This post is coming a little late on Wednesday, (and is two or three weeks late since my last “Simple Ways Wednesdays” post).  I think you’ll be excited for a few weeks, though, because Simple Ways Wednesdays is starting a series-within-a-series…  for the next several weeks, Simple Ways Wednesdays will be helping you with meaningful holiday gift planning:

Make your own Holiday Gifts with Natural Ingredients!

The first recipe you get is: Avacado/Almond Neck Moisturizer

Ingredients:
1 Teaspoon Dried Chamomile (click link to buy it online – use the search field at the top right of the screen)
1 1/8 cup water
3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil (click link to buy it online – use the search field at the top right of the screen)
3 Tablespoons Almond Oil (click link to buy it online – use the search field at the top right of the screen)
2 Teaspoons Jojoba Oil (click link to buy it online – use the search field at the top right of the screen)
1 ounce beeswax beads (click link to buy it online – use the search field at the top right of the screen)
2 teaspoons glycerin
20 drops Organic Lemon Essential Oil (click link to buy it online)
2 large ceramic cups
Strainer
Double-boiler
Sterilized 6-oz glass or ceramic jar with tight-fitting lid

Directions:
1: Boil the water
2: Place the chamomile in a large, ceramic cup
3: Pour the water into the cup with the chamomile and let steep for 15 minutes
4: Strain the liquid into another cup
5: In the top of the double boiler (set over simmering water), warm the jojoba, avocado, and almond oils
6: Add the beeswax beads and stir until melted
7: Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of the chamomile liquid drop by drop until the mixture thickens and cools
8: Mix in the glycerin and lemon essential oil thoroughly
9: Spoon the mixture into the sterilized glass or ceramic jar
10: Store in a cool, dark place

This recipe will make, for only a few dollars, what you might pay $15-$25 (or more!) at a beauty shop.  Additionally, you know exactly what is going into a recipe that you are making yourself.  Can’t beat that!

This mixture should be massaged into the neck from the neckline all the way to the chin.  The oils will keep skin soft and supple.

Get cracking on this recipe… only a handful of weeks until it is gift-giving time!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

Since that time, through no true, particular goals or specific work on my part, environmentastic! has reached a pretty crazy milestone, in my mind: more than 4000 unique visitors in one month (nearly 125,000 hits), exceeding the bandwidth limits I had set for it when I initially created the hosting account (2GB transfer). I upped the bandwidth limit and went to look at my stats:

Exciting, eh? In celebration of this accomplishment, I would like to point out the post that has been bringing in the most traffic: Green Mutual Fund Providers. I had no idea that this post would bring in the kind of traffic it has, and it is still the most often read post on the blog, even though it was posted back on March 11th of 2008. Other posts that discuss similar issues as the above are pretty well-read:

Two Ways to Invest Responsibly

and

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

But the Green Mutual Funds Providers post is by far the most read – and is the number two google result for the search phrase: “green mutual funds.”

So since this is a celebration of environmentastic!’s success thus far in its existence, I would like to extend the information I have provided to people about SRI and offer you, my beloved readers, the following gift:

I am going to start researching potential investments in the stock market from an SRI perspective. For a limited time, I will post them here on environmentastic! for your enjoyment and, hopefully, to your retirement and investment benefit! But that’s only part of the gift:

The REALLY exciting part of my gift to you, readers, is that I would like to research and recommend (or not) companies that YOU would like to know more about. So let ‘er rip in the comments! Let me know what investments you think might be good options, and I’ll do some research and make a recommendation!

Keep in mind that I am not an investment adviser professionally, nor am I an expert, but I have a layman’s interest in investing, as well as a passion for and knowledge about the environment and social issues – in other words, “You could do worse.”

Anybody who comments with suggestions of companies to research will also be offered a discount on environmentastic!’s upcoming quarterly investment newsletter… for a limited time, anyway!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

My friend Anne Florenzano, who writes and runs the blog Light, Motion, and Magic, had offset a recent flight’s greenhouse gas emissions by planting three trees! Anne had linked to my post Greening Your Travels – Part 1, and had asked about emissions from different aged aircraft – to which I replied that planting three trees per round-trip on an airline would (give-or-take) offset your emissions from that trip.

SOMEBODY ACTUALLY LISTENS TO WHAT I SAY! Imagine the power I now yield (send me money).

In all seriousness, this is a really cool way to recognize someone that will pay back for years, decades, maybe centuries. I had been a member of the National Arbor Day Foundation in the past (their “Tree City USA” initiative is very cool), and had forgotten – or perhaps never known – that they offered this service to people.

The rest of the email is below, if you’re interested:

***

This gift will make a difference.

Your tree will be planted in one of our National Forests, home to such noble creatures as lynx, grizzly bears, wolves, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and hundreds of other species.

Yet grand as they are, our National Forests are in desperate need of replanting because of recent unprecedented fires.

Someone has honored you with this Give-A-Tree card, so that our forests can be restored to their full grandeur…making them once again a place of inspiration for all who pass through, and a sanctuary for wild things of a rare beauty and grace.

Visit arborday.org/yourtree to learn more about the importance of replanting our National Forests.

You can send someone their own Give-A-Tree card, so that replanting our forests in desperate need can continue. Share with someone how you care, and how each Give-A-Tree card makes a difference.

Visit arborday.org/giveatree.

***

Thank you, Anne, for doing this – it’s highly appreciated! And to my readers: Anne has a great blog in Light, Motion, and Magic – it’s a regular read for me. She’s a strong business-woman who is insightful and writes very well. Please check it out and encourage her on her entrepreneurial journey!

Namaste,

A. Caleb Hartley

Did you know that much of that Hazardous Material is used to make the household cleaning supplies you buy in the store?

With that in mind, below are some natural, all-purpose cleaner recipes that can be made at home, generally with ingredients that you might already have on hand!

• Baking Soda: use it on a damp sponge to clean & deodorize any surface, including in your kitchen or bathroom!
• Baking Soda: dissolve 4 tablespoons in 1 quart of warm water to make a general cleaning solution. 
• Baking Soda: make a paste with baking soda and water and use it as a general cleaner. 
• Baking Soda/Borax & Castile Soap: use a little of this mixture and a lot of water to clean your floors, or more of it and less water to clean a sink, or a tub, or a cat box, or buckets, etc. – anything that is able to be rised well once the cleaning is complete.
•  Vinegar and Salt mixed together makes a good surface cleaner.
•  Salt, water, and a bit of vinegar makes a good paste which can be used as a general cleaner.

Here’s one that is a little more complex, but can be used in a spray bottle:

• 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap – all mixed with 2 cups of hot water. Spray it on and wipe it clean!

Here’s some information about the products you will be using in the above cleaning recipes:

• Baking Soda was the primary cleaning agent in the restoration of the statue of liberty!  Is is scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate, and is known as a non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner, which cleans and deodorizes.
• Borax, scientifcally known as sodium borate, deodorizes and increases the effectiveness of soap.
• Castile Soap is soap made exclusively from vegetable oil (as opposed to animal fat).
• Salt is generally used as an abrasive in cleaning recipes; by itself it is not a “cleaner.”
• Vinegar (scientifically – acetic acid) removes stains and cuts through grease.  It also softens water (increasing its cleaning effectiveness).
• Washing Soda is called sodium carbonate in the science field. It is a disenfectant and also cuts through grease.  Like Borax, it increases soap’s cleaning effectiveness.

Quick Warning: Just because it is “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean that it is safe to ingest or to leave sitting around – especially for kids or pets.  Borax CAN BE TOXIC to pets and children, so be careful!  It’s probably a good idea to label the ingredients of your cleaners and keep them away from children and pets.  You should also tell any others in your household where the borax (and any products containing borax) are located and what they are to be used for.

Enjoy making your new, natural cleaners; maybe even make it in bulk and give it away (with the recipe) as gifts for the holidays!  Leave a comment telling us other natural all-purpose cleaner recipes that are not included above!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

Author: Kathy Steinemann

Giving gifts is an integral part of our lives. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, promotions, weddings, and religious holidays with gifts.

However, consider all the giftwrap, plastic packaging in which it is merchandised, cardboard tubes, ribbons, and ribbon spools that end up in landfill. Although some communities have recycle depots that will reprocess this garbage, many do not. Here are some eco-friendly tips for wrapping gifts.

Be sure to include a little note with each gift. Let your recipient know that the giftwrap is something special just for him or her, and ask the person to recycle or reuse it.

(c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/did-you-know-that-giving-gifts-can-damage-the-environment-241968.html

About the Author:

Kathy has posted more articles about the environment and global warming at 1st Rate Articles. She also writes articles for 111 Travel Directory and A Language Guide. In addition, she creates short stories and poetry in German-English parallel translation.

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Caleb’s Comments: Another idea – re-use potato chip bags (turned inside-out so the silver shows) and tied up with naturally-died raffia! We’ve done this in the past, and it always got a fun reaction!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

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