One of my  pet peeves is the unnecessary use of paper and plastic bags. It's estimated consumers use more than a million bags every minute. For plastic bags in a year that's between 500 billion to one trillion !   Meanwhile nearly three million tons of plastic is used every year just for bottled water and  about 80 percent of those bottles don't get recycled.  What can YOU do to reduce your usage ?

Don’t Idle Away Your Car’s Gas

Save money, cut emissions and reduce wear on your engine.

Every moment you spend idling your car’s engine means time spent needlessly wasting gas, as well as rougher wear on your vehicle. So give it a rest, and avoid idling through your days.

To save money take shorter showers, install low flow showerheads and turn down your water heater's  thermostat.  Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home-about 15 to 25 percent of your utility bill. A thermostat setting of  120 degrees  is sufficient for most homes.

Save money, packaging and waste, plus eat healthier.

Being thrifty in the kitchen, just like grandma used to, will cut down on the amount of waste you produce. Nobody expects you to make a pie every day like she did, but taking a few pointers will help you be as green as possible.

Freecycle.org is an online network where people can give away or find free stuff in their local neighborhood. It's a great way to recycle items to a local thrift store , a crafter or a teacher.  Also Earth911.com is a directory of local reuse and recycling options.

Get the most out of every watering!

Water Plants in the Morning

Save water, and make plants stronger and healthier, by watering in the morning.

The best time to water plants is usually in the morning, both to maximize the efficiency of H₂O used and to promote healthy flora.

My daughter had told me about this and now GRU tells me  that you and I can save up 50 dollars per year by turning power strips off when they're not in use. That's because many devices continue to draw power even when they're turned  off.  Also GRU says you can save  3-5% on cooling costs for each degree you increase the temperature.

You can’t win. Your sunscreen is bad for you. *SIGH*

Finding the best sunscreens

You know the drill: when the sun’s rays are fierce, duck and cover.

EWG’s fourth annual Sunscreen Guide gives low marks to the current crop of sunscreen products, with a few notable exceptions. EWG researchers recommend only 39 – 8 percent – of 500 beach and sport sunscreens for this season.

1 Thing: Make the most of every drop of water!

Double even triple the days between watering!

We've been using Hydretain on our lawn, garden and herbs for a few weeks now and it's like having an emergency water tank underground for your plants. It's a liquid with a fantastic sprayer/applicator, it's biodegradable, safe for pets and kids and lasts 3 months!

Hydretain acts like little water magnets to draw the available moisture in the air and soil and deliver it to the roots.

Available at select Lowes stores.

1 Thing: Grow your own heirloom veggies!

Plant an Heirloom

Gorgeous, delicious heirloom plants preserve biodiversity and help counter industrial agriculture.