Maybe it's the routine of having a child and seeing all the waste that results from it -- relax, people, I compost those diapers! -- but I've become really conscious of what I use or destroy throughout my day. One of the things I'm very wary of wasting is water. I mean, I care about water conservation so much that I asked people to contribute to purchasing wells for my 30th birthday. So I've come up with a few tricks.

Anytime I use a large quantity of water -- washing my dishes or baby bottles -- I collect the water and throw it on my plants. After all, we're washing four or five bottles a day, and it's a bummer to see that much water go down the drain.

Another thing we do is take shorter showers. It's a personal challenge, for sure -- it's so comforting to turn on the shower and feel that soothing running water while you take off your makeup. But it just doesn't make sense to stay there any longer than necessary when you realize that showering uses about five gallons of water per minute. We keep a little clock in our shower so we remember to keep them under five minutes -- or, if you play music, you know you have about a song and a half of rinsing time! Bonus: I've found that shorter, slightly cooler showers are better for my eczema.