The #1 R is REDUCE

Sure, we all practice the three Rs to be green, but truly the most important is the R for REDUCE. Each time when I find myself in a store with my three children, there are endless cries, " Can I have this???", " I want that", and it goes on until I threaten them that we'll leave the store with nothing. I, too, like to shop and I also must control the impulse to buy the items I "want" to buy. I do try to ask myself if I really NEED this item or do I just want it. That usually helps.
This month try to ask yourself the question, NEED or WANT, can you live without it?? Probably.
Try this one for one month. There will be less stuff in the house, less packaging to dispose of and more money in your wallet. Oh, and the earth will breathe easier.
If you REDUCE, you won't have to REUSE OR RECYCLE!

Beware the light

I know we do crazy stuff to bribe our kids to do what we want but really, lights in their shoes?? I am a mother of three and my kids know that if the shoes have lights, they are not getting them. Why? Who cares about the lights? I do. At some point, the shoes will be so worn , they will go to landfill. Why then, do we need to add another useless item into the landfill. Millions of tiny light bulbs with tiny batteries will soon be laying in the landfill, most likely seeping out toxins for our great granchildren to enjoy eating in their fish. Not to mention the extra energy and resources it took to make the lights and batteries. I don't think kids really look at their shoes when they are running around anyway!
So, take a moment when making your purchases for your kids. It's O.K. to set some boundaries and explain to them the reason why. I beleive we need to instill in our children the differences between need and want and what the impact is on the earth when we make these choices. If our kids don't grow up to be really green, the planet doesn't stand a chance.