Your Greeness

You are not the only one who can make new year’s resolutions! You can have your home “make” some too to make it run better, more efficient and more earth friendly. Take these suggestions and live better for 2009!

1. This is the year to replace your inefficient heating system! Find an experienced guy who knows all about green and eco friendly heating options! You’ll stay toasty warm this winter at a lesser cost to Mother Earth!

2.Improve the efficiency of your furnace. You can start by making sure the filters are clean.

3.Better insulation- A contractor in your area would know the best insulation to suit the kind of climate that you get. Change yours!

4.Replace old doors. Doors can be the places where heat and coolness escape. Make sure your doors for 2009 can really help insulate the house.

5.Why not go solar? There are solar energy options available to run your water heater or to power your furnace. As we all know, solar energy is renewable and is so good for the planet. So, why not go solar?

Everybody keeps on talking about hybrid cars and how good they are for the environment. You may also be thinking of investing in one. However, while its always good to be informed of the upside, it may be a better idea to be aware of the downside too. After all, nthing is perfect, and we need to be realistic with out expectations on the hybrid car.

1.It’s expensive- Because there’s a whole lot of new technology that comes with creating these cars, they may come out pricier than an average car. However, the cost does offset itself in the fuel savings in the long run.

2.Potentially dangerous- If caught in a potential car crash or accident, a hybrid car battery which is a metal hydride battery can kill a person if they were exposed to it during the accident due to the high voltages.

3.Constant recharging needed- Older models of hybrid cars need to be recharged every 2 weeks. This could pose a problem if you’re going on a long trip and a charger may not be readily available.

4.A bigger carbon footprint- some studies have indicated that the pollution produced in creating a hybrid car is more compared to a normal car. They site the twin engines a the reason.

Do you suffer from dry and tangled hair? Conditioners are not always the cure, you know. Conditioners can sometimes contain harsh chemicals that dry your hair our further, and sometimes they can leave you with opposite but equally annoying problems like oily tresses.

A natural way to fight yucky tresses and revive your crowning glory is to use Olive oil. You only need very little of an organic, good quality oil to run through your hair about once a week. Leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then you can rinse it off. You will be extremely pleased with the results- shiny, tangle-free hair!

This is a sort of continuation of our green gift guide, but with a little difference. If you don’t have the money to shop, you can put more effort and thoughtfulness into some gifts by preparing them yourself. Why not give the following?

1. Why not make your own gift certificate. You can give out services like a green meal for two, or a green house cleanup.

2.Prepare a fruit basket and include one or 2 recipes that they can make out of the fruits.

3.Give a little plant of lucky bamboo plant.

4.Create a personalized clenaing gift basket filled with eco friendly cleaming materials.

5.Get a bottle of organic wine!

Make your Christmas dinner more earth friendly with Green Holiday recipes! This delicious appetizer recipe of Cheese and Herbs can be the start of a tasty meal!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 1½ pound Farmer’s Cheese
• 1 cup Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 6 Whole Peppercorns
• 3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
• 1 cup Coarsely Chopped Fresh Basil
• 1 Large Sprig Each Fresh Rosemary & Thyme

Here are the super easy directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Prepare cheese by placing in glass baking dish. Top cheese with the garlic and basil.
3. Wait till oil becomes very hot in a pan and then, pour over the cheese, garlic and basil . This makes a searing sound, so don´t be surprised.
4. Take fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme and place on top of cheese.
5. Let the whole mix come to room temperature. You can also try spooning excess oil over top of cheese and herbs every so often with a turkey baster. Refrigerate over night, and let come to room temp before serving.
6. Serve with sliced crusted bread or crackers

What if you had a choice of getting something for an expensive price, and getting the same thing, or one with better quality at a much lower price? Which would you go for? It would be a no brainer right, unless you had money to burn, which is pretty unlikely considering the state of the economy!

Well, you know how eyeglasses can get quite pricey at boutiques, department stores, and shops? What if you found out that there was a source to get the same quality pairs at much cheaper prices?! Surely you’d want in on it!

Your cheap source for amazing eyeglasses can be found online at optical4less.com! Opticals4less carries prescription glasses,Tinted sunglasses, Bifocal reading glasses ,Progressive reading eyeglasses, Photochromic sunglasses to name a few items.

What makes this site fun and different from others is that they have a virtual try on system so you can make sure that the frames suit your face shape. They can also ship worldwide if you get more than 1 pair! If your order now, you can have your glasses within a week.

Get your glasses now! Choose from the many different styles available at opticals4less.com! You’ll be hard pressed to find something cheaper!

It must be nice to influence people with your green lifestyle. Continue to do so this Christmas by getting people green gifts that are easy on the pocket. Here are some suggestions!

1. Whispering Meadows Sigg Bottle- This reusable water bottle only costs $21.95! Sigg has really cool looking designs that I bet it will be relatively simple to find the one that suits your giftee the most!

2.Timolino Desktop Mug- One wasteful habit that can be easily broken is the use of disposable cups in the workplace. Break the evil cycle by gifting a coffee drinker with a cute desktop mug for work. This mug is extra special because it stays secure on a desk due to a wire thingy. Perfect for somewhat clumsy individuals!

3.BsaB Beeswax Candle- There are girly girls who would love green gifts too such as this wonderful smelling candle. This candle does not carry any artifical scents which ups it on the green list!

4.John Masters Hait Texturizer- This is so ideal for guys and girls who are concious about heir hair. This is a natural pomade whic is perfect for styling anyhting to bed head to cowlicks. This stuff is loaded with natural vitamins and oil that makes hair healthier and shinier!

5.It’s Easy to be Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living- The bookworm in your life should enjoy this gift! You might even convert him or her in the process! This book is loaded with useful and easy tips on how to be kinder to the environment. Another bonus is that it is priced at just over $10!

Whales use songs an certain noises to find their mates and to make their way across the oceans. Unfortunately, their sounds are being drowned out by human made noises according to a U.N. report.

The sounds made by ships, boats, seismic surveys and sonars by the military all contribute to the noise pollution. These make whales lose touch with each other, and in the process threaten the survival of their species.

The climate change also has its effects on the whales, with rising temperatures affecting the speed and distance sound travels in the water.

Whales supposedly try to speak louder and louder until no one can really hear anyone anymore.

Some good news for all animal lovers and vegetarians happened last Thanksgiving. President Bush pardoned two turkeys from a sad fate of becoming somebody’s Thanksgiving dinners.

The turkeys were named Pecan and Pumpkin and received a rose each after their pardon. They also took their place of honor in Disneyland’s Thanksgiving Parade!

The turkeys are set to spend the rest of their days in Disneyland!

According to a report from the US Center in Disease Control and Preention, as man as 12% of couples have had a much more difficult time getting pregnant back in 2002. Research has found out that the infertility may have been helped by low level pollutants like pesticides and dioxins.

The Center found that about 95% of the people that they tested found BPA in their systems. BPA can be found in plastic bottles, shatter proof baby bottles, cds, sunglasses and in some fast food. This explains why a majority of the population really get exposed to them.

BPA has also been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer and obesity.