Hi everyone, Wayne Drop here!
The holidays always put a big smile on my face. And yes, while I realize my smile is stitched to my face and can’t move, the holidays really do warm up the inside of me. Besides hot chocolate, s’mores, candy canes, bright lights, and presents under the tree, ‘tis the season I get to bring the gift of water conservation. Kids, if you’re looking for ideas for your parents, you’ve come to the right blog. Here are my top five water-saving gifts that make perfect stocking stuffers.
1) Water Timer / Drip Systems
What Dad wouldn’t love to re-connect the house sprinkler system and re-connect with Mother Nature? Water timers and drip systems prevent over-watering and keep water where it should be, in your yard. Your home’s water efficiency will go up. Your water bills will go down. Lower bills keep Mom and Dad in a festive spirit all year long. Get landscaping tips here.
2) Portable Timer
This handy little timer can be placed in the bathroom by the shower. Your parents can set the timer during their showers to take shorter showers, which can save hundreds of gallons of water monthly. They can still sing in the shower; they just need to sing faster. And for goodness’ sake, tell them to keep the door closed. Learn 100+ water-saving tips here.
3) Dual-Purpose Food Coloring
Colored dye? Why o why? This nifty little stocking stuffer can be used to identify leaky toilets. Put drops of the dye in the tank and see if it appears in the bowl. Dyes come in green, red and all your favorite holiday colors. Bonus usage: Use left-over dyes to color Easter eggs in spring. Now that’s an efficient idea. Learn about leaks around the house here.
4) Pliers / Wrench
Not to throw an, ahem, wrench in your parents’ holiday plans to relax, but fixing leaks is easy. It also saves water. With a wrench in hand, your parents have no excuse to ignore those drips under the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or wherever. Learn about leaks here.
5) Coal
There are so many easy ways for you and your parents to conserve water around your home. We have a list of 100+ water-saving tips. For parents who get grinchy about saving water, coal makes a wonderful stocking stuffer. Tell your parents not to worry if they get a lump of coal this year. It’s so easy to get back on the “nice” list next year. All they must do is incorporate smart water-saving practices into their everyday habits.
Kids, I hope you can use some of my stocking stuffer ideas. Have a great water-saving holiday! We’ll talk again soon.
Wayne Drop is the official spokes-drop for Water – Use It Wisely. For over 20 years, he has been visiting community events, schools, and libraries to help talk about water conservation and why it’s so important to our state. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, boating, relaxing walks on the beach, and sledding in the snow. Find more blogs from Wayne Drop.