Earth-wise

I'm a firm believer in the idea that knowledge is power. Hey, I'm a scientist - I can't help myself! But in all seriousness, there is no way that any of us can be expected to make the best choices for our health, our families, our wallets, and our environment without access to information that can help us with those choices. In honor of Earth Day I've assembled some online resources that I've found particularly useful for saving green:

1) Environmental Working Group's Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides
Sure buying organic produce is better for your body and the environment. But, as I'm sure you've heard, we're in a bit of a slow economy right now (shocker, I know) and everyone is watching their wallets. That's no excuse to bring home pesticide laden fruit thanks to this handy guide. The EWG tested the most common produce and came up with the top 12 you should always buy organic. Thin skinned fruits and veggies, like peaches and bell peppers, top the list. Other "conventionally" grown produce doesn't hang on to pesticides either by design - like thick skinned avocados - or because they just don't need pesticides to grow period! I know, kinda sneaky to call something organic when they never actually needed pesticides to begin with. There's a handy dandy printable PDF or iPhone app available at the site so you can have the list on hand when you shop.

2) Ideal Bite
This is a fun little site that has a lot of random bits of eco information, and you can sign up to get them sent to you by email. Fun to read, and great cocktail party conversation starters!

3) Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database
Another effort of the Environmental Working Group, this database analyzes the chemicals in different cosmetics and rates them on their safety (or non-safety I suppose). An eye opener for sure (ha!). I recently switched to mineral makeup as I was totally creeped out by all the crap in my foundation. (as a side note, I totally love the mineral makeup as all my occasional breakouts have become a thing of the past!) I'm slowly working my way through my lotions and potions and replacing them with ones that don't feature mecury, lead, nanoparticles (really creepy, but that's another story), phalates, and the mysterious "fragrance". It's a struggle, as many of this is unregulated even though we absorb a lot through our skin. I wouldn't freak out and throw everything away, as a little exposure won't kill you, but it's worth spending a few minutes on this site when you are ready to replace your moisturizer or mascara and see if you can find a "less bad" alternative.

4) Greenopia and GoodGuide
I haven't spent a lot of time on these sites, but they look like great resource for all sorts of info about different products. You can waste a lot of money chasing every item that is branded "green" but in reality some aren't really as good as they seem. Buying less is always best for saving both kinds of green, but it's nice to have options when you want to save the green in your pocket without losing the green outside.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Pimp my Swiffer

I love my Swiffer Vac.

Seriously.

With hardwood floors, two furry cats, and a boy who is a messy cook, I feel like I swiffer constantly. The vac is extra special because it collects the cat fur tumbleweeds that appear at random and lets me finish my swiffering in peace.

But here's the rub. With swiffering at least once a day, I feel tad guilty about all the swiffer sheet thingys I use. So guilty that the partially used swiffer sheet stays on the vac, parked in a corner somewhere until it gets used enough (sometimes I flip it around cause the front is dirty but the back isn't...is that pathetic?).

So I had to bust out a new solution. Meet my swiffer improvements:



Microfiber towels I found in the auto care department of Target. 12 towels that are 14 in by 14 in. Under $10 I think...much more economical than anything in the actual cleaning department.



I cut them in half and serged the cut edge. Super bummed that I didn't have awesome orange thread to serge with, but it works. These things are fuzzy though, so it did require a post-serge cleaning of the serger.



Ta-da! It's pimped, alright :) The towel just barely fits into those little prong thingys that hold the sheets, so make sure you have one that is at least 7 in wide when cut. Works pretty well too! Picks up a lot of dirt and washes well too. Now I'm free of the swiffer sheets!

The Case of the Furry Sofa

Based on a true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

"Evening, miss. You need a private eye because you've got your self in a furry situation? Well, I'm certainly one for the job. Let me see those perpetrators...

Perp 1: The Clown



Perp 2: The Diva

"Those two look like trouble. They are, aren't they? And their hangout is the new sofa? Oh, that's a messy problem.

"So how are we going to get you out of this? Hmmm? The vacuum? That'd work, yes yes yes.... What? It leaves bits of fur embedded in the cushions? Oh, not good, not good...

"I've got it! Sticky rollers! They remove lint and you can throw the mess away. You can even get one of those large ones...

"Oh, you've tried that? It takes 3 sheets to get the whole sofa clean? Whoa, that's a lot of waste...and expensive!

"Well, how about this--the pet hair magnet? I know, I know...As seen on TV doesn't mean it'll work. But why don't you give it a try?"

The next day

"Back already? Worked that well, did it? Yes, it's amazing. It got fur out of places you didn't even know there was fur? Yup, that's what I thought. Best $10 you ever spent, isn't it? No need to thank me, ma'am, just doing my job..."

Flea love

Last weekend was the Nashville flea market and I trucked over there determined to find some treasures. Waste not, want not, right?

The day started out threatening to rain, and I was hoping that it might be somewhat non-crowded. What a pie in the sky dream! I ducked into the first building, which turned out to be "new" items like designer knockoff perfumes, cheap jewelry, beef jerky, and made in china tote bags/doggie purses... I fought my way through baby strollers, rolling carts, and clueless shoppers to get to the GOOD stuff!

And did I find good stuff. Lots of eye candy with antique furniture, and beautiful dishes I don't need. I kept myself in check but did manage to score bunches of lovely trims from various sellers:

If I ever get back into my sewing studio you'll see those making an appearance on some bags!

But the pièce de résistance was this gorgeous cathedral window table runner:

Hand quilted. Beautifully done. Lots of lovely patches. A labor of love by someone that was sold to me for $25. Fortunately I know the value of this hard work and wouldn't DREAM of doing something irrational like cut it up into pillows or dolls. (shudder)

The runner is HUGE--100 inches long, and wayyyy to big for my table. I'm thinking of giving it the glory it deserves as a wall hanging. Wouldn't look fab hanging on a blue wall--the one that will soon be in my dining room?

Of course, AFTER my excursion I come across this useful post of the top 5 flea market tips. Cash? Check. Tote? Check. Tape measure? Check. Hmm, I think I'm only lacking a hard core flea market buddy. The boy gets bored just about the time we get to the good stuff (thus turning into my shadow) and mom only comes up a few times a year. I usually shop alone because of the whole "too much talking, not enough shopping" issue but an extra set of eyes would be helpful.... Any takers? :)

Urban Organic

Well, I survived the grilling by the scientific elders and won't have to sell my soul to appease the science gods. Now I can get back to my regularly scheduled blogging and sewing and crafting and not being a brat to live with shortly....

I've got some craft blog posts coming up soon, but in the meantime I thought I'd share some pics of our little organic farm we've got here. The boy has worked so hard and it's really coming together. Not enough to live off (yet?) but it will definitely help supplement our summer produce. Mmmmm, fresh blueberries!



Click the pic to go on over to flickr and see labels of what we're growing.

Last year TN (and much of the southeast) suffered a nasty drought and our water bill was outrageous. We've recovered our rainfall total recently, but the boy and I were thinking of ways to circumvent this for the summer. We saw these rain barrels at the Earth Day festival and decided to buy one instead of making it ourselves at it benefited the Watershed Alliance...oh, and because the boy is as bad as me about having WAY too many projects to finish and this was one he didn't mind giving up.

One good rainfall fills it up as it collects from gutters on about half our roof. Should hold enough to water the garden for a week in the summer I'm guessing!



Now that the backyard is coming along, I suppose it's time I hold up my end of the deal and get to work on the front before our neighbors pull a landscaping intervention....

Happy Earth Day!

While every day SHOULD be Earth day, today's the official one. Here's to thinking a little more about our human footprint and thinking about how what we do effects everyone on this planet.

In honor of Earth day, I didn't want to make another list of the same things that everyone says we should do--compact fluorescents, check; turn off the computer at night, check; filtered water instead of bottled, check. We know we should, and we try, right? Instead I wanted to share with you the little things that I'm doing to try to live better, saving energy and MONEY in the long run. Despite what the Al Gore-haters say, the little things do make a difference (but I'm not discounting the need for big things too...)

Anyway, here goes.
Kim's list of her own environmental efforts:

1. Read Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Reflect on how much of our modern life is built specifically to be unsustainable and make a conscious effort to support products that adhere to the Cradle to Cradle philosophy.

2. Don't idle. Ever. Well, maybe for stoplights, but that's pushing it. It really does take less energy to start your car again than let it idle for anything longer than 30 sec. Forgive me that I don't have the data for it, but believe me it's true. Nothing irks me/feels more ironic than people idling behind another car waiting for a GAS PUMP! Hello?!?! Oh, and the idling that takes place in the line for the emissions testing is the most asinine thing I've ever seen. So I don't do it. (Oh wait, the info is here)

3. Recycle even when it is not convenient. Sometimes, despite my best efforts, you just have to get a bottle of water or a take out container, or you have papers to get rid of but there is no bin nearby. I carry that crap home and recycle it! Oh, and there is no excuse for throwing trash out windows. Why do people still do that? Were they born in a barn? Hold on to that junk for 5 min and put it in the trash can outside of wherever you are going... Phew, done ranting! :)

4. Try to ditch the car whenever possible. I'm fortunate to live just over 3 miles from work, which is a decent bike ride (except for the fact that it is uphill all the way to work) so I'm working on getting these thighs in shape so I don't arrive a hot mess every day. And I'm taking the bike to the local Target (and soon a new Publix grocery store) for errands. Hey, this is just economics cause gas isn't getting cheaper anytime soon!

5. Bring back the concept of a Victory Garden and actually grow food. And herbs--do you know how expensive fresh herbs are?!? Okay, the boy mostly does the gardening, but I help! Oh, and we're joining a CSA to support our local organic farmers and supplement our veggie load. Do you know how much "food" is grown that isn't edible? Watch King Corn and you'll know what I mean...

There's my top 5 everyday lifestyle changes that I'm doing to try to help my body, help my community, and help my planet. What are yours?

Suffocating under "Stuff"

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I'm a firm believer that we Americans are too consumed by our stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not living in a tree house with just one pair of pants and a sleeping bag! But sometimes less is actually more.
This website features a cool video that sums up a lot of the problems with our consumer life:

If you have 20 minutes, watch the video. It's really not painful, I swear!

Anyway, the point is that, as a culture, we're addicted to having a lot and having it cheap. It's an addiction. I'm surrounded by neuroscientists that study addiction and see some of the classic symptoms of addiction in myself every time I run into Target and find myself bombarded by their oh-so-cleaver use of cheap chic. But you have to ask, how is that possible?

I firmly believe that many of our problems (economic, environmental, international relations) can be traced back to this obsession with stuff. Lately I've made the promise to myself that I'm going to be smarter about my stuff. How, you ask? By BUYING LESS!

Sure, I post here about the cool green things out there. And it's sooo great to now have easy options. But have you seen how quickly big business has jumped on that band wagon? Why would you buy oodles of recycled paper towels when you could use a real towel? Or spend extra on eco-window cleaner when you could make your own for pennies? Or buy a cheap T-shirt just because it's made out of bamboo? What ever happened to reuse?

Before I climb off my soapbox, I want to make one last plea for another option--buying smarter. Yes, that top is cute, but how many nights out will it take before it looks like it's been run over by a truck? Or that cheap lamp that will disintegrate when an overzealous guest bumps into it? Or the boxes and boxes of cute things that you buy simple because they are on clearance and a steal? I'm guilty of all of them, but I've found since I've been conscious of these habits I've actually had MORE money each month to spend on non-essentials. Go figure.

Similarily, the handmade movement is awesome. Both the DIYers and the artisans that make things for those of us who can't knit, paint, metalwork, build furniture or scrapbook worth a darn (that'd be me...). The majority of these artisans are making high quality items that can be used for years, not for months. Plus you get the warm and fuzzy feeling that you are helping support someone's creative vision instead of lining some random manufacturer's pockets. Just before you buy handmade, make sure that you are getting a quality item that you love and will last. Some artisans, bless their hearts, try too hard to compete with the mass retailers and end up just hurting themselves in the process. Support those who charge a fair price and soon the rest will follow. Sure it's more expensive in the short term, but think of all the money you'll save by not buying in the future!

We all have to contribute to that golden arrow (did you watch the video?) whether we like it or not. But that spending power really is powerful; use it wisely!

I'm done babbling about all this now. I promise to post something really yummy tomorrow to make up for all this lecturing! :)

Best,
Kim

Friday distractions

I'm sure you don't need my help on the distracted part. Are you really accomplishing anything today? It's okay, I understand.

In case you are looking for some productive ways to use up all that distraction, here's a few that I'm perusing:

Today's theme: green (ish) sites

Harmony Art Harmony stole my secret dream of designing really cute environmentally friendly fabric that people can use to make really cute stuff. Sigh. In the mean time, I'll just drool over her designs.
Skin Deep cosmetics safety database. I've become obsessed with trying to dial down the crazy chemicals in my bathroom, and have been plugging all my products into this. Try searching for a certain product type then sorting by safety rating. Becomes almost scary when you look at the worst ratings.

Etsy Labs: How to make lip balm I'm absolutely addicted to my chapstick, and shudder to think how much I've swallowed in my life. This is an interesting alternative to the petro based stuff.

Green Karat No, I'm not getting engaged Mom! But if I was, I'd want one of these rings. Recycled gold. Cultured diamonds. Support recycling and a revolution of the computing industry instead of mining, DeBeers, and African militias. Sounds like a much better proclamation of love to me! :)Green Sage Sustainable building supplies. I love the cabinet hardware. I'm eventually going to fully transform my craigslist desk into a beauty vanity, and really want these pulls:
Enjoy your distractions!

Eco-friendly fixes to Craigslist finds

I love Craigslist. And thrift stores. And yard sales. And if I ever find anything good in my alley, I probably wouldn't be against dragging that home to.... My boyfriend is such a sport (he's into it too.)

Currently I have two lovely Craigslist acquisitions that need some lovin'. One is a lovely small sideboard with hutch. I've already decided they look better separated, with the hutch hanging on the wall. And I've replaced the pulls from a drab, ultra traditional brass to these lovely brushed nickel ones. Second is a desk soon to be vanity for the bathroom. Still looking for the perfect drawer pulls (I want recycled glass...hmmm...). The stickler is that both require a paint job to be perfect.

I stained an unfinished piece last year, and was completely put off by the awful smell and cleanup. Can't imagine what those VOC's (volatile organic compounds-aka the smelly stuff for the non-science nerds) are doing to our insides every time we paint/stain/recycle those thrift store castoffs.

Thus began my search for eco-friendly paints and stains. So far I found two companies that look promising. I'm going to try some of their products out and I'll get back to ya on how they stack up.

Company 1: Bioshield Natural Paints

They are one of the few places that have stains that seem to be more than just "less bad" normal stains. We'll see how they work, as the boy has them earmarked for his current reclaimed project (shhh, it's a surprise).

Company 2: Green Planet Paints

Ohhh, I'd love to try their clay paints for my next wall painting project. Soooo Pretty! I ordered some of their raw pigments to try in my new fabric printing endeavor, an alternative to commercial dye powders. I'm so excited I'm giddy!

In celebration of this green post, a pretty picture for your enjoyment:
Mmmm....clean air, clean water-I love the beach!

Cute Green Things

If you haven't seen it already, the Domino Magazine/Treehugger.com eco-decorating list is full of great ideas. I'd love to get my hands on some hemp/organic cotton fabric and print my own designs like this hand silk-screened beauty:

Mod Green Pod

Hand-silk-screened with water-based paint, this ornate organic cotton (perfect as a Roman shade) is as fresh as the brand-new firm that designed it.

"Grand Jubilee" $97.50/yard, modgreenpod.com for stores

Photo by domino digital studio

Oh, and how adorable is this dress:

BIG FLIRT

Vanessa Barrantes

Peruvian native Barrantes incorporates natural fibers—such as bamboo, which is antimicrobial—into her swingy dresses. Linen "Sophia" $198 lolaymaria.com

Turns out it is pretty easy being green after all! :)