Get Your Free Organic T-Shirt

...with your $30 contribution to the Obama campaign!

The last few Presidential elections, for me, were about picking the dog with the least fleas.

Not much has changed this time around, but the state of our planet and country are in complete disarray. This election requires our careful reflection and analysis. Because none of us have much time for that, here's a link to Grist, which offers a fact sheet on their home page for each candidate in regards to the environment.

The Obama camp has received the full support of the Sierra Club, as you may or may not be aware. I feel rather confident in my statement that I expect most, if not all of the remaining environmental groups to do the same.

Since the Democratic party has pledged that they are running the entire campaign on the pocket change of average Americans vs. special interest money (a rather noble gesture), I feel that it is my duty to help.

The Obama Camp is offering a "free" organic T-shirt to all contributors of $30 or more. There are several pages on his site to make a donation, but only this page offers the organic shirt. Click here for the Obama T-Shirt contribution page.

So if you are a supporter of the Earth or Obama, or you think you may be a supporter, or if you just like organic T-shirts, take one down for the cause. Read more!

A Simple Way to Stretch your Gas Dollar

I have mentioned this tip before, but in light of today's outrageous gas prices, I wanted to share it with you again. Plus I just did it today with incredible results. Like I said, having the appropriate amount of air in your tires can help increase your MPG. Here's how you do it: Buy a tire pressure gauge or just go to the gas station. Your tires say the amount of max psi or pressure they will take, so fill all 4 slighly lower than that level. That's it. My car (that is up next month, hooray!) gets an abysmal 15mpg in town but cranked it out to 18.8mpg! Ok, it's only 3 miles extra, but for my 25 gallon tank, that's an extra 75 miles per fill up. Cha- ching! Read more!

Feelin' the Love for Organic Love Lipsticks

It is said that the average woman ingests up to four pounds of lipstick or gloss in a lifetime. According to the Environmental Working Group, a partner of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, one-third of personal care products contain at least one chemical linked to cancer. With that in mind, I decided to begin looking for some safe alternatives, and I found a GREAT one with Afterglow Mineral Cosmetics' Organic Love Lipsticks.

Depending on the shade, these lipsticks are made with approximately 70% to 82% certified organic ingredients. Some of the key ingredients include organic jojoba seed oil, Vitamin E, organic pomegranate seed extract, organic grape seed extract, and organic apricot kernel. The rest of the ingredients are iron oxides and micas, (for pigment) and titanium oxide (for opacity), which are all pharmaceutical grade inert minerals. Organic Love is free from petroleum, gluten, paraben, nuts and the entire line of cosmetics is cruelty and gluten free. These gals over there are on the ball!

Aside from all those benefits, the lipstick itself goes on light and smooth, not heavy and waxy. Your lips will feel fabulous, as though the nutrients were going to work to moisturize and condition instantaneously. For real!

I highly recommend this product, so go to their site, drop $22 bucks and eat all the lipstick you want.

Note: Visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics site, which has a ton of information about all beauty products and their ingredients. You will find it invaluable. Read more!

Green House Makeover 3 : The Exterior

One of the most important features of any home is it's curb appeal, and as you can see, this house has none. My goal is to turn this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan! Let's take a peek at what needs to be improved and greenified.

First, the house looks like it's missing something. With a lack of architectural and landscaping detail, this Dutch Colonial look like a real dud. A front porch will add loads of curb appeal, an additional outdoor "room" and an element of character that is sorely lacking. Another benefit: a porch will help to keep the front aka the south side of the house cooler in summer.

**Green Solution** Using responsibly harvested lumber, FSC certified for example, is a great way to get green. FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, and the lumber they certify comes from responsibly managed and harvested forests. Lumber such as this is now available at the Green Depot, an up and coming green building supply chain.

Second, siding and paint. The colors presently used on this home are downright UGLY. And gasp - the siding is old asbestos shingles. This is a major environmental hazard if we remove them, plus it will cost us major bucks. What is our best green option here?

**Green Solution** Keeping the asbestos shingles intact doesn't present any danger to the occupants or neighbors of the home. Luckily, I found a exterior paint specialist called Rhino Shield, a national company with franchises across the USA. The Rhino Shield product is a ceramic paint that is sprayed on and lasts for up to 25 years with one application! It is 8 times the thickness of regular paint, and completely encapsulates the shingle and trim. (This is especially important for us with the asbestos). The ceramic paint is breathable, yet it helps to insulate your home from the heat and the cold. Have you ever noticed school buses with white paint on the roof? It's Rhino Shield paint and its applied for its insulation benefits, which effectively reduces fuel consumption. Rhino Shield paint comes in every color imaginable, has a 25 year warranty and is resistant to mold, water, heat, bugs, you name it. This is my answer!

Lastly, landscaping. Like I said in an earlier post - what landscaping? Most of the front and backyard has been or will be dug up as a result of construction, so we have to get ready to plant a new lawn and plantings, and cut back some of the aged growth.

**Green Solution** There are a host of new organic lawn care products that are now on the market that produce great results. Jonathan Green makes a great line, for example. Organic fertilizer, grass seed, and the use of native, drought resistant plants complete the picture. Something that needs constant watering isn't ideal anymore due to the overall reduction in rain accumulations. Furthermore, I found that local nurseries are willing to test your soil and offer you ideas about which plants to add to your yard, all for free. Utilize them!


The exterior is not yet complete, but I am hoping that the end result will look something like this in the end, which looks pretty homey to me.

Read more!