Nine Tips for the Green Parent in 2009

New Years Resolutions usually revolve around saving money or losing weight, not going green or doing good things for the environment. Most resolutions aren’t kept for more than a month or two with the resolution falling to the way side verses being maintained and achieved. This is usually do to the goals being set to high and not being obtainable. This New Year, feel good about yourself, maybe lose some weight, save some money but best of all be some sparkling shade of green this New Year with these 9 easy and very manageable and obtainable tips:

1.  Make a list. Write down exactly what your family can do to help the environment this New Year and pick one of these to start with. When you’ve mastered eating only veggies, limiting your meat intake or buying organic beef…move on to the next item but the list is what applies to YOU and YOUR family.

2.  Reduce and Reuse. Recycling is easy and with Earth911.com it’s even easier to know where and how to recycle items. Now move on to reusing and reducing. Find new ways to use an item before putting it in the trash or recycling it. Try reducing the amount of items you buy and perhaps the junk food that fills your grocery cart and this will help the environment, your waist line and pocket book.

3.  Advocate. If handmade natural toys ruffle your feathers and gets you excited request that local stores carry the items and support the companies carrying the natural toys.  Want to see more of an organic selection at your grocery store, tell the manger and tell him or her every week. Advocate for the changes and products you want to see. Get to know your legislators and voice your opinion, they don’t know unless you tell them. Great sources, Moms Rising for advocating and Natural Pod for handmade wooden toys.

4.  Plant a seed and take a cooking lesson. Yes, grow something and eat it. Maybe not an entire garden or start a farm but plant some tomatoes and start there. You’ll enjoy the home grown taste of your own accomplishments, save money and might decide to grow more the next year. Then take a cooking lesson and learn how to cook the food, try new spices, flavors and appreciate home made food and family time cooking and eating the food. Eat. Drink. Better. is a great source for bringing the farm to the table.

5.  Clean green and natural. Green doesn’t have to cost a fortune and with some vinegar and baking soda you can clean more than you imagined. If that isn’t going to work for your family make sure you buy cleaners that are concentrated, biodegradable and don’t have phosphates. The word “natural” isn’t supervised and has not protocol so anyone and everyone can use the word, don’t be fooled…same with “green”.  Using your common sense goes a long ways. If it’s bright blue or green, how natural is that?