Network of Ideas

nontoxic paints for your kids

Is your child the next Picasso? Well, probably not, but you can still encourage your budding artiste to make masterpieces with nontoxic supplies like veggie-based paint for art that screams like munch but smells like Monet’s garden. Try these fallowing paints:

• Nuno Finger Paint – four colors of food-grade finger paint; for ages three and up ($25).
• Stockmar Modeling Beeswax – great alternative to polymer clay, which contains PVC; six colors, for ages four and up ($15).
• Paint A Poster Books – veggie-pigment paint-by-numbers series with dinosaurs, fairies, and sprites; for ages six and up ($5).
• Prang Soybean Crayons – four-color box of soy (rather than petroleum) wax crayons; for ages four and up ($1).
• EcoArt Works – eco art supplies for both kids and adults.

Here are the good benefits of using these materials. You will have a less suffering for art. Many standard art supplies emit asthma-inducing chemicals; pick ones that don’t contain ammonia, formaldehyde, or turpentine, especially since supplies can end up in kids’ mouths. And you can paint a greener planet. Up to 36 billion pounds of toxic acrylic polymer solvents, found in many traditional art supplies, are produced each year. So, think about it now!

lose your slow-draining sink

Are you ready to lose it over your slow-draining sink? Well, that could be the huge hairball caught in your pipes. Rather than reach for those plumbers, clear it out with a plumber’s snake (aka drain auger) – they’re more effective than liquid decloggers and free of hairy chemicals. Try these:

• Zip-It – simple plastic drain declogger for not-so-deep clogs.
• Cobra Wire Drain Auger – 25 ft of snaking metal wire, available in different lengths at your hardware store.

Benefits would be; Getting the hair out, even when you’re super stressed and molting. This is less bodily harm. Liquid drain decloggers use the active ingredient sodium hydroxide, which irritates your skin, nose, and throat. Also, you can have longer-lasting pipes. Since liquid plumber and the like are pretty caustic, they can degrade pipes if you use too much. And, this is definitely reusability. You only need to buy a snake once; with liquid decloggers, you got to buy new bottles practically every time your sink stops up. So, think about it!

pillow tips for your insomnia

Sleep Pillows can be effective; use a small pillow a few inches square, stuffed with the appropriate herbs and slipped inside the pillowslip on top of your regular pillow. Failing that, a few drops of essential oil on a cotton wool ball or scrap of cotton can be placed inside the pillowslip. Neroli, chamomile, marjoram, lavender or rose are my suggestions.

Jeanne Rose’s Herbal Sleep Pillow, to rekindle energies during the night. 8 parts rose petals, 4 parts mint, 4 parts rosemary, 1 part crushed clove.

Small but strong sleep pillow: Approximately equal quantities of rose petals, chamomile, mint and rose geranium. Add a few drops of neroli essential oil (and I like a drop of clary sage too). This one’s quite strong and floral.

Interesting Dreams Pillow: Stuff your pillow with mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) It produces truly spectacular technicolor dreams. I like to add a drop or two of clary sage oil to help me get to sleep, and because it has the quality of being able to open the third eye. It also produces euphoria… but don’t overdo it because in large quantities it can cause headaches.

tips in eliminating slugs

Slugs are gray to brown in color and some have spots. There are good slugs and there are bad slugs. Generally the good slugs live below the soil line and are carnivorous, feeding on wireworms, grubs, and other slugs. The good guys can be identified by a small shell on the end of their tail. The bad slugs on the other hand are above the ground creatures, preferring a vegetable diet. They feed on a variety of plants and leave a slimy little trail.

The traditional method is to purchase commercial slug baits, but there are several successful organic methods as well. Try pouring a small amount of beer in a shallow container, such as a saucer. The slug is attracted to the beer and drowns. Also, try cutting an orange in half and hulling it out. Lay this in the garden with a small stick underneath the orange to give the slug an entrance place under this cool shaded slug home. Check now and then to see if anyone has checked in and evict him permanently. If you can’t stand to crush the guy, then just sprinkle some salt on him. Salt and slugs don’t mix. One last thing, mulch heavily with oak leaves. They don’t like that either.

securing homes

With today’s security hazards, it is recommended to at least have a security system at home. The news continually reports the many incidents of burglary everywhere. Most of these cases cause damages to properties to the victims. However, it doesn’t only result damages to properties, it also causes trauma. Some even experience the worst, like losing life.

Sometimes most people don’t think about home security like GE home security systems until they experienced a home break in. Everyone knows the importance of protecting the family and the things they own. But, it never occurred to most of them that a break-in could happen any time. Most people tend to forget the fact that it could happen any time whether they like it or not. Everybody is vulnerable to becoming a victim. That is the very reason as to why GE home security system was created.

First and foremost, installation of a home security system like GE alarm system and security camera renders more security. Potential intruders will think twice before breaking a house upon seeing a hint of alarm system. Or if the intruder decides to continue breaking in, the alarm system will alert everyone within the house. However, it doesn’t guarantee nothing will happen. One thing is sure, the security camera will change the outcome.

Security system helps monitor the home seven days a week, 365 days a year. Installing these devices may seem unnecessary expenses. But, it is a smart move for smart people.

believe it, you can change

Voting for change when it comes to non-green lip gloss or window cleaner? Well, you can start your new beginning without dumping what’s left over. If you’re changing to healthier, planet-friendlier cleaning and personal care products, just use up the old stuff first or give it away. Yes you can.

• Use up what’s left, then switch to the green stuff.
• Dump it on recycle bin and there’s a decent chance a stranger will want it and come pick it up.
• Give it to family or friends who despite your nagging still use conventional products.
• Donate cleaners to shelters or put them in your apartment building’s “free” area for someone to take.

Here are the benefits in doing this: You can give hope for the planet. Think of all the resources that go into making, packaging, and transporting makeup and cleaning supplies – these tricks help you avoid waste. And you can a contribution to social campaign. Like it or not, places like shelters may purchase non-green products anyway, so if you just aren’t going to use up what’s left, finding someone who will is better than sending half-full bottles of cleaner to the landfill.