laundry fix. and giveaway!

there's always lots of laundry around here. and since line drying seems to be a no-go until spring, i've been looking for ways to save energy while using the dryer. i tried throwing a beach towel in with the clothes (which seemed the easiest fix), but i didn't find it to be all that helpful. jeremy even thought it might be making things worse, since our dryer is usually jam-packed with clothes (we're still on mandatory water restrictions due to drought conditions, so i try to only wash very full loads). he thought that there wasn't enough airflow with the addition of the towel, and he was probably right. at any rate, some loads were taking nearly 2 hours to dry. not energy efficient at all!

i've read about using dryer balls--they apparently not only help cut down on static and work as a softener, but also help speed up drying time by promoting airflow between fabrics. they can be bought in stores, though of course handmade is always better, and come in different materials, including plastic (yuck). from all my research, though, wool dryer balls are best. and by far the most eco-friendly.

i found a wonderful do-it-yourself tutorial here and made a set of my own in no time flat. i tried them out for the first time a couple of days ago, and was thrilled when the dryer shut off in just under 60 minutes--half the time that it had typically been running. i look forward to using them with the cloth diapers next to see if there's improvement there as well. this lovely set, handmade by your loyal blogger, is up for my january giveaway! to enter, leave your name and email address in the comment section, along with a quick statement on something "green" you've done recently. hopefully your comments will inspire me, along with other readers!

i'll be using a random number generator to decide the winner on wednesday morning (the 14th). good luck to all who enter!