Eating Green

Yes, we can even go green with our eating! Eating green is a lot more than just buying organic foods. It is knowing where your food comes from, packaging information,  etc.

Below are several ways that people can make better choices for the environment when it comes to eating.

Tips for Eating Green

Go Local. Look for local farms that provide organic produce and only feed their animals organic foods. Not only are you helping the little guys, you are also, in many cases, making a greener choice.

Find Fairtrade Foods. When you are not going with local choices, this is a relevant alternative. The “Fairtrade” label means that the products meet the Fairtrade standards. This means that the goods usually priced fairly and producers are being treated fairly.

Go Organic. Make sire that what you buy has been made organically and in an eco friendly manner. Avoid chemicals and other harmful things that hurt the environment.

Recyclable Materials. Pay attention to packaging. Is it made from recyclable materials…or can it be recycled? This should be a major part of your decision making when choosing what to buy.

Just Say NO….to genetic modification. These are living things that have had their genetic make up changed and mixed with another living thing. Yuck. Plus, we do not know the long term negative affects of this ungodly way of doing things. There is only One God.

Free Range and Kindness are the only ways to go. Who wants to eat something that has been abused or mistreated? Not me. God never intended for us to mistreat animals. I do believe we can eat meat. However, I do not think that means be inhumane and cruel to them. Let the chicken run free, I say! LOL!

Seriously, this is a lot more than eating green. It is making choices that are not only good for the environment, but also ones that are pleasing to the Creator of the environment. God wants us to do what is right. It’s as simple as that, people!

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Cheesecake Factory Making Green Choices

I am a huge fan of the Cheesecake factory. They make some of the yummiest food. Recently, I went there for lunch and could not finish my food (go figure…lol). So, I asked for a doggie bag. When I came home I discovered that the container had  recycle symbol on it and the words “earth choice.”

I looked it up Online and found that there are several suppliers for green friendly containers! Awesome! I was very excited. I am not sure where the Cheesecake Factory gets their take home containers from, but I am very happy to know that a restaurant as popular as they are, and who most certainly has many people take home food (since their portions are so huge), has gone green in this area!

Needless to say, I am now going to ask the restaurants I visit if they use recyclable containers for the leftovers. I want to be prepared now. Honestly, I never even thought about it til now. Once I know who does and who does not, then I can come prepared with my own container if needed!

Just another simple way we can make a difference. Just another simple way we can be better stewards of the wonderful planet that God loaned to us.

Kudos to the Cheesecake Factory!!

By the way, they look like these, but dark gray.

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Reduce Your Trash

Trash is a huge issue for the environment. Dumps are overflowing and there are not enough landfills to keep all of the trash we make. It does not have to be that way. We can reduce the amount of trash we create by changing a few things we do.

Tips to reduce trash

• Buy Less. Only get what you need.
• Pay attention to Packaging. Go for minimal packaged products.
• Reuse paper. If only one side or half of it has been used. Use the rest. Make sure it is well used before throwing away.
• Baggies. Reuse plastic sandwich baggies. All sizes. Wash. Rinse. Use. Repeat.
• Glass Jars. Reuse them as pen holders, for food leftovers, storing buttons and such or anything else you can think to use a jar for.
• Cards. Birthday and holiday cards can be reused as well. Simply cut them into small tags to reuse on future gifts.
• Gift Bags. When you get a gift bag. Reuse it.
• Newspapers and Magazines. Use old issues to line drawers, litter boxes, etc.
• Clothes. Donate them to homeless shelters or resell them at second hand shops. If they are too old and worn, make rags out of them.
• Try and Fix it. If something breaks, see if it is salvage before you toss it. It may just need a minor fix.
• Have a Yard Sale. Your trash may be someone else’s treasure. Plus you can make a few bucks while helping the environment.
• Freecycle. Give it a way. Someone may need or want what you would like to toss.
• Recycle. Get on your towns recycling pick up list. If you cannot figure out a way to reuse some stuff at least recycle it.

These ideas are only meant to get your mind working and thinking. We need to be aware of the trash we create. Landfills are growing and we are running out of space for all the trash that we create. We need to start making a difference now, before our kids and grandchildren are left with a trash infested planet!

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Going Green with Cosmetics

Wearing makeup is what many women do. I am one of these women. I recently began to ask around about green and eco-friendly make up. Can we really go green with cosmetics? The answer is yes!

A few examples of how women can go green with cosmetics

Smaller packaging. choose items that have minimal packaging. This will be a huge benefit to the environment in the long run.

Go for organic. Look for organic made products and packaging. All natural is the better way to go. Look for vegetable extracts and products that do not contain synthetic chemicals. This will seem like a daunting task. Do not become discouraged though, there are companies that specialize in making natural cosmetics. You can view an extensive list here: safecosmetics.org/display.php?modin=50

No animal testing. I am not even sure how and why this practice ever began. However, it is no longer as popular and there are a lot of companies that do not do this barbaric practice. You can find a list of cosmetic companies who have made a public commitment to not test their products on animals here; leapingbunny.org.

These are just a few simple things that we can all do to be greener with our cosmetics. If every woman would make just one change in her cosmetics, we would see a huge impact for the positive. We seem to think that going green and being mindful of environmental issues is complicated. I am here to tell you that it is not. It simply requires on positive choice at a time!

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Green Tip – (04/20/09) – Go for Glass

Choose glass or another recyclable container packaging over plastic or other containers that cannot be recycled. Avoiding plastic is the goal. We use and discard more plastic than we should and it is leaving its nasty mark on the beautiful environment that God created for us to enjoy. Let’s make better efforts to choose our packaging more wisely. If we all begin to make better choices, manufacturers will be forced to make a change in the way they package their products.

We can be better stewards of God’s planet. We can make a difference…one green choice at a time!

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Green Friendly Home – Energy

One of the ways that we can help make a difference, is in our homes. There are simple steps to helping our home be more eco-friendly. Being green does not have to be complicated.

The following tips on controlling and managing the temperature and energy of your home are certain to get you on the road to be a better steward of God’s planet. They can also save you some spending green!

Green Home Energy Tips

• Add weather stripping to doors and windows of your home. Everywhere that air can seep in or out.
• Plant trees that lose their leaves in the winter. They will keep your home shady in the summer and help the sun come through in the winter.
• Put awnings and blinds up. They will promote shade and keep your home cool when you want it cool and warm when you want it warm.
• Use ceiling and floor fans as often as possible and limit air conditioning.
• Opening your windows is even better.
• If you live in a very warm climate and must have the air, keep the thermostat set to no lower than 78 degrees during the day, and around 75 degrees at night . If you use fans as mentioned above this will be cool.
• In the winter months keep your thermostat at around 70 degrees during the day and around 65 degrees at night.
• Use your kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans as little as possible. It takes air out of the house. You want to keep the cool or warm air in, depending no the weather.

These simple changes will make a positive impact on the environment and your wallet! You will feel better too, knowing that you are a part of the solution!

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Is it Expensive to be Green?

This is a question many people have asked me and unfortunately the answer is not that easy. While, yes, to buy organic and items that are green can be quite costly, there are also many ways to be green that are very affordable. You do not need to spend a lot of money to be green. It simple requires a willingness to be a better steward of God’s planet and some creativity.

When I first decided that I wanted to be green, I was not swimming in the green…if ya know what I mean. LOL! However, I had a desire to be a better steward of the planet and I started to brainstorm. Out of that brainstorming came Green Christian Network. It helps me be more creative and I am forced to come up with cheap and free ways to be an environmentally minded person.

Yep, that’s all it takes, people. Willingness and effort.

Eco Tips to Get Your Started on the Greener…Cheaper Path

• recycle. most states have recycling programs and they provide the bins and pick up service for minimal cost. It is actually a part of your garbage bill…at least it is in my town. this ONE act can do a world of good for the environment!
• reuse. start thinking about ways that you can reuse the items you use every day.
• limit paper use. stop overusing paper towels and paper products like they are going out of style. make the most of everything and use it more then once. we have many paper tips here.
• stop wasting. waste is something anyone and everyone can stop doing. it is free and simply requires willingness.

These are just a few simple changes to get you started. If you implement even one of them, you are already making a difference!

We would love to hear some of your ideas. Post them below or send them in!

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Green Tip – (04/13/09) – After Easter Tip

Every year I make my children a homemade Easter basket. Well, without even realizing it, I have been green all these years! This is just a quick tips…SAVE all your baskets, grass and eggs and reuse them every year. I use the same baskets I used when I had one child. The grass and plastic eggs are also reused year after year. The kids never say anything either…they are too wrapped up on what is inside to care! LOL!

Do you have any after Easter Tips for reusing? Post them below…

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Make the Most of your Clothing

A few simple habits that people may not think about can save water, money, trees, energy and more simple by taking better care of our clothing! Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of what you wear while helping the environment!

10 Make your Clothes Last Longer Tips

1. wear jeans at least 2 or three times. when you do wash them, do not dry.
2. speaking of do not dry, limit the amount of drying you do with a dryer. if possible, hang them up.
3. wear things more than once. they are not dirty just because you wore them one time.
4. hand wash. this will save clothing and use less water.
5. treat stains asap.
6. wash in cold water. avoid hot water when possible.
7. change your bra out. do not wear the same bra every day. swap them out and give the elasticity to bounce back. plus airing them out will help them need washing less.
8. if you have little kids, let them wear the same jammies for a few days. they do not have all their stinky hormone glands yet, so you can get away with it.
9. avoid wearing socks when you can. less socks means less washing. spring is here, wear sandles or flip flops.
10. hang your clothe back up or fold them and put them back in the drawer. if you leave them hanging around, you may drop them on the floor or forget they are clean!

I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me! Just a few changes and you will become a better steward of God’s planet!

Do you have any ideas to help make the most of clothing? Share them below!

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Green Tip – 04/08/09 – Frozen Juice Cans

You never need to toss these. There are several things that can be done to reuse those plastic cans that frozen juice come in. Let me share a few…

Reusing Frozen Juice Cans

Pen & Pencil Holder - This is a craft that I have done with my kids. You leave the bottom plastic piece in place. Clean it well. Dry. Cut a piece of construction paper (let your kids decorate it) or use old scrap paper into a size that will evenly wrap around the can. Tape or Glue. Place on desk. Add pens and pencils.

Biscuit or Cookie Cutter - Leave the bottom plastic piece in place. Cut the can to about a third of it’s original height. Just high enough to make good biscuits! Reuse over and over to make cookies and yummy biscuits perfectly shaped every time! (you can also use this idea for a play dough cutter)

Bath Toy - Kids will play with just about anything in the tub and mine love cups. Again, leave bottom in tact. Clean well. Toss in with bath toys.

Beach Toy – See above. Same concept. Great for making sand castles. (you can also use this idea for a sandbox toy)

There are countless things you can do to reuse these plastic cans. Just use your imagination and soon you will be saving money, having fun with your kids, becoming a green mean recycling machine and a great steward of God’s planet!

Do you have additional ideas? Post them below!

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