Going Green Today

Remove Your Shoes on Entering? 7 Reasons Why

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Original Source Care2
Adapted from Japanese Style, by Sunamita Lim (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2007).

Do you remove your shoes on entering your home? Many of us who are not culturally predisposed to this activity avoid thinking about it because we are conflicted about starting a daily routine that you would then need to impose on others.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: There are many kinds of sanctuary this routine can bring, and here are seven:

Natural Style, Easy Grace
From Dutch homes of the 15th century, where it was not permissible to set foot in a room without first removing one's shoes, to removing shoes at the front door in most Asian homes as a mark of respect to the house and to honor its cleanliness and purity, taking off one's shoes at the front door can be a deeply ingrained cultural habit.

For those of us who don't share this habit, a good reason to consider initiating it is grounded in the pollutants they carry in from the outside world.

The benefits of removing shoes are many, including:

• Taking off one's shoes at the door can be a simple celebration of everyday life, as easy as kicking off your shoes at the front door to symbolize leaving behind the harried outer world, then lighting incense and being soothed by the subtle aroma of lavender wafting through the house.
• Less dirt and small rocks gouge our floors, gently buffed by bare feet in the warmer seasons and by softly slippered feet in the cooler months.
• Bare feet are treated to the comforting sensation of walking on smooth wood, or other flooring, an uncommon experience in itself.
• Less time is spent cleaning the floor.
• Infants and young children with more sensitive immune systems inhale cleaner indoor air.
• A healthier home is ensured because shoes track in lead, pesticides and other pollutants, contaminating carpets and floors, turning a home into a toxic place for pets and young children, especially, who spend more time on the floor.
• Shoes in Japan are left in the foyer, and traded for house slippers, with the gesture being both symbolic and a conscious desire to leave behind the outer world by shedding, literally, the first obvious steps—shoes.
• Home is seen as a separate, special place, a sanctuary.
  

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Cinch Inch Loss!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Well, I'm up to 10 inches lost in 3 weeks! Yeehaw!! Cinch Shakes and the Meal-in-a-Bars, along with a modified healthy diet, with well spaced out mini meals a day, it's working wonders for me! I don't overstuff myself, I eat small meals every couple of hours to keep my metabolism on fire, or instead of eating something I drink a shake or have a Meal-in-a-Bar. I don't have a scale, but I do believe I'm close to losing 10 lbs as well! Woohoo! Here's my favorite way to make the Cinch Shakes. Feel free to do what you like :)

2 scoops of Cinch, chocolate or vanilla
1 tbsp reduce fat organic peanut butter
1 tbsp organic local honey
1 tbsp cinnamon
8 oz of organic milk
1 ripe organic banana
serving Optiflora
5 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy! I find the combination of these makes for one yummy shake, that not only tastes good but is just oh so good for you too!

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Shaklee - Best of 2007 and beyond?

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

‘Grease cars’ — the answer to high gas prices?

Monday, January 7, 2008

Do-it-yourself ‘greasers’ drive diesel vehicles that also burn vegetable oil-
Valentin Humer, president & CEO of Food & Vine, pumps recycled grapeseed oil into his Mercedes diesel in Napa, Calif.
By Robin Lloyd
MSNBC.com

Move over gas-guzzlers. Make way for grease cars, the latest do-it-yourself auto trend for eco-conscious drivers.

Grease cars are diesel vehicles converted to also burn leftover food-grade vegetable oil (aka SVO for straight vegetable oil), which you can often get free from local restaurants. Grease car conversions and fueling take some leg work, but advocates say in the end you save money, help the environment and consume less "foreign oil."

The first grease cars were developed in 1980 on a Volkswagen Golf in Germany, according to Elsbett.com, but thousands of Americans have grease cars nowadays, said Cynthia Shelton, director of the California-based National VegOil Board.

Some "greasers" are financially motivated, while others, such as conservation biologist Sacha Spector and his writer wife Daphne Uviller, converted to take global-warming matters into their own hands.

"Last January, I was out on my lawn and it was 70-something degrees, and I was thinking, 'I've got to be part of the solution. This is ridiculous,'" Spector said.

The couple traded in their gasoline-fueled car for a used Volkswagen diesel wagon, bought a conversion kit (these start at about $1,000), installed it (take a weekend to do it at home or pay a master installer another $1,000) and they've been happy grease car drivers for the past few months.

Homework required
Here's how greasers do it: First, they line up a waste oil source in advance. You don't want to convert your car and then scramble for fuel. Contact local restaurants to reach an agreement. Some restaurants pay to have the oil carted away so they might be pleased for you to take it for no charge. Spector and Uviller live in Manhattan, so they get their waste oil from a French restaurant literally across the street.

Next comes the vehicle. The purchase of a new diesel car has been tricky in some parts of the country, including the Northeast, because of air emissions rules, but new low-sulfur diesel is changing that, or you can buy a used diesel car.

Choose a conversion kit by comparing the offerings from sites such as greasecar.com, goldenfuelsystems.com and votechusa.com, or reading the vegcar.net or vegtruck.com blogs.

Finally, greasers set up a filtering system or station. Some food scraps tend to remain in waste oil, so you have to filter it out. You can buy filtration systems for $700 or make your own from parts for less.

Vegetable oil is not an EPA-certified fuel, according to the National VegOil Board, so grease car drivers also have to research local oil collecting, oil hauling, storage and other related laws.

The other green
It takes months or a year or more to make back the grease-car conversion investment, depending on miles driven and whether converters spring for the master installer and pre-built filtration kit. Spector and Uviller put about 12,000 to 15,000 miles on their car annually. The couple fills up with diesel just once every two months now (grease cars generally burn diesel for some minutes at the start and finish of each outing).

Mileage is the same as diesel fuel for the VW — about 40 mpg, Spector said. Generally, diesel engines are 40 percent more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines, according to Greasecar.

Emissions for grease cars are considered "carbon neutral" because the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants grown to generate the vegetable oil exceeds the carbon dioxide released when the oil is burned. Grease cars still emit air pollutants in the form of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulates, but a quarter to a third less of the latter two than cars that burn only diesel, according to figures on Greasecar, and no carcinogenic sulfur as you'd get with a diesel car.

And yes, grease cars do smell like french fries, but many would agree that beats the smell of diesel exhaust.

Source

What do you think about this alternative???

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Does your cleaner do this?

Should you decide to get the spray bottles (now comes in 3, I ordered them when it was only 2, they now include a Degreaser spray bottle), the bottles themselves are the same size as the cleaner bottle - 16 oz. See?

On each bottle, (which you can't see in my picture) it tells you how much to use for each use. Here's where jaws start to drop. Just 1/4 of a teaspoon of Basic H2 in the All Purpose Cleaner Bottle filled with water, and merely 1-2 DROPS of it in the Windows and Mirrors Bottle! In the new Degreaser bottle, you add only 1 1/2 teaspoons to a bottle full of water! I bet you can imagine how long this bottle will last you!!!!! Meanwhile, the cleaners over the counter are full strength and you're buying them AT LEAST once a month from continual use! So not only is our cleaner biodegradable, non toxic and safe for the earth, it's better for the earth because its concentrated, is bottled using less energy because its concentrated, costing you less to buy and get shipped to you, and uses less energy and resources for us to make and sell/ship to you. It's truly a win win situation.

Here are close ups of the labels. Click to see them larger.



Does this interest you? Want to save 15% on this and future orders? Want to learn more? Contact me today!

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Losing Weight for 2008? Step 1 - Have a Plan of Attack

Sunday, January 6, 2008

2008 is here, your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. But are you finding that you're having trouble sticking to it already? Take babysteps. Trying to change your complete routine all at once and diving right in by exercising, dieting, drinking more water, etc., will cause you to completely overload and quit earlier than if you took it slower, step by step. First things first, sit down and make out a list and be honest.

• How much weight do you want to lose?
• What specific areas of the body are the ones you want to focus on the most or first?
• What exercises are going to help you get there?
• What are the foods that make you weak and lose self control?
• How much are you willing to spend to control your weight?
• Are you committed to succeeding?
• How did this weight come about?
• Do you have a work out buddy?
• Are you taking a multivitamin yet? If not, why not?

Jot these down on a paper. Let's go over them one by one.

First, determining how much weight you want to lose is very important. Ideally you want to lose 1-2 lbs a week. In the beginning you might lose rapidly, because of the changes you make however slow or not, but you should strive to only lose 1-2lbs a week, as anything more might not stay off for good. So go over the math, if you want to lose, for instance, 30 lbs, it should take you anywhere from 15-30 weeks to attain. Get a calendar, and check off what days you will be on this diet, go over any special events that might derail you and allow for time to help get you back on track. Do NOT get upset if it takes longer, the longer it takes the better it actually is for your body.

Second, get down to your undies and snap a picture of yourself. I know, not the best thing for your self esteem, but seeing yourself in print or on screen (digital camera) might help you stay committed. It might also help you spot areas that you might not've thought were a problem til seeing them from the camera's angle. Amend this section after snapping the picture, in case there are additional areas to add.

Third, full body aerobics, such as walking, running, or an aerobics class, will help you trim down your overall body fat, but these 'problem areas' will require special exercises to target them. I can help you figure out what is best for those areas if you'd like.

Fourth, your weaknesses. Chocolate? Ice cream? Mashed potatoes? Ranch dressing? What is it that makes you fall off the diet wagon? Definitely identify those 'problem foods', and seek out healthier alternatives. Love mashed potatoes? Try a baked potato with minimal butter and some Mrs. Dash. Love chocolate? Try making your own using Hershey's Unsweetened Powder, nonfat milk and some Splenda. There are several healthier alternatives for each of your weaknesses, I'm sure we can come up with a happy medium :)

Fifth, sometimes money can make a huge impact on what you can and can't do to lose weight. Starving yourself to lose weight isn't an option, no matter how little you can spend. But definitely identify what sort of 'weight loss budget' you have here. Is it a total amount? Is it a monthly amount? You need a figure to work with here so you can shop for weight loss aids appropriately.

Sixth, the reason I ask this, is because sometimes people aren't actually doing this for the right reasons. They're doing it to appear to others that they're trying when they could really care less, they just want that person off their back about losing weight. Or they're doing it to join into a group, or to be closer to someone, etc., when they're not doing it for the most important reason - to be healthier for you and for those you love. Are you committed? Do you really want to lose the excess weight?

Seventh, very important - how did you get this way? Were you always thin, then had children and the weight never came off? Were you always thin, then got married and got more sedentary? Change in jobs? Age? Identify how old you were, and what changes happened in your life to possibly or definitely cause this weight change in you.

Eighth - are you going to work out with somebody? Sometimes, pairing up with a friend or two can benefit your willingness to do the 'work' when you're being held accountable to somebody other than yourself. There's a fear of letting someone else down if you don't show, or looking like a quitter to someone else if you don't follow through, which could be a great initial motivation if you feel that might be the case for you, that you might quit if you're not held accountable by someone else. If there is no one for you to work out with, but you feel this may apply to you, consult a friend or relative to be the one to oversee what you're doing. They might not be there to witness your workouts, but having to answer to someone might help.

Finally, ninth - are you currently taking a multivitamin? Whether you work out or not, diet or not, taking a multivitamin is important, to make up for the lack of vitamins in today's foods. Unless you eat a raw diet already, vitamins naturally occurring in foods are hard to come by. You see tons of foods out there with labels that read "fortified with...." because they're trying to make up for that fact, but taking a good multivitamin is important to your body, losing weight or not. Consider it your "foundation" - lay a good foundation for your body can help your body be the power'house' that it can be, strong, healthy, able to withstand anything.

Once you've answered these questions, you're well on your way to starting your life as 'the new you'. You now have your plan of attack. Babystep 1 is complete. Stay tuned tomorrow for Babystep #2.

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Resolution: Be Green in 2008

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

By Jana Ballinger, Care2 Green Living Copy Editor and Producer

With the holiday festivities pretty much behind us, it's time to start thinking about some New Year's resolutions. Self improvement seems to top the list for most—lose 10 pounds, get that promotion—but how about also resolving to do something good for the planet? You'll get something out of it too: Going green often means doing stuff that's healthier for the environment and healthier for you. And being a do-gooder feels good!

SIMPLE SOLUTION: So here are some ideas for resolutions for a greener new year:

Be Naturally Beautiful. I hate to break it to you but that gook you put on your face and in your hair might be doing a lot more than making you feel pretty. It could make you feel sick. Take this quiz and check your products for dangerous chemicals such as phthalates or sodium laurel sulfate. Many everyday products such as shampoos, soaps, lotions and lipsticks contain them. Opt for organic products made of natural ingredients and thank Mother Nature for that radiant glow.

Wake Up and Smell the Perfume. Don't let the pretty smell fool you: Most fragrances are just chock full of hazardous chemicals. But there are alternatives that will leave you smelling sweet as a rose. Get the scoop here.

Eat Organic. No two ways about it, buying organic dairy and meat saves tons of resources and is just plain better for you. Organic produce is tastier and also healthier, but it is more expensive because it's a lot cheaper to dump chemicals on a crop. If you can't afford to buy all organic, here's a list of the top 10 fruits and vegetables to eat organic.

Buy Local. Common sense says that the farther away your food is grown, the more fossil fuels are required to get it to you. So look for local produce at your grocery store and make it a point to visit your community farmers market whenever possible. Defining local.

Be a Bag Lady. Even if you're just bringing back all the paper and plastic bags stuffed in that bottom drawer of your kitchen, always BYOB. If you don't want to spend money on reusable grocery bags—although there are lots of really cute options out there—look around the house for old totes, beach bags, twine-handled fancy shopping bags or even large baskets. Keep lots in your trunk (and don't forget to put them back in the trunk after unloading your groceries!), plus one compact bag folded up in your purse so you're never without it.

Clean Green. You don't even want to know all the gross chemicals that are in commercially made products. Not only are you breathing those chemicals, but then you end up pouring them down the drain. Not good for you, or the Earth. So what's the answer? Get a non-toxic cleaning kit.

Change a Light Bulb. If just one light bulb in every home in America were switched out for a compact fluorescent—aka CFLs—it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year. CFLs are everywhere now, there are tons of different kinds to choose from and it's such an easy fix. Learn more.

Sip, Don't Guzzle. Even if you don't plan to buy a hybrid, there are ways to make the car you have get the best possible gas mileage. A properly tuned engine will get between 6 and 20 percent higher mpg, for example. Here's a list of 12 things you can do to stretch a tank of gas.

Be a Peddle Pusher. Sometimes a car is necessary, but just running errands around town? Ride your bike to the post office, the grocery store, the dentist, etc., and experience the true joy of being car-free for a while. Bonus: Hello, exercise! More benefits of biking here.

Be an Online Activist. Did you know you can help stop global warming, save the rainforest and keep pollutants out of our oceans with a single click? You can. You can also sign petitions to let the people in power know you care and want to make a difference. Try it today.


President Bush on December 18th signed into law a new energy bill, H.R. 6 the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, that improves fuel economy standards and paves the way for a cleaner energy future. The bill the President signed responds to the challenge of his bold "Twenty in Ten" initiative, which President Bush announced in January. It represents a major step forward in expanding the production of renewable fuels, reducing our dependence on oil, and confronting global climate change. It will increase our energy security, expand the production of renewable fuels, and make America stronger, safer, and cleaner for future generations.

Here is what the bill does:

• Automobile mileage must increase to an average of 35 mpg by 2020, the first increase in 30 years,
• New energy efficiency standards will be set for appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines,
• Starting in 2012, incandescent light bulbs will be phased out, favoring compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), and
• Output of renewable fuels, such as ethanol (and hopefully soon many others), will increase to 36 billion gallons by 2022.

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Steps You Can Take For A Cleaner, Healthier Future!

Individuals and organizations across the country are pulling together to address chemical industry pollution on a local, state, national and international scale. Below is a sampling of initiatives that you can get involved in, emulate in your own community, or combine with efforts you’ve already got underway.

Steps You Can Take In Your Community

• Protecting our Children
• Stopping Dioxin
• Healing the Home
• Getting Toxics Out of Children’s Products
• Cleaning Up Computers
• Getting Dioxin, Mercury and PVC Out of Health Care
• Cleaning Up The Indoor Environment

Legislative Steps You Can Take

• Banning Mercury
• Stopping Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBTs)
• Right to Know -- Eugene, OR
• Getting Governments to Buy Green
• Reducing Toxics Use In Your State
• International Initiatives: Toxic chemicals know no boundaries. Neither does Activism.

Steps You Can Take on the Personal Front to Reduce Your Toxic Exposure

• Don’t use weed killers (herbicides) or bug sprays (pesticides). Find safer alternatives without these harmful chemicals.
• Buy organic foods when you can.
• Observe all fish advisories.
• Eat lower on the food chain -- choosing local fruits, vegetables and grains rather than dairy foods and meat.
• Use non-toxic cleaning supplies.
• Keep your home well-ventilated.
• Don’t smoke and keep away from second-hand smoke.
• Don’t buy products that contain PVC, mercury or phthalates.
• Don’t use burning as a way to get rid of yard waste or trash.
• Reduce the amount and the toxicity of your garbage by buying smart, reusing and recycling.
• Get your water tested, and use water services, such as Culligan, who reuse plastic bottles and provide clean water.

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Sexy for You, But Poison for Your Baby

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Take action!
Don't let this continue to happen to you. Start using toxic free cosmetics. Make your own. And write to stop companies from continuing to do this. Check out this website to find out what more you can do, along with a list of companies, including Shaklee, who have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments:

Cleaning Products Featured

Some little known uses for Basic H2, as featured by Associated Content:

10 Odd Uses for Oprah's Favorite - Shaklee Basic H2

By Brannan Sirratt Published Dec 03, 2007

Being environmentally friendly is becoming a priority in many households. This was evident during Oprah's 2007 "Favorite Things" episode, a time usually devoted to pricey electronics and unrealistic purchases, when she raved about an affordable line of "green" cleaning products from Shaklee. For less than $100, your family could replace conventional cleaning products with an environmentally sound, non-toxic line of - get this - effective household items. One product of note, Oprah insisted, is Shaklee's Basic H2. There is more to this concentrate than cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, though. So, grab your new bottle of Basic H2 and your sense of adventure, and try out these interesting techniques.

Basic H2 as toothpaste: Do you have problems with bad breath or gum disease? Are you a smoker or coffee drinker? Add a drop or two to your toothbrush, right on top of your normal dab of toothpaste. Watch as your teeth become whiter and your gums healthier. Your breath may even stay fresh longer, as Basic H2 fights germs of all sorts.

Basic H2 as a glove: Cleaning often leaves your hands with something to be desired. Before you get down and dirty, pour a few drops directly onto your hands. Rub them together to coat both hands. After you are done cleaning, wash your hands with traditional soap to find that scum, smell and overall ickiness are nowhere to be found.

Basic H2 as a pesticide: Growing organic produce does wonders for your health and the enviroment, but pesticide-free can still mean bug-free. Dilute your Basic H2 to a couple of drops per spray-bottle, then spritz your plants as part of your regular routine. Not only will the bugs stay away but you might also find that they are bigger and healthier, as well.

Basic H2 as Miracle-Gro: Add a few drops to warm water, then water your indoor or outdoor plants. The Basic H2 solution will make the ground soluble to the water, thus making your plants much healthier than with regular water.

Basic H2 as a produce wash: Just 1/8tsp. added to a pint of water will make an effective and safe wash for your produce. Grit and dirt on leafy vegetables are easily removed, and you no longer have to worry about a funny taste remaining on the produce.

Basic H2 for sharpening knives: Once again, only a few drops are enough. Place them on your sharpening stone before you sharpen your knives. The stone will stay moist without clogging.

Basic H2 for stamp collecting: If you've ever tried removing stamps from an envelope, you know that it can be nearly impossible to preserve the quality of the stamp. Not anymore! Coat the inside of the envelope, just behind the stamp, and wait for a few minutes. Soon, the stamp will lift easily from the envelope, ready to be added to your collection.

Basic H2 as a diaper wash: Coupled with 1/2 tsp of Shaklee Basic G (a germicide), 1/4 tsp of Basic H2 can remove germs and odors from your cloth diapers. Leave a bit in your diaper pail to prevent odors there, as well.

Basic H2 as an insect repellant: You don't have to sucept yourself or your family to harsh chemicals and strong scents just to avoid bug bits. Rub a bit anywhere that you would put Off! or Skin-so-soft, and forget about it! This is one insect repellant that you can feel good about using for the youngest to the oldest members of your clan.

Basic H2 as Rain-X: Last (for our list, anyway) but not least, pour 3 1/2 tsp of Basic H2 into one quart of water, and use it as your windshield wash. Rain and slush will easily wipe away from your windshield, and bugs will slide away, as well.

There you have it! Ten quick ways to make your Shaklee Basic H2 stretch far beyond standard cleaning. I wonder if Oprah has tried any of these?

What other ways have you used Basic H2? I personally have used it to wash my dog, as a natural bug repellant for her, and I must say, her coat has been very shiny. I've also used it as a fantastic spot remover, and I've used it in my carpet cleaning machine to replace the toxic chemicals that came with it. I love how many different things you can use it for, all in one bottle. Is there anything under your sink that can do the same, and is this cost effective?

So, take the test and tell me, what's under YOUR sink?

Author: Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting » Comments: