Happy Earth Day

My family's gone green this year. Some of you may think we're trying to be trendy and jump on the bandwagon. I say great, let's all be trendy and jump on this bandwagon together- much better than the skinny-jean bandwagon.

Jacob's happy about going green, because green is his 'favoritist' color. Not to say we've gone Ed Begley-vegetable oil-powered car- green, but, we've made a few small changes that help reduce our footprint. Here's a list of some things we've done in a hope to inspire even the laziest environmentalist.

1. We sold Matt's car and became a one car family. Yes- it is a huge SUV like car, but when we bought it, there were no hybrid/fuel efficient cars with a 3rd row. Unfortunately, Matt still racks up tons of airline miles for work, but when he's not in the air, he's hoofing it to work. (ok, this is not an easy thing) Try something below:

2. We took a local summer vacation. Instead of the San Diego trip, we wanted, we went to Baltimore, a 45 minute drive from our house. (Yes, we could have taken the Marc train, but it seemed silly to lug suitcases etc.. on the Metro, then through Union Station, then on the train). Here in DC, there are a variety of local trips that still feel like a vacation- Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh (yes, Pittsburgh- Great zoo, Children's Museum, Andy Warhol museum, & KennyWood), I bet most of you could find a destination close to you that the family would love.

3. We stopped using plastic & paper bags- not just at the supermarket. By keeping the reusable, cloth bags in our car, we remember them more easily. I also keep a tiny foldup bag in my purse to use for other purchases. (see link http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=13814563&itemIndex=1&CATID=255&PRODID=74340

4. And speaking of other purchases- we have reduced our shopping, and try to think in terms of "need" versus "want"

5. We bought a rain barrel. Though many of you have been laughing at me going out in my PJs on rainy days to adjust hose settings to prevent floods. 50 gallon barrels fill up VERY quickly as I've learned.

6. We replaced our chemical cleaners with natural ones. I found a website that lists tons of homemade cleaning products. Matt found spray bottles made of recycled plastic at Home Depot. The boys & I filled them with concoctions of vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch & water. Voila- chemical free cleaning products. The best part is I hand spray bottles & rags to the boys and tell them to get busy cleaning. They LOVE it- they lover to spray the bottles, and I have no worries they are exposed to toxins.

7. We freecycle. Find the local Yahoo Freecycle group and prepare to clean your basements!

8 And the Number 1 thing we've done to green, that the boys are most excited about is our Bat House. We hung a bat box in the hopes of attracting bats to our yard. It is the single most effective mosquito repellant since each bat can eat up to 600 mosquitos per hour. Cross your fingers that the bats find our Craig's list ad. "Apartment Offer: 15 Ft. High Bat house- Pine Floors and walls, solar heating, Rent $0, Utilities included. Avail Immed."

We've done quite a few more things too,but we still have the following goals:

1. Composting- so far, the composters are too pricey for me to get one.

2. Take the bus to school at least one day a month and go car free.

3. Recycle more- We still produce a lot more garbage than recycling. I want to balance it out more.

4. Solar panels on roof- way out of our price range still.

5. Air conditioning & heating- I like it warm in the winter- I set my thermostat to 71 instead of 69.

So.. This Earth Day, what have you done, and what else will you do to help our planet? This is not just an environmental issue. It is the ultimate parenting issue. Love your children enough to give them a cleaner, healthier planet.

-Linda

PS If I sound pedantic, I'm trying to be. I feel passionately about this issue, and want more people to live a greener life. Green building products and other items will be more affordable if more of us demand them. Every little thing you do will make a difference. Start today!