Instead of this, use this...

TGIVF and IOTUT!

Well, folks, unless I repeat myself over and over, I'm pretty much running out of things to say about vinegar. Therefore, with the exception of the first Friday of the month, I'm replacing Vinegar Fridays with Instead Of This, Use This (IOTUT). This Friday feature will be all about ridding your life of toxic products or environmentally unfriendly things and replacing them with natural, safe, earth friendly alternatives. Sound good? 


So let's kick it off with this week's IOTUT.

Many of us across the country are experiencing a pretty nasty cold snap. The result, for a lot of us, is to crank up the furnace. Unfortunately, that can cause a bunch of issues, such as outrageously high utility bills, power outages, and really dry air. 

Instead of using the thermostat to regulate how warm you are, why not dress in layers? A pair of tights, long johns, or leggings under a pair of jeans or sweatpants will keep your legs toasty. Coupled with a pair of legwarmers (my personal favorite), fuzzy socks, and slippers, your bottom half will be nice and warm. Up top, try laying an undershirt or camisole with a turtleneck and a sweater or sweatshirt. Still chilly? Scarves really do help to keep in body heat. Grab a fleece one and wrap it around your neck. If that's not enough, hats can be worn inside, too. A pair of fingerless gloves will allow you to scroll through Facebook or your favorite blogs, shoot off emails, hit the buttons on the remote, or turn a page of that novel you've been dying to read. 

I keep a small blanket by my office chair and drape it across my lap when I'm really cold. I also recommend keeping a cat or dog close by to snuggle up with... they're warm, fuzzy, and the perfect accessory when it's time for nap.

Being comfy in our homes doesn't necessarily mean turning up the thermostat. Pile some extra blankets on the beds and make sure to save on your fuel bill while you're sleeping. Don't like getting up to a cold house (I don't either)? Invest in a programmable thermostat, or take turns getting up an hour early to crank the heat up, then climb back in bed for a bit. When you wake, your house will be warm enough to get the day's activities underway.

That's today's IOTUT. I hope you benefited from it in one way or another. If you have suggestions for this feature, or would like to guest blog on a future Friday, contact me. I love a variety of ideas and opinions!

Keeping it earth-friendly on Friday,

Gas and electric bills -- after the polar vortex... YIKES!

Image by Peter Griffin

 
We had quite a cold spell last week when the polar vortex descended upon us. With the overuse of furnaces and electric heaters, there was a concern about power outages, so the electric companies were asking consumers to conserve energy, particularly during the hours of 3 - 7 p.m. 

My husband and I complied. We didn't do laundry. We ran the dishwasher in the morning. Then we went a step beyond and unplugged everything that wasn't in use. Of course, we do a lot of that anyway, but last week we did a bit more. We rarely leave our microwave plugged in, and never leave our toaster, coffee maker, chargers, or heaters plugged in. Why let those electricity vampires suck up energy, which translates to higher electric bills? What about you? Do you unplug as much as you should? What other ways do you save energy?

Image by Petr Kratochvil

Here are some other tips for lowering your use of gas and electric. The bonus is more money at the end of the month!

• Dim the lights -- it's romantic, flattering, and cost effective.
• Turn off the lights -- if they're not serving a purpose, flip the switch.
• Eliminate air pockets around doors and windows -- even if you have to pad them with towels until you can come up with a permanent solution, pad away!
• Is there a clear path to your vents -- a sofa blocking the heat really defeats the purpose of having a vent in your living room. Move it!
• Clean your furnace filter -- clean filters ease up the load on your furnace. Don't make it work so hard.
• Run full loads in your dishwasher -- while you don't want to overload it, make sure it's actually full enough to run.
• Use a toaster oven -- toaster ovens are idea for small casseroles, heating up leftovers, etc. If it fits in the toaster oven, why heat up an entire oven?

  

Image by Shari Weinsheimer

 

• Turn on your ceiling fans -- this can help keep the warm air from rising and heating the ceiling. Yes, it will use electricity but it will also circulate the warm air.
• Turn off your computer -- when not in use, put your computer to sleep or turn it off altogether.
• Turn off your television -- if you're not watching it, it's sucking up quite a bit of electricity just to provide "background noise." Besides, maybe it would behoove you and the rest of the family to enjoy some periods of silence. Quiet time is good for all of us.
• Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower. 
• Turn down the setting on your water heater -- U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your tank to 120 degrees, unless you have a dishwasher, which requires a setting of 140 degrees.

If we all work together, we can help avert a power shortage when the next blast of cold comes our way. 

Keeping it green by cutting back my energy use,