When I was a kid we used to have an artificial fir tree, probably even today my parents have it and use it every year to celebrate New Year's. We don't usually celebrate Christmas, but we love to celebrate the New Year.

I remember, every year in December we used to bring a box filled with a green plastic thing that looked like a pine tree from our storage. We had to clean the dust from it and bring it inside and start building the tree. Then of course we put on all the decorations which were stored in a separate box in the house.

It was perfect. My brother and my sisters and I never complained about the plastic tree. We didn't even think about it. Everything was perfect, beautiful and magic. I really loved the tree, because it became so close to us after using it every year. I used to say to myself with excitement, "Hello Tree! Finally you are he...Read More

Should we bailout the auto companies? What is your opinion? If you would like to vote on this poll and post your own comments and opinion on this issue please do so here.

With the world's financial markets in turmoil (and perhaps your own financial woes), everyone's thoughts are on the color of money these days. But there may be some steps you can take to "green" your banking that may also help save you money, reduce your impact on the planet, and vote for a better, more sustainable future at the same time.

    * Switch to online only banking. You can do this with your current bank by using the ATM/debit card they provide and their online bill pay services. Most banks do not charge for this service, or have a way to get around any fees (for example, Wells Fargo has free bill pay service if you have a direct deposit into your account). Also, some banks (like ING Direct) have "paperless" accounts that eliminate checks and paper statements, instead providing a debit card, ATM access and online bill paying service ...Read More

Going green does not mean you have to paint yourself green or wear some ugly looking green dress or suit. Going green does not always mean to become a tree-hugger or go out and start saving the world from all evil right away.

Today, going green means to become smart in everything you do everyday. By being a smart shopper you could save some money, and have extra cash in your pocket. If you need a nice warm winter coat why not buy it from a secondhand store? Of course you are not gonna buy some filthy-dirty coat, but you can find some that are almost like new.

Another thing is when you buy parts and tools to fix your car or something that's broken in your house, like a door knob. I have seen tons of used and new parts and tools at a local secondhand store. I always get good deals.

Recently I bought a pair of dumbells 40 lbs for 25 bucks, ...Read More

This D-Tox foot spa is an experience that made me say first "ewwwwww" then "ahhhhhh." I had an intro session (15 min) done for free at a health fair I went to a few months ago. I had seen it at another one but hadn't had a chance to take advantage of it at that time. This video explains how it works.


The woman that did it for me said it had pulled a lot of toxins from my joints (she can tell based on the color and other characteristics of the yuck at the end). The water looked pretty nasty by the end, making me think about how all that had once been in my body ("ewwwwwwww") but then the rest of that day and even the next day I felt noticeably better ("ahhhhhhhhhh"). She recommended another session within a week to get out...Read More

Within one day I saw two stories about Hypermiling, leading me to believe this was possibly a "next big thing" and worth looking at further. What is Hypermiling? Well, essentially, it's a certain way of driving and maintaining your car to get the greatest fuel efficiency possible.

Take a look at the segment from Keloland TV, in which a driver in Sioux Falls, SD showed her skills and shared tips for saving gas.

If you just want a few quick tips, here are some ideas to get started:

    * MPG monitoring: In order to know how much gas you're saving, you need to know how much you're using. You can monitor this "low-tech" by using your car's trip odometer each time you fill up the tank, or you can buy special MPG monitoring e...Read More

This MP3 player has 2GB Memory (about 500 songs). You can use SD memory cards to expand its storage size, so that's nice. If you get a little lazy to wind it up you can use AC adapters or even use USB port to power it up. 1 minute of cranking will give you up to 60 minutes of music. You also can charge cellphones with included adapters.

It has a color LCD screen for videos and images. Supports MP3, WMA, WAV, JPEG, BMP, GIF and text files. You can play any video formats, but you might have to convert it first using the included software. I think you can play most common formats, like .mov, .mpg, .wma, etc. without converting and have to convert only the formats that are rare, like .avi, .flv, etc. You can record audio through a built-in microphone. The player has a built-in mini L.E.D flashlight. And it has FM radio too.

And fin...Read More