Natural Living - A Much Better Way

“The chief concern of the Fair Trade movement has been to ensure that the vast majority of the world’s coffee farmers (who are small holders) get a fair price for their harvests in order to achieve a decent living wage. Fair Trade guarantees to poor farmers organized in cooperatives around the world: a living wage; much needed credit at fair prices; and long term relationships.” What is Fair Trade Coffee? Globalexchange.org

Author: James Grierson

Speciality coffee by its nature is fairly traded. Rather than being treated as a commodity on the futures market, it is traded on its quality, which in turn demands a premium price for the
farmer. For example, in May 2006 ‘Hacienda la Esmeralda Geisha’ coffee, from Panama, set a record of USD50.25 per pound at online auction (This award winning coffee retails for over
USD100 a pound). More over, it is not only third world countries which grow coffee, developed nations such as Australia and United States (Hawaii) also have established industries.

Many people imagine coffee to be grown in large plantations akin to vineyards, with row after row of coffee bushes. This may be the case for the beans that are sold to make your jar of instant coffee, but speciality coffee tends to be grown in smallholdings by the indigenous people of the land. In contrast to the mono-culture of plantations, these smallholdings are bio-diverse. The farmers cultivate the land with self-sufficiency in mind. They have to feed their family and
their livestock as well as growing coffee and other produce they can sell.

“Fair trade’s strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.” Wikipedia.com

This approach has great benefit for both the quality of the coffee and the sustainability of the land. The bio-diversity of the smallholding attracts natural predators to eat the pests, so
chemicals are not needed. The nutrients of the soil are not drained as the different species of plants require and produce different nutrients. And so, although most farmers choose not to
pay to be certified, their produce is organic and therefore better for us.

So you should feel good when you buy speciality coffee. Not only is it fairly traded, but it is grown in a sustainable and organic manner. You get great tasting coffee which is ethically
sound.

“Few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be described as “sweatshops in the fields.” Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.
Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions.” Globalexchange.org

Shop for fair trade coffee

About the author:
James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee: http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk - UK online retailer of designer coffee accessories. Through the Coffee Knowledge section of his website he aims to help people understand more about coffee and give them tips on how to make great tasting coffee in their home.

Check out
http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk/acatalog/Coffee_Knowledge.html for more articles.

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“As the number of consumers demanding natural products grows, so do the variety of vendors and items. Quality alternatives exist for everyday items that present healthier choices for you, your family, and the environment. Vendors like Aubrey Organics, Pangea Organics, Toms of Maine Citra-Solv and others remain true to the environment, use only natural ingredients and commit to animal cruelty free practices.” Villagegreenmarket.com

Author: Mike Stronghill

You want to be healthy, look good and smell good, so whats with all the over the counter skin care products? You eat organic foods, you drive a hybrid vehicle, and then you plaster yourself with chemicals!! Whats up with that?

Here is the scoop. We have all been using these products that we have been told to use by advertisers for years. Have you looked at the labels and read the ingredients of these products? Wow, you will be shocked to see the amount of chemicals that are being used. Maybe you are comfortable with that because the chemicals used are at levels that the US government has stated as safe. Are you good with that? I mean, have the US standards ever been wrong?? Think about all the medicines that you hear about that are advertised on TV and then a few months later you will see ads in papers and on TV stating that this product has been pulled from the market because they have discovered all these people getting sick and dying from using them. Does that make your ears perk up?

“Our skin has adapted to protect us from Mother Nature’s onslaught, but it is also designed to let things in as well. Back before the industrial age came along, the types of chemicals that touched our skin were pretty much those that the Earth made on her own. Today it’s a different story. What you are putting on your skin day after day, year after year, may be doing much more harm than good.” Suisskin.com

Yes, we are using chemicals on our bodies everyday and sometimes many times throughout the day. How often do you was your hands? Have you read what is in the soap that you are using? You might be surprised. You might be angry once you do.

So, yes, organic skin care products such as organic shampoo, organic deodorant, organic makeup and many more might appear to be a little more expensive than regular off the shelf products. But, I want you to think about this. What can happen from long term exposure to chemicals? Have you heard of cancer, bone diseases, all kinds of ailments. Now ask yourself what the medical expenses might be for a serious ailment? I do not know about you, but I have read about people having their family bankrupted due to an illness. So, which is more expensive, the long term use of chemical products or the long term use of organic skin care products? I think that you will agree with me that the use of organic skin care products is way cheaper than any of your other choices. Think about your loved ones, your children.

It is time for us to take action by doing our part. Our part can be a little as purchasing organic skin care products that are your for you, good for your family and good for the environment. I hope that you will think about this the next time you put on make up or the next time that you are bathing your children in a tub. A simple choice can make a huge difference.

Commercial skincare and cosmetic products are loaded with chemicals and they are absorbed quickly and easily through our skin. They are not regulated by the government individually and no one has ever studied cumulative, combined use of these chemicals. While there are many fabulous organic, cruelty free products on the market today, they are still too expensive for many people. Please don’t let cost be a reason to continue to buy commercially prepared products for your skin. Many skin care and beauty products can be prepared right in your own kitchen.

Buy: Pangea Organics Shower Gel - Egyptian Basil & Mint

Click here for an alphabetized list of chemicals commonly used in the beauty industry

About the author:
For a place to find organic skin care products that have been certified by the United States Government (USDA) as being organic, please visit: Healthy You Today

“A butterfly garden is an easy way to both see more butterflies and to contribute towards their conservation, since many natural butterfly habitats have been lost to urbanization and other development. It is easy to increase the number and variety of butterflies in your yard. Simply grow the plants the caterpillars like to eat, and plants that adult butterflies feed on!” Thebutterflysite.com

Author: Cindy Heller

Setting up backyard gardens is the surest way to invite butterflies into your home. If you happen to have a big space at the back of your home, it would be a good idea for you and your family to start planning for your backyard gardens. Buy some books and magazines about backyard gardens to help you and your family to design your gardens in such a way that it will look inviting to different species of butterflies.

Designing Your Backyard Gardens
There are many things that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden. First, you need to take into consideration the present condition of your backyard. If you backyard already have existing plants, you need to take an inventory of the plants and decide which ones you are going to keep and which ones have to go.

The second thing that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden is your budget. You need to ask yourself how you can afford to spend on your backyard garden. To know how much money you can spare for your garden, check your monthly income and savings against your usual monthly expenses. Make sure that you do not drain your finances just to make your backyard garden look beautiful. Yes, a beautiful backyard garden is important but you don’t really have to go broke just to create a lovely picture at the back of your home.

The third thing that you need to consider when designing your backyard garden is the type of plant that you need. If you want to invite butterflies into your garden, you need to use plants that are attractive to butterflies. Some plants that are attractive to butterflies are milkweed, aspen, chokecherry, dill, parsley, marigold, aster, lilac, cottonwood, pansy, clover and others. To attract a variety of butterflies into your backyard, try planning different types of plants. Add native plants into your list of planting materials. Native plants are good at attracting species of butterflies that are endemic in your area.

“Butterfly gardens can be any size - a window box, part of your landscaped yard, or even a wild untended area on your property. When planning your butterfly garden, the following pointers will help. Learn the common butterfly species in your vicinity and include both their adult nectar plants and caterpillar food plants in the garden. Adult butterflies will visit for a longer period if they find plants to lay their eggs on.” Butterfly–garden.com

Nothing signals the coming of spring more than butterflies flitting through your yard. Watching them waltz from flower to flower can bring endless pleasure. If you want to entice more of these colorful guests to your yard, consider planting a butterfly garden. A butterfly garden that is planned and planted correctly will bring a wide variety of butterflies to your yard year after year.

Butterfly Gardens Are Diverse
There are many types of butterflies in the world and each type prefers specific flowers to gain nutrients, lay their eggs, and feed their young. If you want your butterfly garden to attract many different kinds of butterflies, make sure that you plant many different kinds of flowers. Scientists aren’t sure why, but they have found that certain color butterflies prefer certain kinds of plants. Perhaps they are drawn to like colors for their camouflaging abilities or perhaps certain colored plants taste better to them than others. Whatever the reason, you will see many different butterflies in you butterfly garden, if you plant many different plants.

Some wonderful plants to include in butterfly gardens are coneflower, blackeyed susan, marigolds, butterfly bush, lantana, hibiscus, verbena, lilacs, lavender, and rosemary.

Butterfly Gardens Provide Shelter
There are butterfly predators in your neighborhood and as a result, butterfly gardens should contain suitable shelters for your winged friends. A butterfly hutch is the perfect safe resting place for the butterflies in your garden. You can purchase one at a local nursery or even make one yourself. You can leave it plain or decorate it in a whimsical fashion. The main things to look for in a good butterfly hutch are slits that are big enough to let the butterflies in but too small for nasty predators to gain access and an interior that contains pieces of bark for the butterfly to nest on.

Butterfly Gardens Give Nourishment

If you want a butterfly garden that will attract many butterflies and nourish your soul make sure you provide food and water for the many butterflies that will descend on your yard. Many of the flowers you plant will provide nectar for your butterflies, but you can also help nature along by providing feeders full of sugar water. You can even leave out little bits of sugar water in saucers scattered around your plants or place a piece of over ripe fruit in your garden to attract many butterflies. Butterflies also need water, so placing a small birdbath in your garden is a great idea.

“Butterfly gardens are a great source for your own enjoyment, photo opportunities, or an outlet for artistic talent. These gardens can also be extended to interest youth in nature, by providing a small window of native inhabitants of the local environment. On a final note, it’s important to conserve butterflies when possible since their habitat is constantly diminishing due to the increasing needs and consequent development of roads and housing.” How to Make Butterfly Gardens

About the author:
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit one stop gardens to learn more about flowers and gardens for preschool children and other gardens with flowers

This is a great video that will show you just how easy it is to start a worm composting bin. What you need:

• Red Composting Worms
• Rubbermaid Bin
• Worm bedding such as old leaves, grass clippings or shredded newspapers

You can put it under your sink, feed it anything compostable, do your part to save the environment and get some excellent fertilizer for your lawn or garden (for free).

“Many common household cleaners today contain potentially dangerous toxins that can lead to illness, fatigue, and disease. Businesses, hospitals, and schools are switching to our environmentally safe, effective cleaners to increase health among family members, clients, and employees all the while decreasing disposal costs of traditional household toxins and preserving our environment.” naturalcleaningproduct.com

Author: Shayna Schnereger

Bleach, ammonia, dish detergents, drain cleaners, furniture polish, laundry detergents, oven cleaner, toilet cleaner, window cleaner, shower cleaner, pesticides, garden sprays, cosmetics, shaving lotion, aerosol cans. Every household across America has at least one of these (probably several) toxic products in their home.

Of course they’re in every home because we all have to clean, we all have to eat, and we all have to wash our dirty laundry. Since these are things in every home it only makes sense that the manufacturers would use ingredients that are safe; I mean we’re breathing this stuff, right?

Yes, I mean–no.

Yes, we are breathing this stuff. But no, most of the companies do not use safe ingredients. Many of the harsh chemicals being used in our everyday products are harmful to us and our families. Many of these products have the potential to cause eye problems, respiratory problems, visual problems, memory impairment, headaches, dizziness, and even death.

Many of these chemicals are being linked to cancer and here we are using them inside our homes, breathing in the toxins. Using these potentially hazardous chemicals in our homes causes indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution not only affects us at work and at home; even places we visit for a short time can have a harmful impact on our health. Indoor pollution is a known source for causing asthma, allergies, and lung cancer.

“The main strategy with home-brewed cleaners is to use them a bit more often; don’t leave a cleaning job until the dirt and grime builds up in months-old layers. A gentler and more frequent approach will do the trick.” Tutorials.com

Indoor air pollution is not the only problem we have to worry about when using these household products. We also need to consider that when we lay down in our beds at night we’re having direct contact with these chemicals for approximately eight hours. That’s eight hours of hazardous chemicals right on our skin. After we get out of the shower, we’re drying off with a towel that’s been washed in toxic, caustic chemicals. We’re using potentially hazardous dish soap to clean the dishes and the baby bottles that help nourish our families. These harmful chemicals are also found in our hygiene products. The very things that are supposed to be cleaning us and keeping us healthy are harmful to us.

One common hazardous chemical used in our products is Formaldehyde. But if you look at the ingredients of many household products will you see Formaldehyde listed? Nope. You will not see it listed because a different name is being used. Quaternium 15 or Q15 is a common name that you will see listed in the ingredients of your household products. Guess what? Q15 is a Formaldehyde-releasing preservative. But that’s not the end of the list. There are many other harmful ingredients that are commonly used in the household items we buy.

Is this shocking to you? Of course it’s shocking.

These are brand names we’ve trusted for years. These are things we’re using to take care of our children’s health and well-being. Should we continue to buy things that are poisoning us and our families? Do you see a connection between harmful chemicals in our everyday products and numerous health issues including cancer, allergies, and skin conditions? There is a real connection here and more people are taking notice of this and choosing alternatives for their families.

And the hazards I’ve mentioned so far are caused by simply using these products. Let’s imagine what happens to children that ingest these hazardous chemicals. Do you know every year approximately 91,000 children are accidentally poisoned each year? And yes there are fatalities as well. Sadly, about 100 of these children will die each year. Are you ready for a crucial
change?

“The cost of these commercial, chemical-based products can be high — long term health concerns for the family, and environmental pollution caused by their manufacture and disposal. In the US, for example, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis (US National Center for Health Statistics). Treatment for these conditions should include reducing synthetic chemicals in the home environment.” eartheasy.com

Visit eartheasy to find formulas to make your own non-toxic cleaning products at home with inexpensive, family safe ingredients

Purchase: Caldrea Kitchen Starter Set, Green Tea Patchouli, 16-Ounce Box

About the author:
Contact Shayna at mailto:sschnereger@socal.rr.com subject=poison my family for information about preventing these hazards in your home.