5 Easy Actions to Reduce Waste

I am a David Suzuki Queen of Green Coach helping 5 families to improve their environmental focus during an 8 week program. The first two weeks we focused on waste and set goals to improve upon an action they are already doing well, an action they feel they need to improve upon and an action they need 6 months to work on.  Reflecting and trying to set goals to minimize waste can be intimidating. Often, we are too hard on ourselves thinking that even a small action is not enough. To help my families be successful in their goal setting I provided them a list of 30 waste minimizing actions that focus on the 4 R's (Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle).

13 Boys. They Ruin Everything

I have always wondered why it is so hard to find used boys clothes...especially pants. Now that I have a very active toddler I totally get it. It's because boys ruin everything. Since January we have gone through 19 pairs of pants, all succumbing to the same fate. Hole-in-left-knee-itis. I can drop B off at school in a brand new (to him) pair of pants and when I pick him up there is a huge hole in the left knee. The right knee? Always perfect. 

2 February Gratitude

It is getting easier to find gratitude in the small every day moments. For a few weeks this month I didn't even really think about taking daily pictures but when I looked back tonight I realized that I was still capturing things I was grateful for. There are still days where I rush to find something at the end of the day...like when I went up to bed one night and Woody was sitting casually in the hallway with B's bedroom door open a crack. Woody had been kicked out of bed but he didn't throw him out and shut the door like he did with Buzz the previous month. If you know B you will know why this is hilarious.

1 Bump Yourself Up On the To-Do List

There is a point in life where we start to push ourselves to the back of the To-Do list. For me it was shortly after having B. Laundry, cleaning, dishes, the internet, TV, toddler life, husband stuff....all more important than me. Any time I have tried to break out of it and put myself first I have felt guilty. Like for some reason I shouldn't prioritize myself or some other crock of crap like that. It's exhausting not putting myself first.

6 Making Eco-Decisions When Picking a Guardian

We spend a lot of time nurturing and shaping our children based on our beliefs and ideals.  We create toxin free homes and fill our kids plates with organic GMO free food as often as possible. But what if the unimaginable happened and we were no longer here to guide our children into adulthood.  It's a topic we all hate talking about and trust me I am even having a hard time writing about it. However, I think it's an important discussion to have. Who do we pick to fill that role for us? What if they don't have the same beliefs and ideals as us? Is that even something to consider?