Installing a programmable thermostat in your home is a simple way to save energy and money. If you get an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat and use it properly your household will save about $180 a year on energy bills. That, along with all the other energy saving steps you take can add up.
Also, a good programmable thermostat saves you time. ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats come with four pre-programmed settings that regulate your home’s temperature in both summer and winter and even when your family is asleep or away. This means a programmable thermostat automatically help to reduce heating …read more

The New York Times recently ran an interesting piece; Trashing the Fridge. The article (not surprisingly) focuses on individuals who have decided to save energy by dumping their fridge. Folks in the piece note that “The refrigerator is unnecessary, as long as one is careful about shopping choices and food storage.”

One of the families covered in this article get around fridge use by keeping a small freezer in the basement along with a cooler upstairs. They keep the cooler cold with “Two-liter soda bottles full of frozen water, which are rotated to the freezer when they melt.” This family’s fridge …read more

When it comes to powering up your house it can take a lot of energy and cost some big bucks. Nowadays we power up everything from lamps, to laptops, to toothbrushes, and more. To save energy and money try the following…

Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. This not only saves you cash but saves landfill space as well. Some studies show that it can take as many as 1,000 regular batteries to cover the lifespan of one rechargeable battery.
Install light sensors that automatically turn off when people leave the room.
Use voice mail service vs. an answering machine. If you have only …read more

In honor of Halloween why not watch a video? Yeah, it’s not Buffy, still, the treehugger tv message is a little more upbeat than, “Here comes another apocalypse!”

I’m serious about coffee – almost to an obsession. I always brew in the morning, and then usually at least once in the afternoon. (Yeah, not the healthiest habit, but this isn’t about that.) Anyhow, Friday night I was up late writing, and on Saturday when I got up I REALLY needed coffee. Much to my anti-delight, I woke up to a completely dead coffee maker. Mine is old, but to be broken first thing in the morning; that’s a crisis.
I tried to fix it. I tried to will the thing with my mind to work. Nothing. It was dead. …read more

We haven’t done one of these posts since May! Yet, we’ll be good and try not to overwhelm you, too much.
Jennifer and I chose these links to other posts we’ve written because we thought you’d find them interesting and some shade of green.
Misc. Fun

DVD to Watch: Who Killed the Electric Car?
Light Green Stairs Turns One
Recycling on Vacation Too
Going, Going, Green
Save time at the farmers’ market

Reuse / Craft

How about a BOB?
Maple Roses
Kitty Cardboard Chaise
My Paperboard Person
Milk Carton Projects for Kids & Adults
DIY Party Decorations
Many Uses of Catalog Pages to Entertain Cats
Liquor box storage
Fingerprint Mini-Mosaic with Scrabble Tiles
Start Your Bat Costume Today
Ways …read more

I’m one to talk; here in Washington it’s seriously sweater weather. Kind of chilly. For the rest of you, here are some beat the heat ideas that can help your house and you stay cool without blasting the AC. And no, none of them involve you surprising me with a visit here in WA. I’m not up for cleaning the bathroom for company.

Turn on the bathroom vent fan. This allows that warm shower air to escape. If all you’ve got is a bathroom window, take an early morning shower, or late evening shower, and open the window.  You could also …read more

Think you know everything about using less gas? Try out these resources below.
Conserve or Move… the fight against change by Hilary at eco friendly driver.
Consumer Reports tells you what they learned in Fuel economy: Save money on gas.
And here’s a video with a some great tips. For instance, I never thought about keeping the tank between half full and empty. The lower weight means better mileage. Of course, you might have to fill up for longer trips…

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in …read more

If you’re having an evening reception, outside party, or just want to make your wedding dinner tables sparkle, LED is a great choice. Energy efficient, safer than lit candles, and clear and beautiful, LED lights are the best.
Here are some ideas…
For a winter wedding: Blue Starburst! LED Light String

For table tops: LED Tealights – these are silver plated, but they come in different base colors, and some with color changing flames.

For outside eating: Umbrella Nights Lights or Soji Lanterns.

For added beauty: White Led Cherry Blossom Tree in the UK or U.S. – also available in multiple colors.

You can also …read more

Productivity 501, is a pretty cool blog. More office-minded then green, but also green, if you know what I mean. I read it all the time because I also write an office blog; but I digress. In any case blogger Mark had a great tip posted a short while back; Handheld Copy Machine.
His tip: make copies of receipts and rebates (or other things like these) with your digital camera vs. your copy machine. Save power, save paper, it’s a great green idea. It’s such a waste to make copies of one time things.
In other news, and since I stole his …read more