Tag Archives: environment

Hidden Energy Hogs

The following items in your home are costing you more energy and money than you realize. No, we aren’t talking about traditional energy hogs, such as refrigerators, home lighting, hot water, heating and cooling. These areas of the home are getting more efficient, thanks to new energy-saving appliances and more awareness of going green. The hidden energy hogs that I am talking about seem innocuous, and almost every household has one or two of them. They are a new category of energy users, what the Energy Power Research Institute (EPRI) calls the “plug-in loads.” After reading this article, you may … Continue reading →

Eco-Friendly Mowers

If you want to mow your lawn and be kind to the environment, the only way to achieve those goals is to look into alternatives to the traditional gas mower. Here are four options to look into for eco-friendly mowing. And if you want to learn more about the impact of a gas mower as well as trading it in, click here: Eco-Friendly Mowing Go for an electric mower Yes, it does still use up energy, but the impact to the environment is much less than that of a gas-powered mower. You will need to get used to using the … Continue reading →

A Change of Environment

Change can be good. Change can also be scary. One of the topics that we touch on now and again here in the Single Parents blog is the way our lives are affected perpetually by change. While it is one thing to accept that change is inevitable, it is quite another to actually seek and instigate change on purpose but sometimes that is just what we need to do. One of the areas of our lives where change may be in order is in our environment—our home, work, etc. Changing the way things feel and the environment that surrounds us … Continue reading →

Go Green with Your Pets

In honor of St. Patty’s Day yesterday, I looked at some ways to make your home a little more “green” — environmentally friendly — and how it can benefit your health. Now let’s look at a few ways to go green with your four-legged friends! Deal with pet waste naturally. Try flushable bags for picking up after your dogs on walks — flushing is best because it keeps bags and pet waste out of landfills and prevents soil and water contamination that comes with leaving doggy doo where it falls. If you don’t want to carry the waste to the … Continue reading →

A Different Kind of Green for St. Patty’s Day

What does “green” mean to you? Okay, it can mean a lot of things. But for today, let’s think about “green” meaning earth-friendly. A few small changes can make your home healthier for you, your family, and the environment. Air out your new carpets BEFORE they enter the house. When you buy a carpet, ask the showroom to unroll the carpet for two weeks before they bring it into your house. This can allow volatile organic compounds (called VOCs) to escape before they enter your home and pollute your air. Look for paints that carry the Green Seal — they … Continue reading →

Reducing Your Trash 2

Here are even more ideas to help you reduce the amount of trash that comes out of your home. You’ll save the environment, and you may even same some money, too. If you missed the earlier article on reducing your trash, called, aptly, Reducing Your Trash, click here. And now, let’s continue with tips for reducing your trash. Buy concentrated products that need to be diluted before use, such as cleaners, laundry detergents, frozen juice, fruit drinks and more. This will save on packaging, since you will be bringing less into your home. Reduce the amount of catalogues and junk … Continue reading →

Reducing Your Trash

Reducing the amount of trash that your household generates is important for the planet and your family. By reducing the amount you waste, you can save money (if you pay per bag or pound of disposal) and do something good for the environment. Here are some ideas to help you reduce your garbage. Leave the plastic grocery bags at the store. Bring your own canvas bags. Sure, you can buy them, but you can also get plenty of them free as giveaways through various promotions, if you keep your eyes open. If you must take your groceries home in store … Continue reading →

Is Your Work Environment TOO Informal?

Let’s face it, one of the big pluses to working at a home business is that we can be relaxed, casual and informal—we can work in our sweat pants or pajamas, we can sit with our feet up on the coffee table while we talk on the phone, or we can work on a laptop on the back patio. BUT, too much informality may actually make it tough for some of us to stay motivated and to keep our minds and hearts on the work at hand. I have previously confessed that in the first few weeks of my home … Continue reading →

Cool Green Gadgets

If you want to see what might be in store in the future for your home, you might not need to look any where but the most recent Electrolux Design Lab competition. Here are some of the innovative inventions that won prizes. who knows, you may be seeing these products for your home in a few years. The top prize in the competition went to a student from Hungary who designed the E-Wash. This is a compact washing machine that uses soap nuts instead of detergent. Soap nuts are a natural product that can be grown and harvested, so it … Continue reading →

Make Reusable Shopping Bags

Are you ready to see just how easy it is to make your own reusable shopping bags (while recycling clothing and other items at the same time)? It only requires a little sewing and it’s nearly all straight lines. If you don’t sew, you may be able to ask someone to teach you how or to stitch up some bags for you. Reusable Shopping Bags from Linens Do you still have a few bath towels left from when one of your bathrooms was a different color? Many of us do because towels are just something most people don’t get rid … Continue reading →