Drink Your Water

One of my New Year's goals is going to be to try to increase my water consumption. I know I am probably walking around slightly dehydrated. So here is an idea that you can inexpensively create at home to try to help you to remember to drink enough water. This gallon will last me two days and I can refill it whenever I need to.

Water Balloon Baseball

This is a super fun way to get wet and run around without having to feel like someone is giving up on you in a water balloon fight. Our rules were that if you hit the water balloon and broke it you were able to run the bases and score a point for yourself. Parents did the pitching and the kids competed against each other. We used an old stump as a Podium for winter pictures. It was a fun variation on playing with water balloons that allowed the kids to get wet and allow for the parents to play with their kids but not have to get wet.

Wordless Wedneday: Keller Fountain Park in Portland, OR

Keller Fountain Park in Portland, OR

$5 Friday - Kayaking & Canoeing

Ok, technically I didn't pay anything to kayak, except maybe $5 in gas money to get me there if we want to get technical. I own my kayak and paddle & life jacket, so I had it to bring along. We went kayaking at Sakatah State Park in Waterville, MN. State Parks in MN do have an admission free of $5 a daily or a yearly pass for $25. So, if you had your own kayak & supplies you would only pay $5 to enter. We have a yearly state park pass, which we have used many times over now so that our cost per use is probably around $3 right now.

My friend who I went kayaking with did not own one, but she could rent one from the park office (pictured above) and the cost of that came out to less than $5 for 2 hours. It was $10 for up to 4 hours (so, you can't really pay for 2 hours) or $20 for 4 - 8 hours. It is the same price for a canoe that you can have up to 4 people in, so in that case you would end up paying $2.50 a person for 4 hours. Good deal! All paddles & life jackets are included.

Of course there are other places you can rent kayaks and canoes from, but I am giving you an idea on a place to do it that helps you save some green in your pocketbook.

Wordless Wednesday: Great Serengeti Waterpark

Great Serengeti Waterpark

Wordless Wednesday: Wilderness Waterparks

Our recent trip to the Wilderness Resort and Waterparks in WI Dells.

Wordless Wednesday: My First Kayak Adventure

Lake Byllesby Regional Park

Thrifty Thursday: Use Humidifier Water

Don't think of it as free water you are throwing away when you dump out your humidifier water because it is anything but. You paid to run that humidifier, so in essence, you paid for that water. You are just using the water you paid for the water your plants.

This summer it has been so humid that I have a full container every day. Why pay for more water to water the plants that need it so badly.

Thrifty Thursday: Re-Usable Bottles

Invest in some quality (or at least enjoyable bottles) that you can fill and re-fill for years with water and other beverages. I prefer stainless steel bottles, but my kids did manage to twist my arm  to purchase them these bottles to use on our recent vacation. I made sure the plastic bottles said they BPA-free. And knowing that they had picked out the bottles with their favorite characters were a sure way to know that they were going use & re-use them.

The most expensive bottle here was about $10, whereas the cheapest (the BPA-Free plastic ones) were $2. A bottle of water at the airport, amusement park, zoo, or anywhere else we were on our trip would have cost more than one of these reusable bottles.

I frequently have a bottle of water wherever we go because it cheaper and encourages us to drink more water.

Thrifty Tuesday: Sprinkler Time

 Get double duty out of your sprinkler. If you need to water your lawn (these were taken while visiting family in PA where lawns were in desperate need of water) then have your kids put on their swimsuits and have fun playing in that water. They can cool off and have fun while your lawn gets a drink.

 When we came back to MN from our trip to PA, we did the same thing with our lawn. Turned on the sprinkler and let my daughter and the neighbor play in it while we tried to help the grass from dying off.

Be sure to set a timer to remind you to turn off your water or to move it to a new section. Also, it is best to water in the early morning or evening to prevent water from evaporating before it is absorbed in to plants.

#100 Put a Stone/Brick in Your Toilet

If you are unable to afford purchasing a new low-flow toilet or those dual-flush kind that use different amount of water depending upon what type of waste you are flushing, then consider putting a brick or a plastic bottle filled with sand in the tank of your toilet.

The average toilet will use 3-6 gallons of water per flush. It really all depends upon how much water fills in your tank. If space in your tank is filled with something else (like a brick) that won't flush, then less water is used. It is estimated that 30% of a household's water usage comes from flushing. So, it would reason a good way to reduce your water usage would be to cut back on how much is used with flushing. You really only need half as much water to flush efficiently.

Tips from Kiwi Magazine

These tips came in an email newsletter I got from Kiwi Magazine:

Between car washes, pools, air conditioners, and fans, it can be hard to conserve water and energy during the summer. These tips will help you make the most of these precious resources:
* Run the dishwasher and washing machine in the morning or evening, so your air-conditioner won’t have to work extra hard to compensate for the heat of these appliances.
* When washing your car or letting your kids play in the sprinkler, do it in a place where the lawn needs watering anyway, rather than on the driveway or sidewalk.
* Ceiling fans are a great way to cool down, but remember that fans cool you, not the room, so turn them off every time you leave. (Click here for more tips on staying cool while going green.)
* Cover your pool when you’re not using it so the water won’t evaporate as quickly. Also, turn the heater off or down to prevent rapid evaporation (the warmer the water is, the quicker it will evaporate).

#81 Use Dehumidifier Water to Water Plants

This one is pretty easy and take less than 2 minutes. Actually, depending upon where your dehumidifier is located & where your plants are located it could be really quick. I timed myself the other day and it take me 15 seconds to empty the dehumidifier and replace the container. So, if you give yourself another minute or two you can pour it on your plants. You won't need to water your indoor plant as often as you need to empty it, but you can always pour it on your outdoor plants and landscaping (which is usually what I do with it when I have the time & energy to run up & down the stairs).

#80 Use a Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Don't buy bottled water if you don't have to. Fill up with nice cold water from your tap and add a few ice cubes if that is your fancy. If you buy a good quality stainless steel bottle you will find that it will actually keep your water colder longer than a plastic bottle. Skip the plastic, you don't want any leaching that comes from plastics in either a reusable bottle or the disposable water bottles. And by filling up from your tap, all you are paying is the water from your water bill which is minimal compared to the cost per bottled water. And by reusing your container again & again you are not creating any additional waste to fill up landfills.

#6 Shower (Together)

Showering uses considerably less water than taking a bath, especially if you install a low-flow shower head. And if you shower together you get 2 people clean with roughly the same amount of water. So, whether you shower with your significant other or a young child. My daughter is still young enough to take a shower with me. I usually hold her through the shower, she still likes her bath, so I plug the drain so that the shower water will accumulate and become a bath (with half or less the amount of water) and she can play in a bath.

So, not only are you conserving the amount of water you are using but you will also be able to lower your water bill.