Clothes make the Man (or Woman!)

I ran into a neighbor the other day and he was so excited. He rarely buys clothes, but had just bought a ton of new things. Women experience the "new clothes shopping high", but not usually men. I had just bought a few new things at the mall that were on sale. I have been trying to buy a couple items at a time myself, since the weather has turned cool. So, I thought about how new clothes make me feel. Not as fat, not as old, a little better about myself. I have also become more aware of issues concerning clothes. I am now using biodegradable and non-toxic laundry detergent, looking for certified 100% organic cotton, and going through my closet with a vengence. The eco-friendly detergents are just as effective as the regular ones, and have none of the chemicals in them. Think about those chemicals in the fabric that is next to your skin, your kids' skin.  Not to mention the water supply. Dry cleaning your clothes is very bad. They actually submerge them in petroleum based liquid chemicals (PERC - a chlorinated hydrocarbon). The chemicals evaporate into the air. You should not breathe them or have them in your home. Look for clothes that can be washed.

The production of the materials that your clothes are made of may subject the environment and you to all kinds of nasty chemicals. Growing cotton conventionally uses the most pesticides on a farm product in the world. Those pesticides and the fertilizers used contain cancer-causing agents. Look for organic cotton or wool, silk, cashmere or alpaca. Hemp clothing is also available, but you have to really like it. I find it a little scratchy. Clothing made of bamboo is also available, but it is manufactured on the other side of the world and so much energy is needed to get it to us, I am not sure it is worth it. Look for natural materials, without dyes and not mixed with synthetics. Surprisingly, Wal-Mart and Target are reportedly offering organic cotton clothing. Levi's is now offering organic cotton jeans. The internet is just full of all kinds of choices - just Google organic cotton clothing. I'm looking for infant clothing and bedding now. (Second grandson will be here in January!)

Green Thing:

If you buy new clothes, clean out your closet. Get rid of the clothes in there that are gently used, but need to go. (No, you need to accept that you will never be that size again!) But, please, do NOT just throw them out! Donate your clothes to the Salvation Army, Jobs Plus, Dress for Success or the Cinderella Project ( in Syracuse). Donations can be made to disaster relief efforts, churches or women's shelters.  Also Men's Warehouse, 3444 Erie Blvd. East in Dewitt accepts donations of suits, sport coats, slacks, ties and belts. For each suit donated, they will donate a new dress shirt. You will get 10% off your next purchase, too. Great deal.

If you are having a garage sale, try to sell clothes. Sometimes you can get a little cash for them. Better Deal!

Feng Shui Thought:

Organizing your closet is just good Feng Shui. Did you know that the state of your closet mirrors your financial situation? Old, unorganized and just a mess? In today's economy , you definitely need organized, clean and reflecting a great image. Look at each item with a very discriminating eye. Have you worn it in the past 6 months? Do you have other items that can be worn with it? Does it fit well? Is it still in fashion? Vintage is great, weird-looking is not. Look at the fabric content. Does it still look new, or is it faded, pilled, or in disrepair? Wash it up, fix it, or get rid of it. 

Live Simply

Don't you hear a lot of people complain how complicated their lives are? 

Stress. Not enough time. The economy. Schedules. Lost items. Kids. 

Simple living. A nice goal. We all say we would like that, but how many of us really plan it, create it for ourselves and our families, and live simply? Now, I don't profess we should give away all of our worldly goods and live off the land. I like my creature comforts too. You know how I feel about coffee. But look around you right now. How many things in your room do you really, really need? Have they just been sitting in the same place for so long that you don't even notice them anymore? I spent the first 30 years of my marriage acquiring stuff. For the last 5 years, I've been trying to get rid of a lot of it. You start to trip over it, squeeze by it, then kick it. OK. Enough is enough.

Feng Shui Fact:

Clutter is the mortal enemy of Feng Shui. Because the flow of energy in your home is like the flow of blood in your veins, blockages are pretty harmful. When you have clutter in closets, drawers, on desks, and everywhere else you are dragging down the energy in your space, and therefore your energy.

Most people tell me they would like to get rid of their clutter, but it is just too overwhelming. Where do you start? Just start. Start small. Clean out just one drawer. Take 15 minutes. Set a timer. When you finish you will feel lighter, really good. I promise you will.

Green Thing:

I've started to really take a close look at items in my home. What is its purpose? Do I use it? Do I even really want it? What is it made of? But, before you de-clutter and go tossing everything in the garbage, think about recycling it. Magazines can be donated to doctor's offices, hospitals and senior citizen centers. Clothes can be dropped off at donation centers. Just abut anything can find a new home. Find non-profit groups in your area, and find out what they need. Household items may be accepted at a Women's Shelter (Vera House here in Syracuse). If you have an item that Aunt Tillie gave you, and you just don't love it, pass it on to the friend who once admired it. It just might be more their style. They might just love it. 

Now, before you buy ANYTHING ELSE, think about it. Do you absolutely need it? How was it made? What is it made of? What is it packaged in? Is there a greener alternative? If there is a choice between two items, pick the one with less plastic packaging (especially if it is the kind you need a saw to get open) or with less toxic ingredients. If you can't pronounce it, don't buy it. 

There ARE alternatives. Just because it is convenient and available doesn't mean it is the only option. Just because you have always used it doesn't mean it is safe. The more I look for options, the more I find that going green just means Living Simply.

Green Products:

Planet Laundry Detergent 

Twenty Mule Team Borax (add a little to the laundry detergent) 

Related websites:

www.ocrra.com  

(Onondaga County) Great lists of recyclables. Check out the Community Collection Center.

www.givetoothers.com

(They list items needed and the charity that needs them)

www.syracuserestore.org

(If you plan to remodel, check this out. It is a good way to recycle used, but good condition items)

  

Feng Shui - What is it and Why is it Green?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art and science that literally means wind and water, the seen and the unseen energies in our environment. Balancing these energies in your home or office can benefit your health, your relationships, your creativity and even your finances. Feng Shui uses energy positively and effectively. 

Like Feng Shui, environmentalism is about living consciously - being aware of what we use, what we eat, what we leave in our wake.  It is giving honor to ourselves, our families, other living beings and the earth.  

Feng Shui and Eco-Friendly Living have alot in common. I am learning just how much they are similar, and how to integrate them both into my home environment. Breaking old habits, looking at my home with different options and possibilities, thinking about the food I eat, the products I choose (or choose to pass up!), and in general the way I live life. It's a minefield out there! So, making choices is hard. 

This blog is designed to be a sharing-ground for Green choices. I will pass information to you, and I hope you pass on products and tips you have tried and are happy with. Please leave comments! When ideas are also good Feng Shui, I will let you know. There will be some Feng Shui information too. If you want more info on Feng Shui than is here, you can go to my website (linked at right), e-mail me or call me. 

Feng Shui Idea:

Three rules to get started-

   1. Never have anything in your home that you don't really use, need or have to have. Just don't buy it. And if you already did, get rid of it. Sell it (on eBay, at a garage sale, etc.), give it to someone who really wants it or donate it.

   2. Never have anything in your home that is broken. Fix it or throw it out!

   3. Only have items in your home that you truly love, treasure and that bring you happiness each time you look at it. 

Green Thing:

   I have a war on plastic. It is everywhere. I wonder- what did people do before it was invented? There are so many forms of it, some of it is recyclable, some not. The little numbers in the triangle on the bottom tells if it is. It is mostly not recycled by anyone. All of it is bad. Some leaches into our food and drinks. It is toxic. It is made of non-renewable resources (petroleum). I swear it breeds in the cabinet when I try to save it. I had some fabric I didn't want anymore, so I spent an afternoon sewing some shopping bags. But, if you don't sew, buy some reusable bags. Sturdy ones that won't fall apart. Chic ones if you are a fashion forward person. Keep them in your car or by the front door so you won't forget to use them. I was a little shy about using them at my grocery store at first, but then the clerk said you wouldn't believe how many people use them. (Really??? Great!)

Now it makes me think of how NOT to use plastic bags. Like I said, they are everywhere.  I do not love them, so they are NOT good Feng Shui.