Why Not Go Green on St. Patrick's Day?

Viv chose this clover for embroidery clover for St. Pat's. Machine embroidery is her latest attempt at craftiness. We'll let you know how that goes! >

Are you wearing your green today? It's March 17th, St. Patrick's Day! In lieu of the traditional drinkin' and partyin', why not choose to make a difference in your life this St. Patrick's Day by going green? With a little effort, you can start an Earth-friendly tradition to recycle year after year!

Plant a tree. This time of year is all about renewal and rebirth. The birds are singing, chicks and ducks are being born, flowers are blooming. Why not take the kids out tree-shopping? Unlike in December, when we simply chop them down to decorate with ornaments, you can use this day to plant a healthy, happy tree, and celebrate new life this Spring.

Take out the trash (bags). If you're still using plastic grocery bags instead of re-usable cotton or canvas totes, gather up all those old bags cluttering up your house and take them back to the store for recycling. Then head out to the craft store for a plain tote you can design and decorate yourself. Get the kids involved with some green finger-paint and let them press their hand-prints onto their own earth-friendly totes. Let your creations inspire you to stay green throughout the year--keep them in the trunk of your car for those times you have to pick up a dozen eggs or a couple gallons of milk.

Check out home-healthy, green alternatives. For cleaners that are dye- and perfume-free, nontoxic, biodegradable, naturally derived and never tested on animals, visit www.methodhome.com, Mrs. Meyers or Seventh Generation. It's healthier for the earth (and your family!).

Be powerless. When you turn off your PC, you may think your power is off, too. Actually, power continues flowing to your printer, scanner or other peripherals. Consider purchasing a Bits power strip ($32.99) to stop the waste (and lower your electric bills!). Go to www.bitsltd.net to find out more.

Turn on the light. Remember when a picture of a lightbulb over someone's head meant, "Hey, I have a bright idea?" Here's a bright idea: switch out your regular lightbulbs with GE Energy Smart Lightbulbs and you can save as much as $59 over the lifetime for each lightbulb you replace!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For environmental services, projects and events available in your community, check out www.earth911.org.