Lifestyle

Spring is here and that means one thing: Time to clean the ish out of your house. Want to truly make the switch to green cleaning? You don't have to buy pricey 'eco-brands' for a green clean. Instead, stock up on pure, safe basics. Here's a short list of what to put in your cleaning cabinet: (Find out what to put in your kit, after the jump!)

Truth: I always thought that the concept of a juice cleanse was a bit of a gimmick and I wanted no part. My thinking was what's 3 or 5 days of juice going to do for me? I try to focus on long-term, big picture health and eschew trends and fad diets. Plus, I love to eat...  I really, really love food and the ritual of meals. I'm the type of person who begins thinking about lunch promptly after finishing breakfast. Spend upwards of $150-200 only to feel hungry and deprived? No chewing? Blah, I can't drink ALL my meals. Nope, no thank you. Though I've been on the fresh juice bandwagon for some time my habit was to incorporate them into my diet in moderation I spent a good amount of time in New York and the abundance of juice bars quickly turned me on to a healthy habit. And when time allows I make juice at home. But here's where I started to realize I might want to take a cleanse for a test spin... Besides being an environmental blogger I also work as a Sports Performance trainer. Over the past few months more & more clients began to inquire about the pros and cons of a juice cleanse. My instinct was to tell them to avoid extremes and focus on healthy eating and exercise! But, I realized I couldn't provide a fully formed opinion without trying one myself. So I decided to try the 3-day Suja juice cleanse. There are a lot of juice options out there these days but Suja appealed to me for a few reasons. Read on for the deets!

Today is World Water Day 2013! In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 World Day for Water. Every year the UNGA focuses on a specific aspect of water conservation. This year the theme is water cooperation.  From the UNGA " (We) recognize that cooperation is essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and share this precious resource equitably, using water as an instrument of peace. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions." One important takeaway from this statement is that water is a shared resource. It is not ours to use as we please at anytime, and it shouldn't be taken for granted. There. is.not.an.endless.supply. By paying attention to our personal and family water usage all year we're taking small steps to help the cause. What can you do?

Let’s face it: People in my life generally know about my sustainability addiction within a few days. It’s hard not to mention a project I’m working on, blogging about or the latest ‘eco’ event. I even laid out the extent of 5 of my dirty green habits for the world to see. Although people proudly inform me of their green habits and reusable bag usage, they also use me as their not-so-green confidant. I've heard “I used a plastic water bottle. Will you still be my friend?” more than a few times... It’s impossible to be completely green and you often have to pick the greenest solutions for you. For example, you may live in the suburbs where there isn't a train station in sight and choose a hybrid as a compromise. There's more un-green secrets we all keep locked up. Here's 5 of my guilty-green conscious secrets straight from the closet:

There once was a time when the now ubiquitous catchphrase "there's an app for that" elicited a cynical reaction in me. Perhaps it was because I held on to my blackberry for a little too long (I thought it was easier to type on.) Or, maybe it's because I tend to be a bit skeptical when it comes to the notion that technology can solve all our problems. Maybe I even thought "hey my grandparents and their parents and everyone before them did just fine without apps or iPhones so I can too." Whatever the reason... I got over my stubbornness and discovered a whole slew of apps that make my life easier. There's several eco apps that are particularly useful and interesting to me, and I think these free eco apps listed below might be helpful to you too. iRecycle:  Tells you how, where and when to recycle.  You can sort by categories such as automotive, electronics, glass, household, paper and more. The app will use your location, or you can input a specific location and it pulls up resources that'll help you decide where to take your stuff. Click through for more apps to help you stay green!

Meow Meow! (That's "Hello" in Cat.) Hey readers! Last week, my Mom wrote about how to adopt a green cat like me. I wanted to tell my side of the story too, so I got my little paws onto her laptop. She's been asking what I do all day when she's working hard to keep food on the table and more importantly, in my bowl. (Insider tip: I've actually been working on a novel about life on the Street. When I want to goof off, I check out Caturday, 7 days a week. Why bother learning 7 names of days when you can just learn one?) Usually my days look like this: What can I say? It's a tough life, and I have this mini-catlike friend who doesn't even meow. Mommy told me that we have to be conscious of our Carbon Catprint, to make sure that future kitties and owners have a place to live and lounge. She always says she's trying to be 'green', but she looks awfully pale to me, just between us. However, I don't mind the sustainable things that we do to help out the Earth. Here are a few meowservations I've noticed:

Ever walk into a bathroom after someone had left it a little... smelly? I'm not talking about that kind of smell. After all, we are all mammals. I'm talking the un-natural, flowery (or fruit) chemical-laden smell of an air freshener spray. Air fresheners are a billion dollar business and are linked to numerous health problems including: (find out more, after the jump!)

I've changed this past month. I'm more cautious, I've had to reconsider every plant in my apartment, and I look tired. A new bundle of joy came into my life, and although challenging, I'm super-happy. Welcome to my crazy green lifestyle, Pounce DeLeon!  Pounce came into my life after I moved into a studio apartment. Growing up with dogs my entire life, I made sure to research and contact a few local shelters. Since I volunteer with PAWS Monster Miler program, the Old City Adoption Center was my preference. Luckily an orange and white tabby remembered me from my first visit, and his consistent snuggles stole my heart within a half hour. After watching him interact with a few other cats (and tested well in the plays well with dogs category), I knew it was meant to be! Want to green your cat? I will give my best (new) advice to you!

Hey readers, have any exciting spring or summer travel plans coming up? If you're flying and can manage it financially try to fly direct. Layovers in your itinerary can add miles to your carbon footprint. When you take one flight as opposed to hopping on a few to reach your final destination you'll help save excess emissions. (Plus, you usually arrive feeling a little less frazzled and your luggage is less likely to go missing.) When this just isn't possible - financially or logistically (flying direct internationally is often tough) - be sure to be aware of your impact while vacationing.