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eco bathrooms
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 16, 2010

A lot of you have been wondering about ways to make your homes and bathrooms more eco friendly.  An easy way to start is by getting all natural and green cleaning products such as Method, Seventh Generation, Simple Green and some of the ones I wrote about in my earlier posting.

Making your bathroom green is fun and easy!  And the best part...it keeps more green in your wallet!  And who doesn't want that?  Sean Miller, the Director of Eduction at the Earth Day Network, said that, "If the average American household installed low-flow toilets and low-flow showerheads in their bathrooms, they could save up to $60 annually on their water and energy bills combined." Ok, so I know that’s not a HUGE amount of money, but it still counts!  Unfortunately, it doesn’t save that much money because water is inexpensive...I hope that one day water gets its proper value, and costs a lot more. I found a great list of low-flow toilets compiled by TreeHugger.com.

No matter what kind of toilet you have, I have a great tip for you that will save you money and save water!  All you have to do is save a 20 oz. water bottle, remove any plastic or paper from the outside of it and then fill it partially with sand, dirt, pebbles or gravel (if you can’t find any of those materials around your house, just fill the bottle partially with water!).  Make sure to seal the bottle tightly before placing it in your toilet tank.  Then carefully lower the bottle into the tank and put the lid of the toilet back on.  Pretty easy, right?  HERE is a New York Times article about reducing water in your home.  According to this article "A sealed half-gallon water container installed in the tank will save a half gallon of water per flush...a family of five that flushes five times a day each -- the national average -- will save 350 gallons of water each month."  That's a lot of water!

It doesn't stop there though because there are many ways to make your bathroom green.  You can buy towels and washcloths made of organic cotton or bamboo, get recycled toilet paper, and if you really want to get crafty you can make your own cleaning products from common household items like baking soda, lemon juice and diluted vinegar.

If you have a favorite homemade concoction that makes cleaning supplies that you swear by, please share!!

Also, those icky sprays for the bathroom are just gross and toxic.  Let’s face it... When you start eating better, you won’t need to spray the bathroom after you go.  After a while, your poop just doesn’t stink! Ok, just not nearly as bad!  If you do want a spray to use in the bathroom, try to find a nice, natural one... Or you can make your own with an old spray bottle!  Just take water and add your favorite essential oil, and there you have it!

Baby wipes are also not a bad thing to have in your bathroom!  Just find the good, non toxic kind that are all natural, biodegradable, and made with recycled materials. Be careful not to get the kind that contain Bronopol (a preservative ingredient).  It is in most baby wipes, and has been given the highest hazard score by the FDA! Seventh Generation makes some good ones, or you can find another eco, generic brand.  These are good for the planet, AND good for your bottom!

And of course, my favorite tip for an eco friendly bathroom.... Don’t flush!!!! Unless you have to, of course!

And I've posted some photos of these cute toilet seat covers from Toiluxe.  You can get them on Etsy if you want to decorate your bathroom!  They aren't eco, but are just some fun things for decoration, depending on your style.

What are your tips for making a more eco-friendly bathroom?



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I too use vinegar and water solution.  The great part is it's affordable and doesn't leave streaks on your windows and mirrors!  I also use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect areas like sinks and bathrooms which bubbles up the dirtier it is.
We also use a vinegar and water solution. I like to add Dr. Bronner's castille soap to it as well. The peppermint. I also have a mixture of Dr. Bronner's and water that I use as a veggie wash. LOVE IT! We use it in the shower and my hubby uses it to wash his hands after he's been tinkering in the garage.
Just discovered an uber-cool gas station/convenience store (yes, gas station/convenience store) in Dallas  called The Green Spot (opened 2/08on North Buckner Boulevard near White Rock Lake.)  Instead of being filled with Slurpies (intentionally spelled incorrectly just in case), cigarettes and lottery tickets, co-owner Bruce Bagelman has stocked it with fresh flowers, herbal hibiscus mint tea served with cups made of biodegradable corn, fresh sushi, and organic house cleaning products.  The walllpaper is made from old paper grocery bags and they offer two kinds of bio diesel fuel along with fossil fuel.   Free wi-fi.  Organic snacks, kiddy goodies, etc. offered, although Bruce does concede "Coke" is also served because, "we can't make people go cold turkey," a sentiment shared by Alicia.
Sorry for previous post.  It belongs in the eco stores section.
. Spice up your life and create a healthy body and home. image?image_id=8766&rotate=&rotate_degrees=
Today, house cleaning does not have to be hazardous. Throw away - better yet, bring those chemicals to the hazardous waste collection in your city. Then start healthy cleaning with Essential Oils! Refresh your house and your senses! Give your home that personal, familiar scent that is uniquely yours.

Non-toxic house cleaning is fun! How? Use essential oils that please your senses and at the same time deep clean your home. Essential oils are ideal cleaning supplies. They remove toxic mold, stale air, unpleasant odors, and kill viruses, bacteria and dust mites.

Imagine your kitchen pleasing with the smell of lemon, grapefruit, cinnamon, or rosemary. Your living room inviting with fragrant cushions of peppermint - a natural insect repellant. And pine, cedar wood, sandalwood, frankincense, juniper and clary sage are relaxing companions in your sitting room.

For a calming and romantic environment in the bedroom, choose rose, ylang ylang, jasmine, geranium, and lavender. Scent your office with basil, rosemary, and lavender for concentration. And don't forget to scent the pet pillow with flea deterring lavender and peppermint.

Join me at www.youngliving.org/MBSTARR to see the best in natural cleaning and personal products. Enjoy! Mary Starr

My co worker has talked up the Norwex products.
Web site- http://www.norwex-products.com/index.htm
I am still trying out the products to see which ones I like and if they really live up to what they are supposed to. But they are also said to be very friendly on the environment.

Love, Love Love Norwex!!!I have the Norwex microfiber cloth and window cloths. I don't know what I'd do without them. They clean my glass and stainless steel with no streaks. Oh, and for granite counter tops it works wonders. I use them to dust as well. No chemicals, no spray bottles saves time and money!!!
I agree Shaklee makes the best products. I just recently started using them. But my mom has been using them for yrs. She used not only the cleaning products, but also their makeup & beauty line.
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eco stores in LA & NYC
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 10, 2010

Eco-friendly stores are popping up everywhere now... it's so exciting!  A couple years ago it was hard to track down so many eco-friendly products, but now everything is readily available to us.  I've been compiling a list of eco-friendly stores in Los Angeles and New York, and wanted to share some of the ones that I know of with you.  If you have any others to add to the list write them in the comments below.  Happy eco-shopping!

LOS ANGELES

Sparrow - a great place to shop for the eco-baby in your life!

Boom - modern design company using trees from sustainable forests and aluminum that is 100% recycled


The Little Seed - founded by Soleil Moon Frye, and carries a wide variety of organic and eco-friendly baby products


Kelly Green - very cool home design store started by a production designer with a passion for sustainable practices. Shop online too!

 
Undesigned by Carol Young - eco-friendly clothing and accessories


Visionary Boutique - eclectic eco-boutique carrying a wide variety of fashion accessories with an eco-chic flair


Soolip - papers and hand-made soaps

 
Living Green - locations in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and most recently, Montecito, California.  Carrying everything under the sun with an online shop too!


All Shades of Green Living - a green living store with a huge selection of products and online shop

Natural High - men's and woman's clothing, as well as home accessories

 
Whole Foods Lifestyle Store - eco goods for men, woman, children and home


EpOxyGreen - eco building supplies


Green Cradle - organic mattresses and bedding for everyone

 
Green And Greener - green general store for low-impact living

 
Organic Rush - offering high quality, organic, natural and eco-friendly products

Vie - sells stylish, environmentally friendly clothing, products and books


Avita Co-Op - eco-friendly apparel


NEW YORK


Build It Green - low cost salvage materials

 
3R Living - reuse, reduce, recycle and fair-trade!

Vivavi - furniture and design

Giggle - socially/environmentally conscious baby goods

Teich - eco-friendly handbags, shop online


What are the eco stores in your area? I would love to hear about them!



STYLE section kindly sponsored by Susan Nichole Handbags


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I love Maddison Avenue Candles because they come in really pretty glass jars.  They don't really smell when you light them, but they smell amazing when you stick your nose in them before being lit!  My favorite one is the Grapefruit scent.  They come in a beautiful box that would be great to reuse in your house, or use for gift giving.  They are sexy and sophisticated!

I also love candles from Milena's Boutique.  She makes Kosher, soy candles.  They smell absolutely yummy when lit. The Sage and Chamomile blend is my favorite that I've tried so far.  Milena's candles make such great gifts, and scent any room beautifully.  And they have a store in Los Angeles on 3rd Street!  Milena is a huge animal person who rescues all the time, and is a very kind woman.

Also, Red Flower's Spanish Gardenia candle smells wonderful and would make a great gift.

What candles do you love?



Now I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I love Ecosystem Planners & Journals.  If you are looking for a new planner or journal, this is definitely a great way to go.  I have one of these journals, and I love it.



What I love so much is that all of Ecosystem’s products are made out of 100% post-consumer recycled paper.  Even the bookmark that is attached to the journal is made out of organic cotton!  The coolest part is that in the back of each planner or journal, there is an ID number that lets you track where all the parts of your journal came from.  You just go to www.ecosystemlife.com, type in the number, and it shows you where the components were made, and how to recycle them if you want to!  So green, I love it.



You can get them online at Barnes&Noble.com.  These journals and planners are great to get for yourself if you need one, but also would be such good holiday gifts!


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house
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 12, 2009

Living the Kind Life starts right at home! There are endless possibilities to making your house environmentally friendly and green, all while keeping your style beautiful and sexy and however you like! I will share ideas on my favorite cleaning products, eco friendly healthy furniture, organic vegetable gardens, feeding your furry friends and lots more...and can't wait to hear all of your ideas and questions as well.


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