The Chuckie Goodnight Foundation for the Environment

I was recently introduced to The Chuckie Goodnight Foundation and wow these folks are really cool! Founded in by Cherie Ingraham in 2001, and currently located in Brewster, New York, this non-profit is committed to bettering planet Earth through education and they start with the youngest members residing on our ball of dirt -- the kids.

Through efforts of the organization, the attainment and subsequent restoration of green space is achieved in order to preserve the lands available to us on our planet. The primary focus of these land acquisitions is to create botanical sanctuaries and areas of discovery for all people but the primary focus is on engaging children in how to protect the environment. The organization accomplishes this goal easily through their spokesman Chuckie Goodnight.

Chuckie is a dog who, along with a cute group of friends that includes all manner of “creatures” from trees to flowers to teddy bears, encourages everyone to be an Earth Steward. His motto is: “It’s your Earth and my Earth too, let’s make everyday Earth Day! Please be kind to Earth!”

Chuckie places a heavy focus on Earth Day and how we are able to make everyday Earth Day by adhering to small steps such as conserving water, recycling, turning off lights, using rechargeable batteries and generally acting with respect toward all things. Not only is this wonderful environmental information it is just good social teaching to instill in the youth of the world!

Tomorrow I will be featuring a company called ‘My Earth Too!’, co-founded by Ingraham, which designs clothing created from organic cotton. The company donates a portion of their proceeds to Chuckie Goodnight. Their clothes are super soft and light weight and I can not wait to share all about this fantastic company as well!

In the meantime, I hope everyone will have a chance to visit the Chuckie Goodnight Foundation website. Especially readers with children because there are all kinds of fun activities from coloring pages to at home eco projects to do together.

Go Green, go Earth!

Eco Fashion Friday Halloween Costume Final Reveal

The final installment in the October Eco Fashion Friday Halloween Series is finally here! We have reviewed tips and tricks on how to have a more Earth conscious holiday from goodies to eat and give away, to ways we can create our own trick or treat bags from reusable canvas bags.

I promised one last tutorial on how I created one of my accessory items before I show the final look so here it is -- Legwarmers from an old sweater:

I bought an XL sweater at the Salvation Army Store, brought it home and laid it out flat on the floor.


With shears I cut off the sleeves along the main seam.

From the armpit angle I then cut straight across to create a tube from the lower portion of the sleeve.

I put them on with the widest part around my ankle so they would fit over my boots and the finished edge of the cuff was at my calf so they wouldn’t slip down. The main part of the sweater will be lined and then used to create a soft throw pillow (I’ll share that project later).

Any idea what I am going as?

Well I’m sure you have all figured it out by now but my outfit was inspired by Madonna’s Lucky Star video!

Here’s Madonna:

And here’s me:

I had such a blast creating this costume and going for that big hair, lace gloves and lots of layers look that Madonna made famous. Tomorrow night we will be attending a party and I can not wait to show off my costume. I opted for sleeves and not a mesh shirt because Boston can really be cold on Halloween night and I wanted to be comfortable all night long.

The only items that were purchased brand new were the jewelry pieces and the wig. Every single piece (except likely the wig) will be worn again (frequently) because separately they are all just great clothing items that fit well and are functional. But every once in a while I think it will be a little fun and toss on my 80’s revival outfit. Minus the big hair of course!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Earthworm Cleaning Products Series Drain and Septic Treatments

In our continuing series on Earthworm cleaning products which I received from Clean Earth Brands to review and Leaf Rate, today I will be talking about two products -- the flagship product Drain Cleaner and a non-liquid based Septic Treatment.

All the drains in our bathroom tend to be slow so I decided to test out the Drain Cleaner in the tub, sink and toilet. Following the packaging directions I shook and poured a few ounces down each drain. The toilet received about half a bottle and a flush, as instructed.

The directions indicate that slow drains should be treated with 6-8 ounces 3-5 nights in a row. I used it for three nights in the tub and sink and overall I have actually noticed a difference! Especially when taking a shower because we utilize a drain trap that catches hair but it tends to slow the flow of water.

I will not say it has been fixed 100% but it certainly is faster so I believe I will continue to use it the next two nights and see if that finishes off any clogs that might be trapped. As with the other products I have already reviewed the ingredients contain preservatives but this one also contains fragrance. Again, I would like to be clear as to the birth place of this fragrance -- is it natural?

Overall I am pleased with the performance and encouraged that this is another product comprised of 80% water as well as natural enzymes and surfactants as this makes me so much more confident about using it in any capacity let alone pouring it directly down the drain and I am granting the Drain Cleaner a Three and a Half Leaf Rating! ♥love♥

As far as the Septic Treatment goes I unfortunately will not be able to grant a Leaf Rating as we do not have this type of system so I can not test it out. Matt has given the two boxes I received to a friend at work and asked him to make some mental notes as to the viability of the product so I should be able to report back on this one with some feedback soon.

In the meantime, I can share some of the information directly from the box. They claim the product is 100% biodegradable and made using sustainable ingredients; it is petroleum, phosphate acid and chlorine free. Additionally it will not release odors, vapors or heat while it cleans and it is even good for greywater treatment systems. They recommend using a whole box once per month.

In completing some additional research I discovered that most septic systems are not recommended to have any additives as the system itself should already have sufficient enzymes to enable breakdown of solids. I am not sure as to the validity of either claim considering I do not have this system so I suggest doing your own research prior to purchasing, like all products.

We will return with the rest of the Earthworm series beginning on Sunday November 8, 2009!

Earthworm Cleaning Products Series All Purpose Cleaner

In this continuing series on Earthworm (by Clean Earth Brands) cleaning products which the company sent to me to review and leaf Rate, we turn today to the All Purpose Cleaner. I used this product on something that would truly test its capability -- our thirty year old, off-white, heavily dinged kitchen table.

According to the directions I shook it well, sprayed it on and let it sit for 3+ minutes while I took the photo of the product and got my rag ready. We use old tee shirts as rags so I pulled one apart and got a clean section dampened.

The smell was pleasant on this item as well, no chemical but I couldn’t put my finger on its somewhat nutty aroma. Reading the ingredients and seeing natural surfactant I imagined it is likely coconut oil base.

Here’s a before and after photo of the table side by side:

I used flash for both photos but even without the pictures I could see the difference right away. It isn’t as if we had never washed this piece, the table gets wiped down with a warm soapy sponge after every meal, but clearly we had been trapping dirt and grime in all the little divots regardless! With a tiny bit of extra elbow grease I was able to take almost all of the dirt out of every crevice including the smallest of holes. I was floored!

But just a word of caution -- My rag had a slight white film left on it which I imagine was the paint from the table so I would not recommend this product for painted surfaces (we are stripping and refinishing this piece this winter so I was not overly alarmed).

Just as I mentioned yesterday with the Mold and Mildew Treatment -- ‘The proteins in this product actually convert the organic yuckies into nutrients and water and they are safe to use around pets and humans’. Again, the final ingredient is preservatives and because I am very curious as to what that preservative is, I have now reached out to the company for clarification.

I am granting a Four and a Half Leaf Rating to the All Purpose Cleaner!

Earthworm this one has me so psyched and I fully intend to use it over and over on all my hard surfaces like countertops or even my office desktop! ♥love♥

Up tomorrow I share thoughts on Earthworm Family Safe Drain Cleaner and Septic Treatment.

Earthworm Cleaning Products Inch Up the Eco List

For quite some time now I have been very concerned with the products we use in our household to clean as I do not want to wash loads of chemicals down the drain. We have experimented with an array of products containing natural surfactants such as coconut oil and I have found that these cleaners do just as good, or better, of a job than their chemical based counterparts. So when Earthworm (by Clean Earth Brands) sent me two boxes full of natural enzyme based cleaners to try I was truly looking forward to putting them to the test.

Today’s review will focus on the Mold & Mildew Treatment. Tomorrow and Thursday two more products will be tested and reviewed and then beginning on Sunday November 8th I will run a six day series to individually use and rate the rest of this company’s fine products.

We are not ghastly people when it comes to grime but like most people, the bathroom is one of those rooms we despise cleaning but simultaneously get the most satisfaction from when it is sparkling. I noticed a bit of mildew in a corner of the tub so I put the Mold and Mildew Treatment to the test first. The instructions say to shake, spray and let sit 5+ minutes to allow the enzymes to work before scrubbing.

The smell was pleasant, clean without being chemical. Almost Earthy but not in a crunchy-crunchy sort of way, more fruity. I allowed it to sit while I wrote up the start of this as well as did a little company research online.

When I used to clean with caustic chemical based products there would be no trace of anything organic, even the deepest recess of the caulking around our tub, but I also knew that was going right down the drain. I went back in to scrub the Mold and Mildew Treatment and found it had foamed up into an almost chunky liquid. I scrubbed and all of the reddish mold came off with very little effort. The blacker areas were mostly stains built up over years of this being a rental apartment and did not budge much.

Here’s an after photo of the same corner I took the product photo in:

There definitely is quite a difference!

The proteins in this product actually convert the organic yuckies into nutrients and water and they are safe to use around pets and humans. Clean Earth Brands proudly displays their National Green Energy Council seal on their website as well. Reading the list of ingredients however the final is trace preservatives. I would like to know what percentage the trace is as well as what it is to deem its environmental impact as well.

Overall I was happy to use this 80% water based product as I know it is a far safer alternative so I am granting a Four Leaf Rating to the Mold and Mildew Treatment!

Nice way to hit the ground running right out of the box Earthworm! ♥love♥

Up tomorrow I tackle the Earthworm All Purpose Cleaner by using it in the kitchen.