Go green all year long

Pledging to turn over a new, green, leaf is a noble cause, but maintaining that eco-friendly endeavor is even more important. Here are 24 tips on how you can go green every month of the year:

January

• Start the New Year off right by signing up for “The Green Guide,” an electronic newspaper. It’s a free publication by National Geographic featuring eco-friendly information on every facet of life (www.thegreenguide.com).

• Save old holiday wrapping paper for later use in your garden. Sprinkle flower seeds into the paper and bury it when spring arrives.

February

• Save recyclable items and think about how they can be used for creative purposes. Before tossing those egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, buttons and ribbon scraps, encourage your child to make something for Valentine’s Day.

• Buy your sweetheart a bottle of wine from a local winery and support the use of land for agriculture. Then, dim the lights and set the mood with a soy or beeswax candle — they burn cleaner and last longer than petroleum-based ones.

March

• Create your own spring cleaning concoctions. There are oodles of websites — search “green cleaning” — that give recipes for natural, eco-friendly cleaning brews that use common household items, such as baking soda and lemon.

• Celebrate the earth, as well as Dr. Seuss’s birthday with, “The Lorax.” Read this eco-friendly classic to your kids, and then talk about making good environmental choices.

April

• If you’re shopping for a new spring wardrobe, avoid trendy clothes and opt for quality items that will stand the test of time. Or, look for gently-used apparel at resale shops. You could also do a clothes swap with friends.

• Start an eco-friendly endeavor in your neighborhood — participate in a rally or sign a petition calling for more environmentally-sound practices.

May

• When you plant an organic garden, cover the soil with black-and-white newspaper — it will eventually biodegrade — and add a layer of mulch to keep weeds down.

• Get in shape for swimsuit season — and save on gas and air quality — with a push mower. If you can’t find one, opt for an electric plug-in model.

June

• Before leaving for vacation, unplug appliances you won’t be using, and turn down the thermostat on your air conditioner and water heater.

• Wash your clothes on a short, cold cycle and hang them out to dry. This saves money, energy, and the life of your clothes and appliances.

July

• Conserve water by washing your car on the lawn. Or, set a rain barrel under your downspout and use the rain collected to water your plants. Turn off water when you’re brushing your teeth. And, when you bathe the kids, draw one tub full of water and let them take turns getting in.

• Get several BPA-free water bottles for each family member to reduce landfill space and save money on plastic bottles. Find ones with a twist-off top and hook so kids can put a nametag or keychain on it.

August

• Before school starts, visit a recycling center or landfill, so your children get a first-hand look at where trash goes. Science centers, natural history museums, and nature centers teach kids to appreciate and protect our natural resources, too.

• Sign up for one of many kid-friendly environmental programs offered in your area. Then, go pick up trash that has accumulated in and around your park.

September

• Start a zero-waste lunch program in your school and encourage families to pack trash-free lunches in the coming year — instead of using mini bags and bottles, we buy items in bulk and place them in reusable containers. You can pack cloth napkins, too.

• Put your child’s old artwork to good use: have him select several theme-related ones and create a book. Place the best pieces in frames, cut and laminate them to use as bookmarks, or scan them onto your computer and create a screensaver.

October

• Look for drafty areas in your home and address it by installing weather stripping or caulk where needed, and using plastic sheets or thermal drapes to cover your windows. Also, keep your thermostat turned down several degrees, and insulate your hot water heater.

• Let your kids rummage through your closet or visit a thrift store to see what kind of Halloween costumes they can create. You can make your own blood, bruises, or scabs with kitchen items, such as cornstarch, syrup, shortening, cornmeal and food coloring.

November

• Stop by yard sales or thrift stores to find holiday toys and save money and landfill space. When you do purchase something, look for eco-friendly items. Or, give an alternative gift: sponsor an animal from a local zoo or aquarium or adopt one from www.worldwildlife.org.

• Keep in step with the holiday spirit and out of crowded shopping malls on Black Friday by donating unused items to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or another non-profit organization.

December

• Find an organic tree farm in your area or go with a local farmer who can tell you what kind of pesticides he used. When purchasing lights, go with an LED option that doesn’t produce heat; it’ll run on one-tenth the energy of conventional lights and won’t present the fire risk of traditional bulbs.

• Save on paper, ribbon and tape by not wrapping all the gifts from Santa.

Resources

Check out these green websites for more ideas:

www.ecofriendlyideas.net

www.ecomall.com

www.envirogadget.com

www.goinggreendirectory.org

www.greencleaningnetwork.org

www.hgtv.com/green-living

www.thegreenguide.com

Denise Morrison Yearian is the former editor of two parenting magazines and the mother of three children.