-op America.

Where To Find New Green Homes for Sale

October 3, 2008 in Green Your Home, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 3 comments

If you’re looking to buy a new or existing green home, rather than build or remodel green, it can seem frustrating. As mainstream as green living has become, there’s still not a ton of publicity about green homes and where to find them. Still, with the right help, you can find what you’re looking for.

A really fun way to find green homes is to take part in one of the many green home shows or tours popping up all over the country. Not all states have green home shows or tours, but many do. At a green home show, you can meet builders and merchants of green homes and green home goods. If you attend a green home tour it’s even more fun, because you get to see some beautiful homes and learn about green home options. Check with your local chamber to learn about green home events in your area.

For an eclectic collection of killer green homes for sale visit Green Homes for Sale. This is one of my favorite drool worthy sites on the web. You can search by location (U.S. (all the states), Canada, Nicaragua  and Puerto Rico), ID number, or watch fun slide shows. These are lovely homes and stats about their green attributes are listed.

Look for green communities in your area. Usually these are all new developments in a walkable area and green spaces. One downside of green communities is that the homes tend to be clustered closely together, but there are still perks, like energy savings and non-toxic materials.

Other ways to find a green home to purchase include:

Green Halloween Decorations for Your Home

October 2, 2008 in Holiday by Jennifer | 2 comments

Holiday decorating is a tradition for many households. Now that spooky old Halloween is upon us, it’s time to break out the ghosts and pumpkins. Here are some tips for keeping it green this Halloween:

Jack O’ Lantern fun: First of all there’s the question of your pumpkin (or pumpkins as the case may be). There are some good arguments for organic pumpkins, but cost is a factor as well. I actually covered this topic at another blog of mine, so instead of rehashing the issue, I’ll simply link you there: Should you buy an organic pumpkin for Halloween?

Spooky decor: There’s no need to buy brand new Halloween decorations. You can break out last year’s decorations or make plenty of your own with a little imagination and some recycled goods:

You can also recycle plain old paper into great crafts. Last year, my son and I created a collection of gravestones and spooky trees on our living room wall.

Scary lighting:

Some people like to hang lights for Halloween. If your family does this, make sure you snag some energy saving LED light strings. Holiday LEDS has a large selection of Halloween colored lights to choose from.

Have fun and don’t forget to stock up on plenty of Fair Trade Treats for Halloween.