So, I have been out and about all day taking in nature and truly celebrating the earth.  There is nothing like starting my morning at home with my goats, Jack & Daisy, and my dogs Bo, Skye & Sophie.  I like to get in my garden, work the earth then go up and make my green drink for a fresh start to my day!  With all that I have been taking in today, I thought it would be fun to share some great green tips!

10 Things to NEVER buy again:

• Styrofoam - ANYTHING!
• Paper Towels- use rags, or towels
• Bleached coffee filters
• Farm raised salmon - always go for wild caught fish, it’s the BEST choice for you and your family!
• Bottled water - reuse glass bottles (like old vinegar bottles, etc) or wine bottles to store water in your refrigerator.
• Chemical pesticides & herbicides
• Conventional household cleaners - there are so many great green products that are earth-friendly that it seems silly to use the abrasive & dangerous chemically filled cleaners.
• Toys made with PVC plastic
• Plastic forks or spoons - Biodegradable dinnerware is the best choice and it doesn’t leave an imprint on our earth!

RECYCLING FUN!  A great initiative for recycling old shoes is to send them to Nike to be turned into playgrounds and athletic flooring for schools!  This is a great alternative for your athletics shoes, or, if you would like to reach out even further you can donate your athletic shoes to One World Running, where they will be donated to athletes in Africa, Latin America, & Haiti.

I hope you are having a beautiful and earth inspiring day today.  Thanks for stopping by and…

until next time, live green!

Love,
Jen

Recently, I watched Food Inc., it was extremely interesting and it was so informative that I walked away from the movie thinking about what types of changes I could make to help my kids learn about healthier eating, and making the right choices.  It is important to me, like many parents, to make sure that I am equipping my kids with a strong foundation about organic food and living consciously.  These values are the things that I truly feel our children will carry with them into adulthood, making their lives more healthful.

After some research I found a local company that is truly making an effort to make our schools and lunch options much easier for the health conscious parents.  The company is called Fresh Lunches, www.freshlunches.com.  Their mission?  “children’s nutrition is our greatest concern. We use only the best and highest quality ingredients and engage in the latest good health practices.”

Fresh lunches only uses: hormone and antibiotics free meats and poultry, natural or organic fruits and veggies, no high fructose corn syrup, appropriate portions, no mechanically retrieved meat product.

The process is simple and you can rest easy knowing that you children are being delivered healthful meals.

That’s right, I said delivered!  Fresh Lunches will even deliver your child’s lunch right to the classroom.

What I personally hope is that companies like Fresh Lunches ushers in a new wave of making our schools take part in healthier, organic foods for our kids.  What a great thing this would be!  This also helps show our kids that even when you might think there aren’t any good choices in a pinch, a little research and a lot of heart will find you in good company.

Until next time Live Green!

Jen

Coffeemakers are a staple among college students. Unfortunately, Energy Star doesn’t rate coffeemakers, but you can select a “greener” version by looking for a pot that suits your needs. French Presses are nice because they don’t use filters but you have to take into account the boiling of the water and the cleaning after into the total energy used. This would be a good choice for an occasional coffee drinker. If you drink a lot of coffee, go with a 10 or 12-cup and a stainless steel thermos to keep it hot throughout the day. If you are a morning only coffee drinker, a four-cup version is probably your best bet. Look for one without all the bells and whistles (timer, clock, and grinder) which will cut out the vampire current drawn from having it plugged in all the time and there is less to fail. The longer your coffeepot will suffice, the longer it will stay out of the landfill. I had a 4-cup Mr. Coffee that worked well for me for over 10 years when I sold it at a garage sale still in working order!

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

You’ve spent the entire summer trying to live a little greener, now put it into practice by making a resolution or two for the upcoming school year.
1. Pack your lunch – Although cafeteria hot foods are a great way to get a balanced meal, many children are faced with an array of disposable choices in the a `la carte line. Save your money and pack a green lunch each day this year!
2. Bike to school – Save gas and the ozone this year by having your older children ride their bikes or walk to school. Just make sure to have them wear a helmet!
3. Bring a friend along – Not only will it make your walks more enjoyable, but enlisting a friend to join you in your move to a greener school year is a great way to spread the word.
4. Re-use your supplies from last year – If you invested in a nice backpack last year, chances are it still has a few years left in it. Don’t buy all new just because everyone else does!
5. Shop the Resale Shops – Vintage clothing is in! Give old clothing new life by sewing on updated patches or using other altering techniques. You just may start a new trend!

Till next week…live green!

~Jennifer

For as long as there has been paper available in school, teachers have been assigning homework. This year, some teachers are taking a more eco-friendly approach; enter the paperless classroom. Actually, this isn’t that new as it’s been done in online college classes for years now. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, approximately 77.9% of students (pre-k through grade 12) in 2003, use the internet for school assignments so wouldn’t it follow that those same students could also complete those assignments on the computer and email them to their instructor to complete a paperless cycle? Seems to me the logical choice at least for older students who already have the reading and writing skills down. If your child’s teacher hasn’t adopted this paperless philosophy yet, make this the year, you drop a hint! If just one teacher in each school across the country collected homework assignments via email, think of how many trees would be saved!

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

Backpacks are one of those things that you shouldn’t have to purchase every year if you buy a decent one. This year there are some incredibly cool recycled choices such as this one from Vulcana made out of recycled vulcanized tires or this one from Terracycle, which re-uses drink pouches. Unfortunately, neither of these can be re-recycled and there are only a couple of color choices and styles available. Another option in eco-friendly backpacks is hemp. Hemp is such a great material as it can be grown organically and relatively easily. The only downside of this is that most hemp products are manufactured in other countries so you need to be aware of fair trade issues. With that in mind, Hempmania offers a nice 100% hemp plain weave backpack in six colors while Rawganique’s 100% organic hemp packs come in five different styles. Of course, if your backpack still has useful life left in it and you crave one of these new options, you can consign it at your local Buffalo Exchange or better yet, donate your old one to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

Walking or riding your bike is the greenest way to get to school but it isn’t always the best, especially in inclement weather. Riding the bus or carpooling is next best although it may not be the “coolest” way to get to school. One argument you can make for your kids not driving to school is the fact that they will save gas and money, meaning they will be the person their friends call after school or on the weekend to go and do things because they have the means and the money. For instance, driving a Chevy Malibu 11 miles per day for 180 days (approximate school year) at a “cheap” $2.50/gallon will cost just over $200 for the entire school year. That adds up to three date nights without asking dad for the money or that one pair of “splurge” denim every teenage girl just “has” to have. Course, it will also buy a few “new-to-you” vintage outfits!

Till tomorrow..live green!

~Jennifer

It’s that time of year again when the back-to-school sales are calling for you to buy all new stuff for your kid’s this year. Retailers and the economy are counting on your dollars. The planet is counting on your spending decisions. This year instead of spending all your hard-earned money on a bunch of new stuff that your child will only use this year, make the decision to “green” up your purchases and buy backpacks that will last longer and invest instead in the variety of recycled products available. In fact, most big box retailers are now offering eco-friendly choices in pencil boxes, paper, pencils, and even rulers. Look for colorful recycled plastic boxes, post-consumer recycled paper, pencils made with recycled newspaper, and rulers made from money taken out of circulation. Make your school shopping even more eco-friendly by doing it online at retailers like Red Apple School Supply or Greenline Paper Company.

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

Computer companies were perhaps among the first to realize technology that became obsolete needed a place to go which is why most all of them have some sort of recycling program already in place. The programs however are widely varied and some leave a bit to be desired. Each one however, has its own merits and should be reviewed before making a decision as to which one to use. Making the decision may be as easy as making up your mind as to which new technology in which you are in need. For example, Apple will recycle your old cell phone, mp3 player, computer, or monitor regardless of manufacturer as long as you purchase one of their equivalent qualifying items. Toshiba, IBM, Dell, and HP all have similar programs. Gateway’s program is a little more involved but well worth a look into. Buying from responsible stewards will eventually work in the earth’s favor as more and more companies adopt recycling policies. One of these days I look forward to purchasing a biodegradable computer, how cool would that be?

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

E-Waste is fast becoming a huge environmental problem. Think about how many cell phones and computers you have owned in your lifetime. How did you dispose of them when you upgraded? Or are they just laying around your house collecting dust ultimately ending up in the landfill when you go to clean out the junk drawer. This is where the ReThink Initiative comes in. Ebay has brought together companies such as Intel, Dell, IBM, and more with environmental programs, charitable groups, and the Environmental Protection Agency to come up with a way to re-think how we dispose of these products. Of course, if there is still usable life left in your cell phone (ie… you switched carriers) you can sell it on Ebay. The problem is when the batteries die or the old model is no longer viable to anyone except for replacement parts and we all know you don’t get much money for those! It’s actually more hassle to try and sell them than it’s worth. This week, I’ll introduce you to some of the members of the Re-Think Initiative and what they are doing to provide you with a more environmentally responsible alternative.
Till tomorrow…live green!
~Jennifer