Following is a guest post from Penny Roach at Green Moms and Kids. Penny believes in the life style choices of helping oneself stay healthy by eating well and remain in shape. One of her missions of blogging is also to talk about her journey from being an uninformed, wasteful consumer mom to a green, compassionate, eco-friendly mom.

In this post, she shares her go green ideas and green tips. Sit back and read about 10 Easy Green Living Tips for families to become eco-friendly. 

From Penny…

The concept of “going green” or go green ideas is not a new one.  To be honest, my grandparents and great grandparents were green without even realizing it.  They grew their own fruits and vegetables, raised their own livestock, and lived by the concept of “early to bed, early to rise”.  They were constantly working their muscles by doing chores, didn’t spend a lot of time sitting around and they weren’t “trapped” by the modern conveniences that we enjoy today.

Yes, we live in a very modern, fast paced world.  Our society resembles a fast food drive thru where we want instant gratification, all in the name of convenience.  One would think that having all of the modern conveniences at our disposal would have created a better world and, in some ways, it has.  But the sad fact is that we have also (albeit unwittingly) created a set of problems that are wreaking havoc with our environment.

Many of the people I talk to are interested in going green, but they’re not convinced that any steps they would take would have enough of an impact to matter.  Not true!  Going green is a process and it can be approached in a variety of ways.  Here are 10 Go Green Ideas and  Easy Green Living Tips for your Family to go green today.  And trust me…every little bit helps.

10 Go Green Ideas and Easy Green Living Tips for Families

1. Go Green with Gardening

Grow a garden.  It doesn’t have to be huge for your family to benefit.  Even if you live in an apartment building and have nothing more than a patio or balcony, you can grow a few small vegetables or herbs.

2. Be Organic

Buy at least some organic fruits and vegetables at your store or, better yet, buy from a local farmer’s market.  Know a neighbor who grows his or her own produce or has an abundance of farm fresh eggs?  Offer to buy some or even barter a service in exchange.

3. Be Economic with Water

Cut down on water.  Hand washing dishes uses less water than running a dishwasher.  Showers use less water than baths.  Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth.  You’ll be saving water and the energy needed to heat it.

4. Mindful of Heat and Air conditioning 

Turn down the heat in the winter and the air conditioning in the summer.  If you’re chilly, put on a sweatshirt and socks or slippers and if you’re a bit warm, place a box fan in an open window.  It’s much cheaper and better for the environment.

5.Plastic for Glass

Swap out the plastic for glass.  Plastic contains harmful chemicals that are dangerous for the environment and your health.  If your children take a lunch to school, opt for a stainless steel lunchbox.

6. Walk or ride a bike. 

When possible, keep the car at home.  You’ll be getting fresh air, exercise and reducing the number of harmful emissions.  If you must drive, try to schedule your errands together so you’ll drive less.

RELATED: Plan your Next Road Trip Cycling

7.Clean out the closet

Rid your closets of clothes that you and your family no longer wear.A perfect Go green idea!  If they’re still in good condition, donate them, take them to a consignment shop or hold a garage sale.  Try to purchase whatever you can from these outlets as well.

8. Recycling

Before you throw something away, ask yourself “can I use this for something else”?  Many objects can be used for craft projects, DIY household projects and the like.  Have an old magazine rack you’re not using?  It will hold storage container lids or cutting boards on the inside of your cupboard.  Have an old milk carton?  Cut it in half horizontally and one part can be used as a scoop in the garden and the other can be used to cover a small plant if the weather gets chilly.  Be creative.

9. Wise with Power

Turn things off when not in use.  This not only means the lights, but the DVR, your computer, your cell phone and any other electronic device.  Even if they aren’t in use, many times they’re still using energy to power the indicator light.

RELATED: Energy Show

10. Mediate and appreciate. 

The planet is a gift to us and its beauty surrounds us all.  Take time to appreciate the sky, trees, and grass.  Take in the beauty and realize how fortunate we are to have been given something so precious to enjoy. 

RELATED: 4 Ways to Practice Mindfulness

When you look at our earth that way, I’m sure you’ll find even more ways to take care of it. Hope you enjoyed reading this post on go green ideas and put it to good use! 

To Your Health, Happiness and Greener Way of Life,

Penny from Green Moms and Kids