Green Living

How to Clean Your Jewelry the Green Way

All jewelry becomes tarnished, discolored and dirty over time.  Some of the conventional cleaning options may involve chemicals that are not eco-friendly.  To clean jewelry the green way, here are some tips. 1. Use any of various commercial jewelry cleaning products that are plant-based and non-toxic. 2. In a rubber dish pan or other container (you don't want your jewelry to slip down the drain), soak gold jewelry in warm, soapy water for about 5 minutes.  Use biodegradable liquid dish soap and filtered water, as chlorine can discolor some gold jewelry.  Using a soft brush - an old toothbrush is ideal - gently scrub each piece of jewelry, rinse, and lay on a soft towel.  Then gently rub them dry with a soft cloth. 3. Silver jewelry (without gemstones) can be cleaned by a non-toxic chemical method at home that does not involve a lot of scrubbing and rubbing.  This is especially good for fine chains.  Lay a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pan.  Lay your jewelry on the foil; sprinkle with baking soda. Pour boiling water over the jewelry until it is covered.  Let the jewelry sit for about 5 minutes or longer. Then remove the jewelry, rinse, ...

Gardening Tips - Chives

Gardeners from around the world grow many different plants in many different places.  Some of the more common types of gardens are windowsill gardens, in ground gardens, or gardens on terraces.  Among the various different plants that people usually grow in their gardens, there is one in particular that sticks out the most as being a gardeners favorite, and that would be chives.  Many people grow chives for various reasons but one thing for certain is that this plant has many amazing qualities about it.  Chives are surprisingly very resilient to any harsh weather conditions that may occur.  Even very frigid temperatures during the winter does not kill them and whenever spring time rolls around they sprout up from the ground.  Because of the advantage chives have they can be very easy to grow.  Because of this, it is very easy to grow a large number of them or just a few depending on how much you wish to grow.  They are a very healthy plant to eat which also makes them highly desirable to grow since they are rich in vitamins and minerals.  Another great thing about chives besides how healthy they are is that they are absolutely delicious ...

Everyday Living Tips: Printers, Wrapping Paper, Clothes, and more

Did you know that by reducing waste such as old clothes, furniture, and paper products you keep these items from ending up at the landfills?  It is true and there are many ways to reduce the waste and begin green living today.  Most people do not realize that little things they do now can have huge impacts on future generations.  Of course, recycling is one way to reduce waste, but there are other easy ways in which to reduce waste. If you are planning to get new furniture, rather than throwing out your furniture, donate it.  There are plenty of nonprofit organizations that will come to your home and pick up your donated furniture free of charge.  This means your furniture will be sold to someone else at a reduced price.  It is a better solution than having your furniture ends up at the landfill in your city where it remains for many years. Reduce your printing practices.  Many people print everything and feel they must have a hard copy, but many times it simply is not necessary, especially when you can look at it on your computer screen.  This saves money in printing materials, such as paper and ink and it ...

Natural Skin Care for Anti-Aging

It seems like every day there’s a new product on to market to help turn back time.  Truthfully, no matter what any company tells you, there’s no such thing as a fountain of youth, but there are steps you can take to make yourself look and feel younger without surgery or expensive treatments or products. A well balanced, nutrient rich diet is the best way to keep yourself looking young.  A lot if skin aging is caused by free radicals.  They are damaging chemicals from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and our environment in general.  Just like free radicals can hurt us, antioxidants can combat free radicals. Antioxidants like vitamins A, E, and C are found in many fruits and vegetables.  Try eating a variety of vegetables along with a diet rich in protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Just like some foods can help you look younger, other foods and bad habits can speed up the clock.  To stay looking your best, don’t smoke and limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.  You should also try to eat fresh (preferably raw) foods daily and avoid a lot of processed foods and preservatives. Another skin ager is sugar – soft, ...

Eco-Terminologies

With all the talk of us needing to live in a more ecologically-friendly way many new terms of popped up to confuse people.  What do all these new terms mean?  We will explain some of these terms so that the next time you see them you will understand them better. Energy Star Appliances that have the Energy Star symbol on them are more energy efficient, than ones without it.  This shows that the appliances pass the standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA.  This stamp of approval is not just for appliances it can be for products used in construction too such as windows. Biodegradable Biodegradable means substance will breakdown and decompose back to nature without hurting it in any way.  This means any animal or plant material.  Anything that will not breakdown or hurts the earth in the process then it is not biodegradable.  So it is better to use products that are biodegradable.  You can find products such as cups and plates that are made from corn and sugarcane respectively.  These are just a couple of examples. VOC Volatile organic compounds (VOC) can be found in synthetic foams, paint, stains and fabrics among other things.  These are known carcinogens and ...