Tidy Tweets

I've finished my 30 ways in 30 days on how to be green in your daily life. Here is the full list.

#Recycle Rinse the milk jug and put it in the bin, you can do it!
#Reduce Take your cup with you to work or church, save a disposable one.
#Reduce Pour your cream first, save the stirrer.
#Reduce Pack green lunches. See how little litter you can pack with your food.
#ReduceReuseRecycle Identify the three most non-green habits in your life and think about how you can change your lifestyle to change them.
#Reduce Try not to use zipper lock bags for three days and see what solutions you come up with.
#Reuse Become a regular at the thrift store. Donating and buying both help to reuse.
#Recycle Be a part of your local recycling program…even if it costs you something.
#ReduceReuseRecycle Do what your grandmother told you.
#Reuse Reuse lightly used zipper lock bags.
#Reduce Turn the lights out.
#Reduce Don’t waste food. Buy only what you need.
#Reuse Hand-me-downs.
#Reduce Don’t be afraid to wash a towel or rag, you can cut down on paper towels.
#Reduce Potty train.
#Reuse Have your kids use the same backpack more than one year.
#Reduce Go digital. Print only the pics you need.
#Reduce Use less energy by cooking two meals instead of one.
#Reuse Empty tissue boxes are a great place to store plastic grocery bags for reuse.
#Reduce Eat leftovers.
#Reuse Use Freecycle.
#Reduce Put on a sweater and turn down the thermostat or more appropriate for today, put on shorts and turn off the air.
#Reduce. Dispose of your medications the right way. (http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf)
#ReduceReuse Handkerchiefs? Hmmm…not there yet.
#Reuse Use old t-shirts as rags.
#Reduce Car Pool
#You can say it, “Paper, please.”
#Reuse Make the switch to rechargeable batteries.
#Reduce Buy flat gifts: books, cds, restaurant gift certificates
#Reduce #Reuse Fix something that’s broken

Wondering what to do with so many books?

Christian Resources International http://www.cribooks.org takes used Christian materials and distributes them to English speaking people worldwide. Check out their Web site to see how you can get involved.

Tidy Tweets

On Twitter, I’ve been doing 30 ways in 30 days on how to be green in your daily life. We’re up to #22 so far! It’s amazing how many little things we can do to take care of our world. Here are the ways I’ve shared so far. They’re not rocket science, but some may be new to you and some may be just a good reminder.

1. #Recycle Rinse the milk jug and put it in the bin, you can do it!
2. #Reduce Take your cup with you to work or church, save a disposable one.
3. #Reduce Pour your cream first, save the stirrer.
4. #Reduce Pack green lunches. See how little litter you can pack with your food.
5. #ReduceReuseRecycle Identify the three most non-green habits in your life and think about how you can change your lifestyle to change them.
6. #Reduce Try not to use zipper lock bags for three days and see what solutions you come up with.
7. #Reuse Become a regular at the thrift store. Donating and buying both help to reuse.
8. #Recycle Be a part of your local recycling program…even if it costs you something.
9. #ReduceReuseRecycle Do what your grandmother told you.
10. #Reuse Reuse lightly used zipper lock bags.
11. #Reduce Turn the lights out.
12. #Reduce Don’t waste food. Buy only what you need.
13. #Reuse Hand-me-downs.
14. #Reduce Don’t be afraid to wash a towel or rag, you can cut down on paper towels.
15. #Reduce Potty train.
16. #Reuse Have your kids use the same backpack more than one year.
17. #Reduce Go digital. Print only the pics you need.
18. #Reduce Use less energy by cooking two meals instead of one.
19. #Reuse Empty tissue boxes are a great place to store plastic grocery bags for reuse.
20. #Reduce Eat leftovers.
21. #Reuse Use Freecycle.
22. #Reduce Put on a sweater and turn down the thermostat or more appropriate for today, put on shorts and turn off the air.

For the Love of Trees

There is something romantic about being in a tree. The love isn't with a person, but with nature, with beauty, and with having a new perspective. There's an intimate feeling in the aloneness. Like a mountaintop experience--there is a sense of power and wonder. Am I a tree-hugger? YES! I love trees. They provide more than oxygen for our air, but have an aesthetic contribution to the lives of many a tree climber.

For more on how the mommy part of me feels about tree-climbing, visit http://ourwordshop.blogspot.com/2009/07/tree-climbing.html

Green Mom on Twitter

You can follow me on twitter now at www.twitter.com/greenmomideas. Look forward to sharing together.

Minimalist or Miniaturist?

See my other blog

http://ourwordshop.blogspot.com/2009/05/minimalist-or-miniaturist.html

Planting a Garden

This week I planted a garden. I pulled the weeds, turned the soil, dug the holes and planted the seeds and tiny plants. More than once the thought of chemicals ran through my mind. Wouldn’t it be easier to just spray it down and get rid of the weeds? The thought of machines also crossed my mind. How easy the ground turned up last year when we borrowed a neighbor’s gas-powered tiller.

It’s a lot of work to plant a garden the hard way, but it felt good to let my little ones dig around in the dirt without me worrying about them getting sick.

Now we’ll see what comes up in the next few weeks. Pumpkins, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, and lettuce. The green pepper and tomato plants look like they’re taking good to their new home. Time to grow!

Ziploc Update

I have been successful at reducing my use of these, but have not been able to eliminate them completely. If they are in the house, they are so easy to grab, and when they're dirty, it's much easier to throw them out than clean them to use them again. Sometimes I fall back into old habits and I begin to feel about them the way I feel about chocolate or anything else we should have in moderation.

Moderation, ah, the word rolls off the tongue so easily, but the road to moderation is bumpy and uncomfortable. Keep on trying. Every little decision we make makes a difference, even if we can't see it.