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Madsen Cycle: Love For A Bucket Bike

I am really enjoying riding my bike everywhere this fall. So far we have ridden our bikes to the library to pick up some great summer reads, the grocery store to pick up groceries, the beach, and to enjoy lovely brunches and dinners on the patios of our favorite local restaurants. I really love my bike, but think it would be fabulous to have a bike that could hold everything that I need all at the same time.

This is why I would really love to have a Madsen Bike. Not to mention the fact that their bikes are fabulous. I think it would be the perfect bike for my lifestyle. I would put my Madsen Bike to work transporting library books, groceries, beach essentials, and Olive, our Frenchie would look quite dashing riding in the back. Not to mention they are a Utah company and I am from Salt Lake City!

Now how would I choose between turquoise and orange? 

What do you think of Madsen Bike?

Journal Your Thoughts In An Eco-Friendly Journal

 

Do you keep a journal? I keep several. I have one that I jot down ideas in, another that I record what I call Ebenisms (silly and incredibly insightful things Eben says), and another for sketches. Nothing makes me happier than a nice hot cup of tea, a cozy chair, and my thoughts. I have recently started another journal, a green journal. I have been writing down the ways that I want to be more Earth-friendly. I have been keeping track of my successes and challenges. I carry this small journal with me in my handbag, this way when I think of something when I am out and about, I can stop and jot it down. Right now I really love these jumbo journals from ecojot.

Do you keep a journal? What kind?
Would you consider keeping a green journal?

How To Make Your Own Organic Bug Spray

 
It’s that time of year, the mosquitoes are out and in full force. How can you protect yourself, your family, and your pets from these pesky creatures without spraying a toxic cocktail all over your body? Make your own bug spray, it is easy and will keep the mosquitoes away.
 
Ingredients:
  • 20 drops of organic citronella or organic eucalyptus essential oil
  • 1 cup of organic grape seed oil
  • 1 1/2 cups water
Preparation:
 
Add all ingredients to a squirt bottle, mix well, and enjoy a night free of mosquitoes.

I’ll Drink To That: Use a Reusable Bottle

Have you ever stopped to think about how many beverage cups, lids, and straws are used once and simply thrown away? If you think of all of the places that we purchase beverages, the number is astronomical. We purchase drinks at restaurants, cafes, gas stations, convenience stores, amusement parks, grocery stores, movie theaters, fast food restaurants, shopping centers, the list goes on and on.

If everyone purchased and carried their own reusable BPA free bottle to all of these locations, think of how many cups, lids, and straws would be saved from the landfill and would never need to be produced. Another benefit is most places will refill your reusable bottle for a great price because it is considered a refill. Our local gas station will refill our 40-ounce bottles for $0.99. We carry our own BPA free stainless steel reusable bottles with us wherever we go. Most of the restaurants, bagel joints, juice bars, and gas stations that we have visited are happy to have us refill our bottles and we feel good knowing we aren’t going to throw anything away. It’s a small change that would make a huge difference.

Do you carry your own reusable bottle?

Green Tip: Get Unplugged

 

Have you ever walked through your house at night and seen all of the little lights on? You are probably thinking that I have gone mad and really should be in bed, instead of walking around in the dark. Well, before you think I am crazy, try it. It is only when your house is completely dark that you may notice all of the non-essential items that you have plugged in or items that could be unplugged in between uses. Could you possibly unplug the cell phone chargers, printers, computers, scanners, TVs, curling irons, hairdryers, coffee pots, lamps, etc;?

You probably won’t see a huge decrease in your power usage as far as your utility bill is concerned, but every little thing counts and if we all did these things, it would really add up.
 
We have items such as lamps and clocks in our house that are not even plugged in, they are only there as decoration.
 
How unplugged are you?