Just trying to check in even though I don’t have a big post ready.  Here’s what I’m doing/planning to do in the GPP vein…

• No ‘Poo.  I’m late to jump on this bandwagon but it’s something I’ve been thinking of doing for… ever.  My hair is fine and has just enough curl to it to always have a halo of fuzzy frizz whenever it is freshly washed.  I never really have been a daily shampoo’er anyway, mainly because my  hair only really starts looking good by day 3, and really starts to look great when it feels DIS-GUSTING.  Yesterday, after almost a week without washing it, I did my first “treatment” – a wash with baking soda paste and a rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar – as per the instructions from one of my favorite bloggers, Crunchy Betty.  It’s still too early to tell for sure, but so far I love it.  My hair after washing/drying yesterday was less frizzy with NO product in it than it usually is after a regular shampoo with anti-frizz product!  My scalp feels clean and tingly (might have helped that my baking soda had lavender infused in it; next time I might go for mint and/or eucalyptus for some nice tingle!) and my hair is nice and soft and continues to look and feel good today.
• In beautiful coincidence, my mom and I helped my son concoct his first “volcano” yesterday using – you guessed it – baking soda and vinegar!
  
• Daydreaming about gardening.  Trying not to spend all my time and energy on Pinterest adding to my already huge garden board.  I’ll post more about it in the future but I think this year we’re really going to keep it “simple” – tomatoes, maybe a companion crop, and then lots of herbs.  I’ll leave everything else to the nice folks at the Farmers Markets.
• Also daydreaming about hitting the road in a wee camper such as this one:
  More on that in future posts as well.
• Looking into Maca Root, which, if it works, may help me with one or more of a bunch of ills that have gotten to me.  Anyone have any info or experience?
• Loving this sunshine and the occasional super-warm days we’ve been having… and then shifting polarities to sadness and blah every time we get another chilly, cloudy day.
• At the request of some readers, as well as my own desire and need for it, creating a list of dye-free recipes and products.  If you have any to add, please comment!  I’ll be putting the list up soon-ish.
• Testing out the Safeway (grocery store) app on my phone and the more I use it, the less frustrated I get with it, and the more money I save!  (Still spending too much at the grocery store though.)  Last visit I saved 28% off my bill, PLUS filled my gas tank at their station with a discount of 60 cents off per gallon!

If you haven’t already, please take a minute and do some browsing in Ye Olde Penny Pincher Shoppe, where I have collected (and continue to collect) links to all kinds of neat green items and reads. Nearly every item qualifies for Amazon’s FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING.  If you have any suggestions of great products to add to the shoppe, I am all ears!

Categories include…

Home Insulation

Your Body
Your Mind & Soul
Essential Oils & Ingredients
Just for Fun – Our Fave Baby Supplies
Gardening
Food & Kitchen
Books

WHY I LOVE DR. BRONNER’S

This weekend I carried my spray bottle of diluted Dr. Bronner’s (lavender) soap around the house with me.  I used it to clean up some spots on the hardwood floor.  I spritzed it on my dog’s bed to deodorize it a little.  I wiped down my b athroom sink with it, then I sprayed some on the walls of my shower just because.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for a shower myself, so I grabbed  a washcloth and spritzed myself down with Dr. Bronner’s!  Ah, the multi-purpose non-toxic joy of Dr. B’s.

I’ll always remember when my son first started crawling and crawled right over to the Dr. B’s and put the nozzle in his mouth – I was never so glad to have gone non-toxic! (Of course, I took it right away, but I didn’t have to worry about calling poison control.)

WHY I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE RESISTANCE TO GREEN ENERGY ON A LOCAL LEVEL

I live very close to the beach, the Atlantic Ocean in particular.  The University of Delaware recently (about 2 years ago) completed an energy-generating wind turbine located on their southern Delaware Marine Studies campus.  I think it’s beautiful visually and symbolically.  I’ve driven right up to it and can barely hear it turning.

University of Delaware Wind Turbine, Lewes, DE

BUT OF COURSE there are those in the community who trash-talk it (probably the same ones who run their lawn sprinklers regularly even during drought season) and complain about the way it looks, sounds, affects their property values (none of these are valid). People like this are part of what has held up the construction of an offshore wind farm for over 4 years now.

Which is more aesthetically pleasing to YOU?

or

???

I just get so frustrated with people.  They’ll complain even when they don’t have to do any of the work!  I remember a few years ago my town went from 2x/week garbage pickup to 1x/week garbage pickup and 1x/week curbside recycling pickup.  SO MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINED that  (they ended up really screwing up the program for a while  and) we now have 1x/week trash and 2x/month recycling… which is great.  And if it is not enough for you, and you are not a member of a family of 10, you really need to re-think your waste and consumption.

Speaking of waste and consumption, I am officially over free trial offers in the mail unless they are coupons.  And you know me, I love free.  But the last few things I’ve received have been so ridiculously overly packaged that I have actual GUILT about having them sent to me!  (My new candle smells great though.)

What’s crossing your mind/path/community locally regarding green issues (or non-issues)?

Hey strangers!  I’ve been buried in real-life duties lately and barely able to get online, let alone compose any posts.  Neglect is carrying over to my real-life as well – the dishes are stacked in the sink, the garden is full of weeds… but it happens, right?  I’ll catch up.

Meanwhile, I wanted to let you know about two easy chances to WIN!

The first is ongoing until I say so – just a little survey and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card from Green Penny Pincher.   Check it out now – it’s quick, easy, and dare I say fun?!  Spread the word – anyone can enter!

The second contest is a lot bigger… with a lot bigger prize.

WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Code!

This contest runs from RIGHT THIS SECOND until 11:59pm EST on July 15, 2012… Ready?  On your mark, get set…

Welcome to the Jumpin’ Outta June Amazon Gift Code Twitter Giveaway hosted by MamaNYC!  (Thanks for organizing, MamaNYC!)  Over 40 bloggers have teamed together to celebrate the end of JUNE – and help kickstart one of YOUR summers with an awesome Amazon Gift Code giveaway! All you have to do is follow our Twitter accounts in order to gain entries in this giveaway! Sure, we also tossed in some other options, but this giveaway is all about Twitter!

One lucky winner is going to receive a $100.00 Amazon Gift Code! Amazon sells a bit of EVERYTHING, so you there are so many ways you can take advantage of this prize… including shopping in the Green Penny Pincher Shoppe where I feature some of my favorite green items – and as always, any purchases you make at the Green Penny Pincher Shoppe send a few bucks my way to help me maintain this blog.

This giveaway will run from June 29-July 15th, which should give you more than enough time to hop down the Rafflecopter and follow all of our Twitter accounts.  Open Worldwide; Winner will have 48 hours to confirm prize. If you see our event button – no need to enter again! We are all using the SAME Rafflecopter, so your entries are only needed on one of our blogs.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

p.s. Mr. Penny Pincher was able to DIY the central air conditioning unit and fix it ALL BY HIMSELF for < $50!  I’m so proud… and so cool.

A little note before I begin, regarding Diatomaceous Earth:  Since my post a few days ago, I have been made aware that Diatomaceous Earth sold for use in swimming pool filters is not recommended for pest deterrence, as it is not guaranteed to be safe for pets and humans, and it may also be less effectivein pest treatment due to being heat-treated.  

Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth is recommended, and is available at a good price through Amazon ($23 for 10 lbs and eligible for Super-Saver Shipping if you spend $25 or more.)  

Click this link:  Diatomaceous Earth-Food Grade-10 Pounds by: Nature’s Wisdom
or find it in the Green Penny Pincher Shoppe 

*********************************************************************

for Canadian readers: Groupon in Canada

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably at least heard of Groupon by now.  From their site:  ”Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in 48 countries, and soon beyond (read: Space). ”  (<< Wheee!  Let’s go!)  New to Groupon?  Please consider signing up through my referral link and help me get a little $ to keep this blog going! Thanks in advance!I’ve lost count of how many good deals I have bought (and some, sadly, passed up) on Groupon.  Haircuts, massages, gift cards, dining certificates, even travel.  In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd (this Sunday!), Groupon is currently offering some great eco-deals:

$25 for $50 Worth of Eco-Friendly Home Décor, Accessories, and Gifts at Bambeco.com 
Get Your Groupon!

Get Your Groupon!

This one is a SUPER deal:

Spend $59 on a 30-piece Simply DIY conservation kit (a $118 value).(1) wall-mountable, low-flow Spoiler 2.0 GPM white showerhead w/pause feature(1) package of Teflon tape to quickly seal pipes(1) Stop In Time shower timer requires shower singers to belt the abridged version of Bohemian Rhapsody(2) toilet tummy water savers reduce tank fill(2) packages of leak-detection dye tablets alert users to leaky toilet flappers(2) 1.0 GPM standard bathroom faucet aerators(1) hot-water gauge(1) dual-spray swivel faucet aerator(1) dish squeegee(1) multiwindow insulating kit(2) refrigerator/freezer thermometers(1) furnace filter whistle to sound an alarm when filters need changing(1) 20-pack of insulating light switch and outlet sealers(1) LED nightlight(2) packages of foam tape weather stripping(4) 13-watt LumaCoil CFL bulbs(4) 18-watt LumaCoil CFL bulbs(1) self-stick door sweep to prevent drafts and unexpected visits(1) switch-plate energy saver equipped with a color-coded thermometer encourages eco-friendly interior temperatures

Get Your Groupon!

Check out the Groupon Earth Day Deals page for more great eco-minded deals, including Hypo-Allergenic Pillows, travel to beautiful destinations, portable solar chargers,  healthy food delivered to your door, and exciting volunteer opportunities!  Get Your Groupon!

for Canadian readers: Groupon in Canada

I’m a big fan of Reuseit.com – they have a great selection of products and great customer service.  Obviously as a penny-pincher I try to DIY and  ”make it do or do without” whenever I can, but even I, crafty goddess, can not DIY everything needed for a greener life.

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, Reuseit.com is offering a great sale all week long: load $50 of great products in your cart their and they’ll knock off $10 with code SAFE10APR!

Here are a few great product suggestions from Reuseit.com that I have yet to figure out how to really DIY…

BioBag™ – Dog Waste Bags (50 ct.) Price: 5.95 100% compostable / 100% biodegradable (ASTM D6400-99 certifi…Read More	BioBag™ – 3 Gallon Food Waste / Compost Bag (25 ct.) Price: 4.95 100% compostable / 100% biodegradable (ASTM D6400-99 certifi…Read More	Guyot Designs TapGuard Water Filter Price: 14.95 Replaces hundreds of disposable water bottles a year- saving money…Read More
Nalgene 12 oz Kids MiniGrip Bottle with ATB Cap, Blue Price: 7.45 Virtually indestructible – ideal for kids Fits in most kids lunc…Read More	Kids Konserve Stainless Steel Food Container, Nesting Set of 3, Sky Price: 24.95 Food-grade stainless steel container & BPA-free LDPE lid Perfect…Read More	eneloop Battery Charger and Rechargeable Batteries, 4-slot with 4 AA Price: 22.95 One eneloop can be charged up to 1,500 times (about 15 years of use…Read More
humangear GoToob Reusable Container, Medium, Clear Price: 7.95 Made of soft-yet-rugged silicone No-drip valve keeps cap cl…Read More	Multi-purpose Reusable Rubber Zip Tie, Pack of 25, by Q-Knot Price: 7.45 Replaces disposable zip and twist ties Durable, long-lasting des…Read More	Nalgene 32 oz Narrow Mouth Reusable Bottle, Tritan, Blue Price: 8.95 Durable, safe, non-leaching Read More	reuseit Biodegradable Garbage Bags made from 100% recycled plastic, 13 gallon Price: 6.95 100% biodegradable garbage bags Made of 100% recycled plasticRead More
Vacu Vin Wine Saver Set, Pump and 2 Stoppers Price: 11.25 Eliminates waste – keeps opened wine fresh for 7 to 10 days Ea…Read More	Vapur 0.5L Foldable Water Bottle, Blue Price: 9.95 Flattens and rolls up when empty for maximum, compact portabilityRead More	Orka by Mastrad Popsicle Molds, Set of 4 Price: 9.25 Set of 4 molds – designed to make homemade ice pops Small servin…Read More

Don’t forget to use code SAFE10APR for $10 off your $50 purchase!