If you’ve never tracked your yearly spending on cleaning products you may not have a sense of the magnitude we consumers spend each year.  I think you would be as surprised as I was, to discover how high that actually is. Consider just the multitude of categories of products we use for the care of wood, tile and other materials.

A couple of years ago while preparing my taxes, I took the time to calculate how much I was spending on cleaning supplies and was astonished by the results.

Not only was the cost over a thousand dollars a year, but the overall combination and amount of different products I was using was huge. This discovery prompted me to search for an affordable and effective general-purpose cleaner. …read more of Tax Refund Comes Early: Save Money by Using Natural Cleaning Products here

It’s the time of the year when I feel a strong yearning for spring and the fresh greenness of vegetation. I’m hatching plans to bring more of the beauty of plants inside and outside my home. I may try a scaled down version of a living wall.

Green or living walls can be seen worldwide in and on buildings, adding bursts of unexpected plant life, particularly in urban settings where gardening space is at a premium. The vertical gardens designed by Parisian Patrick Blanc, an innovator in this area, are often elaborate, huge undertakings.

To add greenery at home …read more of Bringing Green Walls to your Home here

“We like our bike.
It is made for three.
Our Mike sits up in back, you see.
We like our Mike and this is why:
Mike does all the work when the hills get high.”
- Dr Seuss


Image: Sanyo Eneloop

Most trips we take are less than 3 miles from our home. With our cities and streets becoming more bike-friendly, and bikes becoming more pedal-friendly, you may want to give bikes another look. While they may not include Dr. Seuss’ “Mike”, the new wave of electric bikes (ebikes) includes some impressive battery power.

At the Consumer Electronic show last week, Sanyo unveiled their new Eneloop Electric Bike which looks like your typical bike, but will take over for the hard stuff (or if you just aren’t in the mood to pedal) . With the battery neatly tucked away and weighing only a few pounds, you can ride the Sanyo as you would any other bike whether you’re in the city or the suburbs. And when the going gets tough, the battery gets going.

…read more of Not in the Mood to Pedal? That’s OK here

Jimmyjane is a company that makes many sexy products, but when I planned a romantic getaway recently I knew that there was one that would really put a fire under my man.

The company’s Ember massage candles are hot in every sense of the word. Made of 100 percent soy, as the candle burns the room is bathed in candlelight and the melting soy turns to a liquid that doubles as scented massage oil.

Sound dangerous? It is, but not in the way you might think. Soy melts at a much lower temperature than wax; once the candle is snuffed out, the soy remains a warm – not burning hot – liquid that can be poured directly onto the skin. …read more of The Sexy Side of Soy here

While the virtues of organic cotton have been well documented from a farming standpoint, the virtues of wearing organic cotton have been slightly less touted. In my quest for a less chemically-laden life, purchasing organic cotton whenever possible is a priority.

Why waste my time with natural cosmetics and household cleaners and then cover myself in cotton coated in chemicals, right?

One area where I insist on organic materials is in those garments that come closest to my skin: my lingerie. Back in the day, organic cotton bras and panties were almost exclusively in the granny panty category: beige, utilitarian and totally unflattering. Thankfully, today even the sexiest environmentalista can find beautiful organic lingerie. …read more of Bringing Eco Sexy Back here