Living Simply Site
	Jennifer Minekheim BellaOnline's Living Simply Editor

Be Green at Home
Do you want to help the environment, but don't know how to get started? You don't have to begin with any radical changes. Here are some easy ways to cut down on waste by finding second uses for items you already have, as well as decreasing your use of disposable goods.

Composting - the Earth Machine
Food wastes are a shame to simply chuck, since they contain valuable earth nutrients that will never return to the air or soil when compacted in a landfill.

Composting at Home in Iowa City [offsite link]
A simple and clearly written guide to setting up your own simple composting pile.

Composting For Home Gardens [offsite link]
A guide to backyard composting, with illustrations that are quite helpful in visualizing how your finished pile will look.

Cost of Electricity : Entertainment Electronics
Here´s a useful chart of how much money it costs to operate your entertainment and communications devices - plus an easy tip on how to save 13% on your electric bill each month.

Five Driving Tips for Saving Money on Gasoline
Gas prices keep creeping higher. Learn how to make the gas you buy last longer in your car!

Household Hazardous Waste
It's important to keep these potentially harmful products "out of the loop" - in other words, keep their toxic components from seeping thru landfills and entering the precious water table. You might be surprised by what common household things are toxic.

Pets and Plants as Household Resources
Everything you care for in your household should earn its keep, right back at you. And while I cannot vouch for your spouse or children pulling their weight, your pets and plants will! Here´s how.

Preparing Items For Recycling Centers [offsite link]
This page is specifically aimed at Lansing Michigan recyclers, but it also contains a lot of good information about preparing your items for those who recycle their glass, metal cans, etc.

Reusable Bag Product Review
I recently received some sturdy, reusable bags from ReusableBags.com. Here´s a review for all you reusers: remember, it´s up to all of us to keep the level of plastic bag garbage out of the landfills, and out of the stomachs of our world´s wildlife.

Reuse Dryer Lint
Okay, this is an odd thing to reuse, but since I stumbled across a few ideas, I thought I´d share them here.

Reuse Dryer Lint
Okay, this is an odd thing to reuse, but since I stumbled across a few ideas, I thought I´d share them here.

Reuse Soap Slivers
What ARE good uses for those tiny little hotel soaps? My simple living perspective doesn´t like the idea of just throwing them away.

Reuse Soap Slivers
What ARE good uses for those tiny little hotel soaps? My simple living perspective doesn´t like the idea of just throwing them away.

Reuse Your Leftovers
Read this great article from the Home Finance editor, about ways to make magic with your leftover food. Now you can have less waste, less gargage to throw in landfills, and can learn to extend your food budget in creative ways!

Reusing Dirty Aquarium Water - from fish waste to nutrients
People always notice how healthy, green and shiny my plants are. While partly it´s a firm knowledge of how to raise plants, my main secret is the fish water. That dirty, icky, smelly water is pure nutrient nirvana for your plants - both inside the house and out.

RotWeb [offsite link]
A site titled "RotWeb" is of course all about composting! Here you´ll find a lot of good information gathered together into one handy site.

Salvage Style – Something for Nothing
I admit it – I’m drawn to people’s trash. Shameless? Well, not really. I see rescuing perfectly good furniture and housewares as a service: I’m recycling.

The Many Uses of Dryer Sheets
One of the unbiquitous emails floating around offers alternative uses for used Bounce laundry sheets.

The Simple R's of Living Simply
Reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, return - a guide to more ecological shopping

Using Compost In Your Landscaping
It´s one thing to know how to make compost. It´s another thing to know what to do with it after you make it. This guide helps you use it to enhance your existing landscaping.

Links marked with the [offsite link] designation point to websites not associated with BellaOnline.com. BellaOnline.com is not responsible for the material found there.

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