shifting signifiers.

In my memory, the signifier came into itself when I was a teen and sitting in the passenger's seat of a boys car.
It is late, or curfew, and the night is ending--almost. If he let the car idle I knew that meant a quick "Bye!" and it's my signal to jump out and head to my front door. But, if he kills the engine, that's a clear sign to stay clear of the door handle because, well, we could be there awhile.
Though I haven't been in the passenger's seat of teen dating in a very long time, the signifier of an engine turning off is no less relevant today. Dropping a friend off after girl's night and killing the engine just to finish the thirty seconds of conversation that remain might make her feel a little strange and curious, as though I'm trying to extend the night beyond conversations end.
Here is where I want a change.
As I hope you already know, ten seconds of idling consumes more gasoline than turning off and starting your engine does. With this fact, killing the engine to avoid idling over ten seconds becomes beneficial in two ways. One, you are conserving gasoline and two, curbing unnecessary emissions.
How many moments of unnecessary idling do I go through in a week? This thought sprang on me recently and I have seen the answer clearly, since. Many.
Dropping off/picking up my dry cleaning, drive through coffee, stopping to drop something off at a friend's house, the occasions are often. Sitting at stop lights is the most obvious offender, as pedestrian crossing meters count the seconds down in my peripheral.
The potential down side of getting a new starter in my car slightly sooner than later is nothing as I look over the blanket of pollution covering my beautiful city and filling my child's lungs. Let's quit calling it 'haze' and 'smog' and call it what it is: toxic pollution, and the number one contributor in the Salt Lake Valley is OUR CARS.
So, the next time your dropping a friend off after a night out, consider turning the key while you wrap up the conversation. At worst, you might accidentally get some action.
Check out Idle Free Utah for more info.

cheap, green cleaning

Sometimes all we need is that little link to ease us into something we've meant to do, but haven't made the time for. My cleaning cupboard is one of those areas. After some internet and book searching, here are few suggestions for creating your own cleaning agents that really work.
Check out Clean and Green for many more ideas for everything from oven cleaning to toilet scrub and non-abrasive soft scrubbers.

Air Fresheners:

• Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to the inside of the cardboard toilet tissue roll. With each turn, fragrance is released into the room.

• Combine 2 tbsp. baking soda with 2 cups hot water, and stir until dissolved. Add fresh lemon juice or any essential oils. Store in a spray bottle and mist into the air to freshen it.

• Charcoal placed in a bowl rids rooms--or refrigerators--of odors. Also, 2-3 slices of white bread absorbs refrigerator odors. Remove either and throw away after a few days.
• Drop some essential oil on a clean cloth and swab wooden surfaces: kitchen tables, coffee tables, doors, cabinets, etc. (thank you fresh-smelling-home-owner, Riley)
  

All-Purpose Cleaners

• Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

• Baking Soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner.

• Baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda cleans and deodorizes all kitchen and bathroom surfaces. That same grit in your baking soda tooth paste works wonders for kitchen and bathroom sinks.

• For a general, all-purpose cleaner, try a paste made from baking soda and water or mix salt and water with a little vinegar.

Disinfectants

• 2 tablespoons borax, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 cups hot water. Combine the borax and lemon juice with the water in a spray bottle. Use as you would any commercial all-purpose cleaner.

• Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water or undiluted vinegar and clean with this solution.
  

Glass Cleaners:

• No-Streak Glass Cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 quart warm water
  Mix the ingredients and apply with a sponge or pour into spray bottle and spray on. Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper, buff to a shine. (Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results.

• Use undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle or
• Equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle or
• 1/2 lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle or
• 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice, 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil based soap (such as Murphy's Oil Soap)

Some great tips from Clean and Green site:

• To save time and money, make your cleaners in advance and buy the ingredients in bulk for cost savings and to avoid excess packaging..

Make large batches of the recipes and store them in reusable airtight plastic containers and spray bottles. Using a pretty spray bottle or container makes cleaning days more fun and pleasant.

Label all of your ingredients and keep them out of reach of children. While most of these all natural cleaners are not poisonous, some can be harmful or even fatal if swallowed by children or pets. See specific safety precautions at the bottom of this page.

Add your favorite essential oils or herbs to any of these formulas for fragrance

f.y.i.

November Group Meeting

What: Utah Moms for Clean Air Monthly Group Meeting
When: Friday, November 14th, 11 a.m.
Where: Sprague Library (2131 S 1100 E, Salt Lake City)

Utah Moms for Clean Air needs more (wo)manpower. We are looking for volunteers to help us with the upcoming legislative session as well as other ongoing projects. Our monthly group meetings are a social and low-key way to find out how to help. Kids are always welcome at these meetings.

getting clothes lined

In response to: "I really want to start drying my clothes on a line... I don't have a clothesline already in my backyard and need some tips on the best way to do this. Can you help?" (from this post)I'll say that all I did was go Ace Hardware and buy this Sunline retractable clothes line, which comes with everything you need but two screws and is 40 feet long. Here is a good online hardware store with lots of options so you can at least see what kind of clothes line might work for your yard. Yeah for crunchy, good smelling, zero-emission clothes drying!

baby steps

maybe every now and then I can submit a change, just a little prod of gentle encouragement.
Let's talk soap. You probably use it. Bodies, dishes, hands, clothes, it's all over us.
If you look on the label of most any commercially available soap today, you'll see "Sodium Tallowate" listed as an ingredient. Sodium Tallowate is the byproduct of mixing lye with tallow or beef fat. (Technically, tallow is fat (beef or other) that has been rendered.)Yup...the #1 ingredient used in most soaps is beef fat.
Yikes! It's true. I just checked my stock of body bars. Now I'm smelling beef on me...
So here's my submission for you to consider. Try a soap made without animal by-products and while you're at it, made without animal testing. While your on a roll, go for organic and fair trade, too.
Here are my top pics (though there are literally thousands of good options out there):
Dr. Bronners Magic All In One Soap This stuff is the best. Offers organic and fair trade. The label is pretty heavy-handed with scripture, but magical it is. It comes in a liquid concentrate, so a big bottle lasts forever and costs about $8. I use it, diluted, in our hand soap bottle, to wash my baby, to wash delicate clothes, I have washed my car with it, the floor, everything. I give the unscented kind as baby shower gifts. Peppermint is yummy. It's even at Smith's grocery store (in the health foods section).
Kiss My Face for body/face. They use olive oil for their fat, have some good scents, and comes in a nice, big bar soap.
Ecover or Seventh Generation for all household needs: floor soap/cleaner, dishwasher, liquid dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. These brands are big enough that most all grocers carry them and they are good, eco-responsible companies and products.
p.s. Here is a great post on the 7-Gen blog

OR visit your local farmer's market and buy soap from a local soap maker. You can ask them what fat they use in their soap!