Site Archives Reuse

Reliability is Important in an Emergency


Last week was more than a little bit of a test on my nerves: fires broke out directly east of my home. I was scared to say the least… scared enough to not sleep for days. Thankfully, the fire is under control and life is back to normal. But in those moments of almost… okay… […]

Going Green… Staying Green


Has anyone else noticed how quickly the world is starting to forget about “Going Green” since April ended? Magazines that were once filled cover-to-cover with ways to live green are now back to their regularly scheduled program. Commercials that reinforced making your home a “green home” have gone back to their typical laundry detergent and […]

ACT Natural Cleaning Cloths


When I first heard about ACT Natural cleaning cloths I was immediately intrigued. Who wouldn’t be? Reusable microfiber cloths that clean almost any surface, using water as the only cleaning aid? I contemplated the toothpaste splatters on my bathroom faucet, the drifts of cat hair silently collecting beneath every stationary piece of furniture, the spotty dining […]

How to Make Dish Soap, and Other Green Do-It-Yourself Tips


Anyone who has watched Al Gore’s documentary film An Inconvenient Truth knows that it can seem incredibly disempowering to witness the massive destruction that global warming is inflicting upon the Earth. And the whole problem seems overwhelming when confronted with said inconvenient truths, but Mr. Gore gave us some actionable advice at the end of the […]

Green Up Your Grocery Shopping


While the saying it’s not easy being “green” still holds true in some areas, it is becoming easier to be green than ever before. That’s because of an increasing education of the general public regarding the environment and the growing willingness of local governments to take on greater ecological responsibility.
Whether you live in one of […]

Starting Fresh with Compost


People have started confessing their compost failures to me. Not sure why. I’m no genius of rot and I like to think I don’t proselytize. Maybe my grubby garden jeans confer the appearance of moral authority.
I’m surprised by how many people quit composting after one bad experience. That’s no way to get anything done. If […]

Just for Kids: Michael Recycle


My review copy of Michael Recycle landed on my front porch just in time for an afternoon playdate… and ended up being the topic of conversation for the rest of the afternoon. The kids, ages 5 through 8, loved the bold coloring of the fantastic illustrations and found the writing to be hilarious!
Michael Recycle is […]

A Greener Way to Shop For Earth Day and Every Day


For the past year, I’ve been working on greenifying our lives. Safer cleansers, natural (non-antibacterial) soaps, and less waste. It’s been a tough undertaking — reusable dryer sheets just didn’t do it for us. And the ones we tried - Method - still had waste when all was said and done: the sheets themselves, the […]

Want to Know What to Do With Your Unwanted Stuff?


Spring is here and ’tis the season for spring cleaning.  I’ve been spending the last week or so going through all our closets and drawers, making piles of things to get rid of.  I’m trying to streamline a bit, and having less “stuff,” is part of the grand plan.  But what to do with what […]