Ronda Allen's Blog

Do you already know about Earth Hour?  My 13-year-old son told me about it.
Schools, businesses, municipalities, and individuals can all sign up to be a part.  The web URL is:

www.earthhourus.com

Remember to unplug non-essential appliances and turn out the lights. 
What a great time to light the candles and just be with our families. Is this
really a sacrifice?  I'm looking forward to it.  


Have a blessed day!
Ronda



Ronda Allen, Realtor
Certified Purchasing Manager
The Keith Dobbs Team at RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
 

If you are old enough to remember working in offices in the 1980's, there was a big push to go paperless.  We thought computers would replace paper entirely, or at least make a ding in the number of trees we kill.  We've definitely made strides in some ways, But, office productivity is lower due to some of the technology designed to improve it.  We love that new show this season called 'Life on Mars' about the police officer that goes back in time to the 1970's.  Ashtrays in the office.  Piles of paperwork and files on the desks.  Not a computer in sight.  Microfilm.  Mimeograph machines.  We roll on the floor laughing because it's so realistic!  Our 13-year old is appalled by the hairstyles, but thinks the clothing and the music were really cool.  It's a great way to show him just how far we have come in such a short time. 

Green living seems to be everywhere these days.  Every home builder touts how 'green' they build.  But, building a home isn't green.  It's the opposite of green.  And, the average homeowner seems confused as to how to go green with their current home.  Cities are giving recycle bins, but you drive down the street on trash day and don't see many of them out.  We talk about reducing our carbon footprint, but then we put on so many strings of holiday lights that you can see the house from space.

Builders and building code have made great strides in making homes energy efficient.  But, let's not wrap up everything into one big undefinable 'green' category that gets so watered-down that it isn't anything more than a vague philosophy.  Green takes action.  Green takes sacrifice. 

In our house, there are certain rules that we've implemented this year that took some getting used to.  But, we've reduced our carbon footprint and our utility bills dramatically.  Our home is 3525 square feet and built in 2006.  The latest gas bill was $32.00 and electric ran $123.00.  I smiled when I opened that bill, and I thanked my Husband and son for helping to bring it in so low.  I also took them to lunch and a movie, because you have to reward yourself for good work.  I hope this list gives you a starting place and you'll take a few minutes to add to the string with your own ideas:

1. If you aren't using it right now, unplug it.  This applies to the coffee pot, toaster, lamps, hair dryer, exercise equipment, camera and cell phone chargers.  Anything plugged in that you aren't currently using is still pulling electric current.  Unplug it until you need it.
2. Don't touch the thermostat.  We're set at 62 in the Winter, 82  in the Summer, and we try to find 4 months during the year where we can turn the HVAC system off.  
3. Open the blinds during the day.  There is no reason to turn on an overhead light or a lamp if you have enough daylight.  One of the best things about Texas is that our home are light, bright, and open.  Breaking a habit of flipping on lights is a tough one to break, but it can be done.
4. Replace the exterior holiday lighting with other forms of decoration.  This year, we put out wreaths instead.  I started feeling guilty about exterior holiday lighting a couple of years ago.  I moved off the roofline and just did the landscaping last year.  This year, we didn't even do that.  And, my 13-year old is proud that we're not wasting electricity.  
5. Think up other uses for items you are about to throw out.  Probably our strangest one is that we save milk jugs in October to throw under the pool cover at my Dad's house.  That way, if the pool ices over in Winter weather, the milk jugs will break rather than the sides of the swimming pool getting damaged.  My Mother asked last year for all the burnt out lightbulbs at my siblings homes.  That was an odd request, and she didn't say why she needed them.  She made Christmas ornaments out of them - and so now these little burnt out lightbulbs are priceless to me!  If you can re-use something just once before tossing it out, you've done a good thing.  

Have a great day and please add your ideas.   

If you are one of those families, like mine, that come home from work in the Winter, have dinner and then sit in the family room until bedtime, you will benefit from this tip shared with me years ago by my parents.  You can make a room much more comfortable in the Winter, without adjusting the thermostat, just by doing these three things:
1. Increase the wattage of your light bulbs in the Winter in the family room and in the bedrooms.  The brighter light will ward off the Winter blahs and keep you from feeling that it's late at night when it's really just 7pm.  Not only that, but there is heat eminating from those bulbs that will take the chill off a room.  We turn on the lights and turn down the bed half an hour before bedtime, thus avoiding slipping into chilly sheets.  Go back to lower watt bulbs in Spring.  
2. Light candles.  The glow of the candles makes you feel warm. It's cozy.  Don't spend a fortune on candles.  Look for long-life candles.  A white emergency candle is a beautiful solid white candle with over 150 hours of burn time.  We get those for less than $5 each.
3. Dress for the weather.  We don't get much opportunity to wear bulky sweaters in Texas.  Hit the thrift stores for some vintage sweater shopping.  We make a day of thrift shopping with every season.  It's a fun way to pick up casual t-shirts for Summer and sweaters for Winter.  We sort through our closets for clothes we don't wear any longer, donate those, and then reward ourselves with a run through the racks for something fun.  Keep the cycle going.  In this economy, vintage shopping is a great way to freshen up your closet without breaking the budget.  I grew up in California, where vintage shopping and swap meets were all the rage and a great way for the family to spend together on the weekend.  Even my son likes to hit the racks in search of a treasure. If you live in the Dallas area, Denton Thrift over by the University of North Texas is a great stop for finding stylish clothes for middle school and high school kids who want to emulate the college students.    

   
        

Green living isn't complicated.  But, it takes a mental shift and an awareness of what you are doing in the moment that can have a negative impact on the environment.  It can start very simply.  If composting isn't your thing, skip it.  You don't have to go DARK GREEN, as they call it.  That takes a whole lot of dedication, and unless you are Ed Begley, Jr., or Bill Nye-The Science Guy, you may not even have the resources to do so.  Do the things you know you will do.  Stick to them. Teach your family about it. Teach your extended family about it.  Tell your neighbors and coworkers.  Individually, we can make a difference.  It might just be a small amount in our own wallets that actually stays there at the end of the month. Wouldn't that be nice in today's economy?  Here are a few ideas you can do today to start going green:
1. Turn off your interior lighting in the daytime if you can get around your home with just daylight streaming through your windows.
2. Adjust that thermostat.  Start with just a few degrees and find your comfort zone. 
3. Unplug unnecessary electrical appliances when not in use.  Turn off the computer when you are done using it for the day. 
4. Install a rain gauge on your sprinkler system so that they won't run on a rainy day.  Even better - turn the system off if Mother Nature is going to do the watering for you in the next 3-5 days.  Push potted plants out into the yard during rains, and maybe a big bucket, too, to bathe the dog. 
5. Don't use your exterior lights every night, just because you are home. 
6. Reduce the length of your showers by 2 minutes.  Pretend you overslept. Get in, get done, and get out. 
7. Change your air filters in the A/C system at least every 3 months, even better if done monthly if someone in the home suffers from allergies.  Clean filters help the A/C system run more effectively.
8. Cook 2-3 meals instead of just 1 when you turn on your oven. Cook in the mornings when the house is cooler. 
9. Start a campaign to stop using for sale signs in your community.  Think about the delivery of signage all across the community to install, repair, replace, or remove a sign. Some parts of the country have already stopped using them.  We have technology today that produces so many more qualified buyers than a sign does.  The high-tech agent does not need a sign in the yard to sell a home.  
10. As you consider making cosmetic changes to your home, make a conscious effort to investigate recycled or easily renewable resources.  If you need help finding resources for these products, call your Realtor. Even if they aren't into the green movement personally, I bet they know an agent who considers themselves a green living enthusiast.  There are also green builders, who go out of their way to build and or modify homes with green living in mind.  

If every Realtor made just one of these changes, that's 1 million people doing less harm. Now, tell 10 of your favorite clients.  Wow!  The positive impact we can have is phenomenal.  Have a great day!