So, we did it! We made our first major energy efficiency investment by purchasing new windows for our home… and despite having spent some cash, I’m actually very excited.
Home heating can account for approximately 27% of our carbon footprint and 25% of a home’s heat escapes through windows… pretty significant, I’d say. Our installation technician told us that he’s had customers that literally saved half on their home heating bill after installing new windows. Sure, the windows that had to be replaced were probably a disaster(!) but I’m excited to see what kind of savings are in store for us. It’s hard to forget that heating bill of $533 not so long ago.
We always put the most productive heating and cooling tips in place, (for my best home cooling tips click here or my best home heating tips click here) but I believe this is the final significant step of putting it all into place. The windows are Energy Star, Argon-filled, Double Glazed Low E glass and although those are a lot of fancy-schmancy terms, their combined definition is “efficiency!”
With the tax credit we’ll receive and projected annual heating and cooling savings, I’ve figured that the windows should pay for themselves in about five years. In addition, we purchased from a local owned and operated manufacturer so a minimal footprint was created to get those windows as well. I’m feeling mighty green today!
So, have you ever made a major replacement to “conserve”? What was the result? I’d love to know!



Ahh… laundry day. It’s looming in the MGG household and it happens to be one of my least favorite of mom-duties. (I’m fine with the washing/drying part but I deeply dislike the putting-away part!)
You should also occasionally “deep clean” the screen, the trap and the tubing. Scrub the screen with a soft brush, mild soap and water (because there is build-up, I assure you, even if you’ve removed the fuzzy!). Use your vacuum cleaner extension tool or long skinny brush to give a good cleaning inside the trap area. And don’t forget the vent tube… remove it from the back of the dryer and clean out any lint or obstruction. After you’ve done this, run the dryer on air fluff for about 10 minutes to clear out anything that remains.
Some people find comfort in ironing… I happen not to be one of those people. But who hasn’t pulled something out of a closet or drawer and thought “okay, if I wear this ‘as is’, someone will think I slept in it!”
Sometimes it’s easy to get so consumed with planning and preparing for a vacation that we forget about the home we’re leaving behind.
While my family and I have been enjoying the weekly produce from
This weekend’s weather in Cleveland was sweltering… fortunately we didn’t reach the magnitude of 
I’ve evaluated hand washing vs. using the dishwasher and found, overwhelmingly, that (if you have one) 
Once again the Mom Goes Green household proudly participated in 
I loved being a part of Earth Hour again this year. It “moves me”… what can I say!? Now I’m also excited to see how many students from our daughter’s school participated. Last week I sent home a notice with all 402 of them(!) announcing Earth Hour and, if they sign the pledge that says they participated, some of them will be randomly selected to win an eco-prize reward including BPA-free water bottles, pencils made from recycled newspapers and
Have you marked your calendar? This Saturday, March 27th, 2010, from 8:30-9:30 pm is Earth Hour! 
If you’re reading this you probably have a computer and chances are, you use it often…