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Contributed by Stacie Campbell

We're well into January - what have YOU done so far toward greening your lifestyle?  Have you tried any of our favorite tips?

I've been working hard to stay on target, reduce-reuse-upcycling away!  Here are some of my favorites so far.

I've changed my grocery shopping venue to the local farmers market, where organic and locally harvested produce abound.  There are fewer plastic bags, fewer pesticides for the planet, and less transportation required to bring the veggies to market.  Bonus, the vendors are so friendly and it is a great way to learn more about what we're eating.  Reduce - CHECK!  Find a farmers market near you at www.localharvest.org.

REUSE has proven to be the easiest and most fun of the resolutions so far.  Hello Craigslist!  It is amazing what nearly-new items you can find in the neighborhood.  Everyone's comfort level is different (used mattress, no thanks...) but I've "rescued" a barely used Baby Bjorn and a fun side table from the landfills for pennies on the dollar using the Craigslist App.

Upcycling requires a bit more creativity and talent...practice will make perfect?  I've turned an old pair of pants into a throw pillow, and much more simply turned a paper towel roll into a trash bag organizer.  (Saving the plastic bags from those days when I forget my reusable totes and reusing them for garbage can liners). Its a start...

Share your Reduce-Reuse-Upcycle success stories with us on the GreenChix Facebook page!

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Contributed by Stacie Campbell

We’re a nation of movers and shakers, and staying green at work or while on the road can be rewarding!

I recently made a Green on the Go challenge and here are the results:

Typical Day

Extra-hot tea to start the day. 2 paper cups and a corrugated hand shield. 1 lid, 2 napkins, 1 wooden stirrer. 

Green on the Go Day

Tea in a cute travel mug.

Typical Day

Commute to the office.

Green on the Go Day

Car pool to the office with a friend. BONUS, less traffic in the shared ride lane!

Typical Day

Print, file and proofread on paper. 2 pages.

Green on the Go Day

Proofread and edit on the computer.

Typical Day

Lunch meeting...steak sounds good.

Green on the Go Day

Lunch meeting. Delicious Southwestern Black Bean Wrap. Drinks without ice.

Typical Day

Notice nobody is in the conference room.

Green on the Go Day

Notice nobody is in the conference room, and turn out the lights.

Typical Day

Feel cold and turn up the thermostat.

Green on the Go Day

Feel cold and put on the sweater I now keep at the office.

Typical Day

Leave for the evening, computer's screensaver comes on.

Green on the Go Day

Turn off the computer before leaving the office.

Typical Day

Happy Hour! Glass of French wine.

Green on the Go Day

Happy Hour! Glass of wine from a local organic winery.

I haven’t saved the world, not yet, but was able to reduce my carbon footprint for the day.  It’s a step in the right direction, and my colleagues have started to pick up these greener habits now as well!

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Contributed by Stacie Campbell

When we were children, my mother gave a giant glass jar to myself and my sister into which we dropped our pocket change.  A heads-up penny found in a parking lot, a quarter from the tooth fairy, the nickel magically pulled out of our ear by Uncle Scott – little by little these coins accumulated in our jars. 

At the end of each year we’d pour our coins onto the bedroom floor to admire, then ride to the bank to deposit our treasure.  We were always delighted to learn that our small coins, of so little value individually, always added up to hundreds of dollars – a transformation our tiny minds could barely comprehend.

The same holds true for the greening of our lifestyles.  By making small adjustments to our daily habits, nearly imperceptible changes add up over time to make a large difference to the planet.  By adding attainable and sustainable habits to our routine, we become part of the solution for this planet’s future. 

Throughout the month of January, Green Chix will be providing simple tips that you can easily add to your routine – at home and on the go.  While they may seem small, they cumulatively have a huge impact on our ecological footprint and do make a difference. 

Not convinced? Take a moment to consider this:  If everyone in the U.S. used just ONE LESS napkin a day, more than a BILLION pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year!   

Let’s make a resolution for greener living in 2013!

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Contributed by Stacie Campbell

Confession: I’m terrible at keeping my New Year’s resolutions.  Even the deceptively effortless resolution of “eat more ice cream” fell by the wayside –three consecutive years. 

I’ve learned from the panicked annual February 1 “I’m already a month behind” realizations to steer clear from the never-again and every-single-day promises to myself and have adapted:  New Years has become a time of reflection, and of baby steps in a new direction.  I’ll miss days, I’ll temporarily slip into old habits, but by the end of this year I’ll have grown.

So for 2013, I’m going back to the basics.  This will be the year of Reduce - Reuse - UPcycle (Don’t worry, I’m already an avid REcycler!.

Throughout the year I’ll be looking for ways, big and small, to buy and use less.  And the fun part, creatively repurposing the items I already own. 

We’ll be sharing some of those tips on the Green Chix Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest sites throughout the month of January in hopes that you’ll join in picking up some of these greener habits!