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In This Issue
Green My Parents
Drain Cleaner Gone Greener
My Garden
Visit My Blog 
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Earth Day is right around the corner. What better time to get your own copy of the popular Big Green Purse book? For a limited time only, It's on sale for just $7.00 at Amazon.com
 
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If she can do it...
 
 
This small business owner shifted almost $1300 of her budget to greener products and became One in a Million. Here's how.
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Green My Parents
Can kids save the world? The kids who founded GreenMyParents sure think so!

This youth-led movement is officially launching on Earth Day with a plan to inspire peers, parents and millions of American families to go green.

In the process, they aim to save $100 million by this time next year. How? They're starting with 100 "youth champions." Each of them plans to recruit 100 more kids, then train them to promote easy, everyday steps that protect the environment and save money, too. It's hoped each of those kids will recruit another 100, and another 100, until tens of thousands or even millions are involved.

The program kicks off April 22at 1 p.m. EST with a youth-led webinar via The National Wildlife Federation's SchoolTube.com, plus the downloadable publication of the Green Your Parents book.

Click here to learn more about the amazing kids behind this initiative.

Drain Cleaner Gone Greener
drain snake
Drain cleaners contain corrosive chemicals like lye that can irritate your lungs or burn your eyes if you're too close to them when you dump them down the drain. 

A safer, healthier option is one that will save you a lot of money on commercial drain cleaners or plumbers' bills. All you need is a drain snake, available online or from the hardware store, and a couple items from your kitchen cupboard.

First, push the snake down and plunge it until you feel the clog loosen. 
 
Pour 1 kettle full of boiling water down the drain.
 
Follow with 1/2 cup baking soda.
 
Pour in 1 cup white vinegar. Immediately cover the drain and wait 5 minutes while the baking soda and vinegar fizz.
 
Once the bubbles die down, pour a second kettle of boiling water down the drain.
    
Another pass with the drain snake should clear any remaining debris.  
 
 NOTE: I use a simple wire snake like the one pictured above. For a tougher clog or one that is lodged deep in your pipes, you can attach this snake to a power drill for farther reach. 
 
One More Thing:
 A variety of "eco-friendly" drain cleaners claim to work by using harmless enzymes to dissolve drains. I personally have not had any luck with any of the enzymatic drain cleaners I've tried. If you've tried one and it has worked, could you let me know? 
Welcome to My Garden

This time of year, you'll find me in my yard - weeding, digging in my compost, transplanting, and cleaning out the fountains so the birds can take a bath and the bees have some place to get a drink. I've planted a lot of natives and put in a drip irrigation system, too. I'm proud of the fact that my yard has been certified a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.  

I made this video to give you a behind-the-scenes look at pther ways I garden green at my home in suburban Washington, DC.  Take a look, and please  send your best gardening tips my way!
Thanks to everyone who completed our survey two weeks ago. According to the results, you'd like to see more "green cleaning" features, along with the latest information about natural and organic products. You also love stories about how people are shifting to an eco-friendly lifestyle. We can do the research on the features, but we need your help to tell the stories! Please share what you're doing to make a difference for your family and the planet. If you want to keep track of the changes you're making, you can join our One in a Million challenge and complete this free tally sheet. It couldn't be easier.
 

Thanks, and Happy Earth Day!
 

Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

email: diane@biggreenpurse.com
web: http://www.biggreenpurse.com
 
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