As a stay-at-home mom, I live a pretty hectic, err…active life. Of course I want my kids to be as healthy as possible, and that means having an greener, more eco-friendly home. I get it, you hear “green” and probably envision tent living, complete with water catchment and outdoor shower.
That’s true for some, but not for me!
Going Green Without Giving Up Modern Conveniences
Call me a diva, but my idea of camping involves a cabin in the woods, complete with wood-burning fire, dishwasher, hot-tub, wi-fi, you get the picture. So when it comes to eco-friendly changes around the house, the less effort the better. I’m a busy mom, after all.
Thankfully, most green changes are so simple even I can do them. Trust me, I was happy to get rid of that pink shag carpeting that was running throughout the house. The air felt cleaner as soon as the hard-wood floors were finished. The bamboo rugs we dropped here and there not only look gorgeous, but our dogs don’t slide into furniture anymore either. A green home is a healthy home.
Going Green, Effortlessly
- Full Loads Only, Please – Take a break from washing a load of laundry every day. Wait until you have a full load before using all that electricity and water to run a cycle. Same goes for that dishwasher. On warm days, when the weather permits, give your dryer a break by line-drying your laundry.
- Fill That Sink! – I like a clean kitchen as much as the next gal, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hover over the sink, letting the water flow endlessly, as I dreamily swab one plate at a time. Heck no! I’d rather fill the sink with scalding hot, soapy water and let the dishes soak a while. Since I don’t have a dual basin sink, I fill up another tub with similarly hot water and use that as a rinsing station when it comes time to wash the day’s accumulation of plates, cups, bowls and utensils.
- Low-Flow Like a Pro – There is a very real shortage of water in the world today, and it makes me sad to know that some people have to walk for miles to collect water while I literally flush mine down a pipe. That’s why I swapped to low-flow plumbing throughout my home, the noticeable savings in utility bills was just a bonus.
- Efficient Energy is Inexpensive Energy – Switch out your regular incandescent lights for the compact florescent variety. Not only will you enjoy 10 times the bulb life, these bulbs use a quarter of the energy. No complicated installation required, compact florescent bulbs fit standard light bulb sockets.
- Crack is Whack – Just say No! To cracks and gaps around windows and doors, that is. These tiny spaces where your cooled, or heated, air can escape means your money is slipping out through these cracks as well. Seal your home up tight, inside and out,and watch your heating and cooling bills become more reasonable. Your thermostat will thank you as well since it won’t have to work so hard to maintain a consistent temperature in your home.
- Welcome to the Garden of Eaten – My idea of a beautiful lawn is one that will feed me and a small army. This means planting trees with a long-term payout, such as Meyer lemons, blood oranges, and avocados, next to seasonal gardens arranged in attractive raised beds. My gardens are attractive, tranquil, and abundant with the food I love to eat. Carrots, beets, and holy basil, growing happily next to tree spinach, kale and scotch bonnet peppers, I may never visit another grocery store again.
Start Small, Green Doesn’t Happen in a Day
Living a greener lifestyle doesn’t mean trading in the conveniences you’ve come to love, it simply means consuming fewer resources. The most subtle of cosmetic changes can lead to some major savings, like changing your rain gutters and catching rain water for the purpose of watering garden beds, rather than running a hose. When building garden beds, use recycled and reclaimed materials that are untreated, such materials are often inexpensive and look right at home in the garden.
Sophie Evans is a freelance writer who loves to get outdoors and explore the exotic locations, such as Disneyland, with her husband and two children.. Since she works from home it’s important that she maintain a green, and eco-friendly home so she can keep up her Starbucks addiction guilt free. When looking for home project ideas for a greener house, she browses sites like www.raincontrolaluminuminc.com to get ideas.
Filed under: Featured Press, Health and Lifestyle
