Anthony Shelton’s Blog

Hello again everyone.  This is my first post of 2009 and it is going to be a nice one.  So buckle your seat belts and hold on while I tell you some of my New Year resolutions and give you some ideas on some that can help this year and many years to come be a lot “greener”!  But first, I would like to apologize for the lack of posting since early December.  I have been very busy working on my projects and of course the holidays.

To make all that better, I have a nice post to kick off 2009 with a bang.  Every year at this time everyone is talking about their New Years resolutions and how they are going to make this year better.  Now here is a question, how many of us actually stick to them and can say we kept all of our resolutions?  Not many, I know that I am one of them.  Here is another question, How many of us make resolutions to help the environment where we live be better for us, everyone around us, and for years too come.  Again, not many.  So that would bring me to my first point.  Some ways we can make 2009 a “greener” more eco-friendly year and continue it for years to come.  Here is some ways I have found that could help, see what you can do with them!

Tips for a Green New Year

1. Ditch the plastic. Carry a reusable bag with you for groceries, shopping and take-out food.

2. Tuck in your computer at night. Turn off your screen saver and cut even more energy that your computer uses by putting it in sleep mode when it isn’t in use.

3. Clean with green. Clean your home with non-toxic and natural cleaning products. Just about anything can be cleaned with white vinegar, baking soda and a few drops of lemon.
4. Be good to your vehicle, and it will be good to you. Inflate your tires once a month or as necessary. Replace the air filter and tune up your engine regularly. A new air filter can get you 10 percent more miles per gallon, and a tune-up can boost miles per gallon from 4 percent to 40 percent.

5. Think globally, buy locally. Buy locally grown food that’s in season. Food that hasn’t traveled thousands of miles to your plate is fresher and tastier, and buying local food drastically cuts down on global-warming pollution.

6. Coffee — it’s not just for drinking anymore. The next time you brew a cup of fresh coffee at home, don’t toss the used coffee grounds into the trash. First, spoon some warm grounds into your hands and mix it with your favorite hand soap, then scrub away. The grounds will exfoliate dead skin and the soap will render your hands squeaky clean. Scatter remaining grounds around your evergreen shrubs and trees — it’s an energizing fertilizer for them.

7. Start composting today. A compost pile or composter turns your food and lawn wastes into rich mulch. It’s a great way to reduce your trash production, and if you start today, you’ll have rich compost in time for spring planting.

8. Don’t be a drip. Fix leaky faucets. A faucet that drips once each second can waste over 8 gallons of water per day and more than 3,000 gallons per year.

9. Turn dollars into sense. Save on energy consumption and your electric bill by turning down your thermometer and throwing on your favorite fuzzy pajamas.

10. Ease up on the pedal. Slowing down from 75 to 65 miles per hour will drop your highway gas consumption by about 15 percent.

(Taken from the HGTV network’s website)

Now I will share with you some of my personal resolutions so you can see what I hope to accomplish this year and keep track of me.  We all wish to make more money and to be debt-free, well that is one high on my list this year and with my wonderful home-business this will probably be the last year I have this as a resolution.  Another one is to quit smoking, it is a nasty habit and it is a resolution of mine to quit this year!  I have several goals that I am going to accomplish this year.  One is my dream car, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade.  Next off is to travel more, I am going to take my first cruise.  You all will be this first to see the news.  I also want to get my website in tip-top shape, I want it to be a really good source of information.  That is some main ones that I will let all of you help me keep and accomplish. 

This year I would also love to be able to move to the NC mountains.  I currently live in Eastern North Carolina.  The mountains has always been a place that captures me like a prisoner and I just do not care to leave.  So why not be a place to live?  I have been looking into it and planning it out.  I hope this year is the year it happens, I think it will.

I would also like to take some more classes at the Tech school for my personal knowledge.  Maybe something in business administration or management.  That would help benefit me in my Neways business as well as other projects I would like to start in the future.  We will talk about those at a latter date.  Now that you know some of my resolutions and goals, what are some of yours?

Tell me some things that you hope to change in 2009.  E-mail them to me at anthony@befreeandgreen.com with the subject 2009 Changes and I will get some of the best ones posted.  If you prefer to stay anonymous then state so in the email or use a “code name” if you like.  I am looking forward to seeing what you are trying to change this year!  So get your resolutions in to me fast!  The first 20 to get them to me will receive 10 FREE e-books to help you with making your dreams a reality.

Look forward to reading your emails and check back soon for a new post and what others want to change this year from your emails!

Peace, Love, & Health

Anthony Shelton