No matter how much good you do for yourself, it will not amount to much if you don’t also look around and try to help your environment in the process.  We are all connected within this universe and what we do or don’t do has an impact on the soil, oceans, forests, all living creatures and ourselves.  We depend on each other to survive.  We need good clean water to drink and food that is free from toxins to sustain us.

I believe for the most part that people are good and kind.  Given a choice, I think we will almost always choose to do the right thing.  Sometimes however, I don’t think we are aware of the things we do and once we become aware, we’re not really sure what the better way is.  Because this blog series is all about community involvement and sharing, I would like to invite everyone to offer a tip on how to make a simple, yet positive change for our environment.  This simple tip should be something we can all do fairly easily every day.   To get this started, I’d like to offer my tip (actually I have two if that’s ok).

Tip #1: Get rid of that plastic bag.

First, I’d like for us all to really make an effort to eliminate the use of “single-use plastic”.  That means, we need to bring our own reusable grocery bags to the stores every time and on the occasion we may forget them, fill up the trunk of your car directly from the grocery cart (we all do this when we go to Costco) or at the very least, ask for paper bags.  The same is true for other store purchases as well. If you forget your bag, ask for paper.  See this cool music video dedicated to the elimination of single-use plastic bags.

Tip #2: Reusable lunch bags/tins.

If your child brings a lunch to school or if you bring lunch to work, please consider a stainless steel reusable container like those found at www.to-goware.com or www.ecolunchboxes.com. Both are local businesses working hard to save our planet.  I personally own a couple of these and my son has been bringing his lunch to school everyday using the same one for almost two years and it’s still in excellent condition.  No plastic wrap is required to keep food fresh and this keeps excess waste from landfills.

Please share your tips with all of us.  Together, we can make a difference!

Here’s a tip from Ariana, our webmaster:

It’s post-holiday clean up time. What to do with all that wrapping paper? Here’s a tip: Don’t throw it away!!!

There are a ton of crafts you can create with the kids using wrapping paper. From origami to dressing up paper dolls, that wrapping paper is great for some extra playtime fun. If you got gift boxes, even better. Set these two very useful post-holiday items aside in some fun craft boxes for the summer when the kids have “nothing to do”. They’ll find wonderful ways to recycle that holiday paper with a little creative playtime.

Want to read more?

Day 1: Motivation
Day 2: Just Breathe
Day 3: Back to Basics with Your Health
Day 4: Giving is Receiving
Day 5: Planning One Day at a Time
Day 6: Just A Spoonful of Sugar
Day 7: Positive Thoughts, Positive Outcomes
Day 8: Filter That Water
Day 9: Yoga At Your Computer
Day 10: Look Your Best, Feel Your Best, Be Your Best
Day 11: Be Alert and Stay Safe
Day 12: Giving Back To The Community Starts At Home
Day 13: Reach For That Pomegranate
Day 14: Breathing and Posture
Day 15:  Detox Your Finances
Day 16: Take Time For Entertainment
Day 17: Detox Your Skin
Day 18: Laugh It Up
Day 19: Live In The Moment
Day 20: Mind Your Chin
Day 21: De-clutter Your Life
Day 22: Detox Your Social Circle
Day 23: Blowing The Budget
Day 24: Balancing Work And Family
Day 25: Merry Christmas!
Day 26: Meditate and Get Results