Simple ways to make every day Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! A day to celebrate the Earth and ways that we can show her respect and keep her looking beautiful a little longer.

I'm not going to tell you how you should celebrate Earth Day, or which Earth Day events were the best over the weekend. Instead I am going to tell you how simple it is to make every day Earth Day.

• Follow the three R's ... Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce the amount you use, Reuse whenever possible, and Recycle what you can't reuse.
• Reduce the amount of energy used in your home. By simply turning off the lights, using candles at night, watching less television, and spending more time outside, my family has reduced our electric bill by 20%. Savings for me and the planet. 
• Reuse whenever possible. Stop using plastic baggies when you pack lunches and start using reusable containers. Start bringing your own travel coffee cup to Starbucks and stop throwing away all those paper cups and plastic lids. 
• Recycle more than just aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Start a paper bin for your junk mail, newspapers, cardboard food packaging, and egg cartons. Just place the bin next to your trash can and you will be amazed at how much you can recycle.
• Take it a step further and sign up for a TerraCycle brigade to recycle those items that you can't recycle on your own. I promise you will find a brigade for something that you currently use in your home or office. 
• Plan ahead when shopping and never use another plastic or paper bag again. I have at least 15 reusable bags in my trunk at all times ... and if I'm only buying one or two things I just carry them to the car. No bag needed. 
• Reduce the amount of water you use by recycling what you can to water plants. Set timers for the kids showers and turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.

Some of you may already do these things and others may be overwhelmed just reading the above list. Either way, just take baby steps and before you know it you will be doing all of this and more.

While this may all seem too small to make a difference, it does. Every little thing that you can do will snowball with what others do to help fight climate change and make the Earth a happier place for humans and wildlife to live.

I don't even think about it anymore - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a way of life for me. 

What will you do to make every day Earth Day?