Happy Earth Day? (a.k.a. How I learned to love the Mom)

When I was younger, celebrating Earth Day was awesome and something to look forward to. We'd do things like make paper, pick up garbage, learn about compost, reduce/reuse/recycle, and raise money for whales or the rain forest. Nowadays, no one gives a shit. (Pardon) Well, not that I'm aware of. Me & KMHD got "scared straight" about the environment in grade school. It really sunk in (and has since stayed) with us because we went home and immediately hounded our parents to start a recycling program at home, walked & biked more, and became vegetarian. With the exception of being strictly vegetarian, I still do those things, but we've upped the ante. There are things my household does to try to save money and not be wasteful. Instead of just turning off unused lights, we unplug appliances and cellphone chargers that aren't being used. I'm still unsure about those spiral lightbulbs, even though we have switched over to them. We always use reusable shopping bags and not just at the grocery store. Some stores give tiny little discounts for using reusables, so eventually they will pay for themselves. Obvs, we recycle & reuse, but we actually try to reduce by not buying junk that will only be Goodwill-bound later. I try to "vote with my dollars" by not shopping at places like the Dollar Tree and buying local as often as possible. Me and ATM live in a house that is less than a thousand square feet, which is perfect for two. You won't believe how much it helps with heating/cooling bills. And it's less to clean. I've learned that quality is an important factor in choosing certain products; if it costs a bit more, than there's a likeliness that whoever made it is getting compensated properly or the product is longer-lasting, etc. The best gifts to give are perishables! Don't gift candles or lotions, et al. Unless you know exact preferred scents and brands or whatever, you'll probably miss your mark, right? I guess my point is, this is not fly-by-night or a trend or phase that we are going through, this is a part of our lifestyle. Me, ATM & KMHD have worked hard to incorporate these tiny things into our daily lives. When we have the responsibility of homeownership, we'll probably take it further with solar panels and rain collecters, among other things. Some days, I don't know why I care so much; some days, I wish I wasn't burdened with the knowledge of how wasteful people are because I actually suffer a little anxiety about it. I just want to shake people and ask them to care about something just a little. I cannot even think about shrinking forests or endangered animals or I will get hysterical.

I guess everyday should be Earth Day, but this is THE day to really get your green, blue & brown on, amirite? How can one celebrate this holiday w/o making a wasteful mess anyway?


I love this lot: