Easy Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Today and Everyday!

Thinking more ecologically is a trend that's here to stay. I know for me, becoming a mom made me even more aware that I had to change some of my wasteful lifestyle habits, like buying bottled water (thank you S'well!) and taking my reusable shopping bag with me every grocery store run. After all, the saying that "we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our grandchildren" is something that should be top of mind for everyone. In celebration of Earth Day today, I've listed some easy ways that you can participate in the holiday, or even better, incorporate into your greener lifestyle as a permanent habit. 

Plant Something-green spaces are beneficial for everyone. They are visually pleasing, calming to our nerves, and also such a source of pride when you see that little bud of a flower or tomato pop up.  Whether it be a full-on garden, or a little container pot of basil, you'll never not enjoy looking at it.

Unplug Your TV- Find something else to do with that time that is normally devoted to looking at a screen. Go for a walk, a hike, take a bike ride, stay outdoors and connect with nature. My hippie-dippy recommendation is to "ground" while you're at it- read more about it here.

Go Veggie For the Day- One of my goals is to become increasingly more plant-based in my meal choices. Whenever inspiration strikes and the recipe gods align, I try to go a full day without eating animal protein. Not only is it better for your health to eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, but it's better for the environment as well. In fact, there are some researchers who propose that humans will have to start consuming alternatives to animal meat (like insects!) in order to survive as food and water shortages become a concern, so get ahead of the curve and jump on the veggie bandwagon now! 

Do a Home Energy Audit (yourself or hire a professional  to come in)- This could be something you do for the environment and your wallet. Use your savings to put towards a fun new purchase...and speaking of...

Shop Vintage- Vintage shopping can definitely take a minute to get the hang of, but it doesn't always mean having to dig through the racks at the Salvation Army (although you can certainly have amazing finds there!). If you want to have a high-end experience from the comfort of your own home, sites like The Real Real, What Goes Around Comes Around, and Vestiaire Collective are all super curated sites that offer every brand in the contemporary and designer space that you can think of. 

Join a CSA- Each one has it's own schedule and pricing, but generally speaking you can sign up for a 1/2 share or full share, 1 season at a time or longer durations, certain categories (ie fruit and veggies only, or with eggs, poultry, etc). In a nutshell, there's something for everyone. By default, I used to show up right around closing time as I worked late, and the farmers would always tell me to take as much I wanted. I had never even heard of celery root before joining, but came home with about 15lbs of it one night and discovered that I actually loved it! There is nothing like eating fresh, nutrient-packed foods that literally just came from the farm. 

Leave a comment below with the ways you plan to honor Mother Earth today (or everyday!).

(photo source: @myspacetom )