I need a deodorizer that doesn't just mask a smell with a lingering chemical odor. Specifically, I need something to get the stink out of my yoga mat. I've heard plain white vinegar will do the trick. According to the Green Goddess, a spritz of straight vodka will take care of the smell and kill the germs. She also says that 1 cup of water and 20 drops of essential oils like lavendar, tea tree oil, or lemon oil can handle it, but I don't have any of those on hand.
Maybe I'll try the vodka, though it does seem like a waste of good spirit. Spritz for mat, swig for me...
I'll let you know how it goes.
UPDATE: I couldn't bring myself to spill good vodka, so I gave my mat a bath of equal parts white vinegar and water (I happen to have a huge jug of white vinegar around just for cleaning purposes). It may have worked for now, but I fear I'll have to repeat this little process every time I use the mat, which is 3 times a week -- in a hot, sweaty bikram yoga studio. I may be investing in some tea tree oil; the spray solution will be easier and less wasteful of water.
24 July 2008
in search of a natural deodorizer
little guardians of the lamp post
Funny what you notice when you actually take the time to listen.
Chirp chirp chirp. A constant chorus of very demanding voices. Chirp chirp chirp! Where is that coming from?
Look up, in that metal tube perched high atop the pedestrian crossing lamp post. A sparrow feeding her babies.
Even in this bustling urban landscape there lies a tiny treasure trove of wildlife. In the city, the winged ones make do.
It's no anomaly. I've witnessed at least two more avian accommodations like it, on the same busy street.
In New York, we've got our own version of nature.
(Sparrow and Chick on Tube, Gary Roberts)
23 July 2008
take a sunshine break
Ok, granted, it's gloomy today here in NYC, but the intention's the same. When you're feeling the need for something -- a break of some kind -- in the middle of the day, do this:
- Go outside and get a fresh dose of sunshine
- Don't have a cigarette
- Don't buy a coffee
- Don't go on a 15-minute spending spree at the nearest boutique
22 July 2008
simple ways to reduce paper waste: part 2
Part 2 of 2
Read part 1 here
6. Drink from a reusable coffee cup
Save paper, save the water used to make the paper, and spare the dump another piece of rubbish. Pick your vessel!
"We are happy to serve you" ceramic mug
Sumo Emotions Cup
Oxo Good Grips Liquiseal Travel Mug
Customizable Photo Travel Mug - Silver 14oz [Kodak Gallery]
7. Use recycled paper products
Choose napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues made from paper, not from trees. Go with these brands that are both high quality and environmentally friendly:
Better yet, opt for cloth napkins at meals, dish towels to clean up spills, and handkerchiefs to wipe your nose. Keep rags handy to wipe up really nasty spills.
8. Make your own greeting cards and wrapping paper
- Turn old cards into new cards here
- Repurpose old magazines before you toss them in the recycling bin. I like to cut out images from magazines and glue them to a piece of card stock or on an old or ugly card I have lying around
- Use a colorful page of the newspaper to wrap gifts
- Wrap gifts in a nice piece of fabric like a scarf, furoshiki style
- Reuse tissue paper from clothing shops or gifts you've received
- Take care when you open gifts and reuse the paper later on
Not sure if the card you want is recycled? Flip it over and take a look!
9. Use both sides
- Making copies? Set the copy machine to print double sided. This can be done whether the original is 2-sided or not.
- Finished with that printout? Flip it over and use it for note taking or doodling
The default setting for Microsoft Word margins is 1.25". You can make them narrower by selecting "Page Setup" (usually found in the "File" menu) and changing them to .75". Just think of all the paper you'll save when you're printing your novel or latest screenplay.
Join the Change the Margins campaign.
simple ways to reduce paper waste: part 1
Part 1 of 2
Junk mail, catalogs, bills, receipts, packaging, magazines, office paper, newspapers, wrapping paper, greeting cards, paper plates and cups, napkins, paper towel, toilet paper. The amount of paper in our lives is astounding. But there are so many easy ways to cut back on paper waste. You'll not only saves trees, you'll save water, money, and aggravation (especially when it comes to junk mail!).
1. Reduce junk mail and catalogs
- Green Dimes: Their basic service is free, but you've got to opt out of each sender yourself. A $20 one-time fee gets you auto-opt out (including catalogs) and they'll plant 5 trees, too. $36 gets you all the stuff $20 gets you plus some extra goodies like CFLs.
- 41 pounds: That's how much junk mail a person receives in a year. And it costs $41 for 5 years, with 1/3 of that going to the nonprofit of your choice. Like Green Dimes, they also let you opt out of catalogs
- DMA (Direct Marketer's Association): It just takes $1 (sent by snail mail) to get off of mailing lists you don't want to be on. This is the service I used a few years ago and the only unwanted mail I get is from various charities I've given to since signing up.
- Catalog Choice: It's free to join and you can opt out or opt in to as many catalog mailing lists as you want (as long as they're in their database, of course). You can check the status of your request (whether it's been accepted or not) whenever you sign in.
3. Get your bills delivered via email
Check your bills and you'll probably see the option to have them sent by email, either as a checkbox directly on the bill (that you'll send via snail mail for the last time, see below) or by logging into your account online.
4. Pay bills online
Stop writing checks, save a stamp, an envelope, and the paper it takes to make those checks. It's so easy to set up, all you need is the payees address and your account info. But it varies from bank-to-bank so I won't go into the process here.
5. Plan your online purchases
Reduce cardboard and packing material waste. When buying stuff online from one vendor, make sure you purchase in bulk and choose the option to send the stuff in one shipment.
the joy of almonds
They're very low in cholesterol, a good source of protein and fiber, and tasty to boot. Slivered, sliced, toasted, salted, delicious and good for you. But do you know about the other wonderful ways to enjoy almonds?
almond milk
A good substitute for cow's milk or soy milk, almond milk is sweet, creamy, and lower in calories than its counterparts. It's a good source of vitamin E and a handful of beneficial minerals. It also has a smooth texture, as compared to soy or rice milk.
You can buy it pre-made (chocolate, vanilla, or plain), or make your own (I just love the use of "nut bag" in this recipe).
almond butter
More nutritious than peanut butter with less fat, too. I like it unsweetened, it's just naturally yummy. Again, you can buy it already made, make your own, or get one from one of those fancy grind-it-yourself nut butter machines (there's one at our Fairway in Red Hook, Bklyn).
21 July 2008
energy saving for summer
Stay cool in the summer swelter and save money with these simple ways to reduce energy consumption:
- Close the blinds/curtains/shades to keep out the sun's rays
- Keep the windows closed during the day when the heat is most extreme
- Avoid using the oven -- opt for salads and other no-cook meals, use the microwave instead (it's more efficient and produces less heat), or grill if you've got one!
- Do laundry at night when it's cooler; wait until you have a full load, use cold water to wash, and hang to dry if you can
- Run the dishwasher at night and skip the heat dry cycle
- Take cool showers -- using less hot water saves energy
- Wash your hands in cold water (see above) -- don't worry, you'll kill as much germs as with warm water
- Keep lights off during the day and only use lights in the room you're in at night
- Use the A/C only in the evening when you're home, or use fans instead
- If you have central air, have it set to turn off when you're not home and raise the temperature to 78 degrees when you are
- Make sure your home is insulated properly
- Unplug the energy vampires, those appliances you only occasionally use like the toaster, microwave oven, DVD player
- Use power strips where multiple appliances are used (think TV, DVD player, stereo, etc.); switch the power strip to off when you leave the house
- Power down your computer when not in use
a better yoga mat
If you don't already know me, you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that I do yoga. Aside from the physical health benefits, the mindfulness that comes from yoga practice naturally feeds a sustainable lifestyle.
When my old yoga mat got chewed up in the washing machine (woops!) I was happy to buy a new, eco-friendly one. The old one was made with PVC, one of those materials I try to avoid like the plague because it's plaguing people's health (its production causes a rare form of liver cancer).
Check out 50 ways to reuse your yoga mat here.
Earth Elements by Hugger Mugger is the one I bought. It's made from TPE (thermo plastic
polymer), which is PVC-, chlorine- and latex-free. It's both decomposable and durable (how is that possible?) with a great grippy texture. Be aware that it does smell funny when you first get it, but that goes away with a couple days' airing out. (Available at Amazon and Barefoot Yoga Co.)
Manduka eKO Mat is made from 100% natural, non-Amazon forested rubber. It's also biodegradable and non-toxic.
Eco-friendly Reversible Mat by Gaiam is made from renewable resources. PVC- and latex-free.
The Original Eco Yoga Mat from Barefoot Yoga Co. is made of jute and natural rubber with no synthetic materials to be found. Hand washable and 100% biodegradable.
E.C.O. Sticky Mat by Prana, like the one I have, is made from TPE. PVC- and latex-free.
Barefoot Yoga Co. has a bunch of eco-friendly yoga mat options, and now through July 27th, get free shipping on orders $99 and over with promo code JULYFREE.
But if you want to splurge...Go for the super-sustainable cork mat. From Korq ($200; Made in NYC) or Stilelibero (~$200 incl. shipping; from UK).
20 July 2008
the key to sustainable living, simply stated
It starts very simply. Just take a little time to learn more about the consequences of the small choices you make each day. Think about what you wear. Where did it come from? Could you walk or bicycle or take public transport instead of driving? Stop wasting water and don't take it for granted. Don't leave the lights on. Consider what you eat. Where did your food come from? Does it cause huge suffering to animals? Was it the result of child labor? Did it travel far to get to you? Start caring -- and start thinking.
18 July 2008
the winds of change
Lm Otero / AP
When you think of oil in the continental US, you usually think of Texas, right? But what about wind energy? That's right, Texas again. The largest of the contiguous states has already been the US giant of harnessing the power of the wind, and it's just the beginning. State officials just gave the green light to a wind-power line transmission project to the tune of $5 billion. It could be as few as 4 to 5 years before the lines are in service, providing power to an estimated 4 million Texas homes. [MSNBC]
You can sign up for wind power, or other alternative energy programs, through your local energy provider. If your provider doesn't offer greener solutions, consider carbon offsets.
(NYC residents, sign up here.)
bees knees (and elbows, and hands, and...)
Before I started paying attention to what was in everything I consume, I would just use lotion that at the very least claimed to be cruelty free. But these days, that's not enough. Going forth with the motto "better safe than sorry" I eschew products that have any suspicious ingredients -- like sodium laureth/laurel sulfate, parabens, petroleum-based glycerin, etc.
There are two products I switch between to keep my skin good and moisturized sans chemicals: Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion and Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion. Both of them are contained in fully recyclable #2 plastic, and both support bees -- a species integral to the production of the world's food supply. But I do prefer Beeceuticals over Burt's Bees for a few reasons: better scent, lack of ambiguous "fragrance" ingredient, and texture.
Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion
- Goes on smoothly, not greasy at all
- Subtly sweet citrus scent
- Contains certified organic ingredients
- Supports fair-trade practices
Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion
- Not greasy, but can be a little tacky
- Neutral honey/orangy scent
- Leaves skin feeling softly smooth
17 July 2008
cool use for old books
It can be hard to get rid of old paperback books. Second hand bookshops often won't take your unwanted titles. You can try to sell them at your stoop sale. But how about this fun way to repurpose those pages -- a chair. [Rag and Bone Bindery via Make]
