corporate paints, varnishes, and latexes are off-gassing and are bad for our lungs, brain, skin, and everything else. There are so many toxins around us that reducing this in our personal environment is essential. Gather the following:
Ingredients
2 cups wheat flower
6 cups cold water
3 cups boiling water
2/3 cup mica filler (available at any art or craft store)
1 cup screened clay (easily found at any art or craft shop)
Natural dye of your choice: tea, turmeric, berry juice, wine, or other organize colorant
Instructions
Whisk the flour into a bowl of 3 cups of cold water; add the flour mixture into 3 cups boiling water and cook at simmer for 10 more minutes. Mix very well. Now remove from the heat and add in the remaining 3 cups of cold water. Let cool while you mix the mica and clay together in a separate bowl thoroughly and fold into the flour paste. Feel free to add natural coloring agents such as tea, turmeric, berry juice, wine, or whatever color you need for your décor. Flour paint is especially useful as a substitute “white wash” for outdoor walls, fences, and sheds. It usually requires more than one coat of paint, especially if used for indoor walls or furniture. As you can tell from the ingredients, this has way less chemicals in it and is a natural as can be. Stop breathing in unneeded toxins; grab a brush and start beautifying!
Use this book as your guide to a happier, healthier, and greener life. Live green and prosper!
Whether it’s leftovers from a meal or spoiled food from the fridge, you’re probably trashing more food than you should. People tend to ignore food waste because it is organic and easily broken down in nature.
Plan Ahead
The best way to eliminate wasted food is to plan your meals before you cook and shop. Knowing what meals are coming up means that you’ll only be buying what you need. It also helps with all those forgotten items that you’ve bought but never got around to using.
Watch the Expiration Dates
Those silly dates on our food are the cause of a great deal of waste because people toss perfectly fine products just because of the date. Within reason, those dates are just guides. Most food products are good for many days if not weeks longer. Keep an eye on the dates, and plan to use food that is expiring soon.
Use Your Freezer
If you are getting worried that something in your fridge may not get used in time, it might be smarter to toss it in the freezer before it’s too late. Meats and many vegetables can be frozen for several months.
Don’t Shun Leftovers
Leftover food shouldn’t be tossed or ignored until it’s no good. Make it part of your routine to serve leftovers during the week or use them in other dishes. Leftover vegetables or pasta can be added to soup, and leftover meats can jazz up a stir fry. Get creative and you’ll save money and trash at dinnertime.
Now, this tip is about buying bulk foods (the kind where you bag your own) and not just buying large quantities at Costco. Most people know this can be a way to save money with grocery staples like sugar, flour or beans, but there is a great environmental aspect to bulk food too. It’s all about the packaging or, really, the lack of packaging.
The specifics vary by the type of food. Some foods are already sold in recyclable packages anyway, so the bigger benefit lies in products that are sold in non-recyclable materials. Things that come in foil-based packages, some types of paper packaging, or all those types of plastic you can’t put in your blue bin are examples where bulk is better.
Using non-packaged bulk food in your home can save thousands of pounds of garbage each year. Another benefit to buying food at a bulk store is that you can control your quantities better, which can mean less waste if you only need a small amount. Why buy a package that has more than you need?
| If you haven’t spent any time in a bulk food store recently, the variety of foods available is surprising. Larger stores will carry all your usual baking ingredients, as well as bins of dried fruit, pet food, pasta, candy, coffee, spices, trail mixes, dry cereal, and a lot more. Really good bulk food chains are also carrying plenty of organic options. | |
| Get a collection of containers to keep your bulk goodies in. The bags you get at the store are fine for some things, but a sturdier tub or jar would be better for most stuff. Save your old spaghetti sauce or peanut butter jars for free containers. | |
| Start shopping at your bulk store next time you need a few things, and see how much money and garbage you can save. |
Turn off your tap when you’re not actually using it. Most people let it run for several reasons, and every one equals a sizable waste in water.
The biggest culprit is running water while you brush your teeth. Just shut off the water while you scrub your teeth. It’s a very simple tip that won’t disrupt your life though it may seem awkward at first to keep turning the tap on and off as you rinse off your brush. You’ll get the hang of it.
That’s not the only time people tend to let the faucet flow. Are you letting the water run to get it nice and cold for a drink? Keep a jug of tap water in the fridge instead, so you can get a cold glass of water without the waste. It’s quicker, too.
If you wash your dishes by hand, running the tap until the water is hot is another problem. Depending on how quickly your water heats up, you can waste up to a gallon each time you run it. Since you
