February 27, 2009 at 10:04 am (energy, money savings)
Tags: energy, savings, temperature, thermostat
We got a new thermostat this week, finally. Our old one should have been a museum and certainly needed to be changed out long ago. It was the slide kind and was impossible to know what the thing was actually set at. And once it was set you didn’t dare change it because you’d never that temperature back again.
Our new one doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but it is digital with very clear numbers. It’s easy to know what the settings are and what the room temperature currently is.
The total cost was under $30. It took my husband under and hour to change them out and another half hour to read the setting instructions and play with it a little. Not a very big investment, but I am expecting us to save money.
Leave a Comment
February 26, 2009 at 10:30 am (better health)
Tags: food, health, milk, sun, vitamin D
I love sunshine and being outside. And now sunshine and the vitamin D it creates in our bodies is getting a lot of press.
I first read an article on the benefits of sunshine a little over a year ago in of all places my favorite magazine Mother Earth News. Now the articles are everywhere.
Getting the correct amount of vitamin D from the sun in the winter can be tricky if you live in colder climates. The supplement D3 does seem to work though.
This winter I given D3 a try. I live north of Denver and not only can it be too cold to be outside, but the sun itself is not strong enough to have full benefits.
My personal results have been pretty. So far, no colds (knock on wood) even when all those around me have been sneezing and coughing. I’ve been taking one supplement 3 times a week. When I’m able to be outside more I’ll back off on the supplements.
I’ve also upped my in take of fortified milk. I almost never drank milk until about 6 months ago. Since I’m not crazy about just drinking milk I eat about 4 bowls of cereal a week. I’ve also added yogurt to my diet about 4 days a weeks.
So now I have a reason to be outside, not that I needed one before. But instead of just soaking rays I’m also soaking up vitamin D.
Leave a Comment
February 22, 2009 at 4:33 pm (general)
Tags: family, friends, life
I love my family and friends, but I really look forward to being alone. I have always believed that you can’t be comfortable with other people if you aren’t comfortable with yourself.
With the schedules me and my husband work I get a lot of alone time and I’m fine with that. It means I get to do what I want. If I wish to be on the computer instead of having a conversation then I can. I get to eat what I want for dinner. I get to watch what I want to on TV or turn it off and read a book. If I want to take a 3 hour bath then no one cares.
I’m not a hermit or antisocial, I just enjoy my own company and like being alone.
Leave a Comment
February 18, 2009 at 11:22 pm (better health)
Tags: diet, drinks, family, food, health, weight
What we eat matters just as much as how much we eat. That is really true in our home. My husband is over weight and has intestinal problems. I can certainly out eat him but he prefers things like large amounts red meat, cheddar cheese and sweets. He drinks only coffee all day long or a glass of whole milk. Not the best things to eat or drink.
We have slowly over the last few weeks been changing the diet. Lots more vegetables and some fruits, more fish and less meat. I’m still working on pushing the water and juices instead of coffee.
My husband has decided to do a 7 day cleanse program to help with his intestinal problems. I’m not fully on board with this, but at least he has done lots of research on the product. I have also pointed out that if he does the cleanse then he should make permanent changes to his diet.
The cleanse and diet will start this weekend. I’ll post more about it in the coming weeks.
Leave a Comment
February 17, 2009 at 8:00 am (being a witch)
Tags: creatures, family, life, nature, people
Good advice that would serve many well. It seems simple. It is very hard. Following the advice is essential to being a witch.
Nature, creatures or people, it doesn’t matter. The key to knowing and understanding is listening. With nature and creatures and even people you have to be still before you can listen. The noise you make will drown them out or frighten them away.
Not interested in being a witch? You don’t have to be a witch to learn how to really listen to others in your life. Practice long enough and get good enough and other might think you are a witch though.
Leave a Comment
February 15, 2009 at 4:10 pm (being a witch)
Tags: food, gardener, herbs, Mother Nature, nature, vegetarian, witch
After a passing remark about my Witches Calendar last week I was asked why I had one. My response was because I’m a witch. Most people that have known me for a while realize this about me without having to be told. To the casual observer it’s something that might never be noticed.
My nose is not long with warts on the end. I don’t have a pointy black hat and a herd of cats following me. I usually keep most of my beliefs to myself and don’t share my rather unique knowledge openly.
Over time there are a few things that people begin to notice. I am passionate about protecting and preserving Mother Earth. I am an organic gardener, growing a lot of our food along with herbs and flowers. I am not a true vegetarian, but I prefer fresh and raw over preserved and cooked.
I don’t have a lot of trust in western medicine. For common alignments I relay on remedies passed down from my grandmothers. Herbs are the base of these remedies.
Do these thing alone make me a witch? Certainly not, it goes much deeper. But like I said, I don’t share to openly all at once. But I am not all that unique. There are probably other witches that have crossed your path.
Leave a Comment
February 14, 2009 at 3:48 pm (good things)
Tags: clothes, color, horoscope, metaphysical, witch
Thanks to my witches calender I no longer have to stand in front of my closet and wonder what to wear today. So how can a calender decide my clothes you ask. With the color of the day feature. On a witches calender the color of the day is chosen according to the alignment of the planets for that day.
Some people won’t walk out the door before they read their horoscope. Well I check the calender to help me pick my clothes. I use it as a jumping off point to pick clothes and jewelry.
If I don’t have coral I don’t crawl back into bed it is just a suggestion after all. But I’ve noticed that if I am wearing something that does have the color in it I feel better.
Leave a Comment
February 13, 2009 at 12:09 am (money savings)
Tags: energy, food, green, money, recession, waste, water
For all of us green geeks there is a green lining to the recession. It’s not that we would wish anyone bad fortune, but for many years we have been trying to convince others that this country wastes a lot of stuff. Finally, mostly because of the current recession we are being heard and even listened to.
So why now? It’s pretty simple, wasted stuff equals wasted money.
And people in the country waste an incredible amount of resources and stuff every day. Don’t believe me, just check your trash can, closets and cabinets.
It is estimated that 35 to 50 percent of all the food bought is later thrown out. Spoiled food before it was used and uneaten left overs are the two biggest categories of waste.
Look in your closet and drawers, do you wear everything on a regular basis? I know women that buy clothes and never wear them. They give things away with the tags still on them.
What about water and energy. If your home isn’t air tight your wasting energy. How much stuff is plugged in right now that’s not in actual use? You’ve got to know by now that your wasting energy. Water is wasted in alarming amounts. Do you brush your teeth with the water running? If you do your wasting water. And don’t even get me started on lawns, they are one of the biggest wastes suburban America ever came up with.
So yes, green geeks are finally happy that others are at least listening to us and even joining our band wagon. Were not real happy that it took a recession to do it, but sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.
Leave a Comment
February 12, 2009 at 8:03 am (money savings)
Tags: cleaning supplies, energy audit, entertainment, food, meatless, saving money
Okay, so if you’ve read some of my saving green blogs, you probably realize that each one of us can cut some fat out of our budgets. Cutting spending doesn’t mean living a boring life in a cave if you use just a little creativity.
For entertainment go to the dollar movie theather, borrow a video from the library or have a game night.
Instead of buying cleaning supplies or beauty supplies look in the kitchen for the ingredients you need to make your own.
Change the way you eat, for the better. Go meatless one or two nights a week using beans or eggs instead. Shop carefully and use what you buy. Lots of food goes bad sitting in the frig before it is ever used.
Shop around for the best insurance rates for your needs. Also shop around for the best bank. Look for interest rates and free services.
When it comes to clothes and home furnishing think second hand.
And don’t forget the energy audit. Most people are shocked how much money they can save by doing just a few simple things.
Need more ideas, search the web. One of Denver’s local news stations has been doing a daily story on beating the recession. The have hundreds of great ideas.
Leave a Comment
February 8, 2009 at 3:41 pm (money savings)
Tags: baking soda, beauty, economy, saving money
Beauty may only be skin deep, but most females spend a lot of money to achieve it. But we don’t need to.
Creams and cleaners, moisturerizers and scrubs, skin softners and foot soaks, the list goes on and on. I’m not suggesting you give up any of these, I’m saying look at other products that do the same thing.
During winter we all fight dry skin and hair. A deep conditioner for your hair can cost big bucks. Try full fat mayo for the same effect. That’s right, take several large spoonfuls of mayo, work it into the hair and cover with a shower cap for at least 30 minutes and wash out. For dry skin use olive oil after your shower.
Foot and body soaks feel so good and leave your skin so soft. Use baking soda and epsom salt for the same feeling for just pennies.
If you use a face or body scrub try mixing olive oil, sugar and coffee grounds and scrub as normal.
Saving money doesn’t have to mean going without your beauty routine. Shop in your kitchen to find products that can do double duty for a fraction of the cost.
Leave a Comment
« Older entries
