Light Green Please

I was reading the April issue of Woman's Day (my mother gives them to me, but sometimes hoards them for 5 months) So I was reading on being green, because it is being shoved up my ass by every celeb, t.v. show, commercial, and stores everywhere.

The issue had a great idea of starting out a little slower for us, who don't want to kill of our planet, but at the same time, are not really all gun ho about becoming green freaks. So they called it Light Green.

Which is still being green, and just had good pointers about small things we can do to be green. After reading I realized that I am more green then I thought I was.

So here are 20 small changes that have a big impact (by Kristen Finello)

Around the house...

1. Shrink your laundry pile - starting off with this really got my attention! But we already do this by reusing our bath towels a few times each before washing them.


2. Pull the plug - This one I just started doing the last few months. I didn't know that even if you have stuff plugged in, the power is still going to it. Even if your not using it. So now my kitchen appliances are all unplugged (cept the microwave and fridge, I am not climbing back there for the nuke box, and duh, the fridge is always on.)


3. Support Local Farmers - Glasscocks corn is the best! Oh how I love fresh farmers markets! Hoping next year I will be mostly my own farmer with my veggie garden I have planned!


4. Lights out- Turn of lights, lots of them. I am ALWAYS going around turning off lights.

On the go...

1. Follow the 15 Second Rule - Don't let your car idle for more then 15 seconds. Lets say your picking some one up. Your wasting gas, and we all know after this big Texas hurricane, we are all gunna be hit with gas prices so why waste it?


2. Shop Smart - This is good for me. If you can by a bigger container of food, then the small prepackaged stuff, your saving on packaging, and it would eliminate more then 50 lbs of waste per household a year.


3. Skip the ATM receipts - I so do this! And I skip the gas receipts too. I just read the amount, and keep it in my head. When I go log it the next day or two later, the number usually rings a bell.


4. Take your own bag lady - Can you say $1 green bags? Love them! Target has the best ones for $1.99 they are HUGE, and they fold up and snap into a 6x6 square. Perfect! But if you insist on NOT taking bags, get paper instead!


5. Pack a waste free lunch - When packing a lunch to go, use reusable drink containers, silverware, and cloth napkins.


6. Nix the DIY car washes - Surprisingly the commercial car washes are more earth friendly, then doing it yourself in the driveway. I personally prefer the free rain myself...

Family Fun (now I had the hardest time with these, I will explain)

1. Knock down napkin use - They say if you take one less napkin a day, we could save more then a billion pounds of napkins from the landfills a year. Yes, and I do need to take less, use the cloth diapers I use for the baby more. But with a toddler, and a newborn, connivance usually takes over this one.


2. Announce parties the eco-friendly way - Through evites! Yes these are genius. BUT if you don't already know, I am a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and scrapbooking junkie. I love to buy paper, all colors, textures, and shapes. I do reuse my scraps down to the stubs, and I plan to start recycling my garbage better now that my art room is in place. And when I am done with my work grids (kinda like a place mat for art work) Mia uses it to doodle on. I LOVE to make home made Christmas cards, birthday, and invites. This is my downfall. But I do encourage, the less creative people out there to go with the evites. It's just not for me!


3. Give a greener gift - I do this, instead of giving, one more knickknack or toy, I give a concert ticket, or home made gifts (see #2!) What about a class, or an event someone wants to attend? Ed is giving me a weekend away at Scrapinn, for Christmas. That is what I want, and there is no getting something I didn't want!


4. Toy Swap - Having kids exchange toys, or DVDs you don't want. Saves money from buying, and recycles what you have!

So besides my love for all things paper craft, and the connivance of napkins and paper towels. I think we do pretty well here at our house. So maybe there were a few tips that you liked, you could try. Do you have anything you think is a great green idea that I could use? Share with me!