How to Get the Most Out of Your Fuel

I recently read an article in Woman's Day that had some great tips about how to save money on fuel.

For instance, did you know that you can "improve fuel economy by 10% by keeping your tires properly inflated"?

"Idling for 30 secs. uses more gas than just shutting off your car", so watch those drive thrus people.

"Dropping from 70 to 60 mph can increase mileage by up to 18%" because there's less resistance on your car at lower speeds.

Also, my husband just watched an episode of Myth Busters where they proved that driving aggressively, like when you're mad, does increase fuel usage. People suggest easing on and off the petals.

Make sure your air filter's clean. Dirty filters and hurt your car's performance.

Keep windows down during low speeds and air on during high speeds.

I also saw a site say that wider tires are worse for fuel efficiency. Hey, I'm just reporting this stuff. Don't ask me why.

Lastly, clean out your car. Keep it light!

Oh, and don't forget to go to sites like GasBuddy or GasPriceWatch to check out where to get the cheapest fuel in your area.

Things to do with old Greeting Cards

Postcards is probably my favorite idea. Check with your post office to make sure but I believe the minimum size is 3 1/2" x 5" and the max is 4 1/4" by 6".

You can also cut out squares or flowers or whatever from the cards and make them into gift tags.

Do a collage and either frame it or laminate it and use it as place mats and/or coasters.

For that matter, just frame a single card if it's particularly pretty or special to you in some way.

You can always use the pics and even the poems and personalized touches for scrapbooking.

Use the cutouts to embellish packages. If you're really green, you can use the funny papers or brown paper bags, throw some card cutouts and there you go.

Decoupage the pictures onto boxes, jars, pots, trays, or wherever else you can think to put them.

I also like the idea of using them as recipe cards.

Cut into strips and make them into bookmarks. The pictures don't even have to make sense, they can just be abstract. Laminate them if you want.

Those are a few ideas I found. Please feel free to share yours.

Recycled Glass

If you've been watching Planet Green, I'm sure you've seen all the green homes going up and putting in recycled glass countertops. Over at aboutglasstile.com, I found this example of Terrazzo glass tile by Icestone, made of

75% recycled glass, mixed with cement

Unfortunately, I'm far from getting my green home, but I think it is great to see where things are headed. I heard that for

every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

That's huge. So if you can't find a way to re-use your glass products, be sure to recycle that glass people.

I know my curbside recycling doesn't pick up glass but I take it to the drop off center. You can call 1-800-CLEANUP to get recycling information for your state.

What To Do With Your Glass Jars

Along with my posts on what to do with your baby products, I thought I'd mention what I do with my glass baby food jars. I actually bolt them under the cabinets and shelves in the garage for various nuts and bolts floating around. You can get instructions from ehow here.
You can also use this trick for organizing your craft items. Sewing items, scrapbooking, there's just tons of things that they can be used for. Of course, larger jars can be used as well.


Throw some decorative pastas or beans in them and use them to spice up your kitchen decor.




Make cool votives or festive Christmas trees.

I thought that was exceptionally creative.


Thanks to ThriftyFun.com for some of the ideas. That is a really good site that you all should check out. It's got thousands of great ways to reuse materials.

Feel free to share the ways in which you reuse your glass jars.

DIY's From Junky to Funky

Every time I happen by DIY network's show, From Junky to Funky, I'm left thinking the show should be called From Junky to a Different Kind of Junk. If you don't know, the show goes around and finds "junk" and revamps it into something new.

Here we have the fabric covered surfboard guitar holder:

Here we have the tree branch lamp:

I wish I could find a picture of this horrible room I just saw them putting together with trash can ottomans and a hideous showcase made out of a ladder, chairs and whatever else they could throw in.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for the idea of trash to treasure but this show is just a bad example if you ask me. Personally, I think I do better makeovers, but that's just me.

Great ideas from Ready Made Mag

I've recently been given some ReadyMade magazines and I got some great ideas on finding other uses for old materials. For instance, here is an article on making a magazine rack out of an umbrella.

Use old pillow cases as garment bags

I have hardwood floors and they collect dust bunnies like nothing else. Try covering your broom with old panty hose to capture the dust bunnies. Then remove them and finish sweeping the rest. Don't throw the hose out, just shake em clean outside and use them again next time.

Cut the arms off old shirts and fill them with uncooked beans or whatever and use them to keep out drafts under doors. You could really get creative with these. I think I'll make some quilted ones out of pieces of fabric I hold on to for just such a thing.

Here's an idea on how to use cardboard tubes to make a scarf holder. Here's one on how to make a wine bottle rack.

What about a light made out of detergent bottles? It can be done, see here.

They have a lot of cool ideas on everything from speaker coffee tables and CD curtains to trash can chairs and cabinet doors made out of fan bases. You have to check it out. There's too much for me to list.

Don't worry, I'll be passing on the magazines so they won't be found in the landfill. The site really is much handier anyway.

Is Green the new Black???

I started this blog to share info on going green as I learned it myself. So, by no means do I pretend to know everything about the best ways to be more environmentally conscientious. However, someone will have to explain to me why I keep watching shows where people are "going green" by ripping out their existing cabinets, counter tops and flooring, even if it is to replace them with more sustainable materials.

It seems to me that if the materials are already in use, it would make more sense to continue to use them until they aren't usable any longer. Instead, people are taking perfectly good items, items made of materials that have already been sacrificed, if you will, and throwing them away.

Even if they recycle them, it just seems like a waste. The trees are already dead. To remove these things from your home just to be able to say that you have a "green" home sounds very trendy to me and that scares me.

Frankly, anytime that Hollywood gets involved with a cause, I worry that it won't last. Just think about when everyone was for animal rights and models went around saying they'd rather be naked than wear fur. Fast forward to now when those same models are wearing what? Fur.

I seriously hope that caring about our planet isn't just a trend that will fade much like being patriotic faded too soon after 9/11. It's up to you and I to make sure that doesn't happen people.

Shear Genius Goes Green

Bravo's Shear Genius did a "green" challenge this week, where they had to use organic products in their clients hair. Everything from peanut butter and sugar to squid and molasses were offered to the stylists in lieu of using environmentally harmful products, such as hair spray. This was an especially hard challenge for the stylist from Texas, as you can imagine.

The Kitchen Beautician, Robert Hallowell, was on as a guest judge for the challenge. Hallowell has his own natural product line called, prawduct® hair care. I had never heard of him before this, which is no big surprise because it's not like I get stylists quarterly or anything, but he seemed very knowledgeable. I would be interested to hear from anyone who's used his products.

Catch the re-run of this show if you missed it because it was entertaining, as well as informative. I don't use styling products in my hair, but if I did, I would be interested to learn how to use these organic sources as an alternative to the harmful chemicals out today.

Baby Steps

Okay, so the reality is that a lot of parents use Diaper Genies, or their alternatives, to reduce odors in their home. This is, of course, for those who aren't using cloth and haven't switched to the more earth-friendly flushable diapers. Don't worry, no judgement here. I just want to mention that not all diapers are smelly and if nothing else, keep those out of the Diaper Genies. Also, don't even use the Genie the day before trash day.

As far as wipes go, I saw someone actually throwing away wipes if they came out of the box too dry. Oh no! Put the wipes at the bottom of the box and pour some water over any dry wipes. They are still usable.

Don't forget to recycle all those bath and lotion bottles.

Don't be afraid to get your baby clothes second hand. I know there's a children's thrift store here, in KC, called Children's Orchard, where I get clothes and toys. Once your child's outgrown them, pass them on. Whether, you sell them, hand them down to your next baby, give them to a friend, anything's better than trashing perfectly good material. If it's not good enough to wear again, consider using scraps to make blankets and other keepsakes. As a last resort, you can always use them for cleaning.

Sample Green Products for Free

I'm not sure where I heard about it but I believe it was a blog I know and trust. The site is Free Green Cleaners and you sign up, free of charge, for the possibility of receiving free green products to test and review. According to their site:

You can post your review to your blog, myspace, a product review site, or anywhere you feel is appropriate. We do not set limits on the length or content other than it must relate to the product you received and it must contain at least two links back to us.

I don't know about you, but I signed up and I'm eager to receive a product to test. I, of course, will post my reviews here, for everyone to see. Again, it's free, so give it a try if you want. If not, pass the word on to someone who might be interested.

More Fashionable Recycling with Wrappers!

I was looking to see if gum wrappers are recyclable. Apparently, they are not, by the way. However, there is gum made from recycled paper.

I did find purses, bracelets, planners and all kinds of other things people are making out of the gum wrappers as well as potato chip bags.

You might want to just google it yourself because there are so many great examples out there. Here are just a few resources:

Fashion Flairs has all kinds of bags, some made from candy wrappers and some organic. They do seem a little pricey though.

If you're frugal, like me, then you'll want to know how to make them yourself. Here's a great resource for that.

Save the world Designs has wrapper bags and pull tab bracelets that are very neat.

This blog has some different designs.

I better get to work, there's all kinds of things I'm missing out on.

I'm giving it up!

I'm going to do it. I'm giving up my samples. If you read my blog, RnR Reviews, then you know that I am a frugal shopper. As such, I get all kinds of things for free or close to it, including product samples and trial size items.

Well, as much as I hate to, I realize I have to give up my baby bottles of shampoo, my mini deodorants, and my tiny toothpastes. I can no longer justify having to throw away the packaging for these items, knowing that buying in bulk is the best solution if you have to buy packaged merchandise.

I can't promise I will always make the right choice, but I will always weigh the pros and cons. My eco-friendliness wins over my frugality...this time.

No More Q-Tips!

If you're like me, you make it a point to watch Oprah every time Dr. Oz is on. Awhile back, they did a show in which Dr. Oz mentioned that:

85 percent of respondents to an Oprah.com poll who said they use cotton swabs to clean their ears Dr. Oz says you may as well be "taking a muzzle-loader and shoving it in there.

He went on to explain that:

Wax is the sweat that the body deposits in the ear lining," he says. "When our ancestors were walking along in the sub-Saharan desert, the dust would get caught like an insect trap and prevent it from getting into your eardrum. When you take this cotton swab and you start shoving that wax into your eardrum, you risk not only blocking off the pathway, but you also risk perforating—making a hole—in your eardrum which is just a millimeter thick.

So, instead of Q-tips, he says we should use mineral oil to melt away any wax build up we have in our ears. The way I see it, this is a few million less things we have to worry about throwing away everyday. Though small, they add up. Yes, the mineral oil does have a bottle to consider, but odds are that the bottles are recyclable, unlike used cotton swabs. Better for your ears and better for the environment.

As far as the dampness that so many people hate feeling in their ears, use a towel like you do with every other part of your body.

Free CFL Lightbulb

The Million Lights Project gave away CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) for Earth Day. Turns out they're still doing it! If you register here, you should get your free light bulb; and even if it's your first, you can know you're doing something good for the planet.

Earn Rewards for Recycling with RecycleBank

As it is right now, if you live in one of the following cities, then you can be taking part in an awesome reward program just for recycling (which is a reward in itself) through RecycleBank:

Connecticut
Groton
Hartford
Mystic

Delaware
Wilmington

Massachusetts
Charlton
Leicester
North Oxford
Oxford
Rochdale
Southbridge
Spencer
Sturbridge
Webster

Nebraska
Bellevue
Bennington
Elkhorn
Gretna
La Vista
Lincoln
Omaha
Papillion
Ralston
Waterloo

New Jersey
Borough of Glassboro
Cherry Hill
Clayton
East Greenwich
Elk Township
National Park
Swedesboro
Westville
Woolwich

New York
New York City

Pennsylvania
Ambler
Ambler
Chadds Ford
Concord
Dresher
Edgemont
Fort Washington
Hatfield
Lansdale
Lower Gwynedd
Lower Makefield Township
Maple Glen
Montgomery Township
New Britain Township
Newtown Borough
Newtown Township
North Wales
Philadelphia
Plumstead Township
Solebury
Souderton
Thornbury
Upper Dublin
Upper Makefield Township
Warminster
Warrington
West Norriton
Whitemarsh Township
Worcester
Wrightstown Township

Virginia
Fairfax
Loudoun
Prince William

Vermont
Colchester
Jericho
Rutland
Shelburne
South Burlington
St. George
Starksboro
Underhill
Underhill Center
West Bolton
Williston

All you have to do is put your recyclables in a bin that has an Identification chip embedded into it. That chip is scanned and you are given points based on the weight of your bin. Those points can be used for rewards from companies such as CVS, Coca-Cola, PetCo, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc.

You can fill out this form if you would like to be notified when the RecycleBank program comes to your area. I filled out mine. I think this is a great idea and hope in comes to KC soon.