July 5th, 2008
Unpainted, chunky and absolutely too cute!
Rocking Horse Natural 3D Puzzle from ImagiPLAY Safe for ages 5 and up
Cow & Calf Natural 3D Puzzle from ImagiPLAY Safe for ages 3 and up
These ImagiPLAY puzzles, available from Taraluna, are Fair Trade, sustainable and non-toxic.
Also available: Lion, Elephant & Calf, Clown Car, Train and Tugboat. Prices range from $12-20.
Images via Taraluna.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: non-toxic puzzles, organic and fair trade, sustainable wood, unpainted puzzles, wooden puzzlesShare This
By Peggy -- 0 comments
July 3rd, 2008
After a small hiatus, Chic by Nature is back with super blogger Kim Bui!
Chic by Nature is the place to hang if you like brillant green clothing finds. You’ll see some lovely and fun organic or recycled fashion dreams.
I especially like the upcycled cowboy shirt and the retro 80s tee Kim featured recently.
Organic clothing is also very relevant to our water conservation month here at Tree Hugging Family. Organic cotton takes much less water to produce than conventional cotton. There’s also the nice benefit of no pesticides.
If you feel like some screen shopping, please stop over and say hello to Kim. Clicking on the banner above will take you there.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: chic, Fashion, Organic ClothingShare This
By Peggy -- 3 comments
July 3rd, 2008
Even without showing signs, your toilet may still be leaking and wasting water.
Good thing there’s an easy test.
1. Tell your household companions to avoid using the toilet to be tested for the next 30 minutes or until you give the go ahead.
2. Take off the tank cover. If you use any bowl cleaners that color the water, you’ll need to remove them for this test. The water in the tank and bowl should be clear.
3. Add about 15 drops of food coloring.
4. Wait 20-30 minutes, making sure that the toilet isn’t used.
Interpreting Results: If you see color in the bowl, you have a leak! If not, congratulations. Try the test again in about six months, or at least once a year. And you might want to flush the food coloring now.
Toilet bowl leaks are often the result of a bad flapper or fill valve problem. I’m no plumber, but if you want to try DIY toilet fixes, you can ask Collin at Tool Belt Tips for help.
Have you ever discovered a leak using the toilet leak test described above?
Image via flickr.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: leaky toilet, plumbing test, toilet leak test, toilet testShare This
By Peggy -- 0 comments
July 2nd, 2008
If you haven’t caught on it’s water month here. You knew that right? In any case, I don’t want anyone to die of water overdose, so my next couple of posts I’m ignoring water issues. That said, I figured a good way to kick off water month would be to gather all things water of Tree Hugging Family past, and bring them to your attention. Also, it’ll save Peggy and I some time; we won’t have to repost on old school topics.
Hmmm, it seems like we’d have more water posts than this. Well, you know, we tend to categorize stuff oddly. Ah well. Enjoy the water posts above.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
[image via stock.xchng]
Tags: Bathroom H2O Habits, conserve water, save water, water useShare This
By Jennifer -- 0 comments
July 2nd, 2008
This being water month here at Tree Hugging Family, I’m going to be doing some posts on water filters. This recently came up because I’ve always had water filters, well, since we lived in Humboldt. We lived in a town with just 300 people, and the county had some issues with water quality being ok - i.e. maybe it was, maybe not? In any case, we got a water filter, had ot for years, and when it broke, got a new one. My new one just broke maybe two months ago, and I almost went out and got a new one, but then started wondering if I should even bother.
Here were the questions/issues in the back of my mind:
- Is my water perfectly ok without a filter.
- The cost of water filters, at least replaceable filters is obnoxious.
- I’ve always hated that you can recycle filters, or even the whole darn system.
- Does a filter end up wasting more water than is reasonable? For those of you with filter systems, you’d know that each time you replace the filter, you need to run the water for a while.
- And more.
Basically I guess I never thought about it, I started filtering water, it became a habit, and now I needed to rethink it. So this month, I’ll be going over those questions above and telling you what I found out. Right now what you can tell me is if you have a water filter system, and why. Also, if you have any specific water filter questions, now would be a good time to bring them out. I’m in semi-research mode, and willing to look stuff up.
Let me know…
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: city water, filter for water, need a water filter, safe water, water filter sink, water qualityShare This
By Jennifer -- 7 comments
July 2nd, 2008
I’m four loads shy of having used a whole box (25 count) of Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Tablets. In addition to easy measuring, using tablets has the benefit of helping you keep up with how many loads of dishes you’re doing in a given time period. I don’t know if that’s important or not, but I do like the easy measuring.
However, with conveniences comes some extra packaging. Each tablet is individually wrapped in plastic. It’s a #5 recyclable, but some recycling centers don’t accept #5. The cardboard box is a plus though — very easy to recycle. And it’s already made of 95% recycled cardboard.
I paid around $6 at Wild Oats for my box of 25 tablets.
I like Ecover tablets better than the Seventh Generation powder I tried. Ecover got my dishes cleaner, with far fewer food bits left on and no film at all. The packaging says the tablets leave “your dishes sparkling.” And, actually, they do sparkle!
Why I’ll probably buy Ecover dishwasher detergent again:
• Of the 21 loads, I only found food on two dishes. One was dried up pizza dough on a bowl which I probably should have scrubbed better. I also found sauce on a spoon. This isn’t bad considering that happens on occasion even with the heavy-duty phosphate detergents.
• I didn’t notice any harsh smell like you might with a detergent that contains chlorine bleach (like Palmolive Eco).
• Ecover tablets are phosphate and chlorine free. They aren’t afraid to give you a full ingredient list. Ecover features an oxygen-based bleaching agent, plus plant- and mineral-based ingredients.
• Biodegrades quickly and completely. There’s also no animal testing and minimal impact on aquatic life.
Things I’d like to see change:
• I can only find it locally at Wild Oats, which is a 20-minute drive for me. Sure, I can buy it online, but I’d prefer to just pick it up at the store. So, I guess I’m saying — spread the love and sell in more stores.
• Consider dropping the individual wrappings around the tablets. I’m not a scientist, but it seems that there should be a way to avoid the packaging without the tablets sticking together.
Ecover also offers automatic dishwasher powder in a box and liquid (for sink washing) in a polyethylene bottle. I’ll probably try the powder next time. Again, the tablets are convenient, but I don’t like the extra packaging.
Have you tried any Ecover automatic dishwasher products?
Image via stock.xchng
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: automatic dishwasher tablets, dishwasher detergent, dishwasher tablets, eco-friendly, ecoverShare This
By Peggy -- 3 comments
July 2nd, 2008
H20 Conserve offers a quick test to help you understand your water footprint. It’s not just about low-flow shower heads. The test also looks at the hidden water use inside your food choices and driving habits.
I learned a few things when I took my test. If I “let my yellow mellow” I’d save 10 or more gallons of water a day. And if I didn’t eat meat or dairy, I could reduce my water use by hundreds of gallons a day. It takes 1,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef!
Learn more and take your water footprint test at H20 Conserve.
Logo via H20 Conserve.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: h20 conserve, save water, water conservation, water footprint, water savingsShare This
By Peggy -- 1 comment
July 1st, 2008
During July 2008, Tree Hugging Family is heating up your summer with green tips galore. To stay updated about all our events make sure to bookmark this post.
Lazy days:
We’re taking it easy this July - that means no green challenge folks! Everyone who took our paper towel challenge and/or the reusable bag challenge can relax and recharge. In August we’ll be back with a new challenge.
Current contests:
Summer Scrub Down Contest - Win Natural Body Care Products! Ends on July 14th
July theme:
It’s Water Conservation Month at Tree Hugging Family. We’ll be looking at water savings in the bathroom, kitchen, lawn and anyplace there’s water. Some topics will include gray water, rain barrels, rock gardens, low-flow shower heads, leak checking, water bottles and more.
Lifestyles Channel Events:
Sandy over at All Holiday Cafe is celebrating Christmas in July. Tree Hugging Family may be participating a bit in this month long event, so if you see some holiday cheer, don’t be shocked.
Business As Usual:
Have you voted in our new poll? We want to know everything there is to know about your water use habits. Take a peek in the sidebar and tell us more.
Don’t forget that you can subscribe for FREE to Tree Hugging Family by RSS or sign up for posts by email by filling out the quick box in the sidebar.
Contact Us:
As always you can contact Peggy or Jennifer, with questions about living green, post ideas, or tell us about products you’d love for us to review.
[graphic from stock.xchng]
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By Jennifer -- 1 comment
July 1st, 2008
According to the EPA, the average household spends as much as $500 a year on water and sewage bills.
Assuming there’s not a noticeable increase in the cost of water service in your area, paying closer attention to your water bill can be a great way to gauge your use of water.
The EPA says that with a few simple changes you can save up to $170 a year for water.
One suggestion from the EPA is to replace older toilets with WaterSense labeled models. They aren’t weird-looking. The one to the right is one of many WaterSense toilets available.
If you’re building a home or renovating, be sure to let your contractor know you want a WaterSense toilet and faucet for water savings. WaterSense products perform at least 20% more efficiently than their less-efficient cousin toilets and faucets.
There are lots of other ways to save on your water bill as well. Check back for plenty of water conservation tips this month.
Do you pay careful attention to increases in your water bill?
Image: WaterSense labeled Cimarron toilet from Kohler.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008
Tags: water bill, water conservation, water savingsShare This
By Peggy -- 6 comments
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