I hate toxins. I mean, I guess everyone should, but I really hate to use anything in the house that I think might be toxic – any kind of cleaner, repair fluid, or pesticide. But, sometimes you use toxins that you just don’t think about. Here are a few things you might be using around the house and alternatives: Antibacterial Soap That’s right – something you think may be keeping you safe may actually be harming you. That’s because some antibacterial soap contains triclosan. Triclosan may mess up your thyroid functions and hormone levels. In fact, researchers have discovered that … Continue reading →

I listed some green household uses for vinegar yesterday, but I am not finished. You may be amazed by all that vinegar can do for you around the house. I don’t know about you, but I like to wash my hair in the bathroom sink, which inevitably leads to clogged drains. I have this hardcore aversion to toxic chemicals, so I was so happy to learn that you can drop the Dran-O and instead, just pour a cup of baking soda in the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Close up the drain with the stopper and let … Continue reading →

Isn’t it a great thing when you can take something as simple as vinegar – something so cheap and easily assessable – and do great things around the house with it? For one thing, vinegar is great for cleaning household areas including the bathroom (i.e. getting rid of that bathtub ring and scum from the shower doors), countertops, soap dishes, the refrigerator, and cutting boards. My husband also buys dishwasher cleaners, but guess what? Putting a little vinegar in your dishwasher each month will clean it. And, if your coffee pot is getting a bit funky, run vinegar through one … Continue reading →

We have quite a prom dress controversy brewing here in Tennessee. A student, Texanna Edwards, thought it would be a good idea to wear a dress that resembled a Confederate flag to her high school prom in Gibson County. When she mentioned it to a teacher, the teacher warned Edwards that the dress might not be acceptable. Sure enough, school officials deemed it “offensive and inappropriate” and Edwards wasn’t allowed inside the prom, despite the fact that the dress contained the school colors. In Memphis, prom is a huge deal and several companies are offering dresses for rent. This is … Continue reading →

This year for Earth Day, Epcot unveiled the Vision House. Vision House, which was presented by Green Builder Media, showed visitors just how cool and innovative a green home could be. Sara Gutterman, CEO of Green Builder Media, said, “Sustainable living is about taking personal responsibility.” With the Vision House, Green Builder hope to show families that they had the technology to provide them with great products and options for living green in their home. Living green not only helps the environment, it can also save homeowners money. Visitors to Vision House got a guided tour which featured product and … Continue reading →

When I search for green things to blog about, I always like the creative and unusual. I found both of those in John Milkovisch and his Beer Can House. Milkovisch covered his Houston house in beer cans. There seemed to be an abundance of beer cans in the ‘70s. When I was little, maybe it was just a southern thing, but people around here made hats of beer cans. They would cut them up, punch holes in them and crochet them into a hat. Sounds attractive, doesn’t it? Hey, it was the ‘70s. Anyhow in 1968, Milkovisch found himself retired … Continue reading →

I saw something on the drive to work this morning that rather disturbed me. I was driving along, jamming to Prince’s “Kiss,” reliving the ’80s when I noticed two women walking down the street. They passed a daycare center and one woman tossed her Styrofoam to-go coffee cup in a crevasse where it looked like a tree had been removed in front of the center. Really? REALLY? That just hit me wrong. I know the city of Memphis offers a hotline to report drivers that litter, but since this woman didn’t have a license plate attached to her behind, I … Continue reading →

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Memphis, it seems like it’s been summer for the past three weeks. March isn’t even over and I am sending my son to school in shorts. You know what that means – flip flops for mama! But, what if you have leftover flip flops? Maybe they are your favorites and you just can’t seem to part with them, but you don’t wear them anymore either. You can recycle them! Yes, just like many other household items, flip flops can be given new life through recycling. If you are the crafty … Continue reading →

When Kemba Shakur was young, she looked forward to her family camping trips to Yosemite National Parks. Shakur grew up in housing projects in San Francisco, but she said she loved the smell of the redwoods. She felt like the camping trips “washed away the stresses of the city.” When she moved to Oakland, California in 1994, she found herself in a crime-ridden urban neighborhood with no trees. No tree, Shakur said, “just block after block of concrete.” As a former corrections officer, Shakur said the “prison grounds looked better.” That’s when Shakur decided to take action. In 1999, she … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I was talking about Whole Foods Market and its stance on sustainability. I don’t know if you have one in your city, but there is one in Memphis right down the street from me and it is always jam packed. I think the idea of eating healthier and supporting a grocery store that seems to be concerned about society and the environment is very appealing to many people today. Here’s a few more of Whole Food Markets’ policies, Respect For All Forms Of Life Whole Foods Market is against the senseless killing of any animal or cruelty to those … Continue reading →