As a family, there are so many way for us to teach our children how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle...

SAVE ENERGY

• Reduce your carbon footprint! Try to group your errands together so you spend less time in the car. Put together carpools for driving to school and sports. Leaving your car at home twice a week can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600 pounds per year. 
• Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room.
• Don't idle! Remind your school system to turn off bus engines when buses are parked. Exhaust from idling school buses can pollute air in and around the bus, and can enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows.
• eCycle! Take your old electronics (computers, cell phones, DVD players, iPods) to an electronics recycling center. Reusing and recycling materials like copper, gold, and others saves natural resources and reduces mining and processing.

USE WATER EFFICIENTLY

• Make it a full load! Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when it's full. 
• Shower power! A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, but taking a five-minute shower saves water by using 10 to 25 gallons. Limit your showers to less than 10 minutes.
• Fix the leaks! Leaky faucets can waste thousands of gallons of water each year, like money down the drain.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.

REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE

• Avoid buying bottled water but if you do, make sure to refill it at least once. Reuse your water bottle. 
• Bag it! Protect the environment when you shop. Keep reusable bags in your car so they are accessible for all your shopping trips.  If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for trash liners.
• Go paperless. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payments. Cancel your catalogue subscriptions. Get off junk mail lists. GreenDimes can get you started.
• Don't trash it - reuse it! Be creative as you look for new ways to reduce the amount or kinds of household waste. Many can make great supplies for art projects for the kids.
• Travel green! Look for hotels that encourage guests to use less water or energy. Hang up your towels to dry so you can use them again.

CLEAN GREEN... check out this article with great GREEN CLEANING TIPS >