Is your Earth Day T-shirt Actually Earth Friendly?
Earth Day is on Wednesday, April 22nd this year and I’m always pleased to see people wearing Earth Day shirts promoting environmental responsibility. But ironically, most of these graphic tees are not Earth friendly. Most t-shirts are made with cotton. In fact the cotton plant produces a fiber that is used in most clothing. I first learned about issues in the cotton industry in the 2015 groundbreaking documentary The True Cost. Due to fast fashion and increased consumption, the majority of cotton is now genetically modified to increase production. Genetically modified (GM) cotton uses large amounts of water and chemicals with dangerous consequences. Large amounts of cotton are grown in…
20 for 2020: Women Who Inspire Those to Go Green and Shop Ethically Part 2.
When I started my blog post about inspirational women in sustainability I had every intent of keeping it short, say maybe, 10 women. 15 max. However, there where too many badass women to name. In fact, it was hard keeping it to a list of 20! Here is part 2 of the 20 for 2020 inspirational women in sustainability series. 11. and 12. Lauren Conrad & Hannah Skvarla Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla inspire those to empower artisans by shopping fair trade home decor. The two co-founders formed the idea for their fair trade company The Little Market when on a trip to Uganda and Tanzania. While in Africa they…
20 for 2020: Women Who Inspire Those to Go Green & Shop Ethically, Part 1.
March is one of my favorite months of the year for many reasons; I love college basketball, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring is in March. Mainly I love March because it’s Women’s History Month: a time where we can pause to observe and celebrate the vital role of women in American history and appreciate the struggle women went through and continue to experience to get equal rights. Unfortunately, the Coronavius pandemic has largely overshadowed Women’s History Month this year. It is a dark and uncertain time for all. I know for many simply reading the news produces much anxiety. Let’s all take a moment to step…
2020: The Year of More or The Year of Less?
More or less? Which word do you find yourself using in your new year’s resolutions? While I was making goals for 2020 I realized that every goal I wanted to achieve contained the words more or less. I’ll show you what I mean: Goals for 2020: Write more blog posts. Spend more time with friends and family. Spend less time worrying about the small things that may be out of my control. Buy less altogether, but buy more green products. Travel more. Spend less time at work and doing work at home (teaching can be all consuming!) Spend less time on social media and read more. Learn more about fair…
Easy Steps to Make Your Next Party More Sustainable
Every day I become more aware of the choices I make and my environmental impact. I’ve been able to change many of my daily routines to embrace a greener lifestyle. I found myself wondering, how can I make changes on less frequent occasions, like holidays and parties? First, let me say that I love hosting a party. I love a good theme and all the choices that go with hosting. What music do I play? What decorations should I get? What food should we have? This fall my husband and I threw a party to celebrate the last day of summer, with an “End of Summer Blues” theme where almost…
Earth Friendly Educational Giveaway!
I have been thinking a lot recently about the importance of educating young ones about climate change, global warming, and the environmental crisis. As a teacher, I try to emphasize good habits in my classroom, like saving electricity, recycling, and not wasting food. However,with so many great eco-friendly friendly products out there I think it’s time to take it a step further. With this in mind I created a giveaway basket with an assortment of items to teach young ones to care for the future of our planet in fun and creative ways! Here’s a peek at what’s inside: Hello Treehouse Goods Recycled Hangers The idea for a giveaway came…
How to Shop Sustainably at Target
“The big boys are coming, the big corporations, the big brands. They may be late to the party, but they are now aware that they have a big problem.” -Andrea Reyes, founder of NYC Fair Trade Coalition Although I try to support mostly small businesses, there is a certain allure to Target that is hard to ignore. My friend and fellow teacher, Andrea is a Target enthusiast and frequents the store weekly. We often joke that if she put on a red shirt people would think she worked there. So what is it it about Target? When I asked her she responded that the convenience is a huge seller. It’s…
