Fill in the blank:

This week, in an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle I have, ____________.

So far this week, I have:

1. Purchased a Brita water pitcher, and water bottle in an effort to REDUCE the amount of water bottles used in my household.

These products are convenient and easy to use. I not only reduce the amount of water bottles I use, but I can also use tap water instead of having to buy big jugs of water from the grocery store. ($ saver!)

2. I have begun RECYCLING my cereal boxes. Yes, I know I should have been doing this all along but I didn't know that they could be recycled. After researching what the city of Tampa allows you to recycle I was reminded, myself, of what else could be recycled instead of being put in landfills.

3. I have also purchased the REUSABLE grocery bags at publix, thus reducing or actually eliminating the amount of plastic bags used for each trip. I just have to be sure to remember them every time I go to the grocery store!

Look! You can even show your school spirit while saving the environment!

These three things are the small steps that I have taken this week in an effort to go green. I know there is more that I can do and I will continue to look for new ideas to share with you.

Here are some things that I have already been doing prior to this week:

1. Turn off the lights when you're not in the room! My boyfriend is probably sick of hearing me ask why the lights are still on upstairs when we're not up there. I know it's hard to remember to do sometimes, but it's just the flip of the switch and it can save you a lot of money!

2. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. This may sound obvious enough, but you would be surprised at the fact that some people still leave it running.

3. Turn your air conditioning to at least 75 degrees when no one is home. There is no need to keep it running below this temperature when there is no one to cool. By keeping your temperature at 75 or above (my downstairs unit is set to 82 during the day) you will be reducing the amount of energy you use and most certainly see a drop in your electric bill.

This list of six easy steps is just a fraction of what each of us can actually do to go green. I hope that this post was informative, or at the very least, served as a reminder for you to continue in your efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle!