Green Painting

This entry was written on Nov 22, 2008 by our Green Living Guru Robin Neorr

We are building a cabinet for our children and want to be as green as possible. We are using slavaged parts where possible and want to use the best paint that is not only going to be safe for the environment, but safe for our family as well.

After a lot of research we decided to buy milk paint from a local green store in our neighborhood. I am really excited about it. We will have to wait two weeks until the paint comes in, but it sounds like a dream. It comes in powder form, is made with all natural ingredients, and you can mix up as little or as much paint as you need. It mixes with water and the beauty is there is so little waste. I mean no wasted dried up paint, no paint cans to deal with, and it is organic. I can not wait to try it out!

Grocery Bag From an Old T-Shirt

Are you looking for a new way to carry your groceries or a second use for your favorite concert t-shirt.

Simply turn the t-shirt inside out and stich along the bottom hem. Now turn that t-shirt back and cut along the arm holes. You now have a one of a kind grocery shopping bag that will put those plastic grocery bags to shame.

Getting Ready for a Green Christmas

This entry was written on Nov 20, 2008 by our Green Living Guru Robin Neorr

I am making a list and checking it twice. I want to buy gifts that everyone will love, but I don't think my brother would be down with my planting a tree in his name or donating to save the rainforest.

So what is a green shopper to do. Well there are plenty of great ideas out there for me to use.

My daughter will be making christmas crafts out of recycled materials that we have around the house. I love finding second uses for food containers and cardboard tubes. She loves getting to play and make new projects. Creativity can be green.

For my mother and sister in law I am shopping on etsy.com. I love supporting independent artists. They love getting one of a kind bags and jewelry.

For my father I am hooking him up with a years supply of free trade coffee, what coffee addict would love that.

You can make this Christmas green. It just takes a little more creativity.

Good luck!

Earth Day

The first Earth Day was held in 1970 as a grassroots movement to bring attention to the environment throughout the nation and the world. Senator Gaylord Nelson took a leading role in organizing the initial celebration. Nearly 20 million people take part around the world. Every year on April 22, the world recognizes Earth Day. But, to some everyday is Earth Day. Every single day we should all do at least one thing to make the world better. We can do this by walking or riding a bike when we have an opportunity rather than drive or by eliminating wasteful water usage. The future of our globe is in our hands. What we do now will determine the usefulness of our world for us and our future generations.

Welcome Green Living Friends

This entry was written on Nov 19, 2008 by our Green Living Guru Robin Neorr

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I am Robin Neorr, your new green living guru.

I am very excited to share how to live the green life. We only have one earth, so lets make the most of it together.

With Christmas on the way I want to let you know a fun green way to wrap your presents doesn't involve running out and spending a bunch of money on fancy wrapping paper. Start saving the comics section of your newspaper now and you will have enough to wrap all those gifts. for a bonus when you unwrap you can recycle the paper or use it in your compost.

Building Green

You can do your part to preserve the environment by using earth friendly building materials and practices. If you are building a new house why not use green building materials? Designers and builders who "build green" choose their materials based on the environmental purity. These are mostly materials that have been recycled and do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals like some types of insulation or pressure treated lumber. The builders will use lumber that comes from well-managed forests and they pay close attention to energy efficiency. Houses that are built with the environment in mind will usually have high-performance windows and extra insulation for energy efficiency. Often houses and buildings are designed to use solar energy for heating water and even electricity. Choosing to use energy-efficient practices or “building green” will not only help keep our environment clean, but will also benefit your family by making the air in your house cleaner