Have you started thinking about resolutions for the new year? Consider working these sustainable resolutions onto your list, and go green for the new year.

Challenge yourself to try simple lifestyle changes each month of the new year. Each aspect of sustainable living presented is not only good for the environment, but good for your health and wallet as well. Whether you dust off your bike, explore vermicomposting or simply update your light bulbs, each small change you make can have lasting impacts.

January: Lose paper weight this year. Go paperless with your bills and unsubscribe from junk mail through Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service at www.dmachoice.org.

February: Be a cool Valentine. Save on your heating bill and turn your thermostat down while your house is empty during the day. See if you can sleep better with the thermostat down a few degrees at night as well.

March: Start your (natural) spring cleaning. Make your own cleaning products to minimize toxin exposure, save money and be healthy. For tips and recipes, visit www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/MP492.pdf.

April: Let rain showers water your flowers. Build garden swales instead of mounds to capture natural water flow. Find pictures, explanations and books on how to do it at http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/.

May: Be bright with LED and natural light. Switch the light bulbs in your home to more efficient LED lights and use natural light to brighten your home/office.

June: Avoid June bugs with natural pest control. Create your own garlic and dish detergent mixture for aphids, or experiment with other natural pest control recipes to improve your landscape and your family’s health. Visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in197 for tips on natural pest control.

July: Beat the heat with a native or drought tolerant garden. Plant drought and heat tolerant native edibles and ornamentals this year to add natural Utah beauty to your landscape.

August: Be thrift chic. Prepare your “new” work or school wardrobe with a visit to your local thrift store. While there, drop off clothes you no longer wear to keep the cycle going. Learn more about how to give clothes a second chance.

September: Head back to school/work with alternative transportation. Opt to bike, walk or ride the bus for your daily commute.

October: Happy Halloworms! Start your own household vermicompost system with red wigglers, a container, bedding, dirt, moisture and your daily food scraps. See Extension’s vermicomposting fact sheet.

November: Give thanks through local giving. Sign up for a community-supported agriculture program, and buy your Thanksgiving meal from local sources to reduce your family’s food print (the carbon footprint associated with how your food was produced and the miles your food has traveled between production and consumption).

December: Give more while consuming less. Reuse newspaper and other paper scraps to make homemade upcycled (converting used materials into new items) gifts for your friends and family. Opt to draw names with family and friends to reduce the quantity and increase the quality of gifts. Host creative craft nights with friends and catch up while repurposing products that are typically thrown away. See Extension’s “Reuse” fact sheet.

For general information on sustainability, visit www.extension.usu.edu/sustainability.

This article was written by Roslynn Brain, USU Extension sustainable communities specialist, republished from 2014.

There’s no need to put your family at risk to get rid of pesky pests!

Going Back to Basics

Have you noticed a few more guests showing up to your parties recently? Some people may say, “The more the merrier,” but guests that walk with more than two legs should not be invited into your house!

If you want to get rid of unwanted houseguests without hurting the ones that are already welcome, check out this video on natural pest control featuring Teresa Hunsaker. Now it’s easy to get rid of scary critters without using scary chemicals!