Crafty Money Management

Heading back to school, I am a little worried about sticking to a budget. At this point, I usually intuitively know if I am overspending or on target with my current income. But cutting my income drastically has me worried I may continue to spend without having the income to back it up. So I have decided to switch to a cash only envelope system, a la Dave Ramsey. Its where you take cash for all of your non-fixed expenses (groceries, gas, repairs, etc.) for a given pay period and put it in separate envelopes. When the money in a particular envelope is gone, it is gone until the next pay period. This process eliminates outspending your income.

I set up my system tonight with paper envelopes and a little plastic holder for the envelopes. I thought I was so smooth. Then I went and found this...



I love this as a sewing project! It will make use of the odd scraps I have started collecting from other sewing projects. And I can manage to avoid using zippers, my least favorite aspect of sewing to date.

Now, to figure out how to repurpose the plastic holder I already have...

Soaping

Here are some photos of my latest soaps.

I've made lemon sage poppyseed soap, oatmeal soap, and Crisco soap colored with cocoa powder. I made two patches of the Crisco - one half clear- half brown, the other entirely brown. The oatmeal and lemon sage poppyseed soaps are castile soaps (80% olive oil/20% coconut oil), while the Crisco soap is 50% olive oil/50% Crisco (soybean and palm oils).

My favorite is the oatmeal - it lathers well from coconut oil, but exfoliates (oatmeal) and is a gentle moisturizer (olive oil).

Any suggestions for the next batch?

Learning to Roll a Kayak

Last night was my first attempt at rolling a kayak - I did it, but not without some assistance. I am looking forward to trying this again. It was fun!

Here's a video demoing a roll. This is not me - I do NOT look this good.

Consequences of Oil Not in Our Backyard

NIMBY = Not In My Backyard

NIMBYism is what happens when a homeowner's association or community bands together to protect their property values and environment against an undesirable construction project, power plant, Wal-mart, etc. The downside of this is when the demand for the undesired activity remains, which results in it being installed elsewhere, somewhere with less regulations.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is horrific and of proportions that Americans have never witnessed. But this post is about what happens when oil spills don't happen in our backyard. We don't see the consequences of them, as they are happening somewhere else, to someone else. Unless we (the demand source for energy) curb our oil consumption, NIMBYism will continue to allow this to happen.

These photos show oil pollution in the country of Nigeria - a country rich in oil and other natural resources, but with high poverty levels and limited environmental regulations. People in Nigeria have to live with the long-term consequences of oil pollution.


Listen to the audio clip below, to hear how Nigerians are responding to the cleanup efforts in the Gulf. It is disheartening to realize that oil spills are always happening in Nigeria and without associated cleanup efforts.

Living With Long-Term Oil Pollution in the Niger Delta

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There is another acronym I just ran across, NOPE.

NOPE = Not on Planet Earth

This concept means that rather than pushing the undesirable consequences onto someone else, no one should have to live with undesirable consequences.

While this might be a little naive, given our continuously increasing consumption of energy sources, it is a goal working for - No one should have to live in such conditions, regardless of your income level or political power.

The Eco-Justice Ministries in Denver, Colorado has an interesting article about this concept, which inspired this post. Check it out at http://www.eco-justice.org/E-100507.asp.

Photo sources 1, 2

Staying Put

“Americans are said to thrive on change and novelty. But do we? Are transient families more emotionally secure and financially stable than those who put down roots?...Humans are curious creatures and it’s natural for us to want to explore new terrain. Nevertheless, a compelling case can be made for resisting this impulse. Thriving also has something to do with settling in.” Michael A. Shuler


My dad came to visit a few weeks ago, but I forgot to give him one of his books back. So I had better comment on it quickly, before he realizes.

The second section of this book, Making the Good Life Last, Four Keys to Sustainable Living, refers to staying put. Michael Shuler talks about staying put in a location, in a vocation, in your personal life (hobbies, friends), and in relationships.

I have been thinking about this key for a while, because I have moved a lot growing up and in my early adult years. I’ve only been in Charleston for a year and a half. I love it here, but I am leaving to search for a new twist on my vocation, a PhD program in sustainability at University of Maine.

It has been a while coming to make this decision – I have tried on a few hats since I finished undergraduate work, each one teaching me a little more about what I do and don’t want to do career-wise and with my life in general. I have learned more about myself than I knew or understood in my twenties. And it has changed my choices and desires for how I live my life.

So staying put seems a difficult thing to do when you are young – I think it may be something to be aware of, but to grow into as you learn more about what you want and need. It is hard to commit to something that you do not know well. There was a church service at the Unitarian Church of Charleston here a few months back where the sermon referred to this. At coffee hour, I met someone new to the area and in their early 30s and he remarked on how unlike his life the sermon was and how it made him feel a little bad about his life. I replied that these comments about staying put seem to come from people that have moved around a bit and learned from their own mistakes.

Indeed, Michael Shuler moved around a few times, both in vocation and in location before arriving as minister at the Unitarian Church of Madison, Wisconsin. So that gives me hope. I hope that I too may find a place, vocation, and community that I can grow into and stay put in.

To Cap and Trade or Just to Cap, Which Is It?

Cap and Trade is a Big Scam?

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

Or, it is the best we have to work with?

The Facts of Cap-and-Trade from Clean Energy Works on Vimeo.

Happy Mother's Day

To RE, GRY, and KG, celebrating their first Mother's Day, and to my mom and grandma who already have some under their belt.

Reason 541 to Consider Homesteading as a Second Profession

I've been reading a lot about homesteading these past couple of weeks, thinking about keeping chickens for eggs and raising bees for honey. Right now, the container garden is already producing green tomatoes, tiny jalapenos, and squash blossoms. If I was willing to put in the time and effort (and land), I could grow my own food on a quarter-acre of land.

Watching the coming global currency crisis roll through Europe makes me think this may be a good skill to have in the near future...

Dog Swamp

Two hot dogs taking a rest from a ramble through Dog Swamp in Francis Marion National Forest. While pretty, this is actually just a mudpuddle in the middle of a spur logging road...

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

A double rainbow over the marsh at sunset tonight.

Hanging Out on the Porch

Green Anole

Community Supported Agriculture

Alright, if my urban sister can find a CSA in Brooklyn, I can find one here. Pinckney's Produce is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) that is part of Thompson Family Farms out near Lake Marion, about 45 minutes inland from Charleston. Yummy veggies, here I come! I had to promise my boyfriend I would help keep up with the cooking so that no food goes to waste. He is better about cooking with whatever is in the fridge. I am better with recipes and can be unimaginative when faced with random vegetables.

First up, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, green onions, lettuce, strawberries, and turnips. Time to bust out the cookbooks...

Spring Season: April - July - Fall Season: September - November

Produce

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

Jun.

Jul.

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Beans

Beets

Broccoli

Butter Beans

Cabbage

Cantalopes

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cucumbers

Egg Plant

Green Onions

Lettuce

Mixed Leafy Greens

Okra

Green Peanuts

Peas

Radishes

Rutabaga

Yellow Squash

Strawberries

Sweet Corn

Tomatoes

Turnips

Watermelons

Zucchini Squash

First Slow Food, Now Slow Money

I admit it; I am intrigued. I hope they have this book Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money at the library. It sounds like the application of the slow food concept to financial investment. I ran across this book by researching social responsible investing this evening. For retirement planning, I have purchased some socially responsible mutual funds, but primarily I've focused on funds that will invest in anything. Given the economic craziness that has happened in the last couple of years, maybe it is time for me to revisit these things that I have always thought valuable.

And in thinking about this, I have remembered that I have already been participating in local economies by signing a commitment to a 10% shift via Lowcountry Local First. This is where you try to shift 10% of your outflowing dollars from out-of-town to local businesses. That could mean moving your money to a community bank. Or buying food at the farmer's market, instead of from Chile and Peru. Or supporting local businesses over multinational corporations. I admit, I am not always successful here, but it is worth trying.

I realize that the marketplace out there is a lot bigger and more complex that the economy here in Charleston. This type of local economics might be futile. But it seems a worthy experiment.

Side note: Turns out, Woody Tasch, the author of this book is going to be at a local-level economic conference here in Charleston next month. And Lowcountry Local First is helping people become sustainable farming apprentices. There are so many amazing things happening out there in the world!

Broadway Explains Wall Street?

From This American Life on NPR - Broadway sings about some of the things that have been rotten on Wall Street.

Bet Against The American Dream from Planet Money on Vimeo.

Homemade Laundry Soap

A few weeks ago, I went ahead and made my own laundry soap. After a few loads, I can say it has been working very well and makes for a softer fabric than just the commercial detergent.

Here's the recipe:

Grate up a bar of my homemade soap

For every 2 cups of grated homemade soap, add one cup of baking soda.

In the future, I may try adding Borax and/or washing powder to increase its ability to get out stains.

I've been using 2 tablespoons per load, which seems to work pretty well. I didn't realize that filling the scoop to the line for commercial detergent may be overdoing it.

The baking soda works as a fabric softener, so now my clothes are softer than before. And they don't have a chemical smell. Yay!

Foggy Morning on the Marsh

On foggy mornings, you can't see land on the other side of the marsh. But you can see things that are invisible to you on sunny mornings.


I attempted looking for the spider to figure out who is making this web. I couldn't find it on the spider web. However, a quick Internet search shows it may be Grammonota trivittata, a sheet-web builder.

A Spring Paddle

I took my kayak out on Easter Sunday from my house to Charleston Harbor. It was a great day to be on the water - weak tides, moderate wind, and a lot of sunshine. I saw an osprey carrying a fish and listened to marsh wrens singing.

It is a little funny to meander by people's backyards - watching people clean their boats, swing in hammocks, and sit on screen porches.

Where is Teddy Roosevelt When You Need Him?

This book 13 Bankers by Simon Johnson, a MIT professor, looks quite interesting. I have been looking for a current read on the financial crisis. And he can hold his own against Stephen Colbert. That is no small feat.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Simon Johnson
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

The Warning

Now that Greenspan's name is mud, it is interesting to look back at how the current fiscal mess could have been prevented. What makes me sad and angry is realizing this is just going to occur again.

PBS Frontline has an excellent episode on how the U.S. government was warned unregulated derivatives would create problems down the line. Whether you agree unregulated derivatives were the ultimate cause of the financial crisis is another thing, but this episode highlights where the power really is in Washington and how it can be abused. At this point, who is president and in Congress is basically irrelevant to our fiscal policy. That means we the people have no voice in our financial future.

Update: Check out what bloggers are thinking about Brooksley Born's questioning of Greenspan during last week's Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission hearing.

A clip is below.

FRONTLINE | "The Warning": Sneak Peek 1 | PBS
- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.

The Prince of Tides

Recently, I have become interested in Pat Conroy. My book club picked South of Broad, his latest novel, for discussion last fall. I missed the meeting, but found the book at the library a month ago and checked it out.

South of Broad refers to the part of Charleston's peninsula that is south of Broad Street - where the blue-nosed, native Charlestonians live. I had met one of these folks out listening to music one night. He was my age - and a law school dropout living at home. Once I learned he lived South of Broad, I immediately judged him (perhaps unfairly), because I knew that was where people with old money in Charleston live. What I didn't realize is that people that live there refer to it as downtown, instead of the commercial center to its north, along King and Meeting Streets between Broad and Calhoun.

But I digress. I write this to explain why I was interested in reading South of Broad and how I have become interested in Pat Conroy. Supposedly, he airs Charleston's dirty laundry in the book. So, I eagerly opened that book. Early on, I found the most beautiful passages described Charleston and the Lowcountry:

"In the summertime, the saltwater that floods the creeks and bays and coves of South Carolina is warm and sun-shot and silken to the touch. It did not hurt or shock to enter the water, but soothed and washed away the frazzled nerves of our runaway week. The creek was dark with the nutrients gathered in the great salt marsh; you could not see your hand if you opened your eyes underwater. We were swimming in a part of the Atlantic that the state of South Carolina had borrowed for a while."

(Italics emphasis mine)

But the story itself seemed a little melodramatic, even for a Southern novel - I enjoyed it, but I would have liked it to be more tightly edited and realistic. Still, a story based on where you live is always a pleasure - it lets you see where you live through the eyes of someone else.

Next, I looked up Pat Conroy and learned that he writes semi-autobiographical novels that piss people off for that reason. Sounds like Thomas Wolfe, except he has come home again and continues to live in South Carolina.

Last night, I watched The Prince of Tides. Some of its melodrama I could live without, but I loved the marsh and beach scenes - looks to me like they captured the essence of Pat Conroy in this movie. Beautiful landscape descriptions and melodramatic, tortured Southerners.

I look forward to reading more of his stories and descriptions.

Natural Hair Dye

Like my mother, my hair starting showing gray while I was still in college. When I was in the Peace Corps, my Salvadoran boss used to say, "Ah ha, Michelle, !tiene sus ganas!", pointing at my hair. "Ganas" literally meanings earnings, but in this context means I am showing my gray hair (earnings, age). A few years ago, I tried some semi-disastrous (i.e., totally fake looking) home hair dye. After two or three applications, I then swore I would never dye my hair again. I didn't want to spend money at the salon, I didn't want the ugly home colors, and I didn't want the cancer-linked chemicals on my head or going down the drain. Instead, I cut bangs to hide the gray over my forehead. But, I have anxiously watched the gray spreading.

I have seen henna in Whole Foods, Earth Fare, etc., for a while, but I had thought they wouldn't cover the gray. Still, it seemed like it could be fun to try, with little environmental or personal repercussions.

So, yesterday, I bought Surya Henna powder in Ash Brown - which is a golden, rather than red base. (After further researching, I've learned that it means there are other herbs in there besides henna - likely, cassia.) I made a paste out of this powder, honey, and water, and applied it to my hair for 20 minutes, per the instructions. Afterward, my hair smelled like a plant and had a more golden sheen, although it didn't cover my gray. My gray does look more like highlights, though.

At this point, I have started obsessively reading about henna online and learning more about purity levels, colors, time to leave on, etc. I like the idea of trying this out because it is fun, looks like a normal hair color, and is natural.

Technical Difficulties

Last week my computer was temporarily incapacitated by a combination of a Windows automatic update and a nasty atapi.sys rootkit. Hence, the relative lack of blog posts. I really thought this time I was done for, and I gleefully looked at new computers. Then, I stumbled upon a fix, so now things are back up and running.

How did I get into this mess? I have chosen to forego investing in a McAfee Antivirus subscription on my 4.5 year old computer, figuring it is due for a replacement. As a result, I have been relying on the wonderful and free Malwarebytes program to keep my computer clean. Because it is free, it is more reactive than proactive, and I have spent more time becoming intimately aware with file types such as .sys and .dll. Sometimes I longingly look at Mark's virus- free Mac, but I also am enjoying the problem solving and learning related to keeping my computer clean. I also have switched to Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer, because it supposedly is more secure (i.e., lets fewer malware/adware programs inadvertently attack your computer).

More importantly, I now have everything I value backed up and a boot disk created. I suggest others with Windows-based operating systems (XP, Vista, 7) do the same.

Writing a Blog

A quick note about this blog - please excuse any grammatical weirdness in the phrasing of my blog posts. I write these blog posts in a stream of consciousness, read them once, and then publish. A week later, I look back at a post and see all little kinds of grammar changes I should and could make. But I am choosing not to change them, unless they are spelling errors.

I am excited by the prospect of freely throwing down ideas and seeing where this blog will take me. I am just beginning this blog, and it may well be that my writing style changes over time. But, the more important experiment here is: Will my thinking and actions change over time for the better?

Happy Sunday, dear (and few) readers.

Doing Laundry the Old Fashioned Way, Part One

Dryer energy use is one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog. Apparently, next to your refrigerator, the dryer is the second largest consumer of electricity in a household for appliances. With SC G and E proposing a 10% rate increase here in Charleston, using a dryer can hit the pocketbook as well as the environment.

For a year I have been talking about getting a clothesline. Because I am a renter, I want a clothesline that I can take with me to the next spot. Because I am lazy, I need the clothesline to add little more work than the dryer already in the utility room. Because I might move to someplace with an ordinance against line drying, I want a clothesline that can easily be out of sight. With those requirements, I believe I have found my outdoor clothesline system:These rotary clotheslines allow you to stand in one place, can be folded up like an umbrella, and can be easily moved to a new location. Some are built for outdoor use only and some are for both indoor/outdoor use.

Next step, locating a sturdy, affordable version and actually purchasing and installing it. That will be part two of this post.

Thank You, Climate Change - The Optimist's Viewpoint

"Learning from Climate Change" rally speech by Drew Jones from Climate Interactive on Vimeo.

I ran across this video while digging around the Internet for information on systems modeling last night. I totally missed the 350.org day back in October. I'm glad that a rally happened in Asheville - maybe one happened here in Charleston and I just wasn't paying attention.

This talk really puts things in perspective. And Drew, a fellow UUer - I might add, also talks about laundry, a future topic I look forward to tackling.

Spring is Here?

Hard to believe it snowed last weekend when it is 67 degrees today.

A Different Coast

The Maine coast looks quite different than the salt marsh and white beaches of South Carolina. I took a trip to Acadia National Park last weekend, on a beautiful sunny day.

Although they aren't in any of the photos, I saw a small group of loons just offshore. I didn't realize that they were found along the coast year-round until I consulted a bird book. The winter plumage is very different and threw me for a loop.

Rainy Days Are For The Birds

I added American robin to the yard's bird list today. There was a flock in the front yard after the rain slowed. I also saw four hooded mergansers at high tide (look in the middle of the photo and squint) and a yellow-rumped warbler clinging to the marsh grass.

A Food Revolution

I have to say, this looks incredible. The first reality TV show in which I've ever been interested. After seeing Food Inc., Mark and I were discussing how can you ever change school system lunches. Here is an example of how. I hope I can watch this online when it starts.

30 Rock Love

30 rock may be one of my favorite shows of all time. I was just looking for an excuse to post a clip - I really enjoy this one, especially for the recycling jokes joke.

Not Martha Stewart, But Getting There

I just found the coolest blog that I wanted to share. Not Martha. It is a blog of do it yourself projects. I recently borrowed Martha Stewart's A to Z Encyclopedia of Crafts from the library, which was a partial inspiration for the soapmaking project. So to find a blog of someone with random, needed do-it-yourself projects online is exciting. I think I am slowly realizing there are a lot of them out there.

This might be the start of something. Last weekend, I was at a baby shower with lots of crafty people that work on craft books. Today, a friend just gave me a sewing machine. I think my life may be getting a little more crafty, if not at the least more self-sufficient.

The soap is finally ready to use. I tried it out today with successful results. I did not realize that store-bought soap removes the glycerin from the soap or is made from detergents. Homemade soap is supposedly more moisturizing; I am excited to test it out.

Belated Frost

Cold weather on the marsh last week - there was frost on the Spartina and ice in the shallow parts of the marsh. It was beautiful, but cold.

Paying Attention

In Reimagining the Good Life, Michael Schuler asks "Is the quality of our attention such that we accurately perceive what's going on around us and inside ourselves?"

Paying attention is something I have been working on for the last year. It is easy to distract myself with the Internet, music, books, work, etc.. But turning them off and just being there makes it easier to put things in perspective and to value what you have.

Since last January, I have been reading a number of Buddhism books and started practicing yoga and occasionally attending group meditations. I also give myself time just to think and be, without having to accomplish anything or be any certain way. I have found that in the past I got caught up in how I "should" live, and this interferes with my enjoyment and appreciation of how I already am living. By being still and pausing for just one or two minutes a day, I find that I am more appreciative and perceptive of how I am currently living my life. I don't get as caught up in what could happen, what did happen, or what is happening to others - rather I can pay more attention to how I am feeling and thinking and being.

I would like to create a stronger meditation practice, but if at the very least I am truly present for at least a moment each day, I do feel a noticeable difference in my perspective and enjoyment of life.

Adventures in Soapmaking

I have been on a kick to make soap for a little while now. I found a great recipe on the internet for Basic Castile Soap. After reading about how difficult it is to obtain lye for soapmaking, I was worried my soap plans would not happen. Apparently, lye is used in methampetamine making also - a less frontier/simple living purpose than soap - so stores have taken it off the shelves along with Sudafed. However, Lowe's did happen to have some, so I bought that, along with olive oil, a soup toureen, wooden spoons, rubber gloves, and a scale. I gathered up all my materials in the kitchen. Wearing my biggest, craziest sunglasses and some stylish rubber gloves as protection, I was ready.

I added the carefully measured lye to water in a designated plastic pitcher, which heated up from the chemical reaction. Once it had cooled back down, I added it to a pot of heated oil and stirred and stirred (45 minutes!) and then added the newly formed soap to some molds (yogurt cups and a plastic food container).

I waited a couple of days and then exposed the soap to the air, which made it harden. I am still in the process of curing the soap, where you let it dry and harden for a week up to 2 months. By photos of the final product, you can see that I am still experimenting with when to cut the bars of soap and what kind of molds to use. In the future, I hope to add oatmeal and honey and other goodies to the soap and experiment with different oils and fats in the recipe. Castile soap is supposedly highly moisturizing, but doesn't lather much. Adding some coconut oil should change that up nicely.

Adventures in Breadmaking

Here's my first attempt at no-knead whole wheat travel bread, from Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook. It turned out really tasty and was easy to make, so I'm hoping to make it a weekly ritual. I have my second batch rising right now.

What I love about the bread is that it is entirely whole grain (and super easy to make). Here's an abbreviated recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 c water, plus a little extra to add as needed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl - add water and stir. The consistency should be slightly sticky, not dry or runny. Cover with plastic and put in warm place (I use the oven) overnight (12 to 20 hours).

Grease loaf pan (I'm using a dutch oven because the loaf pans are packed away somewhere) with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add dough and cover with rest of olive oil. Cover pan with towel for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and cool on rack.

The bread doesn't rise very high, but it lasts for a few days before getting stale and it tastes good.

Mark Bittman has more variations in his book, which I recommend reading or buying. My favorite cookbook on my shelf is his The Best Recipes in the World, and I am hoping to buy How to Cook Everything Vegetarian someday. These are encyclopedias of recipes. I know you can collect recipes online nowadays, but I really enjoy just sitting down with books and recipe magazines and just picking out what looks good.

Laundry List

I took this list from 100 mile harvest's blog, modified it slightly, and filled it out for myself. I've highlighted in green what I already do and in blue what I would like to do. This identifies some places to work on and on things to learn how to make (soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies). Good times ahead!

Around the House
-Turn lights off when leaving a room
-Change air filters once a month
-Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
-Use ceiling fans to keep rooms cooler during the summer months
-Replace analog thermostats with programmable, digital thermostats that automatically adjust temperature according to a schedule

Kitchen
-Unplug all kitchen appliances at the end of the day and when leaving the room
-Keep refrigerator full to maximize coolness
-Use microwave only for the minimum –defrost food ahead of time and heat food on a stove or toaster oven
-Eliminate the use of disposable plates and utensils
-Use glass or ceramic containers for food storage
-Use washable cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
-Use water filtration system instead of relying on bottled water
-Run the dishwasher only when full
-Use the dishwasher’s “no-heat” option to save energy
-Replace paper filters on coffee/tea appliances with a reusable wire mesh filter
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies

Bathroom
-Use non-toxic and biodegradable chlorine-free, non-petroleum, phosphate-free based cleaning supplies
-Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or shaving
-Shower instead of taking a bath
-Use a slow-flow showerhead that reduces water usage
-Do not use the toilet as a trash can

Lawn and Garden
-Start a garden
-Use soapy water to get rid of aphid problems on plants and shrubs
-Spread used coffee grounds on ant hills to control fire ants
-Spray a light mist of a solution of hot peppers in water to prevent fungus on plants
-Use crushed, dry eggshells as calcium supplement for plants
-Install sprinkler system for a greener grass, they are most efficient at maximizing watering coverage on the lawn
-When mowing the lawn, use lawn clippings to promote growth
-Water lawns before sunrise, to minimize water evaporation
-Landscape with native plants, which are adapted to the local climate
-Use mulch or lawn clippings around trees, bushes and flowers beds to help retain water

Laundry Room
-Use the cold water setting for every laundry load
-Wait for a full load of clothes to start the washer
-Clean the dryer’s lint filter after every use
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable laundry detergents

Gym
-Bring filtered water to the gym in a reusable bottle
-Bring a personal towel to the gym to help save water and avoid exposure to heavy-duty cleaning detergents and bleaches
-Use cardiovascular equipment that does not draw electrical power. Best options are elliptical machines and stationary bikes - goodbye treadmill
-Choose outdoor exercise when possible

Lifestyle changes
-Support organic farming practices
-Buy food locally
-Structure a diet of mostly vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs
-Eat mostly fruits and nuts with local honey as snacks
-Seek out eco-friendly businesses and support them
-Cut TV usage to 2hrs a week - Not sure I can do this!
-Replace wall-to-wall carpet in the home with wood or tile flooring for allergy control
-Buy books in audio formats (preferably internet delivery rather than CD media) - I'm using the library instead
-Read all products labels, be an informed shopper

Banking
-Enroll in online banking
-Decline ATM receipts
-Request paperless statement from banks and credit card companies

Car
-Keep tires properly inflated to maximize gas mileage
-Re-fuel when tank is half full, instead of nearly empty
-Do not idle, shut engine off if stopping for more than 30 seconds
-Buy a hybrid vehicle
-Carpool whenever possible
-Keep vehicles tuned up
-Use a commercial car wash (most recycle their water)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
-Clean recyclable containers before putting in recycling bin.
-Recycle baby food glass jars – fitted with a tea light candle they make beautiful lanterns when hung from trees during evening outdoor events
-Stop newspaper distribution (read news online)
-Eliminate or reduce magazine subscriptions
-Recycle all junk mail
-Request to be removed from direct marketing mail lists
-Contact companies to cancel non-essential catalog delivery
-Cut old articles of clothing and bed sheets into cleaning rags
-Stop buying bottled water, use a refillable water bottle instead
-Remove caps, lids and corks from bottles before recycling
-Re-use food jars for other storage needs
-Carry reusable bags on all shopping trips - I'm trying to do this!
-Use recycled garbage bags

Office
-Recycle paper, plastic, junk mail and printer, copier and fax cartridges
-Replace all disposable plates and utensils in the office kitchen with ceramic plates, mugs, glasses, and flatware. Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups each year.
-Print on both sides of a sheet of paper
-Use recycled paper in printers
-Reuse paper clips
-Avoid buying/using rubber bands
-Shut down computers overnight - time to stop hibernating and start unplugging
-Carpool whenever possible
-Turn lights off when leaving the office, storage or breakrooms
-Bring home-cooked lunch to work - the perks of a home office!
-Carry lunch to work in reusable ceramic or glass containers
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies
-Use power saver mode on all computers
-Use water cooler to discourage bottled water usage