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10 Simple Ways to Green Your Home For Under $10

September 25, 2013 0

by Jennie

Going green starts with small steps – it’s those little choices that can equal a huge impact in the long run. Many small steps are easy, affordable and start with the choices that you make when doing your marketing. Here are my 10 favorite ways to green your home – these are very affordable, in fact they all cost less than $10.

1. Ditch It Paper towels and napkins are used only once and then tossed in the trash. Ditch the paper and choose reusable organic cotton dishcloths and napkins instead. This simple step alone will save countless resources and eliminate the gas emissions created during the manufacturing and transportation of these paper products.

2. Bottle It Instead of buying beverages that come in plastic or even glass containers, pick up a BPA free reusable bottle for each member of your family. Keep the bottles with you at all times, attach your child’s to their backpacks when sending them off to school and throw one in your handbag or car for drinks on the go.

3. Bag It If you, your spouse or children take their lunch to school or work everyday, invest in a great reusable lunchbox or bag. Paper and plastic lunch bags are wasteful, since they are tossed after being used only once!

4. Recharge It The next time you need to pick up batteries for the TV or Wii remote, choose an eco-friendly, rechargeable version. Not only do rechargeable batteries save hundreds of single-use batteries from being tossed, they save you money too. Win, win.

5. Trash It Most trash bags on the market are not biodegradable, which means that it will take thousands of years for the trash bag to break down (not to mention the contents inside). Instead, pick up trash bags that are biodegradable and will break down in only a few months.

6. Compost It Instead of throwing those leftovers or salad scraps into the trash, compost them instead. Regardless of the type of home you live in, you can compost. There are many different composter options available, including ones that you can build out of recycled or leftover materials, rolling composters and even small electronic composters for inside a small home or apartment. (However, the later option is more expensive.)

7. Clean It One of the most dangerous, toxic and harmful items in your home, may be your cleaning products. Not only are these conventional products dangerous to the environment, they are dangerous to the health of your family. There are many all-natural household cleaning products available that are eco-friendly and non-toxic,  you can even make your own.

8. Go Low-Flow A low-flow shower-head will use less than 2 gallons of water per minute, that is still a lot of water going down the drain. However, it is much better than the 5 gallons per minute that an older shower-head will use. The best option is to turn off the shower while you soap up or shampoo your hair.

9. Bulk Up When you can buy products from the bulk section, not only is it more affordable, but you can bring your own reusable containers, eliminating the need for product packaging.

10. Hang It Instead of drying all of your clothes in the dryer, hang them up to dry. You can utilize a clothesline outside or hang them up in your laundry room. Not only does this save a lot of energy, your clothing will last longer and smell fresher too.

What simple, affordable choices do you choose when greening your everyday routine?

9 Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Your Kitchen

September 17, 2013 0
How green is your kitchen? Does your kitchen have a huge positive or negative impact on the environment and health of your family? Since the kitchen is one of places that your family will spend the most time, consider giving it an easy and affordable green makeover in these 9 simple steps.

1. Get Cleaned
Ditch the high-price, toxic-filled, environment killing-chemical laden cleaners the next time you do your grocery shopping. Instead invest in a set of reusable spray bottles and 9 simple ingredients that will not only clean your bathroom, but your entire home.

2. Get ReUsed
It is finally time to stop purchasing paper napkins and towels – they are wasteful and can only be used once. Instead invest in a set of affordable organic cotton washcloths and towels that can be used over and over again. Not to mention, they are much more absorbent that paper.

3. Get Recycled
If you aren’t already recycling, why not? Either take all of your recyclables to the recycling bin in the garage or invest in a recycling center for your kitchen. It doesn’t matter how you recycle, it just matters that you do.

4. Get Composted
There are many great options available on the market now for all different types of composting needs. If you like in an apartment, townhouse or condo – there is a composter for that. If you live in a neighborhood – there is a composter for that. If you live in a rural, country area – there is a composter for that. So what are you waiting for?

5. Get Local
When doing your food marketing consider going local -and by local I don’t mean the closest grocery store. Instead, support your local community of farmers by shopping locally at your farmer’s market, food co-ops and farm stands.

6. Get Bagged
Are you still using paper or plastic? It’s time to invest in a great set of reusable grocery bags. These do not need to be expensive, they only need to work and you have to remember to take them when you do your marketing.

7. Get Hydrated
Stop purchasing bottled water – if you are concerned about the quality of your home’s water, consider purchasing a water-flirtation system or pitcher. These may seem like the bigger investment – but overall you will save a ton of money over bottled water. Not to mention the Earth will thank you for not adding another water bottle to the landfill or recycling bin.

8. Get Grilled
While the weather is still warm, get outside and get grilling. Grilling uses a lot less energy than your kitchen oven and it is fun too. For people who live in warmer climates (Yay!) you can grill all year long and save the energy from your giant stove and your air conditioning (since your house won’t be super-hot from using the oven.)

9. Go Organic
You don’t have to purchase everything in organic, but I recommend spending your money on what is important to you. Think of it as voting with your wallet. Our hard-earned money goes towards supporting the products that we want in our grocery stores. Purchase as much as you can organic – if you can’t afford a lot consider starting with produce, dairy and meats.

What other ways do you green your kitchen?

6 Eco-Friendly Backpack Must Haves for Green Kids

September 9, 2013 0

Fall is here and the kids are back in school – hooray! Eben and I have had almost a month to get his backpack routine in check. I like to make sure that he has everything that he needs for the day. Things to keep him organized, things to keep him healthy. And things to keep him happy! Here are the 7 eco-friendly backpack must haves that we recommend, including a new backpack that is super cool!

1.  $75
The class Kanken backpack has been a favorite among Scandinavian schoolchildren since it debuted in 1978 – however it only came stateside a handful of years ago. The durable vinylon bag is available in a rainbow of colors (I love the yellow and I bought the pink for my niece as a Christmas gift!) Its versatile design can be worn on the back or carried like a tote.

2. RuMe Baggie All 3-pocket Organizer $12
The RuMe Baggie All is perfect for a backpack because it keeps all of those pens, pencils, toiletries, and snacks organized and easy to find. The Baggie All is machine washable, water resistant and comes in a great selection of designs. The best part – they are now available at Target, so you can pick them up on your next shopping trip.

3. Kind Bars $2
Kind Bars are my favorite go-to snacks for the backpack because they are super healthy snack that packs a lot of flavor – like a treat! Eben adores the Dark Chocolate Nut and Sea Salt Bars – they are low in sugar and packed full of protein and fiber making them a great afternoon pick me up. Also, Kind Bars are now available at Target for the first time in the pharmacy section!

4. $15
The most important thing (besides homework) that Eben never forgets to toss in his backpack is his Contigo water bottle. Our family loves Contigo reusable bottles – we are huge converts! They are great for the backpack because they don’t leak – so there is no worry if it tips over during the day.

5. Recycled File Folder $2
The best way that we have found for Eben to keep all of his class and homework organized is with a file folder. It’s large enough to hold a lot of work, has tabbed sections – one for each subject and is made from recycled materials too.

6.  Everyone Hand Sanitizers $3
It never seems to fail, the kids go back to school only to get the sniffles or a cold within the first few weeks. I make sure Eben’s backpack always has an Everyone Hand Sanitizer packed in his RuMe Baggie All organizer. Everyone Hand Sanitizers are made using all natural, non-gmo plant based ingredients and pure essential oils – giving your child clean hands quickly, 99.9% effective against most common germs. These sanitizers are moisturizing, not dry or sticky – the Coconut + Lemon and Peppermint + Citrus are my favorites.

What must haves do you stash in your child’s backpack?

Full Disclosure: I received samples of some of the above items – however, all opinions are my own and I only share products that I have used and really love.

REVIEW: Aquasana Under Counter Water Filtration System + Giveaway

September 5, 2013 1

Since moving into our new place, one of the issues that we came across was the water didn’t taste fantastic. We had a water filtration system in our last home, so we could immediately taste a difference. When our Aquasana 3-Stage Under Counter Water Filtration System arrived, we didn’t waste any time getting it installed – which was super easy, the mister had it done in no time and we have been drinking yummy water every since! And the filters are a snap to replace too!

Aquasana’s 3-stage drinking water filtration system uses NSF Certified Claryum™ filtration technology which removed over 97% of chlorine and chloramines in addition to herbicides, lead, asbestos, pesticides and more, reducing over 60 common water contaminants. In short, it turns your water in clean, healthy, and tasty water directly from the tap!

My favorite part of the Aquasana besides the fact that it ensures the water that my family drinks is healthy is the performance indicator – it beeps when it’s time to change the filter. You will never forget! And changing the eco-friendly filters is a snap too.

If you are one of those families with the water filtration pitcher sitting on the counter top or taking up valuable real estate in your refrigerator – this is the system for you. It fits perfectly under any sink, takes up very little space and is easy to maintain too. Think your family would enjoy an award-winning Aquasana Under Counter Water Filtration System? Enter below – good luck!

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Full Disclosure: I received a 3-Stage Under Counter Water Filtration System – this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aquasana.

Stubby Pencil Studio Eco Back to School Giveaway + Discount Code

August 2, 2013 36

Hello, Friends! Today I have a fantastic back to school giveaway for you. It’s sponsored by Stubby Pencil Studio, and the prize is an amazing box of eco-friendly back to school supplies. Yay!

One lucky winner will receive a lovely bamboo storage box filled with the following eco-goodies:

  •  Eco Highlighter Pencils
  • Glue Sticks
  • Crayon Rocks
  • Pencil Sharpener
  • Washable Marker
  • Cedar Pencils
  • Clipper Jr. Pencils
  • Erasers 
  • Scissors
  • Triangular Colored Pencils
  • Prang Crayons

As you already know, Stubby Pencil Studio is my favorite online supplier of eco-friendly art and back to school supplies! Eben uses his recycled sketchbooks, black colored pencils, and markers every-single-day. You can see a lot of his Stubby Pencil Studios in his creative space below!

And with back to school right around the corner, now is the perfect time to stock up on all of your favorite eco-friendly supplies. Stubby Pencil Studio has everything you could possibly need from crayons and markers to scissors and glue – and everything is good for the environment too. Hooray!

Stubby Pencil Studio is also offering 15% off through August 31st – just use the discount code SAVE4SCHOOL at checkout.

Good Luck!

p.s. To keep up to date on the latest and greatest in eco-friendly art suplies for your children, like Stubby Pencil Studio on Facebook. 

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