We're Baaaaaaack!

And we're back to kick off another year of family projects!

Suffice to say, 2012 was not all that memorable, at least not in the blogging universe of things.

We did have our family garden, but due to a lack of time and energy, not much was harvested from it, although some zucchinis deserved an honorable mention in July for becoming large enough to scare the neighbors...

My husband partnered with a family friend and learned the ins and outs of beekeeping, coming home with minimal stings (only three times out of the year!) and ten quarts of honey at the end of it...

But, other than that, we did not decide to do any family projects. It wasn't something that we meant to do, but the year just slipped past before we could do anything about it.

Things are about to change in 2013 - the family projects have been decided! We will be trying new things, and revisiting family favorites to give them another go.

A brief synopsis of the two new family projects for 2013 are:

1. Beekeeping: Scoutmaster Chris thoroughly enjoyed his experience beekeeping last year, and thus we have decided to make this a family project this year. We will have one hive. The bees have already been ordered and will be delivered in May. The guidelines and details on this family project will be coming soon!
Start Date: February 2, 2013
Run Time: Year-long

2. Recycling: Yes, I know, we should be doing this one already. Obviously, we have not been. Considering as we are concerned about the environmental issues that plague our lives and times,  though far from being what I consider "eco-actvists" (none of us is in shape or really interested in waving signs), it's almost surprising that we have not been recycling all along. However, we will make a go of it for this year. Guidelines and details, like the project above, will be forthcoming soon!
Start Date: March 1
Run Time: Year-long

We will also revisit our original family project of energy saving. Back to it and better then before, new guidelines have been fleshed out at family meetings and decided upon.
Start Date: February 18, 2013
Run Time: One billing cycle (28-32 days), possibly longer

So there you have it, folks! The 2013 Family Projects (at least the longest-running and decided upon ones) have been announced!

More projects will, of course, take place out of the course of the year, whether out of personal curiosity, desire to change, or just to see what happens. Remember, we've only got one lifetime, but there are so many projects that can be done!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Projects That Will Never Happen.

Since we're all having so much fun with the current family project of energy saving, I thought I'd post a bit about projects that will probably never been seen in the household. Whether we decide on our own what the next family project will be, or post a poll and have others decide for us, these choices will decidedly not be on the menu.

Vegetarianism

This one is not even up for discussion. While we admire vegetarians and even vegans, the simple truth is that (with apologies to vegetarian activists) we eat meat. We even like to eat meat. While the projects are supposed to be at least somewhat of a challenge to us, I would place bets that my husband can’t go a day without some form of meat in his diet, and unfortunately, I agree. To be fair (and before vegans begin waving vegetables in protest), I have tried to be a vegetarian. I made it three days. I also made myself thoroughly sick. So, unfortunately, I will not be repeating the experiment.

Alcoholic Beverages

Okay, again, I’m not knocking those that enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after a day of working out in the yard. I’m not even trying to tramp on the people that like to enjoy a drink with a sports game. But we don’t drink alcohol. At all…now or, I would imagine, ever. Now, ignoring the fact that this has continued to shock those that meet us and those that have known us for years, allow me to say that we’re not trying to get another amendment for a nationwide Prohibition pushed through. We aren’t temperance workers, and we don’t run around protesting the sales of alcohol, liquor, or even those ready-made margarita mixes in the frozen section of the grocey store. We just enjoy non-alcoholic beverages like Coke or Mountain Dew more. So, a project involving alcoholic beverages, either drinking them or abstaining from them, wouldn’t make much sense for us.

Planking

No. Just…no.

Caffeine

For those that contemplate murder when their morning cup of coffee is taken away or for some reason put out of reach, I’m right there with you. While we don’t drink a lot of coffee in the house (again, that pesky Coke tastes better to us), we do enjoy iced tea, hot tea, and the occasional cup of coffee and hot chocolate, especially in the winter. This, as usual, does not include the amount of soda that we swill down without even looking at the caffeine listing on the label. Therefore, telling us to go without caffeine of any kind during a project just won’t’ happen. As with the vegetarianism, the challenge is there, but the results are just so not worth it.

No Electronics

Well…while I can probably stand to live without electronics for a certain amount of time, it would be rather counter-productive to have a blog during it, wouldn’t you think?

Hand-washing the clothes

Seriously, has anyone ever tried this? I have – not by choice. When you grow up in a house that’s over 100 years old, the pipes have the uncanny knack of freezing solid in winter for days on end. If you want clean clothes, in that case, you have to wash them by hand. Try it sometime with even half a load of what fits into a conventional top-loading washer, and you’ll soon understand why we won’t do it. The manual strength and energy required in even washing and wringing out a regular shirt, never mind a pair of pants or jeans is enormous, and frankly, I don’t have it. So this project just won’t happen. Ever.

Ditching the car for public transport

This one, again, would be counter-productive, as my husband’s place of business is within a community that does not allow use of the Detroit metro-area suburban SMART bus system. Very few communities have ordinances against it, but this one does, and requires those taking it to disembark just outside of the city limits and use a city-owned mode of transportation. It not only costs more money in addition to the already purchased SMART bus fares, but does not run on a schedule that would have him home anytime between dusk and dawn. The other available factors are that the bus stop to get him on the correct line is almost at his place of work, as well as if we both chose to take the bus, we’d have to park the car somewhere in a common lot, leaving us to wonder if we shouldn’t just hang a sign on the car that says “looting, pillaging, and plundering welcome”.  As for our offspring, he already takes public transportation to school, both ways, and the bus stop is a convenient 6 miles from the house. So, while we’re doing our part, doing anything more would cost us more than what we’re already doing. Does that last sentence make any sense to anyone, I wonder?

While we appreciate any and all suggestions for future projects, either short term or long term, as I said before, these aren't even up for a discussion, suggestion, or polite discourse. They won't be happening...now, or ever. Enough said.

One Week Later...

Well, I'd love to tell you that everything has changed in the week since I posted.

But that would be a lie, so I won't.

Suffice to say, life got busy in a hurry (again). Our son started back to school, which is great for the curent family project of energy conservation around the house, as we don't have a gaming system going at all during the day, or a television. I should also point out that it's bad for any hope of emissions conservation that we have ever had, as we have to drive him to and from school, as there is not a transportation system for his chosen place of education. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but the gas and car emissions (and the gas budget) has not seen much conservation all of last week.

I also wish I could tell you that, due to him being back in school, everything has been used less, but that would be another lie. Monday and Tuesday were spent putting in so much canning and cleaning time that the stove almost started to whimper when I would walk near it. I suppose I shouldn't put much stock in the gas portion of our energy bill being lower next month!

Friday, and Saturday were spent helping out at a garage sale, so there really wasn't anyone here during the day. We did turn the thermostat up to 78 when the air conditioner was on, which to be honest, wasn't that much this past week, as the weather has rarely been unbearable except for a few hours in the afternoons. So, all told, it's been a pretty enjoyable (but busy) week, with so much going on I'm not sure I've even really stopped to catch my breath yet.

Hopefully with the holiday weekend behind us, things will slow down - but I doubt it :)

Up To Day Twelve...Time's A-Flyin!

I took a look at the blog tonight and all I could say was "Ouch! It's been that long since I updated??"

Well, apparently it has.

I could use the excuse that life has been hectic, or the dog ate the computer. Which would everyone prefer??

In truth, neither of those things happened - but I was as busy as ever.

Suffice to say, little has changed in the current family project, in the few days since I last updated. We continue to live with all appliances unplugged, except when they are in active use. This has already caused a bit of grumbling, especially in the direction of the bathroom - I forgot my husband's electric shaver needed to be charged before use.

Minimal stove usage has been the order of things for most meals, along with the microwave. Really, the microwave sits on the counter mainly as a showpiece now, and we only use it to heat up water for the occasional lunch of Raamen noodles (we really don't eat those very much). We used to use it to tell time, but with it being unplugged nowadays, a glance that direction doesn't reveal much. Most food (at least two out of three of the meat-startch-veggie combo for dinner) is cooked on the grill, where it is flavored by the sweet smell of propane, as well as keep our energy costs down.

Part of the reason that it is so important to us to use the stove minimally for meals at this point in time is because it must remain on so much of the time for our other pursuits, such as canning and blanching veggies to be put up for winter. Already this week I have numerous veggies to do, as well as at least one more batch of jam to put up. For more about our canning adventures and garden exploits, head on over to our other blog, Suburban Quest.

I continue to wash dishes using the energy-and-water-saving method, which is to say that I put two gallons in each side of the sink and go to town on the dishes. Everything is carefully pre-scraped and rinsed using a very minimal amount of water at the outset. I figure, if we're not going to be as good as an EnergyStar rated dishwasher (which uses four gallons of water), then why do it at all? The very best I can hope for is to win out on the power usage: Any dishwasher, EnergyStar or not, would have to remain on for the full cycle of wash, rinse, and possibly dry. Since I only have to have the faucet on for three minutes (five tops when pre-rinsing the dishes, off and on), I'd like to think I'm winning out on that score. Our next energy and water bills will definately tell us the whole story.

Well, now I'm off to make bread, so good night everyone! Sometime this week I'll make sure and look at the energy meter and take a picture to post. Take care!

Day Four: No Air Conditioning!

I am quite pleased and proud to report that yesterday, day four of the current family project, we did not feel the need to turn on the air conditioning at all. The weather and the sun cooperated and left the house actually a bit on the cool side.

On another note, the only appliances to run for any lenght of time yesterday, aside from 20 minutes of stove usage for dinner and a few minutes with the Kitchen Aid mixer in order to make butter (you can check out that particular process and adventure on our other blog, Suburban Quest), were the washer and dryer. It took three loads through both to get all of the clothes and one sleeping bag (thanks to the aforementioned weekend camping trip) to keep the family clean for the next week. Never mind that two hours after I declared laundry day "over", the basket was full again. I'm not sure if we'll have to make a special exception and run the washer again one day this week to catch up.

Again, the stove was only on for 20 minutes, to cook up some chicken that was added to a cold caesar salad for dinner. That, however, will change today (Day 5), as canning is in order, both tomatoes and potatoes and possibly some pumpkins to be put up. Other than some off-and-on light usage (particularly during the evening hours yesterday as business had to be taken care of), and some more computer usage (trying to make an income while using the computer generally means that it has to be on), we've done quite well at conserving energy.

I'm also quite curious to see how much water has been saved by not running it constantly while doing the dishes. I've been very careful to set a maximum requirement of four gallons over the past two days - just as much as an EnergyStar rated dishwasher would use, but still less energy, as running the water for only 3 minutes or so as opposed to the dishwasher for an hour I'm sure saves something, if not much.

It still remains to be seen how this project will progress, though we've been very satisfied so far. We're not hurting from the heat (yet) and we're not really doing anything differently than we have done the last month, with the exception of the television and computer being on at the same time. Everyone has been very careful about unplugging or not using appliances, and we've all been quite enjoying ourselves. I have half a mind at some point in time to trip a circuit breaker and see how we can survive without electricity entirely...though, mind you, if I don't pay the bill soon, that's what will be happening anyways! :)

So onward we go...to canning, cleaning, cooking, and another day in the life of the current family project!

Day Two...and Other Updates...

Well, Day Two was, just like Day One, "not so bad", though I think, again, stove usage got us. The oven was on for about 1.25 hours or so while I baked some potatoes as a midnight feast for the hubby and myself. I did, however, do a steak and peppers on the grill, so that wasn't so bad.

I am, however, getting a little worried about the oven. It seems like it takes forever to reach temperature. I haven't timed it, so I don't know for sure. It could just be me agonizing over every minute that something is in production. Further updates as events warrant (as Calvin and Hobbes like to say...)

We also had to have the air conditioning on for a portion of the day, about 5-6 hours, since the daytime just got too hot and humid to deal with otherwise. After dark it got cool enough that we could turn it off, so we did, and it has been off ever since (and is still off into Day Three! Hooray!)

Now, about those updates.

The project was reset two days ago, and suprisingly enough that's about when the usual monthly regards came from DTE Energy, our local energy provider, not surprisingly demanding what feels like a king's ransom to an already-stretched budget. In fact, my husband and I joke that our budget isn't a budget, it's a dishcloth. We stopped stretching years ago when it became more efficient just to wring it out over two weeks and then add more.

This energy bill, however, was actually eagerly anticipated, as it would show us actual meter readings and let us know how much energy we had saved by unplugging our appliances, if any.

Energy Bill, August 2011, Page 1

Energy Bill, August 2011, Page 2



Well...as you can see, the family has managed to decrease its energy usage over the last 30 days by unplugging appliances. Our average usage per day of kWh decreased by 9%, from 34.9 to 31.6. This bill was also helpful in that we used the actual meter reading - 54655 - as the starting point for this 30 days, when we will do further experiments on usage and cutting down to see where we can save even more money and energy.

Okay, so I know that what we saved as far as energy doesn't seem like a lot, but hey, every little bit counts - especially when it counts towards the bill.

So, for now, we're enjoying a nice day without air conditioning, and hopefully we'll be able to say that we saved even more money at the end of the month! :)

Day One: Not So Bad

Well, Day One of the new 30 days of our current family project was not so bad. The weather cooperated for most of the day by not being so hot that we sat inside gasping for air without the air conditioning. Quite honestly, I think we only ran the thing about 6 hours yesterday, including two at night to cool the house down (it was 79 degrees at 10PM) before going to bed.

I do think that stove usage got us yesterday. It ran extensively, almost for 3 hours straight, because after all, August is still August, and in most Augusts all over the world the harvest is coming in, at least in some form. I spent 2 hours yesterday canning new potatoes that will be eaten in slow increments in soups and stews over the winter. However, to do this, I had to have the stove on, so I'm sure that will not help the bill.

Now, to compensate for this, I cooked dinner not using any part of the stove, though later on I did make a vat of tea (we make our tea in about 5-quart batches, since we drink so much of it, it's just cheaper that way). Hamburgers went on the grill and homemade fries in the deep-fryer. Not the healthiest meal, I know, but hey, we had everything on hand to do it and none of it needed the stove!
Various other appliances were used, mostly in the evening yesterday, including the desktop computer for about 2 hours and the television for about 2 hours. I have to say, we're really enjoying once again having both of those on at the same time, but we'll see what the energy bill brings, and what energy we have managed to save this month. More than likley, we'll gasp and run down to the basement to trip the circuit breakers.

Thank you everyone, have a good day! :)

Week Three Nears an End

As Week 3 of the current family project comes to a nears its end, we find ourselves once more back to a family of three, as a gigantically tall teenager returned from his away-from-home summer job. Once more we find ourselves adjusting to a house of loud music and gaming consoles, while constantly reminding each other to please make sure things are unplugged.

We have also started keeping more copious notes on our energy project. Yesterday, for example, the A/C ran for only a total of 3 hours, while the stove suffered the even worse fate of not being turned on at all - but it wasn't because of a no-electricity night, as we had originally planned. It was because, in honor of a home run hit by a baseball player, we treated ourselves to 25-cent coneys at the local mall.

While we've been making immense progress in energy savings, there have been times of forgetfulness, sometimes causing us to almost want to tear our hair out. The number of times that we have said, "What are you doing? The computer's on!" when the teenager plugs in the gaming console, or the morning we woke up to find that we had forgotten completely to turn off the air conditioning, despite the fact that it was a cool 72 degrees outside. Then again, who's to say what the temperature would have been inside?

And so life, as messy as it sometimes gets, keeps rolling on, taking us with it. We continue to wonder what the meter will read at the end of the project, despite forgetfulness and days of heat and long turns at the stove. Perhaps it wasn't the brightest idea to start an energy-saving project in the middle of what is sometimes called "canning season" - the boiling water bath for the pickles takes a good 35 minutes to boil.

Again, I'd like to welcome everyone to lifetime project's new home on blogger, where my non-technical mind no longer stresses out over which widget to add, or which post to play with. We hope you'll stay with us on our journey from one project to the next, and even help us to decide.

Good night all!

Saving Water = Saving Energy

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on August 1, 2011)

When most people think of saving energy, the first thing that comes to mind is turning off the lights, unplugging the appliances, and saving electricity. But most don’t realize that saving water also contributes to saving energy.
 According to WaterSense, a partnership website of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of energy annually used to deliver, heat, and treat water for one household could power a household refrigerator for a year…not to mention the fact that, in some areas of the USA, this estimate actually falls on the low side, as there are areas of the country where it takes six times that amount to do the job. On average, some homes (those with electric water heaters) spend ¼ of their electric bill just to heat the water.
 So…what can be done about it?
 The best thing, first, is to start installing water-efficient products into the house. For example, this past weekend, in keeping with our current family project of energy saving, we installed low-flow showerheads in both full baths. These showerheads keep the water flowing at a constant 2.5 GPM (gallons per minute) and allow us to use the water efficiently while taking a shower. Coupled with the rule about avoiding longer than 10-minute showers, we feel this is an acceptable step in conserving water and, therefore, conserving energy.  The showerheads took less than 10 minutes to install, required only the use of plumbers tape and a pipe wrench, and frankly, are better than what we had. The new showerheads offer massage settings and a stronger, steadier stream of spray.
 In addition to the low-flow showerheads, we also installed a low-flow aerator in the master bathroom, limiting the flow on that sink to 1.0GPM. Because the sink is in use by two people in that bathroom at various times, we felt this was the best place to put it. The reason we did not install bathroom aerators in the other two baths with sinks (one a full bath, one a half-bath) was not for lack of wishing – the aerators we had simply didn’t fit the faucet.
 In the kitchen we also installed an aerator on the sink, a 1.5GPM regulating beauty that attached very easily to the current faucet (thank goodness, after the bathroom ordeal we were really scratching our heads.) The aerator is attached to a swivel, allowing it to rotate around the sink, as well as having what is known as a “pause-action lever” – a little handle that we flip up to reduce the water to a trickle when necessary. Of course, I just prefer turning the water off, but you never know!
 The aerator in the kitchen sink actually saves 30% more water than a standard kitchen sink aerator, which is set at 2.2GPM, not 1.5GPM. According to DTE, the local energy provider, that’s 7,665 gallons of water annually. We predict that we’ll start seeing the savings right away, as when we pulled the old aerator out to change it…well, some things are better left unsaid.
 We’re not as rabid as some about saving water, though the thought is constantly on our minds. We didn’t replace the turn knobs of the shower with a simple chain that will activate the water when pulled and turn it off when released, as we do tend to prefer hot water for showers and not whatever comes out (too many years of camp showers for some in this household!)
 With our new showerheads and aerators installed, we look happily forward to saving water. Next step will be to wrap the pipes coming from the hot water heater in insulating pipe wrap, and see if that helps us to save energy as well.
 Have a good day, everyone! I’m sure more adventures will soon follow.
Oh yes, before I forget…be sure to check out our pages From Scratch and The Garden Chronicles (links on this page) for updates.

Meter Reading Error

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 29, 2011)

I just found out that when I read the meter at the start of this family project, I read it wrong. Big surprise, considering as I have never in my 35 years had occasion to read the meter, despite multiple efforts at wondering where our energy was going.
Apparently DTE’s reading on the same day that I did mine, July 19th, was 53707, not 54606.
I think I know the cause, although to be truthful I’ll never be completely sure…the DTE Website tells you that when you read the meter, if the dial is between two numbers, to take the lesser of the two. Well, as I remember it, the needle was almost on top of the four, so I took the four, even though I should have taken the three. Not sure what happened with the seven vs. the six, but hey, I’ll take theirs since it happens to be lower than mine!!
We’ve been doing well this week, despite climbing temperatures. Wednesday night made for a wonderful thunderstorm night, but instead of closing the windows and turning on the A/C we kept the windows open…much to the dismay of the cat, who all but climbed under the covers shaking in his fur. Between trying to keep him calm and the flashes of lightening that came through the open windows, a restful night of sleep was anything but. However, it all evened out in the end when we made it more than 16 hours without having to turn on the A/C!
Side note: I was forced to turn on the A/C the next day, yesterday, by none other than my cat. When I went downstairs around noontime was wearing a desperate expression, and seemed to want to step out of his fur, he was so hot. If a cat could be sweating, he was. As the temperature in the house was nearing 85 degrees, I compromised and told him that I would turn on the air.
All major appliances except for stove, washer & dryer, the chest freezer in the garage and the refrigerator/freezer and dishwasher in the kitchen remain unplugged, except when in use for various hours throughout the day. The dishwasher has not been used since the start of this project, meaning that I have been washing all the dishes, including pots and pans, in the sink with hot, soapy water (with a dash of bleach added).
Thank you to everyone who has been commenting on the blog – it’s great to know that someone out there is reading!
On another happy note, I have added a poll to the blog. Please vote on the poll, as it will decide whether another section will be added to this blog. Future polls may be added to decide what family project we will take on next!

Free Energy Efficiency Kit from DTE Energy!

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 27, 2011)

Imagine my surprise when I walked out on the front porch just before the start of this energy-saving family project to discover a package from DTE Energy, our local energy provider of electricity and natural gas.
For once, they were not calling for my head or sending a bill - they had, instead, sent a Free Energy Efficiency Kit.
Had they read my mind? Did they know what we were about to do?
Well, the short answer is no, they did not. Apparently unbeknowst to me, my wonderful husband had gone online to DTE’s Energy Efficiency Analyzer and, in the spirit of the family project, completed a free online home energy audit. The result, just for completing said audit, was this kit that landed on our doorstep.
Contained in the kit was:

• Two 23Watt Compact Flourescent Light  (CFL) Bulbs (equal to 100 Watts each)
• One 20Watt Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) Bulb (equal to 75 Watts)
• Two 16Watt Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) Bulbs (equal to 60 Watts each)
• One LED Night Light
• One Kitchen Faucet Aerator (that will use only 1.5 Gallons Per Minute of water)
• One Bathroom Faucet Aerator (that will use only 1.0 Gallons Per Minute of water)
• One Energy-Efficient Shower Head
• 8-10 Child Safety Caps for outlets (even if you don’t have a child in the house, these are said to decrease drafts)
• 15 feet of Insulating Pipe Wrap, to wrap the pipes from the hot water heater
• 17 feet of V-Seal Weatherstrip for doors, windows, attic hatches, around air conditioners, etc

Now, whatever your feelings are about DTE Energy (or any other energy provider), I have to tell you, this thing was completely free. The only catch was that my husband had to complete the energy audit online and, in doing so, register our house for online bill payment (which we did before this anyway, but there is an option to continue your paper statement).
All in all, I consider this a good deal. We’ve already put some of the products in this kit to use, and it sure beat going out and getting all of this stuff ourselves, which I doubt we would have been able to do, either logistically or monetarily. Even if our family was not actively trying to save energy with this family project, if half this stuff works out, we’ll have saved money along the way.
Slightly impressive as well, at least for me, was that there were very little tools needed for most of this kit. Some things that you receive in the mail are worse than a put-together piece of furniture, at least for me – I’m the type that always has 10 screws left and spends the next week in terror hoping the thing doesn’t fall apart! Seriously, though, the only thing remotely requiring tools (at least so far that I’ve seen) is the showerhead, and all that the showerhead needs is a pipe wrench and plumbers tape.
For those that read this blog that are not serviced by DTE Energy, check out your local energy provider’s website – similiar deals may exist elsewhere. I think they’re worth looking into, no matter where you live.

Onward to Week 2!

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 27, 2011)

Well, week one of the family project ended with a bit of a bang – as I closed the windows despite the lower temperatures outside and turned on the A/C to allow everyone at least 3 hours of sleep. Despite being in the mid-60′s last night, the temperature inside the house stayed at a steady 77 degrees well into the wee morning hours. When I checked it at 2:00AM, it had actually gone up to 78, and showed no signs of going down.
I find it extremely embarrassing when one can almost feel the thermostat sticking its tongue out at you and mocking your efforts to save energy.
So, long story short, all the windows were closed, the A/C was turned on, and then and only then did the uncomfortable sounds of rustling around and searching for a comfortable position cease from the bedrooms. It may be because everyone finally slept in the cooler air. Then again, it might be because I was asleep myself after that, so I didn’t hear anything.
I am, however, extremely proud of the fact that despite not-to-cool temperatures yesterday, the A/C that had been turned off Monday night in an effort to save energy (and since the temperature was going down to 68) was not turned back on until almost 7:00PM, then off again at 10:00PM. The reason for turning it on at 7:00PM was because it was 84 in the house, and while the temperature was bearable and had been bearable all day, bearing it while standing over 3 burners on the stove attempting to cook dinner was just not possible, and I wimped.
But, other than that, all remains well – appliances are still unplugged 90% of the time, and I have even begun using the front door instead of the garage door (which used to be our main door) when I need to go outside for something, to avoid using the energy for opening the garage door. The only part of this project that is beginning to drag on people is the fact that it’s either/or for the TV and computer.  Something tells me that this rule won’t see it through until the end of the project.
Side note: updated recently on this blog was The Garden Chronicles, the ongoing saga of the 2011 Family Garden and all its escapades, as well as any bulk deals on produce/farmers market goings-on and what happens with it. Tune in for more later!

Rules of the Road...Er, Project!

(Originally published on lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 25, 2011)

As the first week of the current family project comes to a close, it occurs to me that I never quite defined exactly what the “rules” were for it, especially in regards to saving energy in the house. While we usually don’t make a big deal of these things (the ‘rules’), as far as the projects go, because each project is different and because the main factor is personal growth, it does help to define at least some parameters to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
It also helps to state that though there are parameters and rules that define all of the projects, they are flexible, with really no hard-and-fast consequences on ‘breaking’ said rules. For example, if during this family project someone accidentally left the computer on, there wouldn’t be much done about it except to note that the computer had been on all night in our notes and take that into account when the next energy bill came.
The rules that we have come up with are as follows:

1. All appliances will be turned off when not in active use by someone, except in cases where they are necessary to our health and survival (e.g. the stove – has anyone ever tried to get behind their stove and unplug it? I think not!)
2. All lightbulbs will be switched over to Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFL’s) wherever possible. In cases where it is cost-prohibitive to do so (there are several inset, flood-type lights throughout the house), these lights will be used for no longer than absolutely necessary.
3. Either the television OR one desktop computer can be turned on, but not both at the same time.
4. Laptops and cell phones will be expected to run on their individual battery power, not house energy.
5. All laundry will be washed only once a week, including hot-water loads, except in cases of emergency (e.g. household illness, etc.). Family members may have input on the day chosen.
6. Outside spigots may be turned on for no longer than 1 hour per day. It is strongly recommended that, unless necessary, watering the garden and washing the cars be limited to 1/2 hour per day unless garden or other conditions deem otherwise.
7. For charging devices, such as for cell phones and/or laptops, these devices will only be used to charge said electronics, not run them, and may only be plugged in for active charging when the battery is completely depleted.
8. The thermostat will be set no lower than 76 degrees during the daytime, and will be allowed to reset to 72 only for nighttime sleeping conditions from 11:00PM-7:00AM.
9. Showers are limited to 10 minutes per person or less. Taking longer than the allotted time runs the risk of someone shutting off the hot water! (We’re just kidding on this one, but don’t tell the kids that…)
10. Low-flow aerators will be installed in the house – don’t take all day to wash hands, brush teeth, etc. If possible, turn the water off during the parts where you are not actually using it.
11. Should the temperature outside be lower than 75 degrees during the daytime and/or 70 degrees at nighttime, the air conditioning will be turned off and the windows opened.
12. Blinds and window treatments will remain shut during the daytime hours, especially on south and west-facing windows, to allow the cool air to remain in the house.
13. Most importantly: All family members are to think about what they are doing! Think before turning on a light, the television, a computer, the gaming consoles, etc. Is there something else that needs to be done instead? Could you instead read a book, take a walk, do something else? Make sure all electronics or other things are turned off when done, especially lights when leaving a room. Be aware of your surroundings. We’re not saying do not turn a light on when going down stairs in the dark – we’re saying that when you are done with the light, turn it off, don’t leave it on and go wandering elsewhere.

While these are the guidelines that we’ve set out to follow during the project, there are others that have been kicked around and thought about but not ‘finalized’ yet. Examples include a No-Electricity Night – where we use no electricity or energy, instead playing board games, talking as a family, reading books, having an ‘indoor (or outdoor!) campout’, or just going to bed early. Also discussed has been a  No-Stove Night – in which everything for dinner is cooked on the grill, or we have a cold dinner/picnic in the park, something like that. Since the stove is gas, this might prove to be beneficial!
While we encourage and hope everyone in the family will help us out with this project, we understand that there will be slipups. For example, the other night I forgot to unplug the television, which is also on the same power bar as the DVD system and  surround sound. Fortunatley the gaiming console that we have long suspected of raising our electric/gas bill $10.00-$30.00 per month stays unplugged no matter what unless someone is actively using it.
So, there are the guidelines for this family project. Keep the lights off (we’re not Motel 6), think about what you’re doing, and keep energy costs in mind. The rest we’ll figure out as we go along – just like we always do.

Past Projects: How It All Got Started

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 22, 2011)

Since the kickoff of the present project, (energy saving in the house) earlier this week, I’ve found myself reflecting on the past projects that our family has undertaken. While it may seem as though these projects undergo a great deal of skill and thought, the reality of things almost couldn’t be further from the truth.
So how do they start? Ideas. Usually someone will come home and have an idea that they want to try, and by making it into a family project, we’re able to help each other out while all participating in it and seeing if we like it. While some of the projects haven’t been instant hits, we’ve made it through as a family, and in the process discovered that maybe we liked the new way better.

So what were the past projects?

Project #1 - The "Garden Chronicles"
The first one that we undertook was to have a family garden. My husband and I were fortunate to have parents growing up that had various sizes of gardens, both big and small, and we were even more fortunate that they passed along their knowledge to us. However, given the limited amount of space that we have available to us (1/3 of an acre), our garden would turn out to need planning, diligence, and perseverance as we built beds to hold it and cultivated vegetables. For more information about the evolution of our home garden, I have created a page called The Garden Chronicles. While I can’t remember specifics about 2009 (which is when it was first started), I’ll do my best to compile a history alongside the chronicles of the daily harvest.

Project #2 - Home Cooking - From Scratch!
The second project, borne of a desire to spend more time inside the house (and less in the backyard) was to stop eating processed food. In this day and age, where it seems that markets are stuffing the aisles of canned and boxed goods, alongside quick-mixes and ‘ready-in-minutes’ meals, we set out to stop eating that way and try eating more like grandma used to cook – from scratch. To read more about that past project, go to its brand-new page on this blog, entitled From Sratch!

 In this section you will learn more about our "From Scratch" journey, including how we manage to feed ourselves without opening too many cans, and some of the recipes that we have discovered along the way.

Sometimes the most amazing part of these projects for me, aside from seeing how it can bring out both the likes and dislikes of our personalities, is the side projects that have sprung from them. For instance, by having the garden, we learned that shopping locally was often the best measure to supplement things. We also learned about canning, freezing, and preserving a harvest (such as it was) to get us through the winter until the next one. By giving up boxed mixes and boxed foods, we learned how to create not only whole meals but breads, cakes, and other things from scratch. Though I’m sorry to say that some canned goods still find their way into the pantry (tomatoes taste awful when you put too much lemon juice in them), we’ve almost entirely given up any mix whatsoever for a from-scratch version of the same thing.

So, look around, enjoy the pages – I know there isn’t too much on them yet, but stay tuned!

Day Two

(Originally published at lifetimeprojects.wordpress.com on July 20th)

Despite the looming heat wave that makes one feel as though they are a cake baking in the oven upon exiting the house, Day 2 of the current family project didn’t go that badly.
The thermostat is still tuned to 78 degrees. It should be noted that it is a programmable thermostat, requiring very little in the way of complicated maneuvers to set it to the desired temperature. Previously (that is, to say, before yesterday), it had been turned down to 72 degrees. It remains to be seen what differences will be gained by having the temperature six degrees higher in the house. I only hope it doesn’t lead to “six degrees of separation”, as my husband is not that fond of hot weather.
To be quite honest, I find it pleasant in the house, at least a lot more pleasant than it would be outside.
All appliances previously mention remain unplugged when not in active use. Though it is somewhat inconvenient to keep plugging in, turning on, and waiting for things to warm up (e.g. the computer), I have noticed a side effect to this is that I don’t run for the computer every 5 minutes to update or search for something. I find myself planning and setting aside time to use the computer, so that when I am done, I can turn it off completely and go do something else.
Several measures have also been taken in the last two days that may or may not always be possible; for instance, dinner on both days has taken less than 20 minutes of energy on the stove to prepare and cook. Also, no household cleaning appliances have been run in the last two days, which will change tomorrow, as I cannot go another day without vacuuming the carpet.
Stay tuned for further updates – and to find out if the thermostat will ever come down!