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 Ever considered a staycation? It’s a vacation where you
spend time at home or close by. This is becoming more popular, partly because
of the economic times. In a 2008 survey, a third of the respondents were staying
close to home as opposed to leaving the country.
On a staycation, you need to keep it fun, so don’t get
caught mowing the lawn, or painting the house. The key is to treat it like a
normal vacation. Stop by your local visitor information center and become a
tourist. You’ll be surprised at what new things you will be able to discover in
your own town when you have time to look for it. You’re likely to come across new
parks and museums, new favorite restaurants, and maybe even a few festivals.
You don’t have to stay at home on your staycation, you might
be able to find a nice bed and breakfast on the outskirts of town, a new
favorite camping spot or perhaps a "Willing Worker on Organic Farms" opportunity.
The latter can be an excellent way to learn how to grow your own food, and the best
part is, it’s free!
With the money saved from your staycation you have plenty
of options, like creating a relaxing space in your backyard. Next time you consider vacationing, opt for a
staycation. It’s a fantastic way to save money and the planet at the same time.
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You can run a computer or a television for three hours
with the energy savings produced from recycling one aluminum can. That’s impressive.
Aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth. When making an aluminum can out
of recycled aluminum, it takes 95% less energy than creating a new can from
scratch. With that extra energy aluminum companies save the equivalent of over
20.6 million barrels of oil (12 billion kilowatt hours) - just by recycling. This
represents enough energy to supply the electrical needs of a city the size of Pittsburgh for about six
years.
Some more
aluminum facts:
- Since
1972 approximately 16 million tons of aluminum cans have been recycled.
That equals 786 billion cans that, placed end-to-end, would stretch
to the moon over 250 times.
- 119,482
cans are recycled every minute nationwide.
- In
1976, 53 million pounds of aluminum cans were recycled. Today, we exceed
that amount in 5 days.
- Aluminum
cans have a lot of value. In 1996 Americans earned over one billion
dollars by recycling. Since 1972, the earnings are almost nine million.
Hopefully, you already recycle your cans, but if you don’t,
today is a perfect day to start. Get a recycling bin, or gather than cans
in a paper bag and take them to a nearby recycling center. It’s simple and
saves a tremendous amount of energy with little effort.
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Green showers are a relatively new idea; they tend to focus
mainly on reusable items, crafts, and organic food. Switch it up, leave the
stuff behind and focus more on celebrating the excitement of childbirth and
child-rearing. The following list will make the next baby shower and new and
refreshing experience.
Make a Homemade Mobile
Supply materials, glue, feathers, scissors, cardboard
shapes, etc. to guests and have them fashion an object to hang from the mobile.
Many newborns enjoy black and white patterns.
 Share Mothering and
Breastfeeding Tips
In advance, ask your guests to prepare a note with the most
helpful parenting advice they have to offer. List the things you wish you
would’ve known earlier, or things that made life with a newborn easier. Collect
them in a nice basket and present them to the mother-to-be.
Share Positive
Mothering and Birthing Stories
Light candles to create a relaxing atmosphere, have everyone
introduce themselves and share a personal story about giving birth, or
perhaps an inspirational poem. If you have negative stories, please
tell them
some other time.
Make or Paint a Belly
Cast
Making a belly cast is usually a two-part process. If the
mother is willing, guests can participate in casting the pregnant mother’s
belly, and later painting designs or writing inspirational words on the cast.
Organize a Weekly
Meal Sign-up
Ask friends to prepare meals for the new family for the
first couple of months after childbirth. Simply create a spreadsheet and figure
out a schedule that works for everyone.
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In This Issue:
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Updates from My Office
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Your Name
Phone
Website
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Bamboo Basics
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Bamboo is a grass that grows over wide areas in the
Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. People depend on
it for food, shelter, and medicine, to name a few uses. It’s known for
being very strong, light, and flexible. Bamboo grows extremely fast, sometimes
four feet in one day. Other bamboo facts:
--After
flowering bamboos often die.
--The
longest known bamboo flowering cycle belongs to the Madake bamboo, which
went 120 years before flowering.
--Thomas
Edison used a carbonized sliver of Madake bamboo to improve the filament
for his light bulb.
--Ancient
Chinese fireworks, called pas chuk, consisted of green bamboo thrown into
fires to scare spirits.
--2.5 billion people worldwide rely on
bamboo for trade and subsistence. Worldwide exports of bamboo are worth
around 3 billion dollars.
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Get a Load of These Savings
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Your washing machine is the second biggest water consumer in
your home (the toilet is number one). To green up your laundry room, consider a
front loading high-efficiency washer - they use around 50% less water and do the
same job. Make sure your new appliances have the energy star logo, and make
sure your dryer has a moisture sensor that will shut the dryer down if your
clothes dry early.
On laundry day, make sure you have a full load and use cold
water. For extra savings, use a clothes line. When it comes to your laundry
soap, look for plant-based, not petroleum-based products.
Say no to chlorine bleach, it’s a ground water contaminator.
For the same results try whitening products that are oxygen based.
With these tips your dark and light laundry loads will be
greener.
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