10 Green Things You Can Do This Week

It's not easy being green. Case and point: it was a rainy, chilly day here in planting zone 7 so I purchased french fries and hamburgers for the kids. And we're not talkin' about the locally grown stuff.

Greening is a bit like dieting. Sometimes you have the Mallomar, but that doesn't mean you won't be back on track the next day. So in my quest to get back on track, here are 10 little things you and I can do to stay green this week. Happy Monday!

1) Use One Less Napkin. Whether you're at home or visiting the canteen, using one less paper napkin (or one napkin) won't seem like a lot, but imagine if we all used just one less napkin? Or heck. Follow my children's example: don't use any. You're going to wash their shirts any way, right?

2) Take The Soda Can Home. Before I was a wannagreenie, I would without a second thought toss my soda can into the trashcan at work. They didn't recycle and take my can home with me!? Now I do. Baby steps.

3) Don't Drain the Kiddie Pool. Hot child, summer in the city. Or something like that. Anywho. All this weekend the kiddies were in the plastic pool and after they were done, we'd take the watering can and dip it in - reusing the water for our plants. And I'm sure there wasn't an pee in that pool. Positive.

4) Unplug the Cellphone Charger. If you're not ready for the powerstrip power trip, just start with your cellphone charger. Unplug it when it's not in use (and don't plug your cellphone into the charger and not plug in the charger so that the next morning your cellphone is still...uncharged. Not. Sure. Who. That. Happened. To.). Green Hubby found out that a charger plugged in and not being used might as well be a charger charging.

5) Hang One Load of Wet Laundry Out to Dry. Go ahead. I dare you. Neighbors be damned. If you don't like the crunch, don't start with towels.

6) Displace a Liter with a Liter. Okay, here's something fun. Go drink a liter bottle of soda. Go ahead. I'll wait. Done? Okay, now fill it with water and put it in your toilet tank. You are now saving a liter of water with every flush. And there will be a lot of them if you've just drank a liter bottle of soda.

7) Follow the Feds...Up the Stairs. In many federal buildings there is a sign posted at every elevator: Two Flights Down, One Flight Up. Meaning...if you are going two flights down or one flight up, don't use the elevator: walk.

8) Drive the Speed Limit, Save Gas. If you drive slower, wouldn't it seem that it would take you longer to get to your destination and thus force you to use just as much gas as if you drove like a bat outta heck? Not so fast.

9) Get Back to Nature. Go online or check the newspaper for summer programming sponsored by local departments of parks and recreation. August 5th is the Night Walk. We are so there.

10) Plant One Seed. Buy a package of sunflower seeds. While you are standing at the bus stop, sitting on the soccer sidelines, or passing that poor barren planter in front of the supermarket, stick your finger down into the dirt. Insert seed. Cover up loosely. Pray for rain. Visit your sunflower later.