Make-shift Clothesline

Several years ago I started coveting a clothesline pole like my mom has. The kind she has is very elaborate; two big monster metal 'T' poles and four strands of metal strung between them. The truth is you just can't go out and buy those. I decided that instead of buying one of the junky ones and then cementing it in the ground and regretting it later that I should just 'try out' hang-drying my clothes to see if I really like it and to calculate how much I would actually save by doing this. So, I hooked up a make-shift clothesline by securing one end to a metal stake that I drove into the top of my retaining wall and the other end tied around a tree about 40 feet away. I drove a nail into the tree to keep the string from slipping/sagging down the tree (so sorry tree - that is almost dead!) I hung out Todd's T-shirts and they look so fresh swaying in the breeze. It is a bit chilly out so I am sure they will take a little longer than normal to dry. There are a couple of problems with my 'system.' The first one is that the ends are so far apart that the line sags drastically, and the second is that it is not big enough for an entire load. If all goes well I am thinking that I will splurge and contact a welder to make me some like my mom's!

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is an approach that takes into account the impact on society, the environment, and the economy when making business or personal decisions.

"For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. However, there is now clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits."
(Wikipedia.org)

For me, sustainability is a combination of being conscious of our natural resources, living within our means, and living a life of health. I believe I am on my way to being a LOHAS.

LOHAS "is a demographic defining a particular market segment related to sustainable living, ( Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet) 'green' ecological initiatives, and generally composed of a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment." That is the definition given by Wikipedia.org. It stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. The definition should not include 'upscale and well-educated' because ANYONE can live a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability. And, everyone should! It just means that you want to live healthy and be conscious of your surroundings.

Shoes Off Please!

When we moved into our first home we made a rule that everyone should take off their shoes. The main reason was that we had new light cream carpet in our living room that would get trashed if we didn't remove our shoes. Ever since then, we have maintained that rule, mainly because the houses have been brand new and we wanted them to stay looking 'new.' Recently it seems that we have been slacking in this area, including me. When guests come to visit I even tell them they don't have to take their shoes off. Well, after reading this article I have again decided to re-enforce the Shoes Off Please! rule! The reason I enacted the rule to begin with was to alleviate some cleaning but now it is because of health reasons AND cleaning. The article talks about dog paws but I am sorry, I can't get rid of my pets!

Make your Dryer more efficient!

I found this post on Twitter from 'Green Girls' and felt that I should share it:

Green Your Clothes Dryer
10 tips to a greener dryer.


By Josh PetersonLos Angeles, CA, USA Wed Apr 15 07:30:00 EDT 2009

The best dryer for your money and the environment is the clothesline. With the investment of a few bucks you can dry your clothes with solar power for free. However, many people enjoy the convenience of an electric clothes dryer and probably won't part with it. Ok. That's fine. Let's work with that.
If you're going to use an electric clothes dryer, then it should be an energy-efficient one. By adhering to a few simple tips, you can reduce the energy costs and electricity use of your clothes dryer. This is how:
Clean the lint filter after every use.
Make sure the dryer vent's outside. An interior-venting dryer can really destroy the quality of your indoor air.
Avoid overloading and under loading.
Wash loads back to back. The residual heat in the dryer will decrease drying time for every load past the first.
The vent hose shouldn't be longer than 25 feet. Each bend in the hose counts for five feet, not counting the bend at the actual appliance. (20ft of hose w/ one bend is equal to 25ft of hose with no bend.)
Don't forget to clean the exterior vent from time to time.
You'll also want to clean the vent hose once a year if possible.
If you vent hose is kinked, it will increase lint build-up and decrease energy efficiency.
Like the fridge, you should check the dryer door for leaks. Place a piece of tissue paper near the crack while the dryer is running. If the tissue gets sucked into the dryer, replace the seal.
Put the dryer in a warm place.

Go Green Gift Basket

My husband's cousin is getting married in a couple of weeks. I looked at their registry and nothing jumped out at me so I decided to introduce them to some of my favorite eco-conscious products by putting together a go-green gift basket. As you can see, I even included some new Scotts Green Done Right Toilet paper (40% post-consumer recycled paper), 100% recycled aluminum foil and some dish towels to use instead of paper towels!

Havarti Asparagus Soup

Yummy.... I made a simple creamy cheese asparagus soup for dinner tonight. I used the organic chicken broth from a previous post, havarti cheese, organic carrots, and asparagus, which is just coming into season now. I have not seen organic asparagus yet but will keep my eyes peeled. The soup is loaded with vitamins - so good and so good for you. My daughter said, "that soup was really good." So, it was a success if my critics give it a compliment.

The Dirty Dozen

Yes, many organic products are a little more spendy. I am willing to pay that little extra for the comfort of knowing that I am able to reduce my families' toxin consumption. But I did a little research to find out if it is necessary to buy ALL organic. It would be nice to do that but in these economic times when everyone is tightening their belts, is it critical? You can read the entire article and decide for yourself.
The Dirty Dozen List (a compiled list of products that you SHOULD buy organic):
apples
cherries
grapes
nectarines
peaches
pears
raspberries
strawberries

bell peppers
celery
potatoes
spinach

And, some other articles have listed a few additional items:
carrots
kale
lettuce

milk
beef
poultry

The link above has a list of products that you can generally NOT buy organic. I am not going to list them all but it is reassuring to know that there are specific items that are important to buy organic. By choosing organic for the produce designated as the 'Dirty Dozen' you can reduce pesticide exposure by nearly 80%. Now that is amazing!

Valuable Vinegar

Vinegar has been used for thousands of years. It dates back to ancient Egypt; it was probably discovered by accident when wine went sour. The active component of vinegar is acetic acid which is a byproduct of a bacteria called acetobacter. Most table vinegars are about 5% acetic acid. Vinegar is extremely cheap and has a long shelf life.
Here is a list of handy tips that I have compiled from several internet sources. I do not claim that they work because I have not tried all of them yet but I guarantee that I will! Tips offered should be spot tested in an inconspicuous area first. And an important note that I came across was 'do not use full strength vingar on grout - it eats away at it - ALWAYS dilute with water in this case.' Also, make sure that vinegar does not come in contact with hydrogen peroxide. It makes Peracetic Acid. The toxicity is low however it can be extremely irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract and can explode ast high temperatures. With all that out of the way here is a list of vinegar uses:

• remove calcium buidup in pots and kettles - boil 1/2 cup white vinegar and leave to soak for a while, rinse with fresh water, reboil with same water and your kettle should now be calcium deposit free
• 1/2 cup vinegar added to toilet left overnight removes odor - the smell will dissipate overnight
• a cotton ball soaked in vinegar and applied to bruises for an hour is said to speed healing process
• vinegar on minor burns and many sorts of stings can alleviate pain
• cleaning dishwasher - vinegar frozen into ice cubes - put a couple in bottom of dishwasher and run through cycle
• cleaning dishwasher - put a cup filled with vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher and run it through a cycle to
• old stiff paintbrushes - dip in heated white vinegar for a couple of hours, follow by a rinse in soapy water (beats using turpentine!)
• broad leaf weed killer - spray undiluted onto the leaves of weeds, avoid plants you wish to keep - set on stream, not mist - next day, brown and dead
• grass in cement driveway joints - mix of vinegar and salt
• pet stains on carpet - white vinegar poured on pet urine then blotted up with towel
• pre-spray for laundry - spray undiluted on deoderant and other stains on garments just prior to washing
• shower doors and screens - spray 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on soap scum, let sit, wipe or rinse off
• Neat (undiluted) vinegar sprayed on mold will kill the mold
• Fabric softener - add half the amount of vinegar as you would of your usual softening agent
• If using a fabric softener 'ball' place white vinegar to the fill line and then add 3 drops of lavendar essential oil
• Dishwasher rinse aid - add vinegar instead of rinse aid

Hair conditioner - many variations of this......

• use a tablespoon of vinegar as a replacement for hair condition
• Apple Cider Vinegar and water 50/50 as a rinse aid for hair (vinegar deters head lice)
• cleans dandruff off of your scalp
• furniture cleaner - 1 cup white vinegar with 6 drops of jojoba oil
• glass cleaner - 50/50 water and vinegar or vinegar neat in a spray bottle
• If you have ever used the blue glass cleaner you might have to add a little bit of liquid soap to the water/vinegar mixture to get rid of the wax left behind by commercial cleaners
• polish chrome and stainless steal - full strength vinegar
• iron - use 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean your iron, add mixture to your iron and allow it to steam itself clean (some say it causes brown gunk so don't use on clothes until perfectly clear of this byproduct)
• pour boiling white vinegar down a clogged drain to remove obstruction
• clogged drain - pour a couple tablespoon of baking soda down drain, add vinegar, let foam, follow with some boiling water, rinse clean
• room deodorizer - use in a fine mist atomizer (sprayer)
• Ants hate vinegar - spray around doorways and repel ants (I wonder if it works for spiders - I will definitely try this!
• Zits - dab zit with a cotton swab or qtip dipped in vinegar
• Hardwood floors - works great - diluted, of course
• Cheese - wrap in wax paper, a vinegar-sprayed paper towel, and a plastic bag - slows molding
• Toe nail fungus - dab on every morning and every night
• Fungal infections - undiluted or 50/50 with water and left in contact for at least an hour, 2xs daily
• Leg cramps - swab area with cloth or paper towel wet with white vinegar
• Clean your bird bath with vinegar
• Outdoor fixtures come clean with vinegar/water
• Tools can be cleaned with vinegar
• gardening containers - kill mold with vinegar
• Pet's ears - clean your bets ears with vinegar (not sure on the process)
• skunk odor - remove with vinegar
• Cat deterant - vinegar deters cats from prowling around your yard, also racoons, rabbits, and other varmits
• Coffee pot - fill 1/2 full with vinegar and run it through, rinse with another pot full of clean water - I rinse it out 2xs!
• Degreaser - vinegar is a natural degreaser
• Stove top - spritz on and leave for 5-10 minutes, burnt on gunk should come right off - use scrubber and Vinegar's Best Friend .... baking soda if more severe
• Oven cleaner - spray interior of the oven with vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes, wipe, and rinse with water
• Limescale remover - mix 75% vinegar/25% water - spray on sink and wrap cloth soaked in mix around taps and leave for a couple of hours and they are like new
• ..... not to mention vinegar is great for chips and salad dressings :-)
• and the list goes on and on..........

Now, I found an important bit of information. Vinegar can be derived from Petroleum. Make sure your vinegar is NOT! Possible toxins will be emitted. It your vinegar says fermented from "synthetic ethyl alcohol" then there's likely a fossil fuel link - the key work is 'synthetic.'

From gathering all of this information I have deducted this.... go out and buy a big 'ol bottle of non-synthetic vinegar and get busy!

Alternative Energy

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http://www.silentpwr.com/