Tuesday, Tuesday...another day in our wonderful lives. We don't have any big plans around here for today. I've been asked to put together a couple of websites for TrainREK Radio so I'm going to see about putting those together or at least getting the frameworks setup. I'm also putting together a weight loss blog for a group of us who are forming our own little weight loss support group.

Can you believe this insane weather? Yesterday, it was 81 and tonight I had to scramble to bring in all of my planters because we have a freeze warning! For tonight and tomorrow night! What the heck?

Well, in honor of cold weather, how about a tip for de-icing your windshield?

Instead of shivering out in the cold, while your car idles and adds more and more pollution to our air, mix up a bottle of vinegar and water. Then, when the weather calls for ice, head on out and spray it over your windshield. In fact, you can even replace your wiper fluid with this for during the winter months. You want it to be 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water.

Now, let's say you forget to go out the night before to spray your windshield. Then, you wake up and go outside to find an icy windshield! Nooo! Ok, that may just be what I yell out when I see it. No worries, just take spray bottle 2, the one you've filled with pure vinegar, and spray down that windshield. It will melt the ice and there's no need for you to freeze your fingers and toes off!

Want a great way to get those gross splatted bugs off your windshield in the Summer? Put 3 cups of vinegar in your wiper fluid reservoir for a sparkling windshield every time you spray it!

Do you have any great going green tips? Post them and then link back here!

I want to send a big thank you out to those of you who stopped by last week and left comments. It makes me feel good to know that my posts are out there and helping people.

This week, I'm going in a totally different direction. This post won't help you clean your house, but it will help you lower your electricity bill. Did you know that your video game consoles are energy vampires? And not the really sexy, sweet Twilight vampires, either. These are the evil, suck your power and raise your electricity bill kind.

Did you know that your Wii, PS2, PS3 or Xbox can use as much energy as two refrigerators? Holy cow! Now I know I'm going to make sure I get after the boys to remember to turn the PS2 off when they're done with it. Just by turning off your console after you rescue the princess (bonus points if you catch that reference), you could shave about $100 off your electricity bill in the course of a year. If you're like me, every penny counts.

So go ahead, rescue the princess, rock out with your guitar and race your dirt bike, but remember to turn off your system when you're done!

Ok, so I'm doing a two in one post today. Aren't y'all lucky? Ok, perhaps not but I love this blog and I'm so excited to be back and posting every day! So, let's start with the Works For Me Wednesday bit...you'll never believe what I have for you this week! hehe...Ready? No, seriously..are you ready?

Ok..here it is...how many of you still buy paper towels and end up with those tubes and don't know what to do with them? How many of you still get plastic shopping bags from the store? Do you have trash in your car and never seem to have a bag to toss it in? Did you answer yes to all three? Woo! Then, I have a great tip for you! I discovered that those paper towel tubes are perfect for holding plastic grocery sacks! Just decorate your tube anyway that you want, then feed the plastic bags up into it. I think I fit about 10 into the last one that I did. Then, just tuck the tube into your car and then whenever you need a new trash bag, just pull one out!

This week's never Wordless Wednesday is made up of three of my favorite pictures that I downloaded from my camera this week. I am loving this new house and loving that I am out of the basement dungeon that I was trapped in for two years. It amazes me just how much happier I am since being out in sunlight again. It's such an incredible feeling to look around and even though there are a million boxes in this house still, to know that it's all of my things and they are all in one location. Plus, having the flower beds is fantastic! I cannot wait until next summer when I have the time to really dig in and get them all gorgeous again. Enjoy this week's pictures, fresh from my camera!

Razors - Two billion disposable razors wind up in our landfills every year. Can you believe that insanity? Now don't go indulging in an electric razor either. Go for a good reusable razor with a recyclable plastic handle, and maybe even consider investing in a razor-blade sharpener to make those blades last longer. Or, if you're extra tough or some kind of manly man, go for a straight razor, which can be sharpened on a whetstone. Look for one made of Sheffield steel rather than stainless steel; junk and antique shops may be a good place to track one down. Finally, shave with vegetable-based soap or oil, rather than an aerosol can of shaving cream.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Renewable Resources - As opposed to fossil fuels, of which there are only so much of, renewable resources are considered to be available in infinite amounts. These include solar, biomass, wind, geothermal, and hydro energy. Biodiesel and ethanol are also considered renewable energy sources.

Biodiesel - A domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils like soybean. It also reduces emissions of global-warming gases. Adding just 20% biodiesel to a petroleum-diesel blend cuts particulate matter by 31%, carbon monoxide by 21% and total hydrocarbons by 47%. Of course, using 100% biodiesel reduces emissions even more.

Heh..that one caught your attention, didn't it? Good because I want everyone to do this easy Going Green task.

Bring a power strip to work - or request one the next time someone's ordering office supplies - so you can plug all your electronics into one place and unplug them all with a single yank at the end of the day. Why? Electronics and appliances eat up energy - known as "standby" or "leaking" electricity - even when they're not being used. A recent study from the University of California, Berkley showed that the average California household pays between $50 and $70 every year to keep things humming while they're just sitting there. Now..multiply that by the number of households around the world and...wow...

Whenever you can, buy rechargeable batteries rather than disposable ones. Rechargeable batteries last longer, of course, but they can also be recycled, while disposable batteries can't. In general, never put batteries in the trash without checking with your local solid waste management district for any outlets for household battery recycling. Also, remember to inquire at local jewelers, pharmacies, or battery retailers to see if they'll accept button batteries for recycling.

For more information, check out this website: http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

Hormone-Free: Commercial farmers administer hormones to increase the size of beef cattle and the production of milk in dairy cattle. Fewer hormones in the bodies of the animals mean we eat fewer hormones in our bodies, andless of a chance of disrupting our own endocrine systems. Go for meats and dairy labeled "hormone-free" if all possible.

Is anyone out there working on a bathroom remodel? If you are, there are two important things that you could do for the environment; install a water-efficient toilet and a shower head with a "trickle valve". The valve makes it so with a flick of a wrist, you can bring the flow down while you lather up. If you don't want to go that far, turn the water off while you lather up and then back on to rinse.

If you're anything like me, you did your taxes this week. Blech! But, for those of you who haven't and for those of you, like me, who know you'll have to do this again next year, how about working on making those taxes a little greener? Earmark a portion of your tax return either as a donation to an environmental cause or to green up things around your own home. Plus, take advantage of e-filing (some companies offered federal e-filing for free this year!) and then print out only one copy of your tax return for your files. Heck, go the extra mile and print it out on recycled paper.

If you celebrate Easter and love the tradition of dying Easter eggs like I do, how about trying a natural approach this year? Instead of buying packaged dyes, experiment with natural materials such as beets, blueberries and spices. You can find recipes quick and easy online. Oh, and how about instead of plastic grass (personally, I hate that stuff..it gets everywhere and I have to fight the cat not to eat it!) how about trying moss or shredded newspaper?

Ok, I know I've mentioned Freecycle here time and time again, but really it's a great thing! We're coming up to Spring and so a lot of us are in that Spring cleaning mindset. This yaer, keep things out of a landfill by either having a garage sale, listing them on Craigslist or by freecycling them.

Did you know that companies can continue receiving mail for employees for five or more years after they've moved along? This adds up to a ton of waste and a huge headache for mailroom staffs. Entering old employees names into the database of the Ecological Mail Coalition is free and solves the problem.

So, I challenge you: If you have a business, take advantage of this service. If this isn't your area of responsibility at work, pass this information to someone who can handle this. :)

As some of you have seen, I'm participating in the Earth Hour 2 Earth Day Challenge. As part of that, I've said I'll post things here to help educate you and me about ways to go green in our lives. Since I'm one of those that always seems behind on the vocabulary of things, I decided to start out by posting a vocab lesson. Don't worry, there won't be a spelling test or anything later!

So, today's term is....

Half-Life : The time it takes for a half portion of a substance (any substance, but the term is typically used in reference to drugs, radioactive materials or pesticides) to be eliminated or disintegrated by natural processes from an organism or ecosystem. Some simple examples: The half-life of water in a human body is about 7 to 10 days; the half-life of lead in animal bones is about 10 years.

So now we'll know what they mean when they say the half-life of something in a landfill is x amount of time!