It's So Easy Being Green

Unless you have Kermit the Frog's woes of literally being green, you can agree with me here: It is so easy to be "green" and contribute to eco-friendly and people-friendly ways of life.  Being that this Sunday was Earth Day, my favorite non-holiday, it is the perfect time to share these 5 very EASY ways to be "green."

Basically, these are the things that I will joke about "judging you" for not doing if you are my friend.  Obviously I am not actually going to defriend you, but the reason I say that is because these 5 things are seriously SO EASY.

Bike Ride Recycled Cork Coasters | $7.995. GIFT GIVING: Make your own gifts reusing old materials, or find interesting items that have been recycled or upcycled! These gifts are always more unique and can be found so many places! Ruche, Etsy, 10,000 Villages are some of my favorites. Purchase "Fair Trade" products for extra do-good points!

Whole Foods Eco Scale4. PRODUCTS: If you didn't already know, our skin is our body's biggest organ, and it absorbs toxins that could be in your makeup. However, the FDA does not currently regulate what is in the products you use everyday. So you know what's easy? Just switching make-up, hair products and cleaning products to safer, eco-friendly items! You may be thinking that switch will be expensive, but with just a tiny bit of effort you can find many affordable products.

Office Depot | $53. RECYCLING: Ok, seriously... Why do people not recycle? It is the easiest thing in the world! If you throw something in a trash can, you can just as easily throw it in a recycling bin! However, if your school or place of employment does not recycle, here is a way to help: Designate a recycling box, bag or a bin in your car trunk, your locker, or under your work desk. Once or twice a month, just take it home to recycle or to the nearest facility. My friends know me well and bought me my own personal recycling bin, and I love using it!

Reusable Bags | $.99- $3.502. BAGS: Re-usable bags are also one of my mini-soapboxes. These are the most practical option, even without considering unnecessary waste. Did you know that instead of carrying 4 to 5 plastic grocery bags that cut off your arm circulation, you could use ONE reusable shoulder bag for those items? And that one bag only costs $.99 at nearly every grocery store. And you can use it... forever! Now I know a lot of people reuse plastic bags for trash and recycle paper sacks, but this is almost the easiest eco-friendly thing you could do. Be sure to wash them though, because reusing them for weeks on end can be germy for your produce.

Kleen Kanteen | $121. WATER: The easiest, no-fuss way to be green is to stop buying plastic water bottles. That is so 10 years ago, and we know better. Close to 50 billion bottles of water are consumed in the United States each year, with close to 200 billion in the world! Also, plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. Here at the GLAM office, we use stainless steel water canteens which are awesome. They keep water cold for hours! Since the steel is pretty cold to hold, we also have personalized Freaker covers which make it even more fun to save the planet. 

So how do you feel about taking care of God's creation? If you have any other suggestions, comment below!  NOTE: I was not compensated by any of these companies, I just like them!