Okay, before I go all “earthy” on you here, I should make a few confessions. I absolutely always start my car before heading out in the winter. I was too lazy to figure out cloth diapers. Worst of all? I use the clothes dryer as much as I possibly can. Year-round. (Who likes crunchy clothing? I just don’t get it.) However, I am a big reuser, recycler, and composter, which I think is pretty much the norm for our generation, and I would like to make even more efforts to leave a nice clean world behind for my children. 
Next, I must confess that although the website I share here today has fantastic environmentally-friendly ideas, I didn’t exactly stumble upon it while searching for new green products. In truth, I sought it out after reading about it in In Style Magazine. The site, Green Is Sexy, made it into the publication because one of its founders (also one of my favourite actresses), is Canada’s own Rachel McAdams.The site boasts a variety of eco-friendly ideas under categories such as “For The Girls”, “Out and About”, “In the Workplace”, “Moneysavers”, “Entertainment” and “For Laughs”.
My fellow moms might be interested in a post on The Green Goober, offering environmentally-friendly products for kids, as well as a Green Christmas Gift Guide, posted in December but useful all year long. I’m currently considering a recycled-paper product purchase from Ecojot, (shown at left) since I’m one of those rare techno-junkies who still insists on keeping a paper dayplanner.
(By the way, depending what time of year you read this post, you might also be interested in my Green Halloween article. The editor proposed this topic, and the research was good for me. I even implemented a few of my own suggestions last year!)
I’d love to hear about ways you and your family have “gone green”. If you have older kids, are they more environmentally-friendly than you are? Do you find it harder to be eco-conscious with children than you did before, with less time and more products? Any suggestions for the rest of us?
Here’s my Earth Day contribution: for every comment left on this post, I will sweep the floor with an old-fashioned broom instead of using my beloved disposable-cloth sweeper. I’m willing to sacrifice!
Gooooo Green!! Well today marks the second day I've hung a load of laundry on my beloved clothes line! 🙂 I also don't buy any paper towels or ziplock baggies. With an ever growing six year old boy, I shop second hand whenever possible(but I do like to buy new shoes!) And…my most recent adventure, creating and tending to our very first vegetable garden this year. I'm also very excited to get the bike out and begin biking the 5 k's to work, instead of driving!
Oh, please share more info about the veggie garden. That's such a coincidence because my husband suggested last night that planting vegetables with the girls would make for a great blog post…since he wants us to do it! He always tries to use the blog angle to convince me. I'm not even a big veggie-eater myself, but the garden does seem like such a good idea.
I have started a reward system with my kids.
I encourage them to seek out plastic bottles and recycle them. They collect the cap and once they reach 100 they get a prize. They have all their cousins, grandparents and friends on the hunt for them. It gets everone involved.
Also, we are known as the battery house in the neighborhood. Our neighbors know to drop off their old batteries at our house and Katie will take them to her school library to drop off. Saves everyone the hastle and hopefully prevents some off the batteries from reaching the garbage!
Those are great ideas. It's so important to get the kids involved so they realize that they can play a role as well.
Well, I would like to be able to say that I am a “green” person although …. not completely accurate. Yes, I do recycle although do have to say that I haven’t been as good as others who collect their batteries and old cell phones to place them in the appropriate bins and YES I have even dumped things down the sink that would make David Suzuki’s heart stop. Can’t say that I have “gone green”.
I think that some people think that they are more environmentally-friendly than they really are. Suzuki states that we should be, “finding new sources of energy, making policy commitments to reduce our emissions, and making smarter decisions as consumers are just some of the ways we can help solve the problem.” although at the same time some of us are not willing to pay the financially price to do so. I hope that I am able to teach my children to be eco-conscious and to make good environmentally friendly choices that are good for them, the environment and mankind, although I think that with some of the messages that they get from profit driven advisers, its somehow lost.
the garden is a great way to get kids involed with cooking and trying new things. We have done this and our kids now enjoy a lot more different veggies. They also did it at the daycare last year. And the kids wanted to try the things they grew. Go for it start a garden with the girls. you never know you may even try something new yourself.
And for the clothes dryer, I only use it in the winter of if it is raining outside. We pratice the three R's. Our mother earth has enough stress on her so we should all do our little bit to make her a better place for our Children and our grandchildren.
My garden will be under way soon. I'm excited! I am planning on participating in the "plant an extra row" initiative and donate items from that row to the local food bank each week.
Another way I've gone green is by trading in my household cleaners for vinegar which is a non-toxic disinfectant. It can also be used in laundry as a fabric softener! I use vinegar to disinfect and dishsoap to clean most all else in the house. I also use baking soda when I need an abrasive cleaner to make the tub and stove top sparkle!
I've found one of the best way to go green (and save some green) is by being very conscientious about expenditures and having a good understanding of needs vs wants. You'd be surprised how much money can be saved by asking yourself those 4 little words first, "Do I NEED this?" 🙂 I mean, really NEED this.