An Inexpensive, Nontoxic and DIY Way to Polish Silver

With the holiday dinner parties fast approaching, festive table settings are on our minds. Tarnished silverware can ruin a perfectly set table, so polishing the silver is one task that shouldn't be overlooked.

Because commercial silver polish contains toxins, I searched for non-toxic and inexpensive alternatives to cleaning silver flatware. The Daily Green had a silver cleaning recipe that looked promising, but did it really work? I decided to test it out myself.

Here is a sampling of some of my tarnished silver before it was cleaned.

What you will need - aluminum foil, boiling water, baking soda and salt.

Line your sink or a bucket with aluminum foil, and drop in tarnished silver. Pour in boiling water, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt.

Let sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil.

If you can't immerse your items, rub tarnished silver with toothpaste and a soft cloth. Follow by rinsing items with warm water and let dry. As an alternative to toothpaste, rub a mixture of three parts baking soda to 1 part water. I should have tried one of these methods with my silver bowl which did not get fully immersed.

It might be hard to tell with the lighting, but the results were great - much better than I expected!

Here is a image of one of my spoons tarnished and the other just cleaned - in case you were wondering, the sterling silver flatware pattern is Repousse. As I said, I was very pleased with the results. Best yet, it's eco-friendly, non-toxic and inexpensive!

Please note that Martha Stewart also had this DIY silver polish method on her site and warned that "with this technique the good tarnish (a desirable patina and the dark crevices in a pattern) may be removed as well, and pitting may result. Experts recommend using a good-quality commercial polish, and there are some less-toxic ones available. For silver, the best way to prevent tarnish is to use the pieces frequently and store them properly when not in use. For flatware and hollowware, wash and dry the pieces by hand after each use. Also, dust display items regularly, and store them in flannel that has been treated to slow tarnishing".

* first and last images from Southern Accents

More Reusable Lunch Kit Options and Kids Konserve Discount Coupon

The nice folks at Kids Konserve were so excited about the recent article on Reusable Lunch Kits, they want to give you 15% off your next purchase. This offer is valid until 10/31/09 - yep, Halloween! To redeem simply enter coupon code: bee

And check out some of their new products!

Trash is a terrible thing to waste! Kids Konserve has come out with insulated bags made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The ultimate in recycle and reuse.

Don't sweat it! Kids Konserve has also designed a no-sweat, non-toxic and biodegradable ice pack that will keep your lunch cool and fresh all day.

Yes, we can make a difference one lunch at a time!

Waste and Toxic Free - Reusable Lunch Kits and Snack Containers

Kids are back in school and parents are back to making their lunches. Providing our children with a healthy meal is essential, but being eco-friendly is also a very important consideration. Did you know that children's lunches generate a staggering 3.5 billion pounds of garbage yearly? Yikes. This fact made me reflect and search out reusable lunch kits. And not just any lunch kit, but ones that do not contain harmful plastics and heavy metals like lead. Plastics can contain toxic additives such as phthalates, BPA and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). So, here are a few companies for you to consider that provide safe, reusable and very cute lunch kits.

Kids Konserve's Butterfly Waste-free Lunch Kit is one of my favorite designs. This reusable lunch kit includes recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, 304 food-grade stainless steel beverage bottle, food kozy - great for wrapping sandwiches and two 304 food-grade stainless steel food containers.

Citizenpips's Soup to Nuts Kit gives you lots of options for packing lunch. It includes the following:
• 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that easily attaches to a backpack - nice!
• 1 stainless steel water bottle
• 1 stainless steel insulated food jar - for hot or cold food
• 4 BPA-free airtight food containers - one perfect to fit a sandwich
• 1 stainless steel fork + spoon set
• 5 100% cotton napkins - for every day of the week!

If you are in need of snack containers, check out the Duo by LunchBots. It has a handy divider for foods such as fruit, veggies and cheese & crackers. The stainless steel container and lid are dishwasher safe too!

The adorable snackTAXI sacks are made of 100% cotton and lined with a waterproof material that consists of nylon coating free of heavy metals (including lead) and phthalates. These bags are durable and can be machine washed. Don't you love the wide selection of pattern designs?

And of course, these products are not limited to just kids' lunches; They would also be great for the office, a picnic or day at the beach. In addition, switching to reusable lunch packing products not only helps our environment, but saves you money in the process! As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

It's almost Friday - yippee - find out what other bloggers are up to at the Hooked on Houses and A Soft Place to Land blog parties.

Healthy Home - The Home Detox Green Toolbox

Where was this product five years ago when I needed it? I spent a small fortune hiring a professional to seek out a potential mold issue in our home. Perhaps the Home Detox Green Toolbox would have done the trick at a fraction of the cost.

This kit conveniently contains:

1. Your Home Through GREEN Colored Glasses - 3-Cd Pack with Sally Jessy Raphael
2. The 9 to 5 Greened: Ten Steps to a Healthy Office Audio CD
3. The Green Nest Non-toxic cleaner - The four ounce bottle of concentrate will make two gallons
of all purpose cleaner.
4. Lead Test Kits - (two tests) - to test toys, cribs, paint, antiques and more for toxic lead - gotta love this if you have small children!
5. The Water Test Kit - test for Iron, Hardness, Copper, Nitrates, Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, Bacteria and Lead.
6. Bonus $10 Gift Card from Green Nest
7. Indoor Air Quality Test Kit - tests for dust & mold in your indoor air. Includes postage paid
envelope and lab fees.

I think this toolkit would make a fabulous housewarming gift!

Also, a big thanks to Kitty from Zen of Homekeeping for making me aware of this great product. Oh, and there is still time to enter the All Modern giveaway - click here ; and check out the great selection of modern furniture.

*images from Green Nest

Eco-Friendly Green Design - Nandi Yoga

Recently I've had the pleasure of taking beginning yoga classes at Nandi Yoga in the heart of downtown San Mateo, California - just 30 minutes south of San Francisco. It was a little intimidating at first, but now I am really enjoying it. Of course, I have a lot more poses and terminology to learn, but here are some of my current favorites - Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle pose) and Balasana (child's pose). In case you were wondering, this is not me above, yet.

Not only are the classes fantastic at Nandi, but so is the incredible eco-friendly studio space. In fact, the studio, which just opened last year is one of the greenest in the country. Whenever possible, recycled and sustainable materials as well as state-of-the-art fixtures that minimize consumption of natural resources were used in the 4,000 square-foot space renovation. Nandi Yoga was certified by San Mateo County's Green Business Program in March 2009 and they work closely with the Green Yoga Association to promote their efforts to "practice lightly on the Earth."

The open and airy studio comprises of three yoga practice rooms with the tranquil "blue" room being the largest at over 1,200 square feet. My favorite element in the room is the flood of natural light from the skylights - five in all. This is typically where I take my classes and I love the fact that not one light is turned on during the session. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) fixtures are used as needed and minimize consumption. In addition, roof-top solar panels generate the studio’s electricity and hot water.

The building materials are primarily bamboo and cork. The "green" room has a beautiful cork floor shown above.

The bathroom fixtures keep water usage low, the paint both inside and outside is low VOC (volatile organic compound), and their cleaning supplies are toxic-free. The simple cabinetry is bamboo.

Here is a complete list of suppliers and materials used in this green design. Most products and services are from companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area. This conscious strategy was twofold - support the local economy while reducing the company's carbon footprint:

General Contractor: D.A. Pope: www.dapope.com

Lighting Consultant: Hawtoff Associates, San Anselmo, CA 94960; Tel: 415-458-5444

Fixtures: Iris, Litecontrol, Lithonia Lighting and Alkco

Cabinet Maker: Rick Hogan, Designs Unlimited; 50 S Linden Ave Ste 6, So. San Francisco, CA 94080, 650-583-7075

Material: Plyboo: www.plyboo.com

Flooring: Advantage Flooring; 3330 Arden Rd, Hayward, CA 94545, 510- 856-0505

WE Cork: www.wecork.com

Bamboo: Golden State Flooring - www.goldenstateflooring.com

Bathroom Fixtures: Flushometer - www.sloanvalve.com

Motion Sensor Faucets - www.sloanvalve.com

Toilet Partitions: Sierra Series from Bobrick - www.bobrick.com

Paint: Eco Spec by Benjamin Moore

Solar Panels & Solar Hot Water: PDSolar, 7980 Enterprise Drive, Newark, CA 94560; 510-494-9982 - http://www.pdsolar.com/

Here's an image of my witty, composed and very patient instructor, Clive, in the breathtaking Grand Canyon. If you're interested in yoga, be sure to drop by his website or class at Nandi Yoga.

Namaste - "The light within me honors the light within you."

309 8th Avenue, San Mateo, California
Phone: 650-343-YOGA (9642)

*images from Nandi Yoga, Simplified Bee and Old Moon Yoga