Business Spotlight

Being passionate supporters of both locally owned businesses and the environmental movement, we have been happy patrons of a New Glarus business for a while now. Recently, we have been hearing more and more people talk about this business, which warms our hearts.

Nikki's Diapers in New Glarus is an internet-based company turned brick and mortar store. We have had the pleasure of spending time with Nikki and her husband, and they are lovely people. They started the company from their home a number of years ago. Nikki wanted to fill the gaps for parents who were searching for quality cloth diapering items. Cloth diapering has come a long way from our grandparents' era, but you would never know it to see some of what is offered at the major national retailers. Niche businesses like Nikki's are helping make cloth diapering easier for parents of all budgets.

A few years ago, Nikki opened a retail space in New Glarus where she proudly offered not only cloth diapers and covers, but many other types of products as well. Now under the Planetwise umbrella, Nikki offers breastfeeding support items, babywearing slings and soft sided carrier, adorable soft baby shoes and legwarmers, wooden toys, reusable swim diapers, and much more. The New Glarus store has been one of our favorite places to stop in for a baby gift or supplies for our own children.

We want to congratulate Nikki because she recently opened a second brick and mortar retail location. There is now a Nikki's Diapers store in Madison as well, in Sauk Point Square on the corner of Old Sauk Rd and High Point for those of you familiar with the area. It is exciting to see a local business grow so well!

For those of you unfamiliar with Nikki's current New Glarus location, it is at 405 2nd St, just down the road from Tofflers and almost across the street from the park with the swimming pool. Hours there are limited to weekdays until 3:30, though the Madison store does have expanded hours. Otherwise, take advantage of her free shipping options and shop from home.

For those of you curious about cloth diapering, it really is easy. The environmental impact does make a big difference, in spite of what the studies commissioned by the disposable diaper companies claim. Go green and support a local business at the same time!

Computer Recycling Drive

Computer Heroes in Monroe is sponsoring a recycling drive for unused electronics this week.

Throwing away computers and other electronics can release hazardous chemical like mercury, lead, and cadmium into the environment, potentially contaminating both soil and groundwater. Residents of Monroe may bring their old computers and unused electronics to Computer Heroes, secure in the knowledge that the materials will be properly disposed of and recycled if possible by Resource Solutions.

There is no charge for the following items: LCD (flat screen) computer monitors, computer mice, CPU’s, laptops, keyboards, computer cords, circuit boards, UPS power strips, scanners, printer cables, printers, telephones, cell phones, fax machines, VCR’s, DVD players, remote controls, & stereo equipment. There will be a small fee of $10 for CRT computer monitors and copiers. Large televisions or appliances may require an extra fee. Please contact Computer Heroes for a price quote if you don’t see your item listed.

You may bring in the electronics to Computer Heroes on W 6th St in Monroe (near Monroe Furniture and Kutter Harley Davidson) anytime between 8 am and 5 pm this week.

Kudos to Josh and the crew at Computer Heroes for teaming up with Resource Solutions out of Madison and providing such a valuable service for those of us here in Monroe!

Energy Saving Summer Cooling Tips

Summer cooling can be as expensive at winter heating. A few small steps can help reduce your energy consumption and lower your energy bills tremendously.

Our grandparents knew the basics:

• Close blinds and curtains on the east side of your home in the morning and on the west side of your home in the afternoon. This will reduce the amount of solar gain - the energy of the sun entering your home and heating it up. An awning over southern windows can substitute for deep eaves, giving your home shade over these windows and reducing the solar energy coming into them.
• For the long term, deciduous trees planted to block southern or western afternoon sun can help tremendously. The leaves will fall off in winter, allowing for solar gain in the months where we need it the most.
  
• Turn off lights in rooms that you are not using.
  
• Open your windows as the evening cools; close them again in the morning. This traps the cool night air in your home, helping it stay cooler all day long.
• Keep doors closed as much as possible during the day. It is the same principle as keeping the refrigerator closed as much as possible during a power outage.
  
• Use fans to keep the air in your home moving. A fan in an occupied room can make it feel a little cooler. Another option is a whole house fan or attic fan to draw the hot air out of the top of the house. Two of our sellers have these installed in their homes (Monroe and Freeport) and rave about the efficacy.
  

If you are using central air or a window air conditioner

• Clean the filter on a regular basis.
• Do not block the flow of air from the window unit or central air vents with furniture. Also be sure to keep the air return grills clear.
• Keep the thermostat set at 78 degrees or higher. Each degree higher reduces your summer heating costs by about 7%.
  
• When it is time to replace an older air conditioning unit, look for high-efficiency units with higher SEER ratings.
  

The summer heat is a treat after the cold of winter. If you give your body time to adjust naturally to the heat, 85 or even 90 degree days can be enjoyable even without high air conditioning bills.

Green Your Yard Care

It may be a chilly 16 degrees at the moment, but we Wisconsin natives know that spring is just around the corner. Now is the time to start planning yard care and gardening for the upcoming warm weather.

Taking some small steps in your yard care this year can have a big payoff for nature. Standard yard care in the US dumps chemicals into our soil and spews pollutants into the air.

Mowing a yard with a gas powered lawn mower or using a gas powered leaf blower produces a lot of hydrocarbons. Do it the old fashioned way instead. Take the kids outside, get out the rakes and spend some fun family time raking up winter's debris instead of blowing it. If you have an average city or suburban yard, consider a reel lawn mower. These are quiet, good exercise and easy enough that we let the kids use ours to mow the lawn. It takes about the same amount of time as using a gas mower.

Another thing to consider this year is a rain barrel. Depending on the type of yard and garden you have, you will probably need to water somethings this summer. Sprinklers are convenient, but they end up watering a lot more than just the vegetables I want them to soak. A rain barrel is an easy way to capture the drops from summer storms and funnel them to the garden later. They are available commercially for about $100 and up. It is quite easy to build your own. Here is a video on doing it yourself: