Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Rub-a-dub-dub...

So the last challenge (The Dishes Are Done, Man...) is going to be an on-going challenge. I'm still going to rinse some of my dishes before I load them in the dishwasher. There. I said it. But, every dish that I don't rinse is that much more water saved. And the whole point of this blog is realizing that even the tiniest changes will make a difference.

Onto the next challenge. From the green book:
"There is no need to buy expensive body washes when mild soap and warm water will work perfectly well for bathing your baby. If you purchase paper-wrapped soap instead of plastic bottles of body wash, you will save on money and packaging. If every baby born this year were bathed with a bar of baby soap instead of a bottle of body wash, the plastic packaging saved would weigh more than two hundred thousand pounds-enough to make a baby bathtub that would cover more than four acres."

As soon as the baby wash I have runs out, I plan on buying a value pack of Ivory soap. How nostalgic is that??? And its something everyone in the family can use, not just the babe! Another easy one-I sense a theme!!!

Thoughts???

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Dishes Are Done, Man...

This one is going to be a bit more challenging for me, I'm sure.

From the green book:
"Run full loads in your dishwasher and save energy, and don't pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in. Do both and you'll save up to 20 gallons of water per dish load, or 7,300 gallons over a year. That's as much water as the average person drinks in a lifetime. (If you must handwash, turn off the tap while you scrub.) "

I know my OCD is really going to kick in here. Not wash the dishes before I stick them in the dishwasher?!?! YIKES!!!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

One Degree...

This is another easy one.

From the green book:
"Set your thermostat a degree higher for air conditioning and a degree lower for heating, and you can save $100 per year on your utility bill. Keep adjusting and you'll save even more. If every home in America turned the dial, we could save more than $10 billion per year on energy costs, enough to provide a year's worth of gasoline, electricity, and natural gas to every person in Iowa."

I am getting up from this computer and upping my programmable thermostat (bonus points for me!!!) one degree. I'll let you know how it goes...you do the same :)