Channel Your Inner Lorax

Happy Earth Day! This is a holiday that has always been an important holiday to celebrate in my household. I feel like this year, it can't be a more appropriate time with so many headlines in the news of chemical & oil spills, fracking and all the controversy surrounding what is actually in our food supply. It is so important that future generations understand how important it is to live in balance and harmony with our planet. My son may be too little to understand what we're doing today but I feel the exercise is still important, so I'll tell you about my plans for the morning and maybe it will inspire you to incorporate some of these activities into your day, week or even month. It sounds cliche but we really should live our lives as if it were Earth Day every day.

We are starting our morning off by heading to a local farmers market. Not only will be getting some really yummy food from framers and local food artisans (in my neck of the woods there are a lot of Amish food crafters), but we'll also be reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our local farmers. Be sure to remember your reusable shopping bag when you go.

Then we'll enjoy a nice long walk outside (weather permitting) , enjoying all the signs of spring that are finally blooming and appearing all around us. My son enjoys seeing the pops of color and hearing all the birds chirping.

Next we'll be focusing on growing things. Planting a tree is always a popular activity in celebration of Earth Day. We don't have much room for another tree in our yard so we're working on our yard instead.  This is a great day and time of year to plant seeds for your summer garden. This is a perfect activity to get little ones involved and teach them where their food comes from. if you don't have a nice yard to plant in, start a container or windowsill garden.  The kids can have fun painting the pots that their plants will grow in. We're making some keepsake pots like this one to give to our parents' for Mother's Day.  I love the butterfly wings made from little feet.  Little hands also make a great tree trunk and then the kids can paint on leaves of a tree with their fingerprints.

Finally we'll wrap up the day with a nice home-cooked dinner. You can introduce the family to a new vegetarian dish or if your family are meat eaters, introduce them to some grass fed meats, often available at your local farm market. Grass fed beef is not only better for the environment but its better for you as week. Its a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids and it tastes amazing!

However you decide to celebrate Earth Day, I hope you have a happy one.