Posted on
February 2, 2012 12:55
by
Clay Miller
conservation,
Valentine's Day,
TerraCycle,
green,
green living,
green products,
recycle,
reduce,
reuse,
upcycling,
waste
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Once again TerraCycle is at the forefront of upcycling and reusing products for a brighter future for all of us. They are ready for Valentine’s Day with a few DIY upcycling ideas.
While cleaning up trash doesn’t seem like a romantic way to spend the day, you can celebrate the holiday and effect real-world change with special Valentine’s Day items, products and decorations in Trash Tycoon, Facebook’s first upcycling game from Guerillapps and TerraCycle. In the game, you can clean up trash and upcycle it to fun products like necklaces, Valentine’s Day cards and heart shaped wreaths to send to friends or to decorate your town. Players’ hearts will swell because Trash Tycoon creates positive social impact by donating 10% of in-game dollars to environmental projects sponsored by CarbonFund.org.
Next, love Mother Earth and your Valentine by making an upcycled necklace out of Kraft Cheese wrappers or chocolate wrappers, just like the necklace in Trash Tycoon! TerraCycle’s Design Junkies have brought the beaded necklace into the real world with simple, do-it-yourself instructions available for download here: bit.ly/ValentineBraceletDIY, these bracelets are sure to be a hit with children of all ages while also educating them on the importance of recycling and upcycling. You can also check out this video for step-by-step instructions:
Finally, Valentine’s Day and candy go together like peas and carrots, but the packaging can be a real heartbreaker. All those red and pink wrappers left over from sweet treats can be sent to TerraCycle through Mars’ Candy Wrapper Brigade to be recycled and earn money for charity. Signing up is free and easy at www.terracycle.com.
About TerraCycle:
TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle (www.terracycle.com) is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with more than 30 major brands in the U.S. and around the world to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit www.terracycle.com.
As we strive to reduce our carbon footprints, many of us look to simple ways to improve our homes with slight energy efficient updates. While adding weatherstripping to those doors and windows and putting better insulation in your walls and attic can definitely decrease the amount of energy you use, and therefore your overall utility bills, there are a few leading innovations that can turn your energy efficient home to one of the leading green homes on the block.
When most people think of green homes, they think of homes built entirely out of recyclable materials complete with water recycling systems and rain collection barrels. While these homes are phenomenal in terms of their lack of carbon footprint, they aren't always easy to construct in already developed suburban areas. But that doesn't mean you have to forgo a home that has a lowered emissions and energy consumption. For those living in more developed areas, a few simple renovations and updates can turn their home into a smart home – saving them both energy consumption and money.
Vivint, as well as a few other competitors in the home monitoring industry, have recently started to construct home monitoring systems that do so much more than keep your home free of burglars. These companies have begun striving to create smart homes that will reduce a home's carbon footprint as well as save the homeowner money on utilities.
These systems are much more evolved than simple Energy Star appliances. They basically serve as an alarm system that will also monitor your home's thermostat. You can set it specifically to meet you and your home's needs regardless of the weather conditions outside, so that your home is always at an energy saving temperature.
So not only does the Vivint system, and other like it, provide you with a discount on your homeowner's insurance, but it will also help you save on your utility bills. Even better is that you can control these system remotely. So if the temperature that day got hotter or colder than you expected, then you can control your thermostat accordingly to keep your energy efficiency at optimum levels.
You can even control your home's lighting with the feature so you don't have to worry about leaving your lights on the entire time your gone to make it look like someone is home. Instead, you can save energy while also being safe by controlling the lights remotely and only turning them on when necessary.
So if you are looking for a great way to further reduce your home's energy consumption, consider turning it into a smart home. Not only will the discounts and energy saving allow you to pay for the system itself, but it will make your home a much safer and more efficient place – two things any eco-conscious homeowner wants in their home.
Technology’s Satire On Obesity
Just a few days ago I saw these two pictures that depicted a quibble satire on obesity. Hilarious as they seem, made me laugh my guts out for a while. But then suddenly realization dawned on me. This satire is unequivocally true. Whilst the technology is getting slimmer, sleeker and healthier, obesity is taking quite an opposite turn. See for yourself.
So what should be our take on this? Should we improve our way to life with technology or get sloppy and adopt a couch potato attitude. Most people regard technology to be one of the causes to obesity. Being obese is one of our own faltering. And blaming technologies for it is just a petty excuse.
It is understandable that obesity as medical condition requires assistance. And it is advised to take immediate help if even after your efforts you are not losing weight. If weight loss is the perspective then plenty of diet plans like HCG Diet Florida, weight loss programs etc offer a really good way to lose weight.
But if technology is a reason for you to be lazy and sluggish, then it is time that you change it. Obesity is nearing to be an epidemic and if don’t realize, perhaps the satire could become a darker reality.
Obesity is complex! No single cause can effectively be pointed for it. But one can always understand the source of it and make amendments accordingly.
1. Eating habits & Lifestyle - Food is a pleasure these days and the availability of food is easy. Your eating habits can be a big cause of obesity. If you are relying too much on the bad food like junk food, preserved food, pre-packed food etc then being over weight is a surety. Food cravings and over eating are also more common these days.
Further, if you abet too much of modern conveniences such as elevators, cars, and the remote control for television then your physical activity is significantly cut.
2. Emotional Levels – Stress, anxiety, depression, low self esteem are some emotional states which increase the tendency of obesity. For example under stress and depression people tend to over eat.
3. Genes & Medical Issues – For some people obesity is a genetically inherited disorder. Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and other diseases are linked with being obese and require immediate medical supervision.
4. Social Influences – If your social circle such as your family, friends, relatives adhere to wrong eating and life style habits. Then chances are high that their negative influence could pose a problem for you.
5. Sleeping Patterns - Modern day life has acute shortage of time. Under such stress full environment people are becoming more sleep deprived and have irregular sleep patterns. Reduced sleeps increases the chances to be obese.
6. Vices – Alcohol and smoking are two prominent causes of obesity ands healthy issues.
7. Pregnancy – During pregnancy women have natural tendency to gain weight. But some women find it difficult to lose weight after the birth of child. This results into obesity in women.
We have a winner of the Emerson Savannah Ceiling Fan Giveaway. The winner is:
Cheryl Malandrinos
She entered the giveaway and was chosen by me using random.org. Luckily for her 3 was chosen and she won!
Thank you to everyone who entered.
You have probably heard about the five a day rule regarding the fruits and vegetables you need in order to stay healthy, but knowing how to incorporate this rule into your daily routine is another matter entirely. Most of us lead a busy lifestyle, and taking time to sit down and eat a well-balanced, home cooked and nutritious meal isn't always possible.
Too often we choose the processed, high calorie option, simply because it is easier. However, if you want break this cycle and start getting your five a day, the easiest way to do so is by replacing your unhealthy snacks with healthy ones. The following easy-to-prepare snack recipes should get you started down the right road.
1. Tropical Fruit Breakfast Smoothie
There is nothing like a hit of vitamins first thing in the morning to help you start your day out right. Perhaps the best thing about making a healthy breakfast smoothie is that you can get two or more of your five servings in one go, before the day has even begun.
Ingredients:
* One chopped banana
* One cup of chopped fresh pineapple
* Half a cup of yoghurt (full or low-fat, depending on your diet)
* Small amount of fruit juice concentrate, flavor of your choice
* Couple of ice cubes
* One tablespoon of wheat or oat bran
Just pop your ingredients together in the blender and mix them until the texture is right. You can vary this recipe with different types of fruit to bring some variety to your breakfasts. It's refreshing and takes less than five minutes to make. So no more excuses.
2. Vegetable Sticks with Avocado Dip
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare and can even be taken along in a Tupperware container to eat on the go if necessary.
Ingredients:
* Celery
* Carrots
* One fresh avocado
* Half a lemon or lime
* Seasoning of your choice (salt, pepper, chili, etc)
* One fresh clove of garlic
* Few tablespoons of yoghurt
First chop the desired amount of carrots and celery to make your vegetable sticks. Next, combine the avocado, lemon/lime, garlic, yoghurt and seasoning in the blender. Mix it until it is smooth and you are ready to hit the road with your super healthy, low-fat snack. If you are planning to eat it at work, however, you may want to leave out the garlic.
3. Gazpacho
This delicious Spanish delicacy is perfect when you are on the go, as unlike regular soups, this one is eaten cold. Gazpacho is almost like a liquid salad, making it just the thing when you are looking to fulfill your five a day requirement. Prepare a batch the night before so that it is ready for you to grab on your way out in the morning.
Ingredients:
* Two chopped onions
* Two chopped cloves of garlic
* Two chopped peppers, one red one green
* One finely chopped cucumber
* Four chopped tomatoes
* Two tablespoons of vinegar
* Seven tablespoons of oil
* Seasoning of your choice (salt, pepper, chili, etc)
* Two tablespoons of water
* Two toasted slices of bread
Combine the onions, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil and seasoning in the blender and mix until smooth. Cube the toasted bread to make croutons. Pour this mixture into a bowl and add the cucumber, peppers and croutons. If you are taking this to go, you should keep the cucumber, peppers and croutons aside in a separate container and add them in once you are ready to eat it.
As you can see, eating healthier foods and getting your five a day doesn't have to be complicated. It does, however, take a bit of planning. With this in mind, you may want to consider creating a weekly meal plan and buying all the ingredients you will need beforehand. This will allow you to prepare your snacks when you need them, without the hassle of running to the store at the last minute.
A guest post by Samantha Harvey on behalf of Tasty Online Bingo home to some great recipes and tasty bingo promotions.
