Once those are in, consider installing dimmer switches throughout the house. In the rooms you use most, if you cut back on the lighting strength you could save up to forty dollars a year on that electricity bill. They are really inexpensive to buy, and a cinch to put in. Not to mention how different the vibe these rooms will have when you can alter the lighting as per mood, or activity. Like I said, this is a great place to start down the road to greening.

However, at that time, thanks to reading so much on the topic, I did recognise the importance of providing gifts that would not require wrapping, as the paper and bows end up in landfills. Sure, this should have been obvious to me, but admittedly, I had not thought it through.

Therefore, I was moving closer to the answer, but still definitely a work in progress to finds what would be good for the environment, but still put a smile on the recipient’s faces. Eventually I decided upon bamboo serving bowls, as they are known to be “one of nature’s greatest renewable sources.” Since they are outright gorgeous, I will only embellish them with some raffia, which comes from a tropical palm and will biodegrade.

Feels good to have achieved my goal, now I am ready to treat myself to a long winters nap. Just hope I do not sneer at all the elaborate wrapping I come into contact with throughout the season.

There are many variations, but my fave is the indoor window box version. It is not only adorable, and effective, it is made with a couple great details. First and foremost is that it comes with some very detailed instructions on how to set it up, and keep it going in full force. But, the other thing I love, which could be the difference between someone having an indoor garden, and being greenless is that it is on wheels. So you can move it very easily if you need more space where it has been situated, or if the sun has moved and the plants should too.

Researchers have found disturbing evidence between pesticides and lower IQ’s in children. With this information looming, it is in your families best interest to identify which produce should be organic, and which you can continue to purchase as is during your trips to the market.

There are lists available for you to print off and bring with you to the shops, but to get you started take note of these. Of those you should buy organic, get apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, blueberries and lettuce. You can feel confident with your regular selections of corn, avocado, cabbage, grapefruit and mushrooms. For a complete list simply look up pesticides in produce.

I am personally one who feels the culpability each time I bring another cut tree home for the holidays. Therefore, these eco trees have gained my respect and attention. But, still I have not been won over by any of the designs. So, while I applaud the effort and sentiment, I am still waiting for one that I would like to have in my house.

However, I do believe some of the more attractive environmentally responsible versions deserve a mention. So far I have seen a tree made entirely of used one litre plastic Sprite bottles. The green tone was very effective, and the use of the same bottle helped to create a uniform look.

The best that I have come across is the one made of rolled up newspaper. I am curious to know what they used at the base to hold all of the papers in place. The creator of this tree should be very proud, for it is interesting and an awesome use of recyclable materials.

As for the candleholder, this is a banner opportunity for you to make use of all those jars you have been saving up. Just remember you will want to work with jars with wide mouths so you can easily pour the wax into them. Such a nice activity, you are being resourceful, eco friendly, and creative all in one shot. Not bad at all.

One way in which to avoid further damaging the environment is to hand make home decorations using natural elements you collect. The amount of time it takes can be seen as a benefit, because the more time you dedicate, the more fun you have. You use very little money, if any, in most of these arts and crafts projects. And most importantly, you are making use of natural resources, and are not buying premade articles that will further damage the ecosystem.

Such do it yourself activities are great things to get friends, family, and kids involved in. No complaints, no excuses, just good times.

Case in point, I have a good friend that lives in New Orleans, Louisiana and after hurricane Katrina she was elated to have standard garbage pick up reinitiated after a month. While she has been a recycling die-hard for a long time, her metal and glass waste were seriously piling up in her garage while she waited for the return of the former garbage service which included recycling.

Needless to say, one day while she was out running errands her husband collected the metal and glass and brought it to a generic bin for disposal. It nearly made her cry when he told her, but the option was to drive it across the state line to Texas for recycling. Some of us, including myself, take for granted the collection programs that exist in our communities. Therefore, this is a simple little reminder to recycle, because for us it is relatively easy. We should be grateful for the recycling programs that exist, and avoid making excuses for not participating to the fullest.

Therefore, this leads us to a potential compromise of sorts. Although originally created for individuals really short on space, the combo washer dryer offers an alternative to big energy guzzling traditional dryers. The majority of the washer dryer combo appliances require you to take out a portion of the laundry once you have dried it. The machine is not capable of drying the whole batch that it just washed. Hence, some of the wash must be removed and either set aside to be dried later, or hung out to dry. Thus, the portion that is deducted from the machine and line dried is an effort in the energy efficient direction. Any effort at all is a gift, so this is definitely appreciated by mother earth.

In conclusion, those not familiar with line drying get to ease into the practice. In the meantime, they are still comforted in the knowledge that the dryer is still there should they need it. Of course the hope is that over time, owners will cross over to become die hard line dryers. After all, hope springs eternal.