Where can you walk instead of driving this week?

I had to go to the store to get about $30 in groceries tonite. I decided to walk to the smaller grocery store that is about 1 mile away.

I brought my green environmental recycled koolaide bag (from www.rejuicedbags.com) and some cash, wearing my headphones and walking shoes.I walked to and from the store at a brisk pace. I bought great salad fixings and came home and had a nice big salad with my dinner tonite.

Where can you walk instead of driving this week ?

Big Green Purse Book by Diane Maceachern

Big Green Purse book by Diane Maceachern

~ Using Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World ~

This book is jam-packed with 413 pages of how you can spend your dollars wisely in 25 key commodities where your dollars can have the most impact plus dozens of other areas where you can make better choices for your environment and our world. This is a must read, a must buy, family resource book !

"MacEachern's message is simple but revolutionary. If women harness the "power of their purse" and intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, they can create a cleaner, greener world. Spirited and informative, this book:
•targets twenty commodities-cars, cosmetics, coffee, food, paper products, appliances, cleansers, and more-where women's dollars can make a dramatic difference;
•provides easy-to-follow guidelines and lists so women can choose the greenest option regardless of what they're buying, along with recommended companies they should support;
•encourages women to spend wisely by explaining what's worth the premium price some green products cost, what's not, and when they shouldn't spend money at all; and
•differentiates between products that are actually "green" and those that are simply marketed as "ecofriendly."

Whether readers want to start with small changes or are ready to devote the majority of their budget to green products, MacEachern offers concrete and immediate ways that women can take action and make a difference. Empowering and enlightening, Big Green Purse will become the "green shopping bible" for women everywhere who are asking, "What can I do?" "

SOURCE: http://www.biggreenpurse.com/

Growing up Green Book by Deirdre Imus

Growing up Green, book, by Deirdre Imus

I have checked this book out of the library 3 times now. I need to add this to my buy book list !
This book is jam packed full of information about making the best choices and decisions on which foods, cleaning products, chemicals, toys, and materials to expose your children to or that they may already be exposed.

Some topics included are:

• Environmental Triggers to Chronic Illnesses


• Prevention is the Best Cure


• Preparing for Pregnancy


• Eating Right for Two


• Developing your Baby's Palate


• Green Pediatrics


• Off to School - how safe is it ?

"The second volume in the New York Times bestselling Green This! series, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care is a complete guide to raising healthy kids. Environmental activist and children's advocate Deirdre Imus addresses specific issues faced by children in every age group-from infants to adolescents and beyond. With a focus on preventing rather than treating childhood illnesses, Deirdre concentrates on educating and empowering parents with information such as: How to make sure your child is vaccinated safely, Which plastic bottles and toys are least toxic, How to lobby for safer school environments and support children's environmental health studies, Advice from leading "green" pediatricians and nationally recognized doctors such as Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Chock-full of research and advice, Growing Up Green makes it easy for you to introduce your child to the "living green" way of life."

"The World Health Organization estimates that we could prevent more than 80 percent of all chronic illnesses by improving our lifestyles in simple ways, like working to reduce our exposure to environmental pollutants and eating a healthier diet. Eighty percent ! So, why aren't we doing more to protect our children ?"

"For a number of reasons, children are more adversely affected by exposure to environmental toxins than adults. Pound for pound of body weight, they breathe and eat more than we do. Their still developing immune systems might mistakenly treat toxins as naturally occurring enzymes or hormones. And because children are growing and developing so fast, dangerous cell mutations can multiply at a faster rate. Children are also less capable of detoxifying and excreting chemicals than adults. Their blood-brain barrier is still porous and allows more chemicals to reach their brains."

This book is a compelling read and contributes to our family's mission to make better green options in our everyday lives.

SOURCES: http://www.dienviro.com/index.aspx, http://www.imusranchfoods.com/

100 Mile Diet - blog, book, t.v. show - Join the Revolution !

"In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, inspiring thousands of individuals, and even whole communities, to change the way they eat. Locally raised and produced food has been called “the new organic" — better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health. From reviving the family farm to reconnecting with the seasons, the local foods movement is turning good eating into a revolution."

This revolution led to a television show called the 100 Mile Challenge on Food T.V. I caught the first episode last night and loved it !

"Throughout The 100 Mile Challenge, James and Alisa provide the families with expert information, tips, encouragement, corrections, and a series of challenges. The pair guides the 100-milers through the deep, personal transformations they will undergo in this "shared yet individual" experience. "

This 100 Mile Challenge takes place in Mission, British Columbia. "What better place to launch a transformational social experiment than a place called Mission? Why Mission? The search for the perfect town for The 100-Mile Challenge spanned the breadth of the Fraser Valley, a massive network of small towns and bedroom communities that covers some of the richest agricultural land in British Columbia.

Located 70 kilometres east of Vancouver, the town of Mission is nestled on a slope overlooking the mighty Fraser River, where several species of salmon swim and fishing enthusiasts can do battle with six-foot white sturgeon right under the Mission bridge. From rolling hills dotted with cows, to a manufacturing base that turns out $10 million yachts for wealthy American businessmen, Mission is a perfect petri dish of the modern-day push and pull between agricultural land and residential sprawl that faces Canadians daily. It's a struggle that affects all aspects of life, including what ends up on the dinner table, and where it comes from.

Mission is still home to commercial and hobby farmers who are no strangers to the arts of canning and preserving. Our 100-milers are going to need all the advice, support, and inspiration they can find to get them through the next 100 days."

Follow six local families on their 100 Mile Diet adventure on Sunday nights at 8pm on the Food Network.

SOURCE: http://www.100milediet.org/, http://100mile.foodtv.ca/