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Keeping Things Out of the Landfill

Did you know that our landfills are filling up at an alarming rate? In fact, in the United States alone, in any given day, at least two landfills close when they become filled. This is a serious problem. Here are some easy ways to reduce the amount of things that your household contributes to the landfill. Get Used Instead of buying something that is brand new, why not explore the benefits of getting a used item? Not only will you be keeping that item out of the landfill and reducing greenhouse gases that might have been made during the manufacturing … Continue reading →

How to Use FreeCycle

Imagine getting everything from furniture to baby clothes for free? How about the opportunity to avoid dump fees on items you no longer want (and keeping them out of the landfill in the first place) while blessing others. That is the beauty of Freecycle. What is Freecycle All About? Freecycle is an organization that is broken into smaller, local groups. Each group is made up of freecycle members that live in a certain area. It is absolutely free to join, and each group usually uses Yahoo Groups to manage things. Volunteer monitors make sure that everything stays fair and safe, … Continue reading →

Reusing Household Items- Aluminum Foil

Today though I’m looking at ways to recycle, as usual. I can’t stand the amount of waste that is generated so I’m doing everything I can to reduce it. Right now I’m down to putting out the garbage cans only once a month, I would like to do even better. There are some families that have almost zero waste, I don’t know if that is achievable for me, but I’d like to try. Did you know it will take 400 years for aluminum foil to break down in a landfill? I’ve always tried to reuse aluminum foil. I will wash … Continue reading →

Saving Money While Reducing Clutter

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So much stuff winds up in the landfills these days, I feel guilty every time I take the trash to the curb. We all do live lives of excess. Everything is readily available to us, all those little things that make life easier. Fortunately for the planet there are lots of ways to reuse things. You just have to pay attention. This will be the first in what I hope is a series of how to use things we normally throw away. Every time I clean I come across something that has outlived it’s usefulness, the challenge is coming up … Continue reading →

Timesaving Tools

There are so many tools on the market to help you clean your home quickly and more efficiently. I previously wrote about time saving laundry and housecleaning tips, now it’s time to talk about the tools that can save you time. Personally, I don’t like disposable products, I think they are a waste of money and landfill space, but I can also see the need for them. So here are some products to help you keep your house clean. Cleaning the toilet is not high on anyone’s list of favorite things to do. Luckily there are products on the market … Continue reading →

Self Cleaning Clothes

How would you feel if you never had to do laundry again? That sounds too good to be true, after all disposable clothes would put quite a strain on our landfills and our wallets. Fortunately it’s not disposable clothes. Recently two Chinese scientists developed cotton that washes itself in sunlight. They use a coating made of titanium dioxide, one of the most widely used chemicals in the world, which will also stay intact after washing and drying. This is not the first time self cleaning cotton has been made but in the past it required a lot of ultraviolet light … Continue reading →

Time To Do A House Scrub

Is your home ready for the holidays? Mine certainly isn’t. I’ve been trying to get ready, slowly, but sadly, I’ve not accomplished much. I really need to get ready for company. We usually host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, sometimes a Christmas party as well. We don’t always do those on the designated day because we want our friends to be able to celebrate the holidays with us without having to choose between us and their families. Before the stream of people, I need to get the house ready. For me, that means lots of decluttering. I try to keep the … Continue reading →

Gardening As A Whole Curriculum

Now that spring is here, most states are starting to thaw out and warm up. This an excellent time to begin a garden, no matter how small, and teach the kids about botany, art, vocabulary, water conservation, nutrition, and so much more. I’m a firm believer in getting the most bang for my buck and most use out of every moment. Each lesson you teach your kids can incorporate many subjects, not just the most obvious one at hand. Gardening is no different. The house we live in now has a nice back and front yard, but even when we … Continue reading →

Homemade Green Cleaning Products That Work – Bleach Cleaner

Having five daughters means there’s a healthy mix of likes and dislikes, beliefs, and personal or world views to consider. One of my kids is a vegan, two are vegetarian, a few are worried about global warming, some are concerned about animal cruelty, and my 16-year-old pretty much thinks the entire world and everyone in it sucks right now. I try to remain open-minded and support them, but it can be tough and frustrating at times. I’ve stopped buying paper towels and paper plates, though I refuse to stop buying toilet paper! I read labels carefully to be sure they … Continue reading →

How to Save Water

Although we may not always realize it, water is a finite resource. Although this may be hard to believe when we turn on the tap and find a rushing flow of water coming out at our demand, but it is true. Experts fear that with a population growth and climate changes, water may become more scarce than we can dream. Even if you are not worried about water shortages, consider this. Water takes energy. When it is through electric pumps that pump the water to you or through water treatment systems, there is energy expended every time you do turn … Continue reading →