Green Daily

If you are feeling frustrated because you want to buy organic, free trade, free range, grass fed or some other type of green food and your grocery budget is getting lower instead of higher, here are some interesting thoughts from Eat. Drink. Better. along with some ideas that have worked for me.

• Explore local options like a CSA, farmers market, produce stand, orchard, farmers, dairy, bakery, etc. You may find some things will be a little more affordable because they involve fewer transportation costs. You'll also be dealing face-to-face with people who could be willing to make you a deal on a larger purchase or would be happy to throw in a little extra at the end of the day.
• Visit the bulk bins. Stores like Whole Foods and others have a bulk section where you can purchase everything from sugar and grains to cereal and candy. Compare prices between the bulk bins and the packaged items and you will probably find some good deals. You can also buy as little or as much as you want, reducing the possibility of things going bad before they are used up. And, you can frequently bring your own containers to reduce waste.
  
• Don't rule out the "regular" grocery store for organic items. My local regular Kroger has added many specialty items which don't always have quite as much mark up as if I shop at a more upscale market with more choices.
  
• Eat less meat. Beans cost much less than meat (and you can find them in the bulk bins!).
  
• Cook more things at home instead of buying convenience foods. You will save packaging, calories, and money.
  
• Do some research at the supermarket or farmer's market. Some things may be grown organically but the farmer has not gone through the organic certification process yet. If you don't know quite what a label means, ask about it. You might find a good deal.
  
• Ask for coupons. More organic producers are offering coupons. You can sign up for email newsletters from web sites and have them sent to your inbox and even writing or calling to say how much you enjoy the product with the suggestion that some coupons would be useful will get you on the mailing list to receive more coupons in the future.
  

Are you having a hard time keeping all the recycle spin off terms straight? Here are a list of definitions to keep you in the know.

• Recycle according toWebster is "to pass again through a series of changes or treatments." In other words you put the paper in the bin, it gets turned into mush then back into paper again.
• Freecycling happens when you clean out your closet and pass unwanted goods directly to someone else's closet via Freecycle.org.
• Precycle has been covered here before. It means buying something that has little waste to deal with in the first place.
• Upcycle was first used in Michael Braungart and William McDonough's book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. It means to take an element and recycled it into something of equal or greater value than what it had in its previous life. For example, have you seen the price of those recycled glass countertops?
• E-cycle refers to recycling your old walkman or last year's phone.
• Bicycle a motorless vehicle with two wheels propelled by pedals.
  

[via: Epicurious]

Christmas stockings at my house are a big deal but aren't exactly eco-friendly. This year, I've been trying to think of alternatives.

Some of my choices are what might be considered very good like fair trade chocolates and coffee. Striking a balance between the more expensive items of high quality or that are organic and the expected idea of a full stocking have been tricky though.

In the past stocking have moderate amounts of candy, usually lip balms, small books, gift cards for things like fast food or Starbucks, holiday socks and various little gifts. This year, I went for two objectives. Organic and green items whenever possible (and affordable) and items that are very useful but still fun.

For example (I have a wide range because my family has a big sleepover on Christmas Eve and we all contribute to stockings for the group) for my 6-year-old nephew I got some kid friendly soaps and shampoos, a new toothbrush and some kid toothpaste. I also got a small travel toiletry bag for when he goes on overnights to friends, Grandma's, my house, etc. For that bag I also got a collapsible camping cup and a small package of band-aids. Crayons, a little candy and a book will round out my contribution there.

For my Grandpa, I got some books, some sugar-free candies and snack sized packages of cashews. Grandma gets word puzzle books, fresh pencils and a pretty washcloth.

Some of the items are organic or made from recycled materials or have other green properties. Some of them are just regular items from a big box store. I think, this year, for me at least, it's all about striking a balance, not going overboard and finding things people will actually use. It's rather challenging when you are looking at stockings for eight people!

What are your best green stocking stuffer finds so far? Or maybe I'm too far ahead in my Christmas shopping!

Need something to give to someone in the office, or want to have something on hand just in case someone stops by during the holidays? You know, the easy, quick, yet thoughtful and appreciated gift. Here's a good list of go-to green gifts for those just-in-case situations.

3 green ways to kill bathroom mildew

Just because you live in a condo or apartment doesn't mean that you can't make your home eco-friendly. There are a lot of things that you don't have control over like the landscaping or possibly what's insulating your walls but there are plenty of ways you can green up your dwelling.

If you do any type of crafting at all, you are going to want to check out the new Mama to Mama blog. The idea is to bring together crafty people to do good for others.

The current project is making jersey newborn caps. You could make these from new, knitted material. Or, you could make them from old t-shirts (the softer the better). The caps will be sent to Haiti for safe birthing kits. There is also a pattern for receiving blankets that can be sent as well.

I think this is a great opportunity for giving back in the midst of your normal crafting plans. I come from a family of quilters and my Mom and my Aunt make many many quilts for babies in need and wounded soldiers. I can barely keep my attention focused for long enough to make a quilt, much less make many to give away. But a baby cap? I can do that. And I can probably make a whole lot of them from our drawer of t-shirts.

[Via Crafting a Green World]

If you're having, gulp, vegetarians over for Thanksgiving dinner, don't assume they will be happy with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Make an effort on a few extra vegetarian friendly dishes to show your holiday spirit. Vegetable broth based soups, pumpkin pasta or stuffed squash would all be good options.

So, maybe all of you already figure this out, but I've just had an epiphany.

This year, I am going to wrap some of my Christmas gifts in reusable grocery tote bags. We are already planning on giving many homemade jams and jellies, breads and cookies. It would be perfect to pack them up in a grocery bag.

Everyone I know is trying to use cloth grocery bags right now. My Grandma asked me if I had extras (of course I shared since I had plenty) and I know some people who have four or five but always end up needing one or two more. So, this seems like the perfect wrapping.

Stores like Whole Foods are even offering bags that aren't just plain colors with the store name. You can also use drawstring bags or wrap things in fabric. What about a wooden box for a child that can later be used as a toy box or for presents in the future? Or even a backpack if a new one is needed for school.

If you take some time to think about it, you can probably find lots of wrapping ideas that are really cool and almost as useful as the gift itself.

If for some reason you still have a large stash of paper bags and haven't recycled them and used them up, here are ten ideas from Real Simple. Paper bags lend themselves much more to arts and crafts than plastic bags do.

1. Cut the bags open and make book covers for school books.
   
2. Cut out some eye holes and make a mask.
   
3. Save bags with handles for decorate it yourself trick or treat bags.
4. Cut into place mat sizes and let the kids color their own place mats just like at the big chain restaurants. If you want to get really creative put some games or puzzles or a story starter to get the kids going.
   
5. Use to help unripe peaches, plums, and tomatoes ripen more quickly.
   
6. Make a kite by attaching string to each corner of the bag (at the open end). Hold the strings and see how high your kite will go!
7. Use to deter weeds in garden beds by placing plain bags under mulch.
   
8. Use as recycling bins.
   
9. Crumple into a ball and use as a faux finishing tool.
   
10. Cut into strips and make paper chains.
    

So, you've got a new hybrid vehicle and it's way smaller than your old car. If you're a fan of uh, let's call it parking, you may be wondering how that's every going to happen in your tiny car.

And while I may beat around the bush and blush and stutter, the folks over at Treehugger have totally got you covered on getting it on in your subcompact car. They even have pictures (of Barbie and Michael Jackson) to give you the general idea.

I'm guessing you might not want to check it out at work or when the kids are hanging out next to you. Of course, the people in your office might get a kick out of it, who knows!

Last week I wrote about how political yard signs could be recycled but at the time I was not aware of how some crafty Canadians were transforming them into bird houses. I just had to share the hack with our readers. With a few supplies you can turn your winning (or losing) candidate's mug and message into an artistic dwelling for our fine feathered friends.

Too many plastic bags at your house? Or are you just trying to use up a multi-year stash? If you don't want to just recycle them all, here is a huge list of alternatives from the folks over at Real Simple. See if any of them will work for you.

Wondering how to make your new, greener self get along with the ghost of Christmases past? Try some small changes and add more over time. If you're replacing Christmas lights, go for LED lights that use less electricity. Wrapping paper? Try wrapping things in newspaper and letting the kids decorate with paint and markers.

In the midst of planning Thanksgiving feasts, many people are also making plans for day after Thanksgiving shopping. Otherwise known as Black Friday, it's probably the biggest shopping day of the year.

Retailers will offer great markdowns on items to get you into the store in the hopes you will buy more. With the economy the way it is, it's hard to say how this year's shopping extravaganza will pan out but you can plan now to make it a green Black Friday. How? Keep reading.