We Tried It
The Greenest Christmas Tree
December 7, 2009 by Mecca and Tonya · Leave a Comment
While millions of Americans celebrate the holiday season with Christmas trees, many are opting to get their tree out of a box. According to a 2004 poll 60% of Americans set up fake trees for Christmas.
But are artificial trees more ecofriendly than real? Rodale.com says no, fresh Christmas trees are the more environmentally-friendly choice. They recommend hitting up a Christmas tree farm – it supports local farmers and usually involves less pesticides. Click here to check out their article outlining the pros and cons of fake vs. real Christmas trees.
Another option is to buy a potted Christmas tree that can be replanted after the holidays are over. There are some beautiful ones for sale at White Dove nursery on Highway 72 in Athens, Alabama, for $100. Compare that to $7.50 a foot at a local cut-your-own. An eight-foot tree that will be tossed (into the recycle pile!) after the holidays will set you back $60. And then there’s the rent-a-tree option; if you live on the west coast, you can actually rent a Christmas tree for the holidays!
Closer to home, what will LGB be stringing their lights from this Christmas? Read on to see what tree Mecca and Tonya choose for their homes this holiday season. Read more…
Holiday Stress? Take a Breath!
November 30, 2009 by Mecca and Tonya · Leave a Comment
Breathe your way to a stress-free holiday!
With the holidays in full swing, it’s easy to get stressed out! The in-laws are coming, you still need to find that perfect gift that is both thoughtful and affordable, meanwhile organic, free-range turkeys cost how much?!! It’s enough to turn the Calmest Christmas Elf into an Abominable Snowman of Anxiety.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, stress can seriously affect a woman’s well-being, and has been linked to a myriad of ailments. While stress is an unavoidable part of life, there are tools to help tame that tension! Breathing exercises are frequently touted as great stress-busters because they’re easy, can be performed anywhere by anyone, and don’t cost a thing. Sounds great but do they really work? Read on to see if Mecca and Tonya are able to use simple breathing techniques to banish holiday stress to the North Pole. Read more…
Be a Natural Beauty
November 23, 2009 by Mecca and Tonya · 2 Comments
While we’re always striving to live the green life at Little Green Bits, there’s one thing we just can’t give up: Our beauty products! But we want them without all the harmful chemicals that you won’t find listed on the labels. And while there are plenty of great all natural and organic products on the market, we would love to find some less costly alternatives. This week Tonya and Mecca and try out simple and inexpensive homemade beauty treatments. Here’s the scoop. Read more…
Trash to Treasure
November 11, 2009 by Tonya · Leave a Comment
Are you trying to follow the guide reduce, reuse, recycle? Feel bad just tossing all that junk mail in the trash or even the recycle bin? Let your junk mail have a second life; try making homemade paper while bringing out your artsy side!
Uses:
Holiday Cards, Business Cards, Scrapbooking, Recipe Cards, Gift Tags, Love Notes and more!
Supplies:
blender, water, corn starch, junk mail, used stationery, small window screen or picture frame with screening attached to the back, felt or flannel fabric, sponge, rolling pin, storage bin. Read more…
LGB Takes It To The Floor!
November 2, 2009 by Mecca and Tonya · 1 Comment
Little Green Bits tries out homemade floor cleaner! Unfortunately floor cleaners are among the worst toxic offenders. And while no one would ever let a child handle or ingest these materials, consider how much time children spend on the floor. These concerns have prompted many a mom to seek out safer cleaning alternatives.
In an effort to be green as well as save some green, LGB takes a stab at making our own safe and natural floor cleaner. Read on for our ‘little bit’ on homemade floor cleaners: Read more…
The Dirt on BabyGanics
October 19, 2009 by Tonya · 4 Comments
The Details
BabyGanics offers a full line of home cleaning products including laundry detergent, stain remover, glass cleaner and more. You can purchase them at BabiesRUs. Excited to find such a product line, I grabbed two cleaners to try out: Loads of Love ($9.99) and Stain, Stain, Go Away($6.99). While I can’t speak to the other products, here’s the dirt on the ones I tried:
Read more…
