These days there is a lot of talk about chemicals released in plastic when heated and all of the plastic in the ocean, so it’s much less desirable for parties promoting plastic storage these days.  What to do instead?

In steps in Green Cleaning Parties.

And excerpt from their website:

A green cleaning party is a fun event where you and your friends learn how to make non-toxic cleaners from common ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and essential oils.

Gather up your jars, they’ll show you how to label and mix your own cleaners.  They even have a kit so you can host your own party and help friends and family rid their homes of toxic chemicals and educate them on environmentally safe choices instead.

A sample recipe from their site:

All-Purpose Cleaner
suggested uses: hard surfaces like countertops and kitchen floors, windows and mirrors

2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
20-30 or more drops of essential oil (optional)

Tip: Warming in microwave until barely hot will boost cleaning power for tough jobs. Only microwave in a glass container.

Don’t forget to check out some of the other social circle party ideas, such as the Safe Cosmetics Party, Healthy Home Party, etc, courtesy of Activistas.

Some safe alternatives to remove poison ivy from your land:

• Goats are actually an interesting alternative because there are two species of goats that absolutely �love- to eat poison ivy. Spanish and Angora goat breeds love to make a meal out of poison ivy.
• Soap has long been used for an all-purpose herbicide. Many health food stores carry liquid soap such as Dr. Bronner�s Pure-Castile Soaps.
  A homemade poison ivy vegetation killer spray that is safe and effective:
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 8 drops of liquid soap
  • 1 gallon of vinegar

  Combine salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the salt. Cool the vinegar, add the detergent, and pour into a large spray bottle. Note that this formula will kill the vegetation so be sure to only spray on the poison ivy. Avoid spraying near walls if you use a lot of this formula, as the salt will eventually reach your water supply.

Some effective remedies should you contract a case of poison ivy:

• Osha Root Tincture (which may be ordered online or found in your local natural foods store) is the best remedy for allergic reactions caused by poison ivy and bug bites EVER. Simply apply tincture directly, and sparingly, to the affected area and allow to dry.
• Native Americans used fresh bark of beech trees as a poultice for such things as poison ivy. Simply fill a jar with the pieces of the bark, pour in boiling water to cover, and let the infusion steep for about 20 minutes. Strain and discard the bark and allow the fusion to cool. Apply the tea to the skin and cover it with cheesecloth.
• Jewelweed is another effective remedy against poison ivy. Simply crush and rub the plant on the exposed areas. Also used for stings and other skin problems
• Tea tree oil is another remedy I�ve found in my research that supposedly does wonders for itch relief and overnight cure of poison ivy

To familiarize yourself with the different types of poison ivy and poison oak, you�ll need to learn to recognize them by site. Of course, in my case, the field had been mowed so I didn�t get a chance to see anything.

http://altnature.com/Poison_ivy/index.html
Lists various poison ivy, oak, and berry pictures to help you recognize the distinction between the varieties.

http://ncnatural.com/wildflwr/obnxious.html
Another good site that lists various versions of poison ivy.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/info.html
An EXCELLENT poison ivy resource site.

And, as always, consult a health professional before using this or any remedy if you are pregnant, or have compromised or threatened health.

Resources for this article include:
Tom Browns Guide to Wilderness Survival
Growing and Using Healing Herbs

Vitamin B6: One small study has shown that taking vitamin B6 may reduce symptoms by half. Though researchers aren’t sure why, the active ingredient, pyritinol, seems to work as an effective intervention for a nasty hangover.

400 mg at the beginning, middle, and end of the party. Don’t take this remedy frequently. PRolonged use of high doses of vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage

Prickly Pear Cactus Extract: Opuntia ficus-indica, found in the pear extract, can reduce the body’s inflammatory response to alcohol, staving off nausea and dry mouth.

One capsule (1600 IU) five hours before drinking

Gen Gen (also known as pueraria or kudzu root) and JuHua (chrysanthemum flower): Kudzu root generates fluids, reduces thirst and nausea, and alleviates headaches and stiff muscles. Chrysanthemum flower, a common treatment to relieve headaches and irritability, clears toxins and brigthens eyes.

Either in powder tincture, pill form, or as a tea, before bed and the morning after. For the correct amount, contact a licensed herbalist.

Other Methods: Before Drinking

One easy way to feel less the effects of alcohol is to eat a 2 small or one medium bag of potato chips an hour or so before drinking alcohol.

An alternate method is to eat a sandwich (possibly baguette or ciabatta) made with lots of salami and butter (yes, I do realize the taste would be awful, but hey it helps; at the max you can eat one salami sandwich and one with just butter). This way the bread/potato chips will absorb some of the alcohol before it has the chance to get absorbed into your blood stream.

A good way to prevent getting wasted right away is to always drink the same thing, don’t mix alcohols, and if you order/make cocktails make sure to at least drink the same kind. Different alcohols consumed in the same time lapse will cause weariness quicker, splitting headaches and cause major hangovers, and, if you are a woman taking oral contraceptives, and you took your pill 4 hours earlier you are no longer protected (if you regurgitate that is, so be careful with that too).

Another remedy, used primarily by Native Americans was to eat raw almonds before drinking any alcoholic beverage to reduce the chance of suffering from any hangover.

Peanut Butter is also thought to be of somewhat remedy.

Remember to try to have a sports drink (like Gatorade) which will replenish the minerals that the kidneys excreted during your drinking. If you regurgitate due to excessive drinking, let it all out of your system and then have a sports drink to give you back some minerals.

If you had a long night of drinking, water (about 3 glass fulls should be enough) will help rehydrate you. Drinking makes you lose a lot of fluids, going to bed dehydrated will just leave the alcohol in your system at it’s concentrated levels and will cause you to feel their effects later on.

Remember to not take painkillers such as aspirin, ibrofen and the like. If taken in high quantities or on a continuous basis they’ll start to cause problems to your kidneys (such as kidney failure).

Other Methods: After Drinking Recipes

1. Lemon: Pour some lemon juice (of 1 lemon) to a cup of black coffee and drink it, no sugar, no milk.
2. Chicken soup – just as it works with colds, it can also help rid you of your hangover.
3. Honey: take about 2 table spoon fulls every 30 minutes since you wake up till you start feeling better.
4. Apples: Eat some as soon as you wake up, it will somewhat help you feel better.
5. Lastly, and probably most effective is to make a banana and honey milkshake. Take 3 bananas, pour in some milk and honey, blend it all till it’s all nice and smooth and gulp it down, it will help sooth and settle your stomach, calming your nerves and ultimately relieving you of your splitting headache due to a major hangover.

drugstore.com – Unlike mothernature.com, drugstore.com actually carries a lot of other random elements like Seventh Generation laundry detergent.

gaiam.com – A more expensive resource, but they have fantastic eco-friendly products from sheets to rain water collection.

etsy.com – Not necessarily an organic site, but a shopping site of hand-made products. A fantastic variety of good, most of which are made without any chemical.

greenfeet.com – They have a small inventory of products, but they cover bases that other sites don’t, such as that eco-friendly toilet brush.

lehmans.com – The non-electric catalog. This site lists a lot of Amish products, but is excellent for finding eco-friendly alternatives to everyday appliances, tools, and even traditional toys.

mountainroseherbs.com – If you’re looking for herbs and teas, this is a great resource.

bluecanoe.com – Hosts a variety of organic clothing (mainly women).

environgentle.com – Sells many eco-friendly tees with or without logos. Uni-sex.

Menthol Scents: Eucalyptus, Peppermint, tea tree, basically anything menthol related will help deter ants. Use a small brush to spread the oil where they are getting in, and be sure to clean up their scent trails beforehand.

Cayenne Pepper: Another scent that ants despise, sprinkle this around where they are getting in as well.

Chalk: Ants supposidly will not cross over a line of chalk. If you are able to outline where they are getting in with chalk, this should help keep them from getting in your home.

A proliferation of mold and mildew can be the hallmark of hot and humid summers. I have a friend who has green mold growing on the shoes in her closet! A humidifier might be the best help for her, but there are also three natural materials that can be used as a spray to kill mold and mildew. They are all an excellent substitute for less environmentally safe bleach.

Learn these three tricks for killing mold and mildew. One of these you most likely already have in your kitchen cupboard:

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Over the years I have found three natural ingredients that kill mold: tea tree oil (an essential oil found in most health food stores), grapefruit seed extract, and vinegar. There are pros and cons of each, but all three work. Vinegar is by far the cheapest. Tea tree oil is expensive, but it is a broad spectrum fungicide and seems to kill all the mold families it contacts. The problem is that it has a very strong smell, but that dissipates in a few days. Grapefruit seed extract is also expensive, but has no smell. Click here for how to use these three ingredients in your home, to kill mold and mildew.

Mold can be dangerous to your health, even if you aren’t allergic. Many people react to mold by getting tired and even depressed. Try to stay on top of moisture and mold as soon as either arises. Dry out anything that is damp, such as basements (use a dehumidifier), and carpets. Fix leaks in plumbing and roofs. Wipe up spills. Make sure water doesn’t escape from shower curtains. Vigilance will pay off!

Tea Tree Treasure

Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.
Makes 2 cups
Preparation Time: Under a minute
Shelf Life: Indefinite
Storage: Leave in the spray bottle

Grapefruit Seed Extract

The advantage of using grapefruit seed extract instead of tea tree oil for killing mold is that it is odorless.

20 drops grapefruit seed extract
2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.
Makes 2 cups
Preparation Time: A minute or so
Shelf Life: Indefinite
Storage: Leave in the spray bottle

Vinegar Spray

Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

I can attest to using Tea Tree oil spray in my shower everyday and have noticed such a difference. Not only does it keep the spiders away, but kills the mold and keeps my bathroom smelling fresh!

What annoyed me the most about conventional brushes, beyond the material they are made from, is the heads were too big to fit down the hole of the commode. This new organic brush is smaller and fits perfectly, ensuring complete access to all visible portions of my toilet.

It is infinitely better than those ridiculous disposable brushes that do nothing but add waste to landfills.

Radius Source Toothbrush. The Source toothbrush comes with a replaceable head. After all, when you get a new toothbrush, all you really want to do is change out the bristles. The reusable handle is made from a wood fiber blended with corn plastic – both renewable resource materials.

The manufacturing of Radius toothbrushes is also eco-friendly. They are made in a restored mill in Pennsylvania, using well designed, efficient processes that create less waste and save on water and energy use (although much of the production is down at the moment, after the mill suffered severe storm damage in July).

3. Preserve

The Preserve Toothbrush was developed with dental professionals over a two-year period and represents the latest in toothbrush design and function. It is constructed with environmentally friendly materials to let you replace without the waste. The Preserve is available at natural food supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe’s.

The Preserve’s handle is made of polypropylene. This plastic material was chosen for its strength and flexibility. It is an efficiently recycled material–its strength does not break down in the recycling process. Polypropylene’s recycling efficiency means it is commonly reprocessed and cleaned, and we have been able to hire the best in the business to recycle our plastics.

Presently our main source is from recycled Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups.

Fuchs Ekotek Toothbrush The Ekotek comes with 3 recyclable heads on its own and prevents excess waste from going into landfills like the others.

Eco-Tip: To clean your tooth-brush, soak it in vinegar every two weeks to kill bacteria and germs.

Bad breath results from two key issues: oral hygiene and gastrointestinal health. Basically this means that breath odors originate not just inside the mouth but also from your digestive tract. The culprit in both cases is largely bacteria. Doctors will tell you that if you have bad breath, you should first make sure you are eating right (getting a balanced diet of protein, carbs, lots of fruits and veggies and plenty of fluids to keep the GI tract healthy) and brushing and flossing after every meal. But that still doesn’t mean you might not be offending your friends and co-workers after lunch at the new Italian place. Here are some things you can ingest (or chew) that can help.

And they are mostly natural and most people have easy access to them:
1. Chew on this. Move over parsley, there are some new halitosis-fighting herbs in town. “Coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom are all good for fighting bad breath,” says Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, who has lectured on oral health. You can chew on fresh herbs or make tonics by steeping them in hot water (as a tea). These herbs make an excellent digestive as well—doubling the benefits of ending a meal this way.

2. Get some active culture. No, not Cirque de Soleil, but yogurt. A recent study found that a serving of yogurt each day reduces the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in the mouth. Apparently it also cuts back on bacteria in the mouth—plaque and gum disease were reduced in the study’s yogurt eaters as well. Plus, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends getting enough vitamin D from yogurt, cheese and milk if you’re worried about halitosis because this vitamin creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. Be sure to get the kind of yogurt with active cultures—not overly processed or sugar-added varieties.

3. Crunchy types. Apples, carrots, celery—basically any fiber-rich fruit or vegetable is your friend when it comes to fighting halitosis. “Inside your mouth, plaque build-up causes odors,” explains Cynthia Sass, ADA spokeswoman and registered dietician. “Eating foods that increase saliva production keep the mouth moist—and rinsed out. Also, many carbs and proteins can get stuck in your teeth—even healthy foods like whole grain cereal or chicken breast.” So follow a meal with a Granny Smith (feel the saliva kick in at the mention of it?) to cleanse the mouth.

4. Masking techniques. Sugarless gum shouldn’t replace brushing your teeth after a meal, but in a pinch it can freshen breath (masking odors) and is another way to increase saliva production to rinse away plaque and bacteria. Mints can mask as well, but only briefly—and go for sugarless. Sugar creates plaque, and no one wants a mint that makes breath worse.

5. High C’s. Eating berries, citrus fruits, melons and other vitamin C-rich foods create an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. A diet rich in vitamin C is also is important for preventing gum disease and gingivitis—both major causes of halitosis. Get your C in foods, not supplements, which can cause gastrointestinal upset in some, according to Sass, and exacerbate bad breath.