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Eco-Friendly Fitness – Green Your Workout Routine
Fitness is…well, not my strong suit. Once in awhile I’ll wake up with the spontaneous urge to get healthy and fit. I usually work out and eat better for a few days, but then I fall right back into my old habits. It’s definitely something I need to work on. However, I know many people who are great about keeping up with a routine. My boyfriend is currently preparing for a marathon – I could never do that. At least, not without some huge life changes. Whether you’re a fitness professional or you’re just hoping to start being healthier in the new year (like me), it is important to consider…
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Cute and Creative Wrapping Paper Alternatives
It’s the season of giving, and everyone is rushing from store to store to find gifts for each friend and family member. As is tradition, most of these gifts will be wrapped hours before being given, only for that wrapping paper to be torn up and thrown out. Americans spend millions of dollars every year on wrapping paper alone. Even greater than the yearly monetary cost, though, is the environmental cost. Wrapping paper is almost always used only once before being thrown in the trash. While some of you may be thinking you are doing good by recycling it, most wrapping paper actually can’t be recycled. The dyes, glitter, plastic,…
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Plastic Straws Suck…But Not Always
If you’ve paid any attention to social media or the news recently, you’ve probably heard about the #StrawsSuck campaign. It gained traction from videos of marine life surrounded by the one-use plastic straws, many choking or getting caught on them. Unlike many other environmental movements, this one seems to be taking hold with the public. In fact, it’s grown so much that Starbucks is taking action to ban straws, and I imagine other companies will soon follow. Is it a big win for the environment? Yes and no. It’s great that the public is getting behind an environmentally friendly movement – we need this kind of support if we want…
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The Reality of Going Green – Failure and Patience
I had planned that my next post for you all would be a tutorial for making your own natural toothpaste. I’d give you the ingredients, explain the many benefits, and leave you with the encouragement to take the natural route and be more aware of what products you’re consuming. I even wrote out the majority of the post and had it ready so I could insert the magical ingredients that would give you this awesome toothpaste. That draft is, as you may have guessed, still a draft. No ingredients listed. I thought I had the perfect recipe. I mixed it together, personalized it with essential oils, and it smelled great.…
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Things Most People Never Recycle, But Should!
More and more people are recycling these days – which is great! Finding new uses for materials is a crucial part of living sustainably and protecting the planet. However, most people view recycling as being limited to paper, cardboard, cans, and maybe a few plastics. I think one of the most important steps to easing to green is to realize that recycling goes beyond the blue bins. It’s great that you put out recyclables on the street for the trash company to pick up, but living greener means taking it further. Donating, turning in, and reusing items are great ways to extend the life of something you own. There…