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on upper right of search form. Please tell me if you see any properties that you have questions about or find listings that you are interested in touring with me. I am happy to enter a search for you that will send you notifications when any new listings come on the market that match your criteria. This allows you to know immediately when a new possibility becomes available. Just drop me a line & let’s talk about your wish list (see Wish List page) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588986665551-ZOBCEQR3URZBNJ7KK4W6/aerial%2Bview.jpg search the Mls - Aerial Views With Lot Lines There is a cool website where you can access aerial views of properties & see who your neighbors will be. Click on Button below & Launch the Erie County Interactive Mapping Viewer. You can search for a parcel by address, owner name or SBL. You can view layers (at bottom) & select 2017 Aerials for a bird’s eye view. Click on identify & view adjoining parcels to see their owners & lot dimensions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588978864289-04PPORFXMHNEW0D0I91Z/image-asset.jpeg search the Mls - Register to Vote! NOTE: You must be registered for at least 25 days before you can vote in an election. It’s more important than ever to cast your vote! Register to vote or apply for an absentee ballot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588977126351-1F3K8CNJZWLGRJ82C1WJ/IMG_7975.jpg search the Mls - Need to Update Your License or Registration? New York State law requires that you to report a change of residence address on a driver license, permit, non-driver ID, or registration to the DMV within 10 days. You should know that an address change with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) does not update your address on DMV records. Complete Form MV-232 to change your address and bring into the closest Auto Bureau. This link will allow you to make a reservation & skip the line at the local DMV. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588980106343-FK58DM3W3SUWFXNDK92U/image-asset.jpeg search the Mls - Recycle or Dispose? Here is a link to find where to take your old appliances, motor oil, old cell phones, building materials, medications, cars, electronics, rugs, clothes & so much more! Awesome source for where to take things your garbage collector won’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588984610044-B06HE5VZKGK1B1AH4EGQ/image-asset.jpeg search the Mls - Walk Score Walk Score is available for any address in the United States and Canada. They’ve also ranked more than 2,800 cities and over 10,000 neighborhoods so you can find a walkable home or apartment. We believe that walkable neighborhoods with access to public transit, better commutes, and proximity to the people and places you love are the key to a happier, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589126714462-C5OH1Y15QYUVI1900ER5/DSC_4327.jpg search the Mls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589126640769-JWUT0QAIC934G6F8CAUG/PICT0218+ext+front.jpg search the Mls https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/aerial-view daily 0.75 2020-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589134005674-7A1UTI407ETS7DZM6XQL/aerial+view.jpg aerial view https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/recycle-or-dispose daily 0.75 2020-06-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591555259716-BR61IXIVYAIJO5G1GD24/image-asset.jpeg recycle or dispose https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/recipes-i-love daily 0.75 2021-11-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/bc680b3c-55e0-429c-aa0e-e4e841331b13/IMG_8726+%281%29.JPG Recipes I Love - Steel Cut Oats & Grits My favorite breakfast comfort-food. Versatile, healthy & so delicious! Measure into pot: 3/4 cup steel cut oats 1/4 cup old fashioned grits 1/4 cup golden raisins dash of salt 4 cups water Bring to boil, then lower to simmer. Let bubble for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until the mixture thickens & a line drawn with a spoon lingers a few seconds. Let cool a few minutes. It will thicken some more. Enjoy as is, or add toppings: cream/milk, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, maple syrup, brown sugar or honey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1630942178242-O556VL15HZ5O6ZU8RYOU/image-asset.jpeg Recipes I Love - Homemade Hummus Hummus is a staple in our home. Been wanting to make my own for a while. This recipe was delicious! Gone in 2 days! Full recipe & variations HERE. 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon) 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini 1 small garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Salt to taste 2 to 3 tablespoons water Dash ground paprika or sumac, for serving DIRECTIONS In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini & lemon juice & process for 1 minute, scrape the sides & bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth & creamy. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, & a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini & lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides & bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Open, drain, & rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor & process for 1 minute. Scrape sides & bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas & process until thick & quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency. Taste for salt & adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil & dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container & refrigerate up to one week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589745182237-UY0VZRVC4BAWYSSEJBF8/IMG_2032.jpg Recipes I Love - Homemade Kombucha (KT) Kombucha is a fermented tea. I’ve been making kombucha at home for over 10 years now. It’s not for everyone, but I have 5 gallons brewing & drink some (almost) every day. Some claim it has health benefits as a source of probiotics, antioxidants, polyphenols, & acetic acid- but I just really enjoy the taste. After the initial brew, I do a 2nd fermentation with ginger root, which makes it fizzy. If you need a SCOBY, I am happy to give you one if you are local to WNY. Every batch makes a new baby SCOBY, so I have lots! Recipe: To make kombucha: ONE recipe makes one gallon Boil 3 cups of water in a pot. Stir in 1 1/3 cup white sugar. Add 8 black tea bags- (I use Newman’s Own Black organic tea found at Wegmans $5 for 100 bags.) Gently add tea bags without paper tags attached. Steep tea till nice & dark-I leave it till it’s cooled, then carefully pull out tea bags (you don’t want them to break). Pour cool sugary tea into a large glass gallon pickle jar & add 8 cups clean filtered water, 2 cups of starter from last batch or GT’s Original flavor kombucha & mix. Place SCOBY-(Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria & Yeast), on top- it may sink but should float back to top. Cover jar with a paper towel or dish towel held tightly by a rubber band. Check the taste after 2 or 3 weeks or so... should no longer be so sweet, but have that complex flavor of sour & a titch sweet. In the winter, I let it brew for almost a month, the summer months it takes less time. When the taste is to my liking, I do a 2nd fermentation. I decant the kombucha into smaller bottles (the GT ones!) & add a quarter size piece of raw ginger root, tighten the lid & set them on the floor of my pantry. There is a small chance of the bottles exploding, but I have never had that happen. The ginger will add flavor & fizz. You can also add berries or other fruit. I don’t refrigerate my SCOBY or kombucha. It is especially tasty on ice if you like it cold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612901682718-XCPGA6C2TTKC0T2QQETT/IMG_2348.jpg Recipes I Love - Linzer Heart Cookies It is a family tradition to send these cookies in care packages to my loves. Preheat oven to 375°F. Vanilla Dough 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 TBSP granulated sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/3 cup white flour Mix sugars & butter & beat until fluffy. Add baking powder, egg & vanilla extract & mix. Gradually add flour & beat until just blended. Linzer Heart Ingredients 1 cup hazelnuts, ground fine in blender or food processor 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground cloves raspberry jam confectioner’s sugar 3” heart cookie cutter 1 1/2” heart cookie cutter Add ground nuts, cinnamon & cloves to cookie dough & mix until well blended. Divide dough in half & wrap in waxed paper. Flatten to 1” thickness. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. On well floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8” thickness. Cut 3” hearts out. Place hearts on ungreased cookie sheets 1” apart. With half of hearts, use smaller 1 1/2” cutter to cut out central heart. Bake 8-10 minutes until bottoms of cookies are light brown. Assemble by spreading jam over the whole cookies. Top each cookie with the cookie with cut-out heart in center so jam shows through. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Recipe from Lorrie Frear https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589468262727-43OVDK2QES7NIEN5QNPY/CBF59843-1FE9-44D4-B026-6182180046E4.jpg Recipes I Love - Homemade Maple Granola A recipe shared from my friend Barbara, who is an amazing cook, baker & hostess. We were lucky enough stay with her on many occasions on our journeys following our kids, who performed all over New England with Circus Smirkus. I now share this recipe with our AirBNB guests. Preheat oven to 300°F. In two cookie sheets with sides, measure 3 cups of rolled oats into each pan. In an oven proof bowl, whisk together the following ingredients: 1 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 TBSP coconut oil 3 TBSP olive oil 1 tsp salt Place the bowl & the two baking pans in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until toasty crisp & fragrant. Stir & pour the warmed oil mixture over the oats & stir to coat. Return pans to a 325°F oven & bake for 15 minutes or until well set & crisp. Cool then add mix-ins: chocolate chips, coconut, almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, pepitas, craisins, crystallized ginger or whatever your heart desires. Store in airtight glass containers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589472808288-EHULJK9TCDA3Z43XCW48/F07E8EB3-4DB3-4165-A5BE-D74AA60C1B61.jpg Recipes I Love - Peanut Butter Bar Cookies A recipe from a vintage book, Kid’s Cooking, copyright 1970. A recipe I would make with my mom. These pages have stains & notations, from me & then later my daughter. These cookies are my absolute comfort food. I send these in care packages to my kids when they are away from home- they travel well, the kids & the cookies. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8x8 baking dish. Mix together in a bowl: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar Then add & mix together: 1 cup flour 1/3 cup peanut butter 1 cup quick-cooking oats 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 egg Press cookie mixture into greased baking dish. We like chocolate chips sprinkled on top! Bake 20-25 minutes. Note: I double the recipe & use a 9”x 13” glass pan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589474792136-QBML17JW2MQYP3O3LYUL/2F61DD01-6203-47F5-A237-11544C3D31E9.jpg Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589474811067-6FFIBWRYQ8PL3RKY1RCS/E1C59D9E-BCEB-4015-B0A3-CAD93462CF91.jpg Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589474190554-XRWHDZ3RGXHOCQTK5TI4/IMG_1983.jpg Recipes I Love - Buttery Scones with Mix-Ins A family favorite for holiday mornings. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together in large bowl: 2 cups flour 2 TBSP sugar 1 TBSP baking powder 1/4 tsp salt Cut in with a pastry cutter: 1 stick of butter (8 TBSP) until well incorporated. Mix in: 1/2 cup milk 1 egg (I use a butter knife to mix). Add mix-ins... I use crystalized ginger, chocolate chips, almonds, pecans & craisins. Roll into a ball, then roll out on a baking sheet to 1/2” thick. Bake 425°F for 15 minutes. Let cool, then cut into wedges. Super yummy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589476101420-L578CFVPREBB46CCP94B/IMG_8818.jpg Recipes I Love - Jode’s No Knead Bread Easy! Low mess! Delicious! Mix it up with different mix-ins! To make dough-Mix in a bowl: 2 cups white flour (I like King Arthur) 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp yeast Add 1 1/2 cups warm water, adding slowly & mixing with a butter knife till well mixed (no kneading necessary) Cover bowl & place somewhere warm for 12-18 hours (I use a cupboard that has a heat register under it) 2 hours before baking bread: Place a piece of parchment paper in a bowl that is roughly the same size as a casserole that has a lid-(casserole dish needed later) Sprinkle 2-3 TBSP flour on counter. Pull dough out of bowl & sprinkle on top any combo below: Flax seeds/sunflowers seeds/ sesame seeds/ pumpkin seeds Or raisins/sugar/cinnamon Or parmesan/asiago Or whatever combo you like Fold dough to incorporate the mix-ins- no need to knead! Place dough ball in the bowl with parchment paper. Let rise 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450°F with the empty casserole in the oven. When up to temp, place dough into casserole using parchment paper to lift. Bake covered for 30 minutes & then reduce oven to 425°F & bake uncovered for another 15 minutes-(check doneness at 40 minutes- ovens vary) Cool on rack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591135344776-76KA3I8418GUUFYHSF9T/IMG_2120.JPG Recipes I Love - Fresh Blueberry Glaze Pie This is the pie to bring to a friend’s house when they need cheering up. It is the best combination of fresh whole fruit with a not-too sweet glaze. 1 quart or 5 cups fresh blueberries 2/3 cup water 1 cup sugar 3 TBSP corn starch 1/3 cup water 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 a brick or 1/2 cup) 1 (8 or 9 inch) shortbread crust, baked & cooled 1 egg 1 cup whipping cream Beat one egg & brush over crust. Bake 5-8 minutes at 375°F till golden. Cool. In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup berries & 2/3 cup water- simmer 5 minutes & then mash berries. Mix & dissolve 3 TBSP corn starch in 1/3 cup water. Add to mashed berries with 1 cup (or less) sugar & boil for about a minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken. Cool. Whip 4 ounces cream cheese & spread over baked, cooled crust. Divide remaining berries & mix half in the glaze mixture. Place fresh, unglazed berries (about 2 cups) in pie crust, then top with glazed berries. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream. Wonderful summer dessert! By Sue Horschel via Laura Lee Naughton, edited by me https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590332310235-JGOWL824FS38VW9B9QEP/IMG_2065.JPG Recipes I Love - Gomashio The scent of Gomashio takes my son back to his kindergarten days, when he would devour gomashio & salty sauce (Bragg’s Liquid Aminos) over a bowl of millet or rice. <For his 23rd birthday (!!!!), one of his gifts was a jelly jar of gomashio, with a bottle of salty sauce & a bag of millet. I think it may have been his favorite gift!> Gomashio, a simple Japanese mixture of roasted sesame seeds & coarse sea salt, is used primarily as a condiment for Asian rice, vegetable, & salad dishes. You can also use it as a healthier alternative to regular salt. Gomashio: 1 cup sesame seeds, unhulled 1 TBSP sea salt Heat a heavy skillet (we use cast iron) on medium-high heat. Add enough seeds to coat the bottom of pan. Roast seeds until they start to pop. Keep the pan moving so they don’t burn, but roast evenly (this is a bit tricky) Combine seeds & salt & grind in coffee grinder/blender/food processor/ or mortar & pestle (I used a magic bullet) until 3/4 of the seeds are smashed. Store in a pretty glass jar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591552623359-P9EJDYNZVS1SOJ6ZHR8W/IMG_9848.jpg Recipes I Love - Summer Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Chickpeas An interesting dish with complex flavor. Would be welcomed at a pot-luck or pair with any grilled protein. 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp ground ginger 2 cloves minced garlic 1-3 TBSP honey, according to your taste Salt & pepper 1 cup cooked quinoa 4 cups finely chopped kale 1 or 2 large carrots, coarsely grated 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1 15oz chickpeas, drained, rinsed & chopped In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic & honey. Season with salt & pepper. Add the remaining ingredients & toss well to combine. Saves well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Serves 6. Adapted recipe Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad from Inspiralized https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591992906715-UV5NYWCYSM6CJMWITM2T/b+bread.JPG Recipes I Love - Banana Bread From Karen Adams, my kids’ 1st babysitter over 20 years ago! Still my favorite banana bread. 3 very ripe bananas 2 eggs 2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup chopped nuts chocolate chips- optional Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter & flour a loaf pan. Use a fork to mash bananas in large bowl. Add eggs & mix well. Sift flour, sugar, salt & baking soda over bananas. Stir well. Mix in nuts & optional chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 1 hour or less, (when toothpick comes out clean). Also can bake as mini loaves for approximately 30 minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592743726440-UL6G5YADI6VAQUZ691KP/IMG_1694.jpg Recipes I Love - Basil Lime Summer Drink This drink smells & tastes like summer! Refreshing & thirst quenching on a hot day. Enjoy it with your feet up! 3/4 cup sugar 4 limes (or 1/2 cup lime juice) zest of one lime 3/4 cup fresh basil 1/4 cup water sparkling water Wash limes & remove zest from one lime with a vegetable peeler. Bring sugar, zest, lime juice & water to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat & let cool uncovered for 15 minutes. Discard zest & transfer syrup to a blender. Add basil & blend for 20 seconds. Optional: Pour mixture through a fine sieve lined with a damp paper towel- I don’t mind the extra flecks. Use syrup in fruit salad or to add flavor to drinks. Add 2 TBSP (or more or less to taste) to a tall glass of sparkling water. Garnish with a basil sprig. Syrup lasts two days refrigerated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593289567912-82PEBHOK8IH9QOYOAAUZ/IMG_1858.jpg Recipes I Love - Jeannette’s Gazpacho Soup This is my favorite summer dish to make with my mom’s recipe, her (antique & super heavy) food processor & her vintage garlic press. Essentially a salad in soup form. Colorful, healthy & delicious. Makes 6 servings. 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled & seeded 1 cucumber, peeled & seeded 1/2 onion 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic 2 cups tomato juice 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar salt, pepper & cayenne/tabasco to taste 1-2 TBSP fresh parsley 2 tsp sugar, or to taste croutons for topping In a blender or food processor, puree’ vegetables in batches-(I like to leave it a bit chunky & not super smooth). Add juice, oil, vinegar & spices. Cover & chill at least 4 hours. Since gazpacho improves with age, make it ahead of time whenever possible. Serve chilled with croutons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593001878710-SMWJZ298ZZA3OK0N5S4L/Photo+Jun+23%2C+6+32+59+PM.jpg Recipes I Love - Homemade Baking Mix I love that this recipe has NO hydrogenated fats or artificial sweeteners. I use King Arthur flour & non-aluminum baking powder. Much healthier than the boxed Bisquick! Versatile with so many recipes you can make with this! See other recipes below. 3 cups flour (I like King Arthur) 1 1/2 TBSP baking powder 1 1/2 tsp salt 8 TBSP butter (1 stick) Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter, either in standup mixer with paddle or with pastry cutter, until coarse crumbs form. Store in refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months. Use in recipes like the ones below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593288287861-PLN16LMQN0VDK6CX43WL/IMG_1862.jpg Recipes I Love - Homemade Biscuits Easy to whip up if you have the homemade baking mix already made. 1 1/2 cup homemade baking mix (recipe above) 1/2 cup milk Combine baking mix & milk until soft dough forms. Knead 10 times. Roll to 3/4”-1/2” thick & cut out in circles. Bake 7-9 minutes at 450°F. Makes approx. 6 2 1/2” biscuits. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593553404990-0RTZ89GHTGPSPEWVOPGK/IMG_1897.jpg Recipes I Love - Classic Homemade Waffles 2 cups homemade baking mix (recipe above) 1 1/3 cup milk 1 egg 2 TBSP butter for waffle iron Mix all ingredients. Brush butter on waffle iron. (My waffle iron makes perfect waffles with 1/3 cup batter at mid temperature for 2 minutes.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1596553128033-ZSV3DGV04M78KN2T3CEU/IMG_2573.jpg Recipes I Love - Classic Pancakes Mix in a bowl: 2 cups homemade baking mix (recipe above) 2 eggs 1 cup milk Heat frying pan & coat with melted butter. Spoon 1/4 or 1/3 cup batter onto skillet & cook until bubbles form & pop. Flip & cook another minute or so. Add fresh blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter if you like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593002505967-832YG8849VMEKFKE8V78/Photo+Jun+23%2C+7+09+26+PM.jpg Recipes I Love - Impossible Broccoli Pie Made with the homemade baking mix- recipe above! Yummy for dinner, then leftovers for breakfast! 2 cups chopped broccoli 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (12 oz) 2/3 cup onion, chopped 1 1/3 cup milk 3 eggs 3/4 cup homemade baking mix (recipe above) 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Heat oven to 400°F. Grease pie plate. Mix broccoli, 2 cups of the cheese & onion in plate. Beat milk, eggs, baking mix, salt & pepper until smooth 15 seconds in blender or one minute with hand beater. Pour into plate. Bake until knife comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with tomato slices if desired. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1596989423901-3BNXJNI412L5NPNI8E34/E4CCFFED-E5DD-4181-BC52-8CCB9E5CD9AE.jpg Recipes I Love - Blueberry or Raspberry Muffins 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar (or less) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries In a large bowl blend all dry ingredients together. Add berries just until moistened. Combine eggs, sour cream, oil & vanilla & mix well. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened. Fill paper cups 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes in 400°F oven. Optional- sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over before baking. Recipe from my friend Donna. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595170331064-LKYRP7UF1U35Z0U9F3ND/IMG_2318.jpg Recipes I Love - Golden Zucchini Bread It’s zucchini season! Try making zucchini bread with golden or yellow zucchini- so pretty! 3 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) 4 eggs 2/3 cup oil ( I use olive oil) 3 cups shredded zucchini (yellow or green) 1 TBSP lemon zest 1 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 1/2’ x 4 1/2” loaf pans or four miniature loaf pans. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nuts in a large bowl. Beat eggs slightly in a medium bowl & stir in oil, zucchini & grated lemon peel. Stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Spoon batter evenly into pans. Bake large loaves for 1 hour & mini loaves for 45-50 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans & cool completely on wire rack. +Can also make muffins & bake for 20-25 minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597595793879-QDU1ZLZ1Z74K0FHVV6AG/tabouli.jpg Recipes I Love - Tabouli Salad Excellent summer salad that is versatile & a welcome addition to any potluck. 1 cup dry bulghar wheat 1 1/2 cups boiling water 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh mint or 1/2 tsp dried mint 1/2 cup scallions 1 cup chopped parsley 1 cup carrot, grated 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, chopped 1 can of garbanzo beans 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped feta cheese kalamata olives fresh black pepper & salt to taste In a bowl, combine bulghar wheat, boiling water & salt. Cover & let stand 15-20 minutes till bulghar is chewable. Add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil & mint & mix thoroughly. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Just before serving, add the vegetables & mix gently. Add seasonings & garnish with feta cheese & olives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1604937027769-30RDGDRXEPVI1HLDVHOP/Attachment-1.jpeg Recipes I Love - Sweet Potato Pizza in a Skillet Delicious, easy & vegetarian. Made with sweet potato noodles you can create with a spiralizer. 1 TBSP coconut or olive oil 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & spiralized into noodles 1 tsp garlic powder 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 1/4 cup mozzarella (I like the fresh mozzarella sold in a log) 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 small red, yellow or orange bell pepper 2 TBSP fresh basil 1 TBSP parmesan cheese salt & pepper Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Saute’ sweet potato noodles & garlic powder, salt & pepper for about 5 minutes or until noodles begin to soften. Pour pasta sauce over the noodles, sprinkle with the oregano, & layer the mozzarella, olives, onions & bell pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted & golden. Garnish with basil & parmesan cheese. Experiment with toppings! Adapted from Inspiralize Everything by Ali Maffucci https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1609437933593-90GSMMCOTITUVOSD4BS4/german+pancake.JPG Recipes I Love - Giant Popover Puffs up as it bakes. Smother in jam & maple syrup & serve with fruit or yogurt. Makes 2 large popovers. 4 TBSP butter 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide butter between two pie plates. As oven preheats, place pie plates in oven to melt butter. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth. Divide batter between the pans. Bake for 20 minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589468654280-Q8Q6UMGMMSYSIH2BGS06/IMG_8706.jpg Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589474288410-KSAH2BP6XHGN3KHARW43/IMG_1975.JPG Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589475548167-GNEU3FLNPI7I5VJZJJ6G/IMG_8796.jpg Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589745237586-AG2Q3VAW64L77L9UWH74/8095C4A1-C676-40F5-BBD0-203184ACCC35.jpg Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590332373773-X8XDR8TADW0M6FBPIELG/IMG_2060.JPG Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591135618676-OYXI28ESGH98OS4JLB4Y/IMG_1015.JPG Recipes I Love https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1591552209128-NK3S4PJCBJLWG9NBDPS8/IMG_9840.jpg Recipes I Love 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Helpful Links for Buyers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589134005674-7A1UTI407ETS7DZM6XQL/aerial+view.jpg Helpful Links for Buyers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590171156596-Q8XZR0PO1FEOZA9WRU0L/IMG_4363.jpg Helpful Links for Buyers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598646410410-TFBSU4MGKC6JH0DVJ15J/treeroots.jpg Helpful Links for Buyers Actual photo of camera footage showing tree roots growing into the sewer line. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598644349898-K9N14RTP4S5GFZD2MYIL/IMG_3196.JPG Helpful Links for Buyers Traces of toilet paper near the drain are tale-tell signs there have been sewer back-ups in the past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590076525028-BNYW66HAW8JC0FS6KJ5K/DSCN0290+back+ed.jpg Helpful Links for Buyers 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Measure into a large bowl: 2 cups washing soda (Sodium Carbonate) 1 cup baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) 1/2 cup-3/4 cup grated Castile Soap (I like Dr. Bronner’s) unscented or scented ( I like lavender) Pour into a glass container to store mixture. Use 1/8 cup (2 TBSP) per load. Or more for heavily soiled clothes. Best with warm water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592841631871-118UG9LVS8A5B1NP9TKQ/Photo+Jun+16%2C+8+24+20+AM.jpg Healthy Home - Laundry Pods 1 bar pure castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s comes in multiple scents) 2 1/2 cup washing soda- found in laundry detergent aisle 1 cup white vinegar optional-10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil, if soap is not scented & you want a scent 2 ice cube trays 1. Grate the castile soap using a box grater. You can also cut it into chunks and blend in a food processor-(much easier!). 2. In a large bowl, add soap, washing soda, vinegar and 10-15 drops of essential oil (if using). 3. Stir immediately until combined and chunks begin to form. Add a little more vinegar if necessary. (Avoid touching the mixture directly with your hands, as it can dry out your skin.) 4. Spoon mixture into ice cube trays and pack down tightly with the back of the spoon. 5. Let sit to dry overnight. 6. Use one pod per load of laundry in both regular and HE washing machines. Use 2 pods for heavily soiled loads. Store in an airtight container. +I found if I am doing a cold water wash, it works better to dissolve the pod in a cup of hot water, then add to washer- (as it takes the pod a while to dissolve in cold water.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592848399000-V45H13FSY1JCG90POHFU/Photo%2BJun%2B14%252C%2B10%2B37%2B39%2BAM.jpg Healthy Home - Liquid Laundry Soap I love this recipe because I can use whatever scent I desire. Use a container with a tight fitting lid, because you will need to shake it well before use, as the mixture separates. 2 cups hot water 1 cup baking soda 1/3 cup salt 1 cup liquid castile soap, (I like Dr. Bronner’s) unscented or scented optional: 10-15 drops essential oil, if castile soap is not scented & you want scent In container with lid, combine water, baking soda & salt & shake to dissolve. Add castile soap & essential oil. Use 1/4 cup per load. Shake well as the mixture will separate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593969629086-X6ZLFR8KMHE0Q9XW9874/floor.jpg Healthy Home - Floor Cleaners Homemade All Purpose Floor Cleaner This fantastic cleaner will work on every hard flooring surface in your home, including your hardwood floor, laminate, vinyl flooring, linoleum & tile. 2 cups warm water ½ cup white vinegar ¼ cup rubbing alcohol 3 drops eco-friendly liquid dish soap (make sure it doesn’t contain any antibacterial ingredients, moisturizers, or oxygen bleach & not castile soap that leaves streaks) 5-10 drops essential oil of your choice Combine ingredients in a bucket. You may want to double this recipe. This recipe is ideal for eliminating many different types of stains and will leave your floor smelling and looking like new. Homemade Wood Floor Cleaner You can use warm water & a mop to clean your floors daily. If your wood floor is filthy, you can use this recipe to get it clean. This formula does double duty as it polishes your floor, leaving them with a beautiful natural sheen. 1-gallon hot water 1/4 or 1/2 cup olive oil ½ cup lemon juice Mix the ingredients in a bucket. Using a mop that you’ve thoroughly wrung out, apply the solution to your floors. Allow it to air dry. The hot water & the lemon juice clean the floors, while the olive oil works to polish them. You don’t need to rinse the solution when you’ve finished, once it’s dry your floors will look great. Information from: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/homemade-floor-cleaner/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595015164868-F4WSSSASV980GZN49ZG9/IMG_2236.jpg Healthy Home - Homemade Dish Soap Mix 2 cups of Dr. Bronner‘s Castile soap (I’ve used it full strength, but can try it diluted) with 12 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Squirt on a scrub brush & scrub dishes. Easy Peasy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595171417051-9LY0MZ4DISLBM3MCUSI1/IMG_2336.jpg Healthy Home - Stainless Steel Cleaner So much better than the chemical-laden store bought polish that left me with a headache. Mix in a spray bottle: 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol 1/3 white vinegar 1 1/2 cups water Spray on stainless steel & rub with a soft cloth. Polish with a soft cloth & olive oil (I used an old tee shirt rag) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595016759240-LJC8KB9EGXX1SAQI2W9Z/IMG_2247.JPG Healthy Home - No Scrub Tub Cleaner The vinegar & dish soap work together to tackle soap scum & dirty tub rings. Mix in a spray bottle: 1/2 cup warm vinegar 1/2 cup eco friendly liquid dish soap Spray on dirty tub. Let sit for 20 minutes — or a few hours if dealing with tough stains — wipe clean & rinse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1599491124760-82QE2YML9AOIOG5IUYLW/IMG_3354.jpg Healthy Home - Homemade Wood Polish & Dusting Spray This recipe will pick up dust & polish surfaces at the same time. Smells great without any nasty synthetic fragrances. 3 parts olive oil 1 part white vinegar 15-30 drop essential oil (optional) I like a citrus scent Mix all three ingredients in a small jar or spray bottle. (Small batches are better to keep oil fresh. I used 3 TBSP olive oil & 1 TBSP vinegar) Shake well until olive oil is emulsified. Dip a clean old sock or rag into the mixture or use a spray bottle. Shake frequently to keep mixed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598894694293-LA2CBTJTSHLGJWZSJIRO/Copy+of+Copy+of+lemon+dishwasher+liquid.png Healthy Home - Toilet Bowl Cleaner Bleach & toxic chemicals are not good for your septic system or your health, so consider mixing up this cleaner with ingredients easily found in your home. Makes enough to clean several toilets- best used straight away. 1/2 cup baking soda 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castile soap 10 drops essential oil of your choice (I like tea tree or a citrus scent) 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide 1 cup hot water 1/4 cup vinegar In a large bowl, mix baking soda, liquid Castile soap & essential oil. Add hydrogen peroxide, then hot water, whisking gently. Add vinegar & stir until foaming stops. Funnel into a squeeze bottle. Squirt under the rim of toilet & let sit for 5-10 minutes. Scrub clean & flush. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1596552612951-700URQ16Z6FVUVYH6KR6/IMG_2584.jpg Healthy Home - Foaming Hand Soap In a foaming soap dispenser: 1/3 cup Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, unscented 2 tsp almond oil 15-20 drops essential oil, scent of your choice Fill dispenser with water to 1/2” from top. Shake well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597066363936-VO3USWFO7DNKCBOK81R7/Photo+Aug+01%2C+8+50+24+AM.jpg Healthy Home - Fresh Lemon Dishwasher Detergent Looking for an easy, all-natural recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent? This Fresh Lemon Homemade Dishwasher Liquid uses real lemons, salt & vinegar to make liquid dishwasher detergent that is effective & non-toxic. Smells amazing when you cook the lemons! 2 cups diced lemon (Use both the rind & fruit with seeds removed, about 4 medium lemons) 3 1/2 cups water (Divided into 1 ½ cups and 2 cups) 4 oz white vinegar 1 cup kosher salt Cut lemons into small ¼ inch thick chunks, making sure all seeds are removed. Place the lemons into a small sauce pan with 1 ½ cup of water. Heat the lemons & water to a slow boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until water is reduced and syrupy & lemons are very tender. Make sure to stir frequently, add water if needed. Add the cooked lemon & syrup mixture to blender with 2 cups of water, blend on high until very smooth. Strain lemon mixture back into your saucepan using a small colander. (I was left with approximately 1 Tbsp of pulp and rind.) Add vinegar and salt to saucepan & stir until well combined. Bring mixture to a slow boil & cook for 10-15 allowing it to thicken slightly. It will be the consistency of runny applesauce when done. Cool completely in sauce pan, stirring occasionally to incorporate salty crust that may form on the top. To wash dishes: Fill your dishwasher detergent dispenser with the fresh lemon gel. I use about 1/4 cup of detergent. WHY FRESH LEMON HOMEMADE DISHWASHER DETERGENT WORKS There are five (5) reasons why Fresh Lemon Homemade Dishwasher Liquid works well. The citric acid in the lemons helps to clean mineral deposits. The naturally occurring lemon oil in the rind has antibacterial & cleaning properties. The white vinegar contains acetic acid which is a good degreaser, descaler, & also helps as a rinse agent to soften hard water. The acid in the lemon juice is a great degreaser. The kosher salt acts as a mild preservative & scouring agent. The rind & white pith of the lemon are rich in pectin, a natural thickening agent. The high pectin level is why the mixture forms a gel. Do not leave out the rind and pith! Recipe from: https://brendid.com/fresh-lemon-homemade-dishwasher-detergent/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593552754593-5OET6ZZHA4FK6BLWZZNB/baking+soda+odor+eater.png Healthy Home - Baking Soda Odor Eater This air freshener is easy to make & great since it constantly emits a light scent, while the baking soda works to absorb any unwanted smells. When you need more scent, just give it a little shake! This works best in a small space like a pantry, a cupboard or a small room. A small glass jar 1/2 cup baking soda A piece of cloth or sturdy paper to cover the jar (which will allow the scent, but not the contents to escape the jar) Essential oils of your choice, 15-25 drops Add 1/2 of a cup of baking soda & 15-25 drops of essential oil to the jar & stir them together. Place the lid & jar covering (cloth or paper) on top & you are ready to go! Give the jar a little shake whenever you need to release a bit of scent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593552340120-259W4R1QHTQBQJSL2N9Y/spray+air+freshener.png Healthy Home - Classic Spray Air Freshener I LOVE making my own scent combinations with essential oils. This is a rosemary mint blend in my new amber spray bottle. (Dark glass is preferred to extend the life of the essential oils). What scents do you prefer? A small spray bottle 1/3 cup water 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol (80-90% alcohol-I could only find 70% so I used that) essential oils of your choice, 15-25 drops Combine water with rubbing alcohol. Add 15-25 drops of essential oil of your choice (depending on how strong you want the scent) Shake the mixture before spraying. Store in an amber or darker color glass spray bottle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592841733028-HYX4C4DQH4I4JJSDIT6I/Photo+Jun+15%2C+2+02+06+PM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592847257315-99C0ITAQ4NX1W2XAHE74/Photo+Jun+14%2C+10+38+12+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595861920430-XHNAJCC7WJVU6NMU3DLO/IMG_2212.JPG Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597067430450-MXF2J7IHG5N8VY6OQ5U7/Photo+Aug+01%2C+7+19+25+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592841733755-7LN76038U87BN7JREBS8/Photo+Jun+15%2C+2+17+28+PM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592847264531-2MDPRALCZ4RLFH9OGPXU/Photo+Jun+14%2C+10+33+14+AM.jpg Healthy Home 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592841724095-DEUPBO7ETC2IBWJMSLYM/Photo+Jun+16%2C+8+26+45+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597067451035-XQK8Q3ZE6LJ1Z9AMD1HW/Photo+Aug+01%2C+7+52+55+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597067452741-ZI6WUQ0ET9AZRR2ZZ5QD/Photo+Aug+01%2C+8+13+40+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1597067569110-L6IIHEYYML1U5DOSZPZ1/Photo+Aug+01%2C+8+50+24+AM.jpg Healthy Home https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/explore-nature daily 0.75 2022-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590592146366-TQ7JZB0WRSUO7TYNDRRN/eternal%2Bflame.jpg Explore Nature https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590592403753-BHZSX15M7971F7P9FL46/IMG_7486.jpg Explore Nature https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590327748650-QX6KOXJI8DD1W6L4CBQL/moss.JPG Explore Nature https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590328461817-40WD8Q6U4EA5NIRMLYYY/bird+in+creek.JPG Explore Nature https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593285642591-XEP97NEX7ZWMG033T6NF/little+rock+city.JPG Explore Nature https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/mold daily 0.75 2020-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1590684011051-S8VFK9HDVR4M9CEBWVNK/MOLD.jpg Mold https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/fair-housing-notice daily 0.75 2020-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592849265804-BS0UBVJPY9ZM9OEMLJNO/fair+housing+notice.png Fair Housing Notice https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/how-to-declutter daily 0.75 2022-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592918531400-GF667Q48VWQ85G4FDSZP/how+to+declutter.png How to Declutter https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/indoor-air-pollution daily 0.75 2020-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592181373447-D4EK72LE447WML9FO0XU/_indoor%2Bair%2Btake%2B4%2B%25282%2529.jpg Indoor Air Pollution https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/where-to-donate-items daily 0.75 2022-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592949501690-ZIG6U8HX887OVACYYTC6/Copy%2Bof%2Bwhere%2Bto%2Bdonate_.jpg Where to Donate Items https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592946172391-GDXFU654RJS3L4MO8BSK/File%2BJun%2B23%252C%2B4%2B57%2B56%2BPM.jpg Where to Donate Items https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592947236287-7INJ7BYLOKLCIRCEZIFI/habitat.png Where to Donate Items 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958813758-FDMKV5LZ7AZMBJ7WI8MY/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+38+24+PM.jpg How to Compost Counter top stainless steel compost bin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958820530-CQ5Y1JU8NGMMGUMNK7B1/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+38+36+PM.jpg How to Compost Add kitchen scraps (non-animal only other than egg shells) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958850947-BWGGBZ8YD9Q2QQVQLFIL/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+44+52+PM.jpg How to Compost My Earth Machine has a lockable lid & bottom door to pull out finished compost https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958848791-8TRFOP178KMV0A7U6ILI/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+41+41+PM.jpg How to Compost Layer the greens & browns in your compost bin or pile. We keep a pile of dry leaves nearby. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958847701-POYJVQIVTH7JA6ZC49GT/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+43+06+PM.jpg How to Compost Stir weekly with a pitchfork or spade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1595958850178-YHMO9UT8WDSR48Y88GI7/Photo+Jul+28%2C+12+41+07+PM.jpg How to Compost Use finished compost on your garden or lawn https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/dig-safely-ny daily 0.75 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598016811926-7OVEMW9TZW0U8LIEP9KJ/dig+safe+website.png Dig Safely NY https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/sewer-line-inspection daily 0.75 2020-08-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598645071949-ZCP6WHFEAG4W5XJGQMIC/IMG_3196.JPG sewer line inspection Traces of toilet paper near the drain are tale-tell signs there have been sewer back-ups in the past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1598646456317-CLR81R35DXPAUWPS4A18/treeroots.jpg sewer line inspection Actual photo of camera footage showing tree roots growing into the sewer line. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/rubee-the-electric-car daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1609896158519-4DTE4Y82B4T39BEDYU8W/IMG_462charging.JPG Rubee the Electric Car - Some abbreviations I had to decipher: EV- Electric Vehicle ICE- Internal Combustion Engine SOC- State of charge DCFC- DC Fast Charge The 300 Club- Driving 300 miles or more since last full charge The charging cable is called an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) Fun Facts: Check out the film- Who Killed the electric car? on Netflix! A 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, & subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the US, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the mid-1990s. It tells the story of why electric cars were never even given a chance. I learned a lot about how much the auto industry is dictated by the oil companies. Disheartening to think how we much carbon we could have saved from our environment if the electric car had been marketed properly & widely enjoyed. The EPA estimates it will cost $550. to drive 15,000 miles. (compared to Toyota Prius which will cost you $800, & a gas powered car of similar size & shape will cost $1450-$1550.) The Chevy Bolt gets 117 MPGe (miles per Gallon equivalent)! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/f5490c33-98fb-4261-a780-ab525da0fe9e/IMG_3083rubee.JPG Rubee the Electric Car - Jan 2, Day 2 <1st road trip in Rubee> Drove Rubee, my EV (Electric Vehicle) instead of driving Stephen’s car, an ICE (internal combustion engine), 220+ miles to & from Pittsford, NY for a day out. By choosing to take the all electric car, we saved about $25. in gas & prevented over 75,000 grams of CO2e (Shorthand for “carbon dioxide equivalent,” CO2e is a standard unit for measuring all of a vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions. A higher number of CO2e emissions = more global warming pollution.) Lessons Learned- You get much better range/mileage on back roads at low speed vs. high speed on the thruway. Starting at 90% SOC (State of Charge), on the way there we took back roads arriving with a fair amount of SOC, 50%. We took advantage of the public parking FREE charge for several hours while we explored the area & ate yummy crepes, topping off the SOC at 70%. Home bound thruway driving at 70 MPH & periodically turning on the heat quickly depleted our SOC to 35% in about half the distance home. Discovered higher speeds & using the heat quickly uses up your charge! I panicked a bit & worried we may not have enough charge, so we stopped for a quick 15 minute charge stop 1/2 hour from home to be sure we had juice enough to make it home (we did!) My 1st range anxiety. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/7c77868c-a7a8-4762-80a5-ce7d27c846f1/charge+aurora.JPG Rubee the Electric Car - Jan 4, Day 4 <Charged Rubee 20 miles for free> Charged Rubee, my electric car, for free with Town of Aurora municipal charging station while I walked the 2 doxies for 2.75 miles in 1 hour, which gave me 6.6 kW of charge. At my current winter average of 3.7 mile/kWh, that gave me almost 20-25 miles of charge! (A free ride to Buffalo!) When more people utilize the free municipal chargers at Town Halls, public parking & State parks, the greater the incentive for municipalities & companies to provide more charging locations to the public, expanding the EV charging infrastructure. In turn, this will encourage more consumers to drive EVs! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/71f25c60-4c65-4e71-8cd9-04561a5e868e/Green+is+good2%21.png Rubee the Electric Car - Feb 27, Day 58 <Learned how to drive my electric car more efficiently> The amazing thing about driving an electric car is that it has made me so much more aware of how my driving habits affect my range & how many miles per kWh I am getting. Speed, acceleration, braking, climate control, the outside temperature, extra passengers, & hilly terrain all affect your range! There are several ways to get feedback on my driving. On an info screen with a graph it shows how many miles/kWh I am driving in 5 mile increments & my average over the last 50 miles. I have to say once I learned this, I obsess about this way too much & challenge myself to drive better & keep my miles/kWh above the red average line! Also, on the dash by the GOM-(Guess O’ Meter-the car’s best estimate of the maximum, average & minimum mileage you can expect with current charge) there are indicators that show if I can expect the towards the high or low end of the range. I try to get the most range I can. Makes me drive a bit like a grandma, but I love saving energy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/ad27496b-624c-48a0-ad40-da867d900ba0/bolt+co2e.png Rubee the Electric Car - March 5, Day 63 <Calculated carbon footprint of an electric car (EV) vs. gas powered car (ICE)> Electric cars tend to produce less carbon pollution than gas-powered ones—but just how much less? I was curious how much more CO2e my 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe gas guzzler emitted vs. my 2017 all electric Chevy Bolt, Rubee. There are several calculators you can utilize to determine the carbon footprint of your car. THIS ONE tells you how clean your electric vehicle is & compares it to gasoline only cars, plug in hybrid electric & battery electric cars. Enter your ZIP code below to see how different types of vehicles stack up in your area. Entering a make, model, & year will narrow results to a specific EV model. +Because I charge my car 99% of the time from home where we have Common Energy Solar which offsets our electric power with solar power, my car is super clean & actually has even less impact than what the calculator estimates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/d3fa8a1f-33b9-40a2-b087-8555270d4509/rubee+vs+guy+co2e.png Rubee the Electric Car - March 6, Day 64 <Determined my electric car’s yearly carbon footprint vs. my old gas guzzler> Another calculator can compare two cars; my old 4 wheel drive 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe to my 2017 all electric Chevy Bolt. I love this one because it spells out the yearly impact of each in lbs of CO2e & also the equivalent to planting what number of trees. The Chevy Bolt wins by a lot. +Because I charge my car 99% of the time from home where we have Common Energy Solar which offsets our electric power with solar power, my car is super clean & actually has even less impact than what the calculator estimates! fference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953420764-B6Z9HLP41VHWVMZ31Z8K/meet+ruby%21.png Rubee the Electric Car https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953401602-TM4KU3SLPCNCSU9Y51CR/IMG_3544.JPG Rubee the Electric Car https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953655785-KUYTT43ZVPHDZCA9JDSQ/IMG_3077.JPG Rubee the Electric Car https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953659999-4USQEEOWONS3ZKZYW80W/IMG_3078.JPG Rubee the Electric Car https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953648894-2WQCA5V5DOGTMYP9ZOWJ/IMG_3070.JPG Rubee the Electric Car https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953471363-GZVAMD5LWUMVLZ3Y7LK7/meet+ruby%21+%281%29.png Rubee the Electric Car https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/daily-efforts-to-save-the-planet daily 0.75 2022-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1609874398882-FO1JFQ2ZQ3J4CC7FB0MW/IMG_7906.jpg Daily Efforts to Save the Planet - 2021 Challenge Do One Thing Every Day that Helps the Planet My hope is to: Inspire & educate others by documenting & sharing my daily attempts Learn & discover more ways to improve the health of our environment & my home Strive for no duplicates! New efforts everyday Delve deeper. Read & share sources that explain about WHY we should make the effort Some days I will be making Baby Steps, other attempts will be Moderate Measures & a few will hopefully make a Big Impact. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/step-one-get-pre-approved-from-a-lender daily 0.75 2021-07-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610296196963-M8FAO4CYQ3NLU8PR2A82/get+preapproved.png Step ONE Get Pre-Approved From a Lender https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/reduce-digital-carbon-footprint daily 0.75 2021-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611697813614-ULPWEV8ONBU9NLGXX9GB/co2....png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Reducing My Digital Carbon Footprint What part does the internet play in global consumption & carbon emissions? Your carbon footprint is greater than just the fossil fuels burned in traveling & construction—it encompasses your digital activities too. As if spam emails weren’t bad enough, an action as seemingly innocuous as a Google search could add to your carbon footprint. Data centers, which are the engines of the Internet, require massive amounts of energy to run & are said to account for almost a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. We tend to forget about this, but every web search, email sent or received, & status update on Facebook means the consumption of electricity & therefore the emission of greenhouse gases! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611697457376-QNEGS01U9U34OZ2GRR5D/notes.png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 17, Day 17 <Deleted old notes off NOTES app> I use my NOTES app on my computer, iPhone & iPad to keep track of articles, webpages & ideas. Whatever I write & save on one device is also accessible on the other devices, making it handy to refer to all this info. Today I cleaned my notes up & deleted ones I no longer needed, freeing up some digital cloud space. Sort of like cleaning out your filing cabinet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611698840425-V7T7JF697ECGLP9OQYHI/unsubscribe.jpg Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 18, Day 18 <Unsubscribed from unwanted email lists & newsletters> Manage your subscriptions: If you are subscribed to newsletters, reassess which ones you really need/enjoy reading. Or all those emails from businesses you purchased something from? Do most of them simply sit unopened in your inbox? In that case, it might be time to unsubscribe from some of them. This handy guide shows you the quickest & most effective way to do that depending on what mail program you're using. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611699443382-XE43E003E7GN7YW7GDW5/in+spam.png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 19, Day 19 <Deleted emails I no longer need> Did you know that every old email stored in your inbox is using up energy? Decluttering your inbox is a quick & easy way to reduce your electricity consumption & shrink your carbon footprint. Search and destroy: Once a month, scan your inbox for old, unnecessary e-mails that you can delete. Pay particular attention to those with bulky attachments. Empty your Junk E-mail folder regularly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702269853-DYIN5O1JLNWOMUEGGIOY/email+impact.png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint Wow, that’s for an average of 140 emails sent/received a day!!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611700357279-OFHMPJVIWDPJHL351G20/emails+a+day+calc.png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 20, Day 20 <Vowed to send less emails> I did not realize the impact of sending or receiving an email & how bad they can be for the environment! Get an idea of how your emails impact the planet by using the calculator below. Surprising & alarming! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702109447-5LBH5BXHS5CEXOKE9E18/storage+iphone.PNG Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 21, Day 21 <Deleted old texts & apps off iPhone, iWatch & iPad> By deleting apps & old texts off all my devices, I freed up tons of storage space & now use less cloud storage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702784555-N9KBVDVUJZ71KICKIW45/notifications.png Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint - Jan 22, Day 22 <Turned off social media notifications> I don’t need to get notified anytime someone posts to a certain page or updates their status. I am limiting my exposure to Facebook & Instagram-they are time suckers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611713796501-KT4SZHJB4OV0EPUW4MMO/ecosia.jpg Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611713767681-P3TG1599IGCKMZ270QHS/search%2Bscene.jpg Reduce Digital Carbon Footprint https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/january-efforts daily 0.75 2021-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1609875509122-O4RX4MMJHXO2FSQF6CGS/compost+garden.JPG January Efforts - Jan 1, Day 1 <Confirmed why composting at home is important> Educated my family ( & myself!) why it is important to compost-EVEN THOUGH it’s a huge pain to take it outside to the compost bin in winter (aka deep snow on a hill) & also when the bin is SO full there is no room to add more until Stephen emptied out a couple shovelfuls of the black gold & spread it on the snow-covered garden, thus spurring the question.... “Is it worth it to compost???” Short answer is YES! Very long but interesting side note + +The difference between home composting & just putting veggie & fruit scraps in the garbage is explained in this article on food waste: “For organic materials - like an apple core or wilted lettuce - to quickly decompose, it needs access to something very important: oxygen. With free-flowing oxygen, food tends to decompose quickly & turn into the nutrient-rich gardening miracle we know as compost. Without oxygen, decomposition can take years; even decades. And landfills typically have very little oxygen flow. Tied up in plastic bags, surrounded by mounds of more plastic bags, & often covered by another large seal, food waste in landfills doesn’t have the air circulation needed to quickly break down food. Food does eventually decompose, but it takes much longer. How does methane come in? The type of decomposition that occurs in landfills is called “anaerobic” meaning without oxygen (or with very little). Anaerobic decomposition produces methane gas. And, since it takes so long for that decomposition to happen, food waste in landfills just keeps on producing methane. A single head of lettuce, for example, can take up to 25 years to decompose in a landfill, giving off harmful methane gas the whole time. What about compost? The decomposition that occurs in compost is known as “aerobic”. Aerobic decomposition means lots of oxygen is present. With good oxygen flow, food waste is broken down quickly. Also, that oxygen means decomposition produces carbon dioxide instead of methane. See HERE for info on how to compost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1600953471363-GZVAMD5LWUMVLZ3Y7LK7/meet+ruby%21+%281%29.png January Efforts - Jan 2, Day 2 <1st road trip in Rubee> Drove Rubee, my EV (Electric Vehicle) instead of driving Stephen’s car, an ICE (internal combustion engine), 220+ miles to & from Pittsford, NY for a day out. By choosing to take the all electric car, we saved about $25. in gas & prevented over 75,000 grams of CO2e (Shorthand for “carbon dioxide equivalent,” CO2e is a standard unit for measuring all of a vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions. A higher number of CO2e emissions = more global warming pollution.) Lessons Learned- You get much better range/mileage on back roads at low speed vs. high speed on the thruway. Starting at 90% SOC (State of Charge), on the way there we took back roads arriving with a fair amount of SOC, 50%. We took advantage of the public parking FREE charge for several hours while we explored the area & ate yummy crepes, topping off the SOC at 70%. Home bound thruway driving at 70 MPH & periodically turning on the heat quickly depleted our SOC to 35% in about half the distance home. Discovered higher speeds & using the heat quickly uses up your charge! I panicked a bit & worried we may not have enough charge, so we stopped for a quick 15 minute charge stop 1/2 hour from home to be sure we had juice enough to make it home (we did!) My 1st range anxiety. See HERE for more info on Rubee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588630796973-Q41J1WJVAA2HIR3C30N5/Snapseed+%281%29.jpg January Efforts - Jan 3, Day 3 <Used reusable shopping bags for my weekly shopping> Aren’t we all doing this now? See HERE for info on how you can make your own upcycled bags. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1609877969895-MAIWZHPOX4G6EFH2N7GP/charge%2Baurora.jpg January Efforts - Jan 4, Day 4 <Charged Rubee 20 miles for free> Charged Rubee, my electric car, for free with Town of Aurora municipal charging station while I walked the 2 doxies for 2.75 miles in 1 hour, which gave me 6.6 kW of charge. At my current winter average of 3.7 mile/kWh, that gave me almost 20-25 miles of charge! (A free ride to Buffalo!) When more people utilize the free municipal chargers at Town Halls, public parking & State parks, the greater the incentive for municipalities & companies to provide more charging locations to the public, expanding the EV charging infrastructure. In turn, this will encourage more consumers to drive EVs! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1589745240321-HNK2U4WN1MKHXCRSWLTS/C03336FC-3A70-44A2-9B30-A81F61909EFC.jpg January Efforts - Jan 5, Day 5 <Brewed homemade kombucha> Make, not buy! Home-brewed kombucha is easy, delicious & SO much cheaper than store brands. Today I decanted 25 bottles of kombucha that fermented for about a month. Tasty! A 2nd fermentation is achieved in 16 oz. bottles with a plug of raw ginger root for extra flavor & fizziness. I also began brewing 5 more gallons. Cost savings: I buy Newman’s Own Organic black tea from Wegmans- 100 bags/box for $4.00 & Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar from Aldi for less than $3/bag. For the 5 gallons I brew at a time, I use 25 tea bags & 6 2/3 cup sugar which costs me approx. $2.50 total! This makes 25 bottles, which in the store would cost you $3/bottle or a total of $75.!! For less than the price of one store bought bottle, you can have 25 bottles! See HERE for the recipe & how to make your own kombucha! If you live in WNY I can give you a SCOBY if you’d like one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593969629086-X6ZLFR8KMHE0Q9XW9874/floor.jpg January Efforts - Jan 6, Day 6 <Avoided toxic floor cleaner> Mopped my hardwood & pergo floors with homemade floor cleaner. Using commercial cleaners dramatically contributes to indoor air pollution, which can be an enormous problem for those who suffer from asthma or allergies. They also leave toxic residue behind, which can cause other dangerous health conditions, making your family ill. Making homemade cleaners is not only safer, but they are relatively inexpensive to create yourself. Not only are they better for the environment, they are safer for your family. Smells nice & fresh too. For the recipe see HERE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610135138291-0NGF1S7VXRT1EUEVE9UI/poop+bags.jpg January Efforts - Jan 7, Day 7 <Used biodegradable cornstarch dog poop bags> Poop happens!!! When walking the dogs, I use these biodegradable bags made from cornstarch, instead of plastic bags. Found these waste bag refills at TJ Maxx made by Green Bone for $5 for 120 bags=four cents a bag! Their eco-friendly, biodegradable poop bags are made from cornstarch which is also a renewable resource. They are also a member of the American Pet Products Association & all of their packaging is recyclable as well. There are other companies who are making this type of product as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610314418571-MZLF9AH8IVP3E4FGZP7R/mailchimp.png January Efforts - Jan 8, Day 8 <Published my newsletter online, saving $ on postage, paper & time> I publish a monthly (most of the time) newsletter to 200 of my real estate customers. A synopsis of what I learned & shared over the last few weeks, info on the real estate market & tips for GOING GREEN. Mostly it is a way for me to keep in touch with customers to let them know I’m still here. Once upon a time I mailed the newsletters. This was an enormous task- writing, designing, editing, proofing, then printing, addressing & mailing. MailChimp is awesome because you can design the content on the site & see the stats on who opened the email & also if they clicked on any links. In researching how much carbon footprint I was saving the planet by sending the newsletter electronically vs. snail mail I learned much more: Sending a traditional, 10-gram recycled paper letter creates about 140 grams of carbon due to the process of manufacturing, printing, delivery & decomposition. An email with a large attachment can have a footprint equivalent to 50 grams of carbon dioxide. A regular email has a carbon footprint equivalent to 4 grams. A spam email has a carbon footprint equivalent to 0.3 grams. In context an average passenger vehicle emits 411 grams of carbon dioxide per mile – this means driving one mile is equivalent to sending 8.22 emails with attachments or 102.75 regular emails. We send on average 123.9 emails per day (2016) and 45,224 per year which is equivalent to driving 110 miles. Each email user requires the use of a computer, server & router which require energy to send & receive emails. Also, many metals & fossil fuels required for email communication are non-renewable. INFO from HERE I want to explore more about the effects of our digital habits & the carbon footprint of our emails another day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610316214131-L177V799YCFMYJJNCAIC/IMG_5762.jpg January Efforts - Jan 9, Day 9 <Shopped for groceries for a whole week vs. making multiple trips> With the best of intentions, I start the week with a menu of meals I am inspired to create, make a shopping list & venture into the world to obtain the ingredients needed. I try to go to just one place (Aldi is my go-to) & get everything I need for the week in one shopping trip. This saves me time, gas & headache. Some days I still need to dash out for a fresh loaf of bread or more 1/2 & 1/2, but for the most part, this works for us. Food’s Carbon Footprint: Shop wisely Think before you buy! Do you actually need this? Can you find a better, greener alternative? use a shopping list to avoid those impulse purchases avoid products that use lots of packaging buy in bulk to save money & reduce packaging check the label – a long list of ingredients generally means a heavily processed item with a high carbon footprint frozen food has the highest carbon footprint, followed by canned, plastic, glass, then cardboard and please don’t buy bottled water. INFO from HERE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610316300764-8GKYWPCHXEWR4L5DWQJ0/IMG_8135.JPG January Efforts - Jan 10, Day 10 <Stay at home in PJs day> Was a slug today & did not go anywhere. See photo for current mood. Some days are made for calming & re-energizing. This is that kind of day. Knitting, planning for the week ahead, updating my website, researching more ONE THING A DAY efforts & cooking. Did not buy anything. Did not drive. Reserved my resources & regrouped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588689793090-HTHMGJA048P88VR1LNVB/ACV+HAIR+RINSE+jpeg.jpg January Efforts - Jan 11, Day 11 <Used homemade apple cider vinegar hair rinse> In researching ways to reduce my plastic pollution in regards to my hair care, I found this recipe for a hair rinse. My hair feels so soft & happy after I use this rinse & it has more shine & less static. After washing my hair, I rinse it with cold water, then douse it with a healthy splash of ACV rinse, leave it in (don’t rinse it out) & style as normal. I noticed right away how easily the comb went thru my long hair- fewer tangles! It helps to: decrease residue & dandruff clarify & stimulate the scalp unclog hair follicles which may help with excess shedding or hair loss & it works great with shampoo bars! Simple Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse Recipe * Mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (ACV) with 1 cup of water in a plastic squeeze bottle, spray bottle or other container ( I use an old shampoo bottle) * Experiment to find a dilution that works best for your hair type (dry hair likes less ACV & oily hair likes more). * I added some Rosemary essential oil 5-10 drops. You could experiment with other oils as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610653810716-PH4VNDLZSTYQG5NQJBK6/image.jpg January Efforts - Jan 12, Day 12 <Washed laundry in cold water> Roughly 75% of the energy required to do a load of laundry goes into heating the water. Set your machine to cold water wash to reduce power usage & make your clothes last longer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610298643188-0370XGYC6YYYWU9RWHYE/sign+up.png January Efforts - Jan 13, Day 13 <Signed up a new customer for Common Energy-Solar Power!> I am now a certified consultant for Common Energy-teaching people how they can save money & help the planet! My goal is to sign up 100 people this year. For each household that spends approx. $100/month on electricity, switching to Common Energy over one year will: Enable 9720 kWh of clean energy (A kilowatt-hour is 1,000 watts used for one hour. As an example, a 100-watt light bulb operating for ten hours would use one kilowatt-hour.) Prevent 7776 lbs of Carbon Emissions Equal 264 trees planted Save an estimated $100. (Get one month of electric for free!) It's easy, saves you money (Guaranteed 10% savings for 20 years) & helps out Mother Earth! Join Community Solar with Common Energy! Community solar gives everyone the opportunity to share in the benefits of clean solar energy without rooftop installations. Community solar is ideal for homeowners with shaded rooftops, & renters or businesses that don’t own their own buildings. More Info HERE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610657864925-6I0Q79D9UV2CXI9JW100/g%252Bblueberry%252Bmask%252Bjpeg.jpg January Efforts - Jan 14, Day 14 <Wore my reusable mask> Opt for reusable masks! Single-use masks made of polypropylene are creating waste-related environmental impacts worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now recommended that people wear masks whenever going to areas with high population density or those areas where social distancing cannot be maintained. However, a reusable mask provides an eco-friendly alternative to the disposable masks which are polluting the environment. With tutorials filling the internet over the past few months, cloth masks are easy to make & stylish. Plus, they are more cost-effective too! (I have personally made over 200 reusable masks. See my April newsletter with the pattern link HERE) To ensure your masks last a long time, make sure you are appropriately washing your masks & have a few on standby so that you are able to wear a clean one on a daily basis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611688654536-ACP26FTSQOUDSKN5MV9M/pin.jpg January Efforts - Jan 15, Day 15 <Used my menstrual DivaCup> Why switch from pads/tampons to a menstrual cup? Six reasons you should use a DivaCup, or one like it. Less waste- Eco-friendly. 300 LBS!! That’s how much waste the average person creates in a lifetime using disposable period products. Less $$$-Cost effective. Want to save money? The DivaCup can be reused again & again. No more spending tons of money on tampons & pads. More time-Up to 12 hours of protection. The DivaCup can be worn for up to 12 hours, depending on your menstrual flow. Chemical free-Happy vagina. It’s BPA free, with no added chemicals, plastics or dyes. Medical grade silicone-No nastiness. The DivaCup is the better choice for your body. Canadian made-100% Canadian & proud. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611689975060-5BWZXRL61GYL7WJGU9PH/IMG_3892.JPG January Efforts - Jan 16, Day 16 <Combined errands to make fewer trips> Drive smarter! Start consolidating your errands. First, try to run all your errands in the same trip. Instead of running to the grocery store on Monday, the bank on Tuesday, & the carwash on Wednesday, try to do all three on the same day, & in the same trip. Doing so can reduce the total number of miles you drive, & could even improve the efficiency of your vehicle (since you won’t be starting & stopping it as often). Plus, you could spend less total time running errands overall. Combining trips and staying local is one of the easiest ways to reduce your driving miles. All it takes is a bit of planning. In fact, this free, easy action can save you a lot of time & money! And, since gas vehicles are generally the single largest impact we have on climate emissions, it is a great way to have a positive impact. Some interesting Stats: Driving accounts for 47% of the carbon footprint of a typical American family with two cars. The average American spends around 42 hours a year stuck in traffic. Even more if living in/near cities. Properly inflating your tires improve your gas mileage by 3%. A typical vehicle emits roughly 7-10 tons of GHG every year. Better gas mileage-If you go from a car that gets 20 miles per gallon to a car that gets 40, that cuts close to 4 tons of carbon dioxide off your annual emissions, nearly 20 percent of an individual's total emissions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611697813614-ULPWEV8ONBU9NLGXX9GB/co2....png January Efforts - A Week of Reducing My Digital Carbon Footprint What part does the internet play in global consumption & carbon emissions? Your carbon footprint is greater than just the fossil fuels burned in traveling & construction—it encompasses your digital activities too. As if spam emails weren’t bad enough, an action as seemingly innocuous as a Google search could add to your carbon footprint. Data centers, which are the engines of the Internet, require massive amounts of energy to run & are said to account for almost a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. We tend to forget about this, but every web search, email sent or received, & status update on Facebook means the consumption of electricity & therefore the emission of greenhouse gases! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611697457376-QNEGS01U9U34OZ2GRR5D/notes.png January Efforts - Jan 17, Day 17 <Deleted old notes off NOTES app> I use my NOTES app on my computer, iPhone & iPad to keep track of articles, webpages & ideas. Whatever I write & save on one device is also accessible on the other devices, making it handy to refer to all this info. Today I cleaned my notes up & deleted ones I no longer needed, freeing up some digital cloud space. Sort of like cleaning out your filing cabinet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611698840425-V7T7JF697ECGLP9OQYHI/unsubscribe.jpg January Efforts - Jan 18, Day 18 <Unsubscribed from unwanted email lists & newsletters> Manage your subscriptions: If you are subscribed to newsletters, reassess which ones you really need/enjoy reading. Or all those emails from businesses you purchased something from? Do most of them simply sit unopened in your inbox? In that case, it might be time to unsubscribe from some of them. This handy guide shows you the quickest & most effective way to do that depending on what mail program you're using. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611699443382-XE43E003E7GN7YW7GDW5/in+spam.png January Efforts - Jan 19, Day 19 <Deleted emails I no longer need> Did you know that every old email stored in your inbox is using up energy? Decluttering your inbox is a quick & easy way to reduce your electricity consumption & shrink your carbon footprint. Search and destroy: Once a month, scan your inbox for old, unnecessary e-mails that you can delete. Pay particular attention to those with bulky attachments. Empty your Junk E-mail folder regularly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611700357279-OFHMPJVIWDPJHL351G20/emails+a+day+calc.png January Efforts - Jan 20, Day 20 <Vowed to send less emails> I did not realize the impact of sending or receiving an email & how bad they can be for the environment! Get an idea of how your emails impact the planet by using the calculator below. Surprising & alarming! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702269853-DYIN5O1JLNWOMUEGGIOY/email+impact.png January Efforts Wow, that’s for an average of 140 emails sent/received a day!!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702109447-5LBH5BXHS5CEXOKE9E18/storage+iphone.PNG January Efforts - Jan 21, Day 21 <Deleted old texts & apps off iPhone, iWatch & iPad> By deleting apps & old texts off all my devices, I freed up tons of storage space & now use less cloud storage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611702784555-N9KBVDVUJZ71KICKIW45/notifications.png January Efforts - Jan 22, Day 22 <Turned off social media notifications> I don’t need to get notified anytime someone posts to a certain page or updates their status. I am limiting my exposure to Facebook & Instagram-they are time suckers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611713767681-P3TG1599IGCKMZ270QHS/search%2Bscene.jpg January Efforts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611713796501-KT4SZHJB4OV0EPUW4MMO/ecosia.jpg January Efforts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611769530036-6Z4N3QPN6UCCRAHJ35LI/keep%2Bcalm%2B.jpg January Efforts - Jan 25, Day 25 For ideas on how to be a declutter master, read this article https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611766973478-024OA4YZV8ZNIGIZNBTO/buy+nothing.png January Efforts - Jan 25, Day 25 <Posted items no longer wanted on Facebook Buy Nothing page> In starting to clear out my office/sewing & knitting space for a fresh coat of paint, I have piles of items I no longer need/use/want. Facebook has a BUY NOTHING page for East Aurora, Elma, Wales & Holland where you can upload photos of such items & locals can claim dibs & come collect them. I was able to find new homes for my grandmother’s sewing kit, a box of 100 business envelopes, 8.5”X14” copy paper & folders, a huge box of books & magazines… & much more to come! Discovered there are many BUY NOTHING pages all over. They build community, help you get rid of your stuff, & keep massive amounts of seeming junk out of landfills. If you haven't heard about them, check out their site & consider joining your local group. If there is no group where you are, consider starting one & you will have done your good deed for the year. Our Buy Nothing Project Mission: “We offer people a way to give & receive, share, lend, & express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.” There’s a group near you. Pass on those unwanted items to someone who can use & enjoy them, keeping them out of landfills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611955510606-ACUYYCH4REP9JFMS0DLB/freecycle.jpg January Efforts - Jan 26, Day 26 <Found a new home for unneeded items on Freecycle.org> Another way to find new homes for items you no longer need or want is to offer them on Freecycle.org The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,338 groups with 9,042,286 members around the world, & next door to you. It's a grassroots & entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns & neighborhoods. It's all about reuse & keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by local volunteers. Membership is free. This is a good outlet for people who don’t use social media. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611956174309-LRB64UFYVWI1DCZ82LKC/Copy+of+where+to+donate_.png January Efforts - Jan 27, Day 27 <Donated unwanted items to a local charity> When decluttering, it is best to find lots of boxes for easy sorting of what items to give, re-gift, sell or recycle. Local charities appreciate donations that still have some life in them. Here is a list of local charities to consider donating items to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611961092853-8ZB68JKE8JLIEPEILBSO/Where+to+take+stuff+your+garbage+collector+won%E2%80%99t+take.png January Efforts - Jan 28, Day 28 <Recycled items> WNY-ers, Here is a link to find where to take your old appliances, motor oil, old cell phones, building materials, medications, cars, electronics, rugs, clothes & so much more! Awesome source for where to take things your garbage collector won’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611962275868-120MRDN13CU8E4NM9JE6/gift.jpg January Efforts - Jan 29, Day 29 <Re-gifted items> My sister in-law was a champion re-gifter & I am now adopting the practice. Re-gifting is a wonderful way to share items with loved ones. Gifts that no longer serve you may be loved by someone you know. A small china tea set (from my sis in-law!) re-gifted to my niece & a dinosaur song tape to my dino loving nephew. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612737225326-6D5JY4GC0MNFWZWI0N32/IMG_4839.JPG January Efforts - Jan 30, Day 30 <Sold an antique desk on Facebook marketplace> The beauty of Facebook Marketplace is locals can see what you are offering & message you for more details if they are interested. A bit less sketchy than Craig’s List, where I have encountered a few scams. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611964241543-3CQHJE1ZSO1JZL9YFD2O/clothes.png January Efforts - Jan 31, Day 31 <Took some of my (nicer) clothing to a consignment shop> Some pieces of my wardrobe are nicer than others. These I take to my local consignment store, where I get credit to buy someone else’s nicer clothes. Keeps the textiles out of the landfill & I get a new outfit! The problem is that the average American makes about 65 pounds of textile waste a year. Americans as a whole are tossing out billions (yes billions) of textile waste. This is even scarier when you think about how much of that is plastic textiles. And that's not all! All brand new clothes are now shipped in flimsy plastic bags to keep them from damage. If you have ever bought clothes online, you have received it in one. Those aren't reused. So every piece of new clothing also means a pointless piece of plastic waste. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/february-efforts daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612713624511-HSTYJ50EAM32CX5XD8UB/beeswax+wrapp.JPG February Efforts - Feb 1, Day 32 <Covered leftovers with beeswax wrap> Food wrap choices have long focused on petroleum-based options, but you can do better. Cling wrap is the sticky, thin plastic film handy for covering food dishes that you often see at potlucks & in fridges full of leftovers. Many film plastics are recyclable, cling wrap is not. Most cling wrap is made from polyvinyl chlorides (PVC), a flexible form of plastic used in a variety of U.S. goods. PVC releases dioxin, a toxin known to cause reproductive & developmental human health issues, during manufacture, use, & disposal. Each piece of cling wrap we use ends up contaminating the environment or sitting in a landfill. And PVC can take up to a thousand years to degrade. Research suggests the potentially toxic plastics in our cling wrap leach into our food & drink. Because PVC is a known carcinogen and suspected endocrine disruptor, this can be detrimental to human health. Avoid human and environmental contamination by ditching plastic cling wrap & trying this sustainable alternative=beeswax wrap. Need to store your leftover lunch, a half-eaten block of cheese, a chunk of bread? Beeswax food wraps have it covered (literally). This reusable & plastic-free option infuses organic cotton with naturally malleable beeswax to create a sustainable cling wrap alternative. Beeswax wrap keeps food fresh & is delightfully versatile. Learn how to make your own here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612627330391-Q9FYNKZ90551JCC3GDIW/coffee%2Bfilters.jpg February Efforts - Feb 2, Day 33 <Made coffee with unbleached compostable coffee filter> I like these filters I buy at my local coop. Made from unbleached totally chlorine-free (TCF) paper, so no chlorine gets dumped into lakes, rivers or streams during manufacturing. A 2012 study published in Environmental Engineering & Management Journal found that discharge from chlorine-bleaching was “the most significant environmental issues” in pulp & paper mills. Certified for municipal, commercial or backyard composting. After I brew, I toss the filter & coffee grounds in my compost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612629340582-ZGQWETO2UXC5JP68M0C0/eggggs.jpg February Efforts - Feb 3, Day 34 <Purchased eggs in cardboard carton> Paper-pulp egg cartons are 100 percent compostable as brown/dry matter. You can put the cartons directly into your compost bin or heap, or take a few moments to tear, shred or otherwise render them into smaller pieces. Please note that polystyrene (styrofoam) egg cartons are not compostable & should be discarded. Their compostable nature & tidy dividers make paper-fiber egg cartons ideal for starting seeds. Poke a couple of small holes into the bottom of each egg cup, then fill 3/4 of each cup with potting soil. Plant your choice of seeds, & keep the egg carton watered & in a sunny, safe spot. When your seedlings are ready for transplanting, cut the egg cups apart, then place the seedling, egg cup & all, in your prepared garden bed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588690896956-59FMC6R65OHAC0OYOD4R/an+old+friend+jpeg.jpg February Efforts - Feb 4, Day 35 <Used my reusable water bottle> This bottle is like an old friend... I take it with me wherever I go. I’ve had it for many years! Do you have a favorite water bottle you don’t leave home without? Try to adopt one & avoid buying bottled water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612631576444-FBAQ0TSVGN0DJBA0NNH4/vegsss.png February Efforts - Feb 5, Day 36 <Bought veggies not packaged in plastic> This is getting harder to do these days. Our local coop has some produce not wrapped in plastic. You can buy fruits & vegetables in the quantity you need instead of a whole bag. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613329318126-I7SNS8QQU4FV0H68NRCX/IMG_5056.jpg February Efforts - Feb 6, Day 37 <Reduced food waste by dating leftovers> Keep a post-it note pad or sharpie in your kitchen junk drawer to date your leftovers. You think you’ll remember when you made that stir-fry, but chances are, you won’t! Roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption around the world goes to waste. Environmentally, it accounts for about 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, 24% of the freshwater & 28 million tons of the fertilizers & pesticides used in agriculture. If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA & China! Some tips to help you waste less food: Meal plan. Write a shopping list and stick to it. Date leftovers. Freeze leftovers or food about to go off. Get creative with meals and use leftovers. Share meals with neighbors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1596552612951-700URQ16Z6FVUVYH6KR6/IMG_2584.jpg February Efforts - Feb 7, Day 38 <Made homemade foaming hand soap> Making your own dish, laundry or hand soap is easy, less expensive & better for the planet & your health. Controlling what ingredients & scents you use is very liberating! Foaming Hand Soap In a foaming soap dispenser: 1/3 cup Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, unscented 2 tsp almond oil 15-20 drops essential oil, scent of your choice Fill dispenser with water to 1/2” from top. Shake well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613326983157-BGFVYQAFLUEON0O6WVYC/IMG_5055.JPG February Efforts - Feb 8, Day 39 <Gave Birdie Shameless dog treats w/ upcycled ingredients> Birdie, our mini doxie, LOVES these treats. Each of these treats are made with at least 30% upcycled fruits & veggies. That means those perfectly-nutritious foods that are not-quite-right for the grocery stores (aka jumbo blueberries, mini sweet potatoes, & the yellowest bananas) are living their best second life as dog treats. Shameless Pets focuses on rescuing ingredients from agricultural production, post harvest leftovers, & food processing. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy are the greatest contributors to food waste & where they focus their efforts. In addition to wasting nutritious calories, food waste contributes to throwing away precious resources such as water, land, energy, & labor. According to a leading research institution, Project Drawdown, food waste is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. If food waste were measured as a country, it would be the third worst greenhouse gas offender after the U.S. & China! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613327841150-PU0ZT68HTXJVQ9JF13A7/homemade+wipes.jpg February Efforts - Feb 9, Day 40 <Made homemade wipes> By making your own wipes from paper towels, olive or coconut oil & your choice of liquid soap or shampoo, you are saving lots of money & controlling what ingredients are in your wipes. You can use whatever shampoo/natural soap, or oil you like or have on hand. Please note- these are not antiseptic wipes. These are great if you want to make your own wipes without chemicals. But do not flush- not good for septics or sewers. HOMEMADE WIPES: Whisk 1 cup boiling water, 1 TBSP shampoo or liquid soap, 1 TBSP coconut or olive oil (or oil of your choice) in container that will hold a 1/2 roll paper towels (good quality ones, cut with sharp knife) *Can adjust water amount to make less or more moist. Pull from the middle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613328435835-6SLLUJU25VDAE6H7H83C/IMG_5058.JPG February Efforts - Feb 10, Day 41 <Washed laundry with soap nuts> I’ve heard about these & have been wanting to try them. Found them at Trader Joe’s! One way to zero-wastify a laundry routine is to integrate soap nuts into the mix. Like horse chestnuts, soap nuts are a natural way to do your wash. Native to India & Nepal, soap nuts have been used historically to treat skin conditions like eczema & psoriasis, but they can also act as a chemical-free, natural way to clean clothes & fabrics. With the average American running anywhere from four to five loads of wash per week, making your laundry routine as eco-friendly as possible has never been so important. These nuts or berries contain saponin, a natural surfactant in the laundry wash. Saponin is a natural detergent; it’s super foamy & can cut through dirt, oils, stains, & other unidentifiable grime. Soap nuts also may have the ability to kill bacteria. Plus, soap nuts are reusable. You can use them up to 10 times before the shells become softer to the touch & appear grayer, then it’s time to compost them! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588691091368-KXRKI4APIN93U6QE2R21/Copy+of+ditch+the+disposable+razor+jpeg.jpg February Efforts - Feb 11, Day 42 <Shaved with a safety razor> Why? It is Environmentally Friendly-The biggest environmental issue with disposable razors is that they are not recyclable. According to the EPA, 2 billion disposable razors end up in land fills every year. That’s billion, with a “b”. The steel DE razor blades are recyclable, which can drastically reduce the negative environmental impact. And the razor itself can last a lifetime. See more about safety razors HERE. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613330372893-N3EWYZ45B761VAAIGZQH/IMG_5077.JPG February Efforts - Feb 12, Day 43 <Gave lavender filled knitted hearts as gifts,-natural air freshener> Instead of a stinky tree-shaped air freshener in your space, try dried lavender! I knit some bright-colored hearts & stuffed them with lavender to give as Valentine’s Day gifts. Kept one for myself to hang in my Rubee. Makes me happy & keeps my car smelling nice! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613331094332-MM5856VTO396NYNBD6F3/rice+pillows.JPG February Efforts - Feb 13, Day 44 <Sewed rice pillows> One of my favorite gifts to make & give. Essentially a tube shaped pillow filled with white rice that can heated in the microwave for a few minutes. Heat one up & leave it in your bed under the covers while you brush your teeth. Come to a cozy bed that stays warm until you doze off. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613331346725-A9AJ9XDFEZ6HY55K2BBQ/IMG_1900.JPG February Efforts - Feb 14, Day 45 <Made reusable shopping bags from upcycled horse feed bags> For housewarming gifts, I like to give a GOING GREEN Welcome Home Bag. An upcycled bag made from a feed bag or tee shirt filled with LED light bulbs, homemade beeswax wraps, a knitted wash/dish cloth, shampoo bars, reusable produce bags, Norwex cloths & Charlie’s laundry powder. Birdie not included! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613925129648-O5ISQWYDJ504BGF302RA/IMG_5249.JPG February Efforts - Feb 15, Day 46 <Printed reports double sided> When showing homes, I print out brochures for myself & my buyers to reference. To save paper & trees, I print the reports double sided. The environmental impact of paper production is important to note since it has many negative effects. Here are some of them: 40% of the world’s commercially cut timber is used for the production of paper. Pulpwood plantations & mills endanger natural habitats. Over 30 million acres of forest are destroyed annually. The pulp & paper industry is a big contributor to the problem of deforestation & is partly to blame for the endangerment of some species that live in the forests. The life cycle of paper is damaging to the environment from beginning to end. It starts off with a tree being cut down & ends its life by being burned – emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Paper production uses up lots of water. An 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper requires 2.6 gallons of water per sheet. Most of the materials in landfills are made of paper. When paper rots, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas. When it is burned or composted, carbon dioxide. Pulp & paper mills discharge water that’s riddled with solids, dissolved organic matter called lignin, alcohol, inorganic material such as cholates, chlorine & metal compounds. All of this contributes to soil & water pollution. The paper industry is the 5th largest consumer of energy in the world. It uses up 4% of the world’s energy. To produce 1 ton of virgin paper, it is estimated that 253 gallons of petrol is used. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613927128383-AEE9O03VT1UVZ2XAIG3Y/IMG_5258.JPG February Efforts - Feb 16, Day 47 <Mended clothing> Put a dent in the pile of clothes to be mended & now can wear my flannel owl night shirt again! The global fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, & nearly 20% of wastewater. And while the environmental impact of flying is now well known, fashion sucks up more energy than both aviation & shipping combined emitting 1.7 billion tons of CO2 per year. Of the 150 billion new clothing items put on the market every year, 25% of that remains unworn. In North America, 10.5 million tons of clothes are sent to a landfill each year. Clothing that’s sent to thrift stores or charity shops is often sent to Africa or Central America where it disrupts the local textile & tailoring economies in these areas. What we need to do is to care for our clothes. We need to make them last longer. Even extending the life of our garments by an extra nine months of active use would reduce the carbon, water & waste footprint by around 20% to 30% each. Info from HERE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588824986741-JLOVYYN22YL9HU05JEWP/shampoo%252Bbar%252Bjpeg.jpg February Efforts - Feb 17, Day 48 <Washed hair with shampoo bar> Another way to reduce plastic pollution is to use a Shampoo & Conditioner Bar. I found this one from The Soap Works at the East Aurora Cooperative Market. * They are natural soaps-Specially formulated with Aloe Vera as a conditioner this bar leaves hair “squeaky” clean, contains no detergents, & doesn’t come in a bottle. * Unwrapped Bars are very economical & convenient for sports, camping, workout, cottages, or reducing your bottle footprint in the shower. * Keeping you & your environment clean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613929025258-CLGABJWFFNAT7YHNEGBF/led.png February Efforts - Feb 18, Day 49 <Gifted LED lightbulbs> High-efficiency LEDs are extremely energy efficient using up to 90% less power compared to incandescent lights. That allows homeowners to reduce their energy consumption costs, since each LED light uses a fraction of the power. A high-quality LED has an expected lifespan that can reach 100,000 hours. In comparison, the average incandescent bulb lasts for about 1,000 hours. A compact fluorescent can last for up to 10,000 hours. They work in the cold. They are highly-resistant to breakage. They turn on with full brightness almost immediately. There are no UV or IR emissions. I order my bulbs from 1000bulbs.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613929471116-C2ZZPF99GVYIWZBIVQEJ/D1404BDB-5BE6-45E8-9B2C-25B1DDCDCDE4.jpg February Efforts - Feb 19, Day 50 <Refused a plastic straw at restaurant> Before the waitress puts one in your drink or on the table, kindly tell her “No straw, please”. The main reason why plastic straws are a problem is their enduring environmental footprint. Enduring pollution. Plastic straws are one of the most common types of litter found on beaches, yet they can’t be recycled. Instead they end up in landfills, as litter, or in waterways. Heavy Usage. It’s estimated that Americans use, on average, 1.6 straws per person per day. That translates into roughly 500 million disposable plastic straws every single day. Hazard to marine life. Marine animals mistake plastic straws for food. They can choke on them or straws can get stuck in animals’ nasal passages. Non-renewable ingredients. Plastic straws are made from polypropylene, a petroleum-based plastic. In effect, a non-renewable resource is used to create a single-use, disposable item. If you must use use a straw, choose paper or metal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613929884701-8QR6RNO0WXX8XA6MP9OK/IMG_5231.JPG February Efforts - Feb 20, Day 51 <Tried out new sponge cloths to replace paper towels> I love trying new products that help me save money & are good for the planet. Found these at the East Aurora Co-Op. $6.00 for 5 cloths. They are super absorbent, replace up to 15 rolls of paper towels & machine washable up to 300 times. And they are compostable, unlike plastic sponges. I like them already! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588449566177-GZ5GKZAGC6WQSGGR92UQ/IMG_8728.JPG February Efforts - Feb 21, Day 52 <Ordered tree seedlings> If you live in WNY, Erie Co. Soil & Water Conservation District has a annual sale & distribution of evergreen & deciduous seedlings & transplants. Planting tree & shrub seedlings will: - Provide wildlife food and habitat - Protect water quality - Shelter crops and landscape - Reduce air pollution - Stabilize erodible land - Reduce heating/cooling expenses ORDER HERE! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614346071847-TT772HL2PO1YOSFBLIWC/wash%252Bbags.jpg February Efforts - Feb 22, Day 53 < Washed my reusable shopping bags> Researchers learned during their survey that 97% of the people never washed their reusable grocery shopping bags. What was worse was that upon testing these bags, experts found E.coli contamination (in over 50% of the total tested bags). When we pile foods upon foods in our reusable grocery bags, we entertain cross-contamination of foods. Moreover, we also entertain bacteria entering our food chain. If you use a canvas shopping tote bag for groceries, but you also take it to the gym, you risk even more health hazards to affect your family. It is your answer in a nutshell: clean, reusable grocery bags as often and as carefully as you can. Some specialists say you should use more than one bag for food shopping & wash your bags at the end of the week. Yes, you should also wash poly shopping bags, not only cotton or canvas ones. How Do You Clean Reusable Grocery Bags to be Safe? See HERE. Another option is to make your own shopping bags from tee shirts that are easily washed. Check out how to upcycle your old tees HERE. More good info from HERE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614347332538-U4ZGAIQMED326QVLQ4CL/IMG_5343.JPG February Efforts - Feb 23, Day 54 <Avoided getting a plastic cup by bringing my own tumbler for a smoothie from cafe> Plastic pollution is a real problem & an easy way to use less is to bring your own cup when you order your favorite beverage. Also, avoid the new plastic straw & bring a reusable one! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614352968377-I42U1C5N3PV4R9FF0YYI/new%2Btherm.jpg February Efforts - Feb 24, Day 55 <Adjusted programmable thermostat to lower temperature when I’m in bed or not at home> Save energy by programming your thermostat to lower the temperature when you are not home or under the covers! I discovered my local electric company, NYSEG, has some pretty great discounts on energy efficient products like thermostats, lighting, water fixtures & more. A Google Nest Learning Thermostat is discounted from $250 to $174. It can be adjusted with your smartphone from anywhere & learns your heating & cooling patterns! Pretty Cool! Consider looking into a programmable thermostat if you don’t have one yet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614348756247-07Q7Y24V9US48BIP4IN0/IMG_4379.JPG February Efforts - Feb 25, Day 56 <Bought new & more energy efficient refrigerator> Our 10+year old fridge had been acting up & not staying cold. The repairman said it is probably a $1000 fix-not worth it! Sad how short the life span is of appliances. During Covid refrigerators are in short supply, so the new fridge I ordered before Thanksgiving JUST arrived! Things I learned: There is a wonderful calculator that tells you how much you can save if you “Flip Your Fridge” & upgrade to a new, more energy efficient fridge. I will save $254 over five years & 437 lbs of carbon pollution. I paid Home Depot $25. to take my old fridge away, but I could have made $30. by taking advantage of NYSEG’s Appliance Recycling Program! Now you can also recycle an old working room air conditioner with your qualifying refrigerator or freezer pickup appointment & get an extra $10! Don’t unload the entire contents of the old fridge until you are certain the delivery truck will make it up your steep, snow covered driveway! Had to reschedule the delivery! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614549422359-E7UW0X9U2ULO7AA5VW1T/IMG_5419.JPG February Efforts - Feb 26, Day 57 <Designated an “Eat First Shelf” in the new fridge to avoid food spoilage> In addition to marking your leftovers with the date they were made, it is super helpful to designate a shelf where you keep food that will spoil in the next few days. Sometimes we tend to lose track of what we have or it gets pushed to the back where we don’t see it until we clean the fridge. By creating specific space for food more prone to waste with a clearly defined concept (Eat Me First); you encourage a different approach to food consumption in your home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614555137707-3KRA3RM18CE20EU74K8J/Green+is+good2%21.png February Efforts - Feb 27, Day 58 <Learned how to drive my electric car more efficiently> The amazing thing about driving an electric car is that it has made me so much more aware of how my driving habits affect my range & how many miles per kWh I am getting. Speed, acceleration, braking, climate control, the outside temperature, extra passengers, & hilly terrain all affect your range! There are several ways to get feedback on my driving. On an info screen with a graph it shows how many miles/kWh I am driving in 5 mile increments & my average over the last 50 miles. I have to say once I learned this, I obsess about this way too much & challenge myself to drive better & keep my miles/kWh above the red average line! Also, on the dash by the GOM-(Guess O’ Meter-the car’s best estimate of the maximum, average & minimum mileage you can expect with current charge) there are indicators that show if I can expect the towards the high or low end of the range. I try to get the most range I can. Makes me drive a bit like a grandma, but I love saving energy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614811639357-XVWFAXVQP4P343XWNRRI/IMG_5527.JPG February Efforts - Feb 28, Day 59 <Reused bread bags> In his childhood, my husband would use breadbags to waterproof his aged winter boots by putting them over his socks before putting on his boots. I like them for wrapping leftover cheese, veggies, or a bowl of soup. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/declutter-mindfully daily 0.75 2021-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611769530036-6Z4N3QPN6UCCRAHJ35LI/keep%2Bcalm%2B.jpg Declutter mindfully - Jan 25, Day 25 For ideas on how to be a declutter master, read this article https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611766973478-024OA4YZV8ZNIGIZNBTO/buy+nothing.png Declutter mindfully - Jan 25, Day 25 <Posted items no longer wanted on Facebook Buy Nothing page> In starting to clear out my office/sewing & knitting space for a fresh coat of paint, I have piles of items I no longer need/use/want. Facebook has a BUY NOTHING page for East Aurora, Elma, Wales & Holland where you can upload photos of such items & locals can claim dibs & come collect them. I was able to find new homes for my grandmother’s sewing kit, a box of 100 business envelopes, 8.5”X14” copy paper & folders, a huge box of books & magazines… & much more to come! Discovered there are many BUY NOTHING pages all over. They build community, help you get rid of your stuff, & keep massive amounts of seeming junk out of landfills. If you haven't heard about them, check out their site & consider joining your local group. If there is no group where you are, consider starting one & you will have done your good deed for the year. Our Buy Nothing Project Mission: “We offer people a way to give & receive, share, lend, & express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.” There’s a group near you. Pass on those unwanted items to someone who can use & enjoy them, keeping them out of landfills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611955510606-ACUYYCH4REP9JFMS0DLB/freecycle.jpg Declutter mindfully - Jan 26, Day 26 <Found a new home for unneeded items on Freecycle.org> Another way to find new homes for items you no longer need or want is to offer them on Freecycle.org The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,338 groups with 9,042,286 members around the world, & next door to you. It's a grassroots & entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns & neighborhoods. It's all about reuse & keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by local volunteers. Membership is free. This is a good outlet for people who don’t use social media. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611956174309-LRB64UFYVWI1DCZ82LKC/Copy+of+where+to+donate_.png Declutter mindfully - Jan 27, Day 27 <Donated unwanted items to a local charity> When decluttering, it is best to find lots of boxes for easy sorting of what items to give, re-gift, sell or recycle. Local charities appreciate donations that still have some life in them. Here is a list of local charities to consider donating items to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611961092853-8ZB68JKE8JLIEPEILBSO/Where+to+take+stuff+your+garbage+collector+won%E2%80%99t+take.png Declutter mindfully - Jan 28, Day 28 <Recycled items> WNY-ers, Here is a link to find where to take your old appliances, motor oil, old cell phones, building materials, medications, cars, electronics, rugs, clothes & so much more! Awesome source for where to take things your garbage collector won’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611962275868-120MRDN13CU8E4NM9JE6/gift.jpg Declutter mindfully - Jan 29, Day 29 <Re-gifted items> My sister in-law was a champion re-gifter & I am now adopting the practice. Re-gifting is a wonderful way to share items with loved ones. Gifts that no longer serve you may be loved by someone you know. A small china tea set (from my sis in-law!) re-gifted to my niece & a dinosaur song tape to my dino loving nephew. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612737080374-7G59CQML9O581U1PHSHR/IMG_4839.JPG Declutter mindfully - Jan 30, Day 30 <Sold an antique desk on Facebook marketplace> The beauty of Facebook Marketplace is locals can see what you are offering & message you for more details if they are interested. A bit less sketchy than Craig’s list, where I have encountered a few scams. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1611964241543-3CQHJE1ZSO1JZL9YFD2O/clothes.png Declutter mindfully - Jan 31, Day 31 <Took some of my (nicer) clothing to a consignment shop> Some pieces of my wardrobe are nicer than others. These I take to my local consignment store, where I get credit to buy someone else’s nicer clothes. Keeps the textiles out of the landfill & I get a new outfit! The problem is that the average American makes about 65 pounds of textile waste a year. Americans as a whole are tossing out billions (yes billions) of textile waste. This is even scarier when you think about how much of that is plastic textiles. And that's not all! All brand new clothes are now shipped in flimsy plastic bags to keep them from damage. If you have ever bought clothes online, you have received it in one. Those aren't reused. So every piece of new clothing also means a pointless piece of plastic waste. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/march-efforts daily 0.75 2022-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614809248508-R6DQ7HRHSUM9WCJD0UT5/IMG_5531.JPG March Efforts - March 1, Day 60 <Declined the plastic toothbrush & plastic bag from my dentist> Over the years we have amassed a bin full of plastic dental hygiene implements…toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss & plastic picks. In my quest to reduce my plastic waste, I will use up what we have & then do my best to find & use more sustainable choices-bamboo toothbrushes, toothbrush tablets & eco-friendly floss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614811086060-52RDT603S4XTG5SD5PPE/IMG_5528.JPG March Efforts - March 2, Day 61 <Purchased bamboo toothbrushes> Bamboo toothbrushes are eco-friendly & entirely biodegradable, unlike plastic toothbrushes which cannot be recycled & take a millennium to break down. Every single toothbrush ever made still exists & is sitting in a landfill somewhere! Bamboo is also known to possess antibacterial, antifungal, & antimicrobial properties, which makes it a perfect material to design a toothbrush. Bamboo is an extremely sustainable & renewable resource. Bamboo trees are super fast growing-(certain species able to grow up to four feet per DAY), with no need for fertilizers or pesticides, so the toothbrushes are made with organic materials. It takes it bit getting used to the feeling of the bamboo on the inside of your cheeks vs. the slippery plastic & initially the brush had a taste, but I am growing to like the switch. I found these bamboo toothbrushes with charcoal infused bristles on Etsy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1592182463924-XQCPO5S4H4GUJTK5H1G5/bites.png March Efforts - March 3, Day 61 <Brushed teeth with BITES, toothpaste tablets> Ditch the toothpaste tube! For years, I have been a fan of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. In my quest to reduce my plastic waste, I found these toothpaste tablets. Zero paste, Zero waste! All natural, sulfate free, cruelty free & plastic free! More than 1 billion plastic toothpaste tubes are thrown out each year, with harsh chemical residues. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish! Bites come in glass bottles, which unlike plastic, glass is infinitely recyclable, looks great, & breaks down into sand at the end of its life. They send your refill Bites in 100% home compostable pouches every four months with a subscription. Yep, still no plastic. They take a bit getting used to... just place 1 bit in your mouth, bite down & brush with wet toothbrush. Several great flavors. Low abrasivity, no harsh chemicals & naturally whitening. Check them out! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614813399412-XY800GCHM3JSET57056U/carbon+trim.png March Efforts - March 4, Day 62 <Discovered Carbon Trim app> Found this ingenious app called CARBON TRIM that helps you understand how your each of your daily choices make a carbon impact- whether it's eating a pizza slice or a buying a pair of shoes or using the microwave! Search via text or image for carbon costs of hundreds of different items. Set reminders as nudges to take eco-friendly actions through the week. Food, appliances , travel & lifestyle are categories you can explore, with examples given of the relative carbon cost of any action you take in terms of; the amount of carbon emissions, a car drive, equivalent plastic bags used, amount of petrol used etc, which makes understanding the environmental impact easy. Tips are given on carbon reducing actions you can take. My favorite is the THIS VS. THAT feature where you can guess which item has a lower carbon impact, with a good explanation of how. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614858461802-SV12MH98K7AGW5XDYQO8/bolt%2Bco2e.jpg March Efforts - March 5, Day 63 <Calculated carbon footprint of an electric car (EV) vs. gas powered car (ICE)> Electric cars tend to produce less carbon pollution than gas-powered ones—but just how much less? I was curious how much more CO2e my 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe gas guzzler emitted vs. my 2017 all electric Chevy Bolt, Rubee. There are several calculators you can utilize to determine the carbon footprint of your car. THIS ONE tells you how clean your electric vehicle is & compares it to gasoline only cars, plug in hybrid electric & battery electric cars. Enter your ZIP code below to see how different types of vehicles stack up in your area. Entering a make, model, & year will narrow results to a specific EV model. +Because I charge my car 99% of the time from home where we have Common Energy Solar which offsets our electric power with solar power, my car is super clean & actually has even less impact than what the calculator estimates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614859554457-LV4UKBXXOUL8IJL8QHE7/rubee+vs+guy+co2e.png March Efforts - March 6, Day 64 <Determined my electric car’s yearly carbon footprint vs. my old gas guzzler> Another calculator can compare two cars; my old 4 wheel drive 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe to my 2017 all electric Chevy Bolt. I love this one because it spells out the yearly impact of each in lbs of CO2e & also the equivalent to planting what number of trees. The Chevy Bolt wins by a lot. +Because I charge my car 99% of the time from home where we have Common Energy Solar which offsets our electric power with solar power, my car is super clean & actually has even less impact than what the calculator estimates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615490827896-HN2DG0VCP0WNA7W14637/quickie+window+cloth.jpeg March Efforts - March 7, Day 65 <Washed windows with reusable & washable microfiber cloth> Found these Quickie Cloths at my local home improvement store a few years ago. I LOVE them. I am no longer relying on paper towels for my window cleaning. The glass/window cloth is: Made of high quality microfiber, this Mycro-touch cloth removes up to 99% of Bacteria, allergens, & dust from all surfaces. Specially designed for use on windows & glass surfaces to leave a streak free shine. Use wet or dry with water or your preferred cleaning supplies. REUSABLE - Machine washable. GO GREEN - Reduce waste & cost. Clean a little bit greener with this microfiber cleaning cloth that reduces the amount of paper towels, chemicals & water needed. MICROFIBER BENEFITS - Highly absorbent & quick drying, microfiber is lint-free & non-scratch cloth is safe for use on all surfaces. Microfiber has natural cleaning powers & the dense, circular weave of this cloth enhances its ability to wipe smooth surfaces clean & leave them with a streak-free finish. This high quality microfiber cloth is designed for cleaning glass, windows, LCD/Plasma television screens & other smooth surfaces. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615501490466-3YWFZ61ZK8K0K9SQHDK3/IMG_5694.JPG March Efforts - March 8, Day 66 <Made fizzy water with SodaStream> I am a fan of fizzy water. Buying the bottles always made me feel wasteful & it was costly. One day at my friend’s home, I was introduced to the wonderful fizzy water maker- the SodaStream. Since then, I have avoided so much plastic waste & saved money by investing in the SodaStream myself. SodaStream’s carbonating cylinders make up to 60 liters of fresh sparkling water with the just the right amount of carbonation every time. Plus, I have saved the cost of driving to the store to purchase more single-use plastic bottles of the bubbly drink. The SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Machine is going for $90 and gets you the machine itself, a reusable (& BPA-free) bottle, & a refillable 60-liter CO2 cylinder. After attaching the bottle, you pump up to three times (depending on how fizzy you want your fizzy water), detach the bottle, & enjoy. You can be as creative as you like with what you’re making. I hear you can also fizz other liquids like coconut water or vodka! I like my fizzy water with a splash of juice. By 2025, SodaStream users will eliminate 67 billion single-use plastic bottles from our planet. YIKES, that’s a lot! Just a single SodaStream reusable bottle can help the average family reduce more than 3,070 single use bottles & cans from our planet. This is critical in eliminating the environmentally damaging manufacturing & supply chain linked to single-use plastic bottles. It also helps reduce the presence of tiny microplastics & toxins that are caused by slowly degrading single-use plastics in our landfills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615503705477-RHYY8VJROVUBIPM5LNLI/IMG_3083rubee.JPG March Efforts - March 9, Day 67 <Rotated tires on Rubee> One of the many wonderful things about Rubee, my all electric car, is there is very little maintenance. Compared to my Hyundai Santa Fe, which was in the shop every other month with various maintenance & repair needs, Rubee has been a dream (So far, knock on wood) After 6000 miles of driving her, the only maintenance I have done is to rotate her tires. We all know rotating tires & keeping them properly inflated is a good thing. Rotating tires keeps them from wearing unevenly. That will make your ride smoother & handling safer. And it extends the life of your tires, saving you time & money in the long run. Keeping your tires properly inflated helps as well & will give you better mileage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615504665929-HAQYWR9ODGRY0SPXCLTH/IMG_5699.jpg March Efforts - March 10, Day 68 <Found One Save/Day app> Users of OneSave/Day like me want to combat Climate Change, but don’t know how they can help on a larger scale. The app displays one action / day that the whole community is doing to give each effort more value. ONE SAVE Every day you will get a new little task, called "Save", that you can easily implement into your daily busy life. LITTLE ACTION - CRUCIAL RESULTS Yes, it's true: If you pick up one piece of plastic the world is not going to change. But imagine thousands of people doing the same "Save" on the same day, thousands of pieces of plastic being picked up. That's a whole beach. SHARE YOUR SAVES Post pictures from your Saves under #OneSaveADay More People = More Saves = Better Planet Don't forget: Even only sharing the application with a friend or family member has a positive impact on the climate ! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615505053117-T6I10IQ6P1I6RDYZ1546/IMG_5669.JPG March Efforts - March 11, Day 69 <Discovered a parmesan cheese container top fits on small mouth ball jars> This just fun. I love taking a ball jar filled with my homemade juice with me in the car, buy worry about spills. The top of a shaky cheese container screws onto a small mouth ball jar! +Be careful, liquid will spill out if you turn your jar upside down. But used with a straw, (reusable please) it keeps liquids from splashing all over my car as I go over bumps. You can also fill the jar with herb/spice blends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616105377150-CS8Q72L8MY2DXAWY5FA4/IMG_5975.JPG March Efforts - March 12, Day 70 <Froze berries past their prime for smoothies> When berries start to go soft or mushy, they can be frozen for later to blend in nutritious smoothies. I like mine with oat milk, a frozen banana & pea protein. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616105717111-6QF94O2N2JNTLAPJP456/IMG_5988.JPG March Efforts - March 13, Day 71 <Bought reusable bamboo cutlery bundles to use when traveling> Skip the plastic pack of disposable cutlery when eating on the road & bring your reusable ones. Target had these on sale & I could not resist buying a bunch of them. You could also make your own travel bundle by wrapping a reusable fork, knife & spoon in a cloth napkin tied with a ribbon. Keep a few sets in your glove box for road trips. Wash & reuse-they will last a lifetime! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616105965339-7T76RWYUGNH4ZGN4UWBG/IMG_5989.JPG March Efforts - March 14, Day 72 <Used wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets> Reduce your drying time, which saves you $$$ on your electric or gas bill. Reduce ironing time. Naturally softens fabric. Reduce static electricity Avoid reactions to artificial scents or chemicals. Put a few drops of essential oils in scent of your choice on the wool balls for a light, natural fragrance. Save money on dryer sheets- these can be used for many years & only cost $5.00 at Trader Joes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616106583813-SNZ9X4NSWUPJYIRWYBO3/IMG_5991.JPG March Efforts - March 15, Day 73 <Pulled weeds by hand instead of using toxic weed killer> Try to avoid the toxic weed killers & pull out the weeds by hand. We have stones along our driveway where tree seedlings love to germinate. They are tricky to weed out, because they break easily when you pull on them, leaving the roots in the ground. My husband has devised the “grabbinator”, a wonderful tool that enables you to clamp a vise grip on the weed next to the ground & then pull a handle connected by parachute rope. He has pulled some crazy big root systems out! Patent pending! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616106837196-26VR8H710ZYEFMT2ST70/litter.JPG March Efforts - March 16, Day 74 <Picked up roadside litter> This time of year when the snow melts, it reveals tons of roadside litter. I am a newbie to litter pick up, but Stephanie has shown me the ropes. Wear boots! It’s wet & muddy in the gully by the road where the garbage tends to drift. Wear gloves! Super gross cigarette butts & used disposable masks are not something I want to handle. Reflective gear helps drivers see you. Bring lots of bags, preferably reuse old cat litter or pet food bags. Try to reuse bags. It’s a workout! Bending under shrub branches is like yoga, scrambling up & down the hills is good cardio & carrying the found litter is weight lifting. Bring a friend. So much nicer to pass the time conversing. Leave full bags on side of road & come back with your car to pick them up later. You’ll find some weird things! When you get home, sort out the garbage from the recyclables. Give the recyclables a rinse if they are dirty. DON’T LITTER!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616106931358-UPSHCQBBBIE3CLNA0QE6/kind.JPG March Efforts - March 17, Day 75 <Purchased KIND plant based scour pads> Conventional scouring pads are great for scrubbing off tough messes, but they’re usually made from plastic, which breaks down as you use it & slips down the drain. Fortunately, there are some plant-based scourers that do the job just as well without contributing to microplastic pollution. See HERE for the best sponges & scour pads. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616107019600-3PFXRY5OB3TUU1FG362F/IMG_5992.JPG March Efforts - March 18, Day 76 <Switched to natural cellulose sponges> Sponges are often, but not always, made from one of Mother Nature’s least favorite substances: oil-based, landfill-clogging plastic. Let’s say you toss one possibly germy plastic polyfoam sponge in the trash a week. It’s no doubt a safe hygienic move, but this means that a year’s worth of sponges will be taking up landfill space for upwards of 52,000 years. Your house may be spotless, but the mess you’re making in landfills will never go away in your lifetime. Antibacterial sponges. Avoid them. Most have been treated with the antibacterial/antifungal agent triclosan, an environmentally harmful pesticide that’s been wreaking havoc on aquatic ecosystems for some time now. This leaves us with cellulose sponges. Pure cellulose sponges are, unfortunately, not as prevalent as plastic ones — & probably a bit more pricey — but you should be able to find them with no real problem-just make sure they’re 100 percent cellulose with no polyester filling. Cellulose sponges are made from wood fibers & although man-made, they’re far more “green” than plastic ones since they biodegrade in landfills & go through a far less toxic manufacturing process. Another great find at Trader Joe’s! See this article for more info. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616964669075-KFHSN1V7F27H03SGFDB5/IMG_5990.JPG March Efforts - March 19, Day 77 <Found deodorant in recyclable paper packaging> I have looking for a plastic free solution to my deodorant & had seen some pricey ones online with paper packaging. Was so happy to come across several affordable options at Target. They range in price from $5-$12. I like the Hey Humans brand the best- the coconut mint smells divine & not too strong. Aluminum free with essential oils. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616965679343-SCFVWN97TDL65NBDC6YF/silicone.JPG March Efforts - March 20, Day 78 <Switched from plastic ziplock bags to reusable silicone bags> It clear why we need to use less single waste plastics. A new study finds the average person could be swallowing about five grams of plastic every week. That's equal to a credit card's worth. These particles can make their way into our drinking water, food & even the air we breathe & it adds up over time. I found these on clearance at Target. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618261421542-7U95QHREEBUM97ID06UB/IMG_6123.JPG March Efforts - March 21, Day 79 <Sprouted carrots greens from leftover carrot tops> You may be surprised to learn that there are many common vegetables that you grow can re-grow from scraps. This can be a great money saver, both when it comes to starting a new vegetable plot & when it comes to your existing food growing efforts. Making full use of a plant’s ability to grow new roots & regenerate is a great way to use natural processes to your advantage. It can also help you reduce the amount of food waste that you generate in your home. Which Vegetables Can You Re-Grow From Scraps? Here are some of the common vegetables (and herbs) that you can re-grow from scraps: Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Onions, Garlic, Leeks & Shallots Celery Bulb Fennel Carrots, Turnips, Parsnips, Beets & Other Root Crops Lettuce, Bok Choi & Other Leafy Greens Cabbages Basil, Mint, Cilantro & Other Herbs Retaining the tops (where the leaves and stems join onto the root) from carrots, turnips, & other root crops will allow you to regrow them. Place the tops in a container of water & new, green tops should begin to grow in a matter of days. You can simply harvest & use these greens as they grow, or you can allow the roots to continue growing until the plants are ready to be transplanted back into the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618261713465-2DAW92K76TCCGGN3OW8V/IMG_5892.JPG March Efforts - March 22, Day 80 <Gifted extra SCOBYs to fellow kombucha brewers> They look strange, but are amazing! A new SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria & Yeast) grows with each new batch of kombucha you brew. After a while, I have more SCOBYs than the jars can handle, so I share with people who want to learn how to brew their own. CLICK HERE for how to brew your own. Some of the benefits of drinking kombucha are reported to be: Antioxidants Immune support Improves digestive system Boosts energy Lowers cholesterol Joint care Helps weight loss Detoxification https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618262596388-IHFBQ6ZW2MLYLV0QJ79N/IMG_2236.jpg March Efforts - March 23, Day 81 <Homemade dish soap> Trying to reduce plastic waste by making my own cleaning products is fun, easy & less expensive/ Mix 2 cups of Dr. Bronner‘s Castile soap (I’ve used it full strength, but can try it diluted) with 12 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Squirt on a scrub brush & scrub dishes. Easy Peasy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618262926504-9FEPOSIVPTMI3YBHQ17C/IMG_5664.JPG March Efforts - March 24, Day 82 <Made pour top for ball jar> My husband discovered this idea. Cut off the top of a juice or milk carton with a twist top & flatten out. Trace the top of a ball jar on back side, cut out in a circle & replace for the top. I like it for salad dressings! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618263784184-12RLVD0IO6SPMN1ZRSCR/dry+shampoo+%281%29.png March Efforts - March 25, Day 83 <Mixed my own dry shampoo> Mix in equal amounts CORNSTARCH & the ingredient below for your hair color: For Black hair: Charcoal For Brown Hair: Cocoa powder For Red hair: Cinnamon For Blonde hair: Arrowroot ***Patch test on your scalp 1st. If no reaction, go ahead & use mixture. With on old make-up brush or your fingers, apply the powder to your roots or oily parts of your hair. Comb the powder through & style as normal. I mixed 1/4 cup each of cocoa & cornstarch for my brown hair in a small jar with a lid & shook it up to combine. (It also smells really good!) Works so great! CLICK HERE for info on Why Should You Use Dry Shampoo? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618264130260-DGWU3YBM42CVZXIV4AM1/Save+your+pasta+water+%281%29.png March Efforts - March 26, Day 83 <Saved pasta water for hair rinse> WAIT! Don’t let your pasta water go down the drain! It is rich in vitamins & minerals! Here are a few clever ideas how to use it. *For the hair-Damaged hair will always welcome special treatment. Using the pasta water will make it beautifully smooth. Simply massage it into the hair, leave it for 10 minutes & then rinse it out. Now use your normal shampoo & you'll be astounded by the results. <I tried this! Made my hair very soft & full bodied.> *For watering the flowers. Unsalted water only. Your plants will appreciate it-pasta water is perfect for watering due to its mineral content. Best poured when only lukewarm. *For sauce & pesto-As a special ingredient for the tomato sauce, add the pasta water right at the last minute. Your tasty pesto will also benefit from it. The warm liquid is a perfect combining agent. *For bread & pizza dough-All yeast doughs require some liquid with a pinch of salt. With your pasta water, you're already one step ahead. Simply use however much of it you need for the dough recipe. *To soften legumes-Beans, peas, linseed — they're all good for the immune system. But to make them taste better, you should allow them to soften before the preparation. Use the pasta water & let the legumes simply soak overnight. Perfect! *For washing up-The extract from pasta starch acts as a natural detergent. Warm pasta water is therefore, perfect for washing up. Even the really dirty pots & pans can be cleaned with it! *For a foot spa-For those that suffer from sore or swollen feet after a hard day at work, you should definitely try out a foot spa using your warm pasta water. Both the warm water & the minerals it contains, will leave your feet feeling soft & refreshed in no time. *For steaming vegetables-Steaming is a great method for preparing vegetables. Simply take the pasta water as a base, place a steamer basket in the pot & begin. Cooking doesn't get much healthier. *As a soup base-Whether for a hearty broth or a soup, the pasta water is a great place to start. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1618326015801-TLJ9GKZNOVOK7S7JMT1E/IMG_6301.jpg March Efforts - March 27, Day 84 <Reused paper padded mailer> Received a shipment from Amazon in a lovely padded paper envelope. A QR code links me to some good info on how Amazon is improving their packaging by using more sustainable fully recyclable paper padded mailers. Super cool stuff. I saved the mailer & used it to send a gift to a friend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619271722433-QGAJXDWOINNEXT23VJ8U/amazon+mailer.jpg March Efforts - March 28, Day 85 <Messaged Amazon to reduce plastic shipping materials> Not all packaging from Amazon is recyclable yet! Beyond Plastics recommends you message Amazon when you receive a shipment in packing you can’t recycle. Urge Amazon to take responsibility for the mountains of plastic pollution it generates every year. Hearing from consumers is the key to convincing Amazon to commit to plastic-free packaging & here is an easy follow-up action you can take the next time you receive an Amazon package. Here's what you do: 1. Snap a picture of the plastic packaging (could be the bubble wrap mailer or the air pillows inside a box). 2. Post it on your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other social media accounts. 3. Please make sure to tag Amazon (and Beyond Plastics so they can share it!) and ask for a plastic-free packaging choice with the hashtag #PlasticFreeAmazon. You can use the sample text below or write your own. Twitter .@amazon there's no way to recycle this packaging where I live. Please switch to #plasticfree, 100% recycled paper mailers. Or better yet, reusable totes as part of a #zerowaste delivery system. Our oceans and planet can't wait! #OceanPlastic #PlasticFreeAmazon @PlasticsBeyond Facebook @amazon I'm sorry to report that there's no way to recycle this packaging where I live. Please switch to #plasticfree, 100% recycled paper mailers. Or better yet, switch to 100% reusable packaging as part of a #plasticfree #zerowaste delivery system like you've created in @AmazonIN. We're only four years away from having one pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in our oceans and our planet can't wait! @beyondplasticsaction Instagram @amazon there's no way to recycle this packaging where I live. Please switch to #plasticfree, 100% recycled paper mailers. Or better yet, commit to 100% reusable packaging as part of a new #plasticfree #zerowaste delivery system like what you've accomplished in @amazondotin. We're only four years away from having one pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in our oceans. Our oceans and planet can't wait any longer! @beyondplasticsbennington #OceanPlastic #PlasticFreeAmazon #PlanetOrPlastic #WildlifeOverWaste #RefuseSingleUse #ReuseRevolution #EmbraceReuse #NoExcuseForSingleUse More than 15 billion pounds of plastic enter our oceans every year — & the crisis will only get worse if companies like Amazon don’t act. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619272547746-ZMRPAPSL8C35Z1BZLGZH/tabouli.jpg March Efforts - March 29, Day 86 <Meat free Monday> This is the single most impactful lifestyle change you can make to help the planet. Industrialized agriculture is responsible for 15% of global carbon emissions, & contributes to water pollution & land use. Commit to reducing your meat consumption by a few meals per week. Start with meat-free Mondays, & gradually move to eat meat only once or twice a week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619273033837-BW012STAEMZSLTOTH2TG/salad+dressing.JPG March Efforts - March 30, Day 87 <Made homemade salad dressing> Most store-bought salad dressings contain vegetable oils (including soybean, canola, & more). Contrary to what the name suggests, these types of oils are far from healthy. They’re high in omega-6 fatty acids & lead to inflammation. Plus, most are genetically modified. In my attempt to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, I try to eat healthy fats- like extra virgin olive oil. Try mixing your own salad dressing instead of buying it from the store. So many recipes out there! How to Make Your Own Healthy Salad Dressing From Body Unburdened: 1. Start with an oil Two healthy oils for homemade salad dressings are olive oil & avocado oil. Unlike vegetable oils, these are both high in omega 3-fatty acids, which we want to increase! 2. Add in the vinegar You have several options here. My personal favorite is Apple Cider Vinegar, but you can also use champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, depending on taste preference & the type of salad. *The ratio is typically 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but experiment with this to find what you like best – have fun with this! 3. Add in fresh citrus Fresh citrus juice is essential to any tasty homemade salad dressing. This gives it a bit of sweetness & reduces the bitterness from the vinegar. Squeeze in some orange or grapefruit juice. Fresh lemon juice can also be used in addition to other citrus juices. 4. Throw in seasoning This is where you can get really creative! Depending on whether you have a sweet or savory salad, you can add a variety of seasonings. My favorite seasonings for fruity/sweet salads are: honey, liquid stevia/fresh stevia leaves, & fresh mint leaves. My favorite seasonings for savory salads are: minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, turmeric, basil, cilantro, ginger, mustard, parsley, & more! Simply whisk all of your ingredients together or shake in a blender bottle and you’re set! Be sure to store in an air-tight container & use within 5-7 days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619275057872-VT4Y8PB4YKDORLW9II0H/j+dog+walk.jpg March Efforts - March 31, Day 88 <Saved time & money by online banking> Paperless billing and banking also gives you an opportunity to reduce your household’s impact on deforestation, water & fossil fuel consumption, & greenhouse gas emissions with minimal effort. In addition to being convenient, by switching to paperless, you’re preventing paper statements & bills from being created, reducing resource use & your carbon footprint. And it gives you more time to get outside! https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/sustainable-swaps daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1614811086060-52RDT603S4XTG5SD5PPE/IMG_5528.JPG Sustainable Swaps Bamboo Toothbrushes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615472516886-0NDX0M841BGBN8B8ELVW/bites.png Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616015758865-9FBYDK0ACBOTCJLYF914/IMG_2583.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612894032020-RXVW9UAE3O71QEI91O4V/pin.png Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588689847274-XD0I5V591NZF1DQUHQUP/ACV+HAIR+RINSE+jpeg.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615996385986-FOZPWSR97SL78S0NPQZJ/razor.png Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615995733345-TCI1XCSY8351L34YS3IK/shampoo%2Bbar.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616162870391-9TMO9MLBF5TUOV1MVWAI/kind.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616105965339-7T76RWYUGNH4ZGN4UWBG/IMG_5989.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1610135138291-0NGF1S7VXRT1EUEVE9UI/poop+bags.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613327841150-PU0ZT68HTXJVQ9JF13A7/homemade+wipes.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616107019600-3PFXRY5OB3TUU1FG362F/IMG_5992.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612627330391-Q9FYNKZ90551JCC3GDIW/coffee%2Bfilters.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616016304475-YKVMGWYHSTPI0BZS7U97/IMG_2032.PNG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615490827896-HN2DG0VCP0WNA7W14637/quickie+window+cloth.jpeg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1593969629086-X6ZLFR8KMHE0Q9XW9874/floor.jpg Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1612713624511-HSTYJ50EAM32CX5XD8UB/beeswax+wrapp.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613929884701-8QR6RNO0WXX8XA6MP9OK/IMG_5231.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1616105692753-3XUUJAEUSUULBVM6MR1Z/IMG_5988.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615501490466-3YWFZ61ZK8K0K9SQHDK3/IMG_5694.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1615473681840-ZJQJWBTZB4X79U0K3HUS/IMG_5058.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1613326983157-BGFVYQAFLUEON0O6WVYC/IMG_5055.JPG Sustainable Swaps https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/make-an-offer daily 0.75 2024-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/fbb74f78-e57a-4571-aec8-6b77f236573e/IMG_9916.JPG Make an Offer https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/april-efforts daily 0.75 2021-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619371175111-BTT6H7ACW4CSWEQI7Q7B/small%2Baug.jpg April Efforts - April 1, Day 89 <Let the dandelions grow; no chemicals on our lawn> Every year, homeowners spray their yards with herbicides & pesticides to keep weeds & pests at bay, but it may be at a cost to honeybees & other pollinators. That's because bees & other beneficial insects rely on dandelions as a source of nectar in early spring, when most other flowers are not yet in bloom. The problem is that many pesticides are toxic to bees, insects, birds & other animals. When they visit dandelions in their search for nectar, they also consume the pesticides, which can have deadly consequences. The bee population has been declining over the past few years because of a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder, or CCD, which was first identified in 2006. The dwindling bee population is a concern across the world because bees are one of our most important pollinators. Pollination is necessary for many of the foods we eat every day. In the U.S., honeybees are responsible for about $20 billion in food production & are necessary for pollinating many important crops. Chemical use on our lawns is a big industry. In fact, homeowners use up to 10 times more of these chemicals per acre to treat their lawns than farmers use on their crops, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can do your part to help the bees by eliminating or limiting the use of weed-killing herbicides on your lawn. Dandelions are edible from root to flower. Though we typically think of dandelions as flowers, the plant is a perennial herb & is one of the oldest herbs used for food & healing — since before Roman times! So, when the yellow dandelion flowers start to dot your lawn, hold off on mowing for awhile until they start to die back. That way, the bees get to enjoy the food supply these early bloomers provide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619305371910-NC4RKP996NER8RI9JNWM/ev+charge.JPG April Efforts - April 2, Day 90 <Cracked the code with EV chargers on 700 mile road trip> 99% of the time I charge Rubee, my all electric Chevy Bolt, at home. Taking a longer road trip in an EV requires planning & patience. President Joe Biden is prioritizing a national EV charging network under his $2 trillion infrastructure bill, promising to have at least 500,000 of the devices installed across the U.S. by 2030. That will be awesome, but now in some areas EV charging stations are sparse. There are several smartphone apps that help. PLUGSHARE- This is my favorite now that I have decoded how to set the filters. Find EV charging stations, leave reviews, & connect with other plug-in vehicle owners. I like the map view feature. I always try to leave a review after using a charger, letting others EV drivers know if I had a successful charge or if there were issues. ABRP-A Better Route Planner-Set a route & find stations from point A to point B & see how long you will need to charge at each stop. Helpful planning app! Rubee gets approx. 160-180 miles of range with 100% charge in March (28 degrees) weather & 235-250 miles in warmer summer weather. Getting more comfortable with each trip we take. This was learned on our two road trips to Michigan. Most DCFC or Level 3 chargers (the fastest & only ones you really want to use on a road trip) only let you charge to 80%. You don’t want to go below 10-15% charge, so that means you only really have 65-70% of charge to use for each leg. Knowing this, we tried to keep the legs of the trip to around 120 miles max. In warmer weather, we hope to get much better mileage/range & can probably extend the legs to 140-150 miles. A 5 1/2 hour, 350 mile trip was an extra 2 hours with 3 charging stops along the way. We wanted to arrive in Adrian, MI with at least 50% charge, because there are no Level 3 chargers there. Coming home only took 1 1/2 hours extra. During charging stops we used our time to stretch, find some good food, use the restroom, & walk the dog. The stops offered a nice break & gave us an opportunity to explore neighborhoods we otherwise would not have found. The cost? Less than we would have spent on gas because several charges were free. I will do the math another day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619364826715-888ET0LJ3YRBM384YQ37/chargepoint+.JPG April Efforts - April 3, Day 91 <Did the math-Cost of EV charging vs. gas on road trip with Rubee> See my previous post about our 700 mile road trip to Michigan in my all electric car Rubee. Wondering how much it cost? This data is from our 1st trip in March. Left home with 100% charge. Average of 192 mile range. Drove 100 miles to Erie, PA- arrived with 36% or 56 miles range left. Charged for 1 hour to 80%. Cost nothing- session was “complimentary”! Drove 110 miles to Westlake, OH-arrived with 25% or 41 miles range left. Charged for free overnight to 100% at BMW dealer near hotel. Drove 83 miles to Blue Heron Ohio turnpike rest stop-arrived with 53% or 80 mile range left. Charged to 70% in 30 minutes. Cost $6.43 Total cost one way 350 miles $6.43 Drove 60 miles to Adrian, MI-arrived with 40% or 70 miles range left. Charged at a Level 2 charger to 100% in 5 1/2 hours. Cost $14.98 (this included some parking fees) Trip back home- drove 132 miles to Sheffield, OH-arrived with 26% or 51 miles range. Charged 1 hour to 80%. Cost $15.15 Drove to Erie, PA-arrived with 20% charge or 30 miles range left. Charged 50 minutes to 80%. Cost FREE! Drove 100 miles home- arrived with 25% or 39 miles range left. Total cost homebound trip $30.13 Cost of 700 mile trip $36.56 or .05/mile. Not bad. This was lucky because the Erie, PA & Westlake, OH charges were free. If we paid for all the charges, it would have cost us closer to .16/mile vs. approx .13/mile in an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) If you wanted to save money & seek out free charges you can definitely do it. It may take more time & make your trip longer unless you are charging while you sleep. Bottom line-we save money overall driving Rubee considering we charge 99% of the time at home. Total cost of this to be determined another day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619367098588-ZYQNIOG7Q32BPD6TTDHW/ann+arbor+parking.JPG April Efforts - April 4, Day 92 <Charged Rubee for free with solar powered charger in Ann Arbor> Ann Arbor, MI is a pretty cool town we decided to explore when visiting our daughter. In Kerrytown & in the middle of great shopping (yarn shops & bike stores!) & restaurants is a municipal parking lot where we found a Level 2 charger powered by solar energy. Got a FREE charge for several hours while we ventured around town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619371344813-SQAG2BFDAZLXC10K03GA/loose%252Bleaf%252Bt.jpg April Efforts - April 5, Day 93 <Purchased loose leaf tea> I found some loose leaf tea at a sweet tea shop. So many yummy flavors, I had a hard time deciding which to try. Lavender peach! If you want to minimize waste & create a better environment, you can buy loose leaf tea, instead of buying tea bags. Loose leaf tea comes with a number of benefits. You will love the original flavor. The major difference is the preparation & package. Most tea bags are made of thin & permeable papers & some of them are not biodegradable. They contain harmful chemicals. The package & material can pollute the environment significantly. In addition, you might be ingesting chemicals while using tea bags without your knowledge. Some tea bags contain Epichlorohydrin, a compound used as a pesticide or are bleached with chlorine. These becomes more active while coming into the contact of hot water. Not healthy. Try some loose leaf tea! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619376679292-M1YS07YJ4D5ZY88OGAKS/teapot.jpg April Efforts - April 6, Day 94 <Boiled only the water I needed for my cup of tea> Only boil what you need – any extra & you’re wasting time, money, and valuable energy. If you boil more than you need (as most people do), you could easily add 20g to the carbon footprint of each drink. Pretty straightforward really: unnecessary boiling = wasted electricity = easily avoidable carbon emissions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619373409146-2RV1HPKRO3C2K33US7D5/coffee.jpg April Efforts - April 7, Day 95 <Calculated the carbon footprint of my hot drinks> Switching from coffee to tea lately had me thinking. What has a larger carbon footprint? They may not be as crucial as the homes we heat & the cars we drive but – depending on how we take them – hot drinks can make up a surprisingly large slice of our carbon footprints. The carbon footprint of a cup of tea or coffee: 21g CO2e: black tea or coffee, boiling only the water you need 53g CO2e: white tea or coffee, boiling only the water you need 71g CO2e: white tea or coffee, boiling double the water you need 235g CO2e: a large cappuccino 340g CO2e: a large latte If you drink four mugs of black tea per day, boiling only as much water as you need, that works out as just 30kg of CO2e each year – the same as a 40-mile drive in an average car. Three large lattes per day, by contrast, & you're looking at almost twenty times as much carbon, equivalent to flying half way across Europe. Surprisingly, adding milk will typically account for around two-thirds of the total footprint – more than boiling the water & cultivating the tea or coffee put together. Info from HERE. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619648261647-SD24L6MTVK1RZQWN6Q5N/allbirds.jpg April Efforts - April 8, Day 96 <Bought new Allbird sneakers> One thing I have learned for my Daily Efforts is that you cast a vote for the kind of world you want every time you spend money. I LOVE this company’s mission! Sustainability is their priority! I purchase a beautiful red pair of Tree Dashers & I am loving them. Wool, sugarcane, tree fiber, recycled bottles & castor bean oil are used in the making of these cool shoes. Replacing petroleum-based materials with natural ones, & inventing alternatives that don’t yet exist. They measure everything that contributes to their carbon footprint, from the factory floor to the lights in HQ & they are working to reduce beyond carbon neutrality, with ambitions to eventually become climate positive. While striving for longer-term climate goals, they offset all emissions to operate as a carbon neutral business. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619536639967-VJEWVC091AYB4GEXQR76/hummus.JPG April Efforts - April 9, Day 97 <Made homemade hummus> Hummus is a staple in our home. Been wanting to make my own for a while. This recipe was delicious! Gone in 2 days! Full recipe & variations HERE. 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon) 1/4 cup (60 ml) well-stirred tahini, see our homemade tahini recipe 1 small garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Salt to taste 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) water Dash ground paprika or sumac, for serving DIRECTIONS In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini & lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides & bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth & creamy. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, & a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini & lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides & bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Open, drain, & rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor & process for 1 minute. Scrape sides & bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas & process until thick & quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency. Taste for salt & adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil & dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container & refrigerate up to one week. Recipe from InspiredTaste.net https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625254068964-EI9TZJUC7LYI05RAK0TD/napkins.jpeg April Efforts - April 10, Day 98 <Used reusable napkins> Reusable napkins are easy & pretty! Save the trees & find a few sets of fabric napkins to dress up your table. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619648131267-QXXHCWVXQ2QADBJ44ZL5/tv.JPG April Efforts - April 11, Day 99 <Turned off the TV when not watching> Saved some energy & switched off the TV when I wasn’t watching. For example, a 50-inch LED television consumes much more electricity than a smartphone (100 times) or laptop (5 times). Most televisions average 80 to 400 kilowatt hours per year. Considering the other appliances in your home, this wattage is pretty low. However, televisions are used quite often within the home. It's generous to say that tvs in this range are only switched on for 6 hours a day, mostly every day. The wattage of an appliance is then multiplied by the amount that it is used. This provides how much energy is processed during its usage. The result is then stated in what's called "kilowatt-hours". In this equation, that comes out to 876 kWh & $105.12! Imagine this number in homes where someone may not have a job or has children. This number could be even higher! However, there are some practical solutions to saving energy & cutting down the costs. Use the energy-efficient settings - These settings on tvs usually include a light sensor that will auto adjust the brightness depending on the amount of light in the room. This can really help out in households where the tv is on most of the day. Cut down on the hours the tv is on - In a society where media rules all, this can be difficult. However, cutting down the hours can drastically help. Cutting the 6 hours down to 3 hours in the example above will slash those numbers in half. Another suggestion is using portable devices that aren't plugged in. Media can be streamed to so many platforms now, that using a smaller screen that is portable may be a good alternative. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619641654965-MSJARN661XM8XI5XO2AR/%3F%3F+clothes.png April Efforts - April 12, Day 100 <Considered questions to ask when buying new clothes> I try to consider these helpful questions before buying new clothes… Will I wear it at least 30 times? Do I feel good in this? Confident & comfortable? Can I wear it multiple seasons? Do I already have clothes that go with this? Do I know the care instructions? Will I be happy & excited to wear it often? Thanks @rachelraisin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619642643085-F4C2KT17NGF0CMCEA6FT/amazon+smiles.png April Efforts - April 13, Day 101 <Used AmazonSmile> I try to purchase goods locally 1st & then look to Etsy. When I do make the occasional purchase from Amazon, I do it thru AmazonSmile. It is a simple way to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile donates .5% of the purchase price from your eligible purchases to a charity of your choice. Available at smile.amazon.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619644650770-9FVZD5PVHPJE0E4L7MZK/unsplash-image-7EqQ1s3wIAI.jpg April Efforts - April 14, Day 102 <Researched carbon emissions> In my quest to understand more about climate change, I found this site that gave a good explanation of carbon emissions. Here are some key points: CO2 is released into the atmosphere in a ton of ways. When we extract, refine, transport, & burn fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, & oil, we release extra carbon & other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. We also cut down large expanses of CO2-absorbing trees to make way for agriculture & new developments, or collect lumber to create new products. When these trees burn or decompose, they emit even more CO2. By removing forests, we also effectively remove the natural systems that absorb & store carbon. As with most things in life, there are two main ways to fix a problem. The first, & safest option, is to avoid the situations that cause it in the first place. The second is to revert what’s already been done. When you apply this thinking to carbon emissions, it means you can either lower your carbon footprint, or offset it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619644411913-LXFJEQ02GXY128REE68E/03-zefiro-long-handle-dish-brush-1.jpeg April Efforts - April 15, Day 103 <Discovered EarthHero website & blog> From turning out lights when you leave a room to commuting via bus or bike, you can reduce your footprint. Take a look at how you shop, & make a conscious effort to make more sustainable choices. Buy products that make you happy, but make them last. When you do shop, shop with companies that take a stand to reduce their own footprint. By shopping with companies that care, you’re sending the message that you care, too. When you shop on EarthHero, all of your purchases are shipped carbon-neutral. Go ahead, shop with your values. As an eco-friendly online marketplace, EarthHero has done the work so you don’t have to. Here, you can pick from products that are sourced, manufactured, & shipped in a way that protects our planet’s future. Each brand they’ve partnered with has been chosen because they’re taking the right steps & helping to create a more sustainable future. What are their brands doing differently? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1619645583082-JEBS8CZNU817RFK4BRZH/bird+mow+helper.PNG April Efforts - April 16, Day 104 <Volunteered for Meals on Wheels> On fridays for the last ten years, I have volunteered for Meals on Wheels. I am lucky to have my helpful co-pilot Birdie. Consider volunteering for a charitable group in your town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625256365019-SUA096OJ5QKH0UU0YVWU/image-asset.png April Efforts - April 17, Day 105 <Collected batteries to dispose of properly> Alkaline batteries are the common household types found in remotes, clocks, flashlights, smoke detectors & other wireless devices. They are usually non-hazardous & can simply be tossed into a regular trash can, except in California. However, since they still have power in them, it’s best to follow a few precautions before you throw them out: Collect used batteries in a container that won’t cause a spark such as a cardboard box or plastic tub. Prevent any fire risk by taping 9-volt terminals before tossing. Rechargeable batteries must be recycled, but you should try & recycle all batteries. Some batteries like NiCad ones have toxic metals such as cadmium & lead. Recycling makes sure the components of all batteries are handled properly & don’t end up in streams & landfills. Here are some options for recycling: Your neighborhood The Home Depot Store has partnered with Call2Recycle, a non-profit battery recycling program. You can recycle rechargeable batteries for free by placing them in Call2Recycle bins at the store. Any rechargeable battery, including lithium batteries or a cellphone battery that weighs up to 11 pounds and is under 300 watt hours, is accepted. Call your local solid waste district to find out if your community has a collection program or upcoming event. Some battery manufacturers & recycling facilities have mail-in programs. Before mailing your batteries, be sure to follow postal shipping precautions. Check with your local auto dealer or battery retail location about recycling lead acid or car batteries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625259882830-N5N6GLTR1I5ZYCM9Y0JJ/straws.png April Efforts - April 18, Day 106 <Considered reusable straws of silicone, metal, glass or bamboo> I purchased the Flyby straw to keep on my keychain! Make the switch from plastic with one of these eco-friendly alternatives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625262433836-4YHLQF5UCTKW20E6QKFD/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 19, Day 107 <Opened my mind to imperfect fruit & veggies> Not all weird looking produce is to be forsaken. My daughter is a fan of buying the lonely single bananas, because she was told they tend to be the ones that get not picked & eventually over ripen & spoil. I try to find the fruit or vegetables that have some character that others may find unsuitable. There is a company that specializes in finding homes for high-quality food that grocery stores would rather let go to waste. Fight food waste with organic produce & sustainably sourced groceries delivered to your door at up to 40% off grocery store prices. And they use eco-friendly packing to ship. Check them out! Use the referral code: COOKWME-WX8YWOJFEMZ for $10 off your 1st order. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625263651829-X95347QJ1CK43EJ0JHX3/image-asset.png April Efforts - April 20, Day 108 <Took a super short 1 minute shower> The average 10 minute shower uses 50–75 gallons of water! If you shorten your shower by just a few minutes, you could save 25 gallons. That’s enough flush 4 extra times per day! According to Do Action List, only 0.0007% of the Earth’s water is drinkable, & we use about 1/5 of that in showers! We are using too much of the Earth’s precious resources. You might not think that you can make a difference, but trust me you can. If you don’t want to shorten your showers, there are literally hundreds of other options to live more sustainably that you can do. But if you want to take the showers 1 step further, you could shorten them AND take cold showers. This helps with saving energy, & it’s good for you. There’s many advantages to this, & you can find a couple here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625264992477-YWXDGUXU0Q6EJL7YPINM/image-asset.png April Efforts - April 21, Day 109 <Enjoyed a low waste picnic> Next time you go on a picnic, treat yourself with real silverware, china & cloth napkins. To make it more eco-friendly, focus on using reusable containers & package free food. Bring less food than you think you’ll need to avoid lots of leftovers. Here are some ideas to help you have a low waste picnic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627502229840-I83Q0E95I5S99REIIBJN/dr%2Bb.jpg April Efforts - April 22, Day 110 <Discovered which type of Dr. Bronner’s soap I should use> I love making my own green cleaning & body products. (see my tab Healthy Home for recipes). Dr. Bronner’s makes Castile Soap as well as Sal’s Suds. There are so many overlapping uses. But is there any time in which they aren’t interchangeable? Yes, but just a few. This article explains the best uses for each. In a nutshell: Situations to exclusively use Castile: Your body – Head to toe. Your animals – Any Castile soap scent on your dog. Baby Unscented on your cat. Pest Control – Only Castile soap has this ability to eliminate insects. Situations where to exclusively use Sal Suds: Dishes Cars Most Laundry – sometimes, as with bedding, I use Castile soap. Other than these few cases, I reach for whichever is closer at hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627503510694-KEJPO9W4AI755HKIO0OR/overpm%2Boats.jpg April Efforts - April 23, Day 111 <Made overnight oats> Found several recipes for making overnight oats in a jar. Deceptively simple & surprisingly yummy. Check them out HERE. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627591183171-OEN00ZRQFTO4UNJWN33I/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 24, Day 112 <Purchased non-chemical sunscreen> Here are 5 reasons why mineral sunscreen is best for your health and the planet. Info from HERE. Thank you Body Unburdened. 1. The active ingredients in mineral sunscreen* do not absorb into the skin Remember how your skin is your body’s largest organ & the majority of what you apply to it gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream? Well chemical sunscreen depends on this—it works by the active ingredients absorbing into the skin where they then scatter the sun’s rays. But some of these active ingredients (such as homosalate & oxybenzone) have been linked to endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity, &/or developmental/reproductive toxicity. When you choose a mineral sunscreen *made with non-nano active ingredients, however, the active ingredient does not absorb into the skin. Instead it acts as a protective layer on top of your skin, reflecting rays like a mirror. This is why non-nano zinc oxide is considered the gold standard of natural, mineral-based sun protection! 2. Mineral sunscreen offers immediate, long-lasting protection Because the active ingredients in chemical sunscreens need time to absorb into your skin, you need to wait for a period of time (usually 15-20 minutes) before going into the sun. But since they act as mirrors, mineral sunscreens start working as soon as they are applied. 3. Mineral sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection If you’re wondering “Is mineral sunscreen as effective?” not only is the answer YES! but actually EVEN MORE! While all chemical sunscreens protect your skin from the skin-burning UVB rays, some don’t offer protection from deeper-penetrating UVA rays. UVA rays are associated with premature aging, something I’m sure we’d all like to avoid! Mineral sunscreens protect from both UVB & UVA rays. 4. Mineral sunscreen is less irritating to sensitive skin Some of the active ingredients used chemical sunscreens trigger allergies & skin reactions (since they’re not natural & the skin is like “What!?“). Since mineral sunscreens contain natural minerals as their active ingredients, they are much less likely to cause irritation. In fact, zinc oxide—one of the most popular mineral sunscreen ingredients—is actually used in natural diaper rash creams to soothe irritated little bottoms. 5. Mineral sunscreen is better for the environment One of the most commonly used active ingredients in chemical sunscreens oxybenzone is known to kill coral reefs, which are home to 25% of all ocean life. For this reason, reefs are disappearing twice as fast as rain forests! According to TIME: Currently, somewhere between 4,000 & 6,000 tons of sunscreen enters coral reef areas around the world each year, according to the U.S. National Park Service. That’s a lot of sunscreen considering how little it takes to cause toxic effects. According to the new research, toxicity occurs at a concentration of 62 parts per trillion. That’s the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic swimming pool. In May of 2018, Hawaii actually passed a bill to ban the sale of all sunscreens with this ingredient in order to protect the reefs! (source) In February of 2019, Key West followed suit. (source) If we can do our part to prevent this just by switching to natural mineral sunscreen, why wouldn’t we? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627591559149-FFKP24L07J8ARY3DMA9I/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 25, Day 113 <Tried bamboo paper towels> Info from HERE. Reasons You Should Make a Change to Bamboo Paper Towels They help you save money. Bamboo paper towels reduce waste. These paper towels are biodegradable. Bamboo paper towels are ethical. They last longer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627592457679-M0ORWAQFBYVKOB939SNI/image-asset.png April Efforts - April 26, Day 114 <Parked in the shade> Why? The easy answer is it keeps your car cool & comfortable. Remember the outcry about using plastic bottles that have BPA in them? Turns out it wasn’t just your Nalgene. It has been found that the BPA threat is present in your car’s cabin as well. For years, the government has failed to stress the dangers of exposure to molten hot plastics, so be sure to always park in the shade. As the plastics warm, potentially harmful aromas can be released & over time may cause serious damage. Also, avoid fading or blistering paint, faded seats, cracked dashboards & as well as uncomfortably hot steering wheels & seats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1627672864306-K9JI5HHXKKG0JNRV8J4V/b+bread.JPG April Efforts - April 27, Day 115 <Made banana bread from overripe bananas> Yummy & a great way to use speckly overripe bananas! Banana Bread From Karen Adams, my kids’ 1st babysitter over 20 years ago! Still my favorite banana bread. 3 very ripe bananas 2 eggs 2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup chopped nuts chocolate chips- optional Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter & flour a loaf pan. Use a fork to mash bananas in large bowl. Add eggs & mix well. Sift flour, sugar, salt & baking soda over bananas. Stir well. Mix in nuts & optional chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 1 hour or less, (when toothpick comes out clean). Also can bake as mini loaves for approximately 30 minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1629901006526-ADU7MUVICXL671DMMMV5/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 28, Day 116 <Watered plants with leftover water from water bottle> I take my reusable water bottle everywhere I go. Leaving the house I make sure I have keys, phone, wallet, mask & water bottle! When I get home, most times I have some water left in the bottle. My houseplants appreciate a splash. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1629902497221-KAF68TLVGUJMK8PU5H4B/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 29, Day 117 <Installed a new (& more efficient) water heater> Water heaters have a lifespan of approximately 10-12 years. Sometimes longer if you are lucky. Ours stopped working at 10 years! Water heaters are the second highest source of energy usage in the home. ENERGY STAR certified water heaters are an easy choice for energy savings, performance, & reliability. They use less energy than standard models, saving homeowners money on their utility bills while helping protect the climate. What is the most efficient water heater for your home? There are a lot of things to consider. A professional plumbing or heating contractor will be able to provide a good suggestion based on your home & your needs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1629903250576-HTSOBN4HD6L2O4J1XXMF/image-asset.jpeg April Efforts - April 30, Day 118 <Turned down temperature on new water heater> Adjust your water heater temperature! If your conventional water heater’s temperature is set too high, you could be losing lots of energy keeping that water warm when no one is using it. Take a look at your water heater & use your manual or search online to find where the energy efficient dials are, if you don’t already know. Gas water heater tanks tend to have one bottom control, while electric water heaters may have two different sensors to tweak. Turn the temperature setting down to 120 degrees F. This temperature will still get your clothes & dishes clean. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/may-efforts daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1629905201033-0PQ7K3EPA63QNNWUJQGB/small%2Baug.jpg May Efforts - May 1, Day 119 <Got creative with leftovers> I know some people don’t like leftovers, but I love them! The best lunch is yesterday’s leftover dinner! Try dating your leftovers with a post-it note so you know how fresh (or not!) they are. Some leftovers even taste better the next day! Want some stats? Roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption around the world goes to waste. Environmentally, it accounts for about 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, 24% of the freshwater & 28 million tons of the fertilizers & pesticides used in agriculture. If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA & China! https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/mortgage-info daily 0.75 2024-06-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625159571374-9T9LD1BAT1SCMF1OEDK4/image-asset.jpeg Mortgage Info - A wealth of info on what you need to know about financing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625158336637-4U3RO2HD1OLPQSSRI80S/Road+to+Buying+DiRado+Oubre+%281%29.jpg Mortgage Info - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1625158555217-JX69GX97450M9ZCOGPI6/What+Not+To+Do+After+You+Apply+DiRado+Oubre.jpg Mortgage Info - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/june-efforts daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/july-efforts daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/august-efforts daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/listings daily 0.75 2025-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588967087043-VUFH15QP2CZOAKQ2R66U/sold%2Bsummit%2Bunedited.jpg My Listings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/19c1d136-c9b0-4fd5-937a-a843b8f12b18/IMG_3987.JPG My Listings - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6c562cd7-ec91-4456-be07-f429c2d7e101/128+Old+Glenwood+%281%29.png My Listings - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/a963d3b0-0872-4d36-968a-6cb30944f1a1/1909+Grover+rd.png My Listings - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/8358bd48-bd35-437f-8f39-223fefa77ad9/IMG_9641.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 484 Creekside Dr, Alden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/0fd64223-b63f-4292-922e-5f46a18a4e0d/FrontDeck.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 1909 Grover Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/8789326e-d451-4792-b8e7-6e3d3e14a90f/ext+bullis.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 11803 Bullis Rd, Marilla https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/64a18ae5-d036-4dd3-b2dd-a37a540d3fe2/IMG_7957.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 1748 Blakeley Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/853073a1-7dc4-4974-8483-7d517d3e956c/IMG_3588.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 148 W Main St, Springville https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/e3e920c3-85c5-4bf7-9dec-6cb6b94dcd59/DSCN0283%2Bext%2Bedited.jpg My Listings 738 Main St, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588802283518-DL0FT2M3PAFDV49M2BJD/DSC_5127.jpg My Listings 9361 Lakeshore Rd, Angola https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588794340829-MMUK3JILU3702X3CPC41/DSC_2897.jpg My Listings 1362 Underhill, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/3d7920f7-b54a-4932-9511-1b4f4ef6d072/FrontLeft1.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 118 Admiral Rd, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/a0d651ca-a065-4c84-b54e-11148fbd1dae/edited+front.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 93 Crescent Ave E, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/607d322e-83a2-44cb-aa6f-006e22d4a154/IMG_8493.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 310 Huxley Dr. Amherst https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588797167302-NBF7BPWSU0AOLLPEC7ND/DSC_8054.jpg My Listings 16 Southpoint Dr, Lancaster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1622931142253-AOESN1WPJ70TS0YHUKXT/DSC_9745.jpg My Listings 7460 Berghorn Rd, Clarence Center https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588797815423-NM9AH4RGJBBX48G5AH2X/DSC_8714.jpg My Listings 170 Summit Ave, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588859567083-8Y72WJYUKDER54YZTWIB/DSC_0849.jpg My Listings 4647 Pinecrest Ter, Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1e072a37-fc9a-4c4a-94b4-5771775c80a4/DSC_0127.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 777 Porterville Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588796996464-JDICAFVMYYZRO7TH3V3F/DSC_7880.jpg My Listings 164 Center St, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588793788638-MVJIMDLCXP58UOUXSODN/DSC_2350.jpg My Listings 4245 Four Rod Rd, Wales https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/da5061c6-be4b-4007-b434-15996637d6a2/Front.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 15 Morris Crescent, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1624992522694-OYTUTHWW7X4LEP4TOXX6/DSC_3553.jpg My Listings 184 Richmond Ave, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588801914655-89HZ8763U47N4B4GNYKV/PICT0069%2Bext%2Bfront.jpg My Listings 1431 Jamison Rd, Elma https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588872616292-HU9ZR9W0KYSJIG1Z95IR/DSC_6900.jpg My Listings 270 Borden Rd, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588800844176-M6UCO7RQ0MAYBDHF10HC/PICT0218%2Bext%2Bfront.jpg My Listings 2194 Lewis Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/ee5818ca-2d61-4f22-8591-67fe5fd653fd/DSC_7281.jpg My Listings 221 N Davis, Elma https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1624992433524-NL6Q8K2YQBYA6FUNE35Q/DSC_9151.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 40 Kalla Ln, Elma https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588795647216-IU134OB1YRZQ2K6FT3VV/DSC_6026.jpg My Listings 35 Idlewood Dr, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588796377364-UEWW34T2KU05F25736B4/DSC_7036.jpg My Listings 8649 Center Rd, Colden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1631716865158-RTVS9X6BVDFK3YGEL3AP/290077_101_12%25255B1%25255D.jpg My Listings 7288 Hayes Hollow Rd, Colden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/0d83a3ed-8fb2-4cab-b660-9b989c470c8d/DSC_5290.jpg My Listings 2679 Blakeley Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/d99db74b-661d-4163-aea8-f29df7b90943/DSC_2580.jpg My Listings 189 Lowell Ln, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/839d52ba-8708-4fca-803d-ab1d35fb562c/Front1+2.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 4214 Wilson Burt Rd, Wilson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588800570113-FE4HMS159C6AHUX46EUR/PICT0029%2Bext.jpg My Listings 26 Hillcrest Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588790205883-XDPWM1SLFTPWI0O65615/DSC_0006%2Bcopy.jpg My Listings 90 Sycamore Ave, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588794471857-CA5TD9TF3JXNXKNVZ8XE/DSC_3079.jpg My Listings 98 Ontario Dr, Cheektowaga https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588795489048-OVT59IX4POPCI5ALSM82/DSC_5890.jpg My Listings 171 Hamlin Ave, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588872947701-Y5IQ1ZZMB1DWRU8KYKFG/eck.jpg My Listings 6260 Eckhardt Rd, Hamburg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588867409996-JGM9EMCV3L0P35XM6VWN/DSC_8627.jpg My Listings 292 S. Shore Blvd, Lackawanna https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/d1551cce-2024-45ba-a0b0-262a73bd932f/IMG_2528.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 126 Lincoln Blvd, Kenmore https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1e22dd6b-a8ed-4ee1-aeed-0c13940066dc/DSC_2642.jpg My Listings 82 Clover Ct, Orchard Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588872449211-UNQI64GM9DV4NMKSAXQB/DSC_0009.jpg My Listings 48 Creekwood Dr, Lancaster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588866876369-YKB8S918W08EPPNPYNVN/DSC_4327.jpg My Listings 134 Baitz Ave, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588797544785-XKF3QQJ54GH3425TDAKU/DSC_8260%2B2.jpg My Listings 371 Maple Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1631719077289-HNKKSG05ZZCDEWDW223D/blue+sky+ext.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 2675 N Creek, Hamburg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/9780476d-d1fa-42a4-ada1-0bea020334fb/PICT0005.jpg My Listings 9000 Back Creek Rd, Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588873541433-X8V3A1MAH0NYSPOU96E0/DSCN0177%2Bext.jpg My Listings 124 Sunset Ct, Amherst https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588873700335-AKM22X3GSNGC09LDLY01/PICT0002%2Bext%2Bfr%2Bside%2Bview.jpg My Listings 50 Claremont, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588800382457-MVV0EWDQK6LNOTZDVWSU/Phkb6kttTyyQa0hFSBjtgw_thumb_15bfa.jpg My Listings 278 N. Main St, Angola https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588796075981-MUOMQZ39Q8R54QNYFHLU/DSC_6586.jpg My Listings 11559 Cary Rd, Alden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588874198424-W31UDN7W8EP2S71C08QB/emery.jpg My Listings 1714 Emery Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/398f8ec9-ef02-49e4-8f62-18f95eb5ffa4/DSC_6379.jpg My Listings 19 Crystal Tree Ct, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588794821811-4D09NKJQKIHJNI3XXI22/DSC_3229.jpg My Listings 154 Blake Hill, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588793357754-IBF82ZPTCGTLVRKUK58R/DSC_2419.jpg My Listings 2 Highpoint Ct, Orchard Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/47be30e2-6788-47ca-b906-3ac693ef9b12/%2B%2B%2BIMG_3856.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 7 Fox Chapel, Orchard Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588793729171-ADRPG9KCC55F9WY77BFP/DSC_2129.jpg My Listings 19 Hamlin Ave, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588873813552-XO5QPVTZX8Q1FZ4UOQCZ/PICT0087%2Bext%2Bmdrm%2Bgood.jpg My Listings 5620 Brown Hill Rd, Concord https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588801406503-GSIZ50AWOU86WFUIVB10/DSC_4700.jpg My Listings 377 W. Falls Rd, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/2bd9d477-f6be-4aff-b467-779b4c1d2d85/IMG_4146.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 61 Grand Blvd, Cheektowaga https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/d8535531-e34b-44ce-bd60-91343528661c/IMG_2805.jpg My Listings - Make it stand out 258 Hamilton Dr, Amherst https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588798007028-2C43ALHSWG0641OGI2PM/DSC_8865.jpg My Listings 49 Bissell Ave, Cheektowaga https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588873426749-1NC6P3J32ZS09OEF25K1/DSCN0008.jpg My Listings 39 Sleepy Hollow, Orchard Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588798787767-8XTNIQEGWIUFVPIX8I6H/DSC_9320.jpg My Listings 42 Tennyson Ave, Buffalo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588796805735-K7AZ8Z7QS3C3E2JFEV0I/DSC_7515.jpg My Listings 45 Stoughton Ln, Orchard Park https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588794669999-N5VO8Y4LJSMIQMFSXN7H/DSC_3103.jpg My Listings 40 Mayfield Dr, West Seneca https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588792941707-EBY76ZLQLIY6LVAFW1BV/DSC_3977.jpg My Listings 38 Court St, Lancaster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/1588790953952-QOWSM34OUA6VKLX2KUGE/DSC_0239.jpg My Listings 57 Maple Road, East Aurora https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/f4c056b3-0c36-4298-b5ad-578e47661405/IMG_1620+%281%29+2.jpg My Listings Cedar sided home tucked away on a quiet road on 5 1/2 acres. Lower level workshop access through garage doors. Expansive perennial gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/844e7004-ec82-4243-bbe7-cb9b94fd9d5c/FrontEntrance.jpg My Listings A 2+car garage & breezeway addition blends perfectly w/ the original home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/e7a96e60-9201-454e-8fb3-30c71af171da/FrontDeck.jpg My Listings Fabulous decks surround the home to enjoy nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/7de055ac-95d1-49a6-b3ed-bcd3d6f4932f/Garage%26Driveway.jpg My Listings Tucked off the road & very private w/ many trees surrounding property. Fenced in garden for veggies. Built-in Basketball hoop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/872ee474-f9b3-4695-8c63-20c011504b74/IMG_1546.jpg My Listings This impressive stone wall is a focal point for the Great room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/55f6addd-2473-4a55-a781-5902b3494f9a/IMG_1857.jpg My Listings 11x10 bedroom w/ view of the backyard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/f648411e-376f-4e4f-9448-c3ce241c564d/IMG_1890.jpg My Listings 29x21 Family room. View into the possible 5th bedroom & laundry room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/dafe6bde-2572-4772-afc0-870ea9e71021/DSC_0397.jpg My Listings This room will be a favorite for relaxing by the woodstove or entertaining. Lots of natural light through the many skylights & big windows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/fae8c251-5051-4035-8954-4be9740c90c4/BoundaryMap.jpg My Listings Overview of the property shows approximate lot lines. Left side of property has a ravine that can be navigated thru the woods to a creek. Lots of open space for playing ball games or 95' x 35' an ice rink! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/20117110-7095-438e-9ef8-5ae102d7c190/FrontRight.jpg My Listings Roof over kitchen/living room/office (left side) 2017, Other roofs 2003. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/afe1e4ef-511c-437a-8081-bd7050a836f6/IMG_1867.jpg My Listings 12x10 bedroom with corner windows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/4c0b2e9e-8cbe-4971-83ff-b67bc4d512aa/IMG_1850.jpg My Listings 13x12 bedroom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/c12998d9-db93-42a5-bcf5-d718f8cba5e5/IMG_1798.jpg My Listings Work from home in the office off the kitchen, with a view thru the large windows of the perennial garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/81978c13-22bd-48f4-b873-fd56e190b118/IMG_1541.jpg My Listings Open large space for easy entertaining where you can all be together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6327b777-194a-4cee-9b8d-e7ae6bf2ae79/IMG_1588.jpg My Listings A creek runs thru the south side of the property. Set up a hammock & enjoy nature with the gentle sounds of the creek. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6449a4a1-9d6c-4a24-8b67-e1208878419a/IMG_1756.jpg My Listings Enjoy cooking in the large 20x12 kitchen equipped w/ Viking gas stove. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/e4f12ff5-dd2a-4369-849b-72b9824050e0/IMG_1726.jpg My Listings Fantastic & functional, yet gorgeous, storage! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/83f43f34-7b02-417b-89c7-47ab131814d7/IMG_1893.jpg My Listings Bonus room off Family room with fold up Murphy bed could also be a craft/sewing room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6932ddec-2e54-4805-8da9-07fdcd74f660/IMG_1899.jpg My Listings Tons of hooks & closet space in this mudroom off the garage. Door ahead to the deck & pool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/b7597a2b-1782-4d90-891d-91640cc19efc/IMG_1903.jpg My Listings Laundry room, situated between the mudroom & family room, has many built in cabinets. Extra fridge is negotiable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/aa3fbcd6-9094-4230-a9f8-8dfbb66adeb8/IMG_1838.jpg My Listings Retreat to the master bedroom w/ vaulted ceiling & wooden beams. A deck just outside the slider looks out onto the woods, ravine & creek. Totally privacy. Also has a walk-in closet & ensuite bathroom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/81673280-d9d2-4fa7-9a4f-8d534bc9c14b/IMG_1848.jpg My Listings Full bath off the hallway with double sinks, tub/shower & tile floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/78d0b7e2-6390-4add-bd9e-d0d114a1fede/IMG_1914.jpg My Listings Amazing workshop with a wall of pegboard (not shown in photo) & lots of work surface. Elevated hardwood floor. There are overhead garage doors for bringing in supplies or letting in fresh air & light. Tons of storage space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/a24f2f7d-a42a-4611-a8a7-c31cceea1f31/IMG_1835.jpg My Listings The master bedroom bath has a stand up shower & tile floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/2c56fb48-39e7-4019-9df4-f71db6926882/IMG_1717.jpg My Listings Look through your cookbooks for recipes & make your shopping list at the built in desk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6514e613-dc7d-4415-8d6c-b721fe7f60a5/IMG_1707.jpg My Listings Surrounded by nature, this screened sunroom is a peaceful space to dine or paint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/4205c9f6-547d-40c8-b514-b8ce338fee91/Garage+A.jpg My Listings 2 car detached garage w/ gardening shed. Solar panels installed in 2015 defray electricity costs. Average NYSEG bill is $94/month. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/43d965ab-4593-4418-b0a0-cff6c3f177aa/DSC_0524.jpg My Listings Double door entry into the home. Attractive concrete sidewalk leading from driveway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/5f04b908-270f-46b5-babc-4e8628fc8255/fam+couches-1.jpeg My Listings Family room-Slider to the patio area under the deck- perfect place to store firewood. Recessed lighting & tons of storage. https://www.gretchengetsreal.com/brochures daily 0.75 2025-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/9e7e080a-18ef-4788-9d23-c9ce161482e7/93+crescent+flyer.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/931152b8-9a30-4aee-9d1b-7df0571e0af8/148+W+Main+jpeg.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/a963d3b0-0872-4d36-968a-6cb30944f1a1/1909+Grover+rd.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/03cdea8c-88d7-41e7-a111-502ba8f93bb0/123+mariemont.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/bd70c08a-8e26-4f31-b1b1-5103d7466865/1748+Blakeley.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/fc2b09ad-a2e2-4224-adcc-a4650fec5061/11803+bullis.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/a5666365-c5ac-4d00-a178-e69b2593e209/310+huxley.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/5391726d-4262-471c-8964-57c241f82934/118+admiral+flyer.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/33453f5a-c92d-43ef-ae8f-4ae75fb91baf/try+2+126+lincoln.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/6c2a065b-b415-456e-8c3b-644f72fecc50/258+hamilton+flyer.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e63cabf8cdf8a6f39bb0c34/21851b16-433b-40bf-811c-bd8f40c5e236/61+grand+blvd+flyer.png