We sometimes talk so much about simply preventing climate change that reversing it can seem like a bridge too far.  Allan’s research on the subject comes as a shot of much-needed inspiration.  Please enjoy.

Image courtesy of Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1.  Investing in Good, Green and Ethical Companies
2.  Ethical investing: Out with the Old

In our previous post, we tasked ourselves with writing down a set of investment criteria prior to changing anything in our portfolio. Here is our investment criteria – plain and simple:

• The companies in which we invest are inherently good for the world.  They are directly involved in reducing harm to the environment and people.  Or they take on ethical initiatives to make the world a better place.  Or both.
• The behavior of the companies we support meets our approval.  They do not partake in any activity that we deem to be unsustainable on a large scale.  For us, this includes things like factory farming, unfair trade, meat production, poor working conditions, rainforest destruction, etc.  (You get the picture.)
• We shied away from mutual funds in favor of a self-directed approach as it was the only way we felt in control of our money.  We found the “ethical funds” we investigated to fall short of the moral expectations listed above, although our analysis was far from complete.
• These companies have a business model that we believe has growth and profitability potential.

With the above in mind, we set out to select a handful of companies in which to invest.  The selection process was a bit grueling as we really had no idea where to start.  We read boatloads of analyst articles about ethical investing and found ourselves repeatedly presented with a list of mainstream consulting firms that likely spent lots of time and energy publishing their statistics in return for a spot on the list.  We were frustrated.

Then we got brave.  We decided to start thinking about the industries we wanted to support: green energy, sustainable food production, green technology, etc.  This helped target our searches so that we were able to come up with a list of companies we felt good about.

We selected the following companies in our latest round of investments.  (Note that we could not find a publicly traded sustainable food production company that met our criteria.)

1. Alterra Power Corp (ticker: AXY)

Alterra is a leading global renewable energy company. that operates six power plants totaling 566 MW of capacity, including two geothermal facilities in Iceland, a geothermal plant in Nevada, British Columbia’s largest run of river hydro facilities and the province’s largest wind farm.

We selected Alterra because. . .

• it’s Canadian (i.e. sort of local)
• it showed up on a list of top green power investments worldwide
• MorningStar rated the company as a good buy

2. Pure Technologies (ticker: PUR)

Pure has developed technologies and services primarily focused on the water and waste-water industry, oil and gas pipelines, bridges, buildings and parking structures.

We selected Pure because. . .

• it’s Canadian (i.e. sort of local)
• it showed up on a list of top green power investments worldwide
• MorningStar rated the company as a good buy

3. Tesla Motors (ticker: TSLA)

Tesla is an electric vehicles and components manufacturer.

We selected Tesla because. . .

• my subconscious wants to own one of these cars
• we admire the leadership’s dedication to reducing our requirement on fossil fuels
• MorningStar rated the company as a good buy

4. Google (ticker: GOOG)

Google (in case you didn’t know) is a global technology company focused on improving the ways people connect with information. 

We selected Google because. . .

• it was a bit of a hedge against the risk of our other investments
• Google has many initiatives to green their operations (such as greening their server farms)
• MorningStar rated the company as a good buy

So, there you have it.  We hope that by putting our money where our hearts are, we’ll help the good grow and motivate the not-so-good to become better.

Now, will our ethical investing pay off?  Stay tuned as we continue our journey toward goodness.

Image courtesy of scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of chanpipat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our Challenge
This week’s challenge is to minimize our trash. I’d like to see if we can throw nothing out. And, if not, why?

Updated November 25, 2012 by Andrea

This may be the first challenge since Tales of Goodness started that has simply not succeeded.  (Ok, we failed.  There I’ve said it.)  We certainly tried, but perhaps time – or rather timing – was not on our side.  We’re two weeks late reporting back on this one because we still don’t have this solved.  We’ve improved, but we haven’t found our “garbage groove” just yet.

Our Tale
There’s not much to describe here in terms of approach. Basically, we focused our efforts in 2 areas. First, we tried not to purchase anything that would later end up in the garbage.  Second, we tried to mentally stop ourselves on the way to the garbage can to see if we were perhaps discarding something that could be recycled.

Stop Procuring Non-Recyclables

This was actually easier than we thought.  We were already quite aware of how much packaging we used.  We buy in bulk when we can.  We bring our own bags for produce and purchase plastic only minimally.  And, thanks to this challenge, we now check the recycling numbers on our grocery items to make sure they can be recycled prior to purchase.

Most of the items on our grocery list were packaged in recyclable content.  The only real problem was with the more “packaged goods” we buy for our kids lunchtime snacks.  Still, we were able to find suitable alternatives all around.

I should mention that our area doesn’t recycle glass, but I still prefer glass to plastic as I can always re-use the jars for something or give them away to picklers and jam-makers.  Although plastic is technically recyclable, it’s not as efficiently recycled as glass. It’s also much more harmful to the environment should it end up in the landfill or in our waterways.  (Check out What To Do When You Can’t Recycle Glass for more information.)

Stop Discarding Compostables and Recyclables

Here’s where we went awry.  Of course, we completely forgot to anticipate Halloween in our little experiment. So, our first real failure was the vast array of candy wrappers that found their way into our garbage over the past few weeks.  The wrappers on the candies we gave were recyclable, but we were not about to keep our kids from enjoying our neighborhood Halloween rituals, so we amassed the garbage without so much as a second thought.  We hope that this packaging will gradually shift to more environmentally-friendly options as people become more aware of environmental issues.  Until then, we’ll just deal.

The other item we simply couldn’t save from the trash was our son’s disposable diapers. We cloth diaper our son in the daytime; however, he leaks through his cloth diapers at night (and most of the crunchier paper alternatives), so we put him in disposable diapers at night.  This is something we’re really not willing to give up. (And I try to tell myself that the extra laundry from washing his sheets every morning offsets the disposable diaper landfill impact, although I’ve admittedly not crunched the numbers.)

One area of challenge for us is the bathroom. Empty shampoo bottles and toilet paper rolls, oh my!  Quite honestly (and not without an ounce of shame), we’ve often simply been too lazy to walk our bathroom recyclables to the kitchen.  For the past few weeks, we’ve been storing them in the bathrooms and then moving them to the kitchen recycling in batch.  Unfortunately, on two occasions, I forgot to do this before our cleaners came – or to even tell them about it.  On both occasions, they tossed out all of the bathroom garbage along with the kitchen stuff.

In the short term, we can do a better job at sorting these recyclables earlier and communicating better with our cleaning folks.  From a long-term standpoint, I’d love to find some sort of obvious recycling storage in the bathroom.  I’ve yet to find anything aesthetically pleasing to do the job, so please post a comment if you know of any.

Our Findings
So, we did get ourselves down to 1 small bag of garbage each week, but we’re still not where we’d ultimately like to be.  We’ve got a bit more work to do.  Still, we were able to make some good improvements that we’re confident will have a positive, long-term impact on the planet.  Not that feels good.

Sometimes it can feel like a full-time job to stay on top of current trends.  If you’re like me and you don’t have time for another job, there are still ways to stay plugged in.  Here’s how I attempt to stay connected with what’s what.

The Sunday Surf.  Each Sunday, I carve out some “me-time” away from any distractions.  This is my time to think about the week to come and dig deep for the calm and presence of mind I need to joyfully tackle it.  I like to start this session with a few moments of relaxation followed by a visit to my favorite online sources of inspiration.  These include sites like Treehugger. grist, The David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Working Group, Inhabitat and Healthy Child Healthy World.  If there are new advances in health and sustainability, chances are you’re going to hear about them from at least one of these.

TED.  When I get tired of reading, I often turn to TED for a little boost.  TED tags its content, so I typically go and check out what’s new and tagged as “green”, “health” or “sustainability”.  I love how the talks are not watered down.  You can  feel the speaker’s conviction coming through.  TED often takes me outside of the box – and I think that’s an important part of getting my head around what’s changing.

The Daily Good (by grist).  What I love about grist is it’s positive approach to reform.  It’s generally not there to guilt or chastise, but rather to inform.  That really sits well with me.  I sign up for a daily email called “The Daily Good”.  Each day I get a message that tells me about a new project or experience that is bringing the sustainability movement forward.  It’s not really a way to get up to speed on environmental issues, but it certainly is a way to keep up to speed.

Dig in.  Do you ever ponder environmental issues on, say, your drive to work?  Or while you’re doing the dishes?  I often catch myself thinking things like: “I wonder if these compostable bags really compost?or “Is it better to idle while waiting for the ferry or turn the car off?”.  This is where Google comes in.  I now try my very best to actually look up all of the things I wonder about.  I don’t hesitate.  There’s no longer a need to write these things down and then head to the local library.  It’s all right there on the Internet.  Getting immediate answers to my questions helps me stay informed where it counts most – in my day-to-day activities.

Practically Green.  I fell in love with this site very shortly after we started The Goodness Challenge.  It’s sort of a scorecard for how well you’re doing from an environmental footprint standpoint.  I started out by answering a short quiz about my habits.  The site then made  recommendations about how to improve my score.  (I remember how thrilled I was the day I became “wicked green”.)  In addition, it sends a weekly email asking if I’ve thought of “this” and “that”.  These emails often serve as reminders for me to look into new areas.  Practically Green stays current, so it helps me stay current as well.

Now, I’m still not an environmental expert.  I’m certainly not up-to-date on everything, but I do my best to keep on top of the trends.  I hope you find this useful.  And, if you have more tips, please share.  We’ll all be better for it.

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As you may know, we started making a conscious effort to changes our lives for the better about 18 months ago. It has been exceedingly fulfilling to improve ourselves and know that we are part of making the world a better place for our children. We’re still not even close to where we want to be, and the challenges keep getting bigger in both scope and scale. We’re now trying to get off the grid and harvest some of our own food. Carl is toying with converting a car to electric. We’re writing our kids a children’s book. There are many, many more good things to come.

But for right now, we’re having a little rest. In a way, I suppose we’re storing up for the winter. For the next round. And that’s alright. So, if any of you are “hitting the big, green wall”, don’t worry. Step back. Take a deep breath and rest a bit.

(BTW, I’d love to hear your stories and suggestions. Have you ever taken a rest? Where do you find inspiration to go on?)

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Home-Baked Granola

This recipe makes about 15 or 16 cups of granola.  You may want to halve it the first time to make sure you like it before really committing.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dry Ingredients
8 cups rolled oats
1+1/2 cups wheat germ
1+1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup pecans – chopped quite fine
1 cup walnuts – chopped quite fine
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Mix all of these dry ingredients together in a very large bowl.  (Since I don’t have a bowl this large, I actually use 2 bowls and add 1/2 portion of each ingredient to each bowl as I go along.  This way I can still stir when I add the coating later on.)

Coating
1+1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup syrup – I use 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup maple syrup and 1/3 cup agave syrup
2/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup flax seed oil
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix these ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.  When the mixture combines and starts to boil around the edges, remove it from the heat and pour it over the dry ingredients.  Stir to coat.

Load the mixture onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake it for 10 minutes and then stir.  Then bake it for another 10 minutes.  (So, 20 minutes of baking in total.)

Remove it from the oven and let it cool.

If you like, you can add 2 cups of dried fruit – raisins or cranberries or similar.  I prefer it as-is so I can add what I want at eating time.

Most importantly, enjoy!

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written about something new they’ve learned about their local farmers.

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Carl doesn’t enjoy crowds.  I, by contrast, live for them.  And so we typically walk through Saturday’s market, Carl focused on the tasks at hand and I on the various sights and sounds.

I like to get the kids up early so we have plenty of time to browse and explore seasonal produce and new stalls.  Carl spends pretty much the whole time fretting about the kids sun exposure and how to keep them out of the paths of fellow market-goers.  I know this, but I selfishly still take my time.  Until this week.

This week, we did the farmers market “Carl-style”.  That’s right, Carl challenged me to be in and out of the market in under and hour.  And, thanks to some advance planning, we pulled it off.

Now, I’m not advocating rushing through life, but marriage (at least ours) does at times require compromise.  If you’re not a crowd-lover, there’s no reason to avoid the market altogether.  Here are some tips on how to make the trip hassle-free and short.  (For those of you more after my own heart, check out our previous post: Getting The Best From Our Local Farmers Market.)

1.  Pre-order.  I know, I know.  It sucks the fun out of the entire experience, but it does ensure that we get what we want (or close enough) with minimal fuss and muss.  This week, we pre-ordered our meat – sausage and ground beef – from a nearby range farm.  Since we rarely eat meat, we splurge on quality when we can.  This range pork and grass-fed beef is divine!

2.  Meal plan.  Since it is high season here, it is easy to go to the market with a list of what we wanted to round out the week’s meals.  At less fruitful times, we have to be more open and creative, but not now.  Right now it’s pretty much “ask and ye shall receive”.  And this week’s “asks” were lots of salad greens, kale, broccoli, beets, summer squash, zucchini and loads of berries.

3.  Bring lots of cash (including small change).  Although some stalls do accommodate payment by debit or credit, it’s always fastest to just shell out cash.  Furthermore, exact change is coveted like a gift from the gods.

4.  Focus the kids.  Normally, we let our kids wander the market and then ask us for something special.  We let them choose one special thing for themselves – whether it’s a home-baked treat or a toy or a plant – as long as it doesn’t break the bank.  Although exciting for the kids, choosing something can be overwhelming and time consuming.  So, just this week, we started talking about balloon animals early.  We spent much of the car ride asking which one they’d choose.  So, when we saw the animals, it was a no-brainer.  This probably saved an hour in and of itself.

By planning as such, we did get everything on our list (and then some) within the allocated hour without frantically rushing about.  We also had time to throw in a couple of small impulse purchases – a cupcake for the kids and some Korean barbecue for me.  Carl, of course, skipped his desired pizza in favor of just “getting the heck out of there”.

I’m not saying we’ll attempt this again, but perhaps we can adopt elements of it.  At the end we had 2 happy (and full) kids, a fulfilled mom and an ecstatic dad.  Not a bad start to a Saturday.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon August 14 with all the carnival links.)

• 10 Simple Ways to Make the Farmer’s Market More Fun for Kids — Lorie at Reading Confetti shares ideas and books to help kids get the most from the farmers market experience.
• 10 Things I Want To Teach My Daughter About The Importance of Shopping at the Farmer’s Market — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares the ten lessons she hopes to impart to her daughter about the importance of shopping at local farmers markets.
• Charmed by Two Small Town Markets — Shannon at GrowingSlower was charmed by two small-town farmers markets while on vacation.
• The Olympia Farmer’s Market (and a giveaway!) — Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes and family took a trip to their state capitol to experience a new market. See what they saw, and enter to win a book written about that very market.
• On the Hunt . . . At the Farmer’s Market! — Exploring the farmers market by Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy writing at Natural Parents Network — with a scavenger hunt!
• Exploring the Market … Alphabet Style — That Mama Gretchen is in the midst of creating a learning tool for her toddler and it’s all about the market!
• Unschooling at the Farmers Market — Megz at Aspen Mama loves building memories as a vendor at the Market.
• Montessori-Inspired Vegetable Unit — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares links to Montessori-inspired vegetable printables and activities to help your family get the most out of a trip to the farmer’s market.
• Markets — How sustainable mum has fitted a monthly farmers market into a weekly food shop.
• The Farmers Market In Under An Hour (“Carl Style”) — Andrea and family at Tales of Goodness adapt their farmers marketing approach to make everyone happy.
• Tales Of a Troubled Gardener — Sam at Love Parenting writes about her dream of self-sufficiency and her lack of gardening skills!
• A Few {Of The Many} Reasons Why I Love Our Farmer’s Market — Even though the experience can sometimes be less than peaceful, MomeeeZen shares why she enjoys taking her family to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings.
• Experiencing the Farmer’s Market from a Different Perspective — Emily at S.A.H.M. i AM had a great time letting her toddler lead the way at the farmer’s market…
• Ask A Farmer’s Daughter — Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter answers questions about her life growing up on a small family farm in New England.
• Giving Up the Grocery Store — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her family’s summertime challenge to eliminate trips to the grocery store and rely almost exclusively on local, farm-fresh foods.
• Urban farming and fresh food in the city — Lauren at Hobo Mama takes trips to farms, gardens, and markets within reach of a big city.
• Market Tip: Get to Know Your Farmers — Justine at The Lone Home Ranger finally gets up the guts to talk to her farmers and learns she is among ardent food lovers.
• New Farmer’s Market Find — Kellie at Our Mindful Life is excited to make a new find at her new farmers market.
• “The Real World” Grassroots Edition — jessica at instead of institution takes some time out to write a love note.
• 9 Insider Tips for Farmer’s Market Newbies — Dionna at Code Name: Mama chatted with a few farmers to bring you some insider information on how to get the most out of your local farmer’s market.
• The Place Where I Can Say “Yes!” — Erica at ChildOrganics gives you a tour of her favorite vendors at her local farmers market and discusses the benefits of creating community through the market.
• Raw Local Milk — Jorje shares her family’s field trip to a local dairy. Learn what you can appreciate from a small town farm at Momma Jorje.com.
• Italian Secret Vegetable Soup Recipe — Alinka at Baby Web convinces an Italian Farmer & Cook to reveal a precious minestrone recipe and shares it with her readers.
• Where do our eggs come from? A visit to Sucellus Farms. — Carli at One Fit Mom takes her family to meet the chickens that have been providing their daily eggs.
• Beyond the Farm — Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy and her family enjoy looking beyond the food at the local farmer’s market to see the wares of the over vendors.
• Magic at the Market — Do you ever take time to really look at the food you eat? Amy at Anktangle enjoys marveling at the beauty (and the utility) of the foods and goods available at the farmers’ market.
• Farmer’s Market Discoveries — Laura from Pug in the Kitchen reminisces about the discoveries she’s made at the Farmer’s Market throughout the years.
• Are You Getting the Most out of Your Farmers’ Market? (My List of Not-So-Common “Musts”) — Sheila at A Living Family shares some uncommon ways to squeeze even more joy and connection (and yumminess!) from your local farmers’ market experience.
• Pick Your Own And Eat It — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares their trip to a PYO farm and the journey from picking to eating her favourite food

First up, pure castile soap.  For years, I have been using Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap in some capacity.  Years ago, I started using it as soap.  More recently, I’ve stepped up the uses to include shampooing and the occasional household cleaning.  At our camp, it’s practically the only bottle in the place.  But why is it better?  Hmmm – good question.  It’s probably time I looked into this.

Basically, castile soap is an all-vegetable-based soap.  It is called “castile” simply because it originated centuries ago in the Castile region of Spain.  Since then, the term has come to refer to any vegetable-oil-based soap.  Castile soap is typically a simple and biodegradable formula, so it’s good for us and for the environment.  Castile soap can come in either liquid or solid (bar soap) form – both are equally simple and biodegradable.

So, how does this differ from other soaps?  Well, many products marketed alongside soaps are not even legitimately soaps.  They often contain artificial foaming agents, harsh cleansers, oleochemicals, petrochemicals and chemical anti-bacterial agents.  (Source: Queen of Green)  Castile soaps contain none of these.  Furthermore, they are typically vegan and many obstain from animal testing.

Dr Bronner’s happens to be organic and not tested on animals, so it seems like the crunchy ladies who recommended it to me years ago knew what they were talking about.  Thanks ladies.  It’s not that I didn’t trust you, but a girl’s got to be able to answer these questions.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Still, I do have some thoughts on the subject because I think that the crunchy lifestyle is sort of addictive.  Once you start, you just feel so good – physically, mentally and spiritually, that you can’t stop.  For us, we had this nagging feeling that we just weren’t trying hard enough to make the world a better place for our children.  I would often lose sleep over it – concerned that global warming or toxic chemicals or landfills might make the world inhabitable in my kids’ lifetime – or even mine.  Initially, these things played only in the back of mind, but they eventually fought their way into consciousness until The Goodness Challenge was born.  And once we started, we just couldn’t stop.

So, I am a big believer in just starting.  If you’re having trouble starting because your hubby or wife doesn’t share your concerns, here are some suggestions in terms of approach.

1. Go slow.  For us, becoming crunchy didn’t just start one day.  We inched towards crunchiness week by week as part of The Goodness Challenge.  Instead of saying something daunting like “let’s try to neutralize our carbon footprint”, we just  started on our journey.  And this journey continues today as we make improvements week after week.  (And yes, we occasionally take a step back and adjust.)  Carl and I started with “let’s figure out what we’re supporting when we buy our groceries”, but you could try whatever’s nearest to you family’s heart.  For instance, you could try to be a one car family.  Or you could attempt to buy local.  Or meditate.  Or stop eating meat on certain days.  The possibilities are endless.
2. Set an evaluation period.  One thing that really helped us overcome the mental hurdle was limiting each challenge to a week.  At the end of the week, we made a collective decision to either move forward or not.  In most cases, we decided to keep going because the pay-offs were so high.  Still, it helped to not think of the changes as “forever” at the onset.
3. Pick the things that matter to your spouse first.  If you want to get your honey hooked, pick something that interests him or her as your first change.  For example, you may be itching to grow your own veggies, but your spouse wants to start with supporting community agriculture first.  Let him or her go first.  As I mentioned, the path to crunchy is a slippery slope.  You’ll get your turn once you start building momentum.
4. Map out a schedule.  If your significant other is not diametrically opposed to change, he or she may do better with a plan and clear expectations.  You can map in a review period at the end of each week where you can both evaluate if the change was worth it.  If he or she deems that it wasn’t, be willing to consider more palatable alternatives.  For example, if dropping off recycling is too hard, can you get a service?  Can you get a bigger bin and store it up longer?  Can you pick certain things and let others go?  Some change is better than no change.
5. Talk specific facts.  I don’t know about your significant other, but Carl responds best to facts.  After all, there are sound arguments both for and against global warming – and we’re just starting to understand the impacts of chemical and genetically modified organisms on our health.  Not everyone is willing to adopt a greener lifestyle based on early warning signs.  So, if you’re looking for a reason to move from one way of living to another, talk specific facts and avoid the larger arguments.  Not everything has to be about global warming or safe agriculture.  For example, you could start with “Let’s stop buying plastic.  BPA has been proven to cause reproductive health issues in children – even with limited exposure.  Let’s try cutting it out this week and see how hard it is.”  You don’t have to get into how plastic is filling up the landfills and leaching toxic chemicals into the ocean.
6. Talk money.  Nothing gets Carl moving like money.  Most people think of being crunchy as a really expensive exercise – buying organic, using stainless steel everything, etc.  In actuality, living green may be as cheap or cheaper than your current lifestyle.  Here are some examples of things that save money: Eating less meat.  Buying local and seasonal.  Not buying extra stuff.  Reducing driving.  So, if you’re looking to get your partner on board with sharing a car, talk about the money you’ll save.  (If you’re interested in the affordability of eating organic, check out Organic and Affordable?)
7. Talk health.  If money doesn’t do it, then perhaps health will be a good motivator for your significant other.  Rather than saving gas money, you may suggest walking to work for exercise.  You may cut back on meat and processed foods for health reasons.  If you have a health-conscious spouse, it probably won’t take long to become crunchy as green and healthy go hand in hand.  We honestly didn’t realize this until we started making positive changes, but, in general, green = healthy.
8. Talk weight loss.  Maybe your spouse isn’t a fitness buff, but just wants to lose a few pounds.  If you remove meat, cut out processed foods or cut back on processed sugar, you’re sure to be fit and trim before long.  Carl and I both made these changes in an effort to be better to the Earth, but the changes certainly reflected in our bodies.  I’m currently running about 5 lbs lighter than my typical average weight and Carl has dropped about 25 lbs since we started Tales of Goodness a year ago.  No diet.  Just healthy lifestyle changes.
9. Reduce, reuse, recycle.  One of the biggest ways you can help the planet is to stop buying stuff.  Not just packaging, but also just stuff you don’t need.  (It’s also the easiest way to save money.)  Do you really need 20 pairs of athletic socks?  No?  Then leave them on the shelf.  Do the kids really need another plastic doll?  No, then why not go home and make some play dough instead?  It costs only pennies, has no waste, and the experience of making your own is both educational and rewarding.
10. Get the kids involved.  I hate to play this card, but nothing helps us make positive changes in our lives more than trying to teach our children.  I thought of this last week as I watched my mom valiantly talk about how the spider would help eat the bugs in her garden – while inwardly cringing.  If my daughter had not been there, she would have run.  Similarly, nothing makes me recycle more than “Mama, THAT doesn’t go in the garbage.”
11. Communicate your feelings.  If none of these reasons hold any weight with your spouse, perhaps your own feelings on the subject will?  Be open and honest about how you feel.  See if there is a way he or she could support you through this change without fully believing in it.
12. Change what you can.  Carl and I try to do everything as a team.  We make most decisions together.  But, sometimes we just don’t agree.  What happens then?  Well, if it impacts our kids or family life, we work it out.  For the things that impact just us, we make our own decisions.  It certainly is easier to go green with the help of your hubby or wife, but there are places to start on your own.  For example, you could begin by responsibly sourcing the things you buy, cutting back on your own meat consumption or starting a meditation practice.  Your spouse may come around.  Or he or she may not.  Either way, you’ll be sleeping better at night.

So there it is.  I hope this helps all of my girlfriends and even a few stragglers get going on the road to green.  I’d love to hear if any of these worked for you – or any other ideas, so please keep me posted on how you’re doing.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net