Those of you that have known me for a while know that I am a "treehugger," "greenie," or whatever you want to call it. My dad just says I'm a plain 'ol hippie. Whatever moniker I may go by, the basic point remains: I have always cared about "saving the planet" or, since becoming a Christian, being a good steward of the earth. I am a midwestern granola girl. I can name several things from my childhood that probably contributed to my concern about my impact on the environment. One of the best teachers was simply growing up in the country, with seven beautiful acres that my parents lovingly maintained and let us roam free upon. When it was groomed, our yard(s) looked like a park. My parents planted over 200 trees, my mom loved gardening, and we even had our own vegetable garden for a few years. Another teacher was one of our money-making chores: my mom or dad would have us line up all of the beer cans and pop cans on the driveway. We would smash them--one, two, three pounds of my dad's heavy sledgehammer--and then gather up giant bags of them. My mom took us to the recycling center where we would get some money, which she would then let us use however we wanted. Often we chose to go to a gas station that had some awesome frozen yogurt flavors. The funniest memory I have in relation to recycling is a concert (yes, a concert) we performed in fifth or sixth grade, during which we sang a song I still remember called, "Recycle Now." Went a little something like this:
Recycle, recycle, recycle now!
There's nothin' to it if you just know how
so tell your momma, and your daddy, and your sistah, too!
Recyclin' is the thing to do!

Yeah...astonishing really. I still can't believe that happened. But anyway, the damage is done, and I am proud of who I've become. I've gotten most of my roommates sold on recycling and other green habits. So today I wanted to share some ways that I live that just may help you be more green, or at least think about it. I also want to share some of my green goals for this year. Happy Earth Day (in two months)!

• When going out to eat, if I don't use all of the napkins I took, I stuff the unused ones in my purse for later use. Same thing with hand wipes you can get at Buffalo Wild Wings or other messy places.
• I wash and reuse my Ziploc bags, and any other zippie baggie I get. I haven't bought a box of baggies in years! Of course, when they are disgusting I throw them out...after washing them.
• I use paper bags at the store. I've heard people debate which is better, but I like to save the paper bags to use for my paper recycling. That way I can just throw the entire bag in the bin instead of dumping out a plastic bag.
• I recently went to www.ftc.gov and signed up to get myself removed from junk mail lists.
• I shower every other day, unless I worked out or swam or otherwise got really dirty. This is also good for my hair. This is hard for me to do in the winter because sometimes a shower is the only thing that will really warm me up!
• I pay my bills online and have removed myself from most of my paper bills. I still have checks, but I don't use them much.
• Biking! I obviously don't do it much anymore, but I'm getting excited about this spring and when Eleora is old enough (in a year or so) to ride with me. It is so excellent in so many ways: riding home from work becomes a relaxing, calming affair; your heart gets pumping; your legs are strong; you feel that childlike freedom again. A short trip to the store becomes a way to sneak in some exercise and feel the fresh air on your face. Nuff said.
• We cloth diaper, and it's fun! Sometimes it's gross...and I know once she starts eating solids it will only get worse. But it was worth a try and we're still at it nearly six months later.
• I am learning various natural cleaning methods. Did you know vinegar is an awesome cleaner? Baking soda is too. Just go online and type "home made cleaners" to find all kinds of neat ways to clean without using icky chemicals.
• When I'm at the grocery store I don't usually use those baggies for my veggies. I also have several canvas bags and am getting better at remembering to bring them to the store when grocery shopping. I also say, "I don't need a bag," to the clerk when I don't need one. Easy as pie.
• Another eating out tip: When with a spouse or family member, just use ONE large or medium cup and share. Don't use a straw or lid. You don't need those--come on, isn't a paper cup sanitary enough? Plus, I've heard straws can give you gas 'cause they make you gulp more air, and who wants that? I also try to bring my stainless steel water bottle with me to fill up when I can, or an old plastic bottle.
• I never buy bottled water. Get a Brita water pitcher.
• One funny thing I did for only a year was with roommates Mandy and Jill. We wouldn't flush the toilet if we just peed. Bet you wanted to know that!
• Goals I have for this year include: getting a good showerhead to reduce water consumption; making sure I turn off the water when I brush my teeth; lowering the thermostat in the winter and leaving it higher in the summer; growing my own herbs and maybe some tomatoes; getting better at making my own leg wax out of honey, lemon, sugar, and water; learning how to make my own laundry detergent or buying natural, homemade stuff from etsy; using natural body sponges so I'm not throwing out a plasticky one every few months; and any other tips you or friends may have for me.

When all is said and done, I may not be doing much, but at least I'm doing something. And that makes me feel pretty good.