More easy ways to be a green momma

A few months ago I complied a list of the things I did to save money that actually contributed to living an environmentally friendly lifestyle.  I had a moment of truth that went something to the tune of,  “Damn…I’m a green momma after all!”  Check out my original blog here:  Easy ways to be a green momma  Since then I have been building on that list and would like to share the newest additions…picking up where we left off:

11) Use the library – Other than the obvious benefit of saving money, how exactly does this help the environment? Anytime you choose to re-use something old versus buying new, you are actually reducing your carbon footprint.  Consider the trees that are used to make the paper that the book is printed on and the resources  to manufacture and ship that book to the bookstore.   Going to the library is also a great way to get out of the house, support your community and enjoy a fun activity with the wee one.  With the technology and green revolution upon us, another option is to purchase electronic media i.e. download a book onto your kindle or tablet from the comfort of your home.  This option is great for books you intend to reference in the future and is a great way to reduce clutter in your home.  Speaking of the technological revolution, this is a great segue to my next point…

12) Go electronic – Everyone and their dog has a smart phone or tablet nowadays.  If you do have this luxury, take advantage of the amazing app’s that eliminate the need for bulky electronics, paper and other consumables.  I have a coworker who doesn’t own an alarm clock because their phone serves the purpose just fine! Here are just a few examples of what you can eliminate by going electronic:

address books, agendas, calendars, grocery lists, boarding passes, bank statements & bills, sticky notes, telephone books, cookbooks, magazines, dictionaries, maps, video tapes, CD’s, alarm clocks, calculators, music playing electronics

13) Recharge – Now that my little guy has hit the 6 month mark, every toy he loves takes C’s and D’s.  No, we’re not talking cup sizes today folks, we’re talking batteries!  At Christmas we decided to invest in a good battery charger and a set of rechargeable batteries in all sizes.  Now, we no longer need to put batteries on our electronic grocery list and eliminate the excess waste of packaging and dead batteries.

14) Steam Mop – I used to be a Swiffer kinda gal until I came across the coolest invention ever….the steam mop!  An essential for any home with a crawling baby, the steam mop sanitizes and disinfects without chemicals.  After the initial $60 investment, it costs nothing more than the water out of your tap.  Although we still use the Swiffer wet pads to clean up quick spills, by saving them for occasional use only we have saved a ton of waste not to mention a ton of moolah!

15) Decorative soap dispensers–  Aside from looking stylish, decorative reusable soap dispensers are a great way to save money when you buy liquid hand soap in bulk and they also minimize the waste that comes with disposable soap pumps.