7 Day Treehugger Kickstart

7 Day
Treehugger
Kickstart
sustainable baby steps
© sustainablebabysteps.com
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well hello there!
Welcome to the 7 Day Treehugger Kickbutt Kickstart! I promise to go easy
on you; no actual butt kicking, I promise. After all, I’d kinda like these
changes to stick!
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If you’ve been “going green” for awhile, some of this may seem old hat for
you, but don’t let that stop you. You can also use those familiar ideas to
reevaluate the same changes you’ve already made and see where you might
be slacking (hey, we all get comfortable and slacky over time). I’ve also
thrown in some “toddler steps” if you need a bigger leap.
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If you’re brand spankin’ to this shindig, you can use these toddler steps too!
Just save this wee lil’ ebook and come back to it. (If you stay on my
newsletter list, you’ll get a wee lil’ reminder to check in with your progress
and take some more steps. So hang in there for that, mkay?)
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I’ve laid this out in a day-by-day format, but hey, are you a rockstar
overachiever? You can totally sit down for an afternoon and crank this all out
too! The most important thing is that you do them, and stick to them.
However that gets to look for you.
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Wanna share this? Go right ahead! But don’t go being stingy. Be sure to let
your awesome peeps know to signup for the newsletter, otherwise they’ll
miss the other goodies that will be coming along with it.
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Have fun!
tara wagner
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P.S. I wish my signature was that legible!
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P.P.S. This ebook is purposefully minimalistic to save you resources when
printing. See how I did that? #ecopoints
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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day one
Did you know I was on Ricki Lake making jokes about throwing away 10-yearolds? It’s true. They flew me out, paid for my organic food, I danced on
stage. It was awesome. Just thought you should know.
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Actually, what I want you to know is what we were talking about on the show.
Junk mail, yo. The average American home gets about 69 POUNDS of junk
mail each and every year. That’s the equivalent of a 10 year old. And we
mostly just throw it away. With less than 50% of it being recycled, we’re
wasting 48 million trees.
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Now before we start screaming about the rainforests, it’s actually pretty rare
that paper is made from old growth forests. Most paper come from tree
farms, and because business doesn’t want to run out of income, they are
(generally) pretty good about replanting so they have more trees for later.
But trees aren’t the only issue.
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It’s estimated that 10-24 million gallons of water are used to make this junk
mail, not to mention enough power for almost 250,000 homes each year.
Then there is the pollution from production and post-production. And yeah,
it adds up. It’s also really easy to remedy.
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Estimated time: 20 min
Estimated Cost: $0
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1. Fill out the info on DMAChoice.org
2. Fill out the info on OptOutPrescreen.com
3. Send an email to [email protected] with your full name
(including middle initial), current address, and previous address.
4. Download the PaperKarma app and follow the instructions.
5. Start a small box or pile of junk mail from random companies, and when
it starts to drive you nuts, give those companies a call and opt-out. (I find
phone is WAY faster than fishing for their opt-out info on their website!)
6. This generally needs doing every few years, so if it’s been awhile, take a
few minutes to do it again!
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“What about the rest of it?”
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Yup, even after all this opting out, you’ll still receive some junk mail that you
can’t escape, namely grocery store ads and random whatnot. Here are some
ideas for the rest of it:
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• Package Material
• Animal Bedding
• Arts and crafts (paper mache anyone? or paper beads for the Christmas
tree?)
• Mulch (shredded non-glossy and not around edible landscaping)
• Compost (again, shredded, non-glossy)
• Return to Sender
• Recycle It!
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Easy, no?
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Eco Points for Toddler Steps:
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Kudos if you’ve already curbed this craziness. Let’s look a little further. What
about the rest of your mail?
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1. Look at your bills and signup for paperless billing. It’s the 21st century
and I’ve yet to encounter a utility company or business that doesn’t offer
this, even in the relatively small area I live in. Afraid you won’t pay them
on time? Setup automatic payment. There. You’ve just saved the planet
and some precious time. #score
2. Bank statements? They also offer paperless statements. (Just make sure
to download the PDF statement; not all banks allow you to access old
statements.)
3. Hmm, it’s been so long since I’ve done this that I’ve forgotten what else
might be stuffed in there. Do a little audit yourself: Every time something
comes along, ask yourself if there is a digital or eco-friendly alternative.
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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day two
Alrighty, let’s kick this up a notch. This baby step will take a bit of an
investment on your part, but it pays itself back pretty quickly. What is it?
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You’re gonna ditch the bottle habit.
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No, I don’t mean the whiskey. By all means, enjoy that one. (Um, just don’t
drive, and always promise to recycle the bottle, deal?)
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I’m talking about water bottles. You knew we had to go there right? Of
course you did. Because it’s a problem people! 30 million water bottles are
produced annually…and yeah they can be recycled, but that’s only
happening about 20% of the time. Not to mention it takes 1.5 million barrels
of oil to produce all that waste and about 1,000 years for it to decompose
(and that’s if it ever does; read more about the biodegradable myth here).
Plus all that BPA (or BPS, found in BPA-free plastic - tricky bastards) is no
bueno for your health.
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And then there’s the cost! $1 for a 16 ounce bottle of water equals about $8
a gallon. Could you imagine paying $8 a gallon for gasoline or milk or the
water from the tap? You’d treat that like gold!
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No way, Jose. There is a much easier, much cheaper, much healthier
alternative. It’s called a stainless steel water bottle.
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Why stainless steel? It’s easier to clean, contains no harmful chemicals, and
last longer. You could go with glass, but even with those nifty silicone sleeves
I’ve still broken way too many on the floor. A stainless steel water bottle will
generally pay for itself within a few weeks (depending on your bottle habit,
that is), so consider this an investment. Spend a little more now to save a lot
more later.
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There are some tips and precautions here though. Not all metal water
bottles are created equal. It’s important that you find food grade stainless
steel, not aluminum. Or they might be stainless on the outside but contain a
plastic liner on the inside. Not cool. So be sure to follow the tips below to
make sure you’re getting good ones. (Some steel water bottles might be
insulated, but they should still have a stainless steel liner with insulation
between layers.)
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Estimated time: 20 min
Estimated Cost: $10-20 each
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1. Generally speaking, online is still your best bet. Store-bought ones are
rarely the same quality.
2. Choose larger sizes and plain designs to share (makes this more budgetfriendly and sharing-friendly for big families!)
3. Double check that it’s #304 or 18/8 stainless steel with no liner
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My personal choice? I avoid SIGG. They pulled this whole “BTW, our liners
haven’t been BPA-free al this time” stunt and I just lost respect for them after
that. My favorite small biz went out of business, but the old standby is still
epic: Kleen Kanteen. They even have one with a bamboo top, instead of
plastic!
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“This is way to babyish a step for me!”
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Alright, alright, simmer down. You want to step this up a notch? Let’s do it.
You’ve ditched the disposable bottles. But what about the other disposable
on-the-go crapola that clutters up the garbage can?
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I’m talking when you eat out. Even the healthiest “fast food” places still have
disposable utensils, napkins, cups. And don’t fall for that “but it’s
biodegradable” line. Lies I tell ya! Remember that link just a couple pages
back? It just can’t biodegrade without the right elements, which are not
found in landfills. So here’s what you get to do instead:
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1. Go get yourself a reusable Starbucks coffee cup - they're like $1 and the
perfect size for coffee or other drinks
2. Get yourself some cloth napkins (one for each in the family)
3. Oh yeah, you betcha….get yourself some old utensils from the thrift
store. (Maybe even some chopsticks?)
4. Roll them up, put them in a bag (preferably non-plastic, but I won’t look)
and give these a permanent home in your car!
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Now the next time you make a pitstop for sushi or tacos, you can sport your
eco-pride like a boss. #fistbump
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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day three
So far you’ve done a little homework, and you’ve invested in some tools.
Before we get into the rest of the week, because it’s about to get real up in
here, let’s spend a little time outside.
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No, I’m not joking. This is totally an eco-friendly step. I mean, what’s the
point of saving the planet if you don’t get out there and enjoy it? Our bodies
are meant to move, to climb, to hike, to swim. We’re meant to breathe in
fresh air and exhale stress. We’re meant to soak up our allotted vitamin D
from the sun, and dig our toesies in the dirt. We’re meant to remember
we’re a part of all this; a super important part I might add, since we seem to
have the sole power to care for or utterly destroy it.
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Now I don’t know where you live, or what the weather is like right now for
you. I don’t know what you’re into, or what your options are. But I do know
you have options. And I know how much you secretly miss a few of those
outdoorsy options while you pound away at your keyboard under fluorescent
lights. Even if you’re not the outdoorsy type, even if you live in a big city, I’ll
bet there are a few things you’d love to do.
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Obviously there are about 1,000 outdoor things you can do, but how about
some ideas for those of you who might have challenges (like location,
money, time)?
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Sit in the sun like a cat and read a book
Go to the plant nursery and wander around
Pick out one of those plants and plant it (or pot it for the patio)
Go to trails.com and plan a hike with you and some friends
Take a walk around the block
Play with the dogs at the dog park
Dance in the rain or build a snowman
Hug a tree. Or climb it.
Take 30 minutes to watch the sunset
Take your lunch to the park or nearby lake
Look at Groupon and pick a nearby outdoor activity that you’d “never do”
Walk to the store, movies, mall, etc
Join an “outdoorsy” meetup.com group
Take your work outside, or take a 10 minute break for fresh air
Open all the windows
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• Bring nature indoors and fill your rooms with houseplants (ones that clean
the air!)
• Pick up trash as you talk a walk
• Create a media-free, digital detox day once a week
• Take your shoes off whenever possible and go barefoot
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Whatever you decide, your step for today is to do it (or plan for it to happen
in the next 5 days). No cheating. No way around it. You need it.
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And then go ahead and make it happen again. Schedule a reoccurring time
on your calendar, get involved in regular hiking groups, or something that
will keep you committed to getting outdoors and reconnecting to this thing
we’re all wanting to sustain.
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The old Lakota was wise.
He knew that man's heart, away
from nature, becomes hard; he
knew that lack of respect for
growing, living things soon
led to lack of respect for
humans too.
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
- Luther Standing Bear
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day four
Woot! If you’ve done the last three days (have you??) then today makes your
official mid-way point in this wee lil’ Kickstart. This is also where we start
making some bigger changes. Don’t worry, they are still totally “baby steps”,
meaning easy and affordable and healthy and totally sustainable (as in, you
can totally sustain these actions).
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Have you ever seen the movie The Incredible Shrinking Women? It’s a real
gem, I tell ya. There is this one scene that I’ll always remember though, when
the doctor is telling Lily Tomlin that while each of the cleaning products she
uses by themselves is safe, it’s the strange mixture of them all that was
causing her dire situation. (It was a lie though. It was actually all the fault of
the experimental perfume. Might be why I’ve never been a perfume fan!)
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Yeah, your cleaning products are unlikely to make you shrink, or get
kidnapped by mad scientists, and saved by a gorilla, but that scene always
stuck with me. Because here’s the thing about all those chemical cleaners.
Technically, they are considered safe because as with most things, “the
poison is in the dose”….meaning when they do testing on these products in
a controlled environment there is little to no risk. But do they test them in
every possible combination with the endless myriad of other cleaners and
chemicals found in our homes, garages, and environments? Do they test
them to the same degree that we use them and for years on end? Um, no.
They don’t.
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This is why the ingredients in chemical cleaners have been found to be
carcinogenic, neurotoxic, allergenic, irritants and more leading to
countless types of cancer, respiratory issues (including asthma),
dermatitis, indoor air pollution, birth defects, infertility, and more.
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It’s crazy expensive too, and crazy wasteful, too. And just plain crazy when
you consider how easy and effective the natural alternative is. It’s also a
crucial step if you want to be a treehugging, Mama Earth loving, barefootwalking hippie like the rest of us. Ready for it? It’s painless, I swear.
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Estimated time: 5 min (not including a run to the store)
Estimated Cost: $15, maybe
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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Ingredients needed:
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• White distilled vinegar
• Baking soda
• Tools: Empty spray bottle, bucket, scrub brush with scraper, cloth rags,
cloth mop with detachable, washable head
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Did you pretty much everything in your home can be cleaned with just
these ingredients? The only other things you might want is a natural
laundry detergent, dish soap, and maybe essential oils ideal for cleaning.
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Just fill your water bottle with 50/50 water and white vinegar, (and 20-30
drops of your preferred essential oil) and you’re good to go for windows,
counters, walls, sinks, tubs, toilets, mirrors, and other hard surfaces. Tough
mildew or other yuck? Sprinkle some baking soda on it, then spray with your
mixture. Watch it fizz and let it sit for a few minutes if it’s really stubborn. For
floors, you can do the same 50/50 mixture, or if you want, add a little natural
laundry detergent (like Seventh Gen or the like) or dish soap. If you need
extra scrubby action, you can also try kosher salt on a lemon - the abrasion
of the salt plus acid of the lemon juice works well together. But I find I rarely
need this.
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Bonus Tip: Make up an extra bottle of this mixture for showers and do a
quick spritz after you bathe to keep mildew from forming. Opening
bathroom windows or turning on the fan (just long enough to draw moisture
out; not any longer or you’ll pull out your heated or cooled air too) also
helps keep mildew, and thus your elbow grease, to a minimum.
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“What happens when these things don’t work? I mean, tell the truth:
don’t you keep a secret bottle of 409 hidden in your cupboard?” Nope.
In fact, in all my adult life, living in multiple climates and one traveling RV, I
have used a chemical cleaner a total of two times: bleach and Scrubbing
Bubbles, both in an attempt to conquer the terrible shower conditions in a
rental home, and in all our efforts, the vinegar worked just as well. If your
home hasn’t been seriously neglected by 30 year old grout and previously
inattentive tenants, you’ll probably fare even better than us!
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“What should I do with my old chemical cleaners?” This is a tough question.
First of all, NO. Do not use them up. This is one form of waste I’m all for. The
ideal situation would be to call your local trash disposal service and ask them
where to drop off chemicals. If you’ll do this, you deserve major points. But
in reality, most people won’t. If it’s not gonna be you, I don’t recommend
dumping them outside or down the drain for obvious reasons. But you might
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consider donating them to an animal shelter instead. (It’s not eco-friendly for
them either, but they generally won’t use natural products anyway, so you
might as well support their other wonderful efforts by helping them cover
their costs.)
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Eco Points for Toddler Steps:
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Okay, anyone can buy the eco-friendly laundry and dish soap, right? But
what about making your own? There are some recipes for laundry detergent
out there that call for grating the soap and using borax (which is debated as
an eco-friendly ingredient), but what if you only needed ONE ingredient to
make REAL soap that can be used for dishes, carpets, laundry, cars?
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It’s true. And it’s called a soap nut. Before you go thinking I’m a perv, soap
nuts are actually more like berries, and when used they release natural
saponins, which is the very stuff that IS soap, the stuff that essentially “makes
water wetter” and better able to clean. I’ll let you read all about them right
here. If you’ve got the baby step down, then it’s high time to jump into the
world of Nature’s soap!
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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day five
Did you know we used to live in Las Vegas? Did you know the highs in Las
Vegas in the summer routinely reach 118? (The highest I remember it
growing up was 126 degrees!) “But it’s a dry heat!” Yeah, just like your
broiler. It pretty much made the AC a must-have in the summer. And it wasn’t
cheap. In fact, the average power bill we saw in the summer was at least
$200. Our neighbors? They were paying $300-500 a month! But us? We paid
$80-100. Wanna know how?
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Well, truthfully it was the culmination of a lot of energy saving strategies, but
by far the biggest one was super simple: We slowly allowed ourselves to
acclimate to setting the thermostat higher and higher.
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The most common thermostat setting in our friends homes was 72 degrees.
The recommendation from Nevada Power? 78 degrees. Our thermostat? 82
degrees. In the winter when most people had it cranked to 78-80? Ours was
at 65-70. Yeah, we were animals.
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I’m not going to ask you to make that big of a leap. I’m going to ask
you to adjust it just 2-4 degrees.
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Chances are you won’t even notice, especially if you dress for the weather,
drink warm drinks in the winter and cold drinks in the summer, use your
ceiling fans (yes, in the winter too; just flip that little switch to make it go the
other way), and if needed, find a few more tips.
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• Home Heating Tips and Alternatives
• Home Cooling Tips and Alternatives
Those two links have EVERY strategy we used (and then some) to help you
make the shift. But honestly? You probably won’t need most of them. 2-4
degrees, especially if you baby step it, is simpler than you think!
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(Already doing this? Then your toddler step is to check those links and find
ideas to adjust it 2 MORE degrees! Boom! #youaskedforit)
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Estimated time: 30 seconds
Estimated Cost: $0
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© sustainablebabysteps.com
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day six
<—- that says six!
Alrighty, there is a lot to debate on the healthiest or most eco-friendliest diet
on the planet. And if you’re anything like me, you understand that different
bodies have different needs, so one part of the argument isn’t even worth it.
But there is no denying that meat impacts our environment like whoa.
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Now I could hammer you with all the stats, like how studies show that
anything between 18-51% of our greenhouses gases are from animal ag, or
that it takes 10-15x more resources to produce a pound of meat than a
pound of vegetables. What I will point out is something a physicist and
environmentalist has reported in several studies: If every US citizen went
vegetarian for just one day a week, we would save 100 billion gallons of
water, 1.5 million pounds of vegetation, 70 million gallons of gas, 3 million
acres of land, and 33 tons of antibiotics. (!!) This is why all of our meal plans
include at least a few vegetarian options.
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One day a week. How hard is that?
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Estimated time: 30 min (not including grocery shopping)
Estimated Cost: $0 (you’ll be saving money)
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Here’s how to do this:
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1. Check out my Meatless Mondays Pinterest board, and start your own. Pin
or save the meatless recipes that make you go “yum” when you see the
picture.
2. Add the ingredients of one of the recipes to your grocery list!
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Seriously, it’s that easy. Plus, chances are you already have a bunch of
meatless meals that you eat and don’t even realize it, so this is just making a
conscience effort and commitment to do more. Easy, right? But with a BIG
impact.
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Of course, the key is sticking to this. You’re likely to have a few “dud”
recipes (as in, “that tastes like a foot”) so don’t let it discourage you from
continuing. There are a lot of options out there! You’ve totes got this one.
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day seven
Ready to up the healthy eating ante just a bit?
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You’ve got to know by know that processed foods are bad for you right? I
mean, it’s drilled into us every time we turn around. They lead to heart
disease, obesity, can mess with your hormones, your mood, your gut health
(gut health is related to immune health and emotional health; did you know
that? Google it!). But we still eat it! Ack!
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I know why I revert to putting trash food in my pie hole. It’s easy. And made
artificial cheap by subsidies. So in order to prevent myself from going there, I
have to find my triggers and slowly implement solutions, like cheaper
healthy snacks bars in my car so I don’t stop for french fries.
#myguiltypleasure I want you to take a couple steps though. Ready for this?
Head to the kitchen!
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Estimated time: 30 (ish) min
Estimated Cost: about the same
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1. Open up your cupboard and pull out the first 5 junkie foods you see.
2. Compost them.
3. Now Google (or Pinterest it) for 5 replacements…use phrases like
“healthy alternatives to Pop Tarts”.
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Want the easiest cheat around? The cheapest healthy fast food possible? I’ll
give you a hint: It curbs sugar cravings and comes in its own healthy
packaging. Give up? It’s fruit. Also, veggies. Especially with yummy little
dips, like hummus. Or try blending a can of white kidney beans with a clove
of garlic. Best veggie dip ever.
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The trick to eating more fruits and veggies?
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1. Stop buying the junk food.
2. Buy your favorite fruits, berries, and veggies instead.
3. When you get them home, spend 20 minutes doing the prep (washing,
slicing, etc) and then put them in nice bowls (with the lid off, so people
can reach in and grab) on the just-below-eye-level shelf in your fridge.
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This works!
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“But don’t I have to buy organic produce for it to be healthy?”
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In an ideal world, yes. Avoiding pesticides means decreasing your chance of
cancer, birth defects, Alzheimer’s, and way more health risks. Washing said
produce is helpful in eliminating pesticide residue, but sometimes those
pesticides can leach into the food through the groundwater they are
drinking…and sometimes they’ve been genetically modified to BE those
pesticides. #omggmo
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“But organic food is so freaking expensive!”
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Well, yes and no. I mean, cancer? THAT’S expensive. And subsidized foods?
They’ve been made artificially cheap. So conventional foods seem like the
more affordable route, but not when we look at the big picture.
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Plus, organic food does NOT have to be more expensive.
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You just have to know the strategies, the tricks and hacks, the clever ideas,
and the hard-core options (if you’re really wanting to drop your food
budget).
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But that’s what Sustainable Baby Steps was created for. To share all that!
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Like how a family of 3 can spend $80 a week on organic food. Or a family of
5 can spend only $100-120. Or how you can drop your food costs by at least
15% with just one single strategy.
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I’m not lying. It really is true….
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See, I created this handy little guide called Making Organic Food Affordable.
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I bet you can guess what it does! Yup, helps you figure out how to budget
for and actually afford to eat healthier. It does some math with your budget,
then it throws pages and pages of simple and quick ideas at you that you
can implement within minutes, hours, days, and a few of them, weeks.
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No, it’s not pages full of “grow your own” advice, because that would be
called something like “Advice to Grow Your Own Veggies to Save a Buck”.
But it does share some quick tips on which veggies grow the fastest,
cheapest, and easiest from even your patio.
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On top of that it shares links, resources, and the cleverest of clever ideas to
cut your budget by AT LEAST 15%, an average of 50%, and for the super
hardcore, all the way down to $0. Plus you can use it like a grab-bag…
meaning you don’t have to implement each one. Just pick one strategy at a
time and come back when it’s a habit and you’re ready for more.
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Can I show you how to do it? Pretty please?
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woot!
You’re an animal! 7 days in and you’ve actually made some of the BIGGEST
changes that 90% of the population hasn’t yet made. Seriously, if I had a
cookie that bad boy would be yours (don’t worry, it’d be grain-free and
sweetened with honey).
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Some of these steps may seem super simple, even too simple, but you
know? Most of this eco-lifestyle actually IS super simple. It’s just about
making small, sustainable baby steps in a healthy, natural, makes-sense
direction.
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So, what’s next for you after this Kickstart? Stick around! I try not to
overdo my newsletters, but I’ll keep you up-to-date about new articles and
ideas you can implement or learn from, special offers to check out, and even
a followup Refresh to this 7 Day Treehugger Kickstart coming down the road.
I think you’ll love it!
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And then? Can you share my website and newsletter with the friends and
family who might be ready for some little baby steps of their own? Maybe
give me a “Like” on Facebook? Help me spread the love? Because I’d think
you were just dreamy if you would!
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And thank you! For making these
sustainable changes, for being a part of
this amazing eco-community, and for
your love and support of this website!
We love you for it!
tara
! wagner
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Hey, Let’s Stay in Touch :::
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Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Contact Me
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with my hubby, Justin —>
* Treehugging cover photo by Photo By Andrej Villa
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