Category Archives: Green Living

Ways for Families to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is a great time for families to engage in activities that celebrate planet Earth. The purpose is for parents to encourage their kids to think about the effect their choices have on the environment. We all need to take better care of our planet. Visit the official Earth Day website. It includes an Earth Day event map that parents can use to find one near where they live. If you don’t see one there, check the social media website of your local mayor, or the local environmental group. This year, due to COVID-19, some events may be held … Continue reading →

How to have an Eco-Friendly Christmas

Concerned about the effects of climate change? There are some things you can do to have a more environmentally friendly Christmas this year. If you’ve already started decorating, you can use these ideas next Christmas. Adopt a Living Christmas Tree Salon reported that it is possible to borrow a potted pine tree that you adopt for Christmas and decorate as you see fit. Check with your local forestry non-profits to see if they are renting potted trees this year. When Christmas is over, you can return the potted tree to them. The forestry non-profit will re-plant the tree outdoors and … Continue reading →

Don’t Put These Things in the Recycling Bin!

Recycling is the process by which used resources can be broken down and made into brand new products. Doing so reduces waste and keeps valuable materials that can be re-used out of landfills. Most people who take the time to recycle have good intentions. Unfortunately, there are some things you should not put in your recycling bin! The main thing to worry about is cross contamination. All it takes to ruin a bin full of useful recyclables is one greasy pizza box. In general, cardboard can be recycled – but not if it has been contaminated with grease and food … Continue reading →

Family Friendly Earth Day Activities – 2014

How will your family be celebrating Earth Day? There will be many interesting events taking place. You should check local newspaper (or their website) to see what is going on near you. In addition to the local activities, here are several others that will be happening across the United States. Time and Google + want to see your best photo of Earth. This gives you the perfect excuse to bring your family outside to take some photos of our beautiful planet. Pick your best one, and post it on your Google + account with the hashtag #MyBeautifulEarth. Google + will … Continue reading →

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. Many people consider the creation of Earth Day to be the moment when the modern environmental movement began. There will be events held, all around the world, that are intended to demonstrate support for environmental protection. John McConnell was the founder and creator of Earth Day. In 1939, he was partnering with chemist Albert Nobell in the Nobell Research Laboratory in Los Angeles, California. They built a factory that manufactured plastic. John McConnell learned about how the manufacture of plastic polluted the Earth. This is where his concern about the environment … Continue reading →

Transgender Girl Denied Access to Female Bathroom

If you opened up CNN today like I always do, you probably saw a beautiful, smiling little girl with purple hair wearing a pink dress as one of the main headlines. The only problem is this isn’t a sunny story about Barbies and butterflies.  The story was about how the transgendered little first grader living in Colorado was told by the school system that she could no longer use the girl’s bathroom at school. Coy Mathis, according to her mother, was born with male genitalia, but has always identified with being a girl.  She dresses as a girl and her … Continue reading →

Homeless Man Does the Right Thing

I write a lot about celebrities who give back, but sometimes it is nice to read about a real person doing the right thing. Billy Ray Harris is a homeless man who was panhandling on the streets of Kansas City.  Last week, Sarah Darling decided to do the right thing and help out her fellow man, in this case, Harris.  She unzipped her wallet and dumped her change in this cup. But, Darling dumped more than her change.  She had forgotten that she had taken off her diamond engagement ring earlier in the day and put it in her wallet. … Continue reading →

PETA Upset Over Dead Mice

The other day, I read that the government was going to drop dead mice from helicopters over Guam.  It sounded crazy, but there was a good reason.  Officials are using the mice to get rid of an estimated two million brown tree snakes. The snakes have overtaken the territory, causing damage to both the economy and environment.  The snakes have almost depleted Guam’s native bird species.  This lack of birds causes a frightening (at least to me) side effect – the island now has 40 times more spiders than surrounding islands.  Needless to say, all the spiders and snakes have … Continue reading →

Hidden Germs

I try to keep my house clean, but I will admit that I worry about germs.  We have pets, we wear our shoes in the house – I just worry that things aren’t as clean as they should be. And, I should.  There are places in the house where you might not think to look for germs. Where are some of the places you should look?  One place I forget about is under the rug.  I try to be diligent about vacuuming the rug, but I often think that is enough.  Remember to pull the rug up and vacuum the … Continue reading →

Mississippi Finally Bans Slavery

America made slavery illegal in 1865, right?  Hum, some of the states may want to check their paperwork just to make sure. The state of Mississippi found itself finally formally ratifying the 13th Amendment – that one that abolished slavery – on February 7, 2013. Now as you can imagine, being a southern state, Mississippi officials were probably less than excited about ratifying this amendment back in the late 1800s.  So not eager to let this long standing tradition go, Mississippi officials didn’t even get around to voting on the ratification until 1995.  1995?  Yes, it was 130 years after … Continue reading →