You want what’s best for your family and you’ll do anything you can to make sure they are happy, healthy and safe both inside your home and out.

For me this goes beyond the food they eat and the lessons about not talking to strangers.  It’s also about the unhealthy and unsafe things we can’t see like dangerous plastics or toxic cleaners. Or what’s in our drinking water and in the air we breathe. It’s about how to go green and live healthy.

Ultimately, too, it’s about the health of the world I leave to them and their children.

Whoa!  That just got real serious, real quick!  :-0  I’m pretty good at that – thanks worry brain!  🙂

But seriously, if you’re like me (hopefully minus the worry brain!) you do think about keeping your family healthy and safe.  And you realize that the choices you make have an impact on the big picture and in turn affect  your family’s health.

My Story

This all hit me a few years ago, after coming out of survival mode with three little kids, and I set out on a mission to change our entire lives.

My head was spinning searching for information trying to figure out how to to re-work it all – what we ate, how we cleaned, how much energy we used, the amount of water we used, etc., etc., etc. All of this was in an attempt to go green and live healther for our family and the planet.

What I finally (thankfully) realized is that I didn’t have to change our lifestyle and that I didn’t have to do it all at once in order to go green and provide a healthy environment for my family.  Whew!

Looking back, the pieces that were so overwhelming and such a challenge were trying to figure out what the heck to do, how the heck to make it work in my home and how in the world was I going to get my family on board. :-0

What To Do

First, there is an ENORMOUS amout of information on the internet about how to go green and live healthier!  There are SO many topics out there each with a gazillion search results with another gazillion sources with endless tips, tricks and product recommendations.

I did not know where to start or what to do but I knew I wanted to DO something.  (Actually, I wanted to do it all!)

I felt like I had NO plan – and I like a good plan (thanks again, worry brain!).  Having a plan that takes me from where I am to where I want to go is essential for me.

Jumping around from topic to topic and taking small actions here and there just wasn’t cutting it for me. Plus, being all over the place meant I wasting time and money!

I was frustrated!

I needed to boil down all the info, pick out a few good sources for information and then focus.

How To Do It

Once I did come across some legitimate info in an area that I was interested in I wasn’t sure how to implement it my home.

So I get that, in the US, each person creates about 4 1/2 pounds of garbage a day.  I also get that only about 34% of that gets recycled.  I knew that we could recycle more but how do I actually do it and make a difference?

What kind of bins do I need?  What does my community pick up for recycling?  Where should I put all of our recycling bins – out back with the trash cans or in the kitchen?  How is my family going to know what goes where?

My point is, each area I wanted to tackle became a bit of a project.  Once I figured out what to focus on, I had to figure out how to make it work for my family, in my home.  In many cases, that led to more research!  🙂

I needed to pick a topic to focus on then figure out what tools I needed then put a system into place.

Getting Your Family To Do It

Perhaps the most challenging piece of trying to go green and live healthy was getting my family on board!

Yes, I realize I am the adult, I have the money and I make the purchase decisions…but kids can be relentless.  You’re in big trouble if…

…you come home with the bulk bag of snacks instead of the cute mini, individual packs to reduce waste…

…or you constantly harass them to turn off the water when they brush their teeth to conserve water…

…or you ask them to dig in the trash can to pull out the banana peel to put in the compost bin instead to reduce waste.

They are not happy!

Needless to say, I have been on the receiving end of many eye rolls, moans and the whiny, “Mom, why can’t we just be a normal family?”  And, maybe I deserved it after all of the nagging I was doing!

I needed a way to encourage my family to willingly (okay, without whining) participate in our new habits to help us go green and live healthier. (Check out my post, “Help Your Family Adopt Green Habits“)

My Solution

So, I’m no longer living in a frenzy, with my head spinning around trying to put in place every single tip to go green.

I finally realized that trying to go green and live healthy was all about changing habits, SLOWLY.  It wasn’t about changing our lifestyle, it was being our family only greener.

I changed my approach completely and now have things straight in my head.

I have the big picture goal in mind: Live in a way that works for my family that is healthy for my family and the planet.

I identified the areas where I want to change in our habits: Reduce waste, conserve water, save energy and reduce toxins.

And, I have a path to get us there: Basic steps we can take to reach our goal and a method for doing even more when something out of ordinary comes up.

Now, we are NOT perfect!  We are an average family that still has a lot of stuff, sometimes forgets to turn out the light when we leave a room, eats junk food on occasion and, yes, sometimes gives in and buys mini chip bags!! 🙂

Your Path

So, that’s my story.  What’s yours?  Does trying to go green and live healthy make you want to scream ’cause you don’t have…

…the TIME to add one more thing to your To Do list OR

…the MONEY to add one more thing to your shopping list OR

…the ENERGY to motivate your family to change their habits?

Are you frustrated, like I was, because you want to do what’s healthy for your family and the planet but…

(Yep, I know there’s a big BUT!)

…it’s easy to intend to make choices that are healthier and greener but it’s not always easy to actually put them into action.

I have totally been there and I get it!  So, I would love to share what I’ve learned so far and share what’s worked for my family.

We are definitely still a work in progress when it comes to trying to go green and live healthy but now we have a path and we’ve come a long way!

I’d love to to help your family start making some changes with 8 Easy Things You Can Do Now For  A Healthier & Greener Family .

These 8 things are just a start but they can help to lay the foundation for changing your habits and help you start to:

• Adopt healthy and green living habits, freeing up some of that brain space for more fun family time
• Feel comforted knowing that you are doing all you can for the health of your family AND the planet
• Feel confident in the product choices you make knowing that they are safe and healthy for your family
• Feel supported and encouraged by your family’s participation as they begin to see how their actions make a difference.

This free download is simple to follow.  The 8 steps are broken down into 4 categories – Conserve Water, Reduct Toxins, Reduce Waste and Conserve Energy – each with two action items.

In addition, each tip includes a bit of background info about the big picture and why it’s important to make changes to your habits.

You’ll also get 3 printable tools to help get your familly on board and relieve you of just a little bit of nagging duty! 🙂

Let Me Help

I know trying to go green and live healthy can feel stressful and like a big drag on your To Do list…and your wallet!  I’m passionate about it being easy and NOT stressful and I’d LOVE to help your family!

Let me know how I can help.  And if you decide to download 8 Easy Things, I’d love to hear how they work for you!

Sincerely,

Pam