Last Friday when I finally stopped in to pick up my mail, the Eco Canteen stainless steel water bottles were waiting for me. As soon as I got home I unpacked the box and was thrilled to find two of the full-size water bottles. The lid has a clip attached so the water bottle can be easily transported. The bottles also come with an insulated tote bag that keeps in the moisture and keeps the water colder, longer.

In the past, I’ve talked about the importance of using stainless steel water bottles. In short, plastic water bottles are bad for your health and their bad for the environment. Plastic contains BPA, which can leach and cause health problems. The effects on the environment are even worse. Most people don’t recycle these plastic bottles and they break down incredibly slowly – it can take up to 1,000 years for plastic to break down. That’s not exactly the legacy that you want to leave. Also concerning is the amount of oil that’s used in the production of plastics. According to the Earth Policy Institute, more than 17 million barrels of oil are used each year in order to create the plastic that water is stored in – and that’s not including the cost to transport the water, often overseas.

Alright, back to the Eco Canteen review. In the past, I’ve used Kleen Kanteen’s water bottles, and for the most part, I’ve been pleased with them. However, I’ll gladly make the change to Eco Canteen, for a few key reasons.

First and most important (to me), Eco Canteen is a non-profit organization. That tells me that they are doing this for the right reasons.

Second, the Eco Canteen bottles are about 1/2 the price of any competitor’s bottles. The full size stainless steel water bottles are $9.95 and the kid’s sized bottles are only $8.95 vs. more than $20.00 for the same bottles sold by many competitors.

Third, after using these bottles for a few days, I’ve found the quality of these bottles to be just as good, or better, than that of other water bottles I’ve used. The insulated sleeve that comes with them is basically a free bonus, since the bottles that I’ve ordered in the past did not come with a holder at all.

If I have any complaint at all about the Eco Canteen stainless steel water bottles, it’s that they only come in traditional stainless steel. Now, that’s perfect for me. However, I have daughters who are seven and five and they are really attached to their decorated bottles. However, as I mentioned before, these bottles are half the price and they’re extremely good quality – so my daughters are just going to have to learn to love the stainless steel look!

If you’re still drinking from plastic water bottles, it’s time to make the switch – visit Eco Canteen for more information or to order your own stainless steel water bottles.

Eco Canteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle

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Another thing I love about the Melissa & Doug line of toys is that they are a family-owned, American company. Items that are made in the United States, by workers who are paid decent wages and are treated well are more sustainable than toys that are made overseas or by employees who aren’t paid fair wages.  Toys that are made overseas have to travel much farther to make it to store shelves in your town and that’s not good for the environment. I also feel that it’s important to try to purchase items from companies that treat their employees fairly – it just seems like the ethical thing to do.

Melissa & Doug don’t only make eco friendly toys.  They’re educational as well.  They’ve got fun items that also actually teach kids something, such as:

~ Wood puzzles

~ Wooden Clocks that help teach time

~ Easels for Creative Play

~ Wooden Bead Sets that encourage creativity and hand-eye coordination

~ Lots of Great Pretend Play Toys that encourage Creativity

If you are looking for better, more sustainable toys for your children that have the advantage of also being extremely well-made and educational, be sure to check out the line of toys offered by Melissa & Doug.

Melissa & Doug Mailbox Set

Melissa & Doug Castle

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1. Turn your heater thermostats down one or two degrees in winter, and turn your air conditioning thermostats up one or two degrees in summer. If we all did this, the combined difference would be phenomenal. We’d still feel warm in winter and cool in summer, so learn how to live green and save money with your heating and cooling appliances.

2. The other appliance that needs your attention is your washing machine. Start washing your clothes in cold water. Modern powders work just as efficiently in cold water as hot. Most of the energy that goes into a clothes wash is in heating up the water, so you will save on electricity, live green and save money too.

3. When your clothes are nice and clean, don’t throw them into the dryer. Unless it’s pouring rain, hang them out to air dry. It’s what your grandmother did, and she managed just fine. She may have liked having a dryer, but they weren’t around back then, so she just had to live green and save money. You can too!

4. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a dream come true for anyone who wants to live green and save money. They burn just 25% of the electricity that a standard light bulb burns, and they can last up to 10 times longer. Change your old bulbs today!

5. Try to consume a little less of everything, from electricity, to gas in the car, to the food you eat. Take time to write out a shopping list, and stick to it. If you feel the impulse to buy something you don’t really need, get into the habit of waiting 24 hours, then review it. The chances are you either won’t want it any more, or you will have forgotten about it.

Take simple steps to eco friendly living. You will save money and our planet.

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Summer is rapidly approaching and that means that mosquito’s will be out and about soon. I actually live in Hawaii and we have mosquitos year ’round. They never go away…

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I think it’s important to mention here that the personal care industry isn’t regulated by anyone. That means that we’re in charge of ourselves when it comes to knowing what products we buy. Insect repellent falls into the category of personal care products – and that means that the ingredients aren’t being regulated.

The most concerning thing about traditional bug spray is that it contains DEET. And DEET is just a fancy name for a pesticide. Because our skin is able to absorb things that we put on it, DEET gets into our blood stream and let’s just say that it’s not a good thing.

Of course, the West Nile Virus isn’t a good thing either. However, there are alternatives. Healthy and safe alternatives. Those alternatives come in the form of herbal repellents.

As you choose your bug spray for this summer, make sure that you check closely for ingredients that might be harmful. The most important ingredient to avoid is DEET. After that, it’s also wise to look for a herbal insect repellent that is made of 100% natural ingredients. For example, All Terrain offers a All Terrain Herbal Armor Lotion
that is made of 100% natural ingredients and it’s DEET free, which makes it an all-around good choice.

One last thing to remember is that natural bug sprays may need to be applied more often than those that contain DEET. Make sure that you read the application instructions carefully and follow them to the letter.

Be safe and bug free this summer – choose insect repellent that works and it good for the environment!

Herbal Insect Repellent

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Community Supported Agriculture

Have you heard about Community Supported Agriculture? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. Basically, community supported agriculture is when a group of people become “share holders” in a farm operation. You pledge to buy a certain portion of a crop and provide the money up-front. When the crops are done, you get the portion that you purchased at the beginning of the farming season.

The share holders also take on the risk associated with farming – meaning if the farmer has reduced crops due to drought, pests, etc. you get less product.

The benefits associated with community supported agriculture are numerous though, and far outweigh the risk. First, supporting CSA is a great way to support your local community. It allows farmers to grow without all of the bank loans that they typically have to take on. Second, if the farmer produces crops as expected, you can get a great deal on produce and save money based on what you would pay in the store.

Getting involved in community supported agriculture is also a very green thing to do. A lot of the food that ends up on our tables travels an extremely long way to arrive there. Buying local, when possible, is a great way to be more eco friendly.

CSA’s are now available in every state and you might be surprised at what’s available near you. It’s worth checking out. Many times these farms will make deliveries to many central delivery points in an area weekly during harvest season. You’ll get different produce at different times, based on what’s available at the time.

It’s well worth your time to find out what’s available in your area and it’s a great green thing to do – not to mention good for the community.

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Derek Pryde presents Energy Saving Solutions That Will Not Change Your Lifestyle | GREEN LIVING ADVICE posted at Green Living Advice, saying, “The rise and drop in temperatures in the coming years, place intense pressures on consumers around the world as this means only one thing, more energy and fuel are needed to control the environment and make homes more comfortable.”

Derek Pryde presents Pros and Cons of Residential Solar Energy System | GREEN LIVING ADVICE posted at Green Living Advice, saying, “Harnessing the power of the sun”

Derek Pryde presents Saving Energy posted at Green Living Advice, saying, “As the cost of living continues to rise, energy reports and broadcasts are crammed with energy saving tips and suggestions. Some energy saving tips require initial investments, some just solicit a change of lifestyle.”

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So, I started looking for alternatives. After a lot of research, I decided to buy a hard floor steam cleaner. It works great and they are really green.

Here are just a few reasons why you may want to consider making the switch from whatever you happen to be using now to a hard floor steam cleaner.

1. It’s a one-time cost. Not only does that eventually save you you money, it’s also a green thing to do. You are creating more waste every time that you have to purchase new chemicals for your floor or a new mop head. Most hard floor steam cleaners come with microfiber cleaning cloths which can be washed and used again.

2. No Chemicals Needed! This was the biggest draw for me. Most of the chemicals that we bring in to our homes aren’t things that we really want to be breathing in. They also cost money and create waste in the form of the plastic bottles that they are packaged in.

3. They work really well. The first time I used my new hard floor steam cleaner, I realized that the microfiber pad was really dirty when I was done. That seemed a little odd to me since I had mopped just the day before! What that tells me is that my mop was leaving a lot of dirt behind.

4. They are very easy to use. My 13-year old daughter who despised mopping her floor with a regular mop actually enjoys using the floor steam cleaner. If you met my daughter (or saw her room), you’d know that’s saying a lot!

There are a number of great hard floor steam cleaners on the market and which one that you’ll want depends on how much tile or wood you have in your home and how often you clean it.

For most homes that have tile in the kitchen and bathrooms, a simple model like this one made by Bissell work great.

Bissell Hard Floor Steam Cleaner

I use the Bissell and I’m extremely pleased with it, even though I have a lot of hard floors in my home. However, some people with a lot of tile or hard wood or tile may want to invest in a larger residential or even a commercial steam cleaner. It really depends on how much you’d like to spend and how often you’ll be cleaning your floors.

Do you use a hard floor steam cleaner? What do you think of it? How well does it work? Have you saved a lot of mops and cleaning supplies? We’d love to hear how you are greening your routine with steam!

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Let’s start with going over why you may want to consider going with a natural or organic mattress.

First, the exterior of a mattress usually consists of a cotton cover. Here’s a quick newsflash for you. Cotton is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world. Lots of pesticides are used on cotton crops and unfortunately, the pesticides that are used on most of them contain lots of extremely harmful chemicals, some of which are known human carcinogens. When cotton is harvested and then used to make the thousands of items that we buy, all those pesticides don’t magically disappear. So, avoiding cotton that was ever treated with pesticides is a good thing. It’s good for the people who use the product and it’s good for the environment.

Mattresses are also required to have a fire barrier. Fire barriers are a good thing and you can be sure that all mattresses have them. Have you ever stopped to wonder how the fire barrier is made? Yea, I never thought about it until recently either, so don’t feel bad if it hasn’t been at the top of your priority list. Basically, most fire barriers are made by treating fabric with chemicals. Some of those chemicals are toxic. The more you can avoid chemicals, the better off you are.

Now that we’ve covered what’s wrong with a lot of mattresses; I’ll quickly explain what constitutes a natural crib mattress.

First, the mattress should have a cover that is made with 100% organic cotton or some other renewable fabric that isn’t treated with chemical. Bamboo is also a great choice.

Second, the fire barrier should either be made of wool, which is a great fire retardant, or treated with non-toxic chemicals. Obviously, wool is better as no chemicals are required.

Last, if you can find a crib mattress that utilizes any recycled material, that’s a good thing. For example, if a mattress has steel springs, check to see if they are made with recycled content.

Now that you know what a natural crib mattress is, you’ve just got to figure out where to buy one. Unfortunately, my favorite eco friendly mattress company, Keetsa, doesn’t yet make crib mattresses. If you’re in the process of making a baby, and you’d like to do it on an organic mattress of your own, be sure to check out my post on Keetsa mattresses.

Back to finding a natural crib mattress, the best one that I have found is the Naturepedic Organic Crib Mattress.

Naturepedic Organic Mattress

It’s a bit pricey at almost $350, but it meets all of the criteria needed to be considered a true natural crib mattress. It also has 242 coils (made with 70% recycled steel, no less!), which is well above the suggested amount. Last, it’s extremely well-made and high quality.

If you are looking for a less expensive mattress, check out the Affordable Organic Cotton Crib Mattress. It’s a bit more reasonably priced at $259. The trade-off is less coils. The coils in this mattress are not made with recycled steel, but if you can give that up, it’s a great buy for the price and it’s still an eco friendly option.

Affordable Organic Crib Mattress

Are you using a natural crib mattress? Which one? How do you like it? Share your experiences here!

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

If you’ve talked to anyone who cares about sustainability and being eco friendly, chances are that you’ve heard the term, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” You may be wondering what that means and how you can apply it to your life.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is really just a term that refers to responsible waste management. Let’s break each word apart and look at it individually.

Reduce simply refers to lowering your overall consumption. This can actually be the most difficult of all, because we live in a world where we are constantly consuming. When you really think about it, reducing your consumption has benefits that reach far beyond the environment. Possibly the biggest benefit is to your wallet – if you buy less, you’ll have more money! Most of my friends complain about clutter. No matter how large their homes are, they constantly groan about having too much “stuff.” Again, reducing your overall consumption means that you have less stuff cluttering up your life, and that’s a good thing!

Reuse refers to exactly that. When you are done with something, consider finding a way to reuse it. Often we throw away things that still have value. When you really stop to think about it, many of the things that you get rid of could be used for something else. For example, old t-shirts can easily be cut up and made into cleaning rags. Kids toys can be saved for a younger child or donated to charity. Many household items can be put into a box and used for kids crafts. Even if you don’t have use for an item any longer, someone else may. Before you throw anything away, make it a habit to ask yourself if it can be reused by you or someone else. If it can, reuse it instead of getting rid of it completely.

Recycling is probably the word that you hear the most about, but when you look at the entire concept of reduce, reuse, recycle, recycling should actually be your last option. Recycling is definitely better than items ending up in a landfill, but recycling still produces some waste. If you implement the concepts of reduce and reuse, you’ll have less to recycle! Recycling is still very important and it pays to find out exactly what you can recycle in your area. Local governments are figuring out quickly that recycling is important and many of them are making it easier for us to recycle all the time. Find out how to recycle in your area and then make it a habit to recycle everything that you can.

My guarantee to you is that if you make it a habit to reduce, reuse, and recycle, you will see the benefits in the form of less spending, less clutter in your home, and you’ll feel darn good about helping others and doing the right thing.

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