Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - An Easy Household Guide - Book Review

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I was very excited to review Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - An Easy Household Guide by UK author, Nicky Scott. Because my husband and I wrote Trash Talk, which is a similar guide written for North Americans, I was very interested to learn how individuals in the UK are dealing with reducing waste.

With the 96-page book, the author attempts to provide a guide for people to follow; "in a world of confusing messages" where overwhelming environmental problems weigh down our hearts, Nicky hopes to encourage readers with positive information. Cute little illustrations by Axel Scheffler accompany most of the pages, adding a little touch of humor.

One of the first things Nicky discusses is the importance of refusing to purchase over-packaged items - in fact he states it is the main focus of the book, and it does briefly discusses avoiding disposables, things that cannot be recycled and those that are made from all virgin materials. Whereas the book seems to concentrate on how to reuse or recycle existing trash, it also comments on seeing the reuse, repair or recycle potential for products we are considering buying. He also suggests taking advantage of re-fill retailers (i.e. in Canada: Body Shop, Sampson Soaps, etc) and bulk outlets (grocery stores, bulk products at hair salons, etc). The author mentions that maintenance increases the likely hood of reuse and stressed donations and private sales. Tips are included on ways to make the recycle system run more smoothly and interesting UK statistics.

Chapter three hosts 59 pages of an extensive A-Z guide for items that are commonly found in waste bins. What to do with Fluorescent and CFL bulbs, funeral alternatives to consider, what the various numbers on plastics mean -it's all covered here in this tidy book. I found the information about all the different kinds of batteries, particularly the button-cell variety (watch, camera, calculator, etc), quite interesting. Interestingly, I never considered donating furniture too battered for reuse to upholsterer businesses and classes, where they may wish to reuse the frame to make new furniture.

Readers may find that some of the information is repetitive and Chapter four seems to reiterate what the book is trying to say. I enjoyed chapter five, which discusses the future of zero waste and cleaner waste (less toxic or greenhouse gas producing), very much. The book closes with an excellent resource section that offers roughly two-dozen organizations along with their contact information and lists about thirty books that are certain to make the environmentalist in you drool with anticipation.

Nicky Scott, Chairperson for the National Community Composting Network (CCN) in the UK, is the author of three small books (roughly 4 x 6 inches) dealing with waste reduction and has appeared in two videos about composting. His interest began while working at a compost business as a young man, and the passion grew while he studied at the UK's leading organic research organization, The Henry Doubleday Research Association. As initiator and Secretary of one of the first community composting projects, which continues to created jobs, and the head of the newsletter for the CCN organization - he is a busy man. Between all this, he squeezes in time to run workshops and give lectures. In his spare time, Nicky is a musician and artist.

Author: Nicky Scott
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Publisher: Green books (UK)
ISBN: 1-903998-40-9

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.brummet.ca/)

Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening Part 2

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If you have been considering raised bed vegetable gardening, then you are not alone. In fact, many people are starting to grow these vegetable gardens. The popularity has spread because of how many advantages one will have when choosing to use a raised bed. Not only that, but you can build a container in any shape you wish and can use this gardening system no matter where you live. You can make your vegetable garden as simple or complex as you wish. Perhaps the best thing about raised bed vegetable gardening is you can choose which soil you want to use. This allows your vegetables to stay healthy and produce year round. Below are a few more advantages to building a raised bed vegetable garden.

With a raised bed vegetable garden everything stays in place. You do not have to worry about certain plants or vegetables growing wildly within your garden. You will also be able to pick and cut over grown plants with much ease. No more bending over to pull weeds out of the ground and fight with deep plant roots. With your raised bed garden, weeds and plants can be removed easily. This is a major reason why raised bed vegetable gardening has become so popular.

Another great thing about having is the ability to have no concerns with draining. You will be able to see the water draining from your plants out of the bottom of your container. In order to ensure proper drainage however, you must make sure your container has small holes about an inch from the bottom. Another great tip is to place rocks under the soil to help drain the water. No longer will you have to drag a heavy hose all around your yard, because you can strategically place your raised bed garden close to a water source. Are you starting to see the beauty in this type of vegetable gardening?

You do not have to worry about pets or children messing up your produce. You can build your bed high enough to avoid any interactions with dogs or kids who may harm your plants. Another great precaution is to line the bottom of your bed with netting so you can also stop burrowing pets.

If you are thinking about raised bed vegetable gardening then you have an exciting road ahead. It takes time and money to get started, but the advantages of building a raised bed are too great to overlook.

Thank You to all of our gardener friends and we really appreciate your support. Please contact us anytime with any questions,

The Watch Us Grow Team

Phil Faustini, Grandson of Stephen Follett, creator of "Watch Us Grow" In the 1940's Stephen Follett developed this unique Plant Food. After many years of trials and experiments on all types of plants and crops. 1952 was the year "Watch Us Grow" was made available to the public. Since then the positive testimonials have poured in from all over the world, from professional to novice growers "Watch Us Grow" has made believers out of them all. Go to http://allpurposeplantfood.com/ try some for yourself or get a FREE plant feeding guide. See why the gardening world is so excited about "Watch Us Grow"

#1 Woman's Do it Yourself Book That Saves Time and Money

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You Can Do It, the flagship offering from Delmer's Deals, is a Do It Yourself(DIY) book geared towards women. The unique aspect of the book is that two men wrote the book but then had their friend who is a woman rewrite it so that it would be woman to woman. It guides women through home repairs that don't require special tools or many hours of work. Other topics covered are how to negotiate with a contractor, car mechanic and car salesman among many others. The primary focus of the book is to save money for the woman who reads it. It does this by doing it yourself rather than hiring someone to do if for you or if you have to have hire someone you will not get taken advantage of. Until now, it has been only available in the local area but it is now available nationwide.

Delmer's Deals is a Pittsburgh based company. It is comprised of William Delmer and Patrick Laird. For the book, they used their over 20 years combined experience in contracting and construction trades. They have found that women who have used their book have saved money from feedback they have received. One woman related how during a car inspection the station tried to charge her seven hundred dollars in unnecessary work. Another woman had a plumbing leak under her sink, the plumber tried to over charge her by two hundred dollars. These are just two examples of how valuable this book is.

If you would like more information about the book or are interested in purchasing, it can be found at [http://delmersdeals.com]

Dare to Repair: Can You Handle Your Water Leak Repairs After Reading This?

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Want to learn how to handle water leak repairs without calling a plumbing service, or just want to put your new Apollo Precision Tools to good use for small home repairs needed around the house when your husband handyman isn't around? If you're interested in putting your ladies' tool set to good use, then pick up a copy of Dare to Repair : A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home.

Written by two CIA wives who've had to make do and learn household repairs while their husbands were away on business, this book is an excellent reference to handling small home projects by yourself or with a homegirl.

Give Me the Specs: How is Dare to Repair Organized?

Dare to Repair is approximately 246 pages of content (the index starts on page 247) broken down into several chapters, as follows: Plumbing, Electricity, Major Appliances, Windows, Walls and Doors and Home Safety. Each chapter discusses the most common home repairs you may need to handle in your home, or learn about through a friend's experience in their own residence.

Repair Name: Each repair is a subsection within the chapters, sans fancy names that confuse you. In other words, you know what the name of the project is or aims to accomplish, because it is clearly labeled at the top of the page on which the project begins.General Introduction & Story: Small paragraphs about the authors' experiences with the home project help ease you into getting the gist of what the project will entail.Introductory Information: Articulate information about the repair and how it will help improve the quality of life (comfort level) of your home are provided as you transition into getting down to the nitty gritty of getting the job done accurately.Directions & Illustrations: The directions are written in second-person format with basic illustrations to assist you in identifying key tasks. The narrative guides you through each step so that you don't get lost, and the pictures include captions that allow you to understand the step(s) it references.Tools Needed: Usually on the second page under the directions, you'll see a small, approximately inch-long section that's sectioned off. This section of the tutorial tells you what tools you'll need - and includes a nifty illustration of the tool as well.Sidebar Tips: Several tutorials have sidebars which provide an extra helpful tip that can help you get the job done more efficiently. 

Who Should Dare to Repair?

Dare to Repair is a great book for any woman equipped with the right combination of spunk, guts and wit to take on almost anything that needs to be fixed in her home. This book makes a great gift and cute pick-me-up for the independent lady in your life.

Read the rest of my book review on Dare to Repair: Dare to Repair

Women, are you overwhelmed by home repair projects? Need help to buy tools online?

People Trust in the Health Benefits of Herbs

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Aside from the fact that Herbs add more flavor to food, there are recognized health benefits that herbs could give the body. Since ancient times, it's been demonstrated that herbs genuinely have health benefits and as contemporary medicines were not available in those times, herbs were regarded as a good remedy for every health problem

There are many health benefits that have been demonstrated by herbs and nowadays, doctors and other investigators are seeking more ways to utilize herbs for our wellness.

Power Of The Herbs

Herbs like garlic, pau d'arco, goldenseal, and licorice are acknowledged to yield health benefits when treating fungus or other skin irritations. The health benefits of herbs equivalent to these are unexcelled because many manufacturers of natural medicines are now producing creams and shampoos that are produced from these to help in minimizing skin irritation.

The health benefits of herbs like chamomile assists in soothing the stomach, calming the nerves, helping in inducing sleep, and easing cold symptoms to prevent fever. Besides, there are certain herbs such as ginger that helps in improving the blood circulation in our bodies, regulates blood glucose, represses menstrual cramps, and like the chamomile; it assists in alleviating cold and flu symptoms.

Although other people might just use cinnamon when cooking or baking apple pies and cinnamon rolls, it could also be included in the list of health benefits of herbs as it assists in improving circulation, relieves cold symptoms, alleviates stomach upsets, menstrual cramps, and regulates blood glucose and insulin.

Popularity Of Herbs In The Marketplace

Because many trust in the health benefits of herbs, many people are resorting more to alternate or natural medicine when it concerns curing their ill health*. Because of this, more manufacturers are also developing products that incorporate natural herbs to give further options to the people. Products like herbal teas that alleges to aid regulate your gastrointestinal system or is said that could be used as a dietary supplement, shampoos and lotions that helps in aiding skin irritations, and products like herbal medicines in liquid form or as pills are being sold in the marketplace today.

You could find these alternate medicines and herbal products in health stores like GNC and LivingWell which are located in popular department stores or strip malls. In addition, you could find them on the internet and some may receive an even bigger deal, marketing them at a lower price with free shipping.

Brian E. Hill has been a keen gardener ever since he "helped" his father and grandfather when he was just six. Since then he has done vegetable gardening extensively, and is at present concentrating on container gardening, as he and his wife are moving to an apartment where he hopes to continue gardening in his retirement. You can get more information on herb gardening by visiting [http://bhillsblog.info/herbsinpots.com/]

Great Books - How-To Wisdom Resides in Books

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Learning how to do things is the way we all grow and develop as humans. Using guidebooks helps shorten the learning curve of acquiring knowledge.

With the amount of information available today, you can learn and do just about anything- from how to build a deck to finding your dream home in another country.

How-to books teach you with the printed word, pictures, graphs and give you the option to return to the page before if your memory is failing you in a moment of need.

Shopping for these printed knowledge volumes is easy and available in a number of ways for purchase. Checking through thrift stores, garage sales, and online for new and used books is a great way to start. Some projects are timeless and even nostalgic and for this one of the old how to books will be filled with information in the old ways and sometimes the best ways to complete a project.

Be sure to choose wisely for your project. If updated information and material is available with the progress of technology and information, you will need to buy a newer book. With updated information you will find the healthiest, easiest and best way to grow plants, paint, or do your own medical research.

Information is continually changing and improving. As the books and learning tools become available you can begin a new project with the right look for you or the best way to construct something new in your life. Book stores carry the newest books available and if they do not have one you need they are willing to special order in most any category.

Some topics are classics. How to sing, or make soap, or darn a sock can be learned from older books.

If you are looking for lessons on car repair and maintenance, check with your local auto parts dealer or online for information about your model of vehicle. You will need to know the model, make, year and many time engine size and design. Once you find the book you need you can order it online or place a special order at the parts department.

For information regarding gardening, plants, herbs and sustainable living some book stores will have a special section. Updated information and old ways are now combined in many newer books. You can choose from larger farming income projects to specialized growing techniques for a certain flower such as roses or iris.

Books for herbal medicine are written for the local grower for raising herbs in pots or small gardening areas to promote good health. You can learn how to mix herbs for best results or what each herb by itself is good for. Herbs can be used to fight headaches, stomach problems and improve general health.

These DIY (do it yourself) books are a great way to learn something new. Don't be afraid to teach yourself. You have many teachers who have gone before you and now impart their wisdom in the form of how-to books.

Great books and how to do things are what author Mr. Davey enjoys. He uses his how-to knowledge to find fine things at fine prices online.

Home Made Power Plant - A Real Review

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Why I Decided to Buy Home Made Power Plant

I had financial problems because of a failed stock investment, and I was searching for a way to save on everything, starting with electrical energy. In fact, I have many home appliances including the dishwasher, the washing machine and a personal computer that cost me nearly $350 every month.

So I went online, surfing the web for any information on saving on electricity bills and I found this manual ( Home Made Power Plant ) explaining how to save up to 80% on electricity bills utilizing solar panels.

I decided to gave a look at it and I bought the manual.

What is it about
Home Made Power Plant is an ebook written to help home owners to significantly decrease their electricity cost. It's a 115 pages ebook, and when I ordered it, I received also 3 bonus:
Bonus #1- "Biodiesel- An alternative solution for your car and home"
Bonus #2 - "Best Tricks & Tips To Save Energy"
Bonus #3 - "Free Updates For The Next 10 Years"

Frank Patrick, the creator of Home Made Power Plant, said that those bonus were available just the day of my order, but they are still now available, so no need to worry about that: I think they will be available for many months.

I took one and a half day to build the solar panel following the Home Made Solar Plant's plan. It wasn't such easy to build, but it wasn't difficult. Well, think that I'm an alternative energy researcher, a scientist, not an engineer! However, after less than 2 days, I was able to make my solar panel work.

My personal opinion
Now, at the time of writing, my solar panel has been working for more than one month and it saved me about 135 dollars in electricity this month. To be really honest, I did not save 80% this month, as the Home Made Power Plant's website says, but something more like 55%.

I think that the product is worth its cost, because with the little investment of less than 50 dollars, I was able to save more than 130 $ just the first month. 130 dollars a month aren't big bucks, but you must remember that you will save more or less these figures not just the first month after the installation, but for all the following years to come.

Dave M. Richardson recently published a website about solar panels for homes at http://www.squidoo.com/top-solar-panels-for-homes - where he personally gives tips and tricks for building the best homemade solar panel with less than $200 dollars. If you have any questions, feel free to contact him.