WHY I LOVE DR. BRONNER’S

This weekend I carried my spray bottle of diluted Dr. Bronner’s (lavender) soap around the house with me.  I used it to clean up some spots on the hardwood floor.  I spritzed it on my dog’s bed to deodorize it a little.  I wiped down my b athroom sink with it, then I sprayed some on the walls of my shower just because.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for a shower myself, so I grabbed  a washcloth and spritzed myself down with Dr. Bronner’s!  Ah, the multi-purpose non-toxic joy of Dr. B’s.

I’ll always remember when my son first started crawling and crawled right over to the Dr. B’s and put the nozzle in his mouth – I was never so glad to have gone non-toxic! (Of course, I took it right away, but I didn’t have to worry about calling poison control.)

WHY I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE RESISTANCE TO GREEN ENERGY ON A LOCAL LEVEL

I live very close to the beach, the Atlantic Ocean in particular.  The University of Delaware recently (about 2 years ago) completed an energy-generating wind turbine located on their southern Delaware Marine Studies campus.  I think it’s beautiful visually and symbolically.  I’ve driven right up to it and can barely hear it turning.

University of Delaware Wind Turbine, Lewes, DE

BUT OF COURSE there are those in the community who trash-talk it (probably the same ones who run their lawn sprinklers regularly even during drought season) and complain about the way it looks, sounds, affects their property values (none of these are valid). People like this are part of what has held up the construction of an offshore wind farm for over 4 years now.

Which is more aesthetically pleasing to YOU?

or

???

I just get so frustrated with people.  They’ll complain even when they don’t have to do any of the work!  I remember a few years ago my town went from 2x/week garbage pickup to 1x/week garbage pickup and 1x/week curbside recycling pickup.  SO MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINED that  (they ended up really screwing up the program for a while  and) we now have 1x/week trash and 2x/month recycling… which is great.  And if it is not enough for you, and you are not a member of a family of 10, you really need to re-think your waste and consumption.

Speaking of waste and consumption, I am officially over free trial offers in the mail unless they are coupons.  And you know me, I love free.  But the last few things I’ve received have been so ridiculously overly packaged that I have actual GUILT about having them sent to me!  (My new candle smells great though.)

What’s crossing your mind/path/community locally regarding green issues (or non-issues)?

We’re pushing 100 degrees here in Delaware and OF COURSE our central air unit chose this week to putter out.  While my favorite husband is outside attempting to fix it, Baby Mr. Adventure and I are hiding out in the only 2 rooms in the house cooled by a window unit.  I have lots of projects (and posts) brewing, but it’s just too stinkin’ hot.

Instead, how about a quick survey – how far would or wouldn’t you go to be green? – and a chance to win an Amazon gift card?

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY 

VAMPIRE energy… MWAHAHAAHA!

The Modlet

Meet “The Modlet” by ThinkEco.  Modlet stands for “modern electrical outlet.”  It does what the modern electrical outlet SHOULD do, as a retrofit to your already-installed old outlets.  You plug the modlet into your existing outlet, then plug your appliances into the modlet.  The modlet turns off your appliances when they are not needed, saving you energy and money.

How?  Funny you should ask.  It does this by connecting wirelessly with your computer.  Using ThinkEco’s online software, you can view your home’s energy consumption in real time on your computer or smart phone.  Set your modlets to your schedule and they will turn off at the specified times, eliminating standby and vampire power drains.

I can think of a million places I need these in my house – but definitely on my computer printer and our entertainment system, which we have a bad habit of leaving on by accident (and even when we don’t, it only goes to standby.)

For the very privileged of us who get to live in NYC (I’m already jealous!) Con Edison has teamed up (for the 2nd year now) with ThinkEco for a program called CoolNYC.  From their site:

“Now in its second year, coolNYC is a program that enables Con Edison customers in the New York City area to participate in an exciting load reduction and management program, so that you can better control your window air-conditioner energy use. As part of the program, participants will receive the smartAC kit FREE of charge along with a $25 thank you gift at the end of the summer.”

 (More FAQ answered on the CoolNYC site)

  Click here to sign up for the CoolNYC program.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, this investment isn’t cheap, but used wisely and where most needed, it should pay for itself fairly quickly.

Best Buy sells the Home Starter Kit (1 modlet + 1 usb receiver + software) and additional modlets.

ThinkEco modlet Starter Kit – White Simple, smart savings. Saves you money and energy while wirelessly connecting you to your home electronics whether you’re at home or on the road. Intelligent software designs a savings plan for you, automatically turns on/off power to appliances and allows you to view appliance energy usage for seamless home energy management. Just set it and forget it.

ThinkEco modlet (expands modlet Starter Kit) – White Save more money and energy by adding modlets to your Starter Kit. modlet is an energy saving outlet that wirelessly connects you to your home electronics whether you’re at home or on the road. Intelligent software designs a savings plan for you, automatically turns on/off power to appliances and allows you to view appliance energy usage for seamless home energy management. Just plug in and save.

$49.99/44.99 – free shipping)

The Home Starter Kit (1 modlet + 1 usb receiver + software ) sells on the ThinkEco site for $50 (additional modlets are $44.95), while the Business Starter Kit (5 modlets + 1 usb receiver + software) sells for $365.

There are lots of options for energy savings and monitoring – here are a few from Amazon…

Do you have any energy-saving tips and tricks you’d like to share with the class?

A little note before I begin, regarding Diatomaceous Earth:  Since my post a few days ago, I have been made aware that Diatomaceous Earth sold for use in swimming pool filters is not recommended for pest deterrence, as it is not guaranteed to be safe for pets and humans, and it may also be less effectivein pest treatment due to being heat-treated.  

Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth is recommended, and is available at a good price through Amazon ($23 for 10 lbs and eligible for Super-Saver Shipping if you spend $25 or more.)  

Click this link:  Diatomaceous Earth-Food Grade-10 Pounds by: Nature’s Wisdom
or find it in the Green Penny Pincher Shoppe 

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for Canadian readers: Groupon in Canada

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably at least heard of Groupon by now.  From their site:  ”Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in 48 countries, and soon beyond (read: Space). ”  (<< Wheee!  Let’s go!)  New to Groupon?  Please consider signing up through my referral link and help me get a little $ to keep this blog going! Thanks in advance!I’ve lost count of how many good deals I have bought (and some, sadly, passed up) on Groupon.  Haircuts, massages, gift cards, dining certificates, even travel.  In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd (this Sunday!), Groupon is currently offering some great eco-deals:

$25 for $50 Worth of Eco-Friendly Home Décor, Accessories, and Gifts at Bambeco.com 
Get Your Groupon!

Get Your Groupon!

This one is a SUPER deal:

Spend $59 on a 30-piece Simply DIY conservation kit (a $118 value).(1) wall-mountable, low-flow Spoiler 2.0 GPM white showerhead w/pause feature(1) package of Teflon tape to quickly seal pipes(1) Stop In Time shower timer requires shower singers to belt the abridged version of Bohemian Rhapsody(2) toilet tummy water savers reduce tank fill(2) packages of leak-detection dye tablets alert users to leaky toilet flappers(2) 1.0 GPM standard bathroom faucet aerators(1) hot-water gauge(1) dual-spray swivel faucet aerator(1) dish squeegee(1) multiwindow insulating kit(2) refrigerator/freezer thermometers(1) furnace filter whistle to sound an alarm when filters need changing(1) 20-pack of insulating light switch and outlet sealers(1) LED nightlight(2) packages of foam tape weather stripping(4) 13-watt LumaCoil CFL bulbs(4) 18-watt LumaCoil CFL bulbs(1) self-stick door sweep to prevent drafts and unexpected visits(1) switch-plate energy saver equipped with a color-coded thermometer encourages eco-friendly interior temperatures

Get Your Groupon!

Check out the Groupon Earth Day Deals page for more great eco-minded deals, including Hypo-Allergenic Pillows, travel to beautiful destinations, portable solar chargers,  healthy food delivered to your door, and exciting volunteer opportunities!  Get Your Groupon!

for Canadian readers: Groupon in Canada

Sun, by barockschloss via Flickr

FREE OFFER!

The good folks at Solar Sphere are offering a FREE 18-page report that will help you learn more about solar power, including answering your questions such as…

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