Introducing the easiest way to clean your driveway, patio, deck and more. It works with an ordinary garden hose to give you extraordinary water pressure. Just glide it across the surface to clear of dirt and debris. The Turbo Jet Water Broom makes cleaning large areas easy. It gives you the power to blast through tough dirt and build-up without any risk of damaging the surface you are using it on. Just hook it up to your garden hose and you are good to go. A convenient brass lever on the handle allows you to control the flow and turn the broom off when you are finished. It also features a foam grip handle for ease-of-use and comfort. When connected to a standard garden hose, it multiplies ordinary household water pressure to a powerful stream driving away dirt and debris with ease. Its amazing cleaning power comes from 7 high-pressure water jets that create a blast of water. The unit is made from sturdy, yet lightweight materials for years of hassle-free use. Thanks to mostly aluminum construction it is totally rust-proof and designed to last and last. Ideal for patios, garages, driveways, pool decks, etc. It is also great for removing thawing slush, salt or ice melting compounds in the winter. The Turbo Jet Water Broom won’t damage your pavement like a pressure washer. It is powerful enough to remove almost anything, but not so powerful it will cause damage or need to be operated by a professional. Almost anyone can use this great tool with amazing results. Measures 36″ wide. Make all your outdoor cleaning easier with this great pressure washer and water broom.

Spring has sprung in most areas of the country and the ritual of “Spring Cleaning” has begun. Planting flowers, planting plants and prepping our lawns for summer, airing out our houses from the winter, cleaning windows, replacing winter window covers with summer screens are all a part of the spring preparation process. Depending on where you live your ritual may vary but one thing we can all do this spring is go greener. It’s easier than you think.

WEED CONTROL

It happens every spring, weeds begin to grow, EVERYWHERE; in your grass, in your rocks and up through cracks in the sidewalk and driveway. The simplest way to get rid of these pesky plants is to spray them with an herbicide and you’re done. Unfortunately the chemicals in the weed killers are often washed away into our drainage systems and end up in our water supply. Here are three easy ways to go green and control your weed problem

When I was growing up in the 1940s spring cleaning was an annual event. Housewives prepared for spring cleaning with military precision. Because Monday was wash day, housewives usually started their spring cleaning on that day. But spring cleaning could last days or even weeks.

My mother took down all of the curtains in our house and washed them by hand or in the washing machine. I thought the washing machine was a metal beast, and actually, it could be dangerous. One day I heard my mother call me from the basement. Though her voice sounded calm, I sensed an urgency in it, and ran down the basement stairs.

My mother’s hand and upper arm were caught between two rubber rollers. This wringer mechanism squeezed excess misture from clothes and you had to “feed” the clothes into the wringer one by one. Fortunately, I was able to reverse the rollers quickly and my mother wasn’t injuired.

Although the issue of sustainable business has been around on a large scale for over a decade, it seems we really just started seeing results during the past few years.

This spike in “eco” could have been caused by the approval of new grants for environmental companies, tax write-offs by the government, or even the creation of prizes from hopeful billionaires like Richard Branson. Perhaps those reasons started the fire, but in order to spread, many more reasons need to be evaluated.

What are the are the main reasons that corporate America is going green?

Money.

(Gasp!) That’s right. The same reason that businesses get involved with new ventures in the first place is the first reason businesses are going green. Going green can save businesses money (on electricity and utilities) and help them make money (great publicity).

While most people are aware of the human benefits of drinking enough water each day, many likely overlook the intake needs of their pets. Water is an essential element for both humans and pets alike, yet getting enough H2O can be challenging especially for our furry friends that prefer free-falling water to stagnant water in a traditional feeding bowl. As a caring pet owner, there is a solution to better ensure the proper hydration of your pet-it’s Drinkwell The Original Pet Fountain.

Drinkwell The Original Pet Fountain satisfies a pets’ preference for running water and need for proper hydration, while also serving as a convenience product for owners. The easily maintained product holds more than one gallon of water (with the use of an optional reservoir), and best of all keeps pets off of counters and out of sinks and
toilets.

Making sure your dog stays hydrated when you’re on-the-go just got much easier with Veterinary Ventures Inc.’s (VVI) launch of the Drinkwell® Hydro-Go!™ Pet Canteen.

The Hydro-Go!™, the newest in a line of products from the maker of Drinkwell® The Original Pet Fountain®, features a convenient fold out bowl which allows for easy drinking when you’re away from home. And, its unique design allows for quick clean up. The bowl and canteen work together to form a funnel, easily allowing the unused water to be poured back into the canteen. This is truly a must-have product for road trips or outdoor adventures with Fido! The bowl also easily detaches, allowing the canteen to be used as a second bowl, giving you a food and water bowl. The Hydro-Go!™ has a wide, adjustable shoulder strap for comfort. It holds 36 ounces of water and is dishwasher safe. Traveling with your pet has never been easier!

Hanging pictures or anything else on the wall can be a huge pain, especially if you want to hang it in a certain spot. Most people will pull out the stud finder, laser level, hammer, nails, tool belt, ladder and special assistant and still have problems when all is said and done. Even with a high-tech laser it is still quite hard to hang several pictures in a straight line or to place a single picture in an exact location. Most often you pound in a nail and hang the picture only to find out that it is a centimeter too low, or just a hair to the left of where it should be. This leads to removing the picture from the wall and starting over. Often times you will have to try several times before you get the correct position or give up, whichever comes first.

Are you concerned about the environment? Are you looking for way to be a little more environmentally friendly? Believe it or not the kitchen can be a great place to start with an eco-friendly household movement. For a greener home starting with your kitchen, try these great tips.

• Growing and Herb Garden: Growing an indoor herb garden is a great way to start an environmentally friendly kitchen. Not only does growing your own herbs help to ensure you stay organic, but it also enhance every meal. Choose a few of your favorite spices (Basil, Thyme, Oregano, and Garlic are popular ones), get a couple clay pots, and start your garden. You’ll want to set up your plants on a windowsill where they will get plenty of sunlight. Check out your online gourmet retailers like igourmet for herb garden sets that will supply you with everything you need to start your garden.

What is the best snowbrush to use under any conditions?

A Rubber Broom.

That’s Right. The best broom for indoors also makes the best snow brush. Some of the same qualities that makes it great for sweeping, also makes it great for snow removal. The all natural rubber bristles are incredibly durable, yet they won’t harm your car’s paint. It will never scratch the surface, and because the bristles are rubber, they won’t freeze together either. The rubber broom will always be ready to go when you need it. The pliable rubber will conform to your car’s surface and will easily remove snow in less time than traditional brushes. Flip it over to use the squeegee side on your windows. This will remove every spec of snow in just a single pass. The rubber head on our broom will outperform regular snow brushes everytime.

You don’t have to be a complete tree hugger to want to go green. But now that it’s becoming increasingly clear that global warming is a very real problem, why wouldn’t you want to reduce your impact on the environment?

If the threat of global warming doesn’t spur you into action, perhaps this fact will: Most of the actions you can take to green your home are easy. And while they save energy and other valuable resources, they also save you a little or even a lot of green (read: money). I’m not expecting you to go off the grid, start raising all your own food, or anything that extreme. These are just easy changes that can be made around your house now to make a big difference.

So, without further ado, I present to you The Home Know-It-All’s Top 15 Ways to Go Green Around Your Home (in order from easiest to accomplish to hardest-although I’d say they’re all pretty darn easy).

Microfiber towels are a handy tool for cleaning just about anything these days. From cars to countertops, these towels cover a wide range of surfaces. An added benefit, is of course the fact that they can be re-used multiple times. This means you can ditch the old rag bin you keep under the kitchen counter.

Now after you’ve used your microfiber towel, you’ll probably notice all the gunk that gets embedded in those tiny fibers. So how does one go about cleaning all this dirt off the towel?

There are definitely best-practices to help make sure you keep your microfiber towels clean without damaging them for their next use. Compiled below is a list of tips for proper maintenance.

• Pre-soak in a bucket of warm water and dish detergent to help loosen the dirt particles
• Launder in your washing machine with detergent separate from any other type of fabric.

The first thing to pop into your mind is probably, “what does he mean by healthy cooking?” What I have in mind is that healthy cooking involves the preparing of foods that not only recharge and rejuvenate the family, but will also leave them better off than they were before. This can only be accomplished thru the use of organic ingredients.

When I talk about organics, some people think that I’m just talking just about produce. That’s not true; there are now organic versions of many animal products available also.

I advocate switching to organic ingredients for your cooking because most produce is sprayed with pesticides and grown with chemical fertilizers, Animal foods can contain growth hormones and antibiotics.

The hormones can cause premature maturing of children. Also, it’s a fact that bacteria are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics. Scientists say that one of the reasons that bacteriia have become so resistant to antibiotics is because of all the antibiotics in our food.

Introducing Bongoties. This new product at simplygoodstuff.com is quickly becoming a customer favorite. These handy little devices will help anyone to be more organized and manage their clutter. They are great for cords and wires, but can be used for an endless number of applications all over your home, office and vehicle. Once you start using them, you will wonder how you ever got along without them. An extremely simple design ensures that Bongoties are both easy-to-use and long lasting. Use them over and over again without replacing.

These “ties” are the perfect size to use for all kinds of tasks. They are more efficient than a bungie cord and can be reused so they outperform zip ties too. Organize the cords behind the TV, quickly “baby-proof” a cabinet, hold a pile of pens together in a bundle, organize your tools or tackle box, and much more with BongoTies. If you are tired of tangled cables and other unruly items then you will love BongoTies. The minute you SNAP one on, you realize that you’ve discovered the very best way to organize Computer cables, extension cords, photo and A/V cables, tools, camping gear, sports equipment and more. These Bongo ties have 1001 uses for home, office or your shop.

A clean and organized closet provides many benefits: better space utilization, your items are organized and accessible, not to mention the biggest gains: an organized closet space adds to the harmony of your home, as well as your mental wellbeing. Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world, and because everything carries with it energy, the mess in our environment can affect how we feel subconsciously. We might suddenly feel very irritable without knowing why. Your closet and the surface spaces of your home are good places to start this cleaning process. This will result in a deeply therapeutic and fulfilling experience.

I did a deep closet cleaning a year ago, and let me tell you, such heavy ‘mental bags’ were lifted off my shoulders. I gave away 11 bags worth of clothing and shoes (see picture) and I felt like a new person: empowered, organized, light and a new beginning.

Many people choose to use cloth diapers because of environmental reasons or because they feel it’s more comfortable for the child. Some people use cloth to be more natural or to keep chemicals away from their baby’s skin. And still others make this choice of the cost factor. With our first child I chose cloth diapers because I wanted to avoid anything toxic touching her skin and I wanted to save the planet at the same time! I started off with cloth with our second child, then switched to Seventh Generation disposables after a short time. What can I say? I was a less ‘perfect’ mommy the second time around! (I’m just kidding - diapers will never, ever determine how wonderful of a mommy you are!)

Though of course the Olympics games are a celebration of sportsmanship, human achievement and international community, they also represent an opportunity to show off the organisational skills and vision of the host nation. London’s Olympic committee have recently revealed their plans to make London 2012 the first sustainable games, which they hope will set new standards for all future Olympics events.

2012 will therefore provide a platform for the organisers to demonstrate excellence in the way that the Games are planned and staged, and also the Olympic legacy that they will create, which has the power to inspire changes in behaviour across the world.

In light of the ever growing concerns of human impact on our fragile planet, London has put sustainability at the heart of its Olympic plans. Throughout the entire biding process, the London committee pushed its concept of a “One Planet Olympics” - an idea derived from the WWF/Bioregional mandate of “One Planet Living”.

As Christmas approaches once again, increasingly more and more of us are realizing the situation we and our planet face due to the effects of climate change. Whilst Christmas is a time for giving, eco-friendly, green gifts are becoming more popular for many people. Indeed, it is becoming clear that we simply cannot continue buying disposable items that use up precious resources if we are to sustain our well-being as humans and the planet as a whole.

Save money and the planet with eco-friendly Christmas decorations. Rather than plastic tinsel and baubles, how about decorating your home for Christmas with biodegradable ivy, holly and berries? Simply drape over mirrors and picture frames for a natural alternative and a traditional Christmas atmosphere.

Rather than spending money and using resources for gift tags, a great use for old Christmas cards is to cut them up and re-use them as this years gift tags.

If you’re interested in making a small step toward a more eco-friendly Christmas, try making a cranberry garland. It’s a natural decoration that can be used to embellish the tree or mantle, and once the holidays are over it can hang outside for the birds to enjoy. An eco-friendly garland is easy to make. You can accomplish the task alone on a cozy winter evening, or center a party around a cranberry theme. Engaging friends and family in the process of creating something festive builds warm holiday memories. Think about hosting a simple holiday party by sitting out bowls of cranberries and popcorn and letting everyone join in the fun. Guests could make small napkin or candle rings to take home as favors, or everyone could join in making garlands to give to a nearby retirement center.

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you are rushed with work, and can’t fit lunch in? You are not alone! Everyone has them all the time, and they manage them in their own ways whether it is running to the local cafe, stopping by the vending machine, or not eating at all, however, a lot of people seem to push daily meals aside and make crazy headway on their daily errands. It is very important to not skip meals, so here are five ways to eat healthy while on the go:

1. Go for the fruit—It’s loaded with nutrients.

It sounds like a big deal, I know. Not eating for 10 days! But it wasn’t. Believe me. On the contrary, it was a wonderful, rich, and spiritual experience. In addition, I am back at my ideal weight, I have more energy, my skin is glowing, my nails are healthier, and I feel strong mentally. Well, thinking about it that way, I guess it was a big deal.

Let me tell you more about it.

I went to R.O.Y.L. Retreat. R.O.Y.L. stands for “Rest of your Life“ and it was, without a doubt.

The whole time I was under the supervision of Dr. Tosca A. Haag, a medical doctor who was raised under Natural Hygiene Law by her well-known mother in the field of Natural Hygiene, Dr. Vivian Virginia Vetrano, and her step father, Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, one of the fathers of Natural Hygiene. Dr. Tosca, as she prefers to be called, obviously knows very well about what she is talking. She was a Natural Hygienist before she was born. She has never taken medications or been vaccinated.

Five Organic Finds

The organic-food category is growing fast, and now the same concept has taken hold in the beauty industry; we love these organic* products for skin, hair and body.

The Healing Garden Organics Wild Honey body-care line ($6-$9 each; at drugstores) includes a scrub, body wash, soap and moisturizing mist–all formulated with organic wild honey to help skin retain moisture.

Avalon Organics recently overhauled its product line to eliminate the preservative parabens (the use of which has been banned in the European Union because of suspected carcinogenic effects). An herbal blend of 10 organic essential oils works as a natural preservative, keeping products–such as the Clarifying Lemon Shampoo ($8; avalonorganics.com)–fresh for up to two years.

Aveda Pure Abundance Volumizing Hair Spray ($15.50; aveda.com) adds body and hold to thinner, finer hair with a blend of organic acacia gum (a natural thickening agent) and organic marshmallow root.

Natural, organic products launch into baby care space

When it comes to baby care, it is no secret that moms are drawn to products that they feel are safe and gentle enough for their little ones. This has given way to new niche brands that largely compete in the natural, organic and hypoallergenic product space, but also has prompted larger players to launch products mom can feel good about.

“The population of children in the United States, parental concern for healthy hygiene practices, fear of excessive sun exposure and the quest for convenience and fun when brushing teeth, bathing and shampooing are the primary drivers of the market,” stated a recent Mintel International Group report on the U.S. children’s personal care market.

One such example is Kimberly-Clark, which earlier this year introduced several new and improved baby and toddler hygiene products under its Huggies brand.

Green living is no longer a vague term known only by environmentalists. One of the ways we know that an important social trend has hit the big time is when major consumer providers adopt the term. Just about every major influencer in our society from Walmart to national broadcasting networks, are using the term to promote products and attract audiences. Green living is a welcome lifestyle that individuals, families and companies are choosing to ensure that the things they do and the products they use have as little an impact on the environment as possible. One of the best ways that you can build this thinking into your lifestyle is to live in a community that subscribes to green living.

Are you concerned about all of the toy recalls due to lead paint contamination. If you are like most people than your answer was yes. That is why it is always best to buy toys made right here in the US. You can’t really trust the supply from China, but toys made here are manufactured under strict guidelines, using the very best supplies. At simplygoodstuff.com, we only sell high quality toys that are both educational and safe.

Our Dado Cubes are a revolutionary building toy that has won several awards. It is a colorful (plastic, not painted) and clever twist on traditional building blocks. Notches in the sides of the cubes allow children to build all sorts of unique structures. They nest and interlock instead of stacking traditionally. The cubes are all different sizes and colors, so the resulting build is more like a sculpture than a pile of blocks. Your kids will play for endless hours as they learn and laugh and problem solve. Dado Cubes are made right here in America so you know they are safe. The quality and craftsmanship can’t be beat. This toy is so engaging you will find yourself playing with it just as much as your kids.

PlaSmart is proud to announce that PlasmaCar is among the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) “Best-For-Kids” Toy List for 2007

Ottawa, ON (PRWEB) October 31, 2007 — The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) “Best-For-Kids” is an annual list compiled based on input and recommendations from independent toy store owners across the U.S. Having met the members; high quality, safety and lasting play value standards and guidelines, PlasmaCar was selected as a top toy within the Active Play category.

PlasmaCar is the pure energy, pure fun ride-on toy. A multi-award winner, PlasmaCar requires no batteries, gears or pedals - it runs on the most inexhaustible energy on earth: kid-power. Turn the steering wheel and away you go. PlasmaCar harnesses inertia, centrifugal force and friction to propel kids of all ages to fun. Just rotate the steering wheel from side to side to go forward and flip the wheel 180 degrees to steer backwards. The smoother the driving surface, the faster you go: up to an exhilarating but kid-safe 6MPH. To stop, cease rotating the steering wheel and put your feet onto the ground. Great exercise indoors and out.