Immerse Yourself In Nature

What are your favorite ways to reconnect in nature?

My three favorite practices keep me and Mother Nature healthy:

1.  Find Sanctuaries--a place or activity that allows you to step away from the day-to-day demands and recalibrate your internal and spiritual responses. 

2.  Free Yourself From Commitments—people and obligations you “should” do. Make sure all the things in your life are small, few, and simple enough to take care of yourself—your home, car, clothes, diet, finances.

 

3.  Do Something Other than be Entertained and Amused. 85% of North American households didn't buy a nonfiction book in 2007--and 90 percent of those who did didn't read it. But our TVs run an average of six hours a day.

Search Amazon.com Books for books on sale

A Good Home is a Healthy Home

Healthy home decorating can be a challenge. With most big box stores carrying the same inexpensive products from the same suppliers—what's a health conscious shopper to do?  How do you find fabrics and window treatments that don’t outgas harmful chemicals? And let’s say you do find some home-spun cotton—how do you know it’s from suppliers that treat workers and the earth with respect?

Black out fabrics may keep out the sun--making it easier to sleep late and lower your air conditioning costs.  But fabrics are frequently treated with flame retardants, sizing, and stain guards. These toxic additives are—at best—irritants to your respiratory system and at worst—disruptive your endocrine system or even carcinogenic. The chemicals get absorbed through the skin or released into the air when activated by heat from the sun shining in your windows. Who wants to breathe that? No wonder the EPA reports 90% of indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air.

One way to make healthy home decorating easier is to use The Ethical Shopping Guide which accredits and publishes a list of companies with responsible sourcing processes. The Natural Curtain Company, for example, uses 100% natural fabrics wherever possible--often inherently more attractive and ethically superior to synthetic alternatives.

“Ethical” means careful examination of how the company conducts business. Accreditation by the publisher, the Ethical Company Organisation requires responsible practices in four areas.

• Environment: environmental reporting; pollution; nuclear power; other environmental issues.
• Animals: animal testing; factory farming; other animal rights.
• People: oppressive regimes; worker’s rights; irresponsible marketing; armaments.
• Extras: genetic engineering; boycott call; political activity; alerts.

Check out over 100 fabrics and get free fabric samples at The Natural Curtain Company -- not only a resource for blinds, curtains, and window treatments -- their blog has tips on creating a green home and how to make your own curtains along with ideas for saving energy and improving air quality. Video instructions, "Made To Measure Made Simple" shows how to measure windows.

It’s no longer just people with allergies and chemical sensitivities that are concerned about using natural fibers and furnishings. A good home is a healthy home—for all of us.

Dana's Good News: Top Five Vacation Rental Deals and More

1. Wow, pull CO2 from the air and use it to make BPA-free plastics?  BPA has been linked to serious health problems, but now researchers have found a way to make plastic without out and reduce greenhouse gasses, as reported in this article.
2. Green your flight by going to the bathroom before flying?  Apparently, Nippon estimated it would save 4.2 tons of carbon dioxide a month on their planes.
3. Wondering what to do while the economy gets worse before it gets better?  How about growing your own food in a window? 

4.  Spending more time outside and breathing more air pollution is a bad summertime combo.  Check the Air Quality Index before heading out on hot days with just a click or two on the AirNow site.

5.  Last but not least, save up to $300 a week with a September rate special at the Riverview, St Augustine, Florida vacation rental.  Just $599 when you use the code Slurpee when booking.  Travel is up 25% to the east coast of Florida due to oil on the west coast--the best way to avoid disappointment is to make travel plans early before everything is booked.

Low budget vacation rentals for New England, Canada, and Florida

Little Tibet: Inner Journeys...Outdoors

My relentless hunt for earth and health friendly vacation rentals led me to Ladakh, India--long on the map for backpackers who stay in and around Leh--but yet to hit the radar of the adventurous, comfort-seeking travelers. The high altitude desert is dominated by rugged snow capped mountains, deep turquoise lakes, and traversed by strands of green, fast-flowing rivers making this my kind of destination. 

Often referred to as 'little Tibet,' Ladakh is geographically, anthropologically and culturally part of Tibet. However, its remoteness and sheer inaccessibility have meant that it was to have a very different history to the rest of the high plateau. Once part of British India, it was subsequently absorbed into independent India in 1947. Ladakh's geography protected it from the ravages of the Chinese cultural revolution that sadly changed the rest of Tibet beyond recognition. Today it contains one of the most intact Tantric Buddhist societies left on earth.

Responsible tourism outfitter, Shakti Himalaya offers a 'village house' experience that avoids the over commercialization of Leh and takes you out, off the beaten track to three unspoilt villages in the Indus valley.  And instead of driving into the Nubra valley like everyone else, they offer a Shayok River journey along the old Silk Route into the remote Nubra valley--an area rarely visited by any foreign travelers.

The Shakti Himalaya website describes their earth friendly practices this way, "[We're] committed to sharing the rejuvenating effects of remote surroundings – to provide privileged access to places far removed from the noise and clutter of the modern world, where space, peace and epic landscapes provoke the imagination and nourish the soul."

Shakti claims the trips make no environmental impact on the villages or trails. Village holiday homes/vacation rentals have been minimally and authentically refurbished, using traditional materials and crafts, and food and supplies are sourced locally. There is no electricity and ablutions are by bucket shower. The guides and porters are from the local villages and so act as conduits for conversations between travellers and the local people along the trail, as well as interpreting customs, history and folklore. Visitors bring in much-needed income and contribute to the maintenance of the traditional farmhouses. Monies spent along the trail go directly to local businesses.

Inspired by Nature

Staying home this fourth of July? What better way to enjoy a staycation than to transform your garden into a fairytale space for magical al fresco dining? Hang a few tea lights, add pretty butterfly embroidery and intricately crafted table cloths and napkins and you'll feel transported.

 

ALSO Home features ethically sourced, hand crafted cutlery and coconut white ceramics inspired by simple lotus leaves. Their Spring/Summer 2010 exclusive collection  of candles, laterns, and ceramics includes a modern take to a traditional Vietnamese design on plates and bowls, with shoals of blue fish hand painted on to white ceramic, hand crafted ceramics, baskets, candles, lanterns and vases.

The Truth About Sunscreens

You know the drill: when the sun’s rays are fierce, duck and cover.

But sometimes, you’re going to be out there in it. EWG’s Sunscreen Guide to 1,400 sunscreens, lip balms and moisturizers tells you what you need to know to find safe and effective sunscreens. EWG’s exclusive scientific analysis helps you avoid red-flag ingredients like vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and oxybenzone. EWG gives you straight talk about SPF.

Tired of the hype? So are we. The FDA should wrap up sunscreen regulations it started drafting in 1978. Americans have waited long enough.  Basic sunscreen ingredients disrupt the endocrine system, promote cancer, and other health hazards. Read more...

Vacation rentals: How to make your summer vacation rental feel like home - chicagotribune.com

Vacation rentals: How to make your summer vacation rental feel like home - chicagotribune.com

On Location: A Tiny Victorian Cottage

Home & Garden, NY Times

Published: June 23, 2010
A cottage in the Catskills that she renovated herself fulfills a dream for a woman who was once homeless. See photos

You know how I love a retreat!  Small is the new big.

Photos by Trevor Tondro for the New York Times

KNAU:The Latest Info on the Fires in Northern Arizona

KNAU: Infared Cameras Used to Map the Schultz Fire (2010-06-22)

Where Are The Red Hot Rate Specials?

The healthy vacation rental homes in Florida are either empty from the oil spill on the west coast or booked from the overflow to the east coast. Discounts don't solve either challenge.

Rental restrictions on vacation homes and holiday rentals in Sedona, AZ means the only deals you're likely to find require a 30 day stay. If you can afford to take a month off, you probably don't need a rate special!

My current favorite site for good prices on vacation rentals is FlipKey.com With airline prices rising, I'd grab the lowest rate. In these times, it may be more important to look for a home that isn't in foreclosure than it is to get a rate special.

The Chemical Cocktail: Causing Obesity in the US?

According an increasing number of researchers, including UC Irvine biologist Bruce Blumberg who coined the term "obesogens," identifiable industrial pollutants are contributing to the obesity epidemic. How much so is still unknown, but preliminary research is disturbing. Read more: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/the_chemical_cocktail_making_americans_overweight/#ixzz0r3RNB3g7

Summer Red Hot Rate Specials: Vacation Rentals for Deepak and Gulf Coast Vacationers

Affordable Resort Condo for Deepak Chopra Sedona Meditation Event Aug 21-28, 2010. Hyatt Pinon Pointe only $1000. 2/2 sleeps six, 1,200 SF.  Full kitchen, all amenities of the resort, mini kitchen. Studio can be locked off for privacy. Call 928-203-9197

Don't let the oil spills ruin your vacation. Check out St. Augustine, Florida May 15-30 only $499 a week. Mention you saw the Red Hot Rate Special and save $200.  Call 410-562-2281.

Road Trip To Your Beach Vacation Rental? Skip BP at the Pumps

I was out driving/just a taking it slow
Looked at my tank/it was reading low
Pulled in an Exxon station out on Highway One
Held up without a gun

"Is BP the Goldman Sachs of Big Oil?" asks physicist, Joseph Romm. "Let's see: How about a spotty safety record, insistence on voluntary 'trust me' self-regulation, a drilling plan that ignored key risks, and failure to use best shut-off technology to save a few bucks?"  Read more at Climate Progress.

Arizona's Strategy for Attracting Tourism: Increase Hotel Taxes, Allow Concealed Weapons, and Racial Profiling

If increasing taxes on travelers and bad publicity from sweat lodge deaths or yogis fighting with rednecks isn't enough to hurt the hospitality industry in Arizona,  the safety of vacationing in the Yosemite Sam-like state is again called into question with the passage of Senate Bill 1070.

Unless the law is proven to be unconstitutional, police will have the right to stop you based on the color of your skin as you go into the Phoenix Convention Center or enter a Sedona spa.

Not even the Phoenix mayor, Phil Gordon can support the bill.  He writes today in the Washington Post, "Not In My State: Anti-Immigration Law Doesn't Reflect the Beliefs of People in My State."  And if that's not fantastic enough, consider these top stories before vacationing in Arizona.

1.  Sweat lodge deaths at Angel Valley Retreat Center, Sedona, AZ and subsequent arrest of new age guru, James Ray.

2.  The fight over a statue between Catholics and yogis at a retreat center Rolling Stone calls a cult.  Watch a video on the Verde Independent of "Mother Earth" being removed from her home in the Mago Peace Garden.

3. No permit needed in Arizona to carry a concealed weapon.  Maybe your tour guide will have a pistol on him in case an illegal Canadian shows up to carry your bags, clean your room, or park your car.

Show What You Know about Climate Change & Help Haitians

What do you know about climate change and what can you do about it?
To find out, test your knowledge about climate change by taking the Clinton Foundation's climate quiz today.

Plus, when you take THE Climate Quiz, $2 will be donated toward the purchase of solar flashlights for Haitians living in camps, providing them with energy-efficient light and helping to enhance security.


Take the climate quiz -- and take initiative for the people of Haiti.

If 100,000 people to take this quiz, 20,000 solar, energy-efficient flashlights will be sent to Haitians displaced from their homes by the devastating January earthquake.

Just by taking this quiz, you can take a small but important step towards fighting climate change and improving people's lives.

Will you take the quiz today?

March Vacation Rental Deals

As home prices hit bottom, it is a good time to find a vacation home at a reasonable price. This eco conscious retreat in Idaho is available for rent until August 2010 and is also for sale.
Contact owner CONNIE CHESNEL constancia at cox.net or  208-721-2774.

Latest State of the Birds Reveals Impacts of Climate Change on Birds

Photo by Fran Palmeri

Friday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released the 2010 State of the Birds Report, showing that climate change will have an increasing impact on birds and their habitat. Read more at Audubon...

Florida Pubic Enemy: Police Say Woman Crashes Car While Shaving Her Privates - ABC News

Distracted Driver: Police Say Woman Crashes Car While Shaving Her Privates - ABC News
I'm not making this up!

Florida Renewable Energy Experiment

The otters and wild pigs near my old stomping grounds of Delray Beach, FL have become an experiment for a local utility. Florida Power and Light is grafting gas with solar on 500 acres north of West Palm Beach, Fl. Read more at the NY Times.

How to Save Money on Your Sedona Vacation

Spring fling, honeymoon, and summer vacation season is upon us. If you're heading for Sedona, check out a few ways to keep those rapidly inflating dollars in your wallet.

- Save on Rental Cars. Flying into Phoenix? Rent a car offsite instead of at the airport and save up to $390 a week on airport fees. You can cut out the additional taxes and fees for renting at the airport. Look for an offsite rental car location offering airport shuttle pickup or take a cab.

Traveling solo? Take a shuttle to Sedona and hoof it for a few days. When you're ready to go see Jerome, "the mile high town," or hike West Fork, go rent a car at Enterprise. You can walk to it from the vacation rental, Casita Colibri. Or have Airport Rental Car bring a wreck to your door--no extra charge. Just don't tell them I called their inexpensive cars wrecks.

- Save on Food. Frugal Sedona locals save by stocking up on groceries in Phoenix. Prices go up along with the altitude in Sedona. Health food stores can be expensive and rely on tourists paying a premium for food in the mountains. Two options cost-saving ideas for groceries:

1. After you leave the airport, stop at Costco, Sam's Club, or Trader Joe’s to stock up on food for your trip.

2. Shop the Sedona Safeway--it carries the least expensive organic food in town. Not as inexpensive as Phoenix organic, but still less than the boutiques. But if locally owned stores are your thing, you will want to go to the health food stores. Arizona companies own them, not national corporate chains.

- Eat out for lunch instead of dinner. Some restaurants offer the dinner entrées at lunchtime for a third of the price. Smaller portions in some cases, but not all. Avoid Uptown and stick with places that offer value.

- Bring a bottle for water and travel coffee mug and save on $2 and $5 hits as you're out exploring. You’ll also avoid adding more plastic to the landfills. Trick is, you have to remember to take it with you. Mine is usually still on the kitchen counter when I remember to use it.

- Avoid Tourist Traps. Jeep tours, vortex tours and other canned experiences can be pricey, crowded and commercial. Most of the same information is available elsewhere for free. Like right on this blog. Check out self-guided tours online, in the coffee shops and at the library. Seriously, try asking locals in the coffee shops about vortexes--most will tell you the spots to see for free. Many were former tour guides and other characters just enjoy sharing their love of the Red Rocks.

If going off-road is your thing or you don’t have a car you will want to take a tour. But there’s not much you can see on the mainstream, jeep tours that you can’t see on your own with a good guide book. Most hotels and vacation rentals have libraries with guide books and other information about local history and nature. The Sedona Library has an extensive collection of books about the local area and even a few good DVDs.

- Have to have tours and treatments? Well, it is your vacation so who says splurging on reiki or spa treatments has to go? It may not have to cost you big bucks. Ask the practitioner to barter or do a swap. Consider a home swap or trade from your online SwapTree inventory.

Related posts: 51 Free Or Eco Cheap Things To Do Around Sedona
Sedona Hiking Information