Homemade Tomato Soup in Under 5 Minutes

Looking for a basic tomato soup recipe? Well, here it is! Tomatoes, broth and... that's pretty much it. Plus, it takes less than 5 minutes to make!

When I was a kid, I loved me a bowl of canned tomato soup. I don’t even think my family bought the “good” stuff – it was strictly no name brands for us back then. But it didn’t matter. Throw a can on the stove, fry up a grilled cheese sandwich (with the no name processed cheese) and I was in little kid heaven.

My tastes may have matured a bit, but I still love tomato soup and a grilled (vegan) cheese sandwich. The problem is, it’s not easy to find canned tomato soup that doesn’t have some kind of milk ingredient in it.

How to Buy Eco-Friendly Laminate Flooring

You may be asking: "Is laminate flooring eco-friendly?" If you know what to look for, then the answer is - yes!

How did someone who once declared they would NEVER install laminate flooring find themselves in a flooring store, barefoot and walking on half a dozen laminate samples? Because laminate flooring has evolved a lot in the last few years. And truthfully, so have I.

I’ll admit, my initial change of heart had to do with the cost factor. Of course I’d love to buy a sustainably sourced hardwood for Our House in Trees. But, simply put, we can’t afford it. So I began to research green laminate flooring, myself wondering: “Is laminate flooring eco-friendly?” The answer? It can be!

3 Easy Steps to a Clean and Healthy Home

Whether you want to protect your family from chemicals or to do your part greening our planet - these are both great reasons to create a healthy home!

If you’re like me, your home is your sanctuary. And depending on what mood I’m in or the amount of chaos going on in my life, I can be a bit of a hermit. Which is why having a clean and healthy home is one of my top priorities in life. (It has nothing to do with my control freak tendencies. Nope. Not at all.)

Whether you want your home to be a happy haven from the outside world, you want to protect your family from harmful chemicals and materials, or you want to do your part greening our planet – these are all great reasons to follow the below three healthy home tips!

5 Simple and Unusual Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil essential oil has long been used to treat acne, cure infections and soothe bug bites. But did you know it can also be used to clean glasses?

If you aren’t already into essential oils, then I highly recommend giving them a try. Essential oils are all natural and thus so much more earth (and health!) friendly than other scented products. They can replace air deodorizers, cleaning supplies, medicinal supplies and more.

I think everyone who uses essential oils has a favourite – and mine is tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia). Tea tree oil essential oil has such a clean, fresh smell reminiscent of tree bark and dirt and rain. Maybe others would describe it differently, but it smells like nature to me. And when I wash my face with my tea tree oil soap and breathe in the scent of the earthy suds… oh man. Heaven. In my nostrils.

There are a ton of online resources listing things you can do with tea tree oil. Make cleaning supplies, treat acne, cure infections, soothe bug bites… But instead of reiterating those, I wanted to share a few more unusual tea tree essential oil uses. Most of these uses I just stumbled upon and did no research before trying. But they worked wonders for me! Maybe they will for you too?

5 Harmful Products to Stop Buying Right Now

These five unsustainable products are harmful to both humans and the environment and aren't even necessary when there are so many awesome alternatives.

We can all do with a little less stuff, am I right? So, this year, one of my resolutions is to stop buying unsustainable products. These five common items are harmful to both humans and the environment and aren’t even necessary when awesome alternatives are readily available. These days, there are so many environmentally sustainable products and methods out there, ranging from those used by our grandparents (cleaning with vinegar!) to those we can thank new advancements in technology for (period panties… for real!).

Here are five harmful, unsustainable products I’m not going to buy this year. Join me in the boycott!