Our kids and our environment are paying a heavy price because of our arrogance. When do we step back and realize that thinking only about the present is not in our best interest? I was told a long time ago: A decision made in haste – you will have to look back on. But a decision made with thought is a decision that stands the test of time. Take a look around and it’s easy to see that we have been so busy trying to maintain the here-and-now that we have forgotten to look ahead. Only recently has everyone jumped on the “green” bandwagon. If everyone had had this eco-friendly attitude even 50 years ago and passed it on to their children and grandchildren, can you imagine what our earth would be like today? No acid rain. No global warming. No endangered species. I know it’s never going to be a perfect world, but it’s never too late to start thinking about your and your child’s future. Even if you just reuse that water bottle everyday or use energy efficient appliances, small efforts contribute to greater results – and are better than no effort at all. If we can leave the earth a better place than we found it, what better legacy could we give to our children than a healthy planet?

As you prepare to gorge yourself on turkey and all the fixings, make sure you pause and give thanks to this great planet that we call home. And even better than a verbal thanks, how about letting your actions speak louder than your words? Here are a few tips to make your Thanksgiving a little more environmentally friendly:

-    Grab your reusable bags when you go grocery shopping (or any shopping for that matter including, yes, Christmas shopping on Black Friday!). Make sure you have one bag dedicated and big enough for that bird!

-    If you have to use paper products, use recyclable (or recycled) ones. Otherwise, enjoy your nice dishes and splurge a bit to find fall or holiday cloth napkins.

-    Garnish your table with beeswax or soy candles, which are much more eco-friendly than traditional ones.

-    Take a nature walk and decorate your table with real fall foliage that has fallen to the ground like colored leaves and pinecones. Try out some fun crafts like turkeys made out of pine cones and pipe cleaners with your kids.

-    Check out the Eat Well Guide (www.eatwellguide.org), where you can find different meats by production methods and learn where you can actually buy organic turkey. Don’t forget your local farmers’ markets too, or your local poultry farm.

According to Earth911.com, “every year, one billion pounds of pumpkins are produced in the U.S., including at least 100 million pounds in every state.” But once good ol’ Jack’s flame has sparked its last light this Halloween, where does he go? One might think that getting rid of a pumpkin is easy and you can just toss it. But how do you make sure all of the pumpkin is not put into a landfill? Earth911.com offers some ideas:
- Save the seeds to eat or plant! Pumpkin seeds are delicious (and healthy!) when baked or roasted so when you’re carving, have a separate bowl set aside for your pumpkin seeds. Save some to plant next summer as well and start your own pumpkin patch!
- Start cooking! If Jack isn’t totally soggy and rotted (it does happen), try making your pumpkin into soup or pie and freeze it for the upcoming holiday seasons. Pumpkin muffins are also delicious with fresh, natural pumpkin versus canned.
- Compost your pumpkin. Both the pumpkin itself and the seeds can be composted and will be a great mix to fall leaves in your compost pile.

Halloween is just around the corner! Aside from lots of candy, that means lots of new costumes and all of the essential make-up and garb to complete the right look. Well, I love Halloween and always have. But I started wondering today about how many costumes are worn just once and then sent to local landfills. I mean, kids outgrow costumes and even if they didn’t, who wants to be the same thing two years in a row, right? So, please, on November 1st, when the kiddos’ costumes are lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, wrap them up and either save them for a neighbor or friend’s children to wear next year, or just deliver them to your local Goodwill or other such second-hand shop. In fact, you might even want to shop for this year’s costumes there! Aluminum cans and plastic bottles aren’t the only things that can be recycled! It’s really amazing how many simple things we can do to help save the environment!

I was at a friend’s house the other day and happened to notice a bag of clothes sitting next to the trash can. I played dumb and asked him what was in the bag. He responded with, “Oh, just a bunch of old junk I don’t wear anymore.” I stopped him right then and there and barraged him with questions: Were the clothes ruined beyond use?…Didn’t he think someone else might be able to use them?…Had he stopped to think of taking just one extra step to pass them on to someone who needed them more than he did? Of course, he didn’t know what to say. When I reminded him that there are drop-off points for Goodwill and other such organizations all over the place, he simply said, “Oh, yeah!” So, I guess what I’m saying is, the next time you have old clothes that your kids (or you) have outgrown or you simply have an excess, find your local thrift store, homeless or women’s shelter, and give someone else a chance at them. You’ll be helping other people…and helping the planet by “recycling” your clothes. The fewer t-shirts, pants and whatever that have to be made in a mill somewhere, the less we exhaust our natural resources!