♥ Rock Candy Life: Eco Shower Curtain! ♥

"life is sweet. make every day just as sweet."

~Rock Candy Life 

Okay, so to be excited over a shower curtain is certainly not beyond me, but when you see the awesomeness that Rock Candy Life creates then you'll join me over this excitement. I remember seeing this shop several months ago, maybe even longer and I've been eyeing up these beautiful shower-curtains ever since. I mean, they are beautiful Aaannnd they are eco-friendly! What's not to love? But I waited, only because my last home was pretty mediocre and it seemed no decorating would make it look better. Anyways, awesome new home means awesome new home decor, means awesome new shower curtain! 

So, let me tell you a bit about Rock Candy Life…  

Hearing founder Annie Jones' story reminds me of that of most of us eco-fiends, seeking out eco-friendly products but having to compromise on design. Sigh. But, her love for modern-vintage design and everything mid-century combined with that eco-love created Rock Candy Life!  

"The idea for Rock Candy Life came about by a desire to create shower curtains for design conscious consumers that weren’t willing to go green if it compromised their love of design." 

And what a marvellous job they've done! Their curtains are environmentally safe and are splendid to look at, beautifully designed and wonderfully modern! Not to mention the prices are absolutely affordable which is another problem us eco-heads have when seeking out eco-friendly shower curtains.

So what makes them green? Rock Candy Life shower curtains are biodegradable, 100% recyclable, chlorine- and PVC-free! Also, you don't need a liner with their curtains so you're also eliminating waste. 

I was blown away when I opened the packaging to find no terrible PVC, plastic-y or clorine-y smell! No off-gassing! No harmful chemicals being breathed into your lungs! How amazing is that? In case you weren't aware, most shower curtains are made of PVC and off-gas like crazy. Think tiny little particles in the air getting trapped in your lungs never to leave. Seriously. With that knowledge, why wouldn't you choose an amazing shower curtain by Rock Candy Life? I know I did! ;)

They have two designs to choose from for their shower curtains, and they also have beautiful shower hooks that are lead-free and made from partially recycled aluminium. I chose the "Morocan Luxe" because I love damask print and this one really reminds me of that. It brightens up my bathroom and gives it a lovely modern touch, so that I actually want to spend time in my bathroom now. Really, it's perfect for any bathroom imaginable and the colour scheme goes nicely with, again, just about anything.

If you haven't yet, hop over to their site and find out what they're all about and be ready to fall in love with Rock Candy Life! 

http://www.rockcandylife.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/rockcandylife

https://twitter.com/rockcandylife

(me excited about my new shower curtain ;))

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☆ Green Tip: Natural Cleaning Solutions! ☆

No one should want to or have to breathe in nasty chemicals from their home cleaners, but sadly most of us do. While you may feel like you're cleaning away dirt, stains, and muck, you're also spreading countless toxic chemicals through your home with those commercial cleaners. Not to mention the effect those have on the environment. If you have pets or children then that's another concern for their little systems. Many of those chemicals stay in our systems as well. Some are carcinogenic, others cause allergic reactions, reproductive problems, asthma and breathing problems, and a whole slew of other health problems. And don't even get me started on those those anti-bacterial cleaners and hand washes! (I'll rant and explain about those in another post ;p)

So what to do? There are plenty of eco-friendly natural cleaners on the markets, though you should still be reading labels as not all are really that great for you either and many companies like to up their "organic" level with water. Sad I know, but it's true. So be weary of greenwashing and always read labels. 

If you don't want to fork up the money on eco cleaners then there are plenty of alternatives you can make using ingredients you likely already have in your home. Affordable and convenient? Win win! 

White vinegar 

White vinegar is a superhero amongst natural cleaning products. It can replace most of the products you might use now, not to mention it's safe, completely natural, and cheap cheap cheap! If you're concerned about the smell, fear not, it disappears when it dries, if you still don't like the smell then add your favourite essential oils for a lovely aroma. 

• As an all-purpose kitchen cleaner for counters and floors, mix 1 part white vinegar with 1 part water in a spray bottle.
• Prevent oven buildup and shower mildew by wiping down surfaces with a cloth and vinegar.
• Use as a natural fabric softener by adding 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle of your wash!
• Get rid of rings in your toilet bowl by using pure vinegar.
• Clean windows by mixing 1 part vinegar with 4 parts water in a spray bottle.

Lemon!

The acid in lemons is a great degreaser and cleaner, making this little lemon a cheap and powerful natural way to clean your home.

• As a degreaser in the Kitchen: use the rind to to scrub your pots and pans, and add the juice of a lemon to your favorite dishwashing liquid to make it even more effective. 
• Combat odors and stains: fill a spray bottle with 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water. Mist countertops and cutting boards, wait a minute or two for the mixture to work its magic then wipe away. 
• When you're done, toss the lemon rind down the garbage disposal to fill the whole room with its uplifting aroma. 
• Brighten your white without bleach in the Laundry Room: It may not be able to get out super strong stains like wine or grass stains, but for a normal wash of whites it will get the brightness back with a long soak in the hot water and lemon juice. 
• In the Bathroom: the low pH of lemons make it naturally antibacterial. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to your toilet bowl and let it soak for ten minutes, then flush away the germs.
• For mold and mildew: use the acidity of a lemon spray. It's also great at breaking up mineral deposits on the shower door.

Baking Soda!

Who doesn't have baking soda already at home? It works great for stubborn things like cleaning your grill and removing coffee or tea stains. It also works to spot treat wallpaper, books, and porcelain. So what else can it clean?

• Sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth, wipe and rinse with clean water to use on countertops, tiles and other surfaces.
• Clean away burnt food from pots and pans by soaking the pot or pan overnight with a scoop of baking soda in hot water; the burnt food will come off easily.
• To remove stains (from most surfaces) use baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water), apply and leave on overnight, then scrub or wipe clean.
• Sprinkle your carpets with baking soda to remove nasty odors. Let stand for at least fifteen minutes and vacuum! 

Salt!

Another easy to find item already at home and works fantastic to remove spills and stains! 

• Remove blood and wine stains overnight by soaking in cold water and salt. 
• Remove burnt food from pots and pans by adding salt immediately to help the burnt material come off easier. 
• Clean your coffee pot by adding 2-3 tablespoons of salt to the pot and bring to a boil. 
• In the bathroom, restore white enamel on sinks, bathtubs, or toilets by making a paste of turpentine mixed with salt. Apply the paste and let sit 15 minutes, then wipe with a damp sponge. 
• Unclog a sink by mixing ½ cup salt, ½ cup baking soda, and ¼ cup cream of tartar and pour into drain. Then pour a kettle of boiling water and let sit at least two hours, then run water to clear out.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Sometimes an old-school cleaner like hydrogen peroxide is the best turn-to alternative instead of nasty bleach and bleach-based products that are also loaded with other chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide is fantastic for it's non-toxic antibacterial, fungal, mold, and mildew properties, making it great for cleaning cuts and wounds, but also a fantastic all-purpose cleaner!

All you need is a bottle of hydrogen peroxide (3% should do), a spray nozzle and you're good to go!

• Remove stains by spraying directly on stain and allow to dry. Repeat if stain is still visible. For blood stains, apply directly on stain and allow to sit for 1 minute. Rub, then rinse with cold water.
• Another alternative for cleaning tubs and tiles. Simple spray with a layer of hydrogen peroxide, followed by a layer of vinegar and scrub away!

What are your favourite go-to home cleaners? Or what genuinely eco brands do you use instead? 

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☮ Eco-fying your Home...☮

Depending on your situation, moving into a new home can be a fabulous time to spice up your Eco-Revolution.

For the Hubby and I, it was an exciting opportunity for us to implement some earth-friendly ideas we'd been wanting to do. We are still a young and adventurous couple and aren't ones to plan out our futures (nothing ever goes as you plan anyways, which is the fun of life) so settling into one place is never for certain. This, renting is still really our only option, but if you are a Home-owner "Greening" your home should be even easier for you with many more opportunities. 

Location, Location:

When searching for our new rental, location was important. We live in a small town and we wanted to be located somewhere that we could walk everywhere and anywhere we needed to go. We found our place and it couldn't be any more central. Two Grocery stores are a two minute walk, our Natural Food Grocery Store and the "downtown" are about ten minutes. The park is across the street. 

When choosing your place, keep in mind what is important to you and look for that. Try to be somewhere where you don't have to drive. Remember, every bit counts! 

Furnishing Your Place:

There is no real need to be buying new furniture, there is so much already out there! 

When we left Edmonton, we sold almost all of our furniture (except for my favorite Bamboo table), so for our new place we had resolved to only buy Second-Hand & have a budget of $100.00. It's amazing how easily this is possible. We were given lots of furniture from Cory's folks, but if you ask around you're sure to find people eager to get rid of some of their own furniture. We also yard-saled a lot and found plenty for a small budget. Sure, our place is a bit mismatched at the moment, but it's easy to spice things up and you can always keep an eye out for things to trade in. An animal-print blanket we kept hides the questionable print of our couch. Pretty brocade fabric trims some of our shelves and our computer desk. If you have paint handy its easy to turn mediocre items into completely new and pretty furniture. It's fun and you won't be using unnecessary energy and materials for the production of new things.   

Energy Efficiency:

There are so many things you can do in your home (again, especially if you Own the place!). 

If you're able, turn down the hot water tank--all that hot water takes a lot of energy to heat and it's always way hotter than you would ever possibly need it to be. 

If your Shower-head isn't low-flow then switch it.

Check your toilet as well. There's a label at the back of the bowl, in front of the tank, telling you how many litres per flush it uses. If you can't afford a new one, or if you're renting, simply put a weighted plastic bottle (such as a litre pop-bottle) in the tank.

If you need a new shower curtain, refrain from purchasing the usual high-toxic plastic ones that end up in the trash anyway. Buy a Hemp or Organic Cotton canvas one. There's plenty online to choose from. Even PEVA vs vinyl is a better choice without horrible toxins leaching out into your lungs. 

Fix any leaks right away! A dripping tap can fill 55 one-litre water bottles a day!

Switch all your light-bulbs to energy efficient (CFL) ones. 

Weather-proof your windows and doors so stop all that cold air getting in and the warm air from getting out. Do this with plastic wrap, tape, or weather-strips.

This is only really possible if you own your home, but if you can, make sure to get energy-efficient Appliances, such as your stove and fridge that suck up more energy than necessary. Look for the energy star labels.

Turn your thermostat down. Even one degree helps! 

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Got any tips of your own on how to make your Home a Greener place? Comment with your suggestions and what you do to have an eco-friendly home. 

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca   

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.