Focus Organic.com

Natural Mat for Natural Babies

Stefanie — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:57:03 +0000

At the Natural Mat Company we believe that every child deserves the best start in life and that means plenty of good sleep in a safe, comfortable and natural environment. In their first year babies will spend at least 2/3 of their time on their mattress, so concerned Mums and Dads want the most natural, most comfortable, most hypo-allergenic and safest sleeping environment for their new baby - a Natural Mat.

Natural Mat was founded in 2000, when owners Mark Tremlett and Peter Tindall, both sailors, became frustrated with the quality of the mattresses found on boats, and decided to create an alternative. One year later, when Mark and his wife were expecting their first child, they decided to expand their line to include baby products.

The Natural Mat baby line includes three mattress choices and machine washable, 100% organic cotton bed linens. The mattress choices include the Coco Mat, the Latex Mat, the most hypo-allergenic option, and the Mohair Mat, the most expensive option. All mattresses are offered in a 28" by 52" size (with the Latex Mat also offered in twin size) and come encased in an unbleached, cotton herringbone cover, which is machine washable.

The Coco Mat is filled with an organic product called coir, which is made from coconut fibers. This layer is wrapped in lambswool bathed in a mixture made from extracts of lavender, lemon, and eucalyptus, making it anti dust-mite and maintaining the thermal insulation properties of the wool.

The Latex Mat is made from natural latex and is Natural Mat's most hypo-allergenic mattress option. The latex is set between layers of coir and wrapped in the same lambswool as the Coco Mat. The Latex Mat is also anti dust-mite. This model is also available in twin size.

The Mohair Mat includes horsetail hair set between layers of coir for extra support. Silky mohair fleece wraps around the outside as a thermal insulator.

The bed linens include organic sheets and breathable mattress protectors. All mattresses and linens are hand crafted and individually inspected, with an emphasis on breathability. Natural Mat’s well-ventilated mattresses allows air to continuously circulate, keeping baby cool, dry and comfortable. The packaging is also 100% biodegradable and recyclable.

More Information, Purchase, and a Special Discount

More information on Natural Mat can be seen at their website, and the products can be purchased at Goores. Natural Mat was kind enough to offer Focus Organic readers a 10% discount! Just use coupon code fonm10 when you checkout.

7 Tips to a Green Thanksgiving

Stefanie — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:21:03 +0000

Thanksgiving can be a particularly gluttonous holiday, but there are some steps you can take to making it more green. From preparation to to cleaning up after your meal, everything you do for Thanksgiving can be made greener if you try.

Plan your meal ahead of time
Know how many people you will be serving on Thanksgiving. This will help you purchase your food without buying too much, which will reduce the amount of waste you have after the meal.
Keep decorations minimal
Try creating a beautiful party space with edible items and/or decorations found in nature. Your turkey can be your centerpiece, and for a splash of color, add some bowls filled with cranberries. The kids can create popcorn garlands that they can snack on later, and fresh-cut greens or fallen leaves from outside can be made into beautiful decorations for the rest of your home.
Buy local and organic
From the main course to your wine or apple cider, try purchasing your food items locally and organically. If you are having a real turkey, purchase one from a local farm (check LocalHarvest). Less transportation = less emissions, and you will be helping to support your local economy. Purchase your side items locally, too, whether from your local farm or from a farmer's market or co-op.

If you are going vegetarian this Thanksgiving, consider tofurky or turk'y roast, which is soy free.
Skip the disposable tableware
I know it's tempting, especially if you are serving a large group of people. It's important, though, to skip the disposable plates, napkins, forks, etc. Using your regular dishes and cloth napkins will save you money and trash. If you insist on not washing dishes at the end of the day, use compostable dinnerware.
Properly store your leftovers
You took all these steps to have a more green Thanksgiving, but if you put your leftovers in the fridge covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, your green Thanksgiving just became a little less green! Store your leftovers in washable, reusable containers, or in the dishes you cooked them in, when possible, with lids on them. Compost leftovers that you can't save.
Recycle
Recycle anything you can. If your drinks came from plastic soda bottles, glass wine bottles, or aluminum cans, recycle them. If any of your meal came from recyclable packaging, recycle them. Remember that paper napkins and paper towels cannot be recycled (another good reason to use cloth napkins!).
Clean up with green cleaners
Save it for the next day, if you want, but make sure that when you clean up from your meal, you don't ruin your air quality and risk your health with chemical-laden cleaners. I recommend TerraCycle's All Purpose Cleaner, which can be purchased at a number of stores including Targat, OfficeMax and more.

Overall, it's most important to remember that Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and being thankful for what you have. Don't let the hustle and bustle of the day make you forget your loved ones, and save some apple cider for me!

Recipes

All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Twenty Five

Stefanie — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:54:06 +0000

This entry is part 25 of 25 in the series all things eco

Welcome to the November 17th, 2008 edition of All Things Eco.

Be sure to Stumble the posts you like, or submit them to other social bookmarking services. Let's promote each other, as well as this blog carnival.

Update, 8pm: I designed a new graphic for the carnival, much nicer, IMO!

Sarah Lane presents Clean Coal's Dirty Little Secret posted at on a ledge. Very informative article on why clean coal is not the way to go.

Tiffany Washko presents Top Ten Green, Natural Toddler Toys for Christmas 2008! posted at Natural Family Living Blog. I wanted to tell you which of Tiffany's choices was my favorite, but they're too cute to decide.

Heather Levin presents How To Set Up A Community Lending Library posted at The Greenest Dollar. From the article:

The idea is simple: people in a community pool items they own to share with everyone. Some communities choose to set up the lending library in their local, book-based library, but other communities have set up lending libraries out of their own homes or community centers. Even more operate lending libraries entirely over the internet.

GrrlScientist presents Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood posted at Living the Scientific Life. GrrlScientist says, "There's plenty of fish in the sea, as the old addage goes -- but are there, really? I experienced a rude awakening at the peak popularity of Orange Roughy, which I loved. I learned that Orange Roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, an extremely long-lived benthic species in the Western Pacific Ocean that doesn't even reach sexual maturity until 40 years of age, was being eaten out of existence by people like me. After I learned that, I never touched Orange Roughy again."

GrrlScientist also presents Invasive Exotic Species: More than Meets the Eye. She says, "Genetic analyses of an exotic invasive parrot species reveals (1) a cryptic species and (2) support for the notion that the pet trade was involved in establishing this invasive species in the USA."

Ben Connor Barrie presents Sustainable Farming Maintains Biodiversity posted at Sustainable Design Update. Ben says, "This article discusses a method of tropical farming that does not negatively impact biodiversity."

Coatlicue presents Natural vs. bottled water posted at Raw Fitness Online. Coatlicue says, "An article about the health benefits of natural waters, and the dangers of bottled and distilled water."

Patrick Walsh, Tempe, Arizona, Real Estate presents Water Conservation Made Simple!! and Honoring Earth Day posted at Patrick Walsh, Realtor. Patrick says, "Water harvesting is practiced around the world and is a great benefit to the community when used on a large scale. You can take steps to contribute and save water by harvesting at home." I also realize Earth Day was months ago (in fact, it's the day this site began!), but Patrick's Earth Day post includes some interesting "Arizona Solar Power and Energy Efficiency Trivia."

Louise Manning presents 2012 vegetable gardens planned for London posted at The Human Imprint. 2012 gardens by the year 2012... should be totally doable!

Jim presents » Recycling Earns Money For Your County on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. From the article:

In Howard County, Maryland, the county has decided to give out over 71,000 recycling bins to the residents. The size of your home will dictate the size of the bin you’ll be receiving. Single family homes will receive a 65-gallon wheeled cart, townhomes with a garage will get a 35 gallon bin, and townhomes without a garage (like mine) will receive an 18 gallon bin.

Patricia Turner presents Top 50 Green Technology Blogs posted at Green Web Hosting Blog. Posts like these give me a whole lot of new websites to look at!

Surfer Sam presents Two Miracle Foods That Can Nourish You and Cure You posted at Surfer Sam and Friends. From the article:

The benefits from eating healthy are endless. Food can nourish you and cure you. And some foods that you eat can help you look and age better! Here are some breakthrough foods you may not have heard about, foods that will be on more tables this year.

sebastian@zoomiscooters.com presents BG’s C100 to Become First Mass-Produced Electric Car Available in USA posted at Zoomi Life. Sebastian says, "For those of you who have been waiting for a green, affordable transportation solution - BG Automotive is releasing the first affordable all-electric car available on the US market in February 2009. Finally, an affordable green transportation option!"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of All Things Eco using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Tag, We're It

Stefanie — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:01:03 +0000

Sarah at PassionateGreen has tagged Focus Organic. *shakes a fist at Sarah*

The tagging rules:
- Link back to the person who tagged you and share the rules on your blog
- Share 7 facts about yourself
- Tag seven people and list their links in your post
- Tell those 7 people by commenting on their blogs

So here are some facts about me:

I get celebrity crushes pretty easily, mostly when the person is a good actor.
I like cherries, but I hate everything cherry flavored.
I don't like plain milk.
I frequently dream about people I went to high school with, mostly the ones I didn't like.
When Andrew and I were dating, if I felt like he was ignoring me for his computer, his computer would start to go on the fritz.
I am super cheap. I've been known to bring coupons to the thrift store.
I am a zombie movie fanatic - I love blood and guts movies...
but I cringe and get the shivers every time I see a poor dead animal in the road.

So that was 8, but really more like 7½.

Now, my 7 tagees...

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Eco-Friendly Friday Tips Volume Twenty Three

Stefanie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:20:18 +0000

This entry is part 23 of 23 in the series Eco-Friendly Friday

November 14th's Tip

Winter Heating: Turning the thermostat down in winter is all very well, but it can feel cold! The best way to avoid this is TO DO SOMETHING. Switch off the telly, get up and move around - it's the best way to stay warm. - Contribute by Simon Lee

For every degree you turn your thermostat down, you'll save about 3% on your heating bill. Try turning yours down by a degree for a week or so at a time. You will adjust to it and may be able get used to 67F instead of 72F, for example. Turn it down another 5 degrees or so at night and save even more. It'll give you an excuse to cuddle up with some cozy blankets or a loved one

Contribute

If you want to contribute a tip (and I know you do!), shoot us an email (don't post the tip in the comments!). I'm looking for a Thanksgiving tip to post next week, so if you have a good one, be sure to send it in! Be sure to include your URL if you want a link to your site included with your tip!

PureCart - No More Nasty, Germ-Covered Grocery Carts

Stefanie — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:15:37 +0000

The next time you go grocery shopping, think about this: the seat section of your cart has almost certainly held a diapered baby, possibly with diaper to seat contact. The handle of your cart has been touched by hundreds, maybe thousands of people without being cleaned; who knows what sort of germs they've had on their hands. Ever seen a baby mouthing the handle? And the rest of the cart... think leaky meat products and more... Gross!

A lot of supermarkets offer hand wipes not only for your hands, but also to wipe off the cart handles. But what about the chemicals in the wipes? That was a complaint of many other customers, too. PureCart seems to have solved the dirty, germ-covered shopping cart problem.

I saw PureCart on the news yesterday and got to wishing our stores would carry the units. The PureCart system is like a car wash for the grocery cart - it sprays a misty, fast-drying peroxide solution that kills 99% of common bacteria, yeasts, fungus, and mold and is safe for contact with humans and with food. It is also EPA and FDA approved. According to the news broadcast, only 20 supermarkets currently use the unit.

The system costs 1 to 2 cents per cart, and according to PureCart, the average store would only need to convert 15 customers in the first year of use to pay for the system. In a random phone survey, 74% of consumers answered that they would most likely switch to a store that offers purified carts, with 33% answering they would definitely switch. You hear that, supermarkets?

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More Ways to Get Better Gas Mileage

Stefanie — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:56:15 +0000

For our RSS subscribers, this post contains a video

Gas prices may be going down (I don't know when this video was made, since mentioned "sky high" gas prices), but that's no reason to stop trying to save gas. You might be able to afford more gas than you could a month ago, but the environment can't afford us increasing our gas just because it's cheaper.

If you can't watch or don't want to watch the video, here is a summary of the tips:

It is important to make sure your gas cap is locked and intact. Last year 147 million gallons of gas evaporated because of loose, missing, or broken gas caps.

Keeping your tire pressure optimal is a good way to save on gas and increase your gas mileage. Learn the optimal PSI for your car by checking inside your driver's door, gas door, or owner's manual. Use a digital tire pressure gage or a dial gage to check your tire pressure, they are the most accurate. Check your tire pressure in the morning, before you drive, when the tires are cool. By checking your tire pressure once a month and maintaining optimal pressure, you can increase your fuel economy by one to two MPG.

Keep your trunk empty when possible. Trunks loaded with heavy items will decrease your gas mileage. So will, idling, so skip the drive-through and turn the car off if you will be idling for more than a couple minutes.

Basic maintenance of your car is important for keeping it functioning properly and for keeping your gas mileage from dropping. Replace your car's air filter every 6 months and check and maintain your spark plugs regularly.

Use synthetic oil in your car. It doesn't use fossil fuels, it increases your fuel economy by 2-3%, and it lowers your emissions by 2-3%.

Leaner and Greener - The New Apple Macbooks

Stefanie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:52:05 +0000

The following is a guest post from Andrew

The new Apple Aluminum Macbooks come loaded with style, performance, and the simplicity only a company like Apple can offer. From the glass trackpad to the backlit keyboard, every aspect of the Macbook has more of a Pro system feel to it, not to forget the rock solid aluminum case it is all wrapped up in. Unlike past Macbooks, I have been able to put this one through its paces while keeping it on my lap without the fear of it getting very hot. The new Macbooks are smaller and lighter than past models have been with a by far more robust feel to every part of the system.

Now for the wonderful green aspect of the new Macbook line. They are BFR free, mercury free, PVC free, ROHS compliant, with an EPEAT Gold rating, they exceed the Energy Star strict standards, and 90% of the computer is reusable or recyclable. The screen is backlit by LED, using 30% less energy, and the packing has become 47% smaller, no longer uses styrofoam, and is also made from a minimum of 25% post consumer cardboard. Apple states that the system’s total Green House Gas Emissions through its entire life span will be 460 kg CO22e. As a comparison, burning a gallon of gasoline in your car produces about 11 kg CO22e.

As for usability, the sharp plastic edges of the past Macbooks are gone in favor of smoother edges. Overall, the largest improvement in this area is the new trackpad - it's larger, made up of glass, and uses finger gestures, much like iPhone does. Also gone is the click button, as now the entire trackpad is a click button in its self. The bottom right corner of the trackpad can also be configured as a right click button. One of the other nice improvements comes from the nVidia 9400M chip pushing the graphics power up to 5x greater than past generation Macbooks. The new Macbook uses the faster DDR3 over the DDR2 of the past, and benefits form a faster system bus as well.

On the downside, the new glass screen shows a lot of glare. Although the LCD back lighting can overpower any glare, at the edges, where it does not reach, glare still occurs and this can be distracting. Another thing on the downside is the loss of FireWire. For me, this is a small loss - in fact, it is not much of a loss at all as my DV camera can do both FireWire and USB and USB 2.0 is faster than FireWire 400 of the Macbook of old.

In conclusion, this is one of the best Macbooks made to date, and it has managed to become by far greener.

Andrew thinks it is important to consider the environmental impacts of the products that we purchase and consume on a daily basis.

All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Twenty Four

Stefanie — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:51:49 +0000

This entry is part 24 of 25 in the series all things eco

Welcome to the November 10th, 2008 edition of All Things Eco.

Be sure to Stumble the posts you like, or submit them to other social bookmarking services. Let's promote each other, as well as this blog carnival.

I have the attention span of a 2-year old. I came on the computer to post this awhile ago, then got sidetracked with my email. One email was a notification of a comment that I wanted to delete because it was spam. I did that, and then got sidetracked deleted spam comments. Somehow I went back to my email in the middle of that and noticed I had received a message on Myspace, so I checked it and go sidetracked on there! Anyway, I'm here now!

Tiffany Washko presents Dumpster Diving for Charity - Listen In! posted at Natural Family Living Blog. A new podcast from Tiffany.

This month’s podcast is an interview with Ginger Freebird who used Freeganism or dumpster diving, to Natural Famil;y Podcast bannerfeed the hungry and homeless. In this interview we learn about what Freeganism is, what spurred her to take the leap, and how she has been able to donate nearly $30,000 worth of fresh food to area homeless shelters and food centers in only 9 months.

Victoria E presents Eco-Fashion Euphoria: Emily Katz and Green Beauty Gets Easier at Spirit Beauty Lounge + EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT! posted at Victoria Everman.

Mama Bear presents Going Green(er) posted at I've Got A Little Space To Fill. Mama Bear explains 10 simple ways to start being greener.

Annette Berlin presents 10 Crafty Ways To Recycle Wrapping Paper posted at Craft Stew. Annette says, "With the holidays coming next month, there’s going to be mountains of used wrapping paper in homes everywhere. Here are a couple of ways to recycle some of that wrapping paper into fun and attractive craft projects."

Benjamin presents How to Stop Cold Drafts in Your Home and Save On Energy Bills posted at Trees Full of Money. Benjamin says, "Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a clothes dryer, attic access hatch, a whole house fan, or a fireplace, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day."

Heather Levin presents Building A Straw Bale Home posted at The Greenest Dollar. Heather's article includes benefits, types, costs, and information on the durability of straw bale homes.

Jessica Musselman presents Don’t Bag It- Compost It posted at Live Life Veg. So when I put up last Friday's tip, I knew I had seen the idea for composting leaves somewhere. What I completely forgot was that I had seen it at Live Life Veg, and that I had even asked Jessica to submit it to All Things Eco! Told you I had the attention span of a 2-year old Jessica's article includes a list of other items that can be composted, and some that shouldn't be.

Allison presents Green Lighting for your Apartment posted at AfterGraduation. On using CFLs instead of traditional bulbs.

ChristianPF presents How to make homemade mouthwash posted at ChristianPF. Many store bought mouthwashes are full of nasty chemicals.

GrrlScientist presents Seafood Recipes? posted at Living the Scientific Life. GrrlScientist says, "I went shopping today at my local 99 cent store (which should be renamed the local $2.50 store) and found a real treat there: canned Jack Mackerel and canned Sardines, and frozen Alaskan Pollock fillets and frozen Tilapia fillets -- all are healthy and 'environmentally friendly seafoods.' Can you share a few of your favorite recipes for preparing these fish at home?"

Julian Pollock presents Toxic Textile Industry – Organic Clothing and Bedding Is Better | Organic Family Circle posted at Organic Family Circle. From the article:

Many of the chemicals used in textiles are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as moderately to extremely hazardous, and have been associated genetic mutations, cancer, abnormal hormone levels, birth defects and reproductive problems.

Katie presents How to make sense of energy efficient bulbs and find what works in your home posted at Making This Home. Katie explains the meanings of color temperature and light output for CFLs.

Nichole Halsey presents Living Small posted at Bad Human! Don't take chemicals from strangers!. Nichole says, "Contemplating how living small will actually enable us to live large."

sebastian@zoomiscooters.com presents Closer Look: The Vectrix VX-1 Electric Scooter posted at Zoomi Life. Sebastian says, "For those of you looking for an all-electric, environmentally-friendly short-range transportation solution, consider an electric scooter. The Vectrix electric scooter, reviewed here, is one such green transportation solution."

And I debated over whether or not to include this one, but since it's so very strange, here it is:
banquet manager presents Scientists Say Eating Veggies Shrinks The Brain! posted at So You Want To Be a Banquet Manager....

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of All Things Eco using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Eco-Friendly Friday Tips Volume Twenty Two

Stefanie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:36:02 +0000

This entry is part 22 of 23 in the series Eco-Friendly Friday

November 7th's Tip

Leaves: With the leaves falling all around us, it's probably time you're thinking about what to do with them all. As a kid, I LOVED jumping in the big piles of leaves (still have doubt that Autumn is my favorite season ), but eventually it's time to do something about them before winter settles in.

Bagging the leaves up for the dump seems the simplest solution, but why? Leaves aren't garbage, they're nature, and bagging and dumping them seems silly, to me! How about using that as mulch or compost for your garden?

Using the leaves as mulch is as easy as shredding them up, which you can do with your lawn mower if necessary. Composting is more tedious work and involves much more time, but your garden can definitely benefit from it. You can read more about both options and their differing benefits here.

Contribute

If you want to contribute a tip (and I know you do!), shoot us an email (don't post the tip in the comments!). Be sure to include your URL if you want a link to your site included with your tip!

Focus Organic.com

Natural Mat for Natural Babies

More Information, Purchase, and a Special Discount

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7 Tips to a Green Thanksgiving

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All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Twenty Five

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Tag, We're It

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November 14th's Tip

Contribute

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PureCart - No More Nasty, Germ-Covered Grocery Carts

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More Ways to Get Better Gas Mileage

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Leaner and Greener - The New Apple Macbooks

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All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Twenty Four

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Eco-Friendly Friday Tips Volume Twenty Two

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