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Parenting Greenly: Saving the Planet One Soccer Game at a Time
Parenting Greenly is a compilation of the most popular articles from my syndicated column Living Greenly. It is chock full of ideas to save money, time and resources by living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. From how to plan an eco-nomical birthday party to saving gas by running errands online, you'll be inspired to make small changes that can really add up! Buy the book today and start living a greener, less-stressful lifestyle right away.
Parenting Greenly: Saving the Planet One Soccer Game at a Time Introduction
Parenting
Greenly doesn’t have to be hard. It really doesn’t. It just takes a tiny shift
in thinking to make a big impact. And it can be a lot more fun than you might
think. And the real kicker, you will
save lots of money! When
my son, Nate, started playing soccer I noticed the team mom supplied large
disposable cups. Kids would take one, lose track of it by the next water break
(permanent marker smeared making their names illegible) and they’d grab another
one. At the end of practice, ALL those cups went into the garbage. It made me
cringe. At
the next practice, I brought a stack of small, inexpensive, reusable cups –
orange, blue and green (6 for $2.00 at Big Lots) – that I had purchased for
Nate’s birthday party a few months before. The parents, or in some cases, the
kids – ages 3 to 6 – wrote their names on their favorite color cup with a
Sharpie. In three-year-old Johnny’s case, his mom drew a dinosaur too, making
it easier for Johnny to find his cup.
I
offered to bring the cups to each practice and game and to be responsible for
washing them. It was a small gesture – a simple thing to do. But the impact is
huge really if you think about it. During our soccer season, ten weeks with two
practices a week and one or two games on the weekend multiplied by a varying
number of players (but not more than 14), we easily saved at least a couple of
hundred cups destined for our city’s landfill.
Besides
the obvious economic and ecological upsides, we realized other bennies. Our
little soccer players loved having their own cup with their name on it. Letting
them pick their favorite color aided in locating said cups. Being green was
actually easier and more fun for them!I’m
confident this tiny act will have a greater impact in the long run. Oh, I know
I may be dreaming here, but kids might suggest it when they are on other teams.
Maybe other moms will follow suit. I certainly got kudos from the other parents
when I started this. I heard, “That’s a great idea!” and “What a smart idea.”
Some
homes, schools and communities are ahead of others when it comes to the 3 Rs –
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Go ahead, be bold. Suggest changes when you see
wasteful actions. You’ll not only be living truer to yourself, you’ll be saving
the planet, one step (or one soccer game) at a time.
Next Book: Living in Rome: How to live, eat, shop, cook and dress as today's Romans do. Available Fall 2011 Email me if you'd like to know when this book will be available. I've received so many e-mails in response to my articles about living in Rome that I’m writing a book, a travel memoir. Think Under a Tuscan Sun with a cosmopolitan twist. Living in Rome: How to live, eat, shop, cook and dress as today's Romans do is a true account of how my husband and I quit our jobs, gave away our belongings, and moved to the Eternal City. And no, we weren't rich and we didn't speak Italian. The responses to my articles have come from people with diverse backgrounds:
§ a retiring police officer from Las Vegas
§ a 44-year-old teacher from South Carolina
§ a 22-year-old college senior from Minnesota
§ a mother of six from New York
§ a college student from Canada
§ an executive assistant from Australia
Here are some of their comments:
“I would love to hear more about your adventures in Italy. It is my dream to move to Italy! It was absolutely the most wonderful place I have ever been. Did you write a book…” Amy M.
“I just read your article….I absolutely loved it! I have to say that your words spoke to me – ahhhh…the adventure!” Michael K.
“I just finished reading your article…..Thank you for helping to sustain dreams. My wife and I are people who also have the dream of living in Italy. I have never emailed anyone to impose our questions on them, but I simply felt that you might be a person like us. Would you please read a little further and give us some honest feedback on our dream life in Italy.” Michael M.
“…please just know that your article really made me worry just a little bit less and for today at least, has motivated me further to get the things done that I need to get done so I can get over there too! Grazie!” Dorina
"I was very struck by your article. It seemed to sum [up] many of the feelings I have right now about living in a different country and how invigorating it is." Lauren S.
"I read your article, and i think what u and your husband did is wonderful." Pablo H.
"Can someone with very limited and I do mean limited Italian survive fairly well, although I'm a good traveler not sure that I'm ready for the madness that is the Eternal City." John M.
"I read your article on transitionsabroad.com and it was very inspiring and helpful..." Shawn N.
"I read your 2002 article about living in Rome with great interest and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed [it]…Many thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experiences." Dave T.
"Your beautiful depiction of living in Rome prompts me to write. I want to work in Rome and I dream of living in Trastevere..." Trycia
“I want to say that you and your husband were so brave to actually make such a huge decision regarding your life and job when moving to another country…” Lindsey M.
“I am planning on moving to Italy in June…I came across your article in transitions abroad and decided you may be able to offer some useful tips.” Chere W.
“i just wanted to let you know that your story is quite inspiring!!” Amy G.
“I read your column online about moving to Italy, and I was extremely relieved that someone has already done what I am planning on doing.” Paul C.
“It was so refreshing to read how you went and followed your dream. It was like I was reading exactly how my boyfriend and I feel.” Shani E.
“I just stumbled on your article on living in Rome and I absolutely love it! I am seriously considering moving to Rome next year. And I was curious if you had any special pointers? Thanks very much again for writing a very encouraging and cute article!” Irene C.
“I am writing to you because I want to visit Rome soon and have similar objectives as you and your husband….There’s no trust fund here either, just a few dollars in the bank…” Lindy M.
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