Happy Halloween!

I hope you had, or are having, a super halloween. Our plans to go to Salem, MA fell through so we stayed here in Providence.

I'm giving myself a high five because I enjoyed pumpkin three ways today.
 

 

I carved my first Jack O' Lantern. Okay, Richard did most of the carving.

Even the cat is excited about the Jack O' Lantern.

I saved the seeds from inside the pumpkin and oven roasted them at 250 for about an hour with cinnamon, clove, ginger, maple syrup, sugar, salt, and canola oil. They are a little chewy. Maybe too much maple syrup or not enough heat? IDK. Either way, that's not stopping me from snacking on them!

I got almost a cup of seeds from one little pumpkin!

I also mixed pumpkin flesh with leftover tomato sauce and spaghetti for lunch. It's surprisingly delicious and filling! (So delicious, I ate it all before I thought to snap a pic!)

Richard's gorilla paws!

Tonight, we handed out candy to the kids. The best costume award goes to little Abraham Lincoln. The cutest trick-or-treater award goes the 4 foot tall boy in a brown furry teddy bear costume. A-dor-a-ble!

I feel like I should actually mention something that has to do with cleaning. Hmmm...Oh yes! I used rubbing alcohol to remove the black adhesive that held my craft fur mustache to my face. So easy!

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Pink Ribbons Tie Together Corporate Fluff

I just watched Pink Ribbons, Inc., a 2011 documentary that examines the corporate sponsored fight against breast cancer.

Surprise: Corporations like Revlon, Ford, Yoplait, the NFL, KFC, and many more are waving the pink ribbon to improve their image with female consumers and increase their bottom line. I already knew and was somewhat irritated by this (you probably are too). Once I saw the documentary I became extra miffed.

It seems corporations aren't really donating as much money to research for the cure as their ad campaigns would have us believe. Also, not much attention is given to making sure funds go towards research that isn't overlapping or would benefit ethnic or age groups beyond middle aged, White North American women.

Also interesting is that the pink ribbon culture shifts responsibility from corporations that produce and profit from products containing known carcinogens and the government which should be protecting us. The burden falls on victims and potential victims of cancer. There is a false implication that simply early detection will protect you from cancer or give you better chances of surviving. The message is that if you are upbeat and fight hard enough you will survive cancer. There is also the underlying suggestion that those who don't survive cancer have somehow failed at this.

You can see Pink Ribbons, Inc on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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1 in 8 women get breast cancer. If you'd like to help change this, get active with Breast Cancer Action, a group working to address and end the epidemic by putting patients before profit. You should totally check out their Think Before You Pink campaign.

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What did you do during Hurricane Sandy?

Thankfully, Hurricane Sandy has turned out to just be a terribly rainy and windy day here in Providence, at least on my block. We haven't lost energy or internet access. Instead, my boyfriend and I have gained a long weekend.

Today has been a day for doing everything really slowly and with pleasure and joy. I ate two breakfasts which I balanced out by doing two loads of laundry. (That's how it works, right?) I watched Amy Sedaris craft newspaper wigs with Clinton Kelly on The Chew. I took a superlong superhot afternoon shower just in case we ran out of hot water at some point. Of course, I also watched Mad Men and gorged on all things #Sandy on Instagram and Twitter.

My boyfriend Richard and I also made pumpkin-cranberry bread using produce from our CSA this late afternoon. It was my first time cooking with a real pumpkin! We veganized a recipe from the Joy of Baking. We used more baking powder and soda instead of eggs, 2 T canola oil in place of butter, and lots more pumpkin and maple syrup instead of sugar for general yumminess! It was delicious. I only wish we had nuts to balance out the moistness. Oh well, maybe next time we'll have the forethought to roast the pumpkin seeds.

The best thing about today was Richard played Connect Four with me. I haven't played it in a years. It's my favorite game since childhood, but I am pretty sure he hates it. He's such a good sport!

What did you do during Hurricane Sandy? I hope you were safe and warm! Sending lots of extra love to all my friends in NYC <3. Things look pretty bad there.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Oil Cleansing Method: 5 Week Follow-Up

Five weeks ago, I started using oil to clean my acne-prone skin. No, I'm not crazy. It's a real thing that lots of people have credited with miraculously improving the condition of their skin when other things didn't. Here's what I experienced:

The Good: My skin doesn't flip-flop from oily to dry like it used to when I used soap-based cleansing products. Once I do the oil cleansing method then apply a few drops of the oil as a leave on moisturizer and I'm good all day. This is excellent, especially as the weather gets cooler. Also, what's not to like about treating myself to a daily facial spa treatment?

The Bad: You truly need to have either a lot of washcloths or spare time to clean the same one everyday when you're done. I tried cleaning the single washcloth I own everyday. It became sort of a pain especially days I wanted to sleep in.

The Ugly: My zits, acne scars, and blackheads haven't gone anywhere.

Before

After 5 weeks of Oil Cleansing Method; no better or worse.

Conclusion: I think I'll buy more washcloths so I can continue the oil cleansing method trial for a few more months without going insane. During this period, I plan to toy with different carrier oils and essential oils. My latest mix includes essential oil of lavender, which took the lux factor up a zillion knotches. I hope to acquire some tamanu oil, which is suppose to be amazing for treating acne and scars.

I honestly think my acne is due to my hormones. I had zero acne and scars when I was taking Ortho Tri-cyclen (regular and lo) and I barely washed my face every other day back then! In that case, it makes sense that external treatment wouldn't solve it. Perhaps this means taking herbs internally could correct my hormonal balance. My friend Goddess Mishel said Murad supplements really made a big difference for her skin. And my herbalist friend Liz suggested a bunch of herbs for me to take in an infusion every day. Guess I'll have another experiment to share soon!

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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RISD 2nd Life Gives New Life to Old Art Supplies

I finally made it to RISD 2nd Life a couple of weeks ago.

2ndlife is a non-profit up-cycling materials center run by students of Rhode Island School of Design. They promote sustainability and creativity through the collection and redistribution of art supplies and materials back into the local community.

All are invited to shop from the cheap and well-organized stock of art supplies housed in the storefront shared with Expose, a gallery displaying student work. They sell paint, brushes, paper, fabric, plaster, beads, string, pens, charcoal, markers, wood... You name it, they have it! Well, maybe. They do rely on donations, after all. Still, I would definitely check this place before hitting up Utrecht or the RISD supply store.

While there I spied a table of paint tubes priced from $1 to $5. Most were almost half used, but some looked new.

Paint galore!

I picked up a pair of Tombow markers for $1 each from a cabinet teeming with Sharpies and other drawing instruments. I was a little skeptical, as I had no way of knowing how much ink remained inside them. I've done lots of juicy, colorful drawings with them, so even if they kick the bucket at this point I feel like I've gotten my money's worth. That and the good feeling that comes with keeping useful things out of landfills.

RISD 2nd Life is located at 204 Westminster Street between Dorrance and Eddy Streets in DownCity.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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24 Awesome Uses for Lemon

I love lemons! They're gorgeous, tart, and bright-- just like me! They're also very versatile. I discovered hundreds of fantastic household uses for lemons, lemon peels, and lemon juice. Here are two dozen of my favorites. I can't wait to try them all! (Sort of.)

• Red nail polish loving divas take note: Rubbing lemon wedges on your finger nails will remove yellow and leave you with brighter nails.
• Clean a filthy microwave: Put a halved lemon in a microwave-safe bowl with about 1/4 cup of water and nuke it, uncovered, for two minutes or longer.
• Squeeze lemon juice over a fruit salad or other cut fruit like avocados, apples, and pears to keep it from browning.
• Mother Earth Living says lemons can also revive wilted lettuces:  Place the lettuce in a bowl of cold water with the juice from one lemon.
• Reader's Digest suggests burning some lemon peels along with your firewood to prevent fireplace stench. I've never smelled funky fireplace besides when my cat used it as a litter box (yikes!), but maybe that's a problem for people.
• A bowl of lemons is a cheap kitchen decorating move that looks classy!
• Make your own citrus enzyme cleaner.
• Kill weeds by spraying them with lemon juice (via TreeHugger).
• To brighten white laundry: Add 1/2 to 1cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle of your washer. Hang clothes to dry in the sun. 
• Lemon juice with honey is great for sore throats. I usually just toss some of both in with hot tea, but Real Simple takes it to the next level: "Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture." I recommend using organic lemons if you're going to consume the peels.
• Remove mineral deposits and hard water stains by rubbing a lemon wedge on affected area, rinsing, and buffing.

• Rub a lemon half covered with salt to dissolve and scrub grease-splattered messes in the kitchen.
• Folks say lemon with salt will remove rust. It didn't work on my bike, but maybe it works better on fabric and less rusty things. 
• Salted lemon will also shine copper, chrome, brass and stainless steel. How do I know? I read it on Care2.com's list of 22 Uses for Lemon Peels.
• Disinfect a wooden cutting board: Cover a halved lemon with some salt. Rub into the cutting board. Rinse with hot water.
• According to Mrs.Clean, lemon juice and salt will remove pit stains on shirts. What can't lemon juice and salt clean? 
• I have no idea if this works or not, but lots of online resources say lemon juice is a bug deterrent. Sources recommend squeezing lemon juice near doorways and windowsills, as well as leaving lemon rinds near entrances and holes. Reader's Digest also says: "Mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell." 
• Lemon juice gets rid of fleas on cats too (eHow explains). 
• Speaking of cats, Apartment Therapy suggests: To keep cats from using your lawn as a litter box, mix lemon peels and coffee grounds and distribute it around their favorite spots. If they don't take the hint, lay down a second batch and try moistening it with a bit of water.
• If your hands smell or are covered with germy things like raw fish or meat, try cleaning them with lemon juice.
• Make furniture polish with 1 part lemon juice and 2 parts olive or walnut oil. Only make as much as you think you'll use that same day, as this mixture is perishable. Otherwise use lemon essential oil to make one that will last longer. 
• Rub fresh orange or lemon peels over your exposed skin to keep away mosquitoes and gnats. Hmm...I can't help but imagine you'd need to rub a lot of oil off of those peels for this to work, but I guess it can't hurt to try in a pinch. (via Apartment Therapy)
• Huffington Post reports that you can clean the inside of a toilet with lemon juice and borax. 
• HuffPo also says a few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep it from sticking to the pot, making clean-up a lot easier. Yay! 

If you're like me, you're not the kind of person who always has lemons in the house. No bigs. You can squeeze and freeze lemon juice in an ice cube tray so you'll always have small amounts of lemon juice handy. You can also freeze lemon peels and wedges in freezer bags. This is a nice thing to remember when you see lemons are on sale at the grocery store or when your lemons are about to go bad.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Do You Plan to Use a Humidifier this Winter?

I'm thinking about buying a humidifier. I keep hearing how awesome they are from friends who have one. According to AllergyBeGone.com, humidifiers:

• Help prevent winter infections, and alleviate the symptoms of cold, flu, and asthma attacks by keeping the mucous membranes that protect your respiratory airways moist. Proper humidity also helps relieve sinus pains and dry, sore throat.
• Help prevent dry, itchy skin and chapped lips.
• Prevent wooden objects (furniture, musical instruments, hardwood floors) from cracking and warping.

If you'll be using a humidifier, you'll need to clean and disinfect it weekly to keep bacteria and mold from thriving and spreading about your home. Jillee shows us how at her superfun blog, One Good Thing. I suggest skipping the bleach and using hydrogen peroxide as an alternative, of course.

Adorable children's humidifier at Magic Beans.

Of course, I worry about the environmental impact of adding another appliance to the mix. According to Sylvane, in-duct humidifiers are the least expensive to run and most energy-efficient humidifiers to use in the long-run, but I'm a renter so that's really not going to happen. 

Thankfully, there are ways to increase indoor humidity without using a humidifier.

• If it isn't cold outside, open a window, especially on rainy days.
• Keep the bathroom door open during and after showers and baths.
• Rest a baking pan or pot full of water on radiators to create steam. (I got this trick from my mom!)
• Hanging laundry to dry is another great way to add some humidity indoors. 
• Houseplants, and their damp soil, are great sources of indoor humidity. 
• Open the dishwasher once the dishes are cleaned. This allows dishes to air dry and spreads some juicy steam throughout the kitchen.

Do you plan on using a humidifier this winter? Do you have a humidifier that you love? Have any other ideas for keeping humidity up indoors?

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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How to Craft a Cat Toy with Fresh Catnip

I made four cat toys filled with catnip from my CSA share. Here's a detailed account of what I did. This should allow even folks with limited sewing skills to make a simple cat toy with ease in about 10 minutes.

I started with a bunch of catnip I dried myself a few weeks ago. (You can read how I did that here.)

Hanging catnip to dry.

I used scissors to snip only the leaves into a bowl. I saved the stems for composting since (according to a brief internet research session) they don't have the same cat crazing power as the leaves.

That bunch of catnip made about a cup and a half of catnip!

I gathered more supplies: scissors, marker, scrap paper, craft thread, needle, and felt. I drew a simple fish and cut it out to create a template/pattern.

Everything you need to make a catnip filled toy.

I placed two pieces of felt on top of each other and cut them into fish shapes using the template. (I used different colors of felt for fun, but obviously one color totally works). During this step, you might find that pinning the pieces of felt and the template together is very helpful. If you don't have sewing pins handy, just use the needle. That's what I did.

Starting at the corner of the fin (and pushing the needle up through the underside), I began to sew the two felt pieces together using a running stitch around the outside of the fish. Once I got to the bottom opposite corner of the fin, I stopped sewing and filled the fish with dried catnip using the opening.

While it did free my other hand to take this photo, using the template as a funnel wasn't necessary because my catnip was so chunky. If your catnip is finer, it may be helpful. 

I then continued sewing so that I stitched the fish closed.

The final stitch.

Success!

Slightly more advanced variations:

• Stitch a bead or button to the toy to create eyes. (Don't do this if your cat eats things that aren't food!)
• You can also create eyes with a french knot to stay on the safe side.
• Use a split stitch to create a smile.
• Try making toys in different shapes by drawing different templates.
• Use a sewing machine.  

Clockwise from top left: Tree sewed using machine (except for attaching trunk to top). Fish with French knot eyes and split stitch smile. Simple fish. Fish with bead eyes and split stitch mouth.

Other random tips:

• If you don't have lots of catnip but want a super plush toy, stuff some of the toy with bits of felt scraps. Just make sure you put in enough catnip for your cat to have a good time (about 2 tablespoons).
• Best thing about this project? As long as it has catnip inside of it, your cat will be happy so no need to really stress over how it looks!
• Squeeze toy every now and then to rejuvenate catnip. Putting it in the freezer in a plastic bag for a bit also works.
• Store unused catnip in a glass jar or small tin canister.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Sending Long-distance Love this Week via Social Media

Hi friends! I'm vacationing in Colorado this week: October 13-18. First stop Denver, then the Rocky Mountains. God willing, I won't be spending much time online.

(Image via Flickriver user Shook Photos)

Since I'll have my iPhone, I'll share some photos and long-distance love via Twitter (I'm @itsolivialane), Instagram (same handle), and the Olivia Cleans Green facebook page. Most of it will be off-topic, but I'm just saying this is a way to keep in touch in case you miss me. I'll miss you!

I hope you'll have fun poking around my archives of old blog posts and visiting sites on my resources page while I am away. You can see some of the most popular recent posts on the right side bar of my website. Here are links to five of my favorite posts. If you read one a day this week, it will be like I was never gone!

• 4 Easy Green Cleaning Supermarket Swaps
• How to Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda
• Plastic Albatross' Domestic Detox
• Green Guinea Pig: Vodka Armpits
• 3 Reasons Why Owning Less is More

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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5 Reasons to Take My Green Cleaning Workshop

I'm prepping materials for Crafty Cleaning: Make Your Own Green Cleaning Kit, the workshop I'm teaching at Craftland on Thursday, 10/25 6-7:30pm. I'm superexcited because this will be the first time I'll actually have students mix up stuff in class. We'll make:

• 2 kinds of all-purpose spray cleaners
• scrub cleaner
• mold & mildew killer
• HDTV screen cleaner
• We'll also try our hand at something completely experimental...enzyme cleaner! 

Yup, we're going to start our own citrus enzyme cleaner from lemons and yeast. According to Jillee and the commentators at One Good Thing, it's pretty easy to make and cleans really well. I can't wait! I haven't fermented anything since forgetting OJ in my thermos for a couple weeks back in grade school.

You're probably thinking, "Olivia's been really excellent about sharing green cleaning tips on her blog, so why should I take this class?" Here are five reasons why:

• Let's be honest, sometimes it's hard to make the leap from "Yeah, that's a good idea. I should do that" to "Done." If you commit to this class, you'll have made that leap in one fun evening.
• I'm bringing everything you need to make the cleaning products, including spray bottles, jars, and essential oils.
• It's always more fun to try new things with a group.
• You'll leave with green cleaning products that you can start using immediately.
• You'll leave with the knowledge to make even more.

If there is anything you'd like to learn in class, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to cover it.

Register for the workshop here.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Do it: Go Un-shopping in Your Closet

Goodbye sundresses. Hello sweater dresses! I finally swapped my summer clothes for cold weather clothes. Columbus Day Weekend is my biannual three-day un-shopping fest.

Take my fashion advice; I'm Lucky! (Image via luckymag.com circa October 2010.)

What's un-shopping? It's basically taking time to examine your wardrobe and asking yourself the question "Would I buy this again?" of every item in your closet. It's a great way to purge clothes you never wear as well as clothes you should never wear. If it feels bad against your skin, is a pain to launder or otherwise care for, doesn't fit well, doesn't project the right image, doesn't fit the kind of lifestyle you want to live, or doesn't make you feel beautiful, then you need to give it the boot! You've got to get rid of ho-hum clothing to let the clothing that speaks your truth sing.

I purged a Whole Foods grocery bag full of clothes that weren't working, including three similar casual long-sleeved striped cotton t-shirts. They have a really wide necks which don't keep me warm, the patterns are pedestrian, and they don't coordinate well with the rest of my wardrobe of mostly cute dresses.

It's weird because there was winter when I wore at least one of those shirts every week and you couldn't tell me anything, but I just realized that I actually hate those shirts. Does it mean I never liked them? Does it mean I looked foolish at one point but had no idea? Does it mean I have bad taste? Does it mean I wasted money? Who cares? What's important is I'm moving on to a less cluttered and more fashionable present!

I love un-shopping because it gives me a chance to reinvigorate my wardrobe, not only for free but with abundance. Now, I have a bag of clothes I can easily grab to share at a last minute clothing swap with girlfriends or via a collection for the needy. I also sorted out a few select pieces that I'd like to transform into new clothes using the skills I picked up at Metamorfixx workshops. I'm giving myself the deadline of Memorial Day (the next biannual un-shopping day) to make sure these sewing projects happen or else the clothes are going in the giveaway bag that day.

Look in your closet and go un-shopping. Do you have anything to purge?

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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8 Great Self-Care Websites To Visit This Fall

Fall is my favorite season because it's when I indulge in superdeluxe self-care. Thick cable knit tights, fuzzy sweaters, steaming bowls of soup... Oh!

Enjoying a warming bowl of homemade cabbage soup for lunch as I write this. Mmm!

Here are a few of the websites I've been visiting lately to get invigorating reminders and creative ideas for treating my mind, body, and spirit right.

Hey Fran Hey: "Natural beauty, nutrition & fitness. All with a bohemian twist!" Friendly Francheska shares easy, organic, and inexpensive DIY tips and tricks. (I love her tutorial videos on YouTube!)

Food Heaven Made Easy: "Finally, a fun, healthy cooking show with flavor!" Stylish Wendy and Jess share their food and nutrition expertise and enthusiasm. Lots of vegan recipes and food ideas!

Leonie Dawson: "Incredible Life, Incredible Business" Leonie might be the most authentically positive person on the internet. I've just begun the Creative Goddess e-Course, but just visiting her main site and reading her blog posts gives me a powerful boost of "Si Se Puede"! Check out her free goodies package to get a taste of her e-course magic!

Mama Gena's School of the Womanly Arts: Mama Gena is all about Pleasure and P**** Power! Her book was one of the most fun, revolutionary books I have ever read.

FLO Living: Alisa Vita empowers women get their hormones in balance for a happier body and life. I've learned so much just from her newsletters and blog posts!

Ms. MindBody: When I first started my business I might have become a living (or dying, depending on how you wanna look at it) ball of tension were it not for Kate Hanley's newsletters suggesting short meditation practices that can be done "anywhere, anytime".

Daisy Yellow: Self-taught artist Tammy shares her playful and devoted approach to daily creativity by hosting online art challenges that are more community than competition. The Daily Paper Prompts challenge just ended but check out her amazingly helpful beginner's guide to art journaling.

Melissa Danielle: In addition to being The Bad Ass Blender Woman, she's a self-professed "know-it-all." When I have a food or social media question, Melissa is one of the first people I turn to. I also love that Melissa asks thought provoking questions and shares fantastic resources on Twitter and Facebook.

What are your favorite online self-care resources?

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Sweet & Surprising Uses for Honey

Thanks to our CSA, we've got a sweet stash of local honey in our cupboard, way more than we need for our default honey uses: sore throat soother and sweetener. I wondered what else we could do with it.

According to Benefits-of-Honey.com, "The benefits of honey don't just stop at satisfying the palate. Honey also offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant ,and cleansing properties for our body and health, hot beauty and skin care tips for ladies, and amazing healing properties as a head-to-toe remedy, from eye conjunctivitis to athlete foot." Honey softens skin, clears up acne, balances metabolism, and does what seems to be a million other magical things.

The Huffington Post reports 20 Unusual Uses for Honey. I can't wait to try #17: Beautify your Hair: "In the shower, after you wash your, coat the ends with a bit of honey. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing out and you'll find that your hair is less frizzy and extra conditioned."

Care2.com covers 13 Surprising Uses for Honey. Tip #2 points out that honey is a nature's Neosporin. Just apply it to minor cuts, burns, and scrapes. Tip #5 recommends harnessing the fantastic moisturizing power of honey by using it to treat dry patches, like elbows, hands, and lips. "Rub onto your dry, patchy skin and let it sit for about 30 minutes before washing off." I look forward to giving this a go in the winter when my hands seem to be perpetually cracked and chapped.

Tonight I think I'll try the olive oil and honey body scrub I read about on Get Along and Go.

Of course, the quality of the honey affects these benefits. It shouldn't come as a surprise that most of the honey in supermarkets is crap. Know your source. Talk to your beekeeper.

Many ethical vegans choose not to use honey out of respect for bees, but some beekeepers find a way to respect bees and get honey out of the deal. (Yes, really.) I recommend getting friendly with those folks. Beekeeping seems to be trending now in urban areas, so that shouldn't be too hard.

While we're on the topic of bees, I suggest checking out Vanishing of the Bees, a documentary on the mysterious mass disappearance of bees around the world. It's available on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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How to Unclog a Drain Naturally & Prevent Future Clogs

You can unclog a sink or bathtub drain with baking soda and vinegar. These work, but I also highly recommend using a Zip-It. In fact, you should use it first.

Zip-It is a long, thin piece of plastic that has tiny hooks on its sides and a thumb grip on the top. You can purchase it at your hardware store for about $3. You can also grab a Zip-It on Amazon. To use, you just slide it deep into your drain then pull it up. Try not to puke when you see all the hair and grime that comes up. The Zip-It packaging suggests throwing it away when you're done. I don't. I remove the gunk and clean the Zip-It by first rinsing it under warm water then spraying it with a vinegar-based cleaner.

Sometimes the Zip-It is enough. Other times the drain needs more help. In those instances, I make a drain volcano with baking soda and white vinegar.

To make a drain volcano:

• Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. This is a great use for baking soda once its tour of duty in the fridge is through.
• Chase it with 1/2 cup of vinegar and quickly cover the drain with a stopper. 
• After 30 minutes pass, flush the drain with a kettle full of boiling water.

Usually, the drain is clean after this. If it isn't, I suggest calling a plumber. I've used this method many times with success. Twice it failed and I resorted to using commercial cleaners. Both times I tried the natural kind (Earthworm) and the block remained so I resorted to nasty chemical solutions (Liquid Plumr or Draino) and guess what? The drain was still blocked. In each instance that the natural way failed, only a plumber was able to clean the drain using a snake. I've concluded that the drain volcano is at least as powerful as commercial drain cleaners, so it's better to save your money for a plumber instead of tossing it (and your commitment to the environment) down the drain if this natural solution doesn't work.

Image via EnviroMom. Read her praises of the wire mesh sink strainer.

I've noticed that our drains cleaner so much longer once we removed the built-in drain stoppers from the tub and sinks. We replaced them with wire mesh hair traps (aka sink strainers). We've tried a few different kinds and the wire mesh are the absolute best. They also happen to be the cheapest!

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Is Borax Bad for You?

Borax scored an F on EWG's 2012 Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Yikes! This comes as a surprise to me. I've been singing praises for borax (which is not the same thing as boric acid) as a natural cleaning agent to friends and family since I started cleaning green. In fact, almost every green cleaning book and website I've read has had only good things to say about it.

The product on the right may have to go.

According to Environmental Working Group's research, borax's ingredients have a "high concern [for] developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects; [along with] some concern [for] skin irritation/allergies/damage, respiratory effects." These ingredients are sodium borate, which they conclude may damage unborn child and fertility, and sodium borate anhydrous, which showed "clear evidence of endocrine disruption in at least one animal study", some "upper respiratory tract irritation", and the same dangers to fertility and unborn child.

While I'm concerned, I'm mostly confused. I'm not sure how much weight to give the results of a study done on non-human animals. The humans studied showed greater risk for decreased libido and sperm count, but they worked in a borax factory! Exactly how much borax does one need to absorb via skin, inhale, or ingest for it to be harmful?

I assume the workers were exposed to way more sodium borate than your average home user. Of course, this predicament begs the question: is a product ethical if the workers who make it are in danger? One could ask the same thing about many products and services though.

Years ago, a study linked essential oils of lavender and tea tree oil to gynecomastia, male breast growth, in three young boys. I bring this up because the study concludes: "The threshold might depend on several undefined factors, including the concentration of the oil in a product; the duration, frequency, and quantity of use of the product; and the genetic characteristics of persons exposed." I don't see people clamoring to end all use of essential oils. Most informed people  respect the power of botanicals and use essential oils with this power in mind. Perhaps we should learn more about borax before we deem it absolutely unsafe for home cleaning.

I'm not sure where I stand on the borax safety issue. I wish there were more answers available. In the meantime, I'm going to use washing soda as an alternative (it scored an A), and dip into my supply of borax sparingly. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. I just hate to be one of those people who doesn't have the full story and as a result is needlessly afraid of practically everything. I don't want to live in fear. I want to live abundantly!

What do you think? Do you use borax? Would you continue to use it?

Read more:
Avoid Borax in Your Green Cleaning Products (via Mother Nature Network)
Borax: Not the Green Alternative It's Cracked Up to Be (via Enviroblog)
Getting to the Bottom of Borax: Is it safe or Not (via CrunchyBetty)

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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Can You Stop a Cat from Scratching the Sofa with Vinegar?

I just read on vinegartips.com that you can stop your cat from scratching furniture by spraying it with white vinegar. Within two minutes of reading this, I sprayed our entire sofa. I would recommend that you spot test the interaction of the vinegar with the material of your furniture, but I was at my wit's end. My cat Lucy has been ripping it to ribbons for years so I am anxious to see if the smell deters her.

On CatsScratching.com, Veterinarian Christianne Schelling offers a plethora of tips for dealing with wayward cats. She suggests covering the spots your cat scratches with aluminum foil or double sided tape. Spraying scratched spots with pet odor removers may also work. (Yay! Another use for Nature's Miracle!) She also says shooting a cat with water while she's scratching might change her behavior, but that hasn't worked with Lucy.

Dr. Schelling emphasizes that it's equally important to provide cats with an attractive alternative scratching surface. That seems fair. Lucy loves to scratch her Emery Cat and the sofa. Our living room is a regular cat amusement park as far as she's concerned! But the vet recommends a sisal post at least 28" high to enable a cat to stretch the full length of her body, so maybe the Emery Cat isn't enough. You can buy a post for $60 or more (whoa!) at PurrfectPost.com. I'm thinking about making my own.

Have you had any success getting your cat to stop scratching the sofa? What worked for you? (Please don't suggest declawing because that's just mean!)

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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What's Wrong with Chlorine Bleach

 Chlorine bleach is bad news for your health and the environment.

Image via EPA.gov

• Chlorine bleach has been linked to the increased amount of childhood illnesses such as cancer, asthma, autism, ADD, and allergies.
• The fumes from chlorine bleach can affect the nervous system, the respiratory system, and our immune system.
• Bleach is highly caustic. It can burn skin and eyes and even cause blindness.
• People with eczema will find wearing clothes laundered with bleach exasperates their skin condition. 
• Bleach can be accidentally mixed with other household chemicals to create dangerous gases. Mixing ammonia with bleach creates a toxic gas that affects you instantly. Years ago, while mopping, my mom forgot there was already ammonia in a pail and added bleach. She ended up having to call an ambulance as she couldn't breathe or see.
• Bleach used in our homes always ends up in nature. There it can create organochlorines (furans & dioxins), which are suspected carcinogens as well as reproductive, neurological, and immune-system toxins. 
• Bleach is a pesticide. If eating organic foods or using organic skin care products is important to you, then avoiding use of pesticides in cleaning and laundry is something else to consider.

What are alternatives to chlorine bleach?

Image via Green Cupboards

If you're using bleach for laundry, consider using oxygen bleach. You can identify powder oxygen bleach because the ingredients will say "100% sodium percarbonate." The ingredient of liquid oxygen bleach is "hydrogen peroxide."

Borax and washing soda are other great laundry bleach alternatives. I hear great things about lemon juice, sunlight, and white vinegar (add up to 1 cup with the detergent).  You could also think about not wearing white clothes and using white linens. Just sayin'. I love my stone colored towels and cream colored sheets.

If you're using bleach to kill germs, you have lots of green options. Seventh Generation makes a line of great botanical disinfectants. Bio-Kleen's Power23 is a disinfecting spray. You could also mix your own. Here's one recipe that kills germs and mold: 2 cups distilled water and 20 drops tea tree oil.

I should admit, I'm a little weary of this urge our society has to kill germs. Why are we killing them? Chances are no one in our house has swine or bird flu. Why are corporations endangering our health and the environment to kill germs that we have no conclusive evidence are hurting us as badly as the conventional cleaning agents we use to zap them? Also, didn't these zoological diseases come from over use of antibiotics and antivirals? Just wondering. I'm not a scientist or doctor.

Resources:
Pollution Issues UK 
Practically Green
Toxic Free Kids
Green and Clean Mom

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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