Happy Holidays: Part 1

I am going to re-ignite Diary of A Wanna-Be Green Girl with a weekly series of holiday tips. The first one came to me today while I was coupon clipping. Old newspapers! Not only are they great for cleaning your windows with your water + white vinegar green window cleaner (Find the recipe in an archive post from Feb. of 2009 HERE) - but I had 3 papers, ... which gave me 3 comic sections... and actually, by surprise got a double of comics in one! So I had 4 comic pages - I can easily wrap 4 medium sized gifts (like books, cds, jewelry, candles etc) practically for free. All you really have to do is use 2 coupons from the paper to earn back what you paid for the paper (at most!) - and you can wrap for free.... think about if you start saving now? You have 6 weeks, 6 more Sunday papers to collect your cute and colorful comic strip gift wrap! Once they rip the present open, it can easily be put into your fireplace as starter, or into your recycle bin - which is where it would have went had you not saved it to wrap with! I'm not sure if regular gift wrap is able to be recycled because of the coating.... and I know it can be toxic to burn! This is not a new concept. People have been wrapping with newspaper forever! It's different though when you make a concious effort to say, "this holiday season I can save a butt-load by using what I already have!!"

Galveston Beach, TX "Catch of the Day"

I found this ad in the Rolling Stone Magazine. It's for http://www.surfrider.org/

I think it visually makes an amazing impression.

It reads, "In regions of the Pacific, plastic particles outnumber plankton six to one"

Toxic Shrek Glasses

So as the excitement of the new Shrek Glasses emerged in our household. We have been making special trips there (McDonald's) in order to collect them all. So far we have Shrek, Fiona, and Puss in Boots. All we need now is Donkey, but it seems as though we won't ever be able to make our collection complete. To be more specific, we will lose them all together because yesterday, June 4th, they were all recalled due to cadmium being present in the paint. Cadmium is found in nature, very toxic, and used to make red and yellow paint. I found it very annoying that the McDonald's website has a Q&A about this recall, and begins every answer with "they are not toxic".. well yes they are Mr. Ronald McDonald.  I don't think my kids will be too sad about having to go get a refund (as soon as they actually release HOW to get your money back on the glasses), because just as I sat the glasses down to take the picture of them for this blog entry, my daughter was freaking out telling me, "Don't touch them!" and "they'll make you sick mom!"....You know we all go there expecting, at our own risk, to be poisoned by McDonald's food..... you wouldn't think you'd carry the same risk buying some collectible glasses!

Magazine Mayhem!

I am obsessed with reading tabloid magazines. I love them. I really could look at them and reread them a million times... and I really do! I honestly probably have about 50 of them in my house right now. A new "set" from the 50 I read before. Those mags usually run from 1.99-3.99 a pop too! Ouch! Don't worry. I haven't spent a cent... and NO I haven't swiped them from the local Great Clips or Dr.'s office! My stepmom is in love with these magazines as I am. When she found out we shared this "love", she immediatley asked if I would enjoy getting them from her when she was done. Since then we have this magazine hand-me-down thing going pretty nicely. I don't care if they are from Dec. 2008 or last week honestly. People, Rolling Stone, In Style. I love them all. Sharing these mags not only saves $$ but it saves trees, and gives these mags a 2nd life! Not just a 2nd life in my case.... they are at least getting 3rds because my boss also loves them. So they are being passed from reader to reader... and hopefully when the last photo spread of Hugh Jackman has been turned, they will go into one of the dozens of paper/mag/phonebook recycle bins in every parking lot in the Center Grove School District. So next time you see that issue of Cosmo in the checkout lane.... text that girlfriend of yours. She's probably already bought it. Pass it around. Spread the love, save a buck, save the Earth!

Photo Caption - This is really my pile of magazines as of right now!! I've read every single one? Anyone up for some reading?! :)

Farm Fresh Delivery

At the wonderful luck of joining Groupon on Facebook I was able to purchase a 50% off one for something called Farm Fresh Delievery. Farm Fresh Delievery is a co-op that works with local farmers throughout the midwest and provides local, organic, fresh, and bulk foods and delivers them right to your door. It's like an online Farmer's Market!!! Every Friday for the last three weeks I have had a big nice plastic tub left on my doorstep. Inside it is filled with the fruits and veggies (and a couple times meat) of my choosing from the beginning of the week. Really you have the choice of almost anything you can think of, although because of availablility, the list changes weekly. Not only are we getting better foods because they are organic and fresh, but in more ways than just those are they eco-friendly!! The entire step to process the products to sell in the stores is eliminated, as is the packaging, and money used to distribute it all. Some things we have even come in bulk (ie: raisins and sunflower seeds).... this saves SO MUCH packaging. Do you realized how many little Sunmaid boxes it would take to equal the 1 lb of raisins I got for just a couple dollars?! Everything you buy, is guaranteed fresh and in pristine condition or you are compensated fully for the item. There aren't any delivery charges either.

See what my buzz is about!!!
Farm Fresh Delivery

The Raw Diet?.... just maybe

After having a Facebook friend today post about this energy providing "green smoothie" she was drinking... I inquired and found out the ingredients. Already eating a vegetarian diet, I thought that any other unique way to eat and gain energy (other than coffee!)would be wonderful. As I was given the laundry list of items in the smoothie... I began to wonder...if I can drink all of this mixed together in a tasty smoothie... I can REALLY increase not only the servings of fruits and veggies I eat a day, but I can also really add a variety where if I was eating each individually I would only eat one or two things. She directed me to a website she likes, Green Smoothie Girl and the term Raw Diet finally made sense to me. After browsing the website, I came to a CNN article about a woman named Angela Stokes, and how she made a huge life change by following a Raw Diet. That then took me to her personal website, Raw Reform. Now after 12 hours.... I feel like I have had an epiphany. After going to the store this morning and purchasing 1/2 of the ingredients for the Green Smoothie (I was happy to have already had 1/2 of what I needed!!) - I prepared enough for 2 meals... it was my lunch and dinner. I even gave a glass to my 5 year old daughter who gave her seal of approval, proclaiming, "THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!" Soy is a huge protein source for me. Soy would not be something included in a raw diet. That would be my first little hurdle, would just to be thoughful of making sure I got what I needed. I think I might try for a 2/3 raw vegan diet (breakfast & lunch) and eat my normal vegetarian diet for my 3rd meal of the day. This website Starting a Raw Food Diet looks like it's going to be a good resource for me to start... I'll let you know how it goes!!

This Filled my blender completely... feel free to improvise,.. change ANYTHING!!
This is 2 Meals worth:

1 Apple (cored)
1 Banana
1/2 Avocado
1 Celery Stalk
1 c. Carrots
1 1/2 c. Kale
1 c.(Frozen)Berry Mix (I used Strawberry/Blueberry/Blackberry)
1 c. (Frozen) Pineapple
12 oz water (I used 8 oz water 4 oz 100% Acai-Pomegranate Juice)
2 TBSP Ground Flax Seed (you could use the Flax Seed Oil - but I couldn't find it)
1 6oz cup of Greek Yogurt (not RAW but I added it)

If you do a Raw Diet, or are interested in trying it... let me know.. I'd love to have someone to dialogue with!

$1 Off Morningstar.... You're Welcome!

Click HERE for a $1 off coupon for one of the new Morningstar Farms frozen entrees!