Green Living | Saved By Grace

Green Laundering Tips

May 24, 2013 By Christine Leave a Comment

In an effort to make simple changes to going green, one way you can do this is by following greener tips for saving energy and time. I love the added bonus of saving money as well!

Photo credit: mysza831 / Foter.com / CC BY

If you are really wanting to go green all the way with your laundry, you might try air drying outside, but that is not always possible where you live. Also, please check out my popular post of making your own powdered Laundry detergent! In less than 15 minutes, you could have enough detergent to give you 100 loads for less than $5.00!

Tips for laundering a more green way:

Keep Lint Screens Clean. Not only are they a possible fire hazard, but keeping them clean decreases drying time.
If you can, Line dry your clothes. You will love the fresh clean smell!
Transfer right away. When you finish a load, use the residual heat in the dryer to start a new load.
Do your laundry during off-peak hours. Call your energy company to find out when these are.
Re-use items like towels. Who doesn’t like less towels to do?
Separate loads for better, more efficient drying. Put heavier items with other heavier items and lighter items with other lighter items. You will get more uniform drying this way.
Don’t over-dry. This not only puts more wear and tear on your fabrics and dryer, but wastes energy.
Use hot water only when you have to. Unless it is heavily soiled or a load of whites, cold water will work just fine for most fabrics.
Pre-treat stains. You can then do a shorter cycle.
Match your water level with load size. Only do full loads if possible.
Do laundry when you have time so you don’t forget about loads in the washer. This will save you from having to re-wash those musty loads you forgot about.

What do you do to be more green when doing your laundry?

Green Pan Giveaway!

May 23, 2013 By Christine 5 Comments

Before Mother’s Day, I did a review and video of the Green Pan. Here it is, many weeks later and I love it so much, still! Even though I recommended it for Mother’s day, if you have a Dear Old Dad that loves to test his culinary passions, you might consider this for him as well!

Finally, I am able to make healthy meals with ease and no oils and not have sticking! The green pan allows me to even make eggs and chicken using no oils (in fact oils are not recommend in the green pan!) and nothing sticks!
Green Pan loves Saved By Grace Blog and the readers so much so they wanted to offer my readers a giveaway for an 8 inch pan! I am super excited to offer this to one lucky winner!

Please, make sure you check out my review of the Green Pan and find out how great this cooking tool is for making healthy meals with ease in your home!

Follow Green Pan on Twitter and Facebook as well!

This giveaway will run from 5/23- 6/2/2013. It is open to US residents 18+. Please see my giveaway terms and conditions.

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Filed Under: Food, Giveaways, Green Living Tagged With: food, giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews

Find Your Inspiration with The Gro Project {Tutorial}

May 6, 2013 By Christine Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

Being that spring is still barely starting in Montana, I am getting antsy to start my gardening! I love the smell of soil, the cool water on my fingertips and just being like a kid again and playing in the dirt! The ground is softer outside, but I worry about planting things yet as we still have snow occasionally, so I found inspiration in Miracle-Gro’s, “The Grow Project” and did an indoor terrarium!

This terrarium took me very little time, but allowed some creative edge and dirt digging to commence and that made me one happy woman!

What is The Gro Project?

Miracle Gro wants you to find inspiration and “roll up your sleeves” to get started on your gardening projects, indoor and out! I find gardening very relaxing and it allows me to make living works of art! That’s what The Gro Project is all about!

Watch this video and find out what inspiration you can get by joining the movement!

Here’s how I made my mark on my spring gardening with this simple terrarium:

You will need:

Moisture Control Potting Mix
A clean glass container-this can be any size. I used a giant brandy snifter I got at Walmart (where you can find plenty of Miracle Grow products, by the way!)
Plants of your choice-use indoor plants like succulents, cacti and even small indoor foliage
Craft rocks or glass rocks
Small garden statues or decorations

Optional: Moss or Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food from Miracle-Gro

1. Start by washing your container and throroughly drying it. You don’t want it to be wet when you add the Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix. The Moisture Control Potting mix is important because you don’t want too much or not enough moisture in the kinds of plants you will be using for this project and since it will have no drain holes in the bottom, it is vital you keep the moisture at optimal levels.

2. Add a small amount, about an inch of Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting mix to the bottom of your container. I used a soup ladle for this as it helped me make less mess and allowed me to pat it down nicely.

3. When you have enough soil in the bottom of your container, gently add your choice of plants. I used some indoor foliage as I thought it kind of looked like a mini-palm tree.

4. Add enough soil around the roots of the plant to make it stable.

5. This is the fun part! Add your decorations and rocks in any way you choose. I am hoping to get some sparkly gems to ad to it down the line. Don’t you just love that mushroom?

6. Gently water it. Not too much, but enough to moisten the soil. How often you water will depend on the plants chosen.

Looking for more inspiration and fun garden projects? Make sure you check out more from The Gro Project on Miracle Gro’s facebook page and join the movement! Also, for more projects, take a look at Miracle Gro’s Pinterest boards!

Having trouble this season or just need some advice? Check out the Miracle-Gro website for tips!

Filed Under: Crafts & DIY, Green Living, Product Reviews Tagged With: DIY, Green Living, Product Reviews

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: The Original Green Pan

May 3, 2013 By Christine 8 Comments

Being a person who has a passion for cooking and training in a professional kitchen, I am kind of a harsh critic when it comes to kitchenware. My knives are top of the line professional, always sharp and full tang. I have gadgets that many people do not have. I take great pride in owning the best of the best and I am so glad to give my personal seal of approval to the Original Green Pan!

What makes the Original Green Pan so amazing?

First, it is heavy duty. You can tell the quality of a pan by it’s weight. This pan is heavy and quality constructed with a heat resistant handle held on by two screws for better durability. Second, it has an amazing Thermolon ceramic coating on the inside that makes cooking and cleaning not only a breeze, but also makes cooking healthier because it does not need a lot of added oils to keep food from sticking. I made chicken the other night in it and used absolutely no oil in the pan. The chicken tasted delicious and not a single bit of sticking or scorching occurred!

Want to see it’s non-stick abilities in action? Check out how effortlessly I was able to move food around the pan with no oils and how easy it is to clean!

Why is the Original Green Pan called “green”?

The Original Green Pan is green because it is is made in environmentally friendly practices such as the use of no PFOA and 60% less CO2 admissions during production. The cast steel handles and alluminum baseare upcycled. Even the packing material used is post-consumer paper with bleach free processes.

I recommend this as a Mother’s Day gift she will love for years and years!

Pros:

Environmentally friendly production and packing [processes are awesome! I love to see a company taking steps to sustainability! I am absolutely in love with the Thermelon coating and its non-sticking capabilities. This will allow me to make healthier meals for my family with ease.

Cons:

The prices of these pans can be a bit more than the average pan, but I cannot stress enough how spending more on quality kitchenware will be worth it in the long run. You will have longer lasting products and tools and end up spending less that if you buy cheaper and replace over time. The pans themselves are far cheaper than professional kitchenware with just as high of quality as you would expect.

Verdict:

I urge you to buy the Original Green Pan for years and years of healthy eating and effortless cooking!

To Purchase:

You can find the Original Green Pan at Bed, Bath and Beyond locations as well as Amazon.com, Macy’s and Target and other fine retailers. Check out the “Where to buy” page on the website for more locations near you. The 10 inch skillet I tested retails near $39.99

Filed Under: Food, Green Living, Health, Product Reviews Tagged With: Green Living, health, Product Reviews

Fresher, Cleaner Clothes with Purex’s Natural Elements!

April 30, 2013 By Christine 18 Comments

One thing I love about detergents for cleaning is the awesome smell! I am the crazy lady in the store opening up the bottles sniffing each one and trying to decide which to pick. Purex’s Natural Elements offer me a great clean and a great “sniff”!

This is what you will often see if you find me in the detergent aisles of any stores!

As someone who is forced to do my laundry at the laundry mat, I often have run into the problem of ending up with musty smelling clothes from tireless usage of the public washers. Purex’s Natural Elements left my clothing smelling amazing, with no musty smell and cleaned the toughest stains out of my husband’s work clothes. I was surprised by the way it was able to get the grease spots out of his work shirts and keep them bright and red as they should be!

What’s different about Purex’s Natural Elements?

Purex’s Natural Elements uses natural plant extracts to get that amazing scent. I tried the “Tropical Splash” (one of my favorite scents of all time!). Not only does it provide a great natural scent, but it is also good for sensitive skin. We have two sensitive skin people here; my daughter, who suffers from eczema flair-ups and my husband who has trouble with even deodorant. Neither one of them experienced a reaction after wearing clothing cleaned with Purex’s Natural Elements.

Great, but does it clean well?

Yes! As I said, it got the grease spots out of my husband’s work shirts and even cleared up some ketchup stains on my daughter’s shirt.

Awesome! But I am trying to live greener. Is Purex’s Natural Elements good for the environment?

Absolutely! Purex’s Natural Elements is biodegradable to help promote greener cleaning!

Purex sent me 3 coupons for FREE full sized products. I want to give them away to my readers! So, three lucky readers will win a coupon so you can try this yourself! I promise you will like what you smell. After all, I am the crazy lady you see in the aisles sniffing the detergents, so I am a self-professed “expert”.

Giveaway starts 4/30 and runs until 5/5. Open to US residents, 18+ Good luck!

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Green Living, Homekeeping, Product Reviews Tagged With: Cleaning, Family, giveaways, Green Living, Product Reviews

Spark of Amber teething Jewelry {Review +Giveaway}

April 28, 2013 By Christine 20 Comments

As many of my readers know, I have let go of my pre-concieved notions of green and natural living this past year and part of that is examining what I could have done differently in the past. While I don’t plan on having any more little ones besides my wonderful 10 year old daughter, I do think this “new” (I say, “new” because it is newer to me!) idea of using Amber Teething Jewelry is an awesome idea!

Spark of Amber “Sunrise” Teething Necklace

I was happy to be sent a beautiful teething necklace from Spark Of Amber to review. In my research of these necklaces, I had to ask why they work and how they work. Amber has amazing pain relieving qualities that are natural and calming. This works because amber, specifically Baltic amber, contains succinic acid, a natural compound that soothes inflammation. It has been used for centuries to treat minor inflammatory pains.

You may be asking yourself the same question I did.

How is this SAFE for youngsters to wear a necklace ?!

The answer is simple. The amber teething jewelry at Spark Of Amber have a knot tied at each bead to ensure it is not a choking hazard and Baltic amber itself is non-toxic. It is however, recommended that you take the necklace off at night and instead lightly wrap it around the child’s ankle under footed PJ’s.

Baltic amber’s anti-inflammatory properties are absorbed through the skin.

Check out what a bloggy friend of mine, Jaynessa at Birbitt Thinks , said about her experiences with amber teething jewelry and whether it was effective for her little guy:

I think it helped a lot! We never used anything on him at all except the amber necklace! He never messed with it, and we definitely noticed a difference between when it was on and when it wasn’t

Here is a darling picture of her son wearing an amber teething necklace! (please note, this one pictured is NOT a Spark of Amber product, but is shown merely to demonstrate just how cute they look on little ones from a mom who has used them!)

Pros:

I love this beautiful piece of jewelry. I love that it is safe for young children and that each strand has a knot tied at each bead to ensure that. Spark Of Amber also has fast shipping and great customer service. The jewelry is absolutely stunning!

As I do not have a baby myself to try this on, I wore it as a bracelet. I suffer from inflammation in my body and absolutely noticed a sense of calmness and less pain than usual while wearing it. To be honest, this completely stunned me as I am a skeptic of all things!

Cons:

This needs to be watched with very young children. Please make sure you try to keep it out of your child’s mouth.

Verdict:

Absolutely recommended! The quality of Spark of Amber jewelry is amazing. I could tell it had quality construction and was very authentic.

To purchase:

Head on over to Spark of Amber and check out the entire line of amber teething jewelry. Amber comes in many shades and looks great on anyone. Spark of Amber sells adult jewelry as well.

Giveaway:

Spark of Amber has generously allowed me to give away one teething necklace to a lucky winner on Saved By Grace blog! Enter to win and make sure you share this with all your friends!

Giveaway is open to US residents only and will run from 4/28/2013-5/8/2013

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Filed Under: Family, Giveaways, Green Living, Health, Product Reviews

Lotion Melts {Tutorial}

April 17, 2013 By Christine Leave a Comment

I am finding more and more that making some of my own beauty products is amazingly easy and fun! I love that I can control what goes into them and customize them for my needs and fragrance preference!

I had a bunch of fun making these lotion melts with my crafting partner in crime, Joy. They are so simple to make and I love that they are so beautiful and useful. These lotion melts also really make skin baby powder soft! I plan to make more and use them during the summer to keep my feet and elbows smooth. They are great for people with sensitive skin because all the ingredients are natural.

To Make Lotion Melts, you will need:

9 Tablespoons finely grated beeswax
8 tablespoons raw shea butter
8 tablespoons coconut oil
double boiler-I make my own with an old mason jar and an old pot filled with water
Stirring stick-I use a bamboo skewer
Silicone candy molds

1. To start, gather all ingredients. I found the raw shea butter at a health food store, but you can also buy it online. The beeswax and coconut oil I had on hand, but you can also buy this at a health food store, or I recommend Tropical Traditions coconut oil.

2. Start your double boiler with a high simmer (almost boiling). Place coconut oil and beeswax inside and melt down to a liquid. Then, add your shea butter and gently stir until fully melted. You can also add essential oil at this time if you want it to have a certain fragrance.

3. Carefully pour into molds holding your jar with a potholder. It will be very hot!

4. Wait for them to set up. They set up pretty quickly.

Here they are after about 2 minutes:

Again at 10 Minutes:

And again at 15 minutes:

5. When they are completely solid, after about 45 minutes to an hour, pop them out of the molds.

I recommend storing them in an airtight container. These would make lovely gifts for baby showers or for keeping in a guest bathroom! To use, simply warm in hands a few moments and rub on your dried body parts!

A little bit goes a long way with these guys, so use the smaller molds if you can find them. I do not recommend keeping these in a purse, as they attract lint and dust and they do melt with just body temperature.

Like this tutorial? See my Lip Balm one!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, Frugal Living, Green Living, Health Tagged With: beauty, DIY, health

Uncommon Uses for Aluminum Foil

April 6, 2013 By Christine Leave a Comment

When I was a kid, the big saying was, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. While recycling is limited here in my hometown (recently, it has gotten better, but not very convenient), I always look for ways to reduce and Reuse.

One thing I use a lot of in my home is aluminum foil. Most of the time, after it has been used, it is still good to reuse again and I started looking for other ways I could use it as it seemed like such a waste to just toss it in the trash.

I have compiled a list of ways to use it that you may not have thought of!

Use it to clean and scrub dirty pots and pans. Make sure not to use it on non-stick surfaces as it can be pretty abrasive.
Help your sun-loving plants get extra sun. If you have plants like cacti on a window sill, line your sill with foil so it will reflect light and give them an extra dose.
Have picture perfect pie crust edges by covering them until your pie is about halfway done. Remove and your crust edges will brown perfectly.
Sharpen scissors by getting a couple sheets of foil and cutting through them a couple times.
Clean out your oven by using a ball of foil as a scrubber.
I wear glasses and I love to dye my hair. To avoid getting the dye on my glasses, I wrap the ear pieces in foil during my dye time.
Clean your grill.
If you need a funnel in a jiffy, try using a piece and wrap it in a funnel shape.
Cover door knobs and light switches with it when painting. It will be easier to remove than tape.
Bugs hate foil. Place a little in your garden around plant bases to keep them away and reflect more light.
Use it to help a stripped screw go in again. Wrap some around the screw and try again. It will be temporary, but is a good quick fix.

How do you reuse aluminum foil?

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Green Living, Homekeeping Tagged With: Frugal living, Green Living

Make Your Own All Natural Lip Balm! {Tutorial}

April 2, 2013 By Christine 2 Comments

I am a certified lip balm addict! I spend a lot of money on lip balms and I am constantly testing them out, here on my blog. In fact, my very first review was for a lip balm company!

Of course I was excited when I found out I could make my own with simple ingredients available most anywhere! What I love about this do-it-yourselfer, is it is so simple and so quick and versatile. You can make it smell and taste however you want!

For this version, I tweaked a few recipes I found on Pinterest and did some flavors I wanted. First, I made an orange scented and then, my good friend, Joy, suggested a cupcake one. We did this with a bit of butter extract flavoring! Oh boy! It tastes and smells just like a cupcake!

Another awesome point to these balms, is, You KNOW what is in them, so you know they are safe and natural!

Let’s get Started!

To make your own All Natural Lip Balm you will need:

4 Teaspoons Beeswax
9 Teaspoons Coconut Oil
Flavor or scent of your choice (oil)
An Old mason Jar (glass) and an old small pot
Water
Fine cheese grater
Measuring spoons
Plates
Something to stir with-I used a bamboo skewer
Containers to put your balm in

To start, I should tell you where I got most of my supplies. I got the orange essential oil and beeswax at Natural Foods market, the coconut oil from Tropical Traditions and the containers at Michaels. I made these balms for under $10.

1) Grate the Beeswax on a cutting board. You want the finest grate possible so it melts faster and more evenly. Make sure when measuring, you pack the beeswax in tightly and have a leveled measure of the coconut oil.

2) Measure out all ingredients prior to adding to the Mason Jar and set on a plate.

3) Make a double boiler by adding water to a pot about halfway and placing your glass mason jar inside the pot, being careful not to get any water into the jar. Get it to a low boil.

4) Add your pre-measured coconut oil and beeswax to the jar. Stir slowly and wait for it to mostly melt. At this point, you can add your scent or flavoring. I used about 5-6 drops of orange oil for the orange scented one and about 9-10 drops of butter oil for the cupcake one.

5) Set out your containers with the lids removed on a tray.

6) Using a potholder, carefully remove from heat when all ingredients are melted. Turn off stove. Pour carefully into containers. Make sure you fill all the way to the top. Allow to cool. Mine only took about 5 minutes to somewhat harden and about an hour to fully harden.

7) Put caps on and enjoy!

Are you going to give this a try? These make great favors at weddings and I think this would be a very fun project for an older kid’s sleepover. The beeswax will help hold in moisture and the coconut oil is amazing at softening lips!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, Frugal Living, Green Living, Health, Pinterest Tagged With: beauty, DIY, Frugal living, gifts, Green Living, health

Earth Balance Snacks {Review}

March 21, 2013 By Christine Leave a Comment

One of my goals this year is to eat healthier. This is especially hard in the snack department. I love my crunchy chips. One thing I have always loved is popcorn, though as well. It is easy to turn popcorn into a snack that is very unhealthy, and I often do, by adding tons of butter and salt!

Earth Balance Snacks has helped me see that a popcorn snack can be better for you and taste delicious as well!

Earth Balance snacks are popcorn snacks that come is delicious varieties such as Vegan Aged White Cheddar, Vegan Butter flavor, Vegan Aged White Cheddar Puffs and PB Popps.

PB Popps

Earth Balance is all about having a plant based diet. I normally do not like many vegan things (besides this wonderful blueberry bread from this local bakery here!) and I was initially hesitant, but these snacks from Earth Balance blew me out of the water!

Pros:

I loved the PB Popps flavor, a peanut butter covered popcorn that is light, yet very full in flavor. I also enjoyed the great taste of the Vegan Aged White Cheddar Puffs. They reminded me of another favorite snack I love that uses “real” cheddar, and I loved that these were plant based and tasted just as authentic as real cheddar. The Vegan Butter Flavor was also very good. I love that these snacks are not only plant based, but also non-GMO and gluten free!

Cons:

For some reason, the Vegan Aged White Cheddar popcorn had a funny after taste to me. It was kind of a bitter taste that lingered long after I was done with the snack.

Verdict:

These snacks are so taste friendly (other than the bitter Aged White Cheddar Popcorn) you would not even know they are vegan or gluten free! I recommend these for anyone looking for a healthier vegan/gluten free snack!

To purchase:

Use the store finder on the bottom right hand side of the Earth Balance page. There were several stores in my area that carried them.