Books.  I love ‘em.  Books are a great way to learn something new.  They are a great way to unwind and de-stress.  If you are anything like me, the bookstore can be an easy way to unload tons of your hard earned cash in the blink of an eye.

I try to stay away from bookstores.  Simply because I know if I go in, I’m in trouble.  I always seem to walk out with 3-4 new books and a big hole in my bank account.

It wasn’t until recently that the light bulb finally went off in my head.  Just last year, my husband and I got a library card.  Not because we wanted to check out books, but because our local library was offering free passes to area attractions and museums and I thought it would be a great way to enjoy some of the offerings of the city with our son.  Since my husband had been laid off at the time, free was my best friend.

That led me to check out the library’s website.  Wow, technology has gotten sooo much better since I was in high school (the last time I had visited a library, sad I know).  Our library system here in Phoenix is pretty large.  I quickly discovered that getting books from the library was so much easier than I had thought.  With a toddler in tow, sometimes I just don’t want to spend hours in the library looking for a great book.  And now I don’t have to. 

Our library system is made up of multiple branches so you can pretty much find just about any book you are looking for.  The coolest part is that I can go online and reserve whichever book I’d like, they will ship it to my local branch and I can just go pick it up and leave. Easy peasy! 

Guess what else?  I can also rent DVD’s and cd’s!  How cool is that?

And being able to get these from the library means: no more DVD rentals, no buying cd’s only to find out it really only had one good song anyway and no more spending lots of money at the bookstore bringing home books I may or may not read more than once.

It also means, that I am not creating more waste and environmental damage caused by the manufacturing of more products.  Who knew the library was really just a big recycling center?!

And for those books I just can’t live without because I will use them over and over and over?  Well why not buy used?  Half.com is an online site affiliated with eBay where buyers and sellers can exchange new and used books, cd’s and DVD’s.  I’ve bought and sold through them many times and have been very pleased.  More recycling!

Have you taken advantage of your local library system?  Have you tried Half.com?  What did you think?

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Green Giveaways 6/22/10

by Christie on June 22, 2010 · 0 comments

in Green Giveaways

Welcome to Green Giveaways where I will periodically post links to eco-friendly giveaways from around the web.  Don’t forget to subscribe to my free email updates or RSS feed so you don’t miss any exciting opportunities!  You can also follow me on Twitter.

Natural Home Magazine is giving away a gift pack of natural and organic snack and drinks.  Ends 8/12/10.

Nissan is giving away a 100% Electric Nissan Leaf car.  Ends 3/31/11.

Leite’s Culinaria is giving away a TSP Spices Organic Spice set.  Ends 8am EDT 7/4/10.

Service Experts is giving away a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.  Ends 6/30/10.

Good luck and let us know if you win something!

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DIY: Homemade Body Wash

by Christie on June 14, 2010 · 0 comments

in Bath, Recipes

We’ve been using the following recipe for a few months now and I don’t think we will ever change.  It’s so easy to make.

First, get yourself a good sized pump bottle.  I recommend a pump bottle because the finished product is a little watery.  We just repurposed an old baby wash bottle and removed the labels.

Fill it half way with Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Mild Castile Soap.  Fill the remaining with plain old water.  Voila! You have body wash!

And, if you like a little fragrance in your soap, you can add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oils.  We chose a blend of Sweet Orange and Lemongrass.

Now, you may notice your skin feels a little tight at first, but I assure you that will go away after a week or so.  Your skin just has to get used to not having all of the added chemicals found in commerical products.

Plus, this stuff lathers just as good as the store bought washes and I have found that if you shut the water off while lathering, you won’t need to use very much at all (and you’ll be saving water too!).

Have you tried pure Castile Soap in the bath before?  What did you think?

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I’m starting to think my quest for a safe shampoo that really works is never gonna end.

I recently tried Avalon Organics Nourishing Shampoo in Lavender.  It was sort of an impulse buy at Whole Foods.  They had it in a trial size so I figured “What the heck.”

Well, my first mistake was not looking it up on Skin Deep from my phone.  I would have immediately realized it had a rating of 6 (way too far into the moderate hazard zone for me).

But that being said, I had already purchased it and decided to give it a try.

While it did okay lathering and the fragrance wasn’t too overwhelming, I just never felt it was capable of penetrating to my roots to get them clean.  I mean I had to use a ton of this stuff to cover all of my hair (and I have thin hair).

By the end of the day, my roots were just a little too oily for my liking.

And so the journey continues…

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Ask the Readers: Stain Removers

by Christie on May 25, 2010 · 0 comments

in Laundry

So I’ve been experimenting with a few different stain removers lately and everything keeps coming up short.

I’ve tried making my own.  And I’ve tried Begley’s Best.  And you know what?  Neither of them were capable of taking out even the smallest stains from our clothes.

And thus, it’s time to turn this over to the readers.

Have you found any good commercial or do it yourself laundry stains removers that can take on stains with the best of them? I’d love to know.

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Going Green on a Budget: Part 4

May 25, 2010

Menu Planning…a year ago I never would have even considered something like that.  Why?  Well I didn’t know how and I didn’t know how much money it could save me.
Over the past year, I have become a firm believer that in order to maintain a grocery budget, you MUST plan your meals.  And now that [...]

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Organic Container Vegetable Gardens

May 15, 2010

Thinking about starting a garden, but short on space?  Did you know there are veggies that do quite in containers?  Try these:

Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce
Lima Beans
Onions
Peppers
Radishes
Snap Beans
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes

For more info on how to plant and care for these veggies, check out the book McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers.
While [...]

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20 Ways to Save Water Today

May 13, 2010

 One way we can all help to protect the environment is to STOP WASTING WATER.  Wondering where to start or what to do?  Here’s 20 ideas you can implement TODAY!

Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month.
 Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning [...]

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Product Review: Rejuva Minerals Mascara

May 6, 2010

I mentioned in this month’s progress report that I am trying a new line of makeup.  I have found it to be quite difficult to find makeup that really is safer.  As you know, my go to when it comes to beauty products is the cosmetic database called Skin Deep. 
Even though there are quite a [...]

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Going Green on a Budget: Part 3

May 6, 2010

One of the first steps into being green on a budget is to well…set a budget!
If you are new to budgeting, let me assure you that it is not as hard as it looks and is easy to stick with as long as you have the desire and the tools.
First, take an honest look at [...]

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