I have always loved children’s books – I was collecting them well before Eben was born. In fact, when the mister and I started dating, one of the first gifts he ever gave me was a subscription to the Dr. Seuss Book Club. I would receive a set of Dr. Seuss books every month in the mail – I knew he was a keeper! Our large collection of Dr. Seuss books is at the top of the most beloved books in our home. They are worn and show the signs of being read over and over again, they are loved.
Today, Eben’s class is taking a field trip as part of their science program – they are going to see The Lorax movie. On the way to school this morning, Eben read The Lorax to me – what a great way to reinforce the many ways that our everyday actions can have a huge positive or negative impact on the environment. Eben and I discussed the ways that we thought Hollywood would put it’s own spin on one of our favorite books. And whether the true spirit of the story would be upheld.
Last night, the mister and I spent a lot of time discussing the ways that Dr. Seuss inspired others and what a wonderful visionary he was. We also wondered what Dr. Seuss’s thoughts would be if he knew his beloved Lorax has been peddling everything from SUV’s to pancakes in the media?
Hearing Eben read the following sentences made me tear up again this morning:
| “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” |
These two sentences are so true, so to the point. There are many things that we can do everyday that will make a difference, here are five simple ways you and your child can get started on your own green journey today:
1. Make It a Zero Waste Lunch:
The amount of trash from children’s school lunches equals billions of pounds of garbage each year. We try to pack Eben’s lunch as waste-free as possible. He has two reusable bento-style lunch boxes (so one is always clean) and we always use reusable napkins, snack containers and water bottles. You can see our favorite lunchbox here and our favorite snack containers here. (the all stainless steel ones)
2. Refuse, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle:
We try to follow the 4 R’s everyday and in this order: we REFUSE anything that we don’t need, REUSE anything that we can find a second life for, REDUCE our overall consumption whenever possible and at the very least RECYCLE. We like to keep our life as simple as possible – the 4 R’s help us keep this idea in perspective.
3. Green Clean It:
If you aren’t already using green cleaners in your home, now is the time to start. Not only are green cleaners good for the environment, they are good for the health of your family. I think all grocery stores now carry some type of green cleaners, however making your own is simple, affordable and they clean well too!
4. Go Meatless:
Going meatless is not only good for the environment, it is great for the health of your family and the size of your pocketbook. It takes a lot more resources to “grow” beef than it does veggies – plus growing and eating your own veggies is a lot of fun!
5: Get Personal:
What you put on your body is just as important as what you put into your body. Now is a great time to remove any personal care products that contain ingredients that are harmful to your body and the environment.
What simple ways does your family go green everyday?
Has your family seen The Lorax? What are your thoughts?
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