The National Trust for Historic Preservation says “The greenest house is the house already built.”  Of course, most homes could use a little greening up.  Read more…

Wondering what to do with your child’s broken crayons?

Send them to Rebecca, and she’ll turn them into cute new crayons in a fun variety of shapes.

Or find ways to recycle them yourself, like making your own crayon art.  Whatever you do, don’t throw them away!

I drink a few cups of coffee in the morning before moving on to tea.  I used to use two or three mugs in a day, and spend a lot of time (and energy) reheating my drinks.  The top rack of our dishwasher always fills up first.  This week, it dawned on me that using my travel mug at home would solve many problems.

I have a stainless steel coffee mug from the best grocery store in the world.  I rinse it out with just a tiny bit of water when I switch beverages, and close the lid when I’m not actually drinking from it.  It keeps the heat in, and keeps the top rack of my dishwasher from filling up as fast.  Fewer dishwasher loads = less energy use.

Could your sweetener of choice be contaminating tap water? Read more…

Want to make an easy change in your daily routine and lessen your impact?  Read more…

Still looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift?  Organic Bouquet is offering a free vase with your bouquet purchase.

I love Organic Bouquet.  I order from them whenever I want to send flowers (and no, I don’t get anything from them for this).

Here’s why I love Organic Bouquet: Read more…

Looking for a way to pass the time without spending money or using much energy? Read more…

Since our house is a Greenists product tester lab, sometimes we end up suffering through green products that don’t cut the mustard.  Recently, it was a dishwasher detergent that not only didn’t clean the coffee stains out of our mugs, but seemed to set it, leaving us with mugs that looked horribly dirty, even after being washed several times.  And even after I switched back to my favorite green dishwasher detergent, (which always does a great job of keeping the stains from forming in the first place), the stains just didn’t want to go away.

Read more…

Monday – Recycle Your Tree

Tuesday – Return It

Wednesday – Just Say No to Petroleum Products

Thursday – Have Some Eco-Friendly Winter Fun

Friday – Feed the Birds

This week, I’m on a major decluttering mission, so the tips will focus on the best ways to get rid of the stuff you no longer need.  What are you getting rid of?

If you’re looking for a way to pass time on long winter night, pull out a board game or a pack of cards.  J and I have passed many a weekend afternoon with a never ending game of Risk and a pot of herbal tea.  Light some soy candles, turn off the lights, bundle up, turn down the heat, and play.  You’ll save energy and get to spend some quality time with your family.

If you don’t have any board games, check freecycle, yard sales, and thrift shops instead of buying new.  If you’re tired of your games, suggest a swap or rotation with friends.