tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-349024212023-11-15T10:14:27.438-08:00Going Green in the OzarksOn Monday, Wednesday and Friday follow the odyssey of my family while we try ways to help save the beautiful landscape for future generations to love and enjoy here on Bull Shoals Lake - and where ever you liveKerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-7214856529254339932009-08-26T05:05:00.000-07:002009-08-26T05:08:10.301-07:00Follow me to my new blog, www.livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com <br /><br />Writers often take creative turns to renew their souls and I'm no different. I've launched a new project, Living Large in our Little House, which will deal with living green, but also describe our lives in our small house here in the Ozarks. <br />I hope you will continue to join me there - remember to bookmark it and sign up for the RSS feed!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-40922129366088375522009-08-24T06:11:00.000-07:002009-08-24T06:20:54.735-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Identify with Getting Tags - at the Very Least! </span><br /><br />Jodi Helmer points out in her book, "The Green Year" that when a pet is lost, it takes a lot of resources to look for it. You drive around endlessly looking, using gas and putting carbon into the environment. You have fliers printed and posted everywhere. Losing a pet isn't just hard on the environment, it's very hard on you mentally as well. In 1994, we left for a weekend away and one of my dear little Maltese, Ana, got spooked by some fireworks and bolted from a relative who was caring for her. We never saw her again. <br />I looked for her for 6 months before my husband said it was finally time to give up the search. To this day, I sometimes think about Ana and hope that whatever happened to her, it wasn't awful. <br />Helmer suggests making sure all of your pets are wearing tags. Even better, go the distance and have your dog and/or kitties microchipped. This technology is growing and now most shelters scan for chips when lost pets are found. If you do this, as with putting tags on them, make sure to keep the info current if you move. A dog in Australia was recently found 2,000 miles from its' owners after 8 years - thanks to a microchip! <br />So, be nice to the environment -as well as to your pet and yourself - by keeping track of them!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-62553041566648858912009-08-21T04:05:00.000-07:002009-08-21T04:17:32.282-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Back to School...on the Green Bus</span><br /><br />Jodi Helmer points out in her book, "The Green Year" that it's back to school time, but that doesn't mean we have to quit trying to go green. Many kids are more environmentally aware than their parents these days and want to do all they can to help the planet. If they're into the environment, here's some ways to point out that you're on board the "green" bus: <br /><br />*Look for used school supplies. Go through all of the stuff from last year (having the kids help) to figure out what can be reused. Buy recycled paper with as little packaging as possible and buy in bulk. Shop for used text books. <br /><br />*Research the most eco-friendly computers. Laptops are more energy efficient. Find the ones with the Energy Star seal. <br /><br />*Go for the Number 2 pencils. Helmer says in her book that while most refillable things are more eco-friendly, that pencils are one of the exceptions. Why? refillable pencils are made of plastic - using resources to make them - and they eventually end up in the landfill. Wooden pencils don't end up in the landfill and are virtually waste-free! <br /><br />*Shop online for back to school clothes. If you can find quality recycled clothes your children will wear, it will help save money too! <br /><br />*Leaving notes for your kids on paper is wasteful. Get a dry erase whiteboard to post in the kitchen or other family-oriented room where you can leave each other notes. <br /><br />*Find eco-friendly ways to commute to and from school. A friend of mine told me the other day she can't believe the lines and lines of SUV's outside her sons' school - and most of them are from her own neighborhood and they only live a block away! If it's safe and you live close enough, encourage your kids to walk, ride their bike or skateboard. If not, ride the bus - and if you must taxi them to school, carpool and save resources. <br /><br />Have fun preparing for another year of school!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-77885888899753340122009-08-19T04:33:00.000-07:002009-08-19T05:39:59.917-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Wellness is the Key </span><br /><br />I had to make a stop at Wal-Mart yesterday while on an errand and saw two men in the line at the registers buying cheap store brand dog food for their pets. I wanted to go up and ask them if they knew what was in that stuff. <br />While I know the economy is tight and everyone is pinching pennies, now is not the time to go cheap on the pet food. Research has shown that pets on higher quality diets have fewer vet bills - and live longer. <br />To me, it's all about the wellness of our pets. <br />During Read the Label Week last week, I noted how disappointed I was in the dog food we were feeding our dogs. We were feeding a premium price for the food, which I had researched years ago when our first rescue, Hershey, came to live with us. However, when I read the label to the dry food, by-products were the first ingredient, meaning that unknown body parts and organs was the main ingredient, rather than a pure protein source such as meat. <br />We actually began researching new foods a few weeks ago. I've come to the conclusion, that right now, Wellness brand food, which can be found in Petco (We don't have any other large chain pet supply stores), is one of the best on the market now. Their website, www.wellnesspetfood.com says that their products are "Highly Digestible, Beneficial, Human-Grade Ingredients." <br />There are several feeding options from all protein foods to ones that contain some grains, although meat is always the main ingredient. <br />Their Core mix for example, lists deboned turkey and deboned chicken as the first two ingredients. <br />Their canned food is of similar quality. <br />The dogs seem to vote for it. We've been slowly switching them now for 2 weeks from the old diet by mixing a little more of the Wellness brand in each day. They did fine yesterday evening on the Wellness brand alone, so it looks like we're there. <br />My husband thought I was a little overzealous when I said their coats even looked and felt better - and our 10-11 year old Rot/German Shepherd mix, Emma, is even acting friskier. However, a neighbor who hasn't seen them in about a month confirmed my observations yesterday. <br />I learned from a nutrition expert that pets on a dry diet - even high quality ones - should really have canned food mixed with their diets at least 2-3 times a week. The only incident we had in the transition was that on the first day of canned food, Dakota, our wiener/Beagle, got sick. She tends to scarf her canned food though, so we suspect she ate too fast - she's done fine since.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-57000953137451864042009-08-17T04:23:00.000-07:002009-08-17T04:28:51.730-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Well, What's Keeping us From Testing our Well Water?</span><br />When we first built our house here in the Ozark Mountains, we couldn't afford to have a well dug, so we paid a water company to haul it in by truck. When we sold our house in KC, the first thing we did was put in a well. However, privately owned wells are not tested by the state and we have no idea the quality of the ground water the company actually hit. <br />When we first drank it, the water tasted like metal, so we decided not to drink it until we had it tested. So, what's been keeping us? Seems we always have someplace else to put $40 this year. Still, buying bottled water is not only expensive, but bad for the environment, so we resolved this week to finally use the test we picked up from the county and find out if the water will kill us. <br />Our decision comes as it was reported that overall, bottled water sales are down. We do turn the bottles in for recycling, but plastic is the worst thing for the earth when it is in production and uses resources best used someplace else. <br />I'll report back when the tests come in...Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-51896563030165339572009-08-14T06:04:00.000-07:002009-08-14T06:10:01.209-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Is Getting Rid of the Germs Really Worth It? </span><br /><br />I have severe allergies and if my allergies and sinuses are giving me problems, I used to tend to develop a lot of colds. So, I started using anti-bacterial soap. The problem is that some of the ingredients are also known to cause cancer. Read the labels on your soap, do your homework on the ingredient list. I think you'll be surprised - and realize that getting rid of a few germs isn't worth the risk.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-16238310151997671972009-08-12T04:38:00.000-07:002009-08-12T04:55:34.236-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Animal By-Product is What, Exactly? </span><br /><br />When we got our first rescue, Hershey, a miniature Doxie back in 1996, she came with a bowl, leash, vet records and, even to our horror, those meat-like food products that kind of resembles hamburger, but has enough red dye in it to turn dog poop colors. I did my homework on pet food and chose a premium brand sold only in vet's offices. Eventually, all my dogs and cats got put on that food. <br />The thing I didn't realize is that I had to continue to do homework. Although this brand of pet food is still sold by vets - and pushed by most - I still should have been reading the label periodically. Somewhere over time, this brand's ingredients changed. <br />When reading a pet food label, it's a good idea to have some sort of pure meat as the first ingredient - "Beef," "Chicken," "Lamb" or "Whitefish" are the usual suspects. <br />Only this brand now lists "animal by products" as it's first ingredient and later, some sort of meat "meal." When I compared it to other brands found in a big box store last weekend, the ingredients weren't that much different than other, cheaper brands. <br />What are animal by-products, exactly? <br />Trust me, you really don't want to know. Let's just say it's not fit for human consumption. <br />Animals, including our dogs and cats, need protein, which is the meat, not animal organs, snouts, or other things we typically wouldn't make a staple in our own diets.<br />Since the big pet food recall two years ago, I've been really too scared to read what my dogs are eating. I've also been a bit concerned as the dogs coats don't seem as soft and shiny, nor have they been as spunky. <br />Now that I've read the ingredient list, I'm too scared not to pay attention to it. <br />I've already started investigating other brands of foods. Raw, home prepared diets are the best, but is cost and time prohibitive for most people. <br />I'll keep you updated as to the brand we choose and how it affects the Fearsome Four here.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-69651416859276107792009-08-10T06:15:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:22:36.355-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">You Want to be Scared? Read Ingredient Lists </span><br /><br />It's not quite fall or time for Halloween, but if you want a scary experience, start paying attention to what's in the products that you purchase. This week, I will be looking at ingredient lists on some popular products and reporting them here. This is following Jodi Helmer's lead in her book, "The Green Year," which has a partial list of ingredients for popular brands of toothpastes. <br />Do you know what polyethylene glycol, methylparaben and triclosan are? I don't either, but according to Helmer, they are chemicals which are bad for the environment and could potentially be bad for your health. These chemicals have the potential to cause kidney damage, been linked to breast cancer, as well as suspected of causing birth defects and lowering fertility. <br />Switching to all natural toothpastes is not only a good option for the environment, but also for your health. These all natural brands contain baking soda, spearmint or tea tree oil. Want a more economical option? Find a do-it-yourself recipe and blend your own!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-55704545106537628142009-08-07T04:35:00.000-07:002009-08-07T05:21:01.119-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">I Don't Think I can Have my First Love Euthanized in the Cash for Clunkers Program<br /></span><br />A few posts back, I expressed concern over the Cash for Clunkers program. I think it's great that we're striving for better fuel efficiency (if we have to stick with automobiles), but I was wondering what happened to all of those old "clunkers" once they were turned in. <br />Turns out they're euthanized - much like a sick pet. Seriously. a chemical is poured into the running engine and within a few minutes, it locks up and dies. This keeps the gas guzzlers from hitting the road again. Dealers and federally approved salvage yards are allowed to sell anything off of the vehicles but for the engines and drive trains. What's left is smashed to bits. <br />We Americans have long had a love affair with our cars, and I'm no different. When I was a younger woman, I wanted, more than anything, a "Baby Blazer," those smaller Blazers Chevrolet used to make. In 1988, we bit the bullet and for nearly $400 a month for 4 years, I got one. She was my first automobile love and we still have her. She's been through a pretty bad crash (one of my friends thought I just might kill the person who hit me that morning), an attempt to steal her from the parking lot where I was taking night courses to finish my degree, and my husband has had to put in a new engine. My Baby Blazer and her stereo made the days driving into a job I hated at a company I hated even more, a little more bearable, and the drives home in her helped me de-stress. She taxied our two girls and their friends to volleyball practices, football games and took us on our vacations. When my beloved late mother and I needed to go to the grocery store, or Mom wanted to go to Hobby Lobby (her favorite store), the Baby Blazer got us there. My mom even made a tiny dream catcher for her rear view mirror for safety and luck. In the past two years, she got my husband to and from KC while he commuted back and forth to the Ozarks after we sold our home there. <br />Today, she rests, most days, in one of our garages. The new car smell has been replaced with that sort of musty, old car smell that upholstery starts emitting, but aside from a couple of little rust spots, she looks much the same as she did the day we drove her off of the new car lot 21 years ago this summer. These days, I happily work from home, but if I need her, she still gets me where I need to go. <br />I joked on Facebook the other day that she is headed for antique status soon. I've had a sentimental attachment since I bought her. She represents to me attainment of a goal I worked to achieve at another point in my life - and a lot of memories. <br />No, I don't think I could have her euthanized at this point. She not only means too much to me, but she is still running and I'm not convinced that wasting the trips she has left by turning her into a tiny squashed piece of metal is what's best for the environment. However, I do respect those who can let go and are going for better fuel efficient cars. <br />Read more about the Cash for Clunkers program: <br />http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1369750.htmlKerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-39818568640258490612009-08-05T04:31:00.000-07:002009-08-05T04:36:09.351-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Green Gifting</span><br /><br />A lot of people I love have birthdays in August, so I have to come up with card and gift ideas. As I've mentioned here before, I can't get over the whole paper card thing, I love the look and feel of sending a "real" card. I know it isn't "Green," but it is my weakness. Being here in Arkansas when most of my loved ones are still in Kansas City - or other parts of the world - I have no choice but to either send paper or e-cards, and while I do send e-cards too, I like to imagine someone going to the mailbox and pulling something tangible out. <br />Jodi Helmer's recommendation for "The Green Year" is to find "green" presents to give as well. A batch of cookies, or something canned or fresh from the garden. That's a great idea. When I give gifts I do refrain from wrapping paper mostly now and if I can be there in person, I use gift bags, which can be used for years.<br />Even when gift giving, we can make it green!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-57507544978630588032009-08-03T04:46:00.000-07:002009-08-03T04:52:25.234-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Canoeing - a Relaxing and Eco-Friendly Sport </span><br /><br />We live in some of the most beautiful country in the nation and when we seek it out, we can usually find something new. This weekend, we went to Buffalo National Park, which has the Buffalo River at its center. A scenic and lovely river that winds through the Ozark Mountains, the waterway was once Ground Zero in a battle over if every river in the country should be dammed. Naturalists won the battle and today, the river is much like it was in the 1930s when the fight began. <br />We decided to get into canoeing, which is the only boating allowed in the park. The slow rides down the river allows participants to not only enjoy the scenery of the trees and steep bluffs, but encounter wildlife in their natural habitat. <br />Eco-friendly wasn't exactly at the top of our list when seeking a new hobby, but it certainly is a benefit of canoeing. <br />Now, just to get into shape so I can help row!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-63775720604000148672009-07-31T04:42:00.000-07:002009-07-31T04:47:51.095-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Cash for Clunkers so Successful, it's Been Suspended</span><br /><br />The Washington Post is reporting that the Cash for Clunkers government program to turn in gas guzzling autos for more fuel efficient ones has been so successful that it ran out of money in just one week. The program has been suspended. <br />Turning in a car for a more fuel efficient choice is good (sans the option for us Americans to ditch cars altogether for smarter rail systems), but what happens to the old cars once they are turned in? This creates another environmental problem. <br />Here's a look via slide show of the trash that's created when cars are "trashed." <br /><br />http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php?story_id=4584Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-66285872072557461172009-07-29T04:21:00.000-07:002009-07-29T04:24:49.120-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Carbon Offsets</span><br /><br />The subject of carbon offsets -making donations to environmental causes to offset the amount of carbon emissions we use - is a complicated and controversial one. I've purchased them when flying, but don't purchase them on a daily or monthly basis. I've chosen, instead, to try to make small daily changes that helps reduce our footprint on the earth. <br />That's where the controversy comes in. Some people believe that carbon offset donations just allows society to continue doing what we're doing without making the changes. <br />There's an excellent article on carbon offsetting that explores the practice and what the money is actually used for: <br />http://www.gorgeoutdoors.org/go1/?p=937Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-70389744007380483182009-07-27T06:25:00.000-07:002009-07-27T06:35:55.235-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Enjoying the Beauty of the Ozarks</span><br /><br />We were out on the lake yesterday and that always makes me feel closer to a higher power. The mountains, the blue water and the animals are all a treat for me. What I don't like seeing is trash in the lake or along the shorelines. <br />When we first started coming to this part of Bull Shoals Lake, we were often the only ones on the lake, even on weekends and holidays. However, that's changed, now there are more boats and the water is becoming crowded with people water skiing and boating. <br />In addition, we've seen more floating debris, as well as trash along the shoreline where people camp. As well, I usually cannot walk down our road any longer without encountering someone's litter. <br />It really makes me angry to see the flash of red aluminum from a floating coke can or dead fish that have been carelessly caught and dumped dead back into the water. <br />We can all show a little respect and help preserve whatever we have in the communities we share by picking up our own trash and having respect for those who share this earth with us.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-26260610149382123092009-07-24T04:22:00.000-07:002009-07-24T04:34:29.499-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Check it Once, Check it Twice</span><br /><br />We all know the basics of conserving energy: Unplugging appliances that aren't being used, turning off lights when you're not in the room, turning off your computer, or putting it to sleep when not in use, using an electrical strip for little used appliances, unplugging chargers when not in use, using energy/water conservation buttons on our washers and hanging clothes out to dry.<br /><br />We do all of that, plus we turn off our hot water heater during the 22-23 hours of the day we aren't using it. However, yesterday when I was waiting for a load of laundry to get done (and I've sat and literally watched the electric meter go wild when I'm doing wash), I realized that the "extra rinse" button had been accidentally pushed, so I had washed 4 loads already, putting my clothes through an unneeded extra rinse, and emptying our pocketbooks a little faster of our money. <br /><br />I learned yesterday that it just isn't enough to do this stuff, it has to be done and then double checked each day. While it sounds like a long list, it only takes a couple of minutes - and will help save you money while helping the environment. <br /><br />DON'T MISS<br /><br />Tonight, ABC News 20/20 will present "Over a Barrel: The Truth About Oil," about America's oil addiction and how the powers that be want us to stay addicted. We use 400 million gallons of gasoline PER DAY in this country. 9 p.m. Central.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-966466986195803922009-07-22T04:50:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:30:32.453-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Stop the Bus!</span><br /><br />I'm finally at home back in the Ozark Mountains now after my trip to The Windy City via the Greyhound bus. It took me a few days to process my trip. The bus is reportedly the second most eco-friendly way to travel next to the train. I tried it out for that reason, as well as the fact that I was tired of being held hostage to the airlines, who gives poor service for the money they want to charge. <br /><br />As for the bus, it was well, interesting to say the least. I don't mind long rides, in fact, I enjoy the opportunity to relax, read or work. However, riding on a crowded bus is almost worse than being on a full airplane. There are no pull down trays and should the person in front of you decide to lean all the way back, you have less than 6 inches between you and the headrest in front of you. In my 22 hours or so of riding, I had maybe 4 where I had the room to spread out and do some work. As well, neither of the bus stations I was in were equipped with Wi-Fi, and Springfield doesn't even have a place to recharge computers, phones and iPods. St. Louis did, but not nearly enough docks and it was the luck of the draw to be able to use one. Both of these terminals were relatively new and I don't understand their ignoring modern technology when constructing these terminals. <br /><br />Riding the bus wasn't the worst experience, but it certainly wasn't the best travel experience I've ever had. As with all mass transit options here, we had to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest station. When we got to the Springfield bus terminal, the clerk was rude - something I hate about the airlines as well. <br />And then there was the well, should we say, questionable characters riding along with me. I'm not a snob, believe me, I'm as down to earth as they come. However, as a woman traveling alone, it was a little disconcerting to be seated next to a man who told me all about his arrest the weekend before for home invasion; the 8-12 just-released prisoners the state loaded on a few stops before Chicago, or the two women on the way home who were comparing their rap sheets and where they had done time. Their conversation was loud and laced with profanity. There was a small child in the seat in front of me and I can only imagine that her mother didn't say a word for the same reason most of us didn't - we were afraid of these people. <br /><br />For my next trip, I did find other options, such as taking the bus part way and transferring in St. Louis at the airport to a plane (where I could get a very cheap fare to Chicago), or taking a charter out of Mountain Home. I do worry though, about America's options when wanting to travel eco-friendly. As one writer told me in Chicago, "You opted out of being held hostage by the airlines and instead, took a chance on becoming a real hostage by taking the bus." <br />Yes, and I'm not sure I want to take that chance again.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-78052678635635638832009-07-13T02:29:00.000-07:002009-07-13T02:33:09.148-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Flip the Switch </span><br /><br />We had a great time on the lake yesterday. There's nothing as beautiful as floating on the water in the quiet of the morning.<br /><br />The tip from "The Green Year" is a simple one today. Flip the switch. Don't leave lights on when you're not in the room. Flipping the switch when you leave the room will also keep your house cooler in the summer. <br /><br /><br />I will be traveling the rest of this week, so this is my last green tip for the week. I will be back next Monday with updates to my bus ride!Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-65720880249467750152009-07-09T06:47:00.000-07:002009-07-09T06:50:49.453-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Bear Sightings</span><br /><br />There's a good article about bear sightings in the Ozarks, which includes what NOT to do when you're in an area that has them. <br />Feeding bears or trying to attract them ultimately causes problems for people and usually tragically for the bears, who get used to people and wander into urban areas where they will most likely be killed. "Please Don't Feed the Bears" isn't just a cute decorative sign to hang around your house. <br /><br />http://www.bransondailynews.com/story.php?storyID=12534Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-27391248139724563722009-07-08T02:34:00.000-07:002009-07-08T02:50:30.496-07:00Four Televisions and...<br /><br />Three rooms to watch them, if you count my office. Actually, we only have one set up, the rest of our now outdated analog TVs are up in our storage barn, along with two households full of stuff. <br />The question is what to do with them? A friend from book club, who mentioned helping a returning veteran from Iraq furnish an apartment suggested I might look into giving him one of the sets, if he were planning on getting cable. Great idea. <br />We're still watching one of our old analog sets with our satellite, and everything is working fine (with the 1-hour exception of that one station that didn't convert as smoothly as planned on conversion) but if you plan on buying a new television, don't just dump your old one in the landfill. Here's two sites that will give you more ideas on how to recycle your old, unwanted electronics: <br />http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm#local<br />http://www.lifewhile.com/lifestyle/18002401/detail.htmlKerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-91324295423247562332009-07-06T04:19:00.000-07:002009-07-06T04:29:26.341-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">It's All in the Wood</span><br /><br />Having such a small space now, we have furniture that will not fit into our tiny house. This isn't always such a bad thing. If I want to change the look of my little space, no money is involved, I just go digging around in storage. This week, we're going to replace the kitchen table with a beautiful butcher block that belonged to my mother. I love the piece and if we do entertain in the summer and need a table, we usually do it on the deck or covered front porch. I know, it's horrible, but we usually eat in front of the television. <br />I prefer antiques to newly made furniture. Shopping for antiques gives pieces a new life in your home and adds a sense of history. Also, it saves resources in making new. <br />If you need to buy furniture, however, Jodi Helmer suggests in her book, "The Green Year" that you research eco-friendly wood. Find furniture certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Lowe's Home Improvement is just one store that carries such products. <br />We were in Lowe's not too long ago and flooring caught my eye. It was bamboo and just gorgeous. We have laminate that looks like wood now, but since bamboo is so pretty and the most eco-friendly, I will definitely be researching how it wears the next time we need to replace our flooring.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-28571665195744181312009-07-01T04:13:00.000-07:002009-07-01T04:27:10.633-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">My Big Bang Theory</span><br /><br />I loved the 4th of July when I was a kid - that is, until my dad received minor burns shooting a firework off for me. From that year on, it just wasn't quite as much fun. <br />Are you getting ready for a big celebration this year? Here's some tips from Jodi Helmer's "The Green Year" to make your holiday more environmentally friendly, as well as safer: <br /><br />* Use dinnerware that can be composted for that holiday party. Jodi says over 100 BILLION (there's that "B" word again that is higher than most people can count) plastic, paper and styrofoam cups end up in the landfill every year. Plates, cups and utensils made from organic sugarcane can be found in many health food stores. When you're done, just throw them on the compost pile! <br /><br />*Keep mosquitoes at bay by simply eliminating standing water in plant pots, trash cans and recycle bins. Change water regularly in bird baths and pet food bowls to eliminate breeding grounds. I also use natural candles while sitting on the deck with neighbors at night. I don't allow anything with Deet near me. We use an all natural spray I buy at the pet supply store. <br /><br />*Use organic sunscreen. While it's very important to use sunscreen (both of my parent in-laws have suffered from skin cancer), sunscreen is toxic to fish. Find organic and biodegradable sunscreen. <br /><br />*Finally, celebrate this weekend without fireworks. When we lived in the city, the best part of our block party wasn't the hundreds of collective dollars we watched go up in flames at the end of the day, it was simply getting together with our friends, many of whom are too busy most other days of the year to stop and be neighborly (well, maybe that and our neighbor's pool). Fireworks are toxic to the environment, some even contain dioxin, which is known to cause cancer. <br /><br />My Big Bang Theory is that you can still have a hot time this holiday weekend while being friendly to our eco-system.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-56522671492674020522009-06-29T06:13:00.000-07:002009-06-29T06:20:22.825-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Taking a Bus </span><br /><br />Living in my part of the Ozarks is not a place to live if you travel a lot. Fortunately, I only travel 2-3 times a year - and this year will probably just be one major trip. Getting to an airport is 2 hours away, and then the airlines, in my opinion, treat you as if you're lucky they're in existence, and you pay out the nose because you drove two hours to a smaller regional airport, rather than a major one. After checking the price of getting from Springfield to Chicago, where I have a conference and assignment next month, I decided to bus it. I've never taken the bus before, but given it is $300 cheaper than flying and there's practically nothing I can't work on while riding that I can't work on during a ride, I figure I can't go wrong. I'm actually feeling really good about not letting the airlines hold me hostage to their outrageous fares and service! <br />Besides, next to riding the train or renting a hybrid, taking the bus is the next most eco-friendly option. Win win for my bank account and the earth, can't beat that! <br /><br />As for our cardinal problem, the little guy is still here, banging my screen and messing all over the place. Even after we tried blocking his reflection, shooting shots in the air to scare him away and putting plastic owls by the window. That all made him mad for about 10 minutes each - and he raised quite the ruckus, but just went back to attacking himself.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-34192585710440286202009-06-26T04:29:00.000-07:002009-06-26T04:34:24.337-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Causing a Stir </span><br /><br />The thing I love about Jodi Helmer's book, "The Green Year" are all of the factoids she included designed to help the reader realize that they aren't just "ONE," we're all a part of the world, contributing to it in both good and bad ways. <br /><br />This morning, a tip from her book suggests not using the plastic coffee stirrers every morning. What's the harm you ask? <br /><br />"Americans throw away 138 BILLION straws and stirrers every year," she says. Think about it, I don't even know how to count to 138 billion, and I'm suspecting not many people do. This plastic ends up someplace - in the landfill. Don't want one in your backyard, reduce waste. Little by little, each straw, stirrer, plastic bag, paper towel and plastic fork adds up! <br /><br />But I still need to stir my coffee. Can't use washable, reusable silverware at Quick Trip? Put your sugar in first and then your milk, which creates a splash effect and stirs the coffee, Helmer says.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-87234897100198477782009-06-22T02:49:00.000-07:002009-06-22T02:54:40.169-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Hell Couldn't Be Hotter Than This...</span><br /><br />I'm pretty sure. It is hotter than blazes here in northern Arkansas already and it's only June. I'm hoping this heat isn't this bad all the way through September now. It was only a few days ago that it was still cool and raining. Now things are already starting to turn brown. Sheesh. <br /><br />This kind of heat brings forth some things we can do to try to keep the air quality a little better: <br />*Fill your gas tank in the early mornings or evenings. <br />*Do the same mowing your lawn. <br />*Remember to keep your plants watered, and water them in the morning as well. Evening's are ok, but increase the chance for fungus. <br />*Try to turn your thermostat up, or program it for a higher temp when you're not home. <br /><br />Drink plenty of water and stay cool! <br />Update on the cardinal situation: We put the screens up on the windows (after cleaning everything up, of course). So far, no sign of Mr. Bird. Hopefully, he's gone on to help perpetuate his species, but we'll see.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902421.post-50360980680855838252009-06-19T04:20:00.001-07:002009-06-19T04:28:08.502-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">It's like the Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" </span><br /><br />At least all week long, a male Cardinal has been banging himself up against the windows in my office. At first I thought he was like many others, who have flown into the glass, not realizing it was glass. As the days progressed though, I thought he was trying to get in my office. Nothing deterred him, me waving my arms and yelling or the dogs fiercely barking and jumping at the windows. Sometimes he sits right on the sill and seems to look into the window at the dogs. <br />Turns out Cardinals are very territorial. He's not seeing me or the dogs, he is fixated on his own reflection and he's trying to fight himself. <br />I've resisted putting the screens up that came with the windows as they are heavy duty and will compromise my view of the beautiful Ozark Mountains here, but we're going to have to do it this weekend...at least until we can afford the shades I want and then I can just draw the shades part way during mating season.Kerri Fivecoat-Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862045757561504678noreply@blogger.com0