Green Pride

I consider myself fairly green... never green enough when I think about all that could be done but MUCH greener than many folks in my circle and WAY greener than the rest of this country (just got back from a wedding in Vegas and was sickened by the waste).

I've always been this way... concerned for the greater good of the planet, it's environment and the people who inhabit it. In high school, I was a member of PETA and WWF. I was on the county council against prejudice among teens. I cried when I saw footage of humpback whales (whale watching is still on my life-list of things to do). My heart ached as I read about the destruction of the rainforests (just say "no" to Brazilian Cherry kitchen cabinets, people!).

As I became part of the adult population, I forgot my roots. I became enamoured with the trappings of our society... "nice" cars, house, etc. I followed clothing trends. I socialized with people who brought nothing to my soul but were "cool." I equated frugality with low economic status after years of hearing my father, who was born and raised on a farm in post-war Austria, remind us to turn off lights when we left the room, close the door when we went outside (we weren't heating/cooling the whole world, it all costs money and did I think money grew on trees?). He made us reuse our brown paper lunch bags and this just mortified me (as a teenager, frugality = uncool).

But now I see that his views came from a childhood where resources were scarce and money was even more so. And, as my children have grown, my green heart has come to the surface once more. I've taught them about recycling, gardening, conservation... marketing (no, you don't really need that, the company's just trying to make money). Now, I am proud to say that my children pick up litter as we walk through the neighborhood and I don't even need to prompt them! They expect to walk/ride bikes if possible. They expect to pass on their outgrown clothing to friends (how great is it that my daughter doesn't hoard anymore?!). They see new ways to use old things. They help in the garden and recycle without thinking about it. Their grandfather ("Opa"), if he were here to see them, would be proud of them.

The other day, I flipped through old photo albums to find pictures for Facebook (gotta love the big permed hair we all had!) and I found the postcards pictured above... These postcards, which hung on my dorm walls before landing in a scrapbook, reminded me of my green soul. I've always been green; I'm just now okay with showing it. And my green roots run deep, all the way to a farm in Austria.

Making a Difference: Part II

You Can Help Without Writing a Check!
The American Red Cross helps those in need throughout the United States, especially in times of natural disasters like Hurricane Ike. While they always appreciate financial donations, sometimes it’s hard for us stay-at-home moms to write a check. Now there’s a new way to help. Donate your old cell phone by Oct. 31, 2008 to ReCellular Inc. and they’ll contribute $1 to the American Red Cross. Visit their site for a free shipping label and more information.

Drink More Wine and Juice
Okay, time to start sorting that trash… Save your wine bottle corks and juice pouches and send them to TerraCycle, Inc. (http://www.terracycle.com/). They’ll up-cycle them into cool products and, while they accept most juice brands, they’ll donate $.02 to a charity of our choice for each CapriSun or Honest Kids pouch! $.01 will be donated for other brands. How cool is that???

Dirt Don't Hurt

I'm not sure if, in these PC day, people ever say it, but I remember the saying, "God made dirt so dirt don't hurt." Well, apparently it's really true! And my favorite guru, Dr. Christian Northrop agrees. This is bigger than the two-second rule, people.

(Source: http://www.drnorthrup.com/news/dirtisgood.php)

“Researchers from Great Britain’s University of Bristol and University College of London have discovered that a bacterium found in soil—common, garden-variety dirt—has an unexpected health benefit. The bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, may be effective in fighting depression. This bacterium was already known to help stimulate the immune system and has been used in clinical trials to treat patients with cancer.

Graham Rook, a professor of immunology, has researched the link between exposure to microbes and the development of allergies. Rook believes that the modern world’s improved cleanliness may contribute to increases in such conditions as asthma, eczema, and hay fever, as well as autoimmune diseases such as type 1 Diabetes and Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disorder). ‘We’ve known for a couple of decades now that a whole group of chronic inflammatory disorders are becoming much commoner in the rich developed world,’ he says.”

Thanks for confirming what we intrinsically knew, but were too bamboozled by health companies to believe, Dr. Northrop and Co.

Make a Difference: Part I

Whether it’s supporting needy folks in the community and beyond, medical research or environmental issues, I hope to create a forum for giving back… contributing… making a change… for us as women, mothers and residents of Planet Earth.

What can we do to help our world right now? How can we make a difference without even thinking about it? Here are two things we can do NOW:

1. Good Search – Visit www.goodsearch.com and make it your search engine (they’ll tell you how; it’s easy!) instead of using Google or Yahoo!, for example. GoodSearch will donate to a charity of your choice every time you search! Yes, I said every time you search. Everyday, I look up recipes, gardening tips, school topics for the kids… and every time I do it, I donate to my charity of choice. Can you believe it? GoodSearch passes on a portion of their advertising revenue earned as a result of my search to the charity of my choice! You can also shop through them… by going to www.goodsearch.com, choosing your store of choice (eBay, Nordstrom, Expedia, Old Navy… the list goes on and on), the store will donate a percentage of your purchase to your charity. How cool is that??? Do the online shopping you would do anyway and give back without even thinking about it!

2. Crocs Recycle – Before you throw away those worn out Crocs, consider returning them to Soles United (www.solesunited.com). They’ll recycle them into new shoes and donate them to people in need around the world!

You can return them two ways –

• Locally (check their website for locations)
• By mail to Crocs Recylcing – East1500 Commodity BoulevardLockbourne, Ohio 43137

I hope you find these two tidbits helpful. I look forward to providing even more great information to you in the future.