Engage your Kids in Active Participation in Saving the Environment

When you engage your children to help recycle your household products, you will be amazed at how much they want to be involved. Our children have found time each day to recycle junk mail, boxes, cans and milk jugs. We make this a part of our everyday chores. We used to have to sort the recycling, but now we have a container that it all goes into and our city services pick them up every two weeks for free. Check your local city utilities to find out if you have a program in your town.
At Planet Gift Baskets, our company recycles every day also. We try and reuse some packing materials that are sent to us and we always recycle our cardboard that supplies are shipped to us in. We have noticed that many companies are now shipping their supplies to us in recycled boxes, we then in turn pass those along to our recycling center. We are constantly looking for ways to pack our items with less materials, also.

Today's Green Tip--Keeping Rodents Away

Mice hate mint..don't know why, but they do. If you have trouble keeping mice out of your cupboards, use mint toothpaste. Wipe mint toothpaste nearby the mouse hole they appear at and this will deter them from entering.
Another reader chimed in with peppermint oil on cotton balls. "That smell of mint just seems to keep them from coming back."
Whatever you do to keep the mice away, make sure you keep yourself and your family chemically free.

Help! I have bugs...What Can I do Naturally to keep them away?

It's that time of year again. Bugs start making appearances when the weather turns warmer.
One thing you can do to eliminate crawling bugs in your kitchen cupboards is to shred a few bay leaves long with basil leaves in your drawers and cupboards. Bugs do not like the smell and will find another hiding place. You can also find their entrance into your home and make a line of crushed leaves that keep them from entering.

Recyling Food and Soda Cans

Did you know that by recycling just one can, you can power a television for up to three hours? Recycling aluminum requires only 5 percent of the energy it takes to manufacture the original item. Next time you are tempted to throw away a can...remember that one can makes a difference in the environment.

Tip of the Day for a Green House and Home

Need to get rid of pests? Here are a few simple ways to use household products to deter the pests.

Ants: Locate the entrance to the nest and squeeze a lemon onto it and leave the peel behind. Ants will also stay away from chalk lines, bone meal, charcoal dust, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. No need to use all of these ingredients at once, just pick your favorite and ants will retreat.