|
Tis the Season
The Holiday's are fast approaching. Recent polls have shown that people want to have a more personal fulfillment and a less-stressful holiday season especially in these troubling economic times. Sometimes the most treasured gifts we can give one another are of our time, love and energy. In the spirit of giving AskMeGreen.com has come up with some "Environmentally Friendly" ideas and suggestions to help reduce the strain on your wallet and on your time.
We hope the ideas we suggest will create lasting memories and help you save on Holiday finances.
Don't Just Give a Gift,
Give of Yourself.
AskMeGreen.com's Top 30 Gift Ideas
1. Season tickets to a sporting events, local community Theater
2. Membership to a museum or nonprofit organization.
3. Free baby-sitting service for stress out parents.
4. Reusable lunch bags, thermoses, travel coffee mugs, water bottles.
5. Picnic baskets with re-usable plates, cups, cutlery.
6. Refillable pens.
7. Energy-saving fluorescent light fixture or bulb. (Fact: Compact fluorescent bulbs last longer and use about 1/4 to 1/3 of the energy of an incandescent bulb. Substituting a compact fluorescent light for a traditional bulb will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.)
8. 100% cotton dish towels or sheets; look for unbleached cotton.
9. Gift basket filled with non-toxic household cleaners.
10. Gift baskets filled with homemade cookies, cakes or dried fruits and nuts.
11. Organic Gift baskets, with assorted teas.
12. Automatic thermostat control device automatically turns down heat at night to save on your heating bills.
13. Compost bin for the garden and kitchen.
14. Reusable food storage containers. Food storage savers.
15. Cloth shopping bags for the grocery store.
16. Cloth napkins and rings.
17. House and Garden plants.
18. Solar watch, calculators, lighting for the garden, etc.
19. Handmade Quilts and Comforters. Knitted hats, scarves, sweaters.
20. Water-saving showerhead.
21. Personalized Gift Certificates for: Lawn Mowing, yard work, car wash, anything you can think of, the ideas are unlimited.
22. Bird feeder and seed. Bird baths. Garden ornaments to be admired throughout the year.
23. Hand -Made Stationary, Note Cards, make a perfect stocking stuffer.
24. Remember in elementary school when you made Car Safety Kits packed into a coffee can (e.g. candles, orange hazard triangle, chocolate bars, extra blanket, bottled water, etc.).
25. Shutoff-timer for watering the lawn.
26. Books on "Organic Gardening", "How to" etc.
27. Gift Basket for the avid gardener with flower seeds, vegetable seeds, bulbs, garden gloves, anything the home gardener would love and use.
28. Garden Rain Gauge
29. Organic makeup, soaps, 100% Organic Cotton bathrobe, towels, etc.
30. For the avid boater, all natural Motion Ease available at www.yachtsofstuff.com
Holiday Packaging Alternatives:
Try using dry inexpensive popped popcorn inside your package; remember to include a note telling the recipient they can feed the birds and other wildlife with the popcorn and be "green" at the same time.
Use Biodegradable starch packing peanuts you can easily dispose of the peanuts, just put in a sink, add water and watch them melt away. Great for the environment because they don't end up in a landfill sitting around for thousands of years!
Reuse the packing peanuts from previous gifts. If you have unwanted packing peanuts and their clean; check with your local UPS Packaging Stores to see if they are willing to take and reuse.
Crumpled ads from the newspaper. The ink from the glossy paper won't smear as it does on the rest of the newspaper.
Ribbons & Bows:
Reuse ribbons and bow's if they are in good presentable condition from previous Holiday Gifts. This tip also applies throughout the year, example you can practice this tip for Birthday's, Mother's Day, Father's Day presents and other special occasions.
The Sunday Comics makes for a good alternative gift wrap.
Reusable items, such as hair bows, ornaments, in place of store bought package ornaments
Try using Stencils or pictures from holiday cards pasted onto a plain paper bags or boxes.
Last year's holiday cards or gift wrap cut up to make your own gift tags.
Spices, such as bundled cinnamon sticks or cloves in mesh cloth.
Scrap fabric, lace, yarn, rickrack and seam tape and also old neck ties and scarves help adorn your packages
Combinations of beads and buttons.
Dried or silk flowers.
Trees:
Instead of cutting down a tree or purchasing a cut tree from a lot or farm, if possible consider purchasing a bald tree and plant it outdoors after the Holiday. Ask your local tree farm expert for tips to ensure the tree will survive the transition from indoor temperatures to the outdoor climate.
Consider purchasing an artificial tree. Today one can't distinguish between real or fake. You can use it year after year, how "Green" is that?
|
Green in Florida
Current Energy
A turbine to harness produced power from the Gulf Stream is being researched at Florida Atlantic University and in 3-5 years could be operating. More..
Sweet Energy
Beginning in the spring of 2009 ,at South Bay, the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences research plant, may be able to convert sugar cane to ethanol.
Building Green
Two counties, Sarasota County & Gainesville require government buildings have a green rating system by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. More..
Solar Green Sarasota is building solar capabilities to produce energy that will power up to 50 homes. This is being powered by Florida Power and Light's Sunshine Energy. More...
Wind Green Florida Power and Light also has plans for powering up to 200 homes in St. Lucie County through a wind project. More...
Green Picnicking Tips
Now that the warm weather is approaching out door activities come to mind like boating, fishing, hiking and days spent enjoying the sandy beaches. All these activities make one hungry.
It's time for us to enjoy the great outdoors and fresh air which in turns means more crowds….and a lot more trash. We have plenty of ways to enjoy the day's activities in the sunshine without polluting our surroundings. All we need to do is a little planning ahead before embarking in the open air.
Here are some basic essentials to pack for your picnic, cloth napkins, cups from home (avoid Styrofoam) and silverware, and a cooler to keep beverages cold. Tupperware is a good food storage container and can be used over and over again.
1. Avoid packing your food and drinks in plastic bags; invest in all natural fiber grocery totes or large picnic baskets to carry everything necessary for the outdoor event. See www.askmegreen.com
2. Packing china, cups and plates can be cumbersome so the best way to avoid leaving trash behind and still packing light is to bring reusable thermoses and plastic or paper cups and plates from home that can be either washed or recycled this way we minimize waste.
3. To ensure healthy picnicking practices, always keep food refrigerated until you are ready to pack your basket. If necessary, add reusable ice packs to keep food cold. Leave room at the top of your cooler for air circulation. If you are packing any warm dishes, make sure to enjoy these foods first, as hot food should be kept at 140 degrees or above to avoid food contamination or salmonella poisoning. If you think any of your picnic fruits and veggies have been overexposed to heat, rinse them with cold water to kill bacteria and remove toxins such as pesticides just to be safe.
4. Sometimes we find our outdoor events are shared with pesky insects. Don't forget to pack chemical free repellents and candles.
5. Last but not least Sunblock. Although we all love to bask in the sun long term exposure does irreparable harm to the skin. - KAD
AMG Green Gardener
House Plants
Use three tea bags placed in the bottom of your pot for plants, and then fill with soil. The plants will have added nutrients, and keep their moisture.
Tomatoes and diseases
no chemicals.
Combine in a bucket:
1 tbs. baking soda
1/2 cup Epsom salts
3 cups compost
Place just a handful in before planting the tomato. Sprinkle a small amount of dry milk on the soil. Do this every few weeks and your tomatoes will be the best.
Tree Planting
When planting a tree line the hole with baking potatoes. They tend to hold moisture and give nutrients to the tree as they decay.
Aphids and perennials
Here is the solution.3 drops of liquid dish soap,
1 tbs. garlic oil
1 quart water
Mix and pour into a spray bottle and spray.
How do you make garlic oil? 1 c vegetable oil and 1 minced whole bulb garlic.
Roses look anemic?
Solution:
1 quart of water
1 used steel wool pad
Let sit for a week. Throw out the steel wool. Each time the roses are watered add 2 tbs. of solution to a gallon of water. Watch the difference. -HVS
|
AskMeGreen.com Past Poll Results
| |
|
| | | | | Which candidate would be the best 'Green' President? | | Hillary Clinton |  39.5% | | | Barack Obama | 23.5% | | | John McCain | 25.9% | | | Don't know | 11.1% | | | | | | | How much does human activity contribute to global climate change? | | A lot. | 21.1% | | | Somewhat | 28.9% | | | A little. | 31.6% | | | Not at all. | 14.5% | | | Don't know. | 3.9% | | | | | | | How often do you use re-usable cloth totes when you shop? | | All the tme | 6.9% | | | Most of the time | 44.8% | | | Sometimes | 31.0% | | | Not very often | 13.8% | | | Never | 3.4% | | |
Back to School Green
Did you know back-to-school shopping can cost the average family up to $600 dollars? Shopping this particular time of year and around the holiday season offers consumers the largest opportunity to collectively vote with their dollars in support of environmentally and socially responsible products. It also provides an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about conserving our natural resources. The helpful tips below will not only put green back into your wallet but also your life.
Remember when shopping for any products try to choose those that are made with a high percentage of recycled resources. Consider the life cycle of the product....where will it eventually end up when you're finished with it??
Green School Supplies: Look for products that reduce waste and toxins. Example, purchase printer paper, notebooks and art supplies that are made from 100% recycled material and content.
Green Lunch Tips: For those who don't like to buy cafeteria food "Bag It" with reusable thermo lunch totes or containers. It keeps your food fresh and reduces waste. Reusable thermoses from home can be washed and used over and over again.
Shopping "Green" Back to School Cloths: When shopping for new clothes look for labels that say "Sweat Shop Free". Also look for clothes and shoes made from organic cotton, hemp and recycled plastics that contain natural dyes. Great "recycled" finds can be discovered at places like "Goodwill" and Thrift Stores and yes "Yard Sales". You'll never know the treasures you can find and the money you can save.
CAR POOLING GREEN
Parents with young ones can take turns with other parents to transport the kids to and from school.
Teens can team up and drive to and from school, activities such as Team Practices, Sporting Events, Band Practice, Dances the possibilities are endless. Even Green Shopping at the Mall! Remember Car Pooling Saves Gas, Cuts down on Carbon Emission and Saves the Earth.
Driving Green!
Gas Friendly Road Trip Tips
Here's some advice on how to reduce your journey's gas cost and environmental impact at the same time.
Road trips define America like baseball and homemade apple pie. However with the increase in gas prices climbing up to $4 per gallon and growing sensitivity to the environmental costs of driving, road trips have become more difficult to justify than ever. There are ways, though, to compromise - not on the natural majesty and the quaint charm of the roadside attractions you'll encounter on the way, but on the environmental and financial impacts of the excursion.
The following is a road map to a safe green-friendly trip.
The basics
You wouldn't even think of leaving your home - or the office, much less for a 1,000-mile road trip - without ensuring that your car is primed for fuel efficiency. The tips below are for "Hybrid" owners as well as for those who drive an SUV. The Automobile Association of America recommends a few basic adjustments. Simple preventative maintenance and other things one can do to see the costs in savings. You might not see it gallon by gallon, but over the life of the car, they definitely add up.
Watching your speed is the biggest thing you can do; the faster you go, the more gas you use. The second and third steps might require assistance from a service station attendant; however you can do them your self if your automotive savvy which will put green back in your wallet.
You'll want to make sure your tires are properly inflated.
Check that your air filters are clean. That's something the people who are checking your oil should be looking at, if you bring your car in for professional service.
Those three steps are really what matter.
Renting eco-friendly cars
If you decide that renting an automobile or SUV is the best way to go, some cars make better companions than others. More and more car rental agencies are stocking fuel-saving hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, alongside their SUVs and sedans.
All aboard…think "Train".
Why take the train cross-country or down South. Yeah, you'll miss out on the wind in your hair and the open road - but also the gas bills, bridge tolls and general fatigue, and aching back of driving for thousands of miles. Be green, go by train.
|
