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Jul, 09DIY | Pet Pouches
I stumbled upon this blog post on the b-line this morning and thought that many of you would love it as much as I do! It’s a DIY pet pouch that you can make and attach to your pups collar to hold things like your house key, a doggy-poo bag, etc. so you don’t have to carry it if you don’t have pockets. I’m sure you can alter the size a tad to fit your lifestyle. I don’t recommend ever putting a cell phone in a pouch around your dogs neck though. It could be terrifying if it rang or vibrated while attached to them! We don’t want our puppy-pals to be stressed out! I think this is a fab project and it doesn’t seem to take much time at all. To make it a Green project, use some scrap fabric that you have laying around. For example, an old t-shirt or old pair of funky PJ pants.
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Jul, 09a quote for today
I found this quote by Biologist E. O. Wilson in my Green Daily Calendar and thought I would share it with all of you! Let me know what you think!
“Destroying rain forest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.”
Put that in your back pocket!!
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Jul, 09Chopsticks Are Fun But Wasteful
Okay, so chopsticks are super fun to use when dining out at your favorite funky Asian restaurant, right? Yeah! But did you know that China produces and discards more than 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks EVERY year!!! This means that 25 million trees are being cut down in the process! It’s true. Another 15 billion pairs are exported to Japan, South Korea and other countries, including the United States of America!!! What can I do to lessen this impact on Mother Nature you ask. Well, simply invest in a reusable pair like these funky ones above. You would be amazed at how many fun colors and designs come in reusable form. Plus, they’re dishwasher-safe. You can take them along with you while dining out or use them at home. If you don’t want to take your own along, use a fork, they’re pretty cool utensils too you know. When carrying out from a restaurant, simply say, “no chopsticks, please.” It’s really that easy! The fun chopsticks above are from Crate and Barrel!
Or you can check out these awesome Recycled Rice Eco Chopsticks! Wow! That’s Green!
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Jun, 09Green Pet Food
If you’re living a green life and eating green, then shouldn’t your pet? Heck yeah! You should choose an all-natural food with hormone-free chicken, beef, or fish if you’re going to buy from the store. If you’re going to cook for your pet, choose organic and free-range ingredients. You can find recipes on the internet or I’ve seen books at places like Borders, Barnes & Noble, and yes, even the Library (they still exist and they’re still free). Cats and dogs cannot be vegetarians, so make sure you are giving them their proper nutrients. Heck, talk to your vet and see what they recommend!
Here are a couple of sites: www.greatgreenpet.com – Which is a shopping site so you can go green with toys, grooming, food, and even biodegradable poo bags! and www.aavn.org – The American Acadamey of Veterinary Nutrition.
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Jun, 09Baby Tip 3 | Plants vs. Humidifier
Baby Tip 3: We all know that plants are AWESOME and that we can’t live without them because they give us that amazing thing called Oxygen, which keeps us alive! But did you know that if you put enough plants in your baby’s room/nursery, you won’t need a humidifier? Now, the important thing to remember is that you should make sure your baby isn’t allergic to any of the plants that you’re thinking of putting in their room. We don’t want your baby getting sick for goodness sake! Once you pick safe plants for your baby, be sure to water and feed them as directed, we don’t want them dying. Oh! And please remember to put them up high where your baby can’t get to them. The bonus for you is that you save energy by unplugging that humidifier and save some cash too.
Note: Some babies have to have a humidifier, so be sure to check with your doctor before you make any changes :).
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Jun, 09Air Drying Your Laundry | Indoors and Out
I have been air drying many of my clothes for years. I find that it not only saves energy (and money), but it makes my clothes last a lot longer and the colors stay bright. You can dry your laundry inside or outside. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and it will brighten your whites! How cool is that!?! With this said, you should dry your darks and colors in the shade or indoors to keep them from fading.
I love the Wall Shelf Drying Rack from Gaiam for indoor drying! I really want to buy it. You can put it in your laundry room and collapse it when not in use. I like this one better than the floor racks, just because it’s off the floor and out of the way.
For outdoor drying, you can always rig up a temporary line if you don’t want one up all of the time or you can buy one of those retractable clothes lines.
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Jun, 09Living Green with Diapers
So, we all understand that we should be green and sustainable, but when it comes to diapers it makes for a difficult decision for some. Do we choose cloth or disposable? One one hand cloth diapers save the landfill space, but the use more energy and water to wash and dry them. Then the disposable diapers pile up in our landfills. Well, there is indeed a third option! G Diapers are flushable inserts with cotton covers. These might be the solution for you. Think about what works best for you and where you live.
