We can make a difference.
I am eternally grateful and touched by your willingness to participate in the "Green" Giveaway challenge. There weren't as many to participate as I would have liked, but it's about quality, not quantity. Speaking of quality, you guys offered up some wonderful suggestions that I am sure sparked a few light bulbs in the minds of others. I know that this challenge has sparked a few light bulbs in my mind, too. I have even found that I am scrutinizing my greenness with a fine tooth comb as a result. I feel that I need to be as mindful as humanly possible, and incorporate those additional changes that fit with my personal lifestyle.
One thing that seemed to be unanimous amongst the bloggers who participated were things like recycling, using reusable shopping bags, and switching out our light bulbs with CFL's, while these are all great strides to take in the direction of being more 'green', we can make a continued commitment to mix other sustainable projects and ideas in with what we currently do. Being green isn't always about what you can afford. Some advantageous additions will even SAVE you money if you can believe that! So, don't be hesitant when it comes to cultivating a greener way of life because you think it requires money, in most cases, that is just not true. Being greener may simply mean cutting back on items that produce less or no plastic waste (individual snacks are the worst!),or not buying that shiny new item to replace something that is still in good condition. I have learned to look at it by not thinking in terms of a sacrifice, but as benefit to my wallet and the environment. It also helps that I am passionate about putting money into my savings account, I know, I'm a dork.
Do you enjoy seeing the natural wonder of the world around you? I know I do!!
My deep and most primal instinct is to do as much as I can to protect its awe-inspiring beauty. It pains me to think of the many people who give little to no consideration for what is taking place in and around our homes. I am aware, and I hope that being so will influence others to take part in doing what they can to support and guide those who have yet to see the light. I truly hope that I don't come off to you as preachy, but I just want to offer encouragement to those who are wondering what they can do or for those thinking about how to do more. Whether you believe so or not, every little bit helps.
With all that being said, here are the winners.
Thank you again to those who participated!
Elk @ Red or Gray
Kristina @ Meadowlark Days
J.H. @ A Gift from Heaven
Miscellaneous Links
- Article : Where does all the stuff go?
- The sleekest hydration vessel you can buy, & it's eco-friendly! KOR
- Here is a reusable bottle that is not as slick but less expensive. Aladdin BPA Free bottle
- The Alternative Consumer - for your eco news and product reviews. I love this blog!
- I seriously want this pair of Ninja Boots by TOMS - so not snow friendly :(
- Posted in Wordful Wednesday
congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeletebtw -- I remembered that you had posted that you wanted to look into alternatives to cleaning products. Here's what I use.
empty spray bottle
fill it 1/3 full of white vinegar
add a drop or two of Dr. Bronner's soap
fill the rest with water
add a few (or a lot) drops of essential oils to cut the vinegar smell - I use eucalyptus for the bathroom and lemon for the kitchen
I use this stuff to clean everything. I do notice the vinegar smell in the bathroom while I'm spraying it, but it fades quickly.
I should be more on the ball about recycling! Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteYey! Congrats to the winners. :)
ReplyDeleteSurprise!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners.
This has defiantly made me think about how I can do more to help the environment.
I have a temp connection (dialup) soooooooo slow. Hoping to be fully back online Friday afternoon after a lot of complaining.
You have not sounded preachy at all. Your passion is contagious and I bet you have ignited some to get serious about what they can do. Our town has a great recycling system: we have a regular garbage container (in our case, usually 1/4 full because we compost nearly everything), a large yard-stuff container (the motto is, "if it grows it goes" so that takes all our yard debris), and a large co-mingled recycle container that we can put just about everything in (newspaper, scrap paper, plastics #1-#5, cans, aluminum foil). For the exceptions, we have a little crate to hold glass, batteries, and 4 quarts/week of latex paint cans. Finally, on Saturday the City Shops are open to take in plastics and metals that don't go in the cans. There still isn't a styrofoam deposit, but that is available 15 miles away.
ReplyDeleteI'm so spoiled with this system. On garbage day our street is lined with variations of the three containers and it's a great scene.
I like Elizabeth's recipe and will use that!
I really LOVEd this post. Your passion is evident......if only everyone were so concientious!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to go find those posts......
goodness, my name is up there!
ReplyDeletethanks for hosting this, I truly have enjoyed myself and at the same time motivating me to move one gear higher in saving our earth :-)
I have to say that this motivated me as well and I am trying to find more ways to be green at home and even at work. Somethings are harder to change than others, but I'm working on it. My family has decided to trade our old xmas lights at home depot for the new LED lights that use less energy and last longer. I'm glad that even retailers are getting in on the green movement!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners! Lovely prizes for lovely people :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd it's recycling day here, the best day of the week :-)
You're not being preachy. It's a great giveaway and I hope you do another one in the near future. Like you said, it's so important to value our environment and save it for the next generation.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
ReplyDeleteHey, congrats to all the winners! Thanks for stopping by. You know, we have a weekly 20 minutes meeting on living green and sustainable living at work. (I work in architecture so we're always trying to create sustainable environments) But I had to point out to the receptionist that the lunches she was ordering were delivered in styrofoam containers.
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness here I arrive home from work and what do I see but a wonderful present for little ole'me~ I am so happy and am honored to receive such surprise from a friend . many thanks dear!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. I wish I had come by sooner. I didn't know of your contest. :) I need to go do some looking around. I really am trying to get our family greener and thinking greener. My Husband and I even made a list for 101 GREEN Things in 1001 Days challenge
ReplyDeleteI'm very on the fence about CFLs. Yes, they save energy, BUT-- and this is a big but-- they contain mercury. The majority of people don't dispose of used CFLs properly. Which means mercury in our landfills and eventually in our groundwater.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog today.
ReplyDeleteThanks too for making us all a little more aware.
I really enjoyed learning about everyone else's habits and thinking about what else I can do. I mainly feel like a big wasteful consumer, but hopefully I'll keep taking small steps! Thanks for hosting this. I can't wait to read the book!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners. I’m delighted that our city has finally decided to sort trash, recyclables, and green waste … and I do many of the things others have suggested to live a ‘green’ lifestyle. It's always good to learn about new ideas as well. Thanks ...
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
also - I love those boots, in rust, I think. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats everyone!
ReplyDelete