Image by asenat29 / Creative Commons

Now that Christmas is over and many people have completed their inventory of the gifts and presents they received, it is time to discuss returns. If you are like most people you have probably already returned some of those gifts you either have no use for or don’t really want. However, there are other ways to “return” your gifts too.

Well, I guess technically I shouldn’t say return. Let me go over a smart green way to exchange those presents you don’t really want or need: trade them. Trade them with someone who has something you want, or trade them with someone who wants something you have.

It is kind of like the gift exchanges done in many businesses and companies these days, where each person gets to pick a wrapped gift, then once you open it you can either choose to keep the gift or take someone else’s unwrapped gift and give them yours.

Image by waferboard / Creative Commons

Whether you trade with friends, family, neighbors or via a trading website like Craigslist or any of these barter sites, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you find a way to breathe new life into an item that would otherwise be discarded or left unused.

Having a garage sale or taking your items to a consignment store could work as well, but in many cases it takes a lot more effort than you may want to invest. Of course anything is better than simply throwing the gift away.

Image by Bob n’ Renee / Creative Commons

If you are determined you don’t want the gift, and that you don’t know of anyone else who does, why not donate it? It is one less thing that goes into the local landfill and one more thing that is available for someone else to use and enjoy.

After the holidays, and throughout the entire year, anytime you want to acquire something ‘new’, take a few minutes and find out if there is anything you can trade. It is a green and relatively simple way to get the things you want and get rid of the things you don’t, without anything making its way to the landfill. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Image by Jenn Deering Davis / Creative Commons

December is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Before you know it, the holidays will have come and gone and we will be ringing in the new year. But for those of you (me included) who haven’t managed to finish their holiday shopping, here are some green holiday shopping and gift tips that may help you wrap things up and do so in a relatively “green” fashion.

1) I am a strong advocate of making lists. Before you go out shopping for presents, food for a family gathering or holiday party, make a list and check it twice. Don’t forget to make a list of not only what you need, but where you need to go in order to get it. This way you can plan out your entire day, spend less time, waste less gas and be back home in no time…hopefully with your entire list checked off.

2) Do your last minute shopping online, especially if you have items that needs to be shipped. Think about it. This one is kind of a no-brainer. Rather than driving out to the mall, wandering around trying to find the exact right item, buying it, buying wrapping paper and packaging materials, going home and wrapping everything up, taking it to the post office and shipping it so it arrives on time. Whew! Shop online as it saves a lot more time, they ship it for you, and many sites, like Amazon, have eco-friendly shipping options.

3) Don’t get sucked into the hype. Not everyone needs the latest and greatest, brand new item to hit the holiday season.

Image by Clint Currier / Creative Commons

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure a lot of people love to get stuff like that, however, that doesn’t mean all gifts need to be brand new. Sometimes refurbished or gently used is just as good as new, and it is less expensive. Besides in the reduce-reuse-recycle scheme of things, doesn’t that make more sense?

4) Donate during the holidays. There are many people in the world, and even in your own neighborhood, who are less fortunate than you. During the holiday season take some time and donate. You don’t have to donate money, you can donate goods, donate your time, and even donate your specific professional skill.

You can even donate as a gift to a friend or loved one. The neighbor who needs help repairing the fence would probably much rather have your help, than have you buy them a hammer. The dad who would rather spend the day with you instead of getting another tie to stick in their closet. There are tons of ideas and ways you can donate.

5) Get creative with wrapping. It’s probably no surprise that wrapping paper is a big waste. Because of the dyes, non-paper additives and other materials that go into making up wrapping paper, most of it is non-recyclable.

Image by Julie Magro / Creative Commons

Instead of investing in something that will only get one use before it goes in the trash, how about buying reusable wrapping or using different materials, fabrics, reusable bags, and ribbons you have around the house. It’s a fun way to wrap and it is better for the environment. My mother-in-law is really good at this. In fact most of our gifts come in the same boxes/bags, year after year, holiday after holiday. Works for me!

6) This may seem like an odd shopping tip to some people…smile. That’s right. Smile while you’re shopping. Not only will it lift your spirits, but it will help lift the spirits of people around you as well. And there really is no less expensive way to brighten someone’s day than to smile. My guess is you’ll find your shopping adventures will be more enjoyable and time will past quickly.

Image by LizMarie / Creative Commons

7) Visit your local farmers’ markets, not only for fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and other goods, but for handmade gifts as well. There are a number of very creative gifts you can find at the farmers’ market. If you buy items, you are supporting your local community. If you don’t, you still may come up with some great ideas of gifts you can make yourself. Definitely a win-win!

Those are my 7 simple, green holiday shopping and gift ideas for this year. Take them to heart and I bet you will have a greener, more biofriendly holiday season! Don’t forget to share your green holiday shopping and/or gift ideas too.

Image by Moyan Brenn, Creative Commons

You’ve probably heard the term “pay it forward”. Maybe you saw the movie or read the book, or maybe you’re simply familiar with the term as it relates to doing good deeds for others. But it’s more than that. It’s about making changes for the better.

The whole idea behind paying it forward is that rather than paying back the person who did a good deed for you, you pay it forward and do a good deed for someone else. It is a selfless act, done without expecting to be paid back or reimbursed for your action.

In my opinion, we don’t see that kind of behavior as often as we should…people doing something for another without feeling they need to be paid back, but rather spreading the good deeds and making a positive change, if you will.

How do eco-friendly actions and caring for the environment tie into paying it forward? Well, take a moment and look at your life. Why do you try to be more green or eco-friendly? Do you do it so someone will do something in return for you? Do you do it so you can save money? Do you do it so your kids and their kids will have a cleaner, greener planet?

Let’s take a look at a few, eco-friendly ways you can pay it forward:

1) Leave-No-Trace Camping: One very basic way to pay it forward is by working the idea behind leave-no-trace camping, into your own life. When you go camping, pay it forward by leaving no trace that you have ever been there. Let the people who arrive there after you’ve left, enjoy the environment and untainted beauty nature provides.

You can also use this in other areas of your life, for example, when you go to the beach, when you go hiking, biking, to play at the park, etc. Pay it forward by doing the simple good deed of leaving no trace you were ever there. While some people like to “leave their mark” on the world  isn’t it better to let people enjoy nature, as nature intended? You were able to enjoy nature, why shouldn’t they?

2) Start a Community Garden: While some people may argue this is something you are doing for yourself as well, I think starting a community garden is a great way to pay it forward. Don’t be selfish and grow fruits, vegetables and herbs only for you. Why not grow them for the community? Grow them for someone who doesn’t have what you have. Start a community garden, get the people in the area involved and give them the means to have a thriving, garden they can care for and watch grow for years to come. All you need to ask in return is that they then pay it forward.

This is also something you can get started at your child’s school. What a great way to get children involved by having them care for a garden and be responsible for growing fresh fruits and vegetables. They can then pass on the knowledge and garden itself to the next year’s class, as well as give their harvest to the school or community around them.

3) Donate: Whether it is time, money or items you no longer have a use for, donating is a wonderful way to pay it forward. It is giving in the purest sense of the word. Without any desire to be paid back, you are giving something of yours to someone else in order to help them out.

Donate to others and you’ll often find they too begin donating. It’s a nice way to “get the ball rolling”. But more importantly, it helps an individual or family in need. Besides, when it comes to clothes, furniture, kitchenware and other such items, there is no reason to throw away good things when there are others who need and can put them to good use.

In honor of World Humanitarian Day, which was celebrated just last week, here is a video paying tribute to people who do what they need in order to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to donate their time, money and/or services to help others in need:

While each of the above steps are ways you can try and live more a more green and eco-friendly life, it isn’t really about “going green”. There is no need to ‘go green’. It is more about living a simple life and appreciating the natural world around us.

But it is also about paying it forward. If we want others to be able to enjoy this planet and all that nature provides, then we would be wise to take steps and start to pay it forward. Can you imagine what would happen if person after person figured out eco-friendly ways to pay it forward? Tell me…what ideas do you have to pay it forward?

Image by Jason Burrows

Well, the family and I finally got moved! Took quite a bit of determination and dedication but it’s actually done. We already spent a few nights in the new place. Oh, don’t kid yourself, we’ve still got boxes in every single room that haven’t been unpacked yet. That’s okay though. All of our furniture, clothes and the kids’ toys are set up, so we can function.

But, since I just survived the fun of moving, I thought I’d share a few biofriendly tips to help you during your next move:

1 – Go through and get rid of anything you don’t really need. Come on, you know there are things in your closets, in storage, under beds, etc. that you haven’t used in the last few months. If you aren’t using it, get rid of it.

2 – Donate anything that’s in good condition. You don’t have to “toss” things in order to get rid of them. You can donate as well.

3 – Start packing early. Designate a little bit of time every day to work on one room at a time and start packing. This will help you both in getting ready for the move and in seeing what you really have to pack. Sometimes it takes a lot longer than you originally thought, sometimes shorter. But here again, you may find stuff you don’t really want or need, so donate it.

Image by Dan

4 – Be smart about your packing. Instead of buying tons of boxes, see if you can get boxes from local stores. Maybe friends or family have boxes you can borrow. Mine did. We borrowed quite a few boxes and all they asked was that we return them when we were done.

5 – Another smart packing tip is reusable bags. We had a number of “space bags” left over from our last move. So we simply pulled them out and used them again to pack all our clothes, bedding, etc. You can put a LOT of stuff into one of those bags and it takes up a lot less space than a box or other bag.

6 – Be sure to make a list of all the people and businesses you will need to send a change of address card. Many businesses allow you to do this online so there is no need to send the request via mail. If you can’t do it online, then call. It’s faster and more efficient.

7 – Make sure you gather up your cleaning supplies and clean as you go. It will make it easier on you and on your home if you clean room by room as you pack. Remember to use non-toxic cleaners. Vinegar and lemons are personal favorites. Besides, good old fashioned elbow grease works wonders.

8 – I know this may sound cheesy, but you can always ask your friends and family if they’ll help you pack and/or clean. Even a little help can go a long way in getting you ready to move. The more you have packed and ready by the time the movers arrive, the better it will be.

Image by Wade Rockett

Well, I think that about covers the tips I thought of during our latest move. I hope your next move goes as smoothly as ours did. Sometimes it takes just a few biofriendly tips to get things rolling. Also remember that moving doesn’t need to be a chore. It’s a new beginning, a new start at your new home. Make it as enjoyable as possible right from the get-go.

Image by IcyAero

We’ve all experienced it at one point or another in our lives. A time when something or someone gets us down or maybe we just aren’t feeling as high-spirited as we usually feel. Life happens. But instead of doing one of the more “traditional” solutions such as going on a big shopping spree, spending the weekend at the spa or stuffing your face with sugary foods, maybe it’s time to look for a more environmentally-friendly option.

Here are 8 environmentally-friendly ways to lift your spirits:

Go for a walk: One of the simplest ways to lift your spirits is to go for a walk. On your walk, smell the fresh air, look at the trees, the birds, the clouds in the sky. Take a look at nature and the world around you and before you know it, you’ll begin to feel better.

Work in the garden: Another great way to lift your spirits is to do a little gardening or planting. Planting seeds that will grow into fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc. is a very peaceful and relaxing experience. Besides, a little sunlight and fresh air helps too.

Declutter and/or clean: Have you ever noticed that when your house, or even your room, is a mess that you don’t feel as good? Well, grab some vinegar, lemon and other natural cleaning supplies and get cleaning. By the time you are done, your place will smell better, feel cleaner, look great and you’ll be happy you did it!

Donate your time or stuff: Now, you can take some of the items you found during your cleaning/decluttering step and donate them to other people. Or better yet, go spend some time helping someone else. It doesn’t have to be through an organized charity or group, even helping a friend out works. Just go donate your time to help someone else and I’m sure you’ll find they feel better and you will too!

If you have to buy anything, buy a plant: For those of you who have that shopping gene and absolutely MUST buy something in order to lift your spirits, go buy some plants. Why plants? Well, plants will bring some of the outdoors in and certain plants have been found to help combat indoor air pollution as well. When you aren’t breathing in air pollution all day long, you’ll feel better!

Open up the windows and get some fresh air: Speaking of fresh air. Opening up your windows and letting a nice breeze blow through will help lift your spirits. Fresh air is better than stuffy air any day! Open the windows and get yourself a dose of freshness.

Give yourself a little DIY at-home spa treatment: If you really want to pamper yourself, then do a little DIY spa day. Use one or more of these simple DIY tips to create a relaxing at-home spa day. A perfect way to naturally relax and feel better without spending a lot of money.

Eat something that will naturally boost your spirits: There are some foods that can lift your spirits by giving you a sugar boost. However it’s always better to eat something that can help lift your spirits naturally. So, to get a healthy boost in spirit, try one of these foods.

Well, it just goes to show we don’t need lots of stuff or to spend a lot of money in order to lift our spirits. There are many natural ways to lift our spirits that are better for the environment and to be honest, better for us too! So, what’s your favorite way to naturally lift your spirits?

Spring is already here and if you haven’t already done your round of Spring cleaning, now is the time. Remember, Spring cleaning is more than just dusting or straightening up. It is a whole process. A process which, if done right, can help lighten, brighten and freshen up your home more than you might imagine. But it’s not only your home that benefits from a good Spring cleaning, you will benefit as well!

Image by Svadilfari

So, here are 10 eco-friendly Spring cleaning tips:

1. Before you start any cleaning, you have to decide you are willing and able to let things go.

2. Now onto an oldie, but goodie. How to make a non-toxic cleaning kit. If you are truly going to do some eco-friendly Spring cleaning, you need to ensure you are getting rid of dust, dirt, grime and lingering chemicals without adding more toxins and chemicals to your home.

3. As far as cleaning rags, it’s best to make your own. Old t-shirts, socks, towels, etc. are great for cleaning. Don’t waste your money on buying one-use rags when you probably have plenty of perfectly good ones lying around.

4. However, before you start dusting let’s work on getting rid of a few items. Go room by room, figure out what items you don’t really need or use. Put them into two major piles: trash and giveaway/sell. Once you’ve gone through every room, get rid of the trash and either sell or donate the remaining items left in the pile. Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org are also great ways to get your old items to someone new.

5. Now that you’ve cleaned up some of clutter lying around, go look in dressers, closets and cabinets. Look for those items you haven’t used in months (or years). Yes those. It’s time to get rid of them. Good rule of thumb: If you haven’t used it in at least 6 months, then you don’t REALLY need it.

Follow these declutter steps so next time you won’t have as much “stuff”.

Image by clared23

6. Now it’s time to get some dusting and cleaning done using the non-toxic, natural cleaners I mentioned above. Remember, elbow grease is your friend here. Another tip is use Mother Nature. Open your windows and air out your home. A fresh breeze blowing through can remove odors and keep cleaning smells at a minimum.

7. Now that you’re in the Spring cleaning mood, how about taking another step forward and do a little detox on your home. Get rid of those chemicals, old medicines, toxic cleaning supplies, etc.

8. Don’t forget to Spring clean your diet too! While you’re taking eco-friendly steps to Spring clean your home, wouldn’t it be smart to spring clean your diet too? Take a look at what you have in the house, what you are eating, what you should be eating, etc.

9. On that note, since Spring cleaning is all about cleaning and freshening up our homes and lives for Spring and Summer, it just makes sense to include the garden in our clean-up. Don’t you think? Just look at some of the benefits of gardens and gardening. (And if you don’t have a garden, start one.)

10. Last, but not least…get yourself a few indoor plants. Houseplants have been proven to improve indoor air quality. A couple of well chosen houseplants and your Spring cleaning freshness will last a lot longer. Check out these 15 houseplants on NASA’s list of air purifying plants.

Image by califrayray

These tips should help you through your next round of eco-friendly Spring cleaning. And if you’ve got a personal favorite Spring cleaning tip, we’d love to hear what it is. Happy cleaning!

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If you are planning on making some biofriendly or green New Year’s Resolutions at the beginning of the year, you’d best be smart about it. There are times when people try to make environmentally-friendly changes but end up harming the environment instead. Now while we don’t want you in a panic about what you should or shouldn’t do, we would like to offer up a few do’s and don’ts to help make your New Year’s Resolutions a little more biofriendly.

a) Do recycle paper, plastic, bottles, cans, etc. Don’t start drinking more bottled water and soda so that you can recycle more plastic containers and aluminum cans.

Image by Vibrant Spirit

b) Do cut down on water usage. Don’t forgo showers, watering plants, washing clothes and doing dishes in order to do it. All you have to do is pay attention when using water and only use what you need to do the job at hand.

c) Do use more natural cleaning products. Don’t throw away all your old cleaning supplies in order to run out and buy the latest and greatest green “magic” cleaner. Try using products like baking soda, lemon, vinegar, etc to clean. Your house will smell nicer and won’t be filled with chemical smells.

d) Do donate items you no longer have a use for. Don’t get rid of items just so you can go buy new ones. Take a look around your house and donate, sell or give away items you haven’t used in the last few months. How much could you really NEED it, if you don’t use it?

Image by technotheory

e) Do figure out a regular exercise routine. Don’t spend your entire “exercise time” indoors. Get out, get some sun, get some fresh air, take a walk outside. Enjoy nature and the world around you. Besides, if you regularly experience the beauty of nature it will probably help you in your quest to protect it.

f) Do cut down on harmful emissions. Don’t get rid of a perfectly good car in order to buy a new one. Ride your bike, take public transportation, car-pool, etc. If you’re in the market for a new car, check out a hybrid or electric vehicle as a smart option.

Image by chris.murphy

g) Do grow your own vegetables and herbs. Don’t turn your entire front and back yards into fruit and vegetable gardens (at least not without proper city approvals). One of the best ways to ensure you are eating fresh organic fruits and vegetables is to grow them yourself. Even apartment dwellers can grow their own food.

h) Do practice energy conservation at home. Don’t turn off all the lights and electricity in order to save money and power. Turn off all electronics at the end of the night. Unplug all appliances when not in use. Use sunlight to light your home during the day.

Of course there are always bound to be do’s and don’ts, but please remember to keep this in mind: “going green” and making your life more biofriendly isn’t simply a couple of eco-actions here and there, it’s more of a lifestyle change. It’s a way of thinking, a way of acting and a way of treating the environment around you. What is your big biofriendly New Year’s Resolution?

Image by chatirygirl

With the holidays approaching and Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) not too far off, I figured I’d dish out a little green holiday shopping advice. Just a few tips that might help you safely navigate through the holiday shopping rush. You can take them or leave them, but if you are looking to save money and time I suggest taking a few moments to check out our list:

1 – Make a gift list: When it comes to buying gifts, making a list is essential. List out all the people you need/want to get gifts for, then note some ideas down next to each one along with the total amount you want to spend for that person.

Image by Nenyaki

2 – Department stores aren’t always your friend: There are many department stores that offer HUGE sales during the holidays. That doesn’t always mean they are offering the best though. Go online and shop around, do some homework. You’ll get more bang for your buck that way.

3 – Opt for classic rather than new: Many consignment stores and/or vintage stores can offer great deals for gifts. Besides, why buy something new when you can find something that has been lightly used and will mean much more to the person you are buying it for.

So many great products go to waste everyday, its better to re-use and recycle than to throw away. This goes for items you already have too…go through your house and find items you don’t use anymore but that someone else could use. Take them to a consignment store or donate them.

Image by miltedflower

4 – Yes, I’m going to say it….re-gift: Now this is a tricky one sometimes as you have to be sure you aren’t re-gifting straight back to the person who gave you the gift. But, in all honesty, if you aren’t using the gift, then give it to someone who will use it. Why let it go to waste? It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate the gift, it’s just that you never found a use for it. So…find a use for it – give it to someone else.

5 – Plan your shopping day ahead of time: Knowing where you need to go and planning your route can help you save time, gas and money. You’ll also find you will get a lot more accomplished if you plan ahead. Some pieces of information key to doing your planning are: the time the stores open, which stores have special deals and what time of day those deals are valid. Try and avoid lunch/meal times.

6 – Shop online when sending gifts: If you have family and friends that you aren’t going to visit this year, but you want to send them gifts. Do your shopping online. It cuts down on drive time, traffic and the crowds you’d have to deal with by going to the stores and then trying to get to the post office on time.

Find sites that offer green packaging and can wrap then ship your gift directly to your intended recipient. It saves you time and money and the person gets their gift on time.

7 – Watch out for excess packaging: So many items are packaged using excess plastic and other packaging materials. Try to avoid items like that as they are simply wasteful. When the person opens the package all of that is usually thrown away. Look for items that don’t require a lot of packaging.

8 – Please keep in mind that not everyone “requires” a new gift. Sometimes making dinner, spending some one-on-one time, making a photo album or other personalized gift (a nature wreath, a bouquet of flowers, candle holders, etc) can mean much more than a store-bought gift.

Image by Slavilfari

So there’s my two cents when it comes to some green holiday shopping advice. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and that you find some great, green deals out there. If you have any other green shopping tips you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them!

When it comes to recycling, not everyone has the same point of view. Some people are die-hard recyclers and recycle everything from bottles and cans to glass and newspapers to e-waste. They are even dedicated enough to refurbish or donate their used furniture and home appliances rather than let them find their way to the local landfill.

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What about you? Where do you stand when it comes to recycling? Do you recycle? Do you reuse or re-purpose items? To be completely honest, I’m not as good at recycling as I could be, but I do try to recycle and definitely would rather donate than toss larger items.

So, since November 15th is America Recycles Day, let’s remember to spread the word as well as take the pledge to recycle more. Now, let’s go over just a few of the many kinds of items you can recycle:

1) Glass: Items such as bottle and jars.

2) Paper: Things like newspapers, office paper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, etc.

3) Aluminum: Such as soda cans, etc.

4) Steel Cans: Aerosol or paint cans, food cans, etc.

Image by auntjojo

5) Batteries: Used car/truck batteries

6) Plastics: Certain plastics can be recycled. Click here for more information on the different types of plastic bottles/containers and how they are recycled.

7) E-waste: E-waste items such as computers, light bulbs, electronics, etc are sometimes harder to recycle, but here is a simple list to help give you some ideas about “Where to Recycle Household E-Waste“.

Image by Greenpeace India

For a more complete list and a little Recycling 101, check out Earth911.com.

Additionally, Greenopolis will be having its first online “Recycling Forum” being held on Monday, November 15th at 3pm PST and 6pm EST. Don’t forget to register to reserve your spot so you can be involved in an “interactive discussion that will help shape the future of recycling – inspiring environmental thought, discussion, and progress for years to come“. Make sure that your voice can be heard and that you become part of the positive change.

Image by Jason Tester

Then, with the holidays rapidly approaching, please remember to keep recycling in mind when you go on your holiday shopping spree. Even Amazon.com offers “frustration-free packaging” and more environmentally-friendly packaging as a smart (and greener) option for shipping your holiday gifts.

As we head towards the end of the year (although you’d never know it was Autumn here in Southern California), here are some key eco-friendly steps you should take for the safety and sanity of you, your family and of course the environment.

Image by NCBrian

None of them are hard to do, but each of them helps in making sure you have a clean, green Autumn/Winter.

1 – Get some indoor plants. Since many of us tend to spend more time indoors during the colder months, you need to take steps to counter-act your indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can often be worse that the pollution outside. So work on improving your indoor air quality by getting a few houseplants.

2 – Air out your house regularly. Another way to improve indoor air pollution is to air out your house on a regular basis. Even if you just open your windows/doors for a little bit each day you help to get fresh air circulating through your home. Not only will it help you feel better, but it helps get it of any “stale” odors that often linger.

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3 -Do a little Spring cleaning. Even though it’s already Autumn, it is still a good time to do some cleaning. You are probably planning on having friends or relatives over during the holidays, so a little cleaning is in order. Just be sure to use natural, green cleaning supplies to give your home that really fresh, just cleaned smell. It’s much better than having a chemical smell permeating through your home.

4 – Donate. If you are like most people, you have at least one or two or three….or ten things sitting in a closet somewhere that you never use. Rather than keeping those things, you should donate them. Holidays are a great time to donate clothes, books, kitchen appliances, toys, etc. to charities. You get rid of things you don’t use and give someone else a chance to put them to good use.

5 – Schedule your downtime. In this day and age, we seem to always be connected somehow. Whether we sit all day on our computers, or bring our cell phones with us wherever we go, we seem to be “connected” all day long.

Image by Luna Jubilee

So do this…schedule in some downtime. Every day just walk away from your computer and your cell phone, your iPad, your iPod, etc, etc. Go take a walk. Ride your bike. Even sit outside enjoying the day (or evening). But schedule some time for yourself every day, above and beyond sleep time. You are worth it.

6 – Get your vehicle inspected. If you haven’t had your vehicle inspected recently, now would be a smart time to do so. Get everything checked out. Get your oil changed, tires rotated, tire pressure checked, fluids topped off, brakes checked…give it the full treatment. Doing so will help your vehicle run better and get better gas mileage. Using a proven fuel additive helps lower emissions and improve gas mileage too.

Besides, getting your vehicle fully inspected could save you a lot of time and money. Nobody wants their vehicle to break down, especially during the cold weather months.

7 – Move your garden indoors. Maybe you live someplace where having an outdoor garden during the Autumn/Winter just isn’t feasible. If that is the case, move some of your garden indoors. Growing your own food is not only healthy, but it’s smart too. If your food supply got cut off for some reason, at least you’d have your garden. Besides, no time like the present to start growing.

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8 – Winterize your transportation. Telling you to ride your bike on a cold, stormy day isn’t necessarily eco-friendly. But figuring out how you can ride-share, car-pool or mapping out your public transportation route for the Autumn/Winter is a simple eco-friendly step. There is no reason to drive by yourself in bad weather, when your co-worker lives a few blocks away. There is no reason to weather a storm, when you can join a vanpool. Before the bad weather hits is the best time to plan out your eco-friendly transportation.

9 – Make a gift list. One of the ways to save money during the holidays is to ensure you get the best deals on gifts for family and friends. I always start with a gift list. Make your list and include ideas of what you think each person would like. Then remember that not every gift needs to be something new and expensive. Handmade gifts made by children are some of the most cherished. An antique gotten at a yard sale or consignment shop could mean more than a brand new item at a local department store.

10 – Face each day with a smile. This may be one of the simplest steps of all, but it is also one that many people forget to do. No matter what is happening around you, if you walk into each day with a smile, you may find yourself having a better outlook on the rest of your day. Try it…smile. That’s right, SMILE! It’s contagious.

So, be sure to add these 10 eco-friendly steps to your ‘to-do’ list! Also, please share any other green steps you take to have an eco-friendly Autumn/Winter. It’s always good to learn from the experience of others.