Earth Dud April 23, 2008

Ahhh. Earth Day. A day to celebrate the wonders Mother Nature provides and return the favors by making an extra effort to conserve. A day for mega corporations like Wal Mart, Disney and Fox Network to show their support of the green effort. I do appreciate the efforts of such leaders in the consumer industry of ours. Yet I managed to see through the savvy, well polished, slick ads of these corporations to see the real message…ye$, we care! $ave the Earth! $tart with u$!!!

Yesterday I became so disillusioned with the idea of Earth Day. Somehow our society has managed to cheapen Earth Day into a packaged, Hallmark holiday for the common man to gobble up at a discount. I highly doubt this is what the original intent of Earth Day truly was.

In the grand scheme of things, yes, Earth Day is a great way to raise awareness of the issues facing our planet and our way of living. To that I raise my glass and say, “Keep up the good work!” Still, I wonder how many of these corporations are still running their same eco-conscious, Earth-friendly ads today…tomorrow…next month? I highly doubt many plan to run them beyond 11:59 p.m. April 22nd.

I commit to making an effort to make every day an Earth Day celebration. I certainly don’t need Wal Mart telling me that I can be hip and buy a ticket for the Green train at one of their convenient locations where I can find everything I never knew I needed. So I say thank you Mother Earth. I will honor your gifts to us each day, in some small way, without the help of mega corporations telling me how to do so.

Old Dog…New Tricks! April 11, 2008

In my online travels, I came across the Real Simple magazine website, which posted an article titled, “101 Uses for Everyday Things.” Included in the article was everything from lemons and baking soda to coffee filters. Granted, many of us may already know a good number of these alternative uses for everyday products, but the article does have many new tips (new to me, anyway) and is a great reminder that we can take products from our everyday lives and repurpose them for alternative uses. It’s a great way to consume less and live a better, healthier life. Do a search on their website for other great alternatives to everyday household products and learn how you can make more out of less!

One Small Step for Green April 9, 2008

So in the last few days I’ve decided to recommit myself to what my best friend and I call the “Boho” lifestyle…Boho as in Bohemian. It’s an inside joke between us, but something nonetheless that reflescts a lifestyle of free spiritedness, openness and a commitment to bettering your life and the world around you.

I moved home to this rural, Central New York area six years ago after living in NYC for two years, Baltimore for five before that. Subsequently, which I attribute in part to my working for the president of a corporation headquartered here, I lost touch with my inner Boho babe. I don’t know if it’s the notion that spring is finally here and that I always feel an idealistic sense of renewal every spring; maybe it’s that I want my 5-month-old daughter to have a better world to grow up in or that I just want to set a good example for her. I don’t really know. In any case, my inner Boho babe is shining brightly from the inside out.

In my quest to reconnect to the earth and all its bohemian goodness, I’ve decided to commit our family to our local CSA - Communit Supported Agriculture - program. I’ve learned through my research that there are so many benefits to participating in such a program. You receive bountiful amounts of produce,  you’re getting pesticide-free products and what you pay over the growing season is meager in comparison to what you’d pay for lesser quality products in the grocery store.

Our local CSA offers a 1/2 share (more than enough for my husband and me) for about $250 over 20-22 weeks. For us to buy fruit and vegetables, bread, milk and meats for just two people costs us about $80 weekly. The CSA offers poultry and egg shares as well for very reasonable prices.

The downsides to participating in a CSA are minimal and trivial in the overall picture. You’re not able to choose what you receive - you are subject to whatever is available each week. You’re also subject to the weather during the harvest season. However, that can also be beneficial if it’s a good season. CSA farms do their best to ensure that you receive the most for your money and try to plan for the coming season’s weather. Still, no one knows for sure what the weather will bring. Our local CSA requires a minial six hours of volunteer time as part of your seasonal commitment. Spread that out over 20 weeks and it’s really not that much.

I find, though, that the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Not only are you getting amazing quality, pesticide-free, organic produce at an unbelievable cost, you’re also giving back to the community and the earth. It’s food that is good all around. Eating something that has been grown the natural way it’s meant to, something that is good fuel for my body and that returns the blessings back to Mother Nature definitely makes me feel good.

To locate a CSA or farmer’s market in your area, visit the website Local Harvest. It lists farms, CSAs, farmer’s markets and events throughout the U.S. I encourage you to look into this sustainable, healthy option.

Taking the big jump into the cold pool… April 9, 2008

Ahhh…the blogosphere. I tip my hat to those who have embarked on this journey before me. You’ve inspired me, piqued my interest, taught me things I never knew I wanted to learn. Now here I sit, wondering if anyone will ever read my blog or will I be lost amongst the swarms of blogonauts? All I know is that I’m excited, scared, worried someone I know will actually find this. But here goes…

*splash!*