Thirty-Six - DIY Hand Sanitizer

Schools are breeding grounds for disease and bacteria -- and teachers need to do anything they can to keep themselves from getting sick. I am not a fan of hand sanitizer because I don't really know what's in it and it is used so religiously by many people, though I understand the benefits of having clean hands, especially when I can't stop and wash them every time I touch something another person has touched. I found this recipe I decided to try from Discovery's Plant Green.

Simple. The hardest part is collecting the ingredients, but once you have them, they last a long time. I was able to get them all at my co-op (of course).





In a small dispenser bottle, combine 1 teaspoon of aloe Vera gel with 2 drops each of cinnamon, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus essentials oils. (Cinnamon oil is a natural antibacterial). Then add 5 drops of either lemon, grapefruit or orange oil a little bit of distilled water to top it off. Shake it and you're good to go!

Peace!

Recycling Update

One of our CFLs finally died. :( We've had them for a long, long time. But now were wondering -- what do we do with them? Turns out, it's illegal to throw them in the trash due to mercury. Here is a write-up from the City of Minneapolis' website (which we linked in our blog post on our recycling center).


"Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) can now be recycled at Menard’s or Home Depot. Only CFL are accepted. It is illegal to throw CFL’s in the garbage due to the presence of a small amount of mercury. For more information on your recycling options, visit: www.minnesota.earth911.org or http://www.pca.state.mn.us/"


Peace!

Thirty-Five - Learning a New Skill

Guthrie and I decided that we could save money and become more sustainable if we learned new skills.

Laura - Knitting

My mitten!

I started a knitting class at the Yarnery that I LOVE! Well, let me back up. I asked my mother, a knitter, to reteach me. That last time I knitted
was over ten years ago and it was a scarf that was never finished (it was definitely not
rectangular!). My mother showed me how to knit a basic scarf, and I was instantly hooked.
Plus, I was so happy when I could give it to Guthrie, who was in the market for another
scarf. Despite start up costs (needles), it was cheaper for me to make it. The class is great!
I am learning how to make mittens -- casting on, knitting, purling, adding, decreasing, spit-
splicing, sewing, different stitch patterns, reading a pattern, the works! I am pumped for my
next projects - fingerless mittens, leg warmers, a new scarf for me (definitely in need since
moving back to MN!), birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, all hand-made by me. Now if only I had
a sheep and was able to make my own yarn... :)

Guthrie - Home Brewing
I started thinking about all of the tasty beer I have had over the years and how I don't have a clue as to how to make beer. I decided that learning how to brew my own beer will not only be cost effective in the long run and more environmentally friendly than buying my beer elsewhere all the time, but will enhance my appreciation of good beer. I hope to one day grow my own hops to make my new skill an even more enviro friendly one. As soon as I get a brew kettle I will be starting!

Thirty-Four - Plastic Bread Clips/Ties

We love bread, but there are usually two things that come with bread: the plastic bag and the twist-tie or plastic clip. We reused the plastic bag for cleaning out our kittie's litter boxes, but Guthrie decided to go on a mission to find a better use for the tie instead of the trash, and then in our oceans. From a couple of websites (Gomestic and RecycleThis) he found some ideas (the ones in bold are what we will be using them for):

-put them on the end of parcel tape--you won't lose the end!
-guitar pick
-use as a scraper on non-stick pans -- they won't scratch the surface
-bookmark (clip a couple of pages together)
-children can use it for counting and sorting (as a teacher, I am always looking for manipulatives like these, I've never thought of this before!)
-scrape paint off of glass windows without scratching the surface
-organize and label all of the cords and cables behind your entertainment center
-sewers/knitters can use this to wind spare thread and yarn or extra long tails
-knitters/crocheters can also use them as markers
-poker chips
-board game markers when you lose them
-ties can be used to secure plants to stakes

You may be wondering why Guthrie isn't writing the entry if this was his idea, but he is currently undertaking one of the projects (labeling our cords) and so I am helping him out. :)

Honestly, the real solution to this is making our own bread at home and storing it in a dry large tin (like those popcorn tins) or a tight closing bread box. I have made wheat bread a few times, but with grad school, I am going to use the time excuse :( Hopefully we will have a blog down the road with how we have changed our bakery habits--it's on the list of ideas. Remember, going green means small changes that are sustainable in you own life. Little by little!

Oh! Guthrie just finished - there you go:

Peace!

Thirty-Three - Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Guthrie and I have our first Christmas tree! We have been looking into this one for a long time. We first approached the debate as which is greener: a real tree you cut down year after year (and hardwood forests which store more CO2 are being cut down to put up pine tree farms) and dispose of or an artificial tree you buy about every ten years, reuse, and it made all of plastic (PVC) and are mostly made in China. Turns out, the former is more eco-friendly (if you replant it or recycle it and turn it into mulch. TreeHugger debates these two options. We went with neither! Instead, we opted for the tree that is living and stays living for hopefully a long, long time. We bought a pine tree in a pot for the house! It is a pretty looking house plant called a Norfolk Pine that is soft and fairly low-maintaince. You repot it every 3-4 years. We started with a little 3' one that was $30 from Linders. We figure this way we can grow into it. The tree is sturdy enough from some decorations for a month out of the year (just make sure the lights are cool and the ornaments are not too heavy!). 

Happy holidays and peace!

Thirty-Two - Draft Dodger + Saving on Heat & Energy during the Winter

light reflecting off of the plastic

The plastic is officially up on the windows it's snowy outside and winter is officially here! We also put the heat on for the first time last week and decide that maybe plastic on the windows won't be enough. We want to find a way to keep the thermostat set to as low as possible, without sacrificing comfort, to save energy, money, and of course, help out Mother Earth. One solution was the make a Draft Dodger. It was my second attempt at the sewing machine, and it was, well, kind of a disaster. After breaking a needle, I can now say I have completed the project and it is functional (though not very pretty). There are many options for draft dodgers. Renest has some links for ones that are premade -- you just fill them with rice or beans. There is also a make-your-own version that was done with old socks. I cut apart an old t-shirt, sewing it together (kind of in a tube-like shape) and stuffed more old t-shirts in it. Finally, there is the fancy DIY Martha Stewart kind--way too complicated for me, but maybe you have a better relationship with your sewing machine.

t-shirt bits

Here are some other tips for keeping you warm over the winter:

old black t-shirt = new draft dodger!

1. Get a rug for bare floors -- luckily we are in the upper level so ours are heated by the downstairs neighbor -- thank you!
2. Drink something warm - I'm drinking tea right now!
3. Reverse your ceiling fan - since warm air rises, push it back down where you are at. Guthrie and I do not have a fan so we can't do this one.
4. Snuggle! Guthrie and I are looking into another cat to help in that department :)
5. Hot water bottle -- since Guthrie and I do not have a thermostat with a timer (if you have one -- use it!), we turn off our heat at night. Though I am sadly out of shape when it comes to toughing out MN weathers, I am unsure how much our many blankets will keep us warm on those really REALLY cold nights. If it's extra chilly, try this camping trick -- heat up some water and put it in a water bottle. Stick the water bottle in a large sock and put it in your bed with you. Keeps you toasty!
6. Finally, consider heating up just the space you need. Close vents if you can and turn off certain radiators. Sadly, we can't control the heat room by room, but are thinking about investing in a space heater so that we can keep the main heat off if we are only planning on being in one room. I'll let you know if we try it and how it goes.

Peace!

The No-Impact Project - Starting January 3rd

Guthrie and I are signing up to participate in the next round of the No Impact Project. It is the "one week carbon cleanse". It models what NYC writer Colin Beavan did with his family for a year -- slowly look at different aspects of their lives (waste, water, electricity, transportation, etc) and made systematic changes to lower their impact. His book No Impact Man has been turned into a movie with the same name. On his website, he invites you to do the same for one week. The great thing is that it starts on specific dates so that you can connect with others in your area who are doing the same. They make it real easy with a how-to manual on what to do on each day plus interesting facts. Obviously, you do what you can; making any change is a positive one. What Colin found out was that during the course of the year, he lost weight, had more energy, reconnected with his wife, spent more time with his family, and was genuinely happier. Guthrie and I will participate in this to learn some new things that we can incorporate into our lives. 

Join with us -- maybe we can meet up for a candlelit dinner of local food! :)

Peace! 

Thirty-One - Green Gifting

Since getting older, buying gifts for my family members has been getting harder. As adults, if we really want something, we buy for ourselves. We don't put it on our Christmas or birthday list and hope for the best. Instead of buying something we kind of want and wrapping it all up, I asked my family if we would rather pool our money for something more meaningful. My sister suggested we instead pay for an experience -- a Twins game for all of us. (yea!)

The topic of this blog is green gifting. It can mean anything from the example above to donating to a friends' favorite charity on their behalf. This is a particularly good idea for one's birthday. Try hosting a party, but ask for a donating for a charity. It is so easy to set these up online and Facebook makes it easy too. I see it happening more and more, and like how it takes the focus away from "stuff" and places it either on a charity or providing a family with some quality time together. Christmas is my favorite holiday; I love the spirit of giving. I think we need to seize these opportunities to give not just things, but to give our time and resources to people--something that truly matters. 

Cards -- remember the earlier post -- try using ecards (Pingg makes it easy to upload your own picture and are professional learning) or cards made from recycled paper. 

Happy holidays! Peace!

Thirty - Phonebooks

Something long overdue -- opting out of receiving a phonebook. I know my brother-in-law wanted to know how to do this, so this one goes out to you! Does anyone with the internet use those things? Though, given my height, it might be helpful to have one on hand once in a while ;) I think it's time to stop getting them. Here's how you can too:

Visit YellowPagesGoesGreen.org and complete the OPT-OUT form for both White and Yellow Pages. You type in your zip code and they will give you the list of the companies sending you those annoying books. Most have easy websites to opt out of. Took me five minutes to opt out of four -- yea! Done and done!

Addendum: Twenty-Nine - Local Beer

Another thing I wanted to add about Summit Brewery is that they contract brew and bottle Finnegans Irish Amber Ale beer which is a local, non-profit company. All profits go to the Finnegan's Community Fund which gives grants to local organizations serving the needs of the homeless and working poor. Good stuff.

Twenty-Nine - Local Beer

Keepin' it local can be hard when you are a fan of tasty, discussion-promoting brew. There are so many great microbreweries churning out thoughtful brews that the locavore mentality Laura and I have adopted is often hard to maintain. We know that beers are high maintenance products that often travel long distances (especially if you live in the midwest) to get to your hand. In the west, particularly Oregon, Colorado and California and in the east, particularly Delaware, Vermont and Maine, produce bountiful amounts of beer that get shipped all over the USA especially to areas like Atlanta, Georgia where beer consumption is high but local production is low (Georgia brew production and distribution info here).

Here's the deal: Laura and I need to either make our own brew and/or be content with the beer produced locally. By local we mean that all stages of the beer making and distribution processes are done in one of the Midwest states. However, the ability to drink within state and even in the metro area is becoming less of a problem with the increasing amounts of breweries popping up in the Twin Cities (Surly, based in Brooklyn Center, is a good example, which is hip to the square and actually offers great brew, even recently being name best brewery in America according to Beer Advocate.) Additionally, there has been an influx of breweries throughout the state putting out growlers over the last couple of years, and, thanks to a new microbrew-friendly Minneapolis ordinance Minneapolis brew esthete's have been allowed to sell these 64 ounce jugs of the fun stuff. Another great thing happening in the Twin Cities is the comeuppance of craft brew stores like Four Firkins and Wine Thief & Ale Jail that not only sell great brews elsewhere in the nation but local brews as well.

Source: http://bit.ly/9DzdcP

Even if Laura and I only drink locally we will still produce a lot of waste--recyclable, however--through the purchase and usage of bottles. It's too expensive, time consuming and limiting to only drink while dining out. The other issue is where the ingredients (hops, barley, wheat, malts) to make the brews (whether by myself or by local breweries) come from. The 100 Days Without Oil blog poses this question and lists most, if not all, of the local breweries and vineyards in Minnesota. Unfortunately, this would require one to either call up the brewpubs and breweries to find out the source of their ingredients. Plus, given the continental climate in Minnesota, many ingredients are shipped in from elsewhere. Although, during a Summit brewery tour in August, Laura and I found out that Summit's beer-producing practices are sustainable in many respects. Some of the grains used are purchased locally and when spent are sent to local chicken feedlots. This is something that you can't find out about online, rather only when talking to Summit workers can this information be found out. Local ingredients is something that has yet to be used by many local brewpubs and breweries but will soon enough be the case as many, even beer esthete's, attempt to completely localize their beer making and drinking experience.

So, what, exactly, have we committed to do? We have committed ourselves to only drink beer from the Midwest when purchasing at stores and will drink brews from anywhere only by tap when out and about. I have also committed to start brewing my own beer before year's end, hopefully replacing most of the beer that I purchase from stores. There are some local, wine making and home brew making stores that I could avail myself of. Here's a short list:

Northern Brewer
Midwest Homebrewing Supplies
Brew & Grow
Barkingside Co.

Also, here are some links to Minnesota beer and wine info, home brewing associations and organizations and a brew beer or wine-on-the-premises joint:

MNBeer
MN Craft Brewer's Guild
MNBrewers
Vine Park Brewing Co. (DIY) 

Also, here is a short list of local breweries and brewpubs in the Minnesota:

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery (soon to open another location in South Mpls)
Flat Earth Brewing Co.
Great Waters Brewing Co.
Surly Brewing Co.
Brau Brothers Brewing Co.
Lake Superior Brewing Co.
Lift Bridge Beer Co.
Barley John's Brew Pub
Fitger's Brewhouse
Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant

I don't know if I will be making my own wine anytime soon but there will be a post about that and local winemakers in the future.

Here's to a tasty drink!

Twenty-Eight - Duvet Cover and my attempts at sewing

Guthrie and I received a wonderful organic down comforter my from aunt as a wedding gift--something we really need now that we are back in Minnesota! As the weather gets colder and we see how long we can manage without heat, we decided to put it on the bed. First, though, we needed a cover. They can be expensive, and I thought -- I could make one! I asked my mom for a set of king sized sheets since the cover is a queen. I also borrowed her sewing machine. It turned out to be much harder than I thought--the fitted sheet ended up being a lot smaller and so I had to get created and sew it in pieces. All was going well, but at the end I got the thing flipped inside-out (well, right-side-in) and so one of the seams is on the nice side. Oh well, it is totally functional though it won't be in any Martha Stewart catalogue (you can see the seam still out on the right side of the photo). There's a flap on the underside where we stuffed in the comforter. If I actually sewed a little nicer I would go through the trouble of getting some iron on velcro to help keep the flap closed. Yea for up-cycling! Since I really just started to sew, I'm pretty proud. :)

Peace!

Update on Bulk Buying from 100 Days Without Oil

A great point was made in the 100 Days Without Oil -- when you buy something, you are also buying the container it comes it. When buying bulk, we reuse these containers and only buy them the one time. Each time after that, we are simply buying the product. Read on to get the explanation.

Trick-or-Treating the Socially Responsible Way

I love trick or canning -- going door to door and asking for canned goods instead of candy. This works really well for children who feel too old for trick or treating, but still wouldn't mind some candy (because people generally give you candy even if you just ask for cans :-) )

If you have trick-or-treaters, check out Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. It's a great way to get your kiddies to give back to those without this opportunity. while they load up on sugar.

Twenty-Seven - Halloween Candy

This year will be our first year with real potential of having trick or treaters. I'm excited, but at the same time, not excited about having to go to Target (which we are boycotting due to the money given by Target Corp owners to an anti-gay agenda--find out more at the Human Rights Campaign) and buy a bunch of candy, wrapped individually in lots of plastic, with the chocolate industry how it is (deforestation, sustainability issues, child labor), and all of the issues with childhood obesity, etc, etc! MPR recently dedicated an entire hour to chocolate industry.


Still, I don't want that from discouraging Guthrie and me from participating in this fun, American past-time. When at Seward the other day, they had an awesome end of the aisle displayed with a creative answer -- and it does not mean that we have to hand out dental floss and be the house that the kids quickly learn to avoid. Besides the sustainable and organic chocolate, they had one of my favorite treats, fruit leather, on display, as well as fall themed fruit snacks. They are sugary, but not nearly as much as the chocolate and hard candy they will be eating, they have no artificial sweeteners, and they have some nutritional value, unlike a 3 Musketeers. The Annie's Bunny Fruit could also be used in Easter Baskets :) If you want some (I love fruit snacks!), come trick or treat at our place on Halloween.

According to The Green Year, Americans spend $21 million on Halloween candy every year--more than on Easter and Valentine's Day combined. Think about all of the waste created from the little wrappers. If you don't want to be the house with the organic stuff, you can give out candy like Dots or Nerds with cardboard containers that could potentially be recycled and are a least decompose faster if throw away. You could also be that cool house that gives away cans of pop -- that can be recycled. Maybe even put a note in a sharpie reminding kids to recycle their cans. 

Peace!

Twenty-Six - Refrigerator Coils

Since my birthday is October 14th (tomorrow, or in about 3.5 hours), and Guthrie and I are finally going camping at the BWCA this weekend, I am posting early. We'll have pics from the trip uploaded to our flickr site. This post will be quick and unrefined, but, honestly, who am I kidding? Our blog is not that fancy.  :)

Pic from doverprojects.blogspot.com

For fall and spring cleaning, Guthrie and I have added cleaning our refrigerator coils to the list! Why? These coils (either in the back or on the bottom or both) hold the liquid that keeps the air inside the fridge cold. When the coils are covered with dust and muck, it takes a lot more energy for the fridge to work. There are many ways you can clean them -- there are actual refrigerator coil brushes out there (maybe if we actually own the fridge would I spend money on it...). Until then, a vacuum cleaner with a small attachment or a damp cloth will work just fine. Pull out the fridge/take of the bottom plate and have at it! It's a quick job, and you could see some savings in your energy bill! Mother earth will also thank you.

Peace!

Seward Co-op and the P6 Movement

I am very proud of my co-op. Equal Exchange and 6 grocery co-ops in the United States (Seward being the only one from MN) have teamed up for the Principle 6 initiative to "promote small farmers/producers, co-operative businesses, and local farmers/producers" and "empower consumers to use their purchasing dollars to create an economy that embodies our highest values." Cool. The new labels are us, making decisions easier. If the item carries a P6 label, it meets two of the three criteria:

1) local (from MN, IA, ND, SD, or WI)
2) cooperative ownership of the business or nonprofit status
3) small farmer or producer which is independently owned and sells directly to stores or through a local distributor

Thank you, Seward, for making it easier to support the local economy and be more sustainable. Check them out and read more here.

Also, Seward recently received their LEED certification -- gold level. I love my co-op! Read more about it here.

Peace!

Twenty-Five - Bulk Buying + More Ways to Save on Food Waste

Even though Guthrie and I use the bulk bins at the co-op, we really aren't making a huge commitment to bulk buying--until now. When Guthrie and I go to the bulk bins, we almost always reach for those plastic bags and stickers or twist ties. No longer. We have been saving just about every jar that comes through our house and are using those instead for bulk buying nuts, seeds, sugar, flours, spices, tea etc. If we need stuff in bulk, we now bring in the jars, containers, jugs, etc and weigh them, mark the weight, fill and then the cashier will subtract the weight from the jar automatically.

For something we have been doing that I would like to share is for those of you who, when shopping for produce, wrap everything in a plastic bag. Guthrie and I either don't bag our produce or use reuseable mesh produce bags. 100 Days Without Oil blogger Molly Eagan puts this quite nicely:

"I think some people must think it is gross to just throw the produce into the basket and then put it directly on the belt when checking out.  OR, people think that the checkout would PREFER that you bag things.  This probably isn't the case because they have to find the sticker and count the number of items in each bag, which is more difficult when in bags. Produce certainly doesn't go directly from a plant to the grocery bin. Lets consider for a moment how many different surfaces your produce has touched before it go to you:

(1) hands picking produce at harvest
(2) hands and boxes sorting produce 
(3) hands and boxes for shipping
(4) hands and boxes for storing
(5) hands and grocery surfaces (maybe even the floor if dropped) when placing in display bins for purchasing
(6) LOTs of hands picking through produce at the store

So, maybe it isn't such a big deal if that tomato isn't wrapped in plastic to go from the bin to the checkout-and, it will save you a bag."

~~~~~

Guthrie and I have made a pledge to cut down on our food waste. One of the most frustrating things for me is throwing away food that was once perfectly delicious. Composting should not give us an excuse to throw away, but is a tool to reuse our food scraps and a safeguard against wasting food, and should not be overused as a safeguard.

Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without -- is a mantra we are really trying to incorporate into our lives. Use it up is perfect in the case of food. To put this into perspective, first some facts:

Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona food loss studies says that 50% of all of the food in the United Staes is wasted. It rots in fields when prices are low, it is thrown out in supermarkets when it's past its prime, it thrown out in huge amounts from fast-food restaurants after sitting under heat lamps for too long. At home, we Americans waste on average 14% of our food. This is about $600 worth of waste per year for the average family.* It's so easy to let those leftovers go bad or to ignore those oranges that were so yummy when you first wanted them, but now aren't really what you are craving. But to save money and energy, we need to be conscious of what is in our kitchen and how we use it.
*Info from Planet Green. 

Here are some tips we are trying:

- Buying produce can be difficult when cooking for only or two. Do you really need all of the celery? That obscure salad dressing you only need for one recipe? Hit the salad bar. Buy what you need, get it weighed by the pound, and cut back on waste. (this of course is only less expensive in small quantities, but if a small quantity is what you need, it's what you should buy).

-We will start saving the trimmings from carrots, celery, green onions, corn cobs, cabbage cores, etc, and store them in the freezer in a tupperware (see left). Once we have enough, we will add them to a pot of water and make homemade vegetable broth -- something we buy often -- thus saving us money!

-bananas turning brown? throw them in the freezer for making banana bread later

-turn old bread into bread crumbs or croutons

-can't get through all of the bread? freeze parts of it right away and thaw as needed

-put greens in a vase with water instead of in the fridge -- they last longer and look pretty!

~~~~~

Finally, though not related to cutting back on food waste, but related to food, I need to make a plug for the Pumphouse Creamery on 48th and Chicago! We finally went there today and it was wonderful!  They use many local and organic ingredients and the ice-cream we had today was perfect for this beautiful summer surprise of a day: pumpkin ice cream made with pumpkins from the St. Paul Farmer's Market and local apple ice-cream with caramel swirl--yum!

Twenty-Four - Car Maintenance

There are some easy peasy lemon squeezy things I found out that Laura and I could do while at the gas station that will help our car run more smoothly and, at the same time, help lower our emissions and reduce air pollution. We found four simple tips from the book, The Green Year.

Firstly, don't top off your gas tank because the added gas takes up space that is needed for your gas to expand in the tank. I always rounded up to the next dollar or half dollar for my benefit but, apparently, if this space is taken up then the gas tends to evaporate in the vapor collection system, causing your car to run poorly and increase emissions. Secondly, fill up at night when at all possible. More gas fumes are released in the air from the gas pumps when it is hotter outside, depleting the ozone layer. Thirdly, getting a car wash at the gas station is a great idea. Not only do you get a discount when filling up, but much water is conserved in the process. Commercial car washes use around 45 gallons per wash (compared to the 80-160 gallons used at home) and have a waste-water management system so water contaminated with chemical soap doesn't get into the sewer system. Finally, click your gas cap three times to prevent unnecessary gas evaporation. If your cap is too loose you may be contributing to the 147 millions gallons of gas that is needlessly evaporated in the air each year because of loose, broken or missing gas caps.

There is another great tip Laura and I came across as well that will help keep your car in great shape and reduce your impact on Mother Nature. Recently, there was a New York Times article that discussed the oil change every 3,000 miles adage that has been passed down from generation to generation. Well, the idea that changing your oil every 3,000 miles is best for your car is a myth. It's a waste of money and should only be done every 6,000 miles or so. Here's Why: firstly, check your car manual to see what the manufacturers suggestion is. It will probably be around 6,000 to 7,500 miles. In California alone, nearly 153 million gallons of oil are used each year for this purpose. No good. At some point in time, the 3,000 mile adage made sense but since then engine technology and oil chemistry have improved. Laura and I grew up adhering to the parental adage that you must religiously change your oil every 3,000 miles or else you will ruin your car. Having this new knowledge is great considering that we take great care of our car and don't use it that often, so there's no need to impact Mother Earth even more and use more money and oil than we already do. The article also states that if you use your car less than 3,000 miles a year, get an oil change once a year. If more than 3,000 miles but still driving it sparingly then every 6 months will do the trick.

Safe travels!

Twenty-Three - Box Spring / Mattress Recycle

No matter where you go in Atlanta, just about every other day Guthrie and I would see a discarded mattress on the side of the road. More locally, according to MPR, Minnesotans purchase more than 600,000 mattresses a year. They also mention how you can recycle mattress and box springs through Goodwill Industries in Duluth so that some parts will become carpet underlay, the wood frames become fuel for a local paper mill, and the cotton gets turned into oil filters for locomotives. Though the still have throw away the fiber layer (like we did) and the springs right now have no other major use -- though they are working on it.

Guthrie and I bought a new bed frame that does not require a squeaking box spring... what to do? Next year, Guthrie and I will be expanding our garden. We were so happy to use recycled wood for our first raised bed, but I know the pile from my sister's deck will not be enough to create the size we are looking for. Our new raised bed will be made out of our old box spring -- and it's already in a box shape! How convenient. :) I came across this idea after a Google search for "recycle old box spring."

There are other great ideas, like this box spring book shelf or this cool couch made out of both a box spring and mattress.

Peace!

More on Water Conservation - And, If It's Yellow...

I found this awesome website from National Geographic on water conservation. This is a water footprint calculator. It's simple and the graphics are super cute! You see your water level rise and lower as you answer questions about your water usage. 

I love this excerpt from the website: 

"We live in a watery world, with the average American lifestyle fueled by nearly 2,000 gallons of H2O a day. What may come as a surprise is that very little of that--only five percent--runs through toilets, taps, and garden hoses at home. Nearly 95% of your water footprint is hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on."

Did you know the average American showers for 8 minutes? 1,600 gallons are use to produce 1 pound of beef?

One thing the survey asks is: do you flush the toilet when you pee? It's a funny question, but honestly, many people would answer no or sometimes. I finding out there are more people who don't flush when they pee than I thought. Guthrie and I are definitely in the sometimes category (except when company is over or we know the next person isn't around and it will sit there awhile. There is a phrase: if it's yellow, let it mellow. It's like having a dueling flush toilet. :-) If you don't want to let it sit, I usually ask Guthrie after I pee -- do you need to go? Chances are, he does. When he is peeing, I usually think -- man, I need to go, too! and so I shout "don't flush!" Instant water conservation. 

So, after you complete the survey and you want to reduce your water consumption, click here for ways to do it -- though some of it becomes obvious through the survey. 

Peace!

Twenty-Two - Eco Cleaning

As it gets colder, Guthrie and I are spending more time indoors. We have honestly been a little neglectful of our household cleaning chores. With fall coming on, Guthrie and I are not only going to be better about cleaning, we are going to change how we clean, making a greater commitment to green cleaning.

There is one book that has changed my life. Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home. One of the best parts about it is that it is water and stain resistant -- I can drop it in the toilet as I am cleaning and the book will be fine! (All facts listed below are from the book unless otherwise noted.)

Housekeeping and cleaning products is a $18 billion industry! The average American household uses 40 pounds of cleaning products a year and scientists at the National Toxicology Program found that 5-10 percent of all of the chemicals in many of those products could be carcinogenic in humans. Up until World War II, the main household cleaning products were simple: baking soda, distilled white vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Chemicals that were developed for warfare needed some re-branding once the war was over and so they were introduced into cleaning, building, pesticide, and cosmetic products. Ick! Not only were these marketed as making your life easier, they were also "disposable" filling our homes with toxic fumes (oven cleaner, anyone?) and polluting our rivers. A five year study in the late 80s by scientists at Harvard found that home air pollution was 2-5 times worse that the air quality outside--and our cleaners have not changed much since the late 80s. Honestly, should we really be cleaning our homes with items that have poison labels on them? And most products aren't even properly labeled!

So now what? That sounds disgusting, but we've been cleaning like that for years. I'm no scientist; what can I do? What I like best about Green Clean is its philosophy when tackling these questions. Going green does not have to be done blitzkrieg-style. "Going" is a present-progessive verb (sorry! I'm in a grammar class right now!), which describe what is happening now and in the future. Just like how Guthrie and I are making one change each week, each task we take on can be broken up into smaller steps depending on your comfort level. What is important is that you are making changes in your life and addressing the fact that your current lifestyles are not sustainable -- no matter how big or small the changes are. To quote the book, "The first step of green cleaning is commitment." Small changes are, well, more sustainable. If you look at your cleaning supplies and see the windex, scrubbing bubbles, Mr. Clean, Tide, Pledge, etc, you might want to start with simply buying greener products. I see tons at my co-op, but they are also at Cub, Target, Walmart, etc. Look for Seventh Generation, Mrs. Myers (local!), Ecos, Method, Dr. Bonners, Restore (local!), etc.

For good cleaning, you also need good (reusable!) tools. Cloth tools (we use all of Guthrie's old t-shirts), rags, bucket, mop, broom, scrub brushes, etc. Rid yourself of those paper towels, swifter sheets, dryer sheets, disposable (wasteful) items. You're cleaning, right? You shouldn't have to leave a whole mess in the garbage. Think you can't live without sponges, dryer sheets, paper towels, and windex? Read this. Don't want to give up your swiffer? (I confess: I really want one of those) Here are great ideas for a reusable swiffer. If you don't knit, I know you can buy them off of Esty.

Part of green cleaning, as the book suggests, if the act of maintaining a clean house so that you don't have to use super harsh chemicals to clean up messes that have been left for too long, or you need a bomb to remove all of the mildew from your bathroom. Guthrie and I have taken the advice from the book and have created cleaning schedules. We have our daily cleaning list, a weekly list, and monthly tasks. We have divided the monthly tasks up to rotate so that we always do 1/4 of those tasks each week to keep the load even spread out. Finally, we have a seasonal cleaning list for those things you only need to do a few times a year. Everyone's is going to look a little different, especially renters v. home owners. This helps to ensure that we don't miss a spot and that we stay consistent. Plus, with each week it gets a little easier.

If you are a bit more ambitious, and already have some of those products, consider taking it a step further. By making my own cleaners, I am buying the products in bulk; saving on waste and eliminating more unnecessary ingredients. Here are my staples:

-Baking soda
-Distilled White Vinegar*
-Washing soda (found at my local hardware store)
-Castille soap (Dr. Bonner's is great)
-Borax (20 Mule Team)
-Lemon Juice
-Salt
-Essential oils

*Please don't let the vinegar smell deter you. If you can't get past it, just start with more eco-friendly cleaning products that are already made (many have vinegar in it and you would never know!). Making a commitment to sustainability is about making changes. Guthrie and I did not grow up using tennis balls in the dryer, buying used clothes, and composting -- these were lifestyle changes we made. In order to make these changes, we need to change our perspective. As far as cleaning goes, just because I learned to associate the intense smell of the lemony-scented chemical cleaners as being clean doesn't mean that's the only way. It took some time, but now the soft smell of vinegar and lemon (real lemon) and orange and tea tree oil smells like clean to me. Not only is it clean, but it is also safe for you, your family, and Mother Nature.

Okay, off my box. Now on to recipes! I have made almost all of these. Just waiting for the laundry detergent and the liquid dish soap to run out before I make those. If you make a batch, just make sure you label them properly and put the date on them. Most will keep indefinitely, but it's nice to use them within a year of making.

All Purpose Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons borax
32 oz hot water
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
20 drops lemon oil (or other essential oil)

Dissolve borax in hot water. Add with vinegar into a spray bottle. Add the liquid soap next, then the essential oil. Shake to mix.

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Window Cleaner

1/4 cup white vinegar in one quart warm water 

Mix in a spray bottle

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Wood Floor Cleaner

1/2 cup vinegar / gallon of water

Use a mop or rag and wipe dry.

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Wood Furniture Polish

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

Mix in a glass jar and dab on a soft rag

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Fabric Softener
Until Guthrie and I run out of our powdered detergent and make the recipe listed below, this is what we will do in the mean time:
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash with 1/2 of our regular detergent. This cleans well, softens, and reduces cling.

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Laundry Detergent from Bonzai Aphrodite (she also gives a great description of each of the ingredients)
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/4 cup liquid castile soap (if you use unscented, as essential oil at the end)

Mix in a large, non-metal bowl. Start with the vinegar and continuously stir as you add each powder. Try to stir out and break up any clumps. Finish with the liquid soap. It will seem wet, like a thin paste, but keep stirring and it will begin to flake and crumble into a moist "powder" detergent. Keep stirring! If you quit too soon, you'll find a hard mass the next time you use it. (Did I mention that green cleaning could also double as a workout?). You'll end up with a sort of soft, clumpy cake-like loaf that will crumble off easily for use.

Store in a lidded container (like a jar) and use about 1/4 cup per load.

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Dish Soap
1 cup liquid Castile soap (Dr. Bonners)
3 tablespoons water
a few drops of essential oils if you are using unscented Castile soap
mix well and put in either reuse a dish soap bottle or pick up something cool looking like a vinegar dispenser.

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Even though we don't have one, here's one for a dishwasher:
Dishwasher Detergent
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
distilled white vinegar

Combine powders in a bowl, mix well, and put in an air tight container (like an old jar).
Use 1 tablespoon per load and add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (or if you forget to check like me, through it in with the wash).

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Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon of water (this could be down with the toilet water)
Scrub toilet, let sit, and flush to rinse!

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Drain Cleaning
1 cup of baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1 cup vinegar
pour each down drain in that order and wait 15 minutes
pour boiling water down the drain to flush

Pour boiling water down the drain every two-four weeks to keep it clear

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Oven Cleaner

1 cup or more of baking soda

Squirt or two of liquid soap

Sprinkle water generously over bottom of oven, the cover the grime with baking soda so it is white. Sprinkle more water on top. Let sit overnight and wipe the next morning (or in a few hours is you can't wait that long--even 20 minutes is better than nothing!). Wash residue with liquid soap on damp rag.

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Rust Remover (for sinks and tubs)

Sprinkle a little bit of salt on rust, squeeze line over the salt until soaked. Let set 2-3 hours. Use lime rind as a scrubber.

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Kitchen/Bathroom Tile Floor Cleaner (for bigger messes)
1/8 cup liquid soap
1/4-1/2 cup white vinegar
20-30 drops peppermint oil (or other essential oil)
Combine in a pail with 3 gallons warm water. Swirl until sudsy. Rinse with 1 cup vinegar in 3 gallons of water.

Deodorize a Stinky Little Box
Mix a few tablespoons with kitty litter to deodorize.

***Need more ideas for Borax? Click here for 20 or so other uses of the 20 Mule Team. Or simply read the box for ideas on how to remove stains.

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Eco Way of Hand-Washing Dishes
To save on water, use the two basin technique like we just started doing after reading Green Clean. Fill the first basin with hot soapy water and the second with very hot clean water. Put 1-3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar in the rinsing basin to help prevent spots in hard water. 

Peace!

Twenty-One - Line Drying Clothes (And General Tips on Washing and Drying)

Line Drying

Since moving to MN in June, Guthrie and I have made an effort to have even our clothes enjoy the summer breeze. We started line drying as often as we could on the already-in-place clothes line outside. Though, we do this a lot more, it was not a complete life-style change for us. To make this a real change, Guthrie and I have added some lines downstairs to continue the air drying, even as our summer days grow short and chilly. The Green Year says that dryers use up about 6% of all of the energy in the United States! Short on space? Don't have an ugly, unfinished basement to hang up ugly lines like I did today? Invest in a drying rack. They come in all different shapes and sizes, wall mounted to stand along, and take up little space. Here are a couple of choices from Moss Envy near Lake Calhoun (former TC Green in Uptown): Wall Mounted / Flat Top / Heavy Duty

Worried that line dryer will make your clothes crunchy and hard? Here are some great fabric softener ideas (less expensive than anything you buy at the store and just as effective!) from Renest:

1. Baking Soda - Add 1/2 cup to the water and let it dissolve. Add clothes.
2. Borax - Add 1/4 cup to the rinse cycle.
3. Vinegar - Add 3/4 - 1 cup to either the wash or the rinse.

Detergent
Does anyone still use the powdered laundry detergent? We do. We returned to it in Atlanta when we were looking to save money. Some don't like it because it can clump, but most people aren't actually running their washing according to the directions. You are suppose to fill the washer with water first and add the detergent, and THEN put your clothes in. This is important because powdered detergent, according to The Green Year, actually is the more eco-friendly product. Liquid detergent is almost 80% water -- a resource we shouldn't waste. If you have a dish washer, consider powder detergent there as well.

Dryer Lint
Remember to clean the lint screen before every use. Not only does this help protect against fires, it help keeps the machine running with ease. Built up lint prevents air from flowing through the drying, making it work hard and run inefficiently.

Need more reasons to line dry? Click here for a ReNest Top Ten. Want to further green your cleaning? Check it out next week -- Green Cleaning!

Oh, Eliot says, "hi!"

Peace!

Twenty - Food Preservation: Freezing

Renest had a great post about reconnecting with the skills our grandparents possessed, but that sadly, with modernization, these skills were almost lost with the next. I know with the green movement there are many cooking from scratch and growing their own gardens, but what happens when the garden grows well and we are left with too much?

We can eat scalloped tomatoes until we a blue in the face, or give away food to family and friends, but we can also can and freeze so that we can enjoy some of the wonderful local goodness when the snow covers the ground (wow, I don't even want to think about it).

Canning, sadly, seems like a scary endeavor to me. There are many steps and one slip can spoil everything -- literarily. I hope to have a post someday about my adventures with canning, but that may have to wait for next summer when our garden is bigger and our need is greater.

Instead, we will freeze. I feel that I have never learned to utilize my freezer. Now we are freezing milk and stalking up on things like bread when they are on sale, but that's about it. (Of course, there are always Amy's Bowls and a frozen pizza, but that's not quite what I mean.) So today I start. I am making a batch of tomato sauce from scratch and am going to freeze it. Yum!

First I have to skin and seed the tomatoes. There are simple directions here if needed. Then you make the sauce! I am going to make plain sauce so that I can change it up and add to it when I make unfreeze it for meals later. When it's done, I put it into a plastic bag and put in the freezer! Make sure you label it and put a date. It will last about three months. Here are some tips and recipes for a fresh tomato sauce from the Smitten Kitchen. Deb really puts my pictures to shame, but she is really in the business of food porn. :)

Putting the sauce in the freezer is also helping to make our freezer more efficient. From The Green Year by Jodi Helmer again, your freezer and fridge are responsible for up to 1/6 of the energy used in your home. I definitely believe that here in the apartment. Keeping the freezer full actually helps to increase its efficiency because there is less space to trap the warm air that enters each time you open it (though not true of a full fridge--overstocking a fridge is less efficient). Since we are not just going to run out and buy 100 frozen pizzas (though Guthrie would not object to that), we are going to add a couple of jugs of distilled water we have left over from a botched detox attempt (you can see a jug in the picture below).

Also, remember the milk carton ice block idea? Guthrie and I walked to a friends for dinner last night (thanks, Aaron!) and used the ice block to keep the cheese and wine chilled on the steamy trek across the park.

Peace!

100 Days Without Oil

I discovered this wonderful blog by a graduate student, Molly Eagen, at the University of Minnesota earning her Masters of Science in Sustainable Design. Sounds like she lives very near to where I used to live on Franklin and Lyndale. Though it's not 100 days without any oil at all, very hard to do, she reduces her carbon footprint a lot and really examines a life without oil. She has interesting ideas, some that are already inspiring us to move towards these changes as well. It's a more specific way of looking at being sustainable and a very challenging task. Read and enjoy as I do each day.

100 Days Without Oil

Peace!

More Ways to Stop Junk Mail

Do you get those Twin Cities Values packs from the StarTribune? First of all, they don't fit in the box and they definitely don't promote green businesses! If you flip to the back by your address you can see directions to be removed from their list. I am taking our address off right now....

Also, we just received a coupon pack from Red Plum. If you get those and no longer want to, click here. Goodbye junk mail!

More on Green Traveling (and Green Driving in General)

In the week and a half that Guthrie and I posted about Green Travel, we have actually learned a ton more that I wanted to share with everyone. Most of these refer to traveling by car and are from or inspired by The Green Year by Jodi Helmer, a cute little book from my grandma.

For the first time Guthrie and I used a GPS. Though not very useful in Minneapolis where 99.9% of the time we know where we are going and it's gridded, taking out much of the guess work, it would have been helpful in Atlanta! On trips, it's quite helpful because it saves buying maps and printing off directions. If you must look up directions (and this is anytime), have the directions sent to your phone or at least write it on a scrap piece of paper and recycle or compost it afterwards.

More on packing light - in cars, 100 pounds of cargo decrease fuel efficiency by 2 percent. It can add up quickly if you travel a lot! If you currently store things in your car -- take it out! You only need the essentials: car emergency kit and some winter clothing items if you drive in Minnesota in the winter months. Those golf clubs? They should be stored in the garage.

If you are gone more than a couple of days, contact the post office and stop the mail. Transporting excess mail that won't be read for a while and can just wait will save the post office on fuel costs.

Keep an eye on your Tachometer (you know, the thing with the RPMs we rarely look at). Keeping the car revving lower than 3,000 rpms will not only save on gas, but is more gentle on the engine, extending the life of your car.

A/C v. Windows? This book says that you improve fuel economy by 20 percent or more if you drive with the A/C on and the windows up, though this is on the highway, which is where you mostly are on road trips. In the city, most of our driving is within an hour of home and not on the highway. Put those windows down says treehugger.com.

One for air travel -- invest in a luggage tag and keep it in your luggage always. Using those small plastic/paper tags at the airport every trip is just waste. They rip and really only last one trip.

Hotel stay - whether or not you can stay in a green hotel, leave a comment card at the end of your stay highlighting what the hotel did well and what kinds of things they could improve upon. If the hotel does not already have a sign saying that they will, leave a not telling them not to change the sheets or new towels unless they are put on the floor.

Update on our trip -- sadly we had to cancel our trip to Iowa for Labor Day weekend, but instead we are heading up to Duluth to visit Guthrie's family and to fish. When we do visit IA, we will be able to stay with a friend to help keep our carbon footprint down since it was not looking good for mother earth as of the last post.

Have a safe and fun labor day!

Peace!

Nineteen - Tennis Balls

I've been playing tennis a lot more than normal over the last couple of months and have wondering what to do with all of the spent tennis balls. I came across Green Eco Services, a website that details what to do with those garbage prone balls. Here are some great ideas from the site:

• Rebounces is an organization that will go so far as to pay shipping costs for you to send them your used tennis balls for recycling and refurbishing
• Donate to dog shelters, schools and/or Boys and Girls Clubs
• Use as a door stop
• Use as a car marker in the garage to know when to stop
• Cut in half to use as a can opener
• Cut in half to use for stationary supplies

Over 300 million tennis balls are manufactured each year. These balls contribute to 19,000 tons of non-biodegradable junk that litters our landfill. Knowing this, Laura and I will now be putting tennis balls in the dryer to ward off static cling, and it will save on drying time as it helps keep the clothes separate.

Keep the tennis balls in play!

Offset Your Carbon Footprint!

As promised, Guthrie and I gave a donation to offset our carbon footprint for the trip to Austin (awesome! btw) and our upcoming trip to Iowa. Guthrie and I love the Green Institute, as it is local and we donated to them for our wedding. Check it out--it's off the Greenway on Minnehaha and 28th.

Another trip note--stop by the local farmer's market where you are staying. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and fabulous live music on Saturday morning in Austin. :-)

Eighteen - Green Travel

Guthrie and I are about to head out to Austin, TX this week for our anniversary. Labor Day, we are driving to Des Moines, IA to visit with friends and family. In October, Guthrie is off to Montreal (jealous!) for work. With all of this travel, how do we still be good to Mother Earth?

Before you leave:

• Unplug all electronics
• Lower or turn off any heating and cooling devices

Flying? Here are some tips:

• Pack only what you need, don't bring extra weight
• Most of the energy is used in take off and landing -- take a direct flight whenever possible. We are flying to San Antonio to avoid this and driving a compact car the hour to Austin
• Take a train! It could reduce your CO2 emissions by 90%
• Reuse those quart sized baggies -- we have two that we reuse over and over again for flying
• Reuse little plastic containers -- pack your own shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, contact solution and all of those other liquids and gels with buying new ones. We have a little travel basket in our hallway closest where we save these things just for this reason
• Cook when possible - we are renting a small cottage where we can stop by the farmer's market or co-op to get food and prepare it ourselves during the day
• Bring a water bottle! Just because you're away doesn't mean you throw your eco-lifestyle out the window

Driving? Here are some tips:

• Check your tire pressure
• Make sure the vehicle is properly serviced
• Look into ways to offset your carbon footprint as we did with Enterprise when we had to give in and rent our first car
• Leave the car at the hotel and walk, cycle, or use public transportation -- we'll be on the bus in Austin!
• Pack only what you need -- don't bring extra weight 
• Plan ahead -- it helps avoid getting lost and driving around
• Try to avoid sudden acceleration, engine revving, and sudden braking - it can use up to 30% more fuel. Keep you eyes on the road 3-4 cars ahead
• On the highway, drive with the windows closed to reduce the drag (though this brings up the AC v. windows down issue, find a balance)
• Don't idle

*info from Carbon Footprint

Where to stay?
The most eco place would be a campground; however not always the easiest and best choice for every vacation. We looked into it for our Des Moines trip when the friend were were going to stay with had flooding in her house, but, again, with recent rains and flooding, ever close campsite is sadly closed. Instead, we started looking at Green Hotels which is a guide to find hotels that have sustainability in mind when making business decisions. Of course, the only one listed was in Cedar Rapids. Strike three. I think we are stuck at a motel. At least we can reuse sheets and towels as much as possible. If you are planning a vacation, a great site National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations.

What to eat? 
Guthrie and I have taken many mini-road trips. When we are hungry, we work hard to pass up the McDonalds (can't even remember the last time I ate something from there...) and all of the other fast food chains. Sometimes, it is unavoidable, and you are hungry, and you would rather use their bathroom than the one at the Citgo...but I digress. Point is: look for those mom and pop shops and support the local economy. Guthrie and I have found some gems, and some scary places -- but they all at least leave you with a story! When in town, continue to support local and independent shops and restaurants. You'll get a better feel for the city and really be helping the local economy. I know we definitely want to do things that will help Keep Austin Weird :-)

Offset your Carbon Footprint
Use a calculator and then offset it! The link is for TerraPass - it's easy to calculate your flight and you can offset it through them or through another organization. Carbon Fund and Native Energy are also really helpful. It's not perfect, but it's better than doing nothing. Money goes to planting trees and conservation efforts and other projects that reduce CO2 in the air.

Some things to keep in mind, I know we will! Happy and safe travels to you!

Peace!

Energy Pyramid

Have a home? Looking for a step-by-step way to make it more eco? MN Power has an interactive Energy Pyramid that does exactly this, starting with ways that are more simple and cheap to implement with instance savings all the way up to solar panels! Check it out. Sadly, living in an apartment we can only get about half way up, but this is something we want to keep in mind when we finally own our own home.

Seventeen - Rid Your Life of Junk Mail

As Guthrie and I move from place to place, one of our biggest pet peeves is junk mail -- how do they find us??? We receive junk mail daily, and though some can be recycled, it seems that a lot of junk mail uses plastic making them indestructible! The average adult receives about 41 pounds of junk mail a year! I did some research and found some great ideas. It seems that putting one or two of these into action will cut down on waste and unwanted junk.

http://blog.timesunion.com/kristi/2005/get-rid-of-junk-mail/

First of all, Guthrie and I started putting "return to sender" on anything no addressed to us. We ran into problems with those pesky catalogues from the previous tenants that have their name as well as "current resident". My insider at the post office told me that those catalogues receive postage at a discounted price, but they do not have a return service, thus, writing "return to sender" will just annoy your mail carrier.

Now, when I receive a catalogue I don't want--which are all of them because I would rather order online and save the resources--I call the 800 number and tell customer service to remove me from the mailing list. This is simple, and legally they have to comply. We didn't want to stop there, so here are some other ideas were are putting into place to cut down on the unwanted paper waste showing up on our doorstep:

1. Be careful when filling out forms or signing up for anything -- make sure that you check the DO NOT MAIL box.

2. Pay all bills online.

3. I also heard that USPS will use your information if your address on file is a permanent one (wish we knew this three months ago!). When moving and updating your forwarding address, check that the move is temporary - six months, instead of permanent.

4. Another pet peeve is the junk mail we get when we donate to an organization: The thank-you letter they sent which just lowered the impact of our donation, the flyer reminding us to renew, etc -- it drives us nuts! Why are you wasting our money reminding us of what we already know. Next time we receive a mailing from MPR and other organizations that we support finically, I will call or email them that because we would like to save resources, Guthrie and I will no longer give money to organizations that send paper solicitations (emails OK). I have heard this has been effective for others, and think it is a good idea.

5. Catalog Choice is a free service that will help you to opt-out of catalogs.

6. Direct Marketing Association will remove you from a lot of listings. The account is active for five years and then you can renew.

7. OptOut helps to remove you from lists of credit card and insurance offers.

8. If you want to go ever further, you can have one company do the leg work for you. For $41 for 5 years, 41lbs will take of this for you and plant at least 15 trees on your behave.

Definitely excited to put this one into place!

Peace!