3R Friday

Welcome to 3R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green, easily.

Reduce: Reduce your electric bill by turning off the lights when you leave a room, any room.

At home, at work, out in public, any where I am I turn the lights off when I leave the room. I have also taught my children to do the same.

When I drop my daughter off at daycare I will turn their porch light off.
After I pull into the garage I will turn the light off on the garage door opener
When I leave a public restroom (the kind with only one potty in it) I will turn the light off
When I pass by a room at work that is empty, I will turn the light off.
When I leave my office for long periods of time I will turn the light off

I really am off the mind set that every little bit counts. Plus, I hope that this little action will help make others mindful of leaving the lights on. It seems to have really worked with my children!

Reuse: Reuse Easter items

The amount of holiday related items that one person can collect over the years is amazing.

I have older nieces and nephews so I have inherited hundreds (literally) of the little plastic eggs that you fill with goodies and hide. So my kids now look for the same plastic filled eggs that their cousins did over 15 years ago. (Talk about getting your $ worth). Some of the items inside the eggs may be that old too. ;-) We have a “treasure box” that the kids put all the little items that they get from goodie bags, school parties, egg hunts, etc. I then stuff the eggs with these little trinkets. What I have learned over the years is that the kids care more about finding the eggs then what is actually in the eggs.
So every year, I put the eggs, baskets, decorations, and grass into containers in the closet and save them for the next year.

Recycle: Recycle your wine corks at Whole Foods

Wineries have joined efforts with select Whole Food locations in Oregon, California, and Washington to gather wine corks for recycling.

Check with your local Whole Foods to see if they are participating in the program (if not, maybe you can encourage them to do so).

Hope these tips help! Have a great green weekend!