Your Green Grandma
My grandkids call me “Granola Gran,” and you can too!
My name is Nancy Cullen, and being “crunchy” isn’t new for me. I’ve been loving the earth, eating vegan, growing my own food, and doing yoga since before it was cool or trendy. That said, I couldn’t be happier that more and more people want to do the same. I want to help!
According to the Department of Energy, residential households make up 21.8 percent of the United States’ total energy usage, with heating being the largest energy drain. There are a lot of efficiency gains to be had there, and not just in energy—water and material usage could be drastically reduced, too. This would not only be …
Continue reading “Save Money and Live Sustainably: How to Go Green in Your Home”
This Mother’s Day, do something that will have special meaning for your vegetarian or vegan mother. There’s a strong link between vegetarianism/veganism and gardening, as is the idea of transforming one’s own yard into a sustainable source of food. If your mother is an avid gardener who loves to enjoy and share the results of …
Continue reading “A Green Mother’s Day: Planting an Edible Garden with Mom”
Creating a sustainable or eco-friendly yard through mindful landscaping and upkeep can save you time, money, and energy while protecting the Earth. Eco-friendly landscaping conserves water, supports wildlife, reduces pollution, and leaves you with a healthy and beautiful yard. From choosing native plants to collecting rainwater to limiting water usage, there are many ways to …
At Home
Keep it Simple
When it comes to living close to the earth, less is almost always more. The easiest and most effective way to go green at home is to adopt a minimalist mentality. By cutting down on your consumption and cultivating a clutter-free space filled only with things you use, need, and love, you will do more than reduce your impact on the environment. Making physical space in your home frees up mental and emotional space in your body and mind, reducing anxiety (and time spent cleaning!) and allowing you to enjoy your life more.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
It may be a cliche, but it works. In addition to curbing your consumerism, reusing and repairing items you already own can significantly reduce your environmental footprint. Learning how to mend clothing and looking for ways to repurpose furniture and housewares is a great start. You should also be intentional about how you discard items. When you buy, look for items in good, used condition first. Otherwise, buy ethically-sourced, quality-made items that will last.
Diet
Eat Less Meat
The diet-related choice you can make with the most impact is simply to eat fewer animal products. Raising animals for meat and dairy produces large quantities of greenhouse gases and increases land and air pollution, and there’s not much you can do to make it more sustainable. Plus, you can easily meet your protein requirements with veggies. So, even if you aren’t ready to go vegetarian or vegan, consider making Mondays meatless or trying going vegan before 6 p.m. to increase your plant intake.
Grow Your Own
Growing your own food used to be a necessity. However, as grocery stores and fast food made shopping for food more convenient than growing it, our society moved away from backyard gardens and family farms. Now, we are getting back to basics. Whether you start small, with a few herbs and greens, or you go all out with a variety of seasonal fruits and veggies, every item you grow instead of buy is a win for the planet (and for your taste buds!)
Lifestyle
Take Care of Yourself First
Self-care isn’t just a buzzword, and it doesn’t have to take place in a spa. The practice is important for your overall health and well-being, and it looks different for everyone. For me, it’s daily yoga and meditation, unplugging from technology, and spending time in nature. All of these activities help me reconnect to myself and the earth and remind me of my ultimate life goals: to be kind to myself, my fellow humans, and the planet.
Get a Hobby
Hobbies are a great way to improve your physical fitness and your mental health. If you choose an activity based in nature, a hobby can also keep you in tune with Mother Nature. Beekeeping, gardening, and hiking are just a few examples of activities that keep your body and mind in shape while allowing you to have a positive impact on the planet.