Image from The Embellished Nest.

There are so many items that most of us buy and own that we don’t even think about. Shoes, books, cellphones…How many people stop to think about where those items come from and how they’re produced, or if they’re sustainable? Seriously, when was the last thought you gave the calendar hanging on your wall any thought green-wise?

Simple things, such as calendars, may not seem like a big deal on the environmental scale, but they’re made from precious resources, in  potentially harmful ways (paper manufacturing is a common source of pollution), and you can bet that nearly every single house in America has at least one. So this year, if you’re still shopping around for the perfect calendar to hang in your kitchen or office, try making one instead! The above pictured calendar is a handmade version by Laura from The Embellished Nest. Using a simple background which she painted herself, Laura simply printed her own calendar pages at home and sewed them onto the decorated platform.

Not only is this idea simple and easy (you can even get the calendar template free from her website), but it also gives you the control over the specific design aesthetic as well as the greenness of it. You can use recycled paper, re-purposed paper, and even eco-friendly inks and paints! It’s the perfect combination of craftiness and environmental responsibility.

For more eco-friendly calendar ideas, head on over the TLC website to find some inspiration!

Image from RasaMalaysia.com

Every year people claim that this year has got to be better than the last– but this year it might actually be true! Today begins the Year of the Dragon, a symbol which is commonly associated with power and strength in Chinese culture. Not only can we all expect to experience good luck and abundance this year, but those born in the year of the dragon (which includes 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976 and 1988) are said to be stronger, more intelligent, and extra self-assured.

To commemorate this coming year, start it off right by eating some of these lucky foods commonly consumed during Chinese New Year celebrations: long noodles for a long life, fish for wishes and abundance, and oranges to symbolize luck and wealth.

Looking for something a little more substantial than orange and noodles, though? Here are a couple of great, authentic recipes. Try some Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce as a starter, Chow Mein as the main dish, and, of course, some delicious Oolong Tea on the side.

Recipe: Restaurant-style Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

Your favorite Chinese greens (I used 6 baby bok choy for my dish)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand preferred)
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes of white pepper powder

Garlic Oil:

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon oil

Method:

Prepare the garlic oil first by heating up your wok and stir fry the minced garlic until they turn light brown. Dish out and set aside.

Heat up a pot of water and bring it to boil. Add two small drops of cooking oil into the water. Drop your vegetables into the boiling water and quickly blanch them for about 20-30 seconds (depends on the quantity). As soon as they turn slightly wilted, transfer them out and drain the excess water off the vegetables. Arrange the vegetables on a plate.

In a wok, heat up the cooking oil, and then add the oyster sauce, water, sugar, and white pepper powder. As soon as the sauce heats up and blends well, transfer and drench it over the blanced vegetables. Top the vegetables with the garlic oil and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

For the garlic oil, the garlic will continue to cook in the oil so as soon as they turnlight brown in the wok, you should dish it out. Eventually, they will turn golden brown.

Chow Mein (Chinese Noodles) Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. steamed chow mein (Chinese noodles)
2 oz. pork (cut into thin slices)
5 shrimp (shelled and deveined)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length)
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the steamed chow mein in cold water for about 5 minutes. Rinse a few times until the water turns clear and the chow mein is soft. Drain the excess water and set aside. (Don’t over soak the chow mein or the noodles will get limpy and soggy.)

In a small mixing bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients. Set aside.

Heat up the wok with the cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir-fry until light brown or aromatic. Add the pork and shrimp and stir fry until they are half done. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot into the wok and do a few quick stirs. Add the noodles , the seasoning mixture and the water. Continue to stir until the noodles are well blended with the seasonings and completely cooked through. Add the chopped scallions, do a few final stirs, dish out and and serve hot.

Try these and more authentic Chinese recipes at RasaMalaysia.com.

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Sometimes finding the right beauty products (or even simply the right handsoap!) can be challenging. With so many harmful chemicals and preservatives in everything from laundry soap to lip gloss, sometimes the only way to get what you want is to make it yourself. Luckily, there are some really simple recipes out there that will not only save you from exposure to parabens, phthaltates, and formaldehyde, but they can also save you money and time.

One easy soap-making method is the “Melt and Pour Soap Method.” Simply buy a melt-and-pour base, available at online natural soap materials suppliers such as Jedwards International, Inc. and Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies, then follow the instructions. These instructions can be as simple as slowly melt and pour into a soap mold, or as complex as adding natural colorants, essential oils, or even fruit, herb, or vegetable purees.

The greatest thing about the ability to make your own soap, aside from the satisfaction it’ll bring you, is the level of control you have over the product that you and your family will use on a daily basis. You can use goat milk bases, olive oil bases, hemp bases, or aloe bases. You can use essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, or cinnamon. You can add color or no color, or even real fruits and vegetables to add color, smell, and extra nutrients.

Plus, once you master the melt and pour method, you’ll be able to move on to more complex, but also somewhat more rewarding, methods, like the Cold Process Method. You can also make your own lotions, lip balms, skin salves, and shampoos! For more recipes and homemade beauty product ideas, visit the Fimby website.

Image from Hvchsmtpa.org

As you look forward to the upcoming new year, maybe you’re feeling a little at a loss for what your resolution should be. Maybe you’re already as green as you can be. You recycle, buy organic, compost your leftovers, and bike to work! If that’s the case (and even if it’s not), maybe your next step on the way to Ultimate Green-ness is inspiring eco-friendly changes in others.

With the increased use of social media and the growing online community, it’s easier than ever to find local groups with a green focus and to become involved. Google, online yellow pages, Facebook, Twitter, and well-known websites such as VolunteerMatch.org are all excellent resources when planning your future outreach strategies.

And if the internet doesn’t sound like the place for you to meet people, you can always try meeting up in person at local events, like Farmer’s Markets, or visiting the headquarters of local organizations, like local animal shelters. You could even start your own group if none others suit your wants!

Whatever you do, just remember to be the change you wish to see in the world. Not only will it make an impact in your own life, but it’ll also inspire change in others!

Image from Better Homes and Gardens.

Now that all the fuss of the holidays are over, maybe you’re finding that you have a little more time on your hands. Go ahead and enjoy that hard-earned break from holiday shopping, decorating, and present wrapping, but once you start looking for another project to occupy your time, why not try something like this eco-friendly and chic DIY birch table from Better Homes and Gardens?

This stylish table isn’t only stunning visually and fully-functional due to its industrial casters, but it’s also a green alternative to store-bought furniture. Since it’s made of mostly reclaimed birch pieces and can be constructed in your own home with non-toxic materials, you can be sure that it’s not harming the environment. Plus, it’s always neat to be able to tell guests after they admire it, “Oh, yes. I whipped that up a couple of weekends ago!”

All you need for this project are the following materials:

Birch logs cut 18 inches long
4×8-foot sheet birch plywood
Wood glue
Wood screws
Grout
4-inch casters
Clear polyurethane

And these tools:

Circular saw
Miter saw
Cordless drill
Grout float
Putty knife

If you have some of these items on hand or can get access to them (many home improvement stores will allow you to rent these tools by the hour, for example), try your hand at this awesome and unique project by following these detailed instructions. You’ll love the look and the zero-environmental-impact that it creates!

Don’t buy food wrapped in plastic. Okay, maybe this step isn’t all that simple. So much comes wrapped in plastic these days. But by being conscious of your food’s packaging and trying to buy cardboard- or glass-packaged items as often as possible, you’ll be pleased to see how much your plastic consumption will decrease.

Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Yes, yes, we all know plastic bags are bad. And odds are that you probably own a few, if not many, reusable bags that you just keep forgetting to take to the store with you on grocery days. So how do you guarantee that you’ll always have a reusable tote on hand? Pack them in your car so you won’t forget! (And if that doesn’t help, buy some super cute bags that you’ll always want to take with you.) Oh, and don’t forget the produce bags; they can be purchased in a reusable version, as well!

Use rechargeable batteries. Not only do disposable batteries leach large amounts of cadmium, lead, and mercury into landfills every year, but they also come packaged in –you guessed it– plastic! Use batteries that you can charge again and again for a greener new year.

To find even more ways to reduce your plastic consumption, visit this website!

As we launch into the new year, many of us have high hopes for how we hope to improve our lives and habits. Maybe that’ll be by eating organic, or trying to bike to work more often, or just plain simplifying things. However, resolutions are tricky and sometimes harder to keep than we expect. So what’s the best was to ensure that your resolutions stay intact this year? Resolve to do something that you can take care of now and forget about from here on out! Here are some resolutions that you only have to act on once to succeed at.

Opt out of junk mail. Junk mail isn’t just a hassle to pick up and sort through, it’s also very wasteful. Did you know that if everyone in the United States reduced the junk mail they received weekly, 100 million trees would be spared each year? And it’s so simple to do! Simply opt out of insurance and credit card offers here and reduce unwanted catalog accumulation here. You can also switch over most bills and statements to an online version, saving even more paper!

Use a water-saving showerhead. By using a water-saving showerhead, you’ll be helping to conserve one of the world’s most precious resources. Plus, this green resolution is a super easy one. Just install it the one time and then forget about it! Some utility providers will even give you one for free if you take a quick online survey for them.

Insulate your power outlets. Now, you may be wondering how on earth this is a green resolution, but think for a moment if you could decrease your home energy consumption just a little in every room and how much electricity (or natural gas, or wood heat) that would save. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, it is and, in this case, it doesn’t get much easier than sealing off the little nooks and crannies that leak heat, such as the electrical outlets found in every room of the house. Simply unscrew the plastic plate and put a small foam insulation gasket behind it. It’s an incredibly cheap and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint!

Image from Blog.TaigaCompany.com

Don’t believe what Kermit the Frog tells you: it actually is easy being green! Like any lifestyle change, starting with small steps and staying committed is key to making sure your green New Year’s resolutions are a success and not a flop. Don’t know where to begin? Here are a few ideas for how to make small green changes that will result in a large impact!

Use only cloth cleaning towels. By investing in cloth cleaning towels for all your household needs, not only are you helping reduce the 3,000 tons of paper towel waste sent to landfills daily, but you’ll also save money since you can just wash your towels instead of replacing them.

Use a water-saving showerhead. By using a water-saving showerhead, you’ll be helping to conserve one of the world’s most precious resources. Plus, this green resolution is a super easy one. Just install it the one time and then forget about it! Some utility providers will even give you one for free if you take a quick online survey for them.

Walk or bicycle at least one car errand weekly. Why wait for Bike to Work Month? By doing one errand a week by bike instead of car, you’ll be a step ahead of the game. Think of all the benefits: you’ll be in better shape, you’ll save gas money, it’s good for the environment…the list goes on and on!

Use reusable cloth shopping bags. Plastic shopping bags may not seem like a big deal to some, but did you know that a single bag can take a thousand years to degrade? That’s a pretty long-lasting impact for the momentary convenience of transporting a bag of chips and loaf of bread. Keep plastic bags out of landfills by using large and more durable cotton totes instead. And to make sure you’ll always have you bags on hand when you need them, keep reusable shopping bags in your car, so it’ll be impossible to leave them behind the next time you go shopping!

Use a reusable coffee cup at work (and at home…and on the go!). Millions of disposable coffee cups are thrown away every year in the United States, contributing to swollen landfills and pollution. Think of how many cups you could save if you were to commit to a reusable cup even half the time. Plus, many coffee companies will offer you a small discount to use your own cup!

Turn down the thermostat at night. You’re not going to be awake to enjoy the heat, so why pay to waste all that energy? Besides, there’s nothing quite so cozy and snuggling in on a cold night with a soft blanket.

For more green resolutions, check out the Grays Harbor County website!

Image from Hackronym.com

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups dried split peas

2 quarts cold water

1 1/2 pounds ham bone

2 onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch dried marjoram

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 potato, diced

Directions

In a large stock pot, cover peas with 2 quarts cold water and soak overnight. If you need a faster method, simmer the peas gently for 2 minutes, and then soak for l hour.

Once peas are soaked, add ham bone, onion, salt, pepper and marjoram. Cover, bring to boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove bone; cut off meat, dice and return meat to soup. Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook slowly, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

And don’t forget, although this recipe doesn’t call for it, always try to buy local and organic ingredients whenever possible; it’s good for you and the environment!

Image from Brandt Yoga.

This holiday season, there’s so much delicious food to be had. Yams, cranberries, green bean casserole, oh my! But with so many different main and side dishes being produced, buying organic fruits and vegetables can get a little pricey, especially with all the extra mouths to feed. So when push comes to shove, what items are most important to buy organic? Well, here’s a list of the top 10 fruits and vegetables that you want to make sure are 100% pesticide and herbicide free this season. In no particular order…

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell Peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Grapes