Month: August 2021

bookmark_borderHow to Dispose of Bamboo Toothbrushes Properly

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Hey earth muffins! A couple of months ago, I shared my thoughts on bamboo toothbrushes. These are such a great swap to make in your bathroom. They are more eco-friendly than plastic toothbrushes and are even better for the environment than electric brushes as well. When making the switch to bamboo toothbrushes, it is important to dispose of them properly at the end of their use. Unlike typical plastic brushes (which get tossed in the trash), you must take the time to dispose each part of the brush in the correct place. This ensures that you create the lowest impact for this sustainable swap. Let’s jump into how to dispose of your bamboo toothbrushes!

A picture of three bamboo toothbrushes sitting in a cup in the bathroom

1. Check to see what your toothbrush is made out of.

Usually, the handle is made out of bamboo and the bristles are made of plastic. Don’t think that because the handle is made out of wood you can compost the whole toothbrush… Because you often can’t! The plastic bristles will not break down in a compost bin. Depending on what type of compost system you use, adding in the plastic bristles can negatively affect the rest of the compost bin too. Don’t think you can just throw the whole brush in the trash either. Even though the handle is made of bamboo (which is a natural material), it will NOT breakdown correctly in a landfill. As it decomposes, it will release methane – not good! There is no point in buying a bamboo toothbrush if you just plan on throwing it away.

2. Rip out the plastic bristles!

This is my favorite part of the whole process. 😊 Take some pliers and start ripping out those plastic bristles! They are often in small bundles on the brush head, so grasp a section firmly and give it a nice tug. They shouldn’t be super difficult to remove; I am quite weak (guilty as charged), and was able to easily rip out all of the bristles in about two minutes or less. Once all the bristles have been removed, throw them away into the trash! Check out this video below (at 1:35) to watch how to remove the bristles from your bamboo toothbrush.

3. Toss the handle into the compost bin or repurpose it.

Now that the plastic has been removed, feel free to throw the toothbrush handle into the compost bin. The wood will easily break down now that it has been disposed of correctly. If you don’t have a compost bin, I suggest finding someone in your area who does have one. Another alternative is to reuse the handle in some way around the house. I’ve seen some cute garden markers on Pinterest from old bamboo toothbrushes! For those heading on a camping trip before the weather gets cold again, use the wood as a fire starter. 🔥 Feel free to get creative!

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Final Thoughts on Properly Disposing Bamboo Toothbrushes

It is important to dispose bamboo toothbrushes properly, as it isn’t truly sustainable unless you do so! Why bother buying a bamboo brush if you are still going to toss it in the trash like you would with any other plastic brush? Once you have determined what materials your brush is made out of, dispose of each section correctly. Throw out any plastic bristles and put the bamboo wood in a compost bin where it can breakdown naturally. Ta-da! You just successfully disposed of your bamboo toothbrush! 🎉 Are you using a bamboo toothbrush? Comment below and let me know if you would give one a try!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderIzzy Beauty Mascara Review: An Amazing Zero Waste AND Carbon Neutral Makeup!

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Hey earth muffins! During the pandemic, I haven’t been wearing makeup very much if at all. It has been nice to let my skin breathe! 😊 When I was packing up my bathroom before I moved last month, I realized that some of my makeup needed to get replaced. It was wayyy too old! In the past, I have used Clean Faced Cosmetics cake mascara. It is a great product, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to try another sustainable mascara. I found Izzy Beauty through some Google searching and needed to give their mascara a try. After trying it out for awhile (#gifted), I wanted to share my thoughts in an Izzy Beauty mascara review post – let’s jump right into it!

A picture of the zero waste Izzy Beauty mascara in a stainless steel mascara tube

What I Love About My Izzy Beauty Mascara

For starters, this mascara is zero waste. The product itself is packaged in a stainless steel tube that can be returned to the company and reused over 10,000 times! After using a cake mascara for so many years, it is nice to use a mascara in a typical tube package again. 😃 When I saw that you can send the product back to get a refill, I was concerned that this would create extra mailing waste during shipping. BUT, this company sends your mascara in a reusable mailer. The mailer reminds me of the pencil cases I would use in high school, except with a clear flap for the actual packing label. This is something I have never seen before; so amazing!

Along with the sustainable tube, the brush is made out of recycled plastic. I love that the whole mascara is made of eco-friendly materials AND you can get it refilled. Such a great circular economy! The brand truly cares about the environment, as they take measures to reuse water used in the production process as well as keep manufacturing close together to reduce emissions. Compared to the industry standard, their mascara has a 78% smaller carbon footprint after 25 refills. The more you reuse them, the better!

Izzy Beauty mascara reusable mailer with slot for packing label
The back of the reusable mailer

How Does it Work?

I obviously have to mention how the mascara works in this Izzy Beauty mascara review… Spoiler: it works great! I have always been one to enjoy a mascara that gives me length. The shape of the wand does a nice job increasing the length of all my lashes without clumping up. While the black color is noticeably darker than the cake mascara I was using, it compares to other mascaras on the market. The product also increases the volume of your lashes as well. Definitely a great mascara to try out!

What Could Be Better

This Izzy Beauty mascara review would not be complete without mentioning the price. Compared to drugstore options, it is quite expensive. To purchase it one-time, the mascara is $39. The company strongly urges you to sign up for the subscription service to refill your mascara every 3 months. This costs $35 + $19 every month if you pay quarterly; or, you can pay $85 for an annual subscription. While sustainable products are often more expensive, a high price like this will exclude many people from trying it out. The last cake mascara I bought was under $20, so there are definitely better priced products on the market. But, the cost of Izzy Beauty includes refilling, cleaning, and shipping… So it depends on what you are willing to pay for high quality, sustainable makeup.

Lastly, I wanted to mention something that might be a con for people: you get charged a fee if you don’t return your mascara tube and/or reusable mailer. While I think this is definitely justified (as the stainless steel tubes are expensive to make), I feel like many customers would get annoyed with this – especially since this fee isn’t advertised very well on their website when you buy the mascara. I found it buried in the FAQ information. For the mascara, this fee is $25 and the mailer is $5. Definitely not cheap! I like that this is an incentive to return the product (thus keeping the circular economy going), but it needs to be more clear that you will get charged if you do not participate.

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Final Thoughts on Izzy Beauty Mascara

Overall, I think this mascara is good! While it is a bit darker than I prefer, the mascara gives great length and volume to my lashes. The company is extremely sustainable from a zero waste system of refilling to being Carbon Neutral certified. Plus, I absolutely love the idea of the reusable mailers which I have never seen before! While they are definitely a “high-end” product due to the price, it would be totally worth it to purchase this eco-friendly product over another expensive mascara at Sephora. What did you think of this Izzy Beauty mascara review? Comment below and let me know if you would purchase this mascara!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHere’s Why You Need to STOP Eating So Much Fish!

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Hey earth muffins! As many of you know, I have been a vegetarian for over two years now. I technically should say I have been a pescatarian, as I have been eating fish. However, I watched the documentary Seaspiracy on Netflix a couple of months ago and vowed to myself that I would also slowly cut out fish in my diet too. This documentary was eye-opening and made me cry on my couch; so, I thought I would share some facts with you all today. While seen as a “sustainable” alternative to beef and chicken, fish has a huge detrimental effect on the planet too. Here are the top reasons why you too should stop eating fish so often.

A picture of the Seaspiracy netflix documentary cover

Commercial fishing is a greater threat to marine life than we think – even compared to oil spills!

We have all learned about the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill back in 2010. The media flooded the news with images of animals drowning in oil and dead sealife scattering the coast. Did you know that the fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico destroys more animals in a day than the Deepwater Horizon oil spill did in months? Yeah, neither did I. The fishing industry is harmful for multiple reasons. First, many animals die as “bycatch”. Bycatch is defined as “non-target marine catch who are left dead or dying as a result of the fishing industry”. This includes dolphins, turtles, sharks, and even whales. The methods used by commercial fishing vessels also destroy the ocean floor where bottom trawling fishing occurs. This obviously impacts corals, as well as the habitats of sea life. Seaspiracy estimated that about 3.9 billion acres of sea bed are destroyed each year by bottom trawling fishing. That’s the equivalent of deforesting 4,316 soccer fields every minute.

Even if you buy fish that is labeled as “bycatch free”, that is usually not the case.

According to the documentary, more than 300,000 whales and dolphins are killed each year as bycatch. 30,000 sharks are killed every single hour and 250,000 sea turtles are injured or killed (in the U.S. alone). With these horrific statistics, you will obviously opt for a can of tuna that has the “dolphin safe” or “bycatch free” label on it… But sadly, those labels mean absolutely nothing; they are just a marketing strategy. Once a fishing boat gets out on the ocean (with little or no supervision), there is no way to guarantee that any product is bycatch free. It is just impossible. The documentary shared the story of catching one fishing vessel working for a Dolphin Safe tuna brand; they killed 45 dolphins to catch just eight tuna fish. The only solution is to reduce or stop eating fish at all.

Fishing nets make up 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

When we talk about plastic, most of the messaging is around reducing plastic straws, Q-tips, water bottles, and plastic bags. That video of the poor turtle with a straw in his nose went viral and sparked the ‘ban plastic straws’ wave. BUT, most of the plastic waste in the ocean comes directly from the fishing industry. From discarded nets to other gear, almost half of the crap in our oceans is from fishing. Less than 1% of the plastics in the ocean are plastic straws. These fishing nets are more dangerous than any plastic straw because they are designed to trap and kill fish. Just imagine the danger of having them just float around the ocean as waste!

The fishing industry gets $35 billion in subsidies each year.

A fishing subsidy is “any use of government funds to specifically help the fishing industry. This could be anything from a cash payment, to tax breaks to free services, like building a port or infrastructure”. In 2018, the US, the EU, Korea, Japan, and China, gave the fishing industry subsidies of $35.4 billion. These countries are basically paying money to increase overfishing which directly impacts our oceans (and the ultimate downfall of our planet) in an aboslutely horrible way. On top of that, it is estimated that it would cost $33 billion a year to end world hunger…. Seems like we might want to evaluate our priorities.

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Final Thoughts on Seaspiracy

If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to watch the Seaspiracy documentary on Netflix. It isn’t a happy documentary by any means – be warned that you will learn a lot about things that will make you angry, sad, or both. I personally love documentaries that truly get the point across to anyone who watches, and this one does just that. I hope these facts have made you think about possibly reducing the amount of fish you consume. There is no such thing as “sustainable fishing”, so the best thing to do is stay conscious of what you eat and to stop eating fish. What are your thoughts on Seaspiracy? Comment below and let me know if you will reduce your fish consumption!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHow To Be A Sustainable Pet Owner

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If you’re committed to living sustainably and reducing your impact on the world, then it can be easy to become a bit derailed with this mission if you have pets. It seems that every time you turn around there is more mess or packaging needed. But, never fear! There are ways you can practice sustainability as a pet owner. I’ve listed a few of them in this post.

Have your cat or dog neutered

It’s an unfortunate fact that there are many unwanted pets in shelters all over the world and not enough people to adopt them. One stray female cat could potentially be responsible for over 300,000 kittens within two years if each of those then go on to have kittens as well.

Adopt don’t buy

As already mentioned, there are so many pets in need of good homes. You can find almost any breed of dog if you look hard enough. So, if you have your heart set on a particular breed, don’t assume you need to go to a breeder! 

It’s not just cats and dogs that need homes either. You can find most types of animals including rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and horses by using adoption.

Use sustainable products and food

There are a number of companies setting up ethical and sustainable pet brands in response to pet owners who are having trouble finding these products. From things like aquarium plant earth bed to recyclable packaging and ethically sourced pet shampoo, there are now a lot of choices on the market. Whenever you need something for your pet, look at sourcing sustainable and ethical products wherever you possibly can!

Buy in bulk

Every time you drive to the store to get something for your pet (or order it online to be delivered), there is a journey being made that can contribute to CO2 emissions and road congestion. Wherever possible, order your items in bulk! Then they can all be delivered at the same time, reducing unnecessary journeys and emissions.

Pass on your items to other pet owners

If you’re looking to throw away some of your dog’s old toys, coats, or accessories, why not pass them on to someone else or donate them to a shelter? They’ll get a second life and will be kept out of landfills!

Look up ethical companies

You’re probably already very careful about where you buy your own food and other products; but, can the same be said about the items you buy for your pet? Research companies carefully to see whether they operate in a way that you agree with. This could be in terms of how they treat their employees, how they source their products and their sustainability practices.

Final Thoughts

There are so many upsides to owning a pet and it doesn’t have to be incompatible with your sustainable lifestyle. There are many ways that you can reduce the impact that you and your pet have on the planet. Supporting ethical brands is a great way to let the big retailers know that they need to change; convenience and price aren’t the only driving factors for pet owners.

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderMy Recent Bargain Purchases & Eco Finds – A Collective Haul

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Hey earth muffins! In April I shared some of my latest eco-friendly finds with you all… I can’t believe it has been a few months since my last haul post. Today, I wanted to share some of the products I have purchased since then. I haven’t done a lot of shopping, but I have found a few things to buy and share with you all. Let’s jump right into the collective haul!

Yard Sale Frog Decor ($0.25)

If you are following me on Instagram, you would have seen this frog a couple of weeks ago. Isn’t he just adorable?! I was wandering around a yard sale and spotted him from across the room. So cute! Last summer, I thrifted an Easter bunny with little overalls on as well. I think this frog and bunny will look absolutely precious next to each other as some spring decor in my home. 😍 I love hunting for holiday themed goodies at yard sales because you can find some great items for very little money – a huge perk of second hand shopping!

Stainless Steel Gua Sha Tool ($14, Amazon Affiliate link)

I have been seeing “gua sha” all over my Instagram and Pinterest. I’m not usually a sucker for advertisements, but I thought it sounded like a cool thing to try out! My face (especially around my cheeks) gets pretty puffy, so I wanted to see if gua sha would work. Most of the tools online are made of plastic or soft gems which have a tendency to break, so I did a lot of searching until I found this stainless steel one. Not only is the metal recyclable at the end of the tool’s life, I also love how smooth it feels on my skin. If you all are interested, I would love to make a “I Tried Gua Sha” post and share my results with you all – let me know if that interests you in the comments below! 😊

Vintage Cowboy Tweety Bird Shirt ($20, eBay)

At the time this post is published, I will be heading to Austin, Texas to visit a friend. I haven’t been on a plane for awhile, so it will be fun to travel again! In the spirit of visiting Texas, I wanted to buy a cute cowboy themed shirt. A search of Depop led me to this adorable, vintage one. I purchased it and then a week later the shop seller had to refund my order because she couldn’t find the shirt…. So sad! After searching the Internet long I hard, I was able to find another on eBay. It was hard to find but totally worth it – just look at how cute Tweety Bird is!! 🤠

EarthZeroPlastic Laundry Sheets ($7, Amazon Affiliate link)

I’ve been seeing laundry sheets all over the place these days. They are a great alternative to detergent in plastic bottles because they come in a cardboard container. And, these ones are totally biodegradable too! To use, take half of a sheet and place into your washer; it works just like typical detergent! The scent of these sheets is so fresh and lovely, they definitely work great! I love that there are so many alternatives to laundry detergent in plastic containers now.

Collective Haul Roller Skates!

I decided to purchase roller skates with a gift card I got from the company I work for. 🛼 I absolutely hate working out and doing any form of cardio, but I wanted to find a way to get some exercise in. There is a park near where I live that has an outdoor rink… So I figured I would give roller skating a try! It is so much fun and a great workout. Plus, I have only had one huge fall. 😂 I get up at 6 am and head to the rink right away; it has become a great morning ritual for me. Excited to continue skating this summer!

Collective haul - eco edition
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Final Thoughts on This Collective Haul

What a fun collective haul! I love sharing my recent purchases with you all – I hope it inspires you to be mindful of the things you buy. While I definitely don’t buy everything second hand, I make sure I only buy things that I will get a lot of use from. Out of everything in this haul, I would have to say the roller skates were the best purchase I made… It is so much fun to listen to 70’s music and skate around! What have you been purchasing recently? Comment below the favorite thing you have purchased in the past few months!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderTurning Your Home Into An Eco-Friendly Castle

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It’s becoming increasingly clear to just about everyone that things can’t continue as they are. If we’re going to leave this planet in a healthy state for future generations, then it’s important that we work to reduce our collective carbon footprint. While the majority of the work needs to come from the corporations that have the biggest negative impact on the earth, we all need to do our bit. While there are many ways to do this, one of the best is to make sure that your home has as minimal an impact as possible. In this post, we’re going to run through some useful tips that’ll transform your home into a bone fide eco castle.

What Are Your Flaws?

Before you can figure out where you want to go, you need to know where you are. At the beginning of your journey, take some time to look at your home and get a general view of how environmentally friendly your house currently is. It might be that it’s not as bad as you thought; or, on the other hand, it could be worse. It doesn’t really matter what the view is – it’s all about learning what needs to change.

Saving Energy

Your home isn’t bad for the environment on its own. That is to say, the four walls and roof are not problematic. It’s the energy, such as the heat, electricity, and water that you pump into your home that does the damage. Of course, you will always need these things. But is your current setup causing energy waste? If you have an old roof, for instance, then a lot of the heat that you put into your home will be lost – and that’s costly for both the earth and your wallet. If that’s the case, then work with a roofing company to have your roof repaired or replaced. It’s also important to check for water leaks and to ensure that you’re conserving electricity wherever possible.

Earth Friendly Yards

You can use your yard to push your home towards being more environmentally friendly, too. For instance, you could consider collecting rainwater, which you can use to water your plants. Another option is to set up a vegetable garden. This will allow you to grow your own food, rather than going to the supermarket. If everyone did that, then the earth would be in much better shape!

Furniture

You will, of course, want your home to look good. But the problem is that, in doing that, you might end up using a lot of resources. New items always do. So why not take a different approach? There are plenty of second-hand furniture stores where you can buy pre-loved items. If they don’t look exactly as you like, then you could get out the paintbrush and give them a style that you do like. We talk about furniture for this approach, but you can do it with anything – there really isn’t much reason to buy new items every time you buy something!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHow To Read Your Cervical Mucus!

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Hey earth muffins! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know that I monitor my cycle using the basal body temperature and cervical mucus methods. The basal body method is super simple – just take your temperature each morning and track using an app. However, the cervical mucus method takes some time to learn… I have found these methods super insightful on my cycle, so I wanted to share my tips on reading your own mucus. 😊 Let’s jump right into how to read your cervical mucus!

What is Cervical Mucus?

Not gonna lie, I think the word “mucus” is pretty gross. It reminds me of The Princess and the Frog. 😂 BUT, there isn’t anything nasty about your cervical mucus! Healthline defines it as “a fluid or gel-like discharge from the cervix”. Your hormones stimulate the glands in the cervix to produce this mucus, which is why it varies in thickness and amount depending on what stage of your menstrual cycle you are in. To keep track of your own mucus, all you need to do is observe it. When you are about to use the bathroom each day, wipe with some toilet paper before doing your business. It is also helpful to touch/stretch the mucus, looking for characteristics mentioned below. Some people prefer to actually insert a finger to monitor their mucus, but I have found that the toilet paper method is easier (and less invasive).

The Types of Cervical Mucus

During your period

When you are on your period, you will not be able to see any cervical mucus for obvious reasons. Know that it is there, you just can’t see it!

A few days after your period

Once your period is over, you will experience some “dry days”. During these days you will not have any cervical mucus. These days are when you are infertile during your cycle, so the risk of pregnancy is much lower. The length of this infertility period depends on your cycle… But, once you start to see cervical mucus you know you are on to the next stage!

Before ovulation

Before you ovulate (and are at your peak of fertility!), your body prepares by releasing cervical mucus. This mucus will be creamy, glue-like, and slightly stretchy to the touch. Depending on your body, this mucus can be white, yellow, and/or cloudy. As ovulation approaches, this mucus will become more clear, watery, and slippery to the touch.

Ovulation

This is the most important stage in this how to read your cervical mucus post! 😊 Once you notice your cervical mucus is the consistency of egg whites, you are ovulating! The mucus will be clear and easily stretchable. To test if it is “stretchy”, place a bit of mucus between your thumb and pointer finger and slowly pull the fingers apart. If the mucus stretches and doesn’t break, then you know you are in this phase of your cycle! If you are wanting to get pregnant, this is the best time to start trying; if you want to avoid pregnancy, this is when you need to be extra careful.

After Ovulation

After you are done ovulating, your cervical mucus can either go back to being creamy like the “Before ovulation” phase or just stop altogether to have more “dry days”. For me personally, I have a couple of days of creamy mucus before dry days until my period starts again. During this phase, you have a low risk of pregnancy as you already ovulated in your cycle!

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Recap of How to Read Your Cervical Mucus

There you have it – a basic guide on how to read your cervical mucus! 🎉 While it sounds a bit complicated at first, it is actually quite simple to pick up on. Once you start looking for that egg-white consistency, it is easy to place other mucuses in the correct phase of your cycle. Along with the basal body temperature method, the monitoring of my mucus has given me so much insight to my menstrual cycle. I highly suggest you all do the same! Have you ever tried the cervical mucus method??? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderTop Tips To Make Your House More Energy Efficient

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Being environmentally friendly should be one of the top priorities of our lives. Our houses annually release huge amounts of toxins to the environment and a lot of waste. Therefore some tips can help make your home more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. This means less money is being spent because less energy is being used within your house.

1. Turn down your thermostat

More and more people are opting for smart technology within their homes which means they are more in control of the appliances they use. Having a smart thermostat means you are in charge of how much energy you use to heat your home. Many smart thermostat technologies allow you to set timers for how long and at what level of heat your house is going to be heated. Sources such as Nest, compare your average energy consumption with the people in your area. They use this data to provide you with a percentage of how well you’re doing and how much energy you have saved each month. So not only will you know you’re doing better, you will be able to see how much better you are doing with this one small change!

2. Make more use of your washing machine

Using a washing machine isn’t particularly being energy efficient, however, there are ways that you can use your washing machine to become more energy efficient.  If you have solar panels on your property, wash the clothes when the sun is creating the most energy for your property. This is so you aren’t relying on burning fossil fuels to create energy to wash your clothes. Using your washing machine with a full wash of clothes means you’re being energy efficient while using your washing machine also. By making sure you are washing the most amount of clothes each wash, you are being more energy-efficient.

3. Invest in your insulation

By investing in your insulation, it means you are saving a huge amount of energy by looking after your home. When using wall and roof insulation, you are becoming more energy efficient.  This is because you won’t be spending money to heat your home for the energy to escape. This is the same with choosing energy-efficient windows and doors, choosing more options for your home means that you are saving energy. There are so many different types of windows within one home, with many options of how to make these more energy-efficient, including double glazing windows. You even can get energy-efficient awning windows, which are windows that open from the bottom out.

These are just 3 tips to make your home more energy-efficient, but there’s so much more you can do. Depending on how much money you have to spend depends on the types of improvements you can make to your home to make this change.  But being energy efficient can be as simple as turning off a light switch as you leave the room! So, there aren’t huge changes that have to be made straight away as little steps add up.

Love,
Jenna ♥

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