The day is almost over and I have STILL not posted for Blog Action Day. I meant for this post to be way better than it is - I intended to put some real time and thought into it, but some real life circumstances have come up this past weekend that prevent me from doing that. If I get a chance, I will post about that tomorrow.

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!

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!

Tired of resolutions that you won’t keep? How about starting a new habit instead that is so easy to keep that you really don’t have to do anything . . . and all your junk mail problems will be GONE! GreenDimes is a great new company dedicated to getting rid of YOUR junk mail. The thought is that by getting rid of junk mail we reduce trash, save trees, and minimize mail so there aren’t so many mail trucks on the road. Plus, it gets rid of all the junk that you don’t want anyway, and helps cut down on the opportunities for identity theft! For a VERY reasonable price (about $3 a month) GreenDimes will:

* Take your name off major direct mail lists
* Remove other family members’ names too
* Keep you from going back onto those lists
* Reduce unsolicited credit & insurance offers
* Reduce your risk of identity theft
* Unsubscribe you from unwanted catalogs

And we handle contacting all the companies for you so you don’t have to. No printing letters, buying postage, and mailing letters. No filling out numerous online forms. No calling companies and following up requests. And we’ll do it for less than it would cost you to do it yourself.

And not only do you get all that yicky junk mail GONE, but you also get a tree planted for you each month! I am signing up RIGHT NOW!

Getting rid of junk mail AND helping the environment? Works for me!

Thirteen Things about LINDSEY

1. It’s been a few weeks since I participated - I am a bad hostess, LOL! Things have been really busy with the holidays and all the changes in my life. My brain hasn’t been up to much real posting, but I think that things are finally starting to get a little more calm.

2. Today is FlyLady’s 7th anniversary! Congratulations to her - she’s made so many changes to so many people’s lives! From the email sent to her list today:

It is hard to believe that this little list that FlyLady started in 1999 has become such a blessing to so many. I am so proud to be a part of something that helps so many of you and I know FlyLady and all of the Fly Crew feels the same way. You have opened up your hearts, minds and homes to us and we love you all.

One of the questions that was asked of me was “Who is the Fly Lady?”

FlyLady is a system developed to help people gain control over their homes, their clutter, and their lives. It is absolutely amazing! I heard about it for a while before I actually decided to give it a try, and once I did decide to try it I was sure that it wouldn’t work for me - it all seemed a little contrived and silly. Imagine my surprise when it began to slowly change my life. It’s caused me to finally learn how to clean my apartment (I’ve just graduated from college, so I’m just now starting to live away from my parents’ home and a dorm), it’s caused me to start exercising (a feat, I assure you - I’ve been trying to get that one going for years), I’m beginning to cook and quit buying convenience food, and I feel generally happier, more at peace.

It’s kind of hard to explain how it works without really getting into depth, so I’ll just direct you to FlyLady’s site - there are great explanations there! And don’t worry too much about being overwhelmed. The entire system is based on the principle of babysteps, so you are slowly eased into the process!

Thanks for the great question SussieQ - I’m more than happy to go on about my experiences with FlyLady if anyone wants to know more!

3. Matt asks where babies come from.

Matt also asks if I am left brained or right brained. I have taken several assessments, and it always surprises me how in the middle I always am. The one that I have found to show the most bias is this one:

However, I feel like there are many characteristic traits for right brained people that I identify with, so I have no idea which I am, haha. Probably left brained with right brain tendencies.

4. Mouse asks, “What is your opinion on divorce? Do you feel that too many people are using divorce as a escape route (lazy way out) instead of sticking by their vows and remaining with their man/woman and trying to work out their troubles?”

Yes, I agree with that completely. I think that as divorce has become more accepted in our society people began to see it as an escape clause to their marriages. There wasn’t as much though put into picking a mate because you could always get divorced if things didn’t work out. As a result, people are not marrying the right people because they aren’t taking the marriage vows seriously (they’re marrying the “right now” people), and when things do get tough, everyone is tossing in the towel instead of actually taking some time to work out issues. Passionate love, while necessary for a relationship, is not the only part of a relationship. The best friend aspect of marriage becomes vital when the passion begins to fade, and it is the mutual respect that holds together marriage. I think that people need to be very careful when they consider their future spouse, and there needs to be a verbal agreement between both people before they are married that they will take the “to death do us part” seriously. I am more than happy to continue this discussion should anyone else be curious! Thanks for the great question!

5. Pete wants to know “Why are girls stupid?”

Pete, to that I ask you - why are boys stupid?

You know I love you.

6. Brittany asks, “Evolution/creationism/intelligent design debates – where do you stand with this stuff?”

I was actually discussing this with my mother yesterday :-). I believe that God created the earth and humans. I believe that He created it in 7 days. However, I am not set on the literal understanding of these things. I am not opposed to the idea of evolution. However, through that evolution, I believe that when it came time for the actual man to be developed, God created him. The exact details of this aren’t really that important to me - my faith in God allows me to be OK with not understanding it 100%. Humans have finite minds and a finite understanding of this world, and since God and time are infinite, how could I ever expect to understand it? As for the 7 days, I do believe the world was created in 7 days. However, I think that each day was not a calendar day as we know it - more than likely day 1 was billions of years, day 2 was millions of years, day 3 was hundreds of thousands of years, etc. There is evidence that days are getting shorter, so who is to say that each of those days was not a God day instead of a 2006 human day?

That’s just my understanding. For some people, exact scientific proof is going to be the only thing that allows them to believe something. I guess that’s where faith comes in :-D!! Great question!

7. If you’ve got a question for me, I’d LOVE to answer it! Please, ask me ANYTHING!!! Thanks for the great questions guys!

8. There’s a really awesome new forum over at the Thursday Thirteen hub! Make sure you check it out!!!

9. A little 101 in 1001 update: on Tuesday I took all my change to the church for a fundraiser the youth are doing - they actually WANT everyone’s pocket change! I’m sure they were surprised with the $165.52 I brought in! Mark off #59 on my list :-).

10. Another big thing happened this week on my list - I marked off #64 . . . but it’s going to get its own post ;-)!

11. You may have noticed my site was down for a while at the beginning of the week . . . that’s because I’ve changed hosts! Be sure to check out Blogs-About Hosting!

12. Has anyone seen The Nativity Story? My mom and I are intending to see it, and I was curious to know what others thought about it . . .

13. Interested in getting rid of all that junk mail AND helping the environment? How about with just a few clicks of the mouse? Enter greendimes!!! This seems positively fantastic! Thoughts? Any other good green tips?

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