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Go Green at Halloween?
Believe it or not, you can Go Green at Halloween!
You can make Halloween fun, healthy, affordable and GREEN! The best way to do this is to use the concept of the three ‘R’s’ – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
This will help to organize a heathy and ‘GREEN‘ Halloween.
Although the small candy bars may taste good, they are full of sugar and wrappers are not exactly “Earth friendly“…
Why not suggest to your children a fun alternative without having to tell them you’re not giving out the usual chocolate?
It is a good idea to get the children’s approval and make them offer a suggestion of what to do that might be different and fun. See if they have suggestions of what to hand out and then ask if they like the idea of giving out neat trinkets and treasures.
I like the idea of polished stones or coins. If you decide to give out treats I would suggest healthier fruit bars with extra Vitamin C.
Children might like the idea of offering something different to their friends in the neighbourhood and if they believe they had a part in deciding what to hand out it makes them feel good.
You might try to Reduce by:
Giving out the treasure, or a colourful pencil and just one treat not tons of sugary candy.
You can Reuse many items in a “fun” way:
Reusing is a good idea even for the costume, you can find things around the house to use for a unique, yet fun costume. One idea is for your child to wear something that they can wear over again, like clothes they would wear everyday. For example, my son’s costume this year is “Spiderman“, but it is a set of pyjamas that can be washed and worn not just for Trick or Treating, but also for sleeping thoughout the year.
Another year, we reused a friend’s “Tigger“ costume that was like brand new.
If you plan to host a Halloween party why not find things at home like old jewellery, belts or scarves that can be made into a unique costume?
For Recycling try:
Remember to compost leftovers, natural decorations like gourds, hay, jack-o-lanterns and candy…
Reducing, Reusing and Recycling are quite easy to do and sometimes even more convenient than travelling to so many stores to find the best costume ever and as long as your child is happy, then everyone is happy while making the earth a much cleaner place to live.
This a neat site for Halloween tips and tricks:
GreenHalloween.org
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Jill
Earth Friendly Fabrics and Tips
Are you ready to revamp your closet for the fall?
You should consider designers like, Kim Carlson, eco-expert and founder of “EarthSmart Consumer Certified”, who use earth-friendly fabrics and practices. Kim helps people become true label readers in a way to be eco-chi and find green threads. Although green clothes may not be the first thing we read about in fashion, there is definitely a growing awareness.
Here are some tips from Kim regarding eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, hemp fabric, tencel and wool.
Eco-Friendly Fabrics
Organic Cotton: Try to buy anything you wear next to your skin, like underwear and pyjamas made out of organic cotton. Non-organic cotton is an extremely pesticide intensive crop. It is comforting to know that organic cotton is raised without toxins or synthetic fertilizers. So it’s better for land and water supply. It’s also produced without harsh chemical bleaches or dyes, which won’t irritate your skin.
Hemp: Hemp is making a comeback not as a drug, but as a fabric. Hemp grows naturally without pesticides. Since it grows like a weed it even nourishes the soil rather than sapping it and costs less to produce. Hemp is often combined with other fabrics like silk and cotton to make jeans, skirts, jackets and accessories including purses and belts. No need to worry, this isn’t the clunky, hemp fashion of the 70’s. The designs are sleek and exude a sophisticated eco-intelligence.
Tencel: Be sure to check labels when shopping for a new fabric called tencel. It’s known in the fashion world for its “drape”. It looks quite luxurious, similar to rayon. The fabric is lightweight, soft and breathable. Tencel is made from wood pulp – that’s right, trees.
Most other synthetic fabrics are made from petroleum, a non-renewable and highly toxic resource. Tencel is made from tree-farmed trees, a renewable resource. The other good news is the fiber is produced with much less pollution than other man-made fibers.
Wool: On a cool night you migh consider Alpaca wool. Alpacas are related to Llamas of the Andes Mountains. The wool doesn’t contain lanolin, meaning it doesn’t require the harsh chemicals used to clean sheep’s wool. It is softer and stronger than conventional wool and comes in a wide range of beautiful, earth tone colors, which eliminates the use of toxic dyes.
Recycled Options:
To keep your fashion looking fresh and lighten your pocketbook, you can mix and match expensive, cheap, new and old into your wardrobe selections. To take advantage of recycling, buy from a company that makes new goods out of discarded waste like “Ekoganic’s” recycled cashmere designs made from scrap cashmere. It keeps scraps out of the waste stream and uses less energy patching pieces together.
Care of Clothes:
Did you realize that taking care of your clothes is as important as the kind of clothes you buy? Try using a biodegradable, non-phosphorus laundry soap. If you buy something that needs dry-cleaning, be sure to take it to a “non-PERC” cleaner. PERC (perchloroethylene) is a hazardous chemical that’s been linked to cancer. You can find these cleaners by looking for “wet cleaners”, carbon dioxide cleaners or a silicone solvent cleaner. If a PERC dry cleaner is used, take the plastic off of the clothes immediately and air them out in a basement for 48 hours before hanging them in your closet. The plastic holds the toxic chemical in until you wear it!
The Bottom Line: Become a label reader! Read clothing labels just as you read labels to find out what’s in your food. Apply the organic principle: avoiding chemicals is a good thing even in what we wear and how we clean our clothes. So the next time you go shopping remember these important tips. Even take a little note with you listing different types of eco-friendly fabrics.
For more on Kim, please visit www.earthsmartconsumer.com.
Goji Berries and GoChi
Are you feeling tired or stressed these days?
There is a way to help you sleep better and have more positive energy.
The Goji Berry has been proven to be extremely effective in helping you live a healthier life, with less stress. The Gochi drink can help you in many ways and this drink is:
- 30% more of the special goji polysaccharides
- Preservative free
- Kosher certified
- Halal
- Even better tasting
- Proven by double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled studies
Research, Benefits and GoChi:
In the randomized, studies for GoChi the benefits found in just 14 days, include:
- Less fatigue
- Improved athletic performance
- Increased energy
- Reduced stress
- Sharper mental acuity
- Better sleep
- Better bowel regularity
- Feeling happier and more content
- Plus more!
Goji berries have been said by may experts in the medical and clinical as possibly being the healthiest food on Earth. They have been consumed in Asia for thousands of years as medicinal. In addition to the antioxidants and nutritional benefits, the Goji berry includes a master molecule that has the potential of slowing the signs of aging.
Best Regards,
Jill
905-859-0340
Love What You Do…
How has your summer been going?
I just got back from the cottage up north.
It was so nice to have a break…
but now back to the grindstone…
LOL
Well, not really, I just love what I do!
I work at home and spend time with my family,
so that’s the best part…
But…
I also get to help others, which is
important to me.
I help others work at home; supplement their
income; get healthy; live a healthy lifestyle and have
a positive mindset.
Really, a positive mindset is where it’s at!
If you try to stay more positive everything in your life
will follow suit.
You will even stay healthier overall, because there won’t
be as much stress in your life…
And stress can cause or increase major health issues like:
- Autoimmune Diseases: (Celiac disease, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.)
- Arthritis
- Cancer
For more information on Autoimmune Diseases visit:
So, by doing what you love and having a more positive
mindset you and your family will live a healthier
lifestyle overall.
For work at home ideas, or to supplement what you currently do…
Please ask, I would love to help!
Yours truly,
Jill
905-859-0340
Drink to Your Health
I wanted to let you know about a drink that is healthy and helps to boost your immune system. You simply take two ounces in the morning and two ounces at night before bedtime. What can be easier than that?
Personally, I get tired of taking so many vitamins each and everyday and often forget to take them. One day I take them and think I will get on a better routine taking them everyday, but then I skip a day here and there, which is not a good idea. The body does better when you take your vitamins faithfully.
So, I am quite an advocate of these healthy vitamin drinks. I would much rather take a quick drink than have to swallow so many pills. Now you could take this drink and still take some vitamins if you choose, but you may find it easier to take a two ounce drink.
I also find with vitamins, that you can’t just take one vitamin. The vitamins that say you can take just one per day really are not beneficial. They do not absorb properly in the small intestines, which in turn can create other problems. So most often you will find you have to take at least three vitamins to get all the value and sometimes even more. So, wouldn’t you rather take a two ounce shot of a healthy drink and maybe add a vitamin if you choose? This way you are sure to be getting proper nutrition in a yummy tasting drink.
Lucky Earth
I would like to introduce you to a new, GREEN way to wash your car.
This idea is fantastic! It is a ”Waterless” Car Wash, from “Lucky Earth”.
This incredible idea from “Lucky Earth” makes it possible to quickly and easily clean your entire car, inside and out. It can be used on wet and dry surfaces. You can even use it inside your vehicle on the dashboard, leather seats and doors.
You might ask, well how can you really have a “Waterless” Car Wash?
The idea behind the concept is, it dissolves and encapsulates dirt, then whisks it away with a microfiber towel.
When you use the “Lucky Earth, Waterless Car Wash” System you will help reduce water consumption, while having no pollutants run into our streams, rivers, and lakes.
“Imagine the good we will do for ourselves, our families, and the world!”
Benefits of Lucky Earth “Waterless” Car Wash:
-
Save up to 840 gallons with one bottle
-
Get 7-10 washes from one 32 oz bottle
-
Save Money
-
Save Time
-
Save Water
The “Waterless Car Wash” from Lucky Earth is made with water, natural surfactants (the cleaner) derived from coconut, and silicone.
What I like about this product is the use of natural products and the great benefit to our earth!
There are many other products available. You should check them out at:
You will be glad you did and think about the good you will be doing for our environment!
Sun and Skin
I was away this weekend up north and with the weather not being all that great we were inside for much of the time. This was fine with me though. I managed to watch a show called, “The Doctors”.
One topic they covered on this episode was about skin cancer and the sun. They had two women on and compared the sun damage on their faces. One lady worshipped the sun, while the other lady protected herself with sunglasses and sunhats, plus suntan lotion.
Who do you think the doctors favoured? The woman who protected herself from the sun was of course much better off, as far as having less chance of cancer spots on her face.
They showed a picture and the lady who worshipped the sun had many more spots that were very dense.
The concern is that people still think it’s okay to suntan. It is fine to be out in the sun, because we need the Vitamin D, but you must protect yourself.
Did you know that if you find a Melanoma spot that tends to look quite dark in colour and you don’t get it checked immediately by a doctor, you could only have one year to live?
Although this blog is quite serious, I think it is essential that we are more aware of what the sun can do to us.
If you are concerned about the type of suntan lotion you use, please check out this site for advice on choosing the right one:
http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09
Sincerely,
Jill
Eating Healthy
I try to eat healthy. How about you? Sometimes however it is not that easy. When I lived on my own I only stocked healthy foods in my fridge. I rarely bought cookies and candies, etc. This way it helped to eat well. You know as well as I do, when the sweets are available you want to keep eating them. I personally would rather stock my cupboards with only healthy foods. Now that I am married and have a son you would think that there is even more of a reason to eat well, however my husband loves sweets. So, as much as I try not to buy these things, he still comes home with a bag of cookies. Despite this I offer my family healthier alternatives and ensure that they eat well. It is important to eat a nutritious diet even with a busy lifestyle. Healthy soups are convenient and you can add so many nutritious foods to them. For example you can add corn, beans, broccoli, chicken, tomatoes and much more. Whatever your heart desires! For quick, yet nutritious meals try canned beans, hummus or roast chicken, but don’t eat the skin. If you find that you have to skip a meal, then snacks are quite important. Healthy snacks include: yogurt, fruit, cold pizza, V-8 juice, either white or chocolate milk and crackers with almond butter, peanut butter or cheese. Just be sure that your are getting a source of protein with your fruits and vegetables. It is important to get your iron and vitamin C. Women especially need to make sure they get enough iron. A lack of iron can cause you to feel tired. The best and most easily absorbed source of iron is lean red meat, however if you choose to limit your red meat cosumption try enriched cereals, beans, peas, fruit and of course, dark, leafy vegetables like spinach or swiss chard. You should eat foods that are rich in iron with a source of vitamin C, because the vitamin C helps absorb the iron. Foods with sufficient vitamin C include: orange juice, strawberries and kiwis. So be sure to eat well despite a busy schedule and limit unhealthy snacks. Eat fruits and vegetables instead of poor food choices. If you are thinking about grabbing a cookie reach for an apple instead or if you are craving chips try crackers with protein. Also, you can try protein drinks that will reduce food cravings.
