9/22/11

If you're a serious baker, you may want to ignore this tip. Preheating an oven to make most casseroles, pizzas and other dishes is unnecessary and simply wastes energy. The only time preheating can affect a recipe is when making things like breads and pastries. So, ignore the cookbooks and save a little energy the next time you feel like whipping something up.

9/21/11

An easy way to teach kids how to be greener is to have recycling bins right in their own classroom. Find out if their school has a recycling bin and, if not, purchase inexpensive ones from your local hardware store. You and the other parents can share collection duties and take the materials home to recycle, making it easy on the school and teachers involved.

9/20/11

If you don't have time to host a clothing-swap party with other parents to trade your kids' clothes, use the web to make it happen. The trading site ThredUp.com lets you swap your kids' clothes and toys and exchange them for items you like. It's this simple: Pick a box of items you like, pay $5 (plus shipping), prepare a box of items that no longer fit your child, and send it for free when someone picks your box. Go to www.thredup.com for more information.