Celebrating Mother Earth on Earth Day and All Year Long.

Earth Day is upon us once again. What a wonderful day to celebrate and acknowledge our Earth planet. We should all have gratitude in leaps and bounds for without our earth we could not exist. Because of our precious planet we THRIVE.

Go outside and run barefoot, plant a tree, dig in your garden, get some new plants for your home.

Go hiking, sit on a mountain and just be!

So many choices we have to enjoy Earth Day.

In honor of mother Earth on Earth Day 2014 we would like to thank her for...

• Nourishing my soul with endless landscapes; from the mountains to the seas.
• Providing me a playground to grow, learn, expand and express myself.
• For plenty of fresh air to fill my lungs.
• Abundance of fertile ground to grow my food.
• A special thank you for all your magnificent creatures great and small.
• For the oceans, lakes and streams that provide us with a bounty of choices.
• Most of all for shaking things up a bit when we become stagnant or disconnected.

Helpful Ways To Teach Children How To Connect With Nature.

1. Take your child for a walk around your local park or out in the woods, stroll along a creek side, stream or river.
2. Collect rocks or other earthly items and encourage learning about the mineral, animal and plant kingdoms.
3. Every region has different kinds of animals. Pick up a book from your local library to explore the animals that live in your state. Learn what their tracks and scat look like.
4. Talk about the importance of insects, bees and pollination.
5. Collect wildflowers when they are in bloom. Make a wildflower book by collecting and drying flowers. Glue flowers on a blank piece of paper. Identify each flower and write notes about where you found them, possibly add a personal picture of your child picking the flower. Laminate and  place each laminated page into a plastic sleeve and them gather together in a binder for many years of use.
6. Visit a natural museum.

Earth Day Every Day Tips:

• Write congress - support clean energy and clean air initiatives. Your voice matters.
• Reduce what you buy. Think about your purchases before you shop. Is your purchase going to increase or reduce your planetary impact. Questions to ask yourself.

1. Do I really need this item? Am going to use it, pass it on or is it destined to collect dust or end up in the landfill?
2. Am I adding to the landfill or can I recycle the packaging?

• Reuse: Buy in bulk when you can to reduce the amount of packaging tossed into the trash over time ending up at the landfill. It is not out of sight out of mind. All trash must go somewhere and be disposed of. Landfills are piling up. Toxins are being washed into our creeks, streams and rivers and eventually into our water supply. 
• Recycle: We all know the traditional ways of recycling our glass, plastic, aluminum cans, tin cans and newspaper, but what about household items? One of my favorite things to recycle is empty glass candle holders. After I've used my candle up. I warm up the left over wax by placing the glass candle holder on top of the stove while I'm baking. I pour out the left over wax and then wash my empty jar a few times until the candle smell is gone. Fill up your jar with a little soapy water and vinegar and let soak a few days if need be. Once your jar is clean and dry use it to store, nuts, popcorn, barley or another kitchen item. 
• Donate your used or unused bicycle to your local free cycle group.
• Purge your closets every six months and donate to your local thrift store or Good Will. Herberger's has a yearly clothing exchange sale. You bring in a used piece of clothing in exchange for a percentage off a new purchase.
• Take your used unwanted blankets to your local homeless shelter, half way house or Humane Society.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper. They take up very little space in the washer with your other laundry.
• Run your dishwasher with a full load to save on energy, soap and water.
• Use nontoxic cleaning products. What goes down the drain ends up in our soil and in our water supplies.
• Have you heard of Genetically Modified Organisms? The effects of GMO's can have negative effects on your families health and our environment. 

Final Tip: Spread joy around. Focus on what makes you happy. Happiness spreads like a baby's laugh permeating and dispersing negativity. When people are happy they are more connected to themselves, healthier and and in the end they become more connected to the planet.