It’s that time again! The 5th annual Scotties TREES ROCK! Video contest is back! Kids in grades 3rd-8th may now create an essay about the importance of trees and win $10,000 for their school! The more creative the essay the better! Think your kids would like to enter? Just have them answer the question “Why do trees rock?” in a written essay. Trees Rock encourages individuals or groups of kids in grades 3-8 to think about the importance of trees. In each group, the grand prize winner (determined by a national vote) will win $10,000 for their school to use towards a sustainable project. So fun!
Full Disclosure: This blog post was sponsored by Scotties Trees Rock
The eco-minded are always on the hunt for ways to reduce consumption. Hybrid heating systems are a really interesting way to lower consumption and your home heating bill at the same time. It’s an interesting concept, particularly the way that the automation does the eco watching for you.
Most of us choose either an electric heat pump or a gas boiler to heat our homes. However, the new hybrid systems are an intriguing fresh option. A Hybrid heat system reacts to changing temperatures and automatically adjusts to the most efficient energy saving method available to heat (or cool) a home. It combines a furnace with a heat pump, rather than an air conditioner and it’s very much a fuel-saving alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems.
Electric and gas each have some benefits, but there are drawbacks that make it difficult to ensure you have a truly energy-efficient heating system in your home. At lower temperatures, gas boilers are more efficient than electric heat pumps. However, when you only need a small boost in heat, the electric heat pump uses less energy than firing up the entire boiler for just a short period of time. The new hybrid solution gives you the best of both the gas and the electric worlds.
An example of a hybrid solution is the Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pump. It has new technology that automatically selects the most energy efficient method for heating your home. It automatically evaluates the outdoor temperature and your heating demands and switches between either the electric heat pump or your gas boiler.
Unlike the human brain, which is easily distracted and forgetful, these new solutions do the thinking for you, and these hybrids provide options for you that you wouldn’t have in a normal system. They make the shift between electric and gas to optimize for the most eco – and economical – settings for your home.
When the temperature is mild, the heat pump is more than sufficient to heat your home without the need to fire up the boiler. Once the outside temperature drops to a chillier season, the boiler begins to provide additional heating. When the outside temperature gets very low, the boiler operates alone. The system always conserves energy by providing the most efficient heat for the current conditions.
It’s gratifying to see that in some parts of the world, governments are recognizing and rewarding the environmental benefits of innovations like these new hybrid heating systems. In the UK, there’s a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) that pays residents who switch to hybrid systems 7.3p/kWh for each unit of renewable heat that they produce. (But UK residents, take note: you’re only eligible if you have your Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pump or another similar hybrid system installed by an MCS accredited installer such as Calor.)
I hope that we’ll continue to hear about new environmentally-conscious technology like these hybrid heating systems from lpg suppliers. It reminds me of cars that use both a conventional internal combustion engine and also a high voltage electric motor.
Have you got a hybrid system in your home? How do you like the system? I’d love to hear about it!
What kiddo doesn’t love fruit snacks? Now, you can feel happy about giving your kids this sweet treat. Stonyfield’s new organic fruit snacks are made using real fruit and vegetable juice and are free from artificial flavors, preservatives and GMOs. And they are shaped like cows too!
We excited to receive a delivery of the fruit snacks and we loved both the strawberry and mixed berry! They taste great and have a great consistency too!
Wouldn’t these treats be fun to add to your Halloween party goody bags? I think they would be a hit!
This post was written in partnership with Stonyfield – all opinions are my own.
Today is our 16th wedding anniversary! I feel very lucky. I am so happy to be married to my best friend – it makes life so much brighter! I can’t wait to spend the evening with Jayson reminiscing on everything that we have accomplished in 16 years. It’s pretty wonderful.
Sometimes making a simple sandwich is just the easiest, but if your student is sick of seeing the standard PB&J in his lunchbox (or you’re sick of making it!) it’s time for a box-lunch upgrade! Read on for three new lunchbox standards that we love in our home and think you will too.
#1 Wraps and Burritos
Wraps are a great way to get a few servings of healthy vegetables into your kid’s day. I like to make extra chicken breast at dinner the night before and combine it with cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots—you name it!—into a hearty wrap the next day. Make sure to include a healthy fat like avocado and a protein like garbanzo beans or feta cheese so that your student gets a balanced meal. Burritos are one of my all time favorite lunch foods and I haven’t met a kid yet who didn’t like them, too! Create a healthy version by combining black beans and brown rice and a sprinkling of cheese. Send some avocado slices, lettuce, or tomatoes in a separate container and the meal is complete.
#2 Homemade Soup
Hearty, homemade soups and chillis are a great winter lunch to send to school with your kid. The next time you make a big pot for the family, portion some out into jars or Pyrex containers and freeze or store the portions in the fridge. On lunch morning, simply heat up the soup and pack it in a thermos. Add a slice of seedy, whole grain bread and the meal is complete!
#3 The Re-done Lunchable
Instead of serving your kids the highly-packaged, preservative-laden lunchables that come from the grocery store, create your own using healthy ingredients. Put together whole grain crackers and cheese with fruit and nuts or hummus with carrots, celery, pita bread, and almonds for a more filling, much more nutritious alternative.
What are your favorite organic lunches to send to school with your little ones? What’s the new PB&J in your household?
