Green Gal

Stores that sell college dorm "necessities" give out those lists every fall with tons of awesome gadgets, furniture, and other "essentials that every college student needs"! Of course, you want to be comfortable and have all the stuff you need for college so you can focus on getting good grades and having fun. But as a third year college student who thinks she might have finally gotten the system down, I'm here to tell you that while those lists can be great reminders for the things you really do need, you do not need to get those items new and you certainly don't need to buy all of the latest "dorm" accessories--if truth be told, you don't have room for all of those things in your dorm. One of my boxes Green Gal brought to her first dorm room at UC Santa Cruz. If you want to save money, reduce your environmental impact, and still have the stuff you need to be comfortable and happy as you study and enjoy college, you first have to take th...

I've had a year full of learning, experience, memories, stress, growth, and excitement. I can only hope that next year is just as enlightening and full of adventure. I got this idea from Yes and Yes . Here is a brief list of the things I've accomplished this year: - Helped run four clubs at my school--Photography, Environmental, Drama, Human Rights. - Hiked to the top of Half Dome. - Became vegan. - Applied to college and was accepted to three --Prescott College, San Francisco State, Humboldt State (so far!). - Taught a native plant uses class for Halloween. - Hiked through a creek and wrote an article about a nature summer camp. - Experienced the Welcome Home for Sully Sullenberger . - Wrote my first published article for the California PTA on my school district's "green" efforts. - Became a member of a local cycling group and rode my bike a lot. - Directed a one act with my best friend and was a technician for the first time in my life. - Met some new people a...

With school starting, I've been so busy lately that I have again neglected my blog. For this post, I just have some quick links and factoids that you may find interesting: -- Check out the WILD Foundation's World Wilderness Congress: Also known as WILD9 ( http://wild9.org/ ), [the WILD Foundation's World Wilderness Congress] is the longest running environmental forum and occurs once every four years. This year's conference will be held the week of November 6th in Merida, Mexico, and will feature speakers Jane Goodall, Stephan Harding, and Pav Dukhdev...it will address the first ever international agreement on Wilderness between U.S., Canadian and Mexican agencies. Sounds informational, inspiring and very much along the lines of what I write about here on Green Gal. For more information, please visit their website at http://wild9.org/ . -- Need another reason to reduce, reuse & conserve? Look no further: Pacific Ocean garbage patch worries researchers -- I'm in ...

Hey everyone, sorry for the absence. My sister is home from the hospital and doing great so I finally have a chance to update my blog! I spent some time at my aunt's house in the country. She helped me figure out some tasty, simple vegan recipes that I can make for dinner at home. I tried out new things, like making tortilla chips and seasoning tofu ground beef with taco sauce for making tacos (a major staple for me--I eat tacos all the time because they're so easy!). I also had breakfast burritos with tofu sausages and hash browns and ate frosting-less strawberry Pop Tarts. At this point, I'm relying on substitutes for meat for a lot of meals because it's a lot easier than making vegetables with rice or other grains for every meal. And it makes it more normal for me to eat with a group--like up at the cabin with the entire family. Here are some great vegan foods that I've tried and enjoy: - Morning Star Farms® Hickory BBQ Riblets (great for when your non-vegan fri...

First off, a quick update: my hair is still not super oily. I can feel the oil when I touch the top of my head, but no one can tell. The make-it-yourself deodorant works, as long as you don't go on a bike ride at top speed and sweat it off (however, I may not have applied enough that day because I used a blush brush...still have not found a suitable applicator. I tried a powder puff and that put too much. Cotton balls come apart and they aren't reusable.) Veganism is still going strong...but you'll see in a few moments why I've been challenged by my options and why it hasn't been at the forefront of my mind every time I eat something (although it's not like I've eaten meat or cheese...just things that may contain small amounts of dairy). Since Saturday, my family and I have been in and out of the hospital with my sister. She had a kidney transplant on Monday and is doing great! We plan on being here for a few weeks, staying nearby at a Ronald McDonald Hou...

It's been almost a week since I first washed my hair with just water--no shampoo. And it's looking great! Before I went no shampoo , I used LUSH shampoo, and I never style it with fancy chemical product, so it's been pretty natural for awhile now. I usually only wash it two or three times a week, so the transition shouldn't be too difficult. So far I've washed it twice with just water and it's as thick and lovely as before. My hair doesn't get oily very easily, so fortunately, it's only a little bit oily near the top of my head, but not noticeably so. Now I'm saving materials (and money!) and reducing the amount of chemicals that go down the drain--all while becoming more natural and less reliant on chemicals and industry. I'm trying to convince my mom to try it, but she's used to shampoo and using styling products and making her hair look nice, so it would take a lot to convince her. I tested out Melinda's deodorant recipe of baking so...

The past few days, I've been thinking about what my goals are for greening my lifestyle. I scrolled through countless posts on The Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op blog , found awesome recipes for making my own soap and deodorant , and learned that you don't really need shampoo . And I've compiled a list of things that I'd like to try out in the coming month. Here is what I've come up with. Please feel free to figure out what works for you from my list and apply it to your life. It always feels rejuvenating to make goals and stick with them. Around the house: - Change my light bulbs to CFL/LED - Hang more laundry to dry outside since the weather has been so warm - Attempt making my own deodorant, soap, lip balm , and cleaning products - Go no 'poo--shampoo that is - Boycott paper towels and use old rags instead--and remind my mom and sister to do so, as well - Finally get a bucket to put under the faucet for the shower water while it heats up - Turn the TV off more ...