Addendum to Family Cloth

As I was discussing the "Family Cloth" with my husband last night I realized something. If these family cloth advocates really want to be super hero status, eco-conscious pro-environmentalist then why are they using sweat shop made fabric (poor little children, I mean this) that has to be washed (wasting water and energy) with bleach (chlorine in our water system) and detergents (more chemicals). Not to mention how these chemicals are manufactured, packaged, transported, etc.... I could go on and on (maybe I just did).

We digress...so back to my original thought, if they really and truly want to be green they should just wipe with natures own toilet paper......you got it! Leaves! Just stay clear of poison ivy. Oh and while you're at it just mark off an area in your yard and "go" there...no flushing required. Now we are talking 'Green".

Green...How far is too far?

Can you be too green? I am all for going green (obviously duh) but really some people are taking this too far. So I just read an article about a new eco-friendly home trend called "family cloth."

Family cloth is the term used for machine washable fabric strips that are used instead of toilet paper. Yes you heard me right. No more toilet paper rolls. People cut up old t-shirts and sheets into strips that are placed in a receptacle next to the thrown. The used wipes are then placed into another receptacle, preferably something with a lid if you catch my drift (actually so you don't catch the drift.) Odor free? I doubt it. Even the Diaper Genie has issues. Maybe if you has a charcoal filter and an exhaust fan to the outside. Don't forget that someone gets the "crappy" task of washing the used fabric with detergent and bleach.

So if you are open minded enough to try this family cloth thing remember not to drop it in the toilet or you will have to fish it out. I can hear the kids now, "Mom! I dropped the family cloth in the toilet!" Worse, they might just try to flush a twin sheet worth of family cloth and overflow the whole mess onto the floor. Sorry guys but the thought of this green alternative is making me GREEN.

There are eco-friendly toilet papers out there that are made with recycled materials and are processed chlorine free. See the list below:

Atlantic Packaging’s “Ambiance,” “Fiesta” and “April Soft” brand
Earth First (Available at Safeway)
Planet
Seventh Generation

If you are a hard core pro-environmentalist....let me know how this works out for you. I will be carrying my own roll just in case this trend takes off.

Listen to music and save the world

Truth on Earth is a band of teenage sisters who write, produce, and sing about social and environmental issues. They donate their proceeds to charity organizations.

Ike is gone and the mess remains

Ike came roaring through here at about 4am Saturday morning. Heavy winds and driving rain. We were very fortunate to be just at the west edge of the eye. We did lose power very early in the evening Friday, but were lucky enough to get it back in about 18 hours. Hundreds of thousands of people are still with out. Stores have no supplies and very few gas stations have gas. Schools and businesses are closed and curfews have been set. We have running water but are being told to boil water and/or use bottled water. The devastation on the coast, just about 60 miles south of here, is incredible. We are still in the busiest time of hurricane season so we pray the Gulf is spared here forward.

Hurricane Ike!! Yikes!!

Hurricane Ike is coming..time to bring in the plants and batten down the hatches.

Scuppie???????????

Is it possible to live "the good life" and be socially and environmentally conscious?
You have heard the term Yuppie, and maybe you have been called one. Maybe you have been called a hippie, tree hugger, or eco-freak, but have you ever been called a scuppie?

If you have not heard of "scuppie", then you haven’t heard of a financial planner named Chuck Failla. Mr. Failla has coined the term Scuppie (Socially Conscious Upwardly-mobile Person) to describe the new breed of mainstream eco-friendly and environmentally conscious people.

Chuck Failla describes a Scuppie as a sort of anti-yuppie. Essentially, they are in the same life-space, but the Scuppie is more responsible and compassionate. Failla has a book planned, a website designed, and master plans to adjust the nation’s vernacular.

What do you think? Are you a Scuppie? Check out the funny graphics at Scuppie.com

Coffee grounds make the world greener

My husband and I drink coffee almost every day. Our coffee maker grinds the beans and makes the coffee. Every few days I have to empty the little pucks of coffee grounds. Just think of the millions of people around the world who drink coffee or tea and the millions of pounds of used coffee grounds and tea leaves that are discarded into the trash daily. This is so wasteful.

I started throwing my coffee grounds out into my flower beds but did not know the benefits. So I did a little "digging". Seems there are a lot of benefits from these used grounds. Coffee grounds are acidic with a pH between 3.5 and 5.0. Coffee grounds alone offer 3 percent nitrogen to the soil. Also, earthworms love coffee grounds.
*Sprinkle the grounds around plants before watering or rain for a slow release nitrogen.
*Using eggshell and coffee grounds to encircle a plant will form a barrier to repel pests.
*Mix into soil for houseplants and new vegetable beds. Vegetables enjoy acidic soil.
* Acid loving plants such as azalea, rhododendron, holly, juniper, mountain laurel, heather, creeping phlox, and lily of the valley. Trees such as pine, spruce, fir, and some oak species.
*Dilute your leftover coffee with water to use as a fast acting liquid fertilizer.
* Since earthworms love coffee grounds those of you who vermi-post can use it in your composter.
* Coffee filters and tea bags compost very quickly as well.

So collect those discarded grounds from the office or even coffee shops.
Spread the word and spread those grounds!!!!!!!!!

Recycle - every little bit helps

If you wanted to live a little greener and start recycling do you know where to go?

My neighborhood provides a recycle bin to each home. The bin is for plastic bottles, cans, and newspaper. That leaves out many recyclable items. But where can I take things like glass, batteries, and cell phones?

So I was happy to find Earth 911 — a great resource for anyone who is looking for a local recycling center. Just go to the homepage and enter your zip code. You can narrow the search to find recycling centers for more than twenty types of items - from antifreeze and asbestos to toys and televisions. Don't forget those old broken cell phones. Just click on "more" for a list of items.

For those of you already using CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), remember they should not go into your regular trash.

Green searching made easy

EcoSeek is a search engine for all your green needs, from appliances and clothing to office supplies and personal care. EcoSeek provides a directory and search engine. Also, their site has consumer information, definitions, green tips, a blog, green products and merchants, an online auction, and other eco-friendly resources. EcoSeek helps to promote sustainable choices and create a green marketplace.

Guerrilla Gardeners

I heard a great new term: Guerrilla Gardeners. CNN did a story about it. Guerrilla gardeners green their city on secret moonlit missions.

Guerrilla Gardeners refers to people who plant seeds,shrubs, and flowers on land that doesn't belong to them. The result? Plants that beautify or yield crops in otherwise neglected or vacant spaces. It is covert beautification of neighborhoods and cities.

Green Guerrillas was one of the first guerrilla groups founded by artist Liz Christy in 1973 in New York.

Visit GuerrillaGardening.org a really neat blog.

Eat Chocolate - grow a garden

I am a confessed and registered chocolate lover. Hi my name is Monika and I am a chocoholic.

Want to try some delicious "organic" chocolate? You must visit Dagoba Organic Chocolate.
While you are there sign up for free herb and flower seeds with their Seed The Day campaign.

You can also share a photo of your own urban farm, community garden or green oasis, and enter to win a free Dagoba® Organic Chocolate collection. I shared a photo of my squash and radishes.

"DAGOBA was founded in 2001 by Frederick Schilling, who was then just 30 and on a mission. He was determined to create exceptional, innovative chocolate that would benefit people, planet, and industry." Read the story and peruse the site. I found it very interesting. Oh, and don't forget to try the chocolate. Yummy!