Celebrate Earth Day Right This Year

This month we will be celebrating 40th anniversary of Earth Day! How exciting!! Think of all the awareness that has been taught over two generations if not more. Awareness of health and wellness as well as the of the dangers of taking our planet for granted.

Many people pick the month of April to concentrate on environmentally friendly alternatives. There is so much knowledge out there to be gained. Here we do that year round but, it's a great time to pinpoint some great products.

Of course you know my criteria.

Non Toxic, environmentally friendly, healthier for my family and saves me some money at the same time.

The most important product choice that I made 3 years ago was Basic H2. I have written about it before but I want to talk about it a little bit more. While Earth Day celebrates it's 40th anniversary this year, Basic H celebrates it's 50th anniversary.

This product can save you hundreds of dollars right away just by the cost upfront. I originally switched to this product solely for cleaning since it is non toxic but it's also highly concentrated so it saves a ton of packaging and the long history the product had. Just one bottle of Basic H2 will make 5,824 bottles of Windex. The more I started researching and talking to other users the more I learned about this product. It's a jack of all trades.

Today I would like to pinpoint a couple of the most toxic products it replaced in my home.

• Bug Repellent --Completely safe to use on the skin even for infants. Tip.. I made the mixture and put it into a travel spray bottle to make it easier to use.
• Drain Clog Remover --add 2-3 drops down the clogged drain with a little bit of water. Follow up about 30 min later with some cold water.
• Pesticide -- Mix 1/4 tspn w/16oz of water in spray bottle. Spray directly on plants or vegetables. I also like to add a drop to my pitcher that I water all the outdoor and indoor plants with once a month and it gives them a little life.

For the month of April I will be running a special on Basic H2 to celebrate it's anniversary
Click Here to find out details.

If you would like to find out more information on this product including cost savings and many more uses you can simply visit http://www.SwitchYourHouse.com/edh2/

Using Non Toxic Candles

I have walked through many green changes in my families life but one of the hardest things for me to give up is one of my favorite things in my home..my candles! I had thought for so long that I needed to completely give up my candles and I had never even thought of using non toxic candles. Honestly I didn't even realize that there was such a thing.

First, it is very important that we understand the reasons why using the regular candles we have been using for decades without a second thought may not be the best decision for our homes. I have talked before about the dangers of air pollution. Not the smog you think of in a city..the air pollution in your own home. Homes can be much more toxic than many major cities with the use of toxic cleaners and chemicals in our homes we create a toxic brew that we reside in each day. Adding to that toxic brew can be the use of candles.

The standard candles that you purchase at any local store or even most candle specialty stores are usually made of paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a by product of petroleum. Petroleum is not only a non-renewable recourse but is linked directly to poor indoor air pollution. The black smoke you see hovering over a candle of the mark it leaves on some walls is a petro-carbon soot. Paraffin candles release that soot into the air in your home. It circulates through your home and also gets into your air ducts.

Why is this soot so dangerous? According to the American Lung Association the soot released contains eleven documented toxins. Two of those toxins Tulaene and Benezene are known carcinogens.

Another problem with the standard candles is that most use lead core wicks. These wicks emit lead particles into the air in your home leading to further indoor air pollution from the same source (the candle). When lead is inhaled 100% of it is absorbed in your bloodstream. Children are particularly vulnerable to the side effects caused by chronic low level exposure that can be emitted through burning these candles. Here are some of the side effects to children:

• Permanent neuro-psychological defects
• Behavioral disorders
• low IQ
• Short attention span
• Hyperactive behavior
• Motor difficulties
  

So that's the bad news. The good news is I have done a lot of research and have found some great ways to use non toxic candles to improve the air quality in your home. The other good news is that using non toxic candles is no longer complicated with the internet available to most of us.

When shopping for candles here are some things you want to look for. All are very important to using non toxic candles the correct way and also not having the wool pulled over your eyes as to what is really non toxic and what is claimed to be "green" or "organic". Just because something says those words means NOTHING. You need to know your facts before purchasing them. If those steps aren't taken you mind as well be buying your candles the way you do now. Here are some important things to remember.

• Soot Free
• Lead Free
• Using Renewable Resources
• The correct type
  
• Try to stick with companies or farmers that practice environmentally social responsible forms of agriculture.
  
• There are many types look for beeswax, organic soy or vegetable wax candles.

Do not take these points and look for one make sure the vendor you are buying from meets all of these qualifications. I have found many vendors sell candles already in a jar which is fine. I have also found in that search thought that many not only sell these jar candles in recyclable glass but in recycled glass. Meaning this is glass that has already been recycled before and can be again. If you find yourself having to pick between the two go for the recycled glass. A company that would hand make their candles with already recycled glass is very likely to be environmentally conscious.

To help make the transition to using non toxic candles easier for you I have found some great sites and narrowed down a few of my favorite. These are based on price for products, how eco friendly the company and the product are and the variety of scents they provide. Here are some places to get you started.

• Naturally Good Scents
  
• Lumia Organic
  
• Beeluxe
• Madison Avenue (one of my top picks)
• Sapphire Tree Candle CO
  
• BsaB Candle
  
• Butterfly Effects Natural Soy Candles
  
• Eco Candle Company (one of my top picks)

Some tips for picking the best deal is do not just consider the size of the candle but also the burn time. Many may be different sizes but the burn time could be more of less depending on the material the candle is made of.

Hopefully this will be a helpful guide to you for using non toxic candles. This will be a huge change for myself. I had felt for so long that I needed to get candles out of my home to complete my home transformation, but after studying for this article I am finding that just might not be the case.

Frugal Cleaning Products

I have talked to you guys quite a few times about the safety and the great price of Shaklee products. I was pleased to see though that two of my MUST HAVE favorite products were featured on Frugal Living! It was an awesome article and really broke down the price to the point I didn't even realize how budget friendly they are and I have been using them for 3 years.

Here is part of the article:

Like you, I’m always looking for ways to save money. That is why, when reader Liz approached me showing me her amazing product, I was intrigued, and thought you may be interested in this as well.

You may recall I have a family of NINE (it still startles me to say that!). So we are doing a LOT of cleaning. And a lot of germ sharing. I’m the first to admit I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I’m always spraying down counters and tables, wiping doorknobs and don’t get me started on the bathroom. It can get expensive.

So this is why I was so intrigued by this product called Basic H2. Check it…

• 16 ounces of concentrated ORGANIC super cleaner!!
• Dilute to make over TWO HUNDRED BOTTLES of all-purpose cleaner! * Cost comes to approx $.07 per bottle. WOW!
• Cost comes to approx $.07 per bottle. WOW!
  

Here is another product that is a germicide or Basic G (aka: germ killer! – just what I’m needing with my big family this winter!), and is ALSO safer than other germ killers, which means this is safe for your kidlets and pets. .

• Basic G is sold in 32oz bottle and will mix 64 gallons of germicidal cleaner
• this comes to about $.31 a gallon! Frugal cleaning indeed!

Pretty cool article! To order these products click here.

You can become a member of Shaklee for a mere $19.95 (cheaper than Costco membership – and it’s a ONE TIME fee).

I am also offering FREE SHIPPING on new member orders of 50 PV (Point Value) or more!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at karen@switchyourhouse.com

My 2010 Goal Cashing In On Saving Energy

Each year as spring approaches I try to think of one major change we can make in our household for the next year. Now major not meaning redecorate or build a new room or anything but a change that can not only make our home more energy efficient but save us something money throughout the year. The goal is to have it completed either as soon as possible or no later than the next spring..depending on how large the undertaking. If it is something that can add up we usually stagger it out through out the year.

In 2007 we took on advanced recycling. Meaning we would make the most of the materials that could be recycled not just relying on our curbside service. There are many things that our curbside doesn't accept such as card board and some other things. We set up a recycle center on our back porch with containers for everything that could not go in the bin for weekly pick up. I go once a month to take the other materials to the areas in the metro area that recycle those materials. I also started setting my paper aside to take to the school instead of curbside since the schools in my area earn extra funding from that. To date we usually have 2-3 bins of curbside recycling each week. We have less and less trash as we are more aware of the packaging that a product has. It sometimes can make the difference of what product I will buy. If there are two companies that make the same product and one has less packaging unless there is a huge price difference I will go with the one with little packaging. So the 2007 goal was set achieved and even advanced over the years:)

In 2008 we had already began some changing of our light bulbs to CFLs and back then they were still pretty pricey. So that was a year long commitment doing them a little at a time. We did succeed before the next spring rolled around. We even had the lights in the garage and basement replaced which I was really proud of. Up front we paid some extra money but long term...we haven't bought a light bulb in almost 2 years and we are more energy efficient (=saving money on our electric bill) for it. The cost of CFLs has gone down so much also that it makes that switch easier. (Now with the new LEDs I have been seeing I am going to start looking into those!) They are great...a little pricey though so I'll give them some time to go down. Their life is so much longer than even CFLs.

Last year in 2009 (which you may remember) I made the commitment that my family would no longer use plastic water bottles. The effect of those bottles on our eco systems was becoming very apparent and after putting a lot of study and time into the subject of water quality I realized just how unhealthy bottled water was!! There are so few regulations on it. I decided for my family the healthiest and most cost effective method would be using our Best Water pitcher and over time I purchased many BPA free bottles to make it easy for us to take water with us no mater where we go. The Best Water pitcher filter only needs to be changed about every 6-8 weeks (of course that is with a 4 person family with two young kids--one of which is in athletics year round...we use a lot) so it was very cost effective. I am saving at least $300 a year by the switch at this point. You know kids..they will only drink more over time too. This undertaking was a 100% success by May of 2009.

So here we are in 2010.. what is my goal for this year. I actually have two for the year. The reason is that I think they can both be accomplished. I don't think they are too much. The 1st while very important is not as big of a job as changing every light bulb in an 8 room house + closets + outside lights + garage..ya know. The first goal for the year is something I have been wanting to do for a while but it can get a bit expensive on front end cost just like a lot of these ideas. Going green does save us money but it is a change. It is making changes in our lives..those changes cost $$. The good news is on the back end it saves you $$.

This year I am going to do my best to eliminate as much phantom power in my home. If you are not aware of phantom power it is the power that is used in your home for appliances or devices that are plugged into outlets even when they are not being used. There are some of these items in our homes that can become just too hard to unplug. Computers, alarm clocks, TVs and cable systems can become hard to unplug and plug back in each day without one big ole hassle. There are quite a few power strips or power saving devices on the market today that help eliminate this phantom power. Some are a little pricey but have some nice features. I am going with the one I think is reasonably priced. It also has been on the market for more than two years so I know they work and they are also a little less expensive than they were when they first came out.

I am switching to what are called Smart Strips. It is a brand of power strips that eliminates that phantom power. It is able to sense if something that is plugged in and blog power supply from the outlet. I am not sure of all the science on how it works but I have put a lot of research into it and every scientist says..it works...so that works for me. I am going to start with all our TVs and computers first and then in time I will get to one in each bedroom for alarm clocks and things you do not want to have to reset every day. Smart Strips can be found in many places on the internet but I have found some great deals on them at Amazon.com. They even carry them at Wal-Mart now. Depending on the size of the strip that you want the price ranges from $29-$40. So it's something to think about. In the long run not only are you using less energy in your home you are.....SAVING MONEY:)

I said I would be taking on two goals this year. The second goal will be eliminating plastic bag use to only when necessary. I have just began reusing my plastic bags. Some use is necessary because they do preserve my frozen food the best, but for my children's lunch and my husbands lunch we only use reusable containers. I just think there is more that can be done. I made myself a home made dryer for the plastic bags that I wash so that they dry correctly. Pretty soon I will post a video for you on how to do it. I did it myself and it cost me less than $5. They do sell them online if you do not want to put in the time yourself but I feel they are a little pricey. Usually around $15-$20.

Is there a goal that you can pin point for you or your family this year? Not just taking steps to have a greener healthier household, but a budget friendly household. I hope you can find some inspiration with a few ideas. Remember you can always take it one step at a time.

Rebates + Tax Credits For Energy Efficient Appliances

With many right in the middle of income tax time a lot of people use this time to make larger purchases for their home with income tax refunds. This year we decided to do just that. Making upgrades around the house to improve the energy efficiency of our home (aka save us some money!). We originally began looking for a new hot water heater. The more I started reading information on the new high efficiency (HE) appliances the more I realized the savings that could be involved.

We have had our washer and dryer for about 6 years so they are not too old, but the dryer needs to run twice to actually dry clothes and the washer base has started to leave a little rust stain here and there on clothing. They are functional so of course not really at the top of our list. The more I read the information about the savings being offered right now the more I am thinking this may be the perfect time to make the washer and dryer upgrade. Not only does it use less energy, most require less detergent to do the same job.

An even bigger bonus...the government is actually giving rebates for upgrades to energy efficient appliances. They do require that your previous appliances be recycled though. They will be picked up when the new ones are delivered. If you would like to find out more information about the specific rebates for each appliance you can visit http://www.EnergyStart.gov to get more information.

Another perk to this also is that you can also write those same upgrades off on your 2010 taxes. You are allowed a certain amount of money for energy upgrades to your home that you receive credit back for. Some examples are upgrading or adding additional instillation in your house, upgrading your windows and energy efficient appliances are included in that as well. You are getting a double credit if you decide to upgrade now.

So if you some upgrades around the house are in your immediate future or on your list of tax refund purchases this could be the time to act.

Non Toxic Nail Polish Alternatives

There are many things in our lives that are easier to switch to green alternatives than others. Switching our houses makes sense, it effects the health of your entire family in a positive way.

When it comes to things that we use as women we are usually last to think of those. I think every Mom thinks that way. We put the lives of our families ahead of our own and I am sure it will continue to be that way until the end of time.

There are some things that we need to consider though when thinking of yourself. Your health is so important to your family. I remember a day a few years ago while I was driving my daughter home from school and I mentioned I just was not feeling well. My daughter said please Mom do not get sick I do not want to eat peanut butter and jelly again like the last time you got sick! Yes, our health is important to everyone in our family.

I have found it easy to switch my makeup easily to non toxic alternatives but one thing I really did not want to think about was my nail polish. Being a work at home Mom the look of beauty is not always there:) I am busy at times working answering IMs, helping a child with homework and making dinner at the same time. I know you have seen yourself in a very similar scenario. Some days my pretty nail polish is all I have!

Research over the last 10 years have concluded more and more how dangerous cosmetics are for our bodies. Chemicals like formaldehyde (linked directly with asthma in adults and children and many cancers) are popping up in places we could not even imagine. Even in trusted baby wash that we have used for years thinking it was safe. Nail polish is included in those studies and I am sure we can all admit by the smell of the nail polish it's not good for us or anyone around us.

I started doing some research to see what the dangers of nail polish really were I wanted to find out if I should I expose myself to these products. Here are the results of what I found:

DBP

• Nail polish contains an array of chemicals but, the most dangerous is dibutyl phthalate (DBP). DBP is a member of a group of substances known as phthalates.
  
• Phthalates are chemicals added to plastics to soften them and make them more malleable.
• DBP has the potential to disrupt hormone levels in the human body and potentially cause birth defects, cancer in humans and childhood asthma.
  
• DBP is so serious Europe has banned the use of this chemical in any cosmetics.
• As seen with many toxins the FDA has not moved as quickly and it can still be used in the United States.

Toluene and formaldehyde

• Both are thought to cause organ damage and potentially cancer
  

In researching this I did find that three cosmetic companies in the United States have stopped using all three of these chemicals. Those companies are Avon, Maybelline and Elizabeth Arden.

There are some other alternatives too. I found many companies that produce non toxic nail polish and non toxic nail polish remover as well. You want to look for a water based polish vs a patrolium based polish. Here are some brands that have been around for a while and have a good reputation for quality. They hold up the same as the nail polish you are used to. These will typically only last about a week on your nails but I usually have plenty of chips in my regular nail polish after a week that it needs to be changed anyway. Many also offer a peel off version of the polish so that no nail polish remover is even needed.


Here are a few examples:

• Priti -Also has some salon locations check your state on their website.
• Piggy Paint - A children's line of natural nail polish.
• Honey Bee Gardens
• Organic Pharmacy

Many of these brands can also be found on sites such as Amazon or Ebay at a discount since many have a wholesale buying option.

Green Up Your Holidays

Whether you are planning on having a holiday party of just hanging out with the family during your Christmas season it's easier than ever to green up your holiday season. If you are still new to the green process you can start small..don't feel intimidated.

Here are some easy tips I share with others who want to take either the first step or the next step in going green:

* Use Gift Bags
If you are new to going green this may be your first year of only buying gift bags. Many of us have been using gift bags for years, but for different reasons. A lot of people feel they are easier (especially men I have noticed:)) If you have been using gift bags for the last 15 years you probably didn't know you were taking steps towards going green. When you buy gift bags they are easy to reuse and easy for the gift recipient to reuse. Wrapping paper just simply gets tossed. I know very few people who are careful enough to save their wrapping paper. Start now transitioning your holiday to gift bags. Many store such as Wal-Mart, Target, Big Lots even your local Dollar Store sell them for a pretty good price.

Now, the important thing to remember is not just to buy the gift bags it's to keep and reuse those gift bags. Tip for ya...It can be hard if you do write the name directly on the bag. A way around that is to place the tag for the recipient right on the tissue paper of the bag. Then you are free to use it for whomever you want the following year or that recipient can reuse it easily.

* LED or Solar Lights
Start making the transition to either solar lights or LED lights. I use a lot of solar lights. They are hard to find it stores if you go beyond path lights. Many online stores have a great selection though. While they are more expensive remember they use no energy at all. Some require batteries and if you are using rechargeable AA batteries then you have solved the problem. Here are some places you can find a good selection.

Amazon Click Here
Mr. Light Click Here
Solar Santa Click Here

If you are not willing to go entirely solar for your holiday light collection you can try out the new LED lights. These lights are a bit more expensive then the traditional holiday lights but you can find some great holiday specials at major retail stores this time of year. LED lights emit twice the amount of light for a fraction of the cost. So they are more expensive in the beginning but will pay off by the end of two holiday seasons. You never know, you might get a good deal on them too! Especially with the way the economy is running now the sales seem to be huge at the major retailers. LED lights come in all sorts of varieties. String lights for your tree or outdoor lights.


Until next time......

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