It?s Hip to be Green ? From Green Tips to Free Coffee, Help Celebrate Earth Day!

Today is Mother Earth’s big day – Earth Day! Did you know that today actually marks the 41st anniversary for Earth Day? Well, read on for some tips to stay green and special offers online and at local businesses and join in on the green celebration!

The Earth Day Network wants to reach 1 BILLION Acts of Green. Visit the website to participate and show how you stay green! http://act.earthday.org/

Ever think about all the food that we waste every single day? Would you believe it’s about half the food that’s produced everyday or equal to about 1,400 calories per person per day?! It truly is incredible! Composting is a great way to take old food scraps, yard trimmings, and other types of wastes and turn them into organic material that can be used as soil to grow plants and gardens!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), compost can:

Suppress plant diseases and pests.
Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.

Want to try composting? I know some people who do! Take a look at the table below to see what per the EPA you should and should not compost.

Cardboard rolls
Clean paper
Coffee grounds and filters
Cotton rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells
Fireplace ashes
Fruits and vegetables
Grass clippings
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
Houseplants
Leaves
Nut shells
Sawdust
Shredded newspaper
Tea bags
Wood chips
Wool rags
Yard trimmings




Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
Substances that might be harmful to plants
Coal or charcoal ash
Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs
Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
Diseased or insect-ridden plants
Fats, grease, lard, or oils
Meat or fish bones and scraps
Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

 

 Also today – Go to your nearest Starbucks with a re-useable coffee mug and get a FREE CUP OF COFFEE, iced or hot!!!!! I can’t wait to get mine

Ok and last tip of the day – did you know that vinegar is one of the most powerful, natural substances around? A mix of 1 part vinegar to 9 parts of water will kill germs and clean just about any surface, which great for us will eliminate the need for store bought cleansers full of eco-unfriendly chemicals. Here are some other common natural ways to clean and freshen your home and some cleaners you can even make yourself!!

1) Forget plug-in air fresheners that release chemicals into the air: leave a small bowl of white or apple cidar vinegar on a shelf to deodorize a room.

2) Forget the Windex – make this homemade Window Cleaner!

Liquid Dish detergent
Filtered water
Spray bottle
Soft lint free cloth

Mix 2-3 drops of liquid soap in a bottle full of water (at least a cup).  Spray windows and wipe gently.

3) Use Club Soda as a spot remover. The carbonation will simply lift even the worst stain out!

4) I love lemons! Use lemons  to remove stains too, make kitchen drains and trash bags smell sweet, use as an all purpose cleaner for your kitchen and bath. Oh and for anyone -  lighten your hair naturally with a little sunshine!

Even our good old Boston Celtics are going to wear their green tonight again against the Knicks – Let’s go Celts bring it to 3-0!

Have a great Earth Day everyone