How have you been doing the last few weeks?  Have you been able to implement at least one of the little things we discussed previously?  Here in part three, I’m giving you ten more ideas that you can work towards.

Turn the light off when you leave a room.

 I live with the light task master:lol:  and he has trained us well in this area.  Since the day I met him he’s been a stickler for turning off the lights when you leave a room.    While you’re at it, why not turn the TV off when you leave the room for an extended period of time too.

 Use a lunch box, not a paper bag.

 Since we live here in Arizona, I’d imagine that most of you already use an insulated lunch box.   What I have noticed, is that a lot of people use a plastic bag from the grocery store.   Just be sure to recycle it once you’re done using it.

 Pick up litter and recycle it.

 For instance, we live out in a rural area and there happens to be some people, we don’t know who, that religiously leave their box of empty beer cans on the side of the road.  How do I know it’s just one person or persons?  What are the odds that the exact same brand is left in the exact same quantity each time along the same road every time?   So, anyway, we pick it up and recycle the aluminum cans.

 Donate used books or take them in to a used book store for store credit.

 There are quite a few places that will take your used books if you don’t want them any longer.  Consider donating them to the library, a school or a shelter.  We also have quite a few used book stores in town that you can receive credit towards the purchase of other used books you may be interested in reading.

 Choose products that are environmentally friendly.

 Why not try using vinegar to clean your kitchen?  There are many alternative cleaning products that not only help the environment, but are better for your health too.

 Think before you print.

 It’s easy to just print things out and place them in a folder, or for some, a stack on the side of your desk.  Consider creating email folders and labeling them with the topic of the email and place the email in the folder.  Since I started doing this, my organizational skills have improved dramatically. It’s so much easier to find what I’m looking for.

 Take a shorter shower.

 I’ve been working on this one.  Sometimes it’s just easier to wind down in a hot shower.  Of course, not this time of year! 

 Fix leaking faucets.

 You’d be amazed at how much water is lost through a teeny, tiny leak. 

 Clean windows with old newspapers.

 Newspapers work really well!

 Wipe up spills with reusable towels.

 Stop using paper towels to wipe up spills.  Use a towel.  It’ll save you money too!

 Well, I hope I’ve offered you a few ideas that you can easily implement into your routine to not only help the environment but to also save some money.

 Let me know how it’s going.

I’ve been thinking about the little things we can do to make our planet just a little bit healthier.  Most of the time, these little things not only make a difference to our environment, but you’ll find that you’ll be keeping more of the green stuff in your wallet too.

I’ve compiled about 60 ideas of things that we can do to help out Mother Earth.  I’ve decided to break them down into six parts and I’ll post a set  of ten weekly.  This will give you an opportunity to pick a few and implement them each week.  Before you know it you’ll have made some pretty small changes that can add up to make a really BIG difference.   So, here’s the first ten.

• Use cloth napkins
• Switch to energy-saving bulbs ( I did this one already)
• Hang dry your clothes (hey, before you  know it, it’ll be warm enough to dry your clothes in minutes outside!)
• Make you next outfit vintage
• Pay your bills online (this one’s pretty easy)
• Just say no to plastic bags – (I’ve got about a dozen or so cloth bags that I keep in my car so I’ll have them available when I’m shopping)
• Unplug your appliances when there not being used – (this is a work in progress for me)
• Taste test a local wine
• Rediscover the library – (I love the library!)
• Switch off your computer when your not using it – This is especially a good idea when monsoon season arrives

These are just a few ideas to get you started this week.  I’ve already been doing some of this things and I think I’ll try to add at least one more to my list.  How about you?  Will you pick one or two things you can do this week to make a difference.

By Robin:    This week I saw an ad in the West Valley View of a Farmers Market in Tonapah. The ad said “All natural is better than organic.”  Now, what the heck is that supposed to mean?  So, I took a trip out there this morning and boy was I surprised.  A word of caution – you’ll need directions and you don’t want to use mapquest because as usual, they’re wrong.  I got lost but found my way eventually.  It’s quite a ways out there but I think you’ll find it’s worth the drive.   I met people from all over the place,  Cave Creek, Chandler, even Prescott.  And I thought I drove a long way……

So, back to the statement “All natural is better than organic”.    I asked Rob what he meant by all natural?   He told me that all natural is better than organic because the farm uses all-natural methods such as beneficial bug warfare, green composts, natural fertilizers and companion planting  to ward off the pesty pests. Organic farms are allowed to use certain sprays and soaps, but Tonopah Rob’s doesn’t use either.  

In addition to produce the farm has fresh eggs.  You’ll also find several other vendors out at the farm.  I bought tamales from Molly’s Tamales and boy where they good!  I also picked up some natural, homemade lemon all-purpose cleaner from JaNicki’s Eco-House.  It smells so good.   You can also find fresh bread, local honey, jams and jellies.   For those of you looking for fresh meat, The Meat Shop is featuring all natural specialty pork and Double Check Ranch is featuring all natural beef.  I don’t eat meat so I didn’t stop  by those booths, but there were quite a few people purchasing from both vendors.  

Tonopah Rob’s considers themselves to be unique as they are the only farmer’s market that features all Arizona products.  The farm has a website that you can visit to get more information www.tonopahrob.com .  You’ll find the dates, times and directions (you’ll need them).    Rob, the owner, posts articles for the upcoming week and you’ll get  a chuckle when reading them. 

Let us know what you think when you go out and visit  the farm by posting your comment here on the blog.  And don’t forget to sign up to recieve an email when we post new articles.