Today is Earth Day, and it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time in my life.
When we found the house that we just moved into, I immediately made a commitment to myself to start being more "green" once we moved in. We have a huge yard, so there's more room for some of the things I wanted to do. Also, the house is bigger and comes with a large, sparkly, refreshing money pit called a pool! So this will increase our energy bills. I want to save money anywhere I can, while going green!
These are my green goals thus far:
1. Recycle more. I want to be more conscientious about recycling, and try to recycle everything that I possibly can. While we were moving, I learned that there is no recycling pickup at our new home. But that's ok, we're just adding a trip to the dump to our weekend routine. This one is starting immediately.
2. Start a compost pile. I have plenty of room and plenty of grass clippings & other organic matter. This is good for the environment and keeps a lot of stuff out of the landfills. I'm hoping to start this weekend.
3. Install a clothes line. I'm going to start line drying some of our clothes. It saves energy, a win for the earth and for my finances! (I also never, ever wash in hot water. I don't even hook up the hot water to my washer.) We're doing that this weekend.
4. Make my own laundry soap. I learned about this over at Loving Mom 2 Boys' blog, and I'm really excited about it! I'm also doing that this weekend.
5. Plant vegetables/herbs. Although I have the room to plant a big garden, I lack the time and the know-how. I know my limits! But I may plant some tomato and pepper plants, and a few herbs. I also am going to make an effort to buy locally whenever possible. This will be done in the next few weeks, hopefully.
How about you?
Obviously not everyone can plant gardens and put up clotheslines, but you can start thinking of smaller things to do. Here are a few of my suggestions:
- Switch to energy saving light bulbs.
- Use cloth shopping bags. (buy a stash and try to keep them in your car.)
- Plant a small indoor herb garden.
- Buy locally. (learn how that helps here.)
- Visit www.EarthDay.org for more ideas and tips.
Happy Earth Day!
19 comments:
Good luck with going green Cyndy. We've been doing the light bulbs for a couple of years and they really will help save money. I've bought the reusable shopping bags too but usually forget them at home. My goal today is to remember to bring them with me from now on. Thanks for the reminder.
Just dropping a note to say, I found you through facebook and am now following your blog.
I look forward to reading more from you. Very commendable of you to make the extra trip to the dump to recycle. Can't believe they don't recycle in your area.
Shelly
We do just about all of that. I let the kids do the recycle sorting and the compost pile. Not only do they love it, but they are learning to!
I love having my own garden. It is very time consuming in the beginning (getting it made and planted it hard work) but there is nothing like eating something you slaved over to grow!
We have a clothesline too. However, I'm guilty of never using it. I know. I'm awful...
I keep a lot of stuff unplugged because I read that even having a computer or electronics plugged in, but not turned on wastes energy!
I want a veg garden too, but we have nasty rabbits.
Good luck!
Thanks for coming over from Shortmama's! I'll be checking out your blog!
I am looking into a compost bin too. And this morning I was pricing reusable shopping bags online. :)
The clothesline and veggies are a wonderful idea!
My friend always dries her bed sheets outside, says they smell so good!
We use the energy saving bulbs and I try to recycle everything, including the cardboard things from toilet paper and paper towels...anything I can, I recycle. Good for you to go the extra mile and go to the dump.
I also recycle all our soda cans and plastic bottles, water bottles, you name it. I take them to a recycling place and get money for them, not a lot but an extra 20 bucks in my pocket is always nice!
God luck with the rest! Post some pics of your yard, I would love to see it!
Mr. B is a green-o-holic.
We're putting in a geothermal heating/cooling system in our new house.
There will be a compost pile.
He bought a push mower - the kind you just walk behind and push - it doesn't have a motor...
There's other stuff I know but I just can't think at the moment.
Mr. B is a green-o-holic.
We're putting in a geothermal heating/cooling system in our new house.
There will be a compost pile.
He bought a push mower - the kind you just walk behind and push - it doesn't have a motor...
There's other stuff I know but I just can't think at the moment.
I try to do as much as I can to save our family money too. I tried making my own laundry soap too but then I started having itchy skin and Im not sure if its just because of allergies in general or to the homemade soap. Once the pollen count isnt so high I am going to try to make the soap again to see if it was really the soap or not
If you have the room, a compost pile is a great idea. And I've got the CF bulbs everywhere and I'm a devoted user of fabric shopping bags. Today, for Earth Day, my little one and I took a walk and cleaned up all the trash we saw. We got about half a block and had 131 pieces of trash. How sad is that? We decided we'll do it once a week to keep our neighborhood cleaner.
Those are great tips! Normally I have a garden but I have to bum off my BIL's garden for now :) I hang my clothes out and recycle aluminum cans.
Good luck going green. We have energy efficient light bulbs already, a garden in the works, and a clothsline already. I don't use cloth bags because I never remember (but I am trying!). I do buy fresh from farmers markets all summer though, and we do recycle by taking to a free dumping ground that they have in a local parking lot where you can drop off glass, bottles, paper, and cardboard in bins :)
We do some of those things but could certainly do more. Can't do the clothesline, though; too many allergies in this house :( Good for you for making a commitment to taking your recyclables to the dump. When my niece moved from Seattle to Chicago, she was BUMMED to learn that they did not recycle. She'd save up her stuff, though, and I'd pick up from her when I visited her and take it back to Green Bay with me.
Thank you for the wonderful advice.
I try to do my part each day.
I need to do WAY more than I am doing now, but I'm trying! I really want to do a compost bin, but have no clue where to begin. In the meantime I didn't take a bag at B&N tonight, so that's a start!
One thing you might want to consider is a rain barrel or two. especially if you are going to have some plants that need a daily watering - those barrels can hold a ton of water from off the roof.
You don't hook up the hot water to your washer? wow. I can't live without it. My immune compromised husband and me with my sensitive skin, we need the undies sanitized and the towels, too.
Sounds like you have a plan and that's wonderful!
finally catching up on all my blog reading!
happy belated earth day!!!! its one of my fave holidays because it always reminds me to be a bit more mindful.
i never hook the hot water up to my washer either. i thought i was the only one.
i hope you have great success with your clothesline. its one of the few things i miss about florida. line dried sheets smell wonderful.
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