Posted on October 16th, 2008
While you're out at work or school during the day, the sun is busy heating up your house. If you're in a cold climate, this might be a good thing! Save energy by opening curtains and blinds on South and West-facing windows during the day to soak up the rays and keep your thermostat from cranking out the man-made stuff. If you're in a hot climate, closing curtains on South and West-facing windows during the day will keep your house from getting too hot. Either way, using the sun to help regulate the temperature of your house will save energy and keep you sexy.
Posted on October 15th, 2008
Did you know that the average American family of four throws out $600 worth of unspoiled food each year? That's a lot of waste, and reducing waste is the easiest way to help the environment. $600 worth of tossed food also represents trips to the store, disposable grocery bags, food packaging, etc. Try to buy only what your family needs the next time you hit the market. Consider making a list (and checking it twice) of what you need for a week and sticking to it at the store. By planning out the week's meals and shopping accordingly, you'll be ahead of the game all week long, you'll reduce waste ...
Posted on October 14th, 2008
Changing the water filter, though great for water quality can be wasteful in respect to water quantity. The instructions usually suggest running a new filter through a few times before the water becomes thirst worthy. Next time around, use those extra jugs of wastewater to quench the houseplants or the garden or for small and easy cleaning jobs (like rinsing the sink, wiping down the stove, walls or cupboards etc).
Posted on October 13th, 2008
There’s nothing quite like floating in the ocean, unless of course you have a salt water swimming pool! Using salt water is a great way to keep your pool eau natural and chlorine free! Chlorine is super hard on your skin, your hair, and the environment. Salt, on the other hand, controls bacteria very effectively, keeping your pool healthy, your skin and hair silky smooth, and the environment chemical free. Besides, who wouldn't want to bring the ocean to their backyard?
Your pool can easily be made salty by adding water softener salts (approximately 50lbs of salt per 1,200 gallons of water capacity), and by following a few other ...
Posted on October 10th, 2008
If spring is for cleaning, can fall be for organizing? Because if you take a look at your shelves and "everything drawers", you might find it's time for some good ol' fashioned shoe box organization. How? Find some shoe boxes or other smaller package boxes that you think would fit those funny shaped goods - you know, like electronics cords, craft gear, sewing goods, even jewelry. Next find a magazine full of fun photos or used wrapping paper. Reuse those pretty papers by covering the boxes with a few pieces of tape and fancy folding. Fill boxes with your favorite good and arrange on a shelf closet, even stacked upon one another. Voila! Colorful ...
Posted on October 8th, 2008
It's a good chance you have it. Maybe someone else even GAVE it to you. Now that your VHS player is long gone (do we even mention BETA?), and your mixtape fantasies have all been transferred to your iPod, you might just be suffering from the ever-cluttering disease of "technotrash".
But wait! Before you throw away, know that things like Cassette and Video tape are a nightmare to dispose of properly. Their tape-y bowels get tangled and caught on anything. Try using an electronics recycling service like
greendisk.com where recycling up to 20 pounds or less costs $6.95. And they go way beyond the tape, taking things like CDs, ...
Posted on October 7th, 2008
Attention all lushes: your wine corks just may be a little more cool and a lot less disposable than you think. There are a few ways to reuse these bottle stoppers, so let's burst the big bubble first:
Make a wine cork board! Collect your corks and use hot glue to arrange them to an old frame in several designs, creating a decorative piece for the wall, cork board, or pot holder. See photo above for a cool example.
Not into holding on to them? Turning them into flooring and wall tiles by sending them to a Wine Cork recycling program, like
Yemm and Hart Ltd. Some composting programs even take them because they ...
Posted on October 6th, 2008
Here's some good news: most recycling programs that take mixed paper will take your post-it notes (you know, the one's you've been
leaving yourself recycling reminders with?). The sticky stuff gets filtered out, leaving you with a hassle-free dilemma. You'll also like knowing this: in the recycling process, all paper, even the glossy, is converted to pulp, and all non-natural fibers, such as metal, will be strained out. Which means that if you miss a staple or plastic windows, you might just be all right. Check with your local recycling program to make sure these rules apply in your area.
Posted on October 3rd, 2008
Ah, chunky bracelets. Ever since you came into style in the late 90's, we've had quite the crush. And you still haven't left the accessories hot list, so acquiring a few of you has been easy. So, what's a stylish sexy greenie to do? Sport you - double time!
With the formal dining season looming (Thanksgiving, Christmas, maybe even an Autumnal Feast...), don't even think about purchasing napkin holders. Your chunky favorite bracelets, wrappable necklaces, or wirey jewelry will do just fine. Wrap those jewelry drawer favorites around your place settings and be the most creative table dresser around.
Posted on October 2nd, 2008
If you enjoy the experience of sipping a nice glass of wine from time to time, you might be happy to know that wine no longer comes in just red or white, but in green as well. Organic and biodynamic wines are becoming more widely available and rank highly among winemakers and wine lovers alike.
So what's the difference? The fundamental idea behind organic wine is that it comes from grapes grown without chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides, and other synthetic chemicals. In the vineyard it means cultivating the soil and planting cover crops, instead of applying herbicides. It means using natural fertilizers, such as composted animal manure, versus chemical ...
