Category: Eco Tips

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Eco Tips Featured

How-to Reduce Summer Heat in Your Home

With summer right around the corner and the thermostat on the rise, it’s only natural for the electric bill to be on the rise as well. By using household appliances and household electronics is raises the temperature inside your home. Here are 10 tips to help reduce summer heat in your home!

  • Try not to use the oven. Use a microwave oven, or use a barbecue grill.
  • Use a slow cooker to prepare one dish meals without adding extra heat to the house.
  • While cooking put lids on pots and pans to hold the heat in.
  • Most hot water heaters have thermostats that are set to 140 degrees for hot water. It isn’t necessary–turn the thermostat down to 120 or 115.
  • You’ve probably heard that taking a bath uses less water than a shower. That may be true, but if you take a short shower, about 5 minutes, you’ll only be using one third of the amount of hot water than you would with a bath.
  • Don’t use the drying function in your dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry.
  • Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Dry your clothes on hangars or outside.
  • Try to do any ironing all at once to prevent having to heat the iron several times.
  • Do “wet” chores in the early morning or at night when it’s cooler. This will help to keep humidity down. This includes washing clothes or dishes, mopping floors, watering indoor plants, etc.
  • Turn off computers, printers, copiers, and home electronics when they are not in use. Surge protectors that allow you to plug several items into one strip with an on/off switch make this even easier.
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Eco Tips Featured

3 Eco-Friendly Tips for New Parents

One of the best things you can do for your children is raising them to be environmentally friendly. By starting them off at a young age they are more likely to adopt the principles and values of sustainability and green living. However for new parents sometimes you don’t know where to begin. Here are 3 tips for new eco-parents.

Ready the nursery

Creating a safe haven for your little bundle of joy starts with the nursery. New baby furniture can sometimes give off vapors like formaldehyde, which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and even cause allergic reactions in little ones. Formaldehyde is found in pressed wood products made with adhesives; pressed wood is often used to make cribs, dressers, and even toys. Try buying used baby furniture because the vapors will have already been given off, and to select natural flooring for the baby’s room. The environmentally-conscious writer also suggests buying organic bedding and using low-VOC paints.

Solve the diaper dilemma

On average Americans throw away about 18 billion diapers a year (that also equals 3.5 billion gallons of oil and about 250,000 trees that go into making the diapers). Worse, disposable diapers contain carcinogenic dioxins, dyes and other synthetic chemicals that can cause diaper rash and potentially harm your baby. There are greener solutions such as disposables (if cloth diapers are out of the question) from Seventh Generation, Tushies or Nature Babycare. Greener diapers are chemical free, fragrance free, and chlorine-free.

Better baby bottles

Your baby may be drinking the toxin bisphenol-A (BPA) along with your breast milk (if you pump) or baby formula. BPA has been proven to cause developmental and neurological problems if it leaches from plastic…and can be potentially harmful for babies. BornFree, a leader in environmentally-safe baby products, suggests BPA-free containers. Whatever you store, heat and prepare food in for children should be BPA-free. Just be sure to do your research before you purchase!

 

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Eco Tips Featured Lawn & Garden

Why Ladybugs Are Great Garden Guests

With spring planting underway there are some major benefits to having bugs in your garden. That’s right you read it right, we said it is a good thing. Of course some insects are worse than others and some are better than others, however a good insect to have in your garden is the ladybug.

Ladybugs are small beetles that are about ¼ inch in length and are normally red or orange in color with black dots on their shells. Ladybugs can become a nuisance when they attempt to move indoors, however overall these bugs are good for your garden and the environment.

Here are three benefits to having ladybugs in your garden:

Reduce the insect population

Ladybugs are known predatory beetles that eat a very large amount of aphids. Aphids are plant lice and are bad news for your plants. However ladybugs can consume up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime (about 30-40 a day).

Eliminate your use of pesticides

Since ladybugs eat many of the insects which cause damage to garden plants, a good population of ladybugs will make it unnecessary to use harmful pesticides. It can be a little difficult to get a large population to come to populate your garden but with a few at home gardening tricks (mixing wheat and yeast together and spraying on plants), will help attract lady bugs to your garden.

Make your garden BEAUTIFUL

Ladybugs are beautiful beetles. They are a gorgeous deep color that will add contrast and beauty to your garden. Ladybugs are a lot prettier to look at when compared to worms or slugs.

Sources: steamboattoday.com, (http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2013/mar/17/deb-babcock-benefits-lady-bugs/)

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Eco Eats Eco Tips Featured

Grilled Fish Tacos for Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday is here again and this week we decided to borrow a recipe from our friends over at Bassfisherwomen.com. This is a delicious, easy and healthy grilled taco recipe!

Ingredients:

2 fish fillets (approx. 8 ounces each)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon red pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

1 small can of black olives

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper

1 avocado

2 Roma tomatoes

6 corn tortillas

Spring salad mix

Directions:

In a medium sized sauté pan, add four tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and ½ cup chopped onion. Sauté over medium high heat for approximately two minutes. Add one diced quarter inch jalapeno pepper and the three cloves of diced garlic. Sauté for approximately two more minutes. Add the juice of two limes. Sauté for 30 more seconds and then remove from heat. Add two diced Roma tomatoes and ¼ cup of cilantro. Refrigerate the salsa mixture.

Mix the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, red pepper and paprika. Then dust fillets with the seasoning mixture. Once the fish is thoroughly seasoned, place on grill for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Slice grilled fish into long pieces and build your B’ASS grilled fish tacos using the corn tortillas, salsa, sliced avocado and spring salad mix.

Sources: Recipe courtesy of Bass Fisherwomen.com (http://www.bassfisherwomen.com/bad-ass-grilled-fish-tacos/#more-1578)

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Eco Eats Eco Tips

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich for Meatless Monday

This is a super easy, delicious crowd pleasing, grilled veggie sandwich. You can also use this awesome recipe at cookouts for vegetarians!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 cup olive oil

1 cup sliced red peppers

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.

Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don’t burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Additional Notes:

If you have a certain type of vegetable you prefer over squash and zucchini feel free to substitute!

 

 

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Eco Tips Gadgets & Gear

Being Green – There’s an App for That!

Constantly being on the go is not a valid excuse for not being environmentally conscious anymore. With the help of these 5 smartphone applications (most free), expand your knowledge of green living on the go!

Green Globe. Cost-FREE. Green Globe was developed for the “green” traveler. The application currently has several country options to choose from (Aruba, Kenya, Germany and the US) and will provide a wide range of sustainable resorts, hotels, attractions, and conference centers.  This app is perfect for the world traveler looking to leave a small carbon footprint.

GreenITers Mobile II. Cost-FREE.  This app provides users with the latest on green news, eco innovations, and information for living a sustainable life. This application is free to use however you have to sign up to use it which takes about 30 seconds.

EcoChallenge. Cost-FREE. Want to participate in “green” challenges with your friends? This app allows users to do that and more! Challenge your friends to participate in “Meatless Mondays” and “Making a Meal at Home Using Local Groceries”.  This application is a fun method to reduce your individual impact on the environment and will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle.

One Stop Green Mobile App. Cost-FREE. Receive green tips everyday right on your smartphone. This application allows you to conduct your own “energy audit” with the solar, wind, water, and lighting calculator. This application is really interactive and really  user friendly.

Gorgeously Green Survival Guide. Cost- .99.  Gorgeously Green Survival Guide is perfect for the women on the go! It provides you with tips on how to create an eco-friendly home, adopt a healthier diet, how to spice up your beauty ritual with eco-friendly face products.

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Articles Eco Tips Featured

4 Green Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

With Mother’s Day right around the corner (Sunday, May 12, 2013 — for those of you who might not have remembered), have you been searching for the perfect gift for your environmentally conscious mother? Before going out and spending a lot of money, make sure to know what your mother expects on Mother’s Day. Some moms are just going to want to have breakfast in bed and peace and quiet in the house, while others might prefer a family outing. Nonetheless, we are always looking for new ways to show our mothers just how grateful we are for all that they for us. With more and more mothers becoming environmentally conscious, why not give the mom(s) in your life an eco-friendly gift that also respects Mother Earth.

A Day of Pampering

Moms deserve a nice day of pampering. Give mom a basket with organic bath, hair, or skin care products. Avalon Organics carries a nice line of reasonably priced personal care products packaged in 100 percent recycled materials and made with 100 percent vegetarian ingredients – no parabens, synthetic colors, fragrance, or preservatives. Check out their website www.avalonorganics.com to locate a store near you that carries their line of products.

Tom’s Shoes

Almost everyone has heard about Tom’s Shoes. For every pair of shoes that is purchased, Tom’s donates a pair of shoes to a child in need. They call it their “One for One” campaign. Their shoes are super cute, comfortable and come in various styles and colors. Mom is sure to be pleased with a pair of Tom’s.

Rickshaw Bagworks City Bag

If you do opt for a traditional “gift,” make it a thoughtful sustainable gift. It can still match her personality, like this versatile Rickshaw Bagworks City Bag, made with eco-friendly fibers in the USA. Rickshaw Bagworks offers different colors and styles, so there is bound to be one that Mom will like. Check out their website for more information at rickshawbags.com.

Soy Candles

Give mom an eco-friendly candle. There is a variety of different scents available as well as different size candles. Soy candles are the best alternative to traditional candles because they burn clean and are also toxin-free. Most of the soy candles also feature cotton wicks. Check out Soy Terrific, they have a great variety of candles!

 

 

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Eco Tips Featured

4 Ways to Make Your Home Office Eco-Friendly

Greening your home office doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money and go without the things you are comfortable with. However, greening your office can end up saving your home-based business money in the long run and help reduce its carbon footprint. For the most part, greening your office requires conscious choice and using reusable products over disposable products. Since so much time is spent at work it only makes sense to make your office as environmentally friendly as possible!

Replace the coffee.

A simple way to make the office a little greener is by replacing the current coffee with a fair-trade, shade-grown, or organic version. Fair-trade coffees are produced and purchased from farmers with livable wages for both themselves and their employees. Shade-grown coffee is grown in the rain forests under the canopy of trees which means no trees were cut down to grow the coffee beans. Organic coffee is grown without any pesticides and herbicides.

Replace the disposable paper cups.

Use your mug instead of using paper cups. According to National Geographic, “15 people replacing their three paper cups a day each with a washable, reusable mug would save 11,250 paper cups from being purchased and tossed.” That is a lot of paper cups that are being saved from going to the landfill.

Turn off the electronics.

Use the energy-saver settings on all electronics and turn them off when you leave for the day. Have computers set to go into sleep mode if untouched for 10 or 15 minutes. Use motion sensors or timers on overhead lighting to prevent lighting empty rooms. Power down printers, fax machines and computers at the end of the day to save electricity and lower the power bill.

Go paperless.

Try to cut back on your paper usage, it’s not completely impossible. Instead of printing out an email, save it. Send contracts via email and electronically sign them when possible.

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Eco Tips Featured Lawn & Garden

3 Green Fertilizer Alternatives

Unfortunately many gardeners rely on chemical fertilizers to grow their trees, grass, flowers, fruits and vegetables. However in recent years there has been an increase in awareness about the amount of chemicals we use in our yards and how it can negatively impact the environment and our friends and family in the long run.

Thankfully with the “green” movement there has been an increase in number of healthy, natural and organic fertilizers.  Here are 3 natural garden fertilizer alternatives to chemical fertilizers.

Bat Guano

Bat guano is the ultimate 100 percent natural fertilizer. It comes straight from the butts of bats, into your yard or garden. Farmers and gardeners have used bat guano as a fertilizer for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until recently that inorganic fertilizers have become popular enough for people to forget that there is a natural option that works just as well! The manufacturers of this product state that they follow the high standards of Bat Conservation International, so you can feel good about buying this natural garden and bat-friendly fertilizer.  Bat Guano works great as a soil builder and fertilizer.

Fish Meal Organic Fertilizer

Like bat guano, fish meal is a natural organic fertilizer that was traditionally used by gardeners and farmers before the advent of inorganic fertilizers. Fish meal contains important trace elements, which makes it a complete plant food. Fish meal works quickly and provides plenty of phosphorous and organic nitrogen.

Kelp Meal Fertilizer

Kelp meal fertilizer is made from brown seaweed harvested from cold ocean waters. Once harvested, the kelp is dried and ground up to produce an excellent organic fertilizer. The dried kelp maintains a high content of plant growth hormones, essential minerals and organic material. An added benefit is that kelp meal provides a slow, sustained release of nutrients. Organic kelp fertilizers are fully approved for organic gardening. They work great for flowers, trees, and your lawn.

Sources: sustainablog.com, (http://sustainablog.org/2008/05/low-impact-living-twelve-tips-for-eco-friendly-lawn-care/), extremelygreen.com, (http://www.extremelygreen.com/fertilizerguide.cfm).

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Eco Tips Recycling

5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day at Home

Earth Day is an annual holiday where events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for Environmental Protection Agency which is celebrated on April 22nd. It is celebrated around the world in 192 countries and is commonly known as International Mother Earth Day. Here are five things you can do this Earth Day/

Plant a Tree

There’s no time like Earth Day to make your world a little greener — in the literal sense. Planting trees, bushes and any­ plant life at all not only beautifies your home space, it also absorbs some of the CO2­­ from the air.

Change Your Light bulbs

Been putting off switching your incandescent light bulbs to energy-saving fluorescents? Well, you’re going to have to do it in the next few years, with many governments looking to phase out energy-hogging incandescent bulbs by about 2012. Replacing ­all the bulbs in your house won’t take long, and it’ll save you money on your energy bill since fluorescents are a lot more efficient than standard light bulbs.

Ride Instead of Drive

If everyone rode a bike when running a short errand instead of driving their car, we would save over 70 million gallons of fuel each year in the United States alone. Plus, when you ride your bike you get to enjoy the fresh air and it’s a great way to exercise.

Attend an Event

Earth Day events are held across the nation and are full of fun activities for both kids and adults.  Nationwide events can be seen at www.earthday.net, so you can pick an event close to you.

Make an All Organic Meal

Cook a special Earth Day meal using healthy, organic foods. Be sure to invite the friends and family over to share a healthy, home-cooked meal.