Allie’s Answers

It’s flea and tick season again. If your dog or cat comes home with some hitchhikers, give this remedy from Greenpeace Canada a try:

Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of fresh or dried rosemary to a quart/litre of boiling water. Steep 20 minutes, strain, and allow to cool to body temperature. Spray or sponge evenly onto pet and allow to air dry. Do not towel down as this will remove the residue. Make sure pets are dry before letting them outside.

Your pet will have a fresh rosemary scent and you won’t have to use any harsh chemicals.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

You rush into the elevator and push the button to get the door to close before anyone else can get in. Or is that just me? I hate being trapped in an elevator with strangers. But do I really need a big, heavy elevator to make a trip just for me? No. I don’t.

Conservation International wants us to take the stairs. It saves electricity and it’s a good way to squeeze a little extra exercise into your day.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Next time you mow the lawn, raise the blade on your mower to a height of three or four inches.

According to an article from Cornell University’s Chronicle Online, longer grass is more resistant to drought because the roots grow deeper into the soil. Longer grass is also better able to fight off weeds without the help of chemical weed killers.

I keep my lawn long because it’s eco-friendly. Sounds a lot better than procrastination, doesn’t it?

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Going camping? Maybe you have some wood already stacked in your backyard, but unless you’re going camping right down the street, don’t bring it with you. When you transport firewood, you also transport insects that may not be local to the area you’re traveling to.

In Michigan, an insect called the emerald ash borer has had a devastating effect on forests in outbreak areas. The state of Michigan has imposed a fine of $250,000 and one year in jail for anyone transporting wood from quarantined areas.

The emerald ash borer is not the only insect of concern, and the problem is not just limited to wood from Michigan. To read more about the risks of transporting firewood, go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.

Go to EarthEasy for tips on building a safe campfire. Enjoy your S’mores!

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Microwave meals are convenient, but often don’t taste much better than the cardboard box they come in (not that I go around eating cardboard boxes). I love Amy’s Cheese Enchilada Meal because it’s quick, but it tastes just as good as something I’d make myself or order in a restaurant.

The enchilada is gooey and decadent. The cheese melts without being greasy, and the corn tortilla shell is soft, but not soggy.

The corn with Anaheim chilies has a nice fresh taste, but it’s the beans that make me crave this meal. The beans are mixed with a fresh salsa and flavored with cilantro. They’re so good, I wish Amy’s Kitchen would sell them as an individual item as well.

Amy’s Cheese Enchilada Meal is gluten and soy-free and certified kosher. Amy’s Kitchen vegetarian meals use organic ingredients, and don’t contain trans-fats or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

To find a store that carries Amy’s Kitchen products in your area, check out their store locator here.

Another Eco-Friendly Food from Allie.

According to Real Simple, if every American made an effort to launder less — cutting out just one load of laundry a week per household — we’d save enough water to fill seven million swimming pools each year.

So if it looks clean, and it smells clean, call it clean and wear it again. Consider hanging worn clothes out on your clothesline to freshen them up between wearings.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Planning some summer camping trips? Stocking up an emergency kit? Look for products that don’t require batteries.

The Forever Flashlight runs for a hundred minutes after just one minute of shaking.

The American Red Cross Emergency Radio uses a hand crank to power the radio and recharge your cell phone.

Is all that shaking and cranking too much work for you? Let the sun charge it. The BoGo Light charges in eight hours during the day, and give four to five hours of light when you need it. The solar panel will last for twenty years. BoGo stands for Buy One, Give One. When you purchase a BoGo Light, another light will be given to a needy individual or family in the developing world. Technically, the BoGo Light uses a battery, but since it’s recharged by the sun, it only needs to be replaced every two years.

Traditional battery powered is so passé.

Thanks, Diane!

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Our bathroom has mauve tile and a mint chocolate chip green bathtub. To call it hideous is an understatement. I regularly dream of taking a crowbar to the wall, ripping down the tile, and putting up something neutral and sensible.

The neighbors down the street are remodeling their bathroom, and every day when I walk the dog, I see how the pile of rubble at the curb has grown — broken tiles, pieces of drywall, fixtures, shelving, and splintered wood. Seeing all of it, sitting there in a heap, waiting for the next garbage day, has put things in perspective.

We’d all like our homes to look exactly the way we want them to, decked out in the latest colors and styles. I’d like a bathroom that isn’t an assault on the eyes, but in the greater scheme of things, is it really important? As ugly as they are, our mauve tiles are in excellent shape and will last for many years to come. I’d rather they serve a purpose in our house, than take up space in a landfill.

Before you remodel, make sure it’s a change that’s really necessary. If it is, make sure you use recycled materials and renewable resources. If it isn’t, suck it up. Live with it. You can use the money you save to pamper yourself.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

You brush it every day, wash it with fancy shampoo and slather it with conditioner. You give it hot oil treatments and use covered rubber bands so it won’t snag. You care for it for months and then you leave it in a heap on your hairdresser’s floor so it can be swept up, thrown in a plastic bag, and dumped in the garbage.

Since you go to such lengths to care for your hair (no pun intended), donate it, so it can help someone else feel beautiful too.

Wigs for Kids provides full-cranium prosthetic hair pieces to children suffering from hair loss due to medical conditions, chemotherapy, and severe burns.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths uses donated hair to make wigs for women who have hair loss during cancer treatments.

Locks of Love provides prosthetic hairpieces to disadvantaged children suffering from long-term hair loss.

In the UK, the Little Princess Trust provides wigs to children with cancer and other illnesses that cause hair loss.

Each organization has different requirements for hair donation, so research before you cut. Men can donate too.

Make sure to use eco-friendly products to care for your hair while it grows.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Our dog is just shy of 100 pounds. His monster teeth destroy dog toys even when he’s trying to be gentle. After he’s put a few holes in a toy, it’s not safe for him to play with it anymore. The plastics that are commonly used to make dog toys aren’t recyclable, so broken toys end up in the garbage.

The solution? Tough enough dog toys made from recycled materials, like Orbee-Tuff RecycleBall and RecycleBone, by Planet Dog. Both toys are made from factory remnants and are non-toxic, washable, and recyclable.

Or make your own dog toys. My pup got a full day of play out of an old sock stuffed with another old sock and tied at the top. Try an old t-shirt or towel tied in knots. As with any toy, keep an eye on your dog to make sure he’s not eating pieces of it, and take it away once it starts to come apart. Once your dog is done, what’s left of the homemade toy can go in your rag bin.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.