Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!
If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.
This post contains great information and I encourage you to read through it at your leisure ... however, if you are short on time, you might find the following quick links helpful:
Certain times of year seem to beg us to take action. In the spring we clean, in the summer we grow and preserve food, and in autumn we get ready for the cold months of winter. Winter preparations include checking appliances and making sure that they operate efficiently so that when energy demands are highest, we can be confident that we are minimizing our use. With that in mind, we headed into our kitchens last week and gave our refrigerators some TLC. Vacuuming the coils (if your appliance has them), checking the door seals and making sure that cool air circulates properly ensures efficient operation ... and that saves energy!
The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments.
Welcome back to Katie! She wrote To Fan or Not To Fan [#CTWW] and shares the results of her inventory. Can you guess how many ceiling fans she has in her home?
Melanie joined us ... Welcome, Melanie! She talked about the ceiling fan and hair removal challenges in Change the World Wednesday Challenge - Ceiling Fan. Unlike many of us, her area actually had hot weather ... weather worthy of air conditioning. But instead of turning on the A/C, Melanie employed two techniques: 1) she used ceiling fans and 2) she adjusted her windows to allow cool air in during the early morning and late evening hours. For the hair removal activity, she offered a clever tip to increase the life of a razor. It involves denim!
EcoGrrl offers us some great information on refrigerator maintenance: "FYI - Not all coils are accessible in the newer refrigerators (like mine) - this is a good instruction link for different types of fridges: http://www.geappliances.com/search/fast/infobase/10000307.htm. As for me, I'm still preserving - waiting for the last dash of autumn sun to red up my green sweet peppers and my sweet potatoes in the raised beds are now under window glass to keep them insulated til late October when I'll harvest them. Soon, I'll be changing my furnace filter as I do each fall, turning off the water supply to the outdoor faucets, and planting cover crop in the garden beds. :) "
In #CTWW: Eco-friendly Tips for Fall House Cleaning Amber talks about how she and her family stayed comfortable without A/C. Weather in her area was a bit cool so staying warm was more of an issue. Did she resist turning on the furnace? Read her post to find out!
Argentum Vulgaris thought he'd be tackling some of our spring tips but the weather in Brazil had other plans. In Change the World Wednesday – 25th Sept you'll find out why he took on our autumn activity (even though he's moving into spring) and how his psychic abilities helped him meet this week's challenge.
Mrs. Green's refrigerator is in fine shape so she chose to browse our autumn tips and tackle another activity. One caught her eye ... something she's been meaning to do for years (yep, years). So this week, she took it on. In Preparing our home for winter the green way you'll find out what she decided to do and you'll see pictures of a very creative experiment. Want a hint ... it involves space blankets.
James Paulson dropped by ... nice to see you James! He shares, "Great suggestions for how you can reduce your overall footprint in our ecosystem. Thanks for sharing!"
When I read Lois' post, Change the World Wednesday, TLC, I thought that the idea of tender loving care was appropriate ... not for a refrigerator (because she doesn't have one), but for Lois, herself! She was having "one of those weeks". Hopefully her new look and a cup of tea helped lift her spirits! She found something on our autumn list and accomplished the task! Check out her post to learn about her winter preparations.
Sunflowers & Edibles gave two of our posts a nice mention. Was yours one of them? That edition also includes posts on how to grow basil, facts about butterflies and New York's "Texting Zones".
Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:
From @officialcwerner
- My, my we have grown in 7 days!! Oregano starting to show herself... pic.twitter.com/s6PcffSqGx
From @givetreegifts
- Allow leftovers to completely cool down before placing them in the fridge or freezer.
- How to Maintain Your Refrigerator ow.ly/pdaUT
- 5 Keys to Refrigerator Maintenance ow.ly/pdb1x
- Upgrade your fridge: Cleaner, more efficient ow.ly/pdbkV
From @dusdifissette
- #CTWW challenge accepted #fridgeTLC Very cool! Thanks & #greenwaves to the Gang!
From @writelane
- I'm in!
From @HerbGir1972
- #GrowYourOwn #CTWW it truly can change the world, if everyone steps up, corporate #GMO leaders would fall
The #CTWW Gang are those folks who tweet our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I recommend following them ... they share great things. Let's meet them:
My Final Thoughts:
"A stitch in time saves nine" ... or, in others words, a timely effort will prevent more work later. That phrase seems to be especially appropriate as we prepare for winter. In an environmental sense, it reminds us that regular maintenance ensures that our appliances work well, preventing wasted energy and higher bills. A little effort now equals efficient operation later.
Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share features located below this post.
This Week's Challenge:
Are you conscientious, diligent or even fastidious? Then this activity will be a breeze! Here you go ...
This week give your home a thorough clean. Preparing for winter by checking the seals on windows and doors ensures that warm air stays where we need it ... indoors. The downside to that activity is that any toxins are also trapped indoors. So, cleaning our homes using non-toxic, safe cleansers will ensure that the air we trap inside will be pollutant free!
OR ...
If your home is spotless and doesn't need cleaning, take a bow and relax. You deserve a break!
If your home is spotless and doesn't need cleaning, take a bow and relax. You deserve a break!
Are you ready to grab a cleaning rag and get started? I know that you are!
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Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!