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you can now find me at http://conservegivelove.wordpress.com.
Hope to see you there!!

Drink Green

Sara at Happy Foody turned me on to the idea of Green Smoothies. I had previously read this article at Vegetarian baby and child, but hadn't implemented the idea of drinking your greens.  It's actually very easy and quite tasty. Elena (my 18 mo. old) eats a green smoothie every day for lunch. I'm so excited to have found a way to get some greens *RAW GREENS!* into my little girl, as she is too young to be able to chew them. Here are just a few reasons to drink green smoothies:

• Green smoothies are very nutritious. 
• With a ratio of about 60% - ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% - organic green vegetables, they taste like sweet fruit, but also have all the nutrition of dark green veggies.
• Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients.
• Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber. 
• By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated.
• Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. 
• Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother’s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies. 
• When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet because you are essentially having a salad without the dressing. 
• Regular consumption of green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens and helps curb cravings for sweets. 

This video from "green smoothie girl" helps to explain how to make them. You can find some recipes here.  So, drink up!  The health benefits are amazing.

photo courtesy of Jemnifur on flickr

mmm... Salad

I've rather recently become literally addicted to salads.  I eat one every day for lunch and have for months.  Believe it or not, I look forward to it every day.  It's incredibly good for you - everybody knows that, right?  It leaves me feeling full, yet light.  That is not the case with just about any other meal I eat.  Anyhow I thought I'd share the love and my current favorite salad combination: Thai Style

- any baby green (spinach, herb mix, romaine - anything)

- organic thompson raisins - for sweetness (and they're a good source of iron)

- raw nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews - all of these are good)

- chopped carrots

- raw broccoli

- chopped avocado

- celery

- About a teaspoon of Trader Joe's spicy peanut dressing (Although I would like to start making my own.  It would be easy, since I eat it every day.  Plus I just read the label the other day and sugar is the second ingredient listed - so unnecessary)

Delicious, delicious I tell you.  You should try it.  Yum yum.

The Magic Sippy Cup

After months of having issues trying to get our daughter to drink from a sippy cup, we finally found one that is PERFECT, so I just had to pass along the recommendation.  First, we bought a Born Free sippy and immediately returned it.  They aren't kidding when they say this sippy allows for free-flowing liquid!  we might as well have given her a regular cup and let her dump it all over herself.  So, that didn't work out.  I still wanted to get her a safer, BPA-free sippy, but the only other one I knew of was Kleen Kanteen.  My issue with Kleen Kanteen is that it doesn't even look like a sippy cup.  It's a water bottle for older children that you can use an Avent sippy lid with.  I didn't think she'd be able to hold it at one year old and I was probably right.  So, I broke down and got her two Avent sippy cups.  She never really took to drinking from them. I don't blame her. The valve on those cups ends up putting a lot of air into whatever you're drinking and consequently would make her gassy sometimes. I also had issues with the cups leaking from the lid while she was drinking.  I don't have any of those issues with the new cup. So, in case you're wondering by now, it's the Foogo sippy cup made by Thermos.
Here's a list of it's benefits:

• Spill-proof valve prevents messes and is easy-to-clean
• Soft spout is easy and comfortable to sip (I was told the spout is made of silicone)
  
• Kid-proof design - unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior withstands daily wear and tear
  
• Dishwasher safe
• Exterior stays condensation free
  
• Non-slip, scratch resistant base
  
• Keeps beverages cold for up to 6 hours - for cold contents only
  
• BPA-Free!

For those of you in the Bellingham area, i purchased the cup at Portable Kid (on Chestnut, downtown).  I think it was $14.99.

Things I Hadn't Thought Of...

Here are some random tips for helping the planet that I read today that I hadn't really thought about before:

FLY WITH AN E-TICKET
The cost of processing a paper ticket is approximately $10, while processing an e-ticket costs only $1. In the near future, e-tickets will be the only option, saving the airline industry $3 billion a year. In addition to financial savings, the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is commendable.

STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
Answering machines use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And when they break, they're just one more thing that goes into the landfill. If all answering machines in U.S. homes were eventually replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.

USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING—ONLINE
Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, call to stop phone book delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dump sites. And if you still receive the book, don't forget to recycle your old volumes.

CHOOSE GLASS BOTTLES OVER ALUMINUM CANS
The energy required to produce a single 12 oz. aluminum can from virgin ore is enough to produce nearly two new 12 oz. glass bottles. So the next time you buy a six-pack of beer, opt for glass bottles over aluminum cans. The manufacturing energy conserved could power your television through two Sunday NFL games.

USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL
You paid for those extra buttons in your car, so put them to work! When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Considering today's gasoline prices, this is a boon not only for the environment but your budget as well.

CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS
Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

USE A COTTON SHOWER CURTAIN RATHER THAN A PLASTIC (PVC) ONE
Avoiding plastic is always better for the planet. And PVC is used in the manufacturing process of plastic shower curtains, which is a known carcinogen that’s been linked to increased risks of brain tumors, cancer in the spinal cord and, most traumatic of all, erectile dysfunction. :) The Cotton Curtain may drip a little, but it won't be prone to mildew like the plastic one. A waffle fabric will be more absorbent.

God's Ideal...

They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4

Pinch Pennies and Spare the Planet

Sometimes, thinking about all the things I need to change makes me nervous about it costing money.  Most of the time, though, you can save money and spare the environment at the same time.  Recent marketing of "green products" may make that not seem true, but it is.  In light of that, I would like to list some ways that you can make changes that will save you money.

• Halve it.  You'd be surprised how many things we can "halve" in our daily lives.  Just about everything from the dishsoap you use to the salad dressing on your lunch can be cut in half (either by diluting or just using less.)  examples: laundry detergent, shampoo, the amount of coffee you drink, the amount of time you spend in the shower, the amount of trips you take in the car.  A great post about doing so can be found here.
  
• Think Natural=Think Cheap.  Vinegar and baking soda, baby.  there is no toilet cleaner cheaper than baking soda.  No Window cleaner cheaper than half vinegar/half water.  (don't forget about baking soda as deodorant.  If you think I'm crazy, just try it.  I swear it works.)
  
• Share, Contemplate Purchases and Practice Delayed Gratification.  If you don't need something immediately, try waiting before you buy it.  You may find in the process that you didn't really need/want it as much as you thought.  Maybe you'll find that you have something else that works or be able to borrow from someone.  Also, garage sale season is about to start, so grab a friend and see if you find what you need there or at a thrift store.
  
• Choose Cloth and Think Reusable. Cloth rags, cloth diapers, cloth napkins - can be washed and reused and save you from spending money on disposables.  Most stores will give you at least a 5 cent discount for bringing your own bags (i know, but i said pinch pennies).  Most coffee shops will give you 10-15 cents off of your drink for bringing your own mug.  Use a french press or metal coffee filter and save from buying paper coffee filters.  Use a microfiber mop or broom instead of a swiffer.
  
• Drink Water. That is, tap water in a reusable bottle and save on packaged sodas, juices and the like.
  
• Alter your eating and shopping a bit- think bulk bins, cooking with whole foods, eating what's in season in your area, eating your leftovers and paying attention so that things don't go bad in the fridge and go to waste.
  
• Conserve.  Unplug things, turn them off, turn the thermostat down (or up, depending on the season) use your legs or public transportation.  
  
• Make your own.
  

See, sparing the environment should SAVE you money, not cost you money. Beware of all the hype.

eating healthy isn't just about you.

     Eating Healthy is better for the environment, which means it's better for other people. Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of eating healthy. I'm not talking about switching to a diet of frozen "healthy dinners" and overly packaged, chemical laden food bars and other not-so-good-for-you diet foods. I'm talking about the classic healthy whole foods diet. A diet composed primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. We all know that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment and a vegan diet perhaps even better still. Eating all things as locally produced as possible is very important for a healthy planet as well as purchasing organically grown foods. 

     Why does all of this matter? Well, there's about a million reasons, really, but just think about it for a minute... fresh fruits and vegetables are not processed, therefore you skip all that extra waste that would be produced during the processing and extra transport (and hopefully you skip plastic packaging this way, unless you're addicted to Trader Joe's, like me... sigh). Eating foods as close to their natural state as possible is better for you and means using less heat. we all know that cooking uses energy, right? when you eat a whole foods diet, that means that when you do cook, you cook from scratch.  Cooking this way ensures that you skip all of those chemical additives and preservatives and extra packaging, which is so much better for you and the environment. These are just a few of the obvious reasons why our food choices matter.  

     Some of these issues are debatable, I suppose.  Some would say that the only important thing is to eat locally, sustainably produced organic food, while some would say eating raw food is most important to maintain personal health. I won't get into those debates.  Overall, I'm just trying to say that any change we make that is a step toward a diet of whole foods that are minimally processed and cooked is a step toward healthier people and a healthier planet.  So, if you're currently eating meat at every meal, consider trying to cut it back to just dinner, or just try a vegetarian meal once this week, or just cut back on red meat.  If you've never gone to the farmer's market, go as soon as it opens this year (which was this last weekend if you live in Bellingham!) and check it out and/or consider joining a local CSA.  I'm not suggesting we all change everything about our diets and shopping habits overnight.  I'm just suggesting that we remain mindful in our eating and remember that what we choose to purchase and put in our bodies doesn't just affect our own health, but also the health of the planet and all of us who live here.  So, take a baby step or two along with me because I'm on this journey to better, more mindful eating and shopping habits as well.  I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be.  Currently, I'm hoping that buying in bulk will help me shrink the grocery tabs and the contents of my garbage can!  Now I just need to re-train myself to buy dried beans instead of canned (apparently most cans contain BPA, ick. Why is plastic everywhere?) 

Here's some further reading:

• A great, thought-provoking post on reconsidering your diet here.
• 100-Mile Diet
• Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century
• Working conditions in American Slaughter Houses
  
• An article on the effects of cooking meat here: cooking meat dirties the air more than most people realize 
  
• Evidence Shows that Our Meat-Based Diet is Bad for the Environment, Aggravates Global Hunger, Brutalizes Animals and Compromises our Health

photo courtesy of ismon on flickr

Favorite

I just wanted to post this link. This particular post is an older post that I bookmarked a long time ago because I just totally resonated with everything she said, so I thought I would post it here in case you might enjoy it too.

Make Your Own

I've stumbled across lots and lots of posts and websites with various recipes and directions for making your own versions of things you would normally just go out and buy.  It's the perfect way to lessen your impact on the environment and your pocketbook. Most of these are also better for your health. While i haven't tried a lot of these yet myself, if you feel so inspired, now you know where to look!

Food
- Tortilla Chips
- Refried Beans
- Salad Dressing
- Almond Milk
- Sprouted Granola
- Popcorn (in case you weren't sure how to do it the old fashioned way)
- Crackers
- Granola Bars (vegan)
- Bread
- Butter
- Yogurt
- Tofu

Cleaning
A great post with several recipes here.
- Laundry Soap

Personal Products
- Toothpaste
- Lotion
- Shampoo
- Toilet "Paper" - for all you radicals out there
- Feminine Pads
- Hairspray and Mouthwash
- Castile Soap
- Liquid Hand Soap

Other
- Reusable Tote Bag (out of used plastic grocery sacks!)
- Baby Wipes

Wanna Go No Poo?

I've been asked about how to go without shampoo, so I thought I would post some information on here for anyone who might be curious... I've tried it and it has really worked for me. I'm not extreme about it.  I was given some shampoo around christmas and I'm just about to run out of it and go back to au naturale.

Why Not Use Shampoo?
Weell, read your ingredient lists and do some research and you just might start re-thinking your choices in personal products. Some of the ingredients to avoid are sodium laurel sulfate and parabens.
     Your skin is your largest organ and it drinks in everything you put on it. I think a good idea to go by is: “If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your body.” You can check ratings of beauty products here.  If you have trouble believing that any of these things are true or that it is a good idea to start changing your habits…it might be because of all the media that is EVERYWHERE telling you otherwise. You will find contradictory information on everything, but you have to think for yourself and make the best decision for you and your family. Just because something is "normal", doesn't mean it's a good idea.
     What are the options? Natural shampoos and conditioners. The other (and I think better) option is to go completely natural and use baking soda to wash your hair and apple cider vinegar to rinse. You can also use honey and other foods to condition, but i haven't found this to be necessary.  I take about 1 Tablespoon or less (depending on the length and thickness of your hair) and combine it in my hand with water and make a pasty solution. I  then use a little of the paste and massage it into my scalp starting at the crown of my head. I make sure to do this with any oily areas of my hair, like along my part and my bangs. Rinse thoroughly.  I then take two cap-fulls of apple cider vinegar and mix with at least 12. oz of water in a cup and I pour the mixture over the ends of my hair only.  The baking soda will have a drying effect and the ACV has a moisturizing effect, but neither one will strip your hair of its beneficial natural oils like shampoo will.  If your hair is too dry, use less baking soda and/or mix it with more water.  If your hair is too oily, you may not need to use the acv rinse every day.  Some people say your hair may take some time time to adjust and you may need to experiment with the quantities of baking soda, acv and water.  If you try it, let me know how it goes.  I think it's great!  My hair is normally bone straight and washing my hair this way gives it more body.  So, try it, you don't have to tell anyone if you're afraid they'll think you're a weirdo - I usually don't!  

     You can also use baking soda as a deoderant. it works better than ANY natural deoderant on the market. you'll smell like NOTHING, even in HOT California summers!! It's also CHEAP and doesn't come in a plastic container.

Here are some other people going "no 'poo".

don't forget to buy apple cider vinegar that's packaged in glass :)

Perfection

I've been thinking about perfection, grace and holiness.  Sometimes the more I read, the more I feel burdened about the things I do and think that need to change.  This is a good thing, to a certain extent, but perfection of action has never been the point.  Aiming for perfection brings guilt, discouragement and crankiness.  So you see, we need Grace.  We have unending grace in Jesus.  Grace that empowers us to change, enables us to change and makes us want to.  Without it, there is no point.  I would turn into one of those bitter people who preaches your ear off and makes you feel like dirt if you disagree with them or don't practice what they preach. That's not who i want to be. That isn't who i am. That isn't grace or holiness.
The point of the things I've written about on this blog is grace and compassion.  Grace with others, grace with yourself, grace because of and in Jesus.  I want to me motivated by love and proceed in it.  Therefore, I hope you will never hear that kind of condescension or preaching from me. more importantly, i pray you won't find it in my heart. It's not there now, since I'm more consumed by thoughts of my inadequacy than anything, but these issues are two sides of the same coin.   Neither one is love, grace or holiness. I'm learning how important it is to just take the next step and not take my eyes off of Christ. That's what I'm aiming for: to become more like Him, not to attain my own sense of perfection. so, I suppose can stop feeling inadequate now :) Grace.

Another Plastic Evil

I just watched this video and read this great post about how plastic is recycled.  I really found it shocking, but after a moment's thought, I wasn't really shocked at all.  Of course our recycling is getting shipped off to China and creating toxic fumes.  Ugh.  Of course it is.  Every convenience we have here in the western world is at someone's expense it seems. (This video is about the UK, but i have read elsewhere that this certainly is happening in the US.) 

Cutting back the plastic completely seems nearly impossible for me, but here are some ideas:

- Buy things in bulk or just simply the option with less packaging. (bring your own container to the bulk bin!)
- Choose salad dressing, sauces, spices, juice and anything else in glass.
- Choose concentrated detergents, powdered detergent or you could try making your own!
- Bring reusable bags to the store of course!
- Bring your own mug for coffee. disposable coffee cups have a plastic lining and usually a plastic lid.
- Let your fruit roll around in the cart rather than in a plastic bag.
- Bring used or reusable bags for produce and bulk items.
- Stop drinking bottled water and bottled soda (bottled water apparently isn't any better for you than tap!)
- Bring your own plates and cutlery when you are going somewhere that will have disposables: potluck, picnic, etc. (most paper plates are lined with plastic)

- Choose bar soap instead of liquid.
- Choose reusable whenever possible!

Check out these great blogs by people who are trying to reduce their plastic consumption:

• Fake Plastic Fish
  
• Life Less Plastic
  
• Living Plastic Free
  

gratitude

I've been thinking about it.  It's easy to be negative when times are hard.  We've had some difficult things to face in the past few months, but even before that I had noticed a need for more gratitude in my life.  I tend to approach life with a positive attitude (most of the time, certainly NOT all of the time), but this issue of gratitude is something a little different. Instead of thinking that everything will turn out alright, I really need to be grateful for and excited about the things in life that deserve it. I've heard of gratitude journals, but that always seemed very Oprah to me, not something I was going to do, but I've found myself in my regular journal listing things about life that I'm grateful for because I've been needing to.  When I look over the last season of my life, I have to admit that I need it.  Gratitude.  There are so many things in my life that are so wonderful and I get so caught up in the day to day things that disappoint. and you know, I really don't want to.  I want to learn to be uplifting, not in the cheesy sense, in the real sense that I am realizing that everything works out to something beautiful, even if it doesn't start that way. because I think it does.  I feel like the culmination of my life will be something beautiful and I don't want to get lost in the every day negativities, but rather be so grateful and content with what I have and hopeful for who I'm becoming.  In spite of the mess that it all seems to be at one time or another, life is beautiful.