Thursday's Truths & Tidbits: What to do with all that mail?

I decided to reinstate some of the old Green Grandma features, like Review it Wednesday and Thursday's Truths & Tidbits. I hope you'll find these posts useful and relevant to your everyday life.

Today, we're talking mail and the environmental nightmare it has become. Do you ever want to scream at your bulging-at-the-seams mailbox filled with junk mail? Granted, junk mail is better than bills, but that's another topic altogether and I don't want to go there.

Just last week, my husband and I were appalled when we discovered this stuffed into our mailbox:

What to do? What to do? We considered taking them down to the post office and plopping them down on the counter, demanding an explanation. But they'd probably just shrug and we'd be wasting our time. We thought about letting Altmeyer's know because, after all, it was their money that was wasted. But then we wondered if they'd even care.

One thing was certain: we cared. And it bothered us immensely. What would you have done?

Anyway, this takes us back to today's topic: What to do with all that mail?

One thing we've been doing for years and will continue to do. Recycle! There are many organizations, like churches and fire halls, that benefit from the paper we recycle. Did you know that most everything you receive in your mailbox is recyclable? That includes

• catalogues, staples included
• envelopes with plastic windows
• business cards
• even mail with paper clips attached (although I remove them and reuse them in my office)

Paper soiled by food or grease will compromise the other paper in the recycling bin, so please discard it in the trash. Because we're a little bit concerned about privacy, we do rip off or blacken out our names and address before recycling. Shredded mail compromises the fiber of the paper, so it is usually not accepted in the paper recycling bins.

In addition to recycling your unwanted mail, there are also ways to reduce how much you actually receive. You can opt-out of mailing lists by contacting companies and asking them to remove your name from their list. While that is most effective, you can also click here to sign up to reduce your junk mail.

As far as bills are concerned (I know, I wasn't going to mention them), you can always switch to online billing or automatic payments directly from your bank. That, at least, will cut down on some of the more unpleasant things lurking in your mailbox each week. 

That's it for this week's Truths and Tidbits. Like I said, I hope you found it useful.

Keeping it green,

Review it Wednesday: Create Your Own Backyard Wildlife Habitat

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

As I sit on my patio, I revel in the entertainment in front of me courtesy of the wildlife in my backyard. The variety of birds is sometimes astounding and some of the squirrels seem to be part of the family. Even my cat, Theo, ignores them when they approach the porch hoping for nut or two.

Concerned about how the neonicotinoids were killing off bees and butterflies at alarming rates, we planted a pollinator garden last summer in the middle of our yard. All the flowers are free of neonics and other bee-killing toxins. While we can't control what our neighbors do when it comes to RoundUp and Scott's Lawn Service, we keep all that crap off of our lawns and gardens.

Obviously, we care about the environment and wildlife. But we have selfish reasons for doing some of the things we do as well. Sometimes we do things simply because we want to enjoy our backyard wildlife habitat. From cardinals to goldfinches to pileated woodpeckers, we delight in the sights and sounds as we sit on the porch and take it all in.

Cedar waxwing eating serviceberry

When photographer and writer, Doris Dumrauf, released her book, Create Your Own Backyard Wildlife Habitat, I was thrilled! I've long admired Dumrauf's photography. So I contacted her and asked her if I could review the book for her here on the blog. She graciously accepted and sent me a book.

Excitedly, I opened the package and I was not disappointed. The photographs are stunning! While the book can be used by adults to start their own wildlife habitat, it is geared toward young readers. I love that children can get a glimpse into the wonderful world of birds, butterflies, and the backyard's furry creatures through Dumrauf's superb photos. The book is simply enchanting as much as it's educational. 

The text gives each creature its own point of view, as each page is written in first person, whether it's the great horned owl "talking" or a painted skimmer. Featuring 19 different species, Dumrauf gives the reader reason to fall in love with each one.

Concerned you just don't have the room for a backyard wildlife habitat? Dumrauf addresses that concern:

"A back yard does not have to be big to provide habitat for wildlife. To attract wildlife to your yard, all you need to offer are food, water, shelter, and a place to raise the next generation."

Excellent! If you have have a back yard, or a front yard for that matter, you have what you need to start attracting wildlife. Let Doris Dumrauf's book, Create Your Own Backyard Wildlife Habitat, get you started on the right foot. Click here to buy this beautiful paperback.

***

Doris Dumrauf grew up in the West German state of Rheinland-Pfalz, a region with a huge concentration of U.S. military bases. Her childhood experiences, combined with her long employment on a U.S. air base and a love of history, became the inspiration for her novel, Oktober Heat. After moving to the United States in 1995, Doris published numerous articles in magazines and newspapers. She is an award-winning nature photographer and public speaker.

How’s the indoor air quality in your home?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with affiliate links. I received product and/or compensation in exchange for this post.

Photo courtesy of DMedina

Back in the early ‘80s, I was pretty sick on a regular basis. I had lots of pain and weakness in my arms and legs, swollen glands, trouble concentrating, and I fell asleep in the middle of tasks. All while trying to care for two little ones who were born in ’82 and ’84. Not fun.

The doctors were stumped. MS was suspected, but tests eliminated that as a probability. Eventually, I found a doctor who immediately identified my condition as being a direct result of exposure to indoor pollution from chemicals. I didn’t understand it all at the time, but now know I was suffering from an extreme sensitivity to chemicals. He labeled it Epstein Barr Virus Syndrome and later doctors added fibromyalgia to the diagnosis. But the bottom line was what caused my conditions to flare up … and still does – exposure to chemicals.

Today, my husband and I live in a home as free from chemicals as possible. We do not use chemicals to clean or wash dishes or do laundry. We do not use toxic products like Febreze or air fresheners. I disposed of my perfumes and he stopped using his favorite aftershave products. The list goes on and on. But just because our home is in better shape chemically than it was in years past, that doesn’t mean my exposure to chemicals is gone. Nope. I go the grocery store and am assaulted by the scents of detergents and bath products. I attend church and have to change seats because a heavily-perfumed woman slides into the pew in front of me. I sit down at a restaurant and realize the table has been cleaned with bleach. Yikes! It’s a never-ending battleground for people like me.

But what about people like you or your kids? Most likely you don’t suffer from the extreme chemical sensitivities I have, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to the damage of indoor pollution in your home. Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies? Asthma? Headaches? How about congestion? Or sore throats? Or fatigue? It may be because of poor indoor air quality.

The EPA estimates that indoor air quality is two to five times worse than outdoors because of PM – particulate matter (also known as particle pollution). PM is a complex mixture of extraordinarily small particles and droplets of liquid that are in the air inside a building … inside your home. The problem is that once these particles are inhaled, they can adversely affect your heart and lungs, potentially causing serious effects. These findings are from the EPA’s final PM Implementation Rule, released on July 29, 2016.

And it’s not just physical problems that occur when folks are exposed to poor air quality. According to a study by Harvard School of Public Health in October of 2015, “Higher cognitive score were shown with increased ventilation and less carbon dioxide and VOCs.” That’s right, according to Joseph Allen, lead author of the study, indoor pollution can affect our cognitive abilities. Wondering why you’re experiencing brain fog? Perhaps it’s the PMs floating around your house or office. Even your kids could be suffering if they’re assaulted by bleach-based cleaners and room air fresheners in their schools? Timmy comes home with a failing grade on his math test? Maybe you should blame the cherry-scented plug-in in the corner of the room.

“We’ve been ignoring the 90%,” says Allen. “We spend 90% of our time indoors … yet indoor environmental quality and its impact on health and productivity are often an afterthought.”

We are not without hope, however. There are things you can do to improve the indoor air quality of your home. And you don’t have to spend a lot.

HomeLab offers solutions, focusing on using what you already have along with DIY tips. But first, you have to know what you’re contending with. Even if you ditch all the toxic cleaning and laundry products, there’s still going to be some issues with the air quality inside your home.

With a 30-day FREE trial period, you can sign up for HomeLab.com, download their app, and receive one of their monitors, which will show you exactly what’s going on in the air at your house. The monitor is silent and weighs a mere pound, yet its power to help change the health of your family is remarkable. As you work with experts who will guide you through the process of getting rid of indoor pollution, you can go to the app and watch pollution levels drop! You’ll be breathing easy as HomeLab helps you live healthier lives in your own home. All for only $9.99/month. And there’s no contract. You can quit using the service at any time (although I doubt you’ll want to).

They even have an awesome less-than-a-minute video on their website explaining how it works. You can watch it by going to their website and clicking on the How It Works Video tab.

And here’s a cool plus – HomeLab has graciously agreed to offer a 20% discount to all you folks in the Green Grandma community! Just type in the code greengrandma at checkout. But hurry! This offer expires on 9/21/16.

So, try it for FREE and get it for 20% off for the next couple of weeks. Win-win, wouldn’t you say?

Here’s to healthy air!

Another year passes and my grief is still real. A poem.

27 Years Later

Grief is heavy today.

Weighted.

I wrap myself up in it like

Image courtesy of K Whiteford

a blanket

and finger the

fringes,

braiding them with

sadness,

regret, and what-ifs.

I remember the

pain

of long

ago.

The call.

The drive.

The hospital smells,

mostly of burnt blood dripping.

Another braid –

smells,

sights, sounds.

Beeping.

Then the dreaded silence.

I pull the blanket tighter around my aching

chest,

cocooning the pain.

Will it transform into something

beautiful?

Quilted memories.

Patches

of yellow and turquoise and

RED.

The red startles me and I unwrap,

tossing the blanket

into a

heap,

kicking it off to a corner

and reaching for my coffee.

I must not let the morning slip away.

There’s a life to live.

~Hana Haatainen-Caye

©2016

  

In memory of my late husband, Jim Thompson. 5/22/55 - 9/10/89

Summer 2016, I bid you a not-so-fond adieu

September settles in, welcomed. The summer was brutal. From a heart attack to oppressive heat to estrangement to loss. Summer 2016, I bid you a not-so-fond adieu. There are words for how I feel about you, but I will let them bounce off the walls of my brain rather than sharing them here on screen. They are not kind words.

I'm giving September a bit of grace to shake off the effects of the summer, as there are lingering unpleasantries. After all, Labor Day marks the official end of it all, right? I welcome the cooler temps and hope/pray for calmer weather in my heart. Over these past few months, there have been times my heart has been pounded onto the rocky shores, propelled by huge waves outside of my control. And I hurt. I bear scars and bruises, not quite healed. Scabs ripped open time and time again.

If I've been distant, my friends, there are reasons. 

But thank you for sticking around, for praying, for caring. The seas will calm. A gentler sun will shine. And my smile will eventually not be wet from tears. 

It will not be wet from tears.

You Put the Grand in Grandparent Hop!

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

Welcome to the You Put The Grand in Grandparent Giveaway Hop 

This event is brought to you by MamatheFox and On Honeysuckle Hill 

 At each stop you will find awesome prizes perfect for any grandparent or care taker. 

Sunday, September 11th is National Grandparents Day! Be sure to call, hug and reach out to the grandparents in your lives. There are far too many lonely grandparents out there longing to hear from their grandchildren. Make them a priority on September 11th and call, visit, and, if you can,  gift them with cards and presents to let them know how much they're loved. If they're too far away to visit and they don't receive phone calls for one reason or another, handwritten notes and pictures of and from the grandkids can be a real treasure. 

In the book, The Conversations We Never Had, by Jeffrey H. Konis, a grandson realizes, far too late, that he'd taken his grandmother for granted. 

The book is part memoir/part historical fiction and chronicles the author's time spent with his grandma "Ola" and includes an imagining of the stories she might have shared had he only taken the time to ask the questions. 

"My father remembers nothing about his real parents," Konis writes. "They were dead by the time he was nine. Olga, his mother's younger sister, not only survived the Holocaust, but was able to find my father at his hiding place -- a farm in Poland -- and later brought him to America to raise as her own. In all that time, he never asked her any questions about his parents. Year later, I moved in with Olga for a period of time, but I allowed history to repeat itself -- a classic mistake -- and failed to ask her the same questions my father avoided. Olga has been gone for more than twenty years, along with everything she could have told me. I am left with a sense of guilt and profound regret, wishing so badly that I could go back and have a second chance to get to know her better and learn more about my family from the only person in the world who knew them and remembered them."

Wow. What poignant words. What gripping remorse. Jeffrey H. Konis has offered to provide one member of the GG community with a copy of his book, The Conversations We Never Had in this giveaway hop. After losing my own mother 3.5 years ago, I understand the pain he feels. If only I'd had the conversations with her. Now she's gone and the answers to many of my questions died with her. It is my hope, that through this book, others will avoid the same mistakes so many of us have made. Sit down with your grandparents, or parents, and listen to their stories. They are rich with history -- your history -- and there are only so many days/months/years left for you to listen.

Don't regret the conversations you never had.

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of The Conversation We Never Had. And be sure to pass on your copy to your kids or grandkids!

Contest open to U.S. only. 18+

In addition to Jeffrey Konis's book, winner will also receive a copy of my book, Vinegar Fridays. 

Jeffrey H. Konis left his profession as a lawyer to become a high school social studies teacher. His first book, From Courtroom to Classroom: Making a Case for Good Teaching, offers a unique perspective for teachers who seek to inspire their students to learn for the sake of learning. 

Like all authors, Jeffrey loves reading. He also enjoys collecting fine art photography, travel, soccer (especially Liverpool F.C.), and, most of all, his family. He currently resides in Goshen, NY with his wife, Pamela, and sons, Alexander and Marc.

You can connect with Jeffrey on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   

MamatheFox, On Honeysuckle Hill and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Santevia Gravity Water System Countertop Model Giveaway! $170 ARV

Many of us take clean water for granted, but the fact is accessible clean water is a real blessing! Santevia not only filters your water but also infuses helpful minerals and balances the pH levels. Even the World Health Organization recommends consuming mineralized water for the maintenance of optimal health. By increasing your families minerals you can help their overall health goals. 

The Santevia Gravity Water Filtration System restores your tap water to a clean, great-tasting, mineralized and alkalized state, using the power of gravity alone – no chemicals, artificial materials, water pressure or electricity! Now you can enter to win one for yourself! US only. 18+. Contest runs from 9/1-9/17. Winner will be drawn and contacted on 9/18.

To learn more about this awesome system check out the full review.   

Entry-Form

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Winner's Choice Newbie Shade Giveaway! 3 Winners!

Sponsored By: Newbie Shade

Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy

Sometimes I wonder how my generation ever kept our kids comfortable. There are so many items designed now for children's comfort and safety that we never even considered. Newbie Shade is one of them.

Newbie Shade is a family-owned and operated company that came into existence due to their desire to shade their new little baby girl from the bright California sun. After trying countless other products with no success, they designed the Newbie Shade! This shade is fully compatible with infant, convertible, and all-in-one car seats. It provides full shade coverage, while still allowing for the use of a backseat mirror attached to the center seat. Shading your child, while still being able to see them is wonderful!

Click here to read Love, Mrs. Mommy's full review!

Each winner will receive a Newbie Shade of their choice! ($75 TRV)

Open To WORLDWIDE entries - Must be 18+ to enter

Giveaway Dates ~ 8/29 12:01 AM EST through 9/18 11:59 PM EST 

Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Love, Mrs. Mommy and all participating bloggers are not held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. Love, Mrs. Mommy received a Newbie Shade at no cost to facilitate the above-mentioned review. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Facebook or any other social media site. The winners will be randomly drawn by Giveaway Tools and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to reply before a replacement winner will be drawn. If you would like to participate in an event like this please contact LoveMrsMommy (at) gmail (dot) com.