Last Minute Holiday Present Ideas – Eco-Friendly, Wallet-Friendly Ideas for Everyone!

Here are a few last minute ideas for people on your holiday shopping list -

For the toddlers in your life, check out Sprig. If you aren’t 100% sold on all wood toys in the house but want a comparable alternative in terms of your carbon footprint, check out this company – they make toys out of ‘sprigwood’ – a bio-composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. There’s much more to say about this great new company, please check out their website for more information and toy availability!

For the gals in your life, please check out Hugo’s Fizzy Bath Bombs. Our fascination with Hugo Naturals goes way back, but these bath bombs are…well, the bomb! Try the grapefruit  and orange! We dare you not to try to eat the bath water!

More to come, stay tuned and keep the holiday cheer coming!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

A Few More Cold and Flu Tips – Natural Remedies

With cold and flu season upon us, We Can Live Green felt compelled to write down yet a few more tips on cold and flu season. With the holiday season fast approaching, who wants to be sick? We’d venture to guess no one, so following are a few more ideas to keep in mind. Some are ones you’ve heard forever, but they are tried and true so we’ll mention them yet again!

1.  To diminish nasal congestion, open airways and assist in avoiding an infection progressing to the lungs, breathing in the mist of  a warm shower for 15 minutes several times a day works wonders!

2.  Tea tree antiseptic ointment (we’ve talked about this one before, see here) on the chest several times a day works wonders on keeping sinus passages moist and airways open. The great thing about Tea Tree Antiseptic Ointment is that it can be used for a number of ailments, such as burns and insect bites. The lavender oil has a calming, soothing quality and the eucalyptus component ensures that even sensitive-skinned kids will tolerate it. You really can’t beat it, we promise!

Stay tuned for more holiday gift ideas in the coming days!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu Season – Part Three – Umcka Cold and Cough Syrup

No winter cold and flu medicine cabinet would be complete without the following cold and cough syrup – Umcka Cold Care by Nature’s Way. WCLG has been using this stuff for years now – and we continue to hear great things about it from health care professionals and moms alike.

Umcka Cold Care’s main ingredient - Pelargonium sidoides - works with the body’s immune system to fight infection. (Click on the following link if you would like more basic info about Pelargonium sidoides.) It is widely used in Europe and has been clinically proven to shorten the duration of colds and coughs.

We Can Live Green can vouch for this stuff because we use it, it works, and yes, it does reduce the time your family is sick! Umcka Cold Care is available online or at retailers (such as Whole Foods Market) nationwide.

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

Cold and Flu Season 101 – Part Two

So you’ve got the Vitamin C in your medicine cabinet, now what? We Can Live Green suggests investing in some saline nasal spray. Why? Saline nasal spray, which can be administered by spray or on a soaked cotton swab, helps keep the nasal passages moist. This aids in preventing bacterial growth, which is at the root of upper respiratory symptoms and illnesses.

A fantastic product on the market that takes saline nasal spray to the next level of cold and flu prevention is Xlear. This nasal spray contains xylitol (which has been clinically proven to fight bacteria). The saline and xylitol combination assists in cold prevention in two ways – 1. nasal passages are kept moist so that bacteria can not grow as easily and 2. the presence of xylitol helps prevent further growth of bacteria.

Xlear was created by a family physician in west Texas who was concerned by the increasing incidence of patients in his practice with upper respiratory symptoms. He researched xylitol’s effects on bacterial growth and started formulating Xlear. See here for more information on his research. The end result is a fantastic product! It is recommended by pediatricians, family practice doctors, health care providers and moms. It really works! Please give it a try!

(As a reminder, WCLG does not get paid to endorse products on this site. Every product listed is hand-selected by WCLG staff through their own personal experience with the product.)

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living-

We Can Live Green

Cold and Flu Season 101 – Your Winter Survival Guide

As promised, we are focusing on the upcoming cold and flu season. So, where to start? Let’s start in your medicine cabinet. And of course no list would be complete without starting with Vitamin C.

What is so special about Vitamin C? Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells (which fight infection)  and increases levels of interferon (which coats cell surfaces, preventing the entry of viruses). Incredibly, humans and primates are the only mammals that do not produce their own Vitamin C. All other mammals do. Amazing huh? So, you have to figure that if every other mammal is making Vitamin C (especially when stressed),  it has to be good for us!

A great brand of crystallized powder Vitamin C is Source Naturals. You can find their product here. (No, we do not get paid to say that). We Can Live Green recommends the crystalized powders – they are easy to mix with drinks or food, easy to increase (or decrease) the dose and they are very cost-effective. If you would like to try another brand, look at your local grocery or pharmacy. You may have to experiment a bit as some powders can be very bitter.

As we are sure you know, Vitamin C is well-proven in the We Can Live Green and medical community. Take as a daily supplement, increasing dose as directed upon onset of cold symptoms. Give it a try!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – More Little Things

Another money saving tip this Monday. Look for our upcoming natural remedy series for the cold and flu season next week!

1. Use a hair applicator bottle for dish detergents when washing dishes by hand. This is a trick by a fabulous woman, I’ll call her L, who has shared this incredible money saving secret with WCLG! We are absolutely crazy about this idea. It works, it works, it works! See here for applicator bottle ideas. Simply pour dish soap into the applicator bottle and use from there. You save an unbelievable amount of soap by washing dishes this way. You will be stunned!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living -

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – The Little Things

Yes, it is true. The little things really do add up when it comes to saving money. Enclosed are a couple of ideas on saving some money on the little things -

1. Make your own soap – or at least buy castille soap which is much cheaper and eco-friendly than the store bought alternatives. Take a look here for a great brand at an incredible price!

2. Make your own household cleaner – you just need a little vinegar ($3 a gallon), lemon juice ($2 for a bag of lemons) and baking soda ($2 for a box). Recipes for making your own household cleaners can be found in We Can (All) Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet.

For more money saving tips, stay tuned next week! Until then, good luck!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green 

Money Monday – Transportation

Our Money Monday segment continues! Enclosed are a few transportation tips from We Can Live Green .

1.     If you’re looking for transportation savings on a smaller scale, consider negotiating an ‘off peak’ schedule with your work. By eliminating the time you spend idling in traffic, you can reduce your gasoline consumption (which means more money in your pocketbook), improve your health (less stress on your commute) and help out the planet (less vehicle emissions for the planet to have to deal with). As commute distances vary, we estimate a conservative savings per year of $350 – but its worth doing your own calculations. This would be great information to share with your employer when negotiating an off peak schedule!

2. Designate one car on your car insurance as ‘for pleasure use only’.   According to the National Safety Council, if you designate one of your vehicles as for pleasure use only, your car insurance can go down by 20%. Just another perk to ridesharing! Depending on your insurance plan, a 20% discount on your insurance costs can add to hundreds of dollars of  savings a year!

When it comes to filling your gasoline tank, consider this advice from experts:

1. Fill up your tank mid-week, not on the weekend when prices tend to be higher.

2.  Consider membership at a wholesale club. They often have special discounts on gasoline pumped in front of their store.

3. If you have the ability to utilize apps on your phone, consider Cheap Gas or GasBuddy, which both rank high for usability and great information on, you guessed it, cheap gas.

Good Luck and Keep Us Posted!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living -

We Can Live Green

Kale Chips – We love you!

We Can Live Green is currently completely in love with Kale Chips (recipe to follow). Here is a bit about this incredibly nutritious vegetable:

1. Kale is an excellent source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, macronutrients and cancer preventing nutrients known as glucosinolates.

2. Kale is an outstanding source of Vitamin K (1327% DV), Vitamin A (192.4% DV), and Vitamin C (88.8% DV).

3. Kale can easily be substituted for spinach (another great food!) in salads.

For more nutrition facts and analysis on kale, check out this site.

For a truly delicious and amazing kale chip recipe, take a look here.

Money Monday – Clothes, clothes

With back to school in full gear, we are focusing Money Monday on clothes. If you have kids at home, back to school clothes are always a hit on the pocketbooks. What are a few things you can focus on to save a few extra bucks?

1. You’ve heard it a million times, but frequent resale and thrift stores in your neighborhood. Better yet, frequent stores in neighborhoods that might have the types of clothes you are looking for. Trendy urban pieces can be found in neighborhood thrift stores that cater to college and twenty-somethings. Classy, retro pieces might be found in a store that services those age fifty and over. Going to the thrift store is always an adventure…and always worth the trip!

2. Organize a ‘Swap Til You Drop’ Back to School Party. Find friends with kids younger (and older) than yours and arrange a play date. The ‘admission ticket’ to your home is a bag of clothes that will fit those kids in attendance. Voila! Instant fall school wardrobe.

3. Spend the money to resole your shoes. You will be rewarded by saving money, keeping your favorite pair of shoes in the closet and you are supporting an (almost) lost art form!

Send us your tips too!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living!

We Can Live Green