Why I love a New Year's Resolutions

I'm a freak about New Years Resolutions. I love to make them and have done it for years. When I used to keep a journal I would have pages worth, one on my spiritual self, my physical self, and one on the world around me. Now that I'm a busy momma of 2, run an organic lawn care business, and take care of this crazy household I don't have the time to put into those journals...but I still make resolutions. I know one for the new year FOR SURE is to spend more time on myself. These last few years I've put alot of energy outward and not enough inward. I'm going to re-focus alot of energy on Healthy Living. Eating better, exercising more, and taking care of Momma Bear.

As I'm imperfect and love to be so, I know that I may trip a bit along my path...but the goal is the resolution. Its to put it out there in front of you to focus on every day. If you can do one thing toward your goal each day you are on your way.

And as always I'm constantly looking for ways to Green our lives...so here's a little article that is right up that alley.
Happy New Year! -

Raising healthy children in an unhealthy world
How we care for children now will not only affect the rest of their lives, but will also shape future generations. It's up to us to help them thrive in a wholesome environment and teach them what a healthy lifestyle looks like. Making simple choices about what we consume and how we live day-to-day can help our little ones become tomorrow's world changers.

Give children a healthy start in everyway

Raise recyclers
Point out the difference between trash and recyclable items and involve children in sorting and managing recycling. Visit a local landfill to help them understand the impact that our waste hason the environment and to help them understand why it's time to simplify.

Choose to conserve
Be a model for energy-saving activities - turn off the TV and switch off the lights when they're not needed. Limit water use when brushing teeth and remind kids to do the same.

Cultivate Gardners
Give a child a small space to grow something of his or her own. Whether you live in the city or country, offer a small square of land or an indoor potted garden for them to care for. Choosing and planting seeds, regularly tending and enjoying the fruits of their labor will empower children with responsibility and encouratge them to live sustainably in the future.

Limit Waste
Find creative ways to reuse items around the house. Povide a bin for collecting things like old buttons and jewlry pieces, shoe strings and clothespins for kids' craft projects. Old Christmas cards and wrapping paper scraps can be saved for next years holiday crafts.

Get Moving as a Family
Before climbing in the car, consider walking or biking together to your destination. The whole family can experience sights and sounds that are often missed when speeeding along with the windows rolled up. It takes a little extra patience and planning, but the investment in your family's health and the environment is worth it.

Cut Out Clutter
Cut household clutter and simplify choices by limiting the number of toys your child has on hand. Well-made, durable toys - those made of wood with notoxic paints or organic cotton - are the most earth and child-friendly. Solar-powered (instead of battery-operated) toys are also growing in popularity and available right here on the internt (just a short search away). ENCOURAG childrn to donat xc playhing to oth who may not have their own.

Go Local
Instead of heading to the super market all the time, seekout local growers when possible. Visits to the farmers market or a local farm are excellent opportunities to teach kids that food doesn't grow on grocery store shelves. When you do visit the grocery store, take time to point out things that are grown and manufactured locally.

Opt for Organic
Not all budgets allow us to choose organic everything. However, offering children natural food choices as often as possible is worhty investment in a healthy future. Opt for whole grains, hormone-free meats and dairy products when you can.

Here are the "dirty dozen" - 12 fruits and vegetables that should be top priority when it comes to buying organic.

Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Many food additives and preservatives have been linked to hyperactivity and other abnormalities in children. MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, food colorings and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil are just a few of the culprits.

The Internet is a wonderful place and a powerful tool for today¹s society to teach children about the environment. Please feel free to check out the recommended sites for teachers, parents or caregivers of today¹s youth.

http://www.earth2kids.org/ http://www.earthforce.org/ http://www.edugreen.teri.res.in/ http://www.planetpals.com/ http://www.nwf.org/kids http://www.epa.gov/kids http://www.greenscreen.org/ http://www.kidlink.org/ http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/ http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity http://www.inspectorgreen.com/ http://www.wattsnew.com/ http://www.howstuffworks.com/landfill an educational site on how landfills operate.