Last night, my husband and son were gone, so I took the opportunity to do what any woman finding herself alone in the house would do – I watched “Extreme Couponing.” I am both fascinated and appalled in some instances by this whole concept. I’ve always used coupons, if I have them for something I need. But, on last night’s episode, there was a single mother of two who couldn’t work. She and the kids were living at her parent’s house. Since she couldn’t work (I don’t think she ever gave the reason why), she used her extreme couponing acumen … Continue reading →

Yes, I shouldn’t even be writing this blog as plastic bags are anti-green. But, sometimes I forget my reusable bags and end up with plastic bags from the store. You can return them to many stores for recycling, but there are also some ways you can been a bit green by reusing the plastic bags. One easy way to reuse the bags is to put your dirty clothes in them. No matter where we travel, we end up with plastic bags and always use them for this. You can also wrap your shoes in plastic bags to keep them from … Continue reading →

Think the Internet killed the newspaper? Not quite. Each year, over 24 billion newspapers are printed. Newspaper can be recycled, but that may not always be a good idea because in some cases, it could have a higher carbon footprint than new paper. What can all that leftover newspaper be used for other than to line the bottom of a bird’s cage? Here are a few suggestions. One that I found fascinating was that you can crumple up newspaper, splash a bit of white vinegar on it and clean windows without streaking. I definitely need to try that one. I … Continue reading →

I’ve written about recycling a lot of things – blue jeans, magazines, but here’s something most people just throw in the trash – coffee grounds. But, before you toss those grounds, think of some of the ways they may be reused. Why would you want to find a use for old coffee grounds? When they break down, they release methane, which is a more powerful gas than CO2. If you need to dry the coffee grounds for later use, spread them out on a cookie sheet and sit near a sunny window to prevent molding. You can use coffee grounds … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year – chances are your youngins’ have started back to school. I’ve done blogs in the past on how to be green with school kids, but let’s do a quick review. Here are some questions you may want to ask your school: Do they recycle? If so, there should be bins labeled for paper, cans, and cardboard. What are the teachers teaching? Going green is becoming a bigger part of education, so don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher what she is doing as far as a green education. Don’t be afraid to suggest green projects … Continue reading →

Part of being green is using natural ingredients, buying locally grown and produced products, and carrying your own reusable bags to the store. But, what about all the packing your products are in? Flour you use to make homemade bread comes in a bag and some oranges come in a mesh-like bag. Are you really making that much of a difference if you still have product packaging waste? Well, it may seem a little uber-green, but it is reported that we toss out 1.4 billion pounds of waste every day in America. And, even more alarming to me is that … Continue reading →

When I was a kid, I always thought I’d do something to make a difference. Nothing huge – I didn’t aspire to be president or cure cancer, but something small, but significant. I guess it was a fantasy that I don’t think I ever really fulfilled. However, Bob Votruba doesn’t have to worry about making a difference because he decided to make a different. He bought an old bus and had family members help paint it. Then he and his faithful companion Bogart (a Boston terrier), set out to remind people to be kind. Sounds like a simple idea, doesn’t … Continue reading →

Recycling is important, but sometimes we get caught up in our day to day lives and forget just how important it can be. For example, over half a million trees could be saved if each household in America replaced just one roll of regular paper towels with one that was 100 percent recycled. If we recycled just one ton of cardboard, we could save 9 cubic yards in a landfill. In 2005, 79 million tons of waste was avoided because of recycling and composting. With those facts in mind, here are a few tips for recycling: – One easy tip … Continue reading →

Glass is one of the things that can be easily recycled. It’s a good thing too – each year, about 40 billion bottles are made. Every 1,000 kg of glass that is recycled saves 315 kg of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. But, what becomes of the recycled glass? Companies such as ASG Glass uses recycled glass to make your landscapes beautiful. The recycled glass glows like jewelry and can be used to decorate potted plants as well as other areas of your front or backyard. But, you should check with the solid waste department in your … Continue reading →

I remember the big VHS vs. betamax debate in the early ‘80s. My best friend chose betamax and proudly showed off her collection of movies, which consisted of about five. I was still living at home at the time and my dad chose to get a VCR. What if we had made the wrong choice I thought? As it turns out, we all made the wrong choice. VHS tapes had their heyday, but in 2006, film studios stopped releasing new movies in VHS format because DVDs took over the movie business. If you are like me, you may have hundreds … Continue reading →