Everyday Green Home

We face so many challenges in our world today! That is why we need to connect the dots between our homes, and the health of our communities.  Many of us don't make the connection between our health, our homes, and the health of the world at large. Yet sometimes, without us even knowing it, the products in our homes make us sick. Or they impact our safety and comfort.  It all starts with us. Even t...

You know what they say, " Reduce, reuse and recycle." Well, there are now four Rs. The first is REFUSE, which gives us the power to stop things from happening by simply refusing them. If we follow the 4 Rs to a T, then our world will be better for all those who come after us. Even though I'm sure you can think of plenty of examples of how society bearded itself over time with excessive production...

What if you could run your business in such a way that it was actually good for society? A Force For Good! That's what Gail Garey, founder of Impact 360 Strategies says she wants to do. Her love of the outdoors and corporate background set up this work with B Corporations- those companies who are pledging themselves as forces against social isolation through innovation or environmentalism or some...

Today's show topic is very exciting to me. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for improving eco-friendly living spaces.  Everything varies according to your needs, style, and budget!. Today, Tony Pratte joins us and discusses how we can "green up" our homes! He reminds us of exciting opportunities we all have to reuse or reconstruct previously discarded materials and incorporate them into u...

What does it mean to buy green? There are no standard definitions for the words used to describe green products, so we sometimes tend to confuse products that sound green or claim to be green with those that truly are sustainable and environmentally friendly.  Some companies intentionally use words like natural or eco-friendly as a marketing ploy to imply that their products are better for you and...

Can business be a force for good?  There is a huge transition taking place within our culture and society right now. We are seeing some fascinating changes, many of which are being integrated from the younger generations up to the older generations. Whether we realize it or not, most of us vote with our pocketbooks. Today's younger generations only support the companies that uphold the values they...

We all care about the health of our family and friends and want them to live in a safe and healthy environment. A few years ago, The US Green Building Council created a movement, campaign, and toolkit called the Living Well Standard, which published a message that still stands true today. It spells out how much it matters that the places we live, work, and play should not hurt us but protect us an...

There seems to be an app for everything right now!  Could you imagine downloading an app for your house? Or even a whole bunch of apps? Well, that is what you need to do if you have a smart home! But how do you go about connecting everything in this time when technology is constantly moving and things keep on changing?   I am Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I am happy to have my co-host and re...

Most of us do not realize how often our beliefs, values, and traditions play out in our lives because they are so deeply entrenched.  Working with sustainability and green over the years has taught me a lot about people. I have learned how much our beliefs, values, and even our traditions impact the way we live our lives and how the way we live connects with climate change and sustainability.  I a...

Did you know that reusing stuff is back in vogue again?  People reuse things for many different reasons. When they do, it always reminds me of my grandmother because that is her legacy. She was one of the biggest motivators for me getting involved in the green and sustainable world. I am Marla, the Green Home Coach. Today, my occasional co-host, Tony Pratte, The Green Guy, is joining me to have a...

Houses and buildings are moving like crazy, but supply chains are still nuts! Remodeling has been affected by all the craziness that is going on with homes and homebuilding. However, when we decide to do a remodel, we have the opportunity to do some amazing things to make our homes even better! I am Marla, the Green Home Coach, and today, my occasional co-host, Tony Pratte, is joining me to have a...

Recycling has gone awry, and there is plastic everywhere! Do you sometimes forget to put recyclable items, like plastic soda bottles, pill containers, and the little plastic takeout cups and lids from takeout food, in the right place and end up throwing them out with the trash? Or have you ever had something that you would like to recycle, but you do not know what to do with it?  I am Marla, the G...

So many people have been buying and selling houses over the past year!  Lately, people have been much more concerned about their health and wellness, both in their lives and in their homes. Fortunately, we now get to take our health and wellness into account when looking for a new home or fixing up the house we are living in.  I am Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I am excited to bring you another...

Finding a new home is not easy. We all want to live in a comfortable place that keeps us in good health and wellness, but many of us do not even know where to start because there are so many factors to consider.  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, and today I am sharing the podcast with Tee (Therese Forton-Barnes), the host of the Green Living with Tee Podcast. Both Tee and I have a strong desire to...

The topic of unintended consequences is huge! Just thinking about it is enough to make my head spin! There are so many different aspects to consider in that regard, particularly when you think of unintended consequences in terms of their impact on the environment, climate change, and the day-to-day way we live our lives.   I am Marla, the Green Home Coach. Today, I am excited to have my favorite c...

The approach of fall presents a wonderful opportunity for us to speak about the outdoors!  I really appreciate the cooler weather and love being able to spend time outside without getting too hot! Also, when August rolls around each year, I cannot help thinking about the harvests that will soon be coming in from the farmer's markets- and even from my garden!  I am Marla, the Green Home Coach, and...

I have seen some crazy things happening lately in the homebuilding industry! There is turmoil with both new and existing homes as a result of shortages and supply-chain disruptions in many different areas.  In this episode, we will look at the problems we are facing and discuss why they are happening. We will break everything down into the three parts of a house: the land, the materials, and the l...

The idea of 3-D printing is exploding right now in almost every sector! Today, I am happy to introduce you, the listeners, to my son, Trent Esser. Trent and his friend are starting a 3-D printing company in St Louis, called Printerior. The company is currently in the beta testing phase, and they are getting ready to have their first product launch within the next two to four weeks. Trent is joinin...

Is your home a part of the solution to what is going on with climate change? Or is it a part of the problem? Did you know that every choice you make for how you live in your home and everything you bring into your home impacts your health and the planet as a whole? The climate crisis has shown us that building a life for ourselves and creating modern conveniences have made a big footprint on the e...

Have you ever wondered how to go about finding a home that has everything you value? It is vital to have a home that supports your lifestyle, and finding the right one can be pretty hard. Now, more than ever, after spending a year indoors, we have learned to value having a comfortable home with all the features we need.  My husband and I wanted an energy-efficient home, and we wanted it to have a...

Climate change is becoming part of many everyday conversations and many of our children may have questions – spoken or unspoken – about climate change and how it may impact them. How do you talk with them about climate change? Both my kids are grown and work in an industry that focuses on sustainability, so we have some pretty interesting conversations. Tony does not have any kids, so the conversa...

Taking the time to do regular home maintenance adds up to a greener lifestyle. By doing a little more research every time you need to replace, repair, redecorate, remodel, or renovate, you can make a difference. All of that is a part of maintenance, which is super important around our homes. Maintaining your home is one of the greenest things that you can do. Maintenance preserves the life of thin...

Climate change is a big topic! We hear a lot about it lately in the news, in newspapers, and in people's conversations. Climate change is something that we all need to talk about, and many questions are surrounding it.  People often get lectured about the things they are doing wrong in the world today. So, we would like to use this series to open people up to the idea of having conversations so th...

Here, in the United States, we use more toilet paper per capita than in any other country on the face of the earth. Although things are different in other parts of the world, in our society, we view toilet paper as a necessity because that is how we were trained in our culture, in our economy, and in our lives. Toilet paper was the first thing everyone stocked up on at the start of the pandemic. I...

The climate is changing. Yet, the term "global warming" often gets misunderstood. It all seems to be happening much more visibly and much more intensely lately, which indicates that something is actually going on. In today's episode, Tony and I discuss how to speak to others about controversial subjects, why we need to see the bigger picture, and we also talk about the importance of coexisting in...