I came across an article today on How to Make a Homemade Solar Oven.
It got me to thinking. That would be a nice project to keep the kids busy. Not only that, it’s a great lesson on how to utilize reusable energy (not to mention that if it works, it’s a great toy).
Before you stick your key in the ignition of your car, look around the car to see if you’re driving with unnecessary weight bearing items. The extra weight will cause your car to work harder and use more gas.
Look under the front seats, check the back seat, open the trunk, glove compartment, and ashtray. Look anywhere where you may be storing extra stuff. Do you really need $25 worth of spare change for tolls?
If you’re driving around with a couple of bundles to give away to the Salvation Army, do yourself a favor and drop it off. The Salvation Army will appreciate it and so will your car’s gas mileage.
After you’ve looked around the car and removed all of the unnecessary weight, then its time to start the car, put on your seatbelt and adjust your mirrors. While adjusting your mirrors, take a good look at yourself. Are you adding unnecessary weight to your car? Ouch!
Dropping those extra 5, 10, 15 or so pounds will not only help to improve your health but will also help to improve your gas mileage (It’s not always easy going green).
I came across this neat little pamphlet from the US Department of Energy called Energy Savers, Tips for Saving Energy and Money at Home.
It gives great practical tips on how to make your dollar stretch further and save on energy costs.
Did you know that draining a quart of water from your water heater every three months helps to get rid of sediment and thus improve your water heater’s efficiency? Check out page 17.
If you use a natural gas stove and the flames are yellow, did you know that means that your stove isn’t burning efficiently and my need an adjustment? See page 25.
There are tons of neat little money saving tips. It’s worth a read.
Here’s the scoop. The bulb on my daughter’s lava lamp night-light blew out. The tiny little replacement bulb is rather 
hard to find. Of course she mentioned it to me early in the day and I had completely forgotten about it until it was almost evening she reminded me that she didn’t have a night light.
Too tired to run to the store, I was struck with a brilliant idea. I went down to our storage room (which has just about everything but a kitchen sink) and found one of the solar lights that used to illuminate our front walkway until it was knocked over by an overzealous lawn cutter (never let pre-teens cut the grass without strict supervision).
I dusted off the solar light, replaced the dead AA batteries and sat the solar lamp on the kitchen table to charge the light’s solar panel. When it came time for bedtime, I took the solar lamp and placed it in my daughter’s room. It illuminated her room just enough to dispel her fear of the dark but not too much light to prevent her from sleeping.
The solar light remained lit through the entire night and automatically shut off when the natural sunlight brightened the room. I didn’t have to remind her to turn the night light off. It charges in her room during the day and illuminates it at night.
I know what you’re thinking. Those solar lights are not very attractive. They must look really bad in a child’s room. Well, that’s where a child’s imagination comes in. A bottle or two of sparkle paint with a few decals and it fits right in.
My daughter is thrilled at her new energy efficient solar light and so am I.
I finally did it! I finally ordered the Dundas Jafine Heat Keeper to recycle the heat from my dryer thats usually funneled outside. I’ve been looking at it for a few weeks now and finally took the plunge.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Heat Keeper, check out this article:”Make Clothes Dryer More Efficient by Recycling the Heat“. It will introduce you to the concept and recycling your dryer’s hot air. Be aware, however, this is only recommended for electric dryers. Exhaust from gas dryers may contain small amounts of unwanted pollutants that you do not want recycling through the air in your home.
The Heat Keeper is an inexpensive item. If you can find it at your local home improvement store, buy it there. If not, you can order it from Amazon. If you have to order it through Amazon, order a few of them. Give one to your neighbor, friends, and/or family. The item costs less than $6. The shipping costs will exceed the cost of the Heat Keeper. I foolishly ordered only one and spent around $13 in total. Oh well, I’ll make up the cost in heat recycling.
The installation process is a breeze. The only additional item not included in the packaging that you’ll need is a wire cutter. You will have to cut the exhaust tubing leading from the dryer to insert the Heat keeper. The process took about 5 minutes. It has a little switch so that you can vent the air outside during the summer and inside during the winter.
Expect your windows to fog as the heat also comes with some humidity. The amount of fogging will depend on the outside temperature and the size of the laundry area. I find it a small price to pay for heat recycling.
The Heat Keeper not only warms the area, it serves as an air freshener. The aroma of the fabric softener is dispersed around the room (my daughter loves this feature). All in all, I give thee Heat Keeper a thumbs up!
