Five Easy Steps for Going Greener ~ Pamper The Earth Celebration

In celebration of Earth Day and upcoming Arbor Day (April 29), I've been researching products and choices to help my family go greener!  We want the Earth to keep looking like this...

and not turn into this!

In doing so, I came up with five easy steps to help my family and yours in going greener!

Step One: 

PLAN A FAMILY EXCURSION:

Now that spring is upon is, what better time to reconnect with your family and nature at the same time! 

Whether you traverse to water or wood, committing, recommitting or advancing your family's green efforts is more meaningful when you remind each other why you are doing it, while you are in nature's midst!

Step Two:

REVISIT YOUR RECYCLING OPTIONS:

Are you up to date on the latest from your local recycling center?  I try to review what items my local center accepts at least twice a year;  each time I do I seem to discover a new item our family can recycle!  

I also find great opportunities for recycling through my local utilities!  Our local electric provider recently hosted a recycling event for used dehumidifiers and a/c units, offering $15 for each item recycled!

Don't keep the information to yourself!  Share it with your friends and neighbors!  What wonderful information for your child to share with their classmates!  Spread the word!

Step Three:

MAKE RECYCLING AUTOMATIC AND FUN:

With so many items to make sure get to the recycling bins, and not in the trash, it helps if everyone in the family is involved.  

Of course, you'll need to invest some time creating a recycling center for sorting and storing your items.  We found that making a "game" of recycling helped our family to make sure nothing was missed.  

When our children were younger, they enjoyed the game of "shooting" cans and bottles into recycling containers.  Now that they are older, every time someone catches an item going into the trash that shouldn't, they get a coin in their vacation jar.  Whoever has the most in their jar gets to pick our next trip destination!

We also have an ongoing family challenge of making sure unnecessary items are not left plugged in and lights are shut off.  More coins in the jar!

Step Four:

CHALLENGE YOUR PURCHASES

Whether you do it one a week or once a month, challenge one of your regular purchase items.  Is it eco-friendly?  Research the company and product and find out!  If not, find a greener solution!  

Planing a big purchase?  You'll likely be researching anyway so be certain to include a look into the greenest and energy star choices available!

Step Five:

PLANT A TREE...OR TEN!
Go ahead and become a tree hugger!  It's a good thing!

With Arbor Day fast approaching next Saturday, what would be a better gift for your family (and the Earth) than becoming a member of The Arbor Day Foundation? 

You can become a member for only $10 and with membership, you can choose from a wonderful selection of welcome gifts: 10 free 6-12" trees to plant!  

The trees will be shipped according to your region's best planting times and you may select from Flowering Trees, Colorado Blue Spruce, Wild Bird Garden, Oak, White Pine, Redbuds, Norway Spruces, Autumn Classics, White Dogwoods, White Firs or Douglas Firs!

Alternatively, you may select to instead have 10 trees planted in your honor in our National Forests!

With your membership, you'll also receive the advantages of:

Tree Discounts

You’ll also receive a 33–56 percent discount on over 100 trees and shrubs. Our selection includes shade, flowering, ornamental, fruit trees, evergreens and more.

Arbor Day Subscription 

Free subscription to our colorful bimonthly newsletter. Arbor Day is a gardener’s handbook and tree information guide in one.

The Tree Book 

The Tree Book is a treasury of genuinely useful guidance about planting and caring for trees in a cheerfully colorful format.

Six Month or One Year Membership

Important Foundation programs are sustained by nearly a million members nationwide. You’ll become part of the Foundation.

With such a low pledge for membership, consider a small contribution to help save the rainforests, as well!  With every $10 in contributions, The Arbor Day Foundation will save 2500 square feet of rainforest in your name!

***GIVEAWAY***

In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, That's What She Said is giving away a 12 month membership to The Arbor Day Foundation! The winner may use it for themselves or give it to another.

To be eligible to enter this giveaway, you must follow That's What She Said via Google Friend Connect (mid right sidebar).  This giveaway is open to residents of the US, 18+ and will conclude on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at midnight, EST.
Winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries and will be notified by email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond before I move on to a runner up.  Please leave your email address in your comment in anti spam format, unless it is available via your comment name.

***MANDATORY ENTRY***

Visit The Arbor Day Foundation website and tell me in a comment something you learned there!

*** BONUS ENTRIES***
If you are already following, liking, etc - take the entries!

* Tell me in a comment how you celebrated or are celebrating Earth Day or what you are doing this year to Go Greener, 1 entry.

* Tell me your favorite kind of tree, 1 entry.

* Follow That's What She Said via email subscription or RSS feed, mid right sidebar 2 entries per method.

* Follow That's What She Said (tsue1136) via Twitter, leave comment with your twitter name, 2 entries.

*"Like" That's What She Said on Facebook, leave a comment here with your facebook name, 2 entries.

* Share this giveaway via some method, anything goes!  You can tweet, blog, post on facebook, stumble, dig, add to giveaway linky... just leave a comment with a link to your sharing.  3 entries per sharing method.   Handy share button at bottom of the post.

* Enter any of my other active giveaways, leave a comment here letting me know which, 2 entries per additional giveaway. 

* Feed my fish, lower right sidebar, just hover over the fish and click your mouse to feed them! 1 entry.

This giveaway is closed.   Thank you for following and participating! Congratulations to rj7777, comment #45, courtesy of Random.org!

Images and information taken from The Arbor Day Foundation website.  That's What She Said is sponsoring this giveaway as simply a fan of The Arbor Day Foundation's work.  The opinions expressed above are both honest and my own.  Images used in this post sourced from Dreamstime