40 Tips for Making Everyday Earth Day

It's Earth Day.  So what?  I know there are a lot of people that feel kind of like that.  But, just like dieting, this day is not so much about making a choice that doesn't feel natural to you to begin with.  It's about making a change in your lifestyle.  Here's a quick list of some ways to make a change today.  Some take a little more effort than others, we'll admit that; but all were included because they are easy to implement.  Choose one; choose all.  What's important is making the choice to live mindfully.

1. Replace paper coffee filters with a permanent filter that can be washed and reused.
2. Use reusable rags instead of paper towels.
3. If you do use paper towels, purchase a brand that lets you select the size of towel you use each time.
4. Keep drip pans on your stove clean. Clean drip pans radiate more heat, so your stove doesn't have to work quite so hard.
5. Purchase reusable water bottles and coffee cups and USE THEM!
6. Use a water filtration system with your tap water instead of purchasing bottled water.
7. Store leftovers and/or bulk food in glass or porcelain containers.
8. Use rechargeable batteries.
9. Purchase fresh produce instead of canned and use a local farmer's market when possible.
10. Make your own baby food from your fresh produce. It tastes better and is better for baby, too!
11. Choose soy or beeswax candles instead of petroleum-based paraffin wax candles.
12. Wash most of your laundry in cold water. Most detergents today are designed to work just as well at this temperature.
13. If possible, hang your clothes to dry.
14. Install a dual flush upgrade to your toilet. Kits are available in most home improvement stores for around $20 and install in about 10 minutes.
15. Plug the bathtub before turning on the water for your little one's bath.
16. Use a washable shower curtain liner instead of a plastic disposable one.
17. Use a razor with refillable blades.
18. Choose body oils made from the seeds of fruits and nuts instead of baby oil.  Baby oil is just scented mineral oil - a byproduct of gasoline production. ick
19. Repair worn shoes instead of throwing them out and buying new ones. It's cheaper and you'll still have the shoes you love!
20. Discover the joy of resale shops! You'll be amazed at the gems you can find from clothing to curtains, to holiday decor and everything in between!
21. Install a programmable thermostat.  It's easier than you think!
22. Install an attic fan. They're easy to install and can lower the temp in your home significantly on hot days.  You can even purchase a solar powered model!
23. Don't throw out your magazines when you're done reading them.  Share them with a friend!
24. Purchase exercise equipment secondhand. It's cheaper and there are a lot of lonely treadmills out there just waiting for a new home.
25. Unplug your appliances, when possible, when you leave on vacation.
26. Quit using disposable pens. Find a pen you love and just refill the ink cartridge.
27. Opt for e-billing and online financial statements.
28. Use direct deposit if it's available to you.
29. Pay your bills online.
30. Don't throw away your old cell phone. E-cycle it or donate it to a charity (women's shelters are often in need of them)
31. Set outside lights on timers or motion sensors so they are only used when you really need them.
32. Plant native plants in your landscaping. They are better suited to your climate and less likely to die and need replacing.
33. When possible, choose to plant drought resistant plants.  Once established, they'll require less water.
34. Grow something edible, whether it's a basil plant on your kitchen windowsill or a full vegetable garden.
35. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to water your gardens. There will be less evaporation and no wasted water on leaves and foliage.
36. Maintain your vehicle - regular oil changes, keeping the air filter clean, checking tire pressure - for optimum performance and longer life.
37. Limit car idling time.  An idling car emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling at 32 mph!
38. Use mass transit or carpool.
39. Learn a skill.  Sewing, knitting, wood working, plumbing, electrical, etc. You can make gifts, repair items, build what you need, etc.
40. Use em naturals products!  They're all 100% natural, good for you, and good for Mother Nature, too!

Why Choose Natural Products?

I was at the grocery store recently to purchase items for a homemade pizza dinner.  As I contemplated my many shredded mozzarella cheese options, something caught my eye... A bag labeled "Mozzarella Cheese Style Topping".  Huh?  Intrigued, I picked up the package and checked out the ingredients.  Hmm... not even enough stuff in there to be considered actual cheese.  Artificial flavoring, yes; but no real cheese.  Now, I ask you, would you buy that and feed it to your family even though it's a bit cheaper than real cheese? I didn't.

Life is full of choices and, when it comes to what we put in our bodies, many of us will make that choice to eat the real cheese instead of the imposter.  What about those products you put on your body, though?  The moisturizers, the soaps, etc?  When it comes to these products, you'd really be amazed at what is passed off as natural and "good for you".  Lotions with alcohol in them (it will actually cause your skin to become drier, thus needing more of that lotion!), soaps with harsh sulfates, and don't even get me started on anything with petroleum jelly in it! 

While on the surface (of your skin) they may seem harmless, all of the chemicals, sulfates, synthetics, and parabens don't just remain there.  They soak in; they absorb.  What do our bodies do with them then?  Well, since these imposters aren't recognized by our bodies, they are taken in as toxins.  Fortunately, the human body is designed to flush out these toxins.  Unfortunately, living in our world today, we take in toxins from so many different sources that our bodies are easily overwhelmed and cannot properly eliminate all that we absorb.  The result? Toxins that are retained in our body fat and in our organs.  They deplete our energy stores, lower our metabolism, and, ulimately, end up in our blood stream.

The solution?  Go natural!  Whether it's ingredients in your food, your moisturizer, or in your laundry detergent, natural is better.  Real cheese tastes better, right?  Well, real moisturizers moisturize better.  And for longer!  Detergents without sulfates and chemicals get your clothing just as clean but won't aggravate allergies or sensitive skin.  Not even all "clear" detergents can boast that.

Finally, natural products are not only better for us as individuals, but they're also better for the environment.  There are no chemicals to leech into our groundwater; they aren't filling our air with toxic gasses.  By making natural choices, we're taking care of our own health, but we're also taking care of the health of Mother Nature.  It's a win-win.

So, celebrate Earth Day by making a natural choice.  Read labels and choose to use products that contain ingredients you can pronounce.  And, above all, live mindfully! 

Get Soaked

I'm not sure about you, but I'm a water baby.  Being in water, whether it's a pool, lake, or other body of water, just makes me feel calm.  So, it's no surprise that I love a good bath.  There's just something about sinking down to my chin in warm water that makes everything right in the world.

That's why I'm so in love with our bath salts and our milk & honey bath powder.  If I'm physically worn out from a day of working in the garden or just chasing the kids, the mineral rich bath salts ease away the aches and pains of the day.  You wouldn't think that something as simple as that would work, but it really does!  

And, when I just want to feel indulgent, the milk & honey bath powder does it for me.  We all know that milk baths are great for the skin (Cleopatra taught us that), but do you know why?  Milk contains lactic acid which is a wonderfully natural exfoliant.  It will leave your skin silky soft without all the harsh scrubbing (because, really, I find loofahs rather scratchy).  So, why include the honey?  Well, honey is a humectant.  That means it helps retain moisture.  Combined with the milk, the benefit is skin that is not only soft but will stay that way!  Plus, it smells divine!

Try one (or both!) today; but beware.  Once you try them, you may end up loving the bath so much that you may not want to get out!

Plant a Tree for FREE

Did you know that one and a half acres of rain forest are lost every second in Brazil alone?  That figure is staggering.  Please join us in supporting the Plant 10,000 Trees campaign and plant a tree in the Brazilian rain forest for FREE!

A partnership between Rain Tees and Living Green Magazine, this campaign aims to reforest over a million square feet of land in Brazil with the help of the Trees for the Future organization.  When you enter, you not only will plant a tree but you will also be entered to win one of 10 great eco gift packages!

Don't wait; the rain forest is disappearing at an alarming rate.  Live mindfully and plant your tree today!

http://www.plant10000trees.com/

When You Have a Crazy Week...

This week was supposed to be breezy.  This week was supposed to be easy.  Instead, it was queasy.

You know you're a parent when, instead of spending Valentine's Day with your partner, you spend it with the child that is throwing up.  It's been a week of sipping water and nibbling on dry toast here, but I finally got a chance to catch up on some emails this morning while the young prince sleeps.  The hubby and I will do something this weekend in lieu of the Valentine's Day we missed.  But, really, that's kind of how it should be.

Yes, this message is getting to you 4 days after the big LOVE Day, but lessons learned in hindsight are often clearer, right?  We shouldn't just show that deep appreciation and love for those dear to us on February 14th.  We need to show them everyday.  Any day can be Valentine's Day if you want it to be.

The more I thought of that this week (and the more I watched television shows on the environment while the young one slept curled up next to me), it made me think of the upcoming Earth Day.  Earth Day is wonderful and Earth Day is great and I'm so glad that people get out there and do good things for Mother Nature in the name of that day; but, really, Earth Day is everyday.  Everyday we can do things that show our planet that we care.  Everyday we can make choices that make our world a little bit better place to live.  Big things or little things; it doesn't matter.  Buy a hybrid car or buy an apple from a local farmer.  Either way you're making a difference. 

So, show the people you love that you love them today (and tomorrow and next week and...) and don't wait until Earth Day to show her you love her, too.  Make choices that are healthy; for you and for Mother Nature and live mindfully.

PS. Don't forget that there are special discounts waiting for your on our website during the entire month of February.  You'll have to go on a little hunt for them, but, if you follow your heart, it will lead you to savings you'll love! 

Planning a Garden (plus a FREE download!)

A few years ago, in an effort to teach my kids about the joys of growing our own food, I built several raised beds to house all the yummies that were sure to come.  We lucked out that first year and got a good return (including this 65 pound pumpkin!), and we've been excited about gardening since.  The boys now eat veggies they never did before because "they taste different than the ones at the grocery store." That will sell any parent, plus I love that I spend less at the grocery store each summer!


If you garden (or even if you don't... yet), this is the time of year to start planning your garden.  If you're a seasoned gardener, you probably already know what you plan on growing but, like me, are excited to try new things.  If you're new to gardening, you may not know where to start and it may seem overwhelming.

Enter Rodale's Easy Garden Designs guide.  If you have a large space, you'll find some great ideas for how to fill it.  If all you have room for are some containers, you'll still find valuable growing information that will help you choose the perfect plants.


What's even more perfect is that you can download it here for free. Yup, FREE! A pretty awesome price for a head start to planning a garden that will help you live mindfully this year.


P.S. Rodale has lots of other fantastic books available at their online store.  Visit them at http://www.rodalestore.com/

Nature...

Found this quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the other day and love it...

Nature understands no jesting.  She is always true, always serious, always severe:  she is always right, and the errors and faults are always those of man.

How true!  We've always been of the mindset that Mother Nature has provided the very best ingredients.  And, when you have the very best at your disposal, what's the point of adding anything else?

live mindfully, friends!