I have always been a bit of an Earth Day skeptic. Being environmentally focused for 24 hours and then rushing back into our modern, fast-paced, disposal lives seems as fake as those 'green products' that keep popping up and are anything but.
Earth Day does, though, give us an actual date on the calendar to renew our commitment to saving this planet's amazing beauty and diversity for our children and for their children and it does help us to get focused.
Each year we try to commit to 3 new practices (last year we switched to compact fluorescent bulbs, gave up paper towels, paper and plastic bags -and take out containers- when shopping and started composting kitchen scraps more consistently).
This year our 3 new commitments are : 1. Reduce our garbage to 1 bag a week (with a family and two businesses we are continually challenged with this) 2. Send one letter each month to a politician -local, state or federal- concerning an environmental issue (this will also challenge us to be aware of these issues) and 3. grow more of our own fruits and vegetables and can them for colder seasons (I have never done anything even remotely like canning - no idea why this is even called canning when we use glass - we do use glass, right?), so this will be my biggest challenge yet. Hopefully I can do this without putting anyone in the hospital, or at least anyone I like in the hospital.
To celebrate Earth Day I am offering free shipping on any jewelry order in both my shops- Uncorked and Polarity through Friday midnight. Just write Earth Day in the comments to seller section of your order and I will refund your shipping!
1. Artwork by KD - Flower Ring
2. Pouch - Recycled Brooch
3. 2ReVert - Earrings
4. Infusion - Toddler Slippers
5. zJayne - Recycled Wristlet
6. Knitstorm - Tea Cup Cozy
4 comments
Canning is fun! And, best done with two people. Tomato sauce/puree is easier than whole tomatoes. Jam is super easy. There are some great online resources and some modern books since it is becoming popular again - just check them out of the library soon b/c they'll be back-ordered by tomato season. : )
One of my sisters has a pomegranate field in CA and she cans (glasses) a jam and sends it to all of us as a holiday gift. It's her first ever canning too... you'll be great!
This was such an enjoyable read!
I'm impressed how organized your green living is. I'm not a very good canner, but when when moved in this house it had a great freezer in the basement. So I make large batches, of tomato sauce , petso and blanched veggies and freeze them for the winter.
wow-the canning commitment sounds awesome-we have been thinking about doing that-especially on a good tomato growing year. Instead we sun dried them. And the last tomato pickings from the plant we put in the blender and froze it-i used it in soups and sauces. One thing I heard years back I will never forget about the recyclables bin-the goal is not so much getting it full of stuff every week-but to see how little it actually needs to be filled-that is a far better goal. I love your idea of 3 new goals a year.
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