Happy Earth Day!

I remember when I was young, and on one special day we would gather around a spot outside of school and we would plant a tree to celebrate a day we called "Earth Day". As the years went on, we would gather around the same time of year and plant that ONE tree to celebrate the Earth. As the years went on, it was not recognized as it was when we were young and we never planted that ONE tree... How sad! I feel the older we get, the more important it is so we still have a safe place to live with our children and children's children, and so on.

I am proud to say that I celebrated Earth Day today. I went to the Earth Day Expo out in Rochester, MI with a couple girlfriends. It was interesting to see all the products available now a days to live an eco-friendly life. I was amazed by some of the products, like a lawn mower that mows the lawn itself and mulches the grass to keep nutrients in the lawn itself. Amazing! Also, being an avid Clean Eater, they had a lot of food products that were all natural that I have not seen before. It makes me really excited for summer to get here so I can start shopping at the farmer's market. AND... the weather was AWESOME! I think that made the day so great... and so nice! Wooo... I can't think of a more perfect day... saving the earth on a very beautiful day! We even had lunch at the yummy Mind, Body, & Spirits restaurant in downtown Rochester. If you have never been there... I HIGHLY recommend it!

Last but not least, I planted my ONE tree (well basil plant) to remind myself of when I was little and what good we were doing for our planet. I hope everyone else not only enjoyed the weather today, but thought of ways that they could help save the Earth. If you are not sure what things you could do, I'm listing just a few things that doesn't take much to help...

1. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! If your not sure what can be recycled... here is a quick list of household items that you might think twice about when opening your trash can.

2. Use totes bags instead of plastic bags. Look for the tote bags just about anywhere you go now a days, and maybe offer up your old plastic bags to dog walkers or some supermarkets do accept plastic bags for recycling. But just remember, waste prevention is the key.

3. Ride your bicycle, esp now that the weather is getting nicer out.

4. Use drying racks or clothes lines instead of an energy sucking dryer; it's easier on your clothes, your energy bill, and our fragile planet.

5. Use rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries. It'll save you some bucks and the hassle of trying to recycle spent alkalines.

6. Compost your garbage instead of throwing it all away; over 60% of solid household waste is fit for the compost pile, heap or bin.

6. Turn off your lights, computers, TV's, etc... when you are not in the room or using them.

7. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They're more energy efficient, last longer, and can even help clean the air in your home.

8. Instead of buying bottled water, use a water filter instead.

9. Draft excluders at the base of your doors can save vast amounts of cold air from getting in and heat from getting out.

10. Cut flowers are pretty and smell good, but are ultimately disposable after just a few days. The next time you're in the market for some, go for a potted version instead. They last longer, improve indoor air quality and can even be self-watering.

Happy Earth Day!

That's us with a cow from a local farm. Mooo....