See entire May 23, 2012 newsletter including upcoming radio show guests
You might remember that I promised to make this newsletter a fun, informative upbeat one. And it’s not a novella, there’s not a single rant and there are some good reminders.
People tell me frequently that they need recommendations / suggestions for leading a greener life in bite sized chunks. So here are 10 easy things you can do or changes you can make in and around your home to move in a greener, more sustainable direction.
- Replace your old light bulbs with CFLs. Save energy, save on energy bills and no – don’t worry about the mercury in them. That’s the least of our problems – trust me.
- Install HETs (high efficiency toilets) when the budget allows. Don’t forget to recycle your old ones at places like Habitat for Humanity’s HabiStore. Guilt free flushing IS all that.
- Start a compost pile. No, I have not done this yet. Mr. Green’s resistant and we all know who does the cooking. But he does buy ALL spinach, kale, and tomatoes from the Farmers Market. Green baby steps.
- Put a recycle bin wherever you open your mail. I have one under my desk (a CUTE one) and put envelopes, newspapers and magazines in it. I have cut down on catalogs by about 95% but have not migrated to the totally paperless world yet. Still a dinosaur about holding the newspaper and turning the pages.
- Wash ALL clothes in cold water. Do the research. Hot water is harder on clothes, does not make them cleaner, and is easier on the budget.
- Plant trees indigenous to your area. They provide shade AND wildlife habitat. Make sure to research where to plant them to maximize shade in summer and sunlight in winter.
- Replace air filters. My friend Cathy Rankin from Temco Air Environmental might slap me (never!) if I forgot this one. Truth be told, I am not even sure where they are in our house but I know Mr. Green does. Save money, preserve your health. Don’t have a Mr. Green? HIRE locally-owned, tried and true HVAC specialists.
- Place appliances on power strips if you can. It will reduce your use of phantom electricity thus reducing our drain on the grid and should save you some green.
- Do your homework and replace at least ONE personal care product with a healthier choice. Find out what’s in your toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner etc. (Tom’s, Tom’s, Aveda, Aveda for me) and switch out.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle WATER! Rainwater harvesting, water off while brushing teeth, shorter showers, rinse water for the house plants. I know there are people who actually have buckets in their showers and use that to water inside and outside plants but I am just not there yet. Hats off to those of you who do!
To your inner green!
Updates on Good Green News
Good news item #1
Enter the contest we are doing with Miraval and automatically be entered to win a two night, three day stay at this heaven on earth. Three weeks left! My question is: why wouldn’t you?
Get a sneak peek of the Mindful Eating cookbook. Sample a recipe now.
Good news item #2
As previously reported, Golden Eagle Distributors & Budweiser are participating in Grow One, Save a Million campaign in support of World Environment Day on June 5th. The purpose? Saving water. The fun? Men not shaving for one month – thus the grow one, save a million message. Their Facebook page is hysterical.
See entire May 23, 2012 newsletter including upcoming radio show guests