Oregon is Good for my Skin

Hi all. Patrick and I are on vacation this week in Oregon but I thought I write a short post about how much we love it here. People are incredibly kind and the scenery is beautiful.

All I keep saying this week is, "Oregon is good for my skin". I had a huge pimple when we boarded the plane in Newark and after spending one day in Portland it was gone!!!!!!!!

Oregon...good for the skin and good for me.

We love it here!

My Garden Grows!

Last week I planted some lettuce, arugula, collard greens, dill and wheat grass. The collard greens sprouted up a couple days ago. I just looked outside and the arugula is sprouting now, too! It won't be long before we're eating healthy, home-grown salads.

I had to hold back a bit with my gardening because Patrick and I will be in Oregon for a week starting this Saturday. Since I won't be here to prune, I'm waiting for our return to plant more.

Do you have a garden? What do you grow? Does it give you the satisfaction it gives me?

Wordless Wednesday

Natural Home

As if I don't read enough magazines already *Patrick sighs here*, I've found another that I absolutely love. It's called Natural Home. The tag line on the cover is "Every Issue is a Green Issue".

Natural Home covers everything from local and organic food to natural cleaning and even eco-friendly furniture. All in a down-to-earth, economical way. I especially love that all the ads are for earth-friendly products so we can feel good about the content and who the publisher supports.

You can take a peek at Natural Home on their website.

Bee Pollen for Allergies

I've been reading a lot about ingesting bee pollen to prevent seasonal allergies. It seems if you eat local bee pollen a little at a time, gradually increasing the amount up to about two teaspoons a day, your body will build immunity to local allergens. The pollen has to be from a local source or it won't help the sniffles you get from your own garden. If your pollen comes from California and you live in NJ, you're only going to feel well in California. Get it?

So I found some local bee pollen over the weekend. I used my trusty spice grinder to pulverize the pollen grains because I hear we absorb it better when it's in powder form. I sprinkled about 1/8 of a teaspoon into my bowl of oatmeal. I'll move up to 1/2 a teaspoon tomorrow. You have to increase the amount gradually because if you do have seasonal allergies the pollen may make you sneeze and give you a runny nose. Just be patient with it.

This a natural alternative to the drying medications that make you sleepy. I only wish I had learned about it sooner so I could have started using it in the winter before allergy season started. It's never too late, though. I always get another attack in the late summer/early fall so hopefully by then I'll be all set. I can't share my progress with you yet because today was only day 1 but I will keep you updated in the next few weeks.

Thanks For Your Sympathy?

I was in a store yesterday and at check-out I told the cashier I brought my own bags. Of course he didn't think I could fit everything into my bags and tried to get me to take one of his plastic ones. I politely refused. When he handed me my receipt he said, "Have a good day and thanks for your sympathy".

I suppose that's a good thing, right?

Our Petroleum Products

Water bottles, plastic bags, toys, plastic wrap, garbage bags, dishes and furniture. What do all these items have in common? They are all made from petroleum. Oil! The same thing going into our gas tanks is in these products. So why do we keep using them? Or better yet, why do we keep buying them? If you already have a case of bottled water, by all means drink it up. But why on earth would you buy more if you know that the process used to make those bottles is the exact reason it is so expensive to fuel our cars?

I don't know a single person who hasn't complained recently about the current and future cost of gas. However, it's a moot point. The number is going to continue to increase. What can we do to slow down the climb? The answer is simple. Stop using petroleum based products.

The following is a list of just a few petroleum based products:

Ink, Dishwashing liquids, Paint brushes, Telephones,Toys, Unbreakable dishes, Insecticides, Antiseptics, Dolls, Car sound insulation, Fishing lures, Deodorant, Tires, Motorcycle helmets, Linoleum, Sweaters, Tents, Refrigerator linings, Paint rollers, Floor wax, Shoes, Electrician's tape, Plastic wood, Model cars, Glue, Roller-skate wheels, Trash bags, Soap dishes, Skis, Permanent press clothes, Hand lotion, Clothesline, Dyes, Soft contact lenses, Shampoo, Panty hose, Cameras, Food preservatives, Fishing rods, Oil filters, Combs, Transparent tape, Anesthetics, Upholstery, Dice, Disposable diapers, TV cabinets, Mops, Sports car bodies, House paint, Purses, Electric blankets, Awnings, Ammonia, Car battery cases, Safety glass, Hair curlers, Pajamas, Synthetic rubber, Eyeglasses, Pillows, Vitamin capsules, Ice chests, Candles, Rubbing alcohol, Boats, Ice cube trays, Credit cards, Fertilizers, Crayons, Insect repellent, Water pipes, Toilet seats, Caulking, Roofing shingles, Fishing boots, Life jackets, Balloons, Shower curtains, Garden hose, Golf balls, Curtains, Plywood adhesive, Umbrellas, Detergents, Milk jugs, Rubber cement, Putty, Faucet washers, Cold cream, Bandages, Tool racks, Antihistamines, Hair coloring, Nail polish, Guitar strings, Yarn, Petroleum jelly, Toothpaste, Tennis rackets, Toothbrushes, Perfume, Luggage, Wire insulation, Folding doors, Shoe polish, Fan belts, Ballpoint pens, Shower doors, Cortisone, Carpeting, Artificial turf, Heart valves, Lipstick, Artificial limbs, Hearing aids, Vaporizers, Aspirin, Shaving cream, Wading pools, Parachutes

Okay, so I'm not telling you to not use the parachute or life vest if there is an air travel emergency. I'm also not telling you to deny yourself anesthesia if you will be undergoing surgery. There are some petroleum based products we simply need. You also might be thinking, "Well, I need to wash my hair and I need to wear deodorant and clean clothes." Believe it or not, there are natural alternatives to almost anything if you look for them. I recently wrote an article on natural deodorant and another one on safer hair dye. I've often written about Method products which cover everything from dish and laundry detergent to all purpose cleaner and hand soap. So what is my point for publishing this list that could go on endlessly? To educate. I don't think we realize how much petroleum we use on a daily basis - some of it necessary, some of it not so much. If we aren't careful about when and where we choose to use these products, the cost of oil will continue to skyrocket.

We can make a difference. We just need to be aware and try our best to make wise choices.

Wordless Wednesday

De-Clutter Your Kitchen

I LOVE kitchen gadgets. Probably too much. We don't have a large kitchen and I'm sure we could benefit from a spring cleaning of sorts in the gadget department. Alton Brown to the rescue! Gear For Your Kitchen is not a new book but it's new to me. In it, Alton has a two-month plan to help you wean off the unnecessary gadgets in your kitchen. It's worth a read if you'd like to clear up some precious cooking, prep and dining space.

In addition, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite daily blog reads. Unclutterer is a helpful and humorous site with useful tips and inspiring photos. My favorite posts are every Wednesday for Unitasker Wednesday.

Save The Rainforest

I spent part of Friday afternoon at my niece Megan's school participating in a "Save the Rainforest Walk-A-Thon". We walked about a mile and raised a ton of money to save Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. To further spread awareness and have fun while doing it, Patrick and I hosted a "Save the Rainforest" party on Saturday, in Megan's honor. The following is what Megan read aloud to all the guests:

Rainforest Facts

- The rainforest acts as the earth’s lungs, cleaning the air.
- More than half of all plants and animals come from the rainforest.
- Most of our medicine comes from the rainforest.

Things we can do to help preserve the rainforest

1. Please use wood that grows back quickly for your furniture and floors
like bamboo.
2. Please try to use reusable dishes whenever you can. If you have to use
disposable, use recycled paper products like Marcal and Chinet.
3. Please try to buy local food that is in season. Farmers in the
rainforest don’t get paid fair prices and the pesticides they use hurt
the land and animals, including fish.
4. The coffee you usually drink was grown on plantations where trees were
chopped down to make room for the crops. Shade grown coffee is grown
under the trees so the wildlife isn’t hurt. Shade grown coffee tastes
better too!!!!

The World Series of Birding Celebrates 25 Years

Please take a moment to read Patrick's post about the World Series of Birding and please consider making a donation to this important cause.