With spring right around the corner I can hardly wait for all the foliage to come back to life.  In my anticipation, I went to my local green house Creek Side Gardens this weekend and decided I would give my green thumb another try.

I have had many relationships with plants but they have always ended very badly, for the plant especially.  I had this notion that just because I was getting older I should just be able to grow plants in my apartment.  Boy, was I wrong.  Many have succumb to my green thumb, which I should really call black.

This time I have given up on the idea of just knowing how to garden and decided to read some books and study up on the kinds of plants I could introduce to my house without having to do too much work but still have the lovely company of my green friends.  I also decided that I want to be an organic gardener so have used Julie Bawden-Davis’ book,Indoor Gardening the Organic Way: How to Create a Natural and Sustaining Environment for Your Houseplants. The book is a great start to learning about the proper way to care for your plants.  I was also surprised to learn that organic gardening is actually cheaper and less intensive since you have nature working on your side.

Another reason I wanted to bring in house plants to my apartment is because I am allergic to my dog.  The pet dander gives me asthma and I was reading that plants can help purify your air- amazing!  Bawden-Davis also lists good air filtering plants, which include the Areca Palm, Boston Fern, Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’, English Ivy, Lady Palm, Peace Lily, Pothos, Rubber plant and Spider plant.

At Creek Side Gardens I found 6 plants to start off with and couldn’t be more excited.  While their selection was slim because of the time of year I think my new green friends are going to do great.  I even repotted 3 of my plants to make an arrangement within a nice decorative pot.  I am so excited to get started and next week I am going to go learn how to grow my own herbs.  I will let you know what I learn and if I am a successful gardener.

Miniature Pine Tree

Large Jade

Until then, check out this article, Container Gardening – How to Start a Container Garden and Window Boxes. This is full of great tips to get your indoor garden started.

Hooray for Denver!!!

I just got back from Montreal last week and was blown away by their summer bike share program.  The program is amazing, it only costs $60 for the summer and you have access to bikes all over the city.  The best part is you can pick up a bike and ride to a different part of the city and drop it off.  You can visit the area and then when your done go get a bike and ride back home.  You don’t have to worry about locking up your bike or if plans change, you can get a ride home with friends and not have to worry about getting your bike home.  This program is a great way to get people moving and out of their cars.

Today, I was taking in the great day outside.  As I was tooling around town, I saw a Denver Bike Share Station, how amazing!  I am so excited for the program and Denver couldn’t be a better place for it.  We can be bike sharing almost all year long, hooray!!!

An annual membership is $65 and for a student it’s $45.  You can also purchase a 30 day, 7 day or 24 hour membership, but an annual membership seems to be the most economical.  Once you take out a bike you have 30 minutes to get to your destination and there is a small fee for every half hour after that.

The Denver Bike Sharing website has a map of bike stations so take a look at it and see if you can incorporate the program into your commute or weekend adventures.

Here is a great list of 25 ways you can go green in your home starting today.  I got this great list from Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home by Renee Loux.

1. Clean kindly

2. Be wise with laundry

3. Choose natural personal care products and cosmetics

4. Go for recycled, naturally bleached toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues

5. Use unbleached coffee filters for a dioxin-free cup o’ joe

6. Install a water filter

7. Get a low-flow toilet, or make your existing toilet low flow

8. Don’t be a drip–fix leaky faucets and toilets

9. Kick off your shoes

10. Bring in houseplants

11. Plant a tree every year

12. Opt out of getting junk mail

13. Go veggie 1 day a week

14. Use energy-efficient lightbulbs

15. Turn the thermostat down 2 degrees

16. Set your water heater at 120 degrees F

17. Smarten your fridge and freezer.  Turn their thermostats up and make sure the seals are snug

18. Use power strips and unplug unused appliances

19. Choose green residential energy service options

20. Buy local

21. Go organic

22. Take a cloth bag or basket to the store

23. Inflate your cars’ tires to their proper pressure to save gas and money

24. Get a travel mug

25. Recycle your cell phone

Water, also referred to as blue gold, is a precious resource that is becoming increasingly scarce as time goes on.  It is important that we understand the severity of the issue and how to make the best choices when using and conserving water.  I have been interested in water issues for a while and spent much of my time studying the issues while earning my master’s in Environmental Policy and Management.  The more I read and learn about the issues surrounding water the more I am amazed at how little we really know.

I just finished reading the book Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water and couldn’t believe the fight people are in around our own country to protect their valuable water sources.  I hadn’t realized that water privatization is a problem in our own country- all this time I thought it was a fight taking place only over seas.

One issue that really stuck out to me in the book had to do with bottled water- a form of water privatization.  Remember when we were younger and we couldn’t believe we would pay money for water?  What happened to that mentality?  Now, it is habit to buy bottled water and avoid tap water all together.  I can’t say that I didn’t fall into that pattern as well.  I lived in San Diego for 9 years and everyone always talked about the tap water and how bottled water was much better.  Well, after reading Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water, it is clear this is so wrong- bottled water doesn’t even have the same regulations as tap water!  Here is a great quote from describing the issue…

Consumers of bottled water pay roughly one thousand, some times even ten thousand, times more for bottled water than for tap water. And what do we get? Study after study has concluded that bottled water is neither cleaner nor greener than tap water. The Natural Resources Defense Council discovered that a surprising number of bottled water they tested contained contaminants, pesticide residues, and heavy metals. The results shocked most people, who had not realized that bottled water is less regulated than tap water.  While the Environmental Protection Agency enforces strict standards on municipal tap water, the FDA oversees bottled water and is concerned more with the accuracy of the label than with the contents of the bottle.  Water bottled and sold inside a single state isn’t covered by federal regulations at all but by state regulations, which vary from strict to virtually nonexistent.

Filtering Water

I know that not all tap water tastes great and that you may not be convinced that drinking straight from the tap is a great idea.  Luckily, there are some great options out there. A great filtration system that sits on your counter top is the Premium 10-Stage Water Filter, which uses a 10 stage filtration system that removes 3 times as much as a common carbon block filter.  The filter leaves you with all natural, good for you minerals such as potassium, magnesium, chlorides and fluoride, which most bottled water is missing.

Aside from health issues, bottling water can have adverse effects on the environment and our pocket books.  Last year Americans spent nearly $11 billion on over 8 billion gallons of bottled water, and then tossed over 22 billion empty plastic bottles in the trash. In bottle production alone, the more than 70 million bottles of water consumed each day in the U.S. drain 1.5 million barrels of oil over the course of one year.

By kicking our bottled water habit we can not only protect our health, the environment but we can also save money.  We can also help eliminate the social impact that some water bottling companies have on a communities like those mentioned in Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water.

What Can I Use Instead of Bottled Water?

Some easy replacements for bottled water are the popular stainless steel bottles.  These help save landfills from billions of plastic bottles and help  you utilize tap water around your community.  If you prefer filtered tap water don’t worry, you still have options. There are a great line of  stainless steel bottles with built in filters and you can also use corn resin bottles with a built in filter.  These are great because they can be reused but when your done with them they will biodegrade.

These are great products that are easy to use and don’t cost a lot.  You can save money, plastics, and your health by reusing your stainless steel bottles and you even have the freedom to even design your own bottle with a logo or design that will let everyone know you are green!

Sitting in the Chicago O’Hare Airport amongst a sea of laptops and cell phones I can’t help but smile.  I am smiling because, without even really thinking about it, I have traveled pretty green today.  I know, seems a bit hypocritical considering all of the carbon emissions from my two flights and one bus trip to get me to Montreal.  But, aside from what I can’t control, what I can, I’ve done a pretty good job so far.  In my effort to use all the food in my apartment I spent last night thinking up ways to either preserve what food I had left or come up with snacks for my day o’travel.  With a few clementines, an almost too ripe banana, and some grapes, I decided to make a fruit salad, which would be for breakfast. A few Bora Bora bars (they are organic and absolutely amazing!) for a snack and my stainless steel water bottle and coffee mug to help keep me satiated.  I also decided to take a chance and grabbed some tea bags in hopes that Starbucks or another airport coffee shop would take pity on me and give me some hot water.

Before I left the house I had a very light breakfast, mostly because I was running out the door while eating.  Luckily I had my fruit salad and a biodegradable fork I kept from an event the other day.  I thought I might get a coffee and a yummy pastry when I got to the airport but long lines at security quickly spoiled that plan–I barely made my flight!  Once I finally got to my flight and got settled in I thanked myself for thinking ahead and making the fruit salad, much better than a calorie-filled pastry.

At my layover, instead of getting coffee, I tried my luck at getting hot water (with a used tea bag in my cup as a disguise, most likely not needed but oh well) and succeeded, no questions asked.

Thanks to my hectic morning of rushing around I have successfully so far spent only $9 on a sandwich and chips (not totally green but there are only so many options at the airport) and used all of my reusable products.  Hopefully my day continues as so.

You might be reading this and think, green, seriously, what is she thinking?!  But for me this is a big step.  For the last few months I have been thinking about ways to be more environmentally friendly and really trying to change my habits.  Today, I didn’t have to try at all, I just did.  It is such a great feeling to know that my efforts are my habits now and I can’t wait to see what other things I put together without really thinking about it.  Best part is, my choices are in a  small way helping the planet and also helping my wallet.

In addition to my green choices during my travel day, I also set up my apartment to be a little more green while I was away.  I set the thermostat to 52 degrees, just warm enough so the technology we have wouldn’t have problems.  If you have pets or plants your leaving behind make sure you leave your place warm enough for them.  I also lowered our water heater so that we wouldn’t have to waste money on heating water we wouldn’t be using.  This is great if you have a programmable water heater you can set to have hot water when you get home otherwise you have to plan for heating your water back up when you get home.

Please share your traveling tips- What do you do to travel green?  How do you save money at the airport?

Happy traveling!

If you came over to my apartment and looked in my closet you’d find stacks and stacks of t-shirts.  The amazing part about it is that I only use a few of them but I can’t seem to part with the rest of them, they are just too special.  I know that it might seem silly but I worked hard for a lot of those t-shirts- lots of sweat, physical pain, tears of joy or disappointment.  How could I get rid of them?

I spent a long time contemplating on what I was going to do with my shirts.  I know I can’t frame them or hang them up on my walls and giving them away would just be sad.  I also thought about how sad it was that the only time I reminisce about these important events in my life was when I get in a cleaning frenzy and try to throw everything away in my closet.  So, I had to come up with a plan- how could I enjoy my t-shirts on a daily basis and get them out of my closet?

In college, a great friend of mine, gave me an idea.  Her family, 10 people all together, were tired of sacrificing socks to the dryer and being left with a lonely pair.  So, they decided instead of pitching all those lone socks they’d make a blanket- a tribute to the fallen pairs in the hidden land of the dryer.  After hearing her story, I knew what I had to do…make a shirt blanket.

Now, I must tell you that I am not very handy with a needle and thread and even worse with a sewing machine.  You’d think it would be easier but some how I make a process that would make your work easier and faster take much too long, believe me!  I started my shirt blanket in 2001 and I just finished it last Friday. Yup, that only took me 9 years to finish.  I do have to give myself some credit, I did take about an 8 year break.

Even my dog likes it!

Having the finished product is better than I had expected.  I absolutely love my t-shirt blanket.  I get to see all my old shirts that I loved to wear in high school and keep warm at the same time.  Each t-shirt reminds me of a special moment in my life and now I get to remember those every day.  While my sewing may not be the best and I fear the blanket will fall apart any day, I am still really glad I have it.  I realize that I will always have these moments in my life t-shirts or not but now I get to see them and think about them more often than I would otherwise (plus, I have a terrible memory and its always good to have reminders).

The only problem with my blanket is that since it took me so long to finish and now I have more t-shirts from college sitting in drawers.  I don’t know if I am up for round 2 just yet but I will make another one for sure–maybe in a few years:)

Reusing older, gently used fabrics is not a new concept and I certainly can’t take the credit for it.  In fact, there is a whole line of GreenShows that showcases green designs that are much more stylish than my t-shirt blanket.  Recently, Gary Harvey produced a line of recycled coutre where he used newspapers, laundry bags, trench coats, baseball jackets and much more as his fabric choices.  While his line is exciting, I think it falls short of real, usable fashion.  In a lot of his garments he overuses fabrics and makes the clothes look bulkier than they need to be.  But, I gotta give him credit, he is showing off creative ways to recycle fabrics and is inspiring others to do the same.  Let’s just hope they do it a little more functional.

Some other designers have taken to recycled plastics for material and put their designs on the runway.  Others have stuck to reusing plastics to make crafts around the house or office.  All of them are amazing and should be applauded for their creativity.

How are you reusing materials in your closet or your home?  Share your ideas and help others start reusing their old stuff too!

If you’ve noticed by many of my blogs food is not only apart of my life three times a day but I am constantly thinking and learning about it…and probably enjoying a little too much of it:)

Being more aware of the food in your life is such an amazing experience and one that everyone should enjoy.  Understanding where our food comes from, the work it takes to grow it or get it ready for sale is outstanding.  While I love to eat out and enjoy someone else’s cooking, by doing so I sacrifice control over what I am putting in my body, which for some can be scary and for others a relief.

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my Green Journey is that supporting local farmers and restaurants is huge.  The food is amazing and you get to help build up your community.  Amazing!  If you find yourself really supporting your community by eating out a lot, your not alone.  Many of us are so tired at the end of the day the only thing we can think about is someone doing the work for us.  There is nothing wrong with that.  However, with many of us trying to find ways to save money and to shed a few pounds, there is a different way to approach food (unless of course  you get too crazy with the Clean Eating Meal Plan, ha!)– start cooking at home.  I know, by the end of the day who has any energy left to cook and then clean the kitchen.  Well, once you start, believe me, it’s pretty addicting.

Luckily, technology is there to help us get started.  The Huffingtion Post has a great list of apps for getting started for your adventures in the kitchen.  I also posted a few apps and those can be located under the “Local and Organic Food Section.”  These apps can help you plan a grocery list, scan items to see how eco-friendly they are or how healthy they are, it’s so easy!

Also, if you need some more motivation, the Huffington Post is recruiting people to join “The Week of Eating In.“  All you have to do is sign up and chat with others who are taking the challenge.  I signed up and can’t wait to hear about how you and others do with this week.  I guarantee you wont be disappointed and you’ll be surprised how fun your family can have cooking together.

Happy cooking!

You know that feeling when you go to your mailbox and you are so excited because it looks like you got a bunch of stuff and then you take it out and realize it’s all bills and junk.  I know the feeling all too well.  I don’t know why, it’s not like I have a pen pal or that people, besides my friend Katie, actually write letters anymore.

The problem with all the junk in your mail is that is is using up a lot of paper and ink and well, is unnecessary.  It’s great if you recycle this junk mail but an even better step would be to contact the businesses and tell them to stop sending you crap.  While that may seem like an overwhelmingly big task don’t worry, Catalog Choice has made it super easy for you.  All you have to do is sign up for a free account and you can remove all your unwanted catalogs and/or add the ones that you do truly care about.  Although, don’t forget that you can always view products online so if your not super attached to your catalogs try getting rid of all of them.  You’d be surprised how empty your mailbox will get.

If you miss your full mailbox start sending letters to your friends and ask them to do the same.  A much better surprise when you open your mailbox:)

Catalog Choice – Control the catalogs you receive in the mail.

Rep. Diane Primavera (D-Broomfield) has introduced House Bill 1248, The Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act.  Primavera, a cancer survivor, is passionate about this bill and is pushing the Food and Drug Administration to increase the list of banned chemicals to hopefully reduce the risk of cancer.

The amount of chemicals used in personal care products can be astounding and the potential risks to health is shocking.  For example, fragrance, otherwise known as phthalates, has been linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, toxicity of the brain, kidneys, liver and lungs.  Phthalates are found in fingernail products, makeup, deodorants, hair products, and even feminine products.

Primavera is so passionate about this bill because according to her, “there was no genetic reason why I should have gotten cancer,” she said. “There was no environmental reason. I never smoked. I never drank. I had my weight in perfect condition. I turned over every rock to figure out why I got cancer but the personal care products was a rock I didn’t turn over and once I found out this is an issue and could be an issue for our citizens, I think we need to step in and take a role to protect (them).”

Surprisingly, studies have linked chemicals used in personal care products to harmful medical conditions however, the U.S. only currently bans 10 of these toxins.  The European Union bans roughly 1,100 chemicals.

Luckily for us, people like Primavera are standing up and taking a stand against the use of these chemicals.  Let’s join her and help Coloradans and other other states take the very much needed step to eliminate toxins from our lotions, shampoos, and makeup.

Later this month, there will be the first public hearing for the Act.  In the meantime, try to use smaller amounts or less of your personal care products and make sure you are reading the labels.  Simplify, simplify, simplify…try and use products that have only a few ingredients and do your homework- check out the company to make sure they are truly doing what they say.

9NEWS.com | Denver | Colorado’s Online News Leader | Lawmaker seeks ban on some chemicals in shampoo, makeup, lotions.

The Olympic craze has started and I can’t get enough!  Since Friday my TV has been on and I’ve been watching with awe as the athletes twirl through the air, scream down the mountain and gracefully move to music on ice.

While I was watching the opening ceremonies and they unveiled the metals I got to thinking about how much of an environmental impact these must have and what the true cost of these metals really are.  After doing some investigating, I found a very happy answer- they are made from recycled electronic waste (e-waste)! What a great idea and way to educate the world about recycled metals.  Moreover, this will hopefully bring to light the problem with e-waste, although I haven’t heard too much publicity about this yet.

The Olympic metals, which total more than 1,000, amount to 2.05 kilograms of gold, 1,950 kilograms of silver (gold metals are made of about 93% silver) and 903 kilograms of copper.  Thanks to Canada, Olympians will not only amaze us all with their talents but will also help keep 140,000 tons of e-waste out of landfills.

This is the first time recycled materials have been added to Olympic medals, which have historically been made from mined mineral deposits refined for commercial use.  Hopefully, from now on, this is the trend.

The metals hanging from the Olympians necks this year were once part of computers, monitors, printers and glass.  An amazing way to honor success and help keep the environment clean and safe.  Way to go Canada!!!