keeping clean

Along with Crystal I have been working to develop some household cleaning recipes that are non-toxic with a reasonable half-life. I've tried a variety of concoctions, most resulting in some form of sticky or sludgy product that doesn't really work out that well. Through all of this experimenting, I have come up with a system: I buy white vinegar and baking soda in bulk - The biggest packs they have at Costco, I keep a spray bottle of diluted vinegar on hand for surfaces, and I add baking soda whenever I need to scrub something off. These ingredients work fantastic on counters, stove tops, as a laundry boost, as a drain maintainer, as a pest deterrant, and then some.

Unfortunately, sometimes all of my scrubing and experimenting go nowhere, and I'm still not satisfied with the cleanliness of my tub, or my clothes. If I feel like I have to have something from the store I go here:
www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/formpartc.htm

happy cleaning!
Gisele

Craigslist, what a sharing world

My friend Linsey directed me to one of the nicest craigslist ads.  This ad is an endearing example of how we thoughtfully make the world better: less stank in your fridge after vacation and healthy food in anothers tummy.  This particularly looks like a sweet arse veggie soup finished off by a grilled pineapple dessert.  Yum!

local food: in illinois legislation!

Did you know that Agriculture is Illinois' largest industry but 95% of that is exported? Now a days it seems everyone is sucking in that deep expansive breath and focusing a little more on what's under our noses. The Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force is promoting legislature that will help keep 20% of the Illinois' food consumption LOCAL! With the local food network well underway on niche buyers, this will expand the focus on prisons, universities, and mental health centers.
This is going to help Illinois farmers have more diverse thus sustainable farms, reduce oil used for transportation and encourage awareness of what local foods are!

Revitalized Objects

I am in love with slash jealous of Sarah Cihat's work. So beautiful! Its all found ceramics from resale shops/thrift stores, and she gives them a new identity through glazing techniques.

This brings me to discuss: I don't get the 'Going green! Getting rid of everything!' ad's on Craigslist. I totally support if you need a new table, buying a new bamboo table (rapidly renewable material) and I also support buying something that totally exists and updating it (a la Sarah's rehabbed plates). But come on, getting rid of everything to buy all new 'stuff' is a point missed.

Let me digress, I found these on craigslist, so these people aren't landfilling their old things by any means. I simply think this shows how the 'green movement' is being marketed in such a way that reduces this movement to consumerism and a way to sell us more schtuff, and more labels to sort through: low fat/ organic/ green.

Where we choose or choose to not put our cash is one of the most impactful votes we can give, daily. I totally appreciate Sarah's work and the new value she has given to old things!

What's your footprint?

So, I know you see these things all the time, but it's always good to get a little reminder. Here's a really fun carbon footprint calculator from earthday.org:

http://http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html

I used all the advanced options and, even though I think I'm doing a really great job, I'm consuming 3.5 planets. Although, they don't give you extra brownie points for composting, rainwater harvesting, or having your own garden.

Green How-to

This is a really great website with every kind of project imaginable. You kind find every kind of green home project imaginable - and those you never even considered.

I really love this modular water jug shelving. (Not that I recommend buying all that plastic for water.)



Happy browsing!

www.instructables.com

Better shower curtains

Dilemna:  My shower curtain liner needs to be replaced, but I'm so tired of buying new vinyl liners.  I have tried washing the liner but it still has little spots  and its now ripped. Plus, these vinyl liners, however monetarily inexpensive they seem at the time, we do end up paying for them in the long run.  And not just by buying many throughout our lifetime, but paying for the time it takes them to decompose in the landfill...and since they are typically PVC, well, they don't really decompose, at least not in our lifetime.

Solution:  a hemp shower curtain

These don't even need a liner!  From what I have read (I am saving up to buy one now) they will get wet like any fabric but Hemp is naturally antimicrobial, durable and machine washable.  It also is PVC and VOC free (vinyl liners off gas so much!  Not good for you, and the manufacturing process is not good for the ozone.)  

When you are in the market for replacing your vinyl liner, think hemp!

There are many products out there...try to get something organic and made in the USA.