A Greener We... A Public Service Announcement from the Vertically Challenged

I know some of you dismiss all this talk about the environment, but I've taken it to heart. We each have a responsibility to each other and to the earth. We each must do our part. How can I teach my son respect of others and for our belongings, if I also don't teach him respect for his environment, for the land around him, for the air we breath, and for generations to come? It may only seem like small steps, why the bother... but what if we were all to take small steps? Imagine what we could do together.

My first challenge was where to start. It all seems so overwhelming, when it's really not. So, I wanted to share some of the small steps we're taking. They are small, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

A Reusable Water Pitcher. A birthday present from my mom. The Brita Pitcher filters regular tap water and you always have ice cold water waiting for you. I'm surprised how much more water we drink now. Thanks to Jamie, we no longer keep soda or kool-aid around the house, it's all 100% juice, milk, water, and an occasional pitcher of tea. That's not to say, if you were to come visit, we'd splurge.

Reusable Grocery Bags. Love these from Whole Foods - The Better Bag. Why? Should they get a hole or tear, Whole Foods will replace them for *free.* And on top of that, they are no more expensive than a reusable bag you'd buy from any other grocery store. Besides, they are made from 80% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles - finally a good use for all those old bottles!

The Clothes Line. Jamie attached this to our patio and I can dry a load of clothes in the same time it takes to do so in the dryer. I can get double the laundry done in 1/2 the time essentially. And I'm saving money by not using the dryer as much. Plus, you can't get that straight off the line freshness anywhere else!

Reusable Lunchbox. The Laptop Lunchbox was another birthday gift from my mom. Can you see where my birthday wish list was going this year? My youngest sister introduced us to these at Christmas when one made her Wish List. You guys know my issues with foods - can't have it touching. So this was a winner in my book. They are made with safer plastics that do not contain phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or lead. And they are dishwasher safe (top rack only, girls)!Reusable Water Bottle. This is the newest edition to our home. Saturday the mail man arrived with my package in hand - a Sigg bottle. And yep, you guessed it, I've already left it at my parents. Lots of good it's doing me there. These bottles are made from a single piece of aluminum with an interior lining that prevents leaching. Now, these are not cheap by any means. So we're still working toward getting one for each member of the family. Until then, we're still doing our part by using traditional water bottles and less disposable items.

There are other things that we've incorporating as well - trips to the farmers market, buying in bulk rather than individual packaged items, meal planning (somehow I figure this fits into the theme, right - Waste not, Want not? What does that really mean anyhow?) I know it's just a beginning. But I have to remind myself how many plastic bottles or grocery bags have we already saved. There's more that I want to do. But it will all come with time.