Most people carefully watch their time and money, making sure neither are wasted on unnecessary activities or expenses.  In an effort to be more green, why not also consider how your home's energy is used and how to prevent it, too, from being wasted?

Follow these energy-saving tips from Sally Morse, Director of Creative Services for Hunter Douglas, the leading name in custom window fashions, to conserve your home's resources and your pocketbook as well.

1.    Go Green, Literally

Saving energy in your home isn’t entirely based on adjustments made in the home but also changing what is outside of it.  To cut down on utility bills, get a green thumb and strategically update your landscaping.  A natural and beautiful addition, plant deciduous trees on the south and east sides of the house and evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west to provide shade and act as a windbreaker.

Well-positioned landscaping can save up to 25 percent of your home's energy a typical household uses for heating and cooling according to the world-renowned Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Vermont Soap has expanded its collection of the nation’s first certified organic foaming hand soaps with the launch of Tea Tree Mint Foaming Hand Soap.  The new, certified organic foaming hand soap combines the legendary power of Tea Tree Oil with the fresh scent of American grown Peppermint Oil to deliver a healthier alternative to the petrochemical-based germ fighting products prevalent in the marketplace.  It is safe and non-toxic for all living things, except germs.

"With contagious bugs in the news, doctors are recommending that we wash our hands more often and thoroughly," says Larry Plesent, the founder of Vermont Soap.  "Our new Tea Tree Foaming Hand Soap features organic oils that help people fight germs without wrecking their hands and skin," adds Plesent.

It has never been easier to enjoy a luxurious and creamy soap lather.  A quick pump of the hi-tech "foamer" device aerates organic liquid castile soap into a frothy handful of foam.  The all-natural foaming process, which pumps the soap through a series of tiny screens and mixes it with air, is all-natural and does not use any propellants or chemicals.

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As a mom, I feel it's my job to do my best to keep my family safe and healthy.  Carefully reading food labels in order to eliminate harmful toxins from our diets, like trans-fats and artificial dyes, is something I've been doing for years, but I never considered reading the labels on our household cleaning products before.

So when I learned about the new Get Clean products from Shaklee, I was more than ready to take the green cleaning challenge to see what's really going on underneath my kitchen sink.  Needless to say, I was shocked at what I discovered.  Keep reading to learn more!

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Well, it's that annual time of the year when I don my gym shoes and newest pair of athletic pants in an attempt to win the battle of the last 10-15 pounds.  It seems that I've been fighting this battle religiously since having Riley and I've found that my biggest deterrent to actually losing this weight is my inability to stick to a regular exercise routine.  For me, I'm just so drained throughout the day and it takes more energy than I have to get going to the gym.

Once I'm there, life is good and I'm proud of myself for having made it there to work out.  But every day the struggle to get off the couch begins anew.  If only there were a way to get that much-needed energy boost without adding a ton of sugar, caffeine and undo calories to the equation.  Now, thanks to Phix, my prayers just might be answered.  Keep reading to learn more!

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Conscious consumers are everywhere.  There are now a growing number of conscious companies as well, such as SLOWCOLOR.  Their mission is simple: to clothe the world in beauty, health and responsibility.

SLOWCOLOR's hope is to inspire people to change how they think about clothing and realize that our choices have a real impact on the lives of people around the world.  They believe they’re not alone in their commitment to become more conscious consumers either -- that’s why they created SLOWCOLOR.

The beautiful, fair-trade clothing they offer is environmentally sustainable and created by handloom weavers of India who receive a life-changing living wage.  At SLOWCOLOR, they are committed to preserving the weaving and natural-dyeing traditions around the world.  Keep reading to learn more!

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It's delightful to see that we as consumers are becoming more educated about the current plight of our planet.  For far too long, we've treated the Earth like it had an unlimited supply of bounty to give us.  Now, we're quickly learning that if we don't do our part to be more considerate and caring to Mother Earth, we might all go down in flames together.

The Ultimate Green Store makes it easy to support a more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious lifestyle through our purchases.  They carry products from many of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers of sustainable, natural, organic, recycled, eco-friendly goods- products that are made with your health and the health of our planet in mind.  I recently had the chance to review the Solio BOLT Solar Charger.  Keep reading to learn more!

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