Photo Challenge That Illustrates Why I Live Green

I've decided to Take the Change the World Wednesday Challenge and snap photos this week of those things I love, enjoy, cherish, or want to preserve. 

I've included photos which show some of the reasons why I think it's important to live green. I invite you to get your camera out and start snapping too. Post the photos on your blog or share them with #CTWW (link below). If you'd rather not, just take photos to remind yourself of why you live in an Eco-friendly way. 

Every time I've made a small change in my daily life and live greener, I'm contributing to a global effort of common people to make significant strides in helping to save our planet from devastating effects of global warming. Climate change with severe weather extremes has already destroyed homes, killed men, women, and children, and left people starving and with no clean water to drink.

Here's one mess I'd like to change or prevent, that has been captured in the clip art below.

This photo wasn't taken by me, but it does show exactly what is happening to some parts of our planet.

Now here's the good part. Following are some things that I'm doing to conserve, reuse, recycle, and live green 

1. reusing glass jars from foodstuff as storage containers
2. recycling rubber bands that come from store-bought vegetables as an office supply
3. using large food cans, tires, and jars as garden planters
4. using china, glass, silverware instead of paper goods at large gatherings and at small parties too. If I don't have enough of my own dishes or glasses, I ask guests to bring their own.
5. taking my stainless steel thermos bottle along with me for water instead of drinking from plastic throw away water bottles. Just to illustrate plastics' impact on our environment, here's a statistic that may floor you. In 2012, the United States generated almost 14 million tons of plastics as containers and packaging, about 11 million tons as durable goods such as appliances, and almost 7 million tons as non-durable goods, such as plates and cups. See more on this from the Environmental Protection Agency.
6. recycling hangers as mobiles, and for other arts and crafts projects
7. exercise by walking in my neighborhood or doing yoga at home instead of driving to the gym, park, etc.
8. donating my time, money, and energy to the cause of reducing my carbon footprint. I have spoken out to elected officials, government agencies, written blog posts and articles, and contacted companies that manufacture products that are environmentally friendly or harmful and will continue to do this.

I spotted these beautiful flowers in a neighbor's yard, while out for my morning constitutional. Aren't they gorgeous? If climate change made it any warmer here in Arizona, I doubt I would be able to walk outside or see beautiful things like this. I bet this type plant wouldn't even be able to grow so well.

Here's a picture I snapped at a botanical garden. Aren't the plants beautiful and what about these delightful creatures? The earth's water supply is finite. If climate change continues at its rapid pace, I'm worried there won't be enough water for people and animals to survive. In some third world countries, this is already the case.

Don't forget to read what Reduce Footprints and guests @ #Take the Change the World Wednesday Challenge say about this topic. Please comment by email at obloggernewbie@gmail.com or reshare the blog on social media.

Be well. Live well. Lead a colorful, yet green life!

Here's the quotation for today:

"Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man." Stewart Udall

This post has been shared at Live It Up at the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Blog Hop #51

3 Secrets To Help Clutter Proof Your Home

3 Secrets To Help Clutter Proof Your Home

Colder weather in January and February may mean you retreat inside. It can be an opportune time to clutter proof your surroundings and make your home more functional, relaxing, and appealing. Discover motivational tips, ideas, and support to help you get off to a fresh start.

Secret # 1-Recognize you are not the only one. An online stress trigger study conducted by the Huffington Post in 2013 of over a thousand people, revealed that close to half of the respondents reported feeling nervous that their home wasn’t clean or organized enough. This group included those who felt overwhelmed about things like crowded closets, dirty dishes in the sink, wash that was left undone, and uncertainty about where they put down their car keys, reading glasses, important papers, or even where to find a pen or pencil to take down a message.

Secret # 2-Change your thinking to transform your actions. Set the intention to make your abode more livable. When you are willing to learn how to streamline what you keep around you, simplify your cleaning and organizing routine, and give away or sell what no longer serves you, you’ll act more decisively. See whether you notice that when you clear space for those things that really matter to you, you feel happier at home.

Secret #3- Seek help from family, friends, and the pros. Until now, you probably haven’t requested or gotten help from those you live with. If roommates or your family members need convincing, explain why it’s important to you that they pitch in and how you’ll all benefit from the results. If you are unclear about how to put new routines into place or question why it’s healthful for you to do this, research the topic by reading a book about home care. Annie B. Bond, author of Home Enlightenment: Create a Nurturing, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Home states, “As with any sort of clutter, clothing clutter included, when you have too much crammed into closets, drawers, and trunks, you’re not appreciating or honoring the things that do make you feel good. There comes a day when you need to let go.” Annie goes on to describe how to do just that. Here's a link to her Website.

annie b. bond and home enlightenment

Another expert whose words ring true for me is Jodie Watson from Supreme Organization. Here’s her fix for a front entry make-over. 

http://www.myhomeideas.com/how-to/household-basics/tips-from-an-organization-expert/front-entry-fixes.

Here's a link to a savvy organizational expert named Jennifer Renee, who suggests this 30 minute de-clutter.

http://organizedhomeorganizedschool.com/2014/12/the-30-minute-declutter-that-really-works.html.

The last pro I’ll mention is Alejandra Costello, who appears on a YouTube video to show you how to organize a home office.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDaLxaeArt4

For additional ideas to reduce clutter and bring order to the place where you live read on 

1. Spend 10 minutes today to organize that junk drawer in your kitchen, nightstand, or magazine rack in the den. That's all you have to do the first day.

2. Do the next 10 minute project tomorrow. If you feel raring to go, notice how you feel if you start another clutter removal project as soon as the first is completed. Learn to check in with yourself so you can proceed at your own pace.

3. Remember to pause between tasks to savor the satisfaction of doing a job well.

4. Donate, give away, or throw out anything you haven’t used within the last year. Used clothing, books, magazines, and household goods can help the needy. Recycling cuts down on the amount of things that collect dust, and reduces junk that’s dumped in a landfill.

5. Make fluffing the pillows, pulling together your bed, and taking out garbage part of your daily exercise routine. Mop up spots on kitchen and bathroom floors as soon as they happen, in a moving mediation style. This will keep liquids from being tracked all over your house and keep you entertained as you clean.

6. Clean bathroom and kitchen counters, when anything spills on them or soils appliances.

7. Drop dirty towels into a laundry bag or bin, near your washing machine. This will save time on wash day and get them out of sight right now.

8. Keep garbage in a sturdy, washable container or pail that's out of sight, and take it outside daily. Share KP duty with all members of your household.

9. Tackle closet organization one part at a time. First, arrange clothes neatly on hangers. Then, create your own management system. Some people like to arrange clothes according to category like causal, dress, and exercise gear. Others prefer to sort by colors, and still others like to place shirts, pants, and outerwear into separate sections. Next, think about what would be most effective for you. I have installed hooks for bathrobe and pajamas and shelves for hats, belts, pocketbooks, and items that won’t be damaged by storing them this way.  I use clear storage bins and racks for shoes, bags, and odds and ends. The shelves in my master closet look neat and and items stored are easy to see. 

10. Affirm that if you haven’t worn or used an item for a year or more, it comes up for review. I’ve found that when I release something I never use, it makes me feel less burdened with stuff.

11.Be a cautious shopper, and think long and hard, before you buy new clothing or household goods. Before I take home any item, I ask myself whether I have something similar at home, is it an impulse purchase (what empty space inside am I trying to fill up), or do I really need it? If I decide to purchase a particular item, I get rid of one I already own by putting it in the rag pile, donating it, or giving it to someone else.

Please share about any tips or tricks you have up your sleeve that help you clutter proof an area in your bedroom, bath, kitchen, home office, or living room. I love to learn new housekeeping short cuts. Contact me by email obloggernewbie@gmail.com. If you feel I’ve provided useful information, please share a link to this blog and credit with my name, Nancy Andres. Here’s my Pinterest Page and Facebook Page

Also, here's a friendly reminder. Don't forget to order an autographed copy of my woman's self-care journal, Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss. It offers many tips and ideas to help women readers feel a greater sense of well-being and joy in daily living. 
Colors of Joy on My Website


Yes! This post has been featured at The Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop 50 in the green living category.


This post has appeared on Natural Family Friday Weekly Linkup 1 16 2015


This post has appeared on Live it up at the healthy, happy, green and natural party blog hop 49/

The quote for today is: “I think people want very much to simplify their lives enough so that they can control the things that make it possible to sleep at night."
Twyla Tharp