Please Help My Family Win a Nissan Leaf!

My husband requested that I temporarily come out of retirement to ask any lingering subscribers to the Conscious Shopper to vote for us to win a Nissan Leaf. We were able to test drive one a few weeks ago - you can read my full review over at the The Green Phone Booth, but to summarize:

• It's kind of small but sporty and fun to drive.
• The price tag is kind of high ($32,000), but when you add in the federal tax incentive and the crazy amount you'll save in gas, it's totally worth it.

We would really love to win this car and put our minivan to the curb. You can watch a video of us acting like crazy fools and vote for us here. Please vote and spread the word!

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You've probably figured it out by now...

I've decided to quit posting at The Conscious Shopper. It has been a great two years, but it's time to move on.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, and especially thanks for your support and kind words. And just to clarify a bit - although I was angry and upset about Diane's email, it wouldn't have amounted to much if I hadn't already had those other ideas floating around in my brain about wanting more time to do things besides blogging, and believing that I could have more of an effect at a local level. The overwhelming thought of having to redesign my header just gave me a reason to finally figure things out.


So what will happen to the Conscious Shopper?

:: The blog will stay right here until Blogger decides to shut it down. If you're new to the site, I suggest starting with those green tabs over in the right-hand side bar, especially the Conscious Shopping tab for all my research and tips on greening your groceries and general shopping.

:: If you're a local reader, you can find me over at the Sustainable Triangle, where I'm attempting to create the definitive guide for going green in the Triangle.

:: If you're taking the Conscious Shopper Challenge, I'll be posting the challenges weekly at both the Sustainable Triangle and the Green Phone Booth.

:: And if you're ever in Raleigh, look me up.



If the loss of the Conscious Shopper is leaving a void in your Google Reader, I recommend (in no particular order):

• maya*made
• Pragmatic Environmentalism
  
• Kitchen Stewardship
  
• The Greenists
  
• Condo Blues
• The Greenest Dollar
• Progressive Pioneer
• Eco Yogini
• Fake Plastic Fish
• The Frugal Girl

And of course, the Green Phone Booth and all of the lovely personal blogs by the Booth writers.


If you need some direction on your green journey, I suggest that you:

1. Green yourself first, and then tell all your friends how great it is.
2. Vote. (And call your Senators and Representatives to let them know what you think about environmental issues.)
   
3. Get to know your neighbors.
4. Perform an act of eco-service every week.
5. Get outdoors.
6. Find a local cause you support and work the heck out of it.
   

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Challengicious Monday: Use Public Transportation

Another late challenge in the Travel Sustainably series:

Use Public Transportation

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

• Go for a ride. Get your transit feet wet by figuring out an easy route and going for a ride on the bus, train, or trolley. Make it a night out on the town: find your way to a restaurant, club, or movie theatre, and make sure you've figured out how to get back home!

JOGGING STRIDE

• Commute using public transportation. Visit your local transit provider's website to plan your trip, and leave your car at home. You'll not only save money on gas and cause fewer emissions, but you'll also relieve yourself of road rage. Let someone else do the driving for you!

MARATHON RUNNER

• Get involved. If you don't have public transit in your area or the public transportation stinks, join a local group to improve public transit, or start your own.
  

Will you take the challenge?

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Challengicious Monday: Keep Up with Your Car Maintenance

This week's very late travel-related challenge is:

Keep Up with Your Car Maintenance

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

• Keep your tires properly inflated. Every couple of weeks, use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are inflated to the proper level. Keeping your tires inflated can improve your gas mileage and keep your vehicle performing safely.
• Check your oil at every other fill-up to make sure it's at the proper level. Add more oil if necessary.
• Keep your car clean both inside and out. Cleanliness increases the life of the car and can help maintain its resale value.

JOGGING STRIDE

• Change your oil according to your car manufacturer's instructions. Frequent oil changes will maximize the life of your vehicle.
• Rotate your tires according to your manufacturer's recommendations or every 6,000 miles.

MARATHON RUNNER

• Follow your manufacturer's instructions for regular maintenance, and keep a record so you know what you've done. Keeping up with your car maintenance will improve your gas mileage and keep your car on the road longer.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

• Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

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Challengicious Monday: Bike

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. This week's travel-related challenge is:

Bike

BABY STEPS

• Dig out your old bike and take it for a spin. Work up your biking skills by riding in your subdivision or a nearby park or greenway. If you don't already own a bike, check Craigslist for a good used bike and get a tune-up at a local bike shop.
  

JOGGING STRIDE

• Ride a bike to run errands. Fit your bike with a basket or panniers and ride it to the library, farmers market, or corner grocery store. If you've never ridden a bike in a city before, check out these posts (part 1 and part 2) from An Adventure Called Bicycling for safety tips.
  

MARATHON RUNNER

• Commute by bike. Commit to biking to and from work. If you're worried about getting sweaty, keep your work clothes in the basket or panniers you installed during the Jogging Stride step and change when you get to work. You can also combine riding and public transit if you live too far from your workplace.

I'm still at Baby Steps on this one, and because of the three little ones, I don't think I'll be riding my bike much any time soon (unless I get one of these babies). But I am going to try taking the bike out for a spin every now and then - maybe riding with the boys at the park.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

• image by andy_c
  

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