Living Green

Hidden Dangers in Your Home

2010-11-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

With colder weather around the corner, many of you may be thinking about the air quality within those four walls you will soon be confined in. Where are the hidden dangers?

1) Your Attic. If working in your attic consider wearing a dust mask, long sleeves and pants, and shower when you're finished. Because dust builds up through the decades; you may have rodent droppings, which in some cases can carry fatal viruses. Clouds of dust can be easily stirred up while you are up there. Yep, I think I'd wear a mask..... You may consider hiring a company to clean those air conditioner ducts while you are thinking of cleaning out the attic.

2) Crawl space (if you have a pier and beam home) can be the most undesirable as a space in your house . Definitely bathe afterward.

3) Carpets. They are nice to have in the winter months but socks do just fine on wood floors. Personally, I'd do without the carpets. Until you have pulled out old carpets, you don't realise the dirt and decay laying under foot.

4) Lead paint. Before 1978, lead-based paint was widely used. Lead, which disturbs neurological development, is particularly dangerous to children. It also can cause digestive problems and joint pains in adults. Thank goodness for the low and now No VOC Paint available!

5) Wallboard removal. Ripping out sheetrock creates powder like dust that will permeate your home and will keep appearing for days, resettling unless you take precautions to use material to close off doors during removal. Cover everything you can.

6) Mold. Enough already. We have heard it all before. Good old bleach works great on mold. Wear gloves and through them away. Black mold especially can produce toxic spores that can get in your respiratory systems and cause problems for a lifetime. Make sure you know the difference between regular household mold and toxic mold.

View more great ideas and learn about Green Building at GreenBatonRouge.com!

Brought to you by:
Your Green Realtor,
Toni House

The Park Spark Project

2010-09-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

First of all I'd like to give a Big Thanks to everyone who attended the Keller Williams Dog Wash last week! It was a privilege to be able to help out the East Baton Rouge Animal Rescue Shelter.

Have you heard about The Park Spark Project?
The Park Spark methane digester, unveiled this week, only powers a streetlight for now — no poop-powered popcorn yet. But it’s a neat concept: Replace trash cans with a public methane digester, and you demonstrate how simple it can be to turn waste into fuel. “As long as people own pets in the city and throw away dog waste, the production of energy will be continuous and unlimited,” the project’s Web site says.

The project involves three basic steps: Throw your dog’s waste into the digester, where anaerobic bacteria are ready to break it down. Stir the mixture to help methane rise to the top, and burn the methane to generate light or electricity.
After picking up their dogs' waste in biodegradable bags, visitors to the Park Spark digester can feed the waste through an above-ground tube, and stir it with a hand crank. The bacteria container is buried underground and the methane is piped through the ground to the streetlamp, which burns with an eternal flame. Eventually, the project leaders want to use dog-generated methane to power vendor carts selling human food.

I wish the best for this project and hopefully we'll see it expanded to Baton Rouge one day!

View more great ideas and learn about Green Building at GreenBatonRouge.com!

What are Rain Barrels?

2010-09-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to become more self sufficient or live a more eco-friendly lifestyle? You may want to think about buying one or more rain barrels for your home.

What are rain barrels? Rain Barrels catch rain water run off (typically from your gutters) that would normally flow to the ground. You can use this water for watering your plants and lawn (rain water is healthier for plants than tap), washing cars, or it can be used as an alternative water source during dry spells. Saving this rain water helps to decrease the amount of treated water you would normally use and saves you money.

You can make your own rain barrel or visit RainBarrelSource.Com where you can buy rain barrels in almost every style and color.

Above is an example (Good Ideas Rain Wizard 50 Gallon Oak Rain Barrel) of one of the many rain barrels ‘The Rain Barrel Source’ has to offer. It is made of 100% recycled plastic resin and can be connected to additional rain barrels for increased capacity. The top includes a screen which keeps water free of debris and insects.

As you can see you can ‘Green’ your home without having to give up style!

View more great ideas and learn about Green Building at GreenBatonRouge.com!

Have You Met Bobble Water?

2010-08-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Have you met Bobble yet? Bobble Bottles are everything you want your water bottles to be and then some. They are made of 100% recycled plastic and also recycable themselves. They are BPA-Free and FDA-Approved.

The truly neat feature about these bottles is that they include a built-in filter. This reusable bottle filters your water as your drink! A single filter is equivalent to 300 bottled waters and lasts for 50 gallons of water.

Think of how many bottled waters you will be saving from going into the landfill! Plus you can be reassured that the water your drinking is safe and clean.

The 18.5 oz bottle costs $9.95 at WaterBobble.com

Baton Rouge Goes Back to School: Start an Eco-Friendly School Year

2010-08-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ready to start an eco-friendly school year?

Children around the country and here in Baton Rouge are gearing up to go back to school so I thought it would be appropriate to share ways you can shop 'green' for school supplies!

The first step is to make a list of all necessary supplies and make sure you don't already have them at home! Are there things you can re-use from last year? This is the greenest option of all!

The next step is to shop for school supplies that are made from recycled and non-PVC materials. Below is a list of the most common school supplies and where to find the environmentally friendly option!

-Backpacks: Many kids are walking around with backpacks made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride, aka vinyl). This is also referred to as 'Poison Plastic'. Why would you want your children carrying a toxic material on their back? Opt instead for backpacks made of hemp or recycled materials. Hemp Backpacks: Pristine Planet, HempMania
Backpacks made from Recycled Materials: Osprey, Mountainsmith
You can even find solar power booksacks to charge PDAs, Phones, or even laptops: TUWA, Voltaic

-Pencils: Often pencils are made from non-regulated forests and use unnecessary paint. Try these fun and eco-friendly versions instead!
TreeSmart: Made of 100% recycled newspaper
Blue Jean: Made from reclaimed denim of jean manufacturers
Greenciles: Made completely of recycled paper, no wood used whatsoever!

-Notebook Paper: Try this 100% post-consumer recyled lined notebook paper from Green Earth Office Supply

-Notebooks: In the need for notebooks instead? Mead offers sturdy lined notebooks made of 100% recycled fiber, including 30% post consumer waste.

-Binders: Keep your 100% recycled notebook paper in these eco-friendly cardboard binders by Jorgel Binders. They actually last longer than the toxic PVC binders most children use. The Sustainable Group also offers a large selection of eco-friendly 3-ring binders!

Good luck this year!

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Picture credit: Hempmania.com; Style shown is the Delux Hemp Backpack

2nd Annual Green Paradise by Baton Rouge Green

2010-08-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to become involved in Baton Rouge and have some fun? Baton Rouge Green is a nonprofit environmental organization that helps plant and maintain green spaces and trees throughout Baton Rouge.

They are hosting their 2nd annual Green Paradise Party next Friday and you won't want to miss it! There will be live music, great food, and a silent auction! All proceeds benefit our trees and green spaces throughout our community. When and Where? Crescent Condominiums, 990 Stanford Ave, from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13

“Enjoying a fun and lively evening at the Green Paradise Party is a great way to help Baton Rouge Green build on the work it has done for the past 23 years to make the greater Baton Rouge area more green and beautiful.” -Diane Losavio, executive director of Baton Rouge Green

Tickets on Sale at: BatonRougeGreen.com

FREE Green Mobile Apps

2010-07-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

If you are technology savvy and looking for extra help to become eco-friendly then check out these FREE Green Mobile Apps for the iPhone!

Find Green- This app helps you locate local green and sustainable businesses quickly and easily. Find everything from local bicycle shops to organic restaurants to yoga centers near you. It's powered by GenGreenLife.com datable of 56,000 green businesses and the 3rdWhale sustainability mobility platform. What a great app for finding places to check out when you're traveling!

Whole Foods Market Recipes- The App to download when you want healthy and delicious food recipes! All the recipes feature natural and organic foods. You can search recipes by ingredients or dietary preferences (such as gluten free, low fat, and vegetarian/vegan). Includes nutritional information and cooking instructions.

Zero Carbon- "The Personal Accounting and Carbon Offsetting Tool" This app has a personal carbon footprint calculator which will then provide you with simple tips to reduce your emissions based on this. You can share your results with friends on Facebook or Read the Q&A with invaluable information!

Must Have Green Gadget: Portable Solar Charger

2010-07-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's summer time and that means fun in the sun! But when you're relaxing on the beach where will you charge your phone or your mp3 player? You may want to think about investing in a Portable Solar Charger. Some of the coolest ones I've seen are Solio brand chargers.

The Mono version is compact and the perfect fit to throw in your bag or slip in your pocket. It works with 3200+ devices from Phones/PDAs (iPhones and Blackberries just to name two) to Cameras to MP3 Players to GPS. It's Hybrid Versatility allows you to charge via the sun, from USB port, or from an optional wall charger. The Mono is available for $49.95 and your first adapter tip is included (Coupon Code: FREETIP2010). Additional adapter tips are available on average for about $9.95.

Get yours today!

Baton Rouge Weekend Event: Dog Wash to Benefit Local Shelter

2010-06-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Come out this weekend and help us support the East Baton Rouge Animal Rescue Shelter! Details below (Click to Enlarge Photo):

How to Help: The Gulf Coast Oil Spill

2010-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

In wake of such catastrophic events such as Gulf Coast Oil Spill, we always wonder "What Can We Do?". I recently posted an amazing article from TakePart.com on my blog with over 10 ways we can do our part to save our beautiful coast. Still want to do more but can't join the clean up?

Here's a really easy way to help our coast:

Fleurty Girl, local New Orleans Tshirt Designer, is selling a 'Rescue Me' Tshirt with all proceeds going to the Audubon Institute's Louisiana Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Rescue Program (LMMSTRP). The tshirt is organic cotton and printed with soy inks-- no petroleum products were used in printing!

That's it! Buy a Tshirt and 100% of the proceeds go to helping the oil spill clean up.

Green Mother's Day Gift Ideas

2010-05-07T20:04:00.001-07:00

Are you still looking for that perfect Mother's Day gift?

The Huffington Post has found 13 gifts perfect for any woman in your life you'd like to say thank you to. What is so special about these gifts? Not only are they affordable but they are also eco-conscious.

Below are a few of my favorites from Huffington Post's original post:

1) Glass Bead Fringe Necklace- Need a gift for someone who loves jewelry? This beautiful necklace is the handiwork of artisans in India. It is fair trade which enables them to earn a fair wage. $20.00 at World of Good

2) Garden in a Bag- No green thumb or backyard required! Garden in a Bag allows you to grow herbs (Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme, & More!) right out of a bag. Water regularly and fertilize occasionally and you'll have herbs all year round. Extremely convenient for the cook in the family. $9.00 at inhabitat shop

3) Bambu Bowls- Each one of these very cute bowls is made of sustainably harvested bamboo. They are remarkably durable, waterproof, and food safe. Did I mention they come in 10 different colors and 3 different sizes? $12+ from Bambu

Be sure to visit the original post 13 Smart, Green ECOnomical Gifts for Mother's Day at HuffingtonPost.com for even more ideas!

Wishing you a Wonderful Mother's Day!

Tax Credits so simple

2010-02-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can get a tax credit up to $20.00 per week for just riding a bike to work? If you are into biking or close enough to work to ride, consider carpooling to conserve energy.

Also be thinking about purchasing a more fuel efficient vehicle. Thanks to the new federal standards, you will have more choices for fuel efficiency. When you do go shopping for another car, pick one that is at least 20% more fuel efficient than your current one.

Check out the new Audi A3 2.0 TDI which gets 43 mpg and fills the needs of those seeking a sporty, fuel-thrifty, and efficient ride with luxury overtones. It’s a deserving winner of the 2010 Green Car of the Year® honor. The others on the list are the Ford Fusion hybrid, Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid, Honda Insight, and the ever so popular Toyota Prius.

Consider this truth: Our nation has only 2% of the world's known oil reserves, but we consume 25% of the total world's production. We are also importing 75% of our oil. That doesn't feel too good, does it?

Updating with Green

2009-12-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

When we moved into our 75 year old Craftsman home this summer, one of the first items on the list was to paint the kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately, that didn't happen as soon as I hoped. First of all came the rotten wood replacement after the new roof had been installed. Then my closet rods began to separate from the back of the wall and we had to have the closet rods reattached with stronger braces. Then we discovered the dryer was venting to the crawl space under the subfloor. Knowing that is a fire hazard, we had to reroute the dryer venting to the outside hot water heater closet. Which we discovered had a door with a hole rotted though it. Now that door (which was so old they don't make that size door any longer) opening had to be widened and the siding cut off and a new standard door replaced it.

Those are the "unexpected items" that popped up within in the first three months. Now I can concentrate on more of the cosmetic items on the list. First, painting the kitchen cabinets.

Being a Certified Green Building Professional with AHBA and Green Specialist with NAR, I was excited to begin doing something "green" that was not expensive after spending the thousands of dollars on the above mentioned surprises. I expected the low VOC paint to be about $25-$35 per gallon, but was pleasantly surprised to only pay $15.00 for the Olympic paint.

Low VOC (volatile organic compound) may help reduce the amount of chemicals emitted, resulting in a healthier home improvement. When we used regular paint in the past, we were adding toxins to the indoor air quality. This can lead to some damaging health problems, some which are asthma, headaches and respiratory infections. Paint, lacquers, paint strippers, adhesive removers, carpet, cleaning supplies, pestidies, wood preservatives, furniture, and cabinets as all have these polluants.

In today's marketplace, all of these items can now be purchased without these damaging compounds or with a very low degree of them. Well, we may not be in a global warming trend with this weeks past weather, but we have certainly polluted our homes and our bodies to some degree making things faster and less expensive and we and our families are suffering for it now with allergeries, mental disorders and lung disease.

When you do have the chance to make changes in your home, please think about the "healthy choices" that are available to you.

Green Drink

2009-12-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving I thought I may need to "slim" down, so I'm back to drinking the "green" drink. For those of you who don't know me, this is a receipe I've given friends and family members to "get healthy" - you know the cleansing thing and all...

Here's the receipe, in case you'd like to try it yourself.

1 cup of "clean" water
1.5 heads of Romaine Organic Lettuce
a little fish oil
a little flax seed oil
a little lemon juice

Now add the "taste" that you like.... such as apples, strawberries, mango, celery, cilantro, pineapples, and blackberries.
I always add a couple to bananas to thicken it up.

I add each ingredient separately into my blender until its dissolved within the drink. If I don't drink the whole blender full in one day, (as when I am fasting on the drink for a set period of time) I save it in the fridge for late afternoon pick me up's.

I purchase the fruit frozen at Whole Foods and add about three different fruits with the celery and cilantro. But it's to your taste, so be creative.

I have found that this drink gives me a lot of energy for that late afternoon boost (probably from all the natural sugar) and it healthier than drinking coffee .

Try it and let me know what you think.

New Loan Discounts for Purchasing!

2009-12-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

More good news to buyers who have an interest in buying a "greener" home! Not only will you be saving money on your monthly energy expense, you can now get a discount from the lender when purchasing that home.

The new Eco Friendly Loans through PHA and Fannie Mae are available now.

J. P. Morgan/Chase and Bank of America are now offering a discount to the Buyer (Chase up to $1000 towards closing cost) if they purchase a home with Energy Star rated appliances. Imagine if you are a first time home buyer or an existing home owner who has owned a home for over the past eight years. You could get a $8000 tax credit plus $1000 towards closing and interest rates are still hovering right a 5%, 4.875 to be exact.

Most of our local lender/brokers, use Chase and Bank of America, so they do have access to the loan discount. Well Fargo may also have, but I have not checked with them. If you know, please update me.

Hope this information is helpful to you.

LCD's -

2009-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

LCD's, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs, the curly light bulbs.... well I dropped one in my daughter's closet yesterday. WHAT AN ORDEAL!!

In a panic (knowing it contained mercury) I did everything wrong... That's way I am confessing the error of my ways - please do not do what I did.

I swept up the glass --DO NOT DO THIS -- PICK UP THE PIECES WITH GLOVES AND DUCT TAPE.

Then I vacuumed up the rest -- DO NOT DO THIS EITHER -- JUST DO THE ABOVE.

Then, I closed off the closet so the cat could not get it -- WRONG AGAIN --
LEAVE THE ROOM OPEN TO AIR OUT THE TOXINS.

I was going to be late for a funeral, so I didn't take the time to read what to do.
An hour later I did, but too late.

So I had to remove everything from the closet, mop with hot steamy water - MY SHARK'S rectangle head had to be thrown away....

Had to clean out the vacuum cleaner, too.... throw away used filters....

Then wash and dry, or dry clean, every single item of clothing in the closet.

So much time taken because one one broken light bulb.

Can't corporate American do a better job than this???

Main Street Market

2009-11-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFDZz1qviKs

What a better way to be green than supporting your community by purchasing from local vendors.

Baton Rouge's Main Street Market celebrated their 11th Birthday Saturday. We visited with Michael Gatz from the Green Shop. They have new bathroom tiles(colored recycled glass that you can get in almost any color) and recycled bowling alley lanes that would make a shiny butcher block look to your kitchen. And by the way, Michael (with some friends) has opened the new Gallery Bohemia on Government next to Brandts showcasing local artwork and refurbished (is that a word?) furniture.

Then there was Alice Michel, of Handmade Pottery by Alice. She has pottery trays and cheese platters all made by the owner. Most of the platters have three dimensional artwork in flower shapes or other decorative designs. Beautiful! I purchased a platter with a Flor de Lis design.

There are always inspirational stone sayings, greeting cards and shirts at the Coyote Creek gift shop to Charlie's Coffee. Remember, they also have another location in St. Francisville.

Pet Adoption Day was also Saturday and you can see who got talked into saving life of a kitten, just three days from ....
well we don't want to think about it.

Cute little thing - but since we've never had a cat before, a learning experience. So far, so good.

This weekend the market will be honoring our Veterans with special events planned. Remember breakfast and lunch are available in downtown's only public marketplace!

Baby Steps to Remodeling

2009-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

So many folks have asked me what’s the first thing they should do to begin remodeling their homes to save energy cost. That depends on so many things such as: how old is your home, which appliance is draining the most of your money now, and would it be worth it to replace an appliance that is in good working condition with an Energy Star rating, how much money can you set aside each year to green up and how long to do plan on staying in that particular home. There are many tax credits available now for remodeling.

Simple fixes would be to install better insulation, unplug appliances such as toasters, blenders, t.v.’s, light fixtures that are not in current use, replace light bulbs with CFL’s, (compact fluorescent light bulbs) and plant trees that would eventually shade your home from the harsh sun in the summer months.

A note about CFL’s is that they do contain mercury (which is harmful) and no substitute has been developed at this time. These curly bulbs use 75% less energy and last much longer than regular light bulbs.
Think about this. If each home owner were to replace all of the light bulbs in their home (30-40 bulbs on average) they would save over $130.00 per year. Now if each American homeowner replaced just one bulb with a CFL, we could save enough energy to provide light to more than 3 million homes for one full year, adding up to more than $600 million in annual energy cost.

These are baby steps, guys.

But, honestly, if you are reading this, you probably have already replaced all of your light bubs and area moving on to more expensive remodeling projects. So here is a link to begin taking the bigger steps.
http://www.nahbgreen.org/ScoringTool.aspx

God is Green! Ya think?

2009-11-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

I believe God is Green - He DID create a perfect world and look who messed it up. And why? Because of our GREED. Whoa! Ugly word and guess what - a sin! (another ugly word.)

Why bringing all of this up? Well in my little world, in Baton Rouge, it seems we have two belief systems regarding politics and God.

Most of the Republicans that I know think that the Democrates are all Green Thinkers and are "godless". And guess what, the Democatics I know, think the Republicans are opposed to Green Living and are wasteful with our envirnonment therefore being "godless" creatures who talk the talk, but don't walk it out.

I think God is somewhere in the middle - but I do know that it must break His heart to see us destroy His world with smog, toxins, and watch us polluting the earth so we can have an easiler life while killing each other in the process.

God is Good and So Is Green!! Think about it. Support Green Living and remember, it's the small things that count. It's a mindset to remember to unplug appliances when you are not using them - phantom power. Reuse that copy paper - you have two sides. Better than that - don't print at all. Save everything to PDFs. You don't have to install a solar panel on your home to Live Green - you can certainly research it for later - but remember, baby steps........

And speaking of Baby steps, I hope you have joined our Facebook Post joining millions "watching babies crawl to Washington to eliminate toxins from cleaning products". Please join today and send to your friends.

2009-10-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Looking at removing the green whatever it is counter tops and installing old bowling alley flooring in my personal kitchen. This will give it a "butcher block" look that I am going for.

Has anyone done this? Can you send me photos? I am getting prices now.

Green being simple - another example. Less usage of blow dryer - and never using any irons - curling or straightening. Wash and crimp and go. That also saves us on our electric bill.

Simple enough?

Living Green Can Be So Simple As......

2009-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I think we all forgot how easy it really is to “live green”. Think about being green like your Grandparents did in areas of being conservative, respectful, and peaceful.

For example, I have begun putting my daughter’s lunch in storage containers instead of using 150 baggies every three of four months. Yes, they are plastic containers, being Tupperware or some other brand, but I am “re-using” them and not throwing them away after it’s use and therefore not adding to the stack of trash each day.

Another very simple way to be “green” is to have a GPS system. My brother in law has poked fun at me for “not using my brain” to figure my route by using a map. Well, maybe my brain has several other functions that are of a higher priority than mapping my route from house to house while showing property to clients, like saving time by not having to map it out. (My brain gets plenty of exercise in other areas, like communication with the twit’s of the world and keeping up with communication with my younger clientele and my own children.) A GPS system whether on your phone or placed in the car will save you so much in gas and time.

And talk about safety! No more stopping at road side stores or gas stations asking for directions Every man should purchase one for the women in their lives just for that reason. So many good benefits but in this area of thought, saving fuel searching up and down streets getting to that destination.

Now isn’t living green simple?