February 19, 2009

Utility Bills

Utility bills will always be a part of your life, but there are things that you can do to make them a smaller part of it.

If you can, get a programmable thermostat for your home. Set it to keep the temperature cooler at night and when you are not at home in the winter, and warmer at night and when you are not at home in the summer.

For every degree higher for air-conditioning and lower for heating, you could save $100 per year on your utility bill. This simple act also cuts down on carbon emissions 1% for each degree.

If you are too cold, put on a sweatshirt or snuggle up with a blanket. I use a space heater to warm the romm I'm in for a while. If you are too hot, close the blinds and turn on a fan. Ceiling fans circulate the air and drop the temperature of the house.

Small changes add up to big savings!

February 10, 2009

Donations

I recently did a Product Review and received a very positive response to it. Many of you have asked for more. I have decided to do them on a regular basis. Unfortunately, these products cost money.

If you are able to make a small (or large, if you would like) donation to the research and the purchases I make in order to do this site, please send your contribution to:

Kim Cecchi
P.O. Box 197
Oswego, IL 60543

Thank you!

Shower Curtains and Liners

Do you ever wonder what that strong odor is when you open your brand new shower curtain liner? It's the off-gassing of chemicals from polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC).

A phthalate, DEHP, a suspected carcinogen and link to hormonal disruption, is one of the chemical additives in them.

Ditch the plastics. Keep them out of our landfills and water.

For your next shower curtain and liner, look for those made of cotton(organic is best) or bamboo.

Natural is the way to go!

February 1, 2009

Let's Talk Trash!

It's hard to believe that the average American creates about 4.5 pounds of trash every day. That comes to over 1,600 pounds of garbage every year! Where does all this garbage go? To our landfills! What can we do about this?

Always recycle everything you can. If you are unsure if a certain item can be recycled, call your local waste management company. (I sometimes throw it in anyway. Shhh...)

Some examples of everyday items that need to be recycled are: newspapers, paper, envelopes(think junk mail), cardboard(food boxes), bottles, and cans. Put them in the recycling bin instead of the garbage.

For every ten aluminum or steel cans recycled, you save four pounds of carbon, and for every ten glass bottles recycled you save three pounds of carbon. Recycling newspapers can save 50 pounds of carbon per year.

If all Americans recycled, 75% of waste would not be sent to landfills.

Our future generations will thank you!