Green News: A few fave picks

These are just a few recent green living tidbits I've come across recently. I just wanted to share them with my readers. Quotes are from the sites. Just click the links for more info. My work here is done. :)

Real Geeks Ride
http://www.realgeeksride.com/

Check out (and support) this bike ride to promote greener living.

"This ride across the USA, and the months leading up to it, is about their transition from ‘geeks’ into ‘geeks with bikes’. They will be showing, through realgeeksride.com and various forms of social media, the challenges, myths, and culture of cycling, the way a geek would understand them.

"Through their example, they hope to inspire (or potentially force) other geeks to change their commuting habits. If these two geeks can make it across the USA, it is foolish to think other geeks can not at least bike to work."

Green Teens: A Youth Movement to Spread Environmental Awareness

http://greenteensusa.org/

"Green Teens is a youth group who spreads environmental awareness through education and simple, positive lifestyle changes. The group has been around for about a year and can be found working throughout their community in Northeastern Connecticut. Some of Green Teens accomplishments include holding cloth bag booths, running light bulb swaps, and attending community events to spread their message!"

Planet Positive
http://www.planet-positive.org/

"An environmental mark. A better way of living."

"Our mission is simple, but bold: to reduce carbon emissions and promote a more equitable distribution of resources.

"We will do this by actively promoting the Planet Positive mark as a straight forward way for everyone around the world to reduce their carbon footprint.

"Through Planet Positive we will create a network for organisations and individuals to work together towards a common goal: to ensure actions have a long-term positive effect on the environment, making good the damage done by past centuries of consumption and harmful emissions."

Feel Good Friday!

Happiness is living in accordance with your beliefs and ideals.

What did you do this week that you feel especially good about? Did you ride your bike to work? Did you make an eco-friendly change in your household routine? Did you do something extra nice for someone where you expected nothing in return? Did you donate money or items to a cause you believe in?

The idea behind Feel Good Fridays is that here we can show off what we did that makes us feel good - something we believe in, some little thing to make the world a better place. Here we can also see how others are doing these things too. It's nice to see people who want a better world and are willing to do things to make it happen.

So how does it work? Just leave a comment here about the "feel good" thing you did this week. This is a great way to promote your cause! Feel free to post links so readers can get more information. Then after you've posted the comment, then add yourself to the map. I'm really looking forward to seeing how much we can fill up this map!

So have fun with this! Feel Good Fridays are going to become a regular feature here.

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This week I've been rebatching some soap balls so I wouldn't have to throw out the soap. I had made the soap balls because I used to sell a lot of them but haven't been lately. I didn't want to have them sit and gather dust and couldn't bear to throw them out. So here's what I've made with them so far ...


Layered Mint Soap


Cinnamon Mocha Soap

Feel Good Friday!

Happiness is living in accordance with your beliefs and ideals.

What did you do this week that you feel especially good about? Did you ride your bike to work? Did you make an eco-friendly change in your household routine? Did you do something extra nice for someone where you expected nothing in return? Did you donate money or items to a cause you believe in?

The idea behind Feel Good Fridays is that here we can show off what we did that makes us feel good - something we believe in, some little thing to make the world a better place. Here we can also see how others are doing these things too. It's nice to see people who want a better world and are willing to do things to make it happen.

So how does it work? Just leave a comment here about the "feel good" thing you did this week. This is a great way to promote your cause! Feel free to post links so readers can get more information. Then after you've posted the comment, then add yourself to the map. I'm really looking forward to seeing how much we can fill up this map!

So have fun with this! Feel Good Fridays are going to become a regular feature here.

This week I started re-using the iced coffee cups I get at Dunkin' Donuts. I wash out the glass/cup and bring it next time to be refilled. I know it's a little thing but it makes me feel better. :)

Feel Good Friday!

Happiness is living in accordance with your beliefs and ideals.

What did you do this week that you feel especially good about? Did you ride your bike to work? Did you make an eco-friendly change in your household routine? Did you do something extra nice for someone where you expected nothing in return? Did you donate money or items to a cause you believe in?

The idea behind Feel Good Fridays is that here we can show off what we did that makes us feel good - something we believe in, some little thing to make the world a better place. Here we can also see how others are doing these things too. It's nice to see people who want a better world and are willing to do things to make it happen.

So how does it work? Just leave a comment here about the "feel good" thing you did this week. This is a great way to promote your cause! Feel free to post links so readers can get more information. Then after you've posted the comment, then add yourself to the map. I'm really looking forward to seeing how much we can fill up this map!

So have fun with this! Feel Good Fridays are going to become a regular feature here.

Refuse, Reuse and Repurpose!

I heard these new 3 R's not long ago, and I’m doing my best to adopt them. In my own small way I feel like I’m making a difference. But it’s not just about the little bit of trash I’m keeping out of the landfill. It’s about living in accordance with your beliefs and about setting the example for others. Hold your head up with pride when you go through the checkout with your repurposed and reusable grocery bags. People get into routines and do what’s normal and expected because … well, it’s normal and expected. So shake things up a little and create a new norm in your neighborhood!

Refuse!

“Paper or plastic?” Just say, “No, thank you.” There are lots of fun options for reusable grocery bags and totes. These are larger and much stronger than your standard plastic grocery bags. So refuse those flimsy bags, and rest assured that your new durable grocery totes won’t tear open on the walk home!

Fabric grocery bags

Cotton totes

Fun Tote

Reuse!

I reuse as much as I possibly can. My family teases me about never throwing anything out! I also reuse packaging materials for shipping my products, and I turn cardboard tea boxes and cereal boxes into candle packaging.

Choose reusable instead of disposable. Are you throwing out diapers or floor cleaning pads or menstrual pads? You don’t have to – there are reusable options! Of course there are many other reusable versions of disposable products that you can find of but this is just a few examples of some great products!

Moonpads


Mop covers

Diapers

Repurpose!

This one might be a bit more of a challenge for those who aren’t crafty types. But if you use your imagination I’m sure you can think of lots of everyday items that can be repurposed. The bags shown above made by http://zJayne.etsy.com are made out of old t-shirts. And something I’ve been playing with is crocheting using “plarn” which is made from strips of plastic retail bags. The EcoEtsy team has a blog with lots of ideas, including some fun projects for repurposing. http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/ And while you’re there don’t forget to check out some of the great EcoEtsy member shops. Here are a few fun repurposed items.

Plarn tote


Fairy pendant

Funky bracelet