National Parenting Expert Daddy Nickell Shares 10 Tips for Adopting a Green Lifestyle!!

Adopting a green lifestyle is a priority for Robert Nickell, a father of seven who is dedicated to raising a healthy family. As a caring father of 7, Robert Nickell and wife Katy are concerned about raising a happy family and creating a green lifestyle for them as well as the surrounding community of Manhattan Beach. 

As the Nickell’s look forward to moving into their new eco-friendly home, they have put together some tips that families came incorporate in their own homes to make it safer and greener.

10 Tips for Living a Greener Lifestyle 

1. Reduce Water Consumption –There are several ways a family can reduce their water consumption.
   1. Take showers instead of baths.  Newer higher efficiency shower-heads provide good water pressure and use less water than filling a bathtub.
   2. Shorten Shower time.  You can save up to 5 gallons of water per minute you cut from shower time.
   3. Use high efficiency toilets.  Over the past several years manufacturers have worked to make toilets more water efficient and bacteria-resistant which makes them easier to clean.
   4. Xeriscape – Be thoughtful in your landscaping choices.  Utilize plants and grasses that are drought tolerant. Reduce water consumption and garden maintenance simultaneously.
   5. Plant trees for shade.  Not only will the shade help reduce your cooling bill, it will also increase property values when the trees mature.
2. Use Natural Cleaning Products – Natural cleaning products are essential for a green lifestyle and readily available at most super markets.  They clean, disinfect and deodorize the same way conventional cleaning products do without harmful chemicals.  Read labels before you purchase, natural ingredients include baking soda, borax, cornstarch, lemon juice, mineral oil, vinegar and washing soda. If you choose to make your own, add essential oils for fragrance.
3. Maximize Solar Power – Consider installing solar panels to heat and cool your home.  Solar panels will reduce energy levels and benefit your entire community by reducing energy consumption at the local power plant.
4. Preserve Air Quality – Use eco-friendly paints the next time you update a room in your house.  Eco-friendly paints have very low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and come in a wide array of colors.
5. Reduce Utility Consumption – Upgrade to a high quality air filtering system.  By providing better air ventilation and exhaust in your home you will have cleaner air to breathe while reducing strain your community’s electric and gas consumption.
6. Buy Natural and Organic Products – When making purchases for furniture and bedding choose organic products made from sustainable materials like unbleached wool, bamboo, or natural plant fibers.  Using eco-friendly furniture is an excellent way to detox your home.  Organic mattresses made from wool or natural latex and have been shown to reduce allergens in the air.
7. Use Reusable Containers – Rather than using foil or plastic wrap, try using a reusable storage containers for leftovers or lunches.  Consider taking a coffee mug to work instead of using Styrofoam cups.  Not only will you save money, you will also reduce items that sit in a landfill for years decomposing.
8. Eat Clean – More processing equals less nutrient density in foods.  Focus on buying fresh organic fruits and vegetables.  Reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet. Eating clean will improve your health and cut down on landfill items by cutting out cans, glass and plastics in your trash.
9. Conduct an Energy Audit – Discover where you have leaks and plug them up.  Inefficient windows and doors can cost a lot in utility bills in the winter.  If you still feel drafts, hire a professional auditor through the Department of Energy’s Energy Saver site.  They can make excellent recommendations to make your home weather tight and maintain your green lifestyle year-round.
10. Recycle – Most major cities offer free recycling as part of weekly trash removal programs.  Take advantage of the service and sort through glass, plastic, aluminum and paper. Quarterly go through closets and drawers and find clothes the kids have outgrown or that you simply don’t wear anymore and donate to a thrift store or homeless shelter.  Items that are gently used can benefit others in your community.

Living a green lifestyle is a conscious choice but the benefits for family and community far outweigh the planning it takes.  Join the Nickells as they endeavor to create a healthy happy atmosphere for their family and community of Manhattan Beach by embracing the green way of life.

Robert Nickell (a.k.a. Daddy Nickell), father of 7, offers his “5 cents” worth of advice to expectant and new parents. Daddy Nickell is the founder of Daddy & Co. (formerly Daddyscrubs) delivery room duds, gifts, and apparel for dads, and the DailyDaddy blog, where he covers topics about parenting and the latest baby and kids gear, all from a Dad’s perspective.  The Nickells are building an eco friendly home that’s on track to receive Platinum LEED certification in Manhattan Beach.

I’m Refreshing My Blog (and Bust Ghosts)

Updating old blog content is a bit like digital archaeology: you head in to dust the archives and end up unearthing questionable life choices from years ago. Between the over-filtered photos and advice that’s aged like room-temperature milk, the past can be… loud.

The Ghost in the Machine: Lately, I’ve been dealing with a resident spirit: The Ghost of Peanut Butter and Whine. This digital poltergeist has been causing chaos behind the scenes:

• The Vanishing Act: Deleting images and leaving empty boxes where helpful tutorials used to be.
• The Link Graveyard: Sneakily swapping my trusted brand partners for sketchy “AI Crypto” links.
• Font Sabotage: Reverting my modern, clean text back to “Geocities-era” antique fonts.

The 2026 Refresh Plan: I’m giving my archives a facelift to keep my blog traffic climbing and my readers happy. Here’s my step-by-step exorcism:

1. Exorcise 404s: Running a broken link checker to find and fix every dead end.
2. Modernize the Recommendations: Swapping outdated 2019 products for my 2026 essentials.
3. SEO Deep Clean: Updating metadata to ensure my focus keywords are in the headers and the introduction for maximum impact.

Stick Around Please

Don’t let this be a “one and done” visit. While I’m cleaning house, check out these (very much alive) links:

Earn Cash: Some things never go out of style. Rakuten still pays you to shop, and in this economy, why wouldn’t you take the free money?

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: Check out the sidebar for my current giveaway—I promise this one i