Some green changes are really challenging and may require perseverance despite repeated failures, like trying to find a natural deodorant that works. Or a natural cleaner that conquers mold.  On the other hand, some green changes are downright easy. For example, opening your windows to improve indoor air quality or turning your thermostat up one or two degrees in the summer.

Certain green choices are expensive, like buying an all-natural bed free of flame retardant chemicals. Organic and natural food products also tend to cost more than their conventional counterparts. But many green choices are inexpensive.

Inexpensive Green Changes

Learning to be self-sufficient, whether making your own food, household cleaners, or even personal products will save you money while keeping toxic or unknown ingredients out of your family’s bodies.  Shifting from disposables to reusables such as rechargeable batteries or cloth diapers might require an initial small investment, but over the long term, it will pay you back many times over. Choosing to purchase quality durable goods and repairing what you already own instead of buying the cheapest and newest version available generates less waste while costing you less in the long run. Using less, buying less, borrowing or buying second-hand are hallmarks of the green lifestyle and help preserve the finite resources of both the planet and your bank account.

Making Compromises to be Greener

I have often found it necessary and helpful to pair expensive changes with money-saving ones. For example, instead of spending thousands of dollars on disposable diapers for your baby, use cloth diapers and spend that money on buying a non-toxic bed for baby instead.  In my own household, by making most meals as well as bread and snacks from scratch while purchasing fewer packaged and convenience foods, we have been able to afford to purchase mostly organic products.

Whether you are saving up for that green dream item or just plain trying to save, here are some green money-saving ideas from the members of the Green Sisterhood.

Money Saving Green Changes

• Anna of Green Talk offers 15 Tips to Be Green in Your Neighborhood.  With these no-cost and money-saving ideas you can reduce your consumption and divert countless items from the landfill.
• In her article 5 Ways to Go Natural on a Budget, Alicia of The Safe Landing  describes how a squeeze on her household budget actually became an opportunity to expose her family to fewer toxic chemicals.
• Diane of Big Green Purse shares her Top Ten Ways to Save Energy and Money at Home. And in this article Diane explains the concept of Green ROI (return-on-investment) and shares specific green technologies (such as a programmable thermostat) that more than pay for themselves within one year.
• Karen of ecokaren describes 11 Things You Should Never Buy (such as laundry detergent) either because they are so cheap and easy to make yourself or because there are healthier alternatives. Karen also wants you to know why LED bulbs are cheaper and better. She expects her bulbs to outlive her so she’s leaving them in her will for her kids.
• Jenny the Crunchy Wife has lots of ideas for small and easily achievable green goals, many of which will save you money too.
• Gretchen, the Healthful Mama, knows that non-toxic sunscreen can be pricey, so she’s making her own instead. Check out her simple, four-ingredient sunscreen recipe that she dispenses with a pump.
• Lisa of Condo Blues slashed her annual energy bill by over 30% with some simple changes. She also shares what 12 things she doesn’t buy  and how she saved money by repurposing  and reusing.
• Brenna from Almost All the Truth has 10 Easy and Free Ways to Save Energy. One idea I could surely use is to clean and check the refrigerator for energy efficiency. She’ll also show you how to save money and avoid toxins in the laundry room.

On my blog Eco-novice, I share my own 10 Ways to Save Money on Food While Going Green. And then there is my all-time favorite: Lazy and Cheap ways to be green.

Now it’s your turn. What green changes have you made to save money?

We will be LIVE with Andrea Donsky, the founder of Naturally Savvy on why she is urging Procter & Gamble to fully disclose its ingredients on their feminine napkins and tampons.

“Did you know that feminine hygiene companies don’t have to fully disclose the ingredients of their tampons and pads on their packaging? That’s because they are considered to be “medical devices. Tampons and pads with odor neutralizers and other artificial fragrances are nothing short of a chemical soup laced with artificial colors, polyester, adhesives, polyethylene (PET), polypropylene, and propylene glycol (PEG), contaminants linked to hormone disruption, cancer, birth defects, dryness, and infertility.” ~Naturally Savvy

Yikes!

So, we are eager to speak to Andrea and find out WHY she burned sanitary pads from Procter & Gamble and WHAT she found out!

Do you think Procter & Gamble should list the ingredients? Join the discussion below in the comments.

And we are honored to have Ms. Lappé for 30 minutes in her busy schedule to talk with us about her latest book today.

“Powerful and inspiring. EcoMind will open your eyes and change your thinking. I want everyone to read it.” ~Jane Goodall

You can ask your questions below in the comments or discuss what your thoughts are about the interview.

We are thrilled to have Ms. Frances Moor Lappé join us for a chat on

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 12:00 (Noon) – 12:30 Pm EST.

Her recently published book, “Eco-Mind: Changing the way we think, to create the world we want”, illustrates how we have to shift our minds about the world.

She argues that much of what is wrong with the world, from our eroding soil to our eroding democracies, results from ways of thinking out of synch with human nature and nature’s rhythms. Humans are not couch potatoes or whiners, we are doers, she says. But our capacity for doing is undermined by seven “thought traps” that leave us mired in fear, guilt, and despair–none of which are motivators to action … Lappé takes us from “thought trap” to “thought leap,” and with each kaleidoscopic shift, challenges morph into opportunities.

The book is a refreshing point of view on how we should start shifting our attitudes from being ‘optimistic’ to ‘possibilities’ since it’s an actionable thought. Lappé uses “latest scientific breakthroughs and stories of hope from around the world, challenges and empowers us to create the world we want.”

It’s a must-read for all of us, not just the environmentalists or scientists, but who want to learn ‘what’ to do to create the world we want.

So, join us and watch the LIVE interview on

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 at 12:00-12:30pm EST

right here on Green Sisterhood

If you have a question you’d like us to ask Ms. Lappé, leave a comment below. If we have time during the interview, we will try to ask, time permitting.

Image and quote: Eco Mind

If you are not familiar with Eco Etsy, check out their website here. Eco Etsy is made of close to 400 sellers on Etsy who create eco-friendly goodies. Most of them have been greenies before eco-friendly was a known term to most of us.

They create eco-friendly goodies while keeping the environment in mind in managing their businesses as well as creating the items.

We are very lucky to be chatting with them so join us. Have fun. Answer questions and you may have a chance to win some beautiful eco-friendly gifts for your mom!

CLICK TO TWEET AND SHARE –> Joint Twitter Party!

Here are the details.

WHAT: Twitter Party
WHEN: Tuesday April 30, 2013 9 PM EST
WHERE: Twitter
HASHTAG: #ecomomsday

You can check out the prizes –> HERE

See you on Tuesday!

And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to watch this video from Green Sisterhood for more tips.

To check out how NYC was celebrating Earth Day, Anna and I attended NYC’s Green Festival last Sunday.

Here is Anna talking to a customer rep at Green America.

And isn’t this the cutest baby or what?

Here we are at Happy Foods Booth with Happy Mama NJ.

How was your Earth Day?

Linky Party

Here is another round of great posts for the weekend. If you have posts you want to share, link up below. And remember these rules!

1) Green or eco-friendly living related posts only.
2) Green crafting tutorials WELCOME!!

But

3) No processed foods recipes.
4) NO GIVEAWAYS or REVIEWS please!
5) No sponsored for affiliate only posts. (It’s ok to have affiliate links in the post but not a standalone sponsored or affiliate post)

And remember to mention you linked up on Green Sisterhood on your blog!

Eat fruits and vegetables!

But here is the problem.

There are pesticides, when exposed, can be harmful to our health.

So EWG publishes a consumers’ guide every year to help us decide which produce is less toxic in its “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™”

This year, there were a few changes, especially in the dark leafy green vegetable family.

For the second year, we have expanded the Dirty Dozen™ with a Plus category to highlight two crops – domestically-grown summer squash and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards. These crops did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but were commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system. Though the Environmental Protection Agency has been restricting the uses of the most toxic pesticides, they are still detected on some foods. For example, green beans were on last year’s Plus list because they were often contaminated with two highly toxic organophosphates. Those pesticides are being withdrawn from agriculture. But leafy greens still show residues of organophosphates and other risky pesticides. That’s why they are on the Plus list for 2013.

Eeek…that’s not what I wanted to hear. I love kale chips but now I have to make sure to buy organic kale.

The problem with harmful organochlorine pesticides is that although they “were phased out of agriculture in the 1970s and 1980s but that linger on some farm fields” so even squashes and zucchinis can still have traces of them, according to EWG.

How about GMO’s?

Fresh produce are typically NOT GMO’s except for Hawaiian papayas and some sweet corns (Eeek!)

The genetically modified crops likely to be found in produce aisles of American supermarkets are zucchini, Hawaiian papaya and some varieties of sweet corn. Most Hawaiian papaya is a GMO. Only a small fraction of zucchini and sweet corn are GMO. Since U.S. law does not require labeling of GMO produce, EWG advises people who want to avoid it to purchase the organically-grown versions of these items.

Here is the list of “Dirty Dozen Plus”

1. Apples
2. Celeries
3. Cheery Tomatoes
4. Cucumbers
5. Grapes
6. Hot Peppers
7. Nectarines (Imported)
8. Peaches
9. Potatoes
10. Spinach
11. Strawberries
12. Sweet Bell peppers
13. Kale/Collard Greens
14. Summer Squash

Clean Fifteen

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cantaloupe
5. Sweet Corn
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi
9. Mangos
10. Mushrooms
11. Onions
12. Papaya
13. Pineapples
14. Sweet peas- frozen
15. Sweet Potatoes

Remember…eating ANY fruits and vegetables is better than NOT eating them. So join your local CSA, support small farmers, buy organic, or “safe” produce from the Clean Fifteen list.

Green Sisterhood’s Green Tips

I’m posting our debut video on easy green tips again because the link didn’t show up on our newsletter the other day. Damn YouTube!

So here they are! Easy Green Tips by Green Sisterhood (and cute smart kiddos and a token dog).

Click for the video —-> GREEN TIPS BY GREEN SISTERHOOD

Linky Party

Here is another round of great posts for the weekend. If you have posts you want to share, link up below. And remember these rules!

1) Green or eco-friendly living related posts only.
2) Green crafting tutorials WELCOME!!

But

3) No processed foods recipes.
4) NO GIVEAWAYS or REVIEWS please!
5) No sponsored for affiliate only posts. (It’s ok to have affiliate links in the post but not a standalone sponsored or affiliate post)

And remember to mention you linked up on Green Sisterhood on your blog!

Have a Happy Earth Day! Do something meaningful and educate others on how to be kind to the Earth!

Earth Day is on Monday April 22nd and we wanted to give you some simple tips to make caring for the mother earth easy for you….in our lighthearted, goofy way.

Please share the video with your friends and family. Spread the message on your social media. Obviously, there are many MANY more tips than what we can put in a 3 minute video. But this is a great segway into starting a conversation with your children and your friends.

We want to thank the members of Green Sisterhood who had the time to send in their video clips so Anna can produce and edit them to make this seemingly simple but time consuming video.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE  —> VIDEO

Want to learn some more tips from green sisters? Sign up for email updates below.

Have a Happy Earth Day and go out there do something meaningful! Mother Earth will thank you!

It seems like such a no brainer, doesn’t it? I assume you can put any type of essential oil that you like in this formula. I love the label too…”For uh….you know.” What a riot!

I’m definitely making this for my ‘Uh…for you know which room’

Link up!

Here is another round of great posts you can read. If you have posts you want to share, link up below. And remember these rules!

Have a great weekend!
1) Green or eco-friendly living related posts only.
2) Green crafting tutorials WELCOME!!

But

3) No processed foods recipes.
4) NO GIVEAWAYS or REVIEWS please!
5) No sponsored for affiliate only posts. (It’s ok to have affiliate links in the post but not a standalone sponsored or affiliate post)

And remember to mention you linked up on Green Sisterhood on your blog!