living greenlee tip #2

reduce, REUSE, recycle

Last fall Zach got inspired by this article in a old Readymade and wanted to try and make some bowls out of construction netting. I have to say they turned out pretty neat! We spray painted a few green after they were made but then decided that that probably wasn't the most environmentally friendly thing to do, so we left the rest orange. He sold quite a few at a craft show I had a booth at in December and the rest are now in the garage except for one on our dining table.  So if you want one let me know :).

 

 

Remember before you throw something away, think of a way it can be reused first! (We got our construction netting for the workers that were finishing up a project on our street).  If you want to learn how you can make these bowls go here.

living greenlee tip #1

When I first started this blog I thought I would be super clever and have the title be a pun on my new last name and the trendy "green" idea. Well, now that Zach and I have been married over two years now (smiley face) we have discovered that both of us have a pretty big passion for sustainability, you can probably tell that from some of the posts I've done in the past. So, I thought I would try to be a little more regular about it, and share some of the information that we've found and things that we've done around our house here on my blog!

I don't want this to be SO educational or anything, just a spot where I will share cool things with you. And if you'd like to share your tips with me, feel free! I'd love to hear them and then share them as well! I thought I'd start by telling you what SUSTAINABILITY is, so that we are all on the same page.

Sustainability (according to wiki and adjusted my me) is the potential for us humans to try and maintain a long term well-being for our planet, which is determined by the responsible use of our natural resources. So pretty much going green and trying to help the planet and not take away all of it's resources.

On to living greenlee tip #1 - Preserve products.

Have you gone to a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and noticed these expensive (and very cool) toothbrushes in neat plastic cases? Chances are you have and below are a few reasons why you should use them and a few of the other Preserve products out there.

- These little babies are made up of 100 % completely recycled plastics. (Your number 5's to be exact-think yogurt cups) The bristles are not, so no worries there.
- They come in 6 different colors and 3 different strenghts (ultra soft, soft, and medium)
-When you are done with your toothbrush, you can send it back to them and they will grind it up and make it into a new one! Now that is sustainability.
- AND, they offer toothbrush subscriptions! So you can receive a new toothbrush every 3 months, just like the doctor ordered!

They also have a few new products that use the same idea. Like plastic tablewear and harder plastic containers and measuring cups for everyday use. And when you are done with them, you just stick them in your recycling bin! (If they take number 5s). This company is just great!

(all photos via the preserve website)

Let me know what you think of my new segment!!
Happy Monday everyone!

Christmas Packaging

So Bumble and Bumble has done it again! Every year I absolutley love the ideas they come out with and the cute ways they package everything! Every year they try and sell some sort of hair accessory with their shampoo packages.

This year it was these awesome button headbands enclosed in an equally awesome box. You can watch the video on how to wear the headband here.

Last years were brightly colored rubber bands and bobby pins packaged quite neatly.

Nice job Bumble and Bumble.

via The Dieline

You need to see this movie!

If you care at all about where your food comes from and the health of you and your loved ones, then you really need to see this movie. Trust me it's not graphic, it's just a good movie that gives you the facts. The movie features the author/food advocate Michael Pollan, you may have read my post way back when about some books he's written.

And then when your done, go eat Chipotle. You'll be glad you did.

Also, check out the Food, Inc. Website and sign the petition to help give students HEALTHY lunches!

Just a small cause to plug for the day! :)

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Zach and I have become very interested lately in where our food comes from and how that affects what we eat. We haven't given up on chain restaurants or grocery stores at all yet, but our goal would probably to be there eventually. There is a newer book by Michael Pollan called "In Defense of Food - An Eaters Manifesto" and to tell you the truth, I haven't read it yet, nor I have I read his older book "The Omnivores Dilemma", but I have listened to quite a few podcasts, as well as a talk he gave in Kansas City last week and my way of thinking about food is beginning to change.

Food, such a weird thing. A necesity to survive, yet it can be a catylist to your health? Why is it so hard to eat well? And not just well by the standards of normal Americans, with diet foods, prepackaged lunches, sugerfree alternatives, but well as in REAL food. Food that grow from the ground. Food that grows from the ground without using chemicals to enhance growing rate and size. Whole wheat breads made from scratch without sugar. Meat from animals that are grass feed, and not corn fed then pumped with antibiotics which emit ghg's (green house gases). Why has our society embraced the selling of all of the crap that is on store shelves? There is no research for this, but how much do you want to bet that half of the crap on the shelves in the supermarkets end up in the trash? I would guess at least half.

Eating natural, WHOLE foods, has to be a better way to live. Eating meat that is from only grass fed animals has to be a better way to live. Composting your leftovers and eating foods that are compostable, has to be a better way to live. Reusing and recycling your containers has to be a better way to live. All of this is better for our world and our lives. This is just a small part of life, but a huge part at the same time. God has called us to live better lives, and our food effects our eath and our bodies! That is huge! This is just the beginning of what I want to learn/how Zach and I are learning about this, etc. More in the future....

If your interested heres the book/author:



http://www.michaelpollan.com/