Green Paige

My new mantra is:

When life throws lemons at you, make lemon drop martinis.

Actually, my mantra should be:

When life floods your kitchen, livingroom and basement with several gallons of hot water destroying your floors, walls and cupboards, remodel green.

 

Yes, last week we awoke at 6:00am to find our walls and windows dripping with steam.  When we rushed into our kitchen, we found it transformed into a hot tub complete with a floating bamboo fruit bowl.  After the initial shock, we decided to make a bad situation a good opportunity for a eco-friendly remodel.  Here is our plan for creating a healthy, environmentally-friendly kitchen on a limited budget:

• Salvage and Reuse - Save money and keep items that have plenty of use out of the local landfill by salvaging.  We updated our kitchen last summer with a new sink, faucet, countertops, cupboard hardware, stove and Energy Star  refrigerator.  Our goal is to reuse as many of these items as we can. 
• Recycle - Before making plans to remodel, devise a plan for disposing of the materials that cannot be salvaged for your own project. Locate an architectural salvage and deconstruction company that will gently remove items that have the potential of being used again somewhere else.  You can also donate items to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.  We checked with both our city and county government web pages and found several listings for local recycling outlets.  
• Consider Your Health - In an eco remodel, your top priority should be your health.  We found that we had asbestos in both our floors and walls.  In order to make this project and our home safe and healthy, we have called in a professional asbestos abatement team to remove the items and dispose of them properly.
• Upgrade - Replace damaged items with good quality, energy-efficient appliances.  Since our faulty faucet caused the flood, we will replace our faucet with a better quality model that will help us save water.  We are also installing a Water Cop automatic water shut-off system to help prevent future water damage.  Most insurance companies will offer a discount for early-warning systems like this as well as energy-efficient appliances like our tankless water heater by Rinnai.  In our case, it worked so well it flooded our house with hot water.
• Plan For The Future - Look at the big picture when you are planning your new kitchen.  Our old, 1970’s kitchen was cozy but it wasn’t very energy-efficient and it certainly didn’t meet the needs of our growing family.  I found it difficult to cook in, dark and lacking in storage.  In planning our new kitchen, we are taking all these things into consideration as well as thinking about the future of our family and this space.  
• Do Your Research - A good eco kitchen should be able to accomodate the ever-changing needs of a family.  Some resources to help you with your own remodeling plans are: “Good Green Kitchens” and “Good Green Homes” by Jennifer Roberts.  Both books are packed with great information from asbestos hazards to remodeling a 1970’s house to keeping on budget.  One of my favorite books is Sarah Susanka’s “The Not So Big House.”  She says, “The kitchen is the heart of the house, and the Not So Big House should have a big heart.  If we acknowledge that the kitchen is where we want to be, then we should make the kitchen accessible and open to all the living areas of the house.”  I love this quote and I love this idea.  I have also found Natural Home and Garden and Mother Earth News magazines to have some fantastic articles comparing Earth-friendly flooring materials and cabinet options.

If you have ideas or resources you can recommend to us as we work through this remodeling project, please comment.  We welcome all ideas.  Here’s to making lemon drop martinis from lemons and a great green space from an inefficient 1970’s kitchen.

I love soup for many reasons.  It’s  economical.  It’s filling.  It’s easy.  And it’s a great way to use local, seasonal products.  One of my favorite Winter soups has to be clam chowder.  It’s perfect for Winter since your main vegetables are easy to find in the cold weather months.  Here is my family’s basic clam chowder recipe:

Wintery Clam Chowder

1 tbl sp. of organic extra virgin olive oil

1 large, white onion (diced)

2 large organic carrots (diced)

1/2 cup of corn starch or tapioca starch

2 cups combination of clam and chicken broth (Save the broth from the canned clams.  It will be a bit less than 2 cups.  Use the chicken broth to make up the difference.)

2 cups organic milk (2%)

2 (6.5 oz) cans of minced clams

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tbl sp. dried parsley

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. crushed thyme

1 bay leaf

black pepper to taste

4 cups organic Russet potatoes  (peeled and diced)

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
2. Add the onions and carrots.  Saute until softened. 
3. Gradually stir in the starch.  Stir thoroughly scraping the bottom of the pan.
4. Gradually stir in broth.  Scrap the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure the starch is thoroughly incorporated and not clumping.
5. Stir in the milk until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add clams and spices. 
7. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add diced potatoes and bring the soup back to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust seasons with salt and pepper if needed.

This soup is wonderful paired with rosemary rolls and a light salad.  If you are on Weight Watchers, this soup is only 4 points a cup.  Enjoy!

What exactly is eco-style?  Susie Matson, professional organizer and owner of Savvy Spaces, defines eco-style as natural, affordable and realistic.

   

For me, the basis of eco-style is redesign-using a combination of natural elements with items that you already have to make your home more beautiful, comfortable and functional.

In this era of green washing and high-end design, we have come to expect a high price tag attached to anything associated with the terms green, sustainable or ecological.  “Not so,” claims Susie.  Even though she doesn’t market herself as an eco-organizer, Susie has always had a passion for reusing and repurposing.

   

When my husband and I first started dating, I didn’t tell him that I did most of my shopping at thrift stores and flea markets.  One day, I had my head down in a bin at the Salvation Army when I looked up and spotted him on the other side of the store sorting through his own pile of stuff.  Our eyes met and we both realized that we had met our match.

When redesigning your home, Susie recommends starting with one room at a time.

   

When I am decorating a room, I like to take time to sit in that space, be still, clear my mind and feel the energy of the room.  It helps me define what’s missing and what needs editing.

Ask yourself if it’s too dark or too heavy on one side?  Are there too many plants or not enough plants?  Does the room get enough light? What is the purpose of this room going to be?  Susie believes that these questions will help give you direction.

I feel that your home should restore, rejuvenate and energize you.  When you walk in the door, you should feel that it’s good to be here. 

Susie’s eight quick tips for redesigning your home with eco-style:

1. Get Inspired - Find an inspiration item that will help you visualize a theme for your redesign.  Susie suggests choosing something that will work well with the purpose of the room.  For example, a vintage postcard from Hawaii could be the inspiration for a bathroom redesign.
2. Shop Your Home - Most of us tend to scatter the things we love throughout our living space.  By shopping our home and gathering together items that would work well with our theme, we can actually create a fresh look for that space.  Susie recommends choosing items based on texture and color.
3. Repurpose - Visualize Aunt Martha’s old, blue suitcase as a table top for a nightstand.  Don’t be afraid to break the rules and use a bedroom dresser as a buffet table or mix things up a bit by displaying antique gardening tools in the kitchen. By using things that you have collected throughout the years, you make a statement about you and your family.
4. Find Your Soul Color - Susie advises decorating a room with colors that restore you.  “I have this theory that we all have our own soul color.  I tend to love Earth tones but the color that restores me is green,” says Susie.  She suggests using furniture or carpet with neutral colors.  You can always change out pillows or art work to give your room punch.
5. Stylize - Decorate your home in ways that really suit you, that speak to you. “When you come in to my house, although I love rocks, you won’t find a granite countertop anywhere,” admits Susie.  ”It’s not my style.  That’s not to say they’re not stylish but it’s not what my style is really about.”  If you need help defining your style, visit HGTV  and search for style quiz.
6. Keep It Natural - Susie suggests using natural elements like wood, stone and shells to create your eco-style.  “I try to keep plastics and appliances put away because they make a room feel cold.”  Natural decorations bring the outdoors in and make you feel close to the Earth.  “I have this bowl in my living room that I change out all year long.  I put sand in it with seashells, pinecones, Christmas balls, or seed pods.  It’s an interactive accessory.”
7. Trade - Exchange things with other people.  Susie explains, “I have friends that I am so close to that we know each other’s styles.  If I have something they could use in their home redesign, I happily give it to them knowing that it will be loved and reused.” 
8. Reuse - When you do buy things for your home, buy used.  Buy things that speak to you and your own personal style.  Don’t buy what’s trendy and decorate for trend appeal.  Trends are short lived and don’t perpetuate reuse.

As a professional organizer and amateur treasure hunter, Susie Matson has spent her life saving money and the environment.

I know some people think that they can’t afford to live a more sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle because green products and services are just too expensive.  That tells me that they are working with the wrong definition of green.

For more redesigning tips, contact Susie Matson of Savvy Spaces.

I don’t have the time to make my own cleaning products!  That was always my argument.  After all, it’s easier to pick up a package of sparkling blue tablets that will shine my toilet so brilliantly I will be able to see my face reflected in the bowl. Who doesn’t want house cleaning to be less time consuming?  What we don’t want is to sacrifice our family’s health and safety to do it.

If you read the labels of your favorite cleaning products as I did, you will discover that some of these brightly packaged solvents are manufactured using petroleum products, phosphates/EDTA and chlorine bleach which are harmful to the environment.  They can also contain phthalates that have been linked to cancer and disease of the reproductive system. Cleansers with antibacterials such as triclosan and benzalkonium chloride can contribute to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resulting in illnesses that are more difficult to treat. What can we do?

Make our own cleaning products.  Here’s how:

1. Cleaning Caddy -  Begin with a wire cleaning caddy or make one out of a basket or a box.  Fill it with your cleaning essentials including an all-purpose cleaner, soft scrub cleanser, window wash, furniture polish, a multi-purpose scrub brush, natural cellulose sponges, a turkey feather duster and cotton cleaning rags.
2. All-Purpose Cleaner - The first item you will need to add to your caddy is an all-purpose cleaner.  There are numerous recipes out there for natural all-purpose cleaners but my favorite features grapefruit seed extract which is a natural disinfectant.  Start with a 32-oz. spray bottle.  Fill it three-quarters full of water and add two tablespoons of a natural dish soap like Seventh Generation.  Mix 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract into the solution with 5-10 drops of lemon juice.  This cleaner is safe to use on every surface including walls and floors.
3. Soft Scrub Cleanser - Next, you will need a soft scrub cleanser for soap scum in tubs and stains on counter tops.  Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with a small amount of natural liquid soap until it forms the consistency of frosting.  Store in a bottle or make it fresh whenever you need it.
4. Disinfectant - For those diaper pail, garbage can and litter box jobs where only a disinfectant will do, use Tea Tree oil.  It has natural antibacterial properties.  To one gallon of hot water, mix ½ cup of Borax and a couple of drops of Tea Tree oil.  Let the concoction steep for 10 minutes and then pour into a spray bottle.
5. Window Wash - For a simple but effective window wash solution, use the same recipe our grandmothers have sworn by for years.  With 2 cups of warm water, combine 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of a natural liquid soap. Wash windows with a soft, cotton rag.
6. Furniture Polish - No cleaning caddy would be complete without wood furniture polish.  Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 1/8 cup of lemon juice.  Mix together and apply to wood furniture in a thin coat.  Rub well with a soft, cotton cloth.

 Green Cleaning Tips:

• Use mops with a washable mop head cover and vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. 
• Avoid disposable cleaning products.
• Don’t forget to recycle and properly dispose of harmful cleaning chemicals.

Still not convinced to make your own cleaning products?  Contact a green cleaning company like All Star Cleaning Services. They offer pre-mixed kits, instruction and monthly refill programs.  To locate a eco-friendly cleaning company near you, visit Green America’s National Green Pages.