Earth Day is coming up in less than a month! What will be your Earth Day resolution? One easy thing to do is to switch to a more earth-friendly version of something you use regularly--like toilet paper. There are many brands of toilet paper on the market now that are made from post-consumer recycled paper … Continue reading Save Money on Earth-Friendly Products!
green alternatives
Our Green Christmas Tree (now with photos!)
Back in 2007, I wrote about the little tree Daniel and I, with the help of former housemate Bill, made for our first Christmas together, back in 1996. Made mostly of repurposed materials, this is a great alternative to cutting down a real tree or using a factory-made artificial tree. It's still going strong! I'm finally … Continue reading Our Green Christmas Tree (now with photos!)
DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
I love oatmeal. It's nutritious, with plenty of fiber and minerals and Vitamin B1, and has many health benefits. It's filling. It can be seasoned any way you like. Quick-cooking oats are really easy to make--I don't even bother cooking them in a pot, just mix them with boiling water in a bowl--and very low-priced, … Continue reading DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
Is email better for the environment?
Paperless systems are very popular these days. Paper is made from trees, and although trees are a renewable resource, they take a long time to grow compared to the amount of time we might use a sheet of paper. Recycling paper uses a lot of chemicals, energy, and water, although it is still less wasteful … Continue reading Is email better for the environment?
Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
Our first child was already out of diapers when I wrote about why we use cloth diapers and all the details of our cloth diapering equipment and procedures. Some of the specific products we'd used were no longer being made even when I wrote the articles, and others have changed or become unavailable since then. … Continue reading Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
5 Tips for Green Lunch Packing
It's back-to-school season! If your child brings a lunch to school, now is the time to think about how to pack that lunch. If you bring your lunch to work, this is a great time of year to rethink what you're packing, too. Choosing the right lunch-packing habits can make a big difference in how … Continue reading 5 Tips for Green Lunch Packing
A Laundry Line-Drying System that Will Work for YOU!
Have you been wishing you could save money, conserve resources, and make your clothes last longer by line-drying your laundry instead of machine-drying it--but you just can't figure out how to fit a clothesline into your home configuration and weekly routine? I am here to help! My new guest post at Live Renewed gives you … Continue reading A Laundry Line-Drying System that Will Work for YOU!
Buying Bulk Food in Reused Containers
Many of the foods my family eats most are purchased from the bulk section of the East End Food Co-op, our local health-food supermarket in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You do not have to buy a membership to shop at this co-op, but members get a discount in exchange for a one-time payment, which is a pretty … Continue reading Buying Bulk Food in Reused Containers
How to Wash Your Hair with Vinegar
I wrote a guest post for The Greenbacks Gal on the natural, money-saving method of washing my hair that I have been using for the past nine years! This is an updated version of my vinegar hairwashing article from a few years ago, with some new tips...and a photo of me. I decided it makes … Continue reading How to Wash Your Hair with Vinegar
Cloth Wipes for Bedroom, Bathroom, and More!
I am excited to be a contributing writer in the Green in 365 series at Live Renewed! Check out my article on how to use cloth wipes instead of paper tissues to save trees, reduce pollution, save money, and just have a better experience in so many ways. I mean, look, aren't they pretty? I've … Continue reading Cloth Wipes for Bedroom, Bathroom, and More!
Coffee Bags as Raw Material for Tote Bags
You know those metallized plastic bags that are often used to package coffee? Those have been bothering me for years: They're not recyclable and not biodegradable, so when I throw them in the trash I know they'll be in the landfill forever. And Daniel and I drink a lot of coffee! [UPDATE: We changed to … Continue reading Coffee Bags as Raw Material for Tote Bags
Pens Made from Recycled Plastic (B2P product review)
Note to my relatives coming to my house for Christmas: Spoiler alert! Don't read this until after Christmas! I've had a pretty hectic December--including a back injury that has made some tasks impossible and forced me to spend more time resting than usual--but my gift shopping has come together pretty well. Just last night, though, … Continue reading Pens Made from Recycled Plastic (B2P product review)
Sphagnum Moss Diapers
This is a guest post from storyteller Doug Elliott, whose free e-newsletter offers occasional stories like this one. Doug's storytelling DVD, and his books about nature for children and adults, would make great holiday gifts! Sphagnum moss sure is an amazing plant! I’ve been hanging out in some wetlands lately, and with our son Todd … Continue reading Sphagnum Moss Diapers
Clothesline Hangers for Basement or Porch
In my article on line-drying laundry, I verbally described these handy clothesline hangers that can be made out of scrap lumber and installed in any place that has exposed rafters/joists in the ceiling. I finally decided to share some photos of them, since this is the kind of thing that really is easier to understand … Continue reading Clothesline Hangers for Basement or Porch
EASY Homemade Baby Food!
This is NOT a paid endorsement. This is my unsolicited review of a product I liked. This is an idea that's been around a while (both my mother and Daniel's say they had something like this when we were babies in the early 1970s) but I hardly ever see today's parents doing it or talking … Continue reading EASY Homemade Baby Food!
Get Rid of Ragweed and Grow Your Garden!
Organic gardener Ben Stallings explains how pulling up ragweed before it blooms reduces allergy suffering and provides a rich source of green matter for sheet composting.
Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
Warm weather is here, and I'm looking forward to summer! We won't be taking any big vacations; most weekdays, I'll be going to work in my office as usual, and our seven-year-old Nicholas will be attending art and natural history day camps at the Carnegie Museum while his dad works from home. I take a … Continue reading Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
Our Recipe Binder
I have seen online many beautiful recipe binders created by full-time homemakers who have master's degrees in scrapbooking or just great skill in making things look perfect. Daniel and I are part-time haphazard homemakers, both of whom like to cook, so we have had to come up with a method of recipe storage that works … Continue reading Our Recipe Binder
The Beauty of a Bus Pass
[UPDATE: Port Authority Transit now offers annual, monthly, and weekly passes or cash debit on the ConnectCard, which you can refill online. It's even more convenient than the paper passes were! Also, we no longer have zones; all trips are the same price.] In my purse is a 2"x3" piece of paper that is worth … Continue reading The Beauty of a Bus Pass
Composting in the Office
I've been composting some of my household garbage most of my life. At work, though, I had been putting compostable items in the wastebasket because there isn't a compost bin in my office building. Then one day in early November, I was setting my office wastebasket outside the door for the cleaning people to empty. … Continue reading Composting in the Office
The Earthling's Handbook 