User login

A Community of Green Bloggers & Activists

krissy's blog

Greener Homes and Gardens

Posted by krissy on May 15th, 2013

greener gardenThe perfect hybrid of green, healthy and beautiful are qualities that we should look for in our day-to-day lives. Providing a lovely living space while nurturing our families and helping them grow is the formula for a good life. Sadly, not everything is made of sunshine and daisies, and the water you drink and the veggies you eat, might not be as pure as you think. According to the EPA, there are pesticides used on your food can have negative effects on your health and the environment. Although the use of pesticides have been reduced since 2007, the EPA uses close to a billion pounds per year of commercial pesticides on crops in the U.S.

Pesticide manufacturing plants have even been known to make the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of places labeled extremely toxic by the EPA. To help in the  reduction of toxic sites, there are remediation companies, like Sevenson Environmental, that can restore valuable plots of land.

A Bounty In Your Kitchen

If you don't have a yard, or you'd like to keep gardening during cold winter months, there are plenty of kitchen or spare-room friendly gardening options for you. You've probably seen the infomercial for the Topsy Turvy Tomato grower, which can be grown indoors and found online for less than ten dollars. The same company also makes a Topsy Turvy Strawberry grower that can hang from just about anywhere. For the devoted kitchen gardener, Urban Farmer makes a mushroom growing kit for less than 30 dollars. You can grow up to two pounds of fresh mushrooms in as little as ten days.... read more

ABC's of Tire Recycling

Posted by krissy on April 25th, 2013

tire recyclingHave you ever wondered what happens to old and worn out tires once you get them replaced on your car? Fortunately, as Green Living notes, the latest improvements in technology have led to more options for recycling rubber tires. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 percent of the 290-plus million tires a year are now saved from going to the dump, and are recycled and turned into other types of products.

Rubber Gets Used

For example, Green Living explained, old tires are often ground up and used in rubberized asphalt, as well as rubber flooring for educational and commercial locations. This style of flooring is especially popular with designers and architects due to its array of colors, designs and durability. In addition, ground-up rubber can be used for athletic turf, mulch, playground surfaces and walking and running trails.... read more

Stop Dunkin Donuts from Using Styrofoam

Posted by krissy on April 24th, 2013

Dunkin Donuts Styrofoam cupsI've blogged in the past about how detrimental to the environment Styrofoam is and I've even blogged about how I wished Dunkin Donuts would stop using Styrofoam.  Almost two years after I wrote that blog post, Dunkin Donuts is STILL using those awful Styrofoam cups.  

I grew up in the Northeast with Dunkin Donuts all over the place.  Not gonna lie, I enjoy the occasional chocolate donut and I love their iced tea on a warm day.  But, each time I set foot in a Dunkin Donuts I feel my blood boil whenever I see their cups.  It's disheartening that they still haven't made strides to phasing out those cups.

Well, over the past few weeks, I teamed up with the good people at Causes.com to create a petition urging Dunkin Donuts to STOP using Styrofoam cups.  

I'm asking all of our readers here at Keen For Green to please sign our petition:  Stop Dunkin Donuts Styrofoam.  ... read more

Reducing Energy Wastage

Posted by krissy on April 18th, 2013
reduce energy wasteToday we have a guest blog post from our friends at Everest.  These tips will help you to stop wasting energy and reduce your monthly bills!
 
--
 
While it is true to say that home energy use has actually declined in over the last few decades, the cost of household bills has soared. In fact the cost of these bills is up from £960-£1030.
 
And, with spring barely rearing its head so far, the recent cold snaps have undoubtedly resulted in an increase in energy use in the home. Did you know there are things that we can do to reduce energy wastage in order to save on utility costs? 
 
Here are some suggestions from leading home improvements specialists Everest:
 
A clean chimney is an energy efficient one.  
 
Sweeping the chimney of soot and debris will ensure your fire burns safely and efficiently – and this will help you to save on fuel.... read more

Gardening Tips for Beginners

Posted by krissy on April 17th, 2013

Spring has definitely sprung and tis the season to start your gardens!    Growing your own food is a wonderful way to be green and save money, too.  Even if you think you might not have a green thumb, gardening certain things can be easier than you think.  

Here are some tips for someone just trying to get into gardening:... read more

11 Ways to Go Green at Home

Posted by krissy on April 4th, 2013

Doing our part to reduce landfill waste, create cleaner air and protect Mother Nature isn't as hard (or expensive) as it seems. As Earth Day (April 22) approaches, boost your eco-friendly lifestyle with these easy tips and tricks for going green.

Plant a Garden

Not only will a garden serve as a subtle reminder of where food originates, but you'll reap the benefits of having fresh produce at your fingertips. Start with seeds or even try re-growing vegetables from store-bought leftovers. For example, Mother Nature Network instructs how to re-grow celery from the base of a used stalk. Using a similar technique, you can do the same with the onion bulbs.

Change Light Bulbs

Slowly phase out your incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs. These use up to 80 percent less energy than incandescents and can last up to 25 times longer, according to Earth911.com.... read more

Green Road Trip Travel Tips for Your Dog

Posted by krissy on March 14th, 2013

Although all dogs don't love riding in the car, most will be good sports about it with some TLC and training. Some people medicate pets with sedatives for long journeys. If you travel a lot this can become problematic. Over time your pet might develop a dependency on medication for travel or suffer from side effects. There are much better ways to get the pup excited (and then calm) about riding in the car.

Ease Anxiety Naturally

Well-known dog whisperer Cesar Millan says that dog owners have the power to calm their dogs with their voices, attitudes and body language. If you are calm and pleasant, your dog will be too. If your dog is prone to anxiety and you plan to take a long trip, natural products that use herbs like ginger and lavender ease tension. They work the same way a warm, herbal-infused cup of tea eases human stress. One product, Travel Calm, is a spray mist that sells for about $12 at pet health food stores, and can reduce restlessness and nausea.... read more

An eco-friendly Easter Basket

Posted by krissy on March 7th, 2013

My son is almost 2 and a half, and I am having a blast putting his Easter basket together.  It's easy to fall into the trap of getting lots of cheap candy, plastic goodies from CVS, and stuffing the basket with Easter grass, but there are many tips for making an Easter basket just a little bit greener:

1.  Skip the Peeps and find some sustainable alternatives.  Grocery stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's have lots of cute and festive candy - some organic, some fair tade - that work as a delicious addition to an Easter basket.

2.  Forget about Easter grass.  You don't need it!  We usually just skip it entirely, but some alternatives are shredded newspaper or some green yarn.... read more

Preparing Your Garden for Spring - even if it's still winter!

Posted by krissy on February 28th, 2013

I saw something very exciting at the grocery store over the weekend: a display of seed packets!  On a day where wintry mix is falling down in Massachusetts, the display of seed packets was like seeing a little ray of sunshine - right there in Stop & Shop!  Seed packets for sale can only mean one thing...spring is in the foreseeable future!

Even though it's nowhere near spring in many parts of the U.S., thinking about your garden is definitely a reality.  

How can you get your garden ready even if it's still winter?... read more

Hybrid Hand-Me-Downs: Shop for Fuel-Efficient Used Cars

Posted by krissy on February 13th, 2013

Just before the new year, the Environmental Protection Agency released definitive figures that the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid takes the crown as the most fuel-efficient 4-door vehicle on the planet. Constructed with hybrid drivetrain, the Energi plug-in boasts a 108 MPGe rating, beating out the previous title-holder, the Toyota Prius plug-in, which uses 103 MPGe. Not only will you be saving the environment by driving one of these beauties Ford estimates that driving a Fusion Energi will save you $6850 in fuel costs compared to the money you would spend on an average new vehicle over five years. With these numbers, Ford planned to sell over 19,000 hybrid or electric vehicles in the last quarter of 2012, according to Edmunds.com.

Although buying a fuel-efficient vehicle like the Ford Fusion Energi might be the ideal, buying a new car may not be in your budget. Not to worry although the new vehicles are boasting greater gas mileage, there are plenty of phenomenal fuel-efficient used cars at buy here pay here from DriveTime dealerships that can meet your needs. Using ConsumerReports.org used car-buying guides you can find a fuel-efficient pre-owned vehicle that meets your needs.... read more

Syndicate content