Affordable green living with Cleaner Cotton

We all know that organic agriculture is the best way to go. So when it comes to cotton, we should all look for fair trade organic cotton. But at the same time, let’s not forget that however more expensive it is for us to buy organic, it is also just as more expensive to grow organic.

The Formula for Sustainable Fashion : SF=FF

I’m proud to say that in the past few years, eco sustainability seems to have moved up into the fashion spotlight. Sure it took a while for it to get there but better late than never right?

Watching it grow from being the dream of a small dispersed group of individuals to that of a worldwide united front is truly inspiring if not impressive.

Today we have many individuals and organizations that have turned eco warriors, all fighting for that same cause of environmental sustainability with FutureFashion leading the way in the industry.

Founded as part of Earth Pledge’s 6 initiatives

Handmade presents, endorsed by love, Christmas and Mother Nature

Christmas is not too far away. For holiday fanatics like me, it’s just about enough time to get everything prepared for the festive season and that includes everything from deciding the Christmas dinner menu to ensuring everyone gets their perfect presents.

Now to most people, preparing Christmas gifts would simply mean a dedicated few days of Christmas gift shopping with a slimmer wallet/purse to show for it; to some others who prefer a more personal touch to their gifts or can’t exactly afford to buy everything off the shelf, it means it’s time to get working on Christmas arts and crafts.

I hope you don’t mistaken people who make their own gifts or decorations as cheapskates, because it’s not necessarily true.

On top of the love and dedication it actually takes to knit a sweater, weave/stitch a beaded tapestry or even bake those cute cookies; some monetary investment is required for raw materials. Of course the idea is to work with what you already have but sometimes you might not have enough of it or if it’s about a specific project, you might have to go out and buy all the materials from scratch.

Sustainable Shoes Can Be 'Simple'

With the change of the season comes the hunt for shoes to brave the cold with. But shoes, like many other clothing articles, are most often manufactured from durable plastics or leather, which can be a less-than-desirable clothing option for earth and animal friendly people. 
A new shoes company has emerged to cater to earth and ethics friendly individuals seeking reliable footwear. Simple Shoes produce a variety of sneakers and sandals made from all-natural and recycled materials including hemp, bamboo,

Recycling Re-useables

Reusable containers are a great way to cut down on unnecessary waste from common household items like bottled water and Styrofoam dishes and cups, but even out reusable containers sometimes wear out. Then comes the question; how do you recycle your worn-out reusable containers? 

• Ziploc: Because Ziploc bags are in fact plastic bags, many recycling operations will not accept them at the curb, even if it is marked with a recycle code. The best way to get the most out of your Ziploc is to rinse and re-use it.
  
  There’s a movement in America for re-using items that were once disposable, paper towels included, and Ziploc and other plastic bags make this easy. Just rinse and hang to dry, you can use Ziploc over 10 times for anything from food storage to pastry bags (just snip off a corner.) When they do get a little too worn down they can be recycled be being taken to a local recycling center. Usually they are made of polyethylene plastic, a code “4” resin, a fact not usually marked on the bag or box.  

The (Not Quite) 101 Uses of Pumpkins

Fall is a season notorious for cool weather, warm clothes, and orange pumpkins. Pumpkins are a hearty variety of gourd popular in autumn, both for picking and for carving, and with a number of other uses. What makes pumpkins, and many other gourds, remarkable is not only their many uses, but the fact that you can use every part of them. Here are some great ways to use your whole pumpkin, even after the annual pumpkin-carving is over. 

• Roasted Seeds: There are great recipes online for roasted pumping seeds. They make a tasty, and healthy snack. You can either roast them plain, with oil such as olive or vegetable oil, or dry seasoning. At any rate, you’ll want to spray the pan and then lay the seeds flat. Bake on 250 for 15 to 20 minuets. When done, let them cool and you have an easy, storable treat. 

Old Time Sustainability

Just a few weeks ago, I went to a family reunion at my grandparents' farm in Mississippi. It was one of those reunions with long tables full of food and third cousins you've never met, lots of iced sweet tea and babies on blankets in the yard and your great-aunt asking about a sibling you don't have... "No, really, Great Aunt Tillie, I just have one brother. I promise."

My grandparents - all four of them - grew up in the Depression, worked hard, and made comfortable lives for themselves. My mother's parents are the ones with the farm. My Grandpa started out small and farmed cotton and soybeans. He worked hard, saved money, and now he has a 1000-acre farm that he rents out while he sits in his air-conditioned antique shop and sips his Diet Coke.

At the farm, they keep a bucket with a wooden spoon in it in the cabinet underneath the sink. Every uneaten scrap of food goes in that bucket, and at the end of the day two or three or four eager farm dogs consume it. They like it lots better than their dog food, which they still get, but it's never enough to make them sick.

My father's parents worked together for years in my Granddad's shop. He was an optician, and after their children were all in school my Grandmom worked behind the counter, waited on customers, and kept things neat. They were retired before I was born, and bought a comfortable house on three acres and kept themselves busy with a garden way too big for our entire extended family.

Both my father's parents have passed on now, and when we were cleaning out their house we found stacks and stacks of cool whip, margarine, and sour cream containers. We always joked about how Grandmom never threw anything away, but then we went out to the shed and discovered it was actually Granddad. Every tool he'd ever bought was there, pieces of twine were hanging on the wall to be used again, and still-straight nails removed from boards and fence posts were waiting in those old yellow margarine containers.

I find it amusing when my generation gives itself a pat on the back for being so earth-conscious and sustainable. The truth is, we're just coming back around to doing things in a common-sense way, the way our grandparents did for years just because it made sense. It made sense to save things you could use again instead of throwing them out and buying more. It made sense to reuse. It made sense to find a use for old food besides the trash can and to let random pieces of twine live out their full usefulness. Good for us for starting to figure this stuff out, too. Let's not forget where we first saw it.

Fuel Efficient Heating Options for Winter

The first step you can take in being more efficient with your heating this winter is to make your home as snug as you can. You can do this by checking how well your windows and doors fit into their frames, making repairs,, or, if necessary, replacing with better units.

Put thick rugs down in the winter and replace your photos with quilts and draperies on the wall. The additional material acts as insulation and helps to contain the heat that is produced by your heating unit.

Keep your heating unit (whatever it is) in good repair. Clean and maintain it regularly. I can't give specific tips on all the different things to do in this space, but if you do a little searching you can find many instructional articles on keeping your units in their best possible condition.

Besides those basics, consider investing in a way to supplement your electric or gas-powered heating system. If your home is small enough, you might be able to switch entirely; even if you still need a little "help," having an additional, more efficient source of heat allows you to use your central heat unit less.

Other options to supplement/replace gas or electric heat:

Organic Wear for the Season

 

As the seasons change from the warm, sticky days of summer to the cool, clear days of autumn we find ourselves in need of more durable winter wear. Shopping trip, anyone? But some of our more durable, warmer clothing choices tend to include materials that are not-so-kind to our earth. Popular synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and cotton blends, are sometimes treated with chemicals such as formaldehyde, an unpleasant consideration when you realize you’re wearing it. Rayon, anther popular synthetic fabric, is spun from cellulose, or wood pulp treated with sulfuric acid, while nylon is just one of many petroleum-based fabrics whose production adds greatly to greenhouse gases. What’s worse is very few of these fabrics are biodegradable, something to consider when tossing clothes after wear.

The good news is there are also a number of clothes and companies that use either natural or recycled materials that will keep you warm and snug all winter long. 

Ideas for Donating Books and Magazines

I'll continue on the decluttering theme for one more day. I know some people get all hyped about cleaning and organizing in the spring time, which is logical. For me, though, it's fall. When the air starts getting crisp and I see sweaters on sale, my clean-organize-beautify radar kicks on. I think it's about getting everything in order for the semi-hibernating I do in winter. When it's below 20 degrees outside and there is ice on the driveway, I don't venture out with 2 little children. I stock up, I cook a lot, I get a big fire going in the fireplace, and we cozy up with blankets and books. I love winter.

Meanwhile, it's fall. One thing my clean-and-organize radar has immediately identified as a problem is books. I hate getting rid of books, but I'm out of bookshelves. I don't need all these books and magazines, and there are other people who will appreciate them more.

• Libraries don't always need books for their own shelves (though sometimes they do), but they often take in whatever you will give them for their regular book sales.