Earth Day!

We are hearing more and more a big push to go green. To live with less, to bring balance back to our lives and world after the past decade of excess & living in a disposable society.

OK, I'm game. Now what? Think baby steps to a bigger change in your life and the world around you.

Learning the three R's of the millennium. No, I'm not talking reading, 'riting, and 'rethmetic. The three R's for the new millennium are Reduce, Recycle, Reuse!

Take a look at your space and armed with your three R's think of ways to make simple everyday changes that you can live with.


Tips you can use now:

1. Stainless steel water bottles - ditch the plastic. You will save money and lessen the burden on landfills.

2. Electric Shavers - Using an electric shaver again saves money & reduces our landfills.

3. Reusable shopping bags - Most of us have at least one now in our closets or pantries - now we need to think ahead & take them with us!

4. Donate - Take stock of your out of date, too small or unworn clothing and donate it! Take the tax write off and give to a good cause. It's a win, win situation. Don't overlook other household items that can be put to good use by others. Toys, kitchenware, small appliances that still work but you may have updated can all be donated and reused by someone else.

5. Use washable kitchen towels - when wiping the counters and table tops use kitchen cloths - not paper towels. There will be times when you need a paper towel but with a conscious effort you can cut the use of paper towels by 50%!

6. Compost - yes, most of those table scraps can be used in your flower beds or kitchen garden instead of added to the landfill. You will save money on store bought compost and have a nutrient rich alternative for your gardens.

7. Recycle - if you don't have a recycle spot it is as easy as setting up a plastic bin or a heavy cardboard box. Let the family know what goes where - plastic, glass and/or paper.  Some companies will pick up all items together and separate after pick up. Find out what services you have in your area.

8. Light bulbs - replace your light bulbs as they burn out with compact florescent. They will last longer & use less energy!

9. Re-purpose/Re-define - No longer use that dining room - take your table and re-purpose it into a family desk or sell it and re-define the space into a family game room.  Look at your home and figure out how to get the most use out of each room so that it works for your lifestyle today.

10. Adjust - by adjusting your thermostat by 2 degrees you will save a lot of money on your energy bill. Turning a fan on when a room is in use will keep things comfortable and still give your electric bill a break.


These are a few tips we try to incorporate in our home - baby steps by each person will make a huge impact on our earth!

New Year....look for the savings!

Wow, it's 2010!  Time for reflection and evaluation.  It's a great time to look towards your home and see where you can save!  The economy continues to be tight and every little bit makes a difference.

If you have not taken the time to visit your local county tax office to homestead your house this is the time to do it!  A few minutes of your time can give you a return savings that is offered to Texas residents for claiming their primary residence as their homestead.  Continuing with that thought while you are there ask where the county appraisal office is and check your home appraised value.  This is what the county uses to assess your taxes.  These rates are often inflated values and if left uncontested they will stay at a high rate.  If your home value is higher than area homes in your neighborhood are selling for ask for a form to contest the rate.  This may take a little follow up but it is worth the savings!

Other home savings can be found in further efforts to stop those heating & cooling leaks!!  Energy bills are at all time highs.  Check the door seals, install insulation in the outlet covers for all outside walls, check your insulation levels in the attic, replace ordinary roof vents with turbine vents, make sure the roofline air flow soffits are not blocked.  Consider installing storm doors.  Keep those receipts for all energy updates, the government is allowing many tax breaks for improvements that create better energy effiecency and greener living.  That is a double savings and worth it in my book!

What cost savings have you found worth it? 

Honeysuckle Estates is getting more positive press!

A neighborhood that was taken from ghost town to a vibrant oasis!  That is part of what staff writer Rebecca Hertz wrote in yesterday's edition of the Waxahachie Daily Light, Sunday, Jan. 17th copy of the paper.  The article features three of our neighbors and highlights the beginning, middle and latest homes purchased during the course of all the fraud, squatters and scams that originally plauged this upscale neighborhood.  The article goes on to highlight the changes and work that has gone into our great neighborhood to turn it into a really great neighborhood and the vision of what it should have been from the beginning!

Take time to get a copy of the paper and read up on the good things happening here!
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/01/18/news/doc4b529a355b8d1523291772.txt



***Other news around town:

Baseball signups & registration begins for the Waxahachie Youth Baseball leagues.

ECMG Scholarship (Ellis County Master Gardeners) is offering a scholarship fund available in 2010 for
students pursuing studies in horticulture.

Chili Cook-Off - Ellis County Expo Center Feb 5th-7th, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (972) 937-1870 for info

COMMUNITY MEETING SCHEDULED The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), at the request of Midlothian area residents, will conduct an informational meeting about ATSDR's approach to looking at environmental health concerns related to air quality in the Midlothian area. The community meeting will be held Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Midlothian Conference Center, Bluebonnet Room 1 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.