Second Nature

From the day my baby has been born, my husband and I have wanted to minimize harmful products that he comes in contact with. We also wanted to be conscious about how our decisions affected the environment. Diapers are such an important thing to decide on and we choose to go the cloth diaper route and supplement with chlorine free disposable diapers to help protect his precious skin. We did some research and chose Seventh Generations Chlorine Free Diapers.

The diapers are FREE of chlorine processing; they are also FREE of fragrances, latex and petroleum-based lotions, so you get to decide what touches your baby’s sensitive skin.  Another cool thing is that the diaper’s core has been redesigned so that is more efficient at absorption and uses less processed chlorine free wood pulp = better for the environment than traditional disposable diapers.

I highly recommend these chlorine free diapers and they have been working great for the last three months!

Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

When I was a kid, I used to make fun of my younger sister whom would wear multiple layers of clothes inside our home topped with an oh so sexy ski jacket. Now, the older I get and the more work I do from home, the more I find myself wearing layers inside. Maybe she was onto something? I feel wearing layers provides not only comfort (ever try to nap without a blanket?!?) but also a greener way of heating. Heating a home for one person is a horrible game plan; heating your home while the whole family is present should be the goal.

I enjoyed reading this article from Treehugger.com about how to heat your home and home office. Since I work out of my home office during the day, I find myself cold and warm both in the same day and really agreed with what the blogger said in his article. My favorite thing from the article was the blogger’s point to “Wear Your Bloody Gloves!” aka put on some more clothes!

Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

McMansions were part of the “American Dream” not more than 10 years ago. What has happened?

Now homeowners are looking for smaller, more practical homes which emphasize dual-use living spaces, age-in-place features such as main level master bedrooms and fewer detached rooms. The average Joe wants a larger kitchen area which opens to the living room or dining area.

In this article by MyNorthwest.com the reporter speaks with big-time home builder John Buchan Homes to get their perspective.

Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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Check out this free webinar offered by GreenExpo365:

13% of home energy is used by home appliances. Help your home owners by offering the best products to meet their needs and budget, while still providing energy saving solutions. Former Editor-In-Chief of Appliance Magazine, Lisa Bonnema provides an insider’s view of products and what features to take into consideration when looking for energy savings, certification point allocation, and a look into the future of refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, and cooking appliances (do you know which one of these is the single biggest power user?).

(Duration: 35 minutes)

For the webinar, please click HERE.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

I received these interesting factoids from Erie Insurance and wanted to share them with you.  What’s stopping you from making a small lifestyle change when the payoff is so big?

3 trillion. Gallons of water that can be saved each year if every household installed water-efficient appliances.

3. The number of hours your television can run on the energy saved by recycling just one aluminum can.

20. The number of trees that can be saved by recycling one ton of paper.

14,000. Gallons of water that can be saved per year by upgrading to a 1.6 gallon or less toilet.

2,738. Gallons of water saved by cutting your shower from 8 minutes to 5 minutes.

75. Percentage of energy that can be saved by using Energy Star Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) compared to standard incandescent bulbs.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™