Celebrate Mother Earth!

Happy Earth Day! Kinda crazy to think it was 72 during the day yesterday and then dropped down to 36 degrees here in Maryland last night. It's the end of April and we have chilly weather again today and in the 30's again tonight! Flowers and gardens will not be too happy, but this should be it and we can look forward to warmer sunnier days heading into the last week! And we should always celebrate Mother Earth because she gives us so much back.We've done so much destruction in the last couple decades with over development, polluting our waterways and air, damaging ecosystems, etc. I thought since it should be a day we get out and give back, why not share some ideas you can incorporate going forward through out the year and years to come.

5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day:

1. CLEAN UP: Get out in your community and clean up. Take a walk on the beach, in a park or on a highway. Grab trash bags and anywhere you see trash start your clean up. Grab some friends or the kids to help you. It's a great way to get everyone outside and make a difference. Who likes to see trash in their favorite places??
2. CONSERVE H20 & ELECTRICITY: Best ways to conserve energy and water... catch rain in a rain barrel for watering your garden. This happens in my house all the time with kids... half empty glasses of water left around, I water house plants or refill the dog bowl with these instead of dumping it down the drain. (My dad taught me this at a young age.) :) We even keep the water from boiling eggs, let it cool and use it as fertilized water in the garden!!! Turn off lights and fans that are not in use and when you leave the room. Turn down the thermostat in the house and the fridge by one or two degrees, you'll see the savings on your electric bill also! Turn off running water while you brush your teeth, shave and reduce the time of your showers.
3. PLANT FLOWERS & TREES: This is a great way to give back visually too! People walk by my front yard and stop to tell me how much joy seeing the flowers growing give them. I love hearing that! It's not just for me and my family, but people riding their bikes, neighbors, vacationers and so many others can benefit from what you have to offer.
   1. Plant trees! We have taken so many down all over the world, we've destroyed habitats and homes for animals and birds. Planting flowers and trees also enrich your area. Trees provide shade to keep your house and spaces cooler in the summer especially if you live in hotter climates. It also helps reduce your electric bills by keeping your house cooler! Think of all the wild life you will see too! Woodpeckers, squirrels, bunnies, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and robin's nests cover our yard every spring. And this week we have a Blue Heron hanging out in the ditch every couple days, I think he wants our frog that lives in there! But he is so pretty watch and kinda cool see him out there. When they have an environment it benefits everyone!
4. START A GARDEN: Grow your own food and start a garden! It also saves money, reduces your carbon footprint, skips heavy pesticides or use none at all, use holistic approaches to riding pests and helping your veggies grow. It provides nourishment for you and your family with healthy foods. Share some with neighbors and family too! It also helps conserve water and shipping foods across states and countries. You can get the kids and other family involved. Who doesn't love to see their hard work grow right in front of their eyes! Need guidance on starting a garden, check out this post also! 
5. BUY SUSTAINABLE: Think Recycle, Reduce, Reuse but also thinking about sustainable. We all know how we can recycle, reuse things and reduce are waste and carbon footprint. The farm to table movement has been around for decades. Really think about supporting your community! Give back to the farmers that really work hard and desperately need our help. You get your food at the peak of freshness. Things aren't again being trucked from all over the country and dropped off green in your grocery store. Always support small local business that make their own products, they have less chemicals and parabens. You're doing something bigger for that small business than you could ever imagine and mother earth reaps all the benefits also! Chose humanely raised and slaughtered chicken, meat and fish. This is honestly one of the best ways to give back and benefit the earth, yourself and your community.

Celebrate Earth Day today! We are blessed to be offered so many things for our health and wellness, our futures and to continue to have a planet that will last for thousands and millions of years to come!Want more information on Earth Day?? Check out these links too!Earth Day!Celebrate Earth Day- 25 Ways to Embrace World & Give BackIf you want to share some ideas on how you are celebrating Earth Day today, leave a comment here or jump over to instagram and share some ideas and thoughts at @kellyrobertswellness. We always chat a little more over there! You can also check out the official Earth Day site!