Archive for October, 2008
October 30, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation, recycling · Tagged buying, carbon reduction, conservation, consumption, eco, eco friendly, garbage, green, recycling, saving, shopping, simplify, waste
If you think about it, being stressed and overworked is directly related to our high tech, fast paced demanding society and that society has a HUGE carbon footprint and cannot be called anything like “green”. More, it’s suited to black and gray. Soot in the sky, sadness in the soul. Retreating to a simpler, easier lifestyle is looking more and more inviting to folk. Even those among us who cannot stop buying stuff and love to shop at China Mart. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just give yourself permission to SLOW DOWN?
Well, a first step in this direction is to go green. It gives you a valid reason for changing things. And in the process, you can simplify. This means slowing down and smelling the flowers. Literally. Ignoring the planet, racing around in carbon spewing vehicles, chasing the next big thing is part of the reason we are in this mess to begin with. So start thinking “s-i-m-p-l-e”. And in truth, this is green. The less you purchase, consume and dispose of, the better. In fact, the greenest thing you can do is make things last and find new uses for old items. We (and I mean myself, too) are taught to be consumers; advertising pounds us day and night and we measure success by the things we buy and own. This is a free market society at work and it is conducive to wealth creation. But it is also conducive to waste.
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October 26, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Hobbies & Crafts, Home and Garden, conservation, diy, recycling · Tagged crafts, diy, foraging, green, handmade, how to, natural, non toxic, projects, safe
These are some great DIY projects I have where you can forage for the stuff you need and then make some very original Christmas ornaments. I have projects for everyone, from the beach side resident to the mountain villager. The items in the projects will be available regionally in some cases and almost everywhere in others. Most of them are easy, simple to follow step by step. Some of them require the purchase of a few small items to compliment the foraged items and other items require a lot of foraging to find all of the ingredients. It just depends on various factors that influence your lifestyle. You are invited to look them over and see if you can find something you can use.
Some of the items that should stock and have at hand if you are crafty are a glue gun, tacky glue, sewing thread & needles, paraffin wax, fusible webbing, an iron, fabric scraps and dried flower petals. If you are a gardener or a practicing forager you will already have a lot of assets on hand that will help you get an early start. Just imagine your tree this year decorated with these special little items that save you money now and become wonderful family heirlooms a generation or two in the future.
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October 24, 2008
· Filed under Home and Garden, conservation, diy, recycling · Tagged diy, eco, ecology, gardening, green, home, homemade, how to, kitchen, projects, recycling, reuse, waste
Making your own compost helps get rid of household waste that might otherwise end up in the landfill, uses garden debris as a supercharged fertilizer for your garden plants and saves you a lot of money, too. It’s a no brainer when it comes to being eco friendly and penny wise. Everything from fallen leaves, grass cuttings, plant prunings to spoiled vegetables, canned fruit and bread can make fertilizer and mulch. I want to give you a guide you can both read for education and use on a daily basis as a sort of “how to”.
Generations of gardeners have consistently come up with the same idea: a fertile soil is the key to growing garden vegetables and compost is the key to a fertile soil. The first step in the four-season harvest is learning to make good compost. It’s not difficult. Compost wants to happen. It doesn’t take a lot of effort or creativity on your part to make this wonderful mush that your plants are eager to devour. Just think of how great your garden will be next year! Nature makes plants and when they die, they are feed for more new plants. It’s as simple as that.
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October 21, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation, diy, recycling · Tagged conservation, consumption, diy, earth, eco, ecology, green, home, how to, kitchen, Planet, projects, recycling, reuse
I have been thinking about all the little ways that we can go green in our day to day lives without any pain at all. I have mentioned some of them before on the blog under titles like water conservation and recycling. But I think it might be nice to put them all together in a little “to do” list so that they can be looked at and practiced. So I sat down and went through all the ideas I have seen and the ones I came up with myself and compiled a green to do list that people can use every day.
I promise you that these are valid ideas that do not require a lot of work or sacrifice. In fact, most of them are simple and easy and save you money as well. They are ideas we should all have had already and much of what you do is stuff you should do anyways. Take a look. I think you’ll like the list and find it easy to follow. If you do these simple things, you are a big step towards making a difference and leaving a much small carbon footprint as you go.
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October 21, 2008
· Filed under Health Care, Herb Recipes, Natural Remedies, Personal Care, diy · Tagged bath, bathing, handmade, healing, health, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, recipes, remedies, shower, washing
The most popular way that people consume herbs is in a tea bag. This is because most of these come prepared and ready to use and do not cost much. This is an effective and simple method of using herbs to heal and refresh the body. But I would like to see folks using herbs in more imaginative and expansive ways. One of the best ways to use herbs, for the health of both the inside and outside of your body, is in the bath. This method treats the skin, hair and nails but also is absorbed through the pores of the skin to help the healing process on the inside, as well. You should consider the medicinal qualities of any herb you use, whether you drink it in a tea or use it in the suds. Your body will be affected either way and sometimes to surprising effect.
Herbs are powerful and potent plants that should be used with consideration and care; although they can do some kinds of damage if used incorrectly, the side effects are usually mild and, unlike medicines made in the lab, any damage that is done is usually reversible. It is impossible to overdose on a bath bag or a herbal water used in the tub. And long term effects require consistent exposure, so consider this in all cases. If you are looking for intense, long term healing effects, you should use your potion every day if possible. Otherwise, use herbs sparingly. An occasional dunk in the bath will refresh and revitalize your body and mind and is not likely to cause any real change in the system. But those of you who are really ailing, consider using herbs in a bath on a regular basis to help ease the suffering and expedite healing of the body. Here are some of my favorite bath recipes and a note on each herb used and what effects you can expect it to have.
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October 15, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, diy · Tagged chemicals, cleanser, green, laundry, natural, non toxic, recipes, safe, washing
I thought it might be a good idea to present some natural, non toxic methods for removing common stains. I worked in a hotel laundry many years back and there was a quota there for stained linens. Every so many linens we saved from the trash we would get bonuses on our paychecks. Needless to say, our supervisor considered herself the “queen of stain removal” and had a method for everything. Of course, many of these methods involved chemicals and toxic elements. And bleach was not a favorite, although you might think it would be. It slowly destroyed the towels and thinned the sheets so that their lifetime use was shortened and resulted in a cash loss. In reality we never used bleach except in last ditch efforts with large blood stains or excessively moldy shower curtains, when the choice was either taking drastic measures or tossing the item out. Overall, we used gentler, kinder methods in order to save the linens.
Being a herbalist and naturalist I was eager to find non toxic and less destructive methods of taking out stains. The first rule of thumb in all cases is an easy one. Do not run an item through the wash and then the drier without first removing the stains. Once set in, they are high impossible to remove. Bleach won’t even do the trick once a fabric has been “set in” by washing and drying. Always treat for stains before washing and do it as soon as possible; it is always easier when the stain itself is fresh. In fact, wet stains, including blood and grape juice, will mostly come out with a flush of cool water if the stain is still wet and fresh. But even then, with wet blood or wine, most of the liquid will wash out but will often leave a “ring”. I have no idea why that is, I just know it from seeing it time and again. So even those items will require a “pre treatment” for stains before being dropped in the machine. Here are some basic guidelines and simple, non toxic methods for getting out most stains.
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October 15, 2008
· Filed under Health Care, Herb Recipes, Natural Remedies, diy · Tagged diy, healing, health, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, recipes, remedies, safe, sickness
Being a victim of stomach problems that have occasionally escalated to a gastric ulcer, I am always on the lookout for natural relief. Controlling the diet and the nerves are a part of the process as well, but the main problem seems to be infection. I have had numerous stomach infections, including Type A stomach influenza, and the Doctors have suggested that I have an infection that has not been eradicated. The drug therapy they give you for this is rather intense. Currently, I am on a regimen of small meals and lots of Pepto and Zantac. I know there are natural cures for heartburn before it gets so bad that it becomes a perforated stomach lining and after that, a bleeding ulcer. And even herbal remedies that will help control the infection.
A few of the recipes I have do not taste very good but I have tried them and, like some the meds I’m taking, they are hard to swallow but super effective if you can handle it. In particular, Slippery Elm has been useful to me in the past. Peppermint is fantastic and I take it fresh if I can get it. Peppermint antacids
are the best in relieving painful heartburn and gas. I have some recipes that use both Slippery Elm and Peppermint. So if you’re serious about handling your stomach problems in a natural, non drug related fashion, then you should try these recipes. As always, they are step by step and easy to follow. The ingredients are ordinary and easy to find. In the end, they won’t cost you more than the medicine you are forced to use endlessly just to tamp the fire. And there are no limits on how much or how often you can use these natural remedies, unlike the 2 week limit on Prilosec or Prevacid. There are no side effects, either.
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October 9, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, diy, recycling · Tagged bath, bathroom, diy, eco, green, home, how to, natural, projects, recycling, reuse, saving, washing
I saw an article on this very idea on several different websites and thought maybe I could bring it to my own readers, with a few ideas of my own thrown in. There are all sorts of ways to be more green at home and the bathroom is one of the easiest areas to make improvements on. There are many opportunities for waste and also many ideas for conserving that waste. Most of the ideas I have are inexpensive and easy. All of them require a one time simple step or an easy to adapt habit or routine.
Now, remember that green doesn’t just apply to safety items or eco friendly stuff, it also talks to the pocketbook. When you stop wasting stuff, which is ultimately great for the planet, it will also save you lots of money. Imagine smaller utility bills, less shopping for new items and less garbage carried out. As you can already see, it translates into less work for you, too. So what are you waiting for? Dig in and find out what great things you can start doing tomorrow to save money and the earth at the same time!
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October 5, 2008
· Filed under Hobbies & Crafts, Home and Garden, diy, herbs · Tagged aromatherapy, crafts, diy, gardening, handmade, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, projects, recipes, scents, spices
A few months back I ran a post on the basics of making your own potpourri. Admittedly, there are several methods of making potpourri, the easiest being the “dry method” and the most lasting and deeply scented, “the wet method”. Both will work in the short term. If you just want some lovely potpourri to last a weekend when guests are staying or you might need it to freshen a closet that has gone stale, then the dry method is quick, painless and effective. For those of you who are more dedicated to the craft or who would like to start making potpourri to sell or give as gifts, I will run a post in the near future on the detailed process of the “wet method”.
With the holidays coming up and finances being tight, I am trying to run some posts on homemade projects you can do for little money that will be lovely during this time of year. Handmade potpourri can give beauty and aroma to your home while entertaining this season and you don’t have to keep buying new. Also, consider making up some really nice stuff, bagging it and giving it as gifts. This has zero carbon footprint, is light on your wallet and says something special to family and friends. So if you are interested in learning how to make this lovely stuff and make it to your own preferences, such as certain colors or scents, then keep reading. I have some easy recipes for you.
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October 5, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Hobbies & Crafts, Home and Garden, diy · Tagged crafts, diy, gardening, green, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, plants, projects, safe
In this post I want to address the remaining steps needed in the making dyes from herbs. I will then follow this post with several on various recipes and what herb yields what color. In this last post on methods I will cover the work of scouring, as many fabrics and wools require this before dyeing. I will also address the practice of wetting the fabric before bathing and the creation and use of the actual dye bath. I am doing all of this in advance of presenting basic recipes, which I will come to in the next post. I am doing this in this order so that you will completely understand everything that must be considered and done before deciding on a project. Wools and fleece, for instance, require different treatments than cotton or polyester knit. You may decide that a certain fabric is too difficult or uncertain to risk the time and trouble in a dyeing project.
So this post is the final introduction to the art of herbal dye making and is intended to help you decide in advance just how far you would like to venture into this craft. It can be messy and time consuming as well as hard work at times. But the results are wonderful and rewarding. You can choose the colors, use herbs to create them and alter them at any time during the process and even after the dyeing is done. In this manner, you get what you want and avoid the chemicals and fragrances in processed dyes that give so many people grief. And, as an added bonus, if the dye washes out after frequent wear, it can be redyed time and again with the exact same color you began with. No more trying to find a powdered dye mix that “comes close” or forces you to change the color altogether. So if this is appealing and you are crafty and like this kind of creative work, then dig in and start planning because your first project is around the corner.
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