Green Thinking Blog

Yeah that’s right…I can’t get that Britney Spears song out of my head! Today, I’ve got toxins on the brain. One of the things I’m learning in my green thinking and nutritional studies is that we are flooded with toxins on a daily basis. Take a minute and think about how many unnatural things are entering your body, through your mouth or skin, on the regular. Are you eating lots of pre-packaged foods? Do you work in a “sick” building? Is the air in your city heavily polluted? Do most of your beauty products contain a lot of chemicals? Do you eat non-organic meat and dairy products? Do you consume a lot of artificial sugar?

If you answered yes to most of these, you are probably pretty toxic. But, the truth is that it’s incredibly hard to avoid a lot of this stuff considering how busy our lives are in 2008. So what can you do? Well, there’s not much you can do about a sick work building, but you can try to be more aware of the toxins around you and make the switch to natural and organic products when you can. It’s good for you and for Mother Nature.

If you’re up for a little self-pampering, try this four-step, at-home natural purification process that I found in The Body Shop’s Spa book. It’s really relaxing too!

Step 1: Sea Salt Scrub

Take a 3-5 minute hot shower to open your pores and improve your body’s circulation. Turn the water off, and then exfoliate your skin (everywhere except your face) with a sea salt scrub in circular motions (see below for my homemade salt scrub recipe!). Rinse with warm water (no soap) and then towel dry.

Step 2: Seaweed Mask

Mix seaweed powder with hot water to create a paste (you can find seaweed powder at health food stores or buy it cheap online). Thinly slather the paste all over your skin including your feet (avoid the face). Let the paste begin to dry while you prepare the next step.

Step 3: Body Wrap

Spread out two heavy blankets on a bed and lay a sheet on top of the blankets. You can spray the sheets with a lavender aromatherapy spray if you want, or just leave the sheets dry. Lay on top of the sheets and wrap the blankets around you (snugly). Rest or take a snooze for a half hour. Then rinse off in a hot shower and use your hands to help rub off the paste.

Step 4: Drink Water

Drinks lots of water throughout the rest of the day to help your body flush out impurities.

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Laurel’s Homemade Salt Scrub

• 1 ½ cups coarse sea salt
• ½ cup almond or grape seed oil
• 5-10 drops of essential oils

Take out a medium to large bowl. Put in three cups of coarse sea salt. Add one cup of almond or grape seed oil to the salt. Mix until blended. Add 5-10 drops of essential oils for fragrance (or as much as you want). You can choose whatever scent you want, but some of my favorites are peach, lavender, and grapefruit.

Here’s a little video of me making the homemade salt scrub. I tried to set it up the best I could, but I think I’ll have Miss Kate film me next time so I can get better angles. Well, enjoy it friends and I hope you take some time out to pamper yourself!

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A week into summer, I am all the wiser for what activities can be done that won’t contribute to the destruction of the world, but may actually enhance it.

I have listed some activities below that may give you some exercise and are sure to give you enjoyment.  Please, we are encouraging you to try these at home!

1.  Bike ride!  Whether you have a destination like your favorite neighborhood hang-out,  are just roaming to check out the architechtural beauty of your neighbors’ homes, or trekking down a trail, a bike ride is an excellent activity.  You are working-out, you don’t know it, and you aren’t putting polluntants in the air by taking an afternoon drive to see the scenery.

Here is a picture of my pride & joy:

This gift has made me very aware of safety features that bikes come with and their importance.  Please notice, a pedal-powered generator on the back wheel illuminates the front headlight, so I am not riding in the dark.  I have ample space in my basket and on my back rack to carry bags, freeing extra weight from my back.  A built in tire pump on the rack is there for emergency situations of a flat tire. It’s most unique feature, as you may have guessed, is the lowered bar that allows to me ride in a skirt/dress without as much risk of it getting entangled in my chain…  Enough about that :)  But, please wear reflective clothing and follow street signs accordingly: Safety first.

2.  Kayak/Canoe. Pick up trash as you go.  Orlando has an excellent non-profit organization called ECO-Action that sponsors weekly canoe clean-ups.  They have recently completed their 500th clean up! Whoo Hoo! This promotes a pride in your lakes and waterways, camaraderie, and of course - a great arm work-out!  Do some research to see if one of these organizations is in your area, or create your own and tell us about it.

3.  Visit your local botanical garden.  Laurel and I are lucky we have one in our backyard.  This is a great date spot *wink *wink, and the first Friday of the month, they feature a movie under the stars.  Again, an inexpensive afternoon or evening that supports the preservation of b-e-a-utiful flowers, plants, and insects, and could get anyone to appreciate what we have in this world.

4. Volunteer.  Whether it be at a nursing home, an animal shelter, your neighbor’s garden - wherever!  Just do it.  You are making someone, something, anything feel better, and trust - it will come back to you 10x over.  To make this tip associate with the summer:  Bring that person some lemonade to enjoy while you play checkers on the porch.  Take that puppy to a dog park to enjoy the beautiful day too and make new friends.  Plant a tomato plant for that neighbor to promote sustainable living.

5. Take a Pickinic aka Picnic lunch.  Not just any picnic.  First, you must visit your local organic grocer/farmers’ market/co-op for the freshest, mostest bestest choices of cuisine that support your community. Check out some recipes at ChefMD or Epicurious to be conscious of what you putting into your bod.  Done.  Second, you must pick the location.  While your backyard is a perfectly acceptable choice, try to get a little more creative.  Maybe placing that lunch in your bike basket and taking it to #2,  #3, or #4.

As I was enjoying the salon shampoo at my hair stylist this past Friday (isn’t that the best part about going for a haircut or color?), I started thinking about my own shampoo. While I’ve given lots of thought to greening other routines, products, and waste in my life, I hadn’t really considered my shampoo or conditioner. As you may or may not know, you hair and scalp are very absorbent just like your skin. Whether we like it or not, we are surely absorbing some ingredients that we put in our hair and on our scalp.

After doing a little research, I found out that it’s best to avoid shampoo and conditioners that contain parabens, synthetic fragrances, petroleum products, alcohol, formaldehyde (ew!!), sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, or any brands that test on animals. TreeHugger warns against using any products that contain palm oil. There is some alarming evidence that palm oil is a huge contributor of global warming. If you want to know what some of those scary chemical ingredients really are, check out TreeHugger’s “Getting Techie” guide found here.

I’m going to try out a couple of the following shampoos listed here (listed from cheapest to most expensive). Have you tried any eco-friendly or natural hair care products that you like? Give me a shout if you have.

• Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value in Herbal Mint, 32 oz, $4
• Burts Bees, Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo, 12 oz, $8
• Surya Henna Restorative Shampoo - Color Fixation, 8.45 oz, $9
• BeeCeuticals Organics, Bee Hair Now Shampoo, 12 oz, $10
• Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Shampoo, 8.8 oz, $15
• Miessence Desert Flower Shampoo, 8.5 oz, $20.95

I know that some of these shampoos are expensive, and hair care may or may not be a priority for you. But, I challenge myself and I challenge you to just take a closer look at what products you’re using and whether or not they could be toxic to you or your family. Just as a note, I don’t claim to be an expert on chemical ingredients, so if you disagree with any of these choices, feel free to leave a comment! Just leave us a suggestion of a better product so we can try it out!

All this talk about shampoo has me thinking about that great ’90s movie Curly Sue. Remember the bathtub scene where they soap up her hair? It’s about 1:20 into the trailer. Anyways, enjoy a little journey into the past! This one’s going on my Netflix queue.

Yes, I really meant a Compost Potty vs. Compost Party.  While a Compost Party could be a great time, and a long party, this particular post is to send kudos to those Denverites in the great state of Colorado.  I recently headed west from the humid climate of Florida to my happy place, the mountains of Denver. 

While avoiding bears and hiking trails, the call of nature reached my bladder & to my happiness, I found the image you see to your left.

This may look like an ordinary outhouse -  but oh the amenities.

Toilet paper, feminine waste bag, clean, and instructions (for some at eye level).  Instructions are necessary when making waste in the woods and mountains.  For a closer look, see the image below.

It reads:

You are using a recycling toilet by Clivus

1. This toilet uses no water or chemicals.
2. Waste is being composted in the equipment below this building.
3. Do not throw cigarettes, plastics, bottles, or cans into this recycling toilet.

Thank you for helping us preserve the environment.

For states and nature trails and Clivus that have already adopted this technology for public use, we commend you.  This outhouse has provided a haven for my digestive system in the middle of the Lair o’ a Bear,  and assisted my friend Mother Earth.

What better way to celebrate Dear Old Dad than let him know his kid will live in a healthier world for years to come? Well, there isn’t a better way!

Check out some gift ideas for Pops this Father’s day…It is June 15 in case you need reminding…

• Dads are always mowing the lawn, why not let him save some carbon footprints and get some exercise while he makes his lawn green green green! Cleanairgardening.com offers many options for manual lawn mowers.
• Swinging atop the lawn he just mowed on his new HAMMOCK! This hammock by Gaiam is made of recycled soda cans. Also check out a hemp version handmade by the Tekiah Hemp Co-Op.
• While we are at it, let Dad take out the trash to his new Compost Bin! The Green Machine is easy to spin & provides the perfect environment for decomposition.

Okay, maybe your Dad isn’t into chores when it comes to celebrating his fatherhood. Why not celebrate his favorite pasttime by giving him…

• A pen made from the wooden chairs in his favorite baseball stadium. Unique, provides a conversation in any business situation, and brings in a flood of memories allowing the wood to live forever in a different form.
• Or give him what he really needs after dealing with his kids all day…a drink! Try a sampler set of Organic Beer. Ranging from a pack of 4-10 beers depending on how much grief you have given him over the years.

Fresh off our experience at the 2008 Green Earth Expo, Kate and I are bursting with ideas for simple and functional green products. After some extensive research, we tried to pick things that are affordable and easy to add in to your lifestyle in the near future. Read on for our top ten green products to buy now.

1. Stainless Steel or Aluminum Water Bottle - Cut down your waste and avoid sending more plastic bottles to our landfills (those suckers take hundreds and hundreds of years to decompose). Try out a reusable bottle and make sure to buy a skinny scrub brush so you can thoroughly clean it. Many grocery stores are selling their own bottles, or you could try one of these: Sigg Silver Traveler Water Bottle or Klean Kanteen Water Bottle. Bring it to work, bring it to school, or anytime you leave the house.
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2. Green Cleaning Products - It’s spring time and you’re probably doing lots of cleaning. Why not clean with some products you can feel good about (those which are environmentally safe, made from natural cleaning agents, free of toxic chemicals/phosphorus/bleach, and hypo-allergenic)? Kate and I tried Clorox Green Works products and we love them so far ($2.99-$3.39). Choose from All-Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Surface Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Dilutable Cleaner, and Bathroom Cleaner. We also like Seventh Generation products, though I don’t recommend the Automatic Dishwasher Gel. It’s just too gentle and it fails to get your dishes really clean.
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3. Reusable Shopping Bags - If you haven’t done it already, its really time to get some reusable shopping bags to cut down on our plastic waste. You can read Kate’s post on canvas tote bags where she talks about some fabulous, fashionable bag options. Or try out Baggu — they come in 19 different colors at $8 for one, $22 for three, or $38 for six.
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4. Natural Skincare - Not only do we have to protect our impact on the environment, we’ve got to protect our own bodies and reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins we absorb. Skincare is so important and its a topic we think a lot about here in sunny Florida. Try these or look for natural products free of parabens, perfumes, colorants, alcohols, and preservatives: Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 15 Burt’s Bees Radiance Lip Shimmer (LOVE this stuff!) L’Occitane Shea & Organic Cotton Cleansing Milk
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5. Energy Efficient Light Bulbs - We know you’ve heard about these before, but have you switched out ALL of your light bulbs yet? Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) help you save on your electric bill, they use about a quarter of the energy that traditional bulbs do, and they can last for years! Visit Energy Star’s website and click on their “Choose a Light Guide” to help make a list of which bulbs you need for your home.
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6. Rain Barrel - Get a rain barrel made from recycled plastic and catch some clean, healthy water during the rainy months. Your garden will love you for it, and you’ll cut down your water usage. Clean Air Gardening has a 50 gallon barrel designed to blend into your landscape. They have a cheaper 60 gallon barrel too, but it’s bright blue. If you’re clueless, read this Rain Barrel Guide for help.
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7. Energy Saving Power Strip - Pick up one of these power strips that will automatically switch off power to your devices when you’re not using them. Energy-efficient power strips are a great option for those of us that just can’t take the time to unplug and re-plug everything day in and day out. We read great reviews of the USB Ecostrip, but it’s currently sold out in the US. Smart Strip is another good brand.
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8. TerraPass - If you can’t afford a hybrid or flex-fuel vehicle just yet, opt for the TerraPass to offset your carbon emissions. You can also offset your flights, wedding, home, or office. Read our post here for more info. TerraPass’ profits fund clean energy and efficiency projects like wind farms.
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9. Low Flow Showerhead - Switch to a low flow showerhead to cut down your water usage by half. The Roadrunner has ShowerStart™ technology that shuts off flow to a trickle once the water heats up. When you’re ready to get in, just switch on the valve to enjoy your shower. You can also get regular showerheads at Home Depot with easy switches on the head to turn water flow on and off while you’re soaping up.
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10. Organic and Local Food - We know it’s not practical or affordable for most of us to buy ONLY organic food, but every little bit helps. Organics are not only much healthier for you, but organic practices are healthier for the environment and animals too. They reduce the amount of toxins, pesticides, and pollutants that seep into the ground and air supply. Restaurants and grocery stores are carrying more organic foods as each day passes, so try them out when you can. A few easy options: Amy’s Natural and Organic Frozen Meals Stonyfield Farms dairy products Grow your own veggies (ex. hanging tomato plant) Also, purchase local produce whenever you can. Check out our post on farmer’s markets and local co-ops here.

With over 500 exhibitors, there is no way Laurel and I could ever share all the great stuff from each booth. So, we decided we would each pick some of our faves (it was a close call) to share some interesting companies, products, and services we learned about at Green Expo 2008.

My boyfriend and I are suckers for relaxing with the scent of incense in the air, so imagine my happiness when I picked up free samples of Lama Chodpa Incense. Lama Chodpa Incense is handmade incense from the Nub Gon Monestary in Tibet. Monks of this society make the incense from carefully ground herbs and let it dry in the sun. Each ingredient is blessed and one is blessed first for a 9 day ceremony and then for a full year by a meditation master. Not only is this incense free of chemicals and pesticides, it smells great!

Next, we went to visit the gents from Wildlife Solutions, a wildlife removal company that practices humane ways. With their outback theme from down under, these guys gave us a cute magnet with a baby raccoon on it, fake plastic snakes to scare our friends, and introduced us to a real snake—to scare us. The most important thing they shared, however, was their service. This company offers humane removal of animals such as raccoons, snakes, rats, bats, and squirrels. They remove the animal, clean up after it, find out how it got in, and then perform any repairs to prevent you from having any more unwanted roommates and preventing the animal from getting hurt.

100Fires.com caused Laurel and I to kick ourselves the minute we walked in the door. One thing we do best is shop, and we forgot our wallets, which we realized the minute we walked to a booth dedicated to books. This bookstore is dedicated to providing literature on sustainable living. While we encourage you to partake in your local library system, in the event you can’t find a book you are looking to borrow, 100Fires can find books that are hard to find. Important genres to search, the kids section. Educate early and save the future Earth.

Continuing on the subject of shopping…we also stopped by Ten Thousand Villages booth. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade store that sells products made by artisans in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These stores allow the artisans to practice a trade that provides a decent wage and a chance at a higher quality of life. They featured the best gift ideas for anyone on your list. From sculptures to jewelry to trivets, they have it and it is made beautifully!

Laurel provided links earlier to seeing if the Green Expo is coming to your area, if it is, we highly recommend you go—but be sure to set aside the whole afternoon!

If your area doesn’t have a local grocer, don’t fret.  A lot of mainstream grocery stores are offering organic products on their shelves.  Organic Earth Day supplied a flyer at my grocery store to provide coupons and steps for going organic.  Their website has some great ideas for recipes and highlights companies that create organic food items. 

Some grocery stores that are making the movement:

Publix recently took their Greenwise Market products and created a whole store!  Their first location is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and they have four more locations planned. 

On a recent (and rare) trip to Wal-Mart, they are now selling organic products too! Like Laurel & I’s faves: Amy’s organic foods and Stonyfield Yogurt amongst others.

For those of you on the other side of the country, Safeway’s website has a whole organic section to browse before you order online or go to the store.

And, do not forget to continuously check Laurel on Health Food  for the most recent information on what organic foods can do for you.  This is an excellent resource to encourage healthy things to go into your body, things you never knew could happen if you just ate the right things.   

With Earth Day this past week, I wanted to do a little something to get back in touch with nature. So, this weekend I decided to plant a few summer flowers on the porch of my apartment. I thought I’d share what I bought and how easy it was. It was a fun little project for a Saturday morning. For those of us who don’t own a house, planting a few flowers or plants on a back porch is the closest we can get to tending a real garden.

I bought:

• One large 14 in. clay pot and tray
• Two bags all purpose potting soil (10 dry qt. size)
• Gardening gloves
• Four small “sun annual” flowers: white geraniums, zinnias, celosias, and marigolds

First I brought everything outside on my back porch. I opened up one bag of soil and dumped it all into the pot. Then I took the first flower pot and ran a dull knife around the edge to loosen the roots. I turned it upside down and slid the flowers out. Then I took the knife and cut the roots to help loosen the soil and placed the flowers in the pot before packing the dirt around it. I repeated this step with the other three flowers. To finish, I poured a few cups of water down in the pot to help the flowers settle into their new suroundings. The entire process only took me ten minutes!

Note: I’m in a hot, Florida climate here and my porch gets full sun all day. So, I chose “sun annual” flowers that can withstand full sun and heat. Choose whichever flowers will work best on your porch.

Also, I got a new Flip Video camera and was trying it out for the first time. I just took a couple shots of the flowers, soil, and pot so you could see what it looked like. I plan to bring more video blogs to you soon!

Happy planting!

I was browsing an issue of Slap Magazine at my boyfriend’s house the other day. What do you normally look at in magazines? Pictures. So there it was, a full page advertisement featuring green shoes. Not green in color mind you, but eco-friendly kicks.

So I took my search to the world wide web. You can find shoes made of all kinds of earth-conscious materials: bamboo, hemp, recycled car tires and bike tires (which probably make you walk faster), and vegan- and vegetarian-conscious shoes that remove all animal products, by-products, and animal testing for the devout. One of the most interesting and beneficial sites I came across was SimpleShoes.com. Simple is educating their consumer and allowing you to shop right there—two of my faves combined!

This company is not only concerned with the why of their earthly cause, but the how. Dedication to using earth-friendly materials (organic cotton, water based glue, hemp, recycled rubbers, and so many more!) in production makes their shoes 100% sustainable. By using the entire recycled tire, they are saving it from going to a landfill. That same recycled tire is then saved from sending poisonous gases into our air because, if it were in a landfill, it would be burned to make more room in that landfill. Hello?! Save a step and make some shoes!

Planet Shoes features Simple shoes along with other companies that are in touch with the greeness of the feet (Earth, Acorn, and Patagonia to name a few).

Check out each link, and when you shop, think of lil’ ol’ me. You could be green from head-to-toe so easily!