Happy Earth Day friends!⁣
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In the last few months, I’ve been making a conscious effort to be a better human. I’ve been trying to use fewer plastics, buy less, recycle more, reuse, repurpose, or upcycle items, and so much more.

When I do anything, I try to think about the implications of my actions on this planet we call home. I don’t know what clicked, but something got me to expand my awareness of our world. And it makes me feel good to be doing something. Brian and I often have extensive conversations about the changes I’m making in our lives, and most of the time he’s on board. When he’s not, it’s because he has come with a counter argument that is well-researched or we look it up together. We’re constantly learning and growing from each other, and it’s magic.

In honor of this very important day of celebrating the earth, I implore you to do one or more of the following things:⁣
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1. Recycle your old cell phones. If they’re sitting in a drawer and you’re never going to use them again, it’s time to pack them up and give them them back to the universe and not dumping them in a landfill, where electronics remain the leading cause of toxic waste. ⁣My new phone arrives today, and I’ll be sending my old one back to Sprint to refurbish for someone else.
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2. Reuse grocery bags. Instead of accepting more bags from stores and then throwing them away, reuse the ones you already have. Or pull out those dusty promotional grocery bags you get just about everywhere these days and use those. ⁣
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3. Minimize your use of single-use plastics. Instead of buying bottled water, fill a reusable water bottle or straw cup. Stop accepting plastic straws with your drinks. Bring your own reusable cup to Starbucks. Use real silverware, dishes and cloth napkins🍽. Start using bar soap without plastic packaging instead of liquid soap in a single-use container. ⁣
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4. Donate! Before you Konmarie everything into the trash, consider whether it’s something that someone else might use or buy. Then donate it to your local thrift store or an organization that provides items to those in need. ⁣
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5. Consider buying used. Instead of adding to the consumption of new products, buy something that is new to you. I’ve been thrifting a lot lately, and not only has it been saving my wallet, I feel better knowing that someone else’s trash became my treasure. ⁣
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6. Go paperless. Call up your financial institutions and other companies and request digital bills and statements. It also makes for fewer stacks of paper piling up on flat surfaces in your home!⁣
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7. Plant a tree. Or flowers. Or something. It’s all a part of the circle of life. Don’t you want to bee (pun intended) a part of it?⁣
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What other things can you do or are you doing to help the planet? Let me know in the comments!⁣