"I'm Dreaming...of a Green Christmas..."

So my friend Mary (who is Green in Reno BTW) asked me to write a little post about what to buy our non-green living friends and family members.

Immediate family is easy--my son still isn't old enough to sass me about something being used. But my mom or dad might not think my used gift is great.

Mary, I too have been obsessing over what to get my family for Christmas. It isn't easy to determine what to buy people when you KNOW they either don't exactly support our new lifestyle.

BUT I did come across a few sites that I think are helpful in getting our shopping done.

Here is my fave: TreeHuggers 2007 Gift Guide TreeHugger has got about every type of person under the sun with many gift ideas. Some are not cheap--I will admit that. But most have some unique ideas that I probably would not have found on my own. They have the gift guide into sections for any type of person so hopefully that is a good place to start.

Here are some of my own personal ideas that I have come up with.....

• Giving the Gift of Hope thru World Vision. Personally I LOVE World Vision (or any non-profit that is similar) and their mission. When they were at the Puyallup Fair they had a huge booth set up that talked about children in Africa and you could see how they live, work and play. It was emotional and I cried. Yep, I cried at the Fair. I think people stared at me. Anyway, they have a very cool gift catalog with a lot of gifts under $50 and its not just sponsoring a child. Your own children might not understand getting a goat or a chicken for Christmas, but its a wonderful gift to someone in a deserving country.
• Netflix. Seriously I love this service and its a pretty green gift. You don't have to drive to get or return your videos, your movie comes via mail, not extra packaging and best of all--just a flat fee! No late fees. Sure you might not get that movie that comes out THE day is releases, but I have gotten movies the DAY they come out. It can happen. Besides a true green friend doesn't have cable and this is the alternative. You can buy a Netflix subscription for someone months at a time if you are a current member.
• How about Tickets to a concert? Or the an Art Gallery? Or maybe a membership to your family members local Zoo or Museum? Sometimes even being a tourist in your own town is fun.
• iTunes giftcards. Shameless plug--I LIVE for these to appear magically in my stocking! Santa if you are reading this.... But its no packaging that normally comes with a CD and they get to pick what they want.
• How about pictures? My parents are ALWAYS bugging me for pictures of us as a family. Maybe you can make a collage of some cute pictures of your kids or send them a CD with a BUNCH of pictures so they can add them to their computer and order what they want. Pictures really do say a thousand words and is priceless.
• Lets not forget giving those we love cloth bags. Maybe it should include a picture of your kid or something? (ok that might be a bit much) shockingly my mom already has some cloth bags!! GASP!
• I'm all for the handmade gifts, but I SUCK at making handmade gifts. etsy.com is a good place for handmade stuff. I like to get handmade stuff--especially quilts. I love me some handmade blankets.
• Along the same lines as Netflix is Gamefly. Basically its Netflix, but instead of movies you can rent video games. I'm planning on this for Noah this year. Sure I don't want him playing games until his brain melts, but its an alternative to allowing him to buy games he doesn't like, are too hard or he just gets tired of. Its a little more expensive then I'd like to spend--its a thought.

Those are my gift ideas. Please share yours too! I'm new at this green stuff too and I would love to hear any ideas you all may have. Enjoy your shopping! OH and the best way to be green and shop is by NOT going shopping at all. Stay home and shop online if you must shop. Going out shopping will only encourage you to spend more on silly gifts you don't really need. Staying at home with your family is better any day.

Christmas is coming....Only 60 Days LEFT!!!

So Christmas is coming and coming WAY too fast in my opinion. Seems like I just get thru a year and then BAM here it comes again. So last year was my first "I'm not working in a retail store" Christmas and this year I'm looking forward to another Non-retail job. Thank you Jesus!

This year I have committed to being more eco-friendly in my buying. I would love to buy more handmade items, especially if it means I'm supporting a local craftsman. I know that obviously buying handmade isn't always possible, but I thought this picture was SOO cute I couldn't NOT post it. Probably the BEST place to buy (online) handmade items is Etsy.com. You can literally buy everything under the sun there. I like to browse it and I can't say I have purchased anything from there yet, but I wouldn't doubt that I will some day. (I have Etsy included in my Green Links on the side here BTW)

Yesterday I gave in and bought Noah a Lego thing at the store. That silly Lego toy had SO much packaging it was ridiculous. I was able to recycle some of it, but all the extra plastic...sigh not so much.
James doesn't believe me that I can prove we can have an eco-friendly Christmas. Honestly, Noah does NOT need any more toys. I'm sure if I wrapped up some of his toys he wouldn't know the difference. Besides, Noah is getting on the older side for wanting to play with toys anyway and Video games are all the rage with him. Which I hate and I refuse to buy anymore game systems. Used video games; probably.

Oh and lets not forget my Thrifty lifestyle that is trying to be included in my Green lifestyle. Sigh...I always take on more then I can chew sometimes! LOL!

I'll keep you posted on how my "green Christmas" will be going this year.
I CAN say that I created an Alternative Gift Registry at New American Dream that I sent to my mom and dad. They are always complaining they don't know what to get me and blah blah blah. So I made them a list w/ links to see what I want and they are ALL green/eco-friendly items. either way I hope it works cause I really do want some of that stuff on my life.

Email me for my list to view it just for kicks.
Please share how you are going to be spending your c-mas this year too!

TOMS Shoes

Have you ever heard of TOMS before?? Well if you haven't check them out!!! Click here.
For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair to a child in another country. For example, they are leaving for South Africa to drop off their latest shoes. Their goal this time was 50,000 shoes. WOW!

Main thing for me is that when you buy something in a way you get something beyond just a pair of shoes. You can change a life. Shoes are a luxury in 3rd world countries and what a blessing to give them to little children. Last thing they need is to step on something and get an infection they can't fight off because they don't' have proper meds and then die from a simple cut.
Lets face it, most of these kids scavenge thru garbage for their meals and to find things like shoes. Its a sad reality, but if we could protect just one other foot....

Consider the shoes.
I know its on my list to buy and honestly the shoes are pretty cute!
Oh and BTW- they are available at most Macy's Stores if you want to actually try them on. Nothing harder then buying shoes online...

***UPDATE: So I went to Macy's so I could try them on and alas, they do not fit me. They are made a little narrow. So for those of you with dainty, cute, model type feet--these shoes will work for you. However if you have Fred Flinstone feet like me, yeah...no TOMS shoes for us. I guess I should email them asking when they'll be making a Wider Width shoe...hmmmm***

"Where does the Money go?"

You are probably wondering where the title to my post came from.
Well Noah my son.
Noah asked me this yesterday as we were driving.
He asked me, "Mama where does the money go when you spend it at Wal*Mart or Top Foods? Does it go back to Homeless people?"
Its hard to explain to a 9 yr old that the money we spend at the grocery store does not go to the homeless. Instead it goes to the people who work at the stores, the truck drivers, the manufacturers, basically anyone that touches the product.
Of course as a child its hard to understand Supply and Demand.
It doesn't make sense.

I wondered where he came up with that question though and I finally realized that it had been because of all the shopping at other sources that DO support homeless people or people with needs. He finally noticed something!! We have been shopping a lot lately at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Tacoma which the money goes entirely to support Habitat, the Goodwill which of course supports those who needs jobs and small business owners who might support an organization.
So today when I went out to go shopping for a jar to hold my dogs treats in it, I opted to shop at the Goodwill. Sure I probably would have gotten it cheaper at Wal*Mart, but Noah's right, the money doesn't go to help people. I'm paying for cheaper things because someone somewhere made my stuff for Pennies on the dollar in another country. Because of cheap labor there, I get a cheaper product here.
I just can't do that anymore.

Lately I have been paying attention to labels and where things are made. I mean, hello?! Tons of TOYS were recalled because of dangerous levels of lead in them. And they were made in China. Its like a losing battle!
But what struck me the most was when I was shopping before I went to the Philippines for clothes I kept coming across things made in the Philippines. Now that I've been to the Philippines and I know the people there and how wonderful they are--its just too close to home.
I can't buy knowing that someone is working their butts off for my $5 t-shirt.

So as I'm standing here on my soapbox preaching about this and you are feeling guilty for your $5 t-shirt (trust me I have a ton of them--I used to work @ Old Navy for goodness sake!!) I feel more guilty then you.
What can you do?
Just try to avoid anything not made in the US.
Which is hard.
I honestly cannot afford organic clothing. I truly can't bring myself to buy a $40 t-shirt. I'm just being honest here. But I can afford to stop buying brand new clothes and only buy used. (Except I draw the line at used undies and bras; those gotta be new!!)

Sure my used clothing was probably made in another country and is made out of a material that might not be very eco-friendly, but at least its a small effort to help offset the need to buy brand new. Buying used is hard for me. Personally I'm a clothing snob after having worked in the retail industry for about 10 yrs. I just like new. But in my effort to be more green, new isn't always the best.

I want to keep giving my son habits to live by. Good habits. If he wants me to only shop some where to supports a cause, then I will. And hopefully he will grow up not expecting all new things. He is after all, 9 yrs old and I only have a few years left to leave a lasting impression on him.

BTW, I'm actively trying harder to stop shopping at Wal*Mart. As a wife to a husband in a Union, its not really accepted to shop at places where Unions are not recognized.
I do have an addiction to Wal*Mart, but in my effort to be green it has changed my thinking about the Big Box Stores in general. Besides if I spend more money on something I might normally get for cheaper at Wal*Mart, I tend to use it less. I have to remind myself that its to also save money in the long run.
Just spending money to spend it because its cheap can't be my weakness anymore.....sigh.....Kermit was right, its not easy being green....

Green your Diapers Baby!

No I don't have a newborn and I don't plan on having one again, however if I had to do it all over again, I would do it so different....

So I chatted w/ my friend Mary who is also a Greenie like us and she is currently using Cloth Diapers for her little man. She too was overwhelmed with how much diapers fill up our landfills and how they take up to 500 yrs to decompose! Yes, 500 years!!!! Incredible! Don't believe me? Watch them decompose (or not) here.

Mary likes to use cloth during the day and chlorine free diapers at night. You can get the chlorine free diapers from Seventh Generation and although pricey, if you offset it with cloth your still putting less chlorine into the ground when you throw it out. She also has pointed out to me that once she switched to cloth her garbage was cut nearly in half!! Not only is she saving money on the diapers, but on her garbage bill too!!

I have found myself fascinated with the gDiapers I've seen at Fred Meyers in my natural foods section. They come in a nice looking little kit pictured here. They promote themselves as a flushable diaper and honestly, they look like a giant maxi-pad! Seriously. They are not cloth or disposable, they are flushable. Which raises the question, Why can't we have this same product available in a feminine Pad?? (Again, I'm still growing accustomed to my reusable pads)
Anyway, the gDiapers say this about themselves, "gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic free flushable refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash.
Can't flush? It's ok to toss flushable refills because they're plastic-free. Or garden compost the wet ones. They'll break down in 50-150 days."

I was impressed not only with the idea, but also the packaging. It came in a cardboard box you can recycle!!! I mean truly, why is everything wrapped in plastic these days?? Price I'm sure.
But for eco-friendliness they have truly won we over.

These gDiapers are a good option (just like the Seventh Generation ones) for those people who just cannot stomach cloth diapers. I think the next baby shower I attend they are getting gDiapers from me!!

My friend Mary would also like to point out that if you read the label on your current disposable diapers it clearly states that the waste (aka: the Poo) should be tossed into the toilet not in the trash with the diaper. Human waste cannot break down in landfills and should go down the toilet. It really says that--I checked at the store and it did. I was blown away! Let's face it, this is not something that we are taught as parents. "The instructions on a disposable diaper package advise that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system."

Diaper Facts:

• Last year alone, 18-23 billion diapers went into landfills across America¹. That works out to be approximately 38,000 every minute and adds up to about 3.5 million tons of waste!


• Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.


• Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.


• In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.


• In the first two years, the average baby will require between 5000 to 7000 diaper changes.


• Disposable diapers in landfills can prevent water from soaking to the ground.


• In 1991, an attempt towards recycling disposable diapers was made in the city of Seattle, involving 800 families, 30 day care centers, a hospital and a Seattle-based recycler for a period of one year. The conclusion made by Procter & Gamble was that recycling disposable diapers was not an economically feasible task on any scale.

Here are a few cloth diaper websites to consider: AngelBunz (Mary's top Choice), Jillians Drawers and bumGenuis.

Or like Mentioned above you can find the Chlorine free-diapers from Seventh Generation and gDiapers at your local store. Oh and if you want coupons for Seventh Generation (including the diapers) click here.

For more information on how to Green your baby check out Treehugger.

My "other car"

This is my new bike trailer. Now before you get all in a huff about how I bought new, this is a special bike trailer because it is for my babies. Not my big baby who goes by the name Noah, but my furry babies--My Pugs Maggie & Gus.

We have been wanting one of these for a LONG time. But they are HARD to find. We thought for a long time we would be able to make a child's bike trailer turn into a bike trailer more fitting for dogs, but they were just not secure enough to keep the dogs in.

So I bent my not buying new rule for this.

I do plan on using this to also go get groceries from the store. We live about a mile from 2 grocery stores so since it is flat inside, it'll be a great alternative to driving my car.

The dogs love it.

I took them out in it last night and my black Pug Maggie wasn't as excited about it since she likes to walk, but my Fawn Pug Gus loved it since he has issues with long walk.

We purchased our bike trailer from Hunter K9 Gear. It was free shipping which was why we bought it. Also, it came packaged flat already assembled, we just had to put the wheels on. There was some Styrofoam used in the packaging but all in all the rest is fully recyclable. To me, the best part was it was fully assembled and I can fold it down flat to take with us on vacation. No more excuses anymore. Now I just have to make something to keep all the rain off me and the trailer...hmmm.....

Future Green?

So we've decided we want a green house someday, or should I say I decided I want a green house someday.

Well apparently that someday is today because hubby found a Free (from Craigslist) canopy available and he jumped on it. Never give my husband a challenge like this; he takes it. As for other things...well that's a totally different blog!

I found this site that shows you how to make a green house out of a car canopy. I realize this is a BIG canopy, but it was free and we're probably going to cut it down eventually. I don't plan on making it exactly like the website shows, but its the idea of the canopy seems easy enough.

Now for us, we have a BIG backyard to really this doesn't take up much space. However, for most people this isn't possible.

But a tiny greenhouse is always possible.

Now mind you, I don't have a green thumb and what I'm going to put in that greenhouse, that's a good question. For now, we have it. And then we'll work out that what goes in it stuff for next spring/summer.

Unless anyone has a suggestion of a book that might be like a gardeners bible?

Let me know if you do!

Book Exchange Site

I love to read! It is one of my favorite relaxing times and what I enjoy doing most. I spend a lot of time at the library getting books, putting books on hold; I love it to say the least. So I came across an article in my Green Living Tips Newsletter that had a link to a website called Book Mooch.
Here is how it works...

1. Type in books you want to give away
2. Receive Requests from people who want your books
3. Mail your books and receive points
4. Ask for books from others with your points

Simple enough. I haven't tried it yet considering I don't have any books I want to give away right now, but that doesn't mean I won't come across some in the very near future.

See how you like it and let me know if it works for you....

Organic Home Delivery

If you live in the Northwest Pioneer Organics is a home delivery company. Unfortunately they do not deliever to my area as of yet, but you can find out if they deliver to yours by zip code.

Check it out!

Lunapads

So I gave in this week and returned my GIANT package of disposable pads back to Costco. Tried to brush off the sense of panic and have made the leap into using only washable, reusable pads.
There you go I said.
I wash my goods.
Yep, it sounds gross I know, but it can't be as bad as a babies diaper. I mean, at least this is MY stuff and my bodily functions.

I tried my Lunapads during my last period and I was surprised by them. They were a little more bulky then what I'm used too, however I found I didn't have such a heavy period with them.
They do take some getting used to. I mean I'm not going to lie, that first wash when I had to wash them by hand was a little weird! They can put washed in the washing machine, just have to line dry them.
I'm in the process of getting more. They are not cheap, but I figure the cost in what I would have spent in buying pads over and over is worth the investment. They are cute too. Very soft and lots of different sizes for your flow.
Plus, I'm addicted to using a pantyliner on a daily basis so I'm also including more thin Lunapads for daily pantyliner use.

I know you are thinking, "But I'm a tampon girl!" Well, they have something for that too!
This whole going green thing has really changed my thinking about my personal care products.
I hadn't put a lot of thought into doing much to change that stuff until the past month or so.
We have natural toothpaste now and once I run out of the other stuff I'm going to have to suck it up and deal with it!!!

When you really think about how much packaging goes into a Pad its crazy! I mean first its in a plastic wrapper before you even get to the Pads themselves. Then each pad is individually wrapped in another plastic wrapper & sealed with a tiny piece of tape: more plastic. And each Pad is made pretty much out of Plastic.
Its a lot of garbage!!! I figure its like a tiny diaper so of course its going to clog up our landfills w/ more plastic that can't biodegrade.

Plus, I have heard that switching to more natural Pads/Tampons really helps the Ladies with the issues 'downstairs' Besides, when I really think about it I was just taping a piece of plastic between my legs with some synthetic Cotton in it. yeah, probably not the best idea.
So try it out! Or consider it...
Here are some other options of re-using your pads isn't your thing....and more reusable pad sites:

Seventh Generation Sells a Chlorine Free maxi pad

Glad Rags and Moonpads Sell washable Pads as well as alternatives to the tampon.

And for more information about how to care for your reusable Pads and why you should use them check out Natural Choices.

Shop & Give!

So I was browsing my green sites again and came across this site.
What it does is when you follow a link to popular websites (like Old navy, amazon, etc) they will give a certain % to a charity from their list!

Check it out!

Non-Profit Shopping Mall

Green your clothes

Ok so I'm probably not the best person to be writing about this, but I have too since I'm desperately trying to change my habits about clothing and going green in the process.

Normally if I'm having a good shopping day, I can find clothes brand new or cheaper then let's say the Goodwill. But obviously when I NEED clothes or NEED something, that is NEVER the case. I recently have been going to the Goodwill a lot more though to sort of make myself more aware of the selection as well as the prices.
I haven't found a whole lot of good stuff, but I did on vacation. I found 2 pairs of board shorts for myself (one brand new w/tags, other one Roxy) for less then $10 for both. Mind you, last year I bought a Roxy board short for over $30 for the one pair. I don't usually spend that sort of money on that stuff, but if it fits and I like it I might break down and purchase something that outrageously priced!!

What am I suggesting then?
Well, don't buy brand new all the time. (although I would say please buy new undies/bras/socks that just is a bit too much for me to imagine buying used--eeewww!!!) If you do buy new, buy American made (thanks Jen for the tip!). Or if you do buy new try to buy it made out of organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, any natural materials.
But I do recommend buying used as much as possible. Here are some recommendations...

Goodwill:
The Goodwill is a good place, but you do have to really look or search for good stuff. Its there though. I live in a fairly nice area and the clothes donated at our Goodwill are surprisingly name brands a lot of the time. Their kids clothes are something to be desired though. Boy clothes are usually not in good shape by the time its donated. I haven't really ever found anything good for Noah, but GREAT place to find toys, books, bikes, etc. The best thing from buying from the Goodwill is you are helping others with the $$ used to buy the stuff. They use it to help people find jobs and that is always a good thing!

Consignment Shops:
I used to consign Noah's clothes back in the day to get some extra cash fast. It wasn't very lucrative, but I did feel better about getting some money for my good clothes. Consignment shops are really picky about their clothes. They don't take anything stained, ripped, missing buttons/snaps, usually only take good brand clothes and so on. So you can be assured you are getting something good for your dollar. However, they can be expensive at times. But if you are dying to get Name brand clothes and don't put your kids in anything less, then this is a great option. Check them out!!!!
Don't forget that there are consignment shops for us adults too. I've found some are picky are aren't so picky, but you can find some good deals & brands for adults too. Great places to check out for more formal clothes. Why buy a fancy dress you wear once and then it sits in your closet. Why not get rid of it now and consign it & make some cash today?
**Keep in mind a lot of consignment shops especially adult clothing stores often do not give you money upon consignment. They usually keep it for so long and then send you your share of the money when it sells.**

Obviously there are many other places like the Salvation Army, church thrift stores, misc community thrift stores, etc that you can find used clothes.

I will admit I REALLY had to change my mindset about going to just the Goodwill. I mean a lot of people shopping in there come off as poor/homeless looking, but who am I to judge someone like that? I'm breaking Jesus's most important commandment--Love your neighbor as yourself or in a more simple term--Love God, Love People.
So I had to push aside my thinking and just dive into finding some good deals....
Remember its not just about going green, its a lot about helping small businesses, your local economy and people on a larger scale.

So consider it! (just know I'm still going to keep scouring the shelves for great bargains because I need to keep gathering that new w/tag stuff to send off to the mission field)

Oh and don't forget the always worth mentioning Yard Sales. I haven't found any good clothes for Noah, but have found they are good for baby clothes a lot.

Home Improvement Ideas!

Hey all!
You all know that James works in constructions and its not the most eco-friendly business. However we were browsing around Craigslist the other night and came across this add from Habitat for Humanity.

They have their own store of stuff--appliances, windows, doors, tile-you name it they probably have it!
And to think that you will not only be helping the environment by reusing used, sometimes new!, things while at the same time helping a great charity.

Here's their site for the Tacoma Region, they could have some in other areas, but I'm not sure!
Check it out!!!

TPC-Habitat.org: ReStore

Eco-Friendly Grass

Yes, there is even eco-friendly grass out there! I was actually looking around the Internet and stumbled across these 2 sites. Personally I like not just because you don't have to mow it hardly ever, but because it grows so slowly and has very sturdy roots.
I personally do not mow my lawn (thanks Baby!!) but I know it takes my hubby over 2 hours to do ours because its so big.
We are considering doing this in just our front lawn first so we can build up our garden in the backyard and then plant the grass.

here's the sites, hope they inspire you to consider not mowing your lawn!!

Wildflower Farm -Eco Friendly Grass (they also have a TON of wildflower options as well)

NoMow Grass

Tips from my Green Buddy JEN!

My friend Jen has been a much better "green person" then I have for YEARS now! Here are some of her tips to add to going green..

• Vinyl shower curtains/liners, terrible for landfills, when you can purchase a hemp shower curtain (I think they're around $60). I don't know if I've ever seen cotton ones, I've seen a lot of hemp ones. Hemp is naturally anti-mildew.
• I know vinegar is a natural fabric softener. Seventh Generation has a liquid fabric softener. I like to use fabric softener from the brand Ecover, it smells really good.
• One of my favorite cleaners is Bon Ami, it's a powder kind of like Ajax, only it's all natural, has no odor, and is amazing! That you have to go to a place like Marlene's to find it though.
• Another tip, if you really want to disinfect something, kill the germs, or even whiten, use peroxide.
• If you make your own cleaners, you can always add essential oils to spice it up a little. Like if you do half water, half vinegar (a good multi-purpose, you can add essential oil like lavender, lemon, or your favorite oil). Tea tree oil is actually a pretty good disinfectant, I add that to my cleaner, plus I actually like the smell. Apparently, there's apple scented vinegar too, which I've never found, but in my book "Clean House, Clean Planet", the author talks about it.

Thanks for your tips Jen!! Keep 'em coming!!!