Published on June 29th, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama in February provides financial opportunities for homeowners, specifically tax credits, rebates, and loans for improving energy efficiency. The Act also provides tax credits for buying a house and for hybrid and alternative fuel car purchases. The problem is that the 400 page legislation can be tough to work your way through to find what’s available to you. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on April 15th, 2009
A new report claims that the increasing number of ‘all-natural’ and ‘organic’ products on the market may be guilty of “the seven sins of greenwashing”.
TerraChoice Environmental Marketing released its report The Seven Sins of Greenwashing today. The report defines greenwashing as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”
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Published on March 11th, 2009
If you live in a northern climate like I do your kids are probably going stir crazy and take to the yard any day that the sun is shining. Cabin fever is probably driving you all a bit mad but maybe you don’t have much money to spend on taking the kids out for entertainment. The good news is you don’t need a lot of money if you know where to look for fun and often free events for kids.
Keep reading for tips on where to look for fun and free things to do with your kids and for a list of upcoming events in the Flint and Genesee County, Michigan area. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 2nd, 2009
Saturday, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius accepted President Obama’s request to become secretary of health and human services.
She sure does have a lot on her plate, what with the proposed overhaul of the health care system.
But what you might not know is that Sebelius is a champion of a “bring your baby to work” policy. Currently, 21 government agencies in Kansas allow babies in the boardrooms.
We live in a society where too many people make workers choose–do you want to be a good parent, or do you want to be a good worker?
Sebelius seems to think: choose both.
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Published on February 21st, 2009
By April 1st, most workers will see a reduction in taxes withheld due to the $787 billion economic stimulus package, but unfortunately, the extra $65 a month for a family of four isn’t going to go very far.
It’s certainly not going to make the payment on a new car or house, but tax breaks on those purchases are also being touted as an important part of the stimulus package. And it’s not going to keep your mortgage payment current. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on February 12th, 2009
Can you afford to always buy eco-friendly products? Really? Let’s face it, buying eco-friendly can be a budget busting experience at the best of times.
Now there’s a new eco-friendly place where you might be able to afford them. Newly launched, Ecosteal.com sells modern, eco-friendly products featured one-at-a-time at 40-80% off retail price, until they sell out or 9am the next day.
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Tags:
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decor,
discounted prices,
eco-friendly products,
Ecosteal,
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manufacturers,
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recycled materials,
retail,
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vendors
Published on February 4th, 2009
A few days ago I read an article on Mothering Magazine’s newsletter about eating naturally while spending less.
This article is important to me because we (as are most Americans) are trying to spend less at the grocery store (or co-op). But we also want to buy food that is safe for our kids (organic) and limit our environmental impact.
The article shares some simple but effective tips that hit home with me. For example, this one. We spend gobs of money on organic cereal, and I could pretty easily make up some tasty granola (nut free) for my girls. I hope I haven’t missed the window for them to like it– they are used to the Kashi brand we regularly buy.
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Published on January 30th, 2009
To quote Dora - “WE DID IT!”
The CPSC has granted a one year stay for the CPSIA mandatory testing requirements that were going to make February 10, 2009 Bankrupt Day for probably hundreds of thousands of businesses in the United States, as well as forcing many European distributors out of the country.
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Published on January 26th, 2009
When I think of crafters, I imagine women of a certain age with sensible shoes sitting in wallpapered living rooms. They have a crochet needle in one hand and a cat rubbing at their ankle.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission probably thinks the same way. But wait, they’ll change their tune.
Come Wednesday, the US will see crafters differently. Crafters are coming together on Wednesday and for a blog-in to talk to the CPSIA about the negative ramifications of a new law that’s scheduled to be enacted on February 10th. Forbes has great coverage.
The law can be read here, and I’m a little concerned. I like resale shops, I don’t want to see them legislated out of business. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on January 25th, 2009
Congress proposed a policy last week that would pay you up to $4500 on a gas guzzling trade-in, applicable towards a new fuel efficient vehicle. On the surface, this sounds great: getting those pollution spewing cars off the road and replacing them with efficient gas sippers, which “would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the economy.”
Or maybe not. I think this policy’s a clunker. Here’s why.
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