Saturday, September 12, 2009

Take Advantage of the Energy Star Tax Credits



If you've been putting off the purchase of a new fridge, hot water heater or anything that qualifies for the EPA's Energy Star label - NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY.

It's a bit complicated, but essentially, Uncle Sam is giving you an income tax credit of up to $1,500 on the purchase of qualified products. For more information on how it works, talk to your tax advisor. First and foremost - save your receipts, warranty papers, etc. Oh, and you must purchase these items this year.

I just replaced an old fridge - the ice maker was broken, and the thing was just plain old. Old appliances waste a lot of electricity. With this purchase, I should notice an immediate impact on my utility bill.



Up next - my front storm door!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

My foray into the "ultra" world

Okay, so I've been reading Born to Run...but you know that. This book has really inspired me to not only run, but love to run! It's fun - and I want to get better, every day.

So, I signed up for this 10K in October. It's on a state trail - no need to run on some man-made pavement track! It's not ECO. Here's a link to the 10K challenge - which is the first step toward an ultra...you know...50 - 100 miles. That seems crazy right now, but who knows???

Anyway - ECO living is healthy living; there's no doubt about that. The point of this post is this: find a way to love being healthy...and healthy becomes easy.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Eco-Friendly Tan

So, the most eco thing you can do is just step outside and soak up a few rays...everybody needs some sun, but too much can be harmful. But, if you want to try something good for you skin, that also will give you some color - try this:

Steep 4 black tea bags in two cups of water...let it steep for 15 minutes or so. Your bod needs to be uber clean, so take a shower. Once you're dry, use a sponge to wipe the tea all over your skin...let it dry, and rub it all over again.

Feel better? Your skin will thank you by glowing for a few days!