Green Tips for Healthy Living and How to Make Green Choices Beyond Earth Month #NaturalGoodness #CollectiveBias
Have you done anything with your family yet to celebrate April and Earth Month? We generally go to an Earth Day playdate event where the kids learn a little about what it means to be kind to the Earth, and we plant a few seeds and share snacks. It’s a fun time!
But beyond playdates, beyond Earth Day and Earth Month, our family tries to make green decisions for good health and a cleaner environment every day.
Here are a few ways we make small changes for a big impact:
1) Eco-Conscious Products
This is a super-simple switch that will have you feeling better inside and out! My son actually got us started using Tom’s of Maine when he decided he wouldn’t use toothpaste. We went through many of the major brands, then I discovered Tom’s of Maine Children’s Silly Strawberry. It worked. Hallelujah!
I’ve slowly swapped out our other toothpastes – My oldest son likes the Wicked Cool Mild Mint toothpaste, and I’ve begun to use Tom’s of Maine Simply White. Love.
I also love that Tom’s of Maine uses all natural, sustainable ingredients. That they refuse to do animal testing. And that even their packaging is created with recycled and recyclable materials. Oh, and everything I featured can be found conveniently at Walmart.
2) Mindful Eating
Wwith warmer weather our farmer’s markets are in full swing. In Charlotte, my favorite farmer’s markets are the Matthews Farmer’s Market and the market at Atherton Mill. Both encourage me to buy seasonal produce and local meats and dairy. I read a saying once that if the food you eat doesn’t come with food labels, you don’t have to count calories. I totally agree! Not only do we eat better when we cook from the farmer’s market, it’s better for the local community and environment too! Triple win.
Here are a few favorite recipes using local produce: Kale and Tuna Quinoa Salad, Balsamic Butter and Parmesan Asparagus, & Wild Rice & Split Pea Salad
3) Recycling
Did you know you can order an extra recycling bin from the city? The every-other week pick-up that our county does is not sufficient for the amount of recycling our family creates. We’ve been over-stuffing our bin for years. (And sometimes putting extra in the trash bin – which always makes me feel terribly guilty!) My husband looked into it and discovered that for a nominal fee (I think it was $40), we can get a second bin. Live-changing, I tell you! More info on getting an extra cart for Mecklenburg County residents can be found here.
4) DIY Cleaners
I recently made a batch of Citrus Garbage Disposal Refreshers for a client project and love them! When my sink disposal starts to smell a little dumpy, I throw a few in and it brightens up the kitchen and my mood. You can get the recipe for them here!
5) Make Your Own Compost
We’ll be installing container beds in our back yard in a few weeks, and that means… We get to compost again! There’s nothing worse than throwing out food that’s gone bad before you get to use it. But a lot of what hits the garbage can be composted! I store my compost bin right next to my trash can to make it super easy to collect items; our compost bin will be placed directly next to our trash can and recycling bins. (It can smell and attract bugs, so you don’t want it near where you hang out!)
I have a more in-depth post on it here, that I plan to review myself!
What other tips do you have? Oh, and I want to also make sure you get this great deal! Click here to get $1.00 off any Tom’s of Maine product purchase at Walmart.
This is a great list of tips to “green” your home. Thanks for the ideas! #client
Sure thing! 🙂
Very helpful post, at least for me! I hope more people read it, because we must improve our selves to make positive impact on the environment!
Awesome tips that everyone can follow through that can help the environment.