How clean is your home?  Think about that question because I don’t mean your bathroom sink or your kitchen countertop.  I mean the things you can’t see, like the air in your home and chemicals in your furniture and carpets.  Now, look in the cabinet under your sink.  How many harmful, potentially “fatal if swallowed” chemicals do you have lurking under there?  More than you thought, huh?  Well, this is the first place to start.  Greening your cleaning.  Start by ditching your toxic chemicals and either making your own or purchasing organically made, non-toxic, all-natural alternatives.  There are so many wonderful brands out there and they are often the same price as the chemical cocktails.

The thing that hit home for me was finding out that there really is no one looking out for your safety when marketing these mainstream toxic cleaners.  There are two potentially fatal chemicals that most people have in their homes at this very moment.  When combined these chemicals form a deadly gas.  Yet, both of these cleaners are sold on the shelf at your local supermarket and are often used in the same room.  When you clean your bathroom you mostly likely use a window/glass cleaner for your mirrors and then a tub and tile or surface cleaner for the toilet and shower.  Well, the window/glass cleaner is ammonia based and the tub and tile is chlorine based or in other words, it contains bleach to disinfect.  When these two chemicals are combined a deadly gas is formed.  This gas is undetectable to the eye and can cause severe damage to the lungs or death depending upon the amounts used.  So, why are these chemicals sold as household cleaners and why are they being utilized in the same room with just a small warning label on the back?  Now think about this, how can you trust the companies who manufacture these products and market them, not to chemists, but to the populace?  Wouldn’t you rather use products that do not carry warning labels or images of skulls and crossbones?  Vinegar and baking soda can clean just about anything.  Add some essential oils and they are pretty much all you need to clean your entire house!  Clogged drain?  Don’t reach for one of those products that use sulfuric acid or lye, use baking soda, vinegar and hot water!  It works!  Or, use a plunger.  These options are much, much safer and you won’t have to worry about going blind or suffering from serious burns.  Enzymatic cleaners are another eco-friendly option, they contain bacteria cultures and enzymes that eat away at organic material without harming your pipes or your septic system.  Conscious living means thinking about the effects of our actions with every step we take and always being aware of where the chemicals we utilize are going to end up.  Most of these end up in rivers and streams and ultimately in the oceans where they cause algae blooms.  So, it’s a new year, how about a new cleaning routine?  Check out the Nexyoo providers for tons of natural cleaning products.

Christmas is coming and everyone is freaking out driving to the mall and the big box stores to buy a bunch of stuff to fulfill the present requirement.  Then, they will wrap these presents in wrapping paper (eek) and bows and ribbons which will be deposited into a large plastic trash bag to languish in a landfill.  Me, I shop online and I always go to Nexyoo first. Online, I have a better selection, awesome Nexyoo discounts, no crowds, and no crazy parking lots.  If I could do my food shopping online and never leave my cozy house, believe me, I would.  I despise the mall and stores send me into a panic, too bright and too much “stuff” jumping out at me.  So, of course for Christmas this year I am purchasing Little Green’s presents online and I am wrapping them in the brown paper that comes as part of the packaging or I am going to decorate the cardboard box itself.  I never use wrapping paper.  The brown paper looks really cute when you customize it and then I can reuse it to line Little Green’s craft table for playdough and watercolor painting.  Now, onto the toys.

You know how I feel about noisy, plastic, battery operated toys (distraction devices).  So, here are some awesome online toy stores with equally awesome Nexyoo discounts. Leo Goes Grr has the cutest stuff, really cute and the playdough and crayon rocks, well rock.  They have great stocking stuffers too, all wooden and non-toxic and wonderful toys and dolls to inspire the imagination and foster creativity. Check em’ out and use your discount. Definitely 5 daisies!

Tiny Revolutionary has the coolest, hippest tees I have ever seen for kids.  I know kids hate clothing as gifts but, I think any child would love to have one of these tee-shirts under the tree. They carry tees, hoodies and onesies that are organic cotton and imprinted with some truly inspiring messages.  They have offered Nexyoo members a killer discount and who they are and what they do makes purchasing from them a win-win for you and the various charities they work with. 5 daisies

And finally, for the mamas and papas who dig yoga, a little bird tipped me off to Dear Lil’ Devas.  They have an incredible discount for Nexyoo members and they are giving away some really sweet stuff with every purchase right in time for Christmas. So, free gifts, Nexyoo discount and amazing yoga gear.  What are you still reading this for?

Seriously, get going, if you are going to be buying presents for Christmas, make the right, conscious choices and support these awesome online companies who are doing the right thing.

Happy Shopping!

I just watched The Botany of Desire on Netflix the other night.  It’s a PBS special based on Michael Pollan’s book by the same name.  The documentary is narrated by Frances McDormand and features Michael Pollan. The movie follows four plants and their evolution with respect to humans.  Apples, tulips, potatoes and cannabis will never be looked at the same way.  It’s amazing how these plants have adapted to become more desirable to us and in turn, proliferate in places the plant would never have grown. It’s pretty fascinating and I definitely walked away with a new respect for these four plants. As a result, I have been drawing up plans for the spring and summer gardens.  So, as a warning, this documentary will make you want to get your hands dirty.

I give it 4 daisies.

We just planted 150 tulip bulbs so I’m pretty excited about seeing all of that beauty next spring. I love growing potatoes, it’s easy and fun and so rewarding and earthy. I like to grow them in a cage, tossing a bag of forgotten organic potatoes into the bottom and piling on the dirt and leaves, waiting for the green leaves to shoot through.  Then, the flowers, potato plants have really pretty flowers.  Once the flowers fall off and the plants yellow and fall over the potatoes are ready to harvest. You simply pick up the cage and feel around for potatoes.  This year I will be using the cage method in the smaller kitchen garden and potato mounds in the big garden. We will be planting a couple of apple trees early spring to provide the lonely pear tree with a couple of friends.  Then we can say we have an orchard.

I love kale.  I think it’s because I never had kale growing up.  Ever.  I really love kale. I can eat it raw, sauteed, boiled, dehydrated, you name it.  However, a lot of people do not like kale. Which I guess is good for me.  Really good for me.  Kale is loaded with vitamins A, C and K.  It’s a great source of iron and calcium and omega 3.  Kale can be grown throughout the year and is super easy to grow in a pot.  We have a few different types growing in the greenhouse right now and it’s about as low maintenance as grass.  I eat so much kale that my daughter gets excited when she sees it.  Probably a result of the daily dose of boiled kale with butter, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce I ate when I was pregnant (I wanted to avoid the newborn vitamin K shot).  I like the flavor of kale; the crisp, bittery, freshness.  I love the velvety smoothness and the crinkly texture of the leaves.  To me, kale just looks and tastes like pure health. Kale is simple, earthy goodness and it should be prepared that way.  I found this recipe for Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast from an awesome blog named Orangette.  It is awesome, I really mean it, it’s delicious, I could eat it forever and it tastes just as good cold.

So, without further ado:

Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast

• One big bunch of kale
• 5 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 4 cups of veggie broth
• 1 cup of water (optional)
• eggs
• bread, thickly sliced (I like to use whatever I have leftover)
• grated parmesan

Remove the tough stems form the kale by holding the end of the stem in one hand and grabbing the leaves in the other and pulling upwards.

Next, clean the kale by submerging the leaves in cold water then draining and spinning the leaves in a large salad spinner then tear the leaves into smaller pieces.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent.  Add the red pepper, garlic and kale and stir until the kale is wilted.  Add the veggie broth and water until the mixture is covered.  Bring to a simmer.

Cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add salt as needed.

Place a hunk, slice, chunk of bread/toast into the bottom of a soup bowl.  Next, fry the eggs in olive oil, one per bowl.  Add the kale to the bread with some broth and then top with the egg. Top with grated cheese.

Enjoy.

Now that Thanksgiving is over we can start preparing for Christmas and that means Santa Claus and presents under the tree and all the fun stuff that the kiddos (and some of the adults, I’m lookin’ at you Mr. Green Guru) love.  We changed over from plastic toys that beep and blip to wooden toys made from sustainable and non-toxic materials a couple of years ago and have never looked back. The little one even asks whether or not something is made of plastic and if the plastic is good or bad.  At this point she won’t even accept plastic toys and we are thankful for toy companies who manufacture healthy toys that she can enjoy.  These toys and games encourage the imagination and educate at the same time and don’t have the huge impact on the environment of the battery-operated, petroleum based, mainstream toys.  And, these are toys that will grow with your child, not be tossed after a few months when the batteries run out and they lose interest.  Not to mention the health risks involved with some of these toys. With all of the recalls and the whole lead paint incident I think it’s really important to know what your children are playing with and what the teeny tiny ones are putting into their mouths.  Also, the “dumbing down” that those battery operated, no imagination required toys are doing to an entire generation.  Plus, imagine the wonderful silence that comes as an added benefit with toys that require absolutely no batteries.  The only sound we hear is the sound of our daughter’s beautiful little voice as she plays with her dollhouse or her farm animals.  Another benefit? These toys encourage play between parents and children, something that seems to have been lost by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of today’s lives.

One of the online stores we love is Gifted Imaginations.

Gifted Imaginations has everything you need for your child’s Christmas.  They carry everything from toys, games and arts and crafts to furniture and clothing.  They ship fast and their customer service rocks.   I would recommend them to everyone. They have a huge selection of the biggest names in earth-friendly toys and their prices are the best I’ve found.  Plus, they have given Nexyoo members and incredible discount.  Needless to say, I give them 5 daisies.

Shop Gifted Imaginations now for Christmas and use your Nexyoo discount!

I love Maggie’s Pure Land soapnuts.  I love them.  I’ve been using them for a few years now and have never looked back. They remove stains, keep the whites bright, and make the clothes soft.  They are the most natural way to clean your clothes since they actually grow on trees They are the dried fruit from the Chinese soapberry tree and they are THE answer for those of you with allergies and are the perfect detergent for newborn skin.  Plus, they can be composted.  No waste, no giant plastic container to dispose of, no sticky mess on your shelf from detergent drippings, and no unnatural “fresh mountain spring rain” scent.

Soapnuts are so easy to use, just put a few in the little bag they provide and toss it into the washing machine.  They can be used more than once if you are washing in warm or cold water (I use them for about four washes before I replace them) and once or twice in a hot wash. They have directions for the soapnuts here. They are low-sudsing so they can be used in high-efficiency washers.  You can make a liquid out of them and use them for stain removal, general household cleaning and even shampoo!  There are some recipes here for plant pest spray and liquid cleaner.  I have also used their new Lavender Tea Tree Liquid Soap and am equally impressed.

Maggie’s is an incredible company who donates 10% of their profits to, “groups that improve the lives of mothers, children, and support a happy, Pure Planet Earth.”  They employ fair-trade and fair-wage practices and never test on animals.  For me, using soapnuts means no more polluting the waterways with the harsh chemicals found in many detergents. This is very important, water is scarce and the oceans are in pretty bad shape.  We really need to do everything and anything we can to help lessen the amount of pollutants finding their way downstream.

So, how do they rate?  I give them 5 daisies.  They are the absolute best!

Try out Maggie’s and use your Nexyoo disccount!  What’s Nexyoo?  Are you kidding me?  This is Nexyoo. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

It’s autumn here, which is my favorite season, and the season that always makes me crave soup. I love soup.  I love the simplicity of soup, one meal captured in a bowl, steaming hot, accompanied by a huge hunk of warm bread.  And I also love having only one pot to scrub.  I grew some sorrel this spring in my front yard and it’s still going pretty strong.  I know that sorrel soup is predominantly considered a spring soup however, I did not get a chance to do anything with it until the fall as a result of an onslaught of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash that were all desperately vying for my attention and counter space in the summer. To be honest, the only reason I ever made this soup was because I felt that if I planted it and grew it, I should do something with it, otherwise what’s the point.  I am so glad that I did. I’ve made this sorrel soup twice so far and it never fails to deliver.  I think I should get one more harvest out of it before I start a fresh batch in the greenhouse. The first time I made it I used my potatoes that I had just dug up that very day, so it was all the more satisfying knowing it traveled only a few feet from the garden to the table.

Sorrel or sheep sorrel is a weedy herb that has detoxifying and antioxidant effects, plus it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, like B, C, D, E, K and P and calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and beta carotene.  It is tart and tangy and pleasantly bitter. It loves cool weather so it can be grown in a greenhouse through the winter and in the early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. It is incredibly easy to grow, you just plant it and harvest it, nothing more.  I think the tender, baby leaves taste the best but I use a mixture of both and haven’t noticed a difference in flavor.

Now, on to the recipe:

Sorrel Soup

A bunch of fresh sorrel

6 cups of vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup of heavy cream

creme fraiche

1.  Wash the sorrel and remove any tough ribs from the larger leaves.

2.  In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sorrel and stir it until it “melts.”

3.  Add the veggie stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

4.  Add the potatoes, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes can be pierced with a fork (15 minutes).

5.  Add the heavy cream and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is creamy.

6.  Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of creme fraiche. (sour cream will work in a pinch)

Enjoy.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of research about food.  Yes, food.  I love food and hate to give up things that I love but, with some of the stuff I have read, I think I may have to stop eating and survive solely on pranna alone.  I just finished Food Inc. (the book) and just saw the movie on DVD the other night (I’ve watched it twice now).  So, a review will be coming as soon as I can find words to describe why it is such an important film to see at least once. I finished Barbara Kingsolver’s, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and Michael Pollen’s,The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals not too long ago, so I owe you a couple of book reviews also.  Michael Pollen is my new hero.  I have some awesome videos that I will be posting soon and are so worth a look-see.  I just watched “King Corn” and have been recommending it to everyone I know.  It’s really simple and yet the message will change the way you look at food, especially corn. I think the simplest way to bring about a change as far as food is concerned is to read the labels.  I cannot stress this enough.  Seriously, read the labels, if you can’t pronounce it and you have no idea what it is, put it back on the shelf.  We vote with our dollars and in this economy, we really need to take that seriously.  Buy organic, buy local, it really should be a mantra when you enter the supermarket.  My veggie drawer looks pretty empty these days because I am only trying to buy what’s in season and there isn’t much right now. I am lucky that I froze and canned a lot of stuff from my garden and the CSA this season and I am hoping that gets me through the winter until spring. Of course, we do have the greenhouse and I will discuss that more in a later post. But I digress, send the message that healthy food is what you want and they will be forced to supply it. The best way to send the message is the choices you make as a consumer.  Be conscious, always.

Because I am a mama, I will have a section for our little green ones, fun ways to educate your children and show them how to be conscious and earth-considerate little bundles of joy.  Our friends over at Progressive Kid are doing an incredible job keeping us informed with their online mag and they even have a kids section.  Do yourself a favor and check them out and use your Nexyoo discount!

I think we’ll start with the concept of conscious consumerism.  I mean, that is what we are, consumers.  And, as much as we try to not consume, we end up doing just that.  So let’s try to find better ways to channel that need.  Conscious Consumerism is the idea that when you need to purchase an item or service you look for the healthiest, most fulfilling and eco-friendly option.  Nowadays, this is so easy since everyone is jumping on the “green” bandwagon.  But, that is where we have to be careful not to fall victim to the “greenwashing” trend that is very evident in corporate america.  I can help with that.  Best place to start?  See who owns what, follow the trail all the way to the top of the corporate food chain.  Who owns that supposedly healthier toothpaste in your bathroom? Maybe the original owner sold the company a long time ago for millions of dollars to a huge corporate entity?  hint-hint.  That happens a lot and it is disheartening to find out that the product you bought is not what you thought it was.

I love the cosmetics database over at Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep site, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ . Ken Cook flat-out rocks and what he is doing is so important considering the overuse of toxins and chemicals in the beauty products.  You just type in the product and it gives you the listing and danger level of every ingredient found in the product.  It’s pretty scary sometimes but, definitely eye-opening. Now, raid your bathroom and gather up all of those “must have” products and see how they rate. As always, if you have any questions about alternatives when it comes to certain products contact me and I’ll help you out, we have tons of incredible discounts here at Nexyoo for earth friendly and super-healthy alternatives to those products you can’t live without!

Hi, I’m the Green Guru and I’ll be chatting with you on behalf of Nexyoo!  This is an exciting new venture where we’ll share recipes, information, product reviews and opinions.  I’ve been living an earth-friendly life for quite a few years now and am always amazed at how much I still have to learn.  Being sustainable and environmentally friendly is definitely fulfilling and yet it can be pretty daunting for a newbie.  I think, for me, reconnecting with Mother Earth really kicked in with the birth of my daughter.  You just don’t realize the dangers that lurk inside and outside of your home until you have a little one that you need to protect.  I started researching this and that and was amazed at what I discovered.  So, join me while I learn the ropes and share what I’ve learned so far.  And, as always, if you have anything to share, info that I don’t have, or you just want to say hey, send me a comment and keep it friendly.

I will use a rating system for products, books, movies, and generally anything that needs a rating.  My rating system will be 5 daisies for incredibly awesome and 1 daisy for a redonkulous fail.  I am always on the lookout for exciting new businesses who take being eco-conscious to the next level, so let me know if you find something!

So, what is Nexyoo?  Well, Nexyoo is what happens when you combine the journey for a greener lifestyle with the desire to empower small businesses, the distaste for the practices of corporate america, a mistrust of their mass-produced goods and the intent to give everyone and anyone the ability to generate an income that they can feel good about.

Our eco-consultants scour the internet searching for the best and brightest of the eco-friendly businesses and obtaining exclusive discounts for our members.  The members then use the discount, save money, help small businesses, buy green, and generate an income by referring Nexyoo to others.  They will then take that income and shop with Nexyoo providers, use the discount, save money, help small businesses…you see where I’m going with this right?  We call this the “closed loop economy” of Nexyoo, and believe me, it works.

So signup, check out our providers on a regular basis, we are adding new ones every day, and shop often!