Awwwww! She's So Cute!

Labels: Life With My Kids

Food, Inc

Labels: Did You Know, Video

Blood Diamonds-National Geographic

I watched this documentary last night and I thought it was very informative. Please check it out HERE



Labels: Did You Know, Video

Tapped Trailer

Labels: Did You Know, Video

Gemstone Series - Citrine

This is a new series. I would like to talk about alternative forms of healing and one of those being gemstones. I use these in my day to day life and I would like to introduce you to the concept and healing of these stones found in nature.

Let me start with Citrine.

"Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Most citrines on the market have been heat treated. Specimens of low grade, inexpensive amethyst or smoky quartz are often cooked at high temperatures to produce the more profitable orange yellow citrine. Citrines whose colors have been produced by artificial means tend to have much more of an orange or reddish caste than those found in nature, which are usually a pale yellow. Much of the natural citrine may have started out as amethyst but heat from nearby magmatic bodies may have caused the change to citrine. Citrine made by heating amethyst may be returned to a purple color by bombarding it with beta radiation. Interestingly, a popular gemstone on the market is a mixture of half amethyst and half citrine and is given the name ametrine, made by heating an amethyst until it turns into citrine, then irradiating a part of the resulting crystal or gemstone to convert that portion back to amethyst.

Unfortunately for citrine it is often confused with the more expensive orange-yellow topaz and is at times sold as topaz by unscrupulous dealers. This practice has soured many potential citrine fanciers who see citrine as a fake topaz and not as a legitimate gemstone. "

Source HERE



Citrine is an important stone to have when you will be acquiring stones for healing purposes. Citrine dispells negative energy from other stones and yourself. It is the only stone I know of that does not have to be cleansed or cleared itself. Citrine enhances the body's natural healing energy and attracts abundance. Known as the merchant's stone it is said that if you place it in a cashier's draw (where you conduct business) you will attract positive wealth and maintain it.

The Citrine activates the third chakra and is good for mental focus, endurance and self esteem. It also increases creativity and promotes honesty. Citrine can be used to clear unwanted energies from your environment as well as mend family issues caused by negative feelings.

Emotionally, citrine relieves depression, self-doubt, anger, and irrational mood swings. Citrine is a stone that brings happiness and cheer to one who carries or wears it. Citrine also reduces self-destructive tendencies. Citrine helps eliminate fears caused by others' ideas and suggestions. It can help one overcome emotional traumas and grief. Sensuality and sexuality can also be heightened by citrine.

In the psychic and spiritual realms, citrine is good for general psychic awareness and spiritual development. Citrine clears the aura of negative energies and influences. It is also very useful for meditation. Citrine is a stone of protection, removing or deflecting negative energies of all kinds. It is also excellent for dream recall and dream work.

Physically, citrine is beneficial for the digestion, stomach, eliminating nightmares and other sleep disturbances, thyroid, general health, heart, kidney, liver, muscles, strength, endocrine system, circulatory system, tissue regeneration, urinary system, immune system, fibromyalgia. Citrine is also good for removing toxins, and overcoming addictions.

Source HERE

To Benefit from Citirine you can carry it in your pocket, place it around your home, or wear it on yourself. For instance if you want to promote a healthy thyroid you woule wear it around your neck. If you would like to dispell negative energy from your home you would place it in windows.

Click to Enlarge

What are your thoughts on this new series?

Labels: Gemstone Healing

(Lil) Green Patch

There is an application on Facebook called (Lil) Green Patch. I do believe it is on Myspace as well, however I never got it to work properly and I never use my Myspace anyways. With LGP you send plants to your friends to put on their Green Patch. Once your friends accept the plants you will earn square feet that will help in saving rainforests. The sponsors of LGP donate a set amount of money per square feet saved. The latest donation of $47,850 to The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program. This brings the total donation of the (Lil) Green Patch community to $210,000.

Each day you sign into LPG you earn 50 Green Bucks to spend in the game. You can use your money to buy supplies to tend to your patch and your friends patches as well has buy banners, specialty plants, garden statues and a mushroom home. Once you have acquired a mushroom home you can buy furniture as well. While tending to your friends LPG you have the opportunity to find random animals that you need to acquire in sets. Once you have found a whole set you save 2 more square feet. You can also participate in the rainbow game. I don't quite understand this one yet but I think you have to hold onto the rainbow for the longest time during one week and the winners receive 500 Green Bucks.

There are 2 other Facebook applications that use the same Green Bucks and donation process they are (Lil) Eco Racer and (Lil) Blue Cove. These two are not quite as interesting yet but they are new. (Lil) Green Patch has grown quite a bit since I first signed up so I am interested in seeing where they take these two new games.

I think it is quite fabulous that you can support the rainforest simple by playing an online game. You should definitely check it out! This post is not sponsored by Facebook or any of the applications mentioned. Just something I thought you might enjoy. By the way I do have a Facebook Group for this blog. You can sign up HERE!



Labels: Did You Know

Paypal Plugin

Paypal Plugin is a feature on Paypal that I use frequently. This post is not sponsored by Paypal I just thought you might like to know what I know to make your life a little easier. You know those sites you go shopping on. You find something you love and you go to check out. You've got your fingers crossed that you will see that little Paypal logo on the next page. And it's not there. Not to fret now you can download Paypal Plugin.

It is a widget that is added to your browser up by your Goggle search bar. You click on the Paypal widget when you get to the payment page and once you verify your account the plugin generates a credit card number for you. It will even plug it in for you! The credit crad number is accepted by the site for payment and the payment is taken right from your paypal account! How cool is that!?

So ya, that's it just wanted to let you know! You can download it HERE



Labels: Did You Know

Purchase Organic Juice

Apples can be sprayed with pesticide up to 35 times before they reach your fruit bowl, so a brief run under water is not going to make much difference. Buy organic, especially for juice where toxic residues will be concentrated.
Tip from - 1001 Little Ways to Save the Planet by Esme Floyd

Have you tried organic fruit yet? I remember my first organic grape, oh my it was soooo delicious. About 30 minutes later the entire bag had been consumed by my family and there was not a single sour grape in that whole bunch. They were so sweet and we also did not find any rotten ones. Since then I seek out organic fruit and an organic banana has made my breakfast routine. Even when the only option has been green organic bananas they have never tasted dry or bitter. They are still sweet! Much sweeter than the ordinary bananas I used to buy and only occasionally ate. So so so yummy! They are now a staple in my morning, or more likely afternoon breakfast routine.

I've noticed even the vegetables are richer in flavor and enlighten my taste buds. Foods that seemed bland or bitter before take on a whole new life when they are organic. I highly suggest you make those purchases next time you are at the supermarket. You will be surprised and delighted to find a richer taste.

Labels: Helpful tips

How To Make a Solar Powered Radio for $5

I Love the Instructables.com Site it is a fantastic site for Do It Yourself 'ers.

Here is a very easy article on how to make a small portable radio solar powered!This would be a great summer project for you and the older kids!
Click Here

Enjoy, and if you try it please send in your comments and pictures to greenearthjourney @ gmail.com!



Labels: Make Your Own

Camping

Celtic is going camping for the weekend starting tomorrow. His Nece and Papa (my mother and her husband) are taking him to the hills. You can see I've got him packed and ready to go in the picture above. And if you look you can see two items that will be featured in the We Go ECO Back to School Event. Both items you will have a chance to enter and win!!!

4 Kids and a Vacation?

4 kids and a vacation? Not likely! My husband and I have never been on vacation not even for a honeymoon. And you know what? I am ok with that. When I met my husband I already had one child, Celtic who was 2. The thought of a vacation seems laughable. It's hard enough to get to WalMart with all 4 kids much more the Zoo!

For some reason people believe vacations are a necessary part of life? Why? For pictures? To show up your friends? Why would you inflict such an unnecessary evil upon yourself and not to mention the financial trouble? And by evil I mean stress.

I can guarantee you your kids do not care. I mean of course unless you've got Disney World brochures lying about the house or you've been talking about it openly in everyday conversation. They'd be just as happy sitting in your lap with you reading them books all day. I when I write all day I mean all day. Kids adore when their parents read to them. In fact awhile ago I had come across an article on the web that had information on a study conducted by scientist. They had interviewed the children about their likes and dislikes and what their everyday life routines consisted of. When asked what activity they wish they had more time with. Most of the children said they wished their parents read to them more.

Since I read that I have been trying to read to my kids every night. Right now we are reading one chapter a night from Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine. Now my two youngest Sheamus and Guinevere kinda putter around the room, sit with me and then get up, find another book and look at it. Their attention to me reading is not 100%. But with Celtic, my oldest who will be 8 soon, he is intent on the story and I always ask him what we read about the night before and he is able to tell me, usually in great detail. Now this is not the only time I read to my kids, they are constantly bringing books to us throughout the day, I think they may be obsessed, but the resent change in our nightly routine has pleased them greatly.

Sheamus and Guinevere are always the first to mention the bed time story, they may not be listening to the book but they are listening to their mama reading and they enjoy that. Sometimes I send daddy in my place. And it's funny because you can hear Celtic correcting him about names or Daddy struggling to try and figure out what chapter we are on tonight with just Celtic's description of what was read the night before. But they get through it and then hubby comes out and tells me what they read so I can be caught up for the next night.

Well obviously I got off topic but I guess the point Im trying to make is you dont need an expensive vacation to make your kids happy. You don't have to go on vacation even if it is just once a year. I think about going on vacation and think of the items forgotten, the possible vomit inducing plane trips, the unending "are we there yet" car drives and I realize that is not for me. I'd rather be at home. And I do think once the kids are older, maybe when our youngest is 6 or maybe even 8 we might attempt a vacation. But for now I will live the stress free(er) vacation free summer at home, finding local things to do or just reading to my kids.

They know with each moment I take to read to them or snuggle them or just say I love you that I love them from the bottom of my heart and no vacation, expensive or not, can give them that.




Labels: Life With My Kids

This is Amazing

We Go ECO Back To School Event

<center><a href="http://greenearthjourney.blogspot.com/2009/07/we-go-eco-back-to-school-event.html"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a290/hylachristine/blinkies%20and%20such/schoolevent.jpg" /></a></center>

I've just added 3 more ridiculously fantastic sponsors!!
Make sure to grab the button and come back to participate!

Labels: Giveaways, Product Reviews

Little Mermaid- Fictional Story or Possible Past?

What are your thoughts?



Labels: Did You Know, Video

How To Recycle Paper

Things You’ll Need:

* Brown Paper Bags
* Old Newspapers
* Recycle Bins
* Twine

Step 1:
Check with your county department of public works to find out about local curbside recycling programs and community drop-off centers, or look under "Recycling" in the yellow pages. Also call 1 (800) CLEANUP for state recycling information.

Step 2:
Separate paper into three groups: white office paper, newspaper, and mixed-color paper. Most curbside programs will collect it this way.

Step 3:
Recycle all white office paper (usually from laser printers or copiers) together. Be sure to remove the wrappers they come in. These are a lower grade of paper and cannot be recycled with the white office paper and should be recycled with mixed-color paper.

Step 4:
Take newspapers, and place them in brown bags, which can be recycled with newspapers, or tie them in bundles with twine (a natural fiber). Colored advertising inserts can also be recycled with newspapers. Be sure to remove rubber bands, plastic and anything that is not paper.

Step 5:
Place all mixed-color paper together. This includes anything from magazines to junk mail. Staples do not need to be removed. Remove all plastic stickers, membership cards and anything that is not paper.
Step 6:
Contact the American Forest & Paper Association for more information about recycling paper.

* Some community recycling programs will let you recycle your old phone books either at the curb or once a year when the new ones come out. Check with your community's recycling program for more information.
* Carbon paper, paper that is wax coated or stained with oil or food, tissue, sanitary products, thermal fax paper, juice boxes, fast food wrappers, pet food bags are not recyclable unless noted.

http://www.ehow.com/how_9159_recycle-paper.html




Labels: Did You Know

Why?

Why, as parents, do we think it is a good idea to bathe our children and then sit then down to eat spaghetti? Do anyone else's kids turn orange when they eat pasta?



Labels: Life With My Kids

Waiting in Anticipation?

Are you ready? Are you waiting in anticipation? Do you feel pins and needles?
It's coming! It will be here soon! Stay tuned!



Labels: Random

Alternative Nostril Breathing

I found this over on Rejuvenation Lounge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your nose is exceptionally clever. Simply by practising a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing (pranayama) for a few minutes each day, you can help restore any imbalances in your brain. You can improve sleep, encourage a calmer emotional state, boost your thinking power and soothe your nervous system. How impressive is that!

Another interesting fact about your nostrils, is that you don’t breathe through them equally all the time. Right now, you will be favouring either your left nostril or your right nostril.

Left nostril for calming - Right nostril for energy:

Your nose is directly linked to your brain and nervous system. The Indian yogis believe that many diseases can be linked to disturbed nasal breathing which, I’m guessing, is why they perfected pranayama breathing thousands of year ago.

Breathing in, only through your left nostril, will access the right “feeling” hemisphere of your brain, and breathing in, only through your right nostril, will access the left “thinking” hemisphere of your brain. Consciously alternating your breath between either nostril will allow you to activate and access your whole brain. Now, I’m sure that’s a very handy piece of information to know.

Yogic breathing, the perfect relaxation tool:

Alternate nostril breathing is something I first learnt about through yoga, many years ago, and then from Ayurvedic medicine. It is one of the simplest and most user friendly relaxation techniques that I share at my retreats and workshops. It helps greatly to calm a restless mind.

I encourage you to start today with an easy purifying breath practice - I’ve shared all the steps with you below.

You might also like to read more about alternate nostril breathing (pranayama) by starting with a great book called The Little Book of Yoga Breathing: Pranayama Made Easy.

An Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise - Purifying Breath:

Step one: Use right thumb to close off right nostril.

Step two: Inhale slowly through left nostril

Step three: Pause for a second

Step four: Now close left nostril with ring finger and release thumb off right nostril

Step five: Exhale through your right nostril

Step six: Now, inhale through right nostril

Step seven: Pause

Step eight: Use thumb to close of right nostril

Step nine: Breathe out through left nostril

Step ten: This is one round. Start slowly with 1 or 2 rounds and gradually increase. Never force.

Sit quietly for a few moments after you have finished.

There are many, many different techniques of pranayama such as inhaling for 4, holding for 4 and exhaling for 4.

Caution: Do not hold your breath if you have high blood pressure. More advanced methods of pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) need to be practiced with an experienced practitioner.

Practising on an empty stomach is preferred.

This article was written by Carole Fogarty. She has also listed 12 reasons to practice alternative nostril breathing on her post, which you can view HERE.

Labels: Did You Know, Alternative Healing

How Many Gallons of Water?

I found this article on TreeHugger

A worldwide water crisis is a-comin'. Don't believe me? Violence over water rights is already breaking out in regions of the world where water is scarce. Along with political tensions--and maybe wars--we're going to see food production affected, and more people flat out hungry and thirsty. And it's all because we're simply using too much water. We use too much when we shower, when we do the dishes--but mostly, we use too much to produce all the stuff we buy. In fact, you'd be surprised how many gallons of water it takes to create the products that make our lives comfortable. Here's a rundown of some of the most shocking . . .

How Many Gallons of Water is in a . . .

Car
It takes an estimated 39,090 gallons of water to make a car. It's unclear if that includes the more 2,000 gallons used to make its tires--each tire takes 518 gallons to make. [1]

Pair of Jeans
It takes around 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce just one pair of regular ol' blue jeans. [2]

Cotton T-Shirt
Not as bad as jeans, it still takes a whopping 400 gallons of water to grow the cotton required for an ordinary cotton shirt.

Single Board of Lumber
5.4 gallons of water are used to grow enough wood for one lumber board. [3]

Barrel of Beer
In order to process a single barrel of beer (32 gallons of booze), 1,500 gallons of water are sucked down. [3]

To-Go Latte
It takes 53 gallons to make every latte, as I've noted before:

That sugar, doesn't that have to be grown as cane first? Hm. And then there's that plastic lid, which has to be created and distributed over hundreds of miles. And doesn't plastic require a pretty vast amount of water and oil to produce? Come to think of it, there's the sleeve and the cup itself too . . .

Gallon of Paint
Takes 13 gallons of water to make.

Individual Bottled Water
This irony shouldn't be lost on anyone: it takes 1.85 gallons of water to manufacture the plastic for the bottle in the average commercial bottle of water.

One Ton of . . .
Steel: 62,000 gallons of water
Cement: 1,360 gallons

One Pound of . . .
Wool: 101 gallons of water
Cotton: 101 gallons
Plastic: 24 gallons
Synthetic Rubber: 55 gallons

And that's just some of the stuff we make--check out how much water it takes to grow all of our food. We all need to make a conscious effort to watch what we buy for its water footprint. And it's not just the US, though--many countries around the world have alarmingly high water footprints, too. So keep your eyes open when you're shopping around--we're wasting way too much water.

Written By: Brian Merchant

Labels: Did You Know