It's Easy Being Green

As it gets closer to New Year’s Day, more and more people will begin to take down their holiday light displays.  I know I usually like to have it put away by then because I’m done looking at it, at least for another year.  This year I put up very few lights because the house we’re renting has extensive gutters and aluminum siding.  On top of that, I don’t have a ladder that will allow me to get too crazy with the decorations.  I also noticed that several strings of my... (more...)

Are you egg-nogged out yet?  I can’t seem to get my fill of the drink that is delightfully bad for us!  Sometimes the usual old flavor gets boring though.  So how about this alternative recipe for Homemade Banana Eggnog: I cup plain or vanilla yogurt 1 banana, cut up 2 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg Place all the ingredients into a blender and process for 20 seconds or until smooth.  Yum!  The recipe makes 2 servings.  If you’d like to turn it into a winter warmer, your... (more...)

By now you might be booting extra family out the door or finally getting to see loved ones who didn’t make it that far before the grips of old man winter trapped them at the airport.  Either way, this weekend you might begin to get antsy and wonder what to do with all the aftermath of Christmas (hopefully it was a good one to you and your family). Last year, I discovered some creative ways to recycle your Christmas tree.  You can check them out by reading this post called Christmas Tree-cycling. We’ve... (more...)

Are you looking for a steaming hot cup of chocolate to warm you up and satsify your sweet tooth?  You might want to try some real, homemade hot cocoa then.  The stuff you buy in packets at the store can be good but the homemade stuff can be even better.  Try this recipe out: 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 2 Tbsp honey 2 cups warm milk 1/4 tsp. vanilla 2 Tbsp powdered milk (optional) Blend cocoa and honey in a cup.  Add a small amount of the warm milk to make a syrup.  Pour that syrup into the rest... (more...)

By now your mailbox has probably seen the biggest stuffing of the year, brimming over with cards and letters from family and friends both near and far.  But did you know there is a way to recycle all those cards instead of just tossing them in the trash? You can cut the fronts off of the cards you received and send them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.  The children can make and sell new cards from the old ones they receive and of course raise money for a wonderful program.  Just mail your... (more...)

With just a few days left before Christmas, many people are probably busy switching gears into wrapping mode.  All of my wrapping is done but I know many last minute procrastinators who don’t wrap until the 11pm witching hour on Christmas Eve.  There are many ways you can make the wrapping process a little greener this year. First, consider alternative ways to wrap your presents instead of using the traditional roll of paper purchased from the store.  You can use just about anything.  One... (more...)

If you’re having trouble coming up with an idea for a Christmas gift that either won’t cost you very much or is for the person that already has everything, think about non-materialistic gift ideas.  This could save you a lot of money this holiday season and provide the recipient with something they normally wouldn’t expect.  So how can you turn your time and talent into gift? Think about offering a service like baby sitting to somone who really needs it.  If you know an avid... (more...)