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7 Simple, Fun Eco-Friendly Ways to Spend Fall with Your Family

September 22, 2022 0

Happy 1st Day of Fall! 

I love fall – it is my favorite season and my favorite time of year! What’s not to love? We are at our mountain home in North Carolina right now and it is fall perfection! The cooler weather, morning hikes, snuggles by the fire, chai tea, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin everything. Looking for some fall inspo?

Here are 7 simple, fun eco-friendly ways to inspire you!

1. Take a Listening Hike
One of my favorite fall activities is hiking! And one of my favorite ways to enjoy a hike is when we take what we like to call “a silent hike.” A silent hike is just that – we hike together as a family in complete silence. It’s amazing how the act of simply being quiet and listening can have a huge impact on your hiking experience. There have been many times that we come upon an animal grazing or fish swimming in a creek – it’s amazing. We also like to stop along the way to listen to the rustling of the trees, the chirping of the birds, or to watch leaves quietly wafting to the ground. It is a great time to reflect within too, while still being with the ones you love.

2. Take It Outside
Fall is the perfect time to take whatever you are doing – outside! The mister and I start every morning by taking the dogs on a hike right out our backdoor. It’s quiet and there are always a ton of deer and turkeys around every corner. I also LOVE to take my tea and blanket and head out to the back porch to snuggle by the fire table while listening to the bubbling of the creek. 

3. Slow It Down
Now that school is back in session, you have to admit that you are much busier than you were all summer. I know that if something isn’t on my schedule, it probably isn’t going to happen. This is why during the fall months, we really take extra consideration to slow things down at our home. We like to schedule extra time in the morning and afternoon, just to be. We usually spend this time snuggled up chatting about our upcoming adventures.

4. Get Centered
Along with slowing down, fall is a great time to get centered. Spend time each day doing whatever it is that makes you feel connected and centered. For the mister, this means yardwork – he loves to get outside in the North Carolina fresh air and work in the yard. For Eben, this means a hot cup of cocoa and a really good book on the back deck (it’s his happy place!) For me, I like to snuggle down with my iPad to pin my favorite eco-friendly things (usually on the back deck with Eben when he’s here with us!) or end the day with a soak in the hot tub! 

5. Plan Ahead
One thing that I have definitely learned along the way is that it is super important to enjoy the moment. To ensure that every moment of fall is enjoyable for my family, I like to plan ahead. I sit down with my journal and jot down things that I really want our family to do together during the fall. I include all of our traditional fall family activities, as well as new ideas that I can run by the guys (when Eben is home from college). The idea is that if I plan these activities ahead of time, we spend the time we have together doing fun things together without much thought – since everything was planned well in advance.

6. Find an Adventure
One of my favorite parts of fall is the cooler weather – which always equals more time outside. We always schedule a trip to our mountain home during the fall season. I HAVE to visit the pumpkin patches! We really enjoy the cooler days spent outside, followed by the crisp nights roasting marshmallows over the fire!

7. Get Cozy
Fall is a great time to reconnect with family and friends. Our best friends are visiting us next week while we’re still here in North Carolina. We have all kinds of fun things planned: bike rides, hikes (of course), visiting our surrounding small town, and peeping all of the leaves (they are already starting to turn colors!)

In what ways do you plan to spend fall with your family?

9 Eco-Friendly Summer Outings for Kids

July 6, 2022 2

Now that summer break is in full swing – you may be looking for some fun activities that will get your kids out of the house. Green outings are a great way to get your kids involved in the environment and add a little more excitement to long summer days. Here are 9 of my favorite eco-friendly summer outings for kids.

1. Local Farms
A farm is a great outing to show your children how our food is grown and harvested. They can see which fruits and vegetables grow in your area and can also have a hands-on experience with a farm animal. Many local farms have classes that allow the kids to milk a cow, collect eggs from the hens, feed the goats and sheep, and ride a horse. You could also visit a fruit farm such as a strawberry patch and spend the day picking strawberries, find a nice place to sit, wash the berries and enjoy on the spot with a whipped topping that you packed.

2. Nature and Science Museums
Our local nature and science museum offers exhibits that allow the children to see, touch and even climb on parts of their environment. We recently experienced fabulous exhibits on natural disasters and your health. At these particular exhibits, you could see the effects that a natural disaster has on our environment and the other showed what your face may look like as you age. You can also check out an IMAX – it’s always a super fun time.

3. Butterfly Pavilion
Visit a butterfly pavilion and experience free-flying butterflies, birds, subtropical and tropical flowers, plants, and trees. We love the butterfly pavilion and could spend hours there looking at the butterflies up close and personal.

4. Zoo
Your local zoo may offer a junior zookeeper program where your child can learn about caring for the animals as well as learn about their natural environments and any threats that they face. This is an amazing experience for children who are especially interested in animals and show interest in growing up to work with them as a career.

5. Nature Preserves
Your local nature preserve may offer guided tours to learn about the animals that live there and many offer classes as well. You can also simply pack your binoculars and camera and then hit the trail for an afternoon of animal sightseeing.

6. Library
Your local library is stocked with information about the environment that your children will love. When Eben was younger he always enjoyed checking out issues of Ranger Rick and National Geographic Kids. His favorite part of our library, by far, is the window seats, it’s a great place to hang out and read – he could spend a lifetime there.

7. Botanical Gardens
Visit your local botanical gardens and learn about native plants, trees, and flowers. Our botanical gardens have a great exotic frog exhibit which Eben loves. Many offer classes and have ample space for an outdoor picnic. While you are there, look closely for bugs and birds – don’t forget your magnifying glass and camera.

8. Hike and Swim
No matter where you live there is somewhere outside where you can explore. Whether it is a park or hiking trail, let the kids look in nooks and crannies and climb on the rocks. If you live in an area where you can take a long nature hike, pack a lunch and enjoy it next to a watering hole where the kids can take a swim.

9. Your Own Backyard
If you want to stay close to home, take a walk around your neighborhood or local park. Prepare a nature scavenger hunt for the kids by writing down several items on a piece of paper, give each of your children a pencil and a bucket and collect the items found on the list, such as a leaf, rock, flower, feather, etc; This is tons of fun and gets them looking for items they may have usually overlooked.

What are your green outing plans for this summer?

5 Sustainable Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July

July 1, 2022 0

The 4th of July weekend is here! It’s a weekend of reflection, celebration, and a great excuse for a BBQ!

There are many eco-friendly ways to make the holiday more sustainable. To get you started here are 5 quick tips to make your day of red, white, and blue a little more green.

#1: Think Reusable – Not Disposable

If you will be celebrating the 4th of July at home, choose reusable dinnerware instead of the disposable kind. It will only take a few minutes more to load them into the dishwasher and will save the environment a lot! Consider a great recyclable or compostable alternative if reusable simply isn’t an option.

#2: Get it from the Garden

The 4th of July is the perfect time to share the abundance of goodies from your garden with the neighbors. Instead of letting all of those zucchinis and cucumbers go to waste, invite your family and friends over for a vegetarian BBQ and encourage them to bring a vegetarian dish to share – skip the meat and the environment will smile.

#3: Entertain the Kids with Nature Crafts

You don’t have to purchase anything new to entertain the kiddos on the 4th of July, instead, encourage them to create their own to make their own recycled lava lamps, succulent gardens with paint-dipped dinosaurs, or organic pine cone bird feeders. These activities will keep them busy all day long! Other fun options include encouraging them to have a bicycle parade around the neighborhood or a watermelon eating contest.

#4: Use a Natural Bug Repellent

Nothing kills a fun time outside like the toxic smell of bug spray. Check out these natural ways to repel bugs and make your own natural bug spray. These options won’t make you, the environment, or your guests gag.

#5: Skip the Store-Bought Fireworks

Instead of purchasing fireworks that only last a few seconds and create pounds of toxic garbage – visit your local park or beach for the community firework show. They are going to shoot the fireworks off anyways, you may as well enjoy the show.

How will you add a little green to your 4th of July celebration? 

How Your Family Can Live A More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

May 17, 2022 0

Living sustainably isn’t always easy or might not be your first thought when you wake up each day. However, there are many benefits to doing so including helping the environment and improving your health.

If you’re ready to get started and make a change then learn ways how your family can live a more eco-friendly lifestyle to better your situation as well as your community and the world around you. These are some easy and practical ideas that will help get you on the right track to finding success on this journey.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It all starts by having a greater focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling. It may be as simple as having recycling cans and bins around the house or maybe you want to take a bigger leap and downsize your entire home. If you have an overflow of any items or closing on your new property is taking longer than expected then you can always look into mini storage solutions to use. In addition, consider borrowing or reusing instead of always buying new items.

Carpool, Walk, or Bike

Transportation is another key area of living a more sustainable lifestyle. Go green by choosing to carpool, walk, or bike instead of jumping in your vehicle. Share riding can reduce gas costs and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that’s released into the air and environment. When you choose to travel by foot or bicycle you’ll also gain the health benefits that come with getting more exercise. You might also feel less stress since you can avoid sitting in traffic. If you need to drive a lot then think about switching over to and investing in an electric car.

Shop with Canvas Bags

Plastic bags are wasteful and harmful to the environment. Therefore, another way you and your family can live a more eco-friendly lifestyle is to shop with canvas or reusable grocery bags instead. Get in the habit of bringing your own bags with you when you go to stores. They’re not only sturdier but can often hold more items than the small plastic bags out there. If you forget or end up using plastic bags then save them so that you can use them for another purpose if possible.

Focus on Your Lights & Energy

If you want your family to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle then focus on your lighting and conserving energy. Purchase the right light bulbs that last longer and use less electricity overall. Also, make sure that everyone turns off the lights in each room when they’re not in use. As for energy in your home, work on cutting it down. Cut back and you’ll not only be helping the environment but also reducing the costs of your monthly bills.

Keep in mind that even small changes can have a significant impact so start somewhere and build upon your successes and continue to add in new habits as you go. Commit to making positive changes and encourage your family members to do the same so you can all create positive change together. 

Are You Playing Your Part in Fighting Climate Change?

May 4, 2022 0

If you are concerned about what is happening in the world, you are undoubtedly eager to learn as much as you can about what you can do to make a difference in climate change and the negative effects of deforestation. Any individual may accomplish a great deal if they put their mind to it, and it is one of those things that requires tremendous tenacity and discipline to do. It is required, and there has never been a more critical period in which to begin thinking about combating climate change. This post will look at some of the most significant adjustments you can make to guarantee that you are doing your part to help the planet survive and, perhaps, thrive in the future.

Make your home more environmentally friendly.

As with every charitable endeavour, this one must begin at home. The majority of us are not doing everything we could possibly be doing to make our houses as environmentally friendly as they might be, and there are a number of simple activities that you could do right now to rectify this situation. To make your house more environmentally friendly, you may consider reducing your water consumption, making your home more energy-efficient, turning off lights when you are not using them, and reducing your usage of appliances, to name a few ideas. These small adjustments may truly make a world of difference, and they can make a difference in the world.

Make the switch to renewable energy.

If you find yourself in a position where you have the freedom to pick your energy source, you should take advantage of the situation as much as you possibly can. It is vital to note that energy consumption is one of the most critical aspects of this war and that if you can manage to switch to more sustainable sources of energy, that will make a significant impact indeed. Whether you choose solar or wind energy, or something completely different, you can be confident that you are making a significant contribution to the environment.

Recycle

In spite of the fact that it may seem ridiculously simple these days, there are still many individuals who do not recycle as much as they should be doing. There are no longer any justifications, and you must ensure that you are performing your duties to the best of your ability at all times. Consider looking into this and doing a little research before you start recycling. This will help you avoid making common mistakes like forgetting to recycle or being confused about what can and cannot be recycled. One of the essential things you can do is also one of the most straightforward; thus, there is no excuse not to do it immediately.

Take a proactive role.

At the end of the day, if you want to make an even greater impact in regards to the present status and future of the planet, you may do so by participating in some of the movements that are now taking place. If you are able to do this securely and peacefully, you will have accomplished all that an individual is capable of accomplishing, and that is something to be really proud of.

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