Detailed post for episode 10 of The Green Divas Show
But first, listen to the podcast…
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Watch the show here…
Winter weather and Covid getting you down? It’s still only February and many of us are experiencing cold winter weather. Some of my friends express that they are “hitting the wall” while trying to stay home. This week we are sharing some DIY home care ideas to revisit and a look keeping your indoor air quality safe and healthy.
DIY projects
Dry skin? Really. who doesn’t have perpetual dry skin from being inside with the heat during the winter? Make your own luscious, all-natural, non-toxic moisturizer. (full recipe here)
Hand washing much? Since we are all washing our hands a lot, here is a homemade foaming hand soap that is super easy to make. (full recipe here)
No more stinky poo smell polluting your bathroom – talk about quality of indoor air quality!? Try this amazingly effective PRE-poo spray. Super easy to make! (full recipe here)
Garden Planning!
It’s time to start planning that garden. Order your seeds and after checking for the proper time, start some seedlings. Here are some DIY Seedling starter pots. Just need some newspaper and some TP rolls.
Catch up on some reading
Here are a few of the things we are reading.
How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos by David Pogue. Check out our recent interview with Mr. Pogue!
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis – GD Lisa does a beautiful reading of a portion of an essay at the end of the podcast — Loving a Vanishing World by Emily N. Johnson a poet, essayist and co-founder of 350 Seattle.
Eat To Live by Joel Furman MD – a scientific look at how what we eat affects us and how to make better choices.
We have a LOT of recipes on the website, but here’s just one of our fun 1 GD Minute recipe videos!
For more fun recipe videos, visit our YouTube channel!
Get adventurous in the kitchen
TRY NEW RECIPES!
Some of our favorite cookbooks from the GD Library…
At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin.
Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking: 101 Entirely Plant-Based, Mostly Gluten-Free, Easy and Delicious Recipes by Dana Shultz.
Cleaning and organizing
May not seem like the most fun thing to do, but it can be! Our own Liv and her family got together and cleaned out their basement last weekend. Make it an event, gather the troops from your “bubble” to clean the basement, attic or garage. Tease, laugh and work together, then top it off with a favorite meal.
Check out Companies We Dig – Grove about where to get cleaning products.
GDs AT Home
What to do about indoor air pollution
This segment is brought to you by Cariloha – awesome sustainable bamboo home products and apparel – a comfy way to save the planet.
One study showed that Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors.
Yikes. Especially right now…
Chemical exposure has increased as more chemicals are introduced into our world, with an estimated 80,000 different chemicals used in household products we use everyday. Chemicals and toxins can be hidden in anything from your cleaning products to the couch!
Cigarette Smoke – QUIT IT! There are nearly 200 poisons are found in a cigarette! (Unless you smoke American Spirits, thank you Sun Butler)
Mold & Mildew – An episode all on it’s own… maybe 2 or 3 episodes! Here’s just one post on mold.
What to do?
- Plants, plants, plants – NASA did a 2 year study showing how much houseplants can clean up specific toxic chemicals indoors. Listen to our show, Houseplants for a Healthy Home. Plants absorb CO2 and release oxygen. They will actually remove VOCs like formaldehyde and benzene.
8 easy plants to grow at home that will clean your air- Devil’s Ivy or pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Philodendron
- Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
- Rubber plants (Ficus elastica)
- Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Keep up with the pet grooming and vacuuming – And clean out the kitty litter regularly.
Regular air duct cleaning and changing of filters – And for the planet, throw an extra layer on and turn down the thermostat. It is especially good for you to sleep in a cool room under warm blankets.
Better cleaning products – so many great companies now. Check out our Companies We Dig page on our website.
Responsible fabrics – check out our recent show, Sustainability of Textiles
Better cosmetics – Check out EWG and other Companies We Dig.
Only organic soy candles – Don’t use just any old fragrant candles, they can be very toxic.
Get outside as often as possible for some fresh air. We’ve even been embracing shoveling of snow for the fresh air and excercise.
Exercise? Be like GD lisa and find some fun dance videos or yoga videos you can enjoy.
Painting projects? If you have to do any indoor painting, make sure you use non-VOC paints.
Cleaning projects – Check out Companies We Dig
And here’s a fun segment GD Meg did about reducing toxins in the home for Ebru Today, an international morning show, a few years back…
