SIGG Bottles

In my never-ending quest to reduce our family's use of bottled water, I needed to find a good alternative to the small water bottles that I was putting in my girls' lunches. I was happy to find these 10 oz. bottles by SIGG (a Swiss company) that met our needs perfectly. SIGG bottles have been thoroughly tested to ensure that there is no leaching of chemicals and it is safe to put even fruit juices, soda and alcohol in them. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, styles and are a great choice both economically and environmentally. Check out the SIGG site. -- Martha

Bulbs

Recently it came to our attention that the newer compact fluorescent bulbs were perhaps more trouble than they were worth, given the fact that they contain mercury and could pose a hazard if they broke in your home (mercury is a toxic substance). Helen did a little research on this, and found that they contain only a tiny fraction of the amount of mercury found in an old-fashioned thermometer. That was good news. In a bit of serendipity, Tom received an e-mail from his favorite bulb supplier, 1000 Bulbs, and they were promoting a new Neolite Compact Fluorescent that has the smallest amounts of mercury available (1 mil. vs. 5 mls.). This is very encouraging. These bulbs still have to be recycled, not in your recycling bin, but they need to be taken to SOCCRA and disposed of as hazardous waste.

Rain Barrel

This spring we have planted about 120 native plant plugs, in addition to a number of other flowers, and have not turned on the hose yet. When we need to water, we just fill up a bucket or watering can at our rain barrel. It takes just the tiniest rainfall to fill it up. We still have not turned our sprinklers on, either, and we think we'll keep going as long as we can without using them.

Learn how to make a rain barrel

Reuseable Shopping Bag

I bought this bag at Urban Outfitters to take with me while shopping at the mall, or any place other than a grocery-type store. I keep it in the trunk of my car and use it for all of my purchases. Last time I was at the mall, I made 4 stops and everywhere I went the salesclerks wanted to know where I got the shopping bag. They all thought it was a good idea - they themselves indicated that they feel the plastic bags or big shopping bags are a waste.

And if you want to see how mainstream reuseable bags are, please note that Oprah has her own bag that she is now distributing.

My bag was $16. It is made of a material that feels like oilcloth.