MY LIL GREEN DRESS

At a time when the world faces increasing global warming, as more and more harmful greenhouse gases pour out into the atmosphere, more and more people are wondering how to go green and make it cost effective too. The good news is that it’s very easy to do. In fact, done properly it’s hard not to save money while helping the planet recover. So, here’s how to go green (and save money) in 7 simple tips.

1. Lower your winter heating by at least one degree. If you can stand two or three degrees lower, then all the better. You will use less energy and still feel comfortable. Then in summer, let the air conditioning cool the house a little less. That’s a great start in how to go green.

2. Set your washing machine to wash clothes in cold water. Modern cleaning powders don’t need hot water, and heating the water is what consumes most of the energy that the washing machine uses.

3. Don’t use the dryer to dry your clothes! That’s not how to go green. It uses far too much energy and it’s expensive too. Hang your clothes out to dry. The air is great at drying clothes – your grandmother could have told you that.

4. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs use 10% of the energy that a standard bulb needs and they last 10 times longer. So, change your light bulbs. And if you want to know how to go green in a bigger way with lights, check out the new LED bulbs. They can be twice as efficient as the CFL bulbs.

5. Use less water. Check all faucets for leaks and fix any you find. Take shorter showers, don’t bath, and consider getting a new toilet cistern that will use less than two gallons of water per flush. Standard cistern use some three and a half gallons. Using less water uses less energy and saves you money!

6. Walk rather than drive for very short trips. Use a bicycle for moderate trips, and only use the car if you really have to. Gasoline is expensive and it pollutes the atmosphere. Save on burning it and you will save on your money too, as well as help the environment.

7. When you have to drive, keep your speed down to around 55 miles per hour if possible. Your car’s engine will be running at its most efficient at that speed burning the minimum amount of gas. Practice driving smoothly as well. Don’t accelerate fast from a standing start, and don’t brake hard. This is how to go green with your car, though using public transport, walking and cycling is even better.

There are many simple steps you can take to eco friendly living. We all want to live green and save money at the same time, and we can too. It’s really easy, and highly effective too. Here are 5 essential steps you can start taking today to live green and save money.

1. Turn your heater thermostats down one or two degrees in winter, and turn your air conditioning thermostats up one or two degrees in summer. If we all did this, the combined difference would be phenomenal. We’d still feel warm in winter and cool in summer, so learn how to live green and save money with your heating and cooling appliances.

2. The other appliance that needs your attention is your washing machine. Start washing your clothes in cold water. Modern powders work just as efficiently in cold water as hot. Most of the energy that goes into a clothes wash is in heating up the water, so you will save on electricity, live green and save money too.

3. When your clothes are nice and clean, don’t throw them into the dryer. Unless it’s pouring rain, hang them out to air dry. It’s what your grandmother did, and she managed just fine. She may have liked having a dryer, but they weren’t around back then, so she just had to live green and save money. You can too!

4. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a dream come true for anyone who wants to live green and save money. They burn just 25% of the electricity that a standard light bulb burns, and they can last up to 10 times longer. Change your old bulbs today!

5. Try to consume a little less of everything, from electricity, to gas in the car, to the food you eat. Take time to write out a shopping list, and stick to it. If you feel the impulse to buy something you don’t really need, get into the habit of waiting 24 hours, then review it. The chances are you either won’t want it any more, or you will have forgotten about it.

Take simple steps to eco friendly living. You will save money and our planet.

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Called the “It bag of the future” by Teen Vogue, this stylish and ridiculously practical bag (sold in packages of 3 and 6) is one easy step in helping save the planet. Baggu (“bag” in Japanese) is machine washable, and folds up into it’s own pouch small enough to tuck into your handbag or pocket. Made of super-tough ripstop nylon in bright, fun colors, it’s the re-usable bag that’s eco-chic. Photos courtesy of Dan Martensen. Why Baggus are so great? You want (more…)

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“Matheson slyly steers us toward consumer goods and services that minimize our earth-stomping human footprint. She’s brave enough to say ‘buy less of everything,’ and even the politically fraught ‘buy nothing.’ Matheson’s genius is to make this seem not only doable, but fun.”- Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land and Bottlemania Want to go green without giving up great style? Welcome to the world of Green Chic. Choosing to be green makes a real difference in the fight against (more…)

Making your own wrapping paper this holiday season is a small but significant way to address both of these concerns. You save money and help the environment. After all, wrapping paper can cost more than $5 a roll, and most of it is torn up and thrown away.

Did you ever decorate butcher paper when you were a child? The technique has not changed, and neither has the rewarding fun. Get your kids involved in this green, economical project this year. Here are some ideas for making home-made gift-wrap.

1. Paper bags

This is a simple, uncomplicated way to make wrapping paper. You can just use the decorated brown paper bag as a gift bag, or cut the bags up to make sheets of wrapping paper. If you have rubber stamps, by all means use those. But if you don’t, or if you want a different design, there’s no need to run out and buy them – you can make your own ink stamp from a potato, or employ your children’s hands to make multi-colored hand-prints with tempura paint.

To make your own potato stamps, you’ll need:
- a potato
- a permanent marker
- small knife, such as an Exacto
- ink or paint

Cut the potato in half. Use the permanent marker to draw a simple design, such as a triangular tree-shape, on the cut end of the potato. Then, using a small, sharp knife (grown-ups only for this step!), cut away the negative space around your design. The part that is not cut away will be your stamp. Use the other half of the potato for another design.

Dip the potato in ink or tempura paint and stamp away. White paint on brown paper adds sparkle, green and red are seasonal, and a variety of colors is interesting and fun. Let the stamp design and color choice say something about you and your family, or about the gift recipient.

2. Newspaper and catalogs

Wrapping a gift in the colorful Sunday comics is old-fashioned and economical. You can also contact your local newspaper and ask if they will give you the end of the paper rolls. These are blank ends of the newspaper rolls that are thrown away after each printing. You can decorate this as you would the paper bags.

Use the pages of all those catalogs you get in the mail for colorful gift-wrap. Some of the pictures in catalogs can be really beautiful, and they are certainly festive and seasonal.

3. Old maps

Who doesn’t have old, unused maps lying around? Search your car, desk drawers, etc. and you will probably find a map you no longer need. This is an especially whimsical way to wrap a gift for someone who is moving, has just moved, or otherwise lives far away.
Great for the traveler.

4. Skip the bows

Instead of wasteful bows, fasten something creative to your wrapped gift, such as seashells, interesting seed pods or other natural autumn treasures, or dried flowers. A sprig of holly, cinnamon sticks, or feathers also make creative gift-finishers. If you opt to use bows be sure to save them from one year to the next.

Have fun making your own green wrapping paper this season. Enjoy saving money and going green!