Tune In and Fulfill Your Destiny...what are you meant to do?

Millions of Women from water.org on Vimeo.


I swear to the lord above if I do not get some sleep tonight I am going to just lose my freakin' mind.  You see it's not that I have insomnia, I just have so much to do every minute of the day.  Can you relate?  My days, like I yours may be, are filled with the kid gig, making the hubby happy, work and well just too much.  But when I look around, it is hard not to feel so totally blessed with the life my family has.

Certainly, we are not

Update on Plastics - Current information that you should know for yourself and your family.

I wanted to update you on plastics and BPA's with a new study from the University of North Carolina, Simon Fraser University, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital  which has linked aggressive behavior in two year old girls to their mother's exposure of BPA's.  Boys whose moms had the highest BPA levels exhibited slightly

Sick of Choking Down Your Vitamins Every Day? Check Out Vitafusion Gummy Vitamins...for Adults!

Okay so as soon as you are done laughing at the notion of a gummy vitamin for adults, think about it for a minute.  I, for one, was sick and tired of  doling out the yummy gummies for my kids and then having to choke down mine.  Just the other day I was wondering why there aren't healthy gummy vitamins for me when lo and behold on a shopping trip to Target an end cap item caught my eye.

There was a huge display of

Near Sea Naturals...Everything you need to sew, Naturally! Organic,Sustainable Fabrics and Notions.

I should be getting to bed, but I just noticed that a new member of our Environmental Booty community site just joined and she owns an amazing company and I had to share.  If any of you guys out there like to sew, but would like organics and sustainable fabrics and notions, NearSea Naturals is your one stop shop.

In their own words

Want Green Giveaways, Discounts and Promotions? Check out our First "Daily Green Deal" with Over $32,000 in Prizes and be on your way to Winning with Sustainability!!!

Have you noticed that everywhere you look these days, you are being offered a new promotion, giveaway or coupon?  In these tough economic times, companies are doing all they can to gain your following, trust and interest. The majority of  these savings, though, are not green and if you are wondering where those deals are, I have the answer.

If you are interested in saving green on green (sorry I had to say it) and winning amazing Eco-prizes in giveaways that offer savings on sustanable products that are not only good for you, but that are also not harmful to our environment, I can point you in the right direction.

It's International Infection Prevention Week. Why Should You Care that Kimberly-Clark is Dedicated to Prevention with their HAI Watch: Not on My Watch Campaign?

When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, it's referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection or HAI.  I remember when I was a little girl, my grandfather always said he would never go to a hospital because all they did was kill people!

I never understood that worry and when he said it I he always scared me to death.  Today I do not have a fear of going into the hospital, but the HAI issue is one of critical importance to every healthcare facility, worker and consumer.  Why? Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are

Thinking of Flying? Green Up the Sky with Southwest Airlines.

I love my girlfriend Laura.  If I wasn't married (and straight)  I  would want to marry her!  Lola (my pet name for her) is way hot, smart, a great wife and she is super brave.  You see I am deathly (that may be an overstatement...slightly) afraid of flying and my girlie Laura is a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines.  She has worked for them for years and loves it.  If I ever have to fly, I always fly Southwest...actually that is a lie...I never fly.  But, if I were to fly I would go Southwest.  Today, I just found another reason to fly Southwest...they are going Eco.

Okay so back off with the, "Oh sure, Eco when they are blowing enough jet fuel to run a country!"  I am constantly amazed at the corporate "green bashing" that goes on when a company tries to become a little more environmentally conscience.  Pump the brakes on the bashing and check this out.

Today, according to Reuters, Southwest Airlines has debuted a  "Green Plane" with environmentally friendly interior materials.  This "green plane"  is an innovative idea that marries efficiency, environmentally responsible products, customer comfort, and reduced waste and weight. This plane, a Boeing 737-700, will serve as a test environment for new environmentally responsible materials and customer comfort products.

"Southwest is committed to continuing to lead the industry in emissions reductions through fuel efficiency. Efficiency in fuel consumption benefits our Company as well as the environment, and this has been part of our business model since the beginning," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chairman, President, and CEO. "As we look to the future, we know climate change remains of vital importance to our industry, our Company, and our Customers, so Southwest works hard every day in every area to be a responsible steward of the environment."

This "green plane" is pretty cool: with 100% recycled carpet that is recycled in a carbon neutral process, e-Leather that is a man-made alternative to traditional leather which is made with leftovers from the leather industry and a lightweight, canvas container for the ever important life vest which reduces the weight ratio of each passenger by one pound, thus decreasing weight and fuel needed to fly the jet.

Southwest also announced today a November 1 launch of it's revamped recycling program which will divert more passenger trash from our landfills! 

Southwest has always been progressive and I for one applaud their efforts.  For more information on ways Southwest's Airlines cares for the environment, click HERE.

Cool Widget from the CDC to Check Out Swine Flu Prevention Product Claims!

H1N1 Fraudulent Products

From Planet Green - 10 Signs That You'll live a Long, Green Life

By Sara Novak with  Planet Green...
It’s no coincidence that healthy living has a direct connection to green living. People that care about the health of the planet often care about eating well, being outside, and avoiding the crap that will shorten their time on this beautiful planet. So it wasn’t a huge surprise that when Prevention Magazine came up with a list of Surprising Signs That You’ll Probably Live Longer, many of them fit right into a green lifestyle.
Signs of Longevity And Their Connection to Living Green!

1. You walk to stay fit.
Fit people–defined as those who walk for about 30 minutes a day–are more likely to live longer than those who walk less, regardless of how much body fat they have, according to a recent study of 2,603 men and women.
Green It: Walking for a purpose
The best way to stay fit is to include walking in your everyday life as a way to get from A to B. Park the car and instead choose to walk to the store or if you use public transportation, walk to the bus or train station. That’s why Europeans are so enviously thin, they walk to get somewhere not just to stay fit. Save fossil fuels and win the battle of the bulge by hitting the pavement.

2. You skip the soda.
Scientists in Boston found that drinking one or more regular or diet colas every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome–a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, and excess fat around the waist, that increase your chance of heart disease and diabetes. Not to hammer this point too hard, but America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic and soda is nothing but empty calories, or in the case of diet soda, chemically flavored fake stuff.

Green It: Drinking soda is bad for you and the planet
Not only is soda bad for you, it’s bad for the planet considering that cans and plastic bottles are hugely wasteful. Even though they can be recycled, it takes energy to recycle them. It’s best not to use something that you do not need in the first place. Try filtered tap water in a reusable bottle and save the calories for local, organic food.

3. You eat purple foods.
Concord grapes, blueberries, and red wine all have polyphenols–compounds that reduce heart disease risk and may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. “What’s good for your coronary arteries is also good for your brain’s blood vessels,” says Robert Krikorian, Ph.D., director of the Cognitive Disorders Center at the University of Cincinnati.

Green It: Choosing seasonal and organic
Blueberries come into season depending on where you live in the late summer. If you want to enjoy all those polyphenols make sure that you’re buying the fruit locally. Blueberries can lose much of their nutrients when they travel the average 1,500 miles to get to your table not to mention the fact that they waste tons of fossil fuels to get from A to B. Learn how to preserve seasonal fruits so that you can eat them year round here. And don’t forget to sip on red wine but make sure that you’re getting the most green for your green with wine that goes beyond organic.

4. You were a healthy-weight teen.
Swedish researchers found that among 612 men ages 18 to 20, those whose body mass index (BMI) increased the most during adolescence tended to have the greatest amounts of visceral fat — deep “hidden” fat that surrounds the abdominal organs and is particularly linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Green It: Raising a healthy green teen
You can’t control your weight as a teenager (unless you still are one) but you can help your teenager control their weight. The best way to raise a healthy, green adult is to start early. Try to make dinner at home every evening using seasonal, local ingredients and keep the processed junk out of the cabinets. If your teens want junk food to snack on, offer up healthy alternatives like homemade granola bars and homemade organic cookies. This way your teens will know the importance of the ingredients in their foods. Also get your teens in the garden so that they have an understanding about where their food comes from. Kids that grow up picking fresh produce from their garden every night for dinner won’t settle for produce that travels across the country because they know that garden fresh is so much tastier.

5. You skip the red meat.
A few palm-size servings (about 2 1/2 ounces) of beef, pork, or lamb now and then is no big deal, but eating more than 18 ounces of red meat per week ups your risk of colorectal cancer–the third most common type, according to a major report by the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Green It: Understanding red meat’s huge impact on the planet
What a coincidence, eating red meat is also bad news for the planet. Hitting the drive through a few times a week does have a huge impact. On the other hand, were the average American household to avoid red meat and dairy and, instead, consume a vegetarian diet or a diet including some chicken, fish, and eggs, the decline in greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to driving 8,000 fewer miles each. That’s like driving from Miami to Seattle and back. When and if you do eat red meat, opt for grass-fed varieties.

6. You drink tons of green and black tea.

Drinking tea is great for your heart. And you really need only one or two cups of tea daily to start doing your heart some good–just make sure it’s a fresh brew. Ready-to-drink teas (the kind you find in the supermarket beverage section) don’t offer the same health benefits.

Green It: Picking tea with minimal impact
The Camellia sinensis plant (which produces black, green, and white teas) comes from countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. So to help negate the distance it travels make sure that you buy organic, fair trade teas and buy them in the loose form if possible. Tea bags are wasteful and unnecessary. (Drinking green tea may also reduce the risk of stomach cancer in women!)

7. You love your friends (who are also healthy).
If your closest friends gain weight, your chance of doing the same could increase by 57 percent, according to a study in the New England of Journal of Medicine. “To maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to associate with people who have similar goals,” says Nicholas A. Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher.

Green It: Surrounding yourself with eco-lovin’ friends
If you’re living a healthy, green life, spread the word. Tell your friends how you like to walk everywhere to stay healthy so that it can become a trend. In South Carolina people tend to use cars when there is absolutely no need. But not me and as a result I make my friends walk with me to restaurants. I get them to go to the farmers’ market with me and we exchange healthy recipes and tips. If your friends are healthy and green it’s a great influence on you as well.

8. You don’t have a housekeeper.
Just by vacuuming, mopping floors, or washing windows for a little more than an hour, the average person can burn about 285 calories, lowering risk of death by 30 percent, according to a study of 302 adults in their 70s and 80s.

Green It: Doing things the green way
This is another built in workout that means you don’t have to waste energy going to a gym. What’s more, you can do things your way. That is using green cleaning supplies instead of toxic chemicals in your house.


9. You have strong legs.
Lower-body strength translates into good balance, flexibility, and endurance. As you get older, those attributes are key to reducing your risk of falls and injuries–particularly hip fractures, which often quickly lead to declining health. Up to 20 percent of hip-fracture patients die within one year because of complications from the trauma according to the International Longevity Center.

Green It: Getting a green leg workout
We all want our bodies to be in the best shape they can possibly be in. People spend hours on treadmills and elliptical machines just trying to tone up their legs, but why use the energy? There are excellent ways to work out the muscles in your legs without using up any extra energy. Here are some of my favorite ways to exercise my legs without having it add to my electricity bill–or the bill of anyone else. Read Elizabeth’s green leg workout.

10. You’re an optimist.
This means that you have a positive outlook on life. Only about 17 percent of Americans are flourishers and the rest are languishers, meaning they don’t feel good about themselves and are pessimists–according to a study in American Psychologist.

Green It: Losing the Eco-anxiety
Even though I try and live an eco-friendly life, I try and stay away from a doomsday perspective. Eco-anxiety is a very real affliction and if you have it, read Brian’s tips for reducing eco-anxiety. If your anxiety or depression stems from other factors consider reducing it naturally. Eat lots of depression-fighting foods, and read How to Get Happy Without the Prozac.

My Daughter has Swine Flu...this is scary.

Apparently my little Lexie has Swine Flu. A couple of weeks ago she had a cough and wasn't feeling so great.  I took her to her doctor and they did a flu test that was negative.  She started feeling better and then last Thursday she had this odd rash on her neck and face.  I didn't think much of it and put a little cortisone cream on it.  It seemed to go away by Friday and she seemed fine.  I didn't give it a second thought when

Update on NY Health-Care Workers Forced Vaccination Lawsuit

From The New York Times


On Friday, a judge in New York state halted mandatory flu vaccinations for health-care workers. New York is the only state to require health-care workers to be vaccinated against the seasonal and swine flu. The restraining order came in response to a lawsuit filed by three nurses who said mandatory vaccinations violated their civil rights.

Paul McCartney Launches New Food Campaign to Curb Carbon Emissions...Meat Free Monday!

Who gives off more gas?  A vegan in an SUV or a meat eater in a hybrid?  Okay we are not talking gas from the bean and veggie consuming driver, we are talking about Greenhouse gas!  The answer is...the vegan in their huge, gas guzzling SUV still gives off less gas than the meat eater.  It seems that just one day a week spent not eating meat can reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 20%!

I am sure you have heard all of the jokes, cows and their um..."emissions".  Well it seems that livestock's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions or GHG can be 18%!  Compare that to the 13% of total global emissions from transport.  This information comes from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization which, I don't know about you, but I am not a big believer in.  Remember the  Oil for Food fiasco from 1993 to 2003?  You can read the UN's response to this criticism HERE. 

Still, there is a huge body of information out there that says that  carbon emissions are contributing to climate change.  Of course there are also scientists that say human contribution is not a causal factor in climate change and there are some that say climate change is a myth completely.  What do you believe? 

It seems like things like carbon offsets and doing things to reduce our emissions can only be a good thing right?  Some would argue that the costs associated with reducing, taxing and offsetting those carbon emissions, without total assurance that it is necessary, is a cost America does not need to pay.  Across the ocean, though, it is a different story. 



Sir Paul McCartney (along with two of his daughters Stella and Mary) has launched a new food campaign called Meat Free Monday.  He is asking people to go meat free on Mondays help slow climate change. 

Environmental group Greenpeace estimates that every kg of beef we eat represents roughly the same GHG emissions as flying 100km and the group, Compassion in World Farming, estimates that if the average UK household halved its consumption of meat, this would cut more emissions than if they cut their
car use in half.

So what do you say?  "Where's the Beef" or where's the need?

Jungle Junction Game for Pre-Schoolers - My Hay-Jay loves this!

If you have a preschool age child, grand kid, niece or nephew this Jungle Junction game will fill some time in their day.  The Beetle Bugs' Nature Trip  game is easy and fast for kids.  It teaches preschoolers a bit about nature, shapes and colors. 

Update on Albany Nurses...Now Suing Over Forced Vaccinations

I am very happy to report that the forced vaccinations I told you about in an earlier post are not being taken without a fight.  Their rally video is posted above and now, four of the nurses are filing suit against state Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines to prevent the mandatory vaccination of New York's health care workers with the H1N1 flu virus.

"This is a significant civil rights issue," their lawyer, Terrence L.Kindlon said. "We think people are being forced to do something by the government."

According to timesunion.com a similar suit filed last week in New York City names Commissioner Daines and Jeffrey Kraut, chairman of the state Hospital Planning and Review Council, and contends it is beyond the state's authority to mandate getting the vaccines. Kindlon said the New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups may file similar legal action in the coming weeks.

I will keep you posted.  If you hear anything else, please check back and let us know.

Want to Know Your Green Score?

How green is your scene?

Take the GoGreenScore challenge.

 

I came across a cool (anything that gets you thinking is cool), quick (took me about 3 minutes) and easy (can you click the dots?) way to see just how green you really are.  Click on the link above to see how far you have walked on the path to green.  My score was "51-60: Mmmm, mmm, looking good in green!"  Although I wish my score was higher, at my age I will take any score that has me looking good in anything.  Click the link above, then come back and let me know how you feel about your score...

Global Consumerism. Some Things to Think About...

U.S. consumers and industry dispose of enough aluminum to rebuild the commercial air fleet every three months; enough iron and steel to continuously supply all automakers; enough glass to fill New York's World Trade Center every two weeks.  ~Environmental Defense Fund advertisement, Christian Science Monitor, 1990

God forbid that India should ever take to industrialism after the manner of the west... keeping the world in chains.  If [our nation] took to similar economic exploitation, it would strip the world bare like locusts.  ~Mahatma Gandhi
The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.  ~Kin Hubbard

He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.  ~Author Unknown

There must be more to life than having everything!  ~Maurice Sendak

You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.  ~Eric Hoffer

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.  ~Vernon Howard
Quotes from The Quote Garden


Consume with your eyes wide open for if you go about it blindly, someday there will be nothing of the world left to see. - Me :)


Make sure if you have any little ones around that you read them The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss.  This is a favorite around our house and it gives us a great lesson to teach our future generations.

Check Out Some of Our Favorite Posts...

1. Swine Flu Emergency Warning Signs

2. Is Fluoride Safe? Guest Post

3. 5 Easy Ways to Go green Today

4.Aspartame Killed His Wife? Is this a Joke? I'm Certainly Not Laughing

5.EnvironmentalBooty.com is Army Wife Magazine's Green Site of the Month for Nov/Dec 2009!


6. CalFinder Solar = Pure Awesomeness

7. Want to Know Your Green Score?

8. No Child Left Inside.org - Let's Rethink "No Child Left Behind"

9. Global Consumerism...Some Things to Think About

10. How Can I tell if my Plastics are Safe or Full of BPA...and What About Canned Food? 

11.5 Things Consumers Should Know about Massage Therapy

12.  Our Health IS Our Future - WHO Director, Maria Neira "Protect Children from Environmental Health Risks."

13.  Top 3 Fitness Trends: Boot Camp, Budget-Friendly, Getting Back to Basics

14.  Review of Disney's New "earth" Movie...I Saw it and I am Still Crying

15.  10 Most Important Ways to Be a Virtuous Consumer

16.  Parent's Get Artificial Sweeteners Banned in Schools in British Colombia

17.  Idiots Paying $1.50 for NYC Tap Water

18.  VEGAN Soup Recipe Means Dinner is Done!

19.  The US Government Fails to Protect It's Citizens from the Artificial Sweetener Aspartame

20.  Toxin Alert: Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup


Click HERE to join our community!

Thinking of Cruising? Friends of the Earth Rates Environmental Friendliness of Cruise Lines...but is there more to the story?

If you are thinking of dishing out the dough for a cruise in the near future, why not take into consideration the environmental impact that various cruise lines have on our environment?  Friends of the Earth has put together a quick and easy report card rating the top ten cruise lines that you can check out HERE.

For the first time, vacationers can decide which cruise to take based on a ship’s environmental and human health impacts,” said Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign Director at Friends of the Earth. “Typically, cruise ship passengers are attracted to cruise vacations with pictures of pristine waters and promises of unspoiled scenery and abundant wildlife, but these passengers are never told that their vacation could leave a dirty mark on the places they visit. This is something travelers should pay close attention to: half of the cruise lines we evaluated earned grades of C- or below.”

The results really surprised me with #10 a major blow to the mouse with the big ears and bow tie who lives down the street from me here in Orlando.  In fact, one of Disney Cruise Lines big wigs lives right behind me.  So in fairness to him I wanted to see what the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) had to say...and they make some good points.


Apparently, the lines knocked for not having advanced water treatment systems do use federally required sewage treatment systems in accordance with industry practices and procedures -- and that all waste water meets national clean water standards.  Furthermore, in a statement on this matter, they point out that:
"The so-called 'Report Card' released by Friends of the Earth is not based on science, law or the facts, but rather FOE's own arbitrary and flawed criteria," the statement reads. "The grades in the report card clearly ignore the fact that our cruise lines comply with and in most cases exceed all applicable environmental regulations set by the Federal government and other regulatory bodies around the world. Fortunately Friends of the Earth has no authority in the matter. Regulatory compliance is not based on meeting Friends of the Earth's biased, unscientific interpretation of what the rules should be."

I remember reading information almost a year ago that Friends of the Earth had put together about the unfriendly Eco-practices of cruise ships.  According to Friends of the Earth, 

"a single cruise ship carrying 3,000 people can generate several hundred thousand gallons of human sewage? Or that cruise ships can dump this sewage untreated just three nautical miles from shore? It’s true."

You can help make a difference.  Tell Congress HERE to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009 which will help force all cruise lines, even our beloved Disney, into better grades on the next Friends of the Earth cruise line report card.

No Child Left Inside.org - Let's Rethink "No Child Left Behind"

If you are like me, you may wonder what the heck is going on in our schools these days.  When I was a kid, I spent so much time outside because it seemed like I had all the time in the world.  I went to school, maybe did a little homework and then blasted outdoors to build castles out of leaves, flip around endlessly on my swing set bars and okay maybe once set the woods on fire behind my house; but most of my exploration was harmless. 

Harmless, but so important to my development. 

Think about it.  These days with the No Child Left Behind Act,  kids are spending more time after school doing homework and less time outside.  This is work which used to be done in school which is now pushed into after school hours to make room for test prep, pre-tests and testing.  Furthermore, time in school is less about hands-on, outdoor learning and more about learning how to take and pass "THE TEST".

My family is very lucky in our area to have excellent teachers who still find the time to take kids outside to learn but is every kid so lucky?  Recess at some schools has even been dropped on days the kids have PE.  When do kids learn about their environment?  How will they learn to take care of it?

Please take a moment and click on the following link to check out a very necessary non-profit called No Child Left Inside.org.

Thanks for your taking the time to visit us today and now let's go and get those kids outside!