Thursday, June 26, 2008

It's Cool to be Green

Housing cleaning is a chore but needs to be done. Having a clean home or office, saving some money and supporting a healthy environment is a total WIN/WIN situation.

I have chosen to start eliminating bleaches, ammonia's and other toxic cleaners because there really are other alternatives. I have children, I have pets and our overall help is extremely important to me.

Besides the home made recipes below, I belong to a wellness club were I can by cleaners, food and other healthy supplies by phone or on-line. I save a ton of money, love the products and by the way they offer a way to make money with their wellness items as well. That my friends, I will write about on my next blog.

In the meantime, try these cleaners which are less toxic, easy on the budget and saves a trip to the grocery store. Most of these items you may already have in your cabinets.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1/2 cup borax (borax can be found in the laundry aisle)
1 gal. hot water

Mix amounts in pail or use smaller amounts in a spray bottle (1/4 cup or borax to 1 qt. of hot water) Dissolve completely and begin wiping down, it makes a great surface cleaner.


Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup white vinegar or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2+ cups of water
Fill a clean spray bottle with water and either white vinegar or lemon juice, wipe surfaces with an old newspaper. Believe me this really works!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Gas Prices Out of Control

I don't know about you but as I hear about the gas prices which are going up weekly; I have to seriously think about where I drive. Do I really need to go out? Can I put off my so that I can combine my trip so as not to waste the gas in my Toyota 4Runner?

I am also a Realtor and need to approach my business slightly differently when it comes to buyers wanting to go out and look at homes. These are my thoughts now but what happens when the weather starts to change. The we also have to front more in the cost of heating our homes. Many millions of Americans run on gas.

I have read and seen a multitude about the gas prices but no one seems to have a solution or an idea of when it's going to stop. Below is an article from a newsletter I receive by Smart Growth Around America - newsletter@smartgrowthamerica.org.

If any one out there has suggestions to help us all work together to see if we as a nation can bring about a change to stop this weekly increase insanity, I would LOVE to hear it.

Gas prices changing the face of America

Almost overnight, gas prices have become the most pressing issue in the minds of Americans. Desperate for solutions, many of us already have grabbed the low-hanging fruit: Combine trips. Work from home occasionally. Drive the sedan instead of the SUV. Carpool. Vacation close to home.

Most people don't expect things to get much better any time soon: A poll commissioned by SGA and other groups earlier this year showed that 92 percent believe gas will only get more expensive in the coming years. Though struggling with near-term implications, many are starting to wonder how a future of costly energy will reshape their lives and landscape. You can already see it in the housing market, where people are unable to unload McMansions in partly-finished, distant subdivisions for the same reason they can't sell their large SUVs: Potential buyers don't want the high gas bills. Just this week, the Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Los Angeles Times all reported on how expensive gas is reshaping consumer demand.

Americans are beginning to ask themselves the big questions: "How did we get to a situation where the only option we have is to drive? Why can't I take a train to work? Why can't my kids walk to school like I did?"

With 95 percent of Americans lacking easy access to public transportation and untold millions living in unwalkable places, the time is now to increase our investment in strategies to lessen our need for gasoline and oil: better public transportation, more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods. Given the situation with escalating gas prices, global warming, and our dependence on oil, we need better alternatives to protect us from the pain of the pump.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Rain Garden, what's a Rain Garden?

I never heard of a Rain Garden until now. Since I feel that we all need to be more environmentally consceince, it's an idea worthy of mentioning in my blog.

What is a Rain Garden? Here's the Wikepedia definition. A rain garden is a planted depression that is designed to absorb rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, and compacted lawn areas. This reduces rain runoff by allowing stormwater to soak into the ground (as opposed to flowing into storm drains and surface waters which causes erosion, water pollution, flooding, and diminished groundwater).

Rain gardens can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30%. Below is an article that I included from today's Asbury Park Press. A local Realtor and her daughter designed one in Neptune City for a cost of about $700.00. They say it's the only one of it's kind in Monmouth County to date.


http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080612/NEWS01/806120571/-1/&source=nletter-news

Imagine if we could all encourage the officials where we live to have at least one rain garden. Interesting concept, isn't it?

Thank for reading my blog. Lucy


"In this life we cannot always do great things. We can only do small things with great love."
Mother Teresa

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Outside grillers, propane tank users - GOOD SAFETY INFORMATION


A friend emailed me this information and I felt it was worthy to post on my blog. The weather is warm, more outdoor parties, cooking and overall entertaining. If you have a grill that uses a propane tank, this is useful information that comes from the NATIONAL PROPANE GAS ASSOCIATION.

Meth cooks are getting the propane tanks from the exchanges at Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc. and emptying them of the propane. Then, they are filling them with anhydrous ammonia (which they now have a recipe for by the way). After they are finished with them, they return them to the store. They are then refilled with propane and sent back for you and me to buy.

Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive and weakens the structure of the tank. It can be very dangerous when mixed with propane and hoo ked up to our grills, etc. You should inspect the propane tank for any blue or greenish residue around the valve areas. If it is present, refuse to purchase that one.'

Check out the following website for more details. They also have pictures so you know what it looks like.

http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=529