NOT GREEN #1: Artificial trees you use for just a few years. Not only is this a waste of money, but resources too. Most artificial trees are made of some sort of plastic and imported from China, hitting you with a double ding (plastic and emissions).

NOT GREEN #2:  A Christmas tree from a non-local farm that’s been driven miles to get to your area – local is better.

NOT MUCH GREENER: Artificial trees you use for years and years. If you get a longer life out of your fake tree, it’s much better than the above situation, but not by much. For one, you’ve still got a tree made with toxic plastic material, and for two, almost no recycling centers will take these so it’s ending up in the landfill for sure.

GREENISH: Buy a Christmas tree from a local farm where they plant and harvest in a renewal cycle annually. I.e. they plant in the spring, harvest in the fall, and always have new trees growing. Give yourself one more point if you locate a local (NOT shipped in) organic Christmas tree. Give yourself another point if you recycle your tree after Christmas. Both these acts pump GREENISH up to MORE GREEN.

PRETTY DARN GREEN: Get a living Christmas tree from a local nursery and after the holidays, and thaw, plant it in your yard or in the community.

GREENEST: No tree OR decorate a standing tree on your property OR make a homemade tree out of recycled paper or other goods OR go with something ultra unique like the Eco Christmas tree by Buro North.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Plan for the greenest Christmas tree

It’s made from recycled wood and it’s a very unique accessory for the kitchen. I keep my Kosher Salt in a little glass bowl close to my stove. Twice I’ve knocked the little glass bowl to the floor. What a mess - glass everywhere. That would never happen with this gorgeous piece.  It’s a tool that is also art.

This spice block is so sexy, we want to store our jewelry in it! A beautiful way to present your favorite herbs for a meal or keep it in your kitchen for a little countertop chic. Of reclaimed mahogany wood with a food safe finish. Made in Brooklyn.

Spice Block – $48

The Spice block measures 9″ x 3 1/2″ x 2″. This would make a great gift, too.

Image credit: Green With Glamour.com

Post from: Blisstree

Green Kitchen: Recycled Wood Spice Block

Made of high quality kraft board, the Amazing Treat Machine uses a tennis ball and an empty plastic water bottle filled with treats. That’s it. Your dog learns (pretty quickly, I’d imagine!) to drop the tennis ball into the top of the constructed box, and when it tumbles out the bottom a few treats come with it.

It stands at 12″ high, (so too high for my chihuahuas, sadly), and is 10″ wide and 10″ deep. The site shows you how the box is constructed (great for kids to do — except for cutting the plastic bottle!), and how the bottle filled with treats works.

The box is made of at least 30% post-consumer recycled material, and once the box has seen better days, it and the plastic bottle can both be recycled all over again. The Amazing Treat Machine is $12.95 and available for purchase from their website.

Post from: Blisstree

The Amazing Treat Machine

I’ve thought about this before because pill packets especially the heavier plastic ones have always bugged me. They seem like they’d make the pill the least eco-friendly birth control option, but the Huffington Post piece points out that 2.75 million pounds of used-condom refuse ends up in landfills nationwide. So neither seems exceptional when it comes to eco-friendly aspects. That said, the IUD is no good at protecting you from sexually transmitted diseases, so while it may be an eco-friendly choice, I can’t say it’s an across the board good choice.

For both birth control and STD protection you need condoms. There are, btw, biodegradable condoms, but they’ll only protect against pregnancy not STDs, so if you’re not with your totally committed soul mate right now, the best thing to do is to limit the impact your condom use makes.  For example…

• Recycle those boxes! While condoms aren’t recyclable yet, the boxes are big and they can easily be tossed into your recycle bin. If you’re too embarrassed to toss them in your home recycling bin for fear that someone will see, well, maybe you should be holding off on sex. It’s no big!
• DON’T leave condoms out on the beach, in a park, or elsewhere out in nature. Toss in an actual trash bin.
• Eventually you might want to consider a monogamous relationship – then you can use those biodegradable condoms (after being tested for STDs of course). Yes, as it turns out being in a committed relationship, may be the greenest choice here.

Read more about green sex! Yahoo right?

[image via stock.xchang with a wee bit of altering]

Post from: Blisstree

Is Your Birth Control Green?

Image: sxc.hu

If you’re involved in any crafts that include the green of nature, you’ll find it fascinating to study the different shades.

• trees
• bushes
• grass
• flower leaves
• fields of grain
• pastures & meadows
• swamps & marshes

Sometimes your green variations will be very realiztic and follow nature’s course.  For other occasions, you might be more dramatic.  Much depends on the effect you want to achieve and the medium and materials you’re working with, such as:

• painting
• crewel work
• knitting & crochet
• quilting & fabric art
• beading
• mosaic

How have you incorporated the greens of nature into your arts and crafts?  How would you interpret the picture above into art…or poetry?

Post from: Blisstree

Check Out “Greens” of Nature for Crafts

Image: sxc.hu

Do we have the correct data or simply what politicians and those making money from the big industry of environmental and global warming wants us to know?  Are scientists, who present data that disproves the theory of global warming (and this group is growing), discredited and even lose their jobs because they’re not “politically correct” in their beliefs?

Holly Fretwell, a natural resources management expert, has a well researched and documented book out there, The Sky’s Not Falling! Why It’s OK to Chill About Global Warming, that presents a common sense view, with facts, on this topic, without the scare tactics the politicians and environmental businesses are using.  She also includes “fun facts” for the youngsters reading the book.

(Holly’s most recent book – Who is Minding the Federal Estate?: Political Management of America’s Public Lands.)

Post from: Blisstree

Are We Teaching Kids Global Warming Lies

There is something for everyone (breastfeeding or not) in the mix of the Breastfeeding 1-2-3 highlights from April 2008:
Free Pattern for Sewing Your Own Crew Neck Over-the-Head Baby Bibs
Judge Denies FLDS Request to Keep Mothers with Nursing Babies
World Health Day 2008: Protecting Health from Climate Change
Breastfeeding Basics Checklist for a Good Breastfeeding Latch
Gentian Violet and Grapefruit Seed Extract as Thrush Remedies
Breastfeeding and International Travel
Top Five Breastfeeding Interviews

And from Kristen at Lively Women…
April is STD awareness month
Resources for organizing your office and your life
Tap water vs bottled water whats safer and healthier
Guest post aromatherapy 101
Lunchtime lipo investigated by 2020
Gas station condom dispenser preaches abstinence and monogamy
Womens health giveaway nalgene bottle and brita faucet filtration system
History of abortion genocide of african american babies by planned parenthood hotly debated

Hope at Weighting Line also had a roundup pots for you on weight loss and all that goes with it.

Alicia at Mental health Notes had so much to offer…
The more serious stuff:
Wentworth Miller fan pull together for UNICEF
Austrian family presents psychiatrists with bizarre case
Meet famous poets who lived with mental illness
Nurture mental health during the fight against cancer
Mental health repercussions for flds religious sect children
University of virginia higher education meets lower health privacy
Postpartum depression legislation beneficial or conspiratorial

And the fluffier stuff:
They dont make condoms for your brain you know
Harry Potter saved Rowlings sanity
Giving freud the finger just got a whole lot easier
Goodbye American Idol Michael Johns the 5 stages of loss
Brain break oh hai lolcats
Of disloyal house elves and guilt stricken humans
2 sure fire ways to deal with phobias

Here we have Marijke’s top posts at Help My Hurt
Company’s calling – Olympic cyclist Kristin Armstrong talks about her osteoarthritis
Physical activity may help reduce arthritis pain
Help My Hurt lost one of its own today – RIP Tricia
Living with Cancer: Help My Hurt hosts this month’s Theme Day
Friday funnies – April fool’s jokes

Angelique at Breaking the Mirror offers up..
Please tell me weve all been punkd
Her fathers daughter 1st installment
Her fathers daughter 2nd installment
Her fathers daughter 3rd last installment
Anosexya some pro anas think so
In mauritania anorexics looking for love would be out of luck
Just dont tell me okay

Gab at Fertitlity Notes and Daily Tomorrow has some great posts for her roundup…
for Fertility Notes:
Oh wait are we sure we want to do this
The mistress daughter by am homes
The girl with two birthdays
Smokin drinkin sniffin glue
Appreciating the present
The greening of me part 2
The greening of me part 1

And Daily Tomorrow:
Allow me to introduce myself
Make your office a little more eco friendly
Where in the world is the green in that
Kid friendly fridays happy arbor day
Happy birthday John Muir
Another reason to love mushrooms bioremediation
Its national volunteer week

Liberty and Liz at Healthbolt are always a great read….
Testing the vitality compass
Movie theater cuisine so good but so bad
How dandy the anti stress benefits of a dandelion
Is it a computer is it a treadmill
Warning blogging could be bad for your health
Milk the drink of rock stars

What does Grace at Kids Health Notes have to say? Check her out here…
What your poo may be telling you
More students misusing stimulants during stress
Gymnastics cause 27,000 injuries per year, research shows
Skin contact with mom soothes preemies’ pain
Recycle with your kids Tip # 4: bottled water
Recycle with kids Tip #5: Reusing beats recycling

Scott at Health and Men has his roundup here…
Aprils top seven posts for health and men

And Karen at Pink Ribbon Review gave you this…
Seven of my favorite breast cancer blog posts

Post from: Blisstree

April’s Health and Wellness Roundup… Best posts from the bloggers