Monthly Archives: April 2010
Happy Arbor Day!
| April 30, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
This Arbor Day take a moment look around your house, how much paper/wood do you see? Books, magazines, printer paper, junk mail, toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, the kitchen table, cabinets, the list is endless. Have you ever thought about how many trees you use? Well if you are like most Americans you use around seven trees a year.
Deforestation is a real problem. In the US over 96% of the original 1.04 billion acres of virgin forests are gone. That is a lot but hope isn’t gone. Days like today help us remember how important trees are. Without trees their wouldn’t be life, pretty important if you ask me.
While planting a tree for Arbor Day is wonderful and by all means please do so, it’s not enough. Even if you plant seven trees for each person in your family they are new trees that don’t absorb as much C02 as a fully grown tree. So what can you do to make a bigger impact this Arbor Day?
- Do without paper towels. Using rags and cloth towels is easy and great for your budget and the environment. Just watch paper towel commercials, they are always claiming to be “cloth-like.” Seems like using a real cloth is as cloth-like as you can get!
- Switch to cloth napkins. This is another budget friendly option. Now that cloth is all we use in my house I hate using paper. Cloth is so much softer and if you need to clean a spill, they hold up!
- Think before printing. Printing is just so darn easy that we do it to much. With more of us having smart phones and laptops it’s easier than ever to print less. For example, I grocery shop monthly and keep my list on my computer so I can update through out the month, I used to print my list but now I have a shopping list app on my Iphone so I just keep it on there.
- When you have to print use both sides of the paper.
- Look for FSC products. FSC certifies that a product was made using sustainable tree harvesting.
- Buy recycled paper products. If you aren’t willing to go paper free for somethings like toilet paper (I haven’t yet!) look for recycled products. The best ones are 100% post consumer. I like Seventh Generation for household paper products.
- Use your library! If you are only going to read a book once it’s better for your wallet and the trees if you just check it out at your local library.
These are just a few ideas to help you reduce your impact on our forests, I would love to hear your tips as well!
Celebrate Earth Day by Saying No to Bottled Water!
| April 22, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
- 114,000 gallons of extra water (which is used when producing the water).
- 37,000 megajoules of energy.
- 9,000 gallons of oil. (just in the production of the water, not counting the distribution)
- 68,000 pounds of C02 from production of the bottle.
Also be sure to check out the other great Earth Day posts at Celebrate Earth Day All Week.
*I was not paid for this post. I am however a Reuseit.com Ambassador, this is because I believe in their products. I also am an affiliate of the stores listed here and earn a small percent if someone buys from the sites. However these views are my own and I truly believe in these sites. You can read more about this on my disclaimer page. *
Greenwashing Earth Day- Sponsored by P&G
| April 21, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
So just how “future friendly” are these products?
Charmin-
According to P&G it’s green because the MegaRoll has more toilet paper which means less cardboard cores and less energy to transport. Sounds lovely right? Well one rather large problem, Charmin clearcuts the Boreal Forest to make that MegaRoll. Deforestation doesn’t seem all that green.
Other reasons they say the are green include smaller packaging for disposable diapers, toxic makeup and more, and 2x concentrated laundry soap (just pretend it’s not toxic).
Seems the focus is on less packaging. That’s great, BUT what about the toxic chemicals that are getting in to our bodies and the earth?
P&G has said they will reduce the level of the carcinogenic contaminant 1,4-dioxane in Herbal Essences. This is a big step, however many of their laundry soaps had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane of several tested.
Overall P&G has a very long away to go. I hope the things they are doing are just a step but this ad makes me question that, they didn’t change these products before adding lovely little labels, they just added the labels. Makes you think it’s green right? Yes, it’s great marketing but not so great for you!
A better bet is using products that don’t just become green for Earth Day but are green from the start. My favorite places for these items includes Reuseit.com, which sells the largest number of reusable shopping bags I have ever seen in one store, they also sell Skoy Cloths, which are wonderful to use in place of paper towels, and many other wonderful products for your home and/or office.
Nubuis Organics is another great online store. They carry just about everything you need to green your life.
The Soft Landing, LLC is a great store for bpa-free food gear. They sell a lot of great bpa-free baby bottles and things like that. Also reusable water bottles and such for adults.
*I was not paid for this post. I am however a Reuseit.com Ambassador, this is because I believe in their products. I also am an affiliate of the stores listed here and earn a small percent if someone buys from the sites. However these views are my own and I truly believe in these sites. You can read more about this on my disclaimer page. *
Get Real – The Inside Poop on Cloth Diapers Twitter Party
| April 20, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Eco Mom Media will be hosting a Twitter Party this Earth Day (April 22nd) on cloth diapering. Sponsors include Diaper Shops, Snooty Booty Diapers, Sugar Dipes, Rockin’ Green Soap, Cutey Baby, SoftBums Diapers, Sweet Camo Babytique, Diaper Lab, Eden’s Baby, Goo Goo Gaia, and Global Enfant.
There will be great prizes and lots of great info. You can register and find more info here- Eco Mom Media.
Giveaway: Tazzini Reusable Bottle
| April 19, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Yesterday I told you about the Earth Week blogging event going on, on this blog and six others. Each of the hosts are doing giveaways and to give you time to enter most are posting today.
My hosting day is Thursday and I will be telling you why we should stop using bottled water and start using reusable bottles. I will also talk about many of the types of reusable bottles, pros and cons of the bottles and show you what I use (This is a brave thing to do as I have far to many and some that aren’t 100% safe, haha.)
When I told The Soft Landing, LLC about this event they kindly offered to sponsor a reusable water bottle giveaway. I’m very excited about the bottle they are letting me giveaway. It’s a new one to me but it looks awesome!
It’s a Tazzini Stainless Steel bottle. It has all the things I look for in a bottle, it’s unlined stainless steel, the plastic lids are BPA-free, it’s fully recyclable and an added bonus is that it’s a mom invented product.
Here is what the website says about the bottle-
“As parents of a child that suffers from an immune system deficiency caused by environmental toxins, eliminating plastics in our life was a no brainer. Good for him. Good for the environment. But in addition to needing a safe product, we also needed a practical product that fit our fast paced everyday lives.We needed stainless steel bottles that were easy to clean and transport, would not leak, impart weird flavors, or alter the taste of our liquid. And that proved to be a far more difficult task. So difficult in fact, that it was easier for us to produce our own line than it was to find an existing bottle that measured up to our high standards.”- Tazzini
If your family hasn’t made the switch to reusable bottles yet, you are using a bottle made of questionable materials, or you just need another bottle, this is a WONDERFUL option. And one lucky reader is going to get one free from The Soft Landing, LLC. Even if you don’t win you can buy your own Tazzini bottle from The Soft Landing, LLC.
1. Post your e-mail!!!!! Every time people forget, you can’t win if you don’t leave an e-mail address. (if you have a blogger account that has your e-mail that works as well, or if you fill it out in the info, just somewhere please!)
2. Go to The Soft Landing, LLC and tell me what product, other than the Tazzini, you would like to try.
3. Enter by April 24th at 11:59 p.m.
It’s open to anyone in the continental US.
Extra Entries (post separate comment for each):
1. Blog about the giveaway, post link.
2. Post on Twitter, post link.
3. Add me on Twitter @retrohousewife5, leave username in comment.
4. Follow me, let me know which way you are following. (Google, NetworkedBlog, E-mail, other)
5. Add my button to your site. (the button and code are on the right side of the page) Be sure to leave a link for where you put the button.
6. Become a fan of Retro Housewife Goes Green on Facebook.
7. Become a fan of The Soft Landing on Facebook.
8. Follow The Soft Landing on Twitter, leave username in comment.
9. Go to the Celebrate Earth Day All Week page and follow the directions to put the graphic on your page and adding your link to the linky at the bottom if the post. When you have done that come here and tell me you do and leave the link for where you put the graphic.
Remember post a separate comment for each of the above ways to enter! They will only count if they are separate.
*This giveaway is sponsored by The Soft Landing. The prize comes from them. I was not paid for this post, however I am an affiliate of The Soft Landing and earn a small amount if you order after clicking a link in this post. These are my honest views on the product.
Product Review: Savvy Rest
| April 19, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Mattresses and pillows can contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, flame retardants, and petrochemicals. These things can off-gas and make us sick. Don’t worry though, there is another option. Savvy Rest makes pillows and mattresses that are free of flame retardants, pesticides, and off-gassing chemicals. They choose organic materials like wool, cotton and natural latex, to give you the best products they can!
My husband was able to test out one of their Organic Shredded Latex Pillows. It is filled with shredded natural latex, the cover is organic and it also has a removable cover that is a soft organic cotton flannel. I love that it has a zipper so you can remove some of the latex if it’s to hard. We have removed some from the pillow and it was very easy.
The pillow we got is queen size but it is longer than a lot of pillows and is a tight fit in a king pillow case. This could be fixed by removing more of the latex but my husband likes it how it is. It is of course better to be to full than not full enough.
Overall we are very happy with the quality of the pillow. It’s nice to know that he is sleeping on a safe and natural pillow!
Savvy Rest also sells contour pillows made from natural latex, a soap shaped natural latex pillow, an organic wool filled pillow, several types of organic and natural latex mattresses, organic crib mattresses, organic mattress pads and toppers, foundations and platform beds.
Check out Savvy Rest and start having a better and safer nights sleep today!
Here ya go FTC: I was not paid for this review. I was given sample products or the review but these are my honest views.
Happy Earth Day Celebration Week!
| April 18, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
This is the 40th Earth Day!! What does Earth Day mean to you? We will be exploring that during our week long Celebrate Earth Day All Week 2010 Blogging Event.
Each Day will hosted by a different blog with green interests. Each blog will discuss green tips, green experiences, and/or green reflections. Each blog will also be hosting a green giveaway(s) that will run through our week long blogging event.
Monday- Hosted by Moms Wear Your Tees Blog with giveaways sponsored by SprigToys and Shaklee
Tuesday- Hosted by Tales of the Wife with giveaway sponsored by ArtsyFarstyFooFoo
Wednesday- Hosted by Once Upon a Baby with giveaway sponsored by Bagnesia
Thursday- Hosted by Retro House Wife Goes Green with giveaway sponsored by The Soft Landing, LLC
Friday- Hosted by The Crunchy Wife with giveaway sponsored by SodaStream
Saturday- Hosted by The Eco-Friendly Family with giveaway sponsored by Greenzys
Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs.
Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy.
Please visit EarthDay.org to take action, sign petitions, and join events in your area.
We would love for you to leave us a comment with something special you are doing for Earth Day!
We would also love it if you help spread the Earth Day excitement and commitment to going green. So grab our blogging event button from the top of this post and post it on your blog with a tidbit about going green and then add yourself to the linky at Moms Wear Your Tees Blog.
ONLY add yourself to the linky if you have grabbed our event button. Thank you and Happy Earth Day Celebration Week!
Product Review: EcoTools
| April 17, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
EcoTools are makeup brushes made from sustainable sources. They use materials like bamboo, cruelty-free taklon bristles and recycled/recyclable materials.
Here are some videos of celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf gives makeup tips using EcoTools brushes.
I was able to try out the bronzer brush and the 6 piece eye brush set. The brushes are easy to use, soft and I haven’t noticed them shed at all. The only con would be the packaging which is plastic. They do seem high quality which is one of the most sustainable thing you can get in a product.
Be sure to check out EcoTools and check back soon for a EcoTools giveaway.
Here ya go FTC: I was not paid for this review. I was given sample products or the review but these are my honest views.
Banana Bread
| April 14, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
This banana bread still has a lot of sugar but I use sucanat which makes it really good and a bit healthier. Using some whole wheat flour also adds some nutrition. I normally add cinnamon to my bread.
If you have never heard of sucanat it’s a non-refined cane sugar. It still has it’s molasses content. It’s just dried sugar cane juice. You can use it in place of sugar. I like it in my hot tea.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sucanat (could cut this a bit and/or replace some with honey)
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 3 medium ripe bananas (1-2 cups mashed)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup hot water
Direction
- Mix the melted butter, sugar, mashed bananas and eggs very well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flours, salt, and baking soda.
- Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, alternately with hot water.
- Oil the pan.
- Scoop the batter into the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Test with a toothpick (or cake tester) to make to make sure it’s done.
This is my post for Real Food Wednesdays and the Spring Cleaning Carnival.
It’s Spring, ACHOO!
| April 12, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
This my post for the Green Moms Carnival, this month’s topic is spring and is hosted by Anna of Green Talk.
I love most things about spring but there is one thing I hate, allergies. This spring has been one of the worst I have seen in awhile. Everyone seems to be having terrible allergies right now. So how can you treat your allergies more naturally?
One great way to help curb allergies is a neti pot. They may seem scary but once you get past that, as Beth at Fake Plastic Fish found out, they are easy and wonderful! It helps get all the pollen out of your nose and also break up congestion. Neti pots can be found at most drug stores, big box stores, Amazon.com and pretty much most places you find allergy meds. They are getting quite popular.
A free way to help your allergies is doing yoga. Here are some poses that help with allergies
Local honey is a great way to treat your allergies. Raw and unheated is best but it has to at least be local. It is basically a cheap immunotherapy.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that has been shown to have anti-allergy properties. It has also been shown to help asthma. You can get quercetin at health food stores.
Hyland’s Allergy Relief is a homeopathic allergy medicine that may give you relief without side effects.
Trying one or all of these things may help you this spring to stop sneezing, they help me! Also drink lots of water, keep windows closed on high pollen days, and take showers after being outside for a long time. If you have more tips, please share!
*I’m not a doctor!!! Please talk to your doctor before you start a new allergy treatment.*
Photo Credits:
Honey Picture
Sneeze Picture
