Look what I found

So in my quest to find a different way of living I decided to look into organic products, I'm already an allotment owner and so can provide seasonal vegetables (and hopefully fruit soon) but what else could I do organically...

I've been having skin problems lately and it was suggested that I use water based foundation (to stop clogging up the pores), when I searched the web, mostly organic sites came up for this type of foundation. This got me thinking about not only what you put into your system but also what you put on it. Its something I've been interested in for a while but didn't realise how important it is, so I did a bit of digging around.

Channel four recently aired a programme 'How toxic are you? It featured an array of people using products and their chemical count pitted against 'organic' products. Parabens were something that came up frequently as they are often put into cosmetics and were a big 'no'; they are a chemicals which used to be thought safe in the UK and around the world. Japanese research suggested that some forms of parabens actually made the skin structure deteriorate and age significantly. They've also been linked to breast cancer in women, so not so safe after all! So now I need to find alternatives to my usual array of cosmetics, deodorant, toothpaste and hair styling products.

A fantastic site I'm recently stumbled across is the Organic salon and their range of products rivals the best out there. They also include a nifty Ingredients Glossary which tells you exactly whats in the list of ingrediants on the back of your moisturiser etc. The only problem is that there is just too much choice, my credit card is going to take a bashing...I'll have to look into ethical trading next.

I know I'm a week or so late but thought I would make some green new year resolutions to do my bit for the environment. Better late than never.

So here goes...

I will always turn off lights when I leave a room for any length of time. I'm also going to replace every light bulb in my flat (total of 8 lights) to a more energy efficient variety. I'm definatley going to take advantage of the London Light bulb Amnesty which runs from 11-13th January 2008. If you take two normal light bulbs to a participating B&Q they will give you two new energy efficient bulbs and safely dispose of your old ones.

I will not use as many plastic bags for shopping (and will be taking my green shopper bag instead). I'll also check that bin liners I buy will be bio degradable. So at least if I have to use them then I know they won't be costing the earth by staying around forever. Goodness direct do a nifty line in bio bags which are environmentally friendly.

And my last resolution will be to make sure I turn my washing machine to 30 degrees and make sure every wash is full. This last one made me happy because that means I've got an excuse to leave household chores a little bit longer to make sure the washing machine is full. It'll also give me the opportunity to wear more things from my wardrobe so you never know, I might leave the house looking a bit more put together as a result of this.

For more ways you can make your home environmentally friendly visit Green Homes...

I think I'm getting there slowly, today I signed up to only receive bank account statements online rather than through the post. This will cut down my green fingerprint slightly and also help storage problems within my flat. If I want to look at a past statement then I only need to log onto my online account, which basically is what I do anyway regardless of the fact I have paper copies floating around a file somewhere. This has the added security that canny identity stealers won't have such an easy job of rummaging through my rubbish bins to steal my identity. It was as easy as a click of the mouse and just as painless.

Whilst I'm on the subject of identity I realised another thing that has put me slightly ahead of the game. My skin care routine consists of using Liz Earle products (and has done for the last ten years or so) which are naturally active and user friendly. There is no overly fussy packaging and it all arrives beautifully contained and smells divine. One of my friends has recently been made aware by a facialist she uses (even though I've been extolling its merits on anyone who'd listen – guess that means she doesn't necessarily listen to me!) She loves it and couldn't praise it enough on the absorbent front, so if you haven't tried it you definitely should. Plus it's another way to help our planet go greener, your skin will be pumped with fewer chemicals and your wallet won't be dented too much.

Next I'm going to investigate green deodorant and also what vitamins and minerals I need to keep my body in its best possible shape...

I've just gone online to find out what my current carbon footprint looks like and although I'm no saint, it's actually not that bad. In the grand scheme of things my measly 3.256 tonnes is nothing compared to the average for the UK (which comes in at a hefty 9 tonnes). I feel rather good about it all now and I'm not nearly as bad as I could be but saying that, I realise that even I have a long way to go before I can smugly tell others what to do!

Here are some nifty facts from the Carbon Footprint website (http://www.carbonfootprint.com/):

•The average footprint for people in United Kingdom is 9.8 tonnes.
•The average for the industrial nations is about 11 tonnes.
•The average worldwide carbon footprint is about 4 tonnes.
•To combat climate change the worldwide average needs to reduce to 2 tonnes.

My second two attempts at going green happened entirely by accident and I must admit they are simple things that I really ought to have thought about before! Alas, it's happened now and there's no point worrying about what I should have already been doing.

It all started rather innocently on Saturday, I decided to brave the crowds and head to the supermarket, mainly because I really didn't have any food in the house. Whilst there I tried to be a conscientious shopper and not picking pre packed fruit and vegetables but rather rummaging through the tomatoes individually to find ones with stalks. Don't ask me why but they just seem to taste better (not that I eat the stalks mind, just the general overall appearance of the tomato is improved). I only had a hand basket which I managed to fill like a contestant of crackerjack, tins of beans kept leaping out of my basket at every available opportunity. Once I'd struggled to the till and with a bottle of wine in the other arm, I waited for my turn. Not sure if I'm the only one who does this but I love looking at other peoples purchases (trying not to look at them) then guess what type of person they are. I invariably get it wrong but hey, it keeps me amused for ten minutes.

Anyway back to the point! At the till were some nifty looking green recycle shopping bags that folded down to almost nothing when not in use. For 69p I thought this was a bargain so duly purchased one and when it had gone through the till I ripped off the tags and proceeded to use it. I must admit I was happily surprised and will be using it next time I go shopping (as long as I remember to take it with me)!

My second eco warrior type experience was almost a knock on from shopping because after arriving home I started to put my shopping away. I soon realised that my freezer wasn't looking very spacious and more like an artic glacier than it should. Before I thought about what I was doing (and believe me, if I'd thought about it I wouldn't have done it) I started pulling out the draws. Armed with a table knife and two bowls of hot water wedged in the draw compartments I started to hack away at the ice sculptures inside the walls of the freezer. Nearly thirty five minutes later I had a very much reduced ice mountain inside my freezer but unfortunately had a small lake forming on the kitchen floor. Once cleared I sat back and surveyed my work, not only could I now fit more in but my freezer (I'm told) will be working more economically and thus helping me save the planet.

Not bad for a usually uneventful Saturday!