Great ideas for a greener, cheaper lifestyle

There are so many little things we as individuals can do to be more green and eco-friendly. What some people don't realize is that these green projects end up saving you a considerable amount of money! Here are some of the things I do to green my family's lifestyle:

• Wash out and re-use plastic ziploc baggies instead of throwing them away every time.
• Clean plastic containers from food products and use them around the house for food storage, household supplies, baby toys, etc.
• Make your own cleaning supplies. The cleaning products you buy at the store are made from dangerous toxic chemicals! Vinegar, olive oil, baking soda, and some fresh lemon juice work wonders on many household surfaces, and they smell great too! Put them in a recycled spray-bottle and get cleaning!
• Turn off the air conditioning and open the windows to save energy, getting fresh air at the same time.
• Invest in re-usable grocery bags. Leave those pesky plastic grocery bags alone and have less clutter around the house while reducing your impact on the environment. And they are super cheap!
• Buy a vacuum cleaner that has a removable collection bin that you can clean out. You end up saving money because you don't have to buy vacuum bags, and it's better for our planet.
• My boyfriend drinks like a gallon of sport drinks at work each day. Instead of buying individual bottles from the store, we fill reusable drink bottles with water and make it at home with our own drink mix, saving money and hundreds of plastic bottles from going into the landfill!!!
• Plant a vegetable garden. More about that here: http://earthprettymama.blogspot.com/2009/08/green-thumbelina.html
• Hang your laundry outside on a clothesline to dry if it's a sunny day. This saves energy (and money) by not running the dryer.
• Diapering? Invest in cloth diapers and save hundreds of dollars per year, while not contributing tons of diaper garbage to the landfills. If you're REALLY crafty, you can make your own cloth diapers like I did :)
• Stop buying paper towels and use only cloth towels you can just throw in the washing machine after using. This one can save you sooo much money, and lots of trees too!!!

These are just a few things that I do around my house to save money and the earth at the same time. Got a great green tip? Leave a comment about the green things you've been doing around your house!

Green Thumbelina

I absolutely LOVE walking outside and picking fresh vegetables and herbs from my garden! It is so rewarding to be able to eat the fruits of my own labor. My garden has been producing ample amounts of cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, carrots, radishes, onions, cilantro, basil, oregano, and chives. Here is a picture of the garden that I took just this afternoon. This is about 2 months after planting.

I have never planted anything before, let alone maintain and grow a small vegetable garden. Planting this garden was one big science experiment for me, but it actually turned out to be successful! We've been picking, eating, and cooking veggies and herbs almost daily for the past two months. Not only are we saving a heck of a lot of money on food, but the vegetables taste amazing! Produce from the grocery store can contain harmful pesticides and is usually coated with a waxy substance so it looks better and has a longer shelf life. Grocery store veggies just can't match the taste or freshness that my garden provides! It feels good to know that I am feeding my family healthy, organic food right from our own backyard.

Growing your own vegetable garden is something that anyone can learn. I got some really helpful tips from http://www.weekendgardener.net/vegetable-gardening-tips/starting-garden-050705.htm. I used the technique of wide row planting, which you can see in the photo. Instead of planting in rows, I planted each vegetable in its own rectangular shaped plot, approximately 3 ft. wide by 5 ft. long. This technique is different than traditional planting of rows, and it has made maintaining my garden SOOO much easier. As the plants grow, they crowd out the weeds and the shade keeps more moisture contained in the soil. That means you have less watering and weeding to do! It is super easy and I would recommend this method for small backyard gardens. My garden is about 13 ft. x 13 ft. now but I'm hoping to expand it next year! Gardening is addicting and I'm definitely a green thumb now! Happy gardening!