Majic Mushrooms

Ecovative design is a company that looks very promising. They are reducing their carbon footprint and making some impressive products that will generate changes globally. Currently they produce just two products, however, since the company is creating alternatives to synthetics like plastic and foam, their product line could become monumental as well as endless. Ecovative design has created two revolutionary new products. EcoCradle™, their compostable packaging material and Greensulate™, an organic insulation. I loved when the CEO of the company, Eben Bayer said that their products are made in the dark!! Now, that is seriously reducing the use of power and its because the the main “ingredient” is the mushroom! You’ll have to read their website to understand technically the reasons not to worry with fungus and mold. Only the ignorant feel as though they cant be around their products because of “allergies” to mushrooms. (as I said read the details on the website) In addition to being made locally, it is then trucked to local facilities sold. From beginning to end this product is produced in an eco friendly manner. Eben Bayer, Ceo and Gavin McIntyre, chief scientist are both co founders of the company. They are young, innovative, and bright. I’m looking forward to seeing them succeed as they pioneer their way to a green, sustainable future! Click on the link below and go to their “quick link” section to see videos on the company and their products. Can you believe that someone actually thought this stuff is edible? http://www.ecovativedesign.com/index.html

Recycling is the new ROCK and ROLL

I went to a music shop yesterday and purchased a pack of guitar strings and couldn't help being tempted by the new guitars dangling vertically side by side...Yamaha, Alvarez, and Taylor. The salesman started getting into his “big pitch” when I had to politely interrupt and confess that I had four guitars at home and had recently sold one on Ebay. I had no business buying another one. As with everything else in my life I wondered does anyone sell recycled guitars? We all know there are used guitars for sale, but what about a guitar made from recycled materials? Well, his name is Simon Lee. He is located in London and below is his website. These guitars are made from vending machine coffee cups, ground up CD/DVD s, plastics from food production, domestic bottles and more! This website is very easy to navigate and quite interesting. Simon is a true artist with a cause. I love that all of his left over materials are given to artist and schools for them to use in their recycled art programs. Even if you are not a guitar enthusiast it is fun to see an earth friendly guitar, one that has not been made from endangered hardwoods used by other manufacturers.
http://www.simonleeguitars.com/materials/

Gadjets to Green

I read that as soon as you swipe the ole credit/debit card for a brand new computer that it is already outdated by new technology developed. That is why it is so important to recycle and reuse. It is like giving your hand-me-downs to a little sister or brother. So, for all of you who have upgraded to a new cellphone, i pod, or digital camera and you want to recycle your old one think about Radio Shack. They have a recycling program that turns old gadgets into green. Personally, I think you could get more money if you list it on eBay. (Radio Shack gives you a store credit money card) So, check out this site and see how much green you can get for your old gadget! This is a great way to teach the kids about recycling.
http://radioshack.cexchange.com/online/Home/CategorySelected.rails?enc=1r76XqMDW3oWw2kxNJLjYg==

Edible skin!

Its been a long time since I’ve had a facial, not just because of the chemicals that they use, but hey, I can do a lot with 50 bucks! Our skin is the largest organ, so anything we apply to it should be eatable. I found a facial exfoliate and a body scrub recipe that takes a few minutes to make and you probably have the ingredients in your kitchen cabinets now!
The facial exfoliate consists of 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. Mix in a bowl then apply to your face. Leave on for about 10 minutes, then wash off.

So you want to exfoliate?
Here is a simple recipe for a quick body scrub:
Mix 6 Tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. (You may need more or less depending on your size and how much you use.) Once you have mixed the ingredients, rub in a circular motion all over your body then rinse it off. The heat of our skin will melt the coconut oil.

There are so many other things that we can use on our skin that we can eat. For example there is an oatmeal bath (pour a couple cups in a warm bath)....mmmmm smooth and creamy for the skin! How about cucumber slices over your eyes....great for those who are on a computer all day. My favorite is an avocado and mayonnaise for a facial moisturizer. And finally, lemon as an astringent. Not only is this healthy for your skin, but if you add a little onion and cilantro you have guacamole!......Yummy!

Blue jeans are GREEN!

It seems I always want to purchase a pair of blue jeans whenever I am out shopping. Rarely do I wear them to the office, so why do I need another pair? I already have so many! Recently, I gave 2 pairs away, then I remembered my blog and wondered what I could blog about in reference to recycling my old beloved blues jeans. After surfing the net and seeing all the crafty things l could do with my jeans..... like make an apron, use one of the old pockets for my cell phone holder (PRETTY), make a purse, or a denim tool pouch. I decided I am not one of those crafty kind of gals. Other ideas were to give your jeans to Salvation Army. Some tell you to get money off your next purchase of jeans by trading your old ones in. Then I discovered "going blue to green"! WOW! This is an INSULATION for the home, and it comes from your beloved pair of blue jeans! "Going blue to green" is definitely cool, and as much as I love the panther... Pink is out! Here is the website with a video that shows the process. Turn your bluejeans into green jeans and enjoy your contribution to the green movement!
http://www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org/From-Cottonseed-to-Insulation-Process/

Stuff, STuff, STUff, STUFf, STUFF

We had a garage sale yesterday, and I was surprised at the STUFF we had accumulated. I was equally surprised at what"STUFF" people purchased and the "STUFF" we still have. I was sad that we didnt sell all of our STUFF. I guess with today's economy people cant afford big stuff, because we only sold a lot of small stuff. Today we are taking the rest of our"stuff" to the women s shelter. Here is the link if you are interested in getting rid of your "stuff" , but don't have the time to have a "stuff sale". We choose the womens shelter because its a good cause and close to home. http://www.sboard.org/SHELTERS/SC.HTM
Speaking of STUFF, Please watch this video about the story of stuff. It made me think twice about stuff....especially buying more STUFF! Since you are becoming more earth friendly and environmentally conscious, this is a must see! http://www.storyofstuff.com/
ENJOY LESS STUFF!

Planet Reuse

While I was weaving in and out of websites curious about ideas about how to reuse so much of what is wasted, I found a really neat site that we should all consider, especially if you are in construction. I was curious as to what was available and fascinated by what people are looking for as well. Kansas is looking for a church! I hope they find one! I wanted to give them my house, but they would have to build a steeple. I don't think it would be the same.
A few nights ago I saw a news story where they were tearing down newly built homes because the banks could not afford for them to remain empty. I watched in horror as the bulldozers plowed these brand new homes to the ground. If only they had gone to this site:
http://www.planetreuse.com/how_it_works/HowItWorks.aspx
This link takes you to a video that is pretty dull, so I recommend clicking around the site and checking it out out!