Green

Toxic Roses, Dirty Chocolate and Blood Diamonds

Heather Clisby — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:51:28 +0000

When you care about things like fair trade, labor rights and the environment, you may find that these principles generally don't take the day off just because Hallmark, Hershey's and De Beers would prefer it. This thoughtful post digs into the reality behind some of the more traditional Valentine's Day gifts and finds that we can do better:

"While I don’t hate Valentine’s Day, I certainly have criticisms. I think marketers use the holiday to perpetuate unrealistic expectations about relationships and romance for their own financial gain. And if that’s not seedy enough, the gifts most associated with Valentine’s Day — cut flowers, chocolate, and diamond jewelry — are often produced under conditions that harm the workers, their families, and the environment."

Image credit: 1la via Flickr, Creative Commons.

Air Drying Roses

Natural.Designs.Studio — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:05:56 +0000

A LASTING ROSE

This time of year roses abound in grocery stores and florist windows. Their beauty is easy to prolong by simply drying them. Once dried, roses have numerous uses beyond floral designing, such as healing tinctures and aromatherapy, not to mention the mere process of preserving them is an artful experience. A delicate Rose Water for linens or fragrant Rose Beads for necklaces can be made from dried roses. The options are endless with these fail-proof guidelines listed below.

HOW TO DRY
LONG-LASTING ROSES

SUPPLIES
~ Rubber Bands
~ Metal Clothes Hanger
~ Hairspray or Clear Varnish

1. Remove flowers from water - The key to preserving roses is removing the flower from water or oasis before it reaches maturity. Once the bud is fully opened or matured, the petals will drop during the drying process.

2. Bunch stems with rubber bands in clusters of three - Rubber bands are preferred over string because they contract as the stems dry.

3. Drape roses upside down over a clothes hanger by spreading open stems - It's unnecessary to fasten the bunch with extra string.

4. Place the clothes hanger in a warm place with good circulation away from direct sunlight - For best results hang above a warm radiator, wood stove, or furnace.

5. Monitor the drying progress weekly - Blooms will shrink and become darker in color within four to five weeks. Be sure the centers are dry so the roses do not mold or fall apart.

6. After roses are completely dry, spray with hairspray or clear varnish to protect them from breakage - Only spray roses that will be used in floral designs.

Start with a Fresh Bouquet of Roses

Twisting Rubber Bands onto Bunches

Flowers Bundled and Ready for Drying

Flowers Attached to Drying Hanger

Give a Green Valentine

Good Girl Gone Green — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:28:19 +0000

Simple – that is really how I try to live, especially when it comes to different holidays. I don’t like to give into the mainstream celebrating and commercialism that surrounds them. Valentine’s day is really no different.

Image: AlexanderY via Flickr

All I have seen lately are red and pink colored chocolate boxes and stuffed animals in store windows trying to make people think they need to spend all this money to show they care. I personally believe it is the thought that really does count. I am all about the little things and pleasures. I don’t need a heart shaped pillow to know that J.P cares.

One of my most memorable and thoughtful Valentine’s day gifts was from last year; a bunch of beautiful long stem organic carrots. Yes, you heard that right carrots. For those who know me, it really was the perfect gift for me. And let’s be honest, it was good for the environment, too!

So why not avoid all that needless shopping and do something thoughtful for your partner or kids or friends this year?

By avoiding more consumerism and emphasizing more thoughtfulness, you get the dual benefit of being green and feeling appreciated this year. Below are some ways of combining your love for the planet and love for your partner or kids…you get the picture!

Everyone likes to receive cards especially for Valentines day. Instead of chopping down all those trees and spending more money, use what you have around the house to create the perfect card. Now you can’t tell me those aren’t the cutest cards? But, if you lack craftiness, like myself send an e-card!
If sweetness is on the menu, the best treats really are homemade hands downs. Over the holidays I make my very own raw-vegan fudge and it was delicious. Attempt making your own chocolate which is quite simple all you need is cacao/carob powder, sweetener and coconut butter/oil. Voila, homemade chocolate. It’s that easy.
But if you must, always look for fair-trade/organic chocolate and if you are wondering why, Jennifer from Not easy to be green explains it all.
Plan and make your dinner together using fresh organic and local ingredients. Most of my favorite meals are homemade.
If you are thinking of spicing it up and would like some candles think of using non-petroleum based ones. Those candles are a chalk full of chemicals. Look for beeswax and non-GMO soy candles. Better yet make your own.
Flowers are nice, but a plant would last so much longer and contribute to you breathing in cleaner air. Look for a nice local and organic plant. Nothing says I love you like breathing in fresh clean air.
One super creative and cute idea I came across was “the jar of love and encouragement.”Simply fill a glass jar with multiple small slips of paper that include reasons why you love or appreciate your son, daughter, or spouse. Now that definitely shows your love and green side.

So, before running to the store, and spending your hard earned money think about how you can show you care for them, and the planet as well. Remember, simple creativity is key!

What are your Valentine’s day ideas for this year?

A One-Day Celebration of Love

M Jensen-Middlebrook — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:27:34 +0000

Can you celebrate Valentine’s Day sustainably? Heck yes! Last year, we gave you a little history lesson about this one-day celebration and suggestions about adding some good to your woo! Think of Valentine gifts that give back and make your honey smile.

Save paper, ink and postage by sending a Valentine’s Day card from your mobile phone from Sincerely, the maker of mobile apps that let you send your photos as print postcards.

Naturally, my favorite place to shop is Bette’s Boutique. Create a Valentine’s Day basket with any of the goodies there. Don’t forget that expression of rapture and taste - chocolate. Ancient Mayans thought it the nectar of the gods, while other cultures revered it as a symbol of wealth and power. We all know it’s aphrodisiacal! Chocolate is always the quickest way to my heart and my sweet teeth love Lake Champlain’s organic truffles. They’re certified Kosher, as well. Other Fair Trade chocolatiers are Sweet Earth, Dagoba and Green & Blacks Organic.

Splurge on a few bottles of Roederer Cristal 2004 champagne. Roederer has dedicated 12 hectares (1 hectare = 2.5 acres) of their fields to biodynamically grown grapes and another 12 hectares to organic methods. Add my favorite sustainably farmed caviar and you’ve got a love gift hit on your hands!

For those intimate moments in the bedroom give her (or you) something from Blue Canoe’s organic lingerie. Blue Canoe follows the natural path and was one of the very first natural organic clothing lines to be made in America. Another website I like is Eberjey’s Eco Collection which is beyond dreamy!

Why not think Fair Trade flowers when gifting the one you love on this day and throughout the year. Flowers always delight and who says girls can’t give their guys flowers to express love too.

So put your money where your heart beats. Give love away to fill yourself up with it. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’d love to hear your ideas for a green Valentine’s Day.

Please follow me on my personal Twitter and website: www.betteboomer.com

Become a fan of Bette on Facebook

A version of this article appeared on February 13, 2012, in Baby Boomer Interests, by Bette Boomer

January Update on the Compact

Cynthia M — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:44:54 +0000

January, my first month of living with the Compact has come and gone, and we’re now well into February. How did we do? I ran up against an item that I guess I should have included in my exceptions at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t think of it at the time – shoes. At the end of last winter I discovered that my sturdy but older winter boots were toast, but forgot about them until just a few weeks ago.

I knew I wanted a warm pair of Sorel boots to get me through our New England winters for the next decade or so. My husband has had a pair that have lasted him for over 15 years; he did replace the felt insert once, but otherwise they’re still going strong. So I bit the bullet and went ahead and got a pair. The irony being that I’ve only had to wear them twice – this has been the warmest and least snowy winter ever.

There are a few reasons why I won’t buy used shoes or boots. The first is that I have flat feet and need quality footwear that will give me support. And as I spend much of my working time in the outdoors, I need sturdy, high-performing footwear. I’m a firm believer in getting quality products the first time that will outlast their cheaper counterparts thus saving money over the long run, and using fewer materials. So even though shoes have been added to my exception list, I won’t buy any footwear this year unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Other than the boots, I’ve been able to stick to my commitment not to buy new. But now my next challenge is here: Valentine’s day. I usually get something small for the boys and had to think carefully about what I wanted to do for this year. Making cards would be pretty easy, and we have a whole box of cute valentines from last year that didn’t get used which I can delve into. And I’ve decided to make them decorated cookies (or maybe brownies) instead of giving them each a book or stuffed animal this year – less cost, fewer materials, less stuff. Awesome.

_______________________________________
Cynthia Menard
Withywindle Blog

Reduce the Waste week-long Challenge

arikagrace — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:17:33 +0000

I am issuing a challenge this week, my friends! This week, starting today, will be Reduce the Waste week at Happy Home, and you too can participate! The rules of the challenge are simple, and can be fitted to accommodate you and your own goals.

Goals of this challenge:

1) Analyzing all the "trash" you create in a week's time

-- Sort your waste into trash vs recycling

-- Set a goal of how much less trash you'd like to have per week

-- Monitor your progress towards that goal

2) Consciously reducing the amount of trash you create and therefore throw away each week

-- Before you pitch something, think about it:

Can it really not be reused or repurposed?

If not, can you recycle it?

3) Creating a more intentional space for recycling in your home

-- Investing time, money or even thought into your trash/recycling system will help you be more intention about your efforts, and also will give you a place to put all the trash you save from the landfill, by either repurposing or recycling!

Doing these things will allow us to:

1) Make better decisions when shopping, eating at restaurants, and going about our daily lives (thinking about packaging on groceries, take out boxes and other "disposable" things)

2) Be encouraged to re-purpose things rather than buying new and creating more trash

3) Recycling more of what can no longer be re-purposed or reused

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So in order to set my household up for success, here's what I've done to prepare:

Re-purposed my current trash can (35 qt) into a recycling bin

-- Before, there was no space for the recycling inside (besides hauling the bright red recycling bin inside and back out every week), so all the recycling would pile up on the counter- ug!

Labeled the (now) recycling bin so people don't forget about the new purpose and throw trash in there

Purchased a new, smaller 20 qt trash bin (grey one on the left)

-- Hoping that a smaller trash can will remind me to throw away less and will also literally fill quicker so I'll have to stop and think more about what I put in.

Installed a pull-out cabinet system for the new trash can so it is out of the way yet easy to get to

Announced the challenge my roommate and my partner, and got their buy-in, so everyone is up for the challenge and on the same page

Reduce the Waste- Day 1 trash (L) and recycling (R)

If you're up for the challenge, set a trash-reduction goal for yourself, and leave a comment! Good night, and good luck! :)

--gardening, canning, and healthy sustainable living--

happy home http://happyhomeypsi.blogspot.com

DOL: Green Jobs For Women

Heather Clisby — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:25:31 +0000

This week, the US Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau released a free online guide to help women snag those elusive ‘green’ jobs. The guide, "Why Green is Your Color: A Woman’s Guide to a Sustainable Career" offers training opportunities, career development tools and a long list of professional resources.

Image: Adam Holesch / Chromorange via ZUMA Press.

Evidently, the guide was born out of a series of "nationwide roundtables" where clean energy leaders from both public and private sectors discussed women-specific opportunities in the field. The consensus was that a general lack of awareness was the biggest hurdle for women, hence, this snazzy new guide.

“Many occupations in the clean energy economy remain virtually untapped by women. This guide is an invaluable resource that workforce professionals can use to help women transition into higher paying jobs that serve as a pathway into the middle class. It is also a tool to help fight job segregation.”
--Sara Manzano-Díaz, director of the Women’s Bureau

First of all, I'd never even heard of the Women's Bureau at the DOL, but I am both heartened and saddened by it. It's 2012, do women still need all this special assistance? (Ugh. Probably. Honestly, I'm torn between gratitude and resentment.) Turns out, the WB dates back to 1920 and still stands as the only federal agency that specifically supports the worker gal. Who knew? (Probably you.)

Their stated goal:

"To empower all working women to achieve economic security by preparing them for higher paying jobs, ensuring fair compensation, promoting workplace flexibility and helping homeless women veterans reintegrate into the workforce."

On a personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting DOL Secretary Hilda Solis during the launch of a solar cell factory a couple years back. She struck me as very serious, scary smart and a true feminist leader, anxious to boost women in the workplace whenever possible. I still have the pin she gave to me (and everyone else) honoring Women's History Month 2010 and HerStory.

I'm not sure if an online guide is the answer but it certainly is a step in the right direction as I'd love to see to see more (clean) female energy added to the mix.

~Heather

BlogHer Section Editor, LIFE & GREEN; Contributing Editor, Animal & Wildlife Concerns; Proprietor, ClizBiz

Exploring the Outdoors When No One Wants to Go Outdoors

Cynthia M — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:03:17 +0000

We've all been there - as educators, parents/guardians or in some way in charge of youth, we've experienced those days when absolutely no one wants to be outside. The windchill is below 10°, or it's storming, or just too dreary, cold or wet to accomplish any successful learning/exploration. But you're in the position of wanting - or needing - to help your charges learn about the outdoors. So what do you do?

There are a myriad of games and "Project" (Wet, Wild, etc.) activities out there to help you, but what if you want your participants to have a more direct experience? Then bring them over to the computer (a projector helps if you're in the classroom) and take them on a tour of the natural world that has the potential to be engaging and fun while sneaking in some learning along the way!

There are loads of web resources that can transport audiences to some amazing (and not-so-far-away) places. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a wealth of educational resources, many of which can be used while sitting in front of a screen*. I particularly like the nest and field cams they give visitors access to; who doesn't enjoy getting to know a wild animal on a personal level? The amount of empathy that that brings out in children is amazing. I viewed a bunch of them (the inactive ones are archived) to get a sense of what you might find, and here are some highlights:

The LA County office of Education has an amazing resource page for taking "trips" to a variety of ecosystems - from kelp forests, to Antarctica, to a historical tour of planet Earth. Not at all sure what those places have to do with LA but they're pretty neat.

The USGS has an interesting site where you can take virtual tours of South Florida's numerous parks and ecosystems (not quite as dynamic as the one above, but interesting in its own right). The Everglades are an amazing and unique ecosystem for exploration.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has their own YouTube page (should I be surprised?) of videos from natural places around the state. My personal favorite was the fisher den (I loved it so much I had to include it directly):

In the short few searches I did (I Googled "virtual tour ecosystem", "virtual tour", "wildlife cam" and "virtual farm tour" just for starters) I was pleased at the wealth of resources I was quickly able to find. Not surprisingly, YouTube has a bunch of fun places to visit (I found a farmer's wife who uploaded well-made videos of a working dairy - El-Vi Farm) and is a site most kids are familiar with and can navigate with ease.

One last suggestion: citizen science projects are a great way to get people of all ages participating in important scientific research, and most of the time the training needed to participate is minimal and sometimes nil. While much of the leg work these projects require are outdoors, indoor time can be spent checking up on the project and getting a sense of how your contributions are helping.

Good luck, and happy exploring!

*A note on screens: while I'm not a big fan of 'screen time' (my goal is to get people connecting with the outdoors in the most direct ways possible) I do recognize the terrific educational opportunities computers can afford. And as the mother of 2 boys, I also recognize how drawn kids are to computers (or any screen) and harnessing that enthusiasm is a good way to sneak in some learning.

Further resources:

http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.html

http://www.agclassroom.org/kids/tours.htm

http://www.thewildlifecam.com/

Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Citizen Science Page: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/page.aspx?pid=1664&ac=ac

Firefly Watch Citizen Science Project: https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/

Journey North Citizen Science Project: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

_______________________________________
Cynthia Menard
Withywindle Blog

12 Uses For an Old T-Shirt

Good Girl Gone Green — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:23:17 +0000

I hate to throw things out, and what I dislike even more is seeing items in the trash that are in perfectly good condition. It breaks my heard knowing that they will just sit in a landfill. I sometimes save random items from certain death in a landfill- don’t judge!

We tend to live in a world where we use something once and toss it without a second though. But most of the time these items could be repurposed into something completely different and functional.

Image: Incase. via Flickr

Lift your hand up if you have too much clothing? As women, our closets are often overflowing with stuff we have never even worn. So, in a frenzy we clean up. Now what will you do with all the items you don’t want? Of course donating, and giving away our clothing are nice gestures, but sometimes our shirts are in no condition to be donated or we simply have another use for them. Here are 10 12 ways to bring life back to an old shirt:

Make rags, napkins or cloth towels. Take the scissors and cut away. No need to spend money on these items when you have t-shirts just screaming reuse me!
Have you ever thought of making produce bags from old t-shirts? I sure haven’t -until I found this how to make your own produce bags tutorial.
Now that you have t-shirt produce bags, you most definitely need t-shirt grocery bags.
Follow these steps and you can have your own tot bag!
Looking for a simple gift bag- look no longer! I think I could even make this.
Sometimes we just want our hair out of our faces. I often wish I had a headband, but I am not interested in spending money on one. Looks like I can just make my own.
I love scarves and I probably own way too many. So, I am going to attempt to make my own.
Wouldn’t your old New Kids on the Block t-shirt look fabulous as a pillow? I sure do!
If you do not want to go out and buy organic stuffing for your new pillow- shred an old t-shirt and use it for pillow stuffing! I know- brilliant. You can thank me later.
Make a pet bed out of a few t-shirts and stuff it with shredded t-shirts. I have not made one and was not able to find a tutorial, but I am thinking it would be similar to making a pillow, no? I am not crafty, so please correct me if I am wrong! And if you do not have a pet, do what theGreen Bag Lady does and donate it to a animal shelter.
Take your t-shirt and create another piece of clothing. Cut the arms off and you have a tank top or cut a V around the neck and you V neck shirt. the possibilities are endless.
If you have a long sleeve shirt- leg warms.

The list is pretty endless how you can repurpose an old shirt. Just remember, by simply repurposing a shirt we can extend it’s life, divert it from a landfill, and conserve our natural resources.

Will your next shopping experience include a t-shirt bag? I think mine might.

Tutorial Tuesday: $2 Spunky Step Stool

jessiehyde — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:30:20 +0000

After finishing up our closet makeover a few weeks ago, we realized we needed a small step stool to reach our highest row of storage boxes. We wanted something that wouldn't take up much room, would be functional, and, of course, inexpensive, so we wandered to our local flea market to see what we could find. After making too many laps to count, and throwing out a few options, we spotted this little treasure buried in a corner under a table.

I know, it may not be screaming "take me home!", but we thought it had potential. It was the perfect size, had these funky round legs {that were completely mismatched-one had a heart cut out and the other was clearly DIYed to match}...

But the selling point was the price tag.

For $2.00, we couldn't pass it up. I started brainstorming how I could revamp it and came up with a vision that would fit in perfectly with our closet. We snatched it up, brought it home, and got to work. I started by removing the very disgusting lace {it was too gross to even show you a close up} and taking my orbital sander to it.

Then I had to fill in the nail holes on top with some wood putty.

It just needs to dry for about 20 minutes and then you can use a palm sander to smooth it out.

Before I painted it, I grabbed some scrap fabric leftover from the fabric wall in our closet to attach to the sides. I laid it out on the side of the stool and traced it with a pen.

And then cut the shape out.

Since the two sides of the stool are identical, I laid the first one that I cut out and laid it on top of another scrap of fabric. I pinned it in place and cut around it to avoid tracing again.

Once I had my fabric ready to go, I took my stool outside and started to paint. We were lucky enough to have some sunshine this weekend so I was able to bundle up in my winter coat and run out to spray for a few minutes at a time. You could also paint this in your garage or roll some paint on instead of spraying if the weather doesn't permit spraying outdoors.

I gave it two light coats of primer and two light coats of white spray paint. Once it was dry, I brought it back inside and starting taping off a chevron pattern for the top. I cut 3" pieces of blue painter's tape and laid them out in a zig zag pattern for the first row. I measured the spacing on the first row to repeat the second and third rows.

It looked like this when all three rows were taped.

Then I took it back outside and gave the top a coat of a glossy gray spray paint.

I let it partially dry, then brought it back inside to remove the tape.

Once all the paint was dry, it was time to attach the ribbon and fabric. I hot glued the same ribbon from our closet shelves along the edges of the stool. I thought it would help tie the stool in nicely and cover any imperfections in the wood.

The last step was the fabric sides. I painted on some water-based sealer/glue/finish to adhere the fabric. I painted it on with a cheap foam craft brush.

And smoothed the fabric on top.

Then I went over the fabric with the same sealer/glue/finish to give it a glossy shimmer.

And that's it! A fun, spunky step stool for $2.

I love how much personality it has. The rounded spunky legs, contrasting patterns, smooth shiny ribbon...it all comes together so nicely in the closet. And, of course, adds some function. :)

All posts in the BlogHer Winter Home Projects program are 100% editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Our advertisers do not produce the content. This post is made possible by Home Depot and BlogHer.

Jessie Hyde

Imperfectly Polished