My Constant Companions Join Me in Spring Allergy Misery

Woe is Me!

The Jasmine is Blooming Again.

A word of warning--today's post is nothing more than an exercise in venting. My allergies are so bad that I need to complain. Maybe I'll share a couple of tips in here, but it's mostly venting. Feel free to get mad and comment below, or vent along with me about your own personal allergy woes.

Why is it that every year when the Jasmine blooms, my nose runs like a faucet? The only thing that seems to stop it is lying down. And of course, this feels great, since a runny nose always makes me sleepy. Go figure! What's the connection between allergies and drowsiness? I just don't get it.

Tanner, Oliver and Xena (on the floor, out of sight) are always nearby if I take an afternoon siesta. It's nice knowing they are there, even if they occasionally snore or whimper from a puppy dream. I'd love to know what they're dreaming about.

After a very cold winter for Central Florida, you'd think the blooming season would be weak. Wrong! There are more flowers on the Jasmine vines in our area than I believe I have ever seen before. My nose could have predicted that, since it is running at a furious pace.

So what helps? I've tried some of the homeopathic remedies, unfortunately without good results. The best things I can do to calm my swollen nasal passages and slow my nose down involve rest and water. Baths, showers, and even time out on the lake seems to help. At least temporarily. I guess moisture weighs down the pollen particles and lessens the density of the pollen in the air. It seems like I heard something to that angle in a weather report on the pollen count.

With that in mind, I considered trying a humidifier, but thought better of it when I remembered what a pain it is to clean all the mold off the bathroom surfaces, as it grows like weeds with excess humidity. If it had been up to me, I would have made mold the State Flower of Florida. Can you guess what the State Bird is? You probably heard this one already--mosquitoes!

Rain really calms things down, but we haven't had any this week, so I'm still waiting for relief. And drinking. The more I drink the less apt I am to get a sinus infection. After 50+ years of allergies, this is the one thing that I have learned will always prevent disaster. Sinus infections drag out for so long and often require antibiotics to clear up. I hate taking them, knowing that each batch means the next time around it may not work. Fortunately, it has been nearly 10 years since I have had a sinus infection.


Stop in tomorrow for a bit of talk about Spring planting. Oh! I just realized that is probably the culprit for my allergy attack. I spent all of last weekend working in the yard, near my neighbor's Jasmine-laden fence. Too late now :-( . Excuse me while I go back to get another glass of water and blow my nose. I'd like to say I'll get back to work after that, but to be honest, I may end up snuggling with the pups again. :-) . Companionship is good therapy!

One of my readers suggested I try this gadget:

All Natural Pest Control for Your Garden

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

My Container Garden of Tomatoes

Is Pest-Free and Healthy

Yard work time is one of Tanner's favorite activities. He darts all over the yard, chasing everything that moves. Today, when we came outside early, he even corralled a Raccoon and treed the poor fella. Good thing they're good climbers.

You name it. Lizards, insects, toads and squirrels, Tanner was busy chasing them all. He was so tired when we came inside, he didn't even make it into the kitchen. He collapsed on the doggie gate I use to keep track of Oliver. Cute, huh?!

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner is Exhausted
After a Long Morning on Pest Patrol

Other than Tanner, I do have some other methods of pest control that are toxin free. When you read on, you'll probably think I'm crazy, but this stuff is really working. And I'm feeling pretty good that it isn't going to put chemicals in my yard that will end up polluting our environment.

And that doesn't even consider that I'm growing basil and tomatoes, which I also want to protect from chemicals and toxins. If you visualize your salad with bug spray in it, can you eat it? It makes me shudder to think of that.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

My Container Grown Basil

Looks Healthy and Grows Fast

Here in Florida, Spring is in full bloom, and the fleas have apparently hit their mating cycle with renewed vigor. After a particularly cold Winter, I had hoped this would slow the pesky bugs, but I hear from friends and neighbors that they are really multiplying quickly.

I had my organic lawn care company, Jolly Green Planet, visit for a flea treatment to my yard, and so far we're doing great. They use food grade DE, or Diatomaceous Earth, to stop fleas and other small insects by cutting them, just like tiny shards of glass. I also sprinkle it on the dogs and rub it into their fur, creating a secondary barrier right on the dog. It won't hurt them if they lick it, and it can be sprinkled on carpet or bedding--anywhere the dog spends a lot of time. We frequently leave the yard for walks, bike rides, dog park visits and other outings, so putting it directly on them is imperative. They need to be protected wherever we go.

Here are a few other long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly in your yard:

1. Pick the pests off by hand. Create barriers and traps and plug holes. Seek out snails that hide in damp places under rocks and at the base of plants with straplike foliage.
2. Lure predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on your aphids and other pests that attack your plants. One way to do this is by leaving a bowl of water in the garden. This will attract the dragonflies, and they will go after some of the other insects, when they come to visit your handy water bowl, provided just for them.
3. Another method of manual pest control is a tad bit less hands on than number 1 above. This is using a spray nozzle to dislodge the insects from the plants. The drawback is that it won't prevent them from coming back, unless the water pressure kills them. If that's the case, you may cause damage to the plant as well. Use this method with care.
4. Using a sprayer with a vegetable soap solution or natural oil solution works well for me. I've had good luck with a product called Nature's RX, made right here in my community in Central Florida. You gotta love local companies who are bringing jobs to our local economy. This liquid is made of cedar oil and soybean oil. It is labeled for many insects, including scale (a big problem in Central Florida), aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, white-flies, thrips, flea larvae, and chinch bugs--another problem for our most popular Florida turf, St. Augustine grass. Additionally, it has anti-fungal properties to help prevent fungus during our rainy season. Nature's RX does not list a website on their product, so I'll pass along their phone number here: (407) 953-7307. I get it at my local natural foods store, which happens to be a smaller store--not a chain. Check your Whole Foods; I may have seen it there also.
5. Green Aphids and Mites can be fought off with 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Use a biodegradable, all-natural soap like Dr. Bronner's. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray it on.

Ed Begley Jr. mentions using soap solutions for pest control in his garden, in Living Like Ed. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. He's been gardening organically for 30+ years and shares a wealth of wisdom. I'll put a link to it below, if you'd like to order it here.

This should get you and your healthy garden started. If you have other pest problems, I'd love to hear about them. I'll check out potential solutions. On the flip side, I would love to hear your own success stories via comment below, following the post, or email me at CarrieLeaJohnson@gmail.com.

Finally, the Safer Pest Control Project, SPCP, and over two hundred other organizations across the country have coordinated a large scale effort to promote the use of natural lawncare. You can join the National Coalition for Pesticide Free Lawns, and make a statement for a toxin-free Earth. Check out the new website to sign a declaration at Pesticide Free Lawns and find great information on alternatives to pesticides for the garden. The Pesticide Free Zone sign is a national symbol for this effort.






Sources: Biodelice, Safer Pest Control Project

Leaving PCs on Overnight Costs Companies $2.8B a Year

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

This Surge Protector has an Indicator Light

that Illuminates when it is On

In a recent article by Jon Swartz, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO —



Even during an economic meltdown, when companies are scrambling to cut costs, businesses are wasting billions of dollars by leaving their PCs on at night.



U.S. organizations squander $2.8 billion a year to power unused machines, emitting about 20 million tons of carbon dioxide — roughly the equivalent of 4 million cars — according to a report to be released Wednesday.



About half of 108 million office PCs in the USA are not properly shut down at night, says the 2009 PC Energy Report, produced by 1E, an energy-management software company, and the non-profit Alliance to Save Energy. The report analyzed workplace PC power consumption in the USA, United Kingdom and Germany.



Wastefulness does not just affect a company's bottom line, it creates environmental concerns, the report says. If the world's 1 billion PCs were powered down just one night, it would save enough energy to light the Empire State Building — inside and out — for over 30 years, it says.



"Workers do not feel responsible for electricity bills at work, and some companies insist PCs remain on at night so they can be patched with software updates," says 1E CEO Sumir Karayi. He says 63% of employees surveyed said their companies should take more steps to save PC power.



"It is scary how much energy is wasted," says Michael Murphy, senior manager of global environmental affairs at Dell, a business partner and customer of 1E. It has used 1E software to efficiently manage its 50,000 PCs globally, saving about $1.8 million a year.



Simply shutting down PCs at night can save a company with 10,000 PCs over $260,000 a year and 1,871 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the report says.

"PCs can be a tremendous drain on electricity," says Doug Washburn, an analyst at Forrester Research. "During a nine-hour workday, it isn't always in use because of lunch, meetings and other things."



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While our homes may not have more than one or two computers, we can apply this same appalling problem to our families' passive consumption of power by leaving many electric and electronic items plugged in constantly.

Take a tour of your home and look at everything that is plugged in. Most items have indicator lights that are on when the item is plugged in, even when it is not being used. That is unnecessary power usage. It adds up quick when you count the many items in your home that are plugging in all the time.

Recently when I took a carbon footprint test at Make Me Sustainable, I saw first hand how each item I unplugged saved me power and lowered my carbon footprint. I got a double reward for each item I unplugged. Just taking the test was enlightening, but seeing how each change affected my footprint number was envigorating.

Moreover, if you run a business or have a voice in one, use your opportunities to have an impact. You can encourage others to turn off their multiple electronics at their desks and offices. Think about the items at a typical desk or small office: electric pencil sharpener, computer, scanner, printer, fax, telephone, answering device, rechargers for phones, blackberries, lamp, overhead lighting, fan, surge protectors, calculator, electric staplers, and a radio. What have I missed that is in your office?

Here's my solution. It is absolutely so simple, you'll wonder why we haven't all done it sooner. Using surge protectors, plug as many items into each as possible. Use one for the items that must remain on such as clocks and telephone answering devices--possibly fax machines. Leave that one on at night, and unplug or turn off the others. Notice that even surge protectors use power when nothing is plugged into them, if they are turned on. Again, there is an indicator light on most of them.

Finally, I encourage you to measure your personal carbon footprint and make changes in your home, as well. Make it a game to see how much you can lower your footprint. I guarantee you will find it is addicting.

A Message on Earth Day: Do Something Good for Your Home

Today is Earth Day. All around the world people are honoring our home with sustainable activities that enhance Earth's ability to survive. I planted a tree. Scroll down to my Tuesday post to see it. What will you do?

Spring is a great time to plant a vegetable garden to grow some of your own produce. You can check out the videos at Starting an Organic Garden, to help you get started. Then continue with the following for more information. This video explains how to grow organic potatoes right in your back yard. It sounds really easy because it is.

Thanks to Organic Gardening Magazine for producing that educational video. Let me know if you try it and would like to report your results. I'd love to hear from you.

Gardening is good for your body, mind and spirit. It's great therapy. What have you got to lose? Pick one vegetable and try it. I'd love to hear back from you on how it's going. Comment below any post. Happy Earth Day!



Missing Woofing Wednesday? I've heard from a few of you that my pup photos are enjoyed, but today Earth Day took front and center. If you need a dog "fix" you can visit All Things Dog Blog, where my post for today discusses all natural flea treatments for your dogs, home and yard. Tanner will be there to great you.

I Am Honoring Earth Day with some Tree Hugging

A few years ago when Central Florida was hit with 4 hurricanes in one season, my house had a great big X target on the roof to assure that Charlie and the rest could not possibly miss us. And miss us they did not.

We had two large pines fall on the house. Worse yet were the 4 large pines that each lifted 12-15 feet of sidewalk high into the air, leaving it resting precariously on their root systems.

Our yard was such a sad sight that neighbors showed up with their chain saws to assist with cutting the pines down and removing them to the street. And all this was occurring as it was still raining. What it amounted to was that they felt sorry for us. Our home was clearly hit the worst of anyone in the neighborhood. Ugh!

Two deductibles and $30,000 later, we finally got it all fixed. Unfortunately the insurance only paid about $6500. The price of living in sunny Florida.

After having the roots ground, each area where a tree fell became a rounded bump in the lawn, brimming with mulch. The guys who did the job told me that in a few years the mulch would decompose and we would be left with an indentation. They recommended waiting to replant until this occurred, as new trees would not survive well in the pile of pine mulch left behind. The sap would kill the roots.

This year those dents in the grass are clearly noticeable. The mower often catches on their edges, skinning the grass to the ground. It's time to replant trees. This is kind of exciting, as I enjoy improving the property, yet hate to spend a lot of money at this unpredictable time in our economy.

In order to keep my cost in line, I set two criteria:

• Plant a small tree, which is fast growing to reach a reasonable size quicker.
• Choose a drought resistant tree which requires little water after establishing itself.
• An extra perk would be a flowering tree, if possible.

I shopped the local tree farms and home improvement stores and easily found the tree I wanted. This darling little Jerusalem Thorn Tree is drought tolerant, has beautiful yellow blooms in the spring, and grows very fast to its 20-25 foot maximum. This is perfect for my first spot, in front of the house.

You can learn more about this tree at Floridata, if you're looking for something similar. Here is a photo of the tree's flower:

So much for my weekend excitement. While I'm still contemplating the possibility of an organic vegetable garden, the only really sunny spot (10 hours a day) happens to be in direct view of a neighbor's back windows. For now, I've got Basil and tomatoes growing in large containers. I think I'll add some Sunflowers, just for fun. They are so bright and cheery when they bloom. You just gotta love them.

Last Summer's efforts at growing organic tomatoes ended in a feast for my local Raccoon family. I'll take evasive action this year. Once my plants are bearing fruit, I'll either fence it or bring it inside the screened porch to a sunny spot. Ricky Raccoon and his family will have to subsist on the things they steal from the compost pile this year. Sorry fellas.

Tomorrow is Earth Day, which probably means the last day for big savings in Amazon's Earth Day Sale. If you need anything through Amazon, now is the time to get it at a reduced price. You can click below to begin your search. Happy Shopping!

National TV Turn Off Week is Here

photo courtesy of TV Turnoff.org

Grab your remote control and hide it! It's time to take your family time back and learn to spend spare time on other, more educational and bonding activities with your family. Here at the national website, you will find questions, history, tips and a thorough list of ideas for spending your newfound hours each afternoon or evening. Let me know what you did. I'd like to hear!

You might also enjoy checking out Screentime, The Center for Screentime Awareness. Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness, where they are "Making screen-time-reduction a vital and integral part of all plans that improve health, education and wellness while building stronger families and communities."

If the average family watches 2-3 hours of TV each weekday, you'll be saving at least 12 hours of electricity by turning off the box. Good job!

If you decide to spend the week reading a good book, let me hear from you. I'm always looking for tips on new titles. My husband's favorite Tshirt reads, "So Many Books, So Little Time." So true!

Green Seniors Can Guide our Children

As all three of my children are moving into the realm of adulthood, it has occurred to me that I will probably become a grandmother sooner or later. I really hadn't thought much about that until recently. What kind of grandmother will I be? Doting, spoiling, gruff, aloof, clueless or involved? Hopefully involved, but I suppose it will depend on our proximity to our kids.




This topic has been an ongoing one at my house for sometime now. You know, the "when we retire" conversation. Never mind that "when" is never discussed. "Where will we live?" is the more important question. With 3 kids who could land just about anywhere, it's truly anyone's guess as to where we will choose to live. Of course, we have considered settling within an hour or so of one of them in our later years. That subject always leads us to the obvious quandary; which one of them will be likely to stay put, if we move nearby? Right now, who knows?!




Ugh! For now, we'll just stay put. We are in a wonderful location where we can bike or ride to just about any place we need to go. We're looking forward to doing more of that as time allows.


Our home is an inviting place for 3 kids and a few grand kids too. We have a lake, a pool, a tennis court across the street, and 3 pups who are always willing to play ball. What more could a grand kid want, right?!!


Refocusing the looking glass, I am starting to think further down the road. When they are 3, 4, 5 and older, I'd love to do more than just play ball and go to the park. I'd like to teach them something. Drawing, painting, sewing, gardening, dog training, crafting--oh my; such a list.

Grandparents have a unique opportunity to guide their young grandchildren onto a green path. I'd love to instill in my grand kids some of the ways of the world that are healthier than those we practiced when their parents were growing up and I was clueless to the many challenges of the Earth.

Clearly I have grown since then, and I'd like to share some of that with my progeny. When I think back on trying to teach my own children things, I worry, though. They weren't often interested in the skills I had to share. They each had their own special talents which they pursued with vigor and great success, so I have no complaints. Just concerns that this same scenario may replay itself with my grand kids and I will leave this Earth without ever teaching a child to sew or garden or train a dog.





Perhaps the fact that the offer won't be coming from mom or dad, and it won't be tied to allowances or chores, just perhaps I'll be able to pursue my dream. I'd love to grow a vegetable garden with my grandchildren, or cook, sew or train the dog--just to leave something of myself behind. Just to know that my grand kids will have stories to tell in their later years--stories of grandma making compost, baking pies or training Tanner--makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about having grand kids someday. Not today, but someday. Oh how I hope they will live greener than I did.

Toxins: How Do They Get in Our Food, Water and Air?

A Few of the Personal Care

Products Under My Sink

To be sure, I am no scientist. I have read a lot about this subject though, and want to shed a bit of light on it. Just a bit. I'll keep it simple, so you can explain it to your kids, students or nieces and nephews. The goal here is simply to build awareness.

Toxins are released into our atmosphere, or air, primarily by automobiles, manufacturing and other processing plants, including operations such as mining. This is the source of much of the smog in big cities. What can you do about it? Choose your employer carefully. Where you spend your 8 hours a day is critical to your future health. Secondly, pick your home with the same care. What businesses surround the area and which direction are the predominant winds? These and many other questions will help you to choose a healthy place to live.

Remember too that our choices affect the viability of businesses. For instance, if we all chose not to smoke, the tobacco industry would be defunct. You can vote with your dollars in this way.

The ground is another story, and not quite so easy to simplify. Let's use an example. Each day you put personal care products on your skin: lotions, sunscreen, makeup, medications such as hormones or skin ointments, deodorant, hair gels and sprays, soaps and more. It's all invisible when you're through, so you may not think about it again.

But what happens when you shower? Residues of all of these products wash down the drain with the water. You may think it is hardly enough to cause any problems. But think about the thousands of other people doing the same thing in your community. Now the picture changes, doesn't it?

Residues of food colorings, preservatives, synthetic fragrances and chemicals all accumulate in areas where runoff occurs. Lakes, rivers and land where gray water (used water) is discarded all contain increasing amounts of these toxins, that wield a powerful impact on the environment. Just the thought that this is where our food is grown is scary to me.

I'll stop there for now. Think about what you put on your body each day. Count the substances you use on your skin and you'll be surprised, as I was, to see just how much potentially hazardous stuff is being washed down the drain. I would ask you now to consider replacing a few of the most often used products with biodegradable, nontoxic, organic products. It's a start. It will make you feel good about yourself. You're doing something good for the Earth.

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. Wouldn't this be a good way to honor mother Earth? Try it. Make it a family event. I'd love to hear from you. What did you learn? My list was scary. It's one of the reasons I've almost totally switched to organic products. Check in sometime at the comment link below and let me know what your reactions are. Happy Earth Day!

Organic Journey Online's Green Team Helps You Find Eco-Friendly Toys

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Happy Earth Day

from our Pack to Yours!

My canine green team is here today to help spread the word about Earth Day savings on green toys. Yes, toys! If you're a mom or a grandma, or simply have a friend with a lovable child, now is your chance to check out Amazon's great selection of Eco-friendly toys. I even found some green goodies in there for my pups, so enjoy a shopping spree. Call it your personal economic stimulus package. Hope it's fun.

Speaking of fun. My dogs have another message. Well, to be honest, the message is mine. Vacation time is coming and I'd like to share with you an alternative form of housing for your furry friend, when you venture off for your well-deserved time off from the work-a-day world. So here goes.


Dogs were not meant to me left in a crate or kennel for days on end. The traditional boarding that is found at many veterinary clinics is abhorrent to me. As much as I have loved many of my vets, I cannot back their boarding practices.


I suppose they do it out of a need to help their patients' families with an affordable place to keep Fido and Fluffy, while they are out of town. I'll give them that assumption and forgive them.




I have found a wonderful alternative for this in my area, and it is a concept that is growing. Many doggie daycare and boarding facilities provide a social, play area for their visitors to run and play. Buyer beware; they don't all work this way. I've found more than a few that offer only periodic outings from their crates during the day. Your job is to ask the tough questions and meet some of the other families. Tour the facility and see what goes on. You know what your dog needs, and that will guide your decision.







Bow Wow Resort, our local, hometown dog daycare, is close by and family owned and operated. They are located on Highway 436 near Bear Lake Road, for those of you in Central Florida.


Xena, Tanner and Oliver each have their choice of places to play, each to suit their needs. Aging dogs and ones too tiny to play with others, are kept indoors, if their owner prefers, interacting with the people who come and go, as well as the staff. Plenty of toys are provided and the "kids" learn to play nicely together.


A covered, outdoor area is provided for the heat sensitive or smaller pups, with plenty of room for all when the rains come. The outdoor yard has shade areas, obstacles for interesting play, and a splash pool to cool off on sizzling, summer days. While, most of the bigger dogs spend their day in the yard, a few of the smaller ones join them, bringing along their big-dog attitudes. Supervision is provided along with a good fetch game, assuring me that my pups will come home satisfied after a long day of play.


Of course, every dog needs a nap. Each is offered his own private room for nap time, along with a snack to reward him for his willingness to take a rest. Siesta time at Bow Wow Resort is amazingly quiet, as they all catch up on their ZZZs at the same time. So peaceful!


Like many other boarding facilities, Bow Wow will keep your pup overnight or for your whole vacation, and offers grooming and training services, as well. Their friendly, experienced staff is always willing to work with me on special requests, and my pups love it there. How do I know this? All I have to do is check out the back of the car about 2 blocks before we arrive. All 3 of them are in full body wiggles, eager to get out and start their play date.


I hope you are able to find a similarly accommodating boarding facility for your furry friend when vacation time comes around. After you consult the yellow pages, try your vet, friends and other dog owners. And don't forget Google. Your best friend is counting on you. Best of all, wouldn't you like to come home to a happy, well-adjusted, and sufficiently tired dog, that will be ready to help you sleep off the jet lag? Of course!

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Late Breaking News:

My latest post at the Central Florida Green Guide was published yesterday. The topic is Green Family Fun: Let's Visit the Dog Park. Hope you'll stop in.

My Earth Day Plan Goes Something Like This:

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22, 2009. I would be remiss if I didn't give you a reminder to sign up for the big sweepstakes at Amazon. They're giving away a bunch of laptops and printers. Who wouldn't want to be in on that take? And to be politically correct, I have to remind you to read the sweepstakes rules. Good luck!




On another note, my latest post at the Central Florida Green Guide has just been published. Feel free to stop in and read Green Family Fun: Let's Visit the Dog Park.

Silica Desiccant Gel: Safe or Toxic?

I find these little packets of stuff in everything. This past weekend a few packets of it turned up in shoe boxes. I thought back to all the times I gave a kid their new shoes, in the box, and did not check to see if everything in the box was safe. Yikes!

So, now I'm curious to know if this stuff is really dangerous. The little packages almost always say "Do not eat" on them, but most kindergartners would not be able to read that, so I suppose I committed a grievous error. I went straight to Wikipedia to see what I could find out. According to Wikipedia, "Silica gel is a granular, highly porous form of silica made synthetically from sodium silicate. Despite its name, silica gel is a solid."

It's purpose is to absorb moisture, thereby retarding spoilage and damage caused by mold, mildew, fungus, etc. Some packaged desiccants contain fungicides and/or pesticides, making them dangerous for human consumption. According to Wikipedia, pure silica gel is unlikely to cause acute or chronic illness, yet is toxic. Further, Wiki's article stated that " Food grade desiccant should not include any poisons which would cause long-term harm to humans if consumed in the quantities normally included with the items of food." Somehow I wasn't terribly consoled by that statement, so I'll be steering clear of those little tagalongs in my pizza crust packages--food grade or not.

Reading on, I learned that Silica gel can irritate both the digestive and respiratory tracts, as well as the skin and eyes. Taking precautions is recommended. I'm picturing a face mask, safety goggles and gloves while shoe shopping and this does not present a pretty image.

That being scary enough, I further learned that some Silica beads include a moisture indicator called cobalt II chloride, which is toxic and considered to be carcinogenic. If your Silica beads are deep blue or pink, rather than white, they're likely doped with this dangerous stuff. Steer clear and don your safety gear.

Back in the days when we didn't worry about the safety of our foods, we used rice inside our salt and sugar shakers, to absorb excess moisture. This was a natural form of moisture absorption, and one of the safer forms of a desiccant. So why aren't they putting rice in those little packets, or simply dumping it into the shoe boxes? It wouldn't bother me to find a few grains of rice inside my shoes.

Desiccants are manufactured in little packets and included with many packaged products to maintain acceptable moisture levels. In addition to Silica gel, other commonly used desiccants are available, but may be used for various applications related to moisture level and food safety. I dug around in all of my shoe boxes and found the packets in the picture above. Nothing but Silica gel there.

Surprisingly, I found nothing about proper disposal of these little packages, so I'm creating my own set of rules. I started a new milk carton, labeled "Silica Desiccant Gel", to save for hazardous waste disposal. I can't say I'd want this stuff in the landfill, seeping into our groundwater. And that doesn't even begin to address the chemical reactions that could occur when these products react with others in the landfill. It's downright scary to imagine that this is going on right under our shoes and we're not noticing a potential safety issue. How many millions of these packets are there in our landfills?

Here is my new To Do List: Look for these packets in all boxes and shipping packages. Save them separately for a safer disposal than my curbside trash. Watch for other food grade desiccants in my packaged foods. What more can I learn?

Organic Jouney Online's Extreme Earth Day Offers:

Here's a start on what more we all can learn. In celebration of Earth Day, Amazon is offering information on how to go Extreme Green, Ease into Green, or be Eco-Chic. Your pick!

Healthy Spring and Summer Skin Care is Paraben Free

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Oliver Waits Permission

To Eat His Organic Carrot

That's too big of a carrot for Oliver, right? Of course. Carrots have a lot of natural sugar, so this big carrot will have to go to 60-pound Tanner. I would even hesitate to give this whopper to 45-pound Xena. A her age, I'm not sure that much of a sugar high would be good, although the vitamin A would be great for an immune system boost. Oliver will be happy with a smaller carrot--no problems.

Is everyone out there ready for Easter? You can guess what my guys will be getting for an Easter treat.

I've noticed that in addition to all the candies and baskets appearing in the stores, the personal care aisle suddenly seems to be stocked to the top. I want to caution you to watch for parabens when you make your choices for Spring and Summer skin care. These nasty preservatives have been linked to breast cancer and are still not off the market.

I know it takes time to find replacement for your daily regimen. Start with the products you use most, such as moisturizers, sunscreens and lip gloss.

There are plenty of products out there without parabens; you just need to watch the labels. Need help? Check out this site: Environmental Working Group. Here you will find a ranking of the hazards of 30,000 beauty products and 10,000 ingredients from over 50 international government and university databases. You can search by category or plug in the product you want to check out and see how it stacks up. I hope that this database will help you to get thinking and take action. It's your health. Nobody else is going to watch out for it.

One final note. Earth Day is now only 2 weeks away and it has grown bigger with each passing year. This year, Amazon is supporting Earth Day with big savings, which you can access through this link, right here on Organic Journey Online. They are offering savings on organic groceries, home products, CFLs and more. Each day, I'll be adding more offers to the bottom of my posts, so be sure to stop in for my Extreme Earth Day offers.

So You Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Now What?

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Unpackaged Soap Means

Less Waste in the Landfill

On my journey to reducing my contribution to the landfills, I have perhaps become just a bit anal. Not to the point of becoming a pack rat; it's just that I really think through everything that goes into the trash.

The flip side of not throwing stuff away is not buying stuff I do not need. This is strategy number one. I have to give credit where credit is due. I adopted this attitude from Ed Begley Jr. When I shop, I seek out and choose items with less packaging. Less packaging means less trash. It is a simple concept that can have a big impact when we all employ it.

Strategy number 2 is to look for packaging that is biodegradable and compostable OR recyclable. I'd rather compost it that send it to a facility where it goes through more processing, but honestly, my compost piles are pretty full. The first one is nearly ready to harvest, which means this is not the time to add new materials to it. But it won't be long and I'll be adding to it from the bottom up...again.

I am seeing a move toward limiting packaging in some stores, although not in all product areas. Some products, pricey as they are, do not lend themselves well to minimal packaging. Small, expensive products are often packaged in large, difficult to open packages to discourage shoplifting. Such a shame!

One thing I can't help but notice is the lesser packaging at places like Whole Foods Markets. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! They carry a couple of lines of soaps that are shelved with only a bar code sticker on them--no box, plastic or shrink wrap at all. I have to sometimes wonder if we'll reach a point where we can do that with most products. It would do my heart good to see it. Don't you love the feeling of selecting each piece of produce, without having to negotiate through cellophane?

So, that brings me to my final point. How can we collectively encourage manufacturers and merchants to limit their packaging? Our greatest weapon is to choose products with very little packaging. When those products become the best sellers, the producers will sit up and take notice.

The reusable bag conversion is all but a sealed deal now. Can't we do better than that? When we buy bulk items from dispensers, such as nuts and dried fruits, why not bring our own containers for those? I don't use plastic bags for veggies at the market. I simply place all the veggies into one of my reusable bags to take to the checkout.

We bring reusable cups to Starbucks; why not reusable containers to the grocer's bulk aisle? We can change things. We can limit our packaging needs by simply being more responsible shoppers. Join in.

Next time you're thinking about a new lunch box for yourself or your kids, check out some of the new Bento Boxes--garbage free lunch containers:




I picked up a take off on this concept from Target. There are many options available now, but the goal is simply to use your own container and bring it home for reuse.

Spring has Sprung and Organic Journey Online is Growing With It

At 9 months into this blog, my readership is growing steadily. Thank you all for your emails, ideas and comments.

By launching with 5 days a week of vigorous posting, I am finding that there is little time for the other jobs a blogger must engage in, in order to be successful. I won't bore you with the details, but let it suffice to say that the time has come for me to make hard decisions. I am going to try combining my Monday and Friday posts into one Friday posting. In other words, Mondays are going to disappear. I figure that's the least likely day you would find time to read my blog anyway. Am I right? Your comments are encouraged, as always.


I still have plenty to say and a post schedule that goes well into Fall, so no worries about a shortage of topics. We can never live green enough.


My new schedule will begin immediately. If you are a subscriber, this will not change your routine. My posts come to your email box when posted. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber, and for spreading the word about my blog.

Also, to those of you who collect my posts via RSS, many thanks to you. If you would like to receive posts via RSS, you can read my post on how to set this simple archiving up in its own email account, available for you to read whenever you find a few minutes in your busy day. Set up is quick and easy, and instructions are at Free and Easy Subscribing to Organic Journey Online.


To all of you, I hope to continue to earn your precious reading time for many years to come. Thank you again.

Organic vs. Natural: What is the Difference?

Thanks to Money Talks News for producing this brief, educational report on the real meaning of organic vs. natural. Let me know if you like viewing these. There are a number of these out there that are simple and to the point. I'd like to hear from you as to whether you enjoy the video format. Thanks and have a great weekend.

Hazardous Wastes Require Special Disposal Methods

photo copyright http://www.teign.bridge.gov.uk/

We all know that much of what goes into our landfills is hazardous waste. What some may not be aware of is that these contaminants are not contained by the landfill. Landfill liners break down and get pierced by sharp, heavy materials, and leaking begins. Landfill sites have been found time and again to be among the most hazardous places to build a home--years after the landfill is closed and developed for other uses.




The best thing you can do to start your own personal journey of not worsening Earth's contamination, is to know what materials should not go into the landfill. Holding these for special disposal sites and collections is your best way of protecting the quality of our environment. Here is a list of some of the materials you should never toss into your curbside pick up, courtesy of Ed Begley, Jr. and his book, Living Like Ed:

• oven cleaners
• drain cleaners
• wood polish
• metal polish
• toilet bowl cleaners
• tub, tile, and shower cleaners
• bleach
• pool chemicals
• motor oil, tansmission fluid, and brake fluid
• carburetor and fuel injection system cleaners
• antifreeze
• air-conditioning refrigerant
• rat poison
• flea repellents
• mothballs
• bug sprays
• roach traps
• snail pellets
• weed killers
• adhesives and glues
• oil or enamel based paints
• wood stains
• pain thinners and turpentine
• painstrippers and removers
• photographic chemicals
• driveway sealer
• batteries
• mercury thermostats or thermometers
• flourescent lightbulbs, which contain mercury
• incandescent lightbulbs, which contain lead
• propane tanks and other compressed gas cylinders
• kerosene
• home heating oil
• diesel fuel
• gasoline and oil mixed togther
• lighter fluid
• automotive starter fluid

You're probably asking yourself, "Where will I put all that stuff if I can't toss it?" You can start by calling your local solid waste management facility for information on collection places, dates and times, as well as guidelines for various materials.

If your facility is unable to accept all of your wastes, then move to good ole Google. Type in "hazardous waste" and your state or city and you'll find out where collections are planned and get the scoop from the sites that are returned in your search.

Every time I write a post like this one, I get a couple of emails asking how I handle this particular matter personally. This time I'm going to beat them to the punch. My laundry room and garage have a variety of small boxes and bags containing all kinds of things that might be recyclable at some place, some time. There's a milk carton full of old batteries, a plastic berry carton full of bottle caps, a bag of styrofoam, a box of lightbulbs, and another milk carton of wine corks, to name a few. I label each container to make them easier to find. Nothing to it.

Spring Has Sprung...Finally!

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner is Happy to Have

Spring's Warmer Water to Swim In

This past weekend we enjoyed cousins visiting from Michigan and Tanner was tickled to have someone new to play with. He put on quite a show in the pool and enjoyed many tug games with our family. Need fetch toys?

I, on the other hand, was surprised to find a renewed appreciation for our warmer weather, despite this unusually cold Winter. Revered with stories of Michigan's Winters, I realized how truly lucky I am to live in Florida.

First, we took our cousins on a back-to-nature adventure, canoeing down the Wekiva River, while observing wildlife such as Gar Fish, turtles, Egrets, and alligators. I saw my husband eyeing the kayaks we passed with clear interest. Should I get him one? Comments, please! Finally, we enjoyed a beautiful hot air balloon ride over rural Central Florida, taking in the peaceful quiet that you can only experience while traveling without an engine at 1200 feet.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Now that Spring has sprung, our trees are greening up and the scenery was beautiful. My once tiny Elm outside my office window is now blossoming into a real shade tree. Which brings me to something I've been meaning to share with you. I saw a billboard ad recently which inspired this idea for a tree planting campaign. Imagine a tall tree beside this ad:

Tall outdoor type seeks relationship

with healthy living advocate

I know this post has been all over the place. It's one of those days...tying up all the loose ends and tidbits I've wanted to include.

Here's a Woofing Wednesday website offering for your enjoyment. Check out Lighter Footsteps for another version of living greener. I suppose each green blog you visit will put a different twist on things. Hope you learn something interesting at this one, and let me know what you think.

I'll be here tomorrow with Ed Begley Jr.'s list of toxins to avoid. I know you wouldn't want to miss that, right?!

If you enjoy Woofing Wednesday's photos of my pups, you might also find my other blog appealing. The All Things Dog Blog is exactly what its name hints. Today's post features Xena helping with a few tips on preventing food aggression. Stop in and cruise through sometime. Tanner and Oliver make regular appearances and we would love to have you join us. Subscribing is just as easy as with this blog: just type in your email address in the upper right and you'll be off and running.

Dr. Oz Helps You Learn Your Real Age

You've probably seem him on Oprah, or perhaps seen his book at Borders. You Staying Young, by Drs. Oz and Roizen, is a remarkable book indeed. Yet even after reading it, I was not compelled to visit Real Age to find out my real age. I think I was a bit concerned I would not like the answer.

I'm over that worrying about my age business now, so this past weekend I checked it out. The quiz is a bit longer than I anticipated. Actually quite a bit. I didn't time it but it probably took me a good 20 minutes. Time well spent. Not because I liked the result, although I did, but because I was impressed with the thoroughness with which this test evaluates your inner health. Only once before have I been interviewed this completely by a doctor. That is clearly saying something about how deep they dug.

In any case, I was delighted to learn that I am 9.8 years YOUNGER inside than the calendar would tell you. Wow! That was a surprise, given my health history. What I had going for me was my lack of vices and excess weight, and my low blood pressure...I think. I suppose if they had asked about vices other than those on their list, I might have scored a bit older. I have a sweet tooth and love my vanilla lattes, but I guess these vices have clearly not had the effect that 2 packs of cigarettes a day (or a pint of ice cream) might have had.

Whatever the outcome, it is good information to know approximately how your general health stacks up, based on your lifestyle and heredity. Even so, I have thought of a couple of things that could have swayed the results in the opposite direction, if asked. I am sure that Drs. Oz and Roizen struggled with just how thorough they could be without having people abandon the quiz in the middle, when it ran too long for their patience.

If you are interested in seeing how old your insides are, I invite you to visit the Real Age site and take the test. It may make you think about some of your choices, which could be a good thing. The other option is simply to read the book. I enjoyed their well-illustrated manual and found many things that made me take a second look at my lifestyle. After all, isn't that what we're looking for when we read a self-help book?

More on Naturally Enhancing Your Compost

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Free Coffee Grounds

for your Compost are a

Good Excuse to Get a Latte!

I know I've shared with you some of the strange things I put into my compost. Geeky as it may seem, I find it rather fascinating that I can toss odd things like receipts, straw wrappers, and dryer lint. The thing is, good compost needs a balance of green (live stuff) and brown (dead, like paper) stuff to maintain its balance. This keeps it smelling like a rain forest.

So, what am I getting at here? I suppose I am just trying to let you know that you'll need more brown matter than the small items I listed above. We all have it everywhere around our home, so you shouldn't have a problem finding enough. If your newspaper is printed with Soy ink, its safe to include in your compost. Same with catalogs, junk mail and the inside of magazines.

If you're eager to have good, rich compost ASAP, run the sheets through your paper shredder. The smaller the paper, the quicker the compost. If you don't have a shredder, you should. Did you see the movie Catch Me If You Can? Leo DiCaprio played a real life character named Frank Abagnale, a con artist and identity thief. Abagnale wrote a book, THE ART OF THE STEAL, and now works for the government as a consultant. One of his recommendations is that you shred anything and everything that you discard, if it contains a bar code or account number, name and address, or other personal information. Nowadays, that's just about all of your junk mail. That's why I compost mine.

If you haven't read this book, you probably should add it to your list. Like me, you will likely learn a lot of things that you are doing, that can set you up for identity theft, like throwing out those pre-approved credit card applications. Did you know that someone else can change the address on that form and get a credit card, using your name? Then they'll have a shopping spree and screw up your credit. It's a scary world out there, but Abagnale's book goes a long way to helping you avoid scams like this. I highly recommend you read it.





Besides the book being helpful in saving your credit, it is entertaining as well. Maybe not as entertaining as the movie, but some of the things this guy got away with are truly amazing. He just figured out how to get around the things that were checked.

I guess I got a little off track there, but it was my intention to let you know about identity theft and credit card fraud. I've been hit 3 times myself, and it is a lot of trouble to straighten out the mess. Better to avoid it, if possible.

Now back to business. To enhance the nitrogen in your compost, save your coffee grounds. Starbucks gives them away in big bags for gardening. They're great for compost and are a wonderful addition at those times when you discover that your compost doesn't exactly smell like a rain forest. If you open your compost pile and get smacked with a garbage dump smell, my advice is to add coffee grounds and lots of paper products. Stir and recover.

The coffee grounds will camouflage the odor, while the paper will give the microorganisms what they need to balance the smell through their digestion. The smaller the paper the better, so make use of that shredder whenever you can.

One final thought. Lots of people who are really into composting have a ceramic or aluminum compost container for their kitchen. They use it to hold scraps of food until it is full and then dump the contents in the compost pile or bin. This is great, as long as you remember to balance it with brown matter.



If you're striving to keep the toxins out of your soil and your compost, leave out anything with preservatives or food coloring. You could even go so far as to eliminate items that are not organic. It's up to you.

One way to do this, that will save you money and reuse items you already have, is to use paper bags or paperboard boxes (cereal, gift boxes, cookie boxes, etc.). Paper bags are fine for items that aren't too wet, but if you're peeling a bag of carrots, use a box. Large brown envelopes and anything made out of "poster board" type paper is also acceptable if it isn't buried in tape or stickers, or heavily varnished (shiny coating). Watch everything you are about to discard, and you'll find yourself storing a lot for reuse as compost containers. There you go again--reusing instead of sending it to the dump. Good job!