Earth Day: It's Not Easy Being Green

It's hard to be green, especially with kids. In the past few years, I have actually ignored "green." We are a terrible example of green family. Our neighborhood has a very lax trash policy, where they will throw anything and everything away--and as much as we want. The recycling pick up is strange and varied sometimes.

But with kids, naturally comes excess--disposable diapers, water bottles, snack packs, and just general build up of junk.

We are trying to change our ways here. It's hard for me as mom. We're already a no preservative, organic eating family. I have to be diligent on that front. We are a no TV viewing, do lots outside family. We are a read, feed your brain good stuff family. Doing the green thing just seems to be one more "thing" I have to coordinate. But after I saw a picture in the paper a few weeks back of many, many bottles lined up on the street something inside me weakened.

So our family (ahem, mainly me) is turning over a new leaf.

--We are recycling. I figured out when the recycling people come and what they take. The rest I take over every week to the recycling center which is--2 minutes from my house.

--I am bringing bags to the grocery store. I started out with buying one from Harris Teeter. Cheapy thing broke after 2 weeks. So now I've hauled out the canvas ones we used in Sweden. Yes, I've done this whole gig before. Actually, in Europe they charge you for shopping bags. They may only be 25 cents, but it is incentive to make you bring your own. Now, I've just started reusing my Trader Joes and Whole Foods paper bags. They seem to last a long time!

--We are being smarter about our driving. We try, very hard, to limit our outings and do everything all at once so we're not doing excess driving and wasting gas.

--Walking when we can. We can walk to the grocery store in about 10-15 minutes so we're trying to do more of this.

--Using "greener" cleaning products.

But as you can see, this is hard with kids, even harder when I had two under two. It's easier to throw them in the car (where they are strapped in and confined) and drive. When you're remembering snacks, water, change of clothes, school bags, it's hard to remember to pack the grocery bags or the recycling to take along. I was lucky just to remember all the kids in the early days.

But I am trying, and as the kids get older, this like most things, is getting easier. I really get sick when I think about all the waste from our house alone that I realized we might look like a scene from Idiocracy if we keep doing it. Yuck.