Did you know that less than 2% of the Earth’s water is fresh? Why conserve it? Well, the plants and animals need it. We do not replace the fresh water that we consume as fast as it is used. When you use water wisely you save money and you save energy. Aren’t these great reasons to cut back on your usage?  

This product is great to teach youngsters to conserve water. Build these habits early on and our children will hold onto them for a life time.  Conditioning our kids to live a green life and do their small part can make a significant difference for their own future and their kids and their kids… you get it.

This device is easy to use, contains a mini hour glass and teaches young and old alike to conserve water in a fun way!  All you have to do is rotate the timer and when the sand runs out you stop your shower. After a few times, you will know exactly how long it will take to wash your hair!

Here are some websites that you can buy this item:

• http://letsgogreen.biz/pages/water.html
• http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/shower-coach-shower-timer
• http://www.yeebiz.com/c/17/666-173/Promotion-Gifts.html
• http://www.amazon.com/ChangeForGreen-Niagara-Shower-Coach-Timer/dp/B004HEBTH8

By Dena Fritz

Recycle, reuse and reduce. That is the mantra of anyone who is environmentally conscience. There is no better way to to be eco friendly than to recycle old goods into new decor for your home. Antiques are an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint, you know, someone’s trash can be someone’s treasures and all that…. Possibilities are endless when it comes to antiques and that shabby chic vintage look which is so “in” right now. The lovely patina (wear and tear) that antiques hold is what makes them so desirable. Shopping for antiques can be tons of fun and educational too. You can learn much from things that are old, they represent a different era, a time in history, sometimes more than 100 years old.  Craftsmanship is another reason that antiques are so alluring, made from a time when manufacturing with quality and a personal stamp on an item meant great pride. Antiques are almost always unique in their making, some handcrafted and one of a kind. Usually the more unique, the more expensive an antique is. Get started, begin small, take your time and look around. There is something out there for everyone. Good luck!

 The Nature Conservancy offers 5 practical steps to prevent nutrient pollution

Harrisburg, PA – (May 12, 2011) – Everyone needs clean, fresh water. Keeping our water clean is crucial to supporting life, for both people and nature. As spring weather spreads across North America, The Nature Conservancy wants consumers to know that the decisions they make about lawn and garden care can affect the fresh water in your local river and everything downstream – all the way to the ocean.

Hundreds of millions of people across the country rely on fresh water for drinking water and recreation, and these sources need to be protected so they can stay clean for us and for future generations. One frequent way that water becomes polluted is through excess nutrients – fertilizers, both chemical fertilizers and manure, running off farm fields and suburban lawns.

 “Every living thing needs nutrients, but overloading a freshwater system with nutrients can be disastrous,” said Jeff Opperman, a senior freshwater scientist with the Conservancy. Too many nutrients cause algae to grow in unnaturally high quantities, leading to fish kills, drinking water problems and “dead zones” in places like the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.

“Globally, agricultural chemicals are a primary source of these nutrients, but the way people manage their lawns and gardens has a real effect on the streams and lakes in your neighborhood,” Opperman said.

What can you do to make your lawn truly “green,” and not just lush?

Five Ways to ‘Green” Your Lawn and Garden Care

Use Less Fertilizer
Excess fertilizer flows off your lawn and garden and ends up in nearby rivers and lakes and eventually make its way to the sea.  If you must use fertilizer, get a soil test first. Find out what your lawn needs.    Many lawns don’t need phosphorus, for example, so phosphorus-free fertilizers might just work for you. Use only what you need, and make sure it stays on the lawn. If you spill some on the sidewalk, sweep it up. And only use it when the lawn is growing.  Remember that any kind of fertilizer, organic or chemical, can be over-used.

Slow Your Runoff
We all want to keep our properties from flooding, but when all the water washes off city streets and our rooftops and yards, it carries a lot of nutrients and sediment with it. These materials can be harmlessly processed by the soils and plants on your property, but in a lake or river they can cause real problems. To slow that water down, don’t cut your grass along a creek or drainage swale.  Better yet, replace grass with native plants that will bind the soil and slow down the water. Or maybe create a water garden, which is both functional—it holds and slows down stormwater—and an attractive landscaping feature. Or buy a rain barrel for the water coming off your roof.  The rain in the barrel can then be used to water your gardens and lower your water bill.

Create Less Waste
Grass clippings are high in nutrients so you want to keep them out of the water.  Use a compost bin or use a mulching mower or both. Often, mulching your grass clippings can help reduce the need for fertilizer. And it’s good to keep the nutrient-rich grass clippings and leaves out of storm drains and of ditches.  Cutting your lawn high (3-4 inches) also increases its vigor, shades out unwanted weeds, and requires less water.

Use Native Plants
In general, using more native plants that are right for your part of the world reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides and watering.  Replace some of your lawn with wildflower gardens, for example.

Buy Sustainable
Although home lawn care can play a significant role in keeping fresh water clean, you can also help promote healthy land and water with your food choices: what you buy, when you buy it, and the producers you support with your purchases. You can make choices about food that support the kind of farmers who work to minimize water pollution. Organic farms, for example, don’t use chemical fertilizers and are required to demonstrate that they are protecting their watershed.

For some practical steps consumers can take to reduce the amount of excess nutrients they add to the watershed where they live, see the video “Green Choices for Lawn and Garden, by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWey6JtlTEY

Read more about protecting fresh water resources at www.nature.org

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org/pennsylvania

Shirley and Eugene Goles and their family, from Baltimore, Md., have camped at the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Quarryville, Pa. almost every Easter for nearly 40 years.

 ”That’s when our family starts our summer camping trips,” Shirley said, adding that the tradition started even before the 175-site campground joined the Jellystone Park chain in 1991.

“We just love the park and the area that it’s in,” Shirley said, adding that their children, grandchildren and many other family members have all grown up having their Easter egg hunts and other holiday activities at the Quarryville Jellystone Park.

Jellystone Parks are nationally famous for their family friendly activities, which take place most weekends throughout late spring, summer and fall.

But while most activities are geared toward children and teenagers, some Jellystone Parks also have Easter activities specifically for adults, including the Jellystone Park in Hagerstown, Md., which holds separate egg hunts for men and women with about 200 to 300 plastic eggs that are stuffed with coupons that can be redeemed for soda, candy, game room tickets and other assorted adult beverages.

“We have to hold these egg hunts separately. Otherwise, the men will push the women out of the way to get the eggs,” said park co-owner Vicki Vitkun.

The Quarryville Jellystone Park also offers separate Easter egg hunts for children and adults as well as an egg rolling and decorating contest, a visit by the Easter bunny, and nighttime DJ dancing with a light show.

•  Here’s a sampling of what’s being planned at Jellystone Parks in several cities east of the Rockies: Bremen, Ga.: This park’s Easter egg hunt involves hayrides with an antique tractor and real bunnies. The park is also planning train rides, Easter egg basket making and other children’s activities. www.georgiajellystone.com
• Burleson, Texas: Activities include making an Easter basket, and parents will have the option of filling them up or having Yogi Bear deliver them to their children. A big egg hunt is also planned. Additionally, a local church hosts a live Easter Pageant, and they will send their cast members – including a high priest, a blind man and Jesus – will come to the park in costume to share their experiences.

www.rusticcreekranch.com

• Canyon Lake, Texas: Activities at this park include a nighttime flashlight Easter egg hunt for the older kids with thousands of eggs and a church service on Sunday. www.jellystonehillcountry.com
• Frankenmuth, Mich.: This park mirror’s the Osterbrunnen Easter decorating traditions of Franconia, Germany, and decorates the park with thousands of eggs and ribbon. The park will also have an Easter egg hunt, Easter decorating, movies, games and crafts. www.frankenmuthjellystone.com
• Fremont, Ind.: This park will have egg dying and an egg hunt as well as other activities, including bingo, cartoons, wagon rides and free pancakes. Real baby chicks and bunnies will also be on hand. www.jellystonesbest.com
• Horn Lake, Miss.: This park is planning egg dying, an Easter egg hunt, spoon races and a coloring contest. www.memphisjellystone.com
• Nashville, Tenn.: This park’s activities include crafts, such as decorating you own Easter basket, egg games and an Easter egg hunt. www.nashvillejellystone.com

The Goles Family doesn’t limit their Jellystone camping to the Quarryville Park at Easter. They also visit the Jellystone Park in Hagerstown, though they have a tradition of closing out the camping season with a visit to the Quarryville Park in October, when the park hosts its Halloween themed weekends, with costume contests, trick or treating and campsite decorating.

“About 15 families will join us for camping for Halloween. At times we have had as many as 65 in our group,” Shirley said. For more information on activities and events at the Quarryville Jellystone, visit www.jellystonepa.com. Activities listings for the Hagerstown Jellystone is available at www.jellystonemaryland.com.

About Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resorts

Launched in 1969, the Jellystone Park system now boasts 75 campgrounds with more than 15,000 campsites in 30 states and three Canadian provinces.  Its Camp-Resorts are among the best campgrounds in the industry with a quality reputation for being fun, friendly, clean and customer service-oriented parks. Additionally, each Jellystone Park is themed with Yogi Bear elements providing instant recognition and consumer appeal.  It is truly a place “Where You Camp With Friends.”®   

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts are franchised through Leisure Systems, Inc. (LSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Park River Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.campjellystone.com.

Everyone knows about the ENERGY STAR rating that comes with household appliances, right? Well do you know what it means? ENERGY STAR is a governmental joint program with the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1992, the EPA introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to promote energy efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In our business environs, ENERGY STAR has been a force behind more widespread use of innovations like more efficient lighting, power management systems for office equipment and low standby energy use.

As an example of the work it does, in one state, say, Pennsylvania, the ENERGY STAR qualified homes built in 2009 are equivalent to eliminating emissions from 772 vehicles, saving 4,668,300 lbs. of coal, planting 1,276 acres of trees and saving the environment of 9,155,475 lbs of carbon dioxide.

Taken from the most updated specification sheets, the number of qualified ENERGY STAR clothes washers is 478 and this includes almost all popular name brands such as; Whirlpool, Amana, Frigidaire, GE, Kenmore, Maytag and Speed Queen. It doesn’t stop there; ratings include categories of appliances like air conditioners, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, light bulbs, dishwashers, computers, etc….  The ENERGY STAR website features many tips on how to improve efficiency in your new home or with home improvements. You can take a virtual walk-through of an ENERGY STAR home and it will show you how to save energy and money in all areas. There are tips on how to select a contractor and downloads for maintaining your HVAC equipment and several other topics. Give the site a look and see how much information there is available to help you save energy and money!

Electric Clothes Dryers are detrimental to our environment. They leave off significant amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere every day, over a ton a year per household! If you use them, synthetic dryer sheets are also full of petrochemicals that are emitted into our air. I found this website that is solely dedicated to drying your laundry on the line. Called LineDryIt.com, this site is based in Australia where line drying is still a prevalent way of life. They have many new alternatives to the old pole-in-the-ground laundry line like my grandmother used. Some are hide away products, and not so obtrusive for those who live in a tight space or don’t like the look of a traditional clothes line.

20 Mule Team Borax is a natural mineral that is used for multi-cleaning around the house as well as a laundry booster.  It is a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water, otherwise known as sodium tetraborate. It is found deep in the ground along with clay and other substances. It is of a white powdery consistency and dissolves easily in water. It was discovered over 4,000 years ago and is found in many places around the world, even close to the surface in Death Valley, California. In the home it has many uses (see below) but it is also used for industrial purpose. Borax is actually a natural mineral, but can be an irritant on skin, and shouldn’t be ingested. Borax can be used as a stain remover and a substitute for bleach. Borax can also be used to repel insects, although care should be used around pets and small children.

• Laundry – Makes your detergent work better.
• Kitchen - Helps make your China sparkle & eliminates kitchen odors.
• Bathroom – Helps remove stains and deodorizes.
• Porcelain – Porcelain enamel surfaces will sparkle.
• Fiberglass – Borax and warm water. Your surfaces will shine!
• Hard Water – Got hard water? You’ll get cleaner, fresher smelling clothing.
• Delicates – Delicate hand washables also benefit from the water. 
• Garbage Pails – Deodorize your garbage pails with 20 Mule Team®* Borax.
• Refrigerators – Lingering odors and spilled food can be washed away.
• Baby Clothes – Baby clothes and cloth diapers can smell just as fresh.
• Fine China – Rinse it in a solution 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water.
• Humidifiers – To help keep your humidifier free of odor, rinse before using. 
• Toilet Bowls – Is great at deodorizing, for the freshest bowl you’ve ever had.

For a free booklet on these and other uses of 20 Mule Team®* Borax, please contact The Dial Corporation – Consumer Information Center at 1-800-457-8739 or download the booklet from the internet purex.com

20 Mule Team®* Borax is harmless to washing machines, plumbing and septic tanks.  20 Mule Team®* Borax does not contain phosphates or chlorine.

Now that you’re back with a bunch of garments that you don’t get use out of any longer, call up your best girls and invite them to bring their pile as well. Open up a bottle, or two, of wine with some snacks. Lay out the clothes and start claiming what suits you. Each of you will undoubtedly go home with new pieces to add to your wardrobe. If you want to go all out add accessories, beauty products, purses, etc.

Not only will you feel good about putting your under utilized clothes to good use, you will be recycling them as well! The time you spend with your closest gals will also serve as bonafide, quality, and much needed girl time. At the end of your garment soiree, pack up any straggler items and donate them to a local charity. Have fun girls!