Camping is TOTALLY green!

Summertime brings sunshine and lots of outdoor fun! Camping is a personal fav and I am looking forward to my own trip later this year. Making your camping trip one that doesn't leave a footprint (carbon or otherwise) is not difficult - but just takes a bit of planning. Since any great camping trip takes planning, greening it up won't add any trouble at all! How great is that?!?!

Now I don't know how rugged you folks are, so I am just gonna throw out some basics......since not everyone camps in a tent and not everyone owns an RV. Little bit of something for all of ya!

First off - the clearest way to avoid leaving your mark at your campsite is proper trash disposal. Not only is it important to make sure every bit of your biodegradable dinnerware makes it into a trash bag, it's not a bad idea to use a greener bag itself. Stout is a popular brand that makes biodegradable bags in different sizes to fit your camping needs. They are also a great choice for home too! You can find them at many local retailers. NaturBag is a great website that offers tons of biodegradable products for all your green needs.

Mmmmmmm......s'mores.....let's get the campfire started! Rain or shine, sleet or hail, well...maybe not the last two. But, The Maine Flame has developed an awesome little started made from sawdust from sustainable forests and wax. Don't let it's cute little tree shape fool you - this little thing burns for 20 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to get that fire blazing!

EcoFlame also has a variety of ignition items to suit your every firestarting need. One of my favorites is their cooking kit. It is labled as 'emergency' but will cook up your grub to perfection in any non-emergent situation as well. Don't think that this nifty little product is too pricey to be a part of your festivities - I found it for $11 online! It's a great alternative if you don't have time to get a full fire-a-blazin' before heading out on some daytime adventures.

If you are planning on bringing pots, pans, and reusable utensils and dishes (awesome choice, I might add), you will need some soap to clean them with after each of your gourmet meals. Then take the rest home for the long haul! I have used Seventh Generation products for years and LOVE them. They are affordable, natural, and I can find them locally, which is a bonus. They have an array of goods - so pop on over to their site to see them all!

There are more items than I could possibly list here to help make your camping excursion a little more green. Check my older posts for some additional ideas that are applicable to camping too! Hopefully this will help you get started and spark some new ideas. Don't forget the marshmallows!

See you on the trails,
GB

Here comes the sun!

It is a beautiful day outside! Hopefully, the same goes for your neck of the woods....I took advantage of the sunshine and local trails and hopped on my bike for an afternoon ride. Any of you who appreciate a sunny day know the importance of protecting your skin from those harmful UV rays. The tricky part is finding something natural that won't introduce toxins into your skin, but will still meet your protection needs!


Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US. It has become an increasing problem with the trend of indoor tanning salons. Protecting yourself is the best way to reduce your risk! Some shocking stats from the Skin Cancer Foundation will hopefully encourage you to lather up next time you are going to be catching some rays:

*One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.

*A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns at any age.

*Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure.

*Indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors

So how can you protect yourself from the giant cancerous fireball in the sky??? Well, lucky for you, there are some great eco-friendly skin shields ready for such a task! The Environmental Working Group has compiled a great list of the best of the best lotions. But here are a few of my personal favorites:

First, there is Reef Safe Biodegradable Sun Care, a great line of products that is non-toxic to ocean creatures as well as yourself!


What's ferocious and can take on the sun's fury??? That'd be a Badger. Yes....the Badger Company has some of the top rated UV mineral-based protectants out there. A huge bonus - they are ALSO biodegradable and thus, don't harm our fishy friends. Badger also rocked it out on The EWG's list! But, I'm not surprised.....it is a badger, after all.

Or if you are feeling really adventurous you can always make your own, with the help of Sophie Uliano of Gorgeously Green. Check out her super easy instructions, with video here.

So, if you are like me, I still like to get some color during the summer months. Michigan has made me quite ghostly in the off-season and I have come to rely on self tanners to keep some hint of color and not be mistaken for an out-of-work extra from Twilight.

A couple of nice options that are au naturale are from the folks over at Lavera. They have a slew of endorsements, one of which is from our friend, Sophie (sunscreen recipe)! They have gels and lotions, one even formulated for the delicate skin on your face.

Another alternative is Nature's Gate Sunless Tanner. This product also boasts no parabens, phthalates, or animal-derived ingredients.

And not to be outdone by the sunscreen lovers, Debra Lynn Dadd, proclaimed the “Queen of Green” by the New York Times has come up with a great DIY sunless tanner. Seems easy enough! Give it a shot:

3/4 cup water
3 tea bags
1/4 cup lanolin
1/4 cup sesame seed oil

Boil the water and brew a strong tea. Pour 1/4 cup tea into a blender with the other ingredients and blend at a low speed. Slowly add the rest of the tea while blending. Test out your results on a small, not usually visible spot on your body. Use sparingly.

I hope I have offered you some new info on the great items out there that can make UV protection a little easier. In addition to all of the products mentioned here, EWG offers a database that will help you rate the hazard level of commonly used products and brands found in your home. They have ranked over 65,000 products, so chances are - the products you use are included. So, go ahead, take a look.....what you find may surprise you! It may also help you decide on a better alternative to keep yourself healthy and happy!

Happy trails and SPF,
GB

Back from hiatus!

Wow, I can't believe it has actually been 2.5 years since I've posted. That's just a shame! Anyways, my excuse is as follows: I was super mega crazy busy following my personal dream to become an nurse anesthetist. I am now finishing up my final 11 months and have a few days to myself here and there, so I really wanted to rejoin the blogging masses :)

Since being super broke thanks to independently funding the exorbitant cost of a graduate education (and deciding whether to relocate following graduation), real estate browsing has been a fun pastime......so to re-enter the eco-blog, I figured the ultimate green house would be appropriate. Hopefully you all got a chance to enter! I am banking on winning this bad boy so then I won't actually have to decide where I want to practice - it'll be done for me ;)


HGTV also has a great link for some great eco-gifts you can send as a housewarming....wink wink, nod nod....ooooor, to anyone else for that matter! They are great ideas for all of those hospitable people having you over for summer BBQs and bonfires, as well! I'm happy to be back, so stay tuned for more regular and green postings!

Stay Green!
GB

Quorn!

So in my efforts to become a green eater, I have found the best product ever! It wasn't around way back when, in my first efforts to be an herbivore, but thank goodness it's here! I present.....
Quorn is a meat-free, soy-free, all natural, low fat, alternative for those of us searching for just that! It is derived from mycoprotien, which is a type of fungi. I had never heard of this stuff before heading over to Whole Foods one day with my good friend Melissa. She enlightened me on its rumored deliciousness so we had to try it for ourselves. It was about $5.00 for a 12oz bag of chik'n tenders. This looks deceptively small, however, I have since made 3 spinach asiago wraps with it and STILL have some left in the bag. It has the flavor, texture, and appearance of chicken. It is great! I can't stop telling people about this stuff. It is the future of food!

They have a huge product line and are always coming out with new products in the US (been around in the UK for awhile). And on their website, they have a store locator based on your zipcode. There is also a great recipe database on their site in case you want to try one of their special reccomendations. I am hooked, and hopefully this green alternative to factory farms will be your new favorite product too!

Lets get Quorny!
GB

2009 Is Here!!!

I can't even believe that it is already here. 2009. Unbelievable....... really....... it is....... but, it just gives us all another reason to make resolutions to stick to in the coming year! I am so blessed that I don't want to change very much in my life. however, I have decided to make a drastic personal change, which was once a large part of my life, thanks to the support and influence of a good friend of mine. I have decided to return to a vegetarian lifestyle. I was previously a vegan and ran into some complications which were my own fault, but I have the strong desire to return to a kinder, healthier lifestyle once again.

Strangely enough, my decision came about when looking to replace my old razor (which is Gillette brand) with a cruelty-free branded one. For those of you that are not savvy in animal-unfriendly brands, Proctor and Gamble (who owns Gillette) is pretty much at the top of the list. I cannot even stomach to watch the videos and such that are displayed on the Internet about their animal testing practices. Check out some of my links to see the friendly/unfriendly brands
you may be using in your own home.

But anyways, here are my two favorite products: the Hok2 Wally, and the Hok2 Squeeze-N-Shave. Check them out. It's an easy way to transition into some basic cruelty-free products! Apparently the SnS is sooooooo popular, I can't find the vanilla in stock right now! Yikes!

Anyways, that is my big resolution for the year. Thought I would share it with ya. It benefits both myself and everything I love (animals and the planet!) So, be sure to make the most of your resolutions, if you make them, of course!

To a wonderful and prosperous 2009,
GB

The Holidays Are Upon Us!

Unbelievably, the holiday season has snuck up on me. My little "family" keeps me busy on my days off, so it's been quite the challenge to post regularly. But.......I'm back! So let's jump into dome holiday dilemmas.....

Christmas lights.....oh geeze.....the knots, and tangles, and dead bulbs.....what to do......well - let me tell you something! There are some great ways to properly dispose of your old icky lights in an Eco-friendly way. Then, you are free to purchase some of those super LEDs that I love so much :)

Here are some great sites to help you get into the green spirit:
With Michigan's struggling economy (I live here!) it is great to support some local companies trying to survive..... with HolidayLEDs.com, a huge Internet sensation, located in Jackson, MI, if you send in your old lights, they send you a coupon - win/win!

Also, check out local hardware stores also, such as ACE. Our local ACE has recycling programs in which they collect your lights at their stores. Doesn't get much easier does it?

Aren't convinced that LEDs are super? Well, according to thefuntimesguide.com, "Regular" incandescent Christmas light bulbs may lose their life after about 1,800 hours, whereas LED Christmas light bulbs will still be twinkling long after 4,000 hours. That's about 7 months of continuous testing! Want financial proof? Alrighty, according to LEDtronics.com,
35 LED Christmas lights only cost $0.31 in electricity a year based on the lights being on for 6 hours a night at $0.08 KWh rate.
35 incandescent Christmas lights cost $30.37 a year. 35 LED Christmas lights save $30.36 a year in electricity charges over incandescent lights.
70 LED Christmas lights only cost $0.61 in electricity a year based on the lights being on for 6 hours a night at $0.08 KWh rate.
70 incandescent Christmas lights cost $61.32 a year. 70 LED Christmas lights save $60.71 a year in electricity charges over incandescent lights.

There are so many colors and styles of LEDs, there are no excuses for you not to get some (and p.s., they look better!)

In other holiday news.....
The keen folks in the UK have created this wonderful little guide on how to lessen your own impact this holiday season.

As previously mentioned, I support the use of RECYCLED wrapping paper, newspaper, or even more fun.....re-usable shopping bags to wrap gifts this year! You can get really creative with these options, so don't fret, it can still get pretty elaborate ;) Also re-use the fancy gift bags you get and encourage their future re-use.
***And with the sad economy, maybe just make this year a season of appreciation and less physical gifts. I know that this has become a wonderful new tradition with my those close to me.

Although not for everyone, I like using artificial Christmas trees because of their obvious re-usability, their low damage on the tree population, and ability to choose the perfect color and size for your lifestyle. If you do, however, choose to have a real Christmas tree, please look into proper treecycling. Instead of simply trashing your outdated tree, look into more positive options for its future.

And finally, holiday cards. We all get 'em, we all love 'em, and then what? There are numerous organizations that can benefit from these once used holiday greetings. St. Jude's children's ranch offers a recycling service which allows ill children to make new cards from the once-given. Everyone that knows me knows how much I love kids, so please check out this organization. Not only for Christmas, but for every greeting card event, you can benefit the ranch. They are currently accepting cards until the end of February 2009. So, we all have plently of time to pack up our cards!

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of the Bean Blog. I love the holidays, so hopefully I will have some more coming really soon. To all of you and your loved ones, Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

To a spectacular 2009!

GB

Target Rocks!

I can't get enough of Target....I always find the cutest, most wonderful items, no matter how completely unnecessary for my life/home they may be! As if that were not enough, Target is now putting the emphasis on the eco-friendly products and services they offer. There is something for everyone, even the little tykes. So check out my favorite item and services, and stop by your local Target to find your favorites too!!!

NatureMill Composters are available at Target.com. I do not personally have one, but they are at the top of my wish list. They come in a variety of colors and specs, even one for people with furry friends! Now that is something that not many companies can brag about. As always, I always encourage google-ing coupons before every large purchase and this is no different. Target is generally pretty easy to find 10% off coupons for, so hopefully in these difficult economic times, this will ease the $ pain and help reduce our personal waste at the same time.

Target offers too many products to mention on my lil blog, but their eco-offerings are great! Target puts energy efficient practices into effect at their stores and also implement highly green options in newly-constructed stores. They also donate unsold grocery items to second harvest to helo those in need in local communities. Target has won multiple awards and is partnered with many eco organizations in order to reduce their impact. Go Target!

Gold Star For Target!,
GB

Oh Starbucks..... :(

As a huge fan of Starbucks, it pains me to post this. However, the present circumstances of struggling around the globe make practices such as this completely unacceptable. The UK publication The Sun has made accusations about Starbucks H2O practices:

"…As part of a company policy aimed at preventing germ buildup
in its taps, Starbucks stores are directed to keep water running
constantly into a sink, called a dipper well, to clean utensils and wash away
food residue"

As a result of running water all day, every day at each of the
company’s 10,000 worldwide coffee emporiums, Starbucks wastes water in an amount The Sun estimated to be “enough daily water for the entire 2 million strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83
minutes.”

This statistic is extremely disturbing to me and should be to everyone! I love all the yummy drinks that Starbucks creates just as much as the next person but this is a completely lazy, inconsiderate, WASTEFUL practice that needs to be changed. Starbucks claims that the company is now working on alternative solutions to reduce water consumption "as a priority" but it says switching to a new system will take a while.

Until that time is reached, I will be one of many that boycotts Starbucks and all of their products. In such a desperate time for so many, the thought of such waste is so disgusting that I could not bring myself to enter a cafe. I hope those of you with similar beliefs will also show Starbucks that this IS NOT ACCEPTABLE practice and that IT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. From now on, I will be enjoying my shade-grown home brews and I hope you will find a sustainable source of delicious coffee as well.

Please post you own source of Eco-friendly coffee for others because it is a resource that many do not know can be destructive if not grown properly.

Bring on the Caffeine!

GB

Ipods!

Two very green thumbs up to one of my favorite companies, Apple, for introducing their new iPod line of mP3 players with the following improvements:

~Arsenic-free glass

~Brominated flame-retardent free

~Mercury-free

~PVC-free

The new line of iPod Nanos also comes in an assorted range of colors with great new features, so you can pick up a green one and rock out to your favorite tunes! Apple has been working hard over the past few years to improve the green-ness of their prodcuts.Take a look at Apple's environmental policies and what they plan to do in the future to reduce their impact on the planet.

Also, if you purchase a qualifying Apple computer, take advantage of their free recycling program for your current computer. It's a great way to reduce the amount of waste produced by the many electronics discarded each year.

With everyone carrying around an iPod these days, I thought it was important to mention Apple's efforts to be more conscious about their impact. Hope you find it as important and spread the word!

Until we meet again,

GB

A Fresh Coat of Paint

I'm getting ready to embark on some little home improvement projects and one that I think is great to do in the autumn season is interior painting. The cool breeze makes it bearable to leave the windows open and get all of the fresh air running through the house. This way Harley -------------> doesn't end up with heat stroke! Unfortunately, there are some pretty nasty volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints that aren't good for us or the environment. And these damaging components are leached out from painted surfaces for years after application. Here is an some info about green painting options for the interior of your home.

There have recently been many products released with little or no VOCs. They have a Green Seal on the can to help consumers identify these products. Eartheasy has a great directory of companies and products as well as the many benefits of using greener paints in your home. It also has tips for painters to ensure that no paint is unnecessarily wasted.

In comparison to traditional paint products, there are also completely natural alternatives that contain no VOCs or heavy metals commonly found in paints. These include clay paint, lime wash, and milk paint. Although these items are sometimes a bit more costly than other types of paint, they are completely natural and won't harm your family or the environment due to their use.

And when disposing of your paint-related items, here are some tips from Eartheasy:

~Avoid Cleaning Brushes and Rollers: Paint brushes and rollers used for an on-going project can be saved overnight, or even up to a week, without cleaning at all. Simply wrap the brush or roller snugly in a plastic bag, such as a bread or produce bag. Squeeze out air pockets and store away from light. The paint won't dry because air can't get to it. Simply unwrap the brush or roller the next day and continue with the job. (This works for water and oil-based paints and stains. It does not work for varnishes or lacquers.)

~ Clean Your Brushes Naturally: Turpentine, made from the resin of coniferous trees, is an environmentally-friendly solvent. It is excellent for cleaning brushes used with oil-based paints, and for cleaning up small drips. Use a short glass jar, filled no higher than the bristles. Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid. After cleaning the brush, rinse with water.

~ Store partially full cans upside down: Leftover paint can be saved for months if stored properly. Make sure the lids are well sealed, then store the cans upside down. This prevents air from getting insed the can and causing the paint to thicken and dry.

~ Remember the BUD rule: Buy no more product than you need. Ask your retailer for help in assessing the quantity you need. Use up all the product you buy. Give leftovers to a neighbor or community organization. Dispose of leftovers in a safe, responsible manner.

Hopefully you have some fun painting projects that you can complete with these great products. Let me know of any green painting experiences you have had and I will let you know how my projects turn out!

Let The Painting Begin!

GB