The earth is what we all have in common.
-Wendell Berry
Those of you who have been reading here from the start— and god bless ya, every one— know that my kickstart moment to “going green” happened when we moved into this house and our second spring, I didn’t hear the calls of the peepers.
I was reasonably sure that we’d poisoned our small vernal pool by continually washing our cars right by and allowing the runoff to pollute it. That revelation of the cause-and-effect relationship we have with our little personal ecosystem opened my eyes to what, exactly, is in our cleansers and shampoos and everything else that goes into our water, and spiraled into a wider knowledge and effort to conserve our regional and global ecosystems.
I’ve worked, step by small step, trying to make every corner of our lives a little more responsible. Here’s a small sampling of easy ways we’ve worked to go green as a family:
It’s all about REDUCE. Buy things if you must, but only if they reduce waste overall. REDUCE stress, mess, clutter and anxiety by reducing the amount of STUFF you let enter your life. It’s the easiest way to become eco-responsible.
BTW… I never washed my car again.
Until I received a package from Washdrops. Washdrops Wash & Shine solution is:
- eco and convenient
- biodegradable
- solvent-free, butyl free, phosphate free, ammonia free
- completely non-hazardous; you can even dispose of Washdrops on a lawn or flowerbed
- effective. My car is clean. My car that has washed by only rainwater for the last 6 years, much to the despair of my brother and husband.
Best of all, one fluid ounce of product and one gallon of water in a bucket is all you need. No hose, no water waste.
Did it pass the “Robin gets hives” test? It sure did. My hands aren’t even dry after spending half an hour soaping the car up. I felt perfectly fine letting the kids help out, even Jake with his eczema and resulting rashed skin.
TWO WAYS TO WIN:
1. Washdrops is currently holding an Earth Day Sweepstakes on their Facebook page for a prize pack of products— you just need to let them know what your GREEN RESOLUTION is for Earth Day. Go forth and enter here.
2. Enter here!
Washdrops is offering a prize pack to one lucky reader, which includes:
1) Washdrops 16 Washes & Shines 16 oz. bottle
2) Washdrops 4 Washes & Shines 4 oz. bottle
3) Large Waffle Weave Drying Towel (this is awesome)
4) Microfiber 2 in 1 Chenille / Bug Scrubber Sponge (kid’s favorite, looks like a germ or one of those dogs who resemble mops)
5) Long Handle, Hub Cap brush (this may or may not have been stolen by my husband to powerwash our house)
6) Microfiber towels 3-pack
7) 3-Gallon bucket
To enter just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below. You can enter once or many times depending on how you roll 🙂
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! Happy Earth Day.
Disclosure: I received a Washdrops package for review purposes and was compensated for my time creating an Earth Day video. All opinions are my own.
I started using recycled bags at the grocery store.
I buy as much of our food as I can from bulk bins which reduces the use of packaging.
We recycle as much of our garbage as possible and use green cleaning products.
we recycle our newspapers,cardboard don’t buy bottled water thanks
Lots and lots of recycling. Walking. Parks. Picnics. FUN 🙂
We recycle a lot.
I recycle and have changed to natural cleaning products.
I would like to use reusable grocery bags
I have stoped using paper towels. I use reusable rags instead to clean.
I’m trying to use my reusable grocery bags more often.
We recycle 🙂
WE RECYCLE ALMOST EVERYTHING!
We have gone green this year by ordering everything we can on recycled paper. Like our checks for example
We recycle daily!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
I take my reuseable bag to the Walmart.
recycle more
We have began composting our kitchen leftovers.
Reusable fabric bags instead of plastic, just started to recycle (I know, shame :/), and am buying more and more green/eco-friendly products!
I’d like to start using rechargeable batteries.
Id love to go paperless, no paper towels!
I make own laundry soap most of time.
I carpool most often
We’ve started using reusable grocery bags, composting and using refillable water bottles.
Thank you for the chance to win!
i recently installed a water filter and am filling a reusable bottle instead of buying 24 packs a week
We went green by bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store!
We have been doing a much better job at recycling.
I’d like to start recycling more!
we started to recycle and i started using eco friendly laundry detergent.
danielle b
I conserve on water use
I recycle everything possible.
we recycle & compost.
We added rain barrels to our green efforts this year 🙂
We’re composting now
I would like to remember all of my cloth bags when I shop- I tend to forget them.
I take my own bags to the grocery store.
we try to recycle as much as we can.
Recycling and using re-usable bags!
Im trying to use more green products
Growing my own vegetable garden.
We have started recycling
I take my reuseable bag to any store
I started working part time at a local, organic farm. It doesn’t get much greener, or dirtier, than that!
i recycle more then i used to!
we recycle and have green cleaning products
I have begun to use cleaning products which are all Eco-friendly and have not toxins in them.
I try to recycle everything I can. This spring I’m planting more trees.
Using reuseable bags
I use cloth grocery bags
vmkids3 at msn dot com
recycle everything
I’ve been trying to buy less plastic packaging.
We’ve really increased our effort to recycle.
I have gone green this year by not using cleaners with harmful chemicals around our home. Thank you for the lovely giveaway!
Erin E
busymom369 at gmail dot com
We use cleaning cloths instead of paper towels to clean. Just wash and reuse!
We use towels to clean instead of paper towels
We haven’t even turned our air conditioner on yet! And ti’s REALLY hot!
I use reusable grocery bags.
I want to start filtering and drinking our tap water, and stopped buying bottled.
I’ve gone green this year by replacing our incandescent bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.
We’ve started our own little garden this year and should be composting and recycling… one little step at a time! 😉
we recycle alot
amy13623(at)gmail(dot)com
I upgraded from a truck that got 10 MPG to a car that gets 24MPG
I would really like to use household cleaning products that are more natural instead of have all the chemicals in them.
We started recycling this year. We did it once ina while before, but we really make sure we do now.
I plan to start recycling more often.
cweller75@gmail.com
I recycle. Thank you for this opportunity.
We have switched our shower head also (not the faucet but I would love to have one of them that turns off by itself). We are recycling more and trying to make as less trips as needed in the car…
I have stopped buying small water bottles and bought 4 brita individual water bottles with filters
Thanks for the giveaway…we use the rinse / grey-water from dishwashing to water our flowers & garden.
senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com
recycling products is the solution here.
I am a depression baby and have learned from my parents how to recycle. Always carry cloth/paper bags to the grocery store. I still compact my tin cans. I air dry my dishes, reuse aluminum foil. Safe any plastic bag that my groceries come in to use for wastebaskets. I don’t let my water run while washing dishes or brushing my teeth. Only use the dishwasher when I have company. It’s how we lived and how I do now. Don’t waste!!!!
I am a depression baby and have learned from my parents how to recycle. Always carry cloth/paper bags to the grocery store. I still compact my tin cans. I air dry my dishes, reuse aluminum foil. Safe any plastic bag that my groceries come in to use for wastebaskets. I don’t let my water run while washing dishes or brushing my teeth. Only use the dishwasher when I have company. It’s how we lived and how I do now. I also use microfiber clothes for cleaning. Don’t waste!!!!