MOST of us can’t afford hybrids. They sound good and all, but they’re not a killer reality for many families who one, have a strict budget, and two, need more space than the most affordable hybrids allow.

Instead…

Make your own ride as efficient as possible. If you drive a serious gas guzzler but you drive less than other folks you’re still gonna come out ahead. Make a goal to drive less, combine trips, and bus it or bike or (gasp) even walk more.
Empty out the trunk. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that simply removing excess weight from your car can …read more

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

Many of you entered the Sparklehearts giveaway and seem totally interested in trying out Sparklehearts products. Sadly, we can only have one winner. As a reminder, our winner will be receiving TWO Sparklehearts products of their choice.

And our randomly drawn winner is…

Tomorrow is your final chance to enter the Barley & Birch giveaway. We’re giving away an adorable piece of Barley & Birch organic clothing for a special tot in your world so don’t miss it. Enter the Barley & Birch giveaway!

Then the day after tomorrow is you final shot to score some cool teen-girl-friendly organic beauty products from Sparklehearts. Your little miss green teen could win organic glitter body lotion, organic bubble bath, and more, so enter the Sparklehearts giveaway today before time runs out!

Good luck!

We’re smack in the middle of our Sparklehearts Natural Beauty Giveaway and today I’ve got a Sparklehearts product review for you.

Product: Sweet Hearts Sparkly Body Lotion; the product specs note, “Glisten Up, Gorgeous. Sparklehearts Sparkly Lotion moisturizes and brightens your skin with a beautiful shimmer. Natural mica sparkles add glamour to your glistening beauty. Naturally antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory, sesame oils are pro-healthy and protective. Moisturizing murumuru butter feeds your skin fabulous nutrients, enhancing your inner glow. Skin-softening sweet almond oil improves your complexion.”
Reviewers: I reviewed this product, but being that I’m not a teen girl I also enlisted …read more

In a recent post I told you about Sparklehearts: a girl-friendly line of natural beauty products. If Sparklehearts looked good to you (or your daughter) then good news – you can win some to try!

SPARKLEHEARTS GIVEAWAY PRIZE:
One lucky Tree Hugging Family reader will win TWO Sparklehearts products of their choice.
HOW TO ENTER:

I recently got the heads up about a newer company, Sparklehearts. Sparklehearts has a line of fun, eco-friendly, and good-for-you body products for kids (little girls in particular will enjoy the line).

Some eco-perks of Sparklehearts:

99.6% natural and organic ingredients used in all products.
No harmful toxins ingredients used. Sparklehearts uses essential oils, violet extract, coconut, Shea butter, and green tea extract in their products.
No artificial colors.
Never tested on animals.
100% post-consumer recycled packaging.

Obviously eco-body care for little girls is a good idea. Petroleum, sulfates, and other icky junk don’t belong on your daughter’s skin. In fact, recent laboratory tests by the Environmental …read more

I actually can’t remember if we’ve ever discussed Green & Save here, but even if we have, it’s been a while and it’s worth a mention. Especially with spring coming up as you may have plans for your tax returns (home projects) or spring fix-it projects.
Green & Save is a super cool green living site geared toward the money end of eco-living. Basically, Green & Save provides Home Efficiency Consulting for consumers who want to save money on their utility bills or who simply want to be sweeter to the planet. That’s the short story.
The long story: Following is just …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

If you missed my Green & Gorgeous Birthday Gifts post, where I was drooling over Night Owl Paper Goods, one, how come you missed it! Just kidding. Two, that means you missed the code they offered Tree Hugging Family readers.
The folks from Night Owl Paper Goods posted the code, but then emailed me an even better one. I’m pretty glad about this, because it gives me an excuse to show another cool product from them. Since it’s a nice holiday code, you should know that they have these adorable wooden santa owls cards made from eco-friendly, sustainably harvested yellow birch …read more