Tag Archives: sponsored post

Saving Energy when Living in an Apartment

Thank you to Direct Energy for sponsoring today’s post and helping to support my family.

When you live in an apartment, you might think that it’s difficult to save money on your energy bills. You don’t always have control over things that can save you money. By default, your apartment may come with older appliances, if you don’t own the place, it can be difficult to have those removed and replaced with your own newer Energy Star options. However, today I’m going to share some ways that you CAN save money, even when living in an apartment.

Saving Energy in an Apartment - Baby Doodah - Tips on how you can Save energy, even while living in an apartment.

Tips to Save Energy when you Live in an Apartment

  1. Turn the lights off when you leave a room. This one is kind of a given, and probably something you’ve heard for as long as you’ve been old enough to turn off lights, but it’s effective. Less lights that you leave on, the less electricity you’re using, thereby leading to more energy saved. If you’re leaving a room, just flick the switch.
  2. Change the type of light bulbs that you use. One thing you can change is the type of bulb you use in all of your lights. My advice is if you’re not currently using Energy Star light bulbs, you run out and grab some and switch all your lights out. It will save you money and even better, they last longer!
  3. Switch Out Your Thermostat – Obviously you need your landlord’s permission for this one, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know – and it can be a pretty easy fix. If you have an old school thermostat, that you cannot program, you’re losing money. You can switch it out for any basic programmable model, or this beauty, a Nest Learning Thermostat. By getting setting a thermostat to adjust when you’re asleep or away, you can save money on your energy bill. Pretty simple, huh? (If you’re interested in the Nest Learning System, stay tuned till the end on how to enter a giveaway.)nest_cooling
  4. Unplug power cords. Here’s another easy one, but one that can lead to a pretty big chunk of power usage – all of those power cords and battery packs that you leave plugged in when not in use, burn about 15% of the energy that’s flowing into your house. After you’re done charging your phone, unplug the cord and put it to the side. Do yourself a favor and lower your electric bill!
  5. Skip the bath. Look, I love baths as much as the next guy, but they use a TON of water. Keep the baths to a minimum and just take quick showers instead of a daily bath.
  6. Cover your windows with plastic. Trust me, I know. I resisted this, too. It just doesn’t have the same lovely appeal that a fresh, clear window does BUT it will keep the heat in AND your energy bills down. This is especially useful when you live in an older home with really drafty windows. Remember, your whole goal is to keep saving energy.
  7. Use a draft stopper. I think if you were to stand by someone’s door in the winter time, the draftiest and coldest part would be down at the bottom. All that cold air is getting in and your precious warm air is going out, stop this from happening by using a draft stopper. You can find some cute ones all over the place.

There you have it, my top tips on saving energy. There are some really easy and practical fixes that you can put into effect TODAY!

In the meantime, if you’d like to win a Nest Learning Thermostat, Direct Energy is giving 5 systems away. Direct Energy is committed to helping their customers build a smarter home, and thus cut down on their energy usage – which can save you, the customer, time and make your lives easier. Currently they’re offering the opportunity for anyone to learn more about creating a smarter home by visiting their Facebook page, or exploring their Comfort and Control Plans.

Their Comfort and Control Plans, 24 or 36 month plans offer fixed rate price stability, and a Nest Learning Thermostat (a $249 value) at no cost to you. AND, they’re giving one of these away – all you need to do is CLICK HERE, fill out the information and then enter to win.

Your turn!

What ways do you try to save energy? Share in the comment below, whether you live in an apartment or in a home.

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Macy’s – Back to School with Radio Disney

This is a sponsored post, but the excitement and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my family!

Can you believe that schools are already back in session?! I know some of you sent your kids back to school in mid-August but in Western NY most schools don’t go back until a day or two after Labor Day. But, believe it or not, we’ve already hit that mark!!

My Facebook feed is chock FULL of posts from all of my friends who are sending their kids back to school. It’s an exciting time, even for those who were not quite ready to send their kiddos (this will be me in a few years). Kids are loving that they get to show off their new clothes, backpacks, pens or paper, and parents are excited to experience some peach and quiet. 🙂

With the start of the new school year, Emmett’s day care decided to switch kids around – some got moved up to the older grade and others moved to a new classroom. Emmett was one of the ones who got to move up! I know he can’t express himself perfectly, yet, but I’m pretty sure he was excited. He is going to be with more kids his age and have a whole new room, with a whole new lot of toys!! Who would complain about that!?

Emmett-Day Care

Also, with the new school year brings the very first school year weekend, which just so happens to fall on September 6th & 7th this year. September 6th is going to be a very fun and exciting day for us, because we were invited to attend the Macy’s Back to School with Radio Disney event at the Walden Galleria. It’s a FREE event that Macy’s and Radio Disney are joining forces to put on. It’s an event just for kids (obviously parents are invited too), and there will be crafts, games, lots of other fun stuff, plus a look at the coolest kid’s styles.

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So, even though Emmett isn’t officially in school yet, we’ll be heading to Macy’s to take part and have some fun. It’s sometimes hard to find things to do on weekend afternoons that are free (because we’re on a budget) and are kid friendly. This fits both!! I cannot wait!!

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Your turn!

Have you ever attended a Macy’s back to school event? If so, what was it like?

What’s the first thing you’ll be doing on this first weekend of the school year?

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A Day in the Life – healthy choices

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias

Day in the Life - healthy choices

It can be really hard to get motivated to workout, eat healthy or get enough steps in each day. I am constantly looking for new and fun ways to keep myself motivated. A huge motivator for me has always been rewards, I love rewarding myself and I love being rewarded via contests or competitions. I just love the thrill of competing! Today I’ve found a new way to keep myself motivated, and I’m VERY excited to share it with you!!

If you’ve ever shopped at Walgreens you know their customer loyalty program is called Balance Rewards. With Balance Rewards you earn points for everyday purchases you make, as well as setting up some prescriptions for auto-refill, getting certain immunizations and NOW for setting goals, taking steps, losing weight, maintaining your weight and taking your measurements, through their healthy choices program.

THIS. IS. HUGE.

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Walgreens Balance Rewards work up to be essentially free items. Those points that you earn eventually turn into rewards that can be used to purchase items. That means that when you walk, weigh-in or track some of the other items in Walgreens healthy choices program, you’re earning points that will eventually be used for stuff you need. So awesome!!

My Day in the Life with healthy choices

The moment I heard about this app, I downloaded it and began using it. The first thing I did was set up some goals, I went with basic ones, like hitting 10,000 steps a day and losing 25 lbs within 3 months. I wanted to make sure my goals were achievable and fun to meet. Your options for goals are limitless, so no matter what you’re trying to achieve you can work towards it with the help of the healthy choices program.

Every morning I open the app, enter my weight (and earn my points), enter the hours that I slept the previous night (you do not earn points for entering your sleep) and then head to make my coffee.

While at work, I try to ensure that I’m getting up from my desk every hour to hour and a half to take a quick walk around the building. My steps add up quickly, which all get entered into the Walgreens app at the end of the day, to earn more points!! I love it, I’m constantly looking for new ways to get my steps in. So, I’ll march while I’m folding laundry or while Emmett is playing in his sand box, I’ll take laps around our yard, anything to add them up!

Walgreen's healthy choices

However, in addition to my walking, I’m also doing a PiYO workout. I’m loving it, but some of the moves are pretty intense and require you to bend or move into positions that my body is not quite ready for. So what did I do? I went to Walgreens and got myself a yoga block. Yep! Walgreens sure does carry these, and it was super affordable, too. In fact, I don’t know if you’re aware, but Walgreens has an entire section dedicated to diet & nutrition.

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Since I’ve been doing my PiYO with the yoga block, I’m able to get into deeper stretches and put myself into positions, I couldn’t get to before. My posture is better, and my form and alignment are getting more and more accurate. I love the way I feel! I feel like I’m doing so much good for my body.

And, you guessed it! I add my PiYO workout into my Walgreens Balance Rewards app and earn even more rewards that will go towards stuff I need around the house. My workouts are going to save us money!! How can I say no to that??

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One last thing I want to mention, and for me, it’s a big one! You can link your RunKeeper account with the healthy choices program. That means, that any workout you complete with RunKeeper is then communicated with Walgreens earning you more points.

So here’s my recommendation: Work to get healthy, eat better, exercise hard, and download the Walgreens app and sign-up for the healthy choices program. I’m pretty sure earning points towards items you need is enough motivation to get you up and out the door, or up and on the treadmill. Do it! Go now! 🙂

Your turn!!

What are your favorite ways to get yourself motivated to workout?

When you download the Walgreens app, please share how much you LOVE it, in the comments below!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias Thank you for helping to support my family.

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7 Tips for a Smart and Green Home

Thank you to Direct Energy for sponsoring today’s post (#DEsmarthome). As always, opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Today, I’m taking some time to share some ways that we’re planning on making our home a bit greener this Spring. My hope is to encourage you to make your home cleaner and greener.

tips for a smart and green home

Smart Home = Greener Home

  1. Turn the Thermostat Down – Our number one way to make our home greener, is by turning the thermostat down, and when chilly, just throwing on a sweatshirt. Not only is this a way to save energy, but also a way to save us money. We’ve also programmed our thermostat to go decrease and increase in temperatures at specific times, so that it isn’t accidentally left up high, while we’re at work.
  2. Turn the Water Off – We have a bad habit of leaving the water on for longer periods than necessary. When we’re washing Emmett’s bottles, or giving him a bath, we leave the water running. We’re going to make an effort to be more mindful of when the water is running, and it doesn’t have to be.
  3. Recycle – I’ll be honest, Seamus and I aren’t always the best when it comes to recycling. We’ll toss out more than we recycle, and end up creating way more waste than we need to. I want to make sure that we are recycling everything that can be recycled, it’s good for the earth and it will teach Emmett that recycling is important.
  4. Use Energy Efficient Lighting – Upon moving into our new apartment we replaced all of our light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, which will save us money and will last 10 times longer.
  5. Low-Flow Plumbing Features – It just so happens that the toilets in our new place are low-flow, and we just replaced our shower head with a low-flow fixture. This way, we’re once again reducing the amount of water that we’re using on a daily basis.
  6. Purchase Energy Star Appliances – We recently bought a new washer and dryer, both of which are considered energy star. These appliances help us save water and energy by being Energy Star.
  7. Clean Greener – Finally, I plan on replacing all of our current cleaning products with items that are safe for the environment. I’m no neat freak, but I do like a clean kitchen. I’m now on the hunt for some greener products.

As mentioned earlier, this post is sponsored by Direct Energy – they want my readers to know about the Direct Energy Meridian Savings Plan. With this plan you get a competitively priced fixed energy charge, up to three Honeywell Smart Thermostats, plus a smartphone app that allows you to control your thermostat anytime, anywhere. The five-year dual fuel plan includes a fixed rate for electricity and a variable natural gas with a winter cap. This plan includes a Nest Learning Thermostat™ at no additional cost.

Stop on over and check out Direct Energy’s Facebook page and check out their five-year dual fuel plan.

Your turn!

What are your best tips for making a greener home?

What types of things have you done in the past that you are still benefiting from today, when it comes to a greener home?

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