Make-shift Clothesline

Several years ago I started coveting a clothesline pole like my mom has. The kind she has is very elaborate; two big monster metal 'T' poles and four strands of metal strung between them. The truth is you just can't go out and buy those. I decided that instead of buying one of the junky ones and then cementing it in the ground and regretting it later that I should just 'try out' hang-drying my clothes to see if I really like it and to calculate how much I would actually save by doing this. So, I hooked up a make-shift clothesline by securing one end to a metal stake that I drove into the top of my retaining wall and the other end tied around a tree about 40 feet away. I drove a nail into the tree to keep the string from slipping/sagging down the tree (so sorry tree - that is almost dead!) I hung out Todd's T-shirts and they look so fresh swaying in the breeze. It is a bit chilly out so I am sure they will take a little longer than normal to dry. There are a couple of problems with my 'system.' The first one is that the ends are so far apart that the line sags drastically, and the second is that it is not big enough for an entire load. If all goes well I am thinking that I will splurge and contact a welder to make me some like my mom's!

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is an approach that takes into account the impact on society, the environment, and the economy when making business or personal decisions.

"For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. However, there is now clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits."
(Wikipedia.org)

For me, sustainability is a combination of being conscious of our natural resources, living within our means, and living a life of health. I believe I am on my way to being a LOHAS.

LOHAS "is a demographic defining a particular market segment related to sustainable living, ( Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet) 'green' ecological initiatives, and generally composed of a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment." That is the definition given by Wikipedia.org. It stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. The definition should not include 'upscale and well-educated' because ANYONE can live a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability. And, everyone should! It just means that you want to live healthy and be conscious of your surroundings.

Shoes Off Please!

When we moved into our first home we made a rule that everyone should take off their shoes. The main reason was that we had new light cream carpet in our living room that would get trashed if we didn't remove our shoes. Ever since then, we have maintained that rule, mainly because the houses have been brand new and we wanted them to stay looking 'new.' Recently it seems that we have been slacking in this area, including me. When guests come to visit I even tell them they don't have to take their shoes off. Well, after reading this article I have again decided to re-enforce the Shoes Off Please! rule! The reason I enacted the rule to begin with was to alleviate some cleaning but now it is because of health reasons AND cleaning. The article talks about dog paws but I am sorry, I can't get rid of my pets!

Make your Dryer more efficient!

I found this post on Twitter from 'Green Girls' and felt that I should share it:

Green Your Clothes Dryer
10 tips to a greener dryer.


By Josh PetersonLos Angeles, CA, USA Wed Apr 15 07:30:00 EDT 2009

The best dryer for your money and the environment is the clothesline. With the investment of a few bucks you can dry your clothes with solar power for free. However, many people enjoy the convenience of an electric clothes dryer and probably won't part with it. Ok. That's fine. Let's work with that.
If you're going to use an electric clothes dryer, then it should be an energy-efficient one. By adhering to a few simple tips, you can reduce the energy costs and electricity use of your clothes dryer. This is how:
Clean the lint filter after every use.
Make sure the dryer vent's outside. An interior-venting dryer can really destroy the quality of your indoor air.
Avoid overloading and under loading.
Wash loads back to back. The residual heat in the dryer will decrease drying time for every load past the first.
The vent hose shouldn't be longer than 25 feet. Each bend in the hose counts for five feet, not counting the bend at the actual appliance. (20ft of hose w/ one bend is equal to 25ft of hose with no bend.)
Don't forget to clean the exterior vent from time to time.
You'll also want to clean the vent hose once a year if possible.
If you vent hose is kinked, it will increase lint build-up and decrease energy efficiency.
Like the fridge, you should check the dryer door for leaks. Place a piece of tissue paper near the crack while the dryer is running. If the tissue gets sucked into the dryer, replace the seal.
Put the dryer in a warm place.

Go Green Gift Basket

My husband's cousin is getting married in a couple of weeks. I looked at their registry and nothing jumped out at me so I decided to introduce them to some of my favorite eco-conscious products by putting together a go-green gift basket. As you can see, I even included some new Scotts Green Done Right Toilet paper (40% post-consumer recycled paper), 100% recycled aluminum foil and some dish towels to use instead of paper towels!