Teaching kids to declutter is never an easy task but it is something every child needs to learn.  In what is becoming an extended period of transition for my family, we downsized by 2000 square feet, so we’ve had to do some extensive decluttering to avoid looking like hoarders.

Change is hard for all of us and even though getting rid of a broken toy or worn out clothes may seem trivial to us, to a child it is a very real trial and may be the first time they’ve experienced loss. As a parent, your job is to help your child get through what can be a hard experience for her so that she can gain important life skills that she’ll need to let go of clutter and deal with change in the future.

Make Decluttering Fun

No one wants to suffer through a tedious cleaning project. Make decluttering fun by turning it into a game. You can give each of your kids a small basket and have them race to declutter it (and put the rest of the things in their place).

Give rewards for small victories like decluttering for a set period of time or cleaning a pre-determined area. This gives kids something to look forward to and ends the job on a positive note.

Break the Job up into Small Parts

Decluttering can be overwhelming when you try and tackle too much at once. For my kids’ room, where the bulk of the clutter is, I like to fill laundry baskets full of things to sort and tackle one basket at a time. We often end up with tiny odds and ends that go to various toys and those can be the most tedious things to sort through. For those, I find a smaller container, like a plastic shoebox, to keep them in while we declutter the rest of the room so we know where to look when we find the toy they go with.

Set a timer to break the job up into smaller pieces. I’ve found that my kids can usually go for about 10 minutes without losing interest so we set the timer for 10 minutes and then reward ourselves for a job well done at the end by playing a game together or having a snack. It gives all of us something to look forward to and provides motivation to keep giving the job our best until the timer goes off.

Donate to Someone Specific

It may help some kids to know where their old things are going. If you are getting rid of baby toys or outgrown clothes, try asking a friend or family member if they would be interested in having your hand-me-downs before you start to declutter. Then, as you declutter with your child you can remind him where his things are going and how much they will mean to the other child. Kids that are struggling to let go of old toys may appreciate taking their things to the other child at the end of the process so they can see their toys making another child happy.

Don’t Wait To Get Clutter Out of the House

A garage sale has been on our to-do list for months and knowing one was in our future I slowly decluttered the house and added the rejects to an ever-growing pile in our garage. I made one major mistake though. Despite the fact that I had carefully sorted through toys WITH my children to be sure that they were on board, I simply waited too long to actually get them out of the house.

By the time we finally got around to having a garage sale, my children had forgotten that they even owned the toys they had agreed to get rid of. It was the equivalent of packing half their toys away in boxes and then bringing them out in a rotation so the toys stay exciting. What could have been a great lesson on using money and bartering turned into a nearly traumatic event.

Lesson learned – when you’re getting rid of clutter, be sure you actually get it out of the house.

Create a Holding Area

On the flip side, not every trick will work with every child. Some kids may experience some anxiety at the thought of getting rid of things immediately. For those kids, it may help to create a holding area for toys that they are considering getting rid of. Fill a box with toys that your children are willing to consider parting with and put the box in a holding area that is out of sight. Give your child a week or so to ask to remove specific toys from the box. At the end of whatever time period you set, donate the box without letting your child see it. If he hasn’t asked for a toy back then it isn’t one that is important to him, but certainly do not let your child browse through the box before you remove it from the house because then he’s likely to want all of his toys back.

Decluttering takes a bit of practice, especially when kids are involved. How have you gotten your kids onboard with decluttering their things?

Okay you’ve worked on greening your home and maybe have decided to ditch the fluorescent blue cleaner that gives you a headache and make you sneeze and cough OR perhaps you’re just insisting everyone take off their shoes and helps you recycle. Pat yourself on the back you have started going green and now you can move onto the community!  Don’t fret, I’m not insisting you ride your bike all over and only shop at the health food store!

1.  Buy Local. Support your local farmers, community supported agriculture programs (CSA’s) and think before you drive an hour for something you can find close to home. This helps local business, decreases wasted energy in travel and shipping but when you buy food closer to home the nutritional value is higher too!

2.   Take the Bus. If you have a local transit system frequent it and you’ll save money, help decrease traffic on the road and parking issues.  This reduces air pollution and what community doesn’t want cleaner, healthier air?

3.   Local Government. Find out what your local government is doing to go green and help the environment. Just being informed is the first step! From land management, recycling, waste management to water conservation you might find that you’ll want to become involved or attend meetings!

4.  Neighborhood Clean Up! We aren’t in a neighborhood but each spring the family walks our road and together we pick up trash and recycle items that are littering Mother Earth. This takes a few hours but the results make us feel good and the road and land look better. If you have a neighborhood park this is a great thing to organize once a year or more that everyone together can do. Even if it just begins with your family. Find inspiration from Planet Green and start cleaning!

5.  Plant a Tree. I know, I know, this sounds cliché and you have probably heard this a million times but have you planted a new tree in your community or yard lately? Is there a local Earth Day event you could attend?

6.  Reduce Waste. Stop creating so much waste that just needs to go to a local landfill! Think before you buy and if you can reuse it, recycle it or donate it to a thrift shop to help those in need consider these options first!  Have you considered where all that waste is going? Take the EnviroMom One Can Challenge and see if you can really reduce your waste!

For more green tips and ideas on going green visit, Sommer Poquette over at Green and Clean Mom. Her blog that makes living green fun and achievable! Join her over on Facebook and Twitter and check out her new My Mommy is a Blogger children’s book debuting the spring of 2011!

With Earth Day 2011 right around the corner Busy Mommy Media and I have teamed up to bring you “6 Little Green Steps” you can do to make a difference in your home, your community, your budget, travel, health and the baby nursery! It isn’t impossible to live a greener lifestyle when you realize that there are simple things you can do every day and that going green is not a competition!

For me, going green at home was the most important thing I could do. My daughter was a baby and was diagnosed with asthma and this is when I realized I needed to green my home and look at how I was cleaning, what I was using every day and how I could make simple changes to have a healthier safer home.

1.  Research. This doesn’t mean go overboard and kill yourself reading books, articles and breaking Google search. Find out what is in your cleaners and household products using the Household Products data base.

2.  Avoid products that contain*:

• 2-butoxyethanol (or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) and other glycol ethers
• Alkylphenol ethoxylates (some common ones are: nonyl- and octylphenol ethoxylates, or non- and octoxynols)
• Dye (companies often hide chemical information behind this word; when it’s unknown, it’s safer to skip it)
• Ethanolamines (common ones to look out for are: mono-, di-, and tri-ethanolamine)
• Fragrance
• Pine or citrus oil (on smoggy or high ozone days, compounds in the oils can react with ozone in the air to form the carcinogenic chemical formaldehyde)
• Quaternary ammonium compounds (look out for these: alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC), benzalkonium chloride, and didecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride)

*This list was compiled by the Environmental Working Group.

3.  Start Somewhere. So you have a lot of products that contain terrible, horrible, scary ingredients and you might be freaking out! Don’t! Take a deep breath and next time you go to the store and you need a new household cleaner replace it with a safer, eco-friendly option. Before you know it you’ll have a cabinet full of safer, greener options that are good for your home and the environment. Some of my favorite include ecoStore USA, Method and Seventh Generation!

4.  Take Off Your Shoes. A simple way to not spend money but make your household safer, greener and healthier! Oh and save you time from cleaning! When you take your shoes off at the door you leave the outdoor junk at the door too! The lawn pesticides, lead, dirt, and who knows what else! Did you know that 85% of yucky stuff is carried in on clothing, shoes and pets? Practically Green has a great article on this for more information.

5.  Open the Window. Yes, you can go green just by opening your windows –we’ll if you ditch your fragrance air fresheners that are usually containing nasty ingredients! The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air pollution is higher than outdoor air pollution. So let in some fresh air!

6.  Saving Water, Recycling and Leading by Example. I wanted my kids to see our home was a green place to live and this meant I needed to show them each day how to save water, energy and lead by example.  Shutting off the water when I brush my teeth, giving the children the job of shutting off the lights when we leave in the morning, asking the kids to help me recycle and catching each other doing “green “things”  like shutting the door behind us or taking off our shoes!

It comes down to having fun and not making going green in your home a chore but a fun way of life that is good for everyone that lives with you and future generations. Even becoming inspired by sites like One Million Acts of Green for daily ideas can be helpful in staying motivated and finding new ways to green your home environment!  Whether you clean green today, recycle tomorrow or in act a firm no shoes in the house rule – you can do something that makes a difference and I promise you’ll have fun doing it!

For more green tips and ideas on going green visit, Sommer Poquette over at Green and Clean Mom. Her blog that makes living green fun and achievable! Join her over on Facebook and Twitter and check out her new My Mommy is a Blogger children’s book debuting the spring of 2011!

Last month, we had a lot of winter storms.  This usually causes an increase in our electric bill.  I always expect it to go up some but when I got the bill for December, I was really shocked to find that it went up $200 more than we usually pay.  I was not alone, my friends and neighbors were all talking about their electric bills being a lot higher too.  So, now I am left trying to figure out how to get my bill lower.  Here are a few ideas to help you lower you electric bill.

Turn Off the Lights

When you are not using the lights, turn them off.   This is one of the easiest ways that you can save money.  After I get my kids out the door in the morning, I go through my house and turn off lights that were left on and we don’t need.  Talk with your kids about how important it is to turn off lights when they are not using them.  Use natural light whenever possible because it’s free. If you use outdoor lighting, consider using a motion sensor so the light does not stay on all the time.

Change Light Bulbs

If you use incandescent light bulbs consider changing to compact florescent light bulbs (CFL).  It is estimated that just changing to one of these CFL bulbs in your home will save you $35 for the next 10 years, which is the life of the bulb.  About a year ago, my electric company gave out free CFL bulbs to its customers in hopes to help customers save money on their electric bills.  CFL is not only cheaper to use, but also generates less heat.

Change Your Air Filters

Dirt and dust in the air filters will hinder air flow and reduce efficiency.  You should change your air filters monthly for central air and window units.

Get Energy Efficient Appliances

Many of the older appliances we have in our homes cost more to operate.  I recently bought a new dishwasher and this was one of the things I looked for was energy efficient. You will find this labeled as Energy Star.  These appliances can save you up to 30% or $400 a year according to the EPA.  Newer appliances use 50% less energy than those made in 2000 and before. So, consider buying a newer model, it may save you in the long run.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

You should strongly consider replacing your electric thermostat with a programmable thermostat.  This device can be set to automatically adjust temperature settings to energy saving levels when you are sleeping or away from the house. Some electric companies will even give you a discount for switching.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water

Consider washing clothes only in cold water.  A lot of labels on clothes tell you to wash in cold water anyways these days.  You can save money by only doing a hot water load that you use bleach to whiten your whites once a month. I don’t buy the special made for cold water laundry detergent because they are more expensive. Most liquid detergents will work well in cold water.    Also, consider not using your dryer and using the clothes line if it is nice outside.  There is nothing like the smell of air dried clothes and you save money.    

Stop Drafts

You lose a lot of heat in your home with drafts.  Seal the drafts and start saving money on your electric bills.

Fix Drips

If you have a leaky faucet, you may see a higher water bill.  If it is hot water that is leaking, it could also be affecting your electric bill.  Get those drips fixed and you will be able to save on both bills.

Consider Fixed Bills

If your electric bill is getting really high and you never know how much it is going to cost you for the month, talk to your electric company about fixed bills.  They may have several options.  One is a budget method.  This method helps you budget your monthly electric bill as it will be the same every month, but watch out because at the end of the year you may have paid too little and they will give you another bill for this overage.  Another plan is called the average plan.  This plan takes the average of your monthly electric bills and gives you one payment that is the same every month.  If you end up at the end of the year not paying enough, you will not be sent a bill.  Instead they will figure out a new average where that overage is considered in the new average.  Make sure you understand all the details before signing up for a program like this in your home.

Dyson is well known for being the standard in upright vacuum cleaners with their powerful suction technology. Even with their reputation, you’ll still be amazed at the power their lightweight handheld vacuum has. The Dyson DC31 Animal handheld vacuum isn’t like the other wimpy handheld vacuums on the market. This one is the real deal.

I have a son with severe asthma so staying on top of the dust and allergens, the ones we can see and the ones we can’t, in our home is top priority. We own a Dyson upright vacuum and I’m always amazed at how much stuff it pulls out of our carpets and mattresses. While the upright vacuum is great for most household jobs, there are times when you simply don’t want to pull out a huge vacuum. The Dyson DC31 Animal Handheld bridges the gap and with it’s great battery life, it’s always ready when you need it.

Dyson DC31 Animal Handheld Test

We put the Dyson DC31 Animal handheld vacuum to the real test – cleaning our car after a trip to the beach. You may remember my van from the annual Dirty Minivan Contest at Tales from the Motherhood. Fortunately, my van has been cleaned several times since then but living less than a mile away from the beach is not easy on any car. My kids always have sand on their shoes and our beach bag, which never really gets unpacked, has a permanent home in my trunk. The thing about sand is it never really goes away. It gets in every crevice and it can be hard for most vacuums to pick up.

The Dyson DC31 Animal comes with three attachments, the combination tool, the crevice tool, and the motorized brush bar. The combination tool is my favorite because it can change from a brush tool to a hard nozzle without taking the attachment off the vacuum. The crevice tool is perfect for getting into some of those harder to reach places and can get into tighter spots than using the attachments on a full size upright vacuum. The motorized brush bar has a spinning brush, just like an upright vacuum, and is perfect for getting pet hair (or human hair if having kids made all your hair fall out) off of stairs, furniture, or surfaces in your car.

I was so impressed with the suction power of the Dyson DC31 Animal handheld. It picked up sand, hair, bits of food, and everything else that was in the trunk of my car. I was disgusted to see how quickly the canister filled up. The canister itself is easy to empty. One push of a button and the bottom of the canister opens up so you can empty it into your trashcan without making a mess.

Uses for the Dyson DC31 Animal Handheld Vacuum

Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do, so I’m always looking for ways to make it easier and faster. I’ve found some great uses for the Dyson DC31 Animal handheld vacuum, of course that’s only when I can fight it away from my husband who keeps trying to claim it to keep in his car (he wants Dyson to make a car charger so it never has to leave). The brush attachment is perfect for cleaning window blinds, which is generally a very time consuming and tedious task. With an asthmatic child, we have to keep our blinds dust free so they have to be cleaned fairly often. The Dyson DC31 makes this easy. As you can see in the video below, the DC31 is great for cleaning out your car. We usually have to haul our huge shop vac out of the garage to clean our car and while the suction on that is alright, the attachments are not designed for the small spaces you find in a car.

The Dyson DC31 handheld has an unexpected benefit. My kids LOVE it. They are now fighting over who gets to use it. I wonder how long it will take to realize that they are using it to clean. I used to have to beg and plead to get any of my kids to use the small broom to sweep under the kitchen table after meals. Now they jump under there willingly and use the Dyson DC31 to suck up all of those cereal pieces that won’t stay in the bowl.

What would you use a Dyson DC31 Animal Handheld for?

Nissan is about to start a revolution.  In December, they are launching what they call “the new car”, a 100% electric, 0 emissions, 5 passenger vehicle called the Nissan LEAF.  This will be one of the first alternative fuel vehicles to be mass-produced on any scale.  The LEAF runs entirely on batteries and has no tailpipe thus creating no emissions.  Nissan plans to put 20,000 of these vehicles on the road in 2011 with many more to follow.

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to spend some time with the vehicle at Nissan’s Drive Electric Tour here in San Diego. The Drive Electric Tour is currently touring the country to let consumers test drive this revolutionary alternative fuel vehicle and see what a realistic option it is for the average driver.

Tim Gallagher, Corporate Communications Manager, said that most people showing up for the event were very interested to see how the vehicle compares with a traditional gas vehicle.  Given that LEAF actually stands for Leading, Environmentally-friendly, Affordable, Family car we thought we would explore how it works as a family car.

Nissan claims that 95% of drivers drive less than 100 miles a day, the average range of the LEAF.  Although depending on how you drive it you may realistically get between 65 to 135 miles.  Stop and go traffic and city driving actually help the charge the batteries due to the regenerative braking system but running the AC in Southern California sunshine will decrease it.  What do you think? Is 100 miles a day enough for most busy moms?

Getting a full charge is easy enough as Nissan is anticipating that most owners will simply charge the vehicle each night at their home taking advantage of cheaper off-peak electricity during the night.  They currently figure it will run $2.64 at the national average rate for electricity to get your 100 miles.  Given that the average price of gas here in California is currently $3.13 per gallon, if your car gets 25mpg, you would save almost 80% off your fuel bill.

A Nissan LEAF Charging

If you do need a charge before you return home, Nissan is working very hard to establish a charging infrastructure.  By June 2011, Nissan plans to have 1400 public charging stations in place in the San Diego area at places such as Costco and Best Buy.  They also plan to have 60 rapid charging stations in place which will decrease the standard charging time from 8 hours to just under 30 minutes. (to 80%).  They are also building a charging infrastructure in the other launch markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Tucson, and Tennessee.

Now about the car -  it is a 5-passenger hatchback.  The front seat has ample room for even my 6’ 3” frame.  The back seat has stadium seating (meaning it sits higher than the front row) due to the battery pack under the floor.  This offers great visibility for little ones but could make headroom tight for tall adults.  The back seat has two sets of latch points for car seats and three tether points in the hatchback trunk.

Nissan LEAF Battery Pack

We test fit a Britax Advocate car seat along with a Britax Parkway booster seat.  The two seats fit perfectly fine in the outboard positions but with these car seats it would be very challenging to fit any normal-sized person in between the seats.  As Autoblog stated in their review of the vehicle, “Nissan claims you can fit three people in the rear, but as always, make sure the person in the middle is suitably malnourished and amiable.” It might however work for three narrow car seats and we are hoping to try that at a later date.

Carseat in a Nissan LEAF - Front Seat All the Way Forward

Leg room with the front seat where it would have to be to realistically drive

The trunk is surprisingly roomy.  Nissan claims you can fit two golf bags.  Our view was that all umbrella strollers and other gear should fit fine but many larger strollers would likely struggle.

There is plenty of cargo space; it is simply a matter of how wide the space is between the wheel wells.  The hatch did however; look very inviting to our three small children.  At the encouragement of the Nissan rep, it did make for a great photo opp.

On our test drive, the first thing we noticed was the absence of engine noise.  It is so quiet that it will never disturb even the fussiest baby, but you may be out of luck if the sound of an engine lulls your baby to sleep.  Acceleration was great up to about 30mph but feels more like a 4 cylinder engine after that.  The ride is neither harsh nor soft which in my opinion means it will get the job done fine just don’t expect sports car results.

The Nissan LEAF has an MSRP of $32,780 but there is a $7500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles and here in California there is also a $5000 Alternative Fuels Rebate.  The upper SL model also includes a back-up camera for increased visibility, which can play a huge role in preventing backovers.

Rachel Taking a Test Drive

The revolution has begun and 20,000 people have already made reservations for the vehicle.  Do you think that the Nissan LEAF is a realistic alternative fuel vehicle for the average family?

Do you feel like you spend too much money on cleaners for your home?  Do you want to save money and still be able to clean your home?  Do you want to get potentially harmful cleaners out of your home and make it a safer environment?  Did you know you can clean your home with all natural products that are $1 or less each?  Most of you probably already have these items in your kitchen pantry.  I’m talking about baking soda, white vinegar, and lemons.  Yes, those all natural ingredients can and will clean your home if you know how to use them.  You can even clean your whole bathroom with these three items.  Here are some ideas to make cleaning cheaper and all natural in your home.

Baking Soda

Get Rid of Grime

You can place baking soda on a sponge and wipe down your bathroom sink and even your bath tub. With a little scrubbing, this can get rid dirt and grime.

Deodorize Your Carpets

You can deodorize your carpets by sprinkling the baking soda on your carpet before bedtime.  Let it sit overnight and then the next morning vacuum up.  The baking soda will absorb those lingering odors in the carpet the same way it absorbs odors in the fridge.

Clean Out Stale Smells from Food Containers

If you have food containers that have a lingering smell, you can wash them out with baking soda and hot water.  If the smell still remains, soak it overnight in a baking soda and water mixture; this should help get rid of the pesky odor.

Clean Off Burnt On Food

If you burn foods in your pots and pans, they can sometimes be hard to clean.  All you need to do is place baking soda in the pan and fill with hot water and soak overnight.  The pan should be easier to clean the following day.

Freshen Your Laundry

Does your laundry need a little freshening?  Just add ¼ cup baking soda to your rinse cycle and your clothes will come out fresher.

White Vinegar

Brighten Whites

Have your clothes lost their whiteness?  You can easily get your whites brighter by adding ½ cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.  By doing this, you will see whiter whites.

Prevent Mildew

You can prevent mildew in your refrigerator by wiping it down with a 50/50 water/vinegar solution. You can also fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray down your bath tub and shower curtain occasionally to help prevent mildew build up.

Make It Sparkle

You can make your windows and mirrors sparkle by filling up a spray bottle with 50/50 vinegar and water and then spray on the surfaces and wipe dry.

Lemons

Clean the Microwave

A couple of months ago, my microwave was so bad that my husband said we should buy a new one.  We had trouble getting some of the stains to come off.  I put some water in a microwave safe bowl and added lemon slices and heated it for 30 seconds and then after the microwave shut off I let the water with lemons set in the microwave with the door closed for about five minutes.  After it was done almost all of the stains wiped right out.

Clean Stains

Lemons can get rid of many different types of stains.  You can squeeze juice from a lemon onto your kitchen countertop stains and let it set for a few minutes. The lemon’s acid will break down the stain.  Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on top of the lemon juice then scrub the stain clean.

Recycling newspaper, soda cans, and bottles has probably become second nature for you, but why stop there? Innovative companies are coming up with ingenious ways to recycle even more consumer products, so it’s easy to add a few more items to your family’s recycling repertoire. Check out some of the surprising recyclables you probably have in your home and how to keep them out of the landfill.

• Athletic Shoes – Nike collects worn-out athletic shoes (all brands) and grinds them up to make surfaces for playgrounds, tracks, tennis courts, and more. You can drop off your shoes at Nike stores and other collection points or mail them directly to Nike’s recycling center.
• Drink Pouches - Terracycle collects drink pouches, potato chip bags, and other food containers to turn into colorful new products like backpacks and lunch bags. Even cooler, school groups and nonprofits can collect the recyclable items and sell them to Terracycle as a fundraiser.
• CFLs – We’ve all heard that compact fluorescent bulbs are long-lasting and energy efficient, but they also contain toxic mercury. So what do you do with them when they finally do burn out? Drop them off at your nearest Home Depot, and every part from the mercury to the metal end cap will be recycled.
• Cooking Oil - If you are one of the growing number of people experimenting with biodiesel vehicles, you are probably already saving your cooking oil to convert into this clean-burning alternative to fossil fuels. Otherwise, check Earth 911 for programs in your community that will be glad to receive the remnants of last night’s fish fry.
• Crayons - Does your kids’ art supply stash need culling? Those broken and stubby crayons can find new life with Crazy Crayons, a company that melts down unwanted crayons to create multi-colored crayons in an endless variety of fun shapes.
• Cosmetic Containers – Shampoo bottles usually have a recycling code imprinted in the ubiquitous triangular symbol, but what about other cosmetic containers, like that lipstick tube? Origins accepts empty containers from any brand of cosmetics for recycling—just drop them off at any Origins store or department store counter.
• Water Filters – Filtering your own water at home is much greener than buying bottled water, and Brita is making it even greener. Send in your used Brita pitcher filters and they will be recycled thanks to a partnership with Preserve, a company that makes great (and recyclable!) toothbrushes, razors, and kitchenware from recycled plastic.

Of course, this is only a partial list—what other surprising recyclables have you discovered? Share in the comments below!

(Photo credit: Karin Beil)

Green Living. We hear it all the time. But what does it mean – for ME, a busy mommy? Generally speaking, green living means living in such a way that you’re not harming the environment. Although green living can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be, and it can actually save you money. You don’t have to “go green” all at once. In fact, if you try to, you’ll likely become overwhelmed very quickly, and stop your efforts. So, instead, incorporate one or two green ideas at a time, get used to this new way of doing things, then add something else. Sounds easier now, right?

Start a Garden

Gardening is a great way to live a greener lifestyle. Start a vegetable, fruit, or herb garden. It’s not too late. Even if you only plant a few plants, when the plants mature and you’re able to use them for cooking or eating, you’ll be proud! And next year, you can add more plants. If gardening doesn’t interest you but eating healthy still does, shop at your local farmers market. Shopping locally is a very green thing to do. It keeps your money in your community, and you’re able to meet and interact with the people who grow your food. How cool is that?

Avoid Bottled Water

Reduce your dependency on bottled water. Water as your beverage of choice? Wonderful! So many benefits to plain old water. Still drinking your water from a disposable plastic container? You’re losing major brownies, my friend. Major. Stainless steel is a lot better than plastic. Make it a habit of filling up your refillable water bottle before leaving the house and leaving work, and you’ll always have water when you need it.

Get Rid of Disposables

Speaking of getting rid of disposable bottled water containers – get rid of disposables, period. Disposable diapers, wipes, tissues, utensils, grocery bags, etc are no longer in vogue. Replace them with reusable items. It might cost a little more up front to buy reusable “paper” towels or napkins, for example, and will then take time to get used to using these things, but we’ll be sending less trash to the landfills, and we will be saving on those monthly grocery expenses. Simply add the towels and napkins to your regular laundry loads. No extra effort required.

Reduce the Use of Plastic Grocery Bags

Every time you shop you end up with a lot of small plastic bags – so many that you can’t think of what to do with all of them. Of the 100+ billion bags thrown away every year, less than 3% get recycled. To reduce your footprint, take your own bags to the store and reuse them. It’s not always easy to remember to bring your own bags into the store when you go, but you’ll get it. I put my bags on the front passenger seat of the car, or on the floor near my purse, to help me remember. Reusable bags are sold everywhere, and sell for as low as $.99 to a high of around $50 for a single bag. Whether you buy them or get them free somewhere, you can do your part to reduce the number of bags going to landfills.

It really doesn’t take much extra effort to go green when you do it a little bit at a time. What it will do is save our precious planet earth for the next generations to come. And I like that. You should too.

It all began when I moved to New Jersey.  The same home that cost $60,000 in Nebraska (where I had moved from) cost $300,000 in Jersey.  So I sat on my new living room floor.  A three year old jumping on my back, my 18 month old having an accident on our couch and nursing our new baby.  Oh-did I say couch?  Yes.  That being-peed-upon couch was one of our few pieces of furniture.  There was a bassinet, a crib, a twin mattress and a queen bed.  My underpaid policeman husband and I had decided that our love would see us through.

But the knowledge of the errant potty trainer was on my mind.

There was no way at all we could afford a new couch.  Or a kitchen table.  Or the whole wardrobe of clothes that all three kids seemed to grow out of every three months.  So my internet addicted self and the frugal Nebraskan got together.

They had a love affair with http://www.freecycle.org

Freecycle is an entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer.   Membership is free.

Within the first three years of using it (I was in New Jersey, so keep in mind the group had about 15,000 members) I had a new (lovingly used) couch, a new (refinished) dining room table and chairs, bookcases, end tables, countless toys,craft items and lots of crap I decided I “needed” without spending more than the gas I used to go and pick it up.  And I gave back just as much.  I felt guilty about selling some things when I knew there were people out there like us who could just not afford to buy a bassinet.  So I freecycled it.  Hence the “cycle”.

1. When you want to find a new home for something — whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door — you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycling group.
2. Maybe you’re looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member’s offer, and you just might get it. After that, it’s up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.
3. The main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.
4. Non-profit organizations also benefit from Freecycling.
5. Usually you must give before you take.  Think of it as good karma.
6. Post the item or items you want to give away and where you are located.
7. Then request the things that you may be needing.
8. It’s a free cycle of giving.  Think globally, recycle locally. The Freecycle Network is open to all communities and to all individuals who want to participate. Freecycle groups are run by local volunteer moderators from across the globe who facilitate each local group – grassroots at its best!

But pay attention!!

• Some groups are really busy. Make sure the email selection you choose works for you. Options include Daily Digest (bundles of 25 messages at a time delivered all in one email), Individual Messages (receiving a message just as it is sent out), No Mail (reading the messages on the web so your inbox is free of the messages).
• Not all groups allow the No Mail option, so read carefully to see if your group allows it or not.
• These rules are the same for all Freecycle groups: everything must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Local groups sometimes add other rules, like no pets, no coupons, no services. Be sure to read the guidelines for your local group so that you know what is or isn’t allowed.

Visit http://freecycle.org, http://freesharing.org or http://sharingisgiving.org to find a group in your area.

And think before you throw that spaghetti jar in the garbage!  I need that for my next kid’s art project!!