A Keen Shade Of Green
Here's a tip to rule them all: Set the table with organic cloth napkins and give kiddos their own napkin ring to ID theirs at the next meal. Rings keep napkins separate and sanitary so you reuse them a few times before laundering. Save paper, lighten landfill load, and teach kids better eco-habits.
You can save between $200-$350 per year by opting for cloth over paper.
Americans use an average of 2,200 paper napkins per person per year - meaning trees chopped, pulp bleached, and all destined for the trash after one use.
UNVITED GUESTS IN YOUR GARDEN?
Let the gals wearing polka dots put 'em in their place - instead of spraying toxic chems, release ladybugs in your yard to control aphids and other plant-eating insects. These minicarnivores gobble up garden pests - and you don't even need to lift a pinky finger.
A single ladybug can eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.
Insecticides commonly used to kill aphids tend to also kill insects that are good for gardens.
- Kids are more vulnerable than adults per pound to the toxic ingredients in insecticides. Releasing ladybugs is safe and organic.
Lady Bug Attractant - controlled-release packets with an aphid smell that attracts ladybugs already in the area to your garden ($12).