A FRIDAY FUNNY
FREE BOOK FRIDAY
How fortuitous that Earth Day falls on a Friday this year, when I would be giving something away, anyway. 
And while this week’s Free Book Friday offering isn’t (strictly speaking) a book, I still think it’s something you’ll enjoy!
Today’s Earth Day prize pack includes:
a “Think Green, Be Global” 100% recycled (& recyclable) notebook
a “Love Your Earth” mini list pad
a brand new Peanuts/Snoopy “Save Our Planet” wristwatch just like Mistress Heidi wears. Oh, yeah.
& (added belatedly, so it’s not in the picture)
a sheet of the brand new Go Green! U.S. “Forever” postal stamps:
To enter the giveaway for this Earth Day Giveaway, please share at least one way in which you intend to be more “green” & Earth-friendly in the coming year. And please include the code FBF—for “Free Book Friday”—to let me know you’re interested in the drawing. (U.S. residents only for the prize, please, but everyone is welcome to chat.)
Winner will be announced on Easter Sunday (4/24). Winner is responsible for contacting me with her mailing information—i.e. I will not be contacting you—so be sure to check back in or you might not even know you won! :crying (If prize isn’t claimed within 14 days, another name may be drawn or item may be tossed back into the goody bag to be re-used for a future giveaway.)
FBF. Happy Earth Day. :bees I don’t always remember to turn off the lights or other electronics when I leave the room, so I do hope to do better in that regard. I also need to unplug everything, too and save some money on the electric biil. :cupcake
Good for you, Jane…it really will help—both environmentally & in the pocketbook. I’m trying to think of something fun you could do to remind yourself, but am drawing a blank. Anybody…? :que
I’m thinking of leaving sticky notes next to the appliances to remind me to unplug them. :cupcake
There you go! Unplug me! Unplug me! :madchef
FBF
and Happy Earth Day!!
Starting Monday I am going to be riding my bicycle to work and just about everywhere else to help cut down on pollutants and the gas prices are going to help me! and it will help reduce the size of my rear….jeesh…who knew that the high cost of gas would actually help!
Yay for you, Hollie! I don’t have a bike, but live in an area where I can walk to the p.o. & small grocery, & I do so happily almost every single time. And if the weather is too cold, I’ll wait a couple days…I never get anything that great in the mail, anyway. LOL
FBF – I am going to make sure the lights and all appliances are shut off so when they are not being used they don’t still use electricity
Shelly
I do the same thing! Nothing is left off when not in use. I’ve got almost everything on surge protectors so you can plug in a bunch, but only need to hit one switch to turn it all on or off. Even the TVs or coffee maker that have a little red power light when the things are turned off. No, no, no; that’s drawing electricity when not in use, so I cut the power altogether. :mistress
FBF and Happy Earth Day!!
I already recycle and shred and encourage others to do as well. I will try to remember my grocery totes more often. As it stands there is a lot of perfectly packaged cat poop in plastic bags courtesy of my critters and Wal-Mart. I guess I need to find a better way of disposing their waste. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear it.
Oh, yeah, you gotta find another way to pitch the poop. LOL Don’t know where you live or if this would be feasible, but I actually scoop into a reusable bucket (like a plastic ice cream tub), then dump the whole thing down back because we’ve got a giant wooded area no one ever uses. Zero waste other than the, you know…waste. :wink
FBF, if I may be so bold.
Go Green tip o’ the day is for those paper grocery bags. Use them to wrap gifts, kindle for your summer bonfires or my favorite – for art projects. Got kids? Those flat backs make an awesome canvas for painting or for markers.
You can also use them as dropcloths when refinishing furniture which is another great green/recycling tip – before you throw it out, think “what could I do with this?” My mom once turned an old dresser into a TV stand – she pulled out the top drawers, slapped on a coat of paint and shoved the VCR/DVD players in there then used the bottom drawers to hold movies and games.
But *not* taking the bags to begin with—paper or plastic—is better! Cuz every time you do, a tree dies. :crying And trees make oxygen, so if you like breathing & such…
FBF
One of the best uses for paper sacks is the ole book cover. I don’t ever see kids covering their books any more. Maybe it’s because more schools require you buy your own, so people don’t feel they need to care for them as much, or the use of back packs which protect them.
I recycle all cans and bottles now. Last year I used to still throw away cat food cans cause they’re gross to clean especially the ground food. But Alex, my big guy, likes to lick them pretty darn clean (I was worried about him cutting his tongue, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem). Then I soak the can in leftover dishwater to loosen any bits, then drain dry on the side of the sink.
I have to think about better litter choices, I heard figures on litter volume in dumps (8 billion lbs. per year (?), but I’m worried about switching cause they’re so good about using their litterboxes as is.
Try a litter called Swheat Scoop &/or Nature’s Miracle…I use a mix of both. One is made from wheat, the other corn, so they’re 100% natural *&* biodegradable. And I’ve never had a problem getting the kiddos to use them. Not only that, but my litter pans never stink. Not one iota since switching. There’s also zero dust, which I love!
FBF-I have got the recycling down pretty well, now I just have to get more into making sure all unused appliances are unplugged, we have a number that are drawing unneccessary power. Trying to be better about conserving water when brushing teeth and showering.
I’m big on water conservation, too. Never let it run while I brush my teeth or wash my hands. (It’s the soap that gets them clean, not the water—duh. Makes me furious when folks on TV try to tell you differently. :angrychick )
And I take military showers…jump in, water on, get wet, water off, soap up, water on to rinse, & you’re done. Saves SO MUCH & really is no bother. :jump
FBF! I’m going to recycle more! I am doing now but not as often as I should. Also, I’m going to use my recyclable bags when I grocgery shop instead of the plastic ones. I have a few and I use them for library books. Have a nice Earth day- and Easter!
Reusable fabric totes are so fabulous…I use them for everything.
And I’m starting to think…hmm…should I maybe have some very special Dungeon totes designed & give them away to all my Darlings so it’s even easier to bring your food & goodies home in them? :mistress
FBF Happy Earth Day! the dear one is going to try to open a recycling center for cans and such so been getting a stock pile on paper and cans and plastic. My big cut back is plastic bottles of any kind. Didn’t know how much you have to do to open something like that but it will be wroth all the effort. :wink
That is fabu—three cheers for the dear one. :wink
I love those stainless steel water bottles…you can wash & reuse them a zillion times & nothing goes into the landfills or recycle bin. (Because producing all of these bottles & such is just as harmful as using & dumping them. Sheesh.)
We should do an online shopping spree & share all the fabu reusable water bottle designs we can find. Betcha there are some awesome ones out there. :eats
FBF
I’m huge into recycling, but need to work more on not wasting water and gas. I could get my lazy butt out of my truck and walk my kids to school instead of driving. I also plan on pestering my sister till she starts to recycle too. I was appalled on my last visit to see her garbage and all the stuff that could be recycled
june111(at)att(dot)net
Good for you, Jolene! I got my neighbors recycling…first by telling them that if they just saved everything, I’d take it to the recycling center for them. They didn’t even have to separate it; I do that when I get there. After a while, they realized they passed by the recycle place just as often as I do, & started doing it themselves.
Put one in the win column for Planet Earth. :hippie
Yay for being willing to walk your kids to school more often, too. By doing that, you’ll certainly raise them to be more health- & planet-conscious! :brava
Since it’s Earth Day & I’ve put you all on the hot seat all month, I feel like I should be quizzed on what I do to save the environment, too. Of course, I’m not eligible for the giveaway. :humpf Then again, I already own one of everything there, so it’s probably not necessary. :bart
Let’s see…
I recycle EVERYTHING. Including batteries, lightbulbs, media (VCR/cassette tapes, CDs, computer stuff), even if it means I have to mail it away to do it!
I use rechargeable batteries as much as possible, but when they’re truly dead, they still get recycled.
I conserve water like you wouldn’t believe. Never let the faucet run, wait until dishes or laundry *really* need done, don’t water the lawn or wash the car… And I “collect” water whenever I can (like from cat bowls) to water plants.
I buy only 100% recycled fiber paper products, such as toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, etc. Otherwise, they’re made out of brand new trees that often come from the rainforests, & that’s just WRONG! :crying
I turn off everything I can when not in use. Lights, TV, appliances that have useless clocks/timers or little “power”: lights, even the computer. (It goes to sleep after 20mins during the day, but off-off at night.)
I am very careful or what I buy; try to be most earth-friendly & will even pay extra for items that come in recyclable or “less” packaging.
I buy as many earth-friendly products as possible…dish/laundry detergent, etc.
I try to combine errands so I get the most done in the fewest number of trips rather than running out every time I need something.
And I use reusable fabric totes for *everything* everywhere I go, of course. :wink
I use mechanical pencils & refillable pens. (Altho they are beginning to make regular pencils from 100% recycled fibers, which I think is awesome.)
I NEVER use styrofoam. Refuse it from restaurants if they try to use it for leftovers & carry my own reusable containers (Glad, Ziploc, etc.) in the car for just this sort of thing. Then you have zero waste—nothing’s being produced & nothing’s being thrown away…not even recycled. :hippie
What else? There’s more, I’m sure, but I can’t think of anything else right now. I’m always open to new ways to be even Greener, tho! :garden
Edible underwear! Yep. Great for the environment and tasty too!!! :ROFL
Okay…just kidding. Actually, one thing I think I really want (and this is my big ticket item) I want a hybrid car. I’ve seen a couple I really like.
Small thing…my husband and I keep talking about starting a compost pile. This would serve two purposes first, it’s good for the environment and second….it would drive my neighbor crazy to have to look at that every day!!!! B’girl also wants to put this really cool dinosaur statue out back, but I don’t think it would help the environment, but come to think of it…it might be made from recycled materials.
We already recycle, use recyclable batteries, run the air conditioner at a temp that is only to keep us comfortable, make trips/errands so that they efficient without using a lot of gas, etc. I have an eReader for my books so I’m helping to save trees and of course we try to plant them when we can and if we have space.
We do other things too, but right now they are escaping my brain.
:kittylaugh Edible underwear is definitely an eco-friendly tip I have not heard before. But I like it! We should probably contact some big eco-organization & have them add it to their list!
I have a compost pile, too! Yes, yes, it’s wonderful! Your kids would love it, too. And I say stick the dino statue right on top when it’s big enough so it looks like the dino is taking over the world. :devang
I’m with you on wanting a hybrid car, too. I think it’s coming & am right now eyeing those Ford Siesta commercials very closely. :hippie
I saw the new Kia Optima today. So pretty :eyelashes But I also like the Kia Soul (we have now) and the Cooper Journeyman. Neither are hybrids but both get excellent gas mileage (and I can’t forget the cute factor). I like the Ford Focus but they sit low to the ground and won’t make it up my driveway without tearing up the under cartridge. I just know that whatever we get next it’s gonna get good gas mileage and not look like a mom-mobile!
As for the Dinosaur I could place it strategically so that it looks like he just made a dinosaur size pile of poo! :whistledev
:ROFL I love that! You must, must, must do it! :funny
#FBF–LOVE LOVE LOVE the Snoopy watch! I know it’s bad, but I am coveting it!
I have recently pumped up my recycling efforts & am getting MUCH better about using my own shopping bags…it took a while to get in the habit!
Thank you!
I love that you’re coveting the Snoopy watch. It really is cute; I wear mine all the time! And that’s the idea, after all—to lure readers in with oodles of cool bling…then slam the Dungeon gate down so they can’t get out! :devang :mistress :devang :mistress
It does take a while to get into the habit of taking your own bags & containers & such, but once you get there, it becomes second nature & is sooooo easy! Love that you do this! :bees
Ooh, that is SUCH the watch to covet! Love it, Heidi!!
As for what we’re doing to be more environmentally helpful, we’re trying to walk more/drive less. Thankfully the weather’s improved, making that a little easier, too. I’m thrilled to bits that our community just started collecting composting as well as recycling; our garbage is down to very little!
I’m not sure I can do the military shower thing though–I love, LOVE luxuriating under the warm water… We do collect shower water to reuse as well..
FBF!
FBF- for earth day i am going to get my kids to shut off lights if they are not in that area. to save on electricty as much as possible. i also am taking all my old magazines and recycling them.
christinebails@yahoo.com
I have been buying a bunch of the reusable grocery bags, I have been using those when I go shopping instead of getting the plastic bags. I have my own water bottles that I use for water every day. When I do have to use a plastic cup for beverages at work, I keep the cup and wash it and reuse it. Our company even offers a bin to recycle batteries. I have been carrying batteries in my coat pocket for 2 wks. I never seem to have my jacket on when I pass by the bin.
Happy Earth day!
FBF
I am going to start recycling more and start using cloth bags at the grocery store instead of plastic.
FBF
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
FBF
We use cloth instead of paper whenever we can: bags, towels, napkins, diapers, etc.