Category Archives: Eco Friendly Home

Quick Window Insulation

My son’s room has a problem. It gets cold in there. Very cold. As in “same temperature inside as outside” cold, despite the rest of the house being, oh, in the 50-60 degree F range.

As you can imagine, window insulation is at least a part of the problem. We rent, and it’s an old casement window, which means repair is up to the landlord, and I just don’t see that happening. Odd thing is that it’s one of two windows in the entire house that has clearly never been replaced. The other’s in a bathroom. Every other window is much newer.

We’ve taken the simplest solution for now. We got some of the large size bubble wrap, and cut and taped it to fit the window.

No, plastic bubble wrap isn’t all that green, but if you can get it used you aren’t doing half bad. I understand you can get it free from furniture stores that would otherwise throw it away. And of course at this time of year it’s not completely impossible you’ll get some in one of the packages you get for Christmas to protect a gift. Perfect for reuse if you get enough!

I have to admit, I’m impressed already. Just one layer of the large size bubble wrap, and his room is staying 5-10 degrees warmer overnight than it had been. That’s looking at the thermometer in his room first thing in the morning.

Still cold, but better.

I want to put up fabric insulation. My husband worries about it cutting the light that comes in, but realistically, it doesn’t get any direct sunlight, being on the wrong side of the house for that. The blinds are rarely opened, so I don’t think the difference would be significant in therms of lighting the room or natural heat.

It would last better, and I could make some choices as to what was used. Put a little batting between two layers with some light quilting, and I think it would do pretty well, maybe even in combination with the bubble wrap up already.

It’s just so nice to be able to keep my poor son from freezing at night. 3 year olds are so good at kicking off blankets, not so good at pulling them back on.

Keeping Christmas Lighting Under Control

Many families put up a lot of lights for the Christmas season. It’s fun, they’re beautiful. Not much more reason is necessary for most.

Too bad so many kinds are really bad for your electric bill.

Lots of people really don’t worry about the bill. They’re just enjoying the lights. But you can consider your bills and still get the pleasure from the beauty of Christmas lights.

1. Replace old Christmas light strings with LED light strings.

Depending on the theory you prefer, you can do this all at once, saving money on your power bill, or do it as strands die, spreading out the cost of replacements and being more sure that you aren’t overbuying. Both have their good points.

2. Limit the hours you leave the lights on.

This is especially important if you’re the typical family with no real reason to leave the lights on all the time. Turn the tree lights off for much of the day and when you go to bed. Turn off the outside lights off when you go to bed or set them on a timer.

Remember, outside lights look very pretty, but not many people are out admiring them at 2 a.m., even in the neighborhoods known for spectacular lighting displays.

3. Think about how many displays you need.

This can go beyond lighting. Go to any store that sells Christmas decorations and you can see just how much things have changed since you were a child. There are more decorations out there that can take electricity to run and light up on the inside. Think of the many inflatable outdoor decorations for example.

If you have a reason, that’s one thing. But if you’re trying to be good to the environment, extend the same thought to your decorations and don’t overdo it. You may be able to find other decorations that are still interesting, yet don’t require extra power.

Cutting back may not be fun, but simplifying does more than just save you money on your power bill and decrease the amount of carbon you are thereby putting into the air. It’s a great way to start focusing on the real reasons you are celebrating, whether it’s out of faith or simply because you enjoy the more secular side of Christmas and time with your family.

Loving My Daughter’s Klean Kanteen

A couple of weeks ago, I got tired of replacing my daughter’s reusable drink bottles I was packing in her lunch. She proved to have quite the talent for breaking the bottles we purchased for her at the local Henry’s. Most often she’d crack the lid, but sometimes it would be the bottle itself.

painted kleen kanteen

I replaced three bottles this school year before deciding that it was flat out time to cough up the money for a Klean Kanteen. So far, we’re loving it.

We bought one with a sports bottle top, so that she doesn’t have to open it very much to take a drink. I figure you can count on most first graders to spill their drinks pretty regularly if they’re open and they’re in a crowd of other kids their age. Too much goofing off going on. It’s just 12 ounces, which is small for a Klean Kanteen, but since it’s the only size that fits in her lunch bag and she has some juice left over each day, I would call it the perfect size.

We had some paint pens sitting around, so I let her try decorating it after I painted her name on it. Something like this I want to be sure can be returned to her if she ever forgets it at school. I hope the paint sticks well, but I know metal can be tricky.

The nice part is that if she should somehow manage to crack the top, I can buy a new top, not a whole new bottle. Even the top looks much more sturdy than what we had been buying before, though.

Brita + Preserve = Pitcher Filter Recycling in 2009

Take Back the Filter has a great announcement up right now – Brita has partnered with Preserve so that the Brita Pitcher filters can be recycled starting in January 2009. You can read the entire PDF press release here.

I’m quite delighted, and hopeful that this includes their Brita On Tap filters, as that’s what I have. The release doesn’t mention them at all.

It’s a pretty nice deal. If there’s a Whole Foods near you, there will be a place for you to drop your filters off. Otherwise, you can just mail them in.

While I’m disappointed that my filter isn’t listed as included yet, it’s a nice first step. If the lack of recycling for filters has held you back from buying a Brita pitcher, that limitation is now gone, or at least gone in January, which is near enough for shopping purposes. That’s not long at all to start holding on to cartridges if you haven’t started doing that, as well.

I’m also thinking this could make for a nice combination for Christmas presents if you know anyone still buying bottled water. Get them a Brita pitcher and a reusable bottle (maybe more, depending on family size), with a note about recycling the pitcher filters. Might just work for those who make excuses about their tap water quality.

Grocery Stores and Organic Food

CNN has an interesting story up right now on America’s healthiest grocery stores. As they say, some stores on the list you’d expect to see, but others are quite surprising.

Whole Foods is #1 one on the list, which should surprise no one. They’re not a store I go to often, as they are about a half hour to 45 minute drive away. However, Henry’s is local to me and now owned by Whole Foods. They’re a lot smaller at each location, but a similar kind of store with local, organic and conventionally grown produce.

Many of the stores are relatively regional, so you won’t find the entire list in your area. Others are ones you wouldn’t expect to find on this kind of list, such as Safeway. They’re a big company, and may have different names in other areas. I don’t know how the different names impact what they do with organic and other healthy produce.

This list really shows just how mainstream the availability of organic produce has become. You’ll still pay a premium for organic produce, as a rule, but you can find it just about anywhere.

You have a lot of options beyond grocery stores in many areas. Local Harvest is a great place to look for food coops and CSAs in your area.