Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope your Earth Day is filled with lots of green and sustainable efforts. It seems, many people have the same idea today by embracing nature and going for walks and/or doing something for the greater good, such as planting a tree or exercising their green thumbs.
We’re in the “planting a tree” camp, well actually, I should say, we’ll be planting a bush. One of our many projects in our ongoing remodel includes overhauling all of our landscape. So, our formerly yard-starved kid has been loving all the digging that’s been going on lately—today included. I recently bought a bright pink Azaela bush to plant in our side yard to add some color and to celebrate this day. Azaelas, for me, are so reminscent of my childhood in Va., so I’ve always known that I wanted to add a few pink and purple Azaela bushes to our yard to bring a little bit of “back home” to our new home and rather colorless yard, here in NJ.
As far as Earth Day goes, there’s so much that we can do to help preserve our environment for our kids. There’s easy steps like:
- Invest in a BPA-free water bottle and drop the plastic water bottles habit. Kleen Kanteen stainless steel bottles are my personal favorite. My amusement park tip: bring 2 or 3 reusable bottles and fill up at the water fountains all day. Your wallet will thank you.
- Ditch the plastic bags and bring your own reusable bags. I like to keep a few reusable small bags in my purse, so I can use them at the mall, not just the grocery store. It’s not only convenient to use reusable bags, but most stores reimburse you a few cents for doing so!
- Reinforce the 3Rs. Many kids “know” how to reduce, reuse and recycle, but are they really living what they learn? For preschoolers and toddlers who are learning their numbers, recycling numbers on the bottom of plastic products is a fun learning tool and game.
Each number represents the type of resin used to produce the plastic. Those numbers on the bottom are used to separate plastic types in preparation for the recycling process. Don’t forget: your local recycling center may only accept certain number plastics. The American Chemistry Association has some great info on Plastic Resin Identification Codes. - Shop locally. Organic is great, but often times, the more sustainable choice is to select locally-grown produce. As a general rule of thumb, according to Grist: local organic first, local second, non-local organic third
- Live Earth Day Every Day. It’s easier said than done, but truly, the greatest way that we can all make an impact on our environment is if we implement greener choices every day to lower our carbon footprint. I love Earth Day as much as everyone else, but what good is all the talk if we only live green one day out of the year?
Take public transit, grow a garden, enjoy nature, pick up trash on the side of the road, compost, shop locally…do whatever green activities that fit your family and lifestyle, but above all, let’s teach the kids to embrace this mindset every day.
Happy Earth Day. Love your mama Earth!
