Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 to show appreciation to our Earth’s environment, bring awareness to issues that may threaten it, and celebrate ways we can help protect it.  I love Earth Day.  My daughter claims Earth Day is “Mommy’s favorite holiday”; I just love her.  Not quite my favorite, sweetie……….although, it comes in at a close second to Christmas. 

I look forward to this holiday, not because of any big parties or festivals that I have planned to attend.  I hate crowds, so no big festival for me.  And it falls on a weekend, so no school activities, such as helping out at the paper drive, will need to be attended.  I love it because I know that we, as a group, are acknowledging that we need to take actions towards helping our planet’s soil, water, air, and inhabitant's health. As corny as it sounds, Earth Day should be every day in my opinion.  At least, it is for my family.  It has become part of our everyday living. 

But my now more relaxed, planet friendly manner wasn’t so relaxed as it is today.  I remember when the whole “green” movement was in full force and was sweeping across the country a few years ago.  Let me tell you, I was gung-ho.  If I read it was “green” and helped the environment, I bought it. And buying greener products meant more green out of my pocket.  Also during that time, I was learning about all the pesticides and antibiotics in our food, what CAFOs were, and the chemicals in shampoos and such, that I went on a frenzy being careful only to buy the healthiest food possible and choosing personal care products that did not put harmful chemicals in our bodies.  I gained all this knowledge and I wasn't afraid to use it!

I was driving myself and everyone around me crazy.  My husband began calling me “voodoo lady” -----don’t laugh because he was serious (in a loving kind of way).  I was working harder, but not smarter at this lifestyle change I was making for us.  No wonder I was overwhelmed.  Then one day, I had this “Aha” moment.  I realized that I didn't have to do the "being green" and also do the "keeping our body's free of contaminants" seperately, as my mind was processing it as to be.  It was all encompassing, meaning as I choose items for our home and bodies, made with natural products and not man-made chemicals, buying organic food produced locally and raised humanely, and becoming knowledgeable about living sustainably, it will ultimately be healthier for the planet. Once I figured that out, I became more relaxed, and I began taking baby steps in making change in our lives.  

There are hundreds of ways to be mindful about the resources we use.  I admit, I can get a little over the top with ideas when it comes to protecting the planet (remember voodoo lady?).  Some of them I can implement and have, and others I can’t, and that's okay.  Again.....it's all about the baby steps.  I will continue to go about my day making choices that I can feel good about.

Here is a small list of changes I have made over the past few years:

·         Composting— there are many things that can be composted and not thrown into the trash

·         Recycle plastic, glass, and paper

·         Reuse glass jars for spices, leftovers, or anything else that needs to be stored

·         Grow my own herbs and dehydrate them

·         Make my own dishwashing detergent

·         Make my own hand soap

·         Make my own laundry soap

·         Buy as much organic food as my budget allows. 

·         If it isn’t organic, it’s at least GMO free and free of artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors. I have contacted companies asking questions about their products too.

·         A lot of our food is homemade and unprocessed.  Also, it saves on throwing away excess packaging.  And............it tastes better anyway.

·         Make my own spice blends.  No MSG in our home.

·         Every few months, I go to my local recycling center to turn in old textiles, such as holey socks, torn towels, stained clothing

·         Our newly installed rain barrel allows me to water all my container plants without turning on the hose

·         Shop resale stores

·         Donate gently used items

·         I have been known to throw a killer of a garage sale.  One garage sale netted me enough money to purchase a chest freezer so we could purchase meat from a local farm. 

·         Make my own almond milk on a weekly basis, and dehydrate the remains for almond meal

·         No harmful fertilizers on own lawn.  We had children and pets running it that yard!

·         Turn off the water while brushing teeth

·         Buy Recycled paper products, such as toilet paper

·         Grouping errands together to save on gas and less wear and tear on the car

·         Using our legs for walking and riding our bikes as forms of exercise

·         Visit the library to check out movies and books

·         Waste free lunches

·         Make my own cleaning products

·         Use natural and homeopathic remedies

·         Recently replaced all of our appliances for energy star ones

·         Buy “safe” personal care products or make my own, such as deodorant

·         Recycle all of our electronics

·         No buying of bottled water.  We have reusable water bottles.

·         Repurpose items, such as making a necklace from an old T-shirt 

·        Refusing to buy items just because they are on a clearance rack, or I think I am getting a good deal.  Do you really need all that stuff in my house anyway.  If I don't need it, then I don't buy it!

·         Use cloth bags when shopping.  And if I forget to bring them, I make sure I recycle the plastic ones. 

Now multiply my little actions by the billions of people on this planet, and we will ultimately affect the planet and its resources, just by the choices we make.  I would like to think we do so already.

And what will I be doing on Earth Day, you might ask?  I will celebrate it quietly.  I may spend time outside gardening, go for a walk with my family, take a bike ride to a nearby park, or make a healthy meal for friends and family.  One thing I know for sure is that I will spend a moment remembering to be mindful about the actions I take as I go about my day; on Earth Day, as in every day. 

Happy Earth Day!