OUR READERS' 25 GREAT GREEN TIPS20. We installed a laundry line. We live in the Southwest, so we can line-dry our clothes year-round. As a bonus, my older kids (ages 8 and 10) and their dad help hang and take down the laundry. Less work for Mom, everyone spends time outside, and we save on the electric bill!
21. Last Christmas, my husband and I picked out hooded animal towels for our three children. A local seamstress embroidered the kids' names on the backs. The towels were an instant hit! The kids know to hang up their towels after using them so that they are dry and ready to use for the next bath. This has significantly cut down on the amount of laundry we do.
22. We shop for kids' clothes, toys, and books at thrift stores, consignment shops, and on craigslist.org. We're not afraid of hand-me-downs; after a quick clean, they often look as good as new and work just as well!
23. I got my son, Raymond, a bento lunch box from Laptop Lunches. It has five containers as well as a water bottle, fork, and spoon, so it's really helped us cut down on waste. It's made making lunches more fun, as I've become creative with the foods I put in the containers. We also bought reusable sandwich bags called Happy-sacks. They come in different sizes and cute patterns and are machine-washable.
24. Styrofoam is not readily recyclable where we live. We crush ours into small pieces and use it as filling in our beanbag chairs! We also use crushed Styrofoam pieces as packing material.
25. We live in Florida, and we keep solar flashlights among our hurricane preparedness supplies. We don't ever have to worry about replacing batteries. When you purchase one from bogolight.com, they donate one to a developing country.
