As the summer stays hot and we turn the dial to cool down the house, you might wonder, “How efficient and how effective is my air conditioner?” Fortunately the Department of Energy has developed a system to let you know just how efficient your air conditioner can be (under optimal conditions). The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is clearly marked on every new air conditioner or heat pump.

A higher SEER rating leads to a more energy efficient unit. The typical SEER rating of air conditioners made before 1992 was around 6.0. The federal government established a minimum standard for units in 1992, requiring a SEER of 10. Residential air conditioners sold in the United States as of 2006 must have a SEER of at least 13. ENERGY STAR qualified Central Air Conditioners must have a SEER of at least 14.

If your central air conditioning unit is more than a dozen years old (SEER 10), you should seriously consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model (SEER 14, 15 or 16) that would improve your cooling efficiency by 40%-60%.

Green Irene tells our customers that upgrading an older yet well-functioning air conditioner is generally not worthwhile because the energy savings do not justify the upgrade.  But when it’s time to upgrade, get the best air conditioner you can afford.  Air conditioner and heat pumps have an estimated life of 12 years, which can be lengthened through proper maintenance.  Nevertheless, for best pricing, you can buy 1) off-season; and 2) when you are NOT desperate because your existing air conditioner just broke!

Green Irene also recommends the Cool-n-Save for increased energy efficiency with your central AC unit. This simple device reduces the temperature surrounding your unit, allowing it to operate more efficiently and less often. This can result in an immediate savings of up to 30% on your cooling costs!

So not working full-time chained to a desk all day has a few upsides!! I am starting to lose a bit of weight! I have the time now to wake up and walk with a friend 3 miles in the morning and now that I am not rushing out the door like a wild woman I remember my vitamins, green tea supplements, fish oil, chromium picolinate and my favorite of all Spirulina!

I am not a huge fan of vegetables and spirulina is a superfood that helps fill in the gaps! Spirulina is a type of blue green algae. This algae in particular is unusually high in protein. It is rich in essential fatty acids plus it is a pure, whole food source of B-Complex vitamins. B vitimins are the ones repsonsible for improving your hair, nails and also your sense of well being. It is especially important for folks under a lot of stress!!! (me) An if that wasn’t enough this tiny little bit of pond scum also contains calcium, chromium, copper, zinc selenium, magenese and magnesium! It is really a power house! A recent study even suggested that it can help combat the symptoms of hay fever! I new I loved this ugly green supplement!!

My mom is actually responsible for introducing me to blue green algae back in the 80′s! She had a friend that sold it and she used to give it my sister and I every morning. I never noticed much difference while taking it, however, if we happened to run out the effects were more obvious. I would feel a tiny drop in my energy level my sleep wasn’t has good nor my dreams and I love to dream! Plus I felt a little more foggy headed! Not scientific by any means but just some small things I noticed! The company Sunfood Nutrition sells a really good form click this link to get your own Spirulina, Manna (Original Species)

If you do try it please come back and comment on what you thought, how you feel and what your opinion is on supplement in general. I really want to know!

Cheers!

Ecomama!

So not working full-time chained to a desk all day has a few upsides!! I am starting to lose a bit of weight! I have the time now to wake up and walk with a friend 3 miles in the morning and now that I am not rushing out the door like a wild woman I remember my vitamins, green tea supplements, fish oil, chromium picolinate and my favorite of all Spirulina!

I am not a huge fan of vegetables and spirulina is a superfood that helps fill in the gaps! Spirulina is a type of blue green algae. This algae in particular is unusually high in protein. It is rich in essential fatty acids plus it is a pure, whole food source of B-Complex vitamins. B vitimins are the ones repsonsible for improving your hair, nails and also your sense of well being. It is especially important for folks under a lot of stress!!! (me) An if that wasn’t enough this tiny little bit of pond scum also contains calcium, chromium, copper, zinc selenium, magenese and magnesium! It is really a power house! A recent study even suggested that it can help combat the symptoms of hay fever! I new I loved this ugly green supplement!!

My mom is actually responsible for introducing me to blue green algae back in the 80′s! She had a friend that sold it and she used to give it my sister and I every morning. I never noticed much difference while taking it, however, if we happened to run out the effects were more obvious. I would feel a tiny drop in my energy level my sleep wasn’t has good nor my dreams and I love to dream! Plus I felt a little more foggy headed! Not scientific by any means but just some small things I noticed! The company Sunfood Nutrition sells a really good form click this link to get your own Spirulina, Manna (Original Species)

If you do try it please come back and comment on what you thought, how you feel and what your opinion is on supplement in general. I really want to know!

Cheers!

Ecomama!

Get a Good Night Sleep Without Drugs!!

My sister is an Ob/Gyn nurser practitioner. One of the major complaints she get is inability to fall asleep during the postpartdum period! This can be very frustrating since the old rule is sleep when the baby sleeps. For me it was never that easy! My doctor prescribed me Ambien but the side effects were so weird! I was tripping! I woke up one night because I was swatting violently at an imaginary 3lb. spider dangling from my ceiling! Scary. Oh and the night eating!! I ate a box of pop tarts in one night! The goal is to lose the baby weight not put it back on!! A friend of mine that works at the local health food store recommended I try a more natural route and that is when I found 5-htp! What is 5-htp? 5-HTP (griffonia seed extract) is a natural extract. This supplement helps the body increase serotonin production. It is thought that a lack of serotonin can be a cause for poor sleep. It is also the chemical in your Thanksgiving Turkey that makes you sooo sleepy after you stuff your face! Another natural ingredient that helps with sleep is Valerian root. Valerian Root has been used as a medicinal herb since Ancient Greece existed. The great historian Hippocrates (the man the Hippocratic Oath was named after) described its properties as a natural sedative in his writings as early as the year 440 BC. Finally modern science is able to explain why Valerian works. It is an agonist for Adenosine receptors in the brain – meaning it actually binds and alters the way the receptor processes metabolic proteins at the molecular level. If it helps me fall asleep without swatting killer spiders I’m game!! There is actually a good product available that is a more holistic approach to a natural sleep aide called HerbSleep

Herb Sleep has natural herbs such as Passion flower, chamomile flower extract, wild jujube seed extract, hops (strobile), and lemon balm extract all well known for their calming effects! There are many products in drugstores today that promote sleep but I personally choose the more natural route first! Good Night Sleep Tight, don’t let the giant spiders bite!!

Check out more of my blogs or my Natural Store Jade’s Hippie Gift Shop!!

The Most Organized Mom in the World??

I am not one of those super organized moms that you read about in Better Homes and Garden magazine. Chances are good that on the first day of school my son will still have crusty globs of continuous spray sunscreen in his hair. The best I can hope for is a belly full of Life cereal and pants that don’t come to his knee caps! The summer growth spurt has put a hurtin’ on my back to school budget! I am actually giving myself big props, it is not even August and I am preparing for school now (school starts August 18 or is it the 19th? Not sure I lost the paper they sent home.

The summer started with me working a full-time job at an auto repair shop. I put my son in camp at the local school. Summer camp isn’t cheap and I had other ambitions besides working at a desk all day banking calories for a rainy day. Now I am home with my son and while the stress of working is gone, the stress of paying for the life I live and sleeping an hour later each morning are dangerous! Especially if I want to be primed for after school. So starting today I am committed to a smooth start.

First thing I need to do is start setting my alarm clock for 6:30 am. Wait, hold on,  before that, the first thing I will do each night is set up the coffee maker to have midnight black, extra strong java ready by 6:20am!!  Once the Coffee is in place then set alarm clock for 6:30.  The first day of school in my town is early August 17 (or 18?) so if I can start getting my lazy butt out of bed now it will hurt less on opening day!

The next thing I need to do is put the red wine away by 9pm each night. If I keep hanging out with the neighbors until 11:30 every night I will not be able to drag my hungover tired ass out of bed at 6:30 am every morning! Go to bed by 10:30 your not in college your a MOM for God’s Sake!

I am well on the way but if I am going to be getting up every morning at 6:30 a.m. for no good reason I need something to do with that time.  Something that will even further prepare me for back to school! What should I do??   No one is doing anything interesting on Facebook at 6:30 am except reading posts from friends in foreign countries plus the morning news  is too depressing!  After I drink my liquid crack otherwise known as Flavorbean Coffee !!  I will do some minor reorganizing. NOT CLEANING. I repeat no cleaning allowed.  I will make a couple of lists and folders for any needs through out the year for example, school supplies needed, playdate phone list, sports info, permission slips etc I’ll put the folders in a my cabinet marked “Son’s Stuff”.    I also have very professional folders labeled “dog stuff”  “husband stuff” and “car stuff”  one of my folders just says BILLS with a sad face next to it.  Really it doesn’t need to be fancy!

Almost there, now I need to figure out what this child of mine is going to wear to school. All of his pants were riding up to his ankles. The poor kid looked like Huck Finn on his way to meet with Tom for a day of fishin’! I made my boy think I am actually a talented seamstress because I transformed each pair of pants into board shorts with a pair of kitchen shears!  Well I can’t shop for him so I will just tell the Grandma’s to go to Penny’s and pick out stuff in  size 8!  My own mom was never allowed to pick clothes out for me but she is a genius at picking out shirts my son refuses to take off!  With the money I save I will shop for fun stuff!  Maybe some books or incense at Tye Dye Jade’s Hippie Gift Shop online!  I could use some meditation inspiration to get my early mornings off to a good start!

Now I am feeling proud, I am on the right track for back to school!  Oh wait my neighbor just called, Margarita night by her new pool!!! Maybe I’ll start back to school prep next week!  Happy Monday everyone!

The Most Organized Mom in the World??

I am not one of those super organized moms that you read about in Better Homes and Garden magazine. Chances are good that on the first day of school my son will still have crusty globs of continuous spray sunscreen in his hair. The best I can hope for is a belly full of Life cereal and pants that don’t come to his knee caps! The summer growth spurt has put a hurtin’ on my back to school budget! I am actually giving myself big props, it is not even August and I am preparing for school now (school starts August 18 or is it the 19th? Not sure I lost the paper they sent home.

The summer started with me working a full-time job at an auto repair shop. I put my son in camp at the local school. Summer camp isn’t cheap and I had other ambitions besides working at a desk all day banking calories for a rainy day. Now I am home with my son and while the stress of working is gone, the stress of paying for the life I live and sleeping an hour later each morning are dangerous! Especially if I want to be primed for after school. So starting today I am committed to a smooth start.

First thing I need to do is start setting my alarm clock for 6:30 am. Wait, hold on,  before that, the first thing I will do each night is set up the coffee maker to have midnight black, extra strong java ready by 6:20am!!  Once the Coffee is in place then set alarm clock for 6:30.  The first day of school in my town is early August 17 (or 18?) so if I can start getting my lazy butt out of bed now it will hurt less on opening day!

The next thing I need to do is put the red wine away by 9pm each night. If I keep hanging out with the neighbors until 11:30 every night I will not be able to drag my hungover tired ass out of bed at 6:30 am every morning! Go to bed by 10:30 your not in college your a MOM for God’s Sake!

I am well on the way but if I am going to be getting up every morning at 6:30 a.m. for no good reason I need something to do with that time.  Something that will even further prepare me for back to school! What should I do??   No one is doing anything interesting on Facebook at 6:30 am except reading posts from friends in foreign countries plus the morning news  is too depressing!  After I drink my liquid crack otherwise known as Flavorbean Coffee !!  I will do some minor reorganizing. NOT CLEANING. I repeat no cleaning allowed.  I will make a couple of lists and folders for any needs through out the year for example, school supplies needed, playdate phone list, sports info, permission slips etc I’ll put the folders in a my cabinet marked “Son’s Stuff”.    I also have very professional folders labeled “dog stuff”  “husband stuff” and “car stuff”  one of my folders just says BILLS with a sad face next to it.  Really it doesn’t need to be fancy!

Almost there, now I need to figure out what this child of mine is going to wear to school. All of his pants were riding up to his ankles. The poor kid looked like Huck Finn on his way to meet with Tom for a day of fishin’! I made my boy think I am actually a talented seamstress because I transformed each pair of pants into board shorts with a pair of kitchen shears!  Well I can’t shop for him so I will just tell the Grandma’s to go to Penny’s and pick out stuff in  size 8!  My own mom was never allowed to pick clothes out for me but she is a genius at picking out shirts my son refuses to take off!  With the money I save I will shop for fun stuff!  Maybe some books or incense at Tye Dye Jade’s Hippie Gift Shop online!  I could use some meditation inspiration to get my early mornings off to a good start!

Now I am feeling proud, I am on the right track for back to school!  Oh wait my neighbor just called, Margarita night by her new pool!!! Maybe I’ll start back to school prep next week!  Happy Monday everyone!

My sister and I were at Carrier Park on Amboy road just a few blocks from our West Asheville homes. A group of twenty somethings were tossing a frisbee around. The frisbee landed near my sister and as she picked it up and tossed it back one of the guys asked “Hey what is up in Asheville?” I laughed and asked what he meant? The guy explained that he and his friends were visiting from out of town for a wedding, they would be here for a few days. I replied that there is a TON of cool things to do on a weekend trip to Asheville it just depended on what you like. The guy told us an unfortunate story of the hotel clerks recommendation for a rip roaring good time in Asheville NC-”oh you gotta go to Friday’s!!” as in TGIF? The chain restaurant?? Yikes! If you plan to visit Asheville anytime soon please do not as Chain Hotel clerks what they recommend! Just send your friends this link! I promise not to send you to Red Lobster!

21 and up Crowd:Got Beer? This year Asheville was voted Beer City USA!! We have a dozen or so amazing breweries within a 10 mile radius of the city! Check a few out or better yet sign up for a “Brews Cruise” You meet at a downtown brewery and a van picks you up and carts your soon to be drunken ass all over town visiting the brewpubs that make our place famous!! This cruise will save you time, you can leave the map at home and forgo a nasty DUI charge all in one day! http://www.brewscruise.com/

Young and Old: Wandering downtown and the kids are losing it?? Splashville! This new attraction is located right in front of the Courthouse. This feature is also right next to the new Pack’s Tavern. A really good place to eat and have a cold one on the outdoor patio while watching the kiddies splash and play! There is also lots of green space to throw frisbee. During the summer the lawn behind Splashville hosts Shin Dig on the Green! Bring your lawn chairs and get ready to dance. Local blue grass bands from all over the mountains join up for a good ole’ time for the kids and old timers alike Bonus alert-it is totally free! See videos below!

Total Asheville expeirience: When the weather warms up Pritchard Park right in the heart of downtown comes alive every Friday night around 7pm! Bring your drums, tambourines or just yourself and be immersed in vibe and percussion! This is a must see for everyone from all walks of life.. Dreadlocks are not a requirement I promise!! Check out the video below! The drum circle was a favorite of my son since he was 18 months old! If you get hungry skip the lines at all the popular eateries and scroll across the street to Jerusalem Garden! Rarely is there a wait and the food is unreal plus they have fabulous turkish coffee and belly dancers!http://www.jerusalemgardencafe.com/

You would be crazy to miss it!: One word, La Zoom!! Get on the bus for the most exciting tour of Asheville.. A giant art deco purple bio-diesel fueled ride of your life! I cannot tell you too much but make sure you pee before you leave because you will laugh so hard you will cry! There is nothing like this tour anywhere! Local couple Jim and Jen founded La Zoom as an alternative to the popular Trolley tours of Asheville that are quite nice yet benign all the same! Grab a bottle of vino or some beers and hop on the bus! Tickets are available at a booth downtown or http://lazoomtours.com/shows

Is this five already? I am not done!: I am going to have to do a blog of the next 5 fun things to do in Asheville because I don’t think I covered it all! I bet you think I am going to tell you to go to The Biltmore House? Nah skip it, I mean it is awesome and everything but not exactly FUN! The next fun thing in my opinion do to in Asheville is catch a The Asheville Tourists Thirsty Thursday Home game. Check their schedule online but try to go on a Thursday. Beers and Soda are just a buck!! It is a relaxing way to spend an evening and the kids love it!! Tickets are cheap too. Click here for the tourists website Bonus alert: Wild Wings Cafe is across the street with an after party and live music!

That is my top 5 fun things to do in Downtown Asheville whether you have kids, with a group of friends, old or young you cannot go wrong! Check back next time for Asheville ideas, events etc.Be sure to check out the videos below!

Be sure to follow me on twitter!! dohttp://twitter.com/TheJavaGypsies

Other fun blogs at Blogger http://thejavagypsies.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?

My sister and I were at Carrier Park on Amboy road just a few blocks from our West Asheville homes. A group of twenty somethings were tossing a frisbee around. The frisbee landed near my sister and as she picked it up and tossed it back one of the guys asked “Hey what is up in Asheville?” I laughed and asked what he meant? The guy explained that he and his friends were visiting from out of town for a wedding, they would be here for a few days. I replied that there is a TON of cool things to do on a weekend trip to Asheville it just depended on what you like. The guy told us an unfortunate story of the hotel clerks recommendation for a rip roaring good time in Asheville NC-”oh you gotta go to Friday’s!!” as in TGIF? The chain restaurant?? Yikes! If you plan to visit Asheville anytime soon please do not as Chain Hotel clerks what they recommend! Just send your friends this link! I promise not to send you to Red Lobster!

21 and up Crowd:Got Beer? This year Asheville was voted Beer City USA!! We have a dozen or so amazing breweries within a 10 mile radius of the city! Check a few out or better yet sign up for a “Brews Cruise” You meet at a downtown brewery and a van picks you up and carts your soon to be drunken ass all over town visiting the brewpubs that make our place famous!! This cruise will save you time, you can leave the map at home and forgo a nasty DUI charge all in one day! http://www.brewscruise.com/

Young and Old: Wandering downtown and the kids are losing it?? Splashville! This new attraction is located right in front of the Courthouse. This feature is also right next to the new Pack’s Tavern. A really good place to eat and have a cold one on the outdoor patio while watching the kiddies splash and play! There is also lots of green space to throw frisbee. During the summer the lawn behind Splashville hosts Shin Dig on the Green! Bring your lawn chairs and get ready to dance. Local blue grass bands from all over the mountains join up for a good ole’ time for the kids and old timers alike Bonus alert-it is totally free! See videos below!

Total Asheville expeirience: When the weather warms up Pritchard Park right in the heart of downtown comes alive every Friday night around 7pm! Bring your drums, tambourines or just yourself and be immersed in vibe and percussion! This is a must see for everyone from all walks of life.. Dreadlocks are not a requirement I promise!! Check out the video below! The drum circle was a favorite of my son since he was 18 months old! If you get hungry skip the lines at all the popular eateries and scroll across the street to Jerusalem Garden! Rarely is there a wait and the food is unreal plus they have fabulous turkish coffee and belly dancers!http://www.jerusalemgardencafe.com/

You would be crazy to miss it!: One word, La Zoom!! Get on the bus for the most exciting tour of Asheville.. A giant art deco purple bio-diesel fueled ride of your life! I cannot tell you too much but make sure you pee before you leave because you will laugh so hard you will cry! There is nothing like this tour anywhere! Local couple Jim and Jen founded La Zoom as an alternative to the popular Trolley tours of Asheville that are quite nice yet benign all the same! Grab a bottle of vino or some beers and hop on the bus! Tickets are available at a booth downtown or http://lazoomtours.com/shows

Is this five already? I am not done!: I am going to have to do a blog of the next 5 fun things to do in Asheville because I don’t think I covered it all! I bet you think I am going to tell you to go to The Biltmore House? Nah skip it, I mean it is awesome and everything but not exactly FUN! The next fun thing in my opinion do to in Asheville is catch a The Asheville Tourists Thirsty Thursday Home game. Check their schedule online but try to go on a Thursday. Beers and Soda are just a buck!! It is a relaxing way to spend an evening and the kids love it!! Tickets are cheap too. Click here for the tourists website Bonus alert: Wild Wings Cafe is across the street with an after party and live music!

That is my top 5 fun things to do in Downtown Asheville whether you have kids, with a group of friends, old or young you cannot go wrong! Check back next time for Asheville ideas, events etc.Be sure to check out the videos below!

Be sure to follow me on twitter!! dohttp://twitter.com/TheJavaGypsies

Other fun blogs at Blogger http://thejavagypsies.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?

I try to limit my use of disposables as much as possible. Reusing something is, after all, the greenest option. But it’s not always practical. For an office kitchen or corporate event, it may not make sense to have reusable plates that could be broken or lost.  At the same time, all those boxes of plastic plates won’t biodegrade any time soon. In fact, they’ll probably still be around for thousands of years. On top of it all, they’re made from oil, a nonrenewable resource that requires intensive processing. Some plastic plates can technically be recycled, but most recycling facilities will ultimately reject and trash plastics that are greasy or oily. That makes for some pretty dim prospects for recycling plates that have come in contact with any food. All and all, while it’s really convenient, disposable tableware is basically an eco-nightmare all around.

So, I was intrigued when I found some “eco-friendly” alternatives to disposable plastics. But at the same time, I was skeptical. Could something that’s disposable ever really be eco-friendly? After digging deep into this question, I think the answer is a clear yes. In fact, I feel so good about these products that Green Irene is now offering a line of disposable tableware.

Bagasse: a waste product created during sugarcane production now has a second life in Green Irene’s disposable tableware.

So what is this magic material? In a word, sugar – the source of many wonderful things. Green Irene’s plates, bowls, and cups are made from bagasse, a byproduct created during sugarcane processing. Before it was used for tableware, bagasse was burned as waste. Turning this waste product into something useful is much greener than cutting down forests to make paper plates. These products can be torn up and put in your indoor or outdoor composter. They can also be sent to a municipal compost facility, or recycled along with your paper products. Green Irene’s bagasse items can handle hot and cold foods, and they’re even safe for microwave use.

For more information about Green Irene’s disposable tableware, check out Ask Green Irene entry #1204. If you are not a member (which you are when you get a  Green Home Makeover or Green Office Makeover), your local eco-consultant can help you select and order Green Irene’s recommended eco-friendly plates, bowls, cups and utensils.

EcoMamma

Jacquie Hammond

For more info check out my website http://www.GreenIrene.com/Planethealthyasheville