Did you know if you took two minutes off your daily shower, you could save over 1,800 gallons in one year? See how to turn your morning routine into a more eco-conscious one.

Use Less Hot Water

Even if shorter showers aren't in your immediate future (that's where your "me" time is after all!) you can still be an eco-beauty by using less hot water. "Over 90 percent of the energy footprint of a bottle of shampoo is actually from the water in your shower," says Global Sustainability Director for P&G Beauty & Grooming Jenny Rushmore. Use less hot water by either cutting your shower time (even a minute or two makes a difference), or install a low-flow showerhead, which will cut back on your water flow.



Let Your Hair Air Dry

Not only is it good for the environment, it's also good for your hair. If you can, let your hair air-dry for a half hour before using your styling tools to cut back on both heat damage and energy.






Recycle Your Products

You recycle soda cans and plastic water bottles,

By Jaymi Heimbuch, TreeHugger
More from Guest Bloggers blog

(Photo by blakespot via Flickr Creative Commons)

We all have our preferences when it comes to buying and using gadgets. The way we purchase, care for, use, and dispose of our gadgets can vary widely. But when it comes to gadget ownership, it seems as though a few distinct personality types shine through.

Awhile ago we made up two personalities, the Gadget Minimalist and the Gadget Gottahavist, as we took a look at energy savings. But now, we're prying the lid to the can of worms open just a little farther and taking a more detailed look at the styles of electronics consumers.

So it's gut-check time -- which personality type are you, and how green can you get?

The Proud Hoarder

Description: This gadget owner has one of everything ever made for the past couple decades. The reason for hoarding could be varied -- for instance, there's the love-a-project hoarder. They don't get rid of anything but instead know for a fact that someone, at some time in the

No, they're not chocolate. And no, they're not edible -- yet. But Garden Bon Bons are the sweetest garden gift we've ever seen.

Anne Dowell, Moultonology Seasoned gardeners and newbies alike can enjoy a fun, bite-sized project to get things growing as soon as the soil warms in spring. When Seattle landscape architect Anne Dowell first decided to stash a few seed balls in truffle boxes for a garden gift basket, she knew she was onto something.

For centuries, growers have used seed balls to store seeds, ensconced in a ball of compost (to feed the growing plant) and clay (to hold it together and prevent insect damage). Anne makes them by hand, and you can choose either her Italian herb variety or herbal tea collection. Moultonology's Garden Bon Bons herb seed balls. We're also offering Anne's Wine and Chocolates gift set, which packages a set of Garden Bon Bons with four terracotta plant nannies in a galvanized bucket. Her Garden Gift Basket includes a Sussex Trug with your choice of Garden Bon Bons and two stainless steel garden tools from the

By Jenne Joy, Yahoo! Contributor Network

Wind is created by a plethora of environmental variations; from the irregularities of the earth's surface to uneven heating of the atmosphere, combined with the earth's rotation. All of this ensures that the wind will continue to blow, making it a renewable energy. If you're like me, you're probably looking for new and productive ways to be as eco-friendly as possible in your daily life: from recycling to carpooling. So, here's something you might not have considered before--harnessing the power of the wind, and here are five great reasons why.

5. Wind Power Reduces Our Dependency on Foreign Countries

It's true. Wind power is domestic. Unlike coal, oil and even natural gas, it does not need to be imported.

In fact, that's not the only way that wind power reduces our dependency on foreign countries. Investing in wind benefits the economy; jobs are created to install and maintain wind farms. New jobs are created in order to manufacture

I am a green girl. I only buy eco-friendly makeup, I no longer have baggies in my house, use only Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products, unplug all appliances when not being used, do oodles of natural skin care DIY stuff and recycle every single viable thing. Go ahead, call me an eco nazi. I take it as a compliment. (Just like these 24 Celebs Who Are Saving the Earth.) I also take it as a sign that things are moving in the right direction when companies do their share and try to be as green as possible -- and not just because April is Earth Month, but because they realize it's important.

(Daunted by the whole "Go Green" initiative? It's easy. Here's a two-minute guide to green beauty that'll help you ease into it. Go on, you know you want to.)

Recently, there've been lots of eco-friendly additions to the makeup marketplace. Here are some great ones that I'm totally grooving on…

#1: The Body Shop Shower Gels for Earth Lovers, $12

From the inside out, the ingredients in

Since Passover is a Spring holiday, why not to your best to keep it green and bright? Whether you're traveling to be with family or hosting a seder of your own, don't forget to make it healthy and green! There are tons of ways to make this Passover healthy, eco-conscious and delicious!

Let's Start With The Matzah - There are a bunch of options for organic spelt and organic whole-wheat matzah. Like the following:

• Handmade Shmurah Matzah made with 100% certified organic spelt from Matzahonline.com.
• Haddar 18-Minute Organic Spelt Matzah and Matzah Meal from KCKosherCoop.com
• Chicago's Original Organic Matzah. It's made in the U.S. and it's certified organic and free of any GMOs.
• Organic Spelt Matzah from Chabad of greater Dayton

And be sure to keep it green by wrapping your organic matzah in an organic cotton napkin when you hide the afikomen.

Don't Forget The Wine - Go organic as well as kosher! Organic Kosher wines exist and here's the list:

• Yarden

By Kirsten Dirksen
More from ecomii Healthy Living blog

(Photo: Faircompanies.com)

The average size of the American home is shrinking -- it dropped in both 2008 and 2009 after 15 straight years of growth -- but most of us are still living larger than people in the Big Apple. Home size in Manhattan is about half the national average.

One New Yorker has taken her love of frugal living to the extreme. Felice Cohen's apartment measures just 90 square feet, but she doesn't see it as a sacrifice. With such a small space, she pays just $700 to live in a part of town where rents average $3,600 per month.

Her kitchen consists of a toaster oven, hot pot, and mini fridge, but she claims her backyard is larger than average: "I look out my window, and it's New York City. I mean, that's my backyard. Central Park is a block away. I can go into the park. I have Lincoln Center. I have libraries. I have gyms all over the place. Sometimes, I feel like you're in college, and it's a huge campus, and you can take

natural lighting benefits strategies

Visit the original source at One Green Planet

Natural lighting is an important tool in attaining sustainability. The generation of electricity is one of the largest contributors of pollution in the United States, which produces harmful chemicals such as sulfur dioxide, carbon and mercury emissions. Production of electric power can also be linked with other environmental issues such as the impact on water quality, increased production wastes, and increased industrial zones. Therefore, reduction in the use of artificial lighting is vital. Here are a few strategies you can use, along with the benefits of embracing natural lighting.

Natural Lighting Strategies:

1. Window orientation to maximize the benefits of day-lighting. This strategy aims at utilizing sunlight through the size and location of windows. Day-lighting refers to capturing diffused light without compromising comfort and function. This strategy should also enhance the quality of light, depending on the nature