Where: Camilla Room, Harry P. Leu Gardens , 1920 Forest Ave, Orlando, FL 32803 When: 3rd Wednesday of each month; 7pm to 8.45pm. Cost: Free!
The collective is open to anyone who would like to participate. Be a part of the effort to increase organic crops in your backyard, in community gardens, in schools, and on your kitchen windowsill. Learn about other growers practicing sustainable agriculture in our region, and stay posted on the latest organic developments in Central Florida.
I just signed on to participate in the Non-GMO Tipping Point Network, a national movement to take Genetically Modified foods out of our food supply, and I invite you to do the same.
We can protect our health and the environment by making healthier non-GMO choices, and also inform and educate others to reach a tipping point of consumers that will reclaim a non-GMO food supply.
I found a great web site with great resources for learning how to avoid GMOs, as well as a FREE Non-GMO Shopping Guide and a Non-GMO Shopping Tips Brochure. Enjoy!
The use of cloth diapers gives parents the opportunity to help the environment and provide a healthy alternative to disposables for their children. If you are considering cloth diapering or would just like to learn more about it, BabyBottomsBoutique is now offering free private consultations in Central Florida. BabyBottomsBoutique also holds free monthly parenting workshops. Workshop topics include cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baby wearing, natural childbirth, and making your own baby food. For more information, dates for parenting workshops, or to schedule a consultation, contact Kelly Martin.
Among the many toxic exposures I have read about on my journey to healthful living, has been that of the dry cleaning solvent known as perc. Short for perchloroethylene, this solvent is classified by the EPA, both as a Toxic Air Contaminant and a probable human carcinogen. That’s all I needed to know to get motivated to seek out a less toxic method of dry cleaning.
Enter GreenEarth Cleaning who has taken the lead in developing a greener dry cleaning technology, and is distributing it worldwide. GreenEarth’s cleaning solvent was discovered by a scientist working with a solution used in cosmetics. The process now used by GreenEarth was developed following that discovery, and is now patented, forming the basis for the GreenEarth Cleaning system.
GreenEarth uses a liquid silicone that is non-toxic and non-hazardous, as it is made from sand. GreenEarth declares that, “When released to the environment, it safely breaks down into its three natural elements, sand (SiO2) and trace amounts of water and carbon dioxide.”
GreenEarth is safe for people too. Liquid silicone is the base ingredient in many everyday personal care products.
Clothing cleaned with the GreenEarth method does not have that “dry cleaning” chemical odor I have come to know and hate.Their methods are also said to be gentler on your clothing, which won’t fade or yellow with repeated cleanings, and are extra soft to the touch.
Liquid silicone, GreenEarth’s cleaning ingredient, will make your clothes feel silky soft. It is considered safe for even the most delicate fibers such as beadings, silk and cashmere.
So how did my first experience go with a GreenEarth Cleaner? First, I had to find one. Using the Store Locater on their website, I quickly discovered there are 3 stores in the Central Florida Area.
Three Locations in Central Florida
I called the one near my home and was thrilled to learn that they gladly recycle hangers. I was encouraged to bring as many as I had. That freed up some serious space in my closet. Off I went, hoping that their quality would be up to my hubby’s high standards.
My local store is a Martinizing Dry Cleaner, a company formed in 1999, and the largest dry cleaner in the US to be using this greener solution, which is not petroleum based, like perc. Sadly, 85% of the dry cleaners in the US still use perc, so this is a good question to pursue with your cleaner. After all, the dangers of perc were discovered all the way back in the 1980s, so it isn’t like they don’t know about the problem.
My first experience with Martinizing went flawlessly. The service, cleaning job and their professionalism were all top notch. They even have a money-saving coupon on their website for first time visitors.
It’s funny. When I started this investigation, I really didn’t expect to be making a change. I had liked my previous dry cleaner that I have been using for many years. More importantly, my husband liked their work. Thankfully, Martinizing’s work met their challenge, and I was impressed by their handwritten thank you note we received a few days later. Healthy dry cleaning has arrived, and I am there.
There’s a new “Green” restaurant on Lee Road! I’ve frequented the restaurant several times in the past couple of months with my kids and we’ve enjoyed the different wrap sandwiches and the “broccoli slaw”. They also have kids meals that are healthier than the selection at most fast food restaurants. The building stands out on Lee Road- it’s is a very bright green painted building. The inside features bamboo floors, eco-friendly furniture, and paintings by local artists. Green Day Cafe is an affordable, family friendly restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options, and drive through service.
Following is the interview I had with Chad Tomlinson, the restaurant owner.
What was the inspiration behind starting this restaurant?
The inspiration for the green day cafe came about because of a global marketing company that markets an Anti-Aging product called ViaViente. My entire family and I have been involved in this company and this was our main source of income. We wanted to get the word about it out so we decided to open a concept that would support it. I have always wanted to own a restaurant so…when the opportunity came about to work in a fast food restaurant I postponed my home based business and went to work for a major chain. 9 months later I felt I had learned all I needed to from the fast food giant and 12 weeks later green day cafe opened its doors. Our entire restaurant is centered around ViaViente which we proudly serve in our ViaBlast.
Also, there are so few healthy choices out there. In today’s economy, everyone is in such a hurry that our fast food choices are limited to a slim few. Many of which lack proper nutritional values. This was also a strong component as to how the green day cafe concept was born.
What are your future plans for the restaurant?
We have many new and exciting salads and wraps as well as organic coffee delights and desserts that will be surfacing later this year. green day cafe has opened with a bang but has not even come close to its full menu potential. We also have sever plans in the works for 5 more locations to be opening in late 2009.
How difficult or expensive is it to be a green fast food restaurant? It is very difficult to have a green concept restaurant. Not only are green products 2-3 times more expensive then traditional supplies, but many companies have just started to entertain this concept and therefore their production costs are still very high. These costs are passed on to the purchasers and so on. We have however been very fortunate in the fact that we have negotiated heavily with our current and even some future vendors in order to supply high quality products in eco-friendly packaging at a price that is very competitive with many fast food restaurant chains.
I noticed everyone was smiling today . Tell me about your employees. A store and its team members are only as strong as its management team. We are happy, smiling people because we like what we do and are happy to be here. Therefore, our entire team feels the same way. We were actually very lucky in the fact that this new concept was so appealing and hit home with so many people. We had the best candidates to choose from. In fact, it was hard to decide who was the most qualified as all the applicants were outstanding individuals.
For more information about Green Day Cafe you can go to their website at greendaycafe.com.
Daryl Hannah is an accomplished actress who is probably best known for her role in Splash, where she played a mermaid opposite Tom Hanks. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Hannah last year via email. Read on to learn how she first became interested in nature and what inspired her to start her own vlog that’s dedicated to the Earth-friendly living.
I read that you first became interested in the environment during an experience at summer camp as a child. Will you tell us more about that?
Growing up in the heart of downtown Chicago in the 42nd story of a building, it was as though I was afflicted with a mild form of nature deficit disorder. My father sent us to camp in the Rockies, where we lived in covered wagons with no electricity, backpacked, horsepacked, cared for horses, built fires, pitched tents, etc…
I was transformed. Things began to make sense to me, and I found that I adapted well.It was hard but the challenges were truly character building. I found a deep love for wilderness and wildness.
When did you become a vegetarian? How do you think vegetarianism benefits the environment?
I became a vegetarian at age 11 because I could no longer disassociate the food I was eating from the creature it had been, and I just couldn’t gnaw on the flesh of creatures anymore. It grossed me out. The health and environmental benefits turned out to be a bonus! Often I find that when I do something from pure compassionate place, aspects I never considered seem to benefit as well – illustrating how we are truly interconnected to all life. The meat industry not only suffers from inhumane practices but is also complicit as the 3rd largest contributor to our global warming crisis.
I hear you have an amazing “green” home in the Rocky Mountains. And even a moss stone couch that actually needs to be watered! Will you tell our readers a little about your house?
It’s a small but beautiful house made with salvaged materials. It’s both passive and active solar, meaning it faces southwest. It is bermed into the landscape and uses the natural movement of the sun and the insulation of the earth to heat/cool the structure. The power is amended by solar panels. I have most of the modern conveniences, but I choose not to have a TV. I have a friend who is an amazing mosaic artist, and as I have radiant floors, I had him make a mosaic with sea glass and shells I’d collected over the years. All of the materials that were removed from the ground when we burmed the structure were incorporated into the house – thus the living couch. Moss can go dormant for several months so it doesn’t need to be watered very often.
You’ve got an amazing Eco-Site, complete with the latest environmental news and inspiring videos. You’ve probably received a lot of positive feedback! How did this site come to be?
I decided to make a TV show because there was no information accessible to the general public on these subjects, and I was growing tired of fielding questions all the time, but I didn’t like the contract and then I discovered vloging! I love making my vlogs! I learn so much and meet the most interesting people.
Eco-friendly living can be overwhelming for someone who is just getting started. What would you recommend to someone who is trying to gradually reduce their impact on the environment and live more naturally?
I would say – go for it! Jump in the deep end! It’s great in here, and there are so many fantastic options available to consumers now that really work. Get the toxic cleaners out from under your sink and the toxic chemical detergents out of the laundry room. Buy organic food from your local farmers market. Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescents. Start a garden. Start composting.
There are so many things you can do! These things are not only better for you and your loved ones. They’ll also save you money in the end, and they are better for the future of all life.
Thanks to Ms. Hannah for taking the time to “chat” with us. Her site, The DHLovelife Show, is a wonderful resource that’s definitely worth a visit!
We’ve been interested in green living for almost 6 years now, but I’ve just recently been able to subscribe to Mother Earth News. I wanted to take a moment to blog about this magazine because I’m so impressed with the content! It’s a fantastic publication that touches on all aspects of eco-friendly living.
After reading this month’s issue, I took some time to explore the website and found that most of the issue is online! Here are the feature articles for this month:
Simpler Living
Using these basic ideas and advice, it’s actually quite … well … simple.
Yipes! Stripes!
For better and worse, skunks and raccoons are thriving from coast to coast — from forests and farms to suburbs and city streets.
Revisiting the Good Life
The principles that guided legendary homesteaders Helen and Scott Nearing still resonate today.
Build Your Own Tables
Design and construct whatever tables you need using these expert guidelines.
Home Petite Home
The best way to slash your energy bills is to choose a compact, well-built home such as this sweet, neat and petite home.
All About Growing Spinach
Plant now! The most nutritious leafy green grown in most gardens — super cold-hardy spinach — is a top crop for fall, winter and spring.
In addition to many informative articles, the site features forums, blogs, “how to” videos, and more.
Do you receive this magazine? What about other natural living publications? I’m enjoying Natural Home as well. Please leave a comment if you have a moment.
I wanted to take a moment to draw attention to a wonderful site for parents who are interested in natural family living. We’ve featured the RSS feeds of Nature Moms Blog for quite some time now on this site because the content is really fantastic. She does a great job of reviewing natural products, but that’s not all you’ll find on her site. My only complaint is that I find the font color a bit hard to read. I’ve been meaning to email her about that. Here are a few of the natural parenting sites Tiffany, author of Nature Moms, recommends:
What websites do you rely on most for natural parenting information? Please leave a comment so other CFGG readers will benefit from your experience. Thanks!
Mrs. Zeiger
Melita Franzen
Cat
