Please check back often for more easy ways to do something simple! And when you see this little blue mailbox next to a tip that means that product is available for purchase on my ordering page! Just click on the mailbox and it will take you right there!

NEW TIP! If you don't already have one, buy a toaster oven! Because they are smaller, the heating elements in a toaster oven are typically 750 watts as where in a regular electric oven they are typically 3000 watts. And, because they have less space to heat, toaster ovens heat up faster than a regular oven saving you mega-watts on your electric bill! Priced anywhere (and I mean anywhere) from $29.99 to $249.99, there surely is a toaster oven out there to suit just about anyone's needs and pocketbook.
Go to http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/athome/368703_smart28.html for more information.

Interested in using eco-friendly cleaning products? Check out this website my daughter found for Green Works cleaners. Even though they are made by the people who bring us Clorox bleach, they use only plant and mineral-based biodegradable ingredients, contain no phophorus or bleach and they work great! I bought one of each product and LOVE them! The Natural Glass and Surface Cleaner even works better on my granite countertops than my old cleaner did!
Go to http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/ to read more about it.

If you must use paper towels (and I must admit I do) use a brand, such as Bounty Select-a-Size, that lets you tear off half a sheet. Sometimes half a paper towel is all you need to get the job done.
Well, again, I'm still learning too. Years ago when I tried to use paper towels and toilet paper made with recycled paper content the experience was not good. The paper towels were more like paper than towels and the toilet paper, well, let's not even go there. But I recently decided that it was insane for me to continue to use products made from bleached out virgin content paper. So, I made the switch. Check out these pages from the Natural Resources Defense Council that list many different brands of paper products made from recycled content. Hopefully, you too will soon be making the switch.
Go to www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp for more information.

Instead of using disposable, throw-away dryer sheets, use Dryer Balls. You may have already seen these cute little bumpy blue balls in some stores. I've been using a pair for about five months now and they work great! They bounce around in between all the clothes and keep them separated so that they dry faster. And they also take care of static cling. (I'm waiting to see how they do with static cling in the winter months though. It gets pretty dry in the Chicago area during the winter so we'll see if I have any problems with static then. I'll keep you posted.)
Well, I must confess that in the dead of winter I had to start using some dryer sheets again. But the good news is that I use them at about a 1/5 ratio (1 dryer sheet every 5 loads). The dryer balls still work and the clothes still seem to get dry faster, but with the lowered humidity in the winter the static was just too much.

If you've heard about the mercury content in Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs and are concerned, check out these pages from Energy Star addressing the concerns when a CFL bulb is broken.
Go to http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/
Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf to read more about it.

Bring reusable cloth or nylon garment bags to your dry cleaners and have them reuse these instead of putting that other non-recyclable, disposable plastic bag over your clothes.

Bring your own cloth bags to use when you go shopping.

Buy a plastic reusable sandwich container for your child's lunch. Which you will, of course, put into a reusable lunch box or lunch bag.

Invest in a stainless steel tumbler for those frequent visits to your favorite coffee house. Most are as little as $15.00 and some chains, such as Starbucks, will discount your drink if you bring in your own cup.
Go to www.starbucks.com/aboutus/reduction.asp for more information.

Change your heater/air conditioner filters regularly; most filter manufacturers recommend four times a year.
Go to www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac for more information.

When you need to change a light bulb replace the burned out bulb with one of those cool new squiggly compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use up to 75 percent less energy and last 8-10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.
Go to www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/energy_smart.htm or www.thesouthern.com/sp_sections/story.php?pub_number=150&s=9 for more information on CFL bulbs.

AND if you buy your GE CFL light bulbs from me they come in a recyclable cardboard box instead of the non-recyclable plastic that they come in at the stores. I called their consumer comment line a while back and asked if they could tell me what sense it made to sell an environmentally friendly product in non-environmentally friendly packaging. Again, I got no answer from the comment line people.

And once you've started replacing your old incandescent light bulbs with the new cool compact fluorescent light bulbs, visit this unique web site that is keeping track of each replacement literally one bulb at a time.
Go to www.onebillionbulbs.com to add your new bulbs to the count.

Start using rechargeable batteries. Sure you have to use electricity to charge them but the advantage to these types of batteries is that they can be reused over and over again so the environmental impact decreases. Keep in mind that all batteries can be harmful unless disposed of properly. When you dispose of batteries in our landfills harmful metals, leads and acids can leach into the ground and groundwater. The bottom line is whatever kind of batteries you choose to use, learn the correct and most environmentally friendly way to dispose of them.
Go to earth911.org/recycling/battery-recycling for more information.

And speaking of batteries, are you in the market for a new watch? If you are then try to choose one like the Citizen Eco-Drive. The battery gets recharged whenever it is exposed to sunlight thus lengthening the battery's lifetime. I've had my Eco-Drive for longer than I can remember and have yet to have to replace the battery!

Tired of wasting paper every time you need to leave a note for a loved one? Use a re-recordable device instead of a piece of paper for all those little notes.
Go to www.overstock.com/Electronics/SDAT-Digital-Magnetic-Message-Recorder/1950637/product.html to order a nifty little 2" magnetic recorder.

And speaking of paper, buy a shredder and begin recycling all that junk mail that now goes into your trash. First call or e-mail your trash/recycle company and make sure that they take shredded paper. For example, I have Waste Management and I e-mailed them to ask about shredded paper and they said that "yes" they indeed accept it as long as it is in a paper bag.

Give your hot water heater a hug! Investing in a hot water blanket will decrease the heat escaping from the exterior of the unit and will also decrease the money you have to pay to keep the water heated.

Insulate your home. Weatherstripping around windows and doors is a very effective and very easy way to get rid of all those drafts. And once all of the drafts are taken care of you have a more comfortable home that now costs you between 5 and 30 percent less to heat and cool! And properly insulating your attic and basement may even get you a Federal Tax Incentive!
Go to www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/Weatherstripping.html for tips on how to insulate your windows and doors and
go to www.simplyinsulate.com/ for tips on insulating your attic and basement as well as the guidelines for possible Federal Tax Incentives.