Rachel Carson: Environmental Pioneer

Rachel Carson was a pioneer in the environmental movement. Recently, I did research for a children's book I wrote about her and was fascinated by what I learned. So I thought I'd share it with you, in case, like me, you know little about her. My book, which will be published on the iStoryBooks app, is titled Rachel Carson: A Hero for the Earth.

Born in Springdale, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh, Rachel grew up fascinated by nature. She spent much of her time in the woods near her family's 64-acre farm and explored along the banks of the Allegheny River. Her curiosity seemed limitless.

Like me, she started writing at a young age. By the time she was 11, her work was being published in St. Nicholas Magazine, where her story "A Battle in the Clouds" won first place in a writing contest for children.

In college, she majored in English with plans to become a writer. However, her plans were derailed after she took her first biology class and loved it. Eventually, her focus turned to marine biology and in 1935, the United States Bureau of Fisheries hired her to write the scripts for a radio show about it. Combining her love of nature with her love of writing, Rachel had stories published in Atlantic Monthly and New Yorker magazines. She found nearly instant success when she began publishing her books, including Under the Sea-Wind, The Sea Around Us, and The Edge of the Sea. Her most popular and successful book, however, was Silent Spring, focused on the dangers of pesticides and insecticides, particularly DDT. 

Rachel discovered that in the areas where DDT was being sprayed, birds were laying eggs with extremely soft shells. This led to a high rate of baby birds dying. Without the birds, she grieved the "silent spring."

Of course, the chemical companies were opposed to everything Rachel Carson was doing, writing, and saying. They tried to silence her because she was threatening their bottom line. Because of her research, President John F. Kennedy demanded more safety tests on the chemicals. Even though Rachel herself never called for the banning of DDT, the government testing agreed with her findings regarding the dangers of DDT. In 1963, many states stopped using some of the pesticides and insecticides, due to the impact they were having on the environment and the dangers they posed to humans.

Ironically, Rachel ended up with cancer and died in 1964. But her passion and drive didn't end at the end of her life. The environmental movement, as we know it today, began with a young western Pennsylvania girl who cared enough to speak up and refused to be silent. 

That's what I'm asking of you. To speak up. To make demands. To research. To vote with your wallet. We are making a difference. But we have to keep it up. 

Do it for Rachel. Do it for your families. Do it because you care.

GMO WARNING: Beware the Golden Rice

In part 2 of this series, I'll be discussing something that hasn't quite made it onto the shelves yet. But it's something you should be aware of. Golden rice.

Photo courtesy of Daniele Pellati

Why GMO? International Rice Research Institute/Golden Rice Humanitarian Board/Syngenta have engineered a type of rice to be loaded with Vitamin A (beta-carotene). That doesn't sound so bad.

But there are some concerns over the rice that the companies have been engineering for over 15 years now, yet still has not been approved. While the need to feed the world is often the reason pro-GMO advocates give, Golden rice doesn't contain nearly enough beta-carotene to actually make a difference. C'mon, nobody eats that much rice! So, for the countries where blindness in children often occurs because of Vitamin A deficiency, golden rice simply isn't the answer. In other words, this is a waste of money. You would think the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board could find better ways to help feed the poor.

As we all try to avoid genetically modified foods, because, let's face it, no one knows the long term affects of it, keep an eye out for golden rice and keep it out of your shopping cart!

Keeping you informed,

Stillness on Golgatha

Night Over Golgatha  Vasily Vereshchagin 1869

And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, the other on the left.

~Luke 23:33

Stillness on Golgotha

Could this man, I worry, bear the load?

Two are hardy mountain brigands, but the third is

Thin and whipped and bleeding still.

His rough-hewn beam weighs more than he.

“Can you lift this load?” I ask him.

No brigand he, and worse, I know

We bring a curse upon our heads

When e’er we punish guiltless men.

“I must,” straight and true he looks at me.

I give the order.  Three men lift beams to backs

We surround them and begin our march.

Now weeping wives beside us wail.

His breath in gasps, he warns:

“Better cry here for yourselves.

In green tree this now happens

And what will happen in the dry?”

A hundred paces more he stumbles,

His rough-hewn beam falls to the ground.

I halt the march,

“We will give you a moment.”

“Bless you,” he tells his executioner -- a stranger.

The moment gone, he nods.  I give the order “march”.

His breath in gasps, his back still seeping blood,

At sixty paces more, legs now shaking, he falls again.

“This is twice,” I must remind him.

He grips his beam with strength renewed,

But no: he cannot lift his load.

City crowds now press too close.

He has no room to move.

My troops all heed, “Jupiter’s thunder!”

Good soldiers all now draw their swords,

Blades flash, slap shields, and clashes sound.

Drowsy passersby start, then flee to other streets.

I give the marching order and he bears his load

Forty paces more, he and rough-hewn beam do fall.

“You cannot bear this load,” I say to him.

Above the crowd stands sturdy Simon

Who looks at me and then away.

I call on him to bear this load.

Cyrenian now lifts beam and man and on we march.

Atop stark Golgotha we stop.

My men now nail two brigands and raise both crosses.

Simon looks at me.  I say, “Set man

And beam beside the post.  Your task is done.”

‘This good man has borne your load and you,’

I leave unsaid.  My duty calls:

The curse lays icy hands on me.

His breath in gasps, he watches me and not the hammer,

As I nail him to the rough-hewn beam he can not carry.

“Now the hardest part begins,” I warn

Ere we raise his cross.

The curse is mine to bear alone:  I pray,

Ye gods who watch this terrible place,

Spare my men, all good soldiers true.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Unbelieving I look at this man his people call healer.

From his cross, his eyes straight at me, he nods.

My load, worse than a thousand beams, is gone.

In the infinite silence all I can do is weep.

~John Sayre 

©2007

John Sayre is in my writing group, Writers at Work. This is one my favorite pieces of his and he graciously allowed me to share it with the rest of you.

Sidetracked by the sun

Do you ever have so much to do, you end up doing something totally different than the things on your to-do list? That's what happened to me yesterday. My husband left for his part time job and I headed out back to enjoy a little bit of sunshine and warmth before going up to my office to work. My workload is heavy right now. I'm currently working on some biographies for first graders that will be published on the iStoryBooks app. So far this month, I completed books on Margaret Brown (the unsinkable Molly Brown), Rachel Carson, and Princess Di. Today, I'm working on a book about Sacagawea and I'll finish up the series with a biography of Jane Goodall. Five fascinating women.

In addition to the books and miscellaneous other work, I'm also preparing workshops for 4 upcoming writing conferences. I'm on the faculty for the following conferences in Pennsylvania: The Write Stuff conference in Bethlehem, Lancaster Christian Writers Super Saturday in Lancaster, Writing Success 25 in Stoneboro, and Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster. Lots of traveling and lots of preparation. Of the 9 workshops I'm presenting, 4 of them are brand new. Brand new = work!

And then there's tax day, which is quickly approaching and I'm totally unprepared for. Yuck.

But I digress. I started out by mentioning spending time not doing any of the above. Here's what happened:

It was a beautiful day here in Western PA. The sun was shining. It was in the 60s, or maybe low 70s, and I just seemed to need some fresh air. I looked around at all the spring yard work waiting for my husband. Everything is popping up earlier this year, following the warmest winter worldwide ever on record. Flowers are blooming, plants are emerging from their winter naps, and nothing is waiting for us to have time to clean up all the leaves and debris leftover from autumn. 

One of my favorite things about spring and summer is the sound of water flowing in our pond. Usually, my husband doesn't get around to preparing the pond until late April. Sometimes, not until May. That was unacceptable for me this year. So, for the first time ever, I decided to do it while he was at work. And that's exactly what I did. 

I started by cleaning up all the leaves and twigs on the hillside surrounding the small pond and filled 6 large trashcans full of debris. We have a woods and a compost pile bordering our yard, so I hauled it all back there and dumped it. Again and again. Sweat was dripping down my back. My hair was soaked. And I felt fantastic. 

I cleaned the leaves and debris from the pond itself and was elated to discover all 5 of our goldfish had made it through the winter. They swished their tails and seemed genuinely happy to see me again as they swam up and nibbled on my fingers. 

I was also elated to see the bees returning to the bee house we hung up for them. At one point, I saw 10 of them making their way in and out of the round bamboo openings. Hooray!

By the time I was done, I couldn't wait for my husband to get home and see what I'd done. You see, with my fibromyalgia and Epstein Barr Virus Syndrome, I'm physically not able to do much of this kind of work. But yesterday, I did it anyway. Am I paying for it today? Of course. But it's good pain, if you know what I mean. Pain that's worth it. As I struggle to get up from my chair, I smile. The look of gratitude on my husband's face makes it all worthwhile. 

By the way, here's what it will look like in a month or so:

I might be a day behind on my work, but a day of hard work in the sun just might be what I needed to make it through the next two weeks until conference number 1 begins. 

So, what causes you to throw aside your own to-do list?

What's more valuable than diamonds, gold, or cocaine?

Did you know that rhino horns sell for $60,000 per kilogram on the black market? That makes them more valuable than diamonds, gold, and cocaine. Why? Well, for one thing, they're becoming rarer and rarer. But why would people pay that kind of money for them? There are two reasons: one involves the wealthy and the other involves the sick.

The wealthy want them as luxury status symbols. 

The sick want them for their medicinal properties. It is believed that crushed rhino horn can work wonders -- from curing hangovers (now that's important) to curing gout to reducing fevers. Whatever.

Photo courtesy of Yathin S Krishnappa

Sadly, as a result of extreme greed, the number of African black rhinos in the wild has fallen from close to a half a million 100 years ago to a mere 4,000 or so now. Every year, more than 1,000 rhinos are killed for their horns. And rhino calves are unable to survive without their mothers until they are 3 years old. That means, many young rhinos are dying due to the senseless slaughter of their mothers. For what? A luxury status symbol. That makes me want to puke. I seriously could not carry on a civil conversation with someone who owned such a thing.

The black rhinos in Africa are facing extinction. Why should that matter? I like what Billy Graham said about it: "To drive to extinction something He has created is wrong. He has a purpose for everything..." When we cause the extinction of a species of animals due to our greed and selfishness, there must be environmental consequences of some kind. The eco-system is disrupted. 

What can we do about it? I'm not sure. But I wanted to make you aware of the issue so you can voice your opinion if the subject arises.

Keeping your informed,

Fracking linked to birth defects

I get really tired of hearing people's pro-fracking arguments. It's all about money. The same things could be said to support GMOs. That's all about money, too. And there are those who blindly back Monsanto and their cronies and actually believe that genetically modifying our food is safe for both us and the environment. But facts reveal a different story.

Same goes with fracking. There are countless studies that prove the harm fracking is doing to people and to the earth. For one thing, you just have to look at how many earthquakes have occurred in Oklahoma since fracking became a common practice there. It's now called "America's Earthquake Capital." Yikes.

Then look at how many people have cited fracking as the cause of their health problems. It's frightening. 

But it helps the economy.

Yeah, right. It helps pad the pockets of not only the companies and their workers, but also the bankrolls of doctors and hospitals. And let's not forget how fracking has paved the way for a dramatic increase in prostitution, thus leading to more and more young girls disappearing as they're sold into the sex trafficking industry.

Obviously, I hate fracking and everything about it. I could go on and on.

But for the purpose of this post, I just wanted to let you know about a study conducted by researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health and Brown University. This peer-reviewed study concluded that there is "an association between the density and proximity of natural gas wells within a 10 mile radius of maternal residence and prevalence of congenital heart defects." They also found possible links to brain and spinal cord defects.

This should be startling news. This should be mainstream. But it's not. Why? Because who cares about some babies born with birth defects in light of the multi-million (or is it billion?) fracking industry? Well, I do, for one. And you should, too.

Fracking -- a safe practice that aids our economy and makes us less dependent on foreign oil. Or is it? Do your research and then decide. And if you're with me on this, speak up. Make a difference with your votes and your wallet.

GMO WARNING: Beware the Innate Potatoes

As genetically modified foods continue to lure innocent buyers at the grocery store, I thought it might be a good idea to start filling you in on what to avoid. So, I'll be focusing on a particular type of food in these posts titled GMO WARNING. Keep your eye out for them.

Image courtesy of Charles Rondeau

For this first post, I wanted to tell you about a type of potato that was approved by our glorious FDA just last year.

Why GMO? The explanation sounds good, but beware the dangers. J.R. Simplot engineered this potato to produce less acrylamide. What is acrylamide? Apparently it's something released when potatoes are fried that has a possible link to cancer.

The genetic engineering is also supposed to keep the potatoes from bruising. And you know, no one wants to eat a bruised potato.

J.R. Simplot planned to market the Innate potatoes to fast food chains like McDonald's that fry their potatoes (for French fries and hashbrowns) at very high temperatures. However, some of these targeted chains, including McDonald's, are, at this point, refusing to buy the GMO potatoes. Even Frito Lay's has said no to the spud.

How can you avoid Simplot's Innate potatoes? Since you might not know whether or not the potatoes you're buying are genetically modified, your best option, as always, is to buy organic or Non-GMO Project Verified potatoes and/or potato products. 

Keeping you informed,

Weekend Quote

Blooming too early in Western PA  Winter 2016

"If we are able to prevent the worst effects of climate change, I want my son to know that I was a part of it. And if not, I want him to know we tried really hard."

~Nicole Hernandez Hammer

Southeast climate advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists

Calling all Pittsburghers!

Pittsburghers -- Construction Junction has an awesome Earth Day challenge going on! Each person, contractor, or business who makes a donation to CJ between now and 6 p.m. on Earth Day (April 22), will be entered to win either a pair of tickets to the Steel City Big Pour (SeptemBeer 10th) or a $250 gift card to Construction Junction! Sweet! 

So, if you have old or surplus building materials taking up space, donate them! Doing a kitchen or bathroom remodel? Tell your contractor you want to donate the old cabinets and fixtures to CJ. Are you getting rid of wood furniture, hardware, or tools? CJ would love to have them! 

All donors will receive a donation receipt and an entry into the drawing.

Here's what you can do to benefit the environment and Construction Junction for Earth Day:

• Drop your items off 7 days a week: Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5.
• Call 412.243.5025 ext. 11 to arrange for FREE pick up service if your donation qualifies.
• Call 412.243.5025 ext. 31 for FREE deconstruction service to salvage the usable building materials if you're planning a full renovation of a building, or are tearing down an old property.

It doesn't get any easier than that! Do it for Earth Day and tell them Green Grandma sent you!

Keeping it green for the earth,

Celebrate Hylee, the Hyland's Toothfairy and Enter to Win!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received product in exchange for a review of the products featured.

As a grandma, I obviously am not dealing with teething babies and toddlers on a day-to-day basis. That's why, for this post, I'm relying on my daughter Jessica's expertise. After all, she has a 7-year-old who just lost her first tooth, an almost 3-year-old, and a little one who just turned 1 last month. Jessica knows all about the struggles of finding comfort for children experiencing teething pain. 

While I often like to go back to old-fashioned remedies, I no longer recommend the "just put some whiskey on their gums" routine. Nope. I definitely advise against that one. It was usually said in a room full of smoking mothers and grandmothers!

Instead, when folks come to me and ask me for recommendations, I never hesitate. "Hyland's," I say. I always say, "Hyland's." Why? Because their products are safe and effective. Effective enough to ease the pain of teething, while safe enough that if your little one accidentally gets into a bottle and takes too many, the operators at Poison Control don't even flinch. Seriously. It happened to someone I know recently and after speaking with Poison Control and with Hyland's emergency contact, she discovered there was nothing to worry about whatsoever. Phew.

I was thrilled to give my daughter this little gem of a package from the Tooth Fairy, complements of Hyland's, Jack n Jill, and Smart Mom.

And, as you can see, my adorable grandbaby was thrilled as well.

While she eagerly sucks down the Hyland's Teething Tablets and let's Mama apply the soothing Hyland's Teething Gel.

She was especially happy with the Smart Mom Teething Bling Teething Necklace. 

Didn't I tell you she was adorable? Her big sisters have been using Jack n Jill toothbrushes and toothpaste and love them. And the little one just doesn't want to let go of her teething bling anytime soon.

One of the cool things about Hyland's is they're not just a company placing products on shelves and hoping anonymous customers will buy them. Nope. They're a company that enjoys interacting with its customers. They want to get to know you. That's why they're so active on social media. Just check out their Facebook page and you'll see what I mean. Or follow them on Instagram. And they're always running really fun contests and giveaways. As a matter of fact, they've invited me to host a giveaway of my own here on Green Grandma.

So, if you have a teething or soon-to-be teething kiddo or know someone who does, you'll want to enter to win the same little package I gave to my grandbaby a few days ago. Included in the package is one

• Bottle of Hyland's Teething Tablets (ARV $9.19)
• Tube of Hyland's Teething Gel (ARV $7.59)
• Jack n Jill Toothbrush (ARV $4.99)
• Tube of Jack n Jill Toothpaste (ARV $6.99)
• Smart Mom Teething Bling Teething Necklace (ARV $15.00)

The total ARV of the prize package is $43.76!

And while you're checking out Hyland's Teething FB page and Hyland's Health Instagram account, make sure you head over to the Teething-Bling and JackNJillNaturalToothpaste FB pages as well. Thank them for this great giveaway by liking their pages!

The giveaway is for US only. 18+. Why not celebrate Hylee the Hyland's Toothfairy by entering today? Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 31, 2016 and the winner will be announced on April 1 (no foolin'!) Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email before an alternate winner is chosen.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win $50 in PayPal cash in the Tax Time Giveaway!

This post contains affiliate links credited to Southern Mom Loves

Welcome to the Tax Time Paypal Cash Giveaway!

Hosted by: Southern Mom Loves

Enter below for your chance to win $50 in Paypal Cash! Open Worldwide!

Who couldn't use some extra cash? As I sit here working on taxes, I know I sure could use some additional funds to pay the government what is due to the government!

Giveaway begins on 3/14/16 at 1:00 am CST and ends on 4/14/16 at 11:59 pm CST. Must be 18 years or older, open Worldwide (void where prohibited.) Once winners are confirmed, they will be added to the Winner's List here.

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per IP address. All entries will be verified. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be contacted by email; Please add southernmomloves@gmail.com to your whitelist. Southern Mom Loves will be responsible for prize delivery to the winner. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media platform.

Contact Holly at southernmomloves@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or comments, or would like Southern Mom Loves to organize your next giveaway.

Quick Tips: 2 More Ways to Save Energy at Home

Yesterday, guest blogger AJ Earley gave us 8 great tips on how to save energy (and money) at home for under $100. Today, she adds 2 more ways that will save you money in the long run.

Additional Ways to Save Energy and Money

$20 - $60: Invest in a smart power strip. These come in all shapes and sizes, and are built to monitor and control the flow of power to your high-consumption devices. Even better, a single smart strip can save you anywhere from $10 - $20 monthly.

$35 - $100: Invest in a programmable thermostat [like the one above available at Target for $34.99]. This will allow you to set different temperatures during different times of day. If your home is empty when everyone is at school or work, you can adjust the thermostat by six to ten degree during that period and have it kick back to normal before everyone arrives home so you’re never uncomfortable. Most people actually sleep more comfortably with the temperature a few degrees cooler at night, as well. There are a number of models available for under $100, and can save you that much in heating and cooling costs in less than a year.

What ways do you save energy in your home?

8 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient for Under $100

I'm happy to welcome back guest blogger AJ Early, who is offering some great tips on creating an energy efficient home. Click here to read her post on sustainable remodeling.

8 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient 
for Under $100

There are countless benefits to making your home more energy efficient. The first, of course, is the money you'll save. It's equally important to lessen your impact on the environment through responsible energy consumption. There are also monetary benefits aside from lower power bills. An energy efficient home can help you reap benefits like green tax credits and can even give you access to special types of loans, like energy efficient mortgages.

Consuming less energy in your everyday life does not have to be difficult or expensive. Here are some ways to reduce your usage, sorted from cheapest to most expensive. Even taking one small step can make a huge difference, and I'm willing to bet there's at least one thing on this list that is feasible for you.

Image courtesy of Peter Griffin

1. Free: Unplug your electronics when they're not in use. This sounds tedious, but unplugging things like device chargers and televisions when they're not being used can help your home cycle energy more efficiently. Plus, you'll save money!

2. Free: There are a whole bunch of ways to save energy when cooking. Only preheat your oven for five minutes, and leave the door cracked when you're done to help heat the house during winter. Glass and ceramic are much more efficient materials for baking, and a toaster oven is always more efficient, if it fits. When cooking on the stovetop, use a heating coil that is about one inch smaller than your pot and use a lid to trap heat in.

3. Free: Take the screens off your windows during the winter. This will only be a short time investment twice a year, but will help more sunlight penetrate your windows during the cold winter months. Doing this can actually raise the temperature in your home by a few degrees on sunny days.

Image courtesy of Shari Weinsheimer

4. Free: Ease into a comfortably warm winter and still reduce your heating bill by following these recommended thermostat settings: Find whatever temperature is ideal for your family and start there. Stay there until you're used to the colder weather, then reduce the thermostat by one degree each week. You won't notice such a gradual change, but you will notice a much lower power bill.

5. Free: Dust and vacuum the coil and fan behind your refrigerator every few months. Dusty build-up can disrupt air flow and slow down the moving parts of your fan, which results in higher energy consumption. The only cost is the electricity used to run the vacuum for a few minutes.

6. $5 - $20: Change your air filter. Depending on where you live, your HVAC system runs most of the year to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. Keeping the air filter clean and fresh is an important part of ensuring that your heating and cooling systems run efficiently.

According to energystar.gov, you should replace your air filter every month, especially during heavy usage.

7. $10 - $50: Adding weatherstripping (a sticky-backed foam tape that is easy to apply) to your windows and doors can make a huge difference, especially if your home is older. In a newer home, windows won't need any help, but you can still benefit from sealing your door frame and the area underneath your door. Weather stripping can be found for as little as $1.50 a yard, which makes it one of the most cost-efficient ways to optimize your home's energy consumption.

Image courtesy of Summer Woods

8. $15 - $50: Seal your switchplates, electrical outlets, escutcheon plates, and anywhere pipes or vents enter your home. For the outlets and switchplates, you can find inexpensive foam sealers at the hardware store and secure them to the wall with a little caulk. They fit right under your existing outlet covers and keep cold air from leaking in. Take it even farther by using baby-proof plastic plugs in the outlets you're not using. You can seal your excutcheon plates (the round covering where a pipe comes out of the wall) quickly with some caulk. Spray foam is also very cheap and can be used to seal any area where pipes or vents enter or exit your home. Sealing all these little areas of your home will drastically reduce your energy usage. The following simple infographic can help you identify areas in your home that could use some help.

Courtesy of American Chemistry Council, Inc.

Click here for 2 more great tips on saving energy and money in your home.

Rug pads that are eco-friendly and comfy. Win-win.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received product and/or compensation in exchange for my honest opinions in this review.

Are your rugs going "commando"? Mine were. I have two large older braided rugs setting atop my hardwood floors. Up until a week ago, they were on the bare naked hardwood floors. One of the rugs was positioned that way at my mother's house for 40+ years. After she died, the rug settled into our home, directly on the dining room floor. The other braided rug has been here for 20 or so years.

I like the look of oval braided rugs. But, let's be honest, they're not the most comfortable rugs. As a matter of fact, they can be downright hard. Until now. 

About a month ago, someone from Rug Pad Corner contacted me. They felt Green Grandma would be a good fit for their company and asked if I'd be willing to review their products. I researched the company a bit and agreed; we were a good fit. I sent them the measurements of my oval braided rugs and they sent me two custom-cut Ultra Premium Rug Pads to fit my 9'2.5" x 7'4.5" and 11'5.5" x 8'7" rugs.

My husband and I removed the rugs, cleaned the hardwood floor underneath them, flipped them and gave them a good vacuuming. Then we placed the rug pads and lifted the rugs to set atop them. The result? Sheer comfort. Seriously. I love walking on the rugs now. They're just so comfy. 

And unlike other rubber rug pads that use adhesives, there was absolutely no odor. No chemical off-gassing to give us headaches and other problems. They even earned the CRI Green Label.

These eco-friendly rug pads are endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council and are hypoallergenic and mold/mildew resistant. And did I mention comfy? 



Made in the USA with American felt and rubber that is heat pressed rather than glued, the rug pads do not stick to the floor. Yet the rugs do not slip. And you know how some rug pads break down and leave a dusty mess on the floor? Not these. From what I've read, even after years of use, there won't be any dust to clean up from rug pad break down. Added bonus!

While we don't have heated floors, my daughter used to have them in her old house (can you say "Ahhhh"?). Rug pads can be an issue with radiant floors, but not these. Since there aren't any glues or sticky adhesives, the pads won't stick to the floor. Plus their R-value (thermal resistance level of 2.25) permits heat transfer from the heated floors. Double ahhhh!

These rug pads are safe for hardwood, laminate, vinyl, concrete, and tile floors. And did I mention they're comfy?

There's one more reason I love the Ultra Premium Rug Pads from Rug Pad Corner. It's their Rug Pad for a Cause program. They donate a portion of every sale to these charitable organizations: American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, and St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Am I happy that Rug Pad Corner contacted me and asked me for this review? Absolutely. Do I recommend their products? Are you kidding me? I couldn't give them a higher recommendation. I love my rug pads and am looking forward to enjoying them for many years to come.

And here's some good news! They are offering a 15% discount to everyone in the Green Grandma community who would like to purchase rug pads. Simply use the code REVIEW15 at checkout. Click here to visit their website.

Reviewing it for you,