To join in you can go to Earth Hour and sign up. Businesses, cities, and states can also join! It doesn't get much easier than turning off your lights for one hour to help bring climate change awareness.

Here are some tips and ideas for this Earth Hour:

1. Eat dinner with your family by candle light.
2. Find a local Earth Day event.
3. Host your own event!
4. Play games with the family by candle light.
5. Play Hide & Go Seek outside in the dark with friends.
6. Play Sardines with friends.

Remember if you are using candles during Earth Hour please use soy, vegetable, or beeswax candles. Normal candles are made from petroleum byproducts and can be harmful to us and the environment.

Earth Hour 2010

Will you join in? If so what do you plan to do for your hour?

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Read more about Lisa's quest to be more sustainable at Retro Housewife Goes Green.

Since embarking on my green journey, I look at my product choices differently. Before buying something I ask myself about its environmental impact and ecological footprint. What is it made of, where does it come from, and how much packaging does it come with? Can I find it used, or borrow it? Every time that I spend money, it is as if I am casting a vote for a product and saying, "This is what I support."

Most of the fabric in my clothing, bedding and towels is cotton. Cotton, of course, comes from the cotton plant, and so it is biodegradable and renewable. However, its conventional farming practices leave something to be desired. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land, but uses 16% of the world's insecticides. This is more than any other major crop. Because of the problems with conventional cotton many people are making the switch to organic, and so the production of organic cotton is increasing by more than 50% per year.

Another fabric that is often promoted as a sustainable choice is bamboo. Bamboo has a lot going for it - it grows very quickly and requires very little or no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. It is renewable and biodegradable and easier on the earth than the cotton plant. Bamboo fiber is also naturally antimicrobial and highly absorbent.

Unfortunately, the bamboo story isn't all so rosy. Making fabric from the plant is an involved process that often uses a lot of chemicals. There are efforts being made to produce it in a less chemically-intensive process, but for now it remains a bit of a blotch on an otherwise remarkable fabric.

Eden Home, an online boutique that sells organic and sustainable products, offered to send me one of their Nandina organic bath towels for free in exchange for my review here. I was curious to try the towel, since the bath towels that I received at my wedding shower 9 years ago are beginning to show their age. I would like to replace them, but I would prefer to go with a more sustainable choice than the conventionally-grown cotton towels I currently have.

Eden Home sent me the towel packaged in a cardboard box, with no extra plastic, so that was great. When I opened the box and felt the towel, I was amazed at how soft it was. The towel is 75% bamboo and 25% organic cotton, and very silky to the touch like a lot of bamboo fabric. It is one of the softest towels I have felt in my life.

I washed the towel before I used it, along with my regular laundry, and it weathered the washer and dryer just fine. However, it didn't dry completely along with the rest of the clothes. The towel is very heavy, and every bit as absorbent as it claims, so it seems to hold on to moisture. After hanging it in the bathroom overnight it was dry for my morning shower, though.

I used the towel for a week without washing it, and it kept its soft feel. It didn't develop any weird smells, either, so score one for bamboo's antimicrobial powers. However, I will admit that the towel felt a little strange at first. It's so soft and heavy that it can feel a little cold. And if my kids used it to dry their hands it would still be slightly damp a couple of hours later.

On the whole, the Nandina really is a lovely bath towel and Eden Home was great to work with. I find myself compulsively running my hands over the towel just to feel its softness. After a few days of using it I didn't find the feel so strange, and it is continuing to hold up well. I think that, in the end, it all comes down to how you feel about bamboo, and whether it's actually green or green-washed. (Bath towel, green wash, I'm sorry but I couldn't resist the pun.)

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You can catch up with Amber's sparkling clean adventures on her blog at Strocel.com.

Asking's One's Self the Hard Questions kicked off a series in which I'll be examining all the things I'm doing wrong in our family's quest for The Green Life. And the way it came about was quite unexpected.

A couple weeks ago we invited another couple over for dinner and games. I've been friends with the wife for sometime but we hadn't yet gotten together as couples more than a few times — her husband didn't know me as well as she did and had no idea what it is that I do for a living. In our neck of the woods freelance writers aren't exactly plentiful so I'm accustomed to reactions of bewilderment when my livelihood comes up for discussion. What I'm not accustomed to is people questioning, even if in a friendly and truly curious manner, why I am fit to do what I do. Read More>>>

Shannon Baer gave us some great romantic ideas in Creative Green Date Nights

My husband and I are always busy with work, kids, our personal time, and sometimes it's hard for us to make time for our relationship. But it's always so rewarding when we do.

Since we don't always have the money to go out for dinner or a movie, I like thinking of creative ways for us to share time together or with other adults in a playful and romantic way.Read More>>>

She also introduced us to Happy Healthy Eating via Community Supported Agriculture.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to support your local farmer and keep fresh vegetables on the table. Most CSA's work something like this:

Families (or single folk) buy a "share" (or two if you're a large family)- ranging in price from say $400.00 to $800.00+ and each week you meet at a pick up location for your box of vegetables and fruits. Most CSA shareholders pay in installments, some take advantage of work-share options, and all pay a down payment of some sort. And that's in part the beauty of CSA- because buyers pay the farmer upfront she can estimate how much to plant.Read More>>>

And on Friday we talked about how to Green Your St. Patrick's Day, Not Just Your Shirt this year.

I grew up in a small village (population: less than 400) in the middle of Michigan that is incredibly proud of its Irish heritage. It also just so happens that its local tavern holds the state's oldest liquor license. Combine these two facts and what I have always known is a huge St. Patrick's Day celebration; one with potato rolls, delicious beef stew and copious amounts of green beer.Read More>>>

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Diana Prichard is the Managing Editor of 5 Minutes for Going Green, a freelance writer, Handmade, local and artisan Food Columnist and aspiring small farmer. She lives in rural Mid-Michigan (just miles from that tiny village in which she grew up — and plans to attend St. Pat's Festivities in again this year) with her husband, two daughters, three dogs and an ever-changing menagerie of farm animals large and small. You can follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

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Photo Credit (Top, Right.) - Candy Kisses by James Spicer
Photo Credit (Bottom, Left.) - Bed of Clovers by Sadie Lou

I grew up in a small village (population: less than 400) in the middle of Michigan that is incredibly proud of its Irish heritage. It also just so happens that its local tavern holds the state's oldest liquor license. Combine these two facts and what I have always known is a huge St. Patrick's Day celebration; one with potato rolls, delicious beef stew and copious amounts of green beer. And if you didn't get to the tavern early enough, they'd be out of all of the above. People would come from miles and miles around to celebrate. It was standing room only and the town's fifteen parking spots on the one small block that made up "main street" were nowhere near enough to accommodate. St. Patrick's Day, here, is like Christmas — only without the pre-holiday stress and over-indulgent electricity usage.

Unfortunately, our consumerism-centered culture has turned this, just as every other holiday, into another day to buy cheap plastic trinkets and indulge in high-environmental-impact dishes and drinks. How can you celebrate in style without harming the earth?

Wear green, just not new green. You may not have a solid green shirt or one with a catchy St. Patrick's saying scrawled across the chest, but you probably have something containing the color. Top a black shirt with a green scarf, sparkle your ears with a pair of emeralds; whatever you choose choose it from your existing wardrobe. Don't have anything at all? Check out local thrift shops for lightly used clothing and accessories — bargains for your wallet and Mother Nature!

Eat Irish, hold the beef. Turn traditional Irish recipes upside down; create a vegetarian version or follow one of hundreds of recipes that can be found online — like these from Change.org. Can't imagine forgoing the corned beef or stew? Check out your farmer's market for locally grown pastured meat products. While you're there keep your eyes peeled for your side dishes, too. Cabbages and potatoes, both traditional St. Patrick's fare, are generally available now either after having been wintered-over or grown fresh from by local farmers.

Want a pint? Dye your own local brew. A few drops of food coloring will go a long way. Or better yet, find a local brewery who is offering green beer for the holiday.

Get the kids involved. For little ones holidays mean crafts and crafts all too often mean waste. Now's the time to change that. Use empty glass jars and a little organic potting soil to plant tiny terrariums of clover and watch them grow over the course of the coming spring months, cut pots of gold from cardboard boxes and let the kids color and decorate to their heart's content — pull out your recycling bins and get creative.

Here's to a happy, healthy and eco-friendly St. Patrick's Day for one and all!

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Diana Prichard is the Managing Editor of 5 Minutes for Going Green, a freelance writer, Handmade, local and artisan Food Columnist and aspiring small farmer. She lives in rural Mid-Michigan (just miles from that tiny village in which she grew up — and plans to attend St. Pat's Festivities in again this year) with her husband, two daughters, three dogs and an ever-changing menagerie of farm animals large and small. You can follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

Families (or single folk) buy a "share" (or two if you're a large family)- ranging in price from say $400.00 to $800.00+ and each week you meet at a pick up location for your box of vegetables and fruits. Most CSA shareholders pay in installments, some take advantage of work-share options, and all pay a down payment of some sort. And that's in part the beauty of CSA- because buyers pay the farmer upfront she can estimate how much to plant.

CSA farmers provide the shareholders with excellent produce- fresh off the plant. Many invite participants to visit the farm, help out, and learn from the farmer. It's the next best thing to growing your own food.

There are dozens of CSA's here in Rhode Island and throughout the US. They usually start selling shares in February and can sell out in March or April, so if you and your family are interested in a locavore diet, but have too little land, or too many other things going on to plant your own garden.

In college, I was part of a CSA, and each week my roommates and I designated someone to head over to the farm and get our box of food. We made soups and salads, casseroles and all sorts of delicious homegrown meals which were gobbled down in no time. We all enjoyed having fresh grown food. Now I grow my own food, but I sincerely appreciate and support the effort of communities to bring together people and sustainable, healthy food.

So, if you are interested in learning about your local CSA programs here are a few links that might help get ya started!

Chalked full of great information Local Harvest speaks of "real food. real farmers. real community" there's also an abundance of gardening information here.

Those curious about biodynamic CSA's and/or farming check out the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association. There's also information for home gardeners interested learning this approach.

Or visit ATTRA, a great resource for local food initiatives.

Bottom line is the greenest way to eat is local- saves the environment by lowering transportation costs and emissions, and keeps the money spent on food in the community.

My husband and I are always busy with work, kids, our personal time, and sometimes it's hard for us to make time for our relationship. But it's always so rewarding when we do.

Since we don't always have the money to go out for dinner or a movie, I like thinking of creative ways for us to share time together or with other adults in a playful and romantic way.

Last month I was dreaming up the perfect date night and come up with these fun ways to spend time together.

1) Have a potluck. Instead of heading to the restaurant, invite friends over for a candle light dinner; plan for a house large enough to accommodate kids with a movie and special dinner while the parents (adults) have a special night of conversation and cocktails.

2) Go for a walk. Watching the sunset, snuggled under a blanket at the beach or on a mountain top or in a field of long grass is so romantic. Bring a picnic basket of your favorite finger foods, leave discussion of bills, and school, kids, or cars problems at home, and spend the evening basking in the last rays of the sun and the warmth of your honeys arms.

3) Partner Yoga Find a class or get a DVD and roll out the yoga mats in the living room (maybe by candle light). Learn a new way of relating to your loved one by moving together through yoga poses to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and bring you closer. (Other stuff can come later- that's out of my comfort zone folks- I am talking YOGA here.)

How do you spend date night?

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I'm back! After a brief hiatus from 5 Minutes 4 Going Green, the Backyard Mama, AKA Shannon is here to inspire YOU to get outside, simplify and enjoy life! I write about myself and my journey of motherhood at my blog, Backyard Mama. I also love to tweet @backyardmama, come on and tweet with me

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Photo Credit - At top, 'A Candy Kiss Goodbye' by James Spicer on Etsy.

Earlier in the week I'd received a cool green gadget for reviewing on this site. My husband was, and still is, particularly enthralled with the product and grabbed it off the counter to show our friends. Of course the demonstration led to them asking where we got it and where we got it led to the husband being a bit confused. The question he asked following that exchange was short, but profound in that it made me realize that I have not asked it of myself in far too long.

"What's green about here?"

My husband and I disagree slightly as to the context of his question, but since he was sitting in my dining room, I took it to mean my house, my home, my life. And it was a question I was not prepared to answer smoothly. I could — and did, to some extent — rattle off all the things we do to green our lives on a daily basis, but a list, I felt, was not what he was looking for and honestly, neither was I.

Since that night I have given a lot of thought to this question. I've run down what we're doing right — the recycling, reusing, local eating, garden growing, composting, reusable bag carrying ways we are, so to speak — and I've run down what we're doing wrong — the water using, light using, fossil fuel heating ways, if you will. There are, of course, many more items on each list than I could possibly even begin to include here. But more than that even there are many reasons why that back each of those things and that's the root of the issue, if you ask me. Why we do what we do and how we can make that why work for us.

There are things we're doing right that happen accidentally or as a byproduct of another fundamental of our lifestyle in general. The garden growing and poultry raising didn't stem entirely from a desire to be green, for instance, but rather a desire for healthier food and more humanly raised meats. Likewise, there are things we're doing wrong that are as they are not because we don't want to be greener in those areas but because something is standing in our way — whether we should let it or not.

Over the course of the next few weeks I'm planning to let it all hang out; I'm going to share here, in a series of posts, what I'm doing wrong and why. Some of those whys are excuses I have no justifiable reason to be making and I can admit that. Others are legitimate hurdles in our quest to be green. No matter the classification of the why behind the failure I'll be researching and sharing solutions to each and every problem presented — I challenge you to do the same.

This week ask yourself what is green in your life and perhaps more importantly, what is not. You may be surprised. And then, share that here or on your own blog. As a bonus if you write about your wrongs on your blog, leave me a link in the comments here or on any one of the weekly posts in the future and I'll link to you in my next "What I'm Doing Wrong" installment.

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Diana Prichard is the Managing Editor of 5 Minutes for Going Green, a freelance writer, wanna-be homesteader and green junkie living in rural Michigan with her husband, two daughters and a menagerie of farm animals large and small. More of her life and work can be found at DianaPrichard.com.

Are LiViTY’s products more expensive than the apparel at your local Target? Sure. Is it realistic to plan to buy my entire family’s wardrobe from them? No, not for me, unfortunately. But do I occasionally splurge on high end clothing or designer brands? Yes. And are LiViTY’s products any more costly than those? Not at all. In fact, LiViTY’s tees are less than most in my local mall. And in my opinion, LiViTY’s value more than matches what they offer.

Because LiViTY is not just about clothes. It’s about activism, and it’s about artistry. It’s about bettering our communities and our global reach by more than just what we wear, and I really like that. When he founded the company in 2001, owner Isaac Nichelson wanted to “change the way the world looks at design, update the way we produce things and overhaul the way corporations do business.” LiViTY Activists continue to be the foundation of the company, whether they be artists, designers, or simply someone willing to pick up trash along a public beach. I like the way they do business (always using recycled, organic, and renewable materials and always practicing fair-trade), and next time I am able to treat myself or my family to high end apparel, I will come to LiViTY first. I encourage you to check out what they have to offer as well!

How about you? How much thought do you place on what you wear, and how your consumer choices in apparel effect the environment? Would you try a company such at LiViTY?

*I received these products complimentarily, for the purpose of review. This compensation came with no expectations or agreements for a positive review.

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Amy Whitley is honored to write bi-weekly for the 5 Minutes for Going Green team! You can read more about her attempts at eco-living at her blog The Never-True Tales and find great places to travel with children at her review site Pitstops for Kids!.

If working with Tim was any indication of the customer service CREDO Mobile offers their clients, dissatisfaction is not something members of the CREDO network are familiar with. Within a couple days my UPS man out front tossing my dogs biscuits on his way to the door to drop off the Solio Mono (in Red — my favorite color, no less) he had sent out. In fact, it arrived a day earlier than even Tim expected; a very nice surprise indeed. And as much as I would love to carry on all day about the Solio — telling you how it will hold a charge for up to a year, making it a great tool for an emergency preparedness kit; or how it comes with just about every adapter known to man, making it about as universal as any charger can be; or how even in a cold, dreary, overcast Michigan winter it managed to gain a charge sitting on my kitchen windowsill, a far cry from direct sunlight; or how you can even charge it from a wall socket or your USB in a pinch and take that charge with you — the thing is, CREDO the company is just as cool.

According to their Real Green Mission:

Our commitment to a better world is not about symbolism. Since 1985 we've donated over $65 million to progressive groups like Doctors Without Borders and Planned Parenthood — $10 million alone to environmental groups like Sierra Club and Greenpeace. And we've backed up our donations with real activism. The one million activists of our citizens lobby are leading the way on important environmental causes…

That $65 million didn't come from client donations or fundraising drives, either. CREDO automatically donates a portion of each member's bill to get things done; things like pushing congress to pass stricter fuel efficiency standards and championing stricter catch limits in oceans. And not just that, they're also operating eco-friendly on a daily basis themselves; printing their bills on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and with soy-based inks, off setting their carbon emissions and planting trees to replace the paper they use.

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Diana Prichard is the Managing Editor of 5 Minutes for Going Green, a freelance writer and editor and green junkie living in Michigan with her husband, two daughters and a menagerie of animals large and small. More of her life and work can be found at her personal blog, DianaPrichard.com.

(I know that not everyone has had a mild winter this year. Last year winter in the Pacific Northwest was long and cold, with record snow accumulations. If you have struggled through the snow in the South you have my sympathies.)

This sunny, warm weather has me thinking of spring and my garden. I am hesitant to do much planting yet, because we could still get a cold snap. But I have started planning and dreaming of the warmer days that are coming fast. I have plans to expand my garden this year, as I mentioned in January, and I am considering what I would like to plant.

I am excited to plant this year, as I have tried saving my own seeds for the first time. Last fall I took the big, healthy seeds from my cucumbers, ground cherries and tomatoes. I rinsed the seeds and let them dry, and then stored them in paper packets in my garage where it is cool and dry. I did the same thing with some sugar pie pumpkins from the farmer's market, and I received some blue hubbard squash seeds from a fellow gardener. This is the way that people have cultivated plants from time immemorial - by choosing and preserving the best seeds from their crops.

My daughter Hannah helps harvest garlic in 2009

There are a lot of good reasons to garden. It gets you outside and gives you a connection to the earth. It teaches your kids where food comes from, and helps them to appreciate colors, flavors and textures in a whole new way. A tomato or carrot fresh from your own garden is something totally different than an out-of-season fruit or veggie shipped from far away. Gardening is also affordable - one $3 seed packet yields far more produce than $3 could buy you at the market, especially if you save your seeds or preserve that food to eat over the cold months.

Gardening is also the most environmentally-friendly way to produce food. Many of us count food miles in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of our dinner. No food has fewer miles than the food you grew yourself in your own yard. Food from your garden also comes without plastic packaging and tags and stickers and a refrigerated truck. If you also compost and avoid pesticides, you are really working overtime to contribute to a healthy planet.

I am far from an expert gardener. I tend to experiment and learn as I go. Not all of my plants survive, or produce large yields. Sometimes I overplant one thing or put veggies in a less-than-optimal location. But I've discovered that my failures are less important than my efforts. Jumping in and trying is the best way to figure out what works, what doesn't, and how many tomatoes my family will really eat. Even when things don't go perfectly, I am constantly amazed by how tenacious life is, and how plants survive and thrive, frequently in spite of me.

What about you? Are you planning a garden this year, or do you have any tips to share? I'd love to hear all about it!

You can catch up with Amber's gardening adventures on her blog at Strocel.com.