Green Challenges Week 2: How did you do?!

Hello my little chickadees!

Well... I'm dying to know... how did you all do this week? How was your 'meatless Monday' experience, and what was the cause you settled on? Around here the week went pretty well. I am meatless every day, but everyone in my household went meatless at least one day this week. Which, considering my household, is pretty impressive!

As for causes, that one is much more personal. Everyone has a green issue that is near and dear to their heart. If you'd like to comment on what your passionate about, and hit us with some links, that would be wonderful!

But in the meantime...

Green Challenges: Week 2.

Green Challenge # 3: NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS! *said in 'Mommie Dearest' Joan Crawford crazy voice*. Now, I cannot lie to you, o readers of this blog, but I already do this one as well. But still, it's a goodie and it's very important. Because plastic bags end up in all sorts of awful places, they degrade very slowly, and they are all around bad. Therefore, I propose no more plastic bags! Get cloth ones, most grocery stores carry them, or just use bags you've got lying around the house.

I've carried stuff out of stores in purses, backpacks, folded up clothes.... whatever it is, as long as it's not plastic it's golden.

Think of it like your wallet. You couldn't buy anything from a store if you didn't have any money, could you? Same with the bags. If you cant transport it home without a plastic bag, you can't buy it. For some, this will be tricky, for others, this will be realllllly easy. As I say, everyone has struggles with different aspects of 'green living'. Comment and let us know how you fare/if you already do this/if so far these challenges are crazy easy/hard/silly....

Green Challenge #4: Know what you are putting on your skin/body. For those of you who did not know, personal care products are where some of the most hazardous, dangerous chemicals reside. Seriously, like, endocrine system disrupting, cancer causing, hormone alteringly bad. And the reason all of us are exposed to all of this is because much of this stuff is completely unregulated.

So, to aid you in your quest for safer personal care products, I give you the EWG: the Environmental Working Group. They've compiled many many lists of personal care products and the awful dangers that may be lurking in them. See what you use, check out the product, and be more aware of what you expose your body to on a daily basis. Check out the EWG here: http://www.ewg.org/.

Now, if you come to realize that much of your personal care stuffz is dangerous, you might want to go a different way. So, now behold many (many) links of safer products and DIY recipes for all your personal care needs:

The Clean Bin Project http://cleanbin.wordpress.com/?page_id=1164&preview=true

Lush Cosmetics http://www.lush.ca/shop/english?sc=1

Soapworks Canada http://puresoapworks.com/aboutus.htm

Pioneer Thinking http://www.pioneerthinking.com/teeth1.html

And again: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/beauty/hair/shampoo/jc_shampoo.html

Nature Moms Blog http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html

Okay, well, the challenges have been set. Will you rise to meet them?! Email/comment/visit the facebook page and let us know how everything turns out!

<3

Manicpanic

Ps. I triple double pinky promise times infinity that there will be some more posts coming really soon. I know I talk too much as it is ;)