Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Since we had a warm winter, this summer is going to be big for bugs. And you don't want them in your house. Instead of using toxic repellents and bug killers, try some natural alternatives. Vinegar is a natural ant repellent. Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it around areas where they might come in, like doors and windows. Just remember, when it rains, it will wash away. You can do it inside your house too, but it may take a little while to stop smelling. Stores are now carrying natural and organic repellents too, made with essential oils like rosemary and peppermint, which bugs don't like.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

For those of you in the area, the Denville Farmer's Market is today and every Sunday until November 18th from 8:30am to 1:00pm in the Bloomfield Ave. parking lot. I've been there and they have really good food and it's usually pretty cheap. Go and support local farmers and businesses!

Friday, June 22, 2012

DIY

www.earth911.com is a great website for all kinds of recycling information. At the top of the page, just type in what you're trying to recycle and your zip code and it will tell you where you can bring it. It also has eco-friendly DIY projects, like this one I found today. These are adorable and I think I have to make them. http://earth911.com/news/2012/06/21/eco-friendly-diy-egg-shell-candles/

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Green Clean

I have a tip for you today... try using hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach when washing your clothes. I've found it usually works to get out stains. But if you want to use it on colors, make sure you spot test it first, because it can lighten them, just like bleach. Bleach is not so great for the environment because it's a mix of sodium hydroxide and chlorine. Chlorine is highly reactive, so once it goes down your drain and enters aquatic systems, it can damage wildlife. And the same goes for you... chlorine has been linked to cancer and endocrine disruption (that means it messes with your hormones), so it's not benefitting you to be using it all the time. Hydrogen peroxide just breaks down into water and oxygen. If you really don't want to give up the bleach, try using an oxygen-based one like OxiClean, which is more environmentally friendly.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Surprise Visitor

Just as I was about to post something, this guy from the New Jersey Environmental Federation (NJEF), part of Clean Water Action, knocked on my door. So I thought I'd post about that instead of what I was going to do. He was just asking for us to sign letters to some NJ politicians asking them to support the Safe Playing Fields Act which would protect kids from toxic chemicals sprayed on playing fields. If you have some time to kill, you can send letters too using the instructions on this website http://www.cleanwateraction.org/action/playing-safe-fields. But honestly, I probably wouldn't take the time to do that if the guy hadn't come to my door, so if you send them, go you! And if you want, you can check out the NJEF website to learn more about environmental stuff going on in NJ. http://www.cleanwateraction.org/njef

The guy also told me about a music and environmental festival that happened this past weekend on the Hudson River called the Clearwater Festival. Martin Sexton and Josh Ritter were playing, so that would have been fun to go to. Too bad I didn't know. I'll try to find and post information for next year if anyone is a tree hugger like me and wants to go.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

So I'm new at blogging and don't really know what I'm doing, but I wanted to make a blog to teach people about "going green" and other environmental stuff. I'll try to post something new everyday. My hope is that people (more likely just my friends who actually follow this) will learn a few things and put them into practice. It won't be all lecturing; I hope it will actually be entertaining too. I'll start with this video I saw a while ago about how bands and singers are doing their part to make their concerts more eco-friendly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SCa7IeGv460