Water Conservations Tips

Water conservation is one of the major environmental issues for us to be aware of. Not only is it important that we watch our usage but it can save you a lot of money on your water bill.

Lots of great tips here:

http://www.monolake.org/socalwater/wctips.htm

http://www.h2ouse.org/

Closet Organization Tips

A well-designed closet with logical flow and attractive design is not only an absolute pleasure to see first thing every morning, but can be a great selling point when you sell your home. However, I used to design for Closet Factory, so I've seen many many closets and I've seen how expensive a custom built closet system can get (I've sold 2 $16,000 closets, and few cost less than $5,000 - don't know about you, but I'd rather build my own functional closet and spend that money on a jet ski or something!). It's absolutely possible to have a gorgeous closet that will magically create storage space and won't break the bank.

To Begin:

Declutter first and foremost - (parts of my Spring Cleaning post may help) - objectively clean out your closet - unflattering fit or color, worn-out items, unloved accessories, or icky fabrics MUST GO! Donate work clothes to the local women's shelter, dresses to Cinderella's Trunk, the rest to Goodwill. You only need clothes that you love - better to wear something great over and over than to wear something not so wonderful just because you're sold on the idea that you need a heartily stocked wardrobe. In this article the author states that most people only wear 20% of the clothes in their wardrobe! I believe it. Keep this in mind next time you go shopping. Let go of (or put back, if you're still in the store) the things that aren't that great but were on sale, clothes your shopping buddy talked you into that just don't suit you, and trendy items that you will no longer wear. Classic, quality pieces that make you feel great are best.

Take inventory. Measure how much double hang, medium hang, and long hang you need, and how long your longest item is in each category. Measure how long and wide your biggest shoes are and count how many pairs you have. Consider all of these measurements when drawing out your design.

Measure your closet and draw it out to scale on graph paper, marking any obstructions and your doors, including door swing if it swings in.

When designing, keep in mind any obstructions such as switches, ducting, outlets, and vents that shouldn't be blocked.

Consider your doors, especially in a reach-in closet. If bifold, open them and measure where they fold up. Drawers, baskets, sliding shelves, etc. will not be able to open if the door is in the way. If sliding, mark on your drawing where the doors overlap - this 6" or so will be difficult to access. If a pocket door, do not hang anything on the wall where the pocket door inserts. A regular door is ideal.

Think vertically.


The Basics:

Double Hang - If you don't already have double hang, this will be your new best friend. Measure out the length of rod required to hang all your short hanging items (shirts, skirts, shorts) and then divide it in two - this is how much space you will need to hang two rods, one above the other. Be sure to hang the rods with enough height so your longer shirts etc. will not drag on the floor or on the lower rod.

Medium Hang - Pants, long skirts, short dresses need a medium length rod (again, measure how much rod you need to hang all your items in this category). This is an excellent place for shelves above or below or drawers or baskets/hampers below.

Long Hang - Few of us need more than 12" of hanging tall enough for long dresses, so you can either have a dedicated rod for these or in a medium hang section have one small area that doesn't have shelving or drawers/baskets/hampers below it so your dresses can hang unhindered.

Shoe Shelves (shoe racks can be used if you have no room for shoe shelves, but please use the canvas type that either hang over the door or off a rod. Metal ones wreck shoes over time so I don't recommend those.) - use the measurements and inventory you took for your shoes into account here. For example, say your widest shoes are 8" wide. Then the length of the shoe shelves should be in increments of 8": 16" wide holds two pairs, 24" holds three, and so on. So if you have twenty pairs of shoes and a 24" space, you need seven shelves (only about 6" tall, except for boots). Easy! A 12" deep shelf is usually sufficient except for large-footed men who don't like the toes of their shoes sticking out over the edge.

Sweater/ Jean shelves - Should be 16" deep. Measure the width of your wider folded items to see how wide your shelves should be, using the same method as with shoes. Try to keep the spaces between shelves short so the stacks don't get tall and tippy.

Purse Shelves - This one is entirely dependent on whether you love big purses or little purses and your inventory.

Drawers - Usually the most expensive part, but it's nice to have some things hidden. Consider buying or making drawer dividers (can use a router and thin pieces of wood or plastic to make your own) - really helps things stay tidy.


Low-Cost:

If you're renting or afraid of commitment use something like this to add a second rod. Use a canvas sweater hanger for extra shelving too (not just for sweaters). Shoes will be happy in a canvas hanger over the door or (preferably) off the rod. These types of things can often be found at Ross for under $10.

Paint or even wallpaper the inside of your closet in colors much more daring that you'd usually use. It's a small, intensely personal space that can be hidden from view. Go wild! Choose a color or pattern that is invigorating, since you typically see it first thing in the morning. This would take very little paint!

If you're renting, you can "wallpaper" with a fun fabric and starch, which peels off easily when you move. Click here for a how-to on a really clever website.

Install an attractive light (can be very inexpensive if you shop well - Home Depot has good flush-mount ceiling fixtures for $15 for a two pack, also check out lightinguniverse.com). I've seen reach-in closets with a 2' rectangular florescent light mounted on the wall directly above the door (so it isn't seen) with a motion sensor, so it comes on when you open the door. Genius!

Find a system of hanging your clothes that makes sense to you: Separate by work/play, formality, warmth, color, or otherwise. This will make dressing faster and simpler, and will give your closet a soothing, organized visual flow. Maybe a little OCD, but I break it into color, in ROY G BIV, then brown, white, grey, and black. Then I hang clothes in order of warmth, tank tops to sweaters. It helps me because I can think, 'well, I feel like wearing purple, and it's a little cold, oh look, my purple sweater section!'. Matt just likes the short sleeve shirts separate from the long sleeves. Whatever works for you!

For the shelving, build your own or buy freestanding bookshelves from secondhand stores or Ikea.

To reduce costs, consider using the white wire shelving and rods from Home Depot/ Lowe's. My old boss would whack me for this, but if your budget is limited it's better to have organization in a less ideal material than to live with an inefficient closet. OR check out something like this.

If you have a reach-in closet that has deep wall returns (the wall that surrounds the door, blocking your view) you may consider cutting the wall back so the closet space is more accessible. The doors can be replaced by larger doors or hanging dramatic curtains that go well with the bedroom (go deluxe on these or it will look cheap), preferably floor to ceiling to create the illusion of height.

Avoid storing non-clothing items in your master closet. The bedroom (closet included) is ideally a sanctuary, not a storage room.

Hang a hook for each closet user so that clothes can be chosen at night and hung up, ready and waiting, to speed up morning routines.

Hooks are also great for frequently used things, such as PJ's, jacket, jeans that are clean enough to wear again, today's bag, etc.

A Little Bit Luxe:

Invest in beautiful wood hangers (Bed, Bath, and Beyond has the best price - $15 for 24). This may seem like an unnecessary purchase but it beautifies your closet, dresses up your wardrobe and will truly make your clothes seem more satisfying. This could actually save you money because your wardrobe will feel more full and you can better fight the subconscious urge to shop. I used to have a variety of colored plastic hangers that made my closet look mishmosh and disorderly, despite any organization (and made putting away laundry slow, as I have a touch of OCD and can't hang clothes on a clashing hanger). I love my wood hangers!

If you choose to have a custom closet made for you, keep in mind that white will be cheaper than colors and drawers and doors will make the cost jump very quickly. Closet Factory charged $100 for the most basic drawer, and the cheapest wood grain melamine was a price increase of 15%. If you go into custom stained wood, the price would be astronomical. I've quoted closets at $24,000, but the same layout in plain white with standard accessories would be more like $7,000. You can, of course, do a reach in closet for about $800 if it's very basic. Ikea does custom closets for MUCH cheaper.
There are a lot of plan-it-yourself websites, which of course you can order from, or just use their website to design your closet and then use that plan when you build your own. Please oh please do not have a closet designer come to your home to draw plans and give you an estimate if you're planning to DIY - this is disrespectful of their time and money (they get paid strictly commission and gas prices hurt when you drive for hours on end for free - trust me, I've been there) and you risk bad closet karma. ;-)

Most older homes have teeny-tiny closets. I may be worthwhile to steal some space from the room to expand the closet, for resale value and your sanity. If done well this could create enough storage space that you can eliminate the dresser from your bedroom.


Kid's Rooms:

Triple Hang! This is the most wonderful thing about kid's rooms. Their clothes are small enough that you can hang 3 rods vertically, or one or two rods with lots of shelving or baskets. Make their closet easy for them to use as they grow. Toy baskets can go on the bottom. The more colorful and easy to understand their closet is, the more likely they will actually use it. Also, consider shelves or hooks where, as they begin dressing themselves, you can set out outfits for them to choose from. They'll learn a little bit of independence and you won't have to have as many arguments about clothing choices. ;-)


To Make it Green:

Use secondhand bookshelves.

Use low VOC paints.

Build your shelves with FSC certified wood.

Donate your old closet rods and shelves to re-do.org.


Keep in Mind:

Consider form and function. Function is of course the first priority with something as hardworking as your closet, but it should be beautiful too. It's where you start every morning. Make it pleasing!

Don't neglect your other closets, either. Do you pray that your guests don't open the linen closet? Is your coat closet full of unused coats or things that don't belong there? Is the pantry overwhelming? Invest some time, creativity, and a little money and these can be places to show off in the grand tour! (A couple ideas - coat closets should ideally have space for plenty of guest coats as well as shelves or hooks for gloves, purses, scarves, hats, etc. If you're blessed with a linen closet, make sure it is orderly and isn't a booby-trap set to spring when someone opens it. Anything not linen-related should live somewhere else or be eliminated.) And then there's the garage...

Absolutely under no circumstances use the melamine coated particle board they sell at Home Depot. It may look like what closet companies use, but I've seen it for myself - it will peel, scratch, and look cheap almost immediately. If you build a wonderful closet system yourself, use paint-grade MDF or plywood (plywood will be more expensive). Don't use particle board - it can't be painted, it could snag your clothes, and it usually has formaldehyde in it.

I'll probably update this post as I think of a few more ideas, but please let me know if you have questions or great ideas!

Spooky Facts About Household Products

This information was emailed to me by Melaleuca (they sell nontoxic cleaners, vitamins, etc.), and it's pretty interesting. BTW, my SIL sells Melaleuca and I'll be trying out the products soon and I'll let you know how it works out - if anyone wants to order any, I can get you in touch with her. I'll be expecting a free haircut for that shameless plug, my lovely Lindsey. ;-)

When we pick up a product at the local grocery store, most of us like
to think we are getting something that has been tested and proven to
be safe. After all, we have laws to protect our health and safety,
don't we? Actually, the government has very limited power to regulate
manufacturers, or require testing of their products.

Here are some disturbing facts:

A product that kills 5-% of lab animals through ingestion or
inhalation can still receive the federal regulatory designation
non-toxic . Of the 17,000 chemicals that appear in common household
products, only 30% have been adequately tested for their negative
effects on our health; less than 10% have been tested for their effect
on the nervous system; and nothing is known about the combined effects
of these chemicals when mixed within our bodies. No law requires
manufacturers to list the exact ingredients on the package label.
Personal care product refers to just about anything we use to clean
our bodies or make ourselves look or smell good. The closest thing to
a regulatory agency for the personal care industry is the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), and their power is extremely limited. Here
are more unsettling facts regarding personal care products:

The FDA cannot regulate a personal care product until after it is
released into the marketplace.
Neither personal care products nor their ingredients are reviewed or
approved before they are sold to the public.

The FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing on their
personal products before they are sold to the public.

The FDA cannot require recalls of harmful personal care products from
the marketplace.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and health (NIOSH)
analyzed 2983 chemicals used in personal care products. The results
were as follows:

884 of the chemicals were toxic
314 caused biological mutation
218 caused reproductive complications
778 caused acute toxicity
148 caused tumors
376 caused skin and eye irritations.

Warning: You Can't Trust Warning Labels!

You may think you know what is in a product and its potential harms by
reading ingredient and warning labels. Think again. Manufacturers are
not required to list the exact ingredients on the label. Also,
chemical names are often disguised by using innocuous trade names. So,
even if the chemical is listed on the label, you may not recognize it
for what it is. Even if the harsh and dangerous active ingredients are
listed on a package, often time the remainder of ingredients are
lumped into a category known as inert (not active) ingredients. This
term may lead you to believe that these chemicals are not toxic or
hazardous. In fact, many of the 1,000 different chemicals used as
inert ingredients are more harmful than the active ingredients. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not require manufacturers
to identify most inert chemicals, or disclose their potential harmful
effects. Even suspected carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) are used
as inert ingredients in household products.

Regarding warning labels. One New York study found that 85% of
products they examined had incorrect warning labels. Some were labeled
poisonous, but weren't; others were poisonous but weren't labeled as
such; others gave incorrect first aid information. And there are
absolutely no warnings on products about possible negative effects of
long-term exposure. This is unfortunate because most diseases linked
to chemical exposure are the result of long-term exposure.

If we don't know what is in it, and we don't know if it can hurt us,
how are we supposed to make an intelligent decision about whether or
not to bring this product into our home?

Cleaning products
(just a few that I know are used in house cleaning)
Air freshener- toxic; may cause cancer; irritates, nose, throat, and
lungs.
Disinfectant- very toxic; causes skin, throat, and lung burns; causes
coma.
Drain cleaner- toxic; causes skin burns; causes liver and kidney
damage.
Oven cleaner - toxic; causes skin, throat and lung burns.
Window Cleaner- toxic; causes cns disorders; causes liver and kidney
disorders.
Floor/Furniture polish - toxic causes cns disorders, may cause lung
cancer
Spot remover- toxic; may cause cancer, may cause liver damage.
All Purpose Cleaner - causes eye damage; irritates nose, throat and
lungs.
Toilet bowl cleaner - very toxic; causes skin, nose, throat and lung
burns.
Chlorinated scouring powder- toxic; highly irritating to nose, throat
and lungs.
Dishwasher Detergent - toxic; causes eye injuries, damage to mucous
membranes and throat.
As I said just a few.

One Common Ingredient

Although it would take a second book to cover all the ingredients
commonly used in the products above, I want to let you know about one,
formaldehyde, as an example. Formaldehyde is used frequently in both
cleaning and personal care products because it is a cheap
preservative. The following information is taken from a Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which , by law, must be supplied to anyone
who uses any chemical product in the workplace. The MSDS for
formaldehyde warns: Suspected carcinogen; may be fatal if inhaled,
swallowed, or absorbed through the skin; causes burns; inhalation can
cause spasms; edema (fluid buildup) of the larynx and bronchi, and
chemical pneumonitis, extremely destructive to the tissue of the
mucous membrane. All these symptoms and more are caused by
formaldehyde. Yet manufacturers can put formaldehyde in shampoo and
not list it as an ingredient! You will be shocked to learn that
formaldehyde is a common ingredient in baby shampoo, bubble bath,
deodorants, perfume, cologne, hair dye, mouthwash, toothpaste, hair
spray and many other personal care items.

Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen. If all cancers start with the
abnormal growth of just one cell, then why allow any amount into or
onto your body?


Toxic Chemicals and the Human Body

Your body is a very complex, very fragile system of chemical reactions
and electrical impulses. When you consider a single cell breathes,
uses energy, and releases waste much like your whole body does, you
can begin to understand how even small amounts of harmful chemicals
can affect the performance of the body's processes. Chemicals enter
the human body in three ways: ingestion, inhalation, and absorption.

Ingestion
Ingestion brings to mind the image of a young child opening the
cabinet under the sink and drinking something deadly. Well, each year
nearly 1.5 million accidental ingestions of poisons are reported to
U.S. Poison Control Centers. The majority of the victims are under the
age of twelve and have swallowed a cleaning or personal care product.
It amazes me how many deadly chemicals are stored under sinks or on
bathroom counters and bathtubs within easy reach of young children.

Inhalation
It may surprise you to learn that poisoning by inhalation is more
common, and can be much more harmful, than ingestion. When something
harmful is swallowed, the stomach actually begins breaking down and
neutralizing the poison before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
However, when you inhale toxic fumes, the poisons go directly into the
bloodstream and quickly travel to organs like the brain, heart, liver
and kidneys. Many products give off toxic vapors which can irritate
your eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and give you headaches, muscle
aches, and sinus infections. The process of releasing vapors into the
air is called outgassing. Outgassing occurs even when a chemical is
tightly sealed in its container. If you doubt this, simply walk down
the cleaning aisle at your local grocery store, and notice how
strongly it smells of toxic vapors, even though the containers are
sealed tight.

Absorption

Most people never guess this.

Finally, you need to realize the potential threat absorption poses.
One square centimeter of skin (less than the size of a dime), contains
3 million cells, four yards of nerves, one yard of blood vessels, and
one hundred sweat glands. We've all heard the ads for nicotine patches
and analgesic creams. These medicines work by being absorbed into the
bloodstream through the skin. Even some heart medicines are
administered through trans dermal (through the skin) patches. Any
chemical that touches the skin can be absorbed and spread throughout
the body. This can even happen when you come in contact with a surface
that was treated with a chemical days or even weeks earlier. I had no
idea that my children could be harmed by crawling across the kitchen
floor we had just cleaned. I thought that we were being conscientious,
not reckless.

Helping One Family at a Time...=)

If you're not interested in Melaleuca, you can make wonderful household cleaners with vinegar, baking soda, lemon, tea tree oil... There are many websites that will give you recipes (some in my links). This is obviously better for your family's health but also saves a lot of money if done wisely.

As far as beauty products go, Melaleuca's have parabens, so buy that elsewhere. Parabens are linked to reproductive and breast cancers and are in most beauty products. When you read the ingredients, look for propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, etc. Stay the heck away from these. Also, they're known to dry out your skin. Since we're usually putting on lotion to moisturize it makes sense to avoid them for this reason, too. Many drugstore brands are made without parabens and your local health food store (or Super Supplements - they're only in WA and they don't sell on their website but I LOVE them!) carries many great products. Just be sure to still read the package - just because it says it's "All Natural" doesn't mean it is. Also, if there is not sodium laurel sulfate (a common skin irritant) included it will not lather like you're used to. It will still clean like anything else but it seems strange at first. Honestly, you may have to try a few brands before you find one you love, but it's worth it. Who wants cancer? Not me. ;-)

This website ranks beauty product brands and discusses common ingredients and why you'd want to avoid them. A great resource as you can search for the ones with the lowest risk rating and try that brand for yourself!

I love you all!

Maintaining a Tidy Home

I found this article at lifeorganizers.com - it's not so much about organizing but maintaining your home in small chunks of time so you don't have to devote a lot of time to cleaning. It's all familiar but good ideas. :-)

10 Daily Steps to an Organized Home
By Tracy Alt

In this day and age when it is common for both parents to work full-time and our kids are involved in many extra curricular activities, life moves at a pretty fast pace. It can be difficult to find the time or energy to keep the house clean amid all of our other daily responsibilities. The problem, however, is that if you let the house go too long it will become an overwhelming place, rather than a safe haven for you to retreat to after a long, busy day.

It doesn't take much to keep your home running like a well-oiled machine. If you can find five to ten minute pockets of time you can accomplish small tasks that will make a huge impact on the orderliness of your home. Here is a list of ten key tasks that take little time but make a big difference. Start adding them to your daily routine today and see the difference in how your house looks and how you feel.

1. Make your bed every day. Making your bed takes all of five minutes, but at the end of a busy day, when you can retreat to an inviting bed you will be able to feel the stresses of the day slip away as you slip under the covers. Make it a daily chore for your children to make their beds too. It will help your home look neater and teach them responsibility.

Do one load of laundry every day. I have a washing machine with a timer so I gather up a load of laundry each morning, place it in the machine, add the soap to the dispenser and set the timer so that the wash starts just before my husband gets home from work. When the machine stops, my husband transfers the load from the washer to the dryer. After dinner we fold the clothes together and get them put away. Broken down into segments, doing a load of laundry this way takes no time at all, but the difference it makes in keeping the laundry under control is unbelievable. If you do not have a washer with a timer, gather the load in the morning and throw it into the machine. As soon as you walk through the door in the evening get the load started so it will be ready to transfer to the dryer just before you sit down for dinner. The dryer will be done by the time you are finished cleaning up the dishes and you will be ready to fold the clothes and put them away. Doing a load of laundry every day adds only minutes to your daily routine, but when you do not have to spend your entire weekend trying to dig yourself out from underneath a mountain of dirty laundry, you will be glad you took those extra few minutes throughout the week.

2. Plan dinner in the morning. If you know exactly what you are going to make for dinner each night you will save yourself so much time that would have been wasted standing in front of the open refrigerator wondering what you can make. Pull anything out of the freezer that needs to defrost during the day, chop up some veggies or marinate something. If there is anything you can do in the morning to make the dinner time rush go smoother, do it
3. Make a list of any errands you can do while you are out. Blending errands into your daily routine will save you the hassle of having to run all over town on the weekends. Can you make a stop during your lunch hour? Can you drop something off on your way in to work or can you swing by and pick something up on your way home? Doing your errands throughout the week will save you a lot of time in the long run.
4. Clean up the kitchen after dinner. Although you are exhausted at the end of the day and it is tempting to put the dishes in the sink with the thought that you will do them in the morning, how many times has the next morning come and you get busy with other things? When this happens you wind up leaving the house with the dishes still undone and you have to come home to an untidy kitchen. Make a point to spend the extra ten minutes cleaning up the kitchen after dinner so that you can start each new day with a fresh clean slate instead of getting behind and letting things pile up.
5. Clean up the living room before going to bed each a night. Make this a family chore. Take five or ten minutes to do a sweep through the living room and put everything back where it belongs. Leaving things laying around is exactly how mountains get created out of molehills.
6. Schedule homework time. Life may not always allow for strict schedules, but try to keep things as consistent as possible so that your kids know what to expect and what is expected of them. Choose a time that you will be able to stick to most nights of the week and dedicate it to homework. Turn off the television and eliminate any other distractions so that your kids can sit down and really focus on their studies. Right after dinner is a good time for this if possible. The kids can sit at the table while you are cleaning up after dinner. You can spend time together while still accomplishing the task at hand and you are readily available for any questions they may have.
7. Pick out your clothes the night before. We all know how much easier it can make the morning rush to have your children choose their clothes the night before. Practice what you preach and choose your own outfit the night before. Remove all necessary items from the closet or dresser drawers and lay them out so they are close at hand. The precious minutes you save when you don't have to try and decide what you will wear could make the difference between running late and being right on time.
8. Make a bedtime routine. Explain to all of your family members what is expected of them when you say it is time for bed. This would include things like bathing and brushing their teeth, putting their clothes in the laundry hamper, changing into their pajamas, choosing their clothes for the next day and getting into bed. Practice this so that when you say "it's time for bed," they know exactly what to do. If you do not have to follow them around telling them what to do next, while they are executing their routine, you will have time to take care of any last minute details you need to accomplish before calling it a day. If your kids need some motivation, create a reward system for each night that they can successfully accomplish their bedtime routine all by themselves.
9. Keep a note pad next to your bed. It is always just as we are getting ready to retire for the day that we remember something we have to do tomorrow. Be prepared for these end of the day ideas with a note pad at hand to write down anything you must remember. The next morning, simply pull off the top sheet of paper and put it in your pocket or purse to refer to later in the day.

Start small. Add one or two things to your routine each day. Before you know it, your house will be neater and feel more inviting and you will be happier and less overwhelmed. Maybe you can even find some free time to spend relaxing.

Use less gas

A few of these tips are very handy:

http://www.greenlightmag.com/dept-carTravel-dtl.php?recordID=232

Spring Cleaning

This is a start for organizing ideas. I'll post another set of ideas in a couple weeks. :-)

• BUY LESS STUFF! I’m going to keep repeating this, mostly to remind myself. ;-) Disciplined shopping = less clutter, more money!

• When gift time rolls around, tell everyone you're decluttering and you'd really love gift cards for dinner out or tickets to an event. A lot of our clutter is gifts that we feel guilty tossing but we're just not sure what to do with it.
  

• If you're with a friend and they HAVE to stop at the store, leave your purse in the trunk. This will make impulse buys more difficult, and if you find something amazing you can always run out to the car to get your wallet.
  

• Prepare for decluttering by putting on REALLY peppy music and possibly drinking a lot of caffeine.

• Do one project at a time. Have ten minutes? Go through one drawer. Slow and steady wins this race. Don’t empty your entire dresser onto the floor and expect to finish it without getting overwhelmed, tired, or bored. Attack decluttering in bite-sized pieces.

• Start in “public areas” – kitchen, living room, etc. Seeing clutter vanish will inspire you to keep going!

• One of the best places to start is the junk drawer. Dump out the entire drawer into a box, put in dividers (like in your silverware drawer), and put back only the things that really need to be accessible (sticky notes, pens that work, rubber bands...).

• A little extreme, but works: If you have a clutter magnet area, put everything from that area into a cardboard box and write the date on it. When you need something out of the box, take it out and put it where it belongs. After a month, whatever is still in the box is obviously not being used. Take the box to Goodwill and be free of it!

• Is your purse a disaster? Set out a pretty basket that you dump your purse into daily (or weekly, whichever works for you). This way it's easy to put back all the important things, put away stuff you don't need, and toss gum wrappers and receipts.

• As a former Sunday school teacher, I apologize on behalf of all teachers for the amount of adorable, difficult to store art projects that come home with your little ones. You really CAN keep all their priceless art without filling your garage! Just photograph 3D projects and scan artwork into your computer. You can put hundreds of projects onto one little CD. Then you can watch it all on a slideshow on your TV!

• Open your mail over the recycling bin as soon as you get it. I’ve seen clients with bags full of unopened mail. It takes only a minute to do it now! Also, call each of the catalogs you receive and get off their mailing list.
  

• Books:

Unread books: Does that book look exciting enough that you’ll ever get around to reading it? Be honest with yourself.

Was it a mediocre book? Sell it to Half Price Books (they give you very little $, and the trick is to make it out without buying even more books, haha) or donate it to Goodwill or the library (get a donation receipt for tax records)

Would you recommend it to a friend? Give it to a friend.

Would you read it again? Really? Honestly? Then keep it.

• Magazines:

My biggest clutter challenge. I get a lot of design and construction trade mags so it’s hard for me to part with all those good ideas. This is overkill for most people, but what I do is: as I read it, I tear out and recycle all the pages I’ll never refer to again and write notes on the useful pages with a fine Sharpie so I know what was interesting about it. This way the ideas are already bound, and I can look at my mags and see which ones are full of ideas and which ones end up pretty skinny, and cancel subscriptions to the less useful ones. Ideally, someday I’ll file the articles in an accordion file according to topic. One of these days…

• Clothes:

Turn around all your hangers and stick a note in your closet with the date you flipped them all. As you wear things, turn the hanger around the right way (if you take it out but don’t wear it, turn it backwards again). After six months, what is still backwards? Take it to Goodwill.

When cleaning out your closet, it's handy to have someone there who loves you enough to tell you if something isn't your color or isn't flattering. It will go much faster.

Donate formal dresses and shoes to Cinderella's Trunk.

Great links:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/

http://eliminatechaos.com/organizingtips.shtml

How to get the best performance from your contractor:

As a willing ear to my general contractor hubby's rants and raves, I hear quite a bit of what helps, hinders, and annoys the heck out of contractors. A happy contractor is an efficient contractor, so here's how to do your part:

• Feed them! The old adage "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is very true here. Matt loves the homeowners who make him lunch, even if it's just a sandwich or leaving a frozen pizza and a note. Those clients typically get a lot more for their money, fyi. They'll go the extra mile for you if you're kind to them.

• Supply a few gallons of bottled water for the crew. It's sweaty, thirsty work. Please don't provide beer. Most construction workers I know currently or used to have a drinking problem. You want them thinking clear and sharp anyway.

• Keep your things clear of the work area so he can work easily without having to move a bunch of stuff out of the way.

• Unless it is VERY important, stay the heck out of his way! Often Matt comes home saying, "I'd be done already if they'd stop interrupting me to talk!"

• Be clear and honest.

• Provide a bathroom, and if you'd rather they use one and not another, tell them. Matt got an earful once for using the master bathroom when no one was home - the other one was broken, what did they expect?

• Don't flirt with him. Most contractors are married (strange phenomenom but true!), and you don't want to get on the wrong side of a woman who knows her way around the tool box! ;-)
  

This goes for all construction guys, from the plumber to the landscaper to your general contractor. It's rough work, and they deserve respect and kindness.

Click here for a good article on choosing a contractor.

Money saving tips

So, one of my biggest goals this year is to minimize my debt (other than the impending mortgage) to zero on the credit cards (almost there!!!) and to $6k on my student loan (that loan doesn't worry me much - low payments and interest rate).

I ran across a statistic that kinda freaked me out. I don't remember specifics (and I'm not going to spend all day googling for it, haha), but what it basically said was that while the average U.S. family's income is at an all time high, so is our debt and the number of bankruptcies. How can we be making more money and still be in such awful debt? Well, ours is a materialistic society. We want bigger better faster shinier newer, when what we have does its job just fine. Watching "Cribs" and the E! channel and reading magazines gives us the impression that we should have all these extravagant things. It's just not true.

Spooky facts:

• Average household credit card debt has increased 167% between 1990 and 2004
• The rate of personal savings in the United States dipped below 0% for the first time since the great depression, hitting negative .5% in 2005
• Approximately 96% of Americans will have to retire financially dependent on the government, family or charity, according to a 2003 study
• According to a 2004 study, the number one cause of divorce is financial stress

So, I assume many of you are in the same place as we are, trying to rein in the spending and kill the debt monsters. And if financial strain can damage something as wonderful and important as your marriage, then it's definitely something to watch out for.

Frugality is not about depriving yourself, it's about choosing your luxuries and spending intelligently. Do I want to buy espresso/lunch out 5 times or do I want to go to a concert? Do we want ten nice dinners out, or do we want to spend the weekend in Vegas? Do I want to blow $150 shopping, or do I want to put it in savings for my vacation/ new furniture/ retirement/ new house/ cabin? Am I more relaxed when I have a bunch of shiny new things, or when I am free of credit card debt? Honestly, being debt free feels like a luxury. I can't wait to roll around in all my zero balance credit card statements. ;-)

There are, of course, major things you can do, but it seems to me that the best way is to plug all the little money leaks here and there - it adds up quickly! And so, after all that pontificating, here are some tips and links I've culled from the web and my experiences.

• Log your spending. It helps to have a friend keep you accountable, like Dani and I are doing, but even just writing it down for yourself and reviewing it at the end of the week makes you more aware of where the heck your money went (me- knitting needles, Dani - Starbucks - haha)
  

• Never go to the store without a list. When you're about to get in line, look through your basket - what is in there that wasn't on the list? Take it out! I know, it's nice, you've been good, and you deserve it, buuuut... Is that the best way to spend that money? You don't need it and it's just going to be one more thing to have to put away.
  

• Buy secondhand when you can, but be objective. Don't buy tons of stuff "because it's such a great deal!" It's only a great deal if you love it (or love how it will look once you paint it, etc.), will truly use it, and it won't clutter up your closet or end up in your garage sale next Summer!

• If you have a favorite store that you know you won't resist, at the beginning of the month buy a gift card for yourself. You can use that set amount throughout the month guilt-free because it's built into your budget. When it's used up, stop spending and wait until the next month starts to re-up. If you're really good one month and you have a leftover balance, roll it over and re-up like normal for when you have a really spendy month.

• Organize and declutter your home. I've worked in a lot of garages, closets, pantries, etc., and I always see duplicates of things that people couldn't find so they bought another. When you cut away the excess and make all your things accessible and organized in an easy to use fashion you can save a lot of money by not buying doubles. Also, going through all your things objectively can really bring into focus how much stuff we all have, and how little of it we really need. I'll post organizing tips in the next week or two.
  

• Make friends with a hairdresser and trade babysitting or other favors for hair cuts. ;-) (Lindsey, come back to the mainland and cut my hair!!!)

• Beauty experts say it's better for your skin and hair to wash it every other day (this is really hard for me - I like my hair squeaky clean or I feel dirty, and not in the good way) - uses half as much shampoo, conditioner, and hot water.
  

• Make your own cleaning products

• Pack a lunch every night - it probably won't happen in the morning (if you're anything like Matt and I)! Much healthier than what you'll buy out, and will save you a bundle.
  

• Get books, magazines, movies, audiobooks, and Cd's (I rip them to my computer - shhh!) from the library rather than buy them. (Some library websites will allow you to download audiobooks for free - a great way to entertain your brain while commuting)
  

• Pay your car insurance six months at a time - they'll give you a huge discount

• Don't buy payment protection plans or extended warranties

• Do your homework before you make a purchase, and buy online when you can - just check for free shipping deals first! Also, if there's a minimum order and you only need a few things, see if a friend wants to combine purchases to make the minimum to get the free shipping.
  

• Do online bill pay or automatic withdrawals - The average household gets 15 monthly bills, which adds up to $70.20 in stamps yearly. Every little bit adds up.
  

• Carefully review all your bills and consider the expense and what you get out of it - odds are there are corners you can cut, downgrades that won't hurt, better quotes you can get (on insurance and whatnot), and maybe even cancel a service entirely.

• It's only necessary to change your oil every 5,000 to 7,500 miles rather than the standard 3,000. Check your owner's manual for specific info.

• Save wear and tear on your pajamas. Sleep nude! If your bedbuddy does the same, you'll stay nice and warm or nice and cool because your body temp can regulate itself easier.
  

• Eat less meat

• Downgrade your cable or go without - there are much better things to do with your evenings than watch TV (when you do want to veg, sign up with netflix and rent tons of movies for $10-20/ month - an added bonus of zero commercials!)

• When you get together with friends, do something at someone's home rather than go out (make dinner, play games, work on a project together, perfect your bartending skills, BBQ) - consider potluck/ BYOB

• When you do go out to dinner, drink water. A hard drink is usually $5-$8, soft drink is $2-4, and the average calories? A cocktail runs 150-780 calories (whoa!!!), avg. beer is 150, avg. wine is 125, avg. soda is 136 (Studies show that the leading source of calories is from drinks! A little juice, a little pop, a glass of wine... adds up). Same goes for appetizers and desserts - avg. price $3-12, avg. calories 250- 1270! So, think before you order and fatten your wallet as you trim your waist at the same time.
  

• Join restaurant birthday clubs to get coupons for lots of free food (they don't need to be used on your B-Day). Tony Roma's gives you a free entree, dessert, and bottle of BBQ sauce with purchase of a second entree (IF you have the coupon), Alfy's gives you a free personal pizza, Cold Stone gives you free ice cream, and so on. Google around for your local chain restaurants and find out what you can get! Be sure to sign up everyone in your household. Yes, baby is only a year old, but you'll help them eat it! ;-) Of course, you have to go into the location to sign up, and that's how they get you.
  

• For cheap entertainment, scout out your local parks and recreation website or newsletter, the newspaper's website, volunteer at your local theater in exchange for tickets, google for local events, and local search engines (like nwsource.com) for free or inexpensive events. Check the website of local museums/ theaters, etc. for free admission days or 'pay what you can" nights - most of them do this. The Seattle Art Museum is free the first Thursday of the month, Everett Children's Museum is free the first Friday of the month... Also, check out meetup.com for get-togethers of people with your interests. Always exciting to meet strangers!

Links:

Frugal Living

The Guide to Living Well

Better Budgeting

Debt Zapper


Check back from time to time, because I'll add new ideas as they come, and if you have an idea please post it in my comments (you can post without having an account) because I need all the help I can get! ;-)

Remodeling Sources and Ideas

Hi everyone,

I had a request for green remodeling info (Congrats on the new home, Ann!), so here it is:

Maintenance Ideas:

• Replace all the light bulbs in your house with CFL's.

• Install dimmer switches.

• Install a motion activated light switch in places where the light is often left on unnecessarily.

• Avoid heating/ cooling areas that don't need to be comfortable - such as closets, pantries, etc. Seal the rooms by installing weather stripping and a door sweep under the door, and shut off the heater vent in that room.
  

• To seal around windows, carefully remove the trim (first cut the paint attaching it to the wall with a knife), then spray Great Stuff Window and Door Formula (the regular formula will bow your jambs!) or DAP Tex Plus (which is easier to clean up) into the gap between the wall and the window jamb. Trim off excess with a knife and reinstall the trim. Warmer windows!

• Seal up the garage and basement. That cold gets into your house!

• Check for leaks in ductwork and seal them with aluminum tape (NOT DUCT TAPE) on straight ducts and pure silicone caulk on joints.
  

• Hate to be a party pooper, but fireplaces are one of the biggest leaks in a home and when lit actually suck warm air out of the rest of the house! When you're not using it, fill a plastic bag with insulation and stuff it up the chimney. Just be sure to take it out before lighting a nice cozy fire, haha!
  

• Tune up your heater.

• Clean your air conditioner.

• Put a "jacket" on your hot water heater and foam sleeves on your pipes.

• Install low-flow showerheads.

• Plant an organic veggie garden, if you have room. Doesn't get any more "locally grown" than that! And considering an organic red pepper is $4, that could save a lot of money!
  

• Vacuum behind and under your fridge to keep it efficient. Fridges account for over 15% of energy usage in homes. If you're considering upgrading, click here.
  

• To make your dryer more efficient: Replace flexible ducting with 4" rigid metal duct, with as few bends as possible. Lint can't clog a nice smooth straight duct. Install a 4"x4" vent hood rather than the standard 2 1/2" - this is the equivalent of shortening the ducting by 6 feet - a great thing. Vacuum out the lint chute yearly. Scrub the lint screen with a brush and soapy water yearly, especially if you use fabric softener. Softener clogs the mesh, which means less airflow and slower drying. Also, vacuum the area under the drum inside the motor once a year - not only does this make it more efficient but it will make your dryer last longer and reduces the risk of dryer fires.

• Check for air leaks around your home. I've heard that if you added up all the tiny leaks in your house you could drive a truck through it! Yikes! It's wonderful to have an energy auditor come and check out your home with an infrared camera (oooh!) but that costs $250-400, and for that price you could fix a lot of little leaks in common places. Walk around your house and feel the floor, walls, windows, recessed light fixtures, attic access door, and exterior doors for cold spots. 35% of air leaks are in the attic, 18% doors and windows, 17% floors and basement, 13% walls, 10% ceiling. Adding more insulation (check Certainteed for insulation suggestions), outlet sealers, weatherstripping, caulking indoors and out... Crawling around in the attic to add more insulation is not a pretty job, but somebody (coughyourmancough) really needs to do it. Just don't do it on a hot day!!!

Very important: When you seal up your house nice and tight, you MUST invest the $20 to get a carbon monoxide detector. A well sealed home keeps you comfortable with less electricity, but also will help hold in carbon monoxide. This is imperative!

Remodeling Ideas:

• Use low/ no VOC paints. Most major paint stores (Kelly Moore, Rodda...) carry them, and your local environmental home store has them, too.

• When replacing the flooring, use rubber, bamboo, cork, reclaimed wood (which can all be fixed rather than replaced when need be), or marmoleum (one note- to clean solid floors, use the swiffer-style mops with washable microfiber covers, not an actual Swiffer. Waste of money and landfill.) Carpet is not only a germ and dust magnet, but it has to be vacuumed (which takes electricity), and even when it's recycled carpet it will still need to be replaced in a few years, and will probably end up in a landfill. Matt is a total diva about carpet and flat out refuses to put it in people's homes. ;-)

• Install radiant heating.

• Obviously, buy Energy Star appliances when it's time to upgrade.

• Research any materials you might use. There are a lot of great options out there. Educating yourself can save you money and give you a very "green" and beautiful home.

• Countertops come in amazing materials - paper (really!), quartz, recycled glass... It's best not to use natural stone. Yes, it's beautiful, but impractical for daily life and quarries are bad news for the environment.
  

• If replacing a toilet, check this site and click on "CWWA Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilets Reports".

• When doing any demolition, contact a building materials recycler, and freecycle or craigslist any useful stuff you don't want any more.

• Check out salvage shops for beautiful high quality materials with history. Not always money saving, but good for the environment and kinda exciting when you find a one of a kind piece that calls to you.
  

• Check local classifieds and Craiglist for used materials. We've gotten brand new double pane vinyl windows for next to nothing (or actually nothing) just by doing our homework.

• Consider quality. It's better for everyone if your purchase lasts a very long time and looks great doing it.

• Refinish cabinets, or if necessary, replace the doors if the cabinet layout is good but the cabinets are ugly. This goes back to the big picture of Buy Less Stuff.

• Go for timeless beauty. Trends are fun now, but in ten years you'll be dying to remodel again because it's so "outdated". Stay contemporary with paint colors - cheap, fast, and easy. On the big ticket items think about how well it will blend with changing aesthetics. That doesn't mean it has to be boring! Just classic. Again, saves you money and saves the world. They're connected so often!
  

Links:

• Seattle Environmental Home Center

• http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/

• http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/

• http://www.greenerchoices.org/

• This website is still pretty new, but I have high hopes for it

• Even Martha Stewart is going green!

• A link with fantastic links

• http://www.moderngreenliving.com/

• http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/

• http://www.verdantmag.com/

• http://www.sustainablestyle.org/

Of course, in ten years when Matt and I build our Zero Energy Home development, you can just buy one of our houses! ;-)

The Most Terrifying and Inspiring Movie I've Ever Seen:

We watched An Inconvenient Truth last night, and, frankly, I'm alarmed. The scientific data behind global warming is undeniable. Of the 928 scientific studies published on the subject, not a single one has denied its reality. The "controversy" we all hear is just spin put out to confuse the issue so businesses can continue doing things their own way without changing for the better. It's exactly like what happened when the Surgeon General announced that smoking causes lung cancer. As much as we want to ignore it, it's the truth.

What's most remarkable is that we can do SO MUCH to reduce the effects, but as a general public, we just don't care. It's time to care. It's time to educate ourselves on what exactly is happening and how to change it. We fixed the hole in the ozone layer, we can change this too! We just have to choose to. Politicians are essentially just salesmen, and they will sell us what we ask for. If the voters are saying "We want policy changes made to fix this", it will happen. We need to vote for leaders who care about the future, we need to write letters, we need to make conscious buying decisions. In the business world, we vote with our wallets. Vote for environmentally responsible businesses and products.

Most of you reading my blog are in the 20-30 year old range. We will soon be entering into the time of our leadership. It is also the time that many of us are raising and educating the new generation. Will we create a volatile environment that our great-grandchildren may not survive? Or will we change our habits and take charge of this crisis? We need to not only tell them but show them our responsible actions, and they will follow in our footsteps. Now is the time to change the world for the better. If enough people care, it will happen.

I realize this is a bit of a rant, but when you see this movie, you'll want to rant too. Everyone, please watch this movie. Then go to these websites and see what you can do to help. Also, below the links I listed some very simple starter ideas on what we can do.

Links

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2005/10/26/faqs/index.html

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2003/11/25/consumption/index.html

http://www.greenerchoices.org/

http://www.thegreenguide.com/

http://www.wearewhatwedo.ca/index.php

http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/environment/


Ideas

(free and often money saving)

• Buy Less Stuff!!! This one is major. Everything we buy has to be manufactured, shipped, and displayed in the store; and then we drive to the store to buy it, then someday it'll be thrown out. Stop shopping as entertainment and start only buying what you truly need.

• Buy secondhand when you do need something. It's already gone through the process of being made and shipped. 10 Things You Shouldn't Buy New.

• When you need new clothes, buy classic, quality pieces, preferably from a responsible manufacturer.
  

• If you're just going down the street, walk. Save the world, gas money, and your figure. ;-)
  

• Don't circle the parking lot looking for the "best spot". Just park and walk the few extra feet. Think of the cumulative effect of all the people across America circling parking lots. Every little bit adds up.

• Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving — every minute the water flows wastes up to 2 1/2 gallons, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Run full loads in washing machines and dishwashers. Water plants in the early morning to ensure that the water goes into the ground instead of evaporating. And use a bucket to wash the car, hosing it off for a quick rinse, to save 90 gallons of water per wash. For more conservation tips, go to the California Urban Water Conservation Council site, at www.h2ouse.org. Savings: $189 a year, or nearly 40 percent off the average U.S. household’s annual water bill of $476, according to a 2003 study prepared for the National Rural Water Association.

• Freecycle the things you don't need any more rather than throw them out.

• Buy recycled toilet paper and use cloth napkins (more elegant, anyway)

• Bundle up/ strip down rather than adjust the thermostat.

• Wash your laundry in cold water, and line dry whenever possible (your clothes will also last much longer). When you line dry, hang your clothes inside out so the sun won't fade the colors.
  

• Unplug all electronics you're not using at the moment. They often use almost as much energy when off than they do when in use. An easy way to do this is to plug it all into a power strip you can switch off, or even set up your outlets to turn on/off with a light switch.

• Join the do not mail list, and even call the catalogs you receive and get off their mailing list. Junk mail is more than just annoying, it uses lots resources to get to your mailbox.

• Turn off the TV and enjoy spending quality time with your family instead.

• When traveling to another state, consider taking the train. Same price as flying and takes more time, but greener, more fun, you get to see beautiful scenery as you travel, and it's great one-on-one time with your travel buddy.

(Invest less than $10 - and often save much more)

• Buy locally grown food whenever possible. On average, food travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from the farm to your fridge. A farmer's market is a great way to do this, and if you go at the end of the day you'll get a lot for your money 'cuz they don't want to pack it back up and bring it home.
  

• Install outlet sealers on exterior facing walls. It'll cost $2 for an eight pack at Home Depot/ Lowe's and you just need a screwdriver and ten minutes. Outlets and light switches are one of the leakiest spots in exterior walls and these little guys can go a long way in keeping in precious heat or A/C. Also, of course, weatherstripping doors and windows goes a long way too.
  

• Buy (and actually remember to use, haha) reusable grocery bags. The ones at Whole Foods are $1 each and are 1000% more pleasant to use than plastic bags. Five trillion (geez!) plastic bags enter the market every year, and most of them end up in landfills, not to mention the energy and resources used to make and ship the bags in the first place.

• Use a reusable lexan/ nalgene water bottle rather than disposable water bottles.

It's all in the baby steps!

If you're remodeling your home, there are tons of options too. I can give you guys an idea list or links if anyone is interested. :-)

I'd love to hear everyone else's great ideas and suggested links, too. Now let's go save the world!

This will be the best Summer yet!

Here are some things I want to do this Summer. I'll update this list as more information becomes available and when I think of something else fun to do. I'm still going to actively work on being frugal, especially since we'll probably have a brand new mortgage to pay and cheap activities will be the best kind!

* means MUST DO!

• Outdoors:

*Picnic at Jetty Island - free

*Kayak with Mom - free

*Watch the sunset - free

Go to every nearby beach - free

Throw a potluck Beach BBQ - $50

Take an easy hike - Usually $5 to park
http://www.nwsource.com/outdoors/hiking/
http://www.wta.org/~wta/cgi-bin/wtaweb.pl?0+fp
http://www.slackpacker.com/map_wa.html

• Outdoor shopping:

Farmer's Markets - free

*Fremont Sunday Market - free

Phinney Ridge Community Yard Sale - free

• Free/ inexpensive shows:

*Folk Life Festival - free admission, $5-10 to park plus food

Fremont Outdoor Movies - $5/pp

*Puget Park Drive-In - $8/pp

*Music in the Park - free

• Not frugal but worth it:

*Go for a weekend trip on the train.

**Camp in Vantage (maybe even rent a cabin) - $?

ZooTunes - zoo admission $15

Wild Waves - $30/pp plus parking and food

*Jack Johnson concert (assuming he comes to town) - $40ish/pp

Bumbershoot - $18/ pp (if we buy presale) plus parking, food, etc.

• Misc:

Ice Skating (I know, sounds weird, but ice skating on a hot day is so wonderful) - $10 inc. skate rental

• Sources to search for fun things to do:

http://www.wfea.org/calendar-event/

http://www.everettwa.org/default.aspx?ID=1020

Search "Summer Guide 2007" at http://www.seattleweekly.com

http://seattle.eventguide.com/

http://www.seattle-downtown.com/events/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/entlist.html

http://downtownmountvernon.com/events-calendar.php

http://www.skagitarts.org/CALENDAR/PerformingArtsOrganizations.htm

http://www.skagitpublishing.com/publications/almanac/skagit-county.php?article=skagit-county-calendar-of-events

http://www.bellingham.org/event/

http://www.cob.org/events.htm

http://www.bellinghambizeview.com/page/show/272

If you know of anything else exciting to do let me know!