greenliving

With Christmas around the corner (and it seems like we just finished celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving here in Canada); it’s already time to start planning for the festivities.

In our home, we have a Christmas rule- donate $20 from ‘gift spending’ money to a charity of choice. Since it’s all about teaching our kids to make a difference, they know the money comes from their gifts, but they also know all about charity and are quite willing to give it a go (they are 4.5 and 3 respectively). So, each year we decide on an item worth this amount, and then go together to donate it. Or, if it’s a really busy time, then we write out a cheque (but I prefer the ’shopping for a gift to give to someone’ routine as it instills the value of giving far more clearly to kids this age). It comes from the overall budget, which means our gift budget is reduced by $20. But when you think some other little tyke is made happy from it, it really doesn’t matter.

We also try to recycle as much as possible. I do recycle gifts that I don’t think appropriate for their ages, but in addition, we use the paper they came wrapped in to make thank you cards to those who sent the gifts (or brought them home). We also bake cookies to take as thank you gifts and they also double as great last minute party snacks. Bake a whole load in advance, and if they last long enough to see Christmas, then distribute them! You’ll have a lot of happy friends and neighbours.

There are many great ways to celebrate the season, and as we get closer, I’ll put up a whole list of them. But in the meantime, feel free to hop in with your suggestions.

Cheers!!

PS_ Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbours!!

While I love plants, I am not necessarily the best at keeping them. I try, don’t get me wrong. I most certainly try. But for some reason, while most of my plants grow, and some even thrive, none of them really reach for the sky!

So, when my house plants began to look a bit wilted, and after enduring my husbands usual sarcastic remarks about them, I decided I really need to do something. And as it stands, it turned out to be a really simple something- reducing our home thermostat. That’s it! Most of our home plants are positioned near our heating ducts- not an oversight, but a necessity due to the fact that our heating ducts are placed near our windows. Reducing the thermostat also meant that my ‘autumn/winter’ headaches have disappeared. We aren’t cold- our home is still warm. And we’ve made it cozy and ‘winter comfortable’ by adding more throws and cushions.

Other pratical things you can do at home to save energy include:

Control water flow: Install a low flower showerhead in the bathroom and in the kitchen, and cut water use by up to 60%

Fix all drips: Leaky taps waste hundreds of liters of water per annum. Fix it and save water and money.

Seal all leaks: Keep the cooler air in by caulking cracks, gaps and leaks around walls, windows and doors.

Go seasonal: In summer, open the blinds and let in the sunshine. Too much sunshine? Curtains, blinds and planting trees or shrubs will help cool in down. In winter, add throws, rugs and cushions to make your home warmer and more comfortable.

Clean up and tune up: Make sure that all furnaces and filters are regularly cleaned and serviced. A well tuned furnace or boiler will last longer, work more efficiently and  hence, will save you money and energy.