Cutting way back on single-use paper products seemed a no-brainer on my Climate Crisis Consumer Diet. I had used cloth table napkins when I had four kids at home, but as fewer people regularly came to the dinner table, I had inexplicably slipped back into using paper napkins. Last year, when I pulled out my stash of cloth napkins, I had lost my relaxed attitude about them. During dinner, I would cringe every time someone used one to wipe a greasy finger. Why was I so neurotic about them? Was I burdened by the thought […]
Continue readingPatty Mochel
Cleaning Your Home Naturally
One way to take a step back from a closet full of plastic bottles filled with cleaning products that may contain harmful substances is to take a look at time-honored methods of cleaning. Just a few generations ago, people who lived in rural areas, who couldn’t readily run to a store to buy cleaning supplies, depended on using everyday products to clean their home. In fact, some old cookbooks included ‘recipes’ for cleaning solutions. Now more than ever, it makes sense to step back from those disposable floor cleaning pads and use an old-fashioned mop […]
Continue readingThrifting for the Holidays and Special Occasions
You can find very special things for the special times in your life in thrift stores. Halloween Thrift stores have long been a great source for Halloween costumes- Bell bottoms and disco platforms from the 70’s are a great example of used items you might find. Since thrift stores have come to realize that folks who generally don’t shop there do show up this time of year, many have started to stock new costumes, masks, decorations, etc. (Shop early for the best selection.) christmas You can find everything you’d look for in a full-price store […]
Continue readingFive changes I’ve made because of climate change
The scientific data we’ve been getting from the news media reached a pivotal point in the past year – our climate is changing, the natural world is changing and soon we will see consequences of extreme weather events in our own communities. My friends at Green Towson Alliance have talked a lot about what the scientific data is telling us – that many people will suffer as a result of climate change. While we are working to make bigger, positive changes to mitigate climate change – such as planting as many canopy, shade trees as […]
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