Basically, compost is good for the environment and your wallet! It forces you to see just how much food waste you have, it eventually provides new soil for your garden (or your neighbors), it prevents food and other organic waste from going to landfills which reduces the amount of methane that is released, it also absorbs C02, which potentially reducing the effects of global warming. (Circle Compost)

Compostable items range depending on if you're using a compost service or composting at home. According to the US EPA, all composting "requires three basic ingredients:

1. Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
2. Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.
3. Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development. 

Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also layer alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter." (US EPA)

When adding to your compost collection bucket, the collection service will sort through your materials and properly compost them for you. These items can include:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Eggshells
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Tea bags
• Nut shells
• Shredded newspaper
• Cardboard
• Paper
• Yard trimmings
• Grass clippings
• Houseplants
• Hay and straw
• Leaves
• Sawdust
• Wood chips
• Cotton and Wool Rags
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Hair and fur (non treated)
• Fireplace ashes

Check with your specific compost service as these items can range from time to time depending on their requirements. 

Folks with backyards can purchase compost setups easily OR you can create your own compost boxes easily and without much overhead cost. Check out this PDF from Clean PHL for tips, grab this catch-all from World Market to collect your kitchen scraps easily and without odor (bhg.com)

City livers, don't sweat it! Most cities have taken to the idea of compost collection services (I just started using one this week!). Most run on monthly membership, give you a bucket (or two) for your compost, and will collect your items weekly or bi-weekly overnight. All you have to do is check your compost list to be sure you're properly sorting and tearing your compostable items, leave your bucket outside at night, and pick up your empty bucket in the morning! 

​Philly friends, check out Circle Compost and Bennet Compost to learn more and pay close attention to the pickup location map to see if your address falls in their route. Both offer free trial services to see if it's the right fit for you!

Together, we can create less waste. Together, we can take back our environment. Together, we can protect the world beneath our feet. Together, we can save our seas. Nothing is impossible when you act from a place of love.

- jamie

Have you tried composting get? What are your tips and tricks? Let me know over on our Facebook page!

While we didn't have a HUGE amount of people participate in our Bathroom Recycling Survey, the amount that we did have showed us where we can improve and what we're already doing to make a HUGE difference in our daily lives. Check out the results below to see how your answers compared to the others who participated!

Didn't get a chance to fill out your answers? Head to the post linked above, submit your feedback, and compare to the results below!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the results. Let me know in our Facebook group!

- jamie

If you have any obsession close to mine with candles, you've probably already heard about everyone ranting and raving about soy candles, but do you know what they're really talking about? I had a general idea, but wanted to dive a little deeper to know some more facts about the candles I've been regularly using. 

According to CandleScience.com, soy wax is a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans. Motherearthliving.com goes on to say that soy wax candles made with pesticide-free, non-GMO soy are a clean, renewable choice, but that non-organic soy is a pesticide- and water-intensive, genetically modified crop. They also talk about most candles being made of paraffin, a petroleum byproduct, and often scented with synthetic fragrances, which often contain harmon-disrupting phthalates ("a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break" cdc.gov).

Not all candle labels are created equally! In doing research for this article, I found that some of my beloved "soy candles" aren't, in fact, strictly soy. Before bringing a soy labeled candle up to the register, dig a little deeper for the following:

• Mostly soy/Soy based, etc. - Candles can have a soy candle label while also having paraffin and other non-soy ingredients
• All-natural wick - many candle wicks contain lead. We know this is a HUGE red flag.
• Fragrance - Find out how the candles get their fragrances, where they are derived from and if they are safe ingredients

Where do you get your favorite candles from? Do you prefer room sprays to candles? Let me know on our Facebook page!

- jamie

Want more DIY products? Check the DIY Mouthwash and DIY All-Purpose Cleaner posts now!

- jamie

While browsing different articles on National Geographic, one in particular caught my eye. I've given a brief summary of the article, "How a quest for quality led to a sustainable system", below, but you can find the full article here. Written by Jack Neighbor, the article goes on to talk about the history of Nespresso from 1986 until present time. 

Eric Favre designed an espresso machine that would focus on both quality and convenience. In doing so, he was aware that while people continue to love coffee, Nespresso, as a company, had an obligation to the environment. It became clear to him that the biggest issue with a cup of coffee comes from consumption, what we put into it and the wastage from making it. 

When creating the Nespresso capsule, Favre knew that providing the exact measurement of necessary coffee meant there would be no wasted coffee grounds. As far as material choice went, making the choice to use aluminum was an easy one as it locks in the scent of the coffee grounds and is infinitely recyclable. 

As a whole, the company continues to strive for more sustainability. In working with The Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade, Nespresso has been able to better control the quality of both the coffee and the lives of families working for Nespresso.  Currently, they are working with national governments to create and improve ways that items are recycled. Their aluminum capsules can be dropped off at a Nespresso store or collected from homes and businesses. 

You can participate in their free Nespresso Recycling Program by ordering a free recycling bag here or finding a capsule collection point here. Through their program, they "transform used capsules into the raw materials used in garden compost, new capsules, and even products like the Vitorinox Swiss Army knife." (nespresso.com)

Do you drink coffee every day? I'm a tea and occasional latte person, but after hearing all of this, I may start switching to Nespresso! What coffee is your favorite? How do you prepare your coffee? Let me know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page!

- jamie

Information for this post was taken from National Geographic and Nespresso. To learn more about National Geographic and their partner, Nespresso, visit their websites at nationalgeographic.com and nespresso.com.

I don't know if it's the change of season or what, but I feel like spring cleaning is coming late for me this year and is coming on strong for summer. In an effort to reduce my plastic cleaning bottles, I found this incredible doTERRA cleaning concentrate that is PERFECT for all your cleaning DIYs. 

​If you check out my DIY mouthwash, you're already familiar with doTERRA's On Guard essential oil which is a key ingredient in their cleaning concentrate which is a non-toxic, biodegradable formula, safe for cleaning homes with both children and pets (however, with any essential oil products, they should be kept out of reach of children and pets) with no preservatives. 

The cleaning concentrate does, in fact, come in a plastic bottle (frustrating, I know). However, one 12 fl oz bottle can make up to 20 bottles of cleaner depending on how much water you dilute your concentrate with. This eliminates nearly 19 additional plastic cleaning bottles! While it may not be the perfect solution, it's a good start.

I JUST cleaned my entire kitchen yesterday after making this cleaner (I gave my previous bottle to my mom!) and couldn't be more satisfied. I often say "it smells like Christmas" without leaving the room smelling strongly of cleaner like many all-purpose cleaners tend to do.

Let me know what you use to clean your home! My next step is to eliminate paper towels and I'm thinking these "Un-paper Towels". Have you tried them?

- jamie

P.S. Here's a small reminder for ALL of us working towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle: While it may feel like you need to get all of your "green" products right away (i.e. I need glass jars, metal straws, reef-safe sunscreen, reusable bags, XYZ!) , it's okay to start slow. Use what you currently have to it's fullest potential and don't go broke trying to solve everything in one day! The small steps we take each day are what lead to our greatest potential. Don't beat yourself up for not having everything figured out, set, or planned just yet. Plant the seeds and the flowers will come. 

Did you take the Bathroom Recycling Survey from yesterday's post? Check it out here!

Tomorrow on the blog: DIY All-Purpose Cleaner (using doTERRA cleaning concentrate)

"CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound from the cannabis plant. It's a naturally occurring substance thats used in products like oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. Unlike its cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it's not psychoactive." (health.com)

Meaning, CBD will not get you high. Because people can have reactions to any sort of medicine, vitamin, etc. it is recommended to introduce yourself to CBD under supervision, though only approximately 5% of people have reported an altered feeling after consumption. 

CBD is not FDA regulated, meaning quality control of your products is not measured by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is highly recommended to purchase your products through a company that sells third-party-tested products. "Third-party  certification means that an independent organization has reviewed the manufacturing process of a product and has independently determined that the final product complies with specific standards for safety, quality or performance." (nsf.org)

CBD can be used for various ailments or health concerns such as the following:

• Arthritis pain
• Multiple sclerosis 
• Chronic pain
• Treating seizures and epilepsy
• Smoking cessation and drug withdrawal
• Anxiety 
• Reducing some of the effects of Alzheimer's
• Antipsychotic effects on people with schizophrenia 
• Future applications in combating acne, type 1 diabetes, and cancer*

*Taken from medicalnewstoday.com

Although CBD is not FDA regulated, according to Medical News Today, in "June 2018, the FDA approved one form of CBD as a treatment for people with two rare and specific kinds of epilepsy, namely Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS)."

While on May 29th, 2018, the TSA released a new statement on their website ("Marijuana and certain cannabis infused products, including some Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, remain illegal under federal law except for products that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC on a dry weight basis or that are approved by the FDA.") it is recommended to check with your flights guidelines as well as where you are traveling from and where you are traveling to prior to bringing your CBD with you on a flight.

Are you a CBD user? What is your go to company for all of your favorite CBD products? Let me know in the comments or in our Facebook group!

- jamie

Check out the last post: IGers to Follow for a little scrolling inspo!

We all know the ever-so-addicting Instagram scroll. Why not add a few people to follow that also feed your soul and inspire you? Below are some Instagrammers I've been loving lately and a little bit about what they're up to.

Who has been an inspiration to you lately and where can we find them? Let me know in the comments below!

​- jamie

Check out yesterday's post for DIY Mouthwash using doTERRA essential oils!

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for a simple way to make mouthwash at home AND rid myself of more plastic bottles. While this DIY recipe uses a plastic cap, switching to a glass bottle and knowing exactly what is in my mouthwash is a huge win in my book. 

This mouthwash took me less than 5 minutes to make and is great for someone with sensitive teeth and gums (like me!). To purchase On Guard and Peppermint essential oils, head to this link. (There are approximately 250 drops in each 15ml bottle.)

If you're interested in learning more about doTERRA essential oils, leave a comment below or head over to the Facebook page and send me a message. As a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, I am more than happy to chat about doTERRA and what it can bring to your life! 

- jamie