Shower with a Bucket

Here in California we are constantly on the lookout for ways to conserve our water. My kids have always turned off the tap when brushing their teeth.  I now take this further and turn it off while washing my hands. In the shower I turn it off once I am wet and back on to rinse...a bit cold in the winter but worth it!

One thing I always keep in mind is to only use what you need. Rethink water usage.  Do you need to run the water full blast or will a trickle do? Adjust the flow and only use what you need...the extra just goes down the drain...

Don't wash the sidewalk or driveway, brooms work wonders for cleaning. Not only do you save water, but you get a work out too!

One of the biggest savers for me is to shower with a bucket.  Our water heater is on the opposite side of the house from my shower.  As not to waste that warm up water, I keep a bucket in my shower.  My bucket catches the warm up water that used to go down the drain. I save 5+ gallons every time I shower.  That water goes into my washing machine to be used on the next load of laundry. *Note, try this out but check your machine for rust. My parents leave their bucket near the washer as the standing water made the machine rust. Smaller buckets can also be used in sinks, just keep one under the sink. It makes me proud to carry that bucket to the washer!

Let me know your thoughts and what you do to save water!

~ Michelle

It's Easy to Be Green!

Kermit had it all wrong, it is easy to be green!

I am choosing to BE green rather than go green because I want to live in the moment.  In my life, I live by the boy scout motto and always try to do my best. My passion is taking care of our planet and environment. I want to do all I can to protect it.

This blog is a way to share easy ways to BE green.  My hope is that this will spark conversation and education on how we can all BE green. Do what you can each day; every single act makes a difference. Please remember this. Don't beat yourself up for what you can't or didn't do, celebrate what you did and try to do more. New habits take time, use baby steps and change just one habit. It will make a difference.

My motto is Renew, Reuse, and then Recycle when necessary. I shop at thrift stores and yard sales, borrow books and movies from the library, and always use my reusable shopping bags!  I have bunches in my trunk and a couple of them in my purse at all times. This habit took a while to get used to.  If you forget your bags, add them to your shopping list or put them on the front seat when going shopping.  I have even seen reminder signs in the parking lots of the grocery stores.

Let's do this together, we all can BE green!

Peace,

Michelle