By Heather Johnson

Can you really expect your children to prefer washing the dishes instead of tossing out harmful plastic-ware? Will your newborn notice the difference between organic onesies and non-organic clothes? Thankfully, raising your kids to be environmentally conscious is getting easier, more affordable, and more rational, thanks to kid-friendly educational websites, online games, special TV programs, networking events, and youth conservation groups that inspire kids to save the environment. Find 100 of the best tips and resources here.

Understanding the Environment

Check below for kid-focused articles, interactive websites and other fun resources that introduce kids to the environment.

1. Understanding the Human Impact: The Save a Snowman group helps kids understand the real human impact on the environment.
2. The Green Squad: School-aged children will learn how their school affects their health and the environment. The Green Squad shares ways to investigate their school’s safety rating according to an Enviro-O-Meter and more.
3. TreePeople: TreePeople specifically serves school children and the communities in the Los Angeles, CA, area, but anyone can benefit from their website, which has resources, tips and event planning ideas for planting trees and finding solutions for urban ecosystem problems.
4. Volunteering: Helping the Environment: PBS Go! asks kids, "Do you love your mother…Mother Earth that is?" Find reasons and tips to take care of the planet here.
5. Discovering the Oasis: This interactive site challenges kids to discover an ecosystem near them and report back by answering questions about what kind of environment they visited, what animals and insects they saw and more.
6. Just for Kids: The University of Illinois sponsors this website, full of games and interactive pages that let kids explore their environment, from insects to plants to planting a garden.
7. The Nature Conservancy Fun Stuff: From nature e-cards to conservation quizzes to slideshows, videos and audiochats about different ecosystems, this page is a great resources for introducing your kids to the environment.
8. A Bigger Splash: This Splash Zone from the Monterey Bay Aquarium is designed to help "children forge a lifelong love for the oceans." They can play in the interactive Coral Reef Kingdom look at pictures from the Enchanted Kelp Forest and more.
9. EPA Environmental Kids Club: The Game Room at the EPA Environmental Kids Club lists "a bunch of games that will help [kids] learn about the environment and have some fun at the same time."
10. EEK! Environmental Education for Kids: Let your kids play around this site to learn about the planet, animals, and more.

Infants and Toddlers

Start raising your kids to be environmentally conscious when they’re babies, and pursuing an organic lifestyle will come natural to them.

11. Organic Baby Food: According to this article on Good Green Fun, "making your own [baby food] is cheaper and safer." Learn how to make your own baby food in this post.
12. Green books series: The Green Eaters: This series of green books for toddlers focuses on five farm animals.
13. Chapter One Organics: The Green Eaters author also designs this organic clothing line for babies.
14. Wholesome Baby Food: Check out this website for wholesome menu ideas for babies from 4 months to 12 months.
15. 10 Ways to Raise a Green Baby: Ecostreet lists ten ways you can raise a green baby, from breastfeeding to using reusable diapers.
16. Cutting Down on Plastic Toys, Gizmos and Doodads: This author knows that when you have a baby, it’s hard to spend the time and money searching for Earth-friendly toys and "gizmos." Read her tips for cutting back here.
17. How to Raise a Green Baby: The LifeScript Connect Network shares "natural and organic choices for your baby" in this article.
18. Are Organic Baby Clothes Necessary?: Check out this post to find out if all the hype over organic baby clothes is really worth it.
19. Phthalates in Baby Care Products: How to Avoid Toxins Without Losing Your Mind: Reduce harmful toxins in baby care products by following these tips.
20. Hazel Wood Children: This online shop specializes in "environmentally conscious products for infants, children and parents," from clothing to furniture to bedding to skincare.

Nutrition

Part of raising an environmentally conscious child is getting them to eat healthy foods, especially all-natural or organic meals. Look to these sources for kid-friendly options that are tasty as well as Earth-friendly.

21. Chocolate Dreams: Chocolate That’s Good for People and the Earth: Most kids adore chocolate, but some chocolate comes from harmful sources that rely on excessive chemicals or even slave labor to work in chocolate fields. Use this guide to find out which chocolate is good for your family and other communities.
22. Make Smart Seafood Choices: The Monterey Bay Aquarium helps eco-smart parents make decisions about picking out ocean-friendly seafood.
23. The Best (and Worst) Products for Making Baby Food: From the potato masher to the mini food mill, find out which tools are best for making your own baby food.
24. Granola Chic: Granola Chic publishes lots of kid-friendly recipes that are also organic, natural and/or raw-based.
25. Organic and Other Environmentally Friendly Foods: Turn to this guide to help you understand the meaning of organic foods, sustainable foods and other natural, Fair Trade or grass-fed foods.

Cleaning Products

Be a green example for your kids by making your own cleaning products and getting creative when doing your household chores.

26. Controlling Mold Without Toxic Chemicals: A moldy house can result in a harmful environment for your kids. Get rid of mold without adding toxins to your air with the tips presented in this article.
27. How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit: This guide from the Care2 website shows green moms how to make oven cleaner, window cleaner, furniture polish and other non-toxic household cleaners.

Medicine and Health

Understand how the environment and your kids’ health are intertwined with the help of these resources and guides.

28. Ozone, Air Quality and Asthma: KidsHealth.org helps parents and kids understand how the ozone and air quality affects asthma.
29. Eczema Rise in Kids Worldwide: Is There an Environmental Connection?: This article questions the rise in kids with eczema, and lists several factors that can contribute to or worsen symptoms.
30. Herbal Medicine and Children’s Health: This resources is especially helpful for parents of young children, who can’t take over-the-counter meds to help ease their symptoms.

Special Activities

From starting eco-friendly holiday traditions to planting trees, these special activities will keep kids interested in saving the environment.

31. ZOOM Into Action: This organization partners with local PBS stations to inspire kids to volunteer, recycle, and let other kids know how they’re helping save the environment.
32. Sierra Club Action Center: The Sierra Club’s Action Center website lists current projects like the Help Save the Polar Bear plea. Check back often to find ways your kids can make a difference in legislation, saving the animals, or just learning more about energy and the environment.
33. Plant a tree: School kids have been planting trees on Arbor Day for decades. Make it a family event to plant a tree each month or year in yard, a friend’s yard, or anywhere that’s practical (and legal).
34. 5 Ideas for Eco-Friendly Holidays: Show your kids that the holidays aren’t an exception to green living. This quick guide has tips for keeping the holidays fun and eco-friendly.
35. Visit the zoo or aquarium: Getting to see animals from around the world in replicas of their natural habitat will give kids a better idea of how ecosystems affect one another.
36. Throw an organic birthday party: Bake an organic cake or batch of cupcakes following one of these economical recipes.
37. Visit your local farmer’s market: Visit your local farmer’s market to give kids a chance to talk to the farmers and gardeners who grow their own food. It’s also way more fun than going to the grocery store.
38. Take a drive out to the country: If your family lives in the big city, take your kids on a vacation or just a drive through the countryside. If they’ve never been exposed to nature, they won’t understand how or why to appreciate it.

Tips

Get your kids to go green early by following these Earth-friendly tips.

39. Recycle: One of the easiest ways to get kids to make a difference is to recycle. Set up an extra recycling container next to the trash can for empty soda cans, old papers and plastic.
40. Carpool: Save gas and the environment by taking turns driving the kids on your block to school or practice.
41. Write on both sides of the paper: When your child gets a new notebook or coloring book, encourage them to write on both sides of the paper so it’ll last longer and waste less paper.
42. Get political: If your child feels strongly about a particular issue, help them write a letter to your Congressman or U.S. Representative. You’ll not only promote environmental advocacy, but your child’s participation in the political process as well.
43. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth: Ask your kids to turn off the water when they brush their teeth to cut down on water consumption.
44. Make a birdhouse: Offset urban and suburban development by giving the birds a place to live. Making a birdhouse is a fun activity for kids too.
45. Ride bikes: If you have to run a short errand to the corner store, ride your bikes or strap on roller blades instead of jumping in the gas guzzling, air polluting SUV.
46. Grow your own vegetables: Kids might be more likely to eat their vegetables if they grow them themselves. You’ll also help cut down on the harmful mass packaging and transportation it takes to deliver goods to the grocery store.
47. Make book covers out of recyclable materials: This guide suggests that kids use paper grocery bags and old newspapers to make book covers instead of buying ready-made ones at the store.
48. Be aware of watering rules: Make sure you only water your yard on assigned days, if your city has a shortage.

Toys, Arts and Crafts

These fun activities are eco-friendly and promote environmental awareness.

49. Zen Design Group: The Zen Design Group designs and manufactures fun, engaging, good-for-the-environment toys for kids.
50. Artists Helping Children: This list of resources from Artists Helping Children has online interactive coloring books, homemade art supplies recipes and more arts and crafts ideas, some of which are green, and others are not.
51. Water Filter: Kids learn how to make their own recycling water filter in this quick guide.
52. Send Nature Ecards: Letting your child pick out nature-oriented ecards for special days is fun and good for the environment. Plus, they’re all free.
53. Monterey Bay Aquarium Learning Activities: Even if you don’t live near the Bay Area, you can introduce your kids to the animals and sea life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This page has printable coloring pages, online games and more fun facts about oceanic ecosystems.
54. Discovering Outdoors Sheets: Projects on this site include bird watching, building a nest box, and growing plants without seeds.
55. Organic Crafts: Kimberly Monaghan posts 75 different Earth-friendly arts and crafts activities for kids of all ages.
56. Art from Recycled Materials: Kids will enjoy turning everyday items like coffee can drums and coasters into art items.
57. Green Crafts: Find organic and Earth-friendly art activities here.
58. Ten Green Toys for 2008: This list of ten green toys, including Fair Trade footballs and a bamboo xylophone, are safe and fun for kids.

Articles and Guides

These articles and guides have tips for parents, as well as fun games for kids that promote an eco-conscious lifestyle.

59. 50 Ways to Save the Environment: The Kids Corner at JustGive.org lists 50 ways for kids to save the environment, from promoting conservation at home, in the yard and at the store.
60. Recycle City: The EPA’s kids’ site introduces children to recycling here.
61. Bindi The Jungle Girl: Steve Irwin’s daughter Bindi has her own show on Discovery Kids, and a website with games, videos and photos that teach kids about respecting animals and the environment.
62. Bringing Up Green Baby: This how-to guide has tips for raising green babies and older kids too.
63. Green Mom Guilt: This post helps guilt-ridden moms feel better about juggling their motherhood instincts and their environmentally-conscious lifestyles.
64. Tree Hugging Family Browse posts about Earth Day, eco clothing, organic cooking, and eco youth on Tree Hugging Family.
65. Mindful Momma: Find out what the Mindful Momma has to say about raising kids to be environmentally conscious.
66. The Green Mommy: This green mommy blogs about consumerism, raising her son to be environmentally conscious and more.
67. Eco Baby Blog: Find out everything you need to know about prenatal vitamins, harmful chemicals, children’s books about the environment, environmentally friendly products and more.
68. Be a Green Kid: If your child wants some advice on what he or she can do to make a difference, direct them to this guide at KidsHealth.org.
69. Can We Build It? : Turn your little kids on to Bob the Builder, if they’re not watching him already. According to RiverWired, Bob is "America’s greenest builder" and takes on projects that use solar panels and hay bales to increase insulation the natural way.
70. Discovering the Oasis: More Resources: This page lists books about recycling, endangered animals and other environmental subjects for kids of every age group.

Games and Interactive Websites

These online games give kids the chance to have fun while learning important facts about the environment.

71. Inspiring Kids Making a Difference: Kids will be inspired when they read about what other kids their age are doing to help animals, other children, and the environment.
72. Eco Child’s Play: This blog is devoted to sharing green finds, from organic toys to kids’ books about the environment to green holiday ideas.
73. Natural Family Online: This website gives tips, resources and products to promote "whole living for the whole family."
74. Kids’ Planet: Kids’ Planet is a colorful, interactive website that encourages kids to be "defenders of wildlife."
75. The Big Blue Bus: This website teaches kids about water consumption, different marine ecosystems, and more through games, a Water Wizards Club and more.
76. Nature Challenge for Kids: Kids take 10 challenges with tour guide David Suzuki to protect nature.
77. Kids Go Wild: Kids Go Wild! is sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society and includes fun facts about wildlife, an arcade with different games and more.
78. TMWA Academy: The Aqua Academy has facts, games, science guides and more fun stuff about water, organized for kids in grades K-3, 4-6, and 7-12. There’s also a special section for teachers.
79. My First Garden: This "guide to the world of fun and clever gardening" has a garden gallery, tutorials explaining gardening basics and more.
80. Kids Saving Energy: Kids can play games and learn about renewable energy on this interactive site.
81. NRDC Kids’ Links: Visit this page for even more websites, games and resources for kids interested in energy, air pollution, conserving water, protecting wildlife, and preserving the environment.

Networks

Make protecting the environment a fun way for your kids to make new friends and feel like they are part of a big movement. Read below to find information on eco-driven movements kids can join.

82. Earth Force: Earth Force is a network of youth who care about saving the environment. The site has lots of "tools for teachers," as well as a list of local offices around the country, and a list of programs, like Earth Force After School.
83. Earth Day Network: Encourage your kids to join the Earth Day Network, or get the whole family to sign up. You’ll find a list of programs held throughout the year, as well as basic information on how to promote Earth Day ideals everyday.
84. Save a Snowman: Save a Snowman is a nonprofit group promoting "a fun, positive approach to solving the climate crisis." Kids can adopt a snowman, and parents can sponsor a family or raise money at work.
85. Ocean Action Team: Join the Ocean Action team, sponsored by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, to get your kids involved in saving the natural habitats of whales, sea otters and other sea life. This page also has quizzes, volunteer information and more.
86. Care2: Care2 is a popular social networking sites for environmentalists. Encourage your teenager to join, or set up your own profile on behalf of the whole family.
87. The Environment Site: The Environment Site has its own MySpace profile for networking purposes.
88. Kids F.A.C.E.: The Kids For A Clean Environment group has more than 2,000 chapters all over the world and sponsors tree planting events and other activities.
89. Idealist.org: Find volunteer opportunities for your kids or show this site to your teens to connect with environmentalists all over the world.
90. Environmental Groups: The Natural Resources Defense Council publishes this inclusive list of environmental and conservation groups alphabetically.

Teenagers

Get your teenagers involved in environmental activism by showing them these sites, resources and ideas.

91. I Buy Different: This website gives teens the message: "You have the power to make the Earth a better place because of what you buy." Encourage them to make responsible decisions.
92. Sierra Club Outings: This page has information about trips around the U.S. and around the world. Travelers will learn how to offset their carbon footprints during their vacation and will meet up with other nature enthusiasts during trips to the glaciers, the mountains and more.
93. Green Alternatives to Typical Spring Breaks: RiverWired’s eco-travel post has alternative Environmental Spring Break ideas for conscious teens.
94. Top 10 Eco Celebrities: Show your teens this list of some of the hottest and most powerful green celebs on the planet to give them some inspiration.
95. Nature Stories Podcast: If your teenagers are stuck in front of their XBOX 360 day in and day out, inspire them to get outdoors and experience nature with these exciting podcasts. They feature adventures from Australia to Mongolia to Appalachia.
96. Eight Ways to Go Green: These environmental tips are geared towards teenagers.
97. How To: Recycle Your Computer: TreeHugger explains the process and importance of recycling a computer.
98. Shop green: Lots of designers, celebrities and stores like H&M, Kate Hudson, Natalie Portman, Stella McCartney and Barney’s have come out with organic or all-natural clothing lines. Shop around for green products that are good for the environment.
99. Drive an eco-friendly car: Even SUV manufacturers are getting in on the action to give consumers more options for driving green.
100. Ecorazzi: Visit Ecorazzi, a blog that dishes up "the latest in green gossip," from animals to shopping to movies to cars.

By Heather Johnson

Going organic is appealing for most, but it’s often an expense that proves to be cost-prohibitive. However, the organic lifestyle does not have to be expensive. In fact, there are a number of things you can do to make organic living more affordable, and we’ve listed 25 of them here.

Food

Food is perhaps one of the largest organic expenses. Follow these tips to trim your grocery bill.

1. Stay away from the supermarket: Traditional supermarkets tend to command a premium price for organic food, so check out alternatives.
2. Shop during the growing season: Buy produce when it’s easiest to make, and you’ll pay less for it. You can buy canned or frozen organic foods in the off-season.
3. Buy in bulk: Split with friends.
4. Don’t buy everything organic: There are a number of foods that are considered to be low in pesticides, so even if you buy cheaper, conventional versions of them, you should be safe.
5. Grow your own: One way to ensure your food is organic is by growing it yourself, and you can often do it for cheaper than you’ll find at the store.
6. Do your own prep work: Buy whole chickens instead of boneless, skinless breasts, and peel your own carrots.
7. Buy "seconds": When you’re at the farmer’s market, ask for misshapen produce that’s just as good as the rest, but cheaper.
8. Consider value: Organic food offers more nutrients for your buck, and it’s cheaper for your health in the long run.
9. Eat less meat, more fish: Organic beef is expensive, but fish isn’t, so if you make the switch you’ll see a savings.
10. Join an agriculture program: In these programs, you’ll pay for a portion of the farm’s operating expenses, and get fresh produce from the harvest.
11. Put your freezer to good use: If you’ve snagged a good deal on some organic produce, freeze your extras for later.

Lawn Care

Don’t spend lots of money on pesticides, weed killers, and other lawn care items. These tips make it easy to take care of your lawn the natural way.

12. Mow high: Let your grass stay reasonably high so that it will shade, and kill, weeds instead of the other way around.
13. Water infrequently: If you ration out your watering, you’ll force your grass roots to dig deep, which will make them stronger than most week roots. Weeds up top will die off in the dry ground, but your grass will get its moisture from deeper below.
14. Add compost: Use your compost to soften up your lawn and help it grow. It’s not cheap to buy, but you can make your own with vegetable scraps and other items.
15. Dust lime on your soil: Put a small dusting of lime on your soil to ramp up earthworm production.

Personal Care

Follow these tips to avoid paying too much for personal care and beauty products.

16. Become a beauty detective: Seek out information on your favorite products to see which ones really are worth the higher price.
17. Don’t fall for the word "natural": Don’t spend extra money on a product just because it says that it’s natural. That doesn’t mean it’s organic.
18. Use less makeup: Carefully consider just how important every beauty product is to you.

Pets

With these simple tips, turning Fido organic doesn’t have to break the bank.

19. Make your own food: It’s fairly easy to turn your organic produce into affordable food for your pet.
20. Make your own toys: Pets are fairly easy to entertain, and you can create entertaining toys on your own with organic cotton and other materials.

General

These tips apply to nearly every type of organic product, whether it’s food, clothing, or gifts.

21. Shop around: Check out different stores to find out who has the better price for the items you buy the most.
22. Change the way you buy products: Focus on higher quality organic produce and other items, and cut down on low quality items like fast food and disposables.
23. Be flexible: Don’t have your heart set on certain items and be comfortable with buying alternatives.
24. Clip coupons: Visit sites for organic products and join their mailing list for coupons. You can also check out alternative publications.
25. Shop online: There are lots of sites online that offer organic products at a discount price, and it’s easier to compare prices in this setting.

By Christina Laun

With jobs, families, social commitments, workouts and more making up our daily lives it can often be difficult to slow down and take the time to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. For many people, the clutter in their closets and the never-ending to-do lists can make even days that should be relaxing be filled with guilt at all the things they’re not accomplishing. Of course, things don’t have to be so hectic all the time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the things in your life, perhaps its time to evaluate what’s really important and scale back. These 100 blogs are dedicated to helping you do just that, so take a few minutes to see if they can start you down the right track of living a simpler, happier life.

General

You’ll learn the basics of living more simply from these blogs which cover a wide range of topics.

1. My Simpler Life: Learn to get your life under control with tips and advice from professional life coach Beth Dargis. You’ll learn how to have more fun, be more organized and pare your life down to the things you really care about.
2. Down to Earth: Here, blogger Rhonda discusses simple living topics like gardening, green cleaning, cooking simple meals, and living well on less.
3. Simple Living in a Complex World: Learn to enjoy the simple pleasures in life with posts from this crafty blogger. Recent posts have given advice on baking artisan bread, knitting and gardening.
4. The Smart Woman’s Guide to a Simple Life: Ladies looking to simplify their lives will appreciate the advice and posts in this blog. You’ll get tips on everything from caring for children to being more productive.
5. Plastic Drifter: This blog is a great help to those living the modern life who want to simplify things and get rid of the junk that clutters their homes. Read about freecyling, buying less and finding fulfilling careers.
6. Everyday Simplicity: Designed to provide information to both the newbie and the veteran simple lifers, this blog focuses on aspects of organization, daily life and providing readers with inspirational quotes.
7. Simplicity in Kansas: This blog can be a great read for anyone interested in spending less and still enjoying life to the fullest.
8. Redomestication: Blogger Michelle is a mom, an entrepreneur and a homesteader interested in sharing her experiences with living the simple (or sometimes not so simple) life with readers.
9. Finding Simplicity: Navigating through the mess of finances, junk and consumerism that is a big part of many of our lives can be difficult. Read about blogger Sharon’s journey to simplicity to get some advice on your own.
10. My Green Side: This blog is full of simple tips to help you start living simpler and be more conscious of the impact you have on the environment. Get recipes for green fabric softener as well as a host of other simple household products.
11. In Search of a Simple Life: Here you will find many posts for this UK blogger about enjoying the simple pleasures in life like baking, spring showers and being with family.
12. A More Green and Simple Life: Blogger Donna Ellis records her journey towards a less cluttered and hectic life in her posts. She shares her experience with making small changes in her life that help her finances, family and the environment.
13. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity: Just like anything else, simplicity is a choice, and this blog is dedicated to the daily choices we can make that help make our lives less complicated. Its posts are geared towards giving readers the tools to lead more balanced and fulfilled lives.
14. Less is More Balanced: Find information on beautifully designed products that can help you on your path to living more simply and balanced.
15. Tiny Choices: This blog is all about the tiny choice you make every day that affect your life and the environment. You’ll get advice on everything from living in small spaces to drinking bottled water.

Organization and Clutter

There’s nothing that can derail a simple life like cluttered closets and overstuffed drawers. Learn how to clear out the clutter from these blogs.

16. Neat and Simple Living: Ariane Benefit is a professional organizing coach, author of several books and a blogger. You can read through her great tips on how to whip your home, car, garage, office and anything else into shape.
17. Unclutterer: Whether you’re trying to get organized for the first time or just keep your current organizational systems functional, you’ll find help with Unclutterer’s daily tips.
18. Get Organized Now!: Entrepreneur Maria Gracia shares her tips on how you can organize your business or home from tossing out old clothes to giving book recommendations.
19. Psychology of Clutter: Get into the inner workings of your mind and find out what makes you clutter tendencies so hard to break with this blog by professional psychologist Dr. Amie Ragan.
20. The Home Office Organizer: Who isn’t guilty of creating stacks of papers to deal with later on their desk, especially if you work from home? Learn how to whip your home office into a productivity zone with some advice gleaned from this blog.
21. Clear and Simple: Check out this blog with monthly tips from professional organizing team Maria, Donna and Kelly. If you like what you read, you can also sign up for a newsletter.
22. Discover Organization: Get tips, multimedia and a variety of tutorials on how you can get your home organized and make your life simpler and better on Discover Organization.
23. FlyLady: Perhaps one of the best known anti-clutter bloggers, the Fly Lady will get you on the right path to clearing out your home, office and life of all the clutter that’s weighing you down.
24. The Clutter Diet: Author of the book of the same name, Lorie Marrero gives readers some tips on how to save time at work, make your family life run more smoothly and most importantly, clear out all your junk.
25. Creative Organizing: For many people, creativity and organization are two things that simply don’t go hand and hand. This blog shows otherwise and gives readers loads of great ways to keep your creativity tools organized so you’ll be able to find them when inspiration strikes.
26. Let’s Talk Organizing: Get the motivation you need to clean out your closet from professional organizer Suzanne Babb. You’ll be able to read about the rewards of organization, find out if you’re chronically disorganized or streamline your workday.
27. Online Organizing: Online organizing is home to loads of online resources for helping even the worst of clutterbugs get their stuff in order. You’ll find blog posts from people in your same situation to provide inspiration, advice and encouragement.

Frugality and Finance

Pare down your spending or get control of your messy finances to make your life more simple with some assistance from these insightful blogs.

28. Wise Bread: Wise Bread is dedicated to "living large on a small budget". You’ll find posts on a large variety of topics ranging from how to sell your hair to tips on getting out of debt.
29. The Simple Dollar: Keep your finances simple with advice from this penny pinching blog. You’ll get advice on eliminating your debt and creating better spending habits.
30. Frugal for Life: Here you’ll find tips and posts on helping you life a fuller, simpler life through scaling back on expenditures and staying healthy.
31. Frugal Village: Learn about topics like frugal cooking and decorating, gardening, thrifting and simple living on this blog with posts by blogger Sara Noel.
32. Blunt Money: Get access to frank discussions of money with this blog, and educate yourself on your net worth, how to refinance your mortgage and managing finances when you’ve got kids.
33. A Year Off: Think you could go a whole year without making any indulgent shopping purchases? This family is trying to do just that, and this blog chronicles their progress, trials and setbacks as they attempt to break poor spending habits.
34. Tight Fisted Miser: While simplicity doesn’t require you to be miserly, this blog can provide you with some tips that will help you cut back and create a more realistic budget.
35. The Dollar Stretcher: Learn to make every penny go further with tips from the articles on this site. You’ll find everything from insurance advice to ways to cut your grocery bills.
36. Savvy Frugality: Get enthusiastic about being frugal with the infectious spirit of this blog. You’ll get access to all kinds of shopping tips to help you get the lowest prices on everything from groceries to new clothes.
37. A Frugal Living Blog by a Frugal Guy: The author of this blog has gone through some tight times and has learned the true meaning of making every penny count. Learn from his experiences with this blog.
38. Simply Thrifty: Blogger Deb posts about a variety of thrifty issues including how to get freebies and what to do with old socks.

Family

Managing a family can make even the most organized of lives crazy and busy. Learn how to create order from the chaos and make family life simpler with these blogs.

39. Parent Hacks: Get useful tips, tricks and advice on parenting from this blog, written by other experienced parents who’ve tried it out on their own children.
40. SouleMama: This super creative mom shows how to make simple and beautiful crafts while enjoying the pleasures of raising small children.
41. Amy’s Humble Musings: Mother of six Amy Scott writes about her experience raising her children while still trying to keep things simple and stick to her values.
42. Life is Not a Cereal: This blog emphasizes the spiritual side of living simply while raising a family. Blogger Jenny shares her thoughts on faith, the trials of child rearing and everyday life.
43. This Simple Life: This mom of two shares her thoughts on simple living, parenting, and faith as well as many photos.
44. The Simple Family: This blog chronicles the journey of a suburban family trying to make the switch from a typical suburban life to one that’s greener, simpler and, hopes the mother, happier.
45. The Frugal Family Kitchen: If you find yourself struggling to come up with simpler recipes or ways to save money on your family’s food budget, this this blog could help you out. It gives ideas on all kinds of DIY, simple meals for every time of the day.
46. MotherLoad: Every mom (and dad) needs a little help and assistance now and then to keep from getting completely overwhelmed. This blog can give you some helpful parenting tips, recipes, career advice and more to make caring for your family a little easier.
47. Living on a Dime: You can learn to make the most of even meager resources with this blog. Read answers to visitor questions, get advice on making cheap meals, and more from mother and daughter team Tawra and Jill.
48. The Simple Wife: Read about the adventures of mother Joanne as she raises her children, enjoys simple pastimes, and attempts to live a less stuff-filled life.
49. Tree Hugging Family: Make your efforts to go green and live more simply a family affair with advice from Jennifer Chait and Peggy Rowland, authors of this informative blog.
50. The Green Mommy: This mom is trying to keep her spending in check, eat organically and care for her small child. Read about her experiences here.

Green Living

There’s nothing simpler than living a life that’s in harmony with the earth. Get some pointers on what it takes to green up your life from these earth friendly blogs.

51. Green and Simple Living: This blog deals with concerns of conserving resources, reducing waste, and living a more environmentally friendly life. Blogger Shirley gives her take on topics like organic foods, renewable energy and green living in this blog.
52. Natural Living: This blog shares stories of working on a farm, being a health nut, and enjoying the simple and earth-friendly pleasures life has to offer.
53. Towards Sustainability: Here you’ll find the story of this Australian family of five slowly attempting to make the change to a greener and ultimately more sustainable lifestyle. It’s written by a mom and former environmental scientist who shares her experiences gardening, cooking and being crafty.
54. Treehugger: Treehugger wants green living and sustainability to become things that aren’t fringe elements of society. On this site, you’ll find loads of info about green products, ways you can make every part of your life greener, and even some tips about eating healthier.
55. Eat Local Challenge: If you’ve ever stopped to think about it, you’ve realized that much of what we eat on a daily basis comes from all over the nation and even the world. This blog is all about eating foods that are grown organically and locally so they don’t have to be shipped all over, using energy and resources.
56. NatureMoms: This blog serves a guide for those needing help creating a more earth-friendly life at home. Mom Tiffany shares her challenges with this through the posts on her blog.
57. Green Living Tips: Need a few tips to get you started on your new, simpler lifestyle? This blog is full of tiny ways you can start living a more earth-conscious life.
58. The Green Life: The Sierra Club is known for its efforts to save wildlife and work towards getting people from all over the world to conserve more and waste less. You can read about their mission on this blog.
59. A Year of Living Greener: This blog tracks the progress of a mom who hopes that by the end of 2008 she’ll be living greener and more responsibly. You can read along with her journey as she declutters, gives tips and struggles with decisions on organic food.
60. Low Impact Living: Learn to make your carbon footprint a little smaller with home improvement tips, organization and recycling advice and loads of other factors to consider when trying to live greener.
61. Green Living Ideas: From flooring and lighting to banking and eating out, this blog explores how you can go green in every aspect of your life.

Productivity and Work

For most people, work plays a big part in what they do on a daily basis. Help streamline and simplify your work with some assistance from these productivity stimulating blogs.

62. Lifehacker: Lifehacker is a mecca for productivity tips, especially for those who love their gadgets and technology. Check it out to see if you can’t get your work or home schedules to be more efficient.
63. Zen Habits: This blog can give you some advice on living more simply and purposefully but also on how to get the most out of the time you spend at work, doing housework and anything else that needs to be done.
64. The Lazy Way to Success: Why work for hours on end at a job when you can get the same amount done in half the time? This blog will show you how you can work less, earn more, and still feel like you’re getting things done.
65. Dumb Little Man: The little man in this blog is hardly dumb and can provide you with a wide variety of tips on boosting your productivity in everything you do.
66. Web Worker Daily: Even if you don’t work solely on the Internet, chances are pretty good that you use it for at least some part of your job on a daily basis. Give this blog a quick read to see how you can more effectively use the net to get your work done, network, and find job happiness.
67. Life Clever: Designers of all kinds will appreciate this blog which gives tips on how you can make your design work better and more productive. Of course, there’s something for the rest of us too, with loads of suggestions on improving other aspects of life as well.
68. Success Begins Today: Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today, especially when that something is starting working towards your success? This blog is dedicated to helping you improve your personal productivity and meet your goals.
69. Make Use Of: Web addicts will love this blog, which gives reviews and advice on all things Internet. Check out some of the recommended programs, as they can streamline your processes and make your life a little easier.
70. Ian’s Messy Desk: The tagline of this blog is "helping you get the most out of the 24 hours in your day." Who doesn’t want a little help with that? Read up to find out ways you can be making the most of your time.
71. Business Hackers: Don’t worry, despite the title, there’s nothing sinister about this blog. It’s simply full of tips and suggestions to help get a Web business up, running and making money without spending too much time and effort doing it.
72. Dave Cheong: Read about this software engineer’s ups and downs in his journey to entrepreneurship, and get some helpful advice on how to improve your career and work attitude as well.
73. The Lean Blog: Learn to be less wasteful and more purposeful in your business practices with inspiration from this blog, which advocates the "lean method."
74. Simple Productivity: Being productive doesn’t have to be complicated, as this blog proves. Read it frequently for simple ideas to help you get more done.

Personal Growth

Learn to grow as a person in your quest for a simpler life with some guidance from these blogs on how to be happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

75. LifeDev: This blog is dedicated to creative people who want to learn to get more done and improve their lives one step at a time. Get loads of tips on boosting your creativity and working to maximize your time.
76. Life Optimizer: Get some inspiration to find the best in yourself from this upbeat blog. It’s aimed at helping readers fulfill their true potential and live the fullest lives possible.
77. My Empty Bucket: Here you’ll find posts that are all about learning to create your own happiness and personal fulfillment, from giving, to exploring new things, to waiting for the right time, you’ll find inspiration here.
78. The Positivity Blog: Feeling a little too negative lately? Get some positive energy from the posts on this blog dedicated to helping you see the bright side of things.
79. Life Reboot: Do you sometimes feel like you want a do over when you think about your career? It’s not too late to make a change and this blog can give you some inspiration and guidance on how to makeover your life.
80. Ignite Living: This blog gives tips for "productive, simple and happy living." Read about how to take criticism and how you can help your business and yourself.
81. Personal Development Made Simple: Making changes in your attitude, lifestyle and outlook doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think. This blog breaks it down and helps make it easier to make the leap.
82. Life Coaches Blog: If you’re looking for your own little personal cheering section as you make life changes, a life coach may be just the thing for you. Get some inspiration for and by life coaches in this helpful blog.

Health

Make staying in shape simple with some guidance from these health and fitness blogs.

83. Daily Cup of Yoga: Learn all about yoga related issues and get some pointers on this yoga-focused blog that can help you learn to be more centered and healthy.
84. Take Back Your Time: Stress is one of the leading factors that cause almost every known illness known to man. This blog is about taking back time for yourself, not overdoing it, and making sure you’re staying happy and healthy.
85. Simple Nourished Living: This blog is full of ideas on how you can live a more nourished and healthy life without doing anything fancy while keeping things simple and stress free.
86. Fitness Health Zone: Want some simple suggestions on how you can start getting in shape? This blog is full of short tips, exercises and advice on living a healthier lifestyle.
87. Green Health Information: Learn to stay healthy while going green with the posts from this blog. You’ll learn some natural ways to deal with a variety of illnesses and how to keep yourself fit and environmentally friendly.
88. Really Useful Fitness Blog: Simplify your workout routine with tips and activities suggested in this blog.
89. Simple Health Ideas: Registered massage therapist Denise Mackinnon gives advice in this blog on nutrition, exercise and a variety of other wellness issues.
90. Dani Spies: Looking for some simple but healthy recipes to feed your family that won’t have you in the kitchen for hours slaving over the stove? Dani Spies, a health counselor and fitness trainer, provides new recipes regularly to help keep you simply healthy.

Miscellaneous

Here are a few more odds and ends that can help you read up on the simple life.

91. The Simple Pastor: Follow the travels of this UK-based pastor who embraces his spirituality and tries to live a simple, religiously focused life.
92. Simple Living America: Simple Living America is one of the most widespread organizations dedicated to helping people live simpler, less consumer driven lives. You can read about their work and learn to change your life in this blog.
93. Faces of Simple Living: If you’re thinking about changing your life to live more simply you’re not alone. This blog follows the travels of Gerald Iversen as he meets people all over the US who have decided to simplify their lives.
94. Soulforce: This organization is dedicated to promoting simple, human values like equality and tolerance through the non-violent methods of leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Learn to incorporate these values into your daily actions and how to get involved from this site.
95. Isle Dance: If you’ve ever dreamed of selling all your stuff and moving to a remote island, this blog is for you. This single blogger lives in an eco friendly cabin and sleeps in a hammock while trying to keep things simple.
96. Found Clothing: Most people have seen the odd shoe, sock, or shirt abandoned on the sidewalk or at the beach. This blog chronicles the lives of these lost clothing items which readers save and recycle.
97. The Laws of Simplicity: Whether you work in design or just appreciate it you’ll learn how simplicity can be a desirable factor in all kinds of products from chocolate to running shoes.
98. Musings from a Stonehead: Embrace stone croft houses with this blogger from Scotland as he writes about his experience operating a traditional farm and trying to be environmentally friendly.
99. Sarah’s Homestead Blog: This Oregon blogger talks about her experiences working on a farm, raising animals, making crafts and basically doing everything she can herself.
100. Not So Virtual Homestead: Here you can read about how this family aims to be self-sufficient on their small farm in the middle of New Jersey while raising two small daughters.

By Jessica Hupp

With all that goes into daily life, the average family’s environmental footprint is often wasteful. With soccer practice shuttling, family meals, and vacations, it all adds up. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here, we’ve compiled 50 ridiculously easy ways to cut down on your household waste without a large impact on your lifestyle.

Cooling & Heating

One of the worst environmental offenders in any family’s home is temperature control. Here’s how to tame it.

1. Turn down your hot water heater: Reduce the temperature of your hot water heater, and you’ll reduce the amount of energy required to heat your water.
2. Install a programmable thermostat: Fairly cheap and easy to install, programmable thermostats offer a great way to manage your home’s temperature in an energy-friendly way. You can set them to use less energy while you’re away from home or sleeping, and stay comfortable in your waking hours.
3. Adjust your thermostat: Save energy and money at the same time by turning your thermostat just a bit warmer in the summer, and a little cooler in the winter.
4. Improve your insulation: Help your home stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter by checking to make sure that you’ve got proper insulation.
5. Use house-warming appliances strategically: When you use your washer, dryer, oven, or dishwasher, your house will become warmer, so use them in cooler summer nights and mornings, or anytime you’d like to be warmer in the winter.
6. Use a ceiling fan instead of the AC: Whenever possible, use a fan instead of turning on your air conditioner.
7. Replace your AC filter: Make your air conditioner more efficient by replacing your filter as soon as it needs it. Many new thermostats will tell you when you need to make the change.
8. Insulate your hot water heater: Make it easier for your water heater to retain the heat it has created by insulating it, and you’ll use less energy.
9. Invest in a tankless water heater: If you’re looking for a new water heater, consider a more efficient tankless model.

Electricity

Cut down on electricity usage using these tactics.

10. Turn off and unplug devices: A plugged in hair dryer, cell phone charger, and other devices will all pull energy even when you’re not using them, so don’t just turn devices off-unplug them, too.
11. Enlist the energy police: Ask your family to keep a watchful eye on wasteful electricity by turning off lights that are left on, or TVs that aren’t being watched.
12. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs: When your incandescent bulbs burn out, replace them with more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Large Appliances

Get more efficiency out of large appliances like your refrigerator and washer using these tips.

13. Wash with cold water: Unless you absolutely need to, avoid using hot water to wash your clothes. You’ll save energy by not having to heat up the water.
14. Replace old appliances with Energy Star ones: When it comes time to get rid of your old refrigerator or washer, buy a new model that conforms to Energy Star standards.
15. Hang-dry your clothes: Your clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in your house, so you should dry your clothes outside or in your bathroom whenever possible.
16. Place your refrigerator strategically: Even worse than the dryer is your refrigerator, so make sure you give it a fighting chance at staying cool by keeping it away from sunlight and warm areas.
17. Properly maintain your refrigerator: Once a year, wipe down your refrigerator’s coils to keep it efficient.
18. Let food cool before refrigeration: Don’t take food from the stovetop straight to the fridge, or your refrigerator will have to work to cool it down. Instead, let it cool to room temperature before putting it in.

Water

Practice water conservation at home using these easy methods.

19. Install aerators: By putting an aerator on all of your faucets and showers, you’ll save thousands of gallons a year. These devices work by injecting air bubbles into low water flows, so that your water pressure stays the same even though you’re using less water.
20. Take a shower instead of a bath: Save water by taking a shower, which will almost always use less water than a full tub. Alternatively, you can bathe small children together in the same bath.

In Your Mailbox

Follow these tips, and you’ll cut down on the paper waste your household generates.

21. Cut down on junk mail: Reduce junk mail by asking credit cards to not share your information, manually removing yourself from lists, and signing up with services specifically designed to reduce mail.
22. Sign up for paperless billing: Get bills sent to your inbox instead of your mailbox to save paper and transportation costs.
23. Cancel unread magazines: If you get lots of magazines, but read only a few of them, cancel your subscriptions, or just catch the online version instead.

In the Kitchen

Follow these tips to make your family’s kitchen greener.

24. Eat at home more often: Instead of hitting your fast food joint or picking up takeout, consider eating at home. You’ll use a lot less packaging, and probably eat healthier.
25. Consume less animal products: Commit to at least one meatless meal a week to help cut down on packaging, processing, and transportation of animal products.
26. Eat local: Most food has to travel across countries and regions before it reaches your plate, burning fossil fuels the entire way. Eliminate this waste and support your local community by eating and purchasing food that’s grown in your area.
27. Eat organic: Organic foods are easy on the earth, so eat them instead of conventional foods whenever possible.

Cleaning

Make sure your cleaning doesn’t dirty the environment by following these tips.

28. Use cleaning products that are reusable: Instead of cleaning with paper towels, use a sponge that can be sterilized and reused.
29. Bring in large-leafed plants: Use plants to freshen and clean your air instead of filters and air scents.
30. Clean with baking soda, vinegar, and other natural products: Avoid using harsh chemicals that require lots of resources to produce, and use milder, more natural cleaners instead.

At the Store

Follow these methods when out shopping.

31. Buy recycled products: Look for items that are made of recycled products, particularly paper items like paper towels and toilet paper.
32. Bring a reusable bag: Cut down or completely cut out your usage of plastic bags by bringing a bag that you can use over and over again.
33. Consider every purchase: Although most consumers are trained to buy, buy, buy, put this urge on the back burner and ask yourself how important it is that you buy a certain product.
34. Look for products without a lot of packaging: Cut down on waste by purchasing items that have very little or no packaging.
35. Buy used: Hit the secondhand store or eBay for one of a kind finds that don’t create more waste.

Travel & Transportation

Reducing your family’s travel footprint doesn’t have to mean garaging the car permanently or forgetting about family vacations, but it does require strategic planning, which can be found in these tips.

36. Stay on top of car maintenance: Keep your tires inflated, your car tuned, and all fluids at their proper levels to make sure you’re getting every mile you can out of your car.
37. Carpool: Whether it’s your kids or yourself, make every effort to share rides with work and classmates whenever possible.
38. Get gas in the evenings: Fill up your car when the sun is down to cut down on evaporation.
39. Take direct flights: A lot of the emissions created by airline flights are given off during takeoff and landing, so by avoiding layovers, you’ll save energy.
40. Take fewer trips: Consider taking fewer trips, but staying longer each time so that you cut down on transportation waste.
41. Travel light: Whevever possible, walk or bike instead of taking your car. You can also clean out your car to improve its efficiency.

Waste

Use these methods to make your family’s waste as green as possible.

42. Recycle whenever possible: With the wide availability of recycling programs, there’s just no excuse for not recycling many items. Whether that means using your neighborhood’s curbside pickup, or hitting a recycling center every few weeks, just do it. If you need help finding out where and how you can recycle, check out Earth911.
43. Compost organic waste: Instead of throwing banana peels and garden clippings in the trash, put them in a compost to reduce waste and enjoy a high quality mulch.
44. Use appropriate disposal methods: Never dump paint or oil down the sewer drain. Instead, locate facilities that will accept your waste and dispose of it properly.

General Rules & Tips

Keep these tips in mind when trying to reduce your family’s consumption.

45. Never replace an item when it can be repaired: If you’ve got a shirt that needs mending, stitch it up instead of buying a new one.
46. Share with friends: Whether it means buying in bulk and splitting the cost, or recycling clothing and toys among friends, sharing with others will help reduce your family’s footprint.
47. Use your local library: Cut down on paper waste by checking out books, magazines, and other media at your library.
48. Use renewable energy and resources whenever possible: Whenever you have the choice, always choose renewable energy, like wind or solar, over fossil fuels, and go for rapidly renewable resources like bamboo instead of hardwoods.
49. Show your children the beauty in your own backyard: Encourage your kids to explore your grass, garden and insects so that they can appreciate a healthy environment.
50. Plant a tree: By planting a tree (or ten), you’ll help reduce your home’s energy costs with shade. Even better, they absorb CO2 from the air and create oxygen.