7 Green Habits

Well so far so good in practicing my three new habits from April 8th's post. The one that I still get stuck on is leaving the kitchen light on. It's ironic, because that's the easiest of them all. Rather than be too hard on myself, I thought I'd do a quick recap of good habits I already have:

1) I compost as much organic waste as I can. Last year I gave it up because it was too messy and too much work, but this year I have finally figured out a system that works for me.

2) I hang clothes to dry. Not all, but as many as I can get away with (my hubby likes them machine dried, but my two kids don't care, and they generate the most laundry anyway!!)

3) I walk everywhere (well, almost). That good man of mine is often re-arranging his (luckily flexible) work schedule to accommodate my taxi needs.

4) I turn lights off behind me.

5) I'm obsessed with recycling. So much so, I think, that the recycling pick-up guys used to dread coming to our house because there were sooooo many little pieces of paper and plastic from anything and everything that would fall out of the bags and onto the sidewalk. I've since learned to package things properly to make their jobs easier. Now they no longer make angry gestures at the house.

6) I've started using fewer plastic bags at the grocery store. I don't know if that qualifies as I habit yet, but I'm trying.

7) I grow my own produce in the spring and summer months. At the moment I have a row of tomato seedlings along my office window ledge. Last fall I briefly looked into methods to extend the short Canadian growing season (like surrounding the garden with plastic, etc.) but I never really got that far with it. Maybe this fall?

I have more but my son is calling me so I have to go. I'll continue later...