Thursday, June 25, 2009

Real Staycations

If you are looking for a resort type experience or want to get wild and crazy in your city, check out your local fun resorts. Prices in hot places like Tucson and Phoenix and any place that's hot are great! The deals I have been reading about are awesome. Save money on gas and plane fare, support the local economy, and imagine you are anywhere your heart desires. Added bonus: if you forget something, you can always run home and get it.

Please remember to be as green as possible during your stay. Conserve on towels, don't use plastic water bottles, request the sheets not be changed every day, don't turn down the air conditioner to sub-freezing levels, turn up the thermostat and turn out the lights out when you leave the room, and if you do use cans or bottles, make the extra effort to take them home with you to recycle.

I would LOVE to hear from you about other great, green ideas for summer fun.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Green Tip & Trivia Question of the Week

Green Tip of the Week:
Get out of your grocery shopping routine. Go to your local Farmers Markets!

Mrs. Green’s comment: there is just no downside – healthy, fun, supports local businesses and admission is free!

Green Trivia Question:
The average head of lettuce is sprayed an average of how many times with different pesticides, fungicides and herbicides

Answer: That average lettuce was sprayed an average of 12 times with up to FIFTY (50) different pesticides, fungicides and herbicides before it reaches your grocery aisle. So – buy organic!

Friday, June 19, 2009

You Can Save Money Going Green!

I am 100% certain that everyone likes feedback about their mission in life and I am no exception. The kind of background noise that goes on in this head: Am I making a difference? Do I have a positive impact on people whose lives I touch? Is anybody listening and changing one thing in their life? Do people really read this blog?

My friend Scott recently told me he was getting ready to clean out his house and rid himself of stuff. He wanted to know where to take things - lots of things. Well, here's what he did and the result in terms of actual or estimated savings:

One trip to Bookmans with bags of books = $300 credit! Bookmans is a LOCALLY owned business that buys used books, CDs, DVDs, video games, magazines, and sometimes cool "stuff."

One trip to Cartridge World with empty printer cartridges = $150 savings. This trip resulted in a very enthusiastic text message with lots of exclamation points.

One trip to Goodwill with LOTS of clothes = Charitable donation that can reported on tax return.

One trip to the Dry Cleaners with over 500 hangers = a really good deed.

I really hope this hits home. Not only did Scott actually make some money (he could have gotten $150 cash in lieu of the credit from Bookmans but now he will buy books with his credit instead), he really was ONE person making a difference. So he saved money and supported locally owned businesses, as well as a great non-profit which does all kinds of wonderful things - Goodwill Industries.

FYI, I learned yesterday that for every dollar you spend in a locally owned business, .45 stays in the local area vs. .13 cents for national chains. So that can be counted as yet another bonus point for Scott and an investment in our community!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Green Tip of the Week

Green Tip:
Get you and your loved ones outside to enjoy nature.

Mrs. Green’s comment: there’s such beauty to be enjoyed in the outdoors. Spending time outside will remind us of the precious gift called Mother Nature.

Green Trivia Question:
Kids on average spend how many hours per day with electronic media?

Answer: Six

Mrs. Green’s comment: A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that kids spend, on average, more than six hours per day with electronic media. The solution is to get your kids or your grandkids outside so they can reacquaint themselves with the sights, sounds and smells of nature!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Green Tip and Trivia Question of the Week

Green Tip of the Week:
WEAR NATURAL SUNSCREENS!

Mrs. Green’s comment: Will you do it if I beg? Straight from The Daily Green’s website: “According to the Environmental Working Group's most recent study of the safety and effectiveness of nearly 1,000 sunscreens, the bitter reality is that four out of five sunscreens actually provide inadequate protection from the sun. Even more frightening is that many of these sunscreens contain potentially toxic ingredients which are absorbed into your skin and bloodstream, potentially releasing skin-damaging free radicals, disrupting your hormone system, causing allergic reactions or building up in your body and contributing to various health issues.”

What they recommend: Soleo Organics, Solar RX, California Baby (not for just babies), Badger, Purple Prairie Sunstick to name a few.

Green Trivia Question:
What is the major structural building component of the Earthships?

Answer: The major structural building component of the Earthship is recycled automobile tires filled with compacted earth to form a rammed earth brick encased in steel belted rubber. This brick and the resulting bearing walls it forms is virtually indestructible.

Mrs. Green’s comment: Mike Reynolds and his worldwide team are changing the world one used tire at a time!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

This Week's Green Tip and Trivia Question

Green Tip of the Week

Check your leaky faucets, leaky pipes, leaky toilets! It’s really important.

Mrs. Green’s comment: a single slow leaky faucet dripping 30 drops per minute wastes 3 gallons per day, or the equivalent of 27 baths per year. Drip calculator

Green Trivia Question:

How many TONS of billboard vinyl has the company, Vy & Elle, recycled since they started their company in 2002?

Answer: More than 100 tons of billboard vinyl

Mrs. Green’s comment: Think of what a difference just one small company has made – a difference that benefits all of us.