Mean Green Machine: 7 earth-friendly habits
There is nothing prettier than baby grass coming up all squeaky-clean in the spring. It's so green it practically glows. We saw this phenomenon a few days ago, and it breathed new life into me. Today I'm sharing the things I like to do that are green. These are the tried and true...not suggestions I've seen somewhere, but things I do and feel are beneficial and not a pain. Some of them are small and may seem like no-brainers to you, but I wanted to give you a real look at my life and efforts at living green. My friend and fellow blogger, Trina Cress put it into some lovely words. She said her dream is that "the footprint we leave behind is small, gentle and loving." You can read more of her thoughts here.
Am I going to save the planet one reusable bag at a time? Nope, but I'm trying to get away from all-or-nothing thinking that says I shouldn't do anything if I can't put it all right. I mostly want to make less trash. When I hear how much of the world's resources we consume and how much waste we produce (as a country), I feel sheepish. Who am I to have so much? Which leads me to ask, "How can I use what I have better?" It makes me want to be more careful, more generous, more resourceful. Our prosperity actually makes these things harder. We have so much, we've forgotten the value of each thing. I mean, people coming out of the Depression saved their tinfoil and I think, "Whaaat?!"
Longterm, I dream of having a meticulous expert refurbish our old windows. According to This Old House, my windows can be as efficient as new ones if given some major loving care. Since they're downright gorgeous, I'm thrilled to be surrounded by them long term and keeping them out of landfills is a bonus. But I'd also like fewer drafts, so we hope to do a window a year, starting with the ones to the north.
So now you know what works for me and I'd love to know what you do! Above all, remember to be kind to yourself. If there's something you'd like to do that I mentioned, or any habit you're trying to start, remember to take on one challenge at a time. We can't change all at once. Time takes time, and that's okay.
p.s. To see more fun articles about green living go here!
Am I going to save the planet one reusable bag at a time? Nope, but I'm trying to get away from all-or-nothing thinking that says I shouldn't do anything if I can't put it all right. I mostly want to make less trash. When I hear how much of the world's resources we consume and how much waste we produce (as a country), I feel sheepish. Who am I to have so much? Which leads me to ask, "How can I use what I have better?" It makes me want to be more careful, more generous, more resourceful. Our prosperity actually makes these things harder. We have so much, we've forgotten the value of each thing. I mean, people coming out of the Depression saved their tinfoil and I think, "Whaaat?!"
Longterm, I dream of having a meticulous expert refurbish our old windows. According to This Old House, my windows can be as efficient as new ones if given some major loving care. Since they're downright gorgeous, I'm thrilled to be surrounded by them long term and keeping them out of landfills is a bonus. But I'd also like fewer drafts, so we hope to do a window a year, starting with the ones to the north.
So now you know what works for me and I'd love to know what you do! Above all, remember to be kind to yourself. If there's something you'd like to do that I mentioned, or any habit you're trying to start, remember to take on one challenge at a time. We can't change all at once. Time takes time, and that's okay.
p.s. To see more fun articles about green living go here!
Your recycling set-up sounds amazing. I need details--who do you use? We do it ourself, which is fine, but I'd love to have an easy way to recycle it all including electronics!
ReplyDeleteIt's Star City Recycling and we did it for ourselves a long time too. I love this service b/c they recycle as much as they can - some of which isn't profitable for them. They are passionate about recycling and sort it all on your curb, leaving behind what they can't recycle so you learn - and feel free to put something iffy in and often they can recycle it! So awesome. Lots of the services you don't have to sort for have a process where a lot of it gets thrown away anyway, so I'm super impressed by this one. :) obviously!!
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