Green it up with Mel

I just wanted to tell you a little bit about being greener. And with that, let you all know how green Melody has become.

Melody recycles everything. Especially plastics. For most of us with curbside recycling, we can recycle number 1s and number 2s, maybe number 3s. But what do you do with all the 4s and 5s and whatever other number there is. Melody made the effort to find out, and what she found is that, at least in this little town we call Columbus, we can take ALL plastics to the compost and recycling center. It is there that we can put all the plastics together, and they will ALL get recycled. Wonderful!

And, when we have too many plastic grocery bags, Melody takes a huge bundle back to the store to throw in the recycling container they have (usually just inside the front door). Awesome.

Of course, we rarely even get plastic bags anymore. Melody now uses the reusable grocery bags. You have all seen them at the store, usually cost a buck or two to buy them. But did you know that most stores credit you a nickel (or more) for each bag you use at checkout, every time? That means that in a matter of a couple weeks of shopping, you have made back your money, and are now profiting from this, as well as being much more environmentally sound. In your Christmas or birthday gift this year, there just might be a bag for you!

She is also much more conscience about driving, what vehicle she is driving, how many vehicles are going to a party, and so on. We take the van only when we need to, otherwise the car is the preferred vehicle (so, whenever all three kids are going, then it is always the van). Trips are planned so they are not single use trips. And a ton of shopping is done online, even getting our diapers delivered to the door (Mel just loves diapers.com).

And Melody has a ton of ideas that we are implementing throughout 2009.

Besides being a SuperMom, she is making a better future for Kase, Gus, and Rett in ways that, perhaps, they don’t even understand yet.