photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

I recently found myself at the bottom of an appliance hand-me-down chain, not a bad place to be when you’ve been running a washer/dryer set that’s older than the Colorado Rockies (the baseball team, but perhaps also the geologic feature; they may have faux wood-grain panels, but no obvious signs of glaciation.) Actually, we’re keeping the old dryer because it still works fine, the “new” one reportedly doesn’t do such a hot job, and we hardly use the dryer anyway. The washer sprang a leak a while back, though, so we’ll take the opportunity to snag a free replacement.

Regardless of our reasoning, I found myself in possession of an unwanted and functionally compromised washer/dryer set. Read more…

If you live in the city like me, there are eco-friendly options for your safety better than this dog- although probably not as cute!

Wanting to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself from basics you need. You just have to find alternative means that accomplish what you need while still being sustainable for the environment. Some people spend a fortune on home security systems that use up a lot of energy and aren’t efficient at all. You can go to online resources like protectyourhome.com for eco-friendly information that are easily affordable options – and I have a few green options to share too!

Natural protection

I have family in the south that lives out in the country. Here in the city, our homes are separated from our neighbors by a few feet. In the country where my family lives, huge fields separate the neighbors. There is a lot of space and there aren’t many people who travel the country roads. They never owned a security system to protect their home, but they always kept a few dogs in the yard. These dogs were friendly with us—and the pigs and chickens my grandparents kept—but whenever a stranger pulled up they let us know. My grandfather liked dogs but he kept them more for protection than as pets. They stayed outside and kept stray dogs and strangers from entering the yard. When it comes to green security nothing is more eco-friendly than that! But I live in Chicago, and I understand that in certain areas you will need a lot more than a dog to provide security.

Harness the sun’s energy

Vivint is one company that has jumped on the green bandwagon and is attempting to create a new system that will save money and use less energy. Their idea is a bit more radical than others because it requires a drastic change that is definitely beneficial, although many people still don’t have the capabilities to do it yet. They are focusing on homes with solar powered panels that use the sun’s energy to power home appliances. They install panels into the home that allows users to track how much energy certain appliances are using. They are also extending that feature to smartphones so people can track their status while on the go.

Recycle when you upgrade

ADT security systems are a good choice for security systems because they reuse parts of outdated devices to produce the newer models. Each system has minerals inside of it that can be taken out and put to use along with metals that are difficult to break down and would only increase waste if they were thrown away. ADT has implemented smartphone usage into their system too. Users can turn lights off and on and save energy while they are away from home. The thermostat can be controlled via the phone too—giving users control of their home while on the move.

There are many ways to protect yourself and your family while still looking out for the environment and conserving energy. Each day people are working on new ways make these systems even more efficient and eco-friendly too. Do you have any tips or ideas to add that I didn’t mention?

As soon as we start to get a chill in the air, I become a comfort food addict, and nothing hits the spot for me quite like a big bowl of noodle soup. This is one of my favorite quick meals. You can use single serving packets of noodles if you’re making a meal for one (I like Thai Kitchen Lemongrass & Chili), or make a batch of rice noodles and use vegetable broth if you want more servings and less packaging.

The secret to turning this simple soup into a meal is to add fresh, frozen, or canned veggies to dress up the noodles and broth. It’s a great way to use up appropriate leftovers. Sometimes when I’m making dinner, I chop up some extra veggies to save for soup for my lunch the next day.

Add adzuki beans, lentils, or TVP for protein. It’s such a filling and satisfying meal, that you won’t even miss the meat.

To add variety, I also mix and match ingredients like:

• Fresh basil
• Fresh cilantro
• Mushrooms
• Lentils
• Green peppers
• Jalapenos
• Onion
• Fresh lime
• Spinach
• Bean sprouts
• Grated radish
• Fresh ginger
• Sriracha sauce
• Crushed red pepper
• Julienne cut string beans
• Bok choy
• Shredded cabbage

Sadly, I’ve come to the realization through extensive experiential research that unemployment makes for a very green lifestyle. No commute, I can wear the same clothes for days on end and if it’s yellow… yep, I can just go ahead and let it mellow. Of course, all this is true if you are lucky enough to work from home, but that dream has yet to come calling.

Still, I wasn’t complaining when I got a job recently after quite the lengthy period of, ahem, very green living. Unfortunately, my new job is a forty-five minute drive away in a different county, a trip that, while technically possible using public transportation, would probably require several bus changes on two different systems and miles of walking. I’d have to leave for work as soon is I get home from work.

So now I’ve joined the other stop-and-go weekday warriors, spewing my greenhouse gases and burning fuel by the tank-full. And I’m earning a paycheck, a deal I was more than happy to make. But what can I do to reduce my workday footprint now that I’ve left my little green income-free utopia? Read more…

My 3-year-old son, Colin, and I have a new afternoon hobby that I’m very excited to share! We have been hard at work in the kitchen, cooking up creative batches of Sensory Dough, our special version of homemade play dough. Making homemade play dough is super cheap, eco-chic, and incredibly easy. Once you get started, you’ll never go back to store bought name brands again! I call it Sensory Dough because the batches we have been making have exciting scents and textures. Read more…

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Recently Wolf has been on this wicked DIY kick. I’m totally cool with him doing things such as fixing his motorcycle, changing the brakes on the car, and cleaning the totally disgusting bathroom drain by himself. He reports these things are not quite as difficult as we’ve been led to believe. Read more…

Throughout the summer, I have built up a great collection of pre-loved nature craft books for children. My son, Colin, has built up a great collection of natural craft supplies. Pine cones, barks, lichens, shells, and twigs have been collecting on a shelf in our family room, just waiting for the perfect project!  Read more…

Dig! Toss! Splash! Vroom! Scrape! Wheee-ohhh, Wheee-ohhh! These are just some of the sounds of summer when two little boys, a lake, and Green Toys are combined.

Read more…

J and I have a lot of furniture that’s older than we are.  Not the cool, full of history, antique kind of old, but the ugly, outdated, full of baggage kind of old.  Hand-me-downs we were grateful for as new homeowners trying to furnish our house are now big heavy eyesores that irk me.  But they do serve a purpose, and the frugal greenie in me has a hard time buying something new to replace what we already have.

Plus, while we have no plans to move house in the immediate future, we know this isn’t our forever home.  So buying new (or new to us) furniture doesn’t really make sense right now.  We’ve always said that when we move, we’ll sell or donate most of our furniture instead of paying to move it.  But when I redid my home office a few months ago, I realized that even the most outdated of furniture has potential, and being frugal and green about our furniture choices doesn’t have to leave me feeling like a martyr.   Read more…

Here’s an easy guide to winterizing your windows and doors to save energy.