installment 2 will take us to the garage, the bedroom, and the laundry room. here we go:

in the bedroom:

-use beeswax rather than paraffin candles. paraffin is made from petroleum, and though they smell just lovely, they emit pollutants. beeswax burn longer and are believed to acutally clean the air by releasing ions that cling to dust that’s one sexy maid

-close vents in infrequently used rooms. this way heat and a/c are dispersed througout the well-used rooms

-switch to bamboo sheets; much more sustainable than cotton, and just as cozy

-if you use the radio or tv to fall asleep, make sure you set the timer. it doesn’t need to be on all night.

in the laundry room:

-wash clothes in cold water

-use eco-friendly detergent. those heavily scented detergetns we all love are just chemicals getting all over our clothes, then absorbed by our skin.

-hang-dry as much as you can. i barely put a thing in the dryer anymore.

in the garage:

-got paint? we all do. rather than dump it, try to recylce it to someone you know. otherwise it just sits there, never decomposing.

-ged rid of your old beer fridge. it’s only adding to your energy bill

-try not to spill and wash away. use drop sheets, or clean up with a rag. that oil or paint you’re spraying off with the hose is just leeching into your lawn and garden.

next week: tips for the whole house! isn’t this fun? i like installments.

let me know your ideas!

i’m grabbing this info from a great canadian magazine-now, don’t you laugh-Chill, from the beer store. yes. the beer store magazine has some simple and helpful tips on taking care of our little globe. there are a whole 4 pages worth so i’m going to post in installments so as not to overwhelm. here’re today’s room:

in the bathroom:

-limit shower time to less than 10 mins. for kids, make it a game. who can shower faster? my sister and i used to do this. i think we could do 1 1/2 minutes. that’s w/ a 2in1 shampoo.

-turn off water when shaving or brushing your teeth. duh.

-use un-bleached, recycled toilet paper. “if every canadian household made the switch, we’d save 48,000 trees every year.” while the recycled paper is a rougher in use, i find, it’s softer on the conscience. and besides, i don’t think your bottom notices too much. we’re not talking note paper rough.

-this is not simple, but i’ll include it: install low-flow shower heads and toilets.

-try to start upgrading your products to more natural ones. i use kissmyface shaving cream, and my boyfriend LOVES it too. so guys, gals, check it out. it’s a fabulous product, more of a cream that lathers and i find it’s really fantastic for my finicky skin. you can probably find it in any natural food store.

in the kitchen:

- use the green bin! compost AND recycle as much as possible (paper towel can go in the green bin ladies and gents).

-try to buy only (or as much as you can) locally grown, organic produce. “Not only will you be eating fewer pesticides and chemicals, the less travelling your food does to get to your dinner plat means it’s fresher and less carbon will be emitted during transportation.” and remember your reusable grocery bags. toronto’s just passed a bylaw that plastic bags are 5 cents! i’m definitely on board with that.

-”unplug small appliances when they are not in use. up to 40% of your energy bill is wasted on powering plugged in appliances, even when they’re not in use.” so that means you, toaster.

-buy food that comes in  minimal and recyclable packaging.

-go veggie at least once a week. “the UN discovered the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the cars, SUVs, planes, trucks, and boats in the world combined. if every canadian could go meatless just once a week, it would be the equivalent of taking 500,000 cars off the road!” woooooweee. that’s not so tough.i think this could be made fun too, mind you, i suck at cooking meat so i tend to have a primarily veggie diet anyways.

-stop buying bottled water. there are so many alternatives, tap water filter, if you MUST you can buy one of this huge water cooler bottles, or just drink tap water (toronto has some of the best tap water in n. America i believe). there are SO many reasons not to use these disposable bottles. 1 of which is that something like 88% end up in landfill sites rather than the recycling plant. read about the other here, an article i wrote last month about the topic.

well, that’s all for this installment. more rooms to come, so keep your eye balls peeled, and let me know how you progess. and any ideas, things you do, other simple green shtuff. i’m all ears.

have a lovely week

what i want to know is, how organic are you? i’ve been enjoying a local organic micro-brew, mill street, recently. but when asked by my younger sister, “what makes it organic?” i began thinking…well…i’m not sure. i’d think the hops were grown without exposure to toxins. but, where does your malt come from?! is it free of toxins? so with mind reeling, i googled mill street brewery.

under original organic, mill street boasts, “ontario’s first CERTIFIED organic lager was born in 2002 from a sense of purpose and a passion for craft beer. we adhere to rules that guarantee both the raw materials and brewing process are pesticide- and herbicide-free. brewed with imported malt and hops, this 4.2% german pilsner offers a light, crisp and refreshing flavour with a clean finish.”

well that cleared my conscience, and has given me an answer to my kid sister’s question.

we’re bombarded every day by “organic” this and “natural” that. you have to watch out, for very few of these “organic” products actually adhere to the aforementioned rules. there are organic certifications, and i’d say, that only those products bearing the seal or sticker, can be trusted. make sure you’re questioning always–but, that’s sort of my advice on life.

my alcoholic recommendation for the week/end is the mill street organic. i believe it’s only on tap, so have a night out at your local pub and just think, you’re sort of being a localvore (that is if you’re drinking it in toronto)!

i did a little research today and found the following

for dry skin:
avocado, mushed up and lathered on as a mask, will help to moisturize yo dry skin (just think about all the good fats in avocado).
Egg yolk, for those with eczema. Use egg yolk in place of soap. Sure it doesn’t smell great, but it will heal your damaged skin.

for oily skin:
tomato juice, or just rub some tomato on your face. that’s right. make sure you rinse immediately and thoroughly. i think, because i haven’t tried this yet, it can really dry out your skin (tomatoes are acidic).
a mask of grape, lemon, and egg white. add as much or as little as you want, just make sure the consistency remains mask-like so you can slop it on. you don’t want it running right off your face.

for the body:
try exfoliating on the cheap with coarse sugar, or baking soda if you have more sensitive skin. also, baking soda is good for the face whereas sugar is far too coarse for some.
equal parts water and vinegar sprayed on those stinky summer pits, or feet, to stop the sweat stank. that’s not to say you’ll be totally scent free. but i guess vinegar is the lesser of two evils here.

oh, and honey works as a great mask. it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. i read it works well for minor blemishes, or skin irritations - have to try this out too. i just feel like i need to commit a good hour to putting that sticky stuff on my face then going through the process of trying not to touch anything for 2-20 minutes and THEN try to wash it thoroughly from my face. i’m sure to make it a production.

well, enjoy your super cheap summer skincare tips. i’m committed to recipe-free kitchen skin care right now.