Thanks to the following for enlightening me a little more on this subject!

EcoRazzi

GuerrillaGardening.org

The Huffington Post

Kabloom

The author, Sacha Cohen writes about the things that interest her: organic restaurants, urban farming, natural health and beauty, green events, sustainable communities, and local eco-friendly businesses.

Fairly similar to what I do for the Chicago area!

 

The Vinegar Institute is a fabulous resource for tons of great tips using vinegar.  It really is amazing what vinegar can do.  It is cheap and good for the environment so make use of these tips!

Relieve sunburn – Lightly rub white distilled or cider vinegar on skin. Reapply as needed.

Bug Spray – Combine equal amounts of water, white distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Use on skin, as needed.

Keep Flowers Longer – Keep flowers fresh longer. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-quart vase of water. Trim stems and change water every five days.

Pest fighter – A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each quart bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.

Carpet stain removal – A mixture of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the stain is gone. Then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.

Brass polish – Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.

Cleaner Dishes and Glasses – Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.

Bumper stickers – Remove bumper stickers by repeatedly wiping the sticker with white distilled vinegar until it is soaked. In a few minutes, it should peel off easily. Test on a small invisible area of the car to ensure there will be no damage to the paint.

Paintbrush softener – Soak the paintbrush in hot white distilled vinegar, and then wash out with warm, sudsy water.

Fruit stains – Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.

Ecorazzi reports that The White House will be composting soon! How awesome!

White House Building Three Kitchen-Waste Compost Bins
Filed under: green and famous — Michael Andre d’Estries @ 9:33 pm | Share on Facebook

For all those jacked into the non-stop revolving door of gossip that is the White House vegetable garden, chew on this!

The latest dirt is that the White House kitchen is getting ready to contribute to next year’s garden by installing three compost bins on site. The South Lawn veggie plot has done so well this year (resulting in ridiculous conspiracy theories) thanks to the soil used in the beds. U.S. News says that one of the secret ingredients was a shipment of compost from New York celebrity chef Dan Barber.

Read the complete article on Ecorazzi

I love this Isola wide-brim straw hat from J. Crew for $58

Things you should do:

Limit Direct Sun Exposure during Midday

Cover Up

Use a Sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or Higher

Wear a Hat

Wear Sunglasses That Block UV Rays

Avoid Tanning Beds and Sunlamps

Self exams are also very important. Use these steps to perform regular self exams.

• Examine your body front & back in a mirror, then right and left sides with arms raised.
• Bend elbows. Look carefully at forearms, upper underarms and palms.
• Look at the backs of your legs and feet, the spaces between your toes and on the sole.
• Examine the backs of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. Part hair for a closer look
• Finally, check your back with a hand mirror.

Check out the American Cancer Society‘s Sun Safety pages for more information.

Salt is formed when acidic and alkaline materials combine and are neutralized. The resulting neutral pH is unique and offers many uses.
Because of its neutral pH, salt is also used purposely to kill off vegetation, and does a better or worse job at this depending on how sensitive the vegetation is to shifts in pH.
Salt also is a good non-abrasive scrubber and provides many uses in the home and for the body for this reason.
KITCHEN USES
• Brass, Silver, and Copper Cleaner: Make a paste of salt and vinegar, scoop it onto a soft cloth, rub the metal, rinse, and buff dry.
• Drain Deodorizer: Mix ½ cup of salt with ½ cup of hot water, and pour it down the drain periodically to eliminate odors and cut through grease buildup.
• White Marks on Furniture: Combine a teaspoon of salt with enough olive oil to make a dry paste. Scoop some of the paste onto a soft cloth, and then rub into the white marks until they are gone.
• Grease Cutter: Scrub greasy pans first with salt before washing with a detergent.
• Deodorize Cutting Boards: Dip a damp cloth in salt and rub it into the cutting board.
• Prevent Food from Sticking: Rub the pan with salt. This will also prevent smoking.
• Refresh Coffee Percolators and Pots: Add 4-5 tablespoons of salt to and processing as if there was coffee in the pot.
• Clean Sponges: Soak in cold saltwater after you have washed them.
HOUSEHOLD HINTS
• Deodorize Shoes: Sprinkle salt into the shoes at night; brush out in the morning.
• Drive Away Moths and Ants: Sprinkle areas the pests travel with salt.
• Brighten Colors: Add ½ a cup of salt to colored wash loads to enhance the colors. Note that salt is used to set dyes, so it works as a fixative.
• Eliminate Mold and Mildew Stains: Scrub with salt and lemon juice, then set in the sun. Wash, rinse, and dry.
• Put out Grease Fires: Cover the fire with salt. (Don’t use water on grease fires.)
ANTISEPTIC AND PERSONAL CARE USES
• Sore Throat Gargle: Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. Gargle.
• Teeth and Gum Cleaner: Pulverize salt with baking soda (1:2 ratio).
• Mouthwash: Combine equal parts of baking soda and salt. Add 1 teaspoon to a glass of water, rinse out mouth.
• Bathe Your Eyes: Make a salt solution of ½ teaspoon of salt to 1 pint of water. Soak a soft washcloth in the mixture and lay it on closed eyes.
• Puffy Eye Help: Use the mixture, above, on puffy eyes, but soak longer.
• Foot Soak: Fill a pail of warm water to just the right temperature. Add ½ cup or so of salt. Soak your feet for as long as it feels good, rinse.
• Dry Salt Scrub: Exfoliate dead, dry skin, by giving yourself a massage with dry salt.
• Removing dry skin: After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It removes dead skin particles and aids the circulation.
GARDEN USES
• Weed Killer: Sprinkle salt along the cracks of patios where weeds are, sprinkle with water, then pull out the dead weeds and dead grass.
• Poison Ivy Killer: Dissolve 1 cup of salt in 1 gallon of hot water. Pour onto the poison ivy. Note that fresh bright green shiny, poison ivy leaves are the most vulnerable to this solution.