TIP for Friday January 29th, 2009

You’ve already made the switch from wire to plastic hangers. BUT if you are trying to be GREENER this year trade your plastic hangers for eco friendly bamboo ones! Very cool and very chic! Bamboo is a highly renewable plant and bamboo hangers are just a sturdy as conventional hangers. You can also find more hanger options like ones made from wheat (yes wheat!) that are fully compostable. BUT don’t worry they won’t break down in your closet.

TIP for Thursday January 29th, 2009

Online billing are you on it? Not only is it FREE, easier, saves time and money it’s GREEN. Think about that big thick 8x10 envelope that comes in the mail with your cell phone charges. Phone companies alone use over 20,000 tons of paper per year just to bill residential customers. That’s a lot of trees. Paying bills online can save the average consumer $6 in stamps and 4 hours of time each month. You can pay all your bills online and you never have to worry about missing a payment or paying a late fee again. Plus you can keep a track of your past bills and payments and finally get rid of that filing cabinet or clear out that drawer in the kitchen!

TIP for Wednesday January 28th, 2009

On day like today the last thing you need is a windshield you can’t see out of or an icy sidewalk in front your home. Be green and attack that ice with an eco friendly deicer. Most deicers contain chemicals like ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze, and one spoonful of that can kill a small dog or cat. Plus salt pushes chloride runoff into waterways, which can harm fish. So try bio based deicers that actually work better than salt and are found at most hardware stores. Or try a vinegar water solution for your car windshield to prevent the ice the night before.

For windshields, mix a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution in a spray bottle. Spray it on the night before. No ice the next morning.

TIP for Tuesday January 27th, 2009

Disposable mop wipes may be convenient but they’re not GREEN. Here in North America every year we toss 83,000 tons of them into landfills. Try a greener option like a micro fiber mop. They naturally attract dust and dirt and can be washed and reused. Just drop them into your washing machine and another bonus is because require less space in the washer/dryer than conventional mop heads you’ll save detergent, energy and water. Plus they are easy to find they are sold everywhere!

TIP for Monday January 26th, 2009

Out with the old and in with the new. Analog TV’s will soon be obsolete. So what do you do with your old set once you replace it? Analog TVs contain toxins like chromium, lead, and mercury that can leach past landfill liners and leak into our groundwater. Make sure you dispose of it properly by contacting the city to find out when they collect large appliances. Electronic waste is multiplying at three times the rate of other municipal waste so another idea is to reuse. Use it to play video games on or create a mini movie theatre in an area of your home. Fun for the family or donate it to Freecycle a network that’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills all around the world! http://www.freecycle.org/

TIP for Friday January 23rd, 2009

Packing your lunch for work instead of grabbing some takeout it will help you save money while reducing your garbage footprint. Go old school and get yourself a cool lunchbox that you can use every day, instead of a paper of plastic bag that you toss when it's time to head back to your desk. Instead of going through roll after roll of disposable plastic wrap, grab a wipe-clean-and-reuse wrapper that you can tuck your lunchtime sandwich into or re usable container. And go bamboo…a knife, fork or spoon, made from bamboo, it’s not only reusable, durable, and easy to clean, it's also light to carry. Plus, because bamboo is a fast-growing plant, it's a renewable resource that's sustainable to grow and to harvest. The Japanese have gone a step further and have come up with a USB-heated lunch bag. Just plug the USB into you desktop and it will heat your lunch up to 60 degrees C, or about 150 degrees F.
To check them out go to http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/have-usb-powered-hot-lunch.php

TIP for Thursday January 22nd, 2009

Do you still use a paper map when traveling or do you rely on your phone GPS? Paper maps seem old school and get worn or tear easily and what happenes if your battery on your phone dies? Well Rand McNally came up with a green solution… useful and durable microfiber maps! They are very cool and practical. You can now pull out your map, unfold, refold, and stuff it in your pocket as many times as you want without ripping it. You can also clean your glasses or even the inside of your windshield with it. The detail of the printing is good and very legible plus making them on something that can be used over and over - including for things unrelated to travel - and last a long time is a brilliant green move. The best part is they are priced at under $6,
For more on this tip go to http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/move-over-paper-rand-mcnally-maps-printed-on-microfiber.php

TIP for Wednesday January 21st, 2009

According to an international study released last month, most commercial fruit juices contain relatively high amounts of pesticide residue. Go organic and be healthier but also be green! Organic farming methods keep soil in good shape for future generations and they don’t use pesticides. PLUS fruits and veggies that are organically grown taste better and consuming more fruit can lower your stroke risk by 31%! Organic produce is more expensive but if you weigh out the benefits it’s worth it.

TIP for Tuesday January 20th, 2009

Did you know that toilets use more water than anything else in your home? We flush 18 billion liters of water down the toilet every day. If you haven’t already, update you toilet and conserve up to 23 liters each time you flush with lower-flow toilets. Pre-1950 toilets used about 26.5 liters per flush, by 1980 newer models used 13.5 liters. Now new toilets use 6 liters or less so by replacing an old toilet with a new low-flow you will save over $50 a year on your water bill. Another way to save water if you have an older toilet is to fill a milk jug with water or rocks and place them in your tank. You'll save about 4 liters per flush.

TIP for Monday January 19th, 2009

Most people toss product containers before they're completely empty. On average, 10% of all toothpaste goes unused. So why not be green, save yourself some extra cash and cut it up! Cut your toothpaste tube or lotion bottle in half; you’ll be amazed how much is left inside. Add a little water to your shampoo, conditioner, or liquid laundry detergent bottles, then shake it up. Try storing bottles upside-down in your fridge, cabinets or shower, and let gravity work for you or warm it up and let the heat soften the product inside so you can get it all out

TIP for Thursday January 15th, 2009

With these cold temperatures we are going to see a rise in our electricity bills. Today I’ve got more tips on how you can save some energy and cash! When you are baking in the oven try this…don’t preheat before you throw your goodies in, unless you're baking cakes or pastries, it's usually unnecessary. Don't open the door during baking. Each time you open the oven for a peek, it loses up to 25% of its heat. You'll save on your energy bill when you do things like turning off the oven a few minutes early, the heat retained inside should good enough to finish the job. When you're done, open the oven and let the extra heat warm your house.

TIP for Wednesday January 14th, 2009

Are you going green in your kitchen? What about your cutting board? If you need to replace it think about greener options than your typical wood or plastic board. Your average hardwood board usually comes from an unsustainable, virgin-wood source. Plastic cutting boards are made from petroleum, a finite resource, and they never fully biodegrade. So look for a cutting board made using materials such as pressed paper or recycled glass. Plus Eco chopping blocks are a great look for your kitchen. Now if you do have a plastic or wooden board that you not ready to depart with, to keep it sanitized grab a little spray bottle and fill it with a 4:1 mixture of water to white vinegar. After you wash your board, give it a little spritz to sanitize it http://www.hitm.com/Documents/Cutboard.html

TIP for Tuesday January 13th, 2009

As the city gets ready for some extreme cold and a drop in the temperature, out thermostats are going to get turned up. If you want to save on your next energy bill try some simple energy conservation tips. Next time you finish baking, turn off the oven, open the door, and let the warm air help heat your home. If you’re just baking a small meal, consider a toaster oven or frying pan, which use half as much energy as a conventional oven. Close doors and heating vents in rooms rarely used. Lower the thermostat and use a space heater when you are in only one part of your home. For every one degree lowered, you’ll save up to 5% on your heating bill this winter. Go digital. Replacing a mechanical thermostat with a digital model allows you to save energy by programming your heat to turn on and off at preset times.

TIP for Monday January 12th, 2009

Have you made the switch from HOT to COLD on your washing machine settings? Even if you go to the Laundromat, washing in cold will keep your clothes looking newer, and keep the colors brighter longer than hot water washing. Cold water washing will get them just as clean and save you cash! Around 80%-90% of the energy typically used by a washer goes to heating the water and you could save on average $61 per year by switching from hot to cold. In a year, each household that washes with only cold water keeps 1,281 pounds of CO2 from entering the air…now that’s GREEN CLEAN!

TIP for Friday January 9th, 2009

Tea drinkers have you gotten with the times or are you still boiling water in old kettle or pot on the stove? Get your self an electric kettle, they heat your water in less time using less energy. Electric kettles use up to 50% less energy than stovetop kettles, and heat water almost twice as fast as regular ones. Look for glass and stainless-steel electric kettles so you can worry less about plastic from regular electrics migrating from kettle to cup. Here's a tip for those who like to heat up water in the microwave...put a wooden stir stick in so the heat is evenly transferred and to prevent the water exploding in your face. Check out these sites to find out info on the health hazards of microwaving water and the effect heating plastics containers can have
www.ghchealth.com/microwave-ovens-the-proven-dangers.html

www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/to

TIP for Thursday January 8th, 2008

Cleaning out your closet? What do you with your old shoes? NIKE has a program in the US called Re-Use a Shoe. They keep your old, worn-out sneakers out of landfills and instead turn them into basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields and even running tracks. It's reducing waste, reducing the use of raw materials, and teaching kids about environmental responsibility at the same time. However here in Toronto we don’t have any programs like that. So what do you do with your old shoes if you don’t wan to toss them? Donate them to the RON WHITE annual shoe drive. He has donated over sixteen thousand pairs of shoes since he started the drive thirteen years ago. All six Ron White stores in Toronto will be accepting shoe donations starting today until February 15th. Only gently-worn not well used will be accepted and find a new pair of feet to make happy! To find out more and the store locations click on http://www.ronwhite.ca/ShoeDrive08.html

TIP for Wednesday January 7th, 2009

The Natural Resources Defense Council came out with a report on video game systems and found that more than 40% of homes have them, many of those system remain on all the time, and they consume 16 billion kilowatt-hours annually, about the same amount of electricity used to power San Diego. If you’re a gamer you can be green by simply turning off the console when you’re not using it. An Xbox or a Playstation 3 left on 24/7/365 uses as much energy as two modern fridges. PLUS while active they use 150 watts of energy. Wii’s on the other hand only use 16 watts of energy while in Active Mode. Another way to add to energy consumption is by watching movies on your system, they use 3-5 more times than a Blu-Ray player. Last remember if your game is broken never throw it in the trash. They contain toxic chemicals and should be disposed with hazardous waste. For more info go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7407934.stm

TIP for Tuesday January 6th, 2008

Has a winter cold taken its toll on you? Try healing with natural remedies instead of synthetic chemical medicines. The over the counter meds may help relieve your symptoms but at what cost? Herbal remedies help your body get healthier and build your immunity while relieving symptoms, so it’s better able to protect and heal itself.
Natural medicines are also less likely to cause unpleasant side effects. When taken properly, herbs are easier on the body than highly concentrated over the counter drugs plus they are less expensive. Try things like licorice tea for a sore throat, ginger for congestion on your chest or use a Neti Pot with warm salt water to clear your sinuses. For more natural remedies log on to
http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/conquer-your-cold-naturally

http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Common-Cold.html

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/treatmentsfromatod/a/colds_flu.htm

TIP for Monday January 5th, 2009

Did you get a new set of monogrammed bath towels for Christmas? Before you toss your old bath towels do something green with them. Nearly 8.75 billion pounds of cloth waste is sent to landfills each year in North America. Turn old bath towels into rags or donate them to an animal shelter. Cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animals can use them as bedding and it will help the shelter save money for other necessities. Make sure you contact them first to see if they accept donations and if you have any old leashes, collars or feeding bowls see if you can donate them as well.

for more on this tip check out www.idealbite.com

TIP for Tuesday December 30th, 2008

Time to clean up the Holiday leftovers…boxes, wrap, ribbons and gift bags. Save them for next year and save money and the planet! Gift wrap can cost you about $2 per present and boxes or gift bags cost even more (sometimes more than the gift!). If every North American reused just 2 feet of ribbon, we'd save enough to tie a bow around the Earth - four and a half times. I know it sounds crazy! Cut ripped paper from large presents down to size for wrapping future smaller gifts. If you have quite a few boxes and don't want to store them, try listing them on Craigslist http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites for someone else to grab. Seriously you’d be surprised how many takers you may get! Plus reusing is more efficient than recycling. If you do have to recycle, bags, boxes, and gift-wrap are usually unless they're laminated or metallic. Remember ribbon is not.

For more on this tip check out www.idealbite.com

TIP for Monday December 29th, 2008

This time of year we start to reflect and think about what type of positive changes we can make for the New Year. A GREEN 2009 is definitely one that should be at the top of your list but make it even greener by getting your children more involved. Teach them the importance of the three R’s…reduce, reuse and recycle! Making recycling a regular part of their lives is great practice for an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Talk to them about how recycling pays for the planet. It will also teach them the importance of landfill space and resources. For example, recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than making cans from new ore or using recycled paper saves our forests. Take kids to the recycling center and use it a teaching tool with an incentive that pays. They can collect the cash from the returned bottles!

TIP for tuesday December 23rd, 2008

If you want to light up your life this holiday do it the GREEN way! When you light those logs in the fireplace or candles at the dinner table avoid the lighter and go for matches made from sustainable wood. Unlike matches, lighters run on oil, and once the world's petroleum supplies are gone, they're gone. You’ll prevent less landfill as well. About 1 billion lighters are sold in North America each year and 9 out of 10 of these are disposable, and end up in dumps. Remember if you have to use a lighter, get a refillable one that you can use over and over!

TIP for Monday December 22nd, 2008

More green gifts that will prevent the landfills from pilling up like Santa’s list! Give a gift that can be used and won’t spend its life in the back of the closet eventually being tossed! Experience gifts are always a good choice like gift certificates for classes, lessons, spa treatments, the theatre…you get the idea. Or give yourself! Give your services. If you’re a great cook offer to come over to your friend’s house and cook a gourmet meal for them, or cleaning services for someone you know is always busy. Baby-sit for the couple that never get go out together. If you’re a computer whiz offer free tech support, or if you’re handy with the sewing machine offer to do some simple tailoring. The services you can offer of yourself to your friends and family are endless and most of all are meaningful. The best part the only energy they use is your own. Happy Holidays!

TIP for Wednesday December 17th, 2008

We live a gadget world. Technology has become an essential part of daily life, from cell phones to televisions, music players to laptops. Individually, gadgets don't typically take up a lot of energy. However, if you count how many gadgets you use daily (like Gameboys, Play Stations, cell phones, Palm Pilots, alarm clocks and digital cameras), they start to add up. And when you recharge them by plugging in to the wall or popping in new batteries, or when you toss them into the trash, then we realize that they really make an impact. You don't have to ditch your crackberry to help lighten their carbon footprint and go green. Doing simple things like remembering to unplug the charger when it’s not in use, purchasing Energy Star products, taking advantage of free recycling programs, or even making some money off your old devices, are all easy ways we can help shift to eco-friendly gadget use.

TIP for Tuesday December 16th, 2008

Give a GREEN gift this Christmas. It may take a bit more advance planning but going green can be a powerful statement of your beliefs by using your spending dollar to send a powerful message. Recycling, homemade gifts, buying locally and giving an experience as a gift, are all easy and fun ways to have an environmentally friendly holiday. With a little creativity and ingenuity, a green gift can be found to suit everyone on your list. Instead of buying them another gadget that they might already have and probably don't really need, give them an experience. An afternoon of horseback riding, a massage or pedicure, a session in a pottery studio or tickets to a concert or play. Many gifts given each Christmas end up buried in the back of the closet by January, and eventually make their way to the landfill, but an experience will last forever in someone's memory. Christmas is a great time to put your environmentally friendly thoughts into practice, and the more we practice living green, the more it becomes a natural way of living.

TIP for Monday December 15th, 2008

Headaches!! Everybody gets headaches from time to time. Most headaches occur because of stress, but plenty of headaches are caused by environmental factors. Believe it or not, a green lifestyle can help your reduce the amount of headaches you get. Dim the lights. You don't need bright lights on all day. Minimal lighting will reduce the amount of hardcore headaches that you'll have to suffer through. Make sure that you have quality indoor air. Vacuum your floors daily, get rid of furniture with particle board in it, use eco-friendly cleansers, VOC free paints and glues, and you'll save yourself more than a few headaches. Last try eating Organic Foods. Many of the foods that cause headaches are the least green foods. Fast food, preservatives, red meats and fats all aggravate headaches. Organic foods, however, are much less likely to cause a headache. For more on this tip go to http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/natural-headache-remedies.html

TIP for Friday December 12, 2008

Every little small conscience thing you do to be green can have an effect. It may not seem like it at the time but simple things can make a big difference. Easy things like turning off the hot water before the cold when you're taking a shower won't make a huge difference but it takes absolutely zero effort and will save a tiny bit of energy on your water heater. Unplugging the iron just before you're done - after you unplug it, the iron should stay hot for long enough to de-crease at least a couple more shirts. Not wetting your toothbrush before you brush your teeth and keeping the tap off while you brush…all these small simple steps will help keep our planet greener and healthier. For more on this tip go to www.idealbite.com

TIP for Thursday December 11th, 2008

Are you guilty of pulling something out of the freezer at the last minute and running it under hot water to thaw it out? Save a little power and money on water heating by sticking them in the fridge or immersing them in H2O instead. Regular faucets use 3-5 gallons per minute, so thawing out that chicken breast can drain a tank fast. Plus by putting it in the fridge the night before or even setting the defrost on the microwave you could save about $25 per year on your water bill. For more on this tips or more tips go to www.idealbite.com

TIP for Wednesday December 10th, 2008

Time to put up the Christmas lights just make sure they are LED’s. LED bulbs use 90% less electricity than traditional holiday bulbs and save you money. Burning 10 strands of lights with 100 lights per strand, 8 hours per day for a month costs an average of $175 for incandescent bulbs vs. about $1 for LED minibulbs. Also incandescent lights give off as much as 90% of the energy they consume as heat, so they're more likely to cause fires. LEDs are touch-ably cool plus they last longer. LED’s have a 20-year lifetime so you don't have to replace them as often as conventional ones. For more info on this green tip and for more green tips check out www.idealbite.com

TIP for Friday November 28th, 2008

Pollution from power plants, cars, and other transportation is a well-known contributor to outdoor air pollution, but our indoor air quality is often worse; it can be up to 10 times worse for you than the air outside. Microbial pollutants like mold, pet dander and plant pollen can combine with chemicals like radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to create a pretty toxic environment in your home; since we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors and 65% of our time inside our homes, according to the National Safety Council, that can add up to allergies, asthma and worse. So how do you improve the air quality in your home? 1) Get a plant that helps remove nasty indoor pollutants from the air, plants like the peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies, all of which are both easy to find and easy to care for. 2) Keep volatile organic chemicals out by using a VOC-free paint. 3) Keep your air filter clean so it removes maximum pollutants from the air you breathe. For more info go to http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/improving_indoo.php