Recycle: It’s an Everyday Habit

Recycle: It’s an Everyday Habit

A few years ago on a summer trip to Canada, I am literally stopped in my tracks with the realization of how my family isn’t up to par with our efforts in contributing to such an essential way of living. I open my friend’s kitchen cupboard to look for the trashcan. In my amazement I find something that hardly resembles the double wide I have at my home.

Their trashcan is the size of a child’s small plastic pail– the kind of pail a child might use when collecting shells at the beach. My first feeling was one of surprise and then came a rush of guilt. The pail under their sink was so small, so cute. The trash can(s) at my home were four times this size. Our Canadian friends recycle. I thought we did to? The difference being–they recycle absolutely everything–plastic, paper, glass and they have a compost pile. That tiny bucket in their cupboard held their un-recyclable items. They made their everyday recycling habit appear so effortless. A family of five—fit their week’s trash into this adorable little pail.

Fell off the wagon

Moving to Houston, Texas has brought many opportunities and friendships– however, it initially wasn’t very good for my family’s recycling habits. Our neighborhood didn’t promote recycling and we initially fell off the wagon and only recycled paper. It seemed so easy to not recycle— we somehow just slipped out of the habit. Even though I come from a strong lineage of recyclers (my dad had us crushing aluminum cans and rolling newspapers logs for the fireplace ever since I was a little girl.) And, during the fifteen years we lived in England we joined in with a dedicated nation of fierce recyclers—as it was very convenient, easy and everyone did it.

Why should we bother?

That summer trip shook me into the realization of needing to get back on the recycling track for my home I refer to as planet Earth and to teach my children  (as I had been taught) through example—to create another generation of recyclers. Two important benefits of recycling are:

1. It saves energy. To create everyday products such as papers, cans and plastics, a great deal of fossil fuel is used and therefore emissions, which of course creates pollution. Recycling allows a more efficient use of resources. The more products we can recycle, the more energy we save for the planet and society as a whole.

2.  It prevents hazardous materials and chemicals, such as lead and mercury, from ending up in landfill. There are hazardous risks associated with our trash– including those you may not initially think of recycling. Things like batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has “Caution” or “Warning” on the label.

A family affair: start small and build, it’s contagious

Initially when we moved into our neighborhood it wasn’t recycling —and so we started small. We faithfully kept our paper products in bags by the back door and dropped them at the children’s school. Gradually we moved back into being full-fledged recyclers in which the whole family contributes. Our teenage daughters, Allie and Sarah take turns delivering our recycling each week to our nearby recycling center, our son Sam is in charge of crushing aluminum cans and breaking down boxes, and my husband Ron and I rinse and sort. We have a nice little recycling station made simply out of a few bins in our garage where we sort our plastic, glass and paper. It’s a family project that I honestly never imagined would work so seamlessly. Everyone enjoys participating. Amazing.

Serendipity Creates Ease With Life

I believe serendipitous events guide us in going with the flow, creating ease with life, helping us find our way.

A few months ago I crossed paths with someone who made me think, “Wow,  I am so blessed  to have met her.” My new friend Karen is one of those people, and I do believe our meeting was serendipitous.

We literally bumped into each other entering the door to our mutual publisher’s office, Bright Sky Press. We were introduced and I instantly liked her.  I asked to see Karen’s portfolio– it was stunning. The next day I phoned Karen and asked if she would be a  contributing photographer for my book series–and to my delight she agreed. For me, this chance meeting created an effortless ease and a beautiful dimension to my project that could have easily gone unnoticed.

Check out Karen’s blog, including the post Creating Everyday Peace including some photos she took at my home yesterday for my upcoming books.

In one of my new books to be released Spring 2010, A Moment’s Peace I talk about serendipity and how to utilize it in your life. Think about some of your own serendipitous events? I encourage you to use these occurrences as signposts to guide you in creating a life you love. Who knows how many  I have let slip away?

Two roads diverged in a wood–I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”
Robert Frost

Celebrate: It’s the Fourth of July!

Last night my son, husband and I watched a movie about the largest rescue of POW’s towards the end of WWII. The film made me stop and think of how I take my everyday freedom for granted.
Today, in celebration of America’s “Land of the Free,” I am grateful for my liberty. The choice to pursue happiness. The privilege to be an American.
In 1776  John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 4 should be marked with “illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forevermore.”

As a mother, one of my favorites quotes: Ask not what your country can do for you–but what you can do for your country – JFK, can apply to our everyday life through simple yet powerful actions. Here’s some ideas to put into practice with your family…

* Politics and world events. Discuss age-appropriate topics with your children. Meal time can be a great opportunity to open a discussion.
* Recycle. My children love to recycle. I watched my parents recycle and followed along- now mine join in with me. Generations of recycling begin with collecting that first aluminum can or day-old newspaper.
* Community service. Something as simple as learning to lend a hand. Look for opportunities to give back. Perhaps its as simple as collecting your neighbor’s vacation mail or walking their dog. Kids really do love to help, sometimes they just need a gentle nudge to get them started.

Join me on this special day dedicated to celebrating independence. Give thanks, lead your family in even the smallest contributing step to our country and go out and enjoy your freedom.

Hold Onto Your Knickers Girls- it’s going to be a fun ride!

To borrow an English expression made famous from the once popular pop singers– ‘The Spice Girls‘, “Hang on to your knickers girls, this is going to be a fun ride!” –seems to best explain the enthusiasm of my recent months. I am currently diligently working away on a three book series to begin release in the spring of 2010!

Every once in a while you just feel things are going your way. Somehow the stars align, the heavens open and a little ray of light seems to shine down on you. This is how I feel about the creative forces surrounding me at the moment.

This weeks guided relaxation is dedicated to my team of support at Bright Sky Press. Use this 20 minute guided relaxation as a tool to help you relax and undo your body, entering into a quiet still space. If you dedicate the time to listen to these relaxations everyday, you will begin to see a difference in your life… things like- increased energy, a sense of calm and just generally feeling more joyful!

Tune in through your computer’s speakers or click the itunes button and download to your IPOD Guided Relaxation Podcast

Check out these really cool blogs in the Bright Sky family– Lucy Chambers, acquisition editor and partner  of my fabulous publisher Bright Sky Press  Words on Books , one of my new Bright Sky friends and one of the photographers for my series, Karen Walrond’s famous  chookooloonks and my friend Angela Caughlin who is working along side me in a new workshop we co-presented, Relax into Journaling at Joy Yoga.

Enjoy!

Photo of  Karen, myself and Angela at our recent workshop!

We Are All in This Together: Happy Mother’s Day

I have this belief…  whatever we do, wherever we go, whoever we are with– we are “all  in this together”.  Collectively supporting each other. Maybe it’s just a friendly smile, an encouraging comment or perhaps lending a helping hand.

Look to new and bright ideas each day. Who knows which one will strike a  chord with you. Following are a few of my latest favorite books for mothers,  just in time for a Mother’s Day treat to Y-O-U.

Double Daring Book for Girls by Miriam Peskowitz and Andi Buchanan. The original was a  blockbuster, and this one looks equally brilliant!  What a great summer companion.
The authors mix inspiring tales of girls who made good … with a scrap bag of how-tos for girlish activities … The Daring Book for Girls keeps … practical knowledge from getting drowned in the techno-flow.

—The New York Times

Listen in to a recent podcast with Miriam and I chatting about learning new things and leading an interesting life!

Everyone Is Beautiful By Katherine Center. I love this girl. She is a  truly gifted writer– and she is as much fun in “real life’ as the voice in her novels…

Any novel that starts with “The day I decided to change my life, I was wearing sweatpants” is bound to catch the sympathetic attention of women looking for stories of self-improvement on physical and emotional levels. This is a breezy read that glows, in part, because its characters bask in the sunny side of life.” -USA Today

Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising Your Family by Amy Tiemann.

This “missing manual to motherhood” will help you rediscover who you are, and how you can continue to share your talents with the world, even as you juggle the demands of family life.

Listen in to the recent podcast with Amy and I talking about Mojo!

The Mothers Guide To Self Renewal by Renee Trudeau

Renee invites you to explore how you can begin to live from the inside out. She is offering a FREE Mother’s Day book download offer. Check it out!

Happy Mother’s Day.

Swine Flu-”Tread Lightly and Carry a Big Stick”

I am going to weigh in on this swine flu situation from a PREVENTATIVE health advantage.

Tread lightly and carry a big stick

The Swine flu is a threat, however perhaps more from it’s highly contagious capacity than a deadly virus. My motto is “Tread lightly and carry a big stick”.

What I mean is…

In metaphorical terms, treading lightly means dealing with a painful subject delicately (so as not to upset the subject of the questioning)– pay attention to what is happening in our world, BUT without contributing to a fear-based collective frenzy.

Immune system is a very powerful defense matrix

Carry a big stick means- be proactive in your approach to preventative health. Use this current circumstance as an opportunity to care for yourself. Your immune system is a very powerful defense matrix. It is capable of protecting you, much like a highly trained army. Nourished and strengthened it is amazing. It is like a magical guardian- warding off any potential lurking viruses or bacteria waiting to attack your body.

What to Do: Be Responsible

• Frequent hand washing with soap and water. Teach your children to wash their hands with an adequate amount of soap and water, and use a favorite tune as your clock. Ten seconds is a good amount of time to briskly rub your hands together, about the length of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ….
• Stay Home if you or your child is sick. Remember that a pain reliever only masks your body’s fever, aches or pains.  You or your child need to feel better without using any pain relievers to return to work or school.
• Take good care of yourself. Prevention is how we stay well. Start with the basics. Eat right, get enough sleep, exercise.

Teach your children through your example. Learn from this current swine flu virus situation. Take the upper hand and stay healthy. Read my blog  Just a Little Kiss for ways to keep your immune system up and running.

One last thing,  remember to smile frequently….. happiness is contagious too!

“Ah Ha” Moment: using a guided relaxation as your tool

Every Tuesday morning for the last year and a half, I carve out time to record a new weekly guided relaxation podcast.  Every now and then I get a message ( like the one below) that sends a signal to a place deep inside me– kind of like a strong and powerful voice that says, “Keep on doing– what you are doing!”

This note arrived last week from a lovely mother describing her experience in using the guided relaxation podcasts…

I am a mother and wife and I do work outside the home.

I did not commit to a routine in the beginning, I just listened when I “needed” to  (needed meaning- I had a rough or stressful day) I HAD been having such a hard time juggling everything.  I could not seem to stick to any sort of routine.  Once I started listing to your show, and doing the relaxations – I had the “ah ha!” moment.

In December of 2008, I went through a bit a depression and began listening daily to calm my anxiety and nerves.  After a week of listening everyday, I saw the difference in my attitude.  I did not get aggravated as easily, and had much more patience for the tasks I need to perform on a daily basis as a mother, wife and worker.  In  late January I made it part of my routine to listen to one full show (of my choice!!! Woo hoo!) at 330 pm everyday.

I began downloading the Podcast through iTunes in the spring of 2008….. I love having the show on my iPod so that I can listen when and where I want, and with the beautiful weather coming I cant wait to do a relaxation at the beach! I am partial to the color breathing.  This technique comes easily for me and relaxes me quickly. My mind in general is just much clearer than it was before I started doing the relaxations.

Now that I have committed myself to doing the relaxation daily, I do- in fact- notice that all I have to do is show up, and its almost as if my body knows what to do! You’re relaxing, kind voice is just the topping on the cake.

Thank you again for all that you do.

Erin

Erin’s tip: an easy way to find Beth is search in the iTunes store for Elizabeth Irvine. Itunes calls it BTR:Creating Healthy Balance Everyday. ENJOY!!

Check out this week’s show 4/14/09 Creating Healthy Balance Everyday

Just a Little Kiss

It all started with just one little kiss. My 17-year-old daughter’s boyfriend had a cold. I remember saying to my daughter⎯ “No kissing please, you don’t want to catch his cold.” A week later, like a spiraling of domino’s tumbling over, my daughter, followed by the rest of our family picked up a cold virus. Perhaps from a little stolen kiss.

Appreciate your wellness
Experiencing a cold for the first time in 5 years ⎯honestly I forgot what it was like. Now that I am fully recovered, the aching head, stuffy nose and persistent cough that I experienced are a memory I prefer not to keep. The positive thing about being sick is that when you finally get well, you gratefully appreciate the simple pleasure of just feeling “normal.”  Our accustomed everyday wellness goes unnoticed and just as in any contrast of experience we realize how good it feels only by comparison to how bad it can be!

Prevention is key
How had I managed to avoid a cold virus in some five years? In a word⎯prevention. A diligent investment in our own maintenance can pay back in profitable “healthy” dividends. The simple principles (not always the first or easiest choice) of eating wholesome fresh food, balancing work and play along with getting a good night’s rest all pay into the plan. Add in a dedicated time each day for exercise and relaxation and you are on your way to living healthy and virus free.

Learn from my experience
Catching that recent cold virus taught me a valuable lesson. I had obviously let me body get out of balance. My more typical powerful immune system had lowered its defense system and got caught off-guard. Just like a tiny bathroom window innocently left unlocked long enough for a burglar to sneak in⎯ that nasty little viral bug found a window of opportunity. Its surprise invasion slipped in and my body suffered for the lack of attention.

Bottom line
Living in a healthy balanced way means continually “paying in” to the regular care that our bodies need to stay well. If we do this– our beautiful, intricately designed immune system provides  “state of the art protection” in keeping out any unwanted visitors. This in turn allows our body to function as it is capable, keeping us healthy and happy.

Finding Balance and Joy in our Everyday – healthy habits to get you started

Last week Oprah shared her weight struggle story with millions. She said,  “I let the well run dry. That’s what happened when I started to get unbalanced, when I started to not take time for myself, when I started to go unconscious.”
When Oprah gains weight, she says it means her life is out of balance. “It’s not about the food. It’s about using food—abusing food,” she says. “Too much work. Not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax.”

Oprah’s message is about finding balance.  One of my main messages has always been about ways to bring balance and joy into our everyday. Let me help you kick start your New Year with some ideas on how to do just that. Use the following buzz words, watch the recent TV  “healthy habits” segment below  and check out this great resource to ring in some positive change first30days.

BUZZ words to build a healthier and happier YOU!

• Awareness. Become more aware of your thoughts, emotions and feelings. If we don’t know what is bothering us, how can we begin to fix it?
• Present Moment. Life’s greatest source of  joy and happiness are right here, right now in our everyday present moments. Not in our past or somewhere in our future. Enjoy where you are, right now.
• Think Positive. There is always a silver lining. Look for the good in everyone and everything. It’s contagious.

Are you looking for ideas and inspiration for some new healthy eating habits? Invest in a few minutes and tune in to a recent TV segment on Great Day Houston for some healthy  ideas.

Learn why the words FRESH, SEASONAL and WHOLE foods can get you pointed in the right direction.

Healing Hobbies

Recall the memory of a childhood afternoon…simple, carefree, and with no concept of the meaning of time – perhaps riding your bike, lying in the backyard making a clover daisy-chain, or lost in a make-believe world of fort building or playing dress-up. Remember how naturally relaxed you felt? Take this memory and notice how you feel right now. Does just the thought of those relaxed times begin to make you feel more at ease?

Lose track of time

When you spend time doing something you really enjoy, you tend to lose track of time on the clock. Spending time in this way moves you into a detached space from your day-to-day situations or issues. In this free place, you can be at your best, and feel happy for no real reason except that you are enjoying whatever activity you are presently focused on. Remember the child-like feeling of creating fun, simple and effortless? This same type of feeling brings a powerful punch to addressing your current-day stress and health problems.

Read on at Health Central