Black Friday can it be Green

The question comes up; Black Friday can it be Green? I think it can be more green.  Certainly it is one of the most wasteful days of the year in the USA. Millions of wasteful products are handed out, thrown away during this busiest shopping day of the year.  Not to mention the carbon dumped into the air by the massive vehicle use sitting in traffic etc.  One might ask, how can Black Friday be Green.  It can be Greener than it is.  Here are a few steps you can take the help Green your Black Friday shopping.

  • Carpool
  • Empty out your trunk ( lighten your load)
  • Take re-usable shopping bags
  • Refuse disposable or marketing materials handed out
  • Buy Eco friendly or Recycled content products
  • Recycle all the bags, paper, cardboard etc.
  • Re-use items or re-invent items you don’t use anymore
  • Donate instead of trashing
  • Shop in one area to avoid excessive driving
  • Buy products that have replacement parts
  • Buy quality made products that will last
  • Buy used if possible, it’s hip and it’s Green!
  • Buy charitable gifts such as a goat for a 3rd world family
  • Shop local and support handcrafted and local made products
  • Buy Organic, eco-friendly products as much as possible
  • Hand make your gifts

So many options when it comes to Greening your Black Friday shopping. It’s endless the small steps you can take to save money and help the environment as much as possible. Help keep the millions of tons of waste out of the landfills by taking steps to lessen your carbon footprint.  Black Friday can be Green! Shop all of our Organic products www.mypumpkindoodle.com

Organic Products make a New Year Greener!

The New Year is almost here.  It’s a time of celebration, reflection and resolutions.  Organic products make a New Year Greener, more eco friendly. This time of year, I’m always organizing, throwing out old and making room for new.  Part of being greener is deciding what I can do to make my lifestyle more eco friendly. I eat organic foods, even  grow organic vegetables, but buying organic products also is a great way to lesson your carbon footprint and make your life healthier.  Eco friendly products, if they truly are eco friendly, are less toxic to the environment and depending on the nature of the product less toxic for you, the consumer.  Not all eco friendly products are Organic products. There is a difference.  Take green cleaning products for instance it can be made out of less toxic ingredients, but might not be organic ingredients.  When buying such products as green cleaning products, be sure to know the difference. Organic means no chemicals were used. Eco friendly just means that it has less toxicity or less carbon footprint than mainstream.  Often times in green cleaning products botanical ingredients might be used, but not organic botanical ingredients.  Still, product for product botanical is far better than chemicals, if the choice for organic is not an option.  When shopping for your everyday products, it is always good to know how green a product is, how earth friendly and non-toxic it is, before buying it.  Generally speaking Organic is the purest and best option.

New Year’s resolutions can be fun!  Being greener can be educational, fun and a new, healthier lifestyle for the entire family.  It doesn’t have to be hum drum, it can actually be creative, exciting.  For us, it is exciting learning a new and better way of helping the environment and our family health. Starting with buying Organic Products is a great way to begin.  Once you go Organic, it’s hard to go back to chemicals. It feels good! You can taste, smell and feel the difference of an Organic product versus a chemical equal.  Shop for our full line of products at www.mypumpkindoodle.com

Natural Bedding

With cooler weather here window and doors are closed the indoor air quality of your home is more important.  We spend 8 hours or more in our bedrooms each day. The amount of toxins in the air in our bedrooms is higher than one might think.  Natural Bedding is important.  It’s what’s closest to us while sleeping.  Mainstream bedding can be toxic.  Open a new package of sheets or a blanket and you can smell the chemicals.  This is why most people immediately wash the bedding and may even air it out prior to washing.    Unfortunately washing doesn’t get all the chemicals out.  Using Natural bedding can be beneficial to your health and is much more comfortable and soft than mainstream chemical bedding. Since our bedding is closest to us while sleeping some might say it is more important than anything else in the house to be free of chemicals.  Spending time shopping for Organic bedding or Natural bedding such as Organic cotton sheets, Bamboo Sheets or Natural wool bedding is very important for a healthier lifestyle and body.

Feel the difference that an Organic Bed can make, start with Natural bedding and then add an Organic mattress or Organic mattress topper.  You’ll be glad you did! Check out our complete line of bedding www.mypumpkindoodle.com

 

Being Green on a Budget

I often have heard people say that they will go green when they can afford to.  Things are tight now and Green Products are more expensive.  That certainly can be the case, as with anything.  Luxury products do cost more.  I also know that living a green lifestyle myself, that I save money.  I re-use, and re-design and re-furbish and I save.  I use cardboard boxes in my organic garden to prevent weeds. I use my twisty ties and rubber bands that come on my fruit and veggies for all kinds of uses.  I re-use containers and brown paper bags.  My daughter loves to make cool projects from paper bags and left over tissue paper from gifts.  She make puppet stages and all kinds of inventions out of cardboard boxes.  It saves on buying new toys.  She learns creativity and I can re-cycle it when she is done.  I sell on e-bay and Craigslist.  We buy used and we trade toys… all these things add up to saving a lot of money.  I can buy green products that are quality made because I save in other ways.  We use peanut butter jars to drink out of…  it’s great, I never have to worry if one breaks…  I used my tin watering can that finally rusted out, for a new planter.  It’s decorative and unique.  I’d have to say that being green and living a green lifestyle isn’t expensive at all unless you choose for it to be.  It can be very affordable and even frugal.  Freecycle is a great way to be green.  Yard sales, thrift stores are also great and you can sometimes find some really nice finds.  There are countless ways of being green.  You don’t have to wait until the finances get better.  You can actually help your finances by being green.  Besides being green is Hip! and it connects you to a greater cause and one that makes you feel good.  You meet wonderful people and share a common goal.  Being green is fun and educational.  It becomes the new way of life and it becomes a habit.   I don’t even realize sometimes how green I am, because it’s natural for me now.   Green living is the New, consumerism is going out as people realize how wasteful life has been up to this point, and the enormous impact it is having on us all. Give it a try! One step at a time..

I’m Green I Recycle, What more can I do!

Recently had conversations with people and it’s natural that in creating friendships that people want to know what you do for a living.  When I tell them I’m a Green Living Online Store owner, the “Green” questions arise.  It’s really interesting that they think because they recycle that is all there is to being Green.  Don’t get me wrong, recycling is a HUGE deal.  It shouldn’t be taken lightly, but by far is only a small fraction of what being Green is all about.  I love, really love helping people see the small steps they can take to becoming more Green.  Being green doesn’t have to be such a huge life changing event once you understand that you can take small steps that make a big difference in the world and then move on to larger steps later.  If becoming Greener seems scary, too overwhelming or you just don’t have time to read all about it to make the changes, here are some tips that you can do now to make the movement from “just recycling” to having a more greener lifestyle.

 

  • Donate to Goodwill, Freecycle or Salvation Army
  • Save old towels and wash cloths for rags
  • Have Yard Sales
  • Use Non Voc or Low VOC paints
  • Use car washes that recycle their water
  • Buy Green cleaning, and bath & body products
  • Turn your hot water heater down
  • Close windows and doors in the evening to prevent heat escape
  • Turn your thermostat down at night or up if it is air conditioning
  • When  traveling refuse to have sheets changed daily
  • Use a re-usable shopping bag and drinking travel cup
  • Use non-toxic-non-chemical products on your lawn and yard
  • Buy Organic food whenever possible
  • Buy used clothing
  • Look for recycled content when buying new
  • Repair instead of replace when possible

Each step you take creates a ripple in the world that will spread and eventually become commonplace.  It makes a huge difference in the Green movement.  Little by little with every step the world becomes cleaner, healthier and more sustainable for all life.  Make the change to one new Green step a month and you can have a Greener lifestyle in no time.  For a listing of our our Green Living products visit us at www.mypumpkindoodle.com

 

Green Bedroom Is it Important?

Bedrooms often get overlooked when thinking about Green. People tend to forget about sleeping hours and focus on the waking hours for being green.  In fact the bedroom can be one of the most toxic rooms in the house.  Most especially when your talking about mattresses.  So much goes into making a bedroom feel comfortable and relaxing that we don’t realize all that decor can be toxic. . It’s nice to have a beautiful bedroom, but it is also important to have a healthy bedroom.  During our sleeping hours it is very important to have a non-toxic, environmentally friendly sleep environment.  An investment in a Green bedroom can improve your sleep, energy level and overall health.  Children are especially susceptible to toxic chemical in bedrooms.  Their developing lungs need a toxic free environment.  Some studies have linked SIDS, allergies and asthma to chemicals in infant mattresses.

This recent study, conducted in Sweden focused on analyzing the air in children’s bedrooms. The researchers were looking for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – gases that are emitted from liquids or solids and which can damage the environment and human health. They tested the air for 8 different VOCs in the bedrooms of 400 children. Nearly half of the children suffered from allergies or asthma, and the other half were healthy.

What they found was a link between the presence of PGEs – propylene glycol and glycol ethers – and asthma, allergies and eczema. In fact, children with PGEs in their bedroom air were between 50 and 180 times more at risk of developing asthma, rhinitis (cold symptoms) and eczema than children whose bedroom air was free of these chemicals.

The study also linked bedroom air containing PGEs to a higher incidence of kids developing antibodies to cats, dogs and pollen. In other words, they are sensitive to pollen and cat or dog dander (usually), and may develop allergic symptoms in the future or already have them.

 

Although mattresses are a huge issue with off gassing chemicals, lets not forget about carpeting, paint, blinds, curtains, and bedding as another major source of chemicals.

 

People have reported a significant improvement in their overall health after taking the steps to create a Green Bedroom.

 

Here are some ways to avoid toxic bedrooms:

 

  • Use Non-Voc paint ( or low VOC)
  • Buy natural fiber blinds or fabric blinds or curtains
  • Buy Wool or Non-VOC carpet
  • Buy Organic cotton or Natural fiber bedding such as Bamboo, Hemp or silk
  • Buy Non-toxic Mattresses made from Wool, Organic Cotton and food grade plastics that have non toxic flame retardants
  • Buy used furniture or furniture finished with Non-VOC paints or coatings
  • Buy sustainable wood furniture
  • Use Bamboo Charcoal to clean and purify the air of allergens and chemicals
  • Use Non-toxic cleaners

check out our full line of Chemical Free Organic mattresses and bedding to make your bedroom safe, healthy and beautiful the natural way.  www.mypumpkindoodle.com

 

 

 

 

Green Heart for Valentines

The holidays are over and most people are settling into the new year. Cleaning and organizing, storing holiday decorations and gift wrap neatly packed up until next year.  It’s true the holiday season is the most wasteful time of the year, but not far behind it is Valentine’s day.  Valentine’s cards and candy boxes, gift wrap and bows end up in the landfill.

189 Million Stemmed Roses are sold in the US each year on Valentines day. In comparison 1.2 billion are sold throughout the year. It is estimated that 144 million cards are exchanged each Valentine’s Day. 

Here are some of the ways you can have a wonderful Green Heart at Valentines this year, and still make your loved ones feel the LOVE.

  • Recycle, Recycle, Recycle cards, bottles, boxes and gift wrap
  • Re-use cards, boxes, gift wrap and re-purpose them
  • Compost what you can
  • Send e-cards
  • Buy recycled content cards or plantable seed cards
  • Buy Organic, fair trade or ethical candies and treats
  • Choose restaurants that have living wages, recycle and offer ethical or sustainable food
  • Choose evening events that are close by or within walking distance to save emissions
  • Buy live plants and flowers that can be replanted
  • Buy handcrafted items and/or items made from natural resources
  • Take a carriage ride instead of driving
  • Support local business and local farmers when possible
  • If you travel by air -off set your carbon footprint
  • Roses say “I love you” on Valentines day.  Try and buy Organic or chemical free Roses from local farms

With the amount of cards thrown out each year (144 million) in a landfill or even recycled, which is far better, but can still pose a problem, it is an enormous carbon footprint in the USA.  Imagine if all those cards were planted to make beautiful flowers or Vegetables? That’s a lot of beauty!  Could feed a lot of people too!  189 Million Roses purchased each year on Valentine’s Day, has a huge impact on so many issue with the environment with the chemicals used to keep those Roses looking great and blooming for Valentine’s Day, the dyes used to color them, along with the spray to make them shine. It’s far more than the average consumer is aware of.  This Valentine’s Day make a commitment to give with a Green Heart and have a Eco Valentine’s Day.

 

 

 

Eco New Year!

As this year comes to an end, we think about all the wonderful happenings of the year, and also some of the not so wonderful happenings of the year. It is a time of reflection and a time of resolution.  This year in particular has been such an amazing year of history making all over the world.  It is a unforgettable year for some.  It has also been a year of heartache and disaster, homelessness and joblessness.   Certainly for me it has been a year of taking notes about the situation this country is in, where it needs to go, to better serve the 99%, and how to take part in turning this country into a country for all.

It continues to sadden me the amount of people that feel that global warming is the reason for being Green and that there is still  a possibility of not existing.  I read it on blogs and see it in the general public – the disbelief.   The feeling that “Green People” are on a lost quest into nowhere.  I do believe that Global Warming is happening because I see it… now 54 degrees the day after Christmas and my tulips are starting to pop up in December.  I see the trees blooming in Winter instead of spring…. However, as I continue on my quest to bring awareness to people, Global warming is not all what it is about.

Even if we wake up tomorrow and  a scientist confirms beyond a doubt that Global Warming is not occurring, would I be angry, NO absolutely not.  All this Green movement would not be in vain.  The Green movement will still be very necessary.

Here is why:  We have massive oil spills in our oceans that is causing tremendous damage,  we have air pollution that is causing lung disease and birth defects, allergies and asthma related issues,  We have literately tons of trash mounding up in our land, so much so that we are running out of places to put it.  We have millions of homeless people, starving people around the world, without clothing, heat and necessities of life.  We have toxic drinking water.  The single most important issue on this planet is water, which besides air is the thing we cannot live without.  We have people in this world living in sewage infested areas with disease.  All this gives me every reason to fight for a cause I’m so passionately aware of, this world needs to be cleaner, healthier and more abundant for ALL it’s inhabitants. not just the 1%.

Whatever your political views are, you cannot be blind to the scarcity of food on this planet in certain areas of the world, the massive waste our own country as well as other countries, the massive people without healthcare, homes and even clothing.  You cannot be blind to the toxic air ( massive pollution you see above your heads clouding the cities) and you cannot be blind to the Oil spills and trash in our Oceans, unless you just want to not see it.

Again, I must say that Being Green is a Hip and Very Necessary thing to do! It isn’t about some trend that will pass, or a new wave of protests that eventually disappear, this is our future and our children’s future we are fighting for.  It is so that our consumerism doesn’t pollute the world to the point global disaster.

Whatever the blockage is for you about going green, it will be far more of an inconvenience to live in a world that is far more uninhabitable.   I’m in awe of this amazing planet we call home, rather than pack up and head for another planet once we’ve disposed of this one, why not make small changes that will help regenerate this world and we can enjoy it as a thriving planet, not a disposable planet.   I know some people really feel that is far reached.  Actually it might not happen in your life time, but most likely in your children’s or grand children’s  life time.  It is a possibility, if we don’t begin our journey now.  Changes on this massive scale take time, and it won’t be an over night healing process, but we can begin to shift our destructive ways into more sustainable, proactive and humane ways of living.  Where all life on this planet is cared for, thriving and treated with respect.

It is my hopes for the coming year, that people take a long look at the actions that they are causing on this planet and the effect it is having on the world as a whole, instead of the mentality of instant gratification and a disposable world, or one of apathy  and denial.

Whatever steps you take towards a cleaner, healthier world will be of tremendous benefit to the world as a whole.  Make this new year a Eco New Year! Not for Climate Change /Global warming, but for cleaner air, cleaner water, healthier children and cleaner oceans, rivers and soil.  To support the 99% of this world from living in conditions that are unnecessary and unfair to the working class and the poor.   Support a true democracy in this country, one that stands of the premise of our founding fathers for equal opportunity for all man. Instead of one for corporate greed and control.  Let’s work for a cooperative, true democracy in this country.  Here is to a more prosperous and healthy new year in 2012!  Happy New Year! www.mypumpkindoodle.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have yourself a Merry Eco Christmas, let your footprint be light

Soon gifts will be opened, family gatherings, parties will take place.  This is the most wasteful time of the year. 5 million tons more waste during the months of November and December.  How can you make your Merry Christmas a Eco Christmas or whatever your religious beliefs are, A Merry Eco holiday!  Give the gifts you desire to give and feel better about it.  We have suggestions on wonderful Eco gifts for the entire family.  Buying Green quality made products means they will last longer and in many cases can be handed down to someone else.  This is huge in the reduction of waste in this country.  One of the Greenest things you can do it buy quality made products that will last.  Check out some of our holiday selections:

 

 

 

 

 

Our Eco Furniture is not only Unique & Stylish but also reduces waste.  The design is such that allows for years of usage first a bed then a chair.  Non toxic finishes and sustainable wood products make it a super deal.  Lasts for years and many children later.  Many mainstream products are not Green and usually don’t last for years.  With our products you get the best of both.  Sale! Pumpkin Doodle

 

 

 

 

 

Our certified Organic Cotton Robes are a great value!  On Sale!  These luxury robes outlast mainstream robes.  Made from the finest GOTS Certified cotton the are soft and absorbent.  These robes make great gifts for any loved one.  Matching slippers make a great gift set. Mom or Dad will love to wrap themselves in Eco Luxury to have morning coffee.  Take advantage of this great pricing and give the gift of Green this holiday!Women’s Shawl Robes $154.00 now $99.95 while supplies last.  Pumpkin Doodle

 

 

So many chemicals in children’s clothing. Mainstream cotton has the highest levels of pesticides.  Our Organic Cotton children’s clothing is made in the USA by Sustainable kids.  Eco clothing doesn’t have to be dull!  These unique and hip clothing for kids make being green hip and cool!  Kids love sustainable kids clothing for the comfort and style.  Mom’s love them because they are affordable and pesticide free! Feel better about your gifts this year. Buy Green!  Check out our full line of Eco children’s clothing. Save now while supplies last! Pumpkin Doodle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Tree Debate!

Christmas Tree Debate Real or Plastic?

Over the years I’ve heard so many comments about what is considered the eco thing to do when it comes to buying Christmas Trees.  Some have commented that real trees, cut down trees and therefore it is much Greener to have an artificial tree.  Some say it is much Greener to have a Real Tree!
Here are some facts to help you decide:
Plastic trees last longer, yes, but they also will eventually end up in the landfill and take over 500 years to decompose.  The carbon footprint of the production of a plastic tree and the toxins it produces to make them are of real concern.
  • Artificial trees are made of PVC a toxic plastic which off gas toxic chemicals
  • Artificial trees are non recyclable and non biodegradable
  • Artificial trees are made of petroleum and metal and have a high carbon footprint
  • Artificial trees are cleaner and less messy and maybe the choice with people with tree allergies
33 million live trees are sold in the US every year.  This benefits local tree farmers and helps the environment. Most trees take up to 16 years to harvest.  These trees are re-planted, from seeds, which keeps the cycle of trees constantly going.  Live trees biodegrade much faster.  I suggest getting your tree locally and driving as close as you can get the tree to avoid the carbon footprint of emissions.
  • One single tree absorbs 1 ton of carbon emissions in it’s life time.
  • Live Christmas trees are a sustainable product, they are replanted / replaced each year.
  • Live Trees employ over 100,000 Americans
  • Live Trees can be mulched, used for landscaping, gardening or erosion control
  • Live trees can have an impact on the environment if pesticides are used to grow them
  • Live trees can be purchased with a bulb and replanted for next Christmas
  • Live trees need to be discarded outside of a landfill, landfills don’t provide enough oxygen for decomposition

The best option for live trees would be a chemical free tree or an organically grown tree that is locally grown. If you must purchase a artificial tree search and see if you can find one that is used. It has less off-gassing and is much better for the environment because new ones don’ t have to be made. Until which time food grade plastic trees or other sustainable fiber trees can be made, our vote is on a live Christmas tree! They have a wonderful aroma too! Enjoy your holidays!

Shop Green this Holiday Season with Pumpkin Doodle!