Green Day Giveaways -- Earth Day, April 22, 2011

What will you do to mark Earth Day 2011? It can be something as simple as making more of an effort to turn off all the lights when you leave the house, shutting off the faucet while you brush your teeth, or adhering to the old adage, "if it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down" to save a little H2O when you're in the loo. (obviously, that last suggestion is best done in the privacy of one's own home!)

If you'd like to think a bit more "out of the box," here are some other ways you can do a little good by going a little greener for the day. (be sure to read all the way through for info on some great freebies!)

• Got a bunch of ratty flip flops hanging out in your garage from season's past? TerraCycle is working with Old Navy to launch a flip flop drive. Bring in any ole pair of used flip flops and they will be donated to make safer grounds for one of four public playgrounds across the country. The Flip Flop Relay, as they are dubbing it, runs from April 22 - May 21.

• My favorite all natural cleaners by Cleanwell are on sale this week for 30 percent off if you use the code ED11 at checkout. This offer is good through April 24. Stock up as they only do this once a year in honor of Earth Day!

• Enjoy a magazine subscription without sacrificing paper of any kind (read: money). Launching online this month, Bamboo Family magazine looks to be a hip collection of natural parenting tips, green living ideas and overall organic living. 

• My daughter's coveted Piggy Paint nail polishes (odorless, non-toxic, chemical-free) are celebrating the day with an extra 10% off through April 22. They've even developed a new line for tweens and teens. Use code EARTHDAY10 at checkout. 

• When you think, vanilla, do you think of ice cream? Turns out, that oft used vanilla extract sitting in your pantry comes in handy for more than just flavor. According to the latest issue of Health magazine, vanilla can be used to naturally banish mosquitos (combine 2 oz of the extract with 2 oz water. Add to a spray bottle and douse exposed skin). A little vanilla also makes a delicious smelling, non-chemical room spray -- and there is evidence that a compound found in the sweet elixir may be naturally antibacterial. Add a few drops of pure essential oil of vanilla to a few cups of oil. Place in a spray bottle and spritz to your heart's delight!

• Speaking of clearing the air, visit your local nursery and pick up a plant that will naturally remove icky chemicals from the air in your home. Among the varieties you might consider -- Ficus (removes formaldehyde), peace lily (removes alcohols, acetones, formaldehyde, benzene and trichlorethylene) or spider plant (removes carbon monoxide). According to Alexandra Zissu, green mom extraordinaire, the two plants that filter out the most chemicals are Boston fern and areca palm.

• If your idea of getting back to nature involves more than shopping for greenery, visit any state park this weekend and receive free admission. For a list of parks in your area go to http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

• Get your caffeine fix and save some green. Grab that morning cuppa joe for FREE when you bring a travel cup into Starbucks on Earth Day. Your environmental efforts will be rewarded with a free cup of coffee or tea at participating stores.

• If shopping is your thing, be sure to stop by any Origins store on April 22 and bring your makeup discards (old bottles, tubes, compacts). They'll make sure the stuff is recycled and send you on your way with a bevy of free samples.

Whether you're observing the holiday of Passover or not, this simple "green" recipe will fit the bill, using nutrients from the earth to nourish your body. Found this on a delicious site thekitchn
Enjoy!

Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie

1 cup canned artichokes, chopped
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces Parmesan
4 eggs beaten

Oil to grease the cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cake pan lightly with olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheeses. Roughly chop the veggies and add to the cheese/egg mixture. Stir until combined. Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and cook until custard is set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Today's post is sponsored by the letter P

Chances are, if you live anywhere in the south, you've no doubt noticed the temperatures creeping up, the flowers in bloom....and the ubiquitous yellow-green dust that ends up caking your car each day. Hooray! It's pollen season!

Yes, that lovely time of the year that wreaks havoc on your sinuses, rendering even the strongest individuals into sneezing, sniffling, sickly looking people, who can only meekly smile as they blow into their tissue, assuring you, "It's just my allergies."

My family does battle with this springtime annoyance each year and I'm guessing lots of other families deal with it too (since I had to go to six stores last weekend before I found ONE with only a generic form of children's Zyrtec on the shelf!) Although my car is parked in our garage most of the time, it's literally covered in that fine, filthy film at the end of each day. So, it got me thinking, since I'm outdoors occasionally, just as my car is, just how much pollen am I getting doused with each day?

It turns out, it might be quite a bit.

Each time we spend time outside during high pollen count days (especially in the early morning or late afternoon when counts are highest), we trek in copious amounts of the allergen on our shoes, clothing and hair. If you have a dog or a cat, they're also bringing unwanted pollen spores into your home. Allergists recommend those of us who are sensitive to pollen take several steps to minimize our exposure in our homes and avoid going outside as much as possible on days when the pollen count is particularly troublesome.

Some of the safeguards are frankly just not practical -- such as wearing a face mask when I'm out. I don't consider myself vain and I'm all about avoiding as much of the pollen as possible, but I must draw the line at anything that remotely resembles an impersonation of Michael Jackson. The same goes for showering as soon as I get home each day. Great idea. But then, who will cook dinner for the kids and get them to bed (and bathed to wash them of pollen) on time? Does changing my pillowcase on a regular basis count for something?

I can manage to remove my shoes when I enter the house, and while I'm all about saving energy and helping the environment, I refuse to line-dry my laundry since that would literally be a magnet for the icky stuff that permeates the air much of the year around here. And unfortunately -- like the Thought Police in 1984, even when you can't see it, pollen may very well be there.

We rarely open windows at the height of allergy season, opting instead to let the A/C and air purifiers work their magic. I do wear sunglasses most days, though this is honestly due to the actual sun, not the helpful byproduct of the glasses keeping pesky spores out of my eyes.

But even as paranoid and careful as we are, there is simply no way to avoid pollen, short of moving to Norway or Sweden, where the pollen count is apparently very, very low.

So for now, if you run into me or my kids and our eyes are a bit watery, our noses a bit runny, don't assume we're contagious. But if my hair has a green tinge to it, please let me know that a shampoo might be a bit overdue.

Bringing diaper duty to a whole new level

So, I just read that scientists in Japan are now taking a cue from Huggies and Pampers while trying to stop the ongoing radiation leak as a result of last month's devastating tsunami. Apparently, they are attempting to use the chemical absorbent found in diapers to stave off the leakage since this substance can expand up to 50 times its size when exposed to liquid. (I swear, I am not making this up!)

I don't know if this is ingenious, or disturbing. Maybe a little of both?

My lone child still in diapers uses the Seventh Generation brand, which I can only hope, does not contain the chemical in question. I mean, do we really need poo and pee protection that is strong enough fight a nuclear meltdown? (I can just see the new ads now, if it works!)

Then again, if it does work, what a simple and bizarre solution to such a serious problem. (and while I jest, I SO do not mean to be making light of this situation -- but I'm sure the irony does not escape whoever came up with this admittedly innovative idea).

Who knows...maybe the next time a water main breaks in town, officials will break out the Depends and save the day! 

At least now I know what my leftover stash is good for when we're finally potty trained. I'll be sure to set them aside for errant roof and pipe leaks. I thought I was spending a fortune on diapers but think of all the money I might now save in home repair costs!