Gratefully Green

My husband has always had a huge influence on me. He's smart. He knows a lot of stuff I don't. I'm grateful to have him as a husband and our children are blessed to learn from him on a daily basis.

He started me on my journey to living greener. I was stubborn and hard-headed. I didn't want to change the way I did things. I didn't want to be bothered and couldn't see much point in my individual effort. I know better now. Thankfully he didn't give up on me (he's more stubborn and hard-headed than I am).

I see how my actions are noticed by friends and family. Even if they don't follow my lead, they notice. The most important thing I've learned from him is we all have the ability to make choices. And our choices, whether good or bad, have an affect on others and our environment.

There are a lot of great eco-friendly things out there that make living green easier, but I think the thing I'm most grateful for is my husband's ability to open my mind. He's helped me realize I can choose to live differently. We don't always get it right, but we're learning.

This post is my submission for The Green Mom's Carnival hosted in November by Best of Mother Earth.

Going Green in Preschool

Davis and Meg started preschool last week. They don't take a lunch to preschool. Instead the teacher assigns a week when the kids are responsible for bringing in a snack. A snack should consist of something to eat and drink. Believe it or not, both my kids had snack the first week of school.

I did my due diligence and read through the parent handbook because I assumed there would be "snack rules". Sure enough, there was a whole page dedicated to snacks. The second paragraph begins, "ALL SNACKS MUST BE IN UNOPENED, COMMERCIAL CONTAINERS".

I understand and respect the health department's need to keep "home-baked" goods at home. Believe me, I don't want the kids' preschool to be closed down. I also understand the dangers of bringing peanut products to school.

I'm guilty of buying commercial "non-organic" snacks on occasion. Sometimes a girl wants a handful of Goldfish, but I guess I wanted to set a good "green" example to start off the school year. I was determined to find a commercial, organic snack that didn't contain peanut butter or wasn't manufactured in the same facility as a peanut product.

It wasn't all that easy to find and it certainly wasn't cheap, but it made me feel good. I was also encouraged by the fact the teachers don't want juice boxes to be brought to school. Their reasons may be different than mine, but it's a little less waste filling up their trash cans. They also send home a canvas bag for the kid's to bring their snack in for the day.

Birthday celebrations will also be different for the kids this year. The administration has asked parents not to bring in sugary treats. Instead the birthday boy or girl can donate a copy of their favorite book in honor of their special day. I really like this idea and applaud the staff for trying something new and different.

Now I just need to work up the courage to implement a recycling program. How are you handling snacks and recycling for your kids?

This is my September submission for the Green Moms Carnival hosted this month by Surely You Nest.