Remember to bring my green shopping bag, when I go to the store. I am so guilty! I probably have ten of these and can’t even remember to bring one to the store??? If this is you, I ask you join me in a commitment to use green bags at the grocery store all the time. There really is no excuse. (This applies to the Farmer’s Market too.)

Cut down on paper use. I’m pretty good here but there is room for improvement. Use the second side of a piece of paper in my printer. Use one towel to dry my hands in the bathroom instead of two or three. There are a lot of other applications to use less paper. Think about it.

Only do full loads of laundry. I don’t typically like things building up but I know my energy saving, front loading washer is more efficient when it is full.

Bring my stainless to go cup all of the time when I purchase coffee out. Another I’m very guilty area! There really is no excuse.

Think consciously about whether I really need to run to the store to pick up that item, or can it wait until tomorrow when I can pick it up on the way to or from work. (I’ve been practicing this for a while and it has made my life much more sane.)

You might wonder what Family Green Survival has to do with these things. But it has lots to do with them, even though they aren’t about food. If someone doesn’t have much to eat, you can bet they aren’t grabbing a to-go coffee, or have any kind of bag to put their groceries in, or even have a towel to dry their hands. This is humbling. It makes me want to live greener than I do and be more consciously aware of what I use. Food for thought to start 2009.