What to buy organic ...

The Environmental Working Group has composed 2 lists to help you decide which produce is worth the extra money to purchase organic - The Dirty Dozen - the 12 foods with the most pesticide residue & The Clean Fifteen - the 15 foods with the lowest levels of pesticide residue. If you can't afford to buy everything organic, be sure at least to purchase organics for the foods that appear on the Dirty Dozen List.

The Dirty Dozen:

1. peaches
2. apples
3. bell peppers
4. celery
5. nectarines
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. imported grapes
11. carrots
12. pears

The Clean Fifteen:

1. onions
2. avocados
3. corn
4. pineapples
5. mangoes
6. asparagus
7. sweet peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbages
10. eggplants
11. papayas
12. watermelons
13. broccoli
14. tomatoes
15. sweet potatoes

Daylighting

What is daylighting? Daylighting is the use of natural light instead of electricity to illuminate buildings and homes. Daylighting will save you money while reducing your carbon footprint. New buildings are being designed to take advantage of natural light - check out www.daylighting.org for more information.

Our house was not specifically designed to take advantage of natural light, but we are fortunate that it gets great daylight in most of the rooms. We are able to get great natural light all day and only need to turn on lights after the sun sets or on cloudy days. See if you can take advantage of daylight by opening the curtains instead of turning on a light.

Weekend Project - Refrigerator

Refrigerators are one of the biggest energy users in the home, save energy and money by making sure your refrigerator is working efficiently.

1. Start by vacuuming the cooling coils on the back of the fridge. (Be sure to unplug the refrigerator first.)

2. Check the temperature settings. Recommended temperatures are 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit for the fridge, and 0 degrees for the freezer.

3. Check your door seals. Put a piece of paper in the fridge door and see how easy it is to remove. If it slips right out, it is time to replace the seals.

Performing simple maintenance a few times a year will save you a lot of money on your energy bill.

Repair, Don't Replace

We all know the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse, & recycle. Of the three the first - reduce is the most important. Every new item you purchase has a large impact on the planet, production uses raw materials, energy & water and creates waste. In light of this the most earth friendly thing you can do is to keep an existing item rather than buying new. Renew old items by visiting a jewelry repair, shoe repair, or local seamstress. A few months ago I broke a heel on a pair of my favorite shoes - a quick trip to the shoe repair store and $10 later my shoes were as good as new.

Eco-friendly Potty Training

Today in our local paper there was an article on an interesting effect of the current recession - a decline in the sales of disposable training pants. Parents analyzing their budgets are forced to rethink which products are essential and with a potential savings of $30-$100 a month, many parents are deciding that disposable training pants aren't a necessity.

Since disposable training pants like disposable diapers are made from petroleum byproducts and tree products, they have a huge impact on the environment. By choosing to avoid the use of training pants parents can see three benefits -

1. A more earth-friendly approach to potty training
2. Significant money savings
3. In many cases, faster toilet training.

The first two benefits seem obvious, but why would potty training go faster without training pants? Like disposable diapers, training pants have absorbent material to wick away wetness. When my daughter was potty training we let her run around the house naked or in underwear and she quickly learned to use the potty to avoid accidents in her pretty panties.

What to eat organic

Eating organic will reduce your exposure to pesticides, but can be expensive. In these tough economic times, buying organic foods can strain some families' budgets. What can you do? By purchasing organics for the 12 foods with the highest levels of pesticides, you can reduce your exposure to over 90% of the most commonly used pesticides. What to buy organic -

1. Apples
2. Bell peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Red raspberries
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries

Ceiling Fans

Looking for a simple way to stay cool and save electricity this summer - install ceiling fans in your house. With ceiling fans you can save up to 40% on your air conditioning bill while only using as much power as it takes to light a 100-watt incandescent bulb. While ceiling fans themselves do not cool the room, the air circulation will produce a comfortable breeze which will make you feel cooler. Be sure to check to make sure you blades are rotating in a counterclockwise direction during the summer.

Tips to Improve Your Fuel Efficiency

As fuel prices start to climb again, be sure your car is running efficiently as possible.

1. Be sure to perform your car's scheduled oil changes and tune-ups.

2. Check to see if you need to replace a clogged air filter.

3. Keep your tires properly inflated.

4. Drive smartly - use your cruise control on the highway, avoid quick accelerations and excessive braking.

5. Avoid idling, turn off your car in bank lines and school carlines.

6. Reduce drag by removing roof racks and avoiding excess weight in trunk.

10 Easy Ways to Save Energy

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your electric bill? Here are 10 simple tips to help you out:


1. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

2. Monitor your thermostat - as the summer heats up set it up a few degrees and use ceiling fans to help you feel cooler.

3. Schedule a free home energy audit with your electric company.

4. Seal air leaks with caulking, sealing, or weather stripping to help keep your air conditioning inside.

5. Be aware of your lighting usage, during the day opt to open curtains to allow daylight in instead of turning on a light.

6. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

7. Make sure you aren't keeping your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer.

8. Turn off your computer when it is not in use.

9. Whenever possible, use your microwave for cooking. It uses two-thirds less energy than the stove and will keep the house cooler.

10. Looking for a fun way to save energy? Plan an Earth Hour celebration one evening each week where you turn off the lights and eat dinner and play board games by candlelight.

5 uses for hydrogen peroxide

Who knew that little inexpensive brown bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide could do so much?

1. Dip your toothbrushes in peroxide after brushing to keep them germ-free.

2. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs.

3. After cleaning your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

4. Fill a dark colored spray bottle, since peroxide breaks down quickly when exposed to light, with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and use it to disinfect the toilet and bathroom surfaces without harming your septic system.

5. Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to your white laundry.

Buy in Bulk

When you head to the store, rethink your purchases to buy in bulk. That doesn't mean you have to head to the warehouse stores to buy extra large containers of items you don't need just because they are a bargain. A bargain is only a bargain if it is an item you need and will use that saves you money. Green bulk purchasing means buying the largest size of an item that is on your shopping list. Your local grocery store will have items for sale in larger containers - think family size shampoo, or larger bottles of dish detergent or laundry detergent. How is this green? Containers and packaging make up more than 31% of all solid waste. Bulk buying uses less packaging per unit and usually saves you money in the long run. Another great bulk buying opportunity is to hit the local health food store to purchase dry goods like pasta, rice, popcorn, cereal, nuts, and more in bulk.

More Green Money Saving Tips

During the current economic crisis, you probably won't be looking at many large scale green changes such as buying a hybrid car, installing solar panels, or replacing all your old appliances with Energy Star ones. However you can make significant green changes that will actually save you money.

1. Bring your lunch in reusable packaging. Packing a lunch at home is always cheaper than eating out. You will also reduce the amount of waste you generate in the form of Styrofoam containers, plastic cutlery, paper napkins, etc. By packing your lunch in a reusable container you also save the money you would spend on sandwich baggies while reducing your waste.

2. Plan your week's meals before going shopping. By planning ahead you can research what's on sale, check for coupons, plan meals that will use up items in your pantry, and avoid waste from items that you buy and don't use up by planning multiple meals that will use the ingredients. You will also spend less at the store if you make a list and only buy items on the list to avoid impulse buys.

3. Become a smart shopper. Shopping online will save you money on gas and may help you stick to your gift list better. Buying in bulk will save you money and reduce the amount of packaging you dispose of, just make sure not to overbuy or buy an item just because it seems like a good deal. Buying items used from thrift stores, ebay, or craigslist keeps items out of landfills and reduces the production of new items while saving you money in the process.

4. Over the past few months when gas prices were at an all time high, many people changed their driving habits in order to save money. As frustrating as high gas prices are, they are actually good for the environment as people reduce their driving. Now that gas prices are thankfully lower, keep in place the changes you made and save even more money.