Just a few, short years ago, I would have regular “discussions” with my husband about the value of recycling. We wouldn’t actually fight about my attempts to recycle newspapers, plastic, aluminum, etc, but we were definitely not in agreement!

Pre-Apri 2007, I recycled aluminum cans & plastic bottles, pretty much for the cash (what little that was). I would also collect the previous day’s newspapers from my workplace and neighbor and recycle them, more for the principal of it, rather than the .01 or .02 cents per pound profit.

My very intelligent and witty husband, was not of like mind, in the recycling arena. He reluctantly rinsed his soda/beer cans, but insisted that this was “my project” and he was not participating in getting them to the recycler.

The newspaper recycling was even more of a sore subject with Ken. Considering, I didn’t accumulate much in newspaper, when I did recycle them, I would secure a whopping .38 cents to maybe .50 cents for my booty! Ken used to say to me, “If, you let me throw the newspapers away, I’ll give you the .38 cents myself.” Naturally, I was NOT humored by his “generous” offers.

Then, in April 2007,  I watched Oprah’s Earth Day show and became inspired to be more environmentally conscious, which included amping up my recycling habits. It was still a little touchy with Ken, but as time progressed and he become more educated about environmental issues, he was a more willing participant.

Then, in April of 2009, we purchased a home that was larger than the home we had been living in. With some of the new space in our garage area, I expressed to Ken that I would like to have a larger recycling area. As, I’m sure you might of guessed, that didn’t go over too well. There was some ongoing bantering for awhile, prior to our moving. But, lo and behold, once we got moved into our new home, my husband lined me (us) all up, with a recycling area in our garage!

As you can see from the pictures, there definitely isn’t anything fancy about this area. All the receptacles are used cardboard boxes or old plastic bins, etc. But, it’s my own little recycling area and it works!

The moral to my story is: Never give up, if  it’s the right thing to do, do it! And, keep on doing it! Eventually, those who are around you, will see the light and convert also.

Note: In case you’re wondering, the county that I reside in, currently does not have curbside recycling. I make a recycling run about every other week to our local recycler, Western Recycling in Fruitland, ID.

Saving the environment by using safe and non-toxic products doesn’t always mean spending more. In fact, the products that I use and am proud to distribute can save the environment and also help save your pocketbook from being depleted so swiftly.

Smirk if you must, when I tell you that I’m referring to Shaklee products. BUT, did you know that NASA has used Shaklee’s Basic H (all-purpose cleaner) in their facilities? How about the fact that a Northern California based aerospace and defense leader uses Basic H in their specifications for maintenance of equipment? Or, even that there are numerous farm and ranch owners that use Basic H to rid crops of pests or worm their cattle? No, the last example is not based on Shaklee Corporation’s recommendations. But, based on years of practice by forward-thinking farmers and ranchers, Basic H is preferred due to its being a natural, organic,  non-ionic, surfactant.

So, why would you pay more for products that may or may not be safe? Or, why would you use safe products that put more packaging into the landfills, than concentrated, safe and guaranteed products by Shaklee? Did you know that even using safe products like vinegar and baking soda, can cost more out of your pocketbook and put more into the landfills, than some of  Shaklee’s products?

If, you’ve never met, let me introduce Shaklee Corporation to you. A direct marketing company that has been in continuous business for over 50 years. They were the first-ever certified, Climate Neutral company in the U.S. They are also the number one natural nutrition company in the United States. A company that has never had a product recall and stands behind ALL their products, with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Yep, that’s Shaklee. And what a product line of safe, smart, green products they have! The Get Clean product line includes an all-purpose cleaner, Basic H2. One 16-ounce bottle of this concentrated green cleaner dilutes down into over 200 bottles of cleaner. That works out to about .07 cents a bottle and only one original bottle to the plastic recycling center.

Please take the opportunity to view this short 3-minute video with information about Shaklee’s cleaning products. Also, feel free to go over to my website and peruse through for information on each and every product. Also,  Shaklee  offers kitchen and laundry products that are safe for the environment and your pocketbook. The Shaklee philosophy is: Always Safe, Always Works, Always Green. I invite you to find out for yourself and share the results here for others to see.

Most people have the opportunity to use and/or throw away plastic bags or single-use plastic, every single day. The problem is that they are doing just that, and the results have become detrimental to life on this planet.

Toxic impacts to wildlife, the environment and human health are readily increasing. That’s why there’s a Bill in California to ban plastic bags and single use plastic known as AB 1998.

Please watch the below video and then take the pledge on the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s website:

Ban the Bag AB1998 Plastic Pollution Coalition from Dianna Cohen on Vimeo.

Don’t forget to take the pledge and help Ban the Bag. It’s important EVERYWHERE, not just in California.

Is there lead and or mercury in the water you drink or the food your buy and feed to your family? Watch the below video which talks about 85% of kids drinks and snacks containing high levels of lead. And hear how 1/3 if the 55 top brand food items contain high levels of mercury.

Or how about aspartame? Think you’re being healthier by consuming a “non-sugared” product? Did you know that aspartame is the feces of genetically engineered bacteria that are associated with health problems? YUCK!!

How about silicone? Not something you want your children ingesting? When’s the last time they ate some Chicken McNuggetts.

No, we can’t get away from it all, but we can educate ourselves. A recent New York Times article talks about lead in those bounce houses that you rent for your kids birthday parties and such.

You can also remove lead and numerous other contaminants from your tap water with a new water pitcher system that removes 99% of lead from tap water.  It also reduces 9 times more contaminants that a leading competitor.

Be informed and be moved to make changes for your family and the planet.

For a safe tap water filtering system click here and also receive a free water bottle.

I watched a very eye-opening and sobering movie today. It’s called “Home”. It’s a review of the use and misuse of our natural resources by human activity. It clearly demonstrates how all living matter is linked to one another.

Now, anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I’m definitely no “Debbie Downer”. But, the downside part of the message of this movie was that “We” are depleting what nature provides. All our actions have repercussions on the entire earth, no matter where we are at. After all, 20% of the world’s population, consumes 80% of it’s resources.

WAIT – DON’T LEAVE YET !!

There is some very good news also. What’s important is not what’s gone, but what still remains and how we use it. And, we do that by being responsible consumers.

Please take the time to sit down and watch this spectacular media. You’ll see that near the end, they share numerous positive changes that are being taken worldwide, to improve our planet and save it from global warming. As they said in the movie:

“We all have the power to change, what are we waiting for?”

Click here to watch the movie.

Our skin is the largest organ on our body, but often times, the most neglected. What we eat and drink, as well as what we use on our body, can have effects to our health.

Your skin is also like a sponge. It  can absorb the elements that it is exposed to. Sometimes, these elements can contain substances that may be toxic to humans and their future offspring. From home cleaning products to personal hygiene products, everything matters.

Last week, I had my first-ever facial. I’ve never really been interested in getting a facial, although I have been conscientious about my personal skin care. But, after meeting  local esthetician, Frances Vincen-Brown with Massage & Skin Care Solutions in Boise,  I decided it was time to get one and see what they’re all about.

Frances is the real deal when it comes to knowing about skin care issues and using the most natural and safe products for the skin. Besides her incredible knowledge of skin and products, Frances provides an excellent “bedside manner”.

Her application of products and explanation of each process was informative, as well as soothing and pleasant. Throughout the entire facial, Frances made sure that I was aware of what she was doing and with what products.

The products that Frances uses are a combination of her own personally blended products (Skin Care Solutions) and products by BIOELMNTS. All the products are botanically based-utilizing herbs, essential oils, and natural oils as active ingredients.

The facial that I received is what she calls a Specialized Facial. On her website the process is described as:

A personalized facial for your specific skin type.  You will experience a custom blended deep pore cleansing with amazing facial scrub, an enzyme exfoliation under steam, massage of the face, neck and shoulders followed by a treatment mask and serum designed to correct specific problems.

Frances also did a ”Gua Sha”; which is a chines treatment that aids in lymphatic drainage, promotes circulation and helps to tone your skin. Then, she uses a cooled, jade roller, to also aid in lymphatic drainage, close and tighten pores and calm skin after the facial.

The only side effects that I’ve experienced from this whole experience, is that I can’t wait to go back for more! My face definitely felt clean and refreshed and generally more toned and healthy. I had absolutely no side-effects to the products or treatments that Frances utilized.

I am so pleased with the quality of service and products that I received, that I’m headed back next week for a “Pumpkin Facial”. There’s a lot of peace of mind, knowing that only natural and safe products are being used on my skin.

Do you have that same peace of mind about the products that are going in or on your body?

My friend, Houston Neal, over at Software Advice shared some seriously good information with me recently. Not only is this good for the planet, but it’s rebate money for you by making your home more energy efficient.

The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 is on its way. Commonly known as “cash for caulkers,” this bill has been approved in the House of Representatives and now awaits final approval by the Senate.

This is great news for homeowners and contractors. The bill provisions $6 billion for energy-efficient retrofits; it will support renovations for 3 million families; it will create an estimated 168,000 new jobs, and; it will save consumers $9.2 billion on energy bills over the next 10 years.

To cash in on upcoming rebates, homeowners will need to do their homework. The bill describes 13 types of renovations that are eligible to receive funding. Each one has unique requirements and rebate amounts. Fortunately there are a number of online resources that make it easy to wade through the legislation.
For example, Software Advice put together a starters guide to cash for caulkers. It includes an easy-to-read table with the renovation requirements, along with suggestions on how to bundle similar renovations into “project packages.”

Here’s a quick excerpt from their post. It describes the two rebate programs listed in the bill:

The Home Star bill offers two rebate programs, the “Silver Star” program and “Gold Star” program. Here are details for each:

Silver Star – Homeowners will receive a $1,000 rebate for each retrofit described in the bill. The maximum amount of rebates paid out will be $3,000 or 50% of the total cost, whichever is lower. For example, if a homeowner spends a total of $4,000 on eligible retrofits, they will get $2,000 or 50% back as a rebate. If they spend $8,000 on eligible retrofits, they would only receive $3,000 in rebates instead of $4,000 (which would be 50% of the cost).

Gold Star – To qualify for the Gold Star program, homeowners must reduce their total home energy consumption by 20%. A $3,000 rebate will be rewarded for this reduction. Homeowners can receive an additional $1,000 for each additional 5% reduction, up to a total rebate of $8,000 or 50% of the total retrofit cost. Rebates may be provided for any of the retrofits listed under the Silver Star program, or for any other energy-saving measure, including: home energy management systems, high-efficiency appliances, highly reflective roofing, awnings, canopies, and similar external fenestration (window) attachments, automatic boiler water temperature controllers, energy-efficient wood products, insulated vinyl siding, and mechanical air circulation and heat exchangers in a passive-solar home.

To learn more, visit: http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/construction/cash-for-caulkers-the-definitive-guide-to-the-home-star-bill-1061110/

Once upon a time, in 1976, there was passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Of the 62,000 chemicals on the market at the time TSCA passed in 1976, EPA has only required testing on about 200; and it has only regulated five. 

Congress is currently involved with mandating stricter guidelines, under the Kids-Safe Chemical Act. But, the chemical industry may not be as happy about these changes, as they claim to be.

We are not living in a fairytale, this is the real deal. Watch the below video and take action by letting Congress know that strict, toxic chemical reform, must be mandated!

Check out the below video from SaferChemicals.org.

This upcoming weekend will be the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What are you doing this year to celebrate?

Independence Day is traditionally celebrated on the 4th of July. Along with the fireworks, barbeque’s, parties and such, there’s usually A LOT of garbage that accumulates.

I can’t think of a better way to show how much you value the natural resources that this beautiful county provides, than by putting some “green acts” into the day of Red, White & Blue. Here’s some practical and easy tips:

Don’t use disposable plates, cups, utensils:

Use your reusable dinnerware or ask your guests to bring their own, if you feel comfortable doing that. Just paper plates alone, even if they are biodegradable, can be damaging to the landfills. They usually have been manufactured with some types of chemicals, plastics or wax.

Recycle cans & bottles:

Even, if you can’t get the empties to a recyclers, odds are one of your guests can.

Don’t use individual bottled water containers:

You can purchase drinking water in numerous locations in larger containers. Serve your guests their water in those reusable cups that you decided to use this year!

Buy bulk foods for your party:

Reducing the number of containers that your food comes in, means less items going to the recyclers or landfill.

Happy Independence Day / 4th of July – Thank you to all who have served our country to provide our freedoms and liberties!

Some things you read can really make you stop and think. Today, I saw a quote posted by one of my Twitter connections, @SharonBoggs, that did just that! Here’s what it said:

“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”  – William James

Now, I’ve read, shared and pondered many a quote or words of wisdom, but this one actually kind of gut-punched me.  Probably, because I have recently been doing a lot of self-evaluation on where I am in my life and if I am on the path that is the right one for me.

I realize that are probably multitude of  “right paths”, for any given person. But, I have been asking myself if what I am currently doing, is making a difference. Am I spending my life well, when it comes to making some kind of difference on this planet?

In just over 3 years, my family and I have made several conscious changes in our habits and lifestyle, to try and reduce our carbon footprint. During this short journey, we’ve improved several of our recycling habits, purchasing habits, and other lifestyle changes. Pretty much all of them, thus far, have been relatively painless.

But, is that enough? Is what we’re doing making a difference? Will the environmentally conscious changes that we’ve made, outlast us?

I’m not sure how to answer this multi-faceted question yet. I’m going to ponder it awhile longer. Feel free to share your thoughts about what you’re doing to spend your life well.