I’ve always procrastinated when I told myself: “Hey, let’s make this world a greener place to live in!” Reason is I find it rather troublesome to find things to recycle or even to lug my recyclables to the recycling center which is only a 5-minute walk in the neighborhood. But then, scraping a plate of unfinished meal into the garbage bin made me feel doubly guilty all of a sudden, and I vowed to start living green in the kitchen today (or tomorrow because thee is only 3 minutes left “today”). Hence, this post is conceived to help other lazy people like me start doing their bit to save Mother Nature

1. Garbage enzyme to the rescue
Are you feeling guilty due to the leftover food you constantly had to throw away? Fear not! You can start your own garbage enzyme solution which is typically a DIY liquid you can make to break down harmful substance in your household. It’s awfully useful in cleaning stuff too. Pour a little down the drain and you’ll eliminate the stink in no time!

2. Clear out your fridge and oh, while you’re at it, get a CFC-free refrigerator!
If your refrigerator’s from the Jurassic era chances are it is not CFC-free. It’s time to invest in one and retire your old fridge. And on the subject of clearing out your fridge, you should avoid food wastage by periodically rummaging through your fridge and see what’s nearing its shelf life. Do a cookout, invite friends to your potluck, do whatever it takes to finish the food in the kitchen! I personally like trading food with neighbors or giving it away to people who need it more.

3. Start your own hydroponic corner in the kitchen
Fine, if your kitchen is tiny like mine, you can place the hydropponic system somewhere in your backyard or lawn but the point is… START ONE! Not only is it healthier to consume home grown veg, you get to save money buying organic food at the market. I always look at it this way — if I planted it, it must be good, and if it’s good, by Jove I’LL EAT IT! You can also DIY your own organic garden.

I’ll be writing some garbage enzyme tips after this so be sure to look out for it! Meanwhile check out this must-have green living kit I am currently using.

I don’t mind the heat as long as it’s not too immense but my 14-month old daughter detests it. She loves BOTH the cool breeze from a nice blustery day as well as the air conditioning in her room when she sleeps at night, but with the heat wave, we’ve had to cool down our place by turning on the A/C more often. As a result, our electricity bills are on the rise and there is no sign of it being reduced anytime soon.

So as I was rocking the little milk monster to sleep, I thought: how can I save money and reduce my carbon footprints at the same time? I Googled about lowering the A/C bills and found out that you should ideally keep the temperature as high as you can, maybe 20 or 21, not at 16 degrees like we usually do, and use a fan to circulate the air. It worked! It somewhat reduced the following month’s bill.

I’m going to try build my DIY organic garden soon! There’s a Green Living Kit I have just discovered so I’ll be posting little nuggets of tips on how to go green and save money at the same time.

Pick appropriate plants. Not all plants are appropriate for the area you live in. While you might be able to control the temperature, humidity, and rain conditions inside your house, you can’t do it out in the garden. If you pick appropriate plants for your area, you may be able to avoid using fertilizers and saving on water too. Research, what plants are native to your surrounding areas and try planting them in your own garden. Wildflowers, are just that, they can pretty much be left alone and will thrive in most areas.

Pick natural repelling plants. You don’t need to rely on poisons to keep away garden ruining pests. Many plants produce chemicals that repel these animals naturally. By putting them in or around you garden, you can keep your garden safe with little effort and no chemicals. Plus, you can pick parts of these plants and use them to make products to keep them away from you too.

If you don’t want to plant natural repellents in your garden, you can use them to spray your plants without harming them or adding artificial chemicals to your garden. Many herbs like hot pepper, vanilla, and lavender can help repel insects from your garden.

Pull weeds. We’re all looking for a quick and easy way to safely get rid of weeds without chemicals, but the good old fashioned way is still very effective. It you take time every day to pull the weeds you can find, you’ll only take a few minutes so it doesn’t seem like a lot of work. You can even get the kids involved, just be sure to do it properly so you don’t spread the seeds around. There are even some common weeds that are edible, just make sure there are no pesticides that could have gotten on them.

Crop rotation. Farmers all over the world use crop rotation to naturally fertilize plants. The concept is to change what crop you’re putting in a certain field each year. Plants use different nutrients and put other nutrients back into the soil. If you rotate crops that replace the nutrients the other plants use, you will have to fertilize the soil less.

You can use this same concept in your garden by planting different plants every year, or just rotating where you put specific plants in the garden.

So, you’ve made all these changes and are using a low-water, chemical free garden? Well, you still haven’t done the most important thing: pass it on! One garden can make a dent, but more can make a bigger difference. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you can even visit their school and teach your kids friends! Every little bit helps make a better world.

Every toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children. The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.

It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.

It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature. There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them.

It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet than right now when they’re young and impressionable? What might be a fun time for them now, might be a future hobby, career, or world saving invention.

It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.

While unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative.

Across the world, there are millions of dollars being spent to help promote sending your kids outside to learn from nature. That’s because spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds. It can also be a great escape for you as well.

Anyways when I started this blog, I had a hard time deciding what kind of blog it should be. I love both techy Internet stuff as well as environmental issues so in the end I decide to blog about both. There will also be a dash of Internet marketing here and there, a sprinkle of make money online, and a pinch of my own thoughts.

Enjoy! =)