Kelley Ward's Page

Leaf removal is a big deal at my house.  Every fall and into the winter, our big beautiful trees lose their leaves and we spend a lot of time getting them off our property.  This year, I'm interested in the best ways to do this for the environment and am looking for ways to save money and effort in addition.  Last month, I posted a discussion about leaf removal on this site and since then have been doing some research that I thought I would share here.

The first thing I discovered is…

I've been trying to cut my energy use in the kitchen lately, and thought I might share some of the things that I've been trying to do.   In addition to cutting my energy use, I've been trying to cut costs, too, and luckily these two goals go together nicely.  Here are some things that have worked for me.

First, I try to cook several things at once when I'm using the oven.  I've started making a few meals on the weekends, and baking them at the same time.  For example, this weekend I…

When I posted a video and a discussion today about the chemicals in beauty products and cosmetics and their impact on the environment, it reminded me of some old fashioned beauty tips that my grandmother used to use.  Growing up in the country before cars were common, I suppose she didn't have access to as many drug stores and cosmetic counters as we have today, so she knew a few things about using kitchen ingredients for face and hair care.

The best homemade tip that I…

While eating out at a restaurant last night, I had an idea.  Unable to finish my entree, the waiter asked if I'd like a to-go box, and I said that I would.   My leftovers were the perfect size to re-heat for lunch later in the week.  Because I'm trying to become more aware of waste, I did request a small to-go container.



When the waiter returned to our table, he was carrying one of those large Styrofoam boxes with a lid.  He apologized, and said that they were out of the smaller…