Simple Machines

Some of the simple machines that I found around my home are: screw, wedge, wheels/axels, pulley and  lever.

 

 A key ring falls under the screw category; this is defined as an objects that holds objects together and winds around itself. Jar lids are also a good example of this.

 

 

Forks and knives fall under the wedge category;the wedge splits things apart. Nails are another good example of this. 

The inner workings of this grandfather clock is a good example of wheels/axels and a pulley system. The wheels/axels move things from place to place. Clocks and doorknobs are good examples of this.

Blinds are a good example of a pulley system. This simple machine moves loads up, down or sideways.

This bottle opener is an example of a lever. A lever rests on a turning point. A hammer or a teeter-totter are good examples of this.

How do I Reduce, Reuse, Recycle at home?



Reduce electricity waste



When I first was asked to comment on this topic, I drew an absolute blank. Reduce? Reuse? Recycle? Thinking about the recycling part was easy. Wondering how I reduced and reused things was another.

I remembered my grandmother always telling me to unplug kitchen items that you do not use all the time or for very short limited amounts of time. She is correct, unplugging unnecessary items does REDUCE your electicity bill and usage monthly.   



Energy Star Appliances





When we moved back to the U.S., my husband and I purchased several appliances that were Energy Star approved. This has also lowered our elctricity usage and bill. I also do not run the heater (for the most part) during the winter. The second story in my house stays at a comfortable temperature in the winter and what we save in the winter really helps pay the electricity bill in the month of August!



Landscape in the back garden

My husband and I 'rescued' all of this stone, so that he and my son could build this patio for me as a boy scout requirement. When we moved into our house, the yard did not have any grass and was really rocky. My family and I painstakingly dug out as many rocks as we could and REUSED them to help build this rockery (next to the patio) for my herbs and shrubs.  

The bush I rescued 

I also rescued the big bush in this picture as well as its twin in the picture above it. Our neighbors did not want these plants anymore and were throwing them away. I asked if I could have them and my neighbors agreed. The plants were only about a foot high when my husband planted them two years ago. We couldn't believe that our neighbors wanted to throw these great bushes away! This past summer, our neighbors visited our backyard and couldn't believe that these were the same plants that I had rescued from them and replanted in our yard.

 



Recycling in my neighborhood

We encourage our kids to RECYCLE. Cans, newspapers, paper towel rolls, toilet rolls, paper, boxes, glass, plastics, etc are all recycled at our house.