Ecosimply

Your Eco-Friendly Day

Posted January 22nd, 2010 in Going Green, Tips 1 Comment

Drinking Coffee

On a typical day, how eco-friendly are you? Few of us wake up with saving the planet on our minds … and the truth is, we’ve often got so much going on in life that it’s easy to let our eco-friendly habits slip. Maybe we manage to keep a few green habits going when we’re at home, but we struggle in the office - or vice versa. Perhaps we’re good at remembering to switch off electrical appliances before work, but we often forget before bed.

So here’s how to have a great eco-friendly day, from morning till night: Continue Reading →

Dealing With Environmental Indifference

Posted December 8th, 2009 in Going Green, Tips 2 Comments

Does being eco-friendly sometimes feel like yet another “should do” on your long to-do list? Do you find yourself struggling to make consistent efforts to recycle, to conserve water and to be mindful of the environment? And do you sometimes feel like it’s just too much effort?

This isn’t a guilt-tripping blog. It’s okay to be honest with yourself and admit your eco-hating guilty secrets. None of us are perfect and, with so many causes and agendas to care about in the world (along with the day-to-day running of our own lives), it’s easy to struggle with environmental indifference.

Even when you’re feeling fired up about your green efforts, you might find yourself coming up against other people’s indifference. Maybe you’ve implemented an office recycling scheme, but people are still chucking paper in the trash. Perhaps you wish your partner would stop scoffing at your efforts to buy eco-friendly projects.

Here’s how to tackle environmental indifference — both yours and other people’s.

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8 Ways to Reuse Old Jeans & Fabric

Posted October 2nd, 2009 in Recycling, Tips No Comments

If you’re anything like me, jeans are the one piece of clothing in your wardrobe that continuously gets replaced. They get a tear in the leg, you gain (or lose) weight, and then they just plain wear out. We could just throw them in the trash, but there’s so many more options out there to consider first. The same thing goes for that beloved t-shirt that you just can’t wear anymore or some extra fabric from old curtains, duvets, or your last sewing project.

Next time you’ve got an extra pair of jeans, tees, or fabric on your hands, see if one of these ideas can help you reuse and recycle.

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9 Green Tips for Running Errands

Posted September 16th, 2009 in Tips No Comments

Life is hectic, especially in the beginning of the fall. Things become busier, and that lazy summer attitude seems to have disappeared. It’s time to pick up the pace a bit, which, for me, means a lot of errands. To the bank, market, post office, card shop, wherever.

When I’m out of the house, I find that my eco-habits tend to drop a bit. It’s hard to find recycling bins, and it’s easy to forget to bring bags to the grocery store. To combat this, I’ve started some new habits that make life easier.

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6 Green Habits That Take Virtually No Time At All

Posted September 15th, 2009 in Tips 1 Comment

Have you ever said “I just don’t have time to be green?” I’m often tempted to use busyness as an excuse to assuage my environmental guilt — but the truth is that plenty of green habits take almost no time at all. All you need to do is make some tiny changes to the way you go about your typical day. Even better, the six habits I’ve picked here all have bonuses for you — beyond feeling good about being eco-friendly!

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Save Money & Energy: Get Ready for the Fall!

Posted September 7th, 2009 in Saving Money, Tips No Comments

Photo by wolfgangstaudt on Flickr

With Labor Day comes the fall! While leaving the warm weather and longer days behind isn’t the most exciting news, the fall has its own charm. It’s a wonderful time to take in the cooler temperatures and enjoy the beautiful changing landscapes. It can also be a great time to do some preparation in and around the home for the winter.

While chores aren’t the most exciting things to do in the cooler weather, they really pay off when it’s cold outside and your heating bill’s going up. The average American home spends almost $1000 on heating costs per year, so it’s worth spending a little bit of time to get your home ready for the fall and help cut those costs.

Plus, with a change of seasons comes the need for a change in clothing and accessories. By taking inventory of our winter suplies, we’ll know what we have instead of needing to run out to the store.

Grab your to-do list and make sure you’re doing everything you can to lower costs (and also help the environment).

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