Water is a near-infinite resource in our world. However, that’s not enough! Water may be everywhere, but are you sure it is clean? Is the water you drink or the river near your house clean? The nearby river or creek may not have the same sparkling water you can find in a beach resort, but that’s no excuse to leave it as it is! We should all do our part to make sure all types of water is clean. How? Here are my tips.

1. Wash those water dispensers! A lot of people are not aware that those hot and cold dispensers may be dirty. Bacteria stick to the hot and cold taps, as well as the inside when you change the bottle. Over time, all that bacteria accumulates. Eventually, every glass you drink is laced with bacteria! You don’t want any children to get sick, do you? To prevent this, clean your water dispenser by running bleach through it every month. Rinse it by running a lot of tap water through. This also applies to any water containers you reuse. Make sure you wash them!

2. Clean up animal droppings. Storms can carry that stuff to rivers and creeks, dirtying the water and introducing bacteria. Keep them clean by disposing of poop in the trash bin! It may be disgusting to handle it, and I will be the first to say that, but remember that it is for the environment! Getting your hands dirty is no big thing.

3. Have your water tested. If you get your water from a well, make sure to have it tested at least every few months, specifically for nitrate. If you get it from a public supply, make sure that it’s a clean supply! If you’re paranoid, you may even want to test that. It may cost money, but prevention is better than cure any day. I’m glad my own water supply is clean. Make sure it complies to the Clean Water Act!

4. Wash on your lawn. Clean your car on the lawn instead of the driveway; better have the soapy water absorbed into the ground instead of making soapy runoff. For that matter do all your washing on the lawn! Runoff can pick up pollutants en route to its destination, so better if you can reduce that. My neighbors wash their animals in the front yard. You may also want to redirect downspouts from your roof to the lawn, or into a container so you can use it for watering later.

5. Don’t be trim-happy! If you live near the bank of a body of water, keep the vegetation there as is! Plants, grass and trees prevent and reduce erosion and hold back pollutants, so do not cut them down or mow them. You’ll be glad you did, one day. You get to keep more actual land on your property!

Whew! It may be tedious, but we can do all our part for clean water. What tips do you live by?

Al Gore is doing the right thing: global warming is a glaring problem these days. It’s getting hotter year after year! The weather patterns are changing, ocean levels are rising, everything is spewing out destructive gases, and it’s already a disaster! We may soon find New York and a lot of places close to water several meters under that water. The government spends millions doing what they can, but we ordinary people can contribute in a small way. How? Do the following! Unless you and your family want to shop in the Big Apple wearing scuba gear, that is.

1. Car? What car? Try to avoid using it! Use buses or trams. Bicycles will do. You can always hike if it’s close by. Sometimes it’s dangerous not to be in a car, but at least you’ll be spending less and helping the environment at the same time! I ride my bicycle to places I need to go. It’s good exercise, keeps me slim, and is free of carbon monoxide! If you really have to, use cars and light vehicles instead of fuel-guzzling SUVs. You can also promote a carpool for your co-workers, to save gas and build camaraderie.

2. Save paper! Trees help absorb greenhouse gases. Millions of acres are lost every year. What can we do? Use both sides of the paper, of course. Use the back when possible, not take out a new sheet! Use reusable cloth bags or plastic bags when shopping, not paper bags which are easily thrown away. Saving a few pieces of paper isn’t much, but if more people do it, we can save a lot!

3. Turn off the lights! Many power plants still use coal and oil, which spew out harmful gases. Observe Earth Day. Use florescent and low-energy bulbs and turn them off when you don’t need them! Use that blow-dryer only when you need to! Try to buy energy-efficient appliances, which are usually labeled. Insulate your rooms so you use your heater less. If you go out for a while, like if you won a free trip or something, power down your house completely. Not only will you lower your bill, but you’ll help the environment out, too!

4. Vote wisely. If the guy running for the Senate emphasizes on environment-friendly measures, and he means well, vote for him! If he wins, he’ll help the environment. Try to avoid voting candidates who don’t have even a shred of concern about nature. Vote for those who care about the planet. Don’t just think about the planet though. If he’s only caring about the planet and nothing else, he probably doesn’t care about the planet anyway.

5. Spread the word! Tell everyone all the things above. Tell your friends, family, relatives, coworkers, and more. Post it on forums, message boards, and blogs. If even ten out of a hundred listen to you, and one of that ten actually does something, it makes a difference!

See? Saving the environment is easy, keeps you fit, and saves you money! It’s worth it. What environment-friendly tips can you share? Speak up!

The cold months have really done their damage on me! I’m as pale as a ghost! I absolutely hate it. Now that spring is here, and summer just around the corner. I want to get my color back, and a little extra than what I normally wear !:P I’ve thought about the following tanning tips..Do they really work? Don’t they seem strange? Help!!! 

1. Tanning lotion- I can’t for the life of me figure out how to get an even tan with this. It comes off really streaky on me, and leaves me uneven. Not only that, it’s extremely messy and it gets all over my bag, my clothes and my best bikinis! Not my idea of a good time!

2. Tanning oil- Being on a hot beach is already hot and sticky enough, without the added fuss of an oily solutio. Besides, aren;t these really really bad for your skin?

3.Tanning beds - I suffer from claustrophobia! I always feel like I can’t breathe well in tight and enclosed spaces!

4.Beer?- Has anyone else heard of this idea? Supposedly, you slather beer all over yourself to get that golden glow. I don’t know if its just me, but I’m finding this idea a little weird!

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated? All you golden ladies and gentelmen out there, please help! I’ve consulted travel tip websites , but they don’t really mention anything on tanning!

Please help a really white Bea with her dreams of a sun-kissed glow! xoxo