Green Remodeling

With the amount of lumber, concrete, and steel it takes to build a new home; it only makes sense to simply remodel your existing home. Provided your home is architecturally sound and has the potential to meet all of your needs, remodeling - instead of rebuilding - is one of the greenest things you can do. A thoroughly well-planned renovation can transform an ordinary home into your green dream home.

If your home is more than 20 years old, it is probably missing important features such as water saving fixtures, energy efficient windows, and insulation. A green remodel will not only fix these issues, it will also save you money on your monthly utility bills.

Any remodeling project can be overwhelming, especially when you don't know where to start. Some of the things to consider are:

• removing moldy carpets (leading casue of respitory problems)
• installing dual-flush toilets (saves you at least 20% on your monthly water bill)
• insulate your water heater (25% of every dollar you spend on energy goes to heat your water)
• efficient windows (the average home loses 30% of it's heat/air conditioning energy through it's windows)
• energy efficient appliances (energy star appliances can save you a good percentage on your energy bills)
• solar panels (pays for itself in 4-7 years.....think about it, no electric bill! Plus, it generates pollution and maintanence free electricity)
• Low-flow shower heads (reduce water and energy consumption by as much as 50%)

These are just a few of the things you can do to remodel your home in a responsible and green manner. Feel free to contact me for more ways that you can be green in remodeling your home.

Betterlivingenterprises@gmail.com

Green Building

With the green fever that has been sweeping the nation, why not also have that apply to building and remodling homes?

GREEN BUILDING is a way of building homes that allows people to be more responsible with our natural resources and energy. Whether building or simply remodling your home, green has become the most logical and economical choice.

The air quality inside our homes is worse than the air quality outside! This is due to formaldehyde in compressed wood counter tops and furniture, toxins in paints and common household cleaners; there are also the chemicals used to make our upholstry, linens and clothing. Just because you can't smell it does not mean it isn't lingering. This is why green matters!

A healthier way of building is to build green. In traditional construction, indoor air quality is polluted due to poor choice in building materials and inadequate lighting. A green home is designed, constructed and operated to enhance the well being of the occupants. Green homes also minimize the negative impacts on the community and environment.

A green home will:

• be easier to maintain and is built to last


• bring a higher resale value


• provide a healthier and more comfortable environment


• improve the indoor air quality


• provide occupant satisfaction


• incorporates energy and water efficient technologies


• include renewable energy technologies


• reduce construction and demolition waste

When you factor in the benefits I have listed, building a green home can save you money in both the construction and operation of your home.

Many people will tell you that building green will cost you more than a traditionally built home. In reality, with a clear budget, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to build a green home for the same price, or possibly less than, a traditional home.

If you are interested in building green, one such company that can help you is FIVE EAGLES DESIGN, LLC (http://www.5eaglesdesign.com/index.html) located in Charlestown, NH.

Five Eagles Design, LLC is a group of general contractors and designers specializing in the construction of energy efficient homes. It is the goal of Five Eagles Design, LLC to provide customized energy star quality homes for an affordable cost. Their business will guide you through all aspects of the home building process. They are partnered with Preferred Building Systems, who manufacture high quality modular homes that are energy efficient, built green and offer a comfortable lifestyle for the owners.

So if you're in the market for a new home, why not buy into something that will help the planet and help you save money.

Shop Green, Save Green (Spend Less)

By now I think I have stated it enough times.......going green does not have to be costly, and in fact it can save you hundreds of dollars on your overhead expenses!

If you shop around you will notice that due to everyone shopping green and demanding environmentally friendly products and services, we are all becoming more earth and health savvy, and therefore stores are going along with it. Where and how you spend your money shapes the world we live in. If we all started eating in moderation and bought more organic foods, we would have to be catered to. Remember that whole supply and demand thing you learned about in your early years of school? Well this is exactly what happens and what I am talking about.

Due to alot of people being more health conscious the stores have to stand up to the competition. For example, Whole Foods has their own line of organic products called 365. Not only is the 365 line cheaper than the name brand organics out there, they are also often cheaper than their non-organic alternatives.

Another way to cut back on expenses is buying in bulk. This does not mean buying large cases at your local price club. Buying in bulk simply means buying the largest size of a product that you were going to purchase anyway. Buying a 64 ounce bottle of laundry detergent is better for our planet than buying a 32 ounce bottle,. It not only uses the smallest amount of packaging per ounce, it also saves you some money per ounce, and that means there is less waste going into our landfills.

BYOB! Bring Your Own Bags! Almost every supermarket I have been to offers some sort of "bag credit." I have received discounts between 2 and 10 cents per bag for bringing my own. There are huge positive impacts to skipping out on the plastic bags. Too many plastic bags have ended up as litter making their way into oceans, killing marine animals, sea creatures and birds by the millions. Man made plastics don't biodegrade and stick around for thousands of years!

And although paper may be recyclable, they can be worse. According to the Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment (www.ilea.org), although nearly 20% of paper bags are recycled, it takes more energy and creates more waste to make one paper bag than it does to make 2 plastic bags.

The U.S. has begun to follow in the footsteps of countries that have banned or heavily tax the use of plastic bags. Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and some U.S. cities have begun to take a stand. San Francisco has banned plastic bags since March 2007. There are various other cities, such as New York, considering the same eco-friendly move. Read more about plastic bag bans at www.treehugger.com
Search "plastic bag ban"

You probably already know that eating less meat is better for your health. It is also better for the environment! Here's the rundown: Methane from captive livestock is responsible for 1/5th of all greenhouse gas emmissions caused by humans.

Eating less meat will also result in saving for you! Like in any health conscious diet, moderation is key! A "normal" serving of meat should be no bigger than the palm of your hand. And half of your plate should be filled with greens/vegetable. The last small part left can be a carb of some sort or can just be left empty.

You can also save money by substituting your meat for another source of protein. A pound of organic lentils might cost you about $2 and will yield you around 13 servings! Cheaper and serves more than a pound of ground meat would. Lentils are packed with nearly as much protein as the beef! So why not give it a try? You don't have to become a vegetarian, but consider cutting out meat once a week to start with.

You can save money on vegetables by buying locally and in season. Local farmers are more likely to sell you produce a little bit cheaper since they are selling it to you directly. There is no middle man or shipping involved.

Another way to save on produce is to grow your own! A packet of tomatoe seeds might cost you $3 (about the price of a pound of tomatoes at a supermarket). The seeds will produce fresh, tasty tomatoes that will last all summer long.

GREEN CLEAN = SAFE CLEAN

What is the meaning of clean? The ammonia smell that lingers after you've cleaned using a toxic cleaner? That is really chemicals lingering behind in your home that you are inhaling.....not my definition of clean. But there is nothing to fear! There are options out there for cleaning that are safe and effective!

The first thing I will address is all of these companies that for years have been producing toxic cleaning products are now providing us with "green" and "eco-friendly" products. They think they are doing us a favor by saturating the market and making it readily available......the only problem is that "green" and eco-friendly" or even "Earth Smart!" mean nothing! The reason for this is that many companies out there are claiming to be green without any support to their claims and still contain toxic chemicals. Some of the "all natural" ingredients/chemicals are naturally occuring such as formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been known to be toxic.

General All-Purpose cleaners contain an array of chemicals that can be harmful on their own, forget about the toxic fumes they produced when combined with other chemicals! The basic ones like chlorine bleach and ammonia produce fumes that can be dangerous for people with respitory and heart problems. PLEASE NEVER EVER CONSIDER COMBINING these two as they become MORE TOXIC!

Many cleaners contain petroleum based surfactants (can mimic the hormone estrogen) or other chemicals that can easily be absorbed through the skin and damage nerves. Do these ingredients sound like "clean" to you now?

Here's an important thing to remember and I hope many people start to understand....CLEAN HAS NO SMELL! All those "clean" scents you smell are really synthetic frangrances meaning, you guessed it, more chemicals that linger around for us to inhale.

If you are truely trying to be green, you should also be looking to lower you carbon footprint through buying and using less plastic. True green cleaners will come in a superconcentrated form meaning you end up spending less money and putting less plastic into our landfills.

A simple rule to keep in mind when shopping is the less packaging, the better. When I have a choice, I buy the largest size available. Less packaging is more green.

As I write this, I think back to the days when I would lock myself in my bathroom to clean because I did not want my children exposed to the nasty fumes released by the bathroom cleaner I used at the time. My youngest was diagnosed with asthma and I did not need a trip to the emergency room or a rushed nebulizer treatment. But locking myself in would only cause more harm to me as there was no fresh air circulating nor did I realize that the fumes linger and my children would be exposed to them, even if at a lower levels. Since switching to green cleaners, I have not had to lock myself in the bathroom and can even clean with my children in the same room. I have even begun to let them help me when they want to and they are only 3 and 4 years old! I don't have to worry about any toxins they maybe being exposed to!

I personally use the line of cleaners Shaklee has to offer for my family. I have had the same bottle of BASIC H2 concentrate for over a year now and I might be half way done with it. This has significantly saved me lots of money and trips to the supermarket just for cleaning products. This solution in different concentrations makes my all purpose cleaner, windows/mirrors cleaner, and my degreaser. I also keep reusing the same plastic bottles, significantly reducing both my carbon footprint and my contribution to our local landfill.

Just imagine this for one second, 5,824 spraybottles piled up in your backyard. Now transfer them over to your local landfill. This is not what I want to leave behind for my children! And I know you are asking yourself why the number 5,824? Because that is the number of bottles of window cleaner you get from ONE bottle of the BASIC H2 concentrate!

I have done some thorough research to make sure that all of the company's claims hold up to what they promise and that they are all natural. There are other options out there, and I would gladly discuss the best options for each individual, personally. Feel free to contact me through email at betterlivingenterprises@gmail.com

There is so much more that could be said about the cleaners that are commonly used around the house, and I have not even begun to touch on laundry, hand soaps, drain cleaners, dishwashing detergents, etc. It may all sound scary, but there is still hope. Clean Green...

Book Review on FOOD MATTERS

FOOD MATTERS: A Guide to Conscious Eating
by Mark Bittman


This book confirms what I have already mentioned: the lifestyle choice you make not only makes you healthier by reducing your risk of many long term and chronic diseases, it can also help you to loose weight if you need to, save you REAL money, and help stop global warming!

No change comes without effort, but the changes are not as hard as you think and take less time than your average workout routine. Knowing this can intrigue anyone. Don't take it from me, read this book for yourself and confirm what I am talking about.

The book is divided into two basic sections. The first section will make you rethink about your food consumption. You will learn how we tend to overindulge and how we have come to considering these outrageous portions we eat to be "normal." Bittman does an amazing job with a brief history of our over consumption of food. Think you're doing good following the food pyramid guidelines? Ever think that the government would want to help or hurt when it comes to our food consumption? Think again.

The second section offers tons of recipes that are good for you, the earth, and they're yummy too!

I really enjoyed reading Bittman's book, FOOD MATTERS: A Guide to Conscious Eating, and I think you will too. It really fortifies the old adage, "You are what you eat."

Eating Green

One easy way to improve your health, the health of your family, and the health of the planet is to EAT GREEN!

I LOVE FOOD! Who doesn't?!?! Our love for food has contributed to increased rates of obesity and many other health issues. Unfortunately, it has also made a HUGE impact on our planet!

Food is so much more that the fuel that keeps us going. It involves choosing, cooking, eating and sharing with the family and friends. Over the centuries we have gone from being primitive and foraging to only a handful of us being farmers and the rest of us getting our food at a supermarket. This is where things get a little sticky....something that was meant to be simple and stressfree has become a health concern.

Most of what we buy, cook, and eat has been tainted with synthetic chemicals at almost every stage of its existence. There are chemicals to kills things (pesticides), Chemicals to make things grow faster (fertilizers, growth hormones, anitbiobtics), and chemicals that make things look better than they would and last longer than they should.

Yes, the government does set limits on just how much of each chemical is used, and they claim that the levels they approve are safe. Yet, they do not conduct rigorous testing to make sure that none of those limits are exceeded.

How can we know that we are not putting these chemicals into our bodies? Buy organic!
Not even 100 years ago, all farming was organic!
The organic food market has grown drastically over the past decade. It used to be that you could only find organic foods in specialty stores, but it is now available almost everywhere. Even Wal-Mart is getting on the trend. Organic foods are even becoming an important part of restaurants and school cafeterias!

So what stops everyone from buying organic? Habit and cost. It really is not ignorance anymore. Shoppers understand that organic foods are better for them and their families. And yes, organic is a tad bit pricier than conventionally grown foods. But I have to ask, what is more important, buying more less expensive food or getting used to eating just a little less and eating organic healthier food?

Let me break down the reasons why organically grown food is more expensive. The first reason is because it's more expensive for farmers to produce. Organic seeds cost more money. Then, there is also a lot of manual labor involved without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. People cost much more than chemicals. There are also stricter requirements and inspections, which obviously cost more. And because of the labor and laws, most organic farms aren't as big as conventional farms. Organic farmers do not achieve what economists call "economies of scale," which means the more you produce, the lower the cost of each item.

Aside from mentioning what isn't in organic foods, I should also mention what IS in them. Researchers have found that organic foods contain higher levels of essential nutrients and more cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods. Here's an example, organic ketchup was found to have 5 times the amount of the antioxidant lycopene than conventional ketchup. This fact makes it even more worth the price!

Now here's a tip, YOU CAN BE ORGANIC ON A BUDGET!
Be smart about what you buy. The FDA found you can reduce your pesticide intake by 90% if you ate only organic versions of 12 produce items.

peaches

apples

sweet bell peppers

celery

nectarines

strawberries

cherries

pears

imported grapes

spinach

lettuce

potatoes

To top it off, if you buy Organic items when they are IN SEASON, they will be priced slightly lower and produced more locally, which contributes to lowering your carbon footprint!

You can also shop around. With the increasing popularity of organic foods, you can bet that every grocery store wants your buisness, therefore they are more inclined to try and compete through everyday values and sales. And when you do find a deal, buy lots of it if you can freeze it or if it isn't perishable.

BUY LOCAL!!!! Buying locally grown fruits, vegetables and meats has become easier. Many supermarkets feature them in season and there is always your local farmers market. If you buy foods in season they will be cheaper because they are abundant. Fuel costs (part of your carbon footprint) are not incorporated into the price. And I can pretty much guarantee that locally grown food will taste better.

Being that the major chains in supermarkets have caught on, there's a pretty good chance that the stores own brand will offer you organic choices cheaper than the big-name brands. Choose it!

There is always the option of growing your own produce! This is something to seriously consider. You'd be surprised at how much you can grow in a small amount of space. Don't have a garden or a back yard? Consider container gardening! With roughly two square feet, you can grow greens that will keep you satisfied for months!

There is also the meat factor. There are various reasons beyond concern for the environment to change the way we look at meat. The qaulity of life for livestock can be an influential factor. It has caused many people to become vegetarian. Instead of allowing cows and other animals to graze and roam naturally, they are confined and fed grain and corn grown using pesticides. Simply reducing meat consumption would make a HUGE impact in lowering you carbon footprint. And health wise, lowering meat consumption can help with lowering cholesterol and limit the intake of unnecessary chemicals such as hormones and antibiotics.

I will be honest, I love meat! But I do not need to have meat at every meal to survive! I try to limit my meat intake to a small portion at dinner time. I also have the family eat a vegetrian meal one night a week. My kids look foward to "veggie night" weekly.

Eating green alone is not the answer, it is a cummulative effort. And that has been the point to my blog. To present tons of small steps we can take to slowly become greener and live more in harmony with nature. We only have one planet Earth, lets try to preserve it for our current health and the health of future generations.

Green Cleaning.....better and safer!

Cleaning is basically a fact of life and has become a necessity. How you clean is entirely up to you. But what does "clean" mean? We all grow up with the over powering stench of amonia meaning that our homes are "clean." I grew up associating "clean" with the chemical stench of the many cleaning products that were assumed to be cleaning and sanitizing. Associating chemicals with clean is a common yet dangerous mistake.

Have you ever stopped to think about the WARNING labels on any product containing amonia or bleach? Why would there be a WARNING on a product that is suppossed to be helping me maintain a CLEAN AND SAFE environment for me and my family? Yes the government allows the use of potentially hazardous ingredients in these products, but we are warned that we should not have long exposure to nor inhale the products. We are also told that they could cause irritations, blindness, and potentially even death! Were you aware that companies do not have to list ALL of the ingredients in their hazardous products? They are only legally required to list the products that have already been found to be hazardous to our health. Honestly, the government has no clue as to what ingredients in common household cleaners are safe because they do not require manufacturers to test them.

There has not been sufficient testing done to determine the long term effects of exposure to commercial cleaning products. Many ingredients in common household cleaners have been linked to various childhood health problems, such as asthma or even some cancers. Is it your fault? NO! The manufactures do not inform us of the potential carcinogens, hormone dusrupters, neurotoxins, etc...Why should they inform us? They know that if we, the consumers, were aware that the products we depend on contained dangerous chemicals, we'd stop buying them!

Despite the warnings, consumers continue to buy hazardous cleaning products. So to help clarify things a bit, here are a few of the WARNINGS used on product labels:

DANGER: products with this word on it must be used with EXTREME care. If used incorrectly, you could get sick, hurt, go blind or die! This label is also applied to products that can explode if heated.

WARNING: less of a warning than DANGER, but still means that you get become sick or get hurt. This could also mean that the product can easily catch fire.

CAUTION: used on products that can irritate your skin, make you sick if you inhale the fumes, or hurt you if it were to get in your eyes.

Here's a little challenge for you. Go grab on of your conventional household cleaners. Examine the label. Think about what I've told you about the WARNINGS. Next look at the ingredients, I bet you can't even pronounce half of them! Go to the Household Products Database at the National Institutes of Health (hpd.nlm.nih.gov), and look up two or three of your favorite cleaning products. You can even try looking up one of the ingredients commonly in cleaners such as butylcellosolve. Believe me, you will be shocked, I sure was!

Knowing what you have just read, take it upon yourself to expose your family and yourself to less chemicals!

Over cleaning is one of the reasons why so many of use have developed allergies, we do not allow our bodies to develop an immunity to many things in our environment because we are always killing through over sanitizing. Sanitizing is needed for extreme cases, such as a cancer patient that might be undergoing a bonemarrow transplant and will not have an immune system for some time.

Choose or make effective green cleaners and clean kindly! Most green cleaners are plant-based so that soaps and detergents are biodegradable. Biodegradable means that they break down easily instead of creating more garbage. Use cleaners that contain plant based solvents and ammonia-free glass cleaners. Get rid of any cleaning products that contain any potentially harmful ingredients. As mom always says, it's better to be safe than sorry.

When getting rid of household cleaners, please dispose of them properly. Do not empty the cleaners into your sinks. The chemicals will up affecting the planet. Look up a local "CLEAN UP DAY." Workers take all of you potentially hazardous cleaners and chemicals to properly dispose of them. Take a close look at how these workers are dressed. You will notice that they look like astronauts, covered from head to toe. They wear protective gear so that they do no absorb any of the chemicals through their skin or inhale any of the fumes. Now how many times have you locked yourself in the bathroom with the same cleaners that these workers don't even want to be exposed to?

For a greener home, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!

In this world, there are many cultures in which people remove their shoes when they get home. It is also a sign of respect for one to take their own shoes off when visiting the homes in which this is practiced. The transition from outdoors to indoors is not only cultural, it also has practical implications as well as symbolic of treating the home as a sacred place.

In applying this to creating a green home, removing shoes is a way to not only cut back on the cleaning of your floors, but it also avoids tracking in outdoor dirt, pollutants, pesticides, germs, fungicides chemicals and even animal feces into your living space. Did you ever think that you could actually bring all of that into your home?

In our home we have a rule, no matter who you are, your shoes come off at the front door and you leave them there. It is kind of like washing your hands before you eat, or covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. It just seems like common sense that shoes worn outdoors should not be worn indoors. We walk around barefoot, in slippers, socks, or a special pair of sneakers reserved for indoor use only. Especially if your house has any form of carpeting, in which outdoor shoes can rub all sorts of nasty stuff off the soles of your shoes and accumulate, no matter how religiously you vaccum.

This is one of the simplest steps with which we can reduce pollutants in the home environment, so it makes sense. It also adds a nice change of pace in your day by adding the recognition that you are stepping into a different aspect of your life, your home.

It may feel a tad bit uncomfortable to request that guests take their shoes off. You can suggest to your guests that you live with this custom by having a clear place to store shoes. We have a big welcome mat so that everyone can step in to take their shoes off. The mat can easily be picked up and cleaned. We also keep a boot tray out where we keep our shoes.

Having a specific area not only lets your guests know that you have a shoeless home, it also can create a feeling of being able to strip off the days stresses!

Even in the times when you have the occassional plumber or any worker come into your home with dirty dingy workboots, you have every right to request that they wear booties over their boots. It's usually the policy of most service companies to keep a supply of booties, but since they are usually not requested, most workers do not wear them.

In the end, whether it is due to cultural tradition, trying to save the planet or for the health of your own family and home, why not kick off your shoes? It will not only destress you, your health will also thank you.

Healthy home, healthy you

We are all constantly hearing about what we should and should not be doing to try and save our planet. We know you do honestly care, but let's face it we all get a little too busy to actually do anything. But I can guarantee that if you knew of a few green actions that would mean more green in your wallet, you'd find a way to play a more active role even with a busy lifestyle.

SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL:

Replace all of your traditional light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. At least replace the five most frequently used lights in your home with CFL's.
I know you may have heard this a thousand times before, but this simple move is guaranteed to not only waste alot less energy but also keep your hard earned dollars in your wallet!
YES, the bulbs are a little pricier than your regular light bulbs but they are guaranteed to last to last at least two years. If one blows before that, the manufacture will replace it. Basically, you use less energy so you save on your electric bill and you won't have to buy more light bulbs for at least two years!

Another way to keep your money in it's rightful place (your wallet) when it comes to your electric bill is to unplug any electrical devices around the home that are not being used! Believe it of not just because your device is off doesn't mean that it isn't sucking up power, raising your electric bill. I like to use surge protectors so that I don't have to unplug everything, I simply turn the strip off! I also have devices that are not used often, such as our VCR, that I only plug in when we do use it. I always unplug my coffee maker once my coffee is done. I have other ways of telling time and really don't need it on 24/7. For those that use the programing feature on their coffee maker, set it up before you go to sleep and unplug it in the morning before you leave for work. Does it really need to be on all day? I also always unplug my cell phone charger once it's done charging. If my phone is not attached to it, I am needlessly wasting energy keeping my charger plugged in. We also use the old fashioned method of air drying some of our clothes.

I know you maybe thinking that it's impossible to save the world while saving money. I will share with you that my electric bill averages $70. Not bad for a 2 story house. the family and I watch TV, I charge my phone, use a coffee maker, microwave, wash and dry my clothes, use my computer, charge the cordless phones, etc.

Another simple thing you can do during those nice sunny days is open your windows and use nature to illuminate your home!

SAVE MONEY ON YOUR HEATING BILL:

We all know the old use a programmable thermostat rule, right? In the middle of winter there is really no reason why the thermostat should HAVE to be over 68 degrees. Any degree above that will significantly raise your heating bill. The heat can also be turned down even lower for times that there will be no one in the home. And no matter how cold it is at night, the thermostat can actually be turned down a few degrees when everyone is sleeping. When we are sleeping our bodies do not require as much heat to stay warm. Plus we have all those blankets and comforters that we hide under.

Another way to help out with your heating bill is to not have to heat up so much water. Let me make something clear to you: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BOIL YOUR UNMENTIONABLES TO GET THEM CLEAN!

You will be perfectly fine washing all of your threads in cold water. Washing you clothes in hot water can cost up to 9 times as much per load, and warm water will cost up to 5 times as much. The water, soap, and agitation are all you really need for all of your clothes to come out clean.

There are a few things, such as oily stains, that do need hot water. You can pretreat it and soak it in hot water. The amount of water needed to fill a bowl or bucket is much less than would be needed to fill up your washing machine. And of course if your clothes were to come in contact with something such as poison ivy, you would need to wash it in hot water. But for the most part you can chill out and live with a clearer conscience knowing that you will cut your annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 320 pounds.

This is just a small sample of what you can do to save money and our world at the same time.

Buying Local

FARMERS' MARKETS ARE RETURNING IN NY! With the warm weather approaching, I not only look foward to getting the kids out just about everyday, I look foward to my weekly trips to my local farmers' market! Buying local is the best thing to do whenever you can. Some stores tend to carry some locally grown food, when possible and in season of course.

Buying local is good for your health, your community and the environment! Your decision to buy local has a huge impact on your community. If you want to lower your carbon footprint and get the freshest best tasting food, all you have to do is shop close to home as often as possible. And spread the word, encourage friends and neighbors to do the same.

When you buy locally you support your neighboring farms, the city, town, state, and/or region. You will find many of the same things that you do at your local supermarket, only it didn't have to ride on an airplane of across 10 state lines before it gets to it's final destination, your kitchen. While you are doing your part to decrease your carbon footprint, you are also doing your part to help keep more money in your own local and surrounding communities. This is possible if you make it a point to buy at least a few local products whenever you go shopping.

Many stores and local farmers markets offer fresh, local poultry, meats, seafood, dairy products, eggs, regional wines, honey, baked goods, jams and jellies, fruits, vegetables and flowers. What is available to you depends on where you live, but there is always something local and fresh!

The benefits of buying locally produced foods are not only to provide your family with the freshest food possible. It helps keep shipping costs out of the price you pay for you items. It also cuts down on the environmental impact of fuels and emissions that come along with getting those strawberries from California when they are not in season in New York. I can also guarantee that local farmers would very much appreciate your purchases, which help them stay in buisness.

When local farmers' markets are not operating, commit to buying at least some of your produce at supermarkets and retailers that are commited to selling more locally produced products in their stores. Encourage local restuarants to buy some of their ingredients from local growers. Our individual and combined efforts really can make a difference!

to find a farmer's market by you click the link below:

http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

Green Gardening.....

With the gardening season approaching I thought I would touch on "green" gardening, specifically composting.

For our garden this year I picked up some organic seeds so that we can grow organic vegetables. Organic seeds are harvested from their organic parent. No chemicals are used to grow the fruits/vegetables yeilding organic seeds.

What better way to feed my garden then to do it in an organic and environmentally friendly way. Not to mention it also stretches your hard earned, already spent dollar.

Creating a compost at home is an excellent thing for both you and the environment! Alot of people know this, but do not know why or if they are into this whole GREEN thing sweeping the nation.

There are TONS of resources out there for composting. Everything from books to articles and even free videos on the internet. I'm here to serve as a helping hand, as someone who is doing it for herself. So for starters....

WHY COMPOST?

I am sure many people out there wonder why they should even bother composting. Whether you have a grand garden in your yard or if you have a container garden, anything that grows in soil will LOVE fresh compost. It is natures best food for growing plants. Plus, composting cuts down on the amount of trash you are contributing to your local dump. On average for the person that eats at home on a regular basis, one third of the garbage you put out each week could be used for composting.

SETTING UP A COMPOST:

When I speak of composting to friends, at first they are quick to talk about how they don't want a big stinky pile in their yard or that they can not afford one of those big compsot bins that are "needed." Well let me tell you that you neither have to have one of those specialty compost bins nor a big stinky pile.

With a compost you are providing a nice muddy place for bacteria to live and thrive. You dump in your scraps and the bacteria decomposes the material. And the heat needed for the bacteria to thrive is not based on the temperature outside, the heat builds from the microorganisms inside. You can even compost in winter if you chose to.

The two basic ingredients to any compost pile are wet stuff and dry stuff. That's it!

First you need to chose where you will have your compost. If you really want or need one of those compost bins that accelarate the process, go ahead, but you don't need to spend tons of money. The other way to build a compost is to literally have a pile in your yard. You can build a box for your pile with anything from wooden pallets to cinder blocks. I keep mine in a rubbermaid type container right outside my kitchen door.

You can start your compsot with a layer of dry leaves or straw. Then you dump your kitchen scraps and cover it with a dry layer. The dry layer is what will keep your pile from stinking!


WET AND DRY

Wet materials are your kitchen scraps from your fruit and vegetables. Banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, broccoli stalks, etc. Pretty much anything except for meat, fish and dairy are fair game. Just be sure to chop up larger pieces so that they can decompose easier and break down faster.

The dry stuff can be leaves that have fallen from trees. So the next time you are raking and bagging piles of dead leaves, save a couple of those bags and you'll have a good supply for your dry layers. If you live in a state where you don't have to rake leaves, you can buy a bale of straw at your local garden store or nursery.

LETTING GO

The final part of composting is knowing when to let go of your pile. Basically after you have built several layers of wet and dry you need to let go. Top everything with a layer of dry leaves or straw. NEVER end with a layer of scraps, it is what will create a not so pleasant odor and attract raccoons. Cover it tightly and protect it from the rain and leave it alone. Nothing more than the occassional monhly jab with a pitch fork is needed. The pile should do it's job in about a year or so.

In the meantime you can start another pile and before you know it, you will have the best fertilizer you didn't even have to buy (talk about stretching money already spent). On top of helping your garden by feeding it the best thing you possibly can, you have reduced your waste, and helped the earth and humanity.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information on this post please either add a comment or email me at betterlivingenterprises@gmail.com.

Why Go Green?

When my husband and I decided to go green we thought that it wasn't going to be easy, but we quickly realized that being green became contagious. We started with the simple things like switching our regular lightbulbs to CFL's and our toxic cleaners to more eco-friendly ones. Before we realized it, it grew and became a life changing reflex.

We all want what is best for our health, our families and future generations. We don't have to be superheroes to save our beloved earth. We only need to give it a little more thought when we make everyday decisions. We all buy and eat fast food because it's cheap or microwave leftovers because it's convenient. Do we ever give it a second thought about how these actions effect our planet? There are pesticides allover the lawns where children play and even in our homes!!! We use toxic chemicals to clean our homes, the clothes we wear, and dishes from which we we eat and cook with. Our planet is polluted by toxins, even the food we eat contain pesticides and carcinogens.

We have lost our connection with nature and the importance of it. Due to our lack of knowledge and habits our planet is suffering. But there is hope. By learning more about our environment and what is healthy and safe, as well as changing many of our habits we can help to create a better world.

To Be Continued.........

Going Green

What do you think when you think about going green? That it's expensive, or maybe it's too much work. Does it mean giving up meat?!?!?! Well the answers to all these questions are No, no and NO!



There are extremely minor changes that one can make in their home and lifestyle that will not only help save the planet, but create a HEALTHIER YOU!



A little over a year ago my husband and I had decided to switch over to green cleaners. We immediately saw the difference! We no longer had headaches, runny noses, cold and bronchial issues after cleaning! In this process we had learned that Shaklee Corp. has been setting the standards by leading the way for over 50 years! Shaklee's cleaners are not only green, but they can help you save the green in your wallet or let you make more green! If you want to know how simply ask me!

So, our first step was to switch our cleaning products. Second step, become Shaklee distributors and help others switch their cleaning products. Now what else can we do to improve our lives and be healthier? Little by little we changed the things we do, such as using reusable shopping bags, recycling, switching our light bulbs to CFL's, conserving energy by using big appliances like dishwashers, washers and dryers at night, using cold water to wash clothes, leaving our shoes at the door, etc......was all of this done over night? OF COURSE NOT! We tackled these things one at a time until it became a habit before moving on to the next. They say it takes 30 days of doing something routinely for it to become a habit....meaning you do it without having to think about it anymore.

We now have our consulting buisness, Better Living Enterprises, with which we help people green their lives! Whether ready to take baby steps or a complete makeover we can help you create a healthier lifestyle and while at it contribute to saving our beautiful planet!