Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone. I hope that you did something on this beautiful day to celebrate our Mother Earth. For those of you who don't already know, I am a bit of a hippie- which simply means I love our Earth. I know that many of the folks I know think I am crazy, but I like to think that I am simply doing my part and sometimes a little extra to pick up the slack of those around me. Now that I have kids I think it's even more important to take care of this gift we were given so that it can be handed down for generations. So here are a few of the things I have done over the past year and things I intend to work on:

* Cloth diapers instead of disposables. I even hung them out on the line today. There is something soul soothing in hanging clothes on the line. Some food for thought: All of the disposable diapers EVER used (every single one of them) is still in a landfill somewhere. Will still be there a few hundred years from now.

* The majority of bottles we are using are glass. They can easily be recycled as soon as we are finished using them if they are unable to find a good home.

* Giving away or donating old items rather than throwing things away.

* Cloth grocery bags. Our store even donates $10 for every bag you bring in and use to help fight hunger. I need to start bring something similar with me elsewhere. I hope to stop my use of plastic bags virtually altogether.

* Slowly converting to compact florescent bulbs. I need to get better at this. It is my goal to have nothing but in the house by the end of the year. I also hope to get my husband to remember to shut off the lights behind him when he leaves a room.

* I would like to get better about composting our household wastes. We have a composter. I was doing good at it once upon a time, and then... well...

Besides hanging out the nappies, I also walked with the girls about a mile to the hardware store to pick up some goods I needed rather than driving like I normally would. It was a beautiful day and a good length to walk if only we didn't need to walk all the way back! So if you haven't yet, make sure to do something to celebrate, give thanks and give back! Every moment is just another chance to turn it all around!