Resources for You

Links we like | Yahoogroups we moderate | Videos (opens separate page) | Notes from our Second Sunday Forums in Bethesda

Links we like

General Resources (see also Simple and Sustainable Living)

• Alternatives for Simple Living -- simpleliving.org
• Articles about Sustainability -- eco-justice.org. A set of 20 excellent articles about Sustainability, compiled by the Eco-Justice Ministries of Colorado.
• Earth Saving Tips -- earthshare.org
• Green Hotels Association -- greenhotels.com
• Green Tips -- idealbite.com, "a sassier shade of green." Tips archives, containing "easier ways to be greener (environmentally and socially conscious)." You can also sign up for a daily tip via email.
• Non-Corporate Sponsored News Sources -- angelfire.com/falcon/freemedia
• Plan B 3.0 Local Action - http://plan.b.local.action.googlepages.com/ - Extensive list of resources in our area, compiled by Gerald Stone, that promote living more lightly per Lester Brown's Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
• Simple Living - simpleliving.com. Monthly magazine containing excellent articles about living simply, published by Janet Luhrs.

Alternative Gifts (see also Simplifying the Holidays)

• 55 Alternative Gift Ideas -- buynothingchristmas.org.
• 101 Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Men -- flylady.net.
• 101 Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Women -- flylady.net.
• Alternative Gifts of Washington D.C. -- aggw.org. A spin-off of the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD), AGGW lists alternative gift fairs in our area and helps you start your own. Also check out CNAD's list of Alternative Gift Fairs outside the DC area.
• Alternative Gifts International -- altgifts.org. Offers a wide array of global gifts that can be given in the name of your friend or relative. Their partner organizations include 33 projects such as Fuel Efficient Stoves in El Salvador, Conquering Tuberculosis in North Korea, Literacy Training in Senegal, Land Mine Awareness in Vietnam or Organic Gardening in Belize.
• Heifer International -- heifer.org. Give a tree or animal in honor of friends and loved ones, and bring hope and opportunity to a family in need
• JustGive.org -- A nonprofit that makes it easy to donate to other nonprofits. You can search for a charity, send gift certificates, create a wedding registry, and create a charity wish list that lets your loved ones know what charities you support.

Clutter (see also Recycling, Donating, Repairing, Reusing; E-cycling)

• 21 Things You Can Recycle - coopamerica.org's list of things we usually don't think of recycling (dated Fall 2007)
• "Clutter Tips" (What To Do With Your Clutter) (list we compiled, PDF, 35 KB), opens in separate browser window.
• Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston. Buy used at Powells.com.
• Clutter Free Organizing Services -- clutterfreeservices.com. Good tips by Andy Hartman.
• Do-it-yourself: Stop junk mail, email and phone calls -- obviously.com.
• FlyLady -- flylady.net. Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home, plus a cleaning schedule
• Get Organized Now! -- getorganizednow.com. Newsletter by Maria Gracia
• Linda Manassee Buell -- simplifylife.com. Simplify Your Life, Information and Coaching
• Local Professional Organizers (links to list we compiled)
• Online Organizing -- onlineorganizing.com. A World of Organizing Solutions
• Recommended books on Clutter (links to list we compiled)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS

• National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO): www.napo.net/
• Local Professional Organizers
• www.dcorganizers.org/

HAUL IT AWAY

• 1-800-GOT-JUNK, www.1800gotjunk.com/ ,They come and haul it away.
• PACKRATS, 1-800-PACKRAT, www.1800packrat.com/, Storage Units parked outside your house
• College Hunks, Hauling Junk (DC based), 1-888 We-Junk-U , PR@CollegeJunk.net , www.CollegeJunk.net

JUNK MAIL/TELEMARKETERS

• Opt-out of Junk Mail, http://opt-out.cdt.org/
• Federal Trade Commission, explanation of Junk Mail, www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/optoutalrt.htm (included Mail Preference Service Address)
• Do Not Call Registry, www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

CREDIT REPORTS

Free Annual Credit Report: www.annualcreditreport.com , 877-322-8228

SUPPORT GROUPS

• CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, www.chadd-mc.org/
• NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Illness www.namimc.org/ , www.namimc.org/calendar.html
• Clutterers Anonymous (Baltimore, Falls Church, Washington, DC) www.clutterersanonymous.net/meetings/meetings-by-region.html
• Messies Anonymous [Yahoo group, or email MessyCONNECTR@aol.com] www.messies.com/support_groups/groups/

Co-housing

• International "intentional community" website -- ic.org. Many listings for MD and VA
• Local co-housing projects -- ecohousing.net. Local co-housing projects
• National co-housing website -- cohousing.org. National co-housing website

e-Cycling (see also Recycling, Donating, Repairing, Reusing)

• E-Cycling in Maryland -- mde.state.md.us. Recyle computers and electronic equipment.

Energy

• Chesapeake Climate Action Network -- chesapeakeclimate.org
• Energy Star Products in 35 categories -- energystar.com
• Energy Star Program in Maryland -- energy.state.md.us
• "85 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home" - pepco.com

Environment

• Biocorp -- biocorpna.com. Forks and plates made of biodegradable, compostable, cornstarch, without plastic.
• Ecological Footprint Quiz -- earthday.net
• Envirocast Weather and Watershed Newsletter -- stormcenter.com. For Chesapeake Bay Watershed
• How to Make Compost -- compostguide.com. Clear, complete, and inspiring, with links to a worm composting page and several other useful articles.
• Information about Wiggly Worms & Worm Bin composting -- simplicity-matters.org
• Information about Watersheds -- simplicity-matters.org
• The Living More Lightly Profile -- eartheducation.com

Faith-Based Initiatives

• Friends Meeting of Washington -- fmw.quaker.org/greening/
• Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light -- gwipl.org. Focuses on greening local places of workship.
• National Religious Partnership for the Environment -- nrpe.org. 
• The Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) -- coejl.org. Greening Synagogues Program
• The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) -- creationcare.org.
• The National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC) -- nccecojustice.org.
• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops -- nccbuscc.org.
• Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth -- uuministryforearth.org.
• More resources (compiled by Lore Rosenthal, PDF)

Food

• Approximate harvest dates of locally grown produce (.doc, 20 kb)
• "Buying local can help stop global warming" -- (pdf, 13 kb). Article from the Sierra Club's True Cost of Food campaign.
• Database of Community Supported Agriculture -- nal.usda.gov. A wealth of general information.
• "Food at Your Fingertips" -- simplicity-matters.org. Resources compiled by Melissa Ehrenreich, who spoke at our May 2006 Second Sunday Forum.
• Future Harvest-CASA 2005 -- futureharvestcasa.org. Directory of Community Supported Agriculture Farms in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia.
• Home Grown Food -- dcfood.org. Local food in Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia
• Local Harvest -- localharvest.org. Classified by state.
• Local Harvest Community Level Map -- foodroutes.org. Includes the famous "Meatrix" flash video. Find sustainable farmers, farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture projects (CSAs) in your area.
• Local listing of CSAs in MD, DC, and VA -- ecostewardsalliance.org. Local listing of CSAs in MD, DC, VA.
• Maryland Farmers' Market Directory -- mda.state.md.us. One of the principles of Voluntary Simplicity relates to supporting local businesses and farmers. We are also encouraged to purchase and eat food that is local to our bio-region. For that reason, we hope to support our local farmers markets.
• Pick Your Own
  • Maryland Apple Promotion Board -- marylandapples.org
  • Maryland Direct Farm Market Association -- mdpickyourownfarmmarkets.com
• Vegan Grocery Stores in the DC area -- vegdc.com -- grocery stores that strongly cater to vegans in the District, Maryland and Virginia metro area

Global Warming

• What we can do (on a separate page)
• Our Video Lending Library on Global Warming
• Northwest Earth Institute Resources on Global Warming

Green Building

• Green Seal Product Recommendations -- greenseal.org. Pay special attention to the Green Reports, offered in PDF.
• Greenbuilding links compiled by TerraLogos
• A collection of resources from the Green Building Institute
• Local Energy Efficiency Contractors -- (list we compiled)
• Solar Living Institute -- solarliving.org. Offers workshops, offers a newsletter, and has a store with several resources on green building.

Green Cleaning Products

• Cleaning Products search on Green Pages -- coopamerica.org
• Eco-Friendly Cleaners (PDF) -- nwei.org. Recipes for cleaners you can make at home.
• Make Spring Cleaning Earth Friendly -- earthshare.org. Includes Products for the Ages
• Things to Know about Cleaning Products - responsibleshopper.org, by Co-op America

Green Gifts (see also Alternative Gifts and Shopping)

• A Greater Gift -- agreatergift.org. Associated with SERRV International, this store offers fair-trade and eco-friendly gifts.
• GreenGlass -- greenglass.org. This company in Wisconsin makes gorgeous glasses, vases, candle holders and more from reclaimed wine bottles and other materials.
• Co-op America's Holiday Green Gifts Catalog -- www.coopamerica.org. Also check out their No-Walmart Holiday Gift Pledge
• Green Gift Guide -- greengiftguide.com. Gifts made from recycled materials
• Green gifts for Hanukkah -- coejl.org.
• Greener, Healthier, Friendlier Gifts for the Whole Year -- planetfriendly.org. Includes directories of green stores in the US and in Canada
• OneWorld Store -- http://us.oneworld.net. Holiday Shopping that supports the OneWorld campaign.
• Sierra Club Green Gift Ideas -- sierraclub.org. Ideas for green gifts intended for the gadget freak, people who need to get out a little more, the artistically inclined, kids, the gourmet, people on a fixed income, and people who have everything.
• Union of Concerned Scientists -- www.ucsusa.org. Tips for a Merry and Green Holiday
• Sustainable Living Literature Collection for Children (PDF) -- www.vtearthinstitute.org.  Compiled by the Vermont Earth Institute, this list contains descriptions of each book and recommended age level.

Green Investing

• Rob's "green investing support page" (to support discussion circle started June 2006, in progress) -- greeninvesting.gatebuilder.com.

Green Toothbrushes

• Fuchs Toothbrushes -- Ekotec Replaceable Head Toothbrush, $4.21 each, comes with two extra heads. Can be ordered through Internatural.
• Preserve Toothbrush -- 4 units for $13.00, made of recycled Stonyfield yogurt containers. Comes with postage-paid return recycling mailers. Order through Recycline or buy locally at David's Market in Columbia and Roots Market in Clarksville.

Parenting

• 12 Ways for Kids to be GREEN -- azasweb.com, a site for children. List of tips.
• Living Simply with Children: A Voluntary Simplicity Guide for Moms, Dads and Kids Who Want to Reclaim the Bliss of Childhood and the Joy of Parenting, by Marie Sherlock. $12.95 at the Unitarian Universalist bookstore
• Sustainable Living Literature Collection for Children -- vtearthinstitute.org. Book ideas for kids from the Vermont Earth Institute
• What Kids Really Want That Money Can't Buy, by Betsy Taylor, $11.00 at the Center for a New American Dream bookstore

Recycling, Donating, Reusing (see also E-cycling)

• Earth 911 - maryland.earth911.org -- Enter your postal code and find a plethora of resources.
• Freecycle - freecycle.org -- Find a Freecycle yahoogroups close to you (U.S. Northeast)
• Jewish Information & Referral Service -- www.jirs.org. A comprehensive list of organizations that need your stuff (click on D for donations).
• Montgomery County Use It Again -- montgomerycountymd.gov. Select a category of thing, then respond to whether you'd like to donate/recycle it, buy it used, repair it, rent it, or need home pickup, and the database will provide you with pertinent hits such as thrift stores.
• Maryland Recycles -- mdrecycles.com. Find a recycler near you for several kinds of materials.
• Repair Baltimore -- environmentproject.org. Information about how to repair, reuse, recycle, or dispose of all kinds of stuff; links to lots of information, from how to repair things yourself to how to dispose of electronic equipment; listing of repair shops in Baltimore City. PDF of the booklet (485 KB, December 2005)

Shopping (see also Alternative Gifts and Green Gifts)

• National Green Pages -- coopamerica.org.
• Responsible Shopper -- responsibleshopper.org. "Discover the good, the bad and the ugly behind the products you buy everyday."
• Shopper's Checklist -- newdream.org. Planet-friendly shopping tips from the Center for a New American Dream.

Simplifying the Holidays (see also Alternative Gifts, Green Gifts, and Shopping)

• Alternatives in Simple Living Catalogue -- simpleliving.org. Catalog with lots of books and ideas about non-commercial holiday celebrations, "Whose Birthday is It Anyway?" (use search to find several editions), Unplug the Christmas Machine, etc.
• Center for a New American Dream's Simplify The Holidays Campaign -- newdream.org. Includes a downloadable brochure, links to articles, and lots of ideas for alternative gifts (not physical things)
• Buy Nothing Christmas -- adbusters.org campaign. Also check out the Gift Exemption Voucher.
• Unplug the Christmas Machine (book review) -- onlineorganizing.com.
• Sierra Club, "Don't Buy, Simplify" -- http://www.sierraclub.org/

Simple and Sustainable Living (see also General)

• EcoStewards Alliance -- ecostewardsalliance.org. The host organization of our sister Earth Institute in Virginia, their site includes resources for learning more about living simply.
• Interconnections -- knowing.org. Links to local groups and gatherings of all sorts. Includes an events calendar.
• Living Green -- coopamerica.org. Co-Op America's green living, purchasing and investing advice column. Includes a link to archives.
• New American Dream -- newdream.org. The Center for a New American Dream helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. This link to their sitemap gives a good idea of what this organization does.
• Pomegranate Seeds - www.pomegranateseeds.net. An advertisement-free magazine edited and published six times a year in Cabin John, MD. Articles are written in the first-person by women who desire to have more time and less anxiety while walking lightly on the earth, and focus on ways in which we can consume less, enjoy more, utilize local producers for goods and services, and celebrate Mother Nature as teacher and partner. Pomegranate Seeds is also a local community who come together for workshops, discussion groups, and plant swaps in the DC area, and who participate in two email discussion groups. Contact Jeri Metz at pomegranateseeds@comcast.net.
• SustainUS - www.sustainus.org/mambo. The U.S. Youth Network for Sustainable Development offers resources about several geoclusters, including Washington DC. You can download a "Conscious Consumer Map" of DC (PDF, 935 KB) and read about their projects.
• Simplicity Forum - www.simplicityforum.org. Resource list including websites, research and articles written by members of The Simplicity Forum, an alliance of "simplicity leaders" who are committed to "achieving and honoring simple, just and sustainable ways of life."
• Vermont Earth Institute -- vtearthinstitute.org. Education links from our sister Earth Institute include lists of videos and books for adults and children.

Got a resource you'd like to see listed here? Send the information to Lena, Lena@simplicity-matters.org, or Susanne, wormlady@gmail.com

Yahoogroups we Moderate

• DCMetroSimplifiers - This is a forum for folks living in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC to network and develop relationships around the ideas of Simple Living, Ecology and how we can work together to create a sustainable future.
  
• FoodPassionESA - We are passionate about healthful and delicious food! Participants share resources and tips about how we can best eat well in our region (most of us are from Maryland, DC and northern Virginia), as well as discuss general trends (GMOs, organic farming, etc.) affecting food and nutrition.
  
• A Greener Home - A forum for discussing ways to make our homes more environmentally-friendly, sustainable, conserving of resources, incorporating "greener" materials and more.

Notes from our Second Sunday Forums in Bethesda

In our monthly forums we aim to address different aspects of the Simple Living Wheel. If you would like to us to repeat one of the topics listed below or wish to suggest a topic or a speaker, please contact Marney Bruce, (301) 652-0492. More details about forthcoming forums

2008

• January: The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (video). See description
• February: "The Great Turning" with Janet Kane (resources)
• March: Escape From Affluenza (video).
• April: "Food for Life" with Lena Rotenberg, Simplicity Matters Earth Institute
• May: "Green Your Home 101" with Anca Novacovici (resources)
• June: "Cooking with the Sun: Impacts on Health, Wealth and Education" with Marie-Ange Bingawaho, she-inc.org (resources)

2007

• January: "Preserving our Forests," with Bob deGroot, www.magicalliance.org
• February: Movie Night in Laurel, MD: "Renewable Energy, Abundant Possibilities"
• March: "Reducing Waste in Organizations and the Workplace," facilitated by Susanne Wiggins (resources)
• April: "Natural Hope!" with Mare Cromwell (resources)
• May: "Who Defines the Consumer?" with Mike Taylor, Integral Life Solutions
• June: "Individuals Can Make a Difference" with Susan Lower
• September: "Improve Your Garden and Make a Difference!" with Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine
• October: "Tools for Cultural Change," with Bob Morris, author of The Owl and the Oak: The Climate Change Novel
• November: "Live Consciously; Buy Wisely; Make a Difference," with Hanaa Rifaey, Center for a New American Dream
• December: "Fair Trade," with Jackie DeCarlo.

2006

• January: Film and Discussion: A Taste of "Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska"
• March: "Why Cohousing?" with Ann Zabaldo
• April: "Gardening Simplified" with Pat Kenny
• May: "Food at Your Fingertips" with Melissa Ehrenreich (resources)
• June: "Population: Beyond the Limits?" with Michelle Collins (resources)
• July: Field trip to "The Green House: New Directions In Sustainable Architecture and Design" at the National Building Museum
• July: EXTRA! Event with Gerald Iverson
• September: "Carbon Offsets, Green Power and Living a ZeroCarbon Life" with Eric Carlson, carbonfund.org
• October: Showing and discussion of "An Inconvenient Truth," courtesy of gwipl.org
• November: "Making Your Time Really Pay Off," with Dr. Edgar Cahn, TimeBanks.org
• December: "Natural Hope!" with Mare Cromwell [postponed]

2005

• February: "Low-Tech Water Recycling" with Jeri Metz
• March: "The Many Benefits of Energy Efficiency" with Laura Gubisch
• April: "Delicious and Healthful Food" with Susan Leonadi and Allegra Foley
• May: "Sustainable Transportation Choices" with Marney Bruce
• June: "How Easy is it to be Green?" with Marney Bruce
• July: Field trip to Urban Oasis
• August: Film and Discussion of an episode of "30 Days" (w/ Sierra Club)
• September: "Healthy Children-Healthy Planet" with Lore Rosenthal
• October: "Making Time for What's Really Important" with Lena Rotenberg
• November: "Simplifying the Holidays" with Lore Rosenthal
• December: "Conquer Your Clutter" with Joyce Hedgepath

2004

• January: Film and Discussion: "The Next Industrial Revolution"
• February: "Creating a Non-Toxic Environment for your Home or Office" with Toni Grossman
• March: "From the Farmer Herself: Organic Farming and CSAs" with Mariette Hiu Newcomb
• April: "Earth-Friendly Gardening in the DC Metro Area" with Corinne Irwin
• May: Film and Discussion: "We are All Smith Islanders"
• June: "Greenbuilding, How to Build Using Earth-friendly Methods and Materials" with Polly Bart (resources)
• July: Field trip to the CBF's Philip Merrill Environmental Center
• September: "Do I Really Need All this Stuff?" with Kathi Duffy (resources)
• October: "Green Medicine: What Would it Look Like?" with Rebecca Pope
• November: "Simplifying the Holidays" with Marat Moore
• December: "Budgeting for Simplicity-Minded Folks" with Lore Rosenthal