2. Use reusable bottles for water.

3. Choose Eco Friendly workout facilities. Local choices include Studio222 Personal Training centers and Molasky – Active 24Hour Fitness in a LEED certified green building.

4. Take your workout outside, go for a hike, bike ride or walk through your neighborhood.

5. Be mindful of purchasing environmental workout clothing, shoes and equipment.
Learn more with these tips, and at REI.com.

And most importantly:

6. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle at any stage of your workout routine.

By reusing or recycling the items you do have and no longer want you are dramatically reducing the amount of waste going into our local landfills. There are a number of local charities and second hand stores in the valley that accept donations of clothing, shoes and equipment (Safe Nest comes directly to your house for pick up – call the Donation Center at (702) 257-3800).

For shoes that are too worn out for donations, Nike established the “Reuse a Shoe” program in the 1990’s collecting old, athletic shoes to be recycled and transformed into materials used for running tracks and playground surfaces.

Your old shoes could be your next workout destination!

There a number of drop off locations in Las Vegas (NIKETOWN – 3500 LAS VEGAS BLVD S, STE M-5 – LAS VEGAS, NV 89109 US- 702.650.8888) where you can drop off athletic shoes of any brand for recycling. (Sandals, flip-flops, dress shoes, boots or shoes containing metal such as cleats or spike are not accepted.)

When your fitness routine makes sense to you, fits into your lifestyle, and is simple and effective, then odds are you will stick with it. Every little bit helps – healthier you and a healthier world.

Heather Abel is a Group-X Fitness Instructor, Weight Loss Coach and Environmental Consultant. Find her on Facebook or GoingGreen.com for tips on finding your “I CAN” lifestyle and Personal Green Scene.

It’s 2010 – So What’s Next?

Now that the holiday season is over, and the New Year has been rung in; do you know where your New Year’s resolution list is?  Here are a few thoughts to get you started…

5 New Year’s Resolutions

1. Lose weight – Lose physical body weight which could also equate to clutter weight.
2. Spiritual Growth: Letting go of old, broken, useless items will make space for new people and opportunities to come into your life.
3. Get organized – Put systems in place that give you more time to do what you enjoy.
4. Get out of debt – Have a garage sale and use the proceeds to pay a bill.
5. Help others – Donate your used/unused/unwanted items to help those less fortunate.

By Tanya Allason – Tanya has been a Professional organizer since 1999.  She is currently assisting people with the organization of their homes, garages, closets and offices in NV, CA, IL & TX.

Tanya works to define your organizing goals and put systems in place to organize your space. With her extensive experience in business administration, organization, project and household management, the company is able to deliver solutions for long-term results for both the home and office.  If you’re stressed about your mess, contact Tanya at (702) 683-5671. www.idealsimplicity.com

Holiday Un-Decorating

Decorations

As you’re taking down the decorations look for ones that are worn out/broken and discard them. Only keep those that are special to you and will be used next year. Donate unwanted decorations that are in good condition. Make sure to have appropriate and clearly marked containers with labels on the outside so everything will be easily located next year.  Store like items together so you can pull out boxes as you need them.  Learn more…

Holiday and Winter Clothing

Sort through and donate winter coats, jackets, gloves, hats, and scarves that no longer fit or that your family hasn’t worn. Never going to wear that gift of a hand knitted snowman sweater? Donating to a thrift shop or charity makes sure it reaches someone who will.  Safenest is one local charity supporting women and children; they have donation bins throughout the valley.

Kids’ Toys

Holiday time is the ideal time to help your kids sort through their toys and books, and encourage them to pass on any they don’t use. For next year, suggest listing one new toy for charity for every two toys they list for themselves.  Here are a couple of organizations to get you started: Positively Kids, St. Jude

Food

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to clean out your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Toss (or compost) anything from the fridge or freezer that you’re unlikely to eat. Do the same in your pantry, setting aside food that’s non-perishable and unexpired for donation.  One organization accepting donations is Three Square, a local food pantry providing ready-to-eat meals to those in need. 

Holiday Card List

The holiday season is best time to update everyone’s contact information. There are many ways and places to save names and addresses, but do you know what card you sent someone last year?  SendOutCards is a service that lets you see what you sent, to whom and when.

Before the next holiday season, become a PRO – Prepared, Ready & Organized. With just 15-20 minutes each day, you’ll discover a home that’s less cluttered for the year ahead.

By Tanya Allason – Tanya has been a Professional organizer since 1999.  She is currently assisting people with the organization of their homes, garages, closets and offices in NV, CA, IL & TX.

Tanya works to define your organizing goals and put systems in place to organize your space. With her extensive experience in business administration, organization, project and household management, the company is able to deliver solutions for long-term results for both the home and office.  If you’re stressed about your mess, contact Tanya at (702) 683-5671. www.idealsimplicity.com

Christmas Tree Recycling

Now through January 15, you can recycle your Christmas Tree at Springs Preserve.  You can give our community a gift while doing your holiday cleaning.  Visit one of over 20 drop sites, or make time to visit a great Las Vegas attraction by going to Springs Preserve.  Call (702) 822-7700 for locations, or visit www.springspreserve.org.

Over the past eight years this program is diverting more and more trees from the landfill.  According to the National Christmas Tree Association about 25 to 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year.  Here in the Las Vegas Valley, approximately 250,000 real trees are sold annually for the holidays, and only 7% are recycled.

Per Springs Preserve, trees should be prepared as follows:

“The tree must be a cut tree. No artificial trees. Remove lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, metal rods, tree stands and any other materials that are not part of the original tree. Most of the trees are ground up as part of the recycling process: foreign materials can ruin the chipping machine. Also, non-organic materials are not good for a compost mixture. Flocked trees cannot be recycled. Trees over 5 feet tall should be cut in half.”

By Anne Johnson - Anne Johnson is a mom who also leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

The Perfect Present

Gifts received any time of year can end up becoming clutter. So, give your friends and family gifts they will use and love, rather than ‘stuff’ that might end up as clutter or in storage. Consider some of these ideas to help you avoid giving and receiving gifts that accumulate dust & space!

Clutter-free gift ideas:

1.  Gift Cards – Why not give someone exactly what they want?! Find out where your gift recipient shops or what their interests might be. Consider a gift card from an online store: www.target.com, www.itunes.com, www.Amazon.com, or a pre-paid credit card which can be bought from most grocery stores and used almost anywhere.

2. Giving your time & talent as a gift – Bake some cookies, write down an elderly relative’s family memories or put together a photo book of a special family event; www.snapfish.com.

3. Experiences/Outings –What does your gift recipient enjoy doing? Think about giving the gift of an experience. Whether it’s a pair of tickets to a play, sports event, movie, spa treatment, botanical gardens, or a series of classes, it’s sure to be a hit! http://www.fandango.com

4. Donate in their name – Can’t think of a gift to give someone who has everything? You can donate to their favorite charity in their name, this has various benefits: you support a cause your recipient values, it allows you to avoid wasting money on something that might never be used, and it also helps others in the process.

5. Food/Non food- Something your recipient can use, eat/drink or look at can be a great gift. Chocolates, a unique bottle of wine, flower arrangement/live plants, spa products, natural candles; http://www.beelitecandles.com or gift baskets. Be attentive and check for any known allergies to plants or ingredients.

6. Miscellaneous – For some unexpected gifts ideas, give the gift of a carwash, 2 months paid gym or DVD rental membership; Netflix.com, tarot card reading, organizing session, home cleaning service, oil change, online newsletter subscription or museum membership.

As you’re writing your gift list for family and friends, create your own wish list and consider including the five categories above. You’ll be able to enjoy new, fun gifts without the worries of clutter when its time to organize everything you received over the holidays.

If you do end up wrapping gifts in paper, bags or containers, remember the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Or, choose to “precycle” by giving your gifts in beautiful reusable cloth gift bags www.wrapsacks.com – a double gift to your friend, and a double blessing to the earth by saving trees from being made into gift paper, and landfills from receiving all the trash.

By Tanya Allason – Tanya has been a Professional organizer since 1999.  She is currently assisting people with the organization of their homes, garages, closets and offices in NV, CA, IL & TX.

Tanya works to define your organizing goals and put systems in place to organize your space. With her extensive experience in business administration, organization, project and household management, the company is able to deliver solutions for long-term results for both the home and office.  If you’re stressed about your mess, contact Tanya at (702) 683-5671. www.idealsimplicity.com

Think Outside the Gift Box

Have you ever taken a look around on a holiday morning, after the hype is finally over? Ribbons and bows lie strewn about. Wrapping paper is everywhere. Generally an abundance of toys, clothes, gadgets, and accessories lies forgotten in a heap, cast aside in favor of a few momentarily irresistible gift items. And within hours, if your family is anything like mine, the luster of even the most enticing present begins to fade and these familiar words escape someone’s lips, “I’m bored. What are we going to do now?”

Year after year, the joy in all those shiny baubles and flashy gizmos is surprisingly short-lived. So if you are looking for ways to give gifts that are high on impact but minimize waste, this year you may want to think outside the gift box.

Check out these simple but memorable gift ideas, and make it a green holiday season:

• Name a star after your loved one at the Star Registry. What could be more romantic? And waste free.
• Adopt an endangered animal with the World Wildlife Federation. You may choose to simply adopt the animal, or you may also give a cuddly, stuffed version of the species you are supporting.
• In the name of your gift recipient, provide livestock, seeds, or training to a family living in poverty. Heifer International helps children and families around the globe receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. 
• Sponsor a satellite-tracked sea turtle. You can follow your turtle’s movements on the web!
• Adopt an organic maple tree. The products you will receive in return are both delicious and consumable! Less clutter, less junk, less in the landfill!
• Celebrate a recycled holiday. Give memorable gifts without a lot of expense by finding cherished, useful used items.

Happy Holidays!

By Anna Dowlen – Dowlen is a freelance writer and mother of three.

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