Save Energy and Money in the Laundry Room

Your laundry room can really give the environment and your wallet a true beating. Here are some handy dandy tips to help you save a bundle in this area - not only reducing your impact on the environment but also cutting down your energy and your water bills. 

Try a few (or all of them out).

Washing:

• Wash full loads only, but don't "overload".  It takes about as much energy to wash a small load as it does to wash a full load.  Full loads also save water.
• Wash and rinse in cold water whenever possible.  Remember that energy is usd to "heat" the water as well as to run the washer.
• Follow detergent directions for your particular washer nd avoid oversudsing.  Oversudsing makes your washer work hader, so always easure detergent carefully instead of estimating the amount to use. 

• If you really want to go green might I suggest that you look into the benefits of using SOAPNUTS (are not nuts), but berries - they are a natural solution (which have been used for thousands of years).  You simply place 6-8 of these soap berries into a muslin bag and add the bag to your laundry load. Hypoallergenic, safe for everyone - can be used on even the dirtiest of loads.

Drying:-

• Obviously the BEST way to dry your clothes to save energy and lower your carbon footprint is to HANG dry clothes outside (sunshine is also a great way to brighten clothes and remove germs).
• However if you are using the dryer, dry similar thickness clothes together.  This avoids having to run additional cycles for slower drying items.
• Don't overdry your items - aside from wasting energy, overdrying can cause unecessary shrinkage and wrinkling.
• Dry consecutive loads - the energy usedto bring the dryer up to operating temperature shouldn't be allowed to go to waste.
• Remove items from the dryer as soon as tumbling stops.  If clothes become wrinkled from lying in the dryer, extra energy must be used to iron or re-dry them.
• Clean the lint filter after each load to maintain full airflow and mazimize drying efficiency.  A clogged filter slows drying and wastes energy.

Cable Bills - get rid of them once and for all

Over the past few months we have gone on a energy savings and cost savings drive.  One of the offenders in our home was the cable service, we had been paying in excess of $70 per month, just for the luxury of having a bunch of channels at our fingertips.  So it was $70+ per month, for the service, but then we had 3 cable boxes (all running power and vampire power) which of course increases our monthly electricity bill (and has a negative impact on the environment). 

By turning to services such as Hulu, and Netflix we have drastically cut down on our yearly (lets say approximately $1000) expenditure, without losing out on the entertainment of watching programs we all like.

Then we discovered Stream Direct if you have ever thought about having a shortcut to watch live play or matches in your home? Stream Direct enables you to watch live shows in your own home, eating popcorn or a lollipop, lying on the couch. All of this can come true as long as you have the software and your computer will receive the signals and your favorite show will be displayed on your computer/tv. You don’t need even need to worry about the installation. The only thing you need to consider is enjoying the show.
How do You to Make it Come True?

1. Download Stream Direct

Stream Direct will enable you to link to a large amount of channels, such as music play, TV shows, sport matches, and many other on-the-spot broadcastings. So the first thing you need to do is download the simple software and install it on your computer. It will only cost you a low one-time fee for downloading, far less than most of us are already spending EVERY month. And then this software will come into play. It will enable your computer to search and receive the streams. If you want to see your bills diminish, your lifestyle stay the same you need to check it out.. now... and say ....Goodbye Cable Bills ...

Chiggers & Mozzies (Mosquitos) get you down - We have a Guide for you..

If you are like I am then the answer is a RESOUNDING YES...

Before I moved to Ohio from Australia it was only Mosquitos which affected me & even whenthey did, they were only mildly annoying.  There were no "chiggers".  Actually I had never even heard of them until moving here and marrying Steven.  The last 2 Summers have been miserable for me.  Where hot days in Australia used to mean shorts, sandals & tank tops - here in humid Ohio, I have been reduced to my summers being spent in long pants, socks & shoes along with spraying copious amounts of poisonous repellent all over my body.

But, it still didn't stop them, and once these nasty little vampires had gotten hold of me the itching became UNBEARABLE and lasted for weeks.  The scars on my ankles, legs and wrists from scratching these chigger bites were so bad that many a time they led to secondary infections and the CONSTANT taking of allergy tablets to help ease the urge to scratch my skin off right down to the bone.

The ugly bites and scars also meant that I could not wear a skirt, dress or even Capri pants on searing hot Summer days without feeling self-concious.

Believe it or not, I even subjected myself to the excruciating pain of pouring straight alcohol into the bleeding sores to try and stop the incessant desire to itch - ummmm just so you know THAT didn't work, and only reduced me to a blubbering, crying mess.

Well, after the past two unbearable summers, and a TON of research, I totally pysched myself up this past Memorial Day weekend and was prepared to be BITTEN to death, (as Memorial Day seems to be when it always starts), although these evil critters don't really affect anyone else in my home.... I must just have "tasty blood".

Over the past couple of months, (in order to tackle my new fear of Summer) and based on my extensive research, I prepped our yard environment (we live on over an acre of woods and grassy land on a lake - YES PRIME mozzie & chigger breeding conditions)....

Let me tell you that I spent the entire Memorial Day weekend outsie, (this includes after it rained which brought the humid warm air & damp ground, another Mozzie & Chigger loving scenario) .... and you know what - my efforts have paid off! Did I get a bite? (well one, but that occurred when I was off our newly secured premses).  In comparison to the past, I am literally JUMPING up and down with joy, instead of madly scratching like a monkey with fleas.

So, if you have to take deep breaths before going outside, if you fear summer and (strangely) would prefer the icy, sowy months of winter - there are SOME SAFE and easy solutions which you can implement to rid yourself of these annoying critters.

Please note: that because we live on a lake property (where kids swim etc) we also have to watch what we use in our yard as the run off goes into the lake.  The solutions which we are going to share with you, are safe for you, your kiddos, your pets and also the environment.

What we discovered is that you have to perform a couple of different steps - some for your direct living/yard environment and a couple for you personally (it's a layered approach). 

If you would like to know how we did it click on the pay now button below and for ONLY $2.50 (yes you read that correctly ONLY $2.50) we will email to you a detailed 6 page Step-by-Step guide to help YOU reclaim your summer. This report is absolutely invaluable to Chigger & Mozzie sufferers and I could easily put a $$ figure on it of upwards of $40 (which BELIEVE me I, myself would have gladly paid considering I have actually spent in excess of HUNDREDS of $$ on products (which were useless) to test as well as months of time in research).  The reason which we are giving YOU this guide at such a low price is because I personally know what a misery these creatures bring and I hate to see others suffering as I did. Click on the PAY now button - you will be charged ONLY $2.50 for this invaluable information which will be emailed to you shortly, make sure that you give us your correct email address 

Only $2.50 to help you reclaim your Summer Outdoor Freedom, and allow you to enjoy sitting outside without having to wear your Hazmat Suit.

Safe non-toxic Household Cleaners

Non Toxic All Purpose Cleaners
Now if you really aren't interested in making your own cleaners a simple, effective, safe, NON-Toxic solution for all of your cleaning needs is right here. 
The link will take you to just one of the safe products for use around your home, and you can navigate around to find additional items to create your own non-toxic home cleaning or car cleaning kit and accessories. 

Fruity-cinnamon Air Freshener - DIY Recipe of the day

Many commercial air fresheners contain a pollutant called formaldehyde - do you really want to be spraying that stuff around? Either you can start researching and looking for safer alternatives - or why not use what you most likely have in your home already.
What you need:-

• 1 pot of water
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 lemon or orange - sliced

Fill the pot 3/4 of the way with water and add the cinnamon sticks and fruit.  Simmer for one to two hours.  You can substitue cinnamon with allspice or cloves for variation.  Your home will smell delicious while this is simmering.  When finished, allow the solution to cool - strain it and place in a spray bottle to use.

Fantastic Lunchboxes - totally Eco-friendly

These Lunch Boxes are safe, cost effective, time-saving and very Eco-friendly.
They're BPA-free, SAFE and environmentally friendly, too! You'll find it easy to 'go green' by using EasyLunchboxes for a waste-free lunch. In our home, we keep a few sets of Easy Lunch Boxes. This way, we can pack lunches for the family in one set of containers, while the other lunchboxes are in the dishwasher! Easy! No more messy (and environmentally unfriendly) plastic bags, or ziploc baggies which are good only for a single use. The best lunchboxes accommodate different types of food, and the three compartment plastic food containers can hold a sandwich and two side dishes. Now, if you have 4 kids like we do, you’ll appreciate that there are only 8 pieces in your dishwasher every night instead of the 24 different plastic bottoms and lids you’d have to use if you were to pack the same lunches! What a timesaver, now that you won’t have to dry and put away all those mismatched food container pieces! - a pack of 4 will cost you less than $15.00!! Amazing value ..
and FYI - The average school lunch generates 67 pounds of waste during one school year (EPA.gov).If 15,000 families commit to packing waste-free lunches, one million pounds of waste can be eliminated from our landfills.

I also totally love the Waste Free Lunch Kit.  It comes in one of two styles and will save you money over and over again  Check them out.

Saving Tip of the Day

Let your dishes air dry.  A dishwasher uses more energy to dry dishes than to wash them.  If your dishwasher doesn't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open to let moisture escape.

Use your dishwasher only for full loads.  Be sure it is full, but not overloaded when you turn it on.  Improper loading can result in poorly cleaned dishes which then need to be rewashed.

If you are in the market for a new dishwasher, look for energy saving features.

Improve your Home Air quality

• Open up your windows - get some FRESH air into your home.  Best of all this is FREE.
• Don't use chemical air fresheners - if you really want to remove odors stay tuned for our next entry with some wonderful home-made safe solutions.
• Don't use paraffin wax candles or gel candles.  Look for soy based candles instead as the others contain petroleum derivatives or artificial (poisonous) chemicals hidden in the word fragrance.
• Use NON-Toxic home cleaners
• Get rid of your carpets (carpets are one of the biggest air-quality culprits in your home, they are treated with chemicas which let off gas, carpets act as traps for dirt, allergens, mold, toxic poisons from inside and outside your home).
• Consider room air purifiers for your home
• Remove vinyls from your home (eg: your vinyl shower curtain is probably releasing toxic gases) as PVC has been found to discharge chemicals called phthalates which cause respiratory problems.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector near all sleeping areas of your home.
• Test for Radon - radon is an invisible and lethal killer, and is the second leading cause of lung-cancer.

Saving Tip of the Day

Lightbulbs
Changing the world and your energy costs start with simple actions.  When you replace lightbulbs or light fixtures with energy efficient ones you preserve energy resources and reduce globabl warming while saving time and money buying and changing light bulbs in your home.  Energy efficient qualified lighting provides bright, warm light, uses around 75% less energy than standard lighting producing around 75% less heat and lasts up to 10 times longer.... you can literally save around $50-$75 in energy costs and replacement costs of the lifetime course of ONE LIGHTBULB... How many do you have in your home??