pic and article from hotmom's club. Keisha with her daughters, Autumn from a previous relationship and Sonnet and True, who are her kids with Forest
Let’s Face it, Our Environment is in Trouble.
by Keisha Nash-Whitaker
Let’s face it, our environment is in trouble. We can all see the results, whether it is in climate changes or the rise in illness due to the environment - its air, water, toxins on foods, etc. Saving Planet Earth seemed like such an abstract concept when I was in high school Now that I am in my thirties( oops...I forgot the word “early” before “thirty!”), though, it has become real. Our planet is in need of saving. We can all do our part. While it may sound overwhelming, it needn’t be. It is really about being conscious, becoming aware. And the one thing I know is that HOT MOMS are conscious and aware... that is part of our heat factor.
I try to teach my girls the basics and honestly, for this generation, it seems natural to conserve and to care about the environment. Littering is so not an option for my girls. Recycling is just part of their every day existence at home and at school. So obviously, passing the word is working.
Here are a few simple ways to be a “GREEN” Hot Mom:
1. Re-use plastic bags. Some grocery stores even have canvas bags with their logos on them that you can buy and bring with you each time you shop. I unpack my groceries and then put all of the plastic bags together and pop them back into my trunk so I won’t forget to bring them when I go grocery shopping and will always have them handy.
2. Buy recycled products. These are now available in so many products…packaging, make-up containers (the Body Shop has a great program) paper towels and even dishware.
3. School lunches are an easy way to make a difference. Use cloth bags or lunchboxes to pack lunches. Put juice in thermoses. Use Tupperware to pack things (yes, it’s back) instead of baggies. If you do use them, you can always rinse them out if possible to reuse or put art supplies or household stuff in them that needs to be organized.
4. Compost your food and yard waste to feed the soil in your yard. Lots of stores have nice compost buckets that are decorative. This Countertop or under-cabinet Compost Bucket has built-in, activated-carbon filters to absorb odors. Toss in vegetable scraps, tea bags, eggshells and other organic materials, then take it outside when it fills up. Filters last up to 3 months.
www.gaiam.com/retail/product/09-0069_MSTR
5. Conserve water. Take shorter showers. Fill the bathtub with less water. Teach the kids to turn off the water while they are brushing their teeth.
6. Make less pollution. Carpool or use public transportation. If possible, when purchasing a vehicle, try to get one that is environmentally friendly. Lots of major auto companies are making “Green” cars and SUV’s these days. I have my eye on the SUV by Lexus because I have a gas-guzzling SUV that is bankrupting me. Going electric is also always an option.
If all of us Hot Moms get together and do our part while spreading the word to our children, friends, relatives and communities, we WILL make a difference and change cannot help but come.
Mantra of the Moment: “I will do my part to save the planet for my children, their children, and all the children to come.”
