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A Year Ago at Green Your ApartmentA Year Ago at Green Your Apartment 2008 Fourth "Tips for Green Living" Carnival The fourth Tips for Green Living blog carnival.

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15th Carnival for Green Living15th Carnival for Green Living Welcome to the fifteenth edition of Tips for Green Living! We have so many good submissions, so let’s get started!. dining & entertaining Sam over at Best Cheap Weddings shares some...

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A Year Ago at Green Your ApartmentA Year Ago at Green Your Apartment 2008 Back to Basics: Recycle The final post in a series of three on the basic principles of green living.

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A Year Ago at Green Your ApartmentA Year Ago at Green Your Apartment 2008 Call to Action Will you help save the earth with only one hour of your time? www.EarthHour.org Back to Basics: Reduce The first in a series of three posts on the basic principles of green living. Back...

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What are Parabens, Exactly?What are Parabens, Exactly? Labeled as one of the new culprit for many a-modern defect is a group of preservatives called parabens. You may have seen the Breast Cancer Fund site's rundown of them or just saw a lotion bottle on the...

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Sustainable Product of the Week: Mrs. Meyer’s Countertop Spray

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 10-12-2009

Category : Featured, Health & Beauty

Tags: , , , ,

To say I am a messy cook is, well, an understatement. Truly. If I made cinnamon toast for breakfast, you can tell by the crumbs, cinnamon, and sugar left sprinkled all over the counter. Directly after making dinner, I have to clean for a good ten to fifteen minutes just to get the counters usable again. So imagine my delight when at good ol’ home-away-from-home Target I spied a bottle of pine-scented biodegradable surface cleaner that advocated reusing the bottle by refilling with diluted general cleaner.

I introduce to you, Mrs. Meyer’s Iowa Pine scented cleaners!

mrsmeyersholiday

At Target, it was only the bottle of surface cleaner offered but Mrs. Meyer’s website offers a holiday cleaning pack. What a fun little gift for the obsessive-compulsive cleaner in your life! It smells absolutely delicious and fills our little apartment with that Christmas tree scent despite our not possessing one yet. Plus, it cleans really well and the company itself suggests reusing the bottle with diluted All Purpose Cleaner. The holiday pack sells for $11.25 – frankly, a great deal. I’m just sad it’s only a seasonal scent!

I’m pretty sure I’m trying their laundry detergent next. The lavender is just lovely and if the detergent cleans as well as the surface cleaner, I’d be thrilled!

Tenth Tips for Green Living Carnival

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 08-12-2009

Category : Featured, For the Greenhorns, In the News, Living Spaces, Patio & Garden

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Many apologies to my fair readers: after an unexpected illness (aren’t they all?!) and the craziness of the holidays, things got out of hand. But I’m back, we’re here and the carnival is back on schedule!

for the greenhorns

Autumn Beck presents New to Cloth Diapers? Part 1 posted at All About Cloth Diapers. Such a great post, especially since there are so many options now!

Heaven forbid we be left out of the iPhone obsession: Gracie Turner presents 100 Best iPhone Apps for Students Going Green posted at Online Courses.org.

jerklogic presents a “Humorous article about littering and how it affects our environment and peace of mind” called Litterbugs, beware! posted at Jerklogic.

in the news

Mark Donovan presents Green Window Treatments Reduce Home Heating Bills posted at HomeAdditionPlus, saying, “Mark Donovan of www.HomeAdditionPlus.com discusses a new Green Window Treatement product that is Eco-Friendly, and that can reduce home heating bills by up to 35%.”

Let’s welcome back Katy Unitek with her post on Historic Energy Legislation posted at Boots On The Roof.

Angela Martin gives us 100 Exciting Lectures on All Things Green posted at Online Colleges.org, you know, if you can sneak it in between your holiday preparations!

living spaces

Ivan Gomez presents Raw Business Talk: COW! Simply Clean Beverly posted at Raw Business Talk, saying, “An excellent example of how you can wash your car with little to no water and absolutely no run off into the drainage systems.”

patio & garden

Here’s some money-saving (and green!) advice from The Backyard Grower on Saving Seed posted at Bobbie Whitehead.

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That concludes this edition of Tips for Green Living. Thank you all for your excellent submissions and I hope you found some useful info in this carnival. You can find a new edition posted every second and fourth Monday here at Green Your Apartment. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Tips for Green Living using our carnival submission form.

Go green and live well!

________________

Tips for Green Living logo image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sustainable Product of the Week: Trader Joe’s 100% Recycled Toilet Paper

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 12-11-2009

Category : Featured, For the Greenhorns, Health & Beauty

Tags: , , ,

No one really knows how to talk about toilet paper. Those of us in the modern world think of this as a simple necessity while many of those around the world do not have such a luxury (ever wonder why you’re not supposed to shake with a certain hand in some countries?). But why spend lots of money that you are just, er, flushing down the drain anyway?

Well, recycled toilet paper to the rescue! What a great idea! Recycle all the paper we use anyway and recycle it into something we’ll also use. The problem, however, is at most grocers the recycled toilet paper is often more expensive than the regular paper. So what is an eco-friendly apartment dweller to do short of purchasing a bidet?

tjstp

Well, you can buy Trader Joe’s 100% Recycled Toilet Paper – twelve rolls for only $3.99! It is 80% post-consumer product recycled and scored an impressive “green” rating with the Environmental Resources Defense Council tissue guide. For that price, I can purchase a four-pack of recycled toilet paper at my conventional grocer. Hm, twelve versus four for the same price…

Thank you Trader Joe’s for yet another fabulous product, not to mention the amusing bathroom reading.

Ninth Tips for Green Living Carnival

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 09-11-2009

Category : Featured, For the Greenhorns, Health & Beauty, In the News, Living Spaces, Patio & Garden

Tags: , , , , , ,

Welcome to the November 9, 2009 edition of tips for green living. We have some great submissions that I hope you’ll enjoy!

for the newbies

Condo Blues gives us 8 Steps to Reducing Household Trash posted at Condo Blues.

Chris presents Green homes explained posted at Home I Own. While a little out of our usual prospect, I did find Australia’s take on greening homes fascinating and thought it was too interesting not to share.

June Tree talks about Green Living: Ways To Recycle And Buy Used posted at The Digerati Life. Always a good topic.

health & beauty

Sheila V. Flores presents Affordable Natural Face Scrub posted at Eco Glamourista.

mike marlow presents Overeating Keeps A Belly Busy posted at Raw Food Recipes. While I don’t personally subscribe to the raw food movement, I have great admiration for those who do!

in the news

Looks like Katy Unitek can’t get enough of us! She has a new submission,  California Leads the Charge! – Boots on the Roof posted at Boots On The Roof.

Steve Faber presents Check Out These Fun Diesel Cars – High MPG / High MPH posted at super gas saver, saying, “Just because you want be green behind the wheel doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, too. Sip fuel to the tune of 40+ mpg, but don’t get bored doing it.”

living spaces

TSW presents a post on the issue nearest and dearest to my heart: Green Cleaning Products: How To Clean Your House The Eco-Friendly Way posted at The Smarter Wallet.

patio & garden

Guffly presents Autumn is the Time to Fall in Love with Cleaning | Guffly posted at Guffly.

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That concludes this edition of Tips for Green Living. Thank you all for your excellent submissions and I hope you found some useful info in this carnival. You can find a new edition posted every second and fourth Monday here at Green Your Apartment. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Tips for Green Living using our carnival submission form.

Go green and live well!

________________

Tips for Green Living logo image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sustainable Product of the Week: Paralda HEPA Air Purifier

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 29-10-2009

Category : Featured, Living Spaces

Tags: , , ,

I have allergies. So do my Husband and my child. We also have a long-haired dog and live in Southern California where the change of seasons is marked by the sudden strong winds of dust and brushfires.

So it should go without saying we love HEPA. Our vacuum, which is used every other day, has a HEPA filter. Our central air conditioning and heating unit also has one. And now, there is an air purifier that offers not only HEPA but is lead-free and certified not only but the Environmental Protection Agency but also by the U.S. Department of Energy.

I show you the Alen Paralda HEPA UV Air Purifier!

image001

For asthmatics and allergy-sufferers, this thing has also been listed as the Respiratory Management’s Product of the Year. I drool, people, I drool. I wish I had one of these after reading review after review singing it’s praises.

The only reason I do not have one yet – the $499 price tag. Looks like I must long a little bit longer…

Eighth Tips for Green Living Carnival

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 25-10-2009

Category : Featured, Health & Beauty, In the News, Living Spaces

Welcome to the eighth Tips for Green Living Carnival! I know it’s been awhile, but we are back and boy, do we have some great contributors!

I’d like to start with a blog I love and am so honored they entered our carnival! Wise Bread sums up our mission with the post What is Simple Living and Why Should I Care?.

Now for some items In the News, Katy Unitek, a first-time contributor, wants us to know how we’re Moving Away from Oil-Powered Energy at her business blog for Boots on the Roof.

Speaking of solar energy, Solar Guy presents Thousands Of Help Dollars For Solar Energy posted at Solar Home.

But what is the consequence of the pollution we’ve already made? Matthew Paulson over at American Consumer News is featuring a post called The Price of Pollution – Who Should Pay?.

Regarding Health & Beauty, Majorie Morgan at GO! Girls Outdoors urges us to commute via bicycles for our health and the environment’s. (Speaking of, have you checked out one of our latest Sustainable Products of the Week: the SwissBike?)

BWL talks about a subject near and dear to my heart, Five Great Uses for Vinegar at Christian Personal Finance. I entirely agree, BWL!

For our Living Spaces, MBB talks about how to Stop Junk Mail, Save Trees over at the Money Blue Book Blog.

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That’s it for this edition of Tips for Green Living. Thank you all for your excellent submissions and I hope you found some useful info in this carnival. You can find a new edition posted every second and fourth Monday here at Green Your Apartment. If you are interested in participating in our next edition set for May 26th, submit your post HERE.

Go green!

________________

Tips for Green Living logo image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sustainable Product of the Week: method Smarty Dish, Pink Grapefruit

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 22-10-2009

Category : Dining & Entertaining, Featured, Living Spaces

Tags: , ,

Long has been my struggle in trying to find an automatic dishwasher detergent that 1) I can ethically feel good about and 2) actually cleans the dishes! I’ve gone through half a dozen brands with unsatisfactory results – and there really aren’t too many non-toxic dish detergents out there to begin with! While the conventional brands clean really well, the packaging also states “Harmful if swallowed – call poison control if swallowed”. What? Aren’t I using this product to clean items to put in my mouth but the product itself is poisonous? I’m not saying it should be straight edible but non-toxic would be nice!

So one day, I’m browsing the aisles at my local Tar-jay and I see this cheery package “Made and for People Against Dirty”:

methodsmartydish

Now, I’m a sucker for clever packaging and copy (as I am a copywriter!) so I pick up a bag. It promises no phosphates, no bleach, no dirty chemicals to clean my dishes. Sold!

I take the stuff home and pop the little tablet in my not-so-great apartment standard dishwasher loaded full of pots, pans, and dishes with some food particles still on them. (Hey, it’s why I own a dishwasher, right? Heavy rinsing beforehand is just wasting water anyway!)

My dishes came out clean. Even the pot with burnt garlic, dried tomato sauce and greasy meat residue. It was clean!

And at just about $6.50 per package, I get 20 truly clean loads of dishes from a non-toxic wash.

Did I mention I barely rinsed those dishes? Love it!

Sustainable Product of the Week: SwissBike

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 15-10-2009

Category : Featured, Living Spaces

Tags: , ,

This week’s product came to my attention many moons ago via email. I can’t tell you how long I let that email sit in my inbox marked “To Do” so I could share it with you people! So what is it? It’s a SwissBike…


The amazing folding bicycle!

Lightweight, easy to store, and commuter-friendly as it folds up into a manageable size to fit in a trunk, next to you on the train, or in the hall closet once you get home. Bike commuting made easy? Yes please! Good for the wallet, the ozone layer, and the waistline.

Just beware, my dears, at $699 for the Commuter TX model it is pricier than a standard bicycle. However, if it can get you to bike to work, the store, a friend’s house? Well then, you’ll probably have it pay for itself within a few months of cut commuting costs alone, minus the price of the new pants you’ll need in that smaller size.

Please pardon our dust…

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 18-06-2009

Category : Featured

Green Your Apartment is being redesigned and should be up shortly! Check back with us soon.

Image courtesy of Image After.

Seventh "Tips for Green Living" Carnival

Posted by Marie Holzer | Posted on 04-06-2008

Category : Featured

So we’re here again – 3 am and I’m still writing away. With a little one around, seems that’s the only time I have to myself these days. Let’s get right to it!

ENERGY
Rosemary Rugnetta gives us 3 Easy Ways To Make Your Home Green This Weekend posted at Her Home Blog – though that first one may not be applicable to all you apartment-dwellers. Next up, Christopher Johnson presents Going Green, Saving Green posted at christopheraaronjohnson.net. Don’t forget to mention these money and energy saving ideas to your landlords, folks!

FOR BABY
Autumn Beck presents Fabric Softener on Cloth Diapers *gasp* posted at All About Cloth Diapers Blog. Though I couldn’t rough the full-on cloth diaper, I did go the GDiaper route. Yea for green bums! In other news, have you heard about the BPA scare? Well, NtJS has and talks about it in Now BPA Free! posted at not the jet set. Jennifer tells us about being Blinded by the White (Zinc Oxide): Cheap and Safe Ways to Protect Your Kids from the Sun posted at Queercents. It’s important to teach our little ones how to live green from the get-go as Kevin says in his post Tips For Helping Our Kids Grow Up Green at M4K Parenting & Family Life.

INDOOR POLLUTION
Suzanne advises us to use Home Made & Eco Friendly Cleaning Solutions over at Mommyfootprint.com.

IN THE GARDEN
Kathy Hester (aka GeekyPoet) tells us to Grow your own lettuce over at Geek, Poet, Housewife Wannabe. I’m definitely checking this option out! And Laura Williams presents Plantin’ Season around the Ol’ Homestead posted at Laura Williams’ Musings – hopefully I can implement some of this stuff into the potted garden I’m planning for our patio.

IN THE KITCHEN
J.F. presents R-Rated Fruits And Vegetables: Your Guide To Buying Organic Produce posted at vegoftheweek.

OUT N ABOUT
Kevin Fleming showcases Mercedes Unveiling of the SUV BlueTEC Hybrid, the Ride of the Future posted at The Green Motorist. Traveling this month? Well, Kimberly tells us about Sustainable Dining Guide: 25 Days to Green Travel, Day 15 at Go Green Travel Green and Penny Nickel gives us 15 tips for a frugal, relaxing, earth-friendly vacation that’s car-free! posted at Money and Values. And in case you meet someone special on your travels, Zork Brauk offers Zork Green Tip 10 – Top 10 Green Date Tips over at It’s the Planet, Didiot!.

PERSONAL POLLUTION
Fuel Efficient Driver is back with some Tips On Saving Gas And Money posted at I Want Better Gas Mileage.
And praveen, also another return poster, presents Alternative to Throwing Your Cell Phone in A Landfill posted at Tao of Simplicity.

SHOPPING
Don’t know how to go about picking your veggies? Then J.F. is swooping in to rescue you with R-Rated Fruits And Vegetables: Your Guide To Buying Organic Produce posted at vegoftheweek.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Shannon Bullard remembers tis the season of the great outdoors and gives advice in Planning your Eco-Friendly Picnic posted at Zeer Blog.

REASONS WHY WE GO GREEN
In a moving memorial, Hannah writes In Memory: Rachel Carson posted at The Purloined Letter. This was a lovely read, truly. And back to share some amazing experiences is AdmirableIndia.com with Trip to Mudumalai National Park: Day 2 over at AdmirableIndia.com.

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That’s it for this edition of “Tips for Green Living”. Thank you all for your excellent submissions and I hope you found some useful info in this carnival. You can find a new edition posted every second and fourth Monday here at Green Your Apartment except when the baby cries too loudly at our house. If you are interested in participating in our next edition set for May 26th, submit your post HERE.

Go green!

________________

Tips for Green Living logo image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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