Another Wallet Buddy!

Ok so New American Dream has another wallet buddy like I one I had put in here before, but here's the newest one.

This one is considered the Thrifty Wallet Buddy, but it has the same ideals as the last one.
Here's to that spending fast people!!!

http://www.newdream.org/live/walletbuddy.pdf

De-Clutter your Life!

So my big thing these past couple of days has been to de-clutter my life, my home, my work, my thoughts--everything!!!

Sure, many people go thru that organizing faze at one point in their lives, especially in a new year, but for me its not about finding pretty boxes to box up more STUFF in, its about making life long changes.

Just like changing your thinking about living more green, cleaning up your life is another great way to make an even bigger statement about living green.

Tonight I tackled cleaning out the office closet. We've already cleaned the garage recently so the inside of the house was next. Which I have been avoiding for some time now. But I was growing tired of feeling like all my "stuff" was closing in on me.

UGH. cleaning the office was not fun. It was the ONE room I didn't care to do. I swear the office is like the landing place of things that didn't make it into the garage. AND once the stuff got in here--it had babies or something.

I recently read a book where the main character talked about how she dreamed of living in a small house where there was hardly anything in it and everything was white.

Now don't get me wrong, I love having color in my home. You almost have too having kids or else my walls would show smudge marks everywhere.

But her idea of living so simply has always appealed to me. If I didnt' have so much clutter in my home I think I would feel like the house was cleaner and more tidy. If I didn't have a bunch of knick-knacks or tiny "things" I wouldn't feel like I was so crowded. There would be less to dust at least!

But its true really. If I just had less stuff I wouldn't feel like my STUFF was overwhelming me.

SO I started today.

Started cleaning out all my stuff in my house ( again, cause we do this I swear once a year) and really taking a serious look at if I really NEED what is in my home.

Do I need that ceramic thingy?

Do I really need 15 extra blankets?

Why am I saving this thing again?

Is having 25 plates really necessary?

Ok some of those questions don't relate to me, but I was just trying to get you all thinking about the things in your house.

Since I've turned over the new leaf of not buying something unless I've seriously thought about if I needed it or not. Living up to my Wallet Buddy Values. But I also need to take a serious look at what I already have. Sure I'm not adding to my pile as quickly, but I do need to pare down my stuff.

Give my stuff to someone who really wants it or needs it.

So take a look at your stuff. I'm sure a shelter, a school, a hospital, a church, the Goodwill, Craigslisters, Freecycle or maybe a friend would like your stuff. Having less clutter means less mess to clean up anyway. It works out great for everyone!

*Please note the pictures above is NOT my office. Its just some random picture from this site here. *

"I've Come to Suck your ENERGY!"

Ok I know I've talked before about energy consumption, but I found a picture today on Treehugger that really shows in detail what appliances 'suck' your engery the most.

We have been really careful about switching off our electricity that is not in use or turning off power at the surger protector.

This visual gave me a much better idea though.
I tried to copy the picture, but I couldn't get it big enough. Click here to see the Energy Vampires!

Sock Ideas

My friend Heidi sent me think link for ideas on what to use with old Socks.

Obviously some are ones we are familiar with, but some are really cute ideas.

Check it out by clicking here.

"I'm Dreaming...of a Green Christmas..."

So my friend Mary (who is Green in Reno BTW) asked me to write a little post about what to buy our non-green living friends and family members.

Immediate family is easy--my son still isn't old enough to sass me about something being used. But my mom or dad might not think my used gift is great.

Mary, I too have been obsessing over what to get my family for Christmas. It isn't easy to determine what to buy people when you KNOW they either don't exactly support our new lifestyle.

BUT I did come across a few sites that I think are helpful in getting our shopping done.

Here is my fave: TreeHuggers 2007 Gift Guide TreeHugger has got about every type of person under the sun with many gift ideas. Some are not cheap--I will admit that. But most have some unique ideas that I probably would not have found on my own. They have the gift guide into sections for any type of person so hopefully that is a good place to start.

Here are some of my own personal ideas that I have come up with.....

• Giving the Gift of Hope thru World Vision. Personally I LOVE World Vision (or any non-profit that is similar) and their mission. When they were at the Puyallup Fair they had a huge booth set up that talked about children in Africa and you could see how they live, work and play. It was emotional and I cried. Yep, I cried at the Fair. I think people stared at me. Anyway, they have a very cool gift catalog with a lot of gifts under $50 and its not just sponsoring a child. Your own children might not understand getting a goat or a chicken for Christmas, but its a wonderful gift to someone in a deserving country.
• Netflix. Seriously I love this service and its a pretty green gift. You don't have to drive to get or return your videos, your movie comes via mail, not extra packaging and best of all--just a flat fee! No late fees. Sure you might not get that movie that comes out THE day is releases, but I have gotten movies the DAY they come out. It can happen. Besides a true green friend doesn't have cable and this is the alternative. You can buy a Netflix subscription for someone months at a time if you are a current member.
• How about Tickets to a concert? Or the an Art Gallery? Or maybe a membership to your family members local Zoo or Museum? Sometimes even being a tourist in your own town is fun.
• iTunes giftcards. Shameless plug--I LIVE for these to appear magically in my stocking! Santa if you are reading this.... But its no packaging that normally comes with a CD and they get to pick what they want.
• How about pictures? My parents are ALWAYS bugging me for pictures of us as a family. Maybe you can make a collage of some cute pictures of your kids or send them a CD with a BUNCH of pictures so they can add them to their computer and order what they want. Pictures really do say a thousand words and is priceless.
• Lets not forget giving those we love cloth bags. Maybe it should include a picture of your kid or something? (ok that might be a bit much) shockingly my mom already has some cloth bags!! GASP!
• I'm all for the handmade gifts, but I SUCK at making handmade gifts. etsy.com is a good place for handmade stuff. I like to get handmade stuff--especially quilts. I love me some handmade blankets.
• Along the same lines as Netflix is Gamefly. Basically its Netflix, but instead of movies you can rent video games. I'm planning on this for Noah this year. Sure I don't want him playing games until his brain melts, but its an alternative to allowing him to buy games he doesn't like, are too hard or he just gets tired of. Its a little more expensive then I'd like to spend--its a thought.

Those are my gift ideas. Please share yours too! I'm new at this green stuff too and I would love to hear any ideas you all may have. Enjoy your shopping! OH and the best way to be green and shop is by NOT going shopping at all. Stay home and shop online if you must shop. Going out shopping will only encourage you to spend more on silly gifts you don't really need. Staying at home with your family is better any day.

Homemade Products

So James and I have been trying really hard to save our money a lot more then usual.
Yesterday James took it upon himself to make a homemade window washer fluid since he was out in his truck.
It wasn't hard and we had everything in the house already.
We used my Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean book. I have found so many great tips from her book and of course she has a website. (link is above)

Today I cleaned my fake wood floors with tea. (fake wood floors meaning my laminate flooring)
Apparently cleaning with tea on wood is really common. I found it on DIY and various other sites.
It was easy to do, although you have to clean like Cinderella, but I like to think I burned some calories at the same time by scrubbing my floors like her. Cinderella was pretty thin you know.

Sure maybe I only saved about $5 in making homemade washer fluid and cleaning with Tea, but it saved me a trip to the store, saved me $5 and all the products were made from things that won't poison me or my family.
Consider doing it at your house too! You'd be amazed at how clean your house can be cleaning naturally.

**Please note that if you drive a vehicle that is leased, its probably best to stay away from homemade products. Keep in mind that in some cities homemade washer fluid might freeze since anti-freeze isn't included in homemade recipes.**

Wild 100

Animal Planet is running special about the top Wild 100 animals that are our faves.

If you go to their site and vote on which animal is your fave Animal Planet will donate $1 to the WWF (World Wildlife Federation, not the World Wrestling Federation).

So click here to vote for your fave animal and donate a dollar!

Another Penny Pinching Idea

So I found this idea on Treehugger which is always a great site to check out for green ideas and green stuff.

So what do you do with those cereal box liners? Obviously they can't be recycled, but you can always use them like you would wax paper.

Don't' cook with them or use them in a microwave, but maybe you need wax paper to smash down something sticky you are cooking with.
Either way, use it like you would wax paper. Just be sure to dump out those cereal crumbs.

For the actual article click here.

Count the Costs

For me, doing this whole "green lifestyle" thingy probably the hardest part is the cost. Its not cheap.
I guess you have to have a 'lotta green to go green--LOL!
Yeah, but I'm not really laughing.

Sure I might save a few bucks here and there on my electric bill ( still waiting for that to happen btw), but as a whole I'm shelling out more then I'm saving more.

Does it strike anyone as sad that cheaply made products that are harmful for the environment and for the people who probably made them, are cheaper then organic or eco-friendly items??
Its like a horrible irony really.

Take the other day for example. I purchased eco-happy shampoo from the natural food section at my Fred Meyer ( the only store w/ a large organic/natural section) and it cost me $7.99. For me that is A LOT when I spend about $2.50 on shampoo in a Huge bottle. Ok its pretty obvious from the price tag that I buy cheap shampoo. All you hair dressers Stay BACK!

If I was into my hair and got it done all the time at a professional salon and then spent a fortune on my haircare products, maybe the $7.99 wouldn't come as such a shock to me.

But it does and will continue....sigh....

Its not all so bad. I have found that buying things expensive I'm less inclined to use it up and go crazy with it. So that $7.99 shampoo (did I mention that was the cheapest bottle there??) will last me FOREVER.

That is backwards thinking though isn't' it? That if I spend more I'm less likely to use more? If it works it works.

Using natural shampoo has become important to me though. The more I read about what the products really are in my shampoo bottle, the less I even want to shampoo my hair.

JUST KIDDING! Not going to turn into one of those people who allow their hair to form into dreads and I start wearing patchouli.

But seriously if you want more information about what those funny sounding words are on your shampoo bottle and more info on beauty products click here.

Turn it Off!!!

No, not the lights! (although that is a good place to start!)

What I mean is turn off your cell phones when you don't need it on. I find that when I leave it on (which I'll admit to doing often!) that battery just runs low quickly and I have to charge it all over again.

So from now on I'm going to remember to turn it off as much as possible. Besides, when I'm home I have a land line anyway. If someone truly needed to reach me then I have that line.

Green Update

So we've been living this whole green lifestyle for a few months now and I thought I would update you all on how its going.

Well, so far so good. I do loathe my low flow shower head!! Not only is it low flow, its also stingy with the heat! You have to pump it up and then its still only lukewarm which just makes me want to get out. Ok ok, that isn't a bad thing and truly I have to break my nice hot morning shower habit....but if I can't take a bath anymore....sigh....that one has been hard.

No more paper towels at our house anymore! WE finally ran out of paper towels about 3 weeks ago and it was an easy transition. The cloth napkins are easier and prettier to use anyway. My son actually was the easy one to make the switch to cloth. He accepted it right away and lately I've caught him blowing his nose on them too. Which could be defined as a good thing or a bad thing really! Just need to have him keep using that same one to blow his nose on! Ugh.

My husband isn't really having an easy time with this whole "green" stuff though. Although he doesn't really complain. Occasionally he'll bring up how eco-friendly something is or how energy efficient something is. He's coming around slowly, but he'll get there.

I on the other hand have found some of this to be a little hard. They say it takes 21 days to change a bad habit, but some of my bad habits I've been doing for about 21 yrs. Those types of habits are a little harder to break.
Take the whole lunch box ordeal. At times I find myself lamenting for the days of individually packaged lunch things or not having to think about what to pack in my sons lunch. But then I'm reminded of how much garbage we are saving by not buying that stuff anymore.
And I'm finding that the money I'm saving on not buying lunch junk is allowing me room to buy organic products.

One huge advance in my green challenge has been my mom. My mom is not the most eco-friendly person. Ok she has ZERO eco-ness (is that a word??) in her body. BUT the other day when I climbed into her large SUV type car (you knew that was coming right!?!) she had cloth shopping bags in her front seat. She went on to tell me about how she has to put them in the front seat so she won't forget them, how they hold so much stuff, how she gets a 5 cent refund for each bag at Safeway, how nice and big they were and on and on.
Sniff.
I could have shed a tear with her little speech. Now I'm sure she isn't using those cloth bags all the time because she is pretty forgetful, but the fact that she is even TRYING is HUGE for her. Just huge!!! (If my brother Corey is reading this he is probably saying "NO WAY!")
I don't know when she caught onto the reusable bags. It might have been during the summer when I would go shopping with her lugging around my cloth bags everywhere I went.

They say that people will most want to be like you by watching what you do. I guess I made myself out to be an example for her and honestly, I'm SUPER proud!

Now I'm just trying to come up with a neat present for C-mas that is eco-friendly that she'll use and actually like. Maybe something beyond cloth bags and CFL light bulbs.

Anyone got any good ideas??

The Cactus Picture is from Natalie Dee. She has some of the BEST art check it out at http://www.nataliedee.com/index.php

Tie on a Red Rubber band

So I called my local energy/gas company the other day to ask about rebates for replacing new windows. (Which we will be doing in the next few weeks!!) Anyway, no rebates from them, however I was asking her about tankless water heaters and how we spend nearly half of our electric bill on just heating that stupid water heater.

Although I won't be getting a tankless water heater right now (do to the windows) she had a neat little tip for me.

She suggested that I put a red rubber band on my faucets to remind me, "Do I really need to use hot water for this?"

Which in retrospect, I probably don't need hot water to rinse anything--if I even need to rinse it at all! I'll admit to using hot water a little too much when its not really necessary.

She's right in most cases, I don't need hot water to wash, rinse, whatever.

So there's your little tip!

Tie on a little red rubber band to your faucet that reminds you to STOP using hot water for unnecessary reasons!

After all, most homes spent about a 1/3 on just heating your hot water heater. That's a lot of money just flowing down the drain....

Book Exchange Site

I love to read! It is one of my favorite relaxing times and what I enjoy doing most. I spend a lot of time at the library getting books, putting books on hold; I love it to say the least. So I came across an article in my Green Living Tips Newsletter that had a link to a website called Book Mooch.
Here is how it works...

1. Type in books you want to give away
2. Receive Requests from people who want your books
3. Mail your books and receive points
4. Ask for books from others with your points

Simple enough. I haven't tried it yet considering I don't have any books I want to give away right now, but that doesn't mean I won't come across some in the very near future.

See how you like it and let me know if it works for you....

More Green changes @ our house!

Sorry I haven't written very much in awhile! I switched my shift around @ work and now I'm working days instead of nights. So it feels like I don't have as much time on my hands!!
Soooo.....
Here's the latest on being Green at our house.

James made a funny comment yesterday to me concerning the water just draining off our roof and our current rain barrel can't hold no more! He was like, "All that water just going to waste."
I had to smile at that because this is coming from the guy who said, "No Way" when I said I was going green. Yep, before you know it he'll be doing more then me.

I finally planted/buried my below ground compost bin. I'll let you know if it does its job! It was a labor of love to get that hole dug!!! Our ground is mainly made up of rocks, rocks, boulders, and maybe a little dirt too mixed in. Its going to make for a rough planting once we get a garden going. I'm thinking a container garden might be appropriate!!

But this year for Christmas we have decided were going to take a whole new approach. Thankfully my brother is all for this idea because he to is starting to live the green lifestyle. This year for Christmas we won't be giving material gifts and if we do or need too, they will be used. I'm probably going to the coupon book idea for my son Noah.
This way he can "cash in" his coupons for things like outings to the Zoo, or trips to the park, a Video rental of his choice and so on.
Noah is actually pretty good about not caring if his toys are new or used. He loves to stop at yard sales and thrift stores to find treasures and to see how much free stuff he can get. although I pray that that mentality stays the same as the years progress.

We have decided to switch to Green Power from our local Energy company, Puget Sound Energy. I don't have all the details yet as someone will have to contact us from the company, but what I do know is they use wind power for their green power. For about $4 per month they will buy 320 kilowatts of renewable energy from right here in WA. I figure since I'm saving so much by not using my dryer as often, it will pay for itself in the end. If you live here in WA State check out Puget Sound Energy's Green Power information.

I'm also considering starting a bible study from a workbook available for Serve God Save the Planet. He has a workbook available for free on his website and I'm thinking that would be a great start to get my church more involved with being green. I just have to wait for the new groups for winter to start up. Hopefully it will go over well...

So there you go.
More later.

Making it Count

So the New American Dream site I have written about before & I encouraged you all to print out their little wallet buddy, but alas, I don't think any of you did. So I thought I would list what is stated on their wallet buddy and just how NEAT it is.

So here it goes...
Sample Questions to ask yourself before Buying...

• Is this something I need?
• Do I already own something that could serve the same purpose?
• Can I borrow on, find one used, or make one instead of buying new?
• Was it made locally?
• Was it made with environmentally preferable materials?
• Was it made with fair labor practices?
• Will it serve more then one purpose?
• Is it made well enough to last a useful length of time?
• Will it be easy and cost-effective to maintain?
• Will used it require excessive energy?
• Does it come in excessive packaging?
• Can I recycle it or compost it when I'm done with it?
• If I'm still not sure, can I wait a month before deciding to buy it?

So there you go. Just some impressive questions to ask yourself when you are shopping.

Just gotta love it....Try it!

Fixing the Planet

This is Ed Begley, Jr's website Fixing the Planet.

He has some neat links and information! This is a totally separate site from his HGTV show.
Enjoy!

Zoom Around your Neighborhood!

So here is a neat little tool on the Sierra Club website. Its called Zoomer and when you type in your zip code it links you up with other websites in your area to help you with environmental stuff, animal shelters, efficiency, recycling, air pollution and more.
Check it out!
Its a handy tool!!

Zoomer

Organic Home Delivery

If you live in the Northwest Pioneer Organics is a home delivery company. Unfortunately they do not deliever to my area as of yet, but you can find out if they deliver to yours by zip code.

Check it out!

More proof of my green

Here is one of the 3 drying racks I have. This is my SUPER drying rack!! Its HUGE. I still want a clothes line, but for now this works and its good to dry inside on a rainy day. Got this at a yard sale for $5 and the proceeds from that yard sale benefited Children's Hospital. Its easy to shop and do good things at the same time!

This is my new baby. My cone compost bin. It actually gets buried underground where you see the black part. Its a compost bin mainly for kitchen scraps, small plants and some grass. Its like a lazy composter too! I don't have to do anything to it except clean it about once a year. You drop the scraps in the top part and the remainder is composted below ground into the soil and helps feed your soil below. Its a unique concept really.
But if you are looking for a composter for your yard waste, still do that above ground so you can benefit from the compost to mix into your garden. Like I said, this is the lazy composter which is totally me.
And where did I find this handy little composter you ask!??
Well, I found it at the ReStore which all proceeds benefit the Habitat for Humanity branch here in Tacoma. AND it was only...drumroll please....$35. Retails online for....over $200. I will point out that my composter is BRAND NEW. The ReSTore got it from Lowes when they discontinued this from the store. How AWESOME is that!??

And here is my compost bin inside to catch my kitchen scraps. I know its sad, but it works! It cost me $0 because its previous life was a Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bucket, but now its my ghetto compost scrap bucket. Right next to the garbage so everyone can remember to dispose of properly. (Please try to ignore my plastic bag I use for my other garbage. When I run out of these I will be using a more environmentally safe garbage bag)
Honestly, I buy Blue Bunny Ice Cream in the bucket because I can reuse the buckets for so many other things around the house. I'm pre-recycling when I buy it.

Here is my thorn in my side--my water heater. I swear this thing is why I spend so much on heating. But now I'm hoping he'll be more happy now that he has his own little jacket to keep him warm and snugly. Jacket cost me about $20 total and I haven't seen my electric bill yet, but when I do I'm hoping that I'll be saving a least a few dollars now that he's all wrapped up.


This is my toilet tank. All of our toilets now have a bottle of water (but I want to fill them w/ sand, just have to get the sand) to help "fill" in the tank a little more so less water is used to fill up the tank. Sort of like back in the day when people used bricks in their tanks? Same idea except this won't eventually corrode like a brick! Try it! Its EASY and free. BE cautious of putting it too close to the flapper though--don't want to break anything in there.

See how easy it is? SO easy and so CHEAP!! yes, going green can cost more, but at the same time if you look hard enough and do a little research you can go green and save money in the long run.

All of this stuff I found easily and I know you can too! Those drying racks are nice to pick up around this time of year since there is a lot of shoppers for kids going off to college. Drying racks are there for those college kids who can' t afford to pay to use the dryer and mom sends them off with a rack to help them out! Genius! I know at Bed Bath and Beyond you can find a wooden one for about $10. They have metal ones too. I"m waiting for them go get on clearance though and then I'll buy them w/ my millions of 20% off coupons I have. (Do you know those coupons NEVER expire even though they have an expiration date? Its true! And you can use up to 6 of the coupons in one transaction. So if you have 6 items, use 6 coupons! I kid you not!!)

Amazing Power of Vinegar

I have been using Vinegar to clean for years now; way before my Green Epiphany! Here are some handy tips I got from someone else about how to use it. Personally I use it as a air neutralizer in my kitchen, for cleaning and disinfecting. I love it and if it gets on me or my pets lick it--no worries!!!

Handy vinegar tips

- To remove calcium buildup on kettles and electric jugs, boil the kettle with half a cup of white vinegar and leave to soak for a while. Rinse with fresh water, reboil with same and your kettle should now be calcium deposit free.

- Place a small container of vinegar in your toilet and bathroom to eliminate odors.

- A half cup of vinegar added to a toilet bowl left overnight removes bowl odor. The smell of the vinegar will also dissipate overnight.

- A cotton ball soaked in vinegar and applied to bruises for an hour is said to speed up the healing process.

- Vinegar on minor burns and many sorts of stings can alleviate pain.

- For cleaning your dishwasher, vinegar frozen into ice cubes, then a couple added to the bottom of the dishwasher just prior to a cycle is an effective alternative to using heavy chemical cleaners.

- Old, stiff paintbrushes can be revived by dipping them into heated white vinegar for a couple of hours, followed by a rinse in soapy water. Beats using turpentine!

- Vinegar can be used as a nappy soak; simply add half a cup of white vinegar to the water in the nappy bucket

- Use it as a broad leaf weed killer - spray it neat onto the leaves of weeds, being careful to avoid plants you wish to keep. A mix of vinegar and salt can be used to keep weeks and grass out of driveway cement joins.

- Vinegar can be used as a bench top disinfectant; but it's a good idea to wipe over at night in order that the smell dissipates.

- For pet owners, white vinegar poured onto pet urine mishaps on carpets, then blotted up with paper towel will prevent staining and odor.

- Save money on washing pre-spray by spraying neat vinegar on deodorant and other stains on garments just prior to washing.

- Spray a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water onto soap scum on shower screens, leave sit then wipe or rinse off.

- Neat vinegar sprayed onto mould affected bathroom/shower tiles will kill the mould.

- Vinegar can be used as a fabric softener by adding half the amount of vinegar as you would of your usual softening agent.

- I've seen many suggestions that a tablespoon of vinegar can be used as a replacement for hair conditioner.

- Vinegar can also be used as a glass cleaner either mixed with water or used neat in a spray bottle.

- Use full strength vinegar to polish chrome and stainless steel

- Use a 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean your iron. Add the mixture to your iron and allow it steam itself clean

- Pour boiling white vinegar down a clogged drain to remove the obstruction

- Used in an fine atomizer, vinegar is effective as room deodorizer

- Ants hate vinegar; so spray it around doorways and other areas they frequent to repel them
... not to mention vinegar is great for chips and salad dressings :).

These tips really only scratch the surface of this versatile and environmentally friendly substance. How many toxic cleaning products could you replace with vinegar? Do you have a handy vinegar tip?