Today was Blog Action Day, and the topic was a biggie this year – water.  There are two things that push my buttons about water:

• Water waste.  One of my biggest pet peeves is water waste at home.  Taking a shower?  Don’t turn on the water until you’re actually ready to get in.  Brushing your teeth?  Turn off the water while you’re brushing.  There are so many simple habits we could change in our personal lives that would make a huge difference if we all got on board!
• Bottled water.  What a ridiculous waste of resources!  Let’s put water into a plastic bottle that will sit in a landfill for years, then put it on a truck and ship it across the country, wasting gas and pollution the air with truck emissions.  Most tap water tastes just as good as bottled water, so why not invest in a great water bottle and just refill (for free!) from the tap?  At home I use a Brita pitcher so that I have nice filtered water, and I bought a stainless steel water bottle to carry around (however, I am thinking about a glass water bottle like the Lifefactory Beverage Bottle so that I can stick it in the dishwasher).

Americans are horrible about taking for granted the conditions of our society.  As Tara Lohan says, “while millions of people across the world don’t have access to clean water at all, Americans, the overwhelming majority of which, have safe and cheap tap water flowing freely, still are choosing to shell out tons of money for bottled water. And the industry is making a killing off of it.”

Looking to save on your water bill?  Change your water habits.  Looking to save on your grocery bill?  Stop buying bottled water.  Simple easy changes to save money AND the planet!

• 10/15/2009 -- Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change
• 10/15/2007 -- Today is Blog Action Day!
• 8/31/2007 -- Blog Action Day

There are a couple of things that I try to do to help in little ways.  Now that I live in Atlanta, I have MARTA available to me, and I try to use it as often as I can.  For the first 2 months I was working in Midtown (about 45 minutes from my house) I rode MARTA to work every day.  Then I had a minor setback about a month ago (that’s a whole other post), so I really need to start taking MARTA on a daily basis again.  I also use MARTA to get to the airport.  Not only is that one less car on the road, but then I don’t have to pay exorbitant airport parking fees!

Another thing that I do it try to reduce my paper waste.  This actually helps with preventing climate change a lot.  From the EPA’s website:

How can certain waste management strategies reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Waste prevention and recycling—jointly referred to as waste reduction—help us better manage the solid waste we generate. But preventing waste and recycling also are potent strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, waste prevention and recycling:

• Reduce methane emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (including composting) divert organic wastes from landfills, thereby reducing the methane released when these materials decompose.
• Reduce emissions from incinerators. Recycling and waste prevention allow some materials to be diverted from incinerators and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of waste.
• Reduce emissions from energy consumption. Recycling saves energy. Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials. Waste prevention is even more effective at saving energy. When people reuse things or when products are made with less material, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials and to manufacture products. The payoff? When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere.
• Increase storage of carbon in trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood, in a process called “carbon sequestration.” Waste prevention and recycling of paper products allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

One of my favorite ways to reduce paper waste is something that I’ve adopted at work, and I’ve actually had another co-worker start doing this as well!  We have SO MUCH paper waste that comes off the copier, and while a lot of it does go into the recycling bin, I’ve come up with a better use for this paper.

Eco-Friendly Notebook

I take the paper, cut it in half, and then create a notebook from the paper!  I use a binder clip to hold everything together which works fantastically – not only does it keep things together better than a paper clip, but then I can remove sheets individually as if I were tearing them off of a pad (something I couldn’t do if I used a stapler).

It’s so simple, and I’ve had co-workers bring me their scrap paper to “refill” my notebook (hence the large stack of loose paper on my desk).  This is SO SIMPLE, but it really does make a difference.  My goal is to create a trend and get everyone on board with this idea.  It would sure save us some cost in office supplies if we didn’t need to by note pads!

There are so many fantastic ways to make small changes in your everyday life that will help us to keep our air clear, our ozone in tact, and our planet healthy.  I’m so glad that Blog Action Day 2009 is focused on this vital issue, and I hope that as bloggers we can make a difference in the world by our posts today.

What small things are you doing to help our environment?  I’d love to hear your ideas to give them a try!

• 10/15/2007 -- Today is Blog Action Day!
• 8/31/2007 -- Blog Action Day
• 12/29/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #35

All things to keep in mind when I make my new 101 in September (yes, even if I don’t finish this one, I still intend to make a new one, and you may see me revamp some of the current items for the next time). Just because I don’t get finished by the deadline doesn’t mean that a lot of these things aren’t still important to me. And honestly, many of these goals were stretch goals to begin with (see me rationalizing?).

Anyways, back the (very) few that I have completed now!

#34 (Get a pet)- I have two of the most adorable little kittens ever sitting on my bed snuggling with each other. This one is done

(Photo take 5 minutes ago.)

#62 (Switch all lightbulbs to CFLs)- I actually did this when I moved into my new apartment in July
#66 (No more plastic grocery bags – only canvas) – I started doing this last year and actually made a habit of it around New Year’s. Every once and a while I forget to bring my bags in, but not usually.
#91 (Organize recipes) – My recipes are very much more organized now, though I can tell this will be an ongoing effort for me . . .
#95 (Attend 5 year high school reunion) – I wanted to go to my 5 year high school reunion, but I couldn’t go back to FL because of school and work. This made me sad, cause I haven’t even spoken with a lot of my high school friends in YEARS. So . . . I guess I’ll try for the 10 year?

So now I’m more than halfway finished – woo hoo!!! I’ll be honest, I’ve done a lot more than I thought I would! Here’s hoping that I can achieve the rest!

• 12/18/2005 -- 101 in 1001 – 67.33% Complete
• 1/24/2007 -- Making Some Changes
• 12/29/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #35

But today is Blog Action Day, and that means that bloggers around the world are all blogging about the environment. I’ve got a few tips/thoughts/links to share.

There’s a GREAT list of ways to get started over on Blog Action Day website, so make sure that you check out the 50 Quick, Painless Ways You Can Help the Environment Today.

Some simple things that I’ve done to help are reducing the amount of paper I use when printing by using the amazing software GreenPrint, making the switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs in my apartment (now available at Wal-Mart, Costco, and the grocery store – this one is too easy), and getting rid of all that junk mail (which wastes paper, ink, gas for the trucks, and energy) by utilizing GreenDimes. You can read more about my posts regarding green living here on my blog.

I’ve also got some great green links on the sidebar. One in particular that I want to point out is TreeHugger – this is an AMAZING resource, and contains great information and links to get you really started on a greener lifestyle.

It’s awesome to do something like install solar panels, buy an energy efficient car, or offset your carbon emissions. But in all honesty, we can’t all afford to do those things (though it is important to note that these things are becoming more affordable every day – it’s quite remarkable actually). But all the little things add up. By each little contribution you make, not matter how insignificant or easy it may seem, it will help.

What ways have you found to help our environment – I’m always on the lookout for great green tips and resources!

• 8/31/2007 -- Blog Action Day
• 12/7/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #34
• 1/24/2007 -- Thursday Thirteen #38

“On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”

I’m going to be joining in with Blog Action Day – green living is something that I’m currently working on, so this is right up my alley! Join us and let all our voices be heard!

• 10/15/2007 -- Today is Blog Action Day!
• 1/24/2007 -- Thursday Thirteen #38
• 10/15/2009 -- Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change

Seriously kids, that’s not computer generated! That animal actually exists!

Image found at Treehugger.com

• 1/18/2007 -- Thursday Thirteen #37
• 10/15/2010 -- Blog Action Day 2010 – Water
• 10/15/2009 -- Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change

Hat Tip: Hugg.com

UPDATE: It worked!!!

• 1/19/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #22
• 1/12/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #21
• 1/5/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #20

The other day in my travels around Bloggityville I found this post extolling the virtues of The Starbucks Refill. Yes, you heard right. This is not an urban myth. As an employee at Starbucks, I can vouch for our refill policy. If you come in and order a cup of brewed coffee, you can bring your cup back as many times and you want for a refill of about $0.50! Even if you get 10 refills . . . still only half a buck! Not only does that save YOU money, but it also cuts down on allllllll those paper cups going to the trash!

Another tidbit – you get a discount if you bring in your own personal cup for your cup of coffee, whether it’s just brewed coffee or your venti triple nonfat wet three Splenda cappuccino. Yay for not using the cups!

Saving money on high quality coffee and helping the environment? Works for me!

• 9/5/2007 -- Works for Me: Brand Loyal Edition
• 1/17/2007 -- Works for Me: AMAZING Lightbulbs
• 1/3/2007 -- Works for Me: Get Rid of Junk Main AND Help the Environment!

• 7/26/2009 -- Theatre in 2004 (Blogathon ’09 #44)
• 9/15/2008 -- 101 in 1001 #2 – 47.52% Complete
• 11/18/2007 -- What does it have to do with juice?

1. First off, I have 4 friends that I read pretty much religiously – every time that I get one of their posts in my feed reader I immediately go to their website, and I often comment. These friends are:

Bug – An Indian Summer
Mouse – My Bitch Files
Brittany – Bitter Amalgamations
Amy – Perches in the Soul

2. Lisa @ justagirlintheworld.com – she’s the mastermind behind E. Webscapes and Blogs-About Hosting, and she’s also super nice and funny. She doesn’t post a ton, but I always read when she does. And, to top it off, she’s famous! She’s currently writing WordPress for Dummies!

3. And two of my favorite “mommy bloggers” – Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer and Anne from PalmTree Pundit! These ladies always have great parenting anecdotes, links to great articles and sites, and an uncanny knowledge for what’s going on in the blogosphere!

4. And of course, Leanne at Intricate Art. Her beautiful art always lifts my day!

5. To get my OCD fix, I always turn to the organization queen at I’m an organization junkie! – she’s the best. She has great organization tips all the time, as well as neat and creative uses for bins, baskets, and more. Plus, she hosted that great Organization Challenge last year that forced me to get my closet into shape!

6. Stephanie over at Back in skinny jeans knows all about what’s going on with our self-image issues. She uses all the senseless reporting on celebrities to showcase our culture’s obsession with thinness – and she’s not taking it anymore. It’s refreshing to see someone with a healthy world view so prominent in the blogosphere.

7. Mama over at mamaVISION is an ex-model who lived through the horrors and is here to share all the nitty-gritty with us. Her real life experience in the fashion industry shows us how women are literally killing themselves to be beautiful and skinny. It’s disgusting, but it’s all true, and my heart aches. I’m glad that she lived through it and is now strong enough to share with the world.

8. I could not live without Lifehacker. It is an AMAZING site. Updated constantly, this site shows the latest downloads and techniques for making technology work for us instead of the other way around. From backing up your computer to managing your finances to figuring out the most efficient way to grocery shop, this site is on top of things.

9. As the proud owner of a Palm Treo, I have to post my favorite resource for programs and products for my Treo – Treonauts. This site is a wonderful resource for any questions you may have about Treos.

10. And my two favorite gadget sites – CrunchGear and Engadget. They are on top of the latest in technology news, constantly updating with reviews and announcements, with a healthy dose of commentary. Invaluable for any technophile!

11. For interesting religious commentary on current issues, I turn to ThinkChristian. The slant is a little more intellectual and theological, but still down to earth enough that I don’t feel like I’m reading a text book!

12. For quick headlines that are of interest, SmartChristian.com is the way to go. The posts don’t really say much, but I’m always directed to interesting material!

13. And to round things up, my two favorite green sites – TreeHugger and WorldChanging. These sites update constantly to show the latest in the news, renewable resources, sustainable design, and basic green living. If you want to learn anything at all to help our planet, these sites are a GREAT starting point. Not too much political agenda, they’re designed as resources to help us figure out the smartest and greenest way to live.

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• 8/10/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #23
• 1/26/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #23
• 12/29/2005 -- Thursday Thirteen – 19