Home Soda Maker Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of the Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker from Soda Stream?

It helps reduce the amount of waste generated from consuming soda, because instead of buying disposable 3-liter bottles or canned soda, you can continually re-use the same 2 Soda Stream containers for your soda needs.

You save money making your own soda at home, and, even better, this soda mix contains less sugar than pre-made sodas.

The bottles have a special seal so that your soda won't go flat.

The Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker uses regular water mixed with the Soda Stream flavoring of your choice to make your ideal drink.

I got the chance to review the Penguin Soda Maker, the classy version that uses glass bottles.

Sorry for the background noise, my niece was begging for jelly beans that she is forbidden to eat by my sister-in-law, who wasn't present.

1) Enter to win your very own Fountain Jet soda lover’s start-up kit which includes a Fountain Jet home soda maker, CO2 to make over 100 liters of soda, a variety sample pack of sodamix and MyWater trial-sized flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice. The retail value of this prize is $99.99!

1.) For a chance to win, visit the site and tell me your favorite sodamix flavor and what excites you about making soda at home!

1 winner will be chosen by random number generator.

This giveaway is open to those with a continental US mailing address. No PO Boxes.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

Want to subscribe? Just click here: Subscribe to Mom Most Traveled by Email (Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Twitter about this giveaway (include a link to this post, @SodaStreamUSA and@MomMostTraveled ) and comment here with your Twitter name. (once daily)

4.) Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this post. Leave me a comment with the link so I can check your post!

This contest will close on March 2, 2010, at midnight CST.

Winners will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond.

SodaStream provided a review unit and is providing the prize for this giveaway!

A Thoughtful Gift

I definitely want to "simplify" this Christmas, but one area in which I feel pressure to meet expectations is in giving gifts to my in-laws.

My in-laws don't have the same eco-friendly, simple living values that I do, so it makes it hard for me to choose a frugal, earth-friendly gift because I am afraid it won't be appreciated.

It dawned on me that a photo book would be a meaningful, personal gift for just about any close friend or relative!

Right now, there is a holiday giveaway over at Go Natural Baby Blog, where you can have a chance to win one of THREE coupon codes good for a free photo book from inkubook.com! The winner gets their choice of style/page count of an Inkubook photo book AND free shipping.

Wouldn't it be nice to win and cross one gift off of your "to buy" list?

The contest closes Friday, October 31, 2008!

Eastern Inspired Furniture

Furniture is something that is easy for me to admire.
I especially love Eastern inspired decor; I feel most at ease in a serene living space with clean lines and and simple, functional furniture.

I have wandered many a market and boutique store in Thailand, Laos, and China, looking at distinctive and antique pieces and wishing that overseas freight wasn't so astronomically expensive!

After Lombock co-founder Alex spent time in Indonesia, he too wanted to bring the beauty of Asian furniture back with him. Through research with his friend Sarah, the pair concocted a way to offer a collection of hand-made, affordable, solid-wood furniture.

Lucky for UK residents, Lombok offers an astonishing selection of fabulous furnishings and home accessories for "Eastern Inspired Living."!

LOMBOK’s passion is to use recycled and natural materials wherever possible, for pieces that are naturally stylish and comfortable with that reassuring lived-in feel. The Eastern inspired designs of furniture; lighting and home accessories are incredibly versatile, suiting both contemporary and traditional homes.

The simple, striking beauty of these Tila hanging lanterns caught my attention immediately! Wouldn't they look great in just about any room of the house (or even the in the garden)?

I am really drooling over the chests of drawers at Lombok, especially this Nirvana Nine Drawer Chunky Chest. Maybe the ample drawer space would keep the peace in our home, with no more arguments about whose clothes are hogging all of the room!

The chest would look perfect next to any of the wooden beds from Lombok. My personal favorite is this great Canton four poster bed! Lombok uses only natural, solid wood sourced with the environment in mind.

And, since I'm ever on the lookout for dining tables to inhabit my dream house, I couldn't help but appreciate this beautiful Malang Extending Dining Table. I can imagine lots of happy family memories being created around these gorgeous dining tables!

A girl can dream!

Silicone Baking Pans and Recycling Crayons!

I have these great silicone number and letter molds from Sillycone, Inc.:

I also have many many old bits of crayons, some of them from when I was a child! I was inspired to use the Letter Ice and Number Ice trays to recycle the crayon bits and make something fun for my son:



All I did was break up the crayons and put them in the molds, then put the entire tray (on a cookie sheet) in the oven for about 10 minutes. I took them out to cool after they melted, then easily removed the hardened wax from the flexible molds.

More than an ice tray. More than a pan. ®

It's really a mold that's colorful, educational, flexible & nonstick. A design patent pending product line that's made from high-gloss FDA tested silicone and is oven-safe to 550ºF and (-50F) is cool to the touch within minutes after baking. Food cooks and browns evenly, there's no unbaked pockets or pale looking goods. Our trays won't retain odors or flavors, and are dishwasher safe. For storing, they fold or bend to fit anywhere.

Make Ice, Jell-O, Sidewalk Chalk, Butter, Concrete Numbers, Spell your name in Soap, Make Chocolate Letters, Short Bread Cookies, Number Crayons, Brownies or Muffins, Candles, etc...
A perfect product for Kids Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduation Parties, an Educational Tool for Back to School, and many more...



I think it came out great, and I can't wait to try it with some other silicone molds I have (hearts for valentines favors, anyone??).

Here is another great idea I found on a blog called Daily Danny. They used a large sheet of melted wax and cut it with cookie cutters while it was still a bit warm:

The full instructions are here, on the Daily Danny blog.

Get more green tips today at the Green Baby Guide! Today is Thrifty Green Thursday!

Alternative Housing

Want to build one of these? Kind of like a hobbit house, no?

Solar Powered Living and Crafting

I came across a blog a long time ago written by a woman who lives in Maine and makes jewelry and recycled paper crafts, which she sells on Etsy. But what made this artisan stand out in my mind was that she lives completely off-grid in a solar powered home.
Here is her story:

All of my handcrafted jewelry is made in my solar powered home in the Maine woods. My husband, step-daughter, and I have been living with solar power for 9 years now. There are no utility poles on our road whatsoever, and as we are a half-mile back, it wasn't a hard decision for us to "go green" and utilize the sun's rays to power our home.

Twelve photovoltaic (solar) panels, a 3600 watt power-inverter, and twelve 6-volt batteries now make up our system, along with various meters and controllers and lightening arrestors and circuit breakers. The value of which is somewhere around $15,000. If we were to have put in enough utility poles to reach our home, we would have been looking at over $20,000, not to mention the monthly electric bill. Almost all of the components of our solar system are guaranteed to produce their rated amount of power for 15-20 years! And of course most of it is still going to work after that.
So, even if we didn't have to pay to put in utility poles, we still would be saving money on our electricity by using solar power. If you take the cost of our system and divide it by even the low end of the rated spectrum-15 years-we're only paying $83.00 a month for our electric. And if you think about it, 15 years from now $83.00 is going to be less than it is today.

Plus, it's reliable! My mom still calls me when her power goes out to see if mine did too, "No Ma, my power doesn't go out, we make our own, remember?"




And it's good for the earth! We all live here, we've got no where else to go, so we better be good to the earth.



If you are thinking about solar power, but are scared by the thought of dishing out $15K, you don't have to do it all at once. Our homesteading adventure began with us living in a tent and we slowly built our house, and are still building it in fact! Just as we have built up our home, we built up our solar system. We started out with just a 12 volt light and a car battery we would swap with the one in our vehicle and use the alternator to recharge it as we drove to work. Quickly we progressed to a $40. power inverter and two second-hand solar panels. A lot of the things we have used to build our home and our solar system are second hand. As I said earlier, the equipment is guaranteed for 15-20 years and most of the stuff you can get used is only a few years old with plenty of life left.
We are pretty comfortable with the amount of electricity we make now. We haven't had to use the generator to charge the batteries in a couple of years, the solar panels we have are now adequate for that. And we never come near using the 3,600 watts we make with our inverter. But as we didn't always have this amount of power available to us, we have become used to living a little differently than most folks. For instance, we don't leave lights on unnecessarily, we make toast on the stove top in a dry pan, not in a toaster, etc. At this point we could use a hairdryer, a toaster, whatever, but we have just come so accustomed to not using these things and we actually prefer this simpler way of living.
I encourage anyone who's interested in becoming more green and reducing their carbon-footprint, or become more self-sufficient to power their home with solar. You won't be sorry you did.

I hope to one day live with off-grid power as well. It is good to hear it from someone who has been down this road already. If she can do it, maybe I can too!

Conserving Water in The Home

Like many consumers, I am working towards a life style with a smaller carbon footprint. Some steps have been easy for me, such as taking reusable bags on shopping trips, or replacing paper products with cloth. But one of my weaknesses is the desire to indulge in a long, hot, shower...every day.


I have a pet peeve with people who embrace the "green movement" only on a surface level and do very little to actually conserve resources. I was so excited when LetsGoGreen.biz offered to sponsor a Water Conservation Kit giveaway on my blog.

Last summer, my state experienced a long drought. This resulted in the water company putting a penalty fee on homes that used more than a certain amount of water in a given month. We did all we could to conserve water and avoid the financial penalty; I bathed the kids in the kitchen sink instead of the big bath tub, we never watered the yard (we used rain barrels to keep some tomato plants alive), never filled up the kiddie pool, and, yes, we stopped flushing the toilet every time.
The toilet thing was a bit embarrassing. I was always worried about unexpected guests discovering that we were letting the yellow mellow. I would much rather save water using these inexpensive products from LetsGoGreen.biz:


This low flow faucet aerator reduces your bathroom sink output to only 1.5 gallons per minute. It installs easily without any tools. I did it myself with one hand! It took about 20 seconds. The aerator results in a nice, even spray from the sink. I have one of these...I need another for the second bathroom!





The Low Flow Earth Massage shower head also installs easily without tools and uses only 1.5 gallons per minute....that is 40% less than the average shower head. With this baby, I can still take a long shower while using 40% less water than before! And it has a massage setting. Woohoo!







The adjustable flapper prevents leaks in the toilet tank and saves thousands of gallons of water per year. And you can still flush.






This little jewel is a low-flow kitchen faucet aerator. It uses only 1.5 gallons of water per minute and has an on/off valve so that you can get the water to the temperature you want, turn it off when your soaping the dishes, and turn it back on when you are ready to rinse. I love using this in my kitchen; it even swivels!


The Household Water Conservation Kit from LetsGoGreen.biz includes all of the above, as well as leak detector tablets and a flow meter bag!

This is SO easy to use and can make a BIG difference in the amount of water you use in your home. The kit is only $21.99 at LetsGoGreen.biz and with the coupon code "FRIEND", you can save 25% ! It is fun to see how much you can save on your water bill while feeling good about conserving the world's clean water supply!

I'm hoping to add the Shower Coach and a couple of Toilet Tank Banks to my array of water-saving tools in the future!

LetsGoGreen.biz wants to give away a Household Water Conservation Kit to one MyGreening reader!

To enter, visit LetsGoGreen.biz and tell me another product from their store that you love or would like to know more about.

One winner will be chosen by random number generator at random.org.

This contest will close on Monday, August 18th, 12 midnight.

*Congrats, kagey10 ! *

Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties

I was so excited to find www.OneMomAndAParty.com among my discoveries when I was browsing through the Bloggy Carnival last week.

Modern birthday parties, as we know, generate A LOT of waste. The typical birthday party results in a mass of disposable plates, cutlery, napkins, cups, balloons, wrapping paper, banners...the list goes on and on!

One Mom And A Party sells eco-friendly party supplies in a variety of festive themes. Check out the super cute Flip Flop Party Set (pictured) that includes a fabric flip flop table cloth, stripy napkins, and flip floppy goody bags.

I am totally smitten with the White Stars Napkin Set...it makes me want to have a tea party! I'm also looking forward to the Birthday Banners that are supposed to be "coming soon"! Think of it: a unique fabric, washable Happy Birthday Banner that can be reused for YEARS. That is a family tradition starting, my friends!

My favorite thing about One Mom And A Party, though, is not the super adorable table linens: Terry has assembled a wealth of FANTASTIC ideas for throwing an eco-friendly party of just about any type!

You can look at a list of possible themes for an Earth friendly party (do you prefer a Montessori party? Indoor? Outdoor? Destination? Take your pick!). Once you choose a theme, take a look at the Activity Ideas page. After that, you can plan the menu with the Eco-Friendly Party food section! But Terry didn't stop there (she is amazing)! You can look at ideas for a Baby Buffet (for a first birthday), Toddler Party Foods, Picnic Foods, Healthy Birthday Cakes (say what?), and even Free Recipes!

I can't wait to use One Mom And A Party as a planning resource for my next birthday party! Maybe I'll start planning RIGHT NOW!

Wrap-N-Mat for Waste Free Lunches

A long time ago when I wanted to be Green but I had no idea where to start, I discovered the mom-invented Wrap-N-Mat on a review blog. I thought it was a genius solution for lunch boxes everywhere. The Wrap-N-Mat is a reusable sandwich wrap that unfolds to become a travel-friendly place mat!

Before I bought 2 Wrap-N-Mats, I was using resealable plastic containers to transport my sandwiches. I didn't like how the containers were bulky and took up a lot of room whether there was a sandwich inside or not. Also, in the meantime, my preschooler started going to a Montessori school, and it was required that all of the students be able to open and close their lunch containers WITHOUT HELP.

My son can't manage a plastic container, but he can easily open and close his Wrap-N-Mat, even at age 3 1/2.

Wrap-N-Mats are recommended by www.MyHealthySchool.Com; they have lots of tips to help parents equip their children for a healthy school day!

We have four Wrap-N-Mats: two in the PEVA lined Eco Print and two in the PEVA lined Solid Kelly Green. My husband uses them when he packs his own lunch, and it never fails that someone expresses interest in the Wrap-N-Mat when they see him using one (or two).

Jojo used the Eco Print Wrap-N-Mat in a noodle shop in Laos. We brought his own sandwich because I was afraid the soup would be too spicy for him to eat.

The Wrap-N-Mat is a great place mat. Jojo is enjoying some watermelon that we transported in a sippy cup.

We have used our Wrap-N-Mat for sandwiches, bagels, hot dogs (actually a pb and j on a hot dog bun), and handfuls of chips. Our Wrap-N-Mats have been used at work, school, restaurants, in car trips, and airplane trips.

The Wrap-N-Mat is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce your waste, provide a germ-free surface for eating, and keep your sandwiches fresh!

The Wrap-N-Mat is available for purchase at www.Wrap-N-Mat.com .

Win your own Wrap-N-Mat! www.Wrap-N-mat.com is giving away one Wrap-N-Mat to a My Greening reader!

To enter, simply tell me what design (not mentioned on this post) that you like the best!

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This giveaway will close on August 11th, 12 midnight CST.

*Congrats, Lisa!*

To Market, To Market with Reisenthel Market Basket

The "green movement" is really taking off this year; it seems that a lot of people who wouldn't consider themselves "hippies" are making small changes in their lives to be more environmentally friendly. Every grocery store chain is selling their own reusable shopping bags; I am developing quite a collection. When I got my very own Reisenthel Market Basket, I felt that I had finally reached an oasis of reusable-shopping STYLE in a sea of lack luster fabric bags.








I love this basket. It is light (made from tear-proof polyester and sleek aluminum), very sturdy (it holds up to 55 pounds, but I'm not sure I can), has a small zippered pocket on the inside, and a nice, rigid bottom.

I have enjoyed taking my Reisenthel basket shopping; I fill it with neccessary coupons before I go to the store, and then use it instead of a shopping cart while I'm there. I feel that I look more like a well put together Euro-shopper when I use my Reisenthel Market Basket. Sometimes when I have a handful of fabric bags, I'm afraid I look like the "harried hippy mom".

I love that the Reisenthel Market Basket is lightweight and collapsible: I plan to use it in Asia when I go to outdoor markets. I think it would be a handy way to corral the children's toys when we are traveling, because I can set it up easily in a hotel room as a mini-toy box.

The Market Basket is a smart alternative to giveaway plastic & paper bags. Lightweight, collapsible and comfortable to carry. Comparable size to store hand basket. Ideally suited for farmer's markets, small grocery loads, picnics, & gardening.

The Reisenthel Market Basket is available for purchase at ReusableBags.com . They also have a very adorable Kids Market Basket by Reisenthel: it is a wee version of the original; definitely on my wish list!

I have a Reisenthel Market Basket in the Art Deco design (pictured with Baby Deak, but new, still in the package) to giveaway to one very lucky MyGreening reader!

To enter, just comment here with your favorite Reisenthel product not mentioned in this review.
Get an extra entry for subscribing to myRSS feed .

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This contest will close on July 5, 9pm CST.

*The Winner (thanks to her EXTRA ENTRY!!) is

Kathleen @ Katydid & Kid, who said...

I also subscribed to your feed.*

SoapNuts for Everyone!

Snuggly, fresh laundry, anyone? Remember my previous review on SoapNuts from Laundry Tree? Since my last post about SoapNuts, my mother, who is not a hippy, has embraced SoapNuts. And some friends of mine, who ARE hippies, are exploring the possibility of stocking SoapNuts in their store. SoapNuts cross the barriers of age, creed, color, religion, and lifestyle. Hooray for SoapNuts!

Now, LaundryTree is giving away 5 SoapNuts samples to 5 lucky My Greening readers! And ONE lucky winner will receive a SoapNuts Starter Pack, which is a 100g package of SoapNuts and 1 oz. of scented oil in the aroma of your choice! That is a value of $15.00!




Reasons why SoapNuts are good for the environment:

• One little drawstring bag of 3 to 4 SoapNuts can be used FOUR TIMES! The same four SoapNuts can wash 4 loads of laundry!
  
• SoapNuts are organically grown (chemical free!).
• SoapNuts are biodegradable. After they have done their four loads of laundry (did you just READ THAT?), just toss them into the compost pile.

Since SoapNuts are free of chemicals, they are great for sensitive skin (like eczema). I'm really loving SoapNuts for my entire family!

I was thinking how convenient SoapNuts would be for traveling...no zip-lock bag of detergent to spill when you are trying to do laundry on vacation (in the condo or laundry mat)!

If you check out the website, there are recipes for making other types of cleaning supplies out of SoapNuts...try SoapNut Soak!

LaundryTree would like to give away samples of SoapNuts to FIVE MyGreening readers! The sample size includes 8 SoapNuts...enough for up to 8 loads of laundry!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me which of the scented oils from Laundry Tree you would like if you are the BIG SoapNuts Starter Kit Winner ($15 value)!

FIVE winners will be chosen to receive a SoapNuts Sample pack.

This contest will close on June 17, 9pm CST.

A total of SIX winners will be selected by Random Number Generator.

If you don't win, or if you just need to restock,

Laundry Tree has also offered to extend the discount code for My Greening readers! Until 7/1/08, you can get 10% off the 100g bag of SoapNuts using the coupon code MYGREENING.

Shopping Totes Can Be Cute, Too!

Melissa Vest Designs has a plethora of BIG (15"x18"x6") TOTE BAGS, which are useful for just about anything that needs toting. Some of them have snarky messages, and some of them are contemplative, but they are each a unique statement in the form of functional art!


You might recognize this Grocery Getter Red Bicycle Tote Bag from the April Issue of Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine!
These cotton tote bags are made in the USA and are embellished via a direct printing process which dyes the design right into the fibers.

Look at this design, perfect for snagging hotties at the co-op. If co-ops have hotties. Not all of them do. Nevertheless, it is always good to be prepared:
Get Fresh With Me! *insert kitten pur here*. That could work some magic. Watch out now! Fresh food is good, too, but everyone loves a little double entendre. There are a lot of little jewels in Melissa Vest's Designs, but I want you to browse the 91 different totes and unearth them yourself!

Melissa Vest Designs donates one dollar from the sale of every tote bag in her etsy shop to a local food bank project. So far Melissa Vest Designs donations have purchased two flats of corn, one flat of soup, and one flat of peanut butter from the proceeds! That is a fantastic start! It is great to support those who support the suffering!


Melissa Vest Designs is giving away a Grocery Getter Red Bicycle Tote Bag (retail $24.00) to one lucky My Greening Reader!
To enter, visit the Melissa Vest Designs etsy shop and comment here telling me a tote design you love that was not mentioned in this post!

One winner will be chosen using a random number generator.

This contest will close on June 11, 9pm CST

Smart, Green Consumer Resource

Climate Counts is a collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change. We are a nonprofit organization funded by Stonyfield Farm, Inc. and launched in collaboration with Clean Air-Cool Planet.
[...]
Our goal is to motivate deeper awareness among consumers-not only that the issue of climate change demands their attention, but also that they have the power to support companies that take climate change seriously - and avoid those that don't. When consumers take action and raise their voices on issues that matter to them, businesses pay attention. A loud and clear consumer movement that demands more aggressive corporate action on climate change will not fall on deaf ears.

Check Climate Counts for the Climate Counts Company Scorecard to see how serious companies are about stopping climate change - and how they compare to their sector competitors. The annually updated scorecard reflects the self-reported efforts of companies to address climate change - or avoid it altogether.

What is your Greendex?

From National Geographic:

What Is the Greendex?

You've read the news—everyone wants to be green now. But do you really know how your personal choices are adding up? What about the choices of your fellow citizens? How well are people around the globe adopting behaviors that can make the world a more environmentally sustainable place?

National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan have just conducted a study measuring and monitoring consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 14 countries around the world.

Click here to Calculate your Greendex!


(I got a 60!)

How To Recycle Almost Anything

I have a very hard time throwing away things. I mean, I'm not OCD (am I?), but I just don't want to waste anything.
Some people give me grief for this, saying things like, "What are you going to DO with THAT?"
My usual reply is, "I don't know...but I'm sure it's good for SOMETHING."

Thankfully, I have found a website called How Can I Recycle This? ...an answer to my "what to do?" dilemma!

If you get stumped, you can post a query on the website, such as, "How Can I Reuse or Recycle Meat Bones?" and other readers will give you suggestions.

I got some good tips about reusing yogurt containers, unused tampons, and body scrubbers just browsing the site.

SoapNuts From Laundry Tree

I have found a product that is new-to-me, easy to use, and good for the environment (what a winning combination!)
I'm talking about SoapNuts (say what?) from Laundry Tree.
What are SoapNuts? They look like this:
They come from the Sapindus Mukorossi tree, which is found in Nepal, Indonesia, and India.
All that is done to the soap nuts to prepare them for use is to harvest, de-seed, and dry them in the sun.

When I received my sample pack in the mail, I was excited to try SoapNuts, but also a little wary. What if they somehow messed up my clothes?

I followed the directions that were included.
First, three to four soapnuts are placed inside of the small cotton drawstring bag (included).

Then the little bag is put into the washing machine with the load of clothes (warm or hot water works best for SoapNuts).

I washed a (very big front-loader washing machine) load of beach towels and other whites. Yes, I trusted my whites to the SoapNuts.

SoapNuts made the laundry clean, non-perfumy...just the way I like it. We didn't use a fabric softener and the towels came out nice and fluffy!

Even my (not a hippy) mother tried SoapNuts and was pleasantly surprised!

Reasons why SoapNuts are good for the environment:

• One little drawstring bag of 3 to 4 SoapNuts can be used FOUR TIMES! The same four SoapNuts can wash 4 loads of laundry!
  
• SoapNuts are organically grown (chemical free!).
• SoapNuts are biodegradable. After they have done their four loads of laundry (did you just READ THAT?), just toss them into the compost pile.

Since SoapNuts are free of chemicals, they are great for sensitive skin (like eczema). I'm really loving SoapNuts for my entire family!

I was thinking how convenient SoapNuts would be for traveling...no zip-lock bag of detergent to spill when you are trying to do laundry on vacation (in the condo or laundry mat)!

If you check out the website, there are recipes for making other types of cleaning supplies out of SoapNuts.

Laundry Tree would like to give away samples of SoapNuts to FIVE MyGreening readers! The sample size includes 8 SoapNuts...enough for up to 8 loads of laundry!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your thoughts about SoapNuts. FIVE winners will be chosen randomly on 5-16-08, after 10pm CST.

Laundry Tree has also offered a discount to My Greening readers! Until 6/1/08, you can get 10% off the 100g bag of SoapNuts using the coupon code MYGREENING.

EASY Composting

I love the idea of composting, but I have never officially "composted". I mean, my entire life I have thrown food scraps out the back door to a place behind the bushes, but I have never had a "compost bin". When I run across an article about composting in one of those homesteading magazines, it looks extremely intimidating.
I'm a big advocate of the "green movement" being achievable for city dwellers. After all, half the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 percent will be city dwellers by 2050 (according to the UN).
Rural folks can't save the earth alone!

So, (back on track here...) I was excited to see this Automatic Indoor Composter by NatureMill. It takes up less space than those trash-compactors from decades past, and it serves a useful purpose. The NatureMill composting machine can compost up to 120 lbs of food per month. (According to a study by the University of Arizona Garbage Project, Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year.)
The instructions, per the company website, sound very easy and apartment-friendly:

Deposit food waste items at any time, on any day. Add up to 120 lbs (55kg) per month. For best results, cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber, with "hot composting" conditions: mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber, where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.
No odors, worms, or bugs: Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity (both are included). A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter every 4-5 years ($8 online, or about $1 if you buy the carbon yourself).

The initial investment is something to consider, but the ease of use will guarantee that you get your money's worth.

BONUS: NatureMill is offering FREE SHIPPING to MyGreening readers with the coupon code FREESHIPPING847.

Gardening with Matches

A few weeks ago I ran across a neat little invention called "matchstick garden". It is a little book of paper "matches" that contain seeds on the ends. When planted, they grow into herbs or wildflowers (as specified on the packaging).

This is info from their website:

There are two styles of Matchstick Garden available, either four herbs or wildflower seeds already mixed on the end of each matchstick. The Mixed Herb Matchstick Garden contents Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme. The Wildflower Matchstick Garden contains Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy. Each matchbook is 3" W x 2" H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside. The Matchstick Garden a great party favor, stocking stuffer and surprising gift!

My preschool-aged son loves gardening, and I thought something like this would be a fun and manageable way for parents without gardening skills (myself included) to start growing with their children.

This is easily more useful than growing "magic rocks". Hydrated Silica, anyone? Most likely NOT organic.

Dining Out without Eating Resources

Last night my family went out to eat at a pizza restaurant. I hadn't been to this particular restaurant in about 3 years. The food was good, but I was really disappointed to find that:

• all of the plates were paper (no non-disposable plate option)
• our plastic (disposable) cups were made from #6 plastic (not food safe)
• all of the cutlery was plastic
• sauces were served in #6 plastic (disposable) containers

I told my husband that we need to start packing some kind of "emergency dining-out kit" that includes reusable plates, cups, cutlery, bowls, cloth napkins, and drinking straws.

If you are an entrepreneur, I would suggest you begin putting together some kind of kit like this in an organic cotton drawstring bag.

Here are the types of things you might include:

• bamboo or stainless steel drinking straws
• cloth napkins (serviettes). You could do a kids set or a classic set.
  
• Reusable unbreakable plates and/or bowls, in wood, stainless, or safe plastic. These are child-sized, and so is this one. Here are some cute child-sized snack bowls.
  
• bamboo or stainless utensils (for the children, too!)
  
• reusable cups. You could go cheap with some mason jars, or go exotic with some coconut cups, or go homestead and make some out of gourds...there are plenty of possibilities.
• maybe throw in a couple of bamboo condiment cups, to avoid using disposable containers for various sauces.

Viola! Green on the Go!

Affluenza

In my quest to be Green, it is easy for me to focus on things that I need to BUY in order to help the planet. I think that is part of the greening game right now in the US. I don't have a linkable source for this, but I read recently that analysts expect the "green trend" to last for about 10 years. I guess for that amount of time, everything will be all about saving energy, reducing waste, choosing sustainable materials, fair trade, etc., etc. What will replace the "green trend" after 10 years? Will we all go crazy and start killing endangered species and torching recycling plants? That will be something...
I had a garage sale last Saturday and got rid of a bunch of stuff. I didn't get sell of EVERYTHING that I put out...a full truck load of stuff went to Goodwill, a huge moving box of clothes went to another place, two boxes of books will go to a used book store, some odd furniture to another charity, a box of glass serving items will go to a church, and I STILL have lots of miscellaneous left, including about 25 stuffed toys. How do you get rid of those? (I'm contemplating turning them all into puppets)
But what did I do right after I sold a bunch of my old junk? I was feeling generous since it was also my birthday, so I went to Target and spent some gift card money on two new toys for my son. Granted, these were not impulse purchases, but why do I keep buying things when I really really do have ENOUGH STUFF!
Actually, I don't buy much for myself. Most of my shopping is about my children. But do they really need "more stuff" any more than I do?
Ten years ago I joined the Center for the New American Dream whose slogan was, "More Fun, Less Stuff". I have let my membership lag, but the ideas about living consciously and buying wisely have stuck with me. More stuff really doesn't mean more fun! In fact, more stuff leads to more work! You have to take care of your stuff and find places to store it. Or nag your kids to pick up their stuff.
I'm sure you have heard the word "AFFLUENZA" (I love it when new words are born!)

Noun: affluenza

1. An extreme form of materialism resulting from the excessive desire for material goods

Affluenza, even GREEN affluenza is an environmental concern. The more stuff you acquire, the more stuff you have to eventually dispose of. If people keep buying lots of stuff, lots of stuff will continue to be produced for people to consume.
I'm not much of a political person, but it bothers me that the US economy is gaged largely on the buying and selling of meaningless stuff. When consumer spending is down, the media launches into a tizzy about how the economy is suffering. Why does choosing not to buy non-essential items doom our country's economic system? Is it my patriotic duty to spend my tax rebate instead of saving it?
There are several books on the subject of Affluenza and Simple Living. Of course, I want to buy them (I'm so...confused!).

• Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle by David Wann
• Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John de Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H Naylor
• Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough by Clive Hamilton, Richard Denniss
• The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need by Juliet B. Schor
• The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs
  

Crunchy Chicken did a great chapter-by-chapter summary/review of Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic. She also has a Buy Nothing Challenge on her blog. 211 people have signed up to take the challenge! If you are ready to stop shopping (check out the rules...you are allowed to buy food!) maybe you can join up, too.