Citronella, basil, anise oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh garlic are all effective mosquito repellents (all in their own right – you do not have to mix them together you’ll be glad to hear).

They are all less harsh on your skin than the conventional pharmaceutical variety.  However, the fresh garlic alternative may acutally repel more than the mosquitoes!

By filling a plastic bottle with water and placing in your cistern, you considerably reduce the amount of water used in each toilet flush.  (Don’t worry if you need the extra flush power, just remove the bottle again).

Also, it is worth knowing that a running tap wastes almost 9 litres per minute, so keep the flow to a minimum while washing your teeth, shaving, washing dishes etc…

The right to dry movement

Between the economic meltdown and the push for green buildings, saving energy, water and money in your home is more popular than ever. Fortunately, greening your home doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. We caught up with Eric Corey Freed, principal of Organic Architect, and author of the new book, Green$ense for the Home. Here’s his list of nine simple things anyone—renters and homeowners alike—can do in their homes today.

1. Change your light bulbs already! How many environmentalists does it take to change a light bulb? There are several answers to this joke (none of them that funny), but the real answer is: “all of them.” In your home, lighting accounts for nearly 30% of all electricity use. By using compact fluorescent bulbs, you can cut lighting costs by 30 to 60 %, while improving the quality of the light and reducing environmental impact at the same time.

2. Convince your toilet to use less water.  More than a quarter of all of the water used inside the home is flushed down the toilet, which is, literally, a waste. The toilet is the single largest user of clean drinking water inside the home, and it is also the easiest place to conserve water. Before you run out and replace your existing toilets, there are simple and effective things you can do to trick your old toilet to use less water, from flush adapters to flusher adjustments and tank tricks. And when the time comes to replace your working toilets, make sure you buy a low-flow or dual-flush model.

3. Use less water in the shower. Showers add up to nearly 20% of all indoor water usage and are the largest users of hot water. By simply installing a low-flow showerhead, you can save up to 4,000 gallons of water annually, and for every gallon of hot water you save, that’s gas or electricity you don’t need to use to heat it. If your average shower is 10 minutes long, upgrading your old showerheads to a low-flow model will save 25 to 55 gallons of water for every shower you take, and potentially shave 30 percent off utility bills!

4. Keep vampires at bay. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics—cable boxes, DVD players, video games, stereos—is consumed while the products are turned off. That’s money that could stay in your pocket. If something is plugged into the wall—a TV, a cellphone charger, an appliance- even if it’s not on, it draws electricity. We call this demand of energy “phantom loads” or, more appropriately, “vampire loads,” since they suck energy. While the amount of power used is relatively small, they can add up to more than 10 percent of your electricity bill.

There are several simple ways to slay vampire loads: Unplug any appliance with a standby light. Get a power strip for appliances, and flip the switch off when not needed. Or, consider Smart Strips, which sense when power is being drawn and shut off automatically—as simple to install as a regular strip, and you don’t need to worry about vampire loads ever again.

5. Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat operates only during the times you set. For example, a programmable thermostat could lower the heat at 10 p.m. every night, when you’re bundled under the covers in bed. It could also be programmed to return the room to a more comfortable temperature 30 minutes before you wake up. Once set correctly, a programmable thermostat can cut your heating and cooling bills by 20% to 30% annually.

6. Put a coat on your hot water heater. If your home is like most, hot water is produced in a hot water heater. This large tank usually sits in a garage, closet, or basement and slowly heats up a vat of water, and keeps it hot all day and night. Nearly 20% of all of the energy used in the home goes just to the water heater, making it the second-largest energy user in homes after heating and cooling. Insulating a water heater tank reduces the heat losses by 25% to 45%. This translates into as much as a 9% savings in total energy usage.  If everyone in the U.S. insulated their hot water heaters, nearly 11 billion kilowatt-hours of that energy would be saved—enough to power 11.9 million homes in a year.

7. Weatherise windows. The largest source of energy loss in your home is your windows. If you add up the area of all of the cracks and leaks around the windows of your home, it would total about the size of an entire window. Installing new windows can solve much of this problem, but that can be a big job. Simply weatherising—sealing the cracks and leaks around your windows and exterior doors—can have an immediate impact on your energy savings and can be completed in an afternoon.

Purchase only caulk with low or zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  Six to eight tubes at a total cost of no more than €70 should be enough to seal a 3,000-square-foot house with 15 to 20 windows.

8. Install a solar powered clothes dryer: a clothesline. Today, 80% of households have a washer and dryer, but this convenience comes at a price. Electric clothes dryers eat up 10% of a home’s energy. Each load of laundry gives off around 5.6lbs of carbon dioxide per load. That adds up to more than 2,000lbs of CO2 a year just from drying clothes. A solar-powered clothes dryer is a smart and highly energy efficient way to dry your clothes. Also known as a “clothesline,” this idea has been around for centuries and provides an affordable, easy alternative to the high cost of clothes-drying convenience.

9. Compost and recycle.  Landfills pollute our water, take up enormous amounts of space, and (surprise) no one wants to live near them. Most people don’t realize the biggest problem with landfills is the emissions they generate, namely methane and carbon dioxide gas, which contribute to global warming. By composting and recycling, we can reduce the trash in landfills and do long-lasting good for our environment.

Recycling and composting require nothing except the desire to do it. Contact your local rubbish pickup or recycling company and request a free bin (you may also be able to get a free compost bin).

Each of these steps will pay for themselves in less than a year. Plus you’ll rest easy knowing you are doing your part for our environment.

via: www.Good.is

In the last few years particularly, I have found myself easily spending

If you take this saving and calculate what you could put away over a 5 year period, it equates to quite a tidy sum!! Perhaps the Take your Lunch to Work campaign can take over from the heady days of SSIA schemes!!

I admit, taking your homemade lunch takes a little bit more organisation, but once you get in to the habit of it, it′s both financially rewarding and generally much tastier and satisfying!! My first tip is to invest in some good reusable containers and perhaps a flask if you fancy a hot drink – this also makes sure you′re cutting down on waste – so it′s a double whammy!!!

I already hear some of you groan at the memory of the soggy tomato sanger at the school lunch break!! But fear not, there is so much more choice there now!! Fill you lunch box with some fresh cut bread and a slice of parma and brie, and you have an epicurean feast to compare with the best deli in town!! I personally love to make a bowl of pasta twirls every few days, keep them in the fridge and use them to make a different pasta salad each day (you can′t beat tuna, sweetcorn & a good dollop of low fat mayo!).

Also don′t forget leftovers, this is definitely the easiest way to organise your take to work lunch. This is the easiest way to make your lunch: just make extra dinner the night before. Nearly every office has a microwave oven and you will be happy to have a bowl of last night’s beef stew, which will probably taste even better than it did right from the oven. Other leftovers don’t even need to be re-heated, such as poached salmon or a piece of cold chicken. By planning ahead you can steam some extra broccoli, saute an extra chicken breast, add another sweet potato to the oven, or boil some eggs while dinner is on the stove.

Two other suggestions that I think important, if you want this to work for you – firstly, just because you bring your own lunch doesn’t mean you shouldn’t really enjoy what you’re eating. Prepare and eat meals that you will look forward to eating and you won’t feel hard-done by nor be tempted to toss your homemade food in exchange for a slice of pizza.

Finally, even if you don’t have to leave the office to buy your lunch, give yourself a break. Take your lunch, and a friend, with you to a park bench, or do a quick visit to a nearby museum, browse in a bookstore, or just walk around the town. We need our lunch breaks not only to refuel our bodies but also our minds! So come on, join me Save money, Eat Better and Get Greener!!!

Typically gyms are stocked to the brim with bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, stair climbers, TVs and much more plugged in equipment! Not to mention the air conditioning for your comfort! On top of that, you will have piping showers, saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzis all guzzling copious amounts of water and energy.

I know it sounds harsh, and the warmth and luxury of the gym does seem an inviting alternative to the winter elements, but believe me, the great outdoors can open up a whole new world if you let it!

Having ditched the gym myself over a year ago, I can honestly say that I would never go back. I’m not sure if I’m imagining it but I feel fitter from my outdoor pursuits that I ever did pounding the treadmill! Not only that, getting out and about is much more sociable!

So whether you join the running club, jump on your bike, tackle your local tag rugby team or grab the dog for a vigorous walk in the park, you can be happy that your health and fitness in not contributing to the gym industry’s woeful carbon emissions!

Traditional Cuban Black Beans are made with a piece of salt pork or ham hocks.  But, with the correct seasoning and a rich, organic vegetable stock this vegetarian version  hits the spot.  It’s great with yellow rice flavored with turmeric. These 2  recipes have 5 of the 7 super spices: turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin. Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that is an antioxidant and cancer fighter, as well as promoting brain health by protecting against cognitive decline. Cayenne and paprika enhance metabolism, increases satiety and stimulates fat burning. Cumin  also has cancer fighting properties, aids in digestive disorders and has antiseptic value in fighting the common cold. Garlic has cancer protective benefits.

Cuban Black Beans with Yellow Rice – gluten and dairy free

• Rinse l lb dry  black beans and cook in 4 cups vegetable stock .
• While the beans are cooking  heat 2 Tbl. olive oil in a heavy skillet.
• Add 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed and l medium yellow onion, chopped. Cook until transparent.
• Add 2 tsp. paprika,  3 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 bay leaves and sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Add this mixture to beans and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more stock if necessary – beans should be thick but there should be enough stock for a nice gravy.

Yellow Rice

• In a heavy pot, heat 1 Tbl. olive oil. Add 1/2 cup diced shallots.
• When they are softening, add 2 tsp. turmeric and 2 cups water or stock. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup white basmati rice.
• Cover with lid, lower heat and simmer until rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Add sea salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped coriander .

Optional: serve with shredded monterey jack cheese and/or a dollop of sour cream.
Serve with Skillet Corn Bread – gluten free (recipe below)

Skillet Corn Bread

• In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups stone ground cornmeal, 2 cups gluten free bread flour *, 4 tsp. gluten free baking powder, 1 tsp. bread soda, 1 tsp. salt. Mix well.
• In a separate bowl mix 6 Tbl. vegetable oil, 1/2 cup honey, 2 cups plain yoghurt and 2 beaten eggs.
• Mince 2 Tbl. red pepper and 1 Tbl. coriander.
• Combine all, the batter will be thick.
• Oil a large cast iron skillet and pour batter in.
• Bake at 180 for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

* Health Shops have a good selection of gluten free products and many companies now make a good bread flour substitute, usually a combination of rice, potato and grain flours.

However the claim that it doubles up as a moisturiser and a makeup remover won be over (convenience is also very high on my list of priorities). The fact that I happened to tune in to one of those UK makeover shows when the make-up artist announced that almond oil is her one can’t do without make-up bag staple also helped.

After 3 weeks of trying it diligently, I can report that I am totally converted.  It balances the skin well and keeps the skin hydrated all day long.   I also use this under my eyes and it works well on those fine lines. It doesn’t irritate my eyes at all and I hear it’s also great for dark circles under the eyes.

And while I am on the subject of green make up, I have also converted to muslin cloths  for removing make-up and cleansing.  Check out Liz Earle pure muslin cloths – they are absolutely brilliant at cleaning the uppermost levels of dead skin cells to leave your skin immediately looking cleaner, healthier and fresher.

They can be washed time and time again and offer a fantastic green alternative to cotton wool.

We’re all worried these days about global warming. We want to protect our environment and we do our bit to recycle and reuse. When it comes to weddings, though, we tend to throw green ethics aside.

We don’t care if the flowers were flown in from Africa, provided they match the bridesmaids’ dresses; it doesn’t matter that the vintage Bentley guzzles petrol, if it looks right for the day. And we think nothing of flying to the sun for hen weekend or honeymoon.

In Britain, however, it’s no longer trendy to be lavish. The eco-friendly wedding is starting to spread. And that doesn’t mean the bride wears hessian and the guests eat lentils – it’s about avoiding carbon emissions and sourcing local flowers and food.

In Ireland, weddings are still pretty extravagant. But there are small signs that brides’ attitudes have started to change.

“Brides do not, in my experience, want to go ‘all green’,” says Julie Cobbe, commercial manager of the website www.simplyweddings.com. “But nowadays they are more aware of the environment, and try, even in a small way, to make their contribution. Many, for example, give seeds or bulbs to guests as wedding favours instead of chocolates.”

Some couples are eschewing traditional gifts. If they’re in their thirties when they’re getting married, they have all the saucepans and salad servers they need, and they may suggest that their guests donate to a charity. Oxfam have introduced a catalogue called Oxfam Unwrapped. There’s a bridal section from which guests buy in order to help Oxfam with its overseas work.

Oxfam is also selling wedding dresses. In Britain it’s doing a roaring trade, as brides want cut price for ethical reasons. And the idea is starting to catch on in Ireland as well.

“We have a year-on-year increase in our Occasions bridal store at the George’s Street shop,” says Maeve McNamara, Oxfam’s district retail manager. “These are brides who are short of money, who are practical, or want something a bit different.”

Many of the dresses are samples coming from weddings stores, but there is a second-hand element too.

“It’s a good way for people to give,” says Maeve. “We can get €350 for a dress; the dress is reused, and it’s a kick back against high street fashion. We’re currently looking for dresses; and we would, particularly like vintage dresses from the 1960s and ’70s. Those are selling really well.”

When Sarah Traynor

started

researching for her new book, How to Have a Champagne Wedding on a Buck’s Fizz Budget, she had budgeting on her mind. Very soon, it became evident that if you think ethical, you can often save money as well. So she includes innumerable tips for the bride who wants to go green.

“It is a great way to save money, even if you are not 100% behind the green movement,” she says.

When Sarah married back in 2004, she made every effort to avoid food waste.

“I’ve been a waitress for loads of weddings so I’m aware of the amount of food that gets thrown away,” she says. “We asked people to say if they wanted the meat or fish option when they RSVP’d; that saves money and food.”

It’s a good idea, too, to use the cake as a dessert.

“That saves waste,” says Sarah. “Or you can get a Sheridans’ cake [from Sheridans Cheesemongers in Dublin and Galway] made from different hard and soft cheeses. It’s layered, like a traditional cake, and decorated with grapes. It’s beautiful and can be used as the cheese course.”

Invitees to the wedding of Natasha and Bryan Mann last June were surprised to see Wellington boots listed under the dress code. But had it rained, guests would have needed them to walk through the woods from the field where they parked their cars to the ruined 12th century church in Co Kildare. “Furness Church in Johnstown is at the back of the house owned by Patrick and Louise Guinness,” Natasha explains. “It has no roof, and it’s in the middle of the woods.”

The couple decided to marry there because they love the outdoors, and hated the idea of a conventional church wedding and hotel reception. “We’re not particularly religious, and swearing to love someone for the rest of your life to someone you don’t believe in didn’t feel right,” Natasha says.

“We got married, the day before, in a registry office. We then had a humanist service. It was more empowering. We had poetry like Love is a Temporary Madness from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. We wrote the vows ourselves and had a ring exchange.”

Natasha’s brother Oliver, then 15, sang as Natasha entered the church, to the guitar playing of his friend Celeste Guinness. “There was no more music, but it was 7pm and the birds were in full song. We could not have paid for better. It was perfect.”

The church didn’t need decoration, and the marquee, attached to the courtyard, was decorated with mayflower plucked from bushes, and flowers gathered from the garden.

“We bought in just a few flowers for some centrepieces,” says Natasha. “My father, who lives in the wing of Furness House, is a caterer.

“He made these amazing canapés, and we ate those with champagne for two or three hours. Then we had a barbecue with sausages. We had lots of bonfires and some heaters, and everyone stayed outside.”

Natasha opted for an evening dress, rather than traditional bridal garb. And at €650, it was a much cheaper option. She’s currently having the turquoise and cream dress altered to wear again.

There were no wedding cars; Natasha and Bryan walked, ahead of their guests, back through the woods to the marquee. And everyone stayed overnight in tents in the fields, negating the need for hotels and B&Bs.

The couple made sure that they had the wedding they really wanted, and because they are both environmentally aware, it was certainly an ethical one.

“That matters to us,” says Natasha. “Bryan is a tree surgeon. We bothcare about the environment. And we were saving money.

“That mattered terribly, because we did not wantto start married life indebt.

“We wanted to have as many friends as possible. We had 200, and that’s why we decided against a sit-down meal.

“So many friends offered to help.

“One, a photographer, offered to do the photos; another, a graphic designer, designed the invitations.”

The couple haven’t yet had a honeymoon. They’d planned one to away at Christmas, but by then Natasha was eight months pregnant with her daughter Molly.

“I was three months pregnant at the wedding. Not being able to drink means I can remember it all, every minute,” she says. “And it was really, really amazing.”

Top tips for an ethical wedding

CARS

If you want to avoid carbon emissions, have your reception close to the church. Then you can walk. You’ll save a fortune on cars, too. (A standard price for a wedding car is €500.) If this isn’t possible hire buses to take guests to the reception.

DRESS

Let your dress live again. Donate it to Oxfam; not only will you help another bride, the money will be passed on to those in need.

FAVOURS

Gather acorns and plant them individually for guests so they can plant their own tree. Or give a bar of fair-trade chocolate. One bride sourced shiny black stones, and wrote each guest’s name on them in silver. These doubled as place settings and favours. If you want to donate to charity instead of giving favours, give guests a token – such as a paw pin from an animal charity – rather than just a card telling them you have donated.

FLOWERS

Order locally grown seasonal flowers for your wedding. The less transport, the less carbon miles. And look for flowers grown without pesticides. Use potted plants and trees instead, or you could grow your own flowers.

After the wedding, aska friend to take displaysor bouquets to a nursing home for someone else to enjoy.

FOOD

Choose locally grown seasonal produce to help negate artificial heating in glasshouses. Avoid waste by requesting that guest choose their main course in advance.

HONEYMOON

Honeymoon in Ireland. There are still wonderfully unspoilt places for a romantic getaway.

And forsaking the stress of flying will be good for your nerves as well as the environment.

INVITATIONS

Use recycled paper. Or use none, by emailing invitations.

PHOTOS

To save the paper and printing of a wedding album, go for a ‘disc only’ option.

(Available from www.roscphotography.com.) You’ll get 120 pictures for €750, and you only print the ones you really love.

RINGS

Buy an antique ring or wooden wedding rings.

via: www.independent.ie

This winter I have found that my house seems to be leaking. By that I mean that I have noticed little drafts in certain rooms that I never noticed before.  Small spaces and gaps around windows and pipes and wires entering the home create create energy wasting drafts that can cut the efficiency of your heating system. Most caulking products are cheap costing under €10. It’s a no brainer for a cosier home and your saving on your home heating bill too!