I recently moved into a new home and decided to take the opportunity to “start fresh.” Now I really think about every single thing that comes into my home: its ingredients, origins…everything. I was having a hard time finding home decor that fit my family’s style and from a company I wanted to support. I received a catalog in the mail from At West End and got on the phone to learn more about their company. The products were simply stunning, unique, eclectic, inspired by nature and made from recycled products. But I wanted to know more. The owner Doug Williams took the time to help me out and I am now their biggest supporter.
For over twenty years they have offered a well rounded selection of handmade products from around the world. They have searched all over so each piece in their line has a very artisan feel. Everything you buy helps the world locally and globally. The owners Doug and Susan have a “Kids Foundation” where they support, give service and are very involved in four different charities. The fund they raise help provide medical care, education, food and shelter for children in Haiti, Colombia and Honduras.
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to learn this part of their company, which they don’t push in your face. It took a bit of digging to understand how awesome they really are. For Father’s Day I bought my husband a recycled fire pit that he promptly announced was the best present he ever received from me. My office is full of furniture, magazine racks, mirrors, driftwood balls and coat racks from their catalog.
My home is now FULL of decor items from At West End, all high quality and which represent a mission I truly support and believe in.
The suggestion for July 21 is put garbage where it belongs…in the trash can and not the toilet. It says to not flush things like cigarette butts and dead bugs down the toilet. Simple enough for those who need a reminder. Tomorrow’s tip is turn the lights off when you leave a room. See, it really is the small stuff that can make a difference. Read the rest of this entry »
There is no way on god’s green earth that our family can afford an organic mattress. Just…no way.
Conventional mattresses, though? Yikes! Mother Jones writes about the petrochemicals, formaldehyde, and flame retardants that conventional mattresses are chock-full of. And you don’t have to only be interested in living a chemical-free life to be freaked out–you know how new conventional mattresses smell funky? Off-gassing–if you smell it, you’re breathing it in.
Again, yikes.
The mattress that our girls sleep on is much too old to off-gass, but, although it’s still in pretty good condition, it’s certainly exceeded its reported mattress lifespan, and thus now we get to worry about gradual deterioration releasing even more chemicals into our daughters’ lungs and open pores while they sleep for ten hours at a time. Read the rest of this entry »
Most people would love to buy “green” or “organic” foods, but choosing organic foods can be a pricey proposition. If you think your budget cannot afford 100% organic, here is some simple advice on making the most of your GREEN GROCERY dollar:
Eat organic at the top of the food chain: Livestock eat pesticide-laden feed and are dosed with antibiotics and hormones. This all of this ends up in the package at the super market. There is no way to remove or reduce the contaminants. Purchasing organic dairy, egg and meat products is a great place to begin.
Avoid the following unless they are organic: Pesticides levels vary in produce. The Environmental Workers Union found that you can reduce risks of pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent by avoiding what they call “the dirty dozen”. Here is the list: Apples, Bell peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes (imported), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, and Strawberries. Read the rest of this entry »
If you have kids you probably have stains…all over the place. Or maybe my kids are just extremely messy.
Part of that is my fault for buying a light colored silver/cream sofa and love seat. But my carpet is dark colored and that gets stained too. I have well water which always leave cellulosic browning spots when I try to clean up a mess with water but Eco Mist’s carpet and upholstery cleaning spray works wonders without leaving any brown spots.
In the early 1980’s, my family and those of my aunts and uncles were all gifted with a fabulous new device by our loving Grandparents… the Microwave Oven. I remember all the excitement as the women enjoyed visions of faster meal preparation. We took that ugly, brown box with an orange push button, and a turn dial home and plugged it right in. Our family has been slowing dieing from enjoying microwaved foods since.
Until now. A few months ago we decided to ditch the microwave. It was a decision that I thought would be difficult although we only used it to boil water, pop corn and rarely to reheat leftovers. My husband was all “we don’t need a microwave, we never use it anyway.” Since then, I’ve become more anti-microwave and he’s wondering if we do need one. But, we’ve discovered that its not all that difficult to live without. (Stay with us after the jump for tips on unchaining your home from the microwave.) Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve had the chance to try out several eco-friendly insect repellents over the past month or so and I am rather impressed. Almost all of them seem to work pretty good under normal conditions. Some smell better than others, some seem to work longer and harder than others, and some are more convenient to use but they all do the job of keeping the bugs away.
I just read that San Francisco, in another moment of environmental health leadership (brilliance, I would call it), just launched the most ambitious recycling program in the nation. For a city that already diverts 72 percent of its trash from landfills, San Francisco didn’t sit on its laurels. Mayor Gavin Newsom promoted the law that adds mandatory composting to the program and forwards the goal of achieving 75 percent diversion and zero waste by 2020. Read the rest of this entry »
When we were on vacation a few weeks ago I picked up Sara Snow’s Fresh Living and read it in one day. It felt good to sit down and really dive into a book! I guess I will have to just go on another vacation if I ever want to finish a book again.
I learned a tremendous amount in this book, had many “ah ha!” moments and patted myself on the back a couple times.
For instance, Sara writes a lot about nurseries (maybe she was baby hungry while writing this book; now she would have the cutest baby!) and how to make sure they don’t have harmful chemicals. She writes about how important it is to watch what chemicals we put into, rub on, put around our new babies and that their bodies are so tiny and fragile you need to be even more aware and careful of everything.
For a healthy environment, do any redecorating, furnishing, and cleaning at least one month before you bring your baby home. If that’s impossible, let your baby sleep in a bassinet in your room while the new furnishings for her room off-gas elsewhere.
My kids love bubbles, but are they safe and eco-friendly?
This seems to be a hard question to get answered because I am not finding much info…anywhere.
Bubbles and kids go hand in hand. They are one of those childhood joys like balloons and balls, but balloons are not so eco-friendly and balls…I guess that depends on how they are made.
I recently moved into a new home and decided to take the opportunity to “start fresh.” Now I really think about every single thing that comes into my home: its ingredients, origins…everything. I was having a hard time finding home decor that fit my family’s style and from a company I wanted to support. I received a catalog in the mail from At West End and got on the phone to learn more about their company. The products were simply stunning, unique, eclectic, inspired by nature and made from recycled products. But I wanted to know more. The owner Doug Williams took the time to help me out and I am now their biggest supporter.
For over twenty years they have offered a well rounded selection of handmade products from around the world. They have searched all over so each piece in their line has a very artisan feel. Everything you buy helps the world locally and globally. The owners Doug and Susan have a “Kids Foundation” where they support, give service and are very involved in four different charities. The fund they raise help provide medical care, education, food and shelter for children in Haiti, Colombia and Honduras.
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to learn this part of their company, which they don’t push in your face. It took a bit of digging to understand how awesome they really are. For Father’s Day I bought my husband a recycled fire pit that he promptly announced was the best present he ever received from me. My office is full of furniture, magazine racks, mirrors, driftwood balls and coat racks from their catalog.
by Jodi Helmer is a great book full of simple suggestions to green your life any and every day of the year. You don’t have to start at January 1 either. Pick up the book and start any today, start today.
There is no way on god’s green earth that our family can afford an 
