going green in winter

[homealone]

We all know that going green is not just a seasonal fad. Going green is a daily trend and never ends. So how are your efforts at a green living going now that the weather has changed from sunny and warm to this cold and snowy? I went through my home and removed all of the regular light bulbs and replaced them with bulbs which are energy savers. I have also turned down the thermostat in my home. If it does become a bit chilly I simply put on a sweater and all is well. I have also gone through my home to make sure that all of the seals around my doors and windows were in good shape and would help keep the cold out and the warmnesss in. I have also collected a few empty jugs which when there is enough snow on the ground. I will take an empty jug and cut the top off and fill it with the cleanest snow I am able to find. Then melt it down, boil it well and then pour it into a jug which is empty and not cut. Then the jugs will be marked so they are not used for anything else but mopping floors and maybe some other light cleaning. This is a great way to save water during the winter time. This snow water will also be used to warm up my bed on those really chilly night. I will warm the water in a pan or in the microwave and pour it into a 2 liter bottle, place the cap on the bottle tightly and lay the bottle under the blankets of my bed. This way when its time for bed I will have a nice warm bed to crawl into. I am also making sure that nothing is left plugged into my home that isnt not needed. The coffee pot, computer, cell phone chargers, lamps which are not used often, and several other items are all unplugged until they are actually needed. I have found that this saves on my electric bill. I even make sure that my dogs are also involved in my going green efforts. We no longer purchase expensive drops to keep the fleas and ticks away. Daily I spray my dogs with a mixture of lemon juice and water. This is great for keeping those pests off my pets, and gives my dogs a nice lemon fresh scent. We also recycle in our home. This is a big thing here. Though before we place items in the recycling boxes we here try to find other uses for these items. This not only can help you to organize your home a bit better but it also makes less waste. Of course if we are unable to think of a new use for an item it is placed in the specific box for recycling. We dont hang on to items thinking this will come in handy some day. All to often when you begin doing this you end up with alot of items that just lay around in your home and take up room. So keep these items for a day and if you cant find a use for them, recycle them.