For the last and final tip, how about getting a rain barrel!  Great way to keep storm water out of the system and to cut your water bill!  Because you are collecting right off the roof, it has few contaminants and is perfect for watering the garden.  And it’s a good way to teach your children about water conservation. Rain barrels are available at Earth Fare for $69.99.

In other news, tomorrow is the start of another calendar sale at Little Lambs and Ivy.  On Friday, May 1, you get 20% off on any baby gift, and Saturday, 20% off for Grandparents Day.  I assume that means grandparents coming in to shop will get 20% off.  Happy shopping!

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Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup. Or, if you insist on using the disposable cup, at least buy a reusable coffee cup “sweater” that keeps your hand cool and your cup looking as fashionable as you are!  No more double-cupping (trash) or cardboard sleeves.  You can get some of these awesome, washable, reusable “coffee sweaters” from me!  $10.  Handmade by my friend Jen.  Purple, pink, beige.  They fit tall/grande size cups.

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How green are you?  Take this little quiz featured on the State’s Family Ties Parenting Forum… The Green Routine: What Shade are You?

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Borrow books from the library instead of buying them.  Saves trees!

(O.K., I have some mixed feelings on this one, as I love to read and buy books! I see it as one of the ways I help stimulate the economy.  So maybe we work out a compromise, like Borrow 2/Buy 1.  So out of every three books I read, I will only actually buy 1 of them.  Sounds like a plan!)

Aside from all the wonderful literature available there, Richland County Public Library offers wonderful programs for both children and adults.  See you there!

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Plant something!  A shrub, a tree, some sunflowers, anything!  Plants help improve our air quality, protect soil from erosion, and trees also have the added bonus of providing shade (eventually)!  So plant something today.  If you need some sunflower seeds, let me know!  I’d be happy to mail you a few packs for free, courtesy of Keep the Midlands Beautiful.

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First, go to Finlay Park today between noon and 6pm for Chords for Kids!  Lunch Money plays at noon!

Now for the tip of the day: Skip bottled water.  Think about how many plastic water bottles are lying around in landfills and floating in that Great Pacific Garbage Patch!  The Pacific Garbage Patch is 90% plastic materials.  Buy a reusable water bottle and fill up at home.  Cheaper and greener!

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Cut old t-shirts to use for cleaning supplies.  Use them to wipe down that dirty, pollen-covered patio furniture. Better yet, give them to your kids, along with a bucket of water and a little soap, and let your kids wash your patio furniture!  Use those old shirts to wash the car.  Save a tree and use them to wipe up spills from the floor instead of using paper towels.  Lots of uses!

Also, tonight happens to be Runaway Runway, a fashion show of recycled materials hosted by the Columbia Design League.  Cool event.  Check it out tonight at 7:30 at 701 Whaley Street.

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Eat smarter! Buy local produce and locally raised, organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy and cuts down on transportation costs and pollution!  If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store, and it’s even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.  Interesting article on the environmental impact of a meat-centric diet.

Note: This weekend, you can find the All Local Farmers’ Market at Rosewood Market.  Saturday morning from 8am - noon.

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Happy Earth Day!  As you know, I have been posting a “Save the environment” tip each day this month.  Hope you have found some of them helpful.  If you have an idea or a tip you want to share, let me know.  Tip for today… check out Go Green Columbia!

As far as I can tell, there are no Earth Day events happening today in Columbia.  If you know of something, please tell me!  Since there aren’t any planned activities, maybe you want to check out these great Earth Day craft ideas and recipes on Kaboose.

Note: Unrelated to Earth Day, there is a very fun event planned for Saturday at Finlay Park.  Chords for Kids is a benefit for The Nurturing Center (which is an agency that seeks to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect).  Please mark your calendars and join in the fun.  The event is free, but you can bring donations (money, kid’s non-perishable snacks, diapers, wipes, etc.) for the center.  Lunch Money is playing at noon, so don’t miss it!  Fun outside concert with our favorite local kid’s band, balloons, face painting, cake walk, food, a bounce house…and the weather is supposed to be awesome!

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Walk or bike somewhere that you usually drive.

• Taking the kids to the neighborhood park or pool?  Don’t drive…stroll them, or if they are old enough, ride your bikes/scooters/skates/skateboards!! You’ll get some exercise and some time to breathe the fresh air, and you’ll be saving gas!

• Making a quick run to Publix for some milk or diapers or bread or other small load?  Grab a backpack and take a brisk walk there.  You know you can walk a mile in 15 minutes, so kill two brids with one stone and get your exercise and your groceries!

• Going to your neighbor’s house for dinner or a play date?  Leave a few minutes early and walk!

• If you are really ambitious, ride your bike to work, even one day a week!  Again, great exercise and you’ll be saving the environment.  Every little bit helps.  I will say (this is sad but true) you probably don’t want to do the bike thing in Columbia between June and September…  You’ll just be a sweaty mess by the time you get to the office.  If you have an office with a shower or your job is actually at the gym, great!  But really, most of us couldn’t get by with the biking to work thing in the summer here in Columbia.  For those readers outside of Columbia, maybe this idea would work better for you!  Great idea for Spring in Columbia, though!

• Are you that person that parks in front of Publix at Trenholm Plaza, and then after you shop, you move your car down to park in front of the Fresh Market so you can get some specialty item there???  Or you park your car at Publix on Rosewood and then drive across the street to pick up a few things at Rosewood Market?  Don’t!  Just stay put and walk to the other location!

• How about your church?  Are you walking distance to church?  Nothing better than a Sunday morning stroll to church.

• Or how about instead of taking the kids somewhere this afternoon (to the aforementioned parks, playdates, pool, etc.) just go on a walk in your neighborhood.  Give everyone a bag of some sort and take them on a nature walk or out to collect trash.  Bring back the bounty and assemble some sort of collage/art project from the items collected.

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