The power of one.

I just took out the Sunday evening trash pickup. It included 2 bags of lawn clippings for recycling, 1 bin of recyclables and 1 bag of garbage.

Ten years ago it would have meant 4 bags to the landfill.

We're a nation of over 111 million households. Muliply that by 3 extra bags a week to the landfill.

See. We can make a difference.

Making sense of going "green"

All of us want a better life for our children and grandkids (like my adorable ones in the picture). Where we used to think in terms of better job, bigger house, more money; our aspirations now include a healthier and cleaner environment. “Conservation” is a common word these days. “Social awareness” is making its way up our vocabulary. We all know what “eco-friendly” means. Or do we?

We are bombarded by so many new slogans and catch phrases, we not sure what is “green” and what is just a marketing tool.

I found some of the following phrases and their meanings on http://www.sustainabilitydictionary.com/.

SUSTAINABILTY: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Very powerful word.
CONFLICT-FREE: A product that can certify it wasn’t obtained through the use of violence. Think “Blood Diamonds”.
CARBON-NEUTRAL: Giving back to the earth what you take. Many manufacturers are now adopting this policy. For example, planting trees to counter act the greenhouse gases created in their production process. Individuals can also strive to become carbon-neutral.
UPCYCLED: Taking disposable items and transforming them into something of greater use and value. Glass is a great example of this.
POST-CONSUMER PRODUCT: Used by one consumer, recycled and remade into another product. Paper products are the first thing that comes to mind. It wasn’t that many years ago where we never saw that little “made from recycle paper” logo. Now it’s everywhere.

I hope I brought you a little knowledge today. Remember, "Knowledge is Power".

EARTH DAY is everyday

Our grandchildren on Easter Sunday.

Earth day was April 22. That's when we were to acknowledge and try to do something to improve our planet. I spent the day working in my yard and walking the dogs. PERFECT.

The last two years of research on organic and responsible living have opened my eyes.


My husband and I do live differently than we did 15-20 years ago. We have already became more aware; recycling, fluorescent light bulbs, energy efficiency. We are eating differently, too. I've been reducing the amount of processed food we eat. I am a little surprised how rewarding it has become. It does takes a little more planning, but not as much as I first thought. It's been fun trying new recipes. Not all have been successes. We discovered we didn't like a lot of basil on our pork loins. And we still have some processed food in the house. (I just need a few Lays potato chips occasionally.) The biggest rewards are how much better "real" food taste and how much better we feel.


A great website for finding healthy ways to live and help our planet is http://www.thegreenguide.com/.