The sun in shining, the birds are chirping (at least here at Care2), yet my sense of organization remains in hibernation mode. So, in honor of today, the official first day of spring, I will dedicate myself to a weekend of cleaning–a fresh start for a new season. If you care to join, here are some great tips to help you get started.

Getting Rid of Clutter
Why Clutter Happens
Feng Shui Your Clutter
Clear Your Clutter in 6 Steps

Recipes for DIY Natural Cleaners
Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
Porcelain Stain-Be-Gone Soft Scrub
Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner
Counter Cleaners

Detoxing Your Home
Simple Ways to Detox Your Home
Top 10 Swaps for Detoxing Your Kitchen
Clean Your Upholstery the Non-toxic Way

Organizing Your Closet
7 Ways to Organize Your Closet, the Eco-Way
Healthy Green Closet

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … Hy-Bird! The race to fly a “green” plane around the world is on, and French company Lisa Airplanes says its zero-carbon Hy-Bird aircraft will make the trip as early as the summer of 2009.

The Hy-Bird—which looks kind of like an airborne high-heeled shoe—is made of lightweight carbon fibre and weighs in at just 1.1 tons. The tail and wings—20 metres or 65 feet tip to tip—are outfitted with photovoltaic cells to supply energy for takeoff and onboard power supply. A hydrogen fuel cell (hence the name, “Hy-Bird”) provides power while the craft is in flight.

“It is solely powered by an electric engine,” Lisa President Erick Herzberger explains. “It will be the first

In this uncertain economy most of us are having to put off expensive purchases and clothes don’t always make the cut. However, with a few budget-conscious pieces you’ll be sitting pretty for years to come and always look pulled together.

Cozy Cardigan
We all have those “shlumpy days” when you want to run around in jeans and your old college T-shirt, you know the one you use to paint your bedroom and it clearly looks like it. Just throw on a great sweater! Cardigans can pull together an outfit and ensure you stay oh-so-comfortable while doing it. Look for a couple in bright colors and all-natural fabrics like wool, organic cotton or cashmere. These fabrics age well, get softer over time and are worth repairing should anything unfortunate happen. They look great

A couple of weeks ago (while still at home), I was in my town’s local health food store with a friend who was visiting from college. She was looking at all of the hair and body products and commenting on how she wanted to green-ify her body care collection. As I watched, she began pulling moisturizers and shampoos and deodorants from the shelves without a glance at the ingredients list.

Well, let’s just say I put a stop to that. “WAIT!” I cried. She looked at me questioningly. She had thought that, because she was in a health food store, every product must be completely green. COMMON MISCONCEPTION!!!!! Common misconception that is very wrong. Very wrong indeed. Many products in health food stores still carry such things as parabens and fragrances–you have

Whether you’re rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, or if you’re just in it for the commercials, score a culinary touchdown with these green and healthy Super Bowl recipes!

• Black bean hummus   
• Sweet and spicy glazed nuts   
• Chile cheese toast   
• 3 ways to do sweet potato fries   
• Spicy tortilla chips and guacamole   
• Smokey tomato salsa   
• Black bean and sweet potato chili   
• Jalapeno spoonbread   
• Greek layered veggie dip recipe   
• Taco salad

Economic times are tough, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely give up on your luxe beauty habits. You can always back away from those pricey potions at the store. Instead, discover key ingredients right in your home and try some tricks that are so simple you might be surprised they really work. We asked the experts to reveal their favorite eco-friendly ways to beautify on a budget. Here are 10 easy ideas that all cost less than $5.

1. Fruity Facial

When you go to buy an anti-aging face cream you probably know to look for superstar ingredients like coenzymeQ10 and AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids), but did you know you can get the same from pineapple? Emma Pezzack, president of FutureNatural says to keep the rinds next time you eat the fruit. “Gently rub the rinds

By Jana Ballinger, Care2 Managing Production Editor

Since I have been working at Care2, I have read many articles about these things called parabens. In my local health food store, and in magazine ads as well, I have seen claims of things having no parabens. Suddenly, parabens'or the lack thereof'were everywhere.

So what's the deal? Here's the full scoop. In short, they are a preservative, and while the FDA has deemed them safe, they have been proven to interfere with hormones and have been linked to breast cancer. Heard enough? Yeah, me too.

Now six months ago I might not have even taken notice, to be honest. I admittedly have been cavalier in the past about things like that. But ever since my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, well, I take these things a little more seriously.

By Terri Hall-Jackson, Care2 contributing writer

Looking for an affordable and fun family vacation that provides R and R, plus the satisfaction of knowing that together you've contributed to making the Earth happy?

Then you might consider taking a volunteer vacation. These vacations do require that you push up your sleeves to varying degrees, but the trade-off sometimes includes free food and accommodations, a new locale away from it all, many of which are quite beautiful, and experiences that no classroom could ever offer you or your child.

Here are some ways to get started:

1. Through the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, your family can choose from a number of organic farms throughout the United States (including Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands!!) that will welcome