I truly believe if we live thoughtfully, we’ll live more sustainable lives. It’s not always easy but, like anything, if you make it a priority every day it becomes part of the fabric of your life.

Of course you don’t want pesticides in your family’s foods. Arm yourself with knowledge and ensure you are providing the healthiest produce possible. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) can help with its list of the Dirty Dozen. These are the top twelve produce items that have been tested to retain the most toxins even when washed and pealed. Apples are at the top of the list, so only buy organic apples and organic apple juice.

Of course you want the cleanest indoor air possible for your home. Avoid toxic chemicals while cleaning. Wet mop your hard surfaces frequently. Avoid furniture, paint and cabinets that outgas chemicals. Get some indoor plants to help clean your air, spider plants are one of my favorites. They are extremely easy to care for and are really great air purifiers.

Of course you want healthy kids. Avoid processed food. Avoid drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. Turn off the TV and get them outdoors for some unstructured play. The National Wildlife Federation has some wonderful tips to get you and your kids outside every day. Also, take a look at the personal products you and your family use. Is the bubble bath you’re putting in the tub healthy or harmful for your little one? Check out EWG’s Skin Deep Database for the skinny on your favorite products.

Of course you want to make sure the planet is a healthy place for your children and their children. Do all of the above. Stay informed. I certainly know ignorance can be extremely blissful but when it concerns the health of your family, do your homework. And remember, life isn’t perfect. If you get derailed, it’s OK. Take a deep breath and do better next time.

How do you make your day-to-day life a little greener?

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on genetically modified ingredients. It appears in our zeal to outsmart our Creator, we’ve pushed an increasing number of unhealthy creations into the mainstream. I believe genetically modified organisms (GMOs) fall into this category.

GMOs are the result of laboratory processes which artificially insert foreign genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. Those genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. Although banned by food manufacturers in Europe and elsewhere, the FDA does not require any safety evaluations.   Most Americans say they would not eat GMOs if labeled, but the U.S. does not require labeling. GMOs are not safe, but have been in the food supply since 1996 and are now present in the vast majority of processed foods in the U.S. Genetically modified foods are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals. (Source: Institute for Responsible Technology)

The bottom line, GMOs are bad for our health. They also deplete our soil of nutrients, they cause a staggering amount of health problems for the little animals they’ve been tested on and they are bad for our environment.

How do we avoid GMOs? This is where it gets a little tricky. Since the U.S. doesn’t require GMO labeling, we need to arm ourselves with knowledge to avoid these ingredients. Thankfully, the folks at the Institute for Responsible Technology have put together a Non-GMO Shopping Guide. Download a free copy and have it with you when you’re making your grocery shopping list.

The Institute for Responsible Technology also gives us four tips for avoiding GMOs:

1. Buy organic.
2. Look for “non-GMO” labels.
3. Avoid At-Risk Ingredients.   If it’s not labeled organic, avoid products made with the “Big Four” GM crops: corn, soybeans, canola and cottonseed, used in processed foods. Also, more than 50% of Hawaiian papaya is GM and a small amount of zucchini and yellow squash. Also, become familiar with the Institute for Responsible Technology’s list of invisible GM ingredients and avoid sugar from GM Sugar Beets.
4. Buy products listed in the Non-GMO Shopping Guide and learn to recognize the most common GM ingredients.

Corn: Corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten and syrups. Sweeteners such as fructose (like high fructose corn syrup), dextrose and glucose. Modified food starch.

Soy:  Soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate and isoflavone. Vegetable oil and vegetable protein.

Canola: Canola oil (also called rapeseed oil).

Cotton: Cottonseed oil.

Sugar: Avoid anything not listed as 100% cane sugar. GM beet sugar recently entered the food supply. To avoid it, look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar.

Aspartame: The artificial sweetener also known as NutraSweet and Equal, which is derived from GM microorganisms. You also find this in a lot of gums and mints.

What are your thoughts about genetically modified ingredients? Do you actively avoid them?

Before you go grocery shopping, have a plan. Make a list and stick to it. I’ve started planning our meals at the beginning of the week, making a shopping list then giving it to my husband. He is the better grocery shopper. I’m constantly getting side tracked and always seem to come home with things I don’t need. Also, don’t forget to bring your own bags.

Before you go clothes shopping, inspect your closet and write down the items that you need. Don’t get enticed by sale prices. If you don’t need it, it’s not a bargain. Try local resale and consignment shops. Recycled clothing reduces manufacturing waste and saves you money.

Before you go furniture shopping, make detailed measurements. When my oldest daughter was a baby, I found an amazing deal on a sofa, chair and ottoman. We had recently bought our first home and needed real home furniture. I found high quality, sustainable furniture and was quite proud of the price. The pieces had been a special order that had never been picked up so they were heavily discounted. The only problem, the couch barely fit in our front door with a tight turn up the stairs into our living room. The great deal almost became a lawn ornament.

When shopping for anything, a few things to keep in mind:

• If you don’t need it or don’t have room for it, it will just add clutter and stress to your life.
• Bring your own bags.
• Look for quality. Quality products are made better and last longer. Saving you money in the end and reducing the amount of stuff you are contributing to our landfills.

Do you have any tips for making your shopping experiences greener?

The average home contains over 1,500 hazardous compounds. Over 150 chemicals found in the average home have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. (Source: Healthy Child Healthy World)

Instead of bringing toxic chemicals into your homes to clean, you can easily buy greener options or even make your own. You’ll be saving money, improving the health of your home and doing something good for the environment.

Here are some of my favorite cleaning recipes:

Tub and tile cleaner: Use half a lemon with a sprinkle of baking soda on it to scrub your tub and tiles. Also to clean sinks and counter tops.

Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda in your oven and spray it with water, making it into a paste. Let it sit, periodically spraying it when it dries. Then wipe off. Your oven will be sparkling clean without the toxic fumes.

Window cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with water and ¼ cup white vinegar. Use a soft cloth or newspaper to wipe.

Here are some more favorites provided by Jennifer Taggart, The Smart Mama:

Garbage disposal or snow cone machine cleaner: Make vinegar ice cubes. Put 1 cup distilled white vinegar in an ice cube tray, fill the balance with water and freeze. Once frozen, drop a couple down the disposal (or put in the snow cone machine), run it and voila! The vinegar helps disinfect and the ice helps remove any food stuck on the blades.

Microwave cleaner: Use lemon slices. Place some in a microwave safe cup or bowl with 6 ounces or so of water. Heat on high for 3 minutes, let sit for 3 minutes (without opening the door), and then open and wipe clean. Crusted food should lift easily and your microwave will smell lemon fresh without hormone disrupting phthalates.

Soft scrub: Use liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) and baking soda. Put ingredients in something like an old squeeze bottle and mix to a consistency you like. Use as a soft scrub for sinks and counter tops.

Toilet cleaner: Use liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) and baking soda. Put ingredients in something like an old squeeze bottle and mix to a consistency you like. Squirt mixture under the rim and let sit. After 5 minutes or so, follow up with some vinegar and let foam. Then flush.

Do you have any favorite green cleaning tips?

I’m basically a vegetarian. I say basically because I believe there are real health benefits associated with organic grass-fed meat. According to EatWild.com, compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef, bison and lamb has less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids.

That said it’s not always easy to find good meat sources. Most of the meat, eggs and dairy products that are readily available come from animals raised in horrific conditions in large factory farms. This feedlot meat provided from these facilities is offered year-round at a cheap price but the hidden costs associated with this type of “farming” are astronomical. These costs include animal abuse, environmental pollution and denatured food.

On Mondays we’ve joined the Meatless Monday movement. This helps our grocery budget and ensures our healthy meat goes a little further.

The Meatless Monday website gives additional reasons to avoid factory farm meat and their goal is help reduce meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet. They are a non-profit initiative, in association with Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.

One of my favorite recipes to make on Meatless Monday:

Pesto Pasta

A bunch of fresh basil ¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 T pine nuts 3 garlic cloves

Blend until desired consistency. Mix into your favorite prepared pasta.  Garnish plates with some raw veggies and crusty whole grain bread and it’s a quick, yummy meal. And, if you feel a cold coming on, kick up the garlic!

Do you have any tips for ensuring your family is eating healthy while balancing your household budget?

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. That magical moment when we all are able to take a deep breath and begin anew. Take one last look back at the old year and then onward into the new year.

Many people believe that going green takes more money than continuing to do business as usual. That could not be further from the truth. Being green is about living simply, sustainably and thoughtfully.

Here are a few resolutions to add to your list:

1. Clean Green. Next time you go to the store to pick up some cleaning products bypass the toxic chemicals and buy some white vinegar, baking soda and some lemons. Healthier for your family, your wallet and the environment.

• Tub and tile cleaner: Use half a lemon with a sprinkle of baking soda on it to scrub your tub and tiles. I also clean my kitchen sink and counter tops using this method.
• Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda in your oven and spray it with water, making it into a paste. Let it sit, periodically spraying it when it dries. Then wipe off. Your oven will be sparkling clean without the toxic fumes.
• Window cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with water and ¼ cup white vinegar. Use a soft cloth or newspaper to wipe.
• All-Purpose Cleaner: Full strength white vinegar will disinfect and clean just as effectively as harsh toxic chemicals without harming your family.

2. Stop Buying Paper Towels. According to MaryJanesFarm, Americans go through about 2.5 million tons of paper towels anually, and even the ones made from recycled materials usually end up in landfills. Use organic cotton cloths instead.
3. Buy Less Stuff. All of our homes are filled with stuff we don’t need. There are even TV shows that help us get rid of all the stuff. Let’s start not buying the stuff we don’t need in the first place. Before you enter a store make a detailed list. Before you purchase something not on your list ask yourself where you’ll put it when you get it home. Do you really need it?
4. Take Five Minutes Each Day To Breathe: Or meditate, or pray. Anything that will reduce stress and help you to stop and refresh your body and soul.