Ruby's post a while back really motivated me to take my green living even further. I am a good Oregonian:
I recycle
I reuse my cottage cheese containers
I take my own bags to the grocery store
I ride a scooter
But I want more and a lot of the advice out
there is geared towards homeowners, etc. However, I have found a few new ways I can make changes now with where I am in life.
#1 As already mentioned by Ruby, I not only bring my own bags for the check out, but also for bulk item section. Case in point, yesterday I was at Winco and I brought in old Safeway plastic bags and used them for putting veggies in as well as bulk food items. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Insert added bonus: at the check out the checker gave me a 6 cent credit not only for my cloth bag, but also for every bag I used for the veggies and bulk items that was not a Winco bag. This may be a special circumstance and may not be repeated, but I was encouraged. Jenna...save your bags.
#2 Eco friendly cleaner=less plastic, better for you and the environment and saves you money. Economists say that making your own cleaners from natural ingredients cost 1/10 of buying cleaners, so when you empty a bottle of window cleaner or other cleaning product refill it with your own natural cleaner, this may especially be of interest to you Moms and Mom-To-Be's out there. FYI-bleach is a pesticide.
Creamy soft scrubber
- Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.
Window cleaner
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 cups water
- Spray bottle
- Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important.
Oven cleaner
- 1 cup or more baking soda
- Water
- A squirt or two of liquid detergent
- Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top.
- Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened.
All-purpose spray cleaner
- 1/2 teaspoon washing soda
- A dab of liquid soap
- 2 cups hot tap water
- Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.
- Note: If you have a hard time finding washing soda, most stores will special order in items at the request of customers, so check with your favorite store.
Furniture polish
- 1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive
- 1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.
Vinegar deodorizer
- Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar (aprox. 1 TBS to 1 1/3 c water) in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning.
- The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.
Tea tree mold killer
- 2 teaspoons tea tree oil
- 2 cups water
- Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.
- Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
- Also, tea tree oil turns out to be one of the most useful of all essential oils, especially as an antiseptic, germicidal, antifungal, and antibacterial.
— Annie B. Bond, "Clean & Green" (Ceres Press, 1990)
#3 Facial toners
Ladies, rather than throwing away your empty toner bottle, why not fill it up with quality, organic, homemade toner?
Here are a few recipes. Note: As with any new product check a small area of your skin for allergic reaction...Abby this means you!! (Loves)
Essential oil toner-this one is good to add moisture to your skin
- 3-6 drops of essential oil (I like to use 2-3 Lavender and 2-3 Rosewood)
- 1 chamomile tea bag
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup witch hazel (next to the rubbing acohol)
- Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, add tea bag, let steep for 5 min. Remove tea bag, add remaining ingredients. Let cool and pour into clean storage bottle. Shake before each use.
Easy Apple Toner-This apple facial toner is soothing for all skin types.
- 1 large apple, cored and seeds removed, cut into chunks with skin left intact
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup witch hazel
- Place apple chunks and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Strain water and discard apple chunks. Stir in the witch hazel and decant toner to a clean glass bottle.
- Red skinned apples will give the toner a slight pink hue; green apples lend a hint of green coloring.
Pine Facial Toner-This fragrant, refreshing pine toner is mildly astrigent and good for all skin types.
- 1 cup fresh pine needles
- small sprig of pine needles (optional)
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup witch hazel
- Place pine needles and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Strain water and discard the pine needles. Stir in the witch hazel. Add the pine sprig to a clean 8oz glass bottle and cover completely with toner. Store in a cool, dark place.
Watermelon Toner-This is rich in sugar and vitamins A, B and watermelon has astringent properties, and the super high water content makes it an excellent skin refresher.
- 1 cup watermelon chunks
- 2 tbsp witch hazel
- 2 tbsp distilled water
- Purée watermelon chunks in a processor or blender. Strain the liquid and discard the solids.
- Mix the strained liquid with the remaining ingredients, stir and pour into a glass bottle. Dab on face using a cotton ball.
Rose Skin Toner
- 3 ½ cups of witch hazel
- ½ cup dried rose petals
- 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Mix ingredients together making sure it is all blended well.
- Strain the blend and splash on your face after cleansing.
We have some pretty awesome friends who we love to hang out with. (Sam, this picture is for you...Scotty is smiling--did he over do it?) A crew of us decided to head down to the Fox and Firkin for 25 cent wings. Someone, I won't mention who, ordered 45!
No, it wasn't Emma, but she was cute eating her special small person treats.
Nice people
Nice men
Nice cousins
Nice, Lewis.
Jeff and Whitney had a housewarming party where we watched the Olypics set to hip hop music. 
Jeff and Whit racing the 10 meter backstroke.
Human pyramid under water...I think it's a form of syncronized swimming.
Whit doing a summer salt, she is very flexible.
there is geared towards homeowners, etc. However, I have found a few new ways I can make changes now with where I am in life.
Just for fun, we went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D with Crystal's family. 
While we couldn't take many pictures because 1) the flash is annoying and 2) they might consider it piracy, we thought you might enjoy seeing how goofy we looked.
And let's not forget ridiculous amounts of popcorn thanks to 50 cent popcorn night.
Arie's first birthday candle experience. He needed some help from Kurtis to blow it out.
Frankly, I don't think he cared about the festivities, he was just focussed on the food.
And then of course there where the traditional party games "Throw the bean bag as hard as you can at Mitch's house". Fun times for all.
Here we all are having a very nice BBQ at Avery Park.
Some of us played in Mary's River, by some of us I mean, Joei, Crystal and Crystal's Dad.
After being cold and wet, we roasted marshmallows.
We also went to the Benton County Fair, just like everyone else, but...we had a motley crew. Check us out.
First thing we did was hit up the rides. 
Then the expo where the boys got a photo op with Obama.
Then we hit up the deep fried food place, smart. Here is a deep fried twinky.
Next, a deep fried Pepsi. Which Wubby spilled all over.
And naturally an elephant ear.
We split all this food amoungst 8 or more people (we started giving it away to strangers) and we felt SICK.
...we walked back home and then settled in for some Rockband.
All in all, it was a sucessful fair going experience.
Crystal's neice celebrated her 16th birthday last weekend. 
Festivities included watermellon birthday...mellon. (Check the sparkler/candle contraptions in the watermellons)
A nice BBQ spread.
Bubbles.
