In our house recycled items have a tendency to pile up on our counter. No one seems to want to take them out to the garage to be recycled. It’s February in Wisconsin so it is a bit cold out there. So how do we deal with this problem? We give the kids a bit of incentive to help out with the recycling.
We sort our aluminum soda cans out of the regular recyclables. Our community donates these to Habitat for Humanity. The kids think this is a great idea. It gives them a bit of incentive to take the soda cans, wash them out, crush them and bag them. We then take them to the recycle point. They have an enjoyable time seeing who crushed the most cans for Habitat for Humanity.
We encourage our kids to use the recycle bin as their personal project resource. There is a lot of very useable materials in there. Milk jugs have made our decomposition projects fun. Plastic soda bottles have made great learning to juggle projects. There is card board to do art projects with. We have even taken out all the paper to recycle and make more paper with.
Get the kids involved. Recycling may be a dreaded chore, until you turn it into something they get. Teaching kids earlier will help make a greener world.
Is there an art project in your recycle bin? Is there something that may help in your local community? Take a look and see what you are sending to the curb!

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Indoor air pollution can be worse than outside air pollution. This time of year our homes are shut up tight. The air inside becomes stagnant and stale.

Next to throwing open the windows on a warmer than usual winter day what are our options to making our inside air more breathable?

Watch those cleaning ingredients. Sprays and cleaners may smell nice, but are full of chemicals. When our houses are airtight for winter these chemicals have nowhere to go. If you can, opt for all natural cleaning products. Baking soda, lemon, essential oils and a host of other natural cleaning agents will work just as well and not pollute your air with chemicals. There are new lines coming on the market of green cleaning products as well. Try these out for your cleaning needs.

Keep those furnace filters clean. Not only does this help your furnace run more efficiently and save you money, but a clean filter will filter out much more chemicals and allergens in the air that you do not want to breathe in. There are new filters on the market that are a greener choice as well. Filters that are made with recycled material are available. There are also filters that you clean and replace yourself. This way you are not filling up landfills with filters.

If you have watched television you have to of seen the commercials for air fresheners. These are also loaded with chemicals that can add to indoor air pollution. If cooking smells bother you make sure you have a working fan above your stove. Keep those filters clean as well. If you just want your house to smell nice try essential oil diffuser. Just a few drops of your favorite all natural essential oil will make your house smell lovely. Try warm floral or citrus oils to remind you that spring is just around the corner.

Always be conscience of what you are putting into the air of your home. When spring comes throw up those windows and let the clean air in.

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Sometimes living green is just not easy. During the months of December and January, my kids and I did a lot of traveling. We traveled as far as Chicago and Minneapolis. We had a lot of fun on these trips. We got to do lots of shopping, eating at new places; we saw things that blew our minds. I mean have you ever seen the clock tower made of Legos at the Mall of America?

But in all these travels we discovered perhaps what we had forgotten. Living Green on the road is a lot of hard work! Let’s face it, we live in a society that is on the move and is geared for just that. While on the road we live on fast food and disposable containers. Usually where we go there is no recycle bin in site. It’s a sad reality, but it is true.

So here we are, on all these road trips and what did we do to live our life a bit greener? Well here are a few tips the girls and I picked up along the way.

We avoided drive through windows. Even if the Stop-n-shops were a bit more expensive for drinks, we knew that the containers we got we could later recycle rather than throw away. We kept a large black bag in the trunk to put our recycle containers in to dispose of later or when we got home.

We also avoided fast food places. The packaging alone kills me. Take one trip to the golden arches and you have several bags of trash. Not to mention all the napkins, sauces and straws they put in extra, of course unless you need it and then there is none. Instead we went to sit down restaurants. This meant no packaging. To avoid food waste the girls and I often shared our meals. And yes quite often the girls and I can eat one adult meal and an appetizer and be very happy. This meant no doggy bags and no leftovers to be thrown away.

We also took care of our car. It is winter here in Wisconsin and it is important for it not to break down, but it is wise to take care of for efficiency as well. Gas prices have come down, but I still don’t like putting money in the gas tank if I don’t have to. I drive a small fuel-efficient car, but there are steps I can take to improve my gas mileage. Take it in for regular maintenance and oil changes. Check your fluids. Check that tire pressure, this will really help with gas mileage. Keep track of your gas use. Know how your car runs and take care of it. It’s true if you take care of it, your car will take care of you.

There are many other things you can do on trips to be greener. It is becoming easier, but it isn’t always easy. You may have to go out of your way to get it done, but in the end, it is well worth it!

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Many of us will have that health issue somewhere in our New Year’s Resolutions. Living greener lifestyles is also on many people’s list as well. How well do the two mesh is a question many will be asking themselves.

A green lifestyle is one that includes being environmentally friendly. One of the many things we can do to help the environment is to watch what we are eating.

One of the best ways to do this is to support our local food producers. Buying locally grown produce is an excellent way to be green. It has less packaging and does not have to be transported around the globe using valuable resources to get to your table.

Produce is a very environmentally wise choice, even at the grocery store. You don’t have to worry about packaging. If you pick organic produce you are getting food that is grown without harmful chemicals. Organic meat, dairy and eggs are also raised without chemicals and hormones. They are green choices.

These are some of the healthier foods for you and your family. If you eat more produce and organic meat you are eating healthier than if you eat processed foods and foods that are highly refined.

Eating healthier and living green does go hand in hand. Make wise choices in the grocery store, for both you, your family and the environment.

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It’s the holiday season, and let’s be honest, time is getting shorter and shorter. We all have those last minute gifts we just have to get. Let’s ensure we get green gifts instead of a gift that is not so environmentally friendly.

Shopping little boutiques in your town may be just what you need. Many offer vintage items. These are great ways to recycle. They offer everything vintage, from clothing, to jewelry and knickknacks. These boutiques also may offer soy candles and homemade natural soaps. These are both great green gifts to give.

Don’t know what to purchase, think gift card. Yes, these may be the easy way out, but when you think of it, they make great green gifts. Take for example online music gift cards. You have just given the gift of music. You didn’t involve wrapping paper or packaging. You didn’t even contribute a CD to the environment. They can download the music straight to their MP3 player.

You can also give a gift of service. This may take a little thought on your part, but will be much appreciated. If you have a single parent on your gift list, you can offer to watch their kids for them. Offer to shovel the sidewalk and driveway for an elderly couple this winter. These are great green gifts that will be very appreciated.

It doesn’t take a lot to give a greener gift. Sometimes it just takes a little more thought.

Have a very green holiday this year.

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It’s the holidays. More than likely we don’t eat like we should, let alone in a green matter. So what is eating green and how can it help you during the holidays?

We are all aware of things we can do to be green. Less packaging, less chemicals, environmentally friendly habits these are all things we can take into account when we are eating as well.

Well that leads you right to the produce isle. These foods are naturally better for you. They provide a bulk of your nutritional needs. They haven’t been processed and if you chose the organic variety they are not grown with chemicals. These foods help you maintain optimum health. If you are at your healthiest, then you are better able to deal with everything the holidays can throw at you.

Eating more naturally will benefit you this holiday season. It will encourage your green living as well. Fill up on fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Go for the organic options when you can. Remember the less it is processed the better it is for you and the environment.

Whole grains are an added bonus this holiday season. They are processed less and they have added health benefits. Whole grains have been shown to improve heart health. Whole grains are also shown to help those with diabetes to control sugar levels. They give many benefits to dieters. Whole grains help your digestive system work more efficiently and they fill you up faster. You can find whole grains in crackers, pasta, cereals and breads. Read those labels to see if whole grains are included. Even popcorn is considered a whole grain.

Though hard to do, try to avoid those fast foods. While they are convenient while out doing holiday shopping, they are not very green, and not very good for you in the end. If you have to stop for fast food try to go the healthiest route possible. Try for a salad or grilled meat.

Eating healthy is being green in a sense. So think before you eat this holiday season. Remember though it is ok to indulge that sweet tooth as long as you do it wisely! A small slice of that wonderful holiday pie can be a small reward for eating smart and green the rest of the time.

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The holidays are here. They have arrived when we were not looking it seems. Thanksgiving is a few weeks away and Christmas to follow soon after.

The question that comes to my mind is, how can I make this holiday season a bit greener? When I think about Holidays past I can see ways that weren’t green. I think the biggest offender that comes to mind is gift-wrap.

We love our gift-wrap. It comes in a variety of colors and sparkles. The lights from trees and decorations gaily reflect the shiny surfaces of our packages. It takes a child all of three seconds to send that gift wrap into a scrap of mess in the middle of the floor to reveal the treasure that was hidden inside.

Then what becomes of the beautiful paper? More than likely the gorgeous paper that was used only briefly is now balled up and put in a trash bag to be taken to the curb for the next trash pickup day. When you think about it in that light, gift-wrap can be a bit heart breaking.

There are quite a few green alternatives to gift-wrap though. All you need is a bit of imagination and you can come up with all sorts of ideas that will not leave all that pretty in the trash.

The first thing that comes to mind is the reusable gift bag. Gift bags can be saved and used from year to year. They come in a variety of designs, colors and can be decorated with ribbons and bows. Make the gift bag part of the present. Make sure the receiver knows that you want that part re-gifted.

You can make your gift-wrapping part of the present. Wrap your gift in something that the receiver can use. Wrap the gift in a pretty towel, pillowcases or even a blanket. Make them something the user enjoys. Giving a gift to a crafter? Wrap your gift in a craft tote. If you are giving a gift to someone who enjoys baking, place your gift in a decorative casserole dish.

If you have recently moved you know that you have an excessive of packing paper. Most is white and fairly sturdy. You can turn this into gift-wrap as well. Have the kids decorate it with crayons and markers.

If you must use store bought gift-wrap be sure to purchase that paper that is made with recycled products. This is an option that is becoming more popular. Think of ways that you can re-use that gift-wrapping.. While you may be unable to reuse it as gift wrap, you can save it for next year. Use it as stuffing in boxes that you send packages through in the mail. You can use it in those recycled gift bags instead of tissue paper.

When it comes to wrapping gifts there are many great ideas out there. Surprise the person you are giving to and even yourself with your creative and imaginative ways that you can wrap up a present.

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I read something very disturbing last night. According to the Container Recycling Institute only 2 out of 10 of plastic bottles used for bottled water is recycled. That is 80% of all bottled water containers end up being thrown in the trash.

What can I say, but wow. That is unbelievable. With the sales of bottled water growing at a phenomenal rate every year that means more and more of these plastic bottles are landing in our landfills every year.

We have all seen the aisles in your local grocery store that stocks bottled water. Over the years, we have seen what was once or maybe two types of water expand to whole aisles varying from spring water to filtered water to artesian water and so on. I am not saying this is very bad, but we have to think about what we are doing in a green sense when we grab these bottled water choices.

If we are going to use the single servings of bottled water, we need to ensure that the plastic containers are recycled. We also need to encourage others to do so as well.

The greener choice is to buy the larger containers of bottled water. Water comes in gallons and larger containers. You can keep these in our refrigerators and use only what we need. The larger the container the less waste we are generating. Remember to recycle the container.

Go even greener by using the larger 5-gallon cooler type bottled water. You can have these home delivered. You will pay a deposit for these bottles and the company will take them back and reuse them in their delivery service. You still get your choices of types of water. You can provide your own smaller bottle for individual use.

There are other options out there as well. Consider installing a filtering system into your home. The options vary from tap filters to container filters and you can even install a home water filtration system. This will enable you to bypass the bottled water option all together.

Whatever your choice remember that those containers that you use, need to be recycled. We need less plastic containers ending up in our landfills. Find a travel container, fill it full of your water and keep them in the fridge ready to go when you are. Do your part to reduce, reuse and recycle. Encourage others to do the green thing.

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As I sit here and gaze out my window, I am almost overwhelmed by the sheer amounts of leaves that have showered down over my backyard. Having lived in the south for the past decade it is a bit of a wonder for us to see them.

The question has now become what to do with them. There are so many of them. They were beautiful on the tree. They were pretty floating down to the ground. They were fun to watch the girls jump into but now they are just all brown cluttering the ground of my backyard.

I see many people bagging them up and leaving them at the curb for pickup, but is that the greenest method of taking care of these leaves? Take a walk with me through my clutter of leaves to see my green options.

Leaves that fall on your yard may look nice, but if left there they will kill your grass. If you have an inch or so of leaves when they start to break down and decompose, they will block the oxygen from your grass. Even in the colder months, your lawn does need to breathe. On the other hand, if they have landed in your flowerbeds you can leave them. They will break down and provide the cover some plants need over the winter, such as roses.

Raking up the leaves over your lawn can be a fun chore, or it can be just that, a chore. If you have a mulching lawn mower with a bag, this could be a saving grace for your rake. Dump the mulched leaves over flowerbeds or into compost piles. This is a way to greenly dispose of these once treasures.

If you must bag them up, remember what you are putting the leaves. Plastic bags looking like pumpkins may be decorative, but don’t readily break down. Find the greenest option that you can. Many communities offer bags made of thick paper. This paper will break down more easily, and may even come from recycled material. Many communities will come around and pick up the yard waste. This is then either taken and disposed of, or used in your community.

Whatever you decide to do with the fallen leaves that surround us this time of year, enjoy them. You can even enjoy gathering them up. Involve your family and enjoy a great fall activity outside.

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