7 Ways To Green Your Vehicle

1. Keep your car as long as you can.  Fight the urge to trade it in.  Not buying a new car is one of the most environmentally friendly choices you can make.  When you do have to buy a new car, buy a hybrid or at the least a small compact car.
2. Drive the speed limit.  Don't be in such a hurry, drive slower.  This saves on gas!
3. Keep your vehicle maintenance up.  Tune-ups, tires rotated, oil changed, etc.  You can actually save up to .10 a gallon at the gas pump when your car is in tip top shape.
4. Keep the junk out of your trunk.  All that extra weight makes your engine work harder and reduces gas mileage per gallon.
5. Use your cruise control.  Using cruise control increases gas mileage!
6. Use your AC as little as possible and roll down the windows when you can.  Using the AC uses more gas.
7. Combine your errand into one trip.  Run several errands at one time, saving on gas, instead of making several trips out.

Go Green with your own Back Porch Veggie Garden

Another green idea!   I would love to have just a small vegetable garden, but we rent and the owner wouldn't appreciate us digging up their yard, so I gave up the idea.  But recently, in talking with friends, I realized I can still have my vegetable/herb garden. 

There are two ways.  One way is to have your very own little green garden right at home.  I'm not talking about the kind you plant in the yard, I'm talking about the kind on your back porch.  The kind you can put a few plants and herbs in some pots and a small bed or even do a raised garden bed.  Here's more about having a Simple Raised Bed Garden  Read this guide, How to Start a Back Porch Vegetable Garden or even this one A Vegetable Garden on my Back Porch

It may be a little late in the game this year, but next year I believe I may just start my own little back porch vegetable garden by using pots and some small beds. I hope the ideas above help to get you started on your green garden too!  Happy Gardening!

Cut Down On Waste This Year By Using Reusable Shopping Bags

Make it your goal to cut down on waste this year by using a reusable shopping bag.  With that being said, let me tell you about a few more of my favorite Green things.  Reusable shopping bags, and I own several.  In my opinion, you can't have to many of these.  I don't have a handbag or shoe obsession, I have a reusable shopping bag/tote obsession.  I love a great tote, especially a fantastic green one.  I have a different one, for different stores.  I have one from/for Walmart, Dollar Tree, Kroger and The Fresh Market.  I keep them in a small crate/box in the back of my jeep and simply use whichever reusable bag for what ever store I'm shopping in.  If I don't have one for that particular store, then I use my Dollar Tree versatile green reusable shopping bag.

I have listed below some of my favorite reusable shopping bags that I own and suggest.  All except for the Envitote, but this is on my list of totes to obtain in the near future.  This tote is amazing, it's not only green, but very versatile and multipurpose. 

Envitote

Walmart Reusable Shopping Bags/Totes

Reusable Bags

Dollar Tree

Let me share with you one of my favorite green cleaning products

Today, I just wanted to share with you one of my very favorite green cleaning products.  Nature's Souce All Purpose Cleaner.  Unleash the power of nature. This all purpose cleaner from the folks at Scrubbing Bubbles® uses plant-based cleaners to take on tough jobs without breaking a sweat. It cuts through grease and grime without leaving a smeary residue. Best of all, its power comes from natural, biodegradable ingredients, so you're doing a lot more than just cleaning your house. You're also doing something nice for the planet!  Nature's Source All Purpose Cleaner is very affordable and can be found in most local supermarkets, drug stores, mass-merchandise stores and do-it-yourself stores, alongside the other cleaners in the cleaning aisle.

You can use Nature's Source All Purpose Cleaner for all kinds of great things such as:

• Appliances
• Cabinets
• Chrome
• Counter tops
• Fiberglass
• Floors
• Garbage cans
• Ceramic tile
• Hubcaps
• Porcelain surfaces
• Showers
• Sinks
• Stainless steel
• Tubs

And this is just one great product of Nature's Source, they also have a toilet bowel cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner and laundry stain remover.  All Nature's Source cleaning products are made with biodegradable plant-based cleaners.  Now you can have the cleaning power you want and still be natural.  For more information on Nature's Source great products please visit their website.

Earth Hour 2010 has arrived!

Take action, show your support and turn off your lights for one hour on March 27th at 8:30 pm for Earth Hour 2010.  For more information click here:  Take action!


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Go Green for Spring - Three Simple Steps to help you get started.

Want to be eco-friendly, but just the very thought of going green makes you feel overwhelmed?  Take it from someone like me, a simple average everyday green gal.  Try going green for spring by starting with these three simple and easy steps. 

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Start off by reducing and reusing anything and everything you possibly can. Use as little as possible and resuse twice or more if you can.  Sign up with your local recycling program or find a local recycling center near you.  Try locating your's at Earth911.com
2. Replace all your light bulbs and/or night lights with CRS bulbs and LED lights.  You can find them at your local Walmart for only a few dollars.
3. Replace your shower head with an energy-efficient one.  You can find them online at speciality stores such as Shower Head Store or places like Lowes or Home Depot.  Even Walmart and Kmart offer affordable EF shower heads.

These are just three simple steps to get you started, but there are many more green and eco-friendly steps you can take.  Plant your own herb garden, weatherize your home for summer, keep your air conditioner set at the same level (a good temperature to keep your thermostat on would be what you can live comfortably with such as 72 or 74 degrees) or purchase a programmable thermostat.  Of course, these are just a few more ideas, but there are many more things you can do.  Just work slowly towards becoming more eco-friendly by taking it three small steps at a time and before you know it, you'll be green too!

Turn Dark Green for Fall 2009

Fall is a wonderful and lovely time of year, but you also need to be thinking ahead to be prepared for the upcoming cold, icy, windy winter months ahead. So I can't think of a smarter and better time to Go Green or yet, Greener. Let's get you started with a few basic and affordable easy ideas:

• Winterization/Weatherization -Reducing Energy Usage
• Replace all light bulbs with CFL Bulbs
• Keep your thermostat set as low as you comfortable can at a steady tempature...usually around 68 - 72 degree range
• Clean & replace furnace filters as needed
• Keep all appliances unplugged when not in use
• Keep all lights & etc. turned off when not in use
• Replace your showerhead with an Eco-Friendly Low Flow showerhead

These are just a few easy ways to Go Greener in the Fall, you can find many more great easy ideas, tips and information from some of my absolute favorite Eco-Friendly Green Websites:

• eHow
• US Department of Energy (Be sure to read about their FREE Weatherization Program for those that qualify)
• Sara Snow - Green Living Expert & TV Host
• Planet Green