Go Low-Flow

As a parent, I would love nothing more than a nice, long, hot shower if for no other reason than to take a break from doling out snacks, referring fights, and wiping up spills. Of course, I'm lucky if I can get 5 minutes to myself. But even 5 minutes is all it takes to wash away 30 gallons of water. Showers make up a big chunk (roughly 22 percent) of the average family's water bill. And showers hit the pocketbook twice...once for water and once for the energy the water heater uses to make the water hot. Low-flow shower heads have come along way since they were first introduced, reducing water use by as much as 500 to 800 gallons of water per month. Install one and you'll save water, energy, and a ton of $$$.

Don't Be A Drip!

Set aside one day this month to repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Aside from being annoying, these little drips can add up to big dollars and major waste. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water each year in the average home, while leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons per day.
water conservation

Get A Green Clean

Harmful chemicals and toxins abound in the average cleaning products. As a parent, I was always wondering what was worse...dirt and germs or the chemicals I was using to clean them up! But if you're looking for a greener way to clean up those juice spills, don't be taken in by green slogans. Get savvy about labels and learn to separate the green from the toxic. According to David Steinman, co-author of The Safe Shopper's Bible, look for grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum in detergents; and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage rather than triclosan.
green clean

Park It!

The next time you're headed to the grocery store or the soccer field, make an effort to park in the shade. It will keep your car cooler in the summer and minimize the evaporization of fuel.
driving green

It's A Gas

Tired of paying an arm and a leg to fill your gas tank? Take these steps to save gas, money, and the planet.

1. Go Slow: Stick to the speed limit and avoid excessive braking and accelerating.
   
2. Pump It Up: Make sure your tires are properly inflated (underinflated tires reduce fuel economy).
3. Clean It Out: If your car is like mine, it is a rolling closet, fileld with clothes, toys, books, strollers, and snacks. But all of that extra weight may cost money at the pump. The Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 3 and 6 cents a gallon just by removing unnecessary weight.
4. Go Cruisin': Using cruise control, especially on long trips, can save you as much as 7 percent on fuel (according to Edmunds.com.)

Recycle This!

Recycling is a great idea, but when you’re pressed for time, it may seem just so much easier to toss things in the trash. Let’s face it, when you’re trying to clean up the dinner dishes, help your kids with their homework, and put up a load of laundry, it can be a real drag to rinse out that empty jar of spaghetti sauce or can of soup. But keep this in mind…the more stuff you recycle, the fewer trips you will have to make to the dumpster. Take a minute now to rinse a jar and you'll save time and energy later schlepping garbage. As a bonus, recycling creates jobs, saves energy, preserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and keeps toxins from leaking out of landfills.

Buy The Book!

Get all of your green parenting questions answered in one easy-to-read, easy-to-use book! The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living, gives parents all the info they need to go green while raising kids...from diapers to school fundraisers to green gift ideas, The Green Parent is an incredible source for any parent (or teacher, or grandparent, or caregiver) who wants to raise eco-savvy kids and protect the planet for today and tomorrow!

Click here to buy The Green Parent from

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books A Million


Here's what the country's leading environmentalists had to say about The Green Parent:

“"As thoughtful stewards of the little people we care for and of the planet we inhabit, we want to tread lightly. In The Green Parent, author Jenn Savedge guides us through how to live “green” and pass that love and respect for the earth on to our children—whether it’s working with our kids’ school to ensure anti-idling, planning an eco-family vacation or finding an earth-friendly (and scalp-friendly!) way of dealing with head lice. Savedge writes with an infectious optimism that motivates us to change our ways…and change the world in the process.”"
–Leslie Garrett, journalist and author of The Virtuous Consumer, mother of three
“

"The Green Parent is an excellent guide for parents! Savedge provides an encyclopedic approach to a range of issues from energy efficiency to saving money. For people who don’t have time to research environmental issues, this book boils them down to their key components, then offers easy solutions that any parent can manage. The simple format and step-by-step suggestions make this a nifty resource to read cover-to-cover, and then use as a reference guide whenever you need just the right answer. Savedge includes fun ideas like a “Light Patrol” badge to get kids involved in saving energy, as well as ideas for throwing a “green” party. She covers very practical ideas too, like how to get rid of head lice in an environmentally friendly way. I’'ve dog-eared many pages in this book and always keep it close at hand.”"
–Kathleen Ridihalgh, www.greatgreentips.net, mother of one


Click here to read more praise for The Green Parent
Click here to read an excerpt