Unlike many of the products in your local pharmacy or salon, baking soda isn't flashy or sexy.  It can usually be found in a plain utilitarian box and most of us only buy it to put in our refrigerators to remove odour.

But did you know that adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your shampoo can help remove styling product buildup from your hair?  Or that a mixture of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part liquid soap can wash fish, garlic and onion odour off of your hands?  Baking soda can even be used as a natural under arm deodorant: first apply corn starch with a powder puff and then baking soda!

This is only a few of the amazing uses for this handy product.  Hit the jump to read the full article.  After you read it you'll likely feel compelled to go buy a few more boxes of Arm & Hammer to use around the house.

» How Stuff Works

The Natural Pet Health Blog is a great resource for pet owners looking for more information on pet ailments and treatments.

From feline cancer to ear mites, cat acne to canine obesity, this blog is an excellent resource to turn to if you've recently discovered your pet has health problems.  Filled with tips and advice, interviews with veterinarians, and recommendations on natural treatments, this is a blog that should be in every concerned pet owner's favorites list.

» Natural Pet Health Blog

I came across a great resource the other day: GreenerCars.org.  It's a web site with over 10,000 vehicle ratings and lots of great articles on how to drive green, green automotive technologies and much more.  If you're considering buying a new or used vehicle you should definitely visit this site.  Hit the jump to check it out for yourself!

» GreenerCars.org

Sometimes there is only so much you can do with vinegar and baking soda... and sometimes there's only so much of the smell of vinegar you can take!  Before you reach for the Pine-Sol, there are cleaning alternatives that are all-natural and smell nice.

Small Planet is a small Canadian company that sells their own special cleaning products made from natural ingredients and essential oils.  With no harmful chemicals to aggrivate the lungs, these are perfect if allergies or respiratory illness is a concern in your household.

What's also great about these guys is not only can you buy their products in small quantities from a local retailer, but if you really like their products you can order in bulk directly from Small Planet.  This is a great way to save money and ensure you always have the cleaning supplies you need on hand.

Hit the jump to learn more about this great little company.

» Small Planet Cleaning Products (Canada)

I cannot believe that we're already at the end of April and I almost let National Grilled Cheese Month pass by without celebrating!

We've posted before about the environmental benefits of choosing peanut butter sandwiches over hamburgers.  I imagine that a grilled cheese must land somewhere in the middle of those two extremes in term of environmentally-friendly sandwich choices due to the use of dairy products and the required grilling.

Bread. Butter. Cheese.  That's about as simple as it gets.  Still, there's so many variations on the classic recipe that you could probably enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich every day of April and not have the same sandwich twice!

And of course, we'd recommend grilling your sandwich using an eco-friendly frying pan such as the Starfrit Ceram-Eco which is non-stick without using Teflon.

So how do you grill your sandwich?  Use our Send Us a Story form to send in your grilled cheese recipe or post in the comments below.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go flip-over my sandwich...

» Send Us Your Story!

» The Calgary Sun