Winning Green Friends And Influencing Others

I have a lot of green friends.  I have a lot of friends who are starting to go green.  I am finding that I am also influencing others with the information that I freely give away.

A while back I told you about my commitment to not use take a way containers from restaurants.  Well, last night I was at a networking mixer and ordered the 2-for-1 wings as I usually do at this event.  I ate my fill and pulled out my container to take the rest home with me.  A little while later, I see a friend pulling out her own re-usable container and filling it with her extra wings.  I couldn't believe it!  I did my little happy dance.

I talked with my friend later in the evening and she said that her family was taking up my challenge to reduce the amount of restaurant waste when they go out to eat.  We talked further and she was telling me about more little things they were doing to reduce their overall environmental impact.  Something she said really made me giggle a little and admittedly made me proud.  She said that when they accomplished some challenge I set or tip I had given, they would say "Christopher would be so proud" or if they had a question about something, "What would Christopher do?"

Topher And The Blustery Day

Living in Arizona we do not often see the effects of climate change.  This year, however, we are seeing some crazy, crazy weather.  We have had days where the temperature only reached the upper 40's during the day and we've already had days that have hit the low 80's.  All this in only the past two months.

Today we are experiencing another day of strong winds which is making it near impossible to enjoy spending any time outside while the temperature is still warm enough.  Most of our winter has been pretty windy.  During one storm we found everything in our back yard (patio furniture, table and chairs, 7 burner grill, etc) thrown against the wall within seconds.  As a native, I can say with certainty that this is not what the weather was like growing up.

With this change in the climate, there comes new opportunities.  There's change blowing on the wind, as they say.  We still have an extreme number of days with full sun, so the application of solar energy production is still a no-brainer here.  However, with the massive increase of windy days, we can now look at wind energy as a viable option as well.

Imagine it; you have solar energy panels on your roof and it's reduced your electric bill to almost zero.  What's preventing you from reaching that zero dollar amount on your next bill?  What if you added a small wind-turbine?  There are new turbines on the market small enough to go in your back yard without being an eyesore.  We have the energy resources we need to take our city off the grid.  My question to you is; why aren't we taking advantage of it?

Understanding Nanoparticles

Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion about the use of nanoparticles in skin care and cosmetics. Nanoparticles are particles that have a dimension that is 100 nanometers or less in size.

While they are very widely used through the Health and Beauty industry, much of the controversy surrounding them is due to the lack of knowledge regarding long term effects on a consumer’s body. The nano- sized particles have the ability to absorb into skin and blood stream much faster compared to regular ingredients.

“Nanoparticles are unbelievably tiny, man-made chemicals. They are so incredibly small that tens of thousands of them can fit on the point of a needle. Remember how we were taught that the atom is the smallest component of matter? Well, nanoparticles of various substances are made to be so small that they can be inserted into atoms. Once there, they may undergo a change in the way they normally function, and sometimes their toxicity can be enhanced with a potential for more severe action than normal chemicals.” (ewg.org).

Many lobbyist groups are now fighting to ensure that companies that use nano technology in their manufacturing will be forced to disclose that information on the labels of their products. Right now there is no distinguishing between products which contain an ingredient in a nano- size versus a full particle size.

At OnlyGreen, we have never used nanotechnology to create our products. Any minerals that we use, such as titanium dioxide or mica, are only used in full particle format.

It's A Blizzard, Auntie Em!

Okay, so here's the deal:

The average temperature increases by a degree or two from all the garbage in the atmosphere.  This causes the ocean temperature to rise by a degree or two.  This warmer water causes the glaciers at the North Pole to melt just a little bit.  Then, because it's just a hair or two warmer than usual, those glaciers start to deteriorate.  Once this happens, they begin to break apart. Our natural solar reflector is now in pieces and floating away into much warmer water, where the pieces melt completely.  This causes the average temperature to rise a few more degrees.  More precipitation in the air means more severe storm activity.  See where I'm going with this yet?

Anyone who tries to deny that man has any effect on the environment only need take a look outside today.  This is what we've done.  We have no one to blame but ourselves.  Did we foresee this coming 100 years ago?  Nope.  Did we see it coming 50 years ago?  There were some wacky theories making the rounds at that time.  Did we see this coming 20 years ago?  You betcha!  Could we have prevented our Northern ice cap from melting?  We could have done a lot more to prevent it.  I don't know if we could have stopped it altogether, however I do know that we could have slowed it down considerably if we had only taken the initiative to do something about it.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the result of Global Warming.  Ain't it fun?

Earth Hour Every Week

Ever since Earth Hour first started, I have been a huge proponent of the idea.  I love it!  It reminds me to step back from everything and take a breath.  We usually end up going waaaay past the alloted hour each year.  We light a few candles and enjoy spending quality time with the neighbors.

We decided we like the idea so much, why not do it once a month?  So we did.  Once a month we would unplug all the unnecessary devices/appliances in the house and read by candle light or have a drink and play a board game with the neighbors.  This became a habit after a few months.

After our second official Earth Hour we asked ourselves, why don't we try doing this once a week?  So we did. Each week we unplug and spend some quality time together.  There's no ringing, buzzing, beeping or "background noise".

What would happen if you and your family decided to do Earth Hour once a month instead of once a year?

Schrodinger's Cat

I sometimes look at my inbox and want to run away from it.  A lot of what I get is junk, some is not expected yet worth keeping and some of it I have been waiting impatiently for.  Does this sound like you?  Or do you see how many unread messages are there and don't bother looking, you just move on to something else?

When designing my weekly newsletter, I sent out the mock-up to many people asking for feedback.  I worked hard to implement the suggestions given.  Some of them just didn't work and were scrapped.  Others made my newsletter so much better than I had originally planned.  I needed it to be something that was easy to read, informative and something that people looked forward to receiving each week.

Have you seen it?  I send out a new one every Monday morning.  In it you will find a recipe for dinner, information about current eco-issues and questions from subscribers.  You'll find the sign-up form just to the right of this post, please take a minute to fill it out and subscribe.

I Tripped!

You never see it coming.  That crack in the sidewalk.  The little stone on the path.  They are always there and always ready to trip you up.  The same goes for when you are undertaking a new long-term venture.  Little things pop-up and trip you.  I went out with some friends after a meeting this past Friday night and without thinking, decided I was going to have a chocolate shake.  I ordered it and it wasn't until I received it that I realized what I had done.  My commitment for this year was to avoid using cups from any outside sources (coffee shops, etc).

Did I beat myself up over this trip?  Nope.  I recognized that there is an area that I didn't consciously think about.  I moved on and continue with my commitment.  Have you ever tripped on a diet or exercise plan?  Did you let that install doubt about your plan.  Don't let that hinder you from reaching your goals.  Recognize and continue.

I Know I Should Do More part 4

"I just don't have the time to go shopping around for green products.  It's easier to just use what I can get at the store."  If I had a dollar for every time I have heard that, I'd be able to afford a new electric car.  Have you ever used this as an excuse to just buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store?  I used to use this excuse before the popularity of the internet rose to what it is today.  Once independent stores started putting up their own websites selling their products, I was on my green path full time.

The first thing you need to do is sign up for my newsletter.  Look to the right of this post and you'll see the sign up form.  Every Monday I will send information that will help you make the informed purchasing decisions that will green up your life.

The second thing you need to do is visit my website, www.onlygreen.com/cruggles, where you can find all of the products you need in one place.

The third thing I would recommend is hosting an EcoWorkshop.  By hosting an EcoWorkshop, you can learn more about ingredients in your current every day products and experience some great green alternatives.  You also get to spend an evening with your friends.  These are fun, informative events that are big on education with no hard selling.  Contact me today to book yours.

Variety Is The Spice

The saying goes; "variety is the spice of life".  If that is true, then most of us live pretty exciting lives!  I know I sure do.  I want to throw out a question; Is there any variety in the products you are using every day?  Or are you still using the same products you were using back in 1990 because they are familiar?  It's probably time you took a long look at those products (soaps, lotions, cosmetics, etc) and make the decision to try something new.  Not just something new, something that is all-natural and new.

The majority of us go through our day using products that we don't think about.  We've been using this product for 10 years and it works just fine, why would we switch?  Well, it's not switching just to switch.  It's switching to something that will increase your health and help clean your personal environment.

Go into your bathroom right now and look at all the products you have in the cupboard.  How long have you been using each one?  Pick the one you have been using the longest and do an internet search for a healthier version of that product.  In fact, give me a call and I can show you several.

It's A Numbers Game

I recently came across an amazing video that I want to share with you.  It was made by National Geographic.  The statistics shown in the video are incredible.

I welcome your comments.

A Different Conversation

The environment, it's not some abstract concept that you can not touch or feel or see.  It is very real and always around you.  This is how I want the conversation to start: Are you concerned about YOUR environment?  This is a pretty easy question to ask, but not one that is easy to answer for most people.

Let's define the idea of "your environment".  We all know what personal space is.  It is a three foot perimeter around you.  And if someone invades that space, most of us get defensive and irritated.  You've already claimed that area around you.  But are you taking care of that space?  What are you doing to ensure that area remains free from cancer-causing chemicals, hormone-altering pesticides or even physical debris?  I've really only changed the name of "personal space" here, however, now that it has a new name and some definition, it has a completely different emotional impact.

Now that you have been put in control of your environment, what are you going to do to make sure it's a healthy space?  How would you feel if someone littered in that space?  Or if they sprayed harmful chemicals in that space?  Your environment doesn't belong to anyone else and no one has the right to pollute it without your permission.  I have already made the commitment to keep my environment as clean as I can.  Will you?

End The Year Right

It's hard to believe I haven't posted anything since the beginning of the month.  For that I apologize.  To make it up to you, keep an eye on this blog in January.  There will be a new post every day.

There has been a lot of activity this year in regards to the environmental movement and I am honored to have been allowed to share some of that with you.  My goal with my business and in my personal life is education.  Educate others about healthier, alternative products and ways of doing things.  I, myself, have learned an amazing amount in such a short time.  By following me online or attending one of my EcoWorkshops or even just meeting me at a networking event, I hope you learned something to.  If you came away from any of my information sources with a new piece of information you then shared with someone else, I have accomplished my goal.  Thank you.

Remember, this blog is not effective unless other people read it.  Please click the button to Follow me and share the link with others.

I hope you have a time during the next few days and I wish you health and prosperity for the new year.

Why Should I Go Green?

Today I wanted to write about the reasons why you should be moving toward more all-natural, organic products in your home.  Instead of writing, I decided instead to give you a short video that breaks it all down.



The process of going green is incredibly simple.  The process consists of one part; education.  When you know what is in the products you use every day, you are then able to make Informed Purchasing Decisions.  As is often said by a man that I respect highly, "Once you learn something, your brain never goes back to the size it was."  Once you have the knowledge, you will always have it.  No one can take it away from you.  So the next time you are about to make a purchase, look at the label.  If you don't know what the ingredients are, call me 602-492-5184.

Do you have a green question that is just nagging at you?  Send it to me!  And remember to sign up for my weekly newsletter below.

Light A Candle, Ignite A Toxin

For most people, lighting a few candles is a great way to unwind and relax after a long, grueling day. Unfortunately, they don’t really know exactly what they’ve lit.

When looking over the list of pollutants and toxins that are emitted from the majority of candles, you quickly realize there is nothing relaxing about them. A standard paraffin wax candle can give off things such as benzene, formaldehyde, soot and lead, just to name a few. So what exactly is this paraffin that’s ruining your calming vibe? Paraffin is simply a waste product of the petroleum industry, used most commonly in candles for its white, waxy texture.

One of the biggest problems is that burning paraffin doesn’t last very long. In order to increase the burn time, many candles also contain a lead-soaked paper cotton wick. This means that on top of the chemical toxins you are already breathing in because of the wax, you also have to deal with the excessive level of lead filling the room.

So how does one enjoy the incandescent serenity of candle light without polluting their home? Many healthier choices are available in the candle industry. The two most common would be beeswax and vegetable based soy. Both of these substances provide a clean and long-lasting burn. Also, because they have a natural long burning time, they are commonly made with lead-free wicks. The one thing to watch for with these options is that the candles you are purchasing are in-fact 100% beeswax or soy and have not been diluted with paraffin or bleach.

OnlyGreen’s Soy Cup Candles are made with 100% vegetable based soy, pure essential oils and lead-free wicks. They are hand poured into beautiful glass jars that can be reused over and over again. Our candles are available in Amber & Sandalwood and Lavender scents. Plus, 50% of all profits made from the sale of our candles go towards OnlyGreen’s charitable efforts!

Contact your local OnlyGreen EcoAdvisor to learn how to get your hands on a cleaner burning solution today.