I intended to postpone the move until I had the new site set up and ready to go, but that ended up being far more complicated than I anticipated. For instance, I don’t want to keep transferring the new posts from here to there, nor do I want to end up with comments over here that aren’t over there, etc. (I wonder if there’s a way to forward that stuff to the new blog, without creating a transfer file for everything… See what I mean? I’m so bad at this stuff!)

Anyway, the point is, as nervous as this makes me, I think it’s time to direct everyone to the new site. Let me first say, however, that it is a MESS, and will continue to be so, probably for the next two weeks. The only thing I’ve got working right now are the posts – they are all there, hopefully not missing any links or past comments!

If you can bear with it, come on over. And since I don’t know how to forward stuff in feeds, and what not, if you wouldn’t mind switching your blogroll links to reflect the new space…I’d really, really appreciate that! (I’ll Google “forwarding” URLs and see if I can come up with anything there, in case that makes people’s lives a little easier! No guarantees, though – I feel like I’m in a foreign land here!)

So here it is, the self-hosted A Green Spell: http://agreenspell.com.

Thanks!

Greenspell and honey, March 2009

Today is my one year “blogoversary.” I wrote my first post here on March 2, 2009. It’s a pretty random post, and makes me wonder why I started with it! But in any case, I can’t believe it’s been an entire year, and am so happy to have this blog to document the things that have happened over the past twelve months. I still can hardly believe some of the events: I stopped using Ziploc bags. I went to Paris. I started a business. Wow.

As a present to myself, I bought the domain name http://agreenspell.com. (Why isn’t there a www in front of it? I don’t know what I’m doing here!) I decided to make it official. Now comes the hard part of figuring out how to deal with all this hosting stuff, and transferring the blog to its new neighborhood. Hmmm… Tara, aka The Organic Sister, has been kind enough to share her advice on that, and hopefully, I’ll be able to figure it all out by this weekend! I’m very excited about it! I noticed Rachel at The Highs and Lows of a Suburban Yogini also just “moved” to her own domain. Very exciting!

I’m considering a lot of changes over here. I want to keep this blog going, but 5 Seed keeps me quite busy. There is a part of me that worries about spending so much time blogging for 5 Seed because it has seriously cut into my Green Spell time, and it’s not like I’m making a profit off of telling people how to make their own natural products! But I find it very fulfilling, and have gotten such supportive feedback that I do want to continue.

However, all of this has caused me to consider opening A Green Spell to advertisers. Well, I already started a few months ago, when, as some of you may have noticed, I became an affiliate of Mountain Rose Herbs. Plus, I advertise my own business here! I’m still debating – it’s a surprisingly complicated decision. More on that later.

Anyway, I’ll be finishing up my series on spring cleaning this week or next. After that, I’ll be diving into the world of cloth toilet paper – after much delay! And we’ll go from there.

Thanks so much to all of you who have been my blogging pals over the past year. Some of you started, I believe, around the same time that I did, like EcoYogini and Open-Ended Question. Here’s to another great blogging year! Can’t wait to see what changes we make over the next twelve months.

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

Image from myatalantarehabs.com

I’m definitely on a spring cleaning kick and wanted to share the things I’ve been learning here. You may have caught my earlier post detailing my staple cleaning supplies. I also have an article about five basic natural cleaning agents on Examiner.com. However, there are a few other items that you may have in your home that I didn’t mention yet – wood and metal. Terra, of Schmetterling Yoga asked me about this about a week ago, and at long last, I’m here with the info!

Eartheasy.com recommends using a few drops of lemon essential oil in 1/2 cup of warm water for varnished wood. Simply dampen a cloth with this mixture and rub onto the wood. Finish by wiping with a dry cloth.

For unvarnished wood, mix one part olive oil and one part lemon juice. Dampen a cloth with this mixture and work into the wood using broad strokes. Both of these methods are supposed to give your wood furniture a good polish.

Thegoodhuman.com recommends mixing 3 cups of water, 4 Tbsp. of olive oil, and 2 Tbsp. of white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray this onto your wood furniture, and rub gently with a cloth (preferably something like flannel).

Finally, drweil.com suggests using “2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture,” or using olive oil to polish wood furniture mixing it 1:1 with white vinegar, or 2:1 with lemon juice.

As far as hardwood floors go, eartheasy.com recommends a 1:1 mix of vegetable oil and white vinegar, applied in a thin coat.

According to thegoodhuman.com, when it comes to sealed hardwood floors, you should first mop with a mixture of white vinegar and water to thoroughly clean the floor. (Be sure to wring out your mop well, or the water might damage the wood.) The website didn’t give a measurement for the mixture, but just said “a small amount of vinegar in a bucket of warm water.” For shine, it also recommends the 1:1 mixture of vegetable oil and vinegar, rubbed on and buffed with a cloth.

However, care2.com is more conservative with its recommendations for hardwood floor cleaning. It suggests that if you have a finished surface floor (the kind that are very shiny) that you should NOT use vinegar on it, claiming that it will eventually dull the finish. It also discourages the use of oils of any kind, as they supposedly build up on the floor. Care2 recommends cleaning these kinds of floors with a simple mixture of 1/4 cup of mild (eco-friendly, please) dish soap in a bucket of warm water.

If you have a “penetrating finish” (one that hasn’t been sealed by epoxy or other chemical sealers, that is matte in appearance, and one that has the texture of wood, rather than a flat surface), then you will want to avoid using water on it. Care2 recommends using citrus solvents to clean these types of floors. I don’t know much about citrus solvents other than that they are supposedly “natural” substitutes for turpentine-based cleaners.

I don’t have hardwood floors (darnit) nor do I have much in the way of wood furniture, and the few pieces I do have, I simply dust with microfiber cloths. So I want to emphasize the fact that I have never tried any of these methods before and cannot vouch for their efficacy. If you try them, or have tried them, please drop me a line and let me know.

Bon printemps!

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

Image credit: WWF

I have always been a big supporter of Earth Hour, ever since I first became aware of it. Last year was frustrating for me. I had just entered the blogosphere, and had just begun making some very major steps to green my life. All this coincided with Earth Hour 2009. I was very upset, as I encountered many people criticizing Earth Hour and all the people who participated in it. Fellow bloggers made some pretty harsh statements about the uselessness of Earth Hour, some even saying it was media hype to help so-called green companies make more money.

I’m a bit ashamed to say that I got into some pretty heated debates with people about this topic. I was angry at people calling “less-green” people “mindless idiots” who (to paraphrase another blogger) think they’re saving the world just cuz they bring reusable bags to the grocery store. I even wrote a bit of a rant about it here on this blog.

My main point was that I think it’s destructive to criticize any efforts to put green choices into the limelight. And I think it’s even more destructive to criticize people who are only “lite green” at this point in their personal evolution. Why on earth would they want to try more if they feel that their every effort is mocked and/or criticized because it’s not green enough? And since we’re going down that road, what IS green enough, and who decides that?

But here’s the funny thing: I have a totally different perspective on Earth Hour this year. I spend every moment thinking about ways to lower my carbon footprint. A one-hour event seems great for the global movement, but what about me, as an individual?

This, among other things, has made me think that it’s time to start building communities around events like this, and as “green support” for everyday matters. I often think of EcoYogini’s musings on community, and it has really made me wonder. I’m sorry to say that due to recent events in our family, I will likely not have time to do anything with this event this year. But it is something I will be thinking about for next year.

What do you think about Earth Hour?

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

Peracetic acid. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

I had actually never heard of this before, so I started doing some research. First, let me share two sources I found on the internet:

Judy Stouffer of Tau Topics advises not to mix vinegar and peroxide because of the danger of creating peracetic acid. I would add the quotation in full here, but the posted copyright on the page forbids any copying. So click here if you want to read it for yourself.

The second reference to this that I found was on a discussion board. “Jason” replied to someone else posting this same all-purpose cleaner recipe with the following:

I would be EXTREMELY careful with this mixture. In fact, I personally wouldn’t use it. Mixing hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together is dangerous. It can be used separately, for example, spray with vinegar wipe then spray with peroxide. When you mix vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, you create peracetic acid. The mixture they list is probably VERY VERY weak and will likely not cause any problems, but you should know what you are making before you just mix some stuff together… Granted, peracetic acid is a very strong disinfectant… it can even kill anthrax… Just be careful if you use this mixture is all I am trying to say.

Now, keep in mind, this is on a discussion thread. I have no idea who Jason is, or what his qualifications are. His avatar suggests he might work at Treehugger.com, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

So, I decided to go straight to the source. I emailed Sophie Uliano (or one of her assistants, ha ha), through her website, Gorgeously Green. Here is the response I got:

Great question! I considered this issue long and hard and did a lot of research. Basically, the amount of peracetic acid that the recipe creates is negligible, so I still make it exactly as is, as I find it to be very effective and I like the added hydrogen peroxide as a safe germ buster. That being said, I have reformulated it completely for my next book (comes out in June). So you will have 2 options. For now, carry on using the recipe as you have being doing, as it is totally safe.

I’m not super concerned about it, but I probably will not mix them in the future, once I run out of my current supply. I was thinking of omitting the vinegar for the bathroom spray and omitting the peroxide for the kitchen spray (vinegar is a great grease-buster, after all).

What are your thoughts?

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

After months of absence, I’m finally trying to get back to participating in Fight Back Fridays every month or so. I love the intentions behind it, and the way it helps to spread great information about healthy food.

My winter diet has been a far cry from my summer (highly raw) diet. I have been primarily eating cooked vegan fare heavy in root vegetables and carbohydrates – except at breakfast, when I prefer a delicious smoothie. My absolute favorite smoothie for the past several months has been constantly evolving. I’ve finally found the perfect blend of ingredients.

Turmeric Cacao Smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 Tbsp. raw cacao nibs

1 Tbsp. nut butter of your choice

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. turmeric

Place the above ingredients into your blender. Add water during blending until the mixture reaches the desired thickness.

~~~~~~

Despite the fact that this is a cold smoothie, the spices warm your system. They are so healthy for you, as well. My original recipe for this smoothie did not include any spices (it’s just as good without them). But I started drinking tons of turmeric tea, thanks to nutritionist Meghan Telpner, and one morning I decided to use the same spices in my smoothie. Trust me, it tastes like a holiday in a glass!

If you don’t like the delicious crunch of cacao nibs in a smoothie, you can add raw cacao powder, instead. Mountain Rose Herbs sells both these items, as well as chia seeds, and coconut oil. You can also get cacao and chia seeds from Navitas Naturals, and in some health food stores.

I also find this smoothie to be a perfect PMS snack. It gives you an excellent magnesium boost from the cacao, while the turmeric detoxes the liver.

Enjoy this delicious smoothie and the yellow tint the turmeric will leave on your blender!

Copyright: A Green Spell

http://greenspell.wordpress.com

ABC News/Getty Images

I’ve been wanting to write about this since I started this blog, almost a year ago. However, I felt it would be more appropriate to wait for spring to talk about spring cleaning!

We recently celebrated Candlemas/Imbolc (February 2nd), a holiday marking the beginning of “pre-spring.” This was a time when bulbs would bloom from beneath the melting snow, and when sheep gave birth to their young. It was a hopeful time, with light and warmth on the horizon.

The weeks between Candlemas and the vernal equinox (aka: Ostara) are a time when I like to clean things out – both emotionally, mentally, and physically. This is the perfect time to responsibly get rid of things in your home that you no longer need or want (click here or here to read about the resources I used to responsibly purge my home). Further, it is a great time to reevaluate your cleaning supplies, learn how to green your cleaning routine, and get your house sparkling from top to bottom.

I won’t get into the dangers of traditional cleaners – most of us are aware of that by now. Let’s just say that products like Windex, Comet, and Lysol have no place in our homes.

I also don’t plan on talking about the greenwashing going on in the eco-friendly cleaning supply industry. It is a major problem, and we all need to do our research before buying these products. However, I make my own products, and therefore, could not be a good judge about which green cleaning products are best, and which are just wearing a green façade.

Instead, I’m going to share my green cleaning routine. Here are the items I have on hand for cleaning:

-a spray bottle of homemade all purpose spray (click here for a video on how to make this)

-a large glass mason jar filled with baking soda

-a spray bottle filled with vinegar and a few drops of tea tree essential oil

Yeah, that’s it. Nothing more. I have two of each of these items – one set in a portable cleaning caddy for the bathrooms, and one set under the kitchen sink.

This is how I use them:

In the kitchen, I use the all purpose spray for the counters, appliances, and floors. For the sink, simply sprinkle the baking soda over the sink’s surface, spray with vinegar until it starts to bubble, then scrub.

In the bathroom, it’s the same story. I use the baking soda and vinegar for the sink, bathtub, and the toilet. I use the spray for the counters and floor, and other surface areas, including the toilet seat. I use the plain vinegar for the mirrors.

It’s that simple. These items really, genuinely work, and best of all, they leave the house smelling so fresh and clean. The only drawback is that using spray bottles means plastic. Ick. I’m always looking for alternatives, so if you have any ideas, let me know. In the meantime, I only buy high quality, recyclable spray bottles so I can use them for years, and then know that they can go into the commingle bin!

Further, click here for a great post by EcoYogini detailing ways to combat poor indoor air conditions using plants!

Happy spring!

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

Happy Valentine’s Weekend! I hope you are planning a celebration of love, whether you are in a relationship or not. No matter what, there should be copious amounts of chocolate consumed! In that spirit, I wanted to share this video with you. Kathryn Budig, one of my favorite yoga teachers, demonstrates a wonderful recipe for homemade chocolates. These are all ingredients (minus the coffee) I always have on hand – raw cacao is my life. (You can purchase it from Mountain Rose Herbs, Navitas Naturals, or at your local health food store.)

And if you’re in the mood for something a bit more…active…try this DIY lube from Grist.org. Traditional lubes are full of chemicals, like propylene glycol, that don’t belong near our delicate parts. Ditch those chemicals and make your own – you only need flax seeds (easily found at most grocery stores these days) and water. Funnily enough, this concoction can supposedly double as a hair gel!

Hope you have a fabulous, chemical-free, all-natural Valentine’s Day weekend! May you be blessed with love in all its forms.

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com

Yesterday, I walked by a neighbor’s house and was horrified to find their trash can surrounded by at least 40 cardboard boxes, a bag full of glass soda bottles, and another box full of what seemed like perfectly nice hand towels. If I had been braver, I would have gone to their door and asked if I could put their trash in my recycling bin, and take the towels to Goodwill. I mean, come on – we have curbside recycling here. It would be just as easy to throw that cardboard into the recycling bin as it was to throw it in the trash. Needless to say, I cried a bit on the way home and kicked myself for not being courageous enough to take their trash into my own hands, so to speak.

Tsk tsk. No plastic bags, please. (Image credit: www.downdc.gov.uk)

Aside from my wasteful neighbor (ha ha), I think most people do what they can to be green, and everyone who recycles has the best of intentions when tossing items into their recycling bin. However, this brings up a sensitive subject: the fact that good intentions don’t always cut it.

Imagine the last time you held a plastic bag in your hands, or a piece of plastic packaging with no number on it, or a cardboard pizza box with grease stains on it. You think: “Hmmmm…this MIGHT be recyclable.” You don’t want to throw it in the trash, so, despite the fact that you don’t know if it can be recycled or not, you toss it in the recycling bin, heave a sigh of relief, and go on your merry way. Good intentions, for sure. But what REALLY happens to that questionable item?

I can’t go into too much detail here, because every single recycling district is different, not only in the way recyclables are collected, but in the way they are processed. But think before you throw. Remember that items that are not recyclable are going to end up in the trash, anyway, during the sorting process. But if that item has contaminated your bin, then all your recycling may end up in the landfill.

Don't even think about recycling this. (Image credit: Earth911)

For instance, our local recycling center (like most, if not all) will NOT take any item that has been “contaminated” by food. This means no grease-stained cardboard pizza boxes. This is often the biggest contaminator of the commingle bin – food and drink. You may only have one item with food contamination, but that one item may cause your entire bin to be thrown into the trash during sorting.

Further, most recycling centers will not accept “biodegradable” plastics (bags or containers). If you want to read about the waste problems surrounding this wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing, click here. (And just for the record, I DO use these bags to pick up dog poo. Haven’t figured out a solution for that, yet.)

What else? In our district, no frozen food boxes, confetti, styromfoam, paper plates, tissue paper, waxed paper, candy wrappers, plastic bags, plastic trays, plastic toys, or pet food bags. Some other common items that don’t belong in the commingle bin: asceptic containers, clothes, drinking glasses (or glass of any kind, for that matter – that belongs in the glass bin!), and tape or other adhesives. (Click here for a great blog post on this by Sophie Uliano.)

Don’t be deceived by packaging that tells you the item can be recycled. It can be recycled SOMEWHERE, perhaps, but not necessarily in your recycling district. It’s important to call and find out.

Earth911 is one of the best venues I have found for researching your recyclables. You can enter the item in question, and your zip code, and it will tell you where to take it, or send it (if you aren’t near a particular recycling center).

The most essential piece of information to remember is that recycling should be a LAST RESORT. There’s a reason why we say Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and not Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. Recycling is not a solution in and of itself. The only true solution keeping waste out of the landfill is to reduce our overall consumption.

But when you DO recycle, make sure you aren’t a Complacent Recycler. Make your commingle bin a pristine example of recycling perfection. Be certain that the items you put in it actually belong there, so they don’t end up in the landfill during the sorting process. Become the Responsible Recycler, or better yet, the Recycling GODDESS.

As Sophie Uliano says, “It seems so much easier to just toss everything into that recycling bin and hope that it will somehow be spirited off to recycling heaven, but the reality is very different.” We’re responsible for every item that passes from our hands to our recycling bin. Let’s make sure we know where our recycling will go.

Click here to see the “Dirty Dozen” of recycling no-no’s.

Resources for Oregon residents:

Metro Recycling Tips (Portland – but the info is good for everyone!)

Oregon Green Schools

Central Oregon Environmental Center Recycling Information

Copyright: A Green Spell
http://greenspell.wordpress.com