You better watch out, you better not cry… you better not leave the lights on when you leave the room or throw that empty water bottle in the trash…

This year, it seemed Santa was trying to tell us something through the gifts he brought down the chimney… “go greener!”

Bad jokes aside, we used the gift-giving season to start implementing better, more environmentally-friendly habits and practices.

Tech-wise, the Henry Street residence was gifted a Nest thermostat, a Google Home hub, Philips smart bulbs, and smart outlets. The command center of all this technology is the Google Home hub. Through the hub and phone app, we control the Nest thermostat and smart bulbs and outlets. We can change the temperature of the house and various lights (kitchen island, front porch, etc.) anytime, anywhere.

Controlling the thermostat remotely is not only energy-efficient, it’s convenient as anything. Getting out of bed on January mornings is brutal; bumping on the heat from my phone before emerging from the covers makes it a little easier…

With daylight so scarce this time of year, I was leaving our front porch light on 24/7. I also left a few lights on in the house for the dog all day, as we typically arrive home after the sun sets.  The smart bulbs and outlets allow me to leave those lights off now and set them to turn on as it gets dark, saving electricity.

I also received a Yeti thermos, Swell water bottle, and stainless steel straws. I actually did not previously own a quality thermos, and I am impressed by how long it keeps liquids hot or cold. I was thrilled with the gift of a Swell bottle for the same reason; I use Nalgene bottles religiously but they don’t maintain temperature. And let’s be real… stainless steel straws are just so trendy.

In our family stockings, we were treated to reusable K-Cups and, the coolest of all, reusable produce bags to use at the grocery store.  I had never seen them before; Santa’s sources tell me you can find them on Amazon. They come in a variety of sizes and are easily washed. They will definitely become part of my weekly grocery routine.

Items that are still on my wish list include reusable Ziploc-style bags and Saran wrap. I’ve seen Bee’s Wrap in action and highly recommend. Here’s hoping!

In 2019, we are committed to further reducing waste, our carbon footprint, and unnecessary “things;”  it was meaningful that our Christmas reflected that.