Greening in the Lower Hudson Valley

What a challenge it is to keep cleaning green during the holidays! While the season is wonderful and a time of joy, it’s also a festival of rubbish! Just dealing with all those cardboard boxes, used gift wrap and packaging materials can really be a headache.

To keep detritus down and handle how to get rid of it can be a lot simpler when you keep on hand a supply of  boxes or bins specifically set up to handle the different types of trash. It’s a pretty safe bet that while you’re at it, you should create bins to sort out all the cardboard, cans, bottles, paper, etc. the holidays seem to generate. Not only will this make tidying up much quicker and easier, but it also cuts down on the volume of recyclables headed for the landfill.

Food waste around the holidays is always a dilemma because there’s always leftovers that aren’t getting eaten that tend to pile up. Instead of tossing scraps and leftovers into the garbage, why not dig them into your garden if the ground’s not frozen or, better yet, treat yourself to a composting box? Another slightly radical idea to consider is starting your very own worm farm. You can use the veg refuse to feed the little critters! If you didn’t already know, worms, while admittedly slimy, are very good and useful creatures. Be the first on your block to get started on vermiculture, the latest trend in the home composting revolution.
 
Handy housecleaning tools to use around the house to help you green clean have come a long way this season. While it’s true that very few moms really want a new vacuum cleaner for Hannukah or Christmas, there are a plethora of extremely appealing and environmentally friendly ergonomic products out there that would be a welcome addition to any wish list. Visit your favorite home-oriented store to survey the latest in vacuum cleaners, dustpans and scrub brushes designed to handle every cleaning situation. You might also want to check out Crate & Barrel’s color coded tarpaulin recycling bags, or Simplehuman’s trendy trash can with separate bins for recyclables and trash. The company OXO makes a handy can featuring different sized compartments to hold various sized bags to make family recycling a snap. Manufactured of industrial grade stainless steel, the OXO model is also super attractive.

Reduce the volume of your holiday waste by recycling wrapping paper and recycling gifts and, in view of the recent trend of belt tightening, by reducing the number of gifts you give and receive.

Tis the season to be jolly, but don’t forego your intentions to keep green!
 

I talk a lot about green things, what about green tea? Are you aware of some its more surprising uses? For example, did you know people in Japan gargle with it, use it as a facial mask, even a disinfectant?

The Japanese believe green tea to be a powerful medicine. Gargling with it is said to prevent colds and myriad influenzas. The tannin found in tea is a bioflavonoid with antioxidant and antiviral qualities. Some people think they might even prevent cancer. To make your own fresh green tea gargle, use a strong loose leaf tea like Japanese sencha or gunpowder. Prepare the tea in hot water as usual and then let it cool to a comfortable temperature before gargling. Make a fresh batch every time you gargle! The effectiveness is lost after only a few hours.
 
To slow down those tell tale signs of aging, and by the way, I hate the word “wrinkle cream,” make your own green tea facial mask with ingredients you probably already have around the house. You’ll need one egg, a little honey, some lemon juice, and green tea powder. To make the powder, crush some green tea leaves in a glass or ceramic bowl.

Now beat in the egg and add the rest of the ingredients, slowly mixing it altogether until you’ve formed a thick paste. Set aside in the refrigerator. Next clean your face with a mild soap or cream based cleanser. While your face is still damp, apply the mask with your fingertips. Leave on 15 minutes before thoroughly rinsing with cool water. This mask works to combat wrinkles on older, dry skin, but don’t forget to use daily moisturizer. And although green tea creams are believed to offer some sun protection, they are not a sun block.
 
Some people say that recycling green tea leaves in the cat litter box will reduce that foul aroma, although I wonder would be the right proportions before the cat started to notice? You can clean quite a bit of your house using green tea and hot water. Make the tea as usual and allow it to cool. Using a damp cloth dipped in the solution, use it to wipe the inside of your refrigerator, your stove and countertops, even the inside of your microwave. What’s the point? Green tea is a natural cleanser that contains no harsh chemicals that smell bad or can damage the environment. 

Dog grooming is expensive, sometimes a lot more than getting your own hair done! That said, if you’ve got a poodle or a Bichon or a breed that requires professional attention, it’s best to leave any job that requires clippers or scissors to someone in possession of a grooming certificate. But if it’s just a bath Fido needs, this is something you can accomplish at home without too much mess or fuss. When you use green or natural dog shampoo, it's better for your dog and better for the environment.

First, brush your dog thoroughly before rushing for the wash tub. Remove all tangles and mats first because they only get worse when they’re wet. If your dog has gotten into pine sap or tar, remove it first with a little mineral oil or petroleum jelly. If there is no other recourse, cut off the offending substance with scissors, using great care, of course, to not nick your pooch. Apply a little petroleum jelly or mineral oil near the eyes to protect them. Not in the eyes, just around. Also put a cotton ball in your dog’s ears to keep water out. Use a ball that is big enough to not get caught in the ear canal.
 
Next remove your dog’s collar and place him in the bath. If you have a small dog, the kitchen sink will do. If you have a spray attachment, the bathtub is even better, although it’s a good idea to line the bottom of any kind of tub with a dish towel to keep his paws from slipping. Close the door to keep him from leaping out of the tub and dashing from the room. That’s a mess! If you don’t have any way to spray, you are best off using a water pitcher. Use something plastic, never glass!

Human shampoo is too harsh for dogs. It has the wrong pH for their skin. Any commercial dog shampoo is fine, but you can make your own green dog shampoo using 1/3 cup glycerin, 1 cup lemon Liquid Joy, 1 cup white vinegar and one quart of water. Combine these ingredients together in a liter bottle and shake before each use.

The water used to wash your dog should be warm but not hot. Never spray water directly in the dog’s face. Tilt his head up to make sure water runs down his back and not into his eyes. Use your fingers to rub in the green shampoo. If your dog is anxious, talk to him soothingly and massage his chest. Some experts say start with the back, then the rear and then the legs, saving the face for last. In general, work from top to bottom, working the suds down the body.

Rinse out the green shampoo with warm water, never too cold or too hot. Cover your dog’s eyes with your hand to prevent water or shampoo from getting in. Use a detangler for easier combing if you have a long haired dog. After the final rinse, use your hands to squeeze out as much water out as possible. Wrap your dog in a large absorbent towel. Blot, don’t rub, to avoid creating more tangles. You can let your dog shake itself to help dry off. Remove the cotton balls from the ears and let your dog dry naturally if you can. If you must use a blow dryer, keep it on the coolest setting. Also if the weather is cold or even cool, don’t let your dog outside until it is dry.  Finish by brushing your dog once again. Don’t bathe too often as it removes the natural oils from the skin. Most dogs only need a few baths a year. Regular brushing and attention to the nails is all many dogs need to stay healthy and clean.

Now that you’ve finally got the kitchen or bath of your dreams, how in the world do you clean it in a way that is green? Beautiful and pricey building materials like granite and marble require special attention. Here’s a speedy tutorial how to keep them looking like they just came off the show room in an eco-friendly way.

Marble that’s in daily use (like a countertop) should be wiped regularly with plenty of warm water and a few drops of a mild dish detergent – but just a few! Rinse well as soapy residue can build up on the surface. An effective home-made marble cleaner can be made with a solution made of four cups of warm water and 3 tablespoons of baking soda should do it. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and wring out the excess. Wipe the solution on the countertop and let it sit for 2 hours before wiping it clean with warm water and polishing it with a soft cloth.

Here’s a green trick to make your marble shine.  Take a piece of white chalk, crush it and then dampen it with a soft cloth that’s been moistened with a little water.  Next rub it on the marble and allow it to dry for a minute before rinsing with clean water and then finishing with a soft dry cloth.

Never use anything abrasive on marble like a scrub brush or steel wool or anything you would normally use to remove a stain. Never use bleach or a harsh chemical either, as these will damage marble in a nanosecond and they're definitely not green.

Granite is harder than marble or slate and that’s what makes it the godfather of all natural stones. Only a diamond can cut it, never your kitchen knives. But granite can’t tolerate anything acidic, which means that two highly favored natural cleaning substances, lemon juice and vinegar, are no no’s. While you can clean almost anything with a solution of warm water and vinegar, don’t use it on granite. Never, ever! Warm water and a soft cloth are all you need to clean granite. Use distilled water if you’re concerned about high chlorination or heavy mineral content.

Dry thoroughly to prevent water marks. Granite flooring, by the way, should be dust mopped daily to prevent grit from building up. If you must use a product, go for a little hydrogen peroxide if your granite is light colored, or acetone for dark. Be careful if someone tells you to use clear ammonia because it will dull your granite over time. Ammonia is definitely not green, either.

Hopefully these tips will help you enjoy your granite and marble surfaces for many years, in a green and sustainable way.

Ever wondered what it might be like to not have to shell out for everything you love and get great stuff for free? It’s easier than you think. I’ve already blogged about Freecycle but on the internet, the free market is thriving and yes, it is really free. A lot of the material goods are items on a second or even third use, but other free stuff, like movies and television are a  little harder to explain. Acquiring things this way is not only easier on your wallet, it's easier on the planet - reducing the carbon load from manufacturing, packaging and shipping AND reducing landfill waste too.  Very green, very in vogue.  Check it all out and more by tapping into these websites. All you need is a computer and a way to get on line, and voila, the world’s your oyster.

For free and stylish clothing, check out www.swapstyle.com. Swapstyle is an online fashion swap party where you can swap clothes, accessories, cosmetics, even shoes, with people from all over the world. The site is active day and night. Everything is 100% free and 100% green. Please note there is a suggested one-time cost of $10 recommended to members so they can be address verified. This promotes honesty and reduces the risk of unethical trading. Seems a small price to pay for great stuff.  www.paperbackswap.com has no late fees, no processing charges, no hidden charges, and any book you request is yours to keep, share or trade. Every time you mail a book to another member, you can request one for yourself. The swap has 3,855,460 books in circulation and the books are in every category from biography and memoir to fiction to history, home and garden, thrillers, sci-fi, westerns, romance, even books on religion and spirituality. And they’re not just paperbacks. Audio books, textbooks, any hard cover book you’re interested in – check it out.  If everyone swapped books, think about how many trees we could save.

www.Hulu.com is free, on-demand tv. On your computer you can watch hit TV shows and many movies. Don’t miss their featured picks of the day. Television was never so much fun! Did you know you can watch full length movies by logging on to www.watch-movies-links.net to peruse their archive of free full length films? With a service like this and a good sized monitor, why would you want to spend money in a theater? See new releases, action, horror, comedies, anything you want (pretty much anyway!)

For other great free stuff, don’t forget craigslist.com. There’s tons of free stuff on the site every day, including free furniture, plants and appliances, even pets.  These are great green living strategies that will also save you some green.
 

Blame it on J.Lo and her well publicized fetish about protecting her offspring, but antibacterial wipes and antibacterial soaps have become the new scourge. We’ve literally become a nation of germ-a-phobes! You think you’re protecting yourself and your children from everything from Swine Flu to the common cold, but the reality is antibacterial soaps and wipes are really not so good for you. A consumer protection group called Beyond Pesticides  released a report about these products, and the news may surprise you.

Did you know that over 75% of the liquid soaps and 30% of bar soaps on the market contain some kind of antibacterial agent? The most common active ingredient is called triclosan, a commonly used chemical that easily penetrates the epidermis and makes its insidious way into our bodies. While triclosan is effective for use in hospitals, which is what it was designed for, it is a carcinogenic chemical that when overly used can weaken the immune system, decrease fertility, alter sex hormones, cause birth defects, even cancer. It has also been linked to antibiotic resistance and environmental effects on tap water.

The most worrisome part is how many products you might already be using and have in your home contain the stuff. For example, triclosan is an active ingredient in the Reach Antibacterial Toothbrush, Dial and Jergens liquid soap, Clearasil Daily Face Wash, Right Guard deodorant, even Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural deodorant, which makes a person wonder about the fast and loose use of the word “natural.” Hmm. Triclosans also exist in Farberware microban cutting boards, Solarcaine, Teva sandals, Merrell shoes and Fruit of the Loom socks. For a complete list of the hundreds of products that contain this toxin, check out the website, www.grinningplanet.com.
 

While I love soaking up the sun, I know exposure, especially to young kids, is risky. Every day new information comes to light about the permanent damage caused by exposure to the sun, but you know how hard it is to get kids to come out of the pool or off the beach. They just want to play outside and who can blame them?

While there are over 1,000 sunscreens out on the market, the truth is that 4 out of 5 of them don’t do the job. What’s even scarier is the list of toxic ingredients most commercial sunscreens contain, something you become aware of only if you’re interested enough to scrutinize the labels. When you think about these chemicals being absorbed into skin where they can disrupt hormones or cause an allergic reaction or release skin-damaging free radicals, you start to think maybe getting sun burned is safer. Only kidding. Nobody wants a melanoma!

While it’s a pretty safe bet that if you can’t pronounce the ingredients listed on your favorite bottle of sunscreen, you shouldn’t use it, finding alternatives isn’t so easy.  A number of safe-seeming biodegradable sunscreen products are now being made with zinc oxide that are worth checking out.

According to The Environmental Working Group, an independent consumer watch dog group, three products are stand outs. One is called Badger,  which has an SPF of 30. There’s also Lavera Sun Screen Neutral with an SPF of 40, and one called UV Natural Adult New Formula with an SPF of 30. These three products rate the lowest on a 1 to 10 scale for dangerous or envirotoxic ingredients. They all got a “1.” If you can find them, I think they’re worth checking out.

Prevention against sun damage is always the best cure. Avoid being out in the sun between the peak hours of 10 AM and 2 PM. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sun-protective clothing. You can make your own sun block using zinc oxide and your favorite moisturizer. And get this: did you know that if you eat plenty of dark green, red and yellow fruits and vegetables, you’re naturally protecting yourself? Those foods keep your skin healthy and less prone to sun damage.

It’s mosquito season and the little buggers are thirsty. They’re going for blood – specifically yours and mine! Bug spray, however, makes me anxious, mostly because almost every commercial potion on the market used to repel mosquitoes and gnats contains a powerful chemical commonly known as DEET. Don’t know what DEET is? DEET has been known to cause rashes, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and numb or burning lips. It affects some people to the degree they feel like they’re having trouble concentrating. As if I don’t have enough trouble in that area already! On the other hand, lots of people have no negative reaction to DEET at all. They’re lucky. A study done a few years ago on the long term effects on DEET on rats said it caused “diffuse brain cell death.” Who wants to take chances?

Browsing the web, I discovered that while there are plenty of home-grown concoctions you can whip up in your kitchen that can be substituted for DEET, a lot of them don’t work very well or for very long. Straight oil of eucalyptus seems to be the best bet (and it’s natural), but here are some other ideas for banishing bugs so that your outdoor summer fun isn’t spoiled.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Clean up areas around your house that are mosquito attractors. They love hatching their larvae in stagnant, standing water, so empty out rainwater that accumulates in flower pots, gutters, your wheelbarrow, any pet dishes left outdoors.

An over the counter product called “Mosquito Dunks” is said to help water from becoming stagnant in bird baths and not too often used swimming pools. The product contains something called Bacillus thuringiensis isrealensis or BTI, a known bacterial mosquito larvicide. It’s not recommended for use in wetlands or streams. Read the directions closely when using it. The fact that wearing gloves is recommended while handling it is a bit of a put-off.
 
For a truly natural alternative to personal bug control, try this: A half cup chopped rosemary steeped in boiling water for an hour can then be strained and poured into a spritz bottle. Apply liberally! It does work (for a little while at least) and if you keep the bottle in the refrigerator, it’s cool and refreshing.  Give it  try: it smells great!

Lately I’ve been more aware of my role as a consumer. When I really began looking at stuff like recycling codes, I knew I’d undergone a sea change. I used to just focus on what I was buying and not how it comes to be delivered to me. For example, I picked up some food to go the other night and was dismayed to realize it was packed in a #6 styrofoam box. Styrofoam’s not a plastic, but is #6 recyclable?

Then there’s the rampant over use of plastic. I bought a box of Q-tips the other day and they came in a plastic wrapped box. Is the box really not enough?

I realize there’s a fine balance for manufacturers to be green and use an easily recyclable #2 plastic to hold their product that has to be weighed against the concern that if the packaging material isn’t hard to open, many potentially dangerous products are too easy to get into for little hands.

What’s really dismaying is how so products are hard packed to the point where I can barely open them! Opening a compact disc is a tough struggle, I'm not really sure that I'm doing it right.  And what about the stuff they use to package Frontline, the canine flea and tick preventative? That is really a bear!

I guess my point is that when I’m shopping, I now I look at the whole package and not just what comes inside. Packaging counts now. Less, when it can be, is more.

Your little boy or girl loves their teddy bear, but seeing them clutch an object you know has been dragged across the floor, been spit up on, thrown up on, or took a dunk in the toilet is just, er, a lot to bear. Even if nothing especially tragic happened to darling teddy, just FYI for all you allergy sufferers, stuffed animals are a known haven for dead skin cells and dust mites.

What if the toy in question can’t be washed? Try freezing germs out! How to do it? Simply place the stuffed toy in a plastic bag and tightly tie it up. Make sure to squash out as much air around the toy as possible. Next, put the plastic bag in the freezer and leave it overnight. If your child can’t sleep without his or her favorite stuffed animals, freeze it for at least 3 hours. Because germs and dust mites thrive on warm conditions, the deep freeze will kill them.

You can also spot clean stuffed toys with warm water and an anti-bacterial soap and let them sun dry. Extended sun exposure will kill germs, but because it may also fade or change the look of the toy, I say, go for the freezer method. It’s easy, and foolproof!

A few weeks ago I was running around Pleasantville when I saw a sign on door of Try & Buy, the neighborhood toy shop that said “Shop local.” 

All around, friendly neighborhood businesses in all communities are facing enormous obstacles, if not shutting down. Everyone hates empty storefronts but it’s a fact until we start shopping local in Mount Kisco, Norwalk, Tarreytown and Chappaqua, empty storefronts will be the norm.

Here are 10 good reasons to shop locally that I found on a website  for a business and community group called Sustainable Connections that clearly explains why shopping at local, independently-owned businesses is good:

1. Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. (Click here to see summaries of a variety of economic impact studies; these include case studies showing that locally-owned businesses generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.)
2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit.  “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust.
4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
5. Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.
6. Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.
7. Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
8. Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.
9. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.  A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
10. Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

It makes smart sense to me.
 

I'm standing in front of my recycling bins with piles of recyclable trash. I'm turning the containers upside down and all around looking for the codes, but what do those symbols mean?  Most recycling codes apply to the different kinds of plastic. Every code is in the shape of a triangle (and seriously, some of them are very small and hard to find) but what’s the sense of the numbers? 

I decided it's time to learn!

A triangle with the number 1 means PET or PETE, which is an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate. Most beverage bottles (and peanut butter jars) fit into this code. By the way, No. 1 is highly recyclable and the ‘greenest’ plastic you can buy.

No. 2 is HDPE, or high density polyethylene. Milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach, detergent, butter and yogurt tubs are made of this stuff. It’s easy to recycle and is often repurposed into fencing, drainage pipes and even floor tile.

No. 3 is PVC, used to make containers for cooking oil, window cleaner, medical equipment and outdoor siding. Clear food packaging is often made of PVC, too. Unfortunately, most neighborhood recycling places won’t take it, even though it can be effectively recycled into mud flaps, doormats and even speed bumps. PVC’s should be handled with care as it is a known carcinogen. 

No. 4 is LDPE, or low-density polyethylene. Squeeze bottles, totes, furniture and carpeting are made of this material as well as ice scrapers and plastic brooms. A lot of medicine is packaged in it. Forget trying to recycle it. Nobody will take it so you wind up just throwing it out.

No. 6 is polystyrene, used to make compact disc cases, egg cartons and ‘disposable’ cups and plates, a reminder that while these utensils are disposable they are not really recyclable as few centers will accept them.

Seems that if we're serious about reducing our carbon footprint, it means avoiding (or at least minimizing) buying anything plastic with a number higher than 2.
 

I love Blythedale Children’s Hospital! So inspiring, so uplifting!

Just FYI, BCH is located in Valhalla. As a parent, you pray you never need to go, but if you do, it’s reassuring to know BCH is completely dedicated to the diagnosis, care, and treatment of kids with complex medical problems and rehabilitative needs. A national leader in developing multi-disciplinary care, Blythedale is super innovative in their approach, plus they’re good neighbors, which is why we offered Maid Brigade's housecleaning services there!

In celebration of Earth Day last month, we sent a great team of house cleaners to do a thorough green spring cleaning --  using our HEPA-vacuums, microfiber cloths and mops, and safe, Green Seal certified cleaning solutions! -- of Blythedale’s ‘family house,’ which is the equivalent concept to a “Ronald McDonald’ house. This means it’s the place where out of town families stay at no charge while their sick child receives treatment at the hospital.

Everyone on the cleaning team was so eager and enthusiastic and proud to help out. They each put their hands and their heart into making every surface shine, which made Gary and me proud too. Later, we heard from the hospital that our housecleaning efforts were really appreciated by the families staying there. After spending a day in the hospital, you know it must feel good to have a clean ‘home’ to come home to!

Thanks, Blythedale! I gotta admit I love that warm ‘n fuzzy feeling that comes from knowing we did somebody else some good!

In my last post I mentioned trying to get rid of things you don't use anymore to help organize your home. Another site to try is Freecycle.org for an easy way to give away.

Freecycle is free to join and a breeze to use. The rules are simple: before you can accept something you actually have to give something first. Whatever you give (or get) is free – no money ever changes hands on Freecycle. Log onto the website www.freecycle.org and punch in your zip code to find your local group and start giving things away!
 

If you have lots of items, a yard sale may be the way for you to go. Holding a garage sale is a lot of work to organize, it's true, but it's something fun the whole family can do together in the spring, summer and early fall months. They're a great way to get rid of useful things you no longer use or want and can even raise a little extra money for the house. Just remember, you have to think like a buyer and not get sentimental about your stuff. Group like-items together to tempt buyers and offer special deals for multiple sales.


Recycling is a two way street, so when looking for new things, don't forget to first look at the old. Be immediately greener by buying used things that still have a lot of life. Everything from used kitchen cabinets to dishes to rugs to lighting, and of course clothing, can be just as good if not better than something brand new. It's really not a new idea. Where do you think the cachet of buying vintage comes from?

 

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Just Between Us:  Maid Brigade’s Westchester Housecleaning office just moved at the beginning of the month and Freecycle was such a great help, we'll be making good use of it in the future to help keep our office green and clean.

Doesn't it seem like kids outgrow their toys and clothing every few months? Are you like me and have a growing pile of things you aren't using, but that you're also not throwing away because you know they'll just wind up in a landfill and you're too environmentally conscious to just toss?

If your home is filled to the brim, give your guilty conscience a rest and turn it into a green activity by giving these items new life simply by letting someone else enjoy them. Yes, dear hoarder, and you do know that hoarding is a disease???, there are actually other people who would love to get their hands on your stuff.

Donating items to a local thrift shop is an excellent way to recycle your unwanted belongings. Donating insures people in your community will reuse these items - and needy organizations in Westchester, Fairfield and Rockland will benefit from your generosity. There are many thrift shops; just go on line and find out where they are. For example, the Goodwill Super Store in Nanuet, Grace's Thrift Shop and Nyack Hospital Thrift Shop in Nyack, Sterling Club Thrift Shop in White Plains, That Nothing Be Lost Thrift Shop in Garrison, Wayside Thrift Shop in Yonkers, Laurel House in Stamford (CT), Greenwich Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Greenwich (CT) and the Rummage Room in Old Greenwich (CT) all are ready and waiting to accept your unwanted, but still clean, usable and not broken things. You have to call in advance and find out what they'll accept, though. Not every shop takes every thing.

Then after you are done clearing out your home the green way, let Maid Brigade, the housecleaning company committed to responsible green cleaning throughout Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Fairfield counties, take care of the rest!

As someone who has been concerned about the impact of toxic cleaning chemicals for more than 10 years now, it would seem that eating foods grown free of pesticides would be an automatic choice. Not too long ago I would walk right by the organic fruit to the other bins filled with the brighter, redder apples.   And you would have never caught me saying, “Local produce is so delicious!"

It took a visit to an apple farm upstate for my “eureka!” moment and now I’ve changed my shopping routine and will buy local produce whenever it is at all possible – both for the taste and my family’s health -- as well as to support local farmers in our area.

True, locally grown organic produce may be more expensive, and sometimes I have to go out of my way to find it, but I think it's truly worth going that extra yard.

Turns out there is plenty of produce grown on small, family-owned farms, many within 50 miles from us. I am a firm believer in shopping local and this is a great way to support the local farming community. Having these farms basically in my backyard is a fantastic resource I think should be nurtured and cultivated.   Shopping at farmers’ markets and actually going to farms to pick out own fruits and veggies for the week are not only fun activities for my family but also educational opportunities that help my daughters better understand our world. While we live in a basically suburban area, they now understand that many of the delicious food we eat is grown just a stone’s throw away. 

Buying organic produce has also triggered some excellent conversations with my girls about what organic is and the ugly truths about pesticides. While commercially grown produce may look very nice, that kind of beauty really is only skin deep and they’re not so good for us. Now that we understand about the artificially produced good looks, those foods are not alluring to them – or me – like they once were!

Here are links to lists of local farmers’ markets, farms and farmstands:

Westchester County Farmers’ Markets:
Bronxville, Dobbs Ferry, Hartsdale, Hastings, Larchmont,
Katonah/Lewisboro, Muscoot, New Rochelle, Ossining,
Peekskill, Pelham, Pleasantville, Rye, Yonkers, Tarrytown,
White Plains.
http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/regionmetrowestchester.htm

Westchester County Farms and Farmstands:  

Yorktown Heights, Croton Falls, Sleepy Hollow, Pocantico Hills, Granite Springs, Croton-on-Hudson, Hartsdale,

http://allaccesswestchester.com/farms-and-orchard.php

Putnam County Farmers’ Markets:

Brewster, Cold Spring

http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/regionmetroputnam.htm

Putnam Valley

http://www.putnamvalleyresidents.com/FARMERS%20MARKET%202009.htm

Putnam County Farms and Farmstands:

Patterson, Carmel, Brewster, Cold Spring

http://www.visitputnam.org/activities/farmers.html

Rockland County Farmer’s Markets: 

Haverstraw, Nyack, Piermont, Spring Valley, Suffern

http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/regionmetrorockland.htm

Rockland Farms and Farmstands:

http://www.co.rockland.ny.us/Arts/farms.html

Fairfield County Farmers’ Markets:

Bridgeport, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Norwalk, Shelton,
Stamford, Trumbull, Weston
http://www.visitconnecticut.com/current_category.2772/current_advcategory.2628/companies_list.html

Fairfield County Farms and Farmstands:

Easton, Greenwich, Shelton, Monroe, Trumbull, Easton, Weston
http://www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com/Listings/index.cfm?action=showSub&catID=8&subCatID=35&startrange=G&endrange=M&substart=A&subend=G