Fragrances

Fragrances are made of petroleum products and ......synthetic materials. They are blamed for many allergies and allergic reactions in many health and beauty products. Things like asthma, wheezing, headache and contact dermatitis. PLUS there are hormone disruptors  that can hurt unborn children and even cause health problems. Because many ingredients have been found and proven to cause cancer and other health problems  But the theory is it can be tolerated in small amounts. That would be ok if most of the products we used have fragrance or that one fragrance could have over 400 ingredients to produce that smell.....     

So what a green eco-friendly girl to do??? Make her own that is.

H2O based perfume

1-1 1/2 cups of flower petals
2 cups of distilled water

Collect flower petals and wash thoroughly removing dirt and pollen.
Fill aluminum pot with 2 cups of water. Add petals. Simmer but do not boil water. Simmer for 2 hours and don't let the water boil away, you can more distilled water if needed.
Turn off heat and let cool
Strain the water into a bottle or jar.
Nice spray for your linen.

Vodka based cologne

bottle of vodka or ever-clear
Flower petals

Collect flower petals and wash thoroughly removing dirt and pollen.
Fill a jar with the petals. Pour alcohol over petals just to cover the top of the petals.
Let sit for one day Strain and add more petals but not alcohol.
Repeat the straining of petals and adding new petal to you get the desired strength.

Cream Perfume

Olive Oil, EVOO, Almond Oil
Beeswax
Essential Oils
small  glass  jar
Small container to pour finished perfume into


 Add one tablespoon of olive oil and about 3/4 tablespoon beeswax to your glass jar
Microwave for 10 seconds until melted, might need to ass 10 seconds. Add your essential oils. Between 5 and 15 drops of  your essential oil(s)
Stir the essential oil
Let it sit and harden for at least 30 minutes. 

1 Year Old!!!

Oh no not my baby or grandbaby, it is well yea my baby, my blog! Turning shades of Green is now 1 year old!! YEA!

When I first started this blog I did fall into the trap of .... HAVE to have tons of followers... must have tons of readers..... But you know that takes way to much time... trying joining  different groups like Mom Bloggers Club which is where I found many blogs to follow myself! And many of you wonder  followers came from. I learn about blogging and found some great tips. Being on different social sites joining the groups on the site to try to get more followers, it felt like more of a chore and then it hit me.... do it for myself for they will come... LOL.    I added a banner of my blog to my social web sites and things like that... ok if they come and start to follow they want to read my info!

I started to see my blog as a journal of sorts. A place where I can type my mind. A place where I could find other moms with the same drive I have. Many green moms out there, does my soul some good. But stopped worrying about the numbers.  Began to enjoy the ride, the process of what I want to say, to read my blogs I follow to comment where I can.

Now it just so relaxing/ I find  myself saying to myself wow I think I should write a blog about this....  Not worry about how many followers I have.  But what I can put down into words for those who want to read my blog. AND not worry if they read every single blog.  Like me they read what is interesting to them.

 Come join the party!!

Shout Out

A shout out to Kevin Costner.  BP is ordering 32 more an oil-separating centrifuges!


They tested it with some tough areas. It still has problems with the thick oil tar balls that are close to shore, but it worked well in the deeper waters.  they are sending some out to the barg.


Plus there is some weather problems heading the Gulf's way.
Kick butt Kevin!!

Why are we cutting down so many trees?

We have so many different more sustainable items that can be used without cutting down all the old growth trees. Without cutting down our rain forests.

Many of these ideas are not gaining popularity fast enough.  We have heard of bamboo being a very sustainable wood. Hemp is easily grow but outlawed in the USA. Kenaf paper made from a fast-growing hibiscus plant. Last but not least...  recycled paper products...


Hemp is softer than cotton. It grows fast and needs little pesticides. Very strong plant and material that is stronger, yet softer, more absorbent; and mildew resistant.   A little room can yield 4 times more than a old growth trees produce. 3 to 8 tons of fibers per acre. Uses less chemicals when being processed meaning less pollution!  

Plus hemp is great for our bodies too.  Oil made from hemp is lower in saturated fats and high in the good fats. It also is said to have a rare nutrient; gamma linoleic acid (GLA), found in breast milk....  It feels like cotton when woven into cloth. Plus is it stronger and grows softer with use and washing.  It would get rid of 50% of the chemicals used with cotton, the pesticides, chemicals used in processing  and bleaching 

Why is it still illegal in the USA?  Our fore fathers grew hemp! Because pot and hemp are in the same gene pool. hemp has very little THC the stuff that makes marijuana illegal.  If there were to have hemp farms they couldn't hide it in the fields for marijuana plants need more space between rows and plants then the hemp. Plus if you did try to get "high" from hemp you will find out that it would be like taking a dose and a half of a high fiber laxative.  Giggles... I could see some pre-teens thinking that they might like to try that out, and finding the "uncool" side effect!! 

Kenaf reaches 12-18 feet in 150 days, a fast growing plant.  Old growth trees take around 17 years.150 days verses 17 years.... humm no brainer!  Plus another hign yeilding crop where they can produce 5-10 tons of dry fiber per acre. PLUS use less chemicals, heat and the paper can be bleached with household hydrogen peroxide.  I think the only problem with this plant is it is grown in South Africa. It will have to be shipped, but it could be great for that area economy!  Many books and companies are now using the kenaf paper like big box companies for catalogs. A few eco-friendly authors are  using the paper for their books. 

I also find it so funny that eco-friendly websites and magazines know this stuff but the business in control don't.... We need to think about the effects our consumption does to the environment. 

Reading a Nutrition Label

Many people I work with seem to think that it is too confusing to figure out the nutrition label.

First thing that is great about a nutrition label is at the bottom you will see a chart of the calories you should be eating per day.  Most women are in the 2000 to 1800 calories per day.  The older we get the less we should eat, but if you are a active or athletic type you need more to burn more calories when very active.  So I look at the first column the 2000 calorie counts.  


The sneaky thing about calories and food labels is the top part. That where you see the serving size.  Like on some convenient packs that you get from a machine the serving size may say 1 1/2 or even 2 or more.  Like some multi-grain crackers a co-worker asked me if it was a healthy snack.  She was asking how to read the label.  It was low in sodium and saturated fat.  It did have sugar but still had under 25% carbohydrates. Better than the candy we have in there.

Carbohydrates are not bad. Really they break down slower and help keep you going between meals.  But this is where many people think they should cut to low numbers.  The fact is if it is refined flour you should eat less of, adding more whole grains to your meals. This helps you keep going threw the day..

    Plus many things that are carbohydrates have natural sugars.   Fruit based foods will have more grams of  natural sugar like applesauce. We just get the no sugar added applesauce.  The label doesn't get to tell you either if it is natural sugars or added sugar. 

Potato chips for example. Serving size is 16 chips with 150 calories, 14% sodium, 2% saturated fat and 2 grams of sugar and protein.  Not bad but then really are potato chips healthy???

I do look at the label. Most of the time I look to talk myself out of the purchase. I talk myself out of things that are high in sodium. That wonderful bloating effect us women get is helped by high sodium foods. I try to keep it below 25% as I have heard is a good number to limit yourself on many of the nutrients items  listed.  Because I do snack during the day and try to have a fruit snack once a day, no fat;  no sodium to worry about. 

I also heard that looking for cereal you want more than 2 grams of fiber, less than 5 grams of added sugar, and less than 2 grams of fat. Many of the "healthy" breakfast cereals still have over 9 grams of sugar but claim to help you lose weight or keep you healthy.  But if it has added dried fruit it will be higher sugar because of the natural sugar in the berries. But then I eat oatmeal and try to keep away from prepared breakfast cereals.  

The truth is I read the ingredients the most.  I check for high fructose corn syrup, refined white flour (sometimes stated as enriched flour) and where the products are on the label. For the top of the ingredients list is the most used.  So if you see on a label list wheat flour, and then see sugar at the bottom of the list you know that a little sugar was added. AND as a baker I know that sometimes you need to add sugar to the batter or no one will eat it. 
I have cut high fructose corn syrup, refined and bleached flour from our foods.  I try to eat more natural things like fresh fruits and vegetables.  With getting some frozen for the vegetables and fruit when out of season. That have listed on the ingredients list: the fruit or vegetable and nothing else. 

Plus at the bottom of this list of ingredients is a list of allergic ingredients. So if you or your family has any allergies to food products they are listed at the bottom.  Many times will state if they are made in the same area as certain things. For those who are highly allergic  to certain things. The growing number of peanut allergies in children fall under that warning. If it is made in the same building or area the product was made  they note that as; may contain: XXX

The label on this blog is from a cup of soup. One of those heat and eat soups. Serving size is 1 cup but the cup holds 2 cups (serving per container:2) so if you eat this soup for lunch at work you have consumed 50% fat, 52% sodium and  560 calories for the day.  Not what you thought when first looking at the label right?

SO it is a good idea to read the labels but also the ingredient list.  

Corn Fed Cars.......

After work tonight I had to run some errands go to the grocery store etc... I saw the beautiful sunset and was looking at the beautiful red streaks and dark clouds rolling in.  At the Sheetz on the counter I saw the fuel truck about to fill the underground tanks.  Then I saw the side of the truck.  Available Corn based gasoline..... What? I have to check this out!!

I thought OMG we are getting bio-diesel??  But I thought that the eco-friendly community has reported that bio-diesel hasn't go to be the way to go.. Stating that it would cost to much to make, too much to change cars over to bio-diesel, etc. etc..

I found the info at this site; and learned it was a 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline mix.  Now my dad has told me that he heard that the gas companies put ethanol in the gas in the summer time to cut down on air pollution.  Never found out where that came from or if it is true... but then there has been rumors to the effect that BP adds wax to their fuel...  Guess the next rumor would be there is mud and salt in BP fuel........ ok that was bad....

But at that site they send you to blog to find out if your car can use this mix.... Never did find the program to help me find out.  So I did my own google search and found  Fuel Economy.Gov And searched my car and the car my daughters drive... nope we don't have flex-fuel vehicle.


So what is the difference between gas and the corn based gas....

Ethanol burns cleaner.  This is the fuel that water is a byproduct.  Many green shows will show you the water that a flex fuel car has dripping from it tail pipe and even have the reporters drink it....

But ethanol does lower your MPG. You can expect a 2 mile per gallon lower than what you get on regular gas.  Plus it will help spread out our gas reserves like bread crumbs to meat loaf...

Ethanol however will pay for itself in the long run with the lower MPG.  It runs cleaner so it also helps keep your engine running smoother and with less damage.  Saving you a lot of money in repairs......... And we know how repairs can be costly!!

Sexest Man

Guess it is video day here at Turning Shades of Green!!

But Kevin Costner the Oscar, Globe and Academy Award winner, is also helping clean up the Gulf oil spill!

After the Exxon Valdez disaster Kevin Costner taught there has to be a better way to remove oil from the water and working for the environment he partnered with his brother to design a machine to do just that.. BP is testing the machines out and may send them out to the Gulf Coast as soon as tomorrow???