A hug for the planet!

Going green gives the planet a hug!  Incorporating a few green practices in your home can make a big difference for our planet-home.  Consider the following and choose a few to practice each week.  Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re doing to keep it green!

1. Carry reusable bags with you anytime you shop.
2. Recycle just one more thing each week.
3. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
4. Skip bottled water, use filtered tap water.
5. Decorate with plants to improve air quality.
6. Add a low-flow showerhead.
7. Turn down the thermostat.
8. Unplug chargers and appliances when you’re not using them.
9. Recycle electronics through e-waste collection programs.
10. Sign up for recall alerts at recalls.gov.
11. Take shorter showers.
12. Plant bee-loving plants (sunflowers geraniums, pumpkins, blackberries, rosemary, sage, honeysuckle).
13. Share toys with another mom when your child outgrows them.
14. Use the microwave or the toaster oven to cook small meals to save energy.
15. Turn off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth.
16. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
17. Scrape rather than rinse dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
18. Repair leaky toilets, which can waste 200 gallons of water a day.
19. Sweep outside instead of using a hose.
20. Use durable coffee mugs instead of paper or Styrofoam cups.
21. Use cloth napkins and hand towels.
22. Set your water heater to 120 degrees – also a good rule of thumb to help prevent burns.
23. Buy paper products, like toilet paper, made from recycled paper.
24. Compost food scraps, grass, yard clippings and dead plants.
25. Change heating and cooling system filters every month.
26. Install a programmable thermostat if you’re away from home for set periods of time every day.
27. Insulate your home, pipes and water heater.
28. Buy unbleached coffee filters.
29. Use rags instead of paper towels to wipe up spills.
30. Buy biodegradable wax paper.
31. Buy eggs in cardboard cartons instead of foam packaging, or better yet, buy farm-fresh eggs at your farmer’s market.
32. Use phosphate-free laundry detergent – like our all-natural lavender laundry concentrate -http://www.irishtwinssoaps.com
33. Use a little less detergent than manufacturers recommend.
34. Keep car tires properly inflated to save gas and tire life.
35. Have your tires rotated and balanced every 6,000-8,000 miles.
36. Buy cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers, which can take 500 years to decompose.
37. Give kids a lunch box or insulated cooler for lunch instead of a paper or plastic sack.
38. In cafeterias and fast food restaurants, take only the napkins, straws, condiments and plastic drink tops you plan to use.
39. Print and copy on both sides of paper when possible.
40. Save files and e-mails electronically and don’t print out hard copies unless you have to.
41. If you are leaving a room for more than 15 minutes, turn off the lights.
42. Carpool to school, sporting events and shopping.
43. Turn trash such as Popsicle sticks, newspapers and used office paper into craft projects.
44. Wash and reuse sandwich baggies and other plastic bags.
45. Donate your old computer to a community or senior citizens center.
46. When you replace your cell phone, donate it or pass it on to a new user.
47. Don’t air condition an empty room.
48. Walk, ride your bike or take public transportation.
49. Pay your bills online.
50. Dry towels and clothes on a rack instead of in the dryer.
51. Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
52. Drive the speed limit.
53. Before buying new items, check online sites for gently used options.
54. Collect rainwater to water your houseplants and garden.
55. Make rags out of old towels and t-shirts.
56. Adjust your refrigerator temperature to 37°F and the freezer to 0°F.
57. Swap out one meat dish for a veggie dish each week.
58. If the line at the drive-thru is long, park and go in.
59. Use a push lawn mower instead of a power model.
60. Plant native flowers and shrubs that need less fertilizer and pesticides.
61. Replace the air filters in your car regularly.
62. Install dimmer switches.
63. Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater.
64. Get off junk mail lists at dmachoice.org.
65. Buy concentrated laundry detergent to save packaging.
66. Dust the coils underneath and on the back of your refrigerator.
67. Combine the week’s errands into one trip.
68. Support local farmers by shopping at the farmers market or curb stands.
69. Buy unbleached paper.
70. Plant perennials instead of annuals in the garden.
71. Turn on the ceiling fan instead of the air conditioner.
72. Turn off your heater’s pilot light in the summer.
73. Fill a jar with water and put it in your toilet tank so you use less water with each flush.
74. Reuse wrapping paper or use newspaper paper to wrap presents.
75. Read the newspaper online.
76. Don’t litter.
77. Avoid aerosol spray cans.
78. Buy items you use frequently in bulk.
79. Take extra stuff out of your car trunk to save gas.
80. In public restrooms, use the warm-air hand dryer instead of paper towels.
81. Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges.
82. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load.
83. Rent or borrow seldom-used items such as chain saws, ladders and party decorations.
84. Take your car to a carwash instead of washing it in the driveway.
85. Use the library instead of buying books and DVDs.
86. Have a clothing swap party.
87. Don’t preheat the oven or open it during cooking.
88. Opt out of receiving phone books and Yellow Pages.
89. Send e-cards in place of the traditional paper variety.
90. Use bar soap instead of liquid to save packaging and costs.  We’ve got all-natural soap that is good for you and good for the earth!  http://www.irishtwinssoaps.com
91. Skip the treadmill and walk or run outside instead.
92. Have your paycheck direct deposited.
93. Make your own cleaning supplies with non-toxic ingredients, such as baking soda and vinegar.
94. Download music and software instead of buying it on discs.
95. Opt for glass bottles instead of aluminum cans when you buy beverages.
96. Every time you toss something out, challenge yourself to think about how it might impact the planet, and see if you can think of ways to lower its impact, or buy less next time.
97. When remodeling, pick low-VOC paints and carpeting, light colored roofing, and windows and insulation with a high R-Value.
98. Plant shade trees by your home.
99. When remodeling install dual flush toilets and heating systems that heat from the floor up, instead of pushing air down.
100. Take only what you need

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