Norwex Series: Dry Mop

Today we are moving on in our Norwex series from cloths and onto mops, woohoo!  There is a telescopic handle which snaps onto an swiveling aluminum mop base that has velcro.  The velcro then attaches onto the different types of mop pads.  For a long time I have been using the dry mop pad.  It was one of my first purchases.  Before that I had been an avid Swiffer Sweeper user.  When I become more conscious of waste and disposable products, I knew the Swiffer had to go.  This was the perfect replacement.

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The dry mop pad is ideal for sweeping and dusting.  Its fibres pick up the tiny particles of dust, dirt, hair, crumbs, etc.  Of course, using it on the floor is great.  On top of that, it also works well for cleaning ceilings, walls, fans, and high windows.

I love my dry mop pad.  I use it mostly on our floors, and it does fantastic picking up hair, dog fur, dust, and dirt in our house.  It's still quick and easy to clean off.  I use an old toothbrush to remove the dust and hair from the mop pad.  It doesn't need to be washed after each use, and when it does, it just goes in the washing machine.  The mop pad definitely saves a lot of waste from the one-time-use type of sweepers.

What do you use to sweep/dust the floors?

"Cream" of Broccoli Soup

We are vegetarians, and while I can't see us becoming vegans (at least not any time soon), we do have concerns about where our eggs and dairy products come from.   For this reason, we do our best to get higher quality, local, etc products or avoid certain items all together.  And sometimes it's just fun to try a vegan recipe.  This post is a little bit of both.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup (found at Take Part as part of their Meatless Monday recipe collection)

2 bunches broccoli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 c vegetable stock
1 russet potato
salt and  pepper

1. Chop florets and stalk of broccoli.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add chopped onion, and sweat about 10 minutes.
3. Add stock and chopped potato.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer until soft (about 12 minutes).
4. Stir in chopped broccoli.  Simmer until soft (about 10 minutes).
5. Remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.  Optionally, drizzle with olive oil, good vinegar, or a squeeze of lemon.

Served with fresh home baked bread.  Yum!

I loved this soup.  To start with, it was so quick and simple to make.  It is definitely up there in my list of favourite soups in regard to flavour as well.  It was also satisfying and filling without being heavy.  It is perfect for dipping with bread.  It was a soup I couldn't get enough of.  As soon as one spoonful was in my mouth, I wanted another one.

I wanted to share this recipe because even though most of you out there are not vegetarians, I think that reducing meat consumption is a viable option for everyone willing.  If for one day a week everyone in the States ate meatless, it would be the environmental equivalent of not driving 91 billion miles.  Or, according to Rodale, if just one day a week every family in the US left out meat and cheese, it would reap the environmental benefits of taking the family car off of the road for five full weeks.

What is your favourite meatless, or even vegan, meal?

Norwex Series: Face/Body Cloths

This is definitely my most used Norwex product.  Yes, it is another cloth.  We'll move on soon enough, but their cloths are just so fantastic.  Without being too redundant, I just want to quickly mention that these cloths are also made of the higher quality microfibre.  They are woven with silver as well which makes them antibacterial.  You can read about those two components in more detail in the enviro cloth post.  These cloths however are designed for personal use.  (Yes, Norwex sells personal care items too!)  They are called body cloths, but I use them on my face.

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The body cloths are ideal for regular body or facial cleansing.  Because of the silver again, all you need is the cloth and water.  Use them in the shower, in the bath, or at the sink.  I don't wear make up, but I have heard from others that they are incredibly effective even in removing make up (just with water).  They are also gently exfoliating.

I love, love, love the body cloths.  I recommend them to everyone.  As I've written about before (particularly here and here), I have a long history with unfortunate skin blemishes.  As such, I was wary of trying something that seemed so simple.  Yet washing my face twice a day with just water and this cloth works!  Another friend of mine who has shared my skin related woes has also converted to using just these cloths for her face as well with the same success.  I do still use a spot treatment, the natural zit zapper, but there are no cleansers, soaps, creams, or anything else that go on my face.  And my face is more clear than I ever could have imagined having before.  It's healthier for me, better for the environment, and inexpensive!  A one time purchase that will last years to come.  I'd say that's the best of all worlds.

What do you use to wash your face?

Norwex Series: Window Cloth

This is the second cloth from Norwex that I use regularly, the window cloth.  This cloth is also made of their higher quality microfibre which I discussed in more detail in the enviro cloth post.  This cloth has a different weave and is much smoother though.  It also has silver woven into the cloth making it antibacterial as well.  The silver weave was also discussed in greater depth in the enviro cloth post as mentioned above. 

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The window cloth is perfect for any surface that needs to be polished such as windows, mirrors, faucets, jewelry, or any other shiny surface.  For light cleaning/polishing, spray water onto the surface then wipe with the dry window cloth.  For dirty objects, wash first with the wet enviro cloth, then wipe with the dry window cloth.  Just the cloth(s) and water, and the result is always a bright, streak-free shine.

I love using my window cloth because every time I wipe my bathroom mirror with it, the whole bathroom feels brighter and cleaner.  Plus, I know it's better for me and the environment than Windex or any of its competitors. 

What do you use for windows and mirrors?

Egg Shell Tea for the Garden

Brad and I have been composting for about 9 months now (something that I keep meaning to write a post on, it will come soon).  At first we put egg shells in along with our other food scraps, but lately we have found a better use for them.  I know that putting egg shells in your compost is great, but it drives me crazy how they never ever ever seem to break down.  For a while we went back to throwing them in the regular garbage, but I felt guilty about that.  Now we get the nutrients in a faster process.  I present to you, egg shell tea.

Just kidding.  But it is similar.

We crush and rinse the egg shells to make sure all the egg white is off of them.  Then we soak the egg shells in water for 2-3 days usually.  Then we use that water to water our plants.  I use it particularly for the spider plant, but also for the pot of spinach we are growing outside.  I have noticed a big growth spurt specifically in our spider plant since I began to water with the "egg shell tea."

Egg shells contain water soluble nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.  Soaking the shells allows me to quickly extract these nutrients and feed them to our plants.  Egg shells are also alkaline, and thus using this water somewhat increases the pH level of the soil which is beneficial to some plants.

How do you use egg shells?

Norwex Series: Enviro Cloth

When talking about Norwex, the Enviro Cloth is the perfect place to begin for it is the product with which the company started.  The Enviro Cloth is a microfibre cloth.  Norwex boasts of their higher quality microfibre.  Typical microfibre measures 1 denier while Norwex microfibre measures 0.14 denier (that's 1/100th the size of a stand of human hair).  Because of this, it picks up and removes dirt and bacteria much more effectively.  There is another extra-special component to the Enviro Cloth (as well as many other Norwex products).  Silver is woven into the microfibre of these cloths.  Silver is naturally antibacterial, and thus by using these cloths and water alone you will kill 99.99% of bacteria.  No cleaners required.  The silver also helps to keep the cloth itself clean, meaning you can use the cloth a few times and only rinse it out between washings.  It also keeps your hands safe from a transfer of germs while using it and prevents cross contamination between surfaces.  At every Norwex party I've been to, the consultant loves to shock the guests by informing us that we can safely use an Enviro Cloth to clean our toilet then go straight into the kitchen and wipe our counters.  They have done tests with results showing that not only is there no cross over of bacteria from the toilet to the counters, but the counters are left cleaner afterwards.

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There are 2 ways to use these cloths: dry and wet.
Dry - dusting (though I don't use it for this, I will get to what I do use later in this series)
Wet - cleaning pretty well anything: counters, toilets, mirrors, sinks, walls, tiles, any metal surfaces, on and on

I love my Enviro Cloths.  The fact that it has replaced nearly every cleaner I could need has saved me so much money.  I know that it is so much better for the environment as well not putting anything down the drain.  Better for my health as well to not have my house contaminated with cleaner residues or inhaling their fumes.  The cloths' effectiveness continues to impressive me each time I use it as well, so I am not sacrificing cleaning power.  Plus, it is incredibly durable.  I know I will be able to continue to use my same original cloths years from now (and it's guaranteed with a warranty).

What do you think of the Enviro Cloth?  What do you use for general cleaning?

Norwex Series: The Company

I just went to a Norwex party this weekend, and it has reignited my love and enthusiasm for these products.  I have briefly referenced Norwex products before, but not in much detail, so now I have decided to have a Norwex series discussing the items I use.  Today I am going to start with the company itself.

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As it reads on their website, "the Norwex mission is to improve quality of life by radically reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning."  Their whole concept is to clean without chemicals.  They even take it a step further by doing a lot of their cleaning just with water alongside their cloths.  I love how the Senior Vice President words their theme as a "reverence for the value and beauty of all life on a healthy planet."

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So, what are these products I keep going on about?  They have got everything you could need covering all the categories of:

-microfibre cloths

-mop pieces and accessories

-bath and body care

-home essentials

-kitchen cleaning

-personal care

-kids line

 The Norwex products will save you time and money, improve health, and help protect the environment.  Plus, they are the most effective cleaners I have used.  I can't wait to dig into them more during the following posts of this series.

Have you heard of Norwex?  Do you use any Norwex products?

Next Generation Water Bottles

Yesterday was my birthday, and I am honoured to share it with World Water Day.  Brad got me a very fitting present to suit both occasions, a stainless steel filtered water bottle from The Water Geeks!  This is my sweet yellow one:

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Apparently this brand is a pretty big deal in the States.  We are lucky enough to have a showroom here in our city in Canada.  Brad was able to go in a make an individual purchase there.  The filter eliminates chlorine, bad taste, odor, chromium, VOCs (volatile organic compounds, eg formaldehyde), and heavy metals in water.  I use it daily to filter our tap water.  It will also be great in the summer when going hiking or camping because I can put any fresh water from creeks, lakes, etc into the bottle and the filter will make it safe to drink.

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You too can enjoy healthy, safer, great tasting water anytime, anywhere while also eliminating the cost and waste of bottled water.  This will save you time, money, and the environment.  One filter (which comes with your water bottle) can filter 400 full 24 oz bottles of water before needing to be replaced.  Plus, these water bottles are very reasonably priced, no more than a regular water bottle.  There are lots of different styles and other products as well.  I encourage you to check out their site here. 

Also, in celebration of World Water Day, here is a list of 10 simple, easy ways to conserve more water at Take Part, and a water footprint calculator from National Geographic.

How do you save water?

Message from the Movies: The Lorax

Last night my friend, her boy, Brad, and I ventured to the theatres to watch the film of The Lorax (not in 3D).  I love Dr Seuss' book and the environmental message it carries, and thus I had been really excited for the movie.  The Lorax, both book and film, have strong environmental themes regarding deforestation and water and air pollution.  It also speaks against greed and the capitalist system.

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The Lorax is the guardian of the forest.  When a young man comes in and begins chopping down trees to make his thneeds, the Lorax tries to convince him to stop.  It is to no avail though as the young man's own desires outweigh his conscious as he does whatever he needs to continue "bigger-ing and bigger-ing" his company and wealth.  The forest, animals, and all of nature pay the price until there is nothing left.  In the film, history somewhat repeats itself as the citizens of Thneedville live their lives in completely artificial environments having to purchase even bottled air to breathe.  Until a couple of kids decided they do still care about the trees, that is.

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I believe that caring is the ultimate message of this story.  That is what I hope children and adults alike will take away from the book or the film. Care about what you're doing to the planet and yourself.

Unfortunately at the end of the movie when I left the theater, I didn't feel quite as moved or inspired as I had hoped I would.  The movie was still enjoyable, and it carried a great message with it.  I just didn't find anything too special about it.  The Lorax certainly wasn't up to the standards set by WALL-E.  Now there is an environmentally charged film everyone should check out!





Have you seen The Lorax or WALL-E?  What did you think?

Herbal Fire Starters

On Whole Living's website they have a list of 25 Eco-Chic Ideas for Your Home.  Most of them are really fantastic, and I encourage you to check them out.  One that caught my eye was the herbal fire starter.  I thought this would be especially relevant for a winter post because I am sure some of you heat your homes with wood fires or have them occasionally as a treat.

Herbal Fire Starters
To make:  Bundle combinations of herbs and small pine cones in newspaper.  Tie ends with twine/raffia/hemp, etc.
To use: Place one fire starter underneath the log pile with ends sticking out.  Light newspaper end on fire.

We put ours in groups of cinnamon with sage and lavender with rosemary then secured them with hemp.

Herbal fire starters are a natural alternative to lighter fluid.  They also add a wonderful aromatic aspect to the fire.  Putting the bundles together was actually a lot of fun as well.  Brad and I made most of these as a gift for an outdoorsy friend and also a few for ourselves to enjoy this summer out at our fire pit or while camping.

As a side note, I want to briefly mention that wood fires do quite significant damage to the environment.  I encourage those who enjoy the warmth and coziness of a fire to look into composite logs.  There are many options made from clean burning renewable resources.

What is an eco-chic idea you've implemented in your home?

Cold Hands, Warm Heart - Hand Warmers

We only have one car, and thus Brad spends a lot of time outside waiting for the bus.  Usually this isn't a big deal, but at 6 in the morning through the winter, it's certainly not enjoyable.  For this reason, I made Brad hand warmers for a stocking stuffer at Christmas.  It was simple and cheap.  I had all the materials in my house already.  Plus, these use natural products and are reusable as opposed to the processed, disposable kind.

Hand Warmers

What you need:
-felt/wool/fleece (I used scraps of felt from another project. An old or worn out sweater or blanket would be another great option.)
-needle and thread
-rice

Cut fabric into reasonable size pieces.  I cut mine into circles 2 3/4 inches in diameter.  Sew two together along the edges leaving a gap of about an inch.

Carefully pour 1-2 tsp of rice into the packet.  Sew the gap shut and tie.

To use:
Warm in microwave/oven/toaster oven.  If using an oven or toaster oven, lay on the rack.  Place into pockets, gloves, boots, slippers or anywhere else for extra warmth.  Great for waiting for the bus, watching outdoor sporting events, engaging in winter sports, walking in cold weather, etc.  No chemicals and no disposal.

It's so easy.  Once they've warmed up, they hold their heat well.  I recommend them.

What have you done to combat the cold weather?

Easy Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I've previously spoken about what a danger household cleaning products are to our health and the environment.  You can check out this post for more information if you're interested.  Since learning all of this, I have been switching over my cleaning products.  When I ran out of toilet bowl cleaner, I looked around on the internet for a natural alternative.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the borax toilet bowl cleaner post. Thanks!

Natural Multi Purpose Cleaner

Way back when, some of you may remember that I made 3 cleaning products as a bridal shower gift for a friend.  I've already covered the homemade laundry soap and a natural air freshener.  Today I am talking about a multi purpose cleaner.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the natural multi-purpose cleaner recipe. Thanks!

Eco-Christmas: Holiday Getaways

Whether it's visiting family or going on a vacation, the holidays are a great time to get away and have time off from work and school.  Travelling in general has a high green cost, but some ways of travel are greener than others.

Trains - This is the best way to go on a holiday (aside from bicycles or on foot of course).  The carbon footprint is less than a third of driving.  Some places though (like Canada for me) trains are uncommon and difficult to coordinate.

Automobiles - Driving alone is never a good option, but if you're ridesharing, carpooling, or driving with family, it helps.  I have previously written about getting the best gas mileage you can out of your car in the Green Wheels post which you can check out for some great tips not only for the holidays but all year around.  Better fuel efficiency will improve the eco-friendliness of the trip.

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Planes - The emissions from airplanes are up to 90% greater than those of trains for the same distance traveled.  Yikes.  Another interesting fact about air travel is that because the emissions are released so high in the atmosphere, they actually do twice the damage.  This is not the ideal way to travel green.

Cruises - Though this is not something individuals usually participate in frequently, there are millions all together who do each and every year.  I have no doubt that a cruise would be a beautiful, relaxing experience, but for myself, the consequences are not worth it.  Where do you think the food waste, grey water (from laundry, dishwashing, bathwater), sewage (passengers going to the bathroom), and fuel end up?  In the sea.  I don't think this needs much more explanation.

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Lodgings - Once you've arrived to your destination, you'll need somewhere to stay.  Check into different hotels' green rankings.  Websites like Expedia are beginning to rate hotels based on a general criteria for environmental friendliness with regard to energy use, water consumption, cleaning products, etc.  If there are options to use the same towels or not change the sheets each day, take advantage of those.

What method of transportation do you use?

Eco-Christmas: Par-tays!

The holidays are a party season.  Woohoo!  Now what decisions can make an impact on global climate change with regard to entertaining?

Cleaning
We all go into cleaning frenzies before hosting a party.  Be extra good to your guests by using nontoxic cleaning supplies.  I have written about a homemade air freshener recipe, and there will be many more natural cleaning posts coming in the new year.  One unbelievably simple cleaner is just 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon of water.  This solution cleans and kills bacteria.  Also, I love using Norwex products.  If you haven't heard of this company, please check them out!  Their purpose is to be environmentally friendly, chemical-free, and incredibly effective at cleaning.

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Food and Drink
A full 25% of energy used in America goes toward food.  "Each food item in a typical American meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles to reach your plate," according to Green Christmas.  Buying food that is in season and locally grown will cut down on transportation needs for your food.  Serve organic wines, locally brewed beer, organic juices, or natural sodas for drinks.  Fill a pitcher with water that's been run through a filter instead of handing out bottled water. (P.S. - "Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills. Considering the 1.5 million barrels of oil needed to make those bottles, the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste is truly staggering," from Green Blog)

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Disposables
Plastic cutlery, styrofoam cups, paper plates all get used once and are then thrown into the garbage.  This is a huge contributing factor to waste piling up in the landfills.    Not to mention the oil, energy, and transportation required to make all those disposables.  Using real plates, silverware, drinking glasses, and cloth napkins will make a real difference.  Trade a few soapy minutes to avoid needless waste.

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Oh, and always encourage people to carpool/rideshare/use public transportation to get to and from your place.

How do you green up your holiday parties?

Eco-Christmas: Green Decorating

On Monday I just touched on Christmas trees, so now we are going to delve into the other aspects of decorating for the holidays.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the full post. Thanks!

Eco-Christmas: The Tree

Decorating is one of the most fun parts of getting ready for the holidays in my opinion.  The way things look different at this time if year is part of the magic of Christmas.  Of course, the focus in Christmas decorating is often the tree.

Real or fake is the age old question.  Here are some comparisons from the National Christmas Tree Association.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the full post. Thanks!

Eco-Christmas Series: The Environment

Last year for Christmas Brad gave me the book Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season by Jennifer Basye and Peter Sander with Anne Basye.  It is a short, simple, straight-forward read that covers all the different aspects of the holiday season.  This will be the basis for my upcoming Eco-Christmas series I am going to do leading up to the big day at the end of December.

The first area of discussion is a big one: the environment.  There are three categories of the causes of major environmental unfriendliness.  These include waste, emissions, and energy.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the full post. Thanks!

Cloth Toilet "Paper"

In preparation for this post about cloth toilet "paper", I thought I'd read up a little bit on mainstream toilet paper for comparison.  I discovered some very unsettling facts from The Toilet Paper Encyclopedia.  In fact, I was shocked.

On average, consumers use 8.6 sheets per trip – a total of 57 sheets per day. That’s an annual total of 20,805 sheets!

According to Charmin customers, the number of days a standard roll of bath tissue usually lasts in the most-used bathrooms in the house is five.

I have now been using cloth toilet paper I made at home for months (though only for number one incidents).  I have yet to find a downside.  Making them was quick and simple.  I used baby wash cloths, so they are nice and soft.  Washing them is not a big deal.  Most importantly, I am happy knowing I am helping the environment.

Baby wash cloths cut into quarters.

Zip zag stitch across the 2 open edges.

Store in the bathroom.

Here is a more  uplifting statistic I found to end on:

Tossing all the toilet paper in America would save 15 million trees, 17.3 terawatts of electricity, and more than 473 billion gallons of water annually.

I have to say it's worth it.  After looking into it more as well, I found that some families are choosing to put bidets in their homes to eliminate the need for toilet paper all together.  I think I'd be a little uncertain trying one of those for the first time, but they all sounded really pleased with their decision.

Sustainable Tees on a Mission

I had the great pleasure of winning a giveaway from Tees for Change, and my prize arrived in the mail this past weekend!  I had only just discovered them when I entered the giveaway.  Now that I have had the opportunity to try their products and learn more about their mission, I love them!

Tees for Change is build on the idea that "what you wear can make a difference. [Their] line of stylish, earth friendly tees lets you look good, feel good and do good!"  The shirts, which display positive messages, are made from a fabric blend of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.  Bamboo is incredibly sustainable, and the organic cotton is grown and harvest in a responsible way.  The shirts are also produced under fair trade and sweatshop-free conditions.  To top it all off, they plant a tree for every shirt purchased! 

My winnings: 2 shirts and a tote

The very first thing I noticed even just from pulling the shirts out of the package was how soft they were.  When I tried them on, they were easily the most comfortable shirts I had ever put on.  They are lightweight, breath well, and slightly form fitting.  These will definitely become "go-to" shirts for me.  Plus, I love the positive reminders every time I see myself in the mirror.

Tees for Change has many different styles of shirts, tote bags, jewelry, journals, and fun books as well.  You may think this is lame, but Brad and I are actually buying the The Couple's Love Quiz Book for a Christmas present to each other.  I encourage you to check out their site, store, blog, and support such a fantastic organization!