Earth Day 2008: Simply Green
What is Earth Day? Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities. Since the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew our commitment to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for us all.
Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day Network campaigns every year, and we at Mama Speaks are thrilled to give you our take on this massively important day.
Where to begin?
The first place to start bringing the heart and soul of Earth Day back to your family is by taking an overview of your lifestyle. Author Sophie Uliano has written the book Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly LIfe to
help with just that--lifestyle change. Gorgeously Green is practically
the bible on green living for women who are new or veteran to the
eco-conscious way of living. You'll find ideas for your beauty, body
and bungalow, and that's just scratching the surface. There's a handy
checklist to see where you fall in your green living ways that is very
helpful in really evaluating what you can and cannot change. I love
Sophie's commitment to "simple", as I have a hard time committing to
green principles that aren't also simple. The book is full of ideas
and resources, and I think that it's a must-have for new eco
moms-in-training.
Want to get in on the action?
There are many ways you can get involved.
Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof.
Organize an event where you live. Change a habit. Help launch a
community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected
representatives. The possibilities are endless! Do something nice for
the earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference. You can go here to see the Earth Day
2008 Calendar (even though a lot of events were held over the weekend,
there are still plenty of things to attend, so be sure to check it
out!) and find out where to head first. Also, the peeps at We Add Up are starting a revolution of awareness with the idea that "no one can do everything, but everyone can do something".
Using organic cotton tees, they've come up with a fun and immediate
way for each of us to get "counted" in the fight for our Earth. Go to Wee Add Up to get your own number hand printed on a tee, or on a tote saying "Neither" (as in, "Paper or plastic? Neither."), and help show the world that each of our choices really do add up.
A fun and easy change to make at home is getting rid of the plastic bags. We are a big fan of reusable bags, having reviewed several here at Mama Speaks. The latest we've added to our reusable family is Hero Bags.
Not only are they made from recycled cotton and come in a large and
medium sizes [$15-17], Hero Bags has also come out with a kicky little Mini Hero [$16.50]
that you are sure to find irresistible. Perfect as a lunch bag, the
Mini Hero also became the perfect reusable companion for my kids while
we're out and about. I swoon over Hero Bags' simple and funky angel
wing logo, and have happily added them to our growing collection.
We all know that breast is best for it's health benefits and it's the most environmentally sound as well. But if you're reaching for a bottle we have one safe and sound for you. With
all the fuss in the news about toxic plastics, it's a good idea to
focus on which plastic products we CAN bring home to the kids. Green To Grow has come out with a line of BPA-free plastic baby bottles [$8-11]
that are as cute as they are healthy. Made from PES plastic, these
bottles have a natural golden color to them that we simply love. We
work to make sure what's going into our babies is safe, so it's
important to take that concept all the way and ensure a safe bottle to
boot.
Not
only is it crucial what we put IN our bodies, but also what we put ON
our bodies. Most of the creams, body butters and lotions on the market
today are full of chemically laden fragrances, a disturbing amount of
alcohol, and many other frightening and unnecessary fillers. We're big
fans of all natural body skin care that actually works, and one of our
favorite's can be found on Etsy. FlipFlopMamma has
created her own perfect blend of ingredients to make some seriously
soft and delicious body creams. My favorite, the cookie dough scented Bee Good To Your Body Butter [$12.50] leaves me in a predicament of whether or not to eat it or put it on my skin.
As
you can tell, we really care about your health and the health of our
planet, which is why we review scores of green products and run weekly green speak features to give you the low down on what's good and what's not. Also, our friends at Ideal Bite offer fresh, down to Earth
green living ideas in "bite-size" servings--right in your inbox.
You'll love the easy and simple ways they think of to explain and
encourage us all to live healthy and guilt-free. Go here to sign up for their daily newsletter.
Enjoy Earth day, and remember that even one change can make a difference!
Want it?
15% off with Green to Grow with code mamaspeaks.
20% off the Mini Hero tote with code mamaspeaks.
10% at We Add Up with code earthday.
Win it!
We're giving away Bee Good to Your Body Butter, a We Add Up tee, and a copy of Gorgeously Green! To enter, email giveaways[at]mamaspeaks.com with Earth Day as your subject. Let us know which prize you'd like and share on thing your family is doing to be a little more green this year, you may enter up to 3 times, once for each prize. Giveaway ends April 22.
-Arianne
