6. Use alternate forms of transportation - save some gas, save some money, save the planet! Whether it's using mass transit, biking, or walking, it's good for you and good for Mother Nature. Even if you do drive to run your errands. Try consolidating your errands so you only have to make one trip. Park in a central location and walk between your stops.7. Visit your library - eReaders are great but think of the energy and parts and pieces that go into creating them. Likewise, books are obviously printed using paper and that requires trees; lots of them. Why not find that book you're looking for at your local library? One book can be shared by hundreds if not thousands of people over the years and, if you really love it, then you can go out and buy a copy of your own to keep.
8. Grow something edible - you don't have to be a master gardener and you don't even have to have a huge yard (or even any yard for that matter). You'll be amazed at how great it feels to serve something to your family that you've grown yourself. Whether it's green beans and carrots from your backyard garden or basil from your windowsill pots, you're cultivating healthy habits for years to come for your family.9. Give (and ask for) experiences - be honest, you've got tons of "stuff" around your home. Most people do. How many times have you wondered what to give someone as a gift because they "have everything"? At the end our lives, we won't wish had more stuff but more experiences; more memories. Give the gift of a dinner out for some new parents. Ask for a prenatal massage as a shower gift. Cleaning service once a month, tickets to a concert or play, a donation in the recipient's name to a great charity like Heifer International. All of those things and more will lead to more memories and less clutter in your life and in your garage!
10. Choose cloth or paper over plastic - plastic bags have become the norm in most grocery stores these days. Yes, they have reusable bags for sale right at the check stand but when was the last time anyone asked if you wanted to purchase one instead of using plastic? Most self checkout lanes don't even offer the option of paper anymore. Plastic bags take 500 years of more to breakdown in a landfill. That means the plastic bag you throw away today will still be there when your grandchildren are born... and when their grandchildren are born! It's not natural. It's not good for our planet. It's not good for us and our families.Like I said at the beginning of the Part One post, I'm not a hardcore greenie but these are all tips that are easy for all of us to incorporate. And, if each of us does just a little, we can make a big impact on our world and in the lives of our families.
Got a green tip that you'd like to share that wasn't listed in these posts? Please share! We always love to hear how you choose to live mindfully!
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