What Do You Do With Excess Coffee Filters?

Do you have an excess of coffee filters laying around? If so, we have some fun and frugal ideas on how to use them.

1. Cover food in the microwave with them. Often times food splatters, these would make a quick cover.
2. Make an instant funnel.
3. Put a filter in between your cast iron skillets to keep them from rusting.
4. Fill one with baking soda and hang where needed to make the air fresher.
5. Clean your glasses with them.
6. Polish your mirrors with good quality filters.
7. Use them to catch drips from your kids' favorite ice cream or Popsicle treats.
8. Line your potted plants with filters to help you when transplanting.
9. Use them as single serve holders, like for hot dogs, popcorn or dry cereal.
10. Store fragile Christmas decoration in them.

I'm sure you can think of even more ways...Let us know and lets get creative with our recycling.

Ashton's Christmas deals!

 Fabulous Deals for the Holidays!

Ashton's Christmas deals!

AMC Theaters - Buy $50 in gift cards and get a free $10 concession card.

Applebee’s – Buy a $50 gift card and get a $10 bonus gift card through Feb. 29, 2011.

Arby’s - Participating locations are offering a free combo when you buy a $20 gift card.

Barnes and Noble – Buy a $100 gift card by Dec. 6, 2011 and get a free $10 e-gift card on Dec. 26, 2011.
Borders - Buy a $50 gift card and get a $10 bonus.

Benihana – Join the Chef’s Table and get a $30 gift certificate mailed to you in your birthday month. Or get a bonus $10 gift card when you buy a $50 gift card. Ends Dec. 31, 2010 and the gift cards expire Mar. 31, 2011. If you can combine the two, you’ll pay $50 for $90 in gift cards!

Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free ice cream when you buy a gift card for $10 or more. Unclear when this deal expires.

Black Angus - Buy a $50 gift card by Dec. 31, 2010 and get a $10 bonus gift card.

Buca di Peppo - Buca di Beppo is offering a $10 Reward Card with every $50 in gift card purchases.

California Pizza Kitchen - Buy a $100 gift card and get a free $20 bonus card that is valid Jan. 10, 2011 through Mar. 25, 2011.

Cheesecake Factory – Get a voucher for a free slice of cheesecake on your next visit when you buy a $25 gift card. Ends Dec. 24, 2010.

Chick-fil-A - Select locations (check ahead of time) are giving away a free 2011 calender stocked with freebies when you buy a $20 gift card. Otherwise the calenders cost $6.

Chili’s – Gift card orders of $100 or more are 10% off. Chipotle – There are rumors that if you buy a $25 gift card in stores before Dec. 24, 2010, you’ll get a free entree on your next visit with the original receipt. You must claim the freebie by Dec. 31, 2010, which is a tight window.

CiCi’s Pizza – Buy a $20 gift card and get a free adult buffet card that is good through Jan. 2011. One per person. Beverages not included.

Claim Jumper – Buy a $50 gift card and get a voucher for a free slice of Chocolate Motherlode Cake on your next visit (good through Jan. 9, 2011) and a $10 gift card that is good Jan. 10, 2011 through Mar. 31, 2011. So you’ll have to make two visits to redeem both. Buy $500 or more in gift cards and get 20% back in gift cards that never expire.

Coffee Bean – Get a free 12-ounce drink of your choice when you buy a $25 gift card or reload an existing card (with $25 or more). Valid in AZ and CA, but not at Ralphs, casinos, school campus, and military bases
.
Not valid online. CVS – For every $25 gift card you buy, get a free $5 bonus gift card.

Del Taco – Get various freebies when you buy a gift card between $15 and $100, from free tacos to a free T-shirt. Offers may vary in restaurants. Unclear when they expire.

Denny’s – Buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card free. For a limited time. Each order has a $1.95 processing fee.

Friendly’s - Get a free $5 gift card with every $25 gift card you buy. No details on exclusions.

Fuddruckers – Get a $5 bonus gift card for every $25 gift card you buy. Ends Dec. 31, 2010. The bonus cards are valid Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 28, 2011.

Islands – Buy a $100 gift card and get a $20 gift card free. Ends Dec. 19, 2010.

Jamba Juice – Buy a $25 gift cards and get a free 16-ounce smoothie through Jan. 3, 2011. Not valid at Safeway, Vons, Pavilions or Hawaii store locations.

LL Bean – Get a free $10 gift card for every $50 you spend through Dec. 24, 2010. One card per customer per day. The free gift cards are valid through Feb. 15, 2011.

Macaroni Grill – Buy a $25 gift cards before Jan. 5, 2011 and get a free $5 gift card that is valid Jan. 1 2011 to Feb. 28, 2011. Not valid in Puerto Rico.

Maggiano’s – Get a $20 bonus card with a $100 gift card purchases. Ends Dec. 31, 2010. The bonus card is good Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 1, 2011 and requires a $50 purchase. Lame.

Outback – Buy a $100 gift card and get a free $20 gift card that is valid Jan. 1, 2011 to Feb. 10, 2011.

Panda Express – Word on the street is that you get a free two-item combo when you buy a $25 gift card. Unclear when this ends.

Qdoba – Get a $5 voucher with every $25 Qdoba gift card you buy. The bonus voucher is good Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 28, 2011.

Ralphs – Ralphs in California is offering 4X bonus points for each gift card you buy from the grocery story. For example, if you buy a $25 Barnes and Noble card, you get 100 points.

Red Robin – Get a $5 bonus gift card for every $25 gift card you buy, or get $20 off a gift card of $500 or more. The $5 bonus is valid Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 28, 2011.

Ruth’s Chris – Buy a gift card for $250 or more and get 10% back in bonus cards that are valid Jan. 1, 2011 through Mar. 31, 2011. Promotion ends Dec. 31, 2010.

Safeway - Reader Shelley Hunter said Safeway/Vons is doing a $15 grocery coupon when you buy $150 in gift cards from them.

Subway – This promotion may only be happening in Canada, it’s unclear. Get a free 6-inch sub when you buy a $25 gift card. Some exclusions. Ask the cashier before you order.

Taco Bell – Get a free large soda when you buy a $10 or $20 gift card. The fine print says the free soda requires a purchase, but I’m assuming you can use your gift card to cover the balance.

TGI Friday’s - Buy a $25 gift card and get a $5 bonus card. Ends Jan. 3, 2011. Read fine print carefully for redemption rules.

The Children’s Place - Get a free $10 egift card for every $40 of egift cards you buy through Dec. 26, 2010.

UNO Chicago Grill – Buy a $25 gift card and get a free $5 bonus card that is valid Jan. 1, 2011 through Mar. 31, 2011.”

A Green Holiday

You know the hustle and bustle of shopping, the traffic, and the early hours waking at an insane time only to find the items you longed for are gone and sold before you even arrived?  Well this year pause and change your thinking.  How about shopping without ever leaving home?  That’s right, save gas, help the environment, save time, and spend more quality time with the people you love and help the foot print of the world by staying home and shopping from the computer.

Now don’t worry. I too, like to buy locally.  Search for local companies if that is important to you.  You can still do that without leaving home.  There are some wonderful creative ideas too for gifts of any season.

There are lots of creative ideas for making your gift giving special.   Here are some great ideas

A holiday gift basket is a great idea.  A basket that is not only aesthetically pretty to look at but is also made up of creative, hard to find items that together make an amazing gift is a perfect idea for that person who is hard to buy for

Another idea is a holiday gift basket that is personalized.

A gift basket for grandma and grandpa that has a blanket with their “Grandparents titles, for example, Grandma Sue, is a perfect idea so that they can remember they are thought of each time they snuggle up during the warm winter months.

An earth friendly holiday gift basket is a perfect idea for that person who really cares about not only our earth but healthy living.  A green holiday gift basket will be filled with sustainable items that will delight those who want to contribute to making our planet earth a better place to live. 

No matter which basket you choose, I promise you that a holiday gift basket is an awesome idea for a family, for a single person, for someone young or someone old.  So this holiday season, let someone else do the shipping, save time and your hard earned money and give a gift basket that will not only be filled with fun and love but when emptied can be used again and again for items making it the perfect green gift around.

What A Better Way To Be Green With Your Clothes?

Sunday Morning our family got up to the smell of bacon, hashbrowns, eggs and coffee. It is tradition in our home to have a fun breakfast on Sundays. What makes it fun is, I don't have to cook it. My husband has taken on this task for years and now we all look forward to it.
This morning we had somewhere to go, so the extra food was much needed. We go to church on Saturday evenings. This frees us up to be a part of a "village" at our church on Sundays. A village is a group of people that goes out into the community and "is" the church on Sundays. We have helped people paint, clean out garages, weed yards, take care of maintenance issues around the house for people who cannot do it themselves. We meet once a month. Last month and this month we went to our local Gospel Mission.
They have a wonderful little store that they give away clothes at. Our job included helping organize the clothes from the huge piles of donations. All  items are free to anyone who comes in. We also fixed broken tiles in the showers, floors and reset toilets with new wax rings.

I was thinking, what a great way to reuse our used clothing then to give it to the community free of charge. The donations were great....and my family enjoyed searching through the piles for the best stuff to hang up in the store. Have you ever donated your used items? Do you have places in your community that give it away free?

Pumpkins! What Can I Use My Big Pumpkin For?

A Huge Pumpkin!

Grown outside a family's fence.

I recently was out on a run and saw these huge pumpkins. Luckily I had my iphone with me and snapped a few pictures. It got me to thinking about what uses we could use for a pumpkin. Of course, you could eat it, although one this big might not be the best option. So, I did a little research and came up with 5 interesting ways to use pumpkin.
1. In Early Colonial Times, the pumpkin was used as a crust for pies, not for the filling. I wonder if we could try that. Anyone have a recipe for that?
2. Pumpkins have been recommended as a freckle remover. Although, I haven't tried it.
3. Native Americans used pumpkins as material for mats. They dried it and flattened it out.
4. You can deep fry pumpkin flowers, they are edible.
5. Pumpkins halves were used in the colonial period as a guide for haircuts. (I think I've seen some of those cuts recently)

5 Unusual Uses For Aluminum Foil

Did you ever play with Aluminum Foil as a kid? I did. I can remember making swords and party hats and big balls from foil. As an adult, I am still thinking of how to use this wonderful product. Here are five unusual ways to recycle and use aluminum foil.

1. Soften Up Your Brown Sugar-bake your hardened brown sugar at 300 degrees for 5 minutes wrapped in foil.
2. Sharpen your scissors with leftover foil. Just fold it over into several layers and start cutting.  It should take just a few cuts.
3. Move furniture with foil. Place small pieces of foil under large furniture (dull side down) and pull your furniture effortlessly.
4. Need a lure for fishing but are fresh out?  Wrap some foil around a fishhook and make strings of the foil to dangle in the water and watch the fish come.
5. Keep paint off your doorknobs when painting your doors. Just wrap it around the knob and trim with a sharp knife.....clean doorknobs!

Did you know that most people still refer to aluminum foil as tin foil? It hasn't been made of tin since 1947. I guess we are all creatures of habit when talking about our favorite products that are in our home. Do you know more? Let us know. Do you have an unusual use for foil?

How To Say Thank You with a Gift Basket

How To Say Thank You with a Gift Basket

Creative Ways To Pack School Lunches

School is back and that means to save money and make sure kids are eating well you will want to oversee lunches being made. Sure, kids can help but it is really up to you to make sure they are eating nutritiously and getting what they need.  We are learning more and more how school success is equated to way we fuel our kid’s bodies.  We want to make sure our kids eat well and we also want to make sure they eat what we give them.  Here are some fun ideas to do up the standard old fashioned peanut butter and jelly lunch.

For starters, there are some basic foundational principles to fixing a lunch.  Each day a lunch should have a protein, vegetable, fruit, drink, and just for fun a snack. I mean what kid doesn’t appreciate a fun snack. But don’t think you have to walk through the store and buy the newest sugary treat just use your imagination to make an awesome lunch. But wait…………..

To make it easier get a calendar.  Write out who is to pack the lunches and what the main protein is.  If you want to be really creative pick a theme each week.  Sure, peanut butter and jelly Is easy but we want our kids to try new things and be exposed to a diverse group of cultural food. It really isn’t that much work it just takes some effort and planning. 

Green Tip: Have a lunch pail on hand.  We don’t want to waste paper and there are cool new lunch pails that keep food cool and safe.  

Don’t stop there.  There is a new craze called “Bento Lunches.” Check them out.  And for a really fun lunch come up with a theme.  A Mexican week can be a blast.  Mexi-wraps one day, chicken tacos the next or how about a yummy nacho salad?  You will be amazed that yes your own kids will eat salad at lunch. You just have to give it a cool name and make it look fun.

  Have fun making your lunches and don’t forget left over’s.  Use ham to make a cheese wrap. Put raisin eyes on the spinach wrap and wal-lah you have a healthy dragon wrap.  And remember that plain ole peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  You can take a large cookie cutter and make the sandwiches into fun star shapes. For a snack add pop-corn or rail-road tracks (celery with peanut butter and chocolate chips).  You child’s lunches will be the craze of the school.   

Getting Rid of Smoke Smells

I just received two beautiful leather couches. Imagine my horrific surprise when I sat down and the stench of cigarette smoke filled my lungs. We were so sad. I ran off to google how to get smoke smells out of leather. After all it's a little more tricky then other fabrics. Here are some of the ideas we found that helped. While I'm not sure which one worked, or if all of them together finally helped, we do have smoke free couches finally.

1. Pure Vanilla Extract sprayed over the entire couch. Let sit and soak in. This is what antique dealers use to help smells.

 2. Vinegar - while the smell is not as lovely as the vanilla, it does seem to help a lot. Make sure to spray the undersides of cushions also.

3. Baking soda - It can become your new best friend. For our leather couches we put tons of baking soda under the cushions, and then unzipped all the cushion and poured a cup in each one. I left the baking soda on the underside of the couch for a week and then vacuumed it up.

4. Carpet fresh scented sodas. Yes, it's not as green as I would have liked, but I poured bottles of it under our couch, on the carpet so that the scents would travel up through the couch.

5. As a last ditch effort to rid the remaining smell we did purchase an ozone generator. Be very cautious when using these. At low settings they are safe, but high settings require you to leave the house along with all your pets.

After all this is done, conditioning your leather couches with a leather condition is best. It helps to keep the leather smooth. Vaseline is a great alternative to the chemical laden conditioners.

How to Water Responsibly

Here are some great ideas for cutting down on water usage in the outdoors.

Mulch - Mulch holds moisture in the soil and prevents evaporation from soil surface. Fine-textured mulches (pine straw, mini nuggets, shredded hardwood) are more effective in conserving moisture than coarse-textured mulch. Apply to as large an area under the plant as possible. Consider putting 2-3 sheets of newspaper under mulch for added water retention.

Deep Watering - Shallow frequent watering encourages a weak root system and reduces plant tolerance of drought. It's  best to water well, less often.

Water Roots, not Leaves - Wetting the foliage encourages diseases and results in water loss through evaporation.

Hand-water newly planted trees, shrubs, and thirstier plants. Again, deep watering is the best way to encourage strong root system and drought tolerance.

Use Drip, Trickle or Soaker Hose - Drip irrigation uses 50% less water than conventional sprinkler irrigation and applies water slowly and directly to root system.

Use the Timer and Install a Rain Sensor on Irrigation System - Rain Sensors are inexpensive extras that usually pay for themselves (in water savings) within 2 years.

Adjust Irrigation Controller - according to change in seasons and rainfall.

Depend on rainfall as main outdoor water source when possible. Water companies love when you leave your system on during a rainy time. Shut those systems off if the weather turns.

Water your children and the grass at the same time. Instead of buying a pool and filling it with water, dumping it out and filling again, turn on a little sprinkler in a dry patch and cool off the kids. You get the added benefit of choosing where to water. 

No matter where you live choose drought resistant grasses and plants. Make your green area around your home smaller, while using rocks to decorate. You can have green grass while not watering the whole yard.

Laundry Deodorizer with a Green Twist

Especially in the summer with wet clothes, hot days and sometimes a day in between loads of laundry those lovely clothes begin to smell very musty and stale. While sure, you could wash them 5 times to get some of that grimy odor out, this simple deodorizing treatment is safe and 100% effective.


To make this amazing solution you will need 1 gallon of apple vinegar and some apple essential oil. Add about 20 drops of the essential oil to the vinegar gallon jug. Mix. Now when ever your clothes need more then a little pick me up you can run them through a quick rinse cycle, using one cup of the vinegar mixture. After the pre-rinse, wash as usual.

Green Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

It's easy to stay cool this summer and save a little green while your at it. Not only that, these four steps are great for the environment too.

1.Change the air filter on your air conditioner. Poor ventilation and circulation lead to higher running costs and less efficiency in cooling.

2. Plant trees and shrubs around your air conditioners. Direct sunlight can heat up your unit. By planting a few shade bearing plants you will save up to 10 percent on your energy bills

3. Run your ceiling fans and your air conditioning unit. The ceiling fans help to circulate the air causing it to stay about 4 degrees cooler

4. Reduce your need to crank the air conditioner up by replacing all your heat producing bulbs with energy non heat light bulbs.

Freshen Your Shoe Closet

Does your shoe closet smell like a closet full of fresh sun dried linen? If it does, can you tell me your chemical free secret? As for my shoe closet, home to teenage boys shoes, gym socks and a myriad of other untouchables, ours smells nothing less then a garbage pit.
Sure I can sprinkle baking soda, and it helps a bit. I could hang some air fresheners, but really they are all chemical laden also. Since our shoe closet is also our coat closet, I wanted to choose something with a more pleasant odor. Here is what we did.

We hung two oranges with cloves in our closet. Yes, I did sprinkle odor killing baking soda in those shoes and make a rule that all wet, including sweaty, items must be left outside to air out. As we do in our refrigerator when we have garlicky leftovers, I placed a small bowl of baking soda in the corner.

This green idea, has helped out tremendously and even our guests have commented on the fresh smells coming from the front closet.

Safe and Effective Ant Spray

Ants are out in full force now that summer has arrived. Unfortunately those little buggers are also searching our houses for food. While many of us hate the thought of spraying insecticides in our house, or bombing our house with terrible chemicals, having ants marching through your entire dwelling can cause you to rethink it.
While reading I came across this simple 90% effective solution.

Fill a spray bottle with 3 tablespoons of liquid detergent soap and water. Spray directly on the ants. It dries them up almost instantly. Spray all the areas you see them, and where you may think they are coming into your house. If your lucky enough to find their nest, pour two gallons of boiling water mixed with 1 cup liquid detergent down the hole of their home. That particular nest will be no more.

For the next few weeks you will have to keep a spray bottle handy and spray out any scout ants, but it will be a lot easier and a lot less costly to our environment.

Getting Rid of Aphids and White flies

Do those pesky white flies bug you every time you walk through your grass? I know first hand how very annoying they are. After a hot summer day, sitting in your cool green grass sounds like a dream come true. However, white flies have the same idea, and they don't respect your personal space.

I found an interesting solution to white flies and aphids. Did you know they are attracted to yellow? It's true. Here is a simple, green way to get rid of those pesky annoyances without having to resort to the big guns. Place a yellow poster board, or a yellow painted piece of wood coated with motor oil or Vaseline. When the white flies or aphids land they will be stuck. Place around your yard, near plants they seem to be attracted to and near your picnic table.

Amazing Cleaning Power of Club Soda

One of our mom's just did an awesome review on club soda on one of our sister sites.

Did you know club soda can get out almost any organic based stain? Head over to our Growing your Family Blog and read about all the amazing ways club soda can make your life a little easier.

Recycling your Water

The title might lead you to think I'm talking about recycling your water bottles, or maybe taking water you have and using it again. Well, the second thought is what I'm aiming for.

Here are a few simple ideas to help you find water you would otherwise pour down the drain.

• Boiling Eggs - after your done, let the water cool and use it to water your plants. It is full of  minerals from the eggs
• Have a little bit of coffee left in the pot, instead of dumping it, add water and use it to give your acidic plants a boost.
• Have an aquarium? Next time you pump out all that water, use it to water the garden. It has many fertilizer properties and costs you nothing.

Green Ideas for Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are often over looked when it comes to green ideas. Not because we do not want to save the planet, but because we think we need those harsh chemicals and we refuse to give up our comfortable shower. You may think that as long as your green every where else in your house, it doesn't matter. Howdini editors tell us that it's not that hard to make some simple changes to improve the air in our bathroom while also making a huge impact on our environment. Take a look at their video.

Is Working From Home A Greener Choice?

A constant debate is going on, is working from home a greener choice? Is it the right choice? Here are few positives and negatives. I'm afraid I don't have the answer, but I tend to see more positives for a competent, self motivated worker, being at home vs. the office.

Green reasons why you should telecommute.

1. A recent article posted in The Arlington Environment stated that when commuting to and from work each week, the U.S. white-collar workforce burns more than 583.3 million gallons of gasoline.  It further states that if one average employee teleworked, just one day per week, it would save the environment 1,680 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. 
2. The US Patent Office alone had 3,609 employees participating in some form of telework, and are boasting savings more than 613,000 gallons of gas, preventing 9,600 tons of emissions, and saving more than $1.8 million annually in fuel costs by allowing employees to work outside the office. 
3. It reduces your overall work related costs by as much as tens of thousands of dollars per year.
4. You can hold down pollution and waste by making your own decisions about disposable items, pencils, paper products and more.
5. Spending More Time With Your Family
   

Reasons Staying Home May Not Be Your Greenest Choice

1. You generally end up putting in more than 40 hours a week. Remember, not only will you be doing work for clients, but you’ll have to invoice, market and work on your own business as well. I’m pretty certain there are few, working a true 40 hour work week.
2. You have no time management skills, you end up taking more computer time, running late at night when all the lights need to be on and your ordering take out because you are not managing your time well. Not a green solution. 
3. The office may be able to offer greener solutions vs. 100 employees working in a non-green efficient home.
4. If an employee works at home all year, however, he or she pumps out 2.38 tons of carbon dioxide, whereas a typical office worker produces only 1.68 tons of carbon per year.
5. While home workers can save carbon emissions by not commuting, the extra heating and power they use during the winter months can outweigh the benefits.

Zip Car - The Green Way Around Town

Now you can get rid of your car and take the bus, walk or ride your bike. Of course that use to be all your options. None of which were a perfect solution. For example what happens when you need to make that grocery trip to stock up? You could pull a cart, invite some friends to walk with you or pull a granny cart. How about this innovative and cool idea? Have a bunch of hybrid cars sitting all over town that you can hope in, run a few errands and leave at the next drop off. Pretty nice if I do say so.
How does 180 miles, gas and insurance included per $7.00 an hour sound? Now it's looking even better.

Check out your local town and see if they have an up and coming Zip Car to your place. It might just make you re-think your nice hefty car loan.

Environmentally Friendly Deer Repellent

While looking for a better way to keep those pesky, cute deer out of my garden I stumbled across this easy environmentally safe way to keep those critters from entering my garden.
Some have suggested keeping rotten eggs around, but really the thought of that makes me want to leave my garden alone too. I think I have come across a simple solution. Deer do not like the smell of deodorant soap. You can collect scraps of soap, however fresh soap is recommended. One bar of soap can protect up to 9 square feet. Do not use soaps with floral scents.

Here is how it's done.

Several scraps of deodorant bath soap or one fresh bar per 9 square feet.
Long nail, drill or old socks.
String

Remove soap from the wrapper and make a hole at one end of the bar with a nail or drill. Run some string through the hole. If your using soap scraps drop them into an old sock and tie the open end shut.

Tie soap(or soap filled sock) to the branch of a shrub or tree. If your bush can not hold the weight of the soap, you can put a stake into the garden bed. Replace with a fresh bar after these bars have been diminished by rain or watering.

Building a Compost Bin and Rain Barrel System for your Garden

We found this excellent video by Chris Moss on how to build a rain barrel system to water your garden and compost heap. He has some great ideas for green gardening that are affordable for anyone.

Green Ways to Clean up that Oil Spill

It's no secret, that oil spill off the coast of Louisiana is going to go down as one of the worst man made disasters in history. The thought that this massive oil leakage could continue until August has me worried. After all, what will the effects really be on our coast line, fish habitats and health? Rumor of gas prices soaring over $5.00 to possibly $10.00 a gallon will cause this recession to drive deeper into our economy. With all this gloom and doom news, is there any good news on the horizon.

Well, from a green stand point there are some ideas out there that could work. Would we be able to produce quickly the amount of product needed to contain this massive oil spill? Not likely, but shouldn't we at least try.
Yuka Yoneda wrote a wonderful and informative article called 5 Innovative Solutions That Clean Up Oil Spills  on the Inhabitat website. Many of her ideas are surprising to me and yet, they could just work. What is your take on all this? Do you think we could find a way to mop up this oil spill using hair? Would using a oil eating bacteria really work? What would the consequences be? Brit Liggett covers some of these ideas in her article. 
What would you like to see happen? Is there something we have that can even deal with an oil spill this big? What happens if it continues pouring out of this underground well? 
Seems like today, I'm filled with more questions then I am with answers. It gives us something to chew on that is for sure.            
 

Environment Friendly Dog Poo Composter

For the first time in my life I have a dog. While growing up I was allowed to have a cat or other small creature, dogs were not on the list of animals I could choose. Last year my husband bought me the cutest little yellow Labrador. One thing I didn't bargain for was how big this cute puppy could get. I'm sure you know where I am going with this. As he grew so did his, how can we put this, piles.

I love google! When I have a problem, google always has the answer. Enter the dog poo composter. It's a simple little contraption based on a larger septic system. This little guy can handle 2 very large dogs, or in my case 1 big Labrador, or up to 4 smaller dogs. As long as you add a little mixture and some water every now and then it's works perfect.

Now if I could just teach the dog how to use it himself.

Energy Users You Wouldn't Even Think Of

This morning with coffee in hand, from my always plugged in coffee pot, I sat down to read the newspaper. Imagine my shock as I read the article "Beware your Home's Standby Vampires" and saw coffee pots turned off but plugged in still suck down the energy. Sitting there doing nothing, it eats 1.1 watt. Not only that but leaving your power charger in the outlet after your phone is charged eats another 0.3 watts. Putting your computer to sleep before hitting the sack keeps it consuming 3.9 watts. That is while it's OFF! Here was the kick in my rear, leaving your DVR idle sucks up 43.5 watts. That is while you are not even watching television. Did you forget to turn the wii off completely, another 120 watts being sucked out of your house.
So now that your sweating as hard as I was, what can we do. Power Strips are perfect for controlling much of this energy loss. Plug multiple sources into one power strip and then when the day is done, instead of putting every computer to sleep, turning off printers, sound systems, game consoles and kitchen appliances, you just pop a few plugs out of the wall, and everything else sleeps quietly.

Interested to see what your house is using while you sleep? Try the Kill-a-watt. Plug it into a wall socket and then plug in the appliance you wish to look at. This will tell you much it uses while sitting there off, and while it's on. It's an eye opener.

I guess it's time for me to take the extra step and unplug, not just turn off.

Green Ways to Clean Up Your Yard

It's that time of year again, time to get the lawn mower out and make that winter lawn turn into a lush summer carpet. With all of us trying to save money, save the environment and keep our homes in top shape, it goes without saying that learning a few tricks our grandparents knew will help us.

One of the biggest things you can do for your lawn is mulch your grass clippings. Mulch? What is that? Most mowers that have been sold in the last 6 years have a mulching blade. This blade takes leaves and grass clippings and chops it into minute little pieces and leaves it where it found it. This means valuable nutrients are recycled back into your lawn. Recent tests have shown that some leaves, like those from the sugar maple when mulched back into your lawn actually control weeds.
I wonder what the neighbor will think when I go rake up his yard and put all his leaves in mine.

What can I do with all the Pulp from my juicer?

Everyone loves fresh juice, it's even better if there is no pulp inside. Kids enjoy carrot juice as much as apple juice when it's fresh and pulp free. Johns-Hopkins has a few tips here, for keeping up a healthy diet routine. 

Should I be juicing my fruits and vegetables? 

Juicing is not necessary, but can add variety to the diet and is a good way to 

consume fruits and vegetables, especially if there are difficulties with 

chewing or swallowing. Juicing also improves the absorption of some of the nutrients 

in fruits and vegetables. If you buy commercially juiced products, 

avoid those that have not been pasteurized. 

What do we do with all that pulp? Well interestingly enough the pulp left over from your fruits and vegetables are the perfect component your to your compost heap. If you do not have a compost heap, hoe the pulp right into your garden. Your plants will thank you.

Gluten-Free Goddess Recipes: Curried Carrot Soup with Pan Toasted Cornbread Croutons

Gluten-Free Goddess Recipes: Curried Carrot Soup with Pan Toasted Cornbread Croutons

Organic Gardening to Keep Pests Away

Have you ever heard of companion gardening? The basic thought is you place plants that certain bugs hate, next to the plants those same bugs seem to love. Here is an example. Take the tomato horn worm. As his name suggests he loves eat those tomato plants day and night. So how can we get rid of this pest without destroying our tomatoes? Plant marigold in between your tomato plants, or rows of marigolds before and after your row of tomatoes. Since tomato horn worms hate marigolds it will deter them from coming near your tomato plant. You have successfully kept a pest at bay by companion gardening.

I found this great article blog posted at ToadStool Aquaponics that will give you more ideas on plants your garden pests hate. If you have any more great ideas for companion gardening please leave a comment.

How to Use Dryer Lint

Did you ever wonder if there was something you could do with dryer lint besides throw it away? Here are a few tricks and hints to put that dryer lint to good use.

Dryer lint can be composted. Since compost needs nitrogen rich like vegetable scraps, lawn trimmings and carbon rich materials like dryer lint to make a good balanced compost, you can throw it right in.


Make a draft stopper. Don't pay money for a custom draft stopper. Take a piece of fabric the length of your door or window where the draft is coming in. Cut a 5 inch strip of fabric fold over and sew together. Before securing the ends stuff with dryer lint. Now you have a perfect customs draft stopper

Lint also makes a great camping tool. Pack along some lint to start fires easy. It's light weight so it's perfect for backpackers too.

Earth Day - Green Ideas

Green Products -
Save energy by buying a cold water detergent.

Change out all your light bulbs to new CFL bulbs. They are more efficient then incandescent ones and have come a long way since they first came out in producing brighter light.

Recycled rubber nuggets can be used as mulch and is non-toxic. They are made from 100% recycled rubber and look just like a dark brown bark.

Invest in a water filter and reusable water bottles. 1/3 of the water bottles today are recycled meaning 2/3 of them end of in landfills.

Replace all your faucets with eco-friendly water savers.

Tips to living green - 
Conserve water by not cutting your grass as short. The shorter it is the less water it needs to grow.

Have a small garden that your kids can dig around in and plant flowers. Getting them involved with nurturing plants early will instill a love for nature in them.

Replace old appliances with Energy efficient models. Not only will you save some green, but you will be doing your part to help the environment.

Turn  your thermostat down to 68 degrees. Even lower at night and sleep better.

Turn up your air conditioning to 75 degrees and help conserve more power.

Composters - Home Made or Store Bought

I have not personally made a compost pile. For one I live in the city and the space I do have is not far from neighbors or my own house. Secondly, I'm new to gardening organically. I have done a lot of research on square foot gardening, composting and organic pest control. I'm excited to get started this spring, but seem to still question how I can compost without it smelling or getting in the way.
I found this inexpensive one at Target but it had mixed reviews. For the price it seems I could chance it and see if it works for our small garden. It seems I could make a compost holder for cheaper but would it be as efficient? Does anyone have advice for me?

Starbucks is Helping you Go Green

Responsibility | Starbucks Coffee Company

All around the country Starbucks is giving you free coffee for stepping up and doing your part. Bring in your reusable mug and get free coffee today, April 15th 2010.

Starbucks has real time calculators running on their website to show how many people have pledged to make a difference by using reusable mugs. They are showing just how many trees are saved per day based on your pledges.

Check out their page today at The Big Picture. See what you can do to join with them and help save the planet.

While you are there head on over to their Responsibility Webpage. Starbucks takes the environment very serious and works hard to make green choices and act responsibly in all their stores.

It's really nice to see these large companies stepping up to make a difference and to encourage others to do the same. Nice Job Starbucks!

How to Find Green Towels and Sheets

Almost every store you run into will have some form of "green" products to sell you. Since there are not too many standards for terms like natural and eco-friendly how can you be sure the product you are looking to purchase can stand up to the test. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you get the most green for your green.

Look for Organic Labels - USDA organic products must be grown with out synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Check out how the item is processed - Even organic products can be processed with chemicals like formaldehyde. Find products with the "Oeko-Tex Standard 100" certification and you can be sure your item has not been processed with restricted chemicals.

Don't be Fooled by Bamboo - While bamboo hard flooring is a green choice, watch other certified bamboo products closely. It takes a lot of strong chemicals to get those bamboo fibers turned into clothing. That process is definitely not green.

Coca Cola is a Leader in Company Recycling Programs

Coca Cola is blazing new trails when it comes to recycling policies within the company. Looking at new ways to recycle 100% of their products in to reusable items helps them to reduce their carbon footprint. Coke is also helping people to start recycling programs in their communities by working with local curbside collection organizations.
With water conservation projects and climate protection changes their company is working on creating the planet a greener place to live, work and play. Take a look at their site and see all the programs they are implementing.
Recently they released this statement "PlantBottle PET plastic bottles are made partially from plants, which reduces the Company's dependence on a non-renewable resource -- petroleum. It is 100 percent recyclable, and preliminary research indicates that from the growing of the plant materials through to the production of the resin, the carbon footprint for the PlantBottle packaging is smaller than bottles made with traditional PET."
The company has also just released their new cooling machine that works off carbon dioxide and eliminates HFC-Free insulation, eliminating 99 percent of the direct green house gas emissions. Take a look at the article.
Hopefully in the years to come many other large corporations will take a look at the model Coca Cola is setting and join them in creating sustainable products and the ability to look at reusing in a creative way.

Good Job Coke

Energy Saving Surge Protector

With all the technological advances in recent years, it has caused many of us to become wasteful users of energy. Computers being left on all night, routers that never shut off, charging numerous amounts of phones, game devices and batteries has us using power even when we sleep. A great new device is helping you become a wise energy user. 
Here is the new Smart strip surge protector. Using enhanced technology this power strip can auto switch off and on anything you plug into it. The Smart Strip has 10 outlets which give you many options in usage. Use in the home office or your entertainment center. When you power down your computer, or turn off the stereo the Smart Strip automatically shuts down the power to these devices. Now your saving even more money and taking down your energy usage.

With this smart strip you are using about 1 watt per hour when fully used and less then 1/4 of a watt per hour when the smart strip automatically powers down. Now that is some good green saving going on.

The cost of these power strips is quite reasonable, which is about 30.00 at online retailers. If your concerned about the environment and the rising costs, make the smart switch to the Smart Strip.

40th Anniversary of Earth Day - What are your plans?

Earth Day Network’s Campaign for Earth Day 2010 Global Days of Service – April 17-18 - Join millions around the globe to make your community and the world cleaner and more sustainable. Help Generate a Billion Acts of Green™ - Register individual, community or business service acts and take action for Earth Day. Events on The National Mall in Washington, DC Earth Day 40th Anniversary Events – April 22 Change the Climate Rally – April 25 Exhibitions and Performances on The National Mall – April 17-25 Arts for the Earth™ - Get involved in art that promotes environmental themes. Song for the Earth Contest - Youths 18 or under who are passionate about music and the environment are invited to compose and submit a song. Winners will perform on The National Mall. Athletes for the Earth™ - Athletes are signing up to change the climate! 40th Anniversary Global Advisory Committee - See who is part of the team!

Green Dishwashers and Washing Machines

Face it, we live in a modern world and we love our modern technology. However, we also live in a world that is becoming more conscientious of the energy it uses each day. Many states offer rebates, discounts and tax credits if you replace your appliances with energy star approved appliances. This give you more of the green bucks in your wallet while helping to keep your home running smoothly and efficiently.
This year we bought a new dishwasher. I was amazed at the quietness of the machine. Not only did it do a better job of cleaning our dishes, but it came with all those fancy water saving features our old machine did not have. For quick jobs we are able to wash the top rack only. The sensors in the machine are able to detect particles and keep washing, or on the opposite side, quit washing when the dishes are clean. It uses less water and energy while doing a better job. We give it a thumbs up!
When you are shopping around remember Washing machines with the energy star logo get a $75 credit in most states, while a dishwasher with the logo gets around $25.00. Many times these same machines come with rebates and credits from your gas or electric provider too.
Do a little research at www.energytrust.org and save green all around.

Ten Ways to Use Newspaper

How many of us get the daily newspaper, read it and throw it in the garbage? At the very least you should throw your newspaper into the recycle bend, but did you know there is so much more you can do with your paper.

Newspaper is perfect for cleaning windows inside and outside your house and car. Forget paper towels or rags that get to wet, newsprint leaves no lint or streaks.

Cover the table when working on an art projects with the kids.

Spread a single layer in your garden before putting down the fresh dirt. It will help to keep weeds at bay and retain moisture.

Roll several layers of newspaper together to make logs for the fire. These are great fire starters and the tighter you roll it the longer it will take to burn.

Line garbage cans with newspaper to catch any unintended spills.

Shred and use for packing or shipping. Saves the cost of those forever in the landfill peanuts.

Place on your windshield to prevent snow and rain from freezing.

When packing away your winter wool, place a sheet of newspaper between each item. This will  help keep moisture under control and the moths away.

If you break a glass on your wood or glass floor it is sometimes hard to get those fine shreds. Wet some newspaper and place over the area. Apply a small amount of pressure to the newsprint and the glass shreds will stick to it. Carefully roll up and throw away.

Do your gym shoes give you a run for your money? Get rid of that smell by rolling up a newspaper into a ball and placing in your shoes. The newsprint will help to absorb all that wet smelly sweat and leave your shoes smelling a little better.

Local Home Shows Go Green

According to WBNG.NEWS people who attend the home shows are interested in making their home greener. This is a good sign for those of us who are concerned with the planet. Where there is an interest corporations usually step up to the plate. We are hoping to see more builders and stores offering greener solutions for the home. As more do the prices will begin to come down so that every American can have the choice to choose a greener option.
Are you interested in making your home a greener place to live? Check out your local home and garden show. You may be surprised at what you find.

Made in Heaven: Happy Thursday!

Made in Heaven: Happy Thursday!

Loved this post I came across today. A good reminder why we do all we do to live greener lives.

Online Bill Paying

Did you know that you can save time, money and paper by paying your bills online? Most credit card companies and many other bill companies allow you to pay your bills online. Cell phones, garbage, electricity and water call all be paid online. Now even the hospitals and doctor offices are getting online to accept payments. If you are organized you can even receive statements online. This saves you not just financially but takes your identity protection one step further by not allowing your mail to be snatched.
If you have a bill that does not accept online payments, check with your banks bill-pay system. Many banks offer their customers free bill pay. This is an online system to pay your bill with direct deposits or live checks from  your bank. It saves you time and stamps.
My only caution if you do switch to this way of paying your bills is to keep very good records. There have been computer glitches and you will need to have the ability to reference your payments. If you received online bills, store them in online email account instead of your hard drive. Change your passwords frequently to protect your identity even more.

Were our Grandparents Greener Then Us?

While researching green ideas for this blog it hit me; my grandparents were quite good at being "green". Plastic food containers were used more than once. Sure they were not all interlocking, matching or pretty, but they did the job as well as an expensive set. If it was above freezing, clothes were hung outside to dry. Clothes that were worn for a short time were worn a second time before washing. Rinse water from the dishes was used to water the garden. Bathwater was used to flush the toilet. Okay, that last one might be just a little out there, but what if every American reused bath water to flush toilets. How many gallons would we save in a year, in a month?

Living though the depression did raise a truly green generation. It seems the children of those who lived through the depression did not understand the concept of frugality and saving. They made fun of their parents, and raised a generation of consumers verses recyclers.

Look back to your grandparents parents. What did they do that would be considered a green idea today?

CSA Program

Did you know that many communities now offer a local agriculture share program? This program provides it's local community with pesticide free produce. It is also a great way to support local farmers and help to reduce emissions at the same time. It takes time and machinery to harvest and haul produce to the local supermarket. Help support your community and make an impact on your world by participating in your farmers market or CSA program. Basically you buy a share of produce from a local farmer or community garden in exchange for healthy, pesticide free food. If you can start your own garden at home you will save any more by giving your abundance to neighbors and friends.
Check your local community section of the newspaper for more information. If your town does not offer a farmers share program consider researching and heading up a share organization. Not only will you benefit but your community will become a greener place.

FreeCycle

One of the greatest challenges to re-users and recyclers is finding a common ground to share items. Now sweeping the nation by storm is the freecyclers. Freecycle is a yahoo group that may be in your area too. Free to post and free to request, you post your wants and needs to your local group. We have given away many clothes, toys, grass clippings and even a broken T.V. someone needed for parts. We have received craft products, games, kids clothing and shoes as well as home decor items. Things that would have ended up in the landfill, were left on the porch with my name on it. We were even able to freecycle our dryer that died to a serviceman that fixes them up for the needy.

If you haven't checked all ready, go to yahoo groups.com and search for your local freecycling group. You will be able to give away things that others are needing, and feel good doing it.

Toothpaste Cleaner

I used to love a product that had a little abrasive to it but was smooth and gel like. I liked it until it started to irritate my skin. Finding a product that was safe to use, but still gave a good scrubbing to my bathtub and sinks was my mission.

First off I found that baking soda and salt can give me a good abrasive quality while keeping my house safe from toxic fumes and irritants. Mix equal parts of baking soda, salt and water together. For hard to reach stains, and tight spots use a toothbrush to scrub away.

Secondly we found that a good white, cheap, toothpaste did the job for little messes. Cleaning off fingerprints from light switch plates and door jams where you do not want chemical abrasives scrubbing off the paint. Wipe on with a toothbrush or washcloth and wipe off with warm water. It's perfect. On another little note, white toothpaste is perfect for covering up nail holes on a white wall.

Weak Tea Spray for Allergens

It's that time of year again. The crocuses are popping up their colorful little heads, trees will be blooming soon and the grass will green up with the first truly warm day. All these beautiful signs tell us that spring is near. Allergy suffers know the time is near too as their noses begin to stuff up, their head throbs with sinus pain and they begin to itch all over.
One of the best ways to cut allergens in your home is to vacuum using a micro filter. Keeping your home dust free and your bed sheets washed will help to bring some of those little buggers under control. Another green way to cut allergens in your home is to make a solution of weakened black tea and put it in a spray bottle. Spraying your rug, couches and bed after vacuuming  will help to settle the allergens down in your home. The tannic acid in tea binds to the proteins in the allergen molecules and neutralizes them. The added benefit is you are using no heavy chemicals that could increase your allergy sufferings. Enjoy spring this year.

Green Rug Cleaning - Product Review

We just cleaned our rugs. With a dog, three cats, and three kids, winter can take it's toll on a white carpet. Even though spot cleaning can keep it at bay, a good cleaning once in a while is needed. While I hate using chemicals that can hurt my kids, animals or the environment, there hasn't been a lot of choices until recently in the carpet cleaning area. I did a little research and found a store that sold the Rug Doctors Oxy-Steam Green cleaner. I was hoping it could help my white carpets while providing me with some peace of mind in bringing chemicals into my house.

How did it work? My carpets look great! We did not see any residue in the carpets and did notice any off gassing. Our dog especially seems to leave marks where he lays, and even though hand cleaning did not take it off the carpet, this cleaner did.

I would give this product a 4 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being best. I would really like it to be labeled better and a list of ingredients on the bottle so I can use this product with even more confidence in the future.

Buy Reuseable Water Bottles

For less then $20.00 you can purchase a stainless steel bottle that can be used for water, coffee or tea. Most coffee shops are very willing to fill your personal cup with your choice of beverage. Coffee shops on average go through 500 cups a day, many of which will end up in landfills. For the price of two bottles, one for water and one for coffee or tea, you will save almost 600 cups or bottles out of the landfill in one year. If you were able to convince your co-workers, family, and friends to do the same think of the impact you could have in one year.

There are many types of water bottles, coffee cups and sports bottles on the market today. They come in many colors, sizes and styles. While it may cost a bit more at first, quality should be the number one factor in choosing your bottle. You should choose a BPA free bottle with enough room to hold your favorite sized drink. Remember if you like your water cold to get a bottle with a wide lip to accommodate ice cubes. Replace the juice boxes in your childrens lunch boxes with smaller water bottles too. These small changes will not only be better on your health, but better for our environment as well.

Glass Food Storage

It's time to make the switch. Storing food in plastic containers while cheaper in the short term, will forever have it's impact on our environment and even your health. Switching your food saving containers to glass now will save you and your children in the long run. Only now are they beginning to discover the effects of plastic on our food, health and environment. Heating your food in reusable plastic containers or washing them in the dishwasher only breaks them down faster and leeches many chemicals into the meal we were just about to partake in.
Don't think you have enough room to store all those glass containers? Many companies make small glass containers with lids that will fit any size leftover, or storage solution. 

Go green this year by tossing that plastic for some glassware that will protect your family today and the generations to come.

Recycling made easy

Our family has always been big supporters of recycling. However, some days it's hard to get all the recyclables outside to the proper container. We start losing counter space quickly to our piles and it's easy to just trash it. Since our garbage can lives under our sink, it was an easy decision to place another smaller can on the other side. Now, when we wash out our recyclables we can stick them in a clean garbage can and empty it when we take out the garbage. No more piles, no more begging someone to run things out to the recycling container, and no more throwing it away just to make it easier.

Cleaning with Baking Soda

Baking Soda has many wonderful uses. Besides baking or removing odors in the fridge, baking soda can be used to scrub tubs, toilets, shower curtains and floors. For these uses, sprinkle the baking soda on the item to be cleaned and use a damp sponge to scrub away the grub.

Baking Soda is also useful in cleaning sliver. You can make a paste of baking soda and water and rub it onto your sliver items. Leave for up to 5 minutes and then rinse and buff. For larger items, and heavily tarnished items, soaking your sliver in a tin foil pan with a mixture of baking soda and water heated up will generally remove all tarnish. Rinse, dry and buff. Your sliver should be as good as new.

Baking soda is also a great carpet deodorizer. Especially with children around crawling on your floors, keeping your house clean and chemical free can be difficult. If your carpet begins to get dingy and smelly, sprinkle baking soda all over the carpet and leave for 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Vacuum as usual and your room will be free of smells. The baking soda absorbs any moisture and odors to keep everything smelling clean and your family chemical free.

Cleaning with black tea bags!

Black tea tastes great hot or iced. But did you know that you can use your black tea bag to clean? The tannic acid in black tea is well known for its antiseptic properties. Many a dentist recommend tea bags after extractions because it not only prohibits the growth of bacteria but it helps to clot the blood. The tannic acid also works well to break up old stains in non porous materials.

Tea bags soaked in a pan overnight can loosen the grime and build up from years of cooking. In the morning scrub your pan as usual and you will have a shiny new pan.

Another great use for black tea bags is polish your wood. Here I used it on my piano. Over the years the wood has become dry and discolored in some areas. The tea bag helps to bring back some of it's luster and also adds a little conditioner to the wood. Rub the wet tea bag on your wood, and buff with a dry towel. Many people use brewed unsweetened tea on their wood floors with great luck. Be sure to wipe clean before it dries unless you want it to dye your woods.

Green Cleaning with Banana Peels

Do you ever wonder how to dust your plants and actually clean the leaves to make them shine. A few posts ago we talked about how having lots of plants in your house actually filters your air. However, plant leaves get clogged up with dust and grime and begin to lose their recycling powers. A quick, easy, and green way to keep those plants looking good is to clean them with banana peels.
Using a ripe banana, peel the skin away and enjoy the fruit. Now, cut the banana peels into squares, or just use it like it is. Rub each leaf with the soft white side of the peel. Not only will it take the dust and grime off right away, it will moisturize and shine your plant.

When you are done cleaning your plants, take those lovely banana peels out to the compost pile or simply bury it near your outdoor plants. The plants will love the potassium and you will be adding vitamins and minerals to your soil will very little work.

Dog Shampoo that is Safe and Green

Have you ever wondered why you can't use human shampoo on your dog? It's because of the harsh chemicals that are in most bottles of store bought wonders. It's no different when looking at dog shampoos. Dogs especially are sensitive to chemicals put on their skin. Using a harsh shampoo to wash your dog could cause him extreme dry itchy skin. Many shampoos strip off the important oils that keep a dogs skin protected from the environment. That is why I started using my own homemade shampoo.
After researching online for a safe alternative and vet approved wash, I found a recipe that is easy, safe and will have no ill effects on the environment. Sounds like a win, win today.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup glycerin (found in most drug stores)
1 cup all natural dish soap (like Seventh Generation)
1 cup apple cider vinegar (or white)
1 quart water

Mix ingredients into a large bottle, shake, and use as needed. Remember to shake before each use to keep the glycerin mixed.

To give your dog a pleasant after bath smell as well as a soft coat, consider whipping up this simple conditioner recipe.

INGREDIENTS
Egg
Warm water

Directions
Whisk some egg yolk with warm water until it turns creamy, then add the egg white and whisk well. Apply this to the dog's coat and let it stay for around two minutes and then rinse out with lukewarm water.