School Supplies

Reuse / Recycle

School Supplies

It's almost the end of summer, which means it is time to stock up on the kiddos' school supplies.  This is another great opportunity to use some of the Green R's (for more info see post) - Reuse & Recycle (those elementary school years may having you want to Refuse also!).

Let's first consider Reuse. Do you still have some of last year's pencils around the house? How about that really expensive calculator from an older sibling? Try to reuse these items before going shopping for new. If you typically toss all your school supplies at the end of the year, keep Reuse in mind this year and put them aside.

Lunch is another great Reuse area. Buy a great reusable lunchbox and include reusable items - storage, utensils, and napkins. These can be found at local stores or some online options:

• Mightnest (purchases and other actions can raise funds to support your local schools)

• Reuseit lots of options here for back to school

Next is hitting the stores. Think Recycle here. Try to buy products made of recycled materials as well as made of materials that can be recycled or composted.  These can now be found at any store carrying school supplies. Look for the Recycle symbol to compare the % of materials and post-consumer materials used. Some online options:

• The Ultimate Green Store

• Red apple school supply

Note that I am not specifically endorsing any of the websites in this post. Please use caution and secure options when purchasing from an unfamiliar online retailer.

What other ideas do you have for making school supplies greener?

Hope everyone has a happy, safe, and green start to their school years!

~R~

Reuse - Books!

Reuse - Books!

It's summer and many of us are looking for some great summer reads!  New books can be expensive and use precious natural resources.  This is a great opportunity to use one of the Green R's (for more info see post) - Reuse - when you want your next books.  A book that has already been read is just as useful as a new one!

If we look at the Green R's, we may believe we should Reduce our books before considering Reuse, but books provide education and entertainment, both important to society, and the idea of Reducing the amount of books we read should be passed by.

Our reused book options range from free to inexpensive.  Let's break down some options by price.

Free

• Borrow from family, friends, coworkers and/or neighbors.  We should be responsible and always return the items we borrow once we are done with them!  Also be willing to loan out books you have already.
• Borrow from your local library.  Jefferson County Public Library
• Request books as gifts

Reduced Price (up to 90% less than cover price!)

• Thrift stores
• Garage sales
• Used book stores
• Online used book sites
• Library book sales.  Friends of Jefferson County Public Library's holds book sales at the twice a year (in June and October) at the Jeffco County Fairgrounds.  There are 100,000+ books at these events and the proceeds go to a charitable cause.  For more information see their website.  The next book sale is this weekend May 30 - June 1, 2014.

Where are some of your favorite local used books found?

Consider donating and sharing the books once they have been read to keep the cycle going!

~R~

Green R's - Intro

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot

We are going to start a fun new series to investigate the Green R's and share ideas and tips to enjoy them with our families and co-workers!  

Yes, there are 5 R's now!  Most of us have heard of the "original" 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  (As a society we Really Rely on R's!  Reading, wRiting, and aRithmatic pop to mind! That is why I have called these the Green R's.) The three original Green R's have been book-ended by the two new R's: Refuse added to the beginning and Rot added to the end.

The 5 Green R's remind us what actions can be taken to reduce our waste and conserve our natural resources! Each time we take action with a Green R, we are making a difference for the future.  The Green R's should be considered in order from left to right.

~R~

The Basics:

Refuse - Refuse what we do not need.  Examples are opting out of junk mail, turning down a paper napkin or straw when offered, turn down freebies, etc. We can just say "No" and use it as a good opportunity to share the Green R's ideas with others!

Reduce - Reduce what we bring home and to work.  The idea here is simplicity!  The less we have the less resources we've used and the less we have to deal with how to dispose of the item later.  Do without those unnecessary products. We should also look for items that are returnable, repairable, recyclable and/or compostable.  Think less packaging.  Go for the item not sealed in layers of plastic!  Our choices as consumers can change our world!

Reuse - Reuse the items we have and purchase.  This can be a really creative area!  Consider the items we typically dispose of and think of new ways to use them and/or donate or sell them so someone else can use them (which also helps them reduce).  Ideas here are to hold a garage sale, donate used items, shop garage sales and thrift stores, bring your own reusable tote bags to stores.  We can also replace typical disposables with reusables (dishes, napkins, batteries, tissues, etc.).

Recycle - Recycle is sending materials that no longer have a use (remember to reuse if possible!) to be used again in a new product instead of going to the landfill.  There are lots of ways to recycle and more and more items can be recycled all the time as new technologies are discovered.  Also remember to buy recycled when possible to promote the reusing of our resources.

Rot - Rot is composting and is the final Green R.  This should be the option for any product that doesn't fit into a Green R category above.  Composting is the decomposition of organic materials back into dirt.  This nutrient rich compost can then be used in our gardens and landscaping.  Nature's form of recycling!  

~R~

Continue with us and I hope we all can enjoy this series and get lots of great ideas on how to implement the Green R's into our neighborhood and homes!  Remember to follow by email in the top right corner to receive new posts easily.  Also please leave comments, we'd love to hear your ideas!

2014 Outstanding Neighborhood Certification

Congratulations Southern Gables Neighborhood!  Our neighborhood was awarded the Outstanding Neighborhood Certification by the City of Lakewood on May 13, 2014 in the Green Gables Elementary School Gym.  The Southern Gables neighborhood joined the city's sustainability program in May 2013.

It was an exciting evening for the neighbors to gather for a potluck and presentation of this special award for our continued efforts to make our neighborhood a better and more sustainable community.  Mayor Bob Murphy, City Council members Tom Quinn and Karen Harrison and state Sens. Andy Kerr and Brittany Pettersen presented the residents with the signs.

See the full City of Lakewood news release here:  News Release

New Year 2014 Resolutions

Happy New Year 2014!

I'm so excited for a new year.  It is always shocking when another year comes around...time goes so quickly.  

Do you make a New Years Resolution? I typically do, though, in full disclosure, I rarely keep them past January, which I suppose is typical.  I always try to reflect on how I can improve my life and the life of my family through my resolution.  This brainstorming in itself is helpful I believe and is a positive way to reflect on the upcoming year.  Our decisions have many ramifications for our families and our communities and so our resolutions can really make a difference!  If you are struggling coming up with a resolution, here are some ideas based on our core goals!

Green

• Resolve to use less energy this year.  You can also join our pilot program with Sustainable Southern Gables.  Make a few small changes and compare your energy usage to last year!  This is amazing easy!
• Consider implementing the 5 R's to all your purchases to reduce waste!  The 5 R's are Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot.  

Active

• Start your day with some yoga.  This is a great way to start your day with some breathing and stretching.  Don't do anything to heavy as your body isn't warmed up, but I have found this is a great way to start your day and get energized!  Here are some morning yoga moves I use.  
• Resolve to get up and be active or walk a certain amount per day/week.  Walking is easy and we have a beautiful neighborhood and local parks to walk in!  Get outside and walk!  You will feel better and healthier and getting outdoors in the winter to get some sunshine can also beat those winter doldrums!

Beauty

• Stop and enjoy the beauty around you.  We are surrounded with beauty and it can really brighten your day and reduce stress if you can take a few minutes to take deep breaths and focus on beauty!  A fun way to do this is join the 365 Project (it's free!) and take a photo of something beautiful each day.  This can also be a great way to look back at all the beauty around you if you are having a bad day.
• Resolve to make one natural beauty product to use this year.  Again you can find many recipes online.  You can make your own makeup, deodorant, soap, body butter, lotion, etc.  These are great because you know exactly what natural ingredients are being used and you can scent them with essential oils that you enjoy most!

Learn

• Learn a new kitchen skill this year.  This can be using how to make something handmade!  You can make so many things!  Try to focus on one item and you can also turn this into a great homemade gift idea for this Christmas!
• Read a book about sustainability.  We have a whole list of books on this blog that can help you learn something new and many are available through the Jefferson County Public Library!

Eating well

• Try eating at least one new organic food per week.  Organic foods are good for you and good for the environment.  
• Avoid processed foods.  Try to make at least one of your favorite processed foods on your own!  This is so easy with the internet.  You can make anything from your own brown sugar (just sugar and molasses) to your own bread.

 Simplicity

• Organize!   The easiest way to organize is to have less stuff (see resolution below).  But you can then organize what you have.  If items are organized they are easier to use (or you can realize you don't use them at all and reuse or recycle them!).  There are many ideas for organization online.  Try to not spend a lot of money on your organization though.  You can use what you have or other low cost ideas.
• Buy Less.  Resolve to literally buy less.  This helps in so many areas of our lives.  If you buy less you will save money, have less to clean or dispose of, and have less to tidy up, saving time and stress!  We live in a material culture, but if you can focus on one area and how many of something you need you can cut back really easily.  

Most importantly resolve to enjoy your year and time with family and friends!  Wishing you all the best in this new Year!

Christmas Tree Debate

Real

Artificial

                    OR

Which type of tree is better for the environment?  There is conflicting data.  Below is a list of pros and cons for each.  What do you think?  

Real Christmas trees were first put in homes in the early 15th century and became custom in Germany by the early 18th century.

• Pros - 
• Provide habitat for wildlife during growth
• Can be recycled and used as mulch
• Can be used to prevent erosion 
• Real tree are carbon-neutral
• Real pine smell
• Cons - 
• repeated applications of pesticides over the approximate 8 years of growth
• People cutting down rare trees
• Discarded trees (not recycled or mulched)

The first artificial tree was created in Germany in the early 19th century and was made of dyed feathers.

• Pros - 
• Most are now made of recycled PVC
• Can be used year after year
• No watering, no falling pine needles
• Cons- 
• Made of vinyl, a non-renewable petroleum-based product
• Would need to be kept at least 20 years to have the same environmental impact of a real tree, according to a 2008 study Link to study

Turkey! Turkey!

Turkey! Turkey!