One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop buying unnecessary crap stuff, and when I do purchase something, to be more conscious of how it's made and where it comes from before I decide to buy it. In general, I also try to buy things used, as this can really help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Likewise, buying organic foods is not only healthier for our family, but also benefits our Earth. To go along with this, another goal I've made this year is to buy more local organic produce (I want to make the Farmer's Market a weekly habit) and to eat less meat.

Lily and I wanted to share with any of our readers this great documentary we recently watched called Dirt! The Movie:

This movie really makes you realize how precious this simple resource is and how important it is to protect it.

Lily has always been conscientious about protecting our Planet, and she even educates me on the subject. I still remember how she banned any products containing palm oil from our house more than 2 years ago when she was only 9. While we were at the zoo, she had learned about the effects of deforestation due to palm plantations being planted in places like Indonesia. She became very concerned about the effect the deforestation had on the wildlife in that area. 

Soon after this, she discovered that Girl Scout cookies contain palm oil. Being a Girl Scout, this was a source of concern for her. I'm proud of her for sticking to her principles and choosing to raise money for her troop by other means instead of selling cookies.

Lily is certainly a singular individual and I've always taught her to embrace her uniqueness and to think for herself. Having to live through Cancer has only reinforced these qualities in her. She has a source of inner strength that amazes me. It is my hope that she will use this strength, her desire to help others, and her creativity to really make a difference in the world as she grows into an adult.

Another great documentary that we have watched is the movie Bag It. We watched this movie on channel 8 last year (I don't think it's available for free online, but is definitely worth purchasing). It's sobering when you realize how much plastic humans consume. What can we do?!! Awareness is only the beginning:



Another resolution of mine is to reduce our family's consumption of plastic. It's not enough to just recycle the plastic that we purchase. We also need to really think about the purchases that we make and what we can do to make a difference within our own lives.

Like a small ripple in a pond, we never know how our choices can affect the whole. As a parent, it is my responsibility to teach my children that their choices are important and that their actions show what kind of person they are.

When it comes to shopping bags, we use reusable ones. However, I will admit that there are times when we forget to bring our reusable bags (I will be better about this!) and we wind up with a bunch of plastic bags. Usually, we take these to be recycled at the grocery store. Recently, though, Lily and I discovered how to make plarn (plastic + yarn = plarn) to use in crochet. I'm making a cute striped reusable shopping bag (out of shopping bags) and Lily has been really helpful with connecting the strips of plastic for me.

More to come about this fun project!