Good morning friends! I have a special treat for y’all! I mentioned that I’d be doing blog swaps from time to time and I’m over the moon excited to introduce you to Meg!  Meg has been one of the greatest blog friends ever and we’ve basically become BFFs in this blog world!  I’m crossing my fingers (because it’s 98% certain) that I’ll get to meet this amazing blogger and friend at the Disney Wine & Dine Half-Marathon this November!  I’m pretty sure I’ll act like a little school girl, the whole jump up and down and squeel then strangle her with a hug (hope she’s not concerned about “personal space” or a “bubble” because I’ll be all up in it!).  

Since today is EARTH DAY, we decided to swap blogs and talk “green” with you, so see what Meg has to say about going green and hear all about her love of golfing (which, you’ll never hear me talk about, so enjoy it while you can!) and then go check out Meg’s blog, Borrowed Heaven, and see what I had to say!
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Hi y’all! [I said that right, right? I’m a Northerner but definite wannabe Southerner 🙂 ]

Happy Earth Day!! I’m Meg from over at Borrowed Heaven and Heather and I are blog swapping today. So, if you want your regular dose of Heather, check her out in my little blogosphere 🙂

Since it’s Earth Day, I thought I would share with you how I like to be both green and  green.

First of all, green reminds me of spring, grass, flowers, and spending time outside; all things I enjoy. I love having a big green lawn, planting flowers, and running or biking outside.

I took this photo last week outside my office.

My favorite outdoor activity, though, would have to be golf. If you are a real green advocate, you might not think golf is very green because yes, there are fertilizers and gas-powered machinery used to keep the courses green, but if you enjoy spending time outside, there are not many more beautiful places on Earth. The grass, the animals, the flowers, the peace and quiet are all what make golf perfect to me. Just simply walking those 18 holes, carrying your golf bag, and enjoying the scenery [oh yeah, while also hitting a little white ball around] is wonderful. Basically, Mark Twain was right, “golf is a good walk spoiled.”  I encourage you to try golf, or even visit a course sometime.  Here’s a link to a little more I wrote about my love of golf last weekend and a few of my favorites I’ve visited over the years.

Now onto the green things I do in my life.  I know there is much more I could do on a daily basis, and I promise I am trying each day to be a little green-er.  First and foremost, having single-stream recycling in my town is amazing. I don’t have to sort paper, plastic, and glass. All I have to do is rinse and throw everything in the bin. And when I say everything, I mean it.  Our town takes almost anything!  We produce about half the trash as recyclables in our home.  In addition to recycling, here are a few other ways we stay green at home that are very easy to try:

– Drinking out of a reusable bottle or cup to cut down on plastic water bottles

– Washing clothes in cold water
– Switching to energy star light bulbs [Check in your state for sales – every few months, Connecticut sells these bulbs for only 50 cents a piece to get people to switch!]

– Brushing my teeth without running the water
– Paying bills online
– Buying a programmable thermostat so we don’t heat or cool the house when no one is home

– Making a list of errands to do and mapping them out, then doing the farthest ones first to cut down on gas consumption
– Currently using a fantastic green shampoo and conditioner.

– Setting an alarm in the shower [it also helps me keep on track in the mornings]
– Using reusable towels in the kitchen and bathrooms to cut down on paper towel waste

Additionally, here are a few ways I would like to be more green on a daily basis:
– Stop junk mail
– Remember my reusable shopping bags [I have soooo many but forget them at home or in the car]
– Turn off my computer [not just to sleep mode] everyday before I leave work
– Put phone/iPad/laptop on a power strip at home and turn off when it’s not in use
– Look on Craigslist or at tag sales before I buy things new [who wants to spend more money, anyway?]
– Bike more to Mike’s parents’ house for visits [they are less than 2 miles down the road]
– Go to a water-saving car wash instead of washing my own car

How do you stay green?  I am always looking for more ways to help our Earth!  Thanks for reading, friends of FHTT! Stop over and say hello sometime 🙂 

Dear Friday, thank goodness you arrived, I’ve been waiting!  Dear Friday, I’m ready for it be 5pm (or possibly sooner).  I worked a lot this week, and then last night went to a concert (maybe not the best judgement call), but it was Sister Hazel which takes me back to the 90’s and so I’m exhausted!  Dear coffee, you’re amazing… the making me melt, kind of yummy!  Dear personal life, if I could get off work just a tad bit early today, I could get some stuff done before everything else around here closes at 5pm.  Dear running shoes, I’m hoping I can strap you on today, but let’s not get carried away!  Dear unknown future, make yourself known to me!  Ok, so I’m being a little dramatic…. Dear Super Bulldog Weekend, I know you’re suppose to be a lot of fun, but the week before you and the week after you are absolutely chaotic with work and honestly, I don’t want to go out to downtown and mingle with friends and see a free concert with college students getting wasted and puking all around me… I kind of want to just chill at home, clean some, work on this project/presentation I have due on Tuesday and relax, maybe catch up on sleep because we all know that next week won’t be much better in that department!  Dear College Students, I’m not trying to be mean and all, but I’m looking forward to school ending for you (like I know you are!) and you high-tailing your rear ends out of Starkville so I can work in peace!  If it were possible to work for a University that didn’t admit students, that’d be the bomb! Well… maybe admit a few students, but just the nice ones!

Have a wonderful Friday sweet blog friends and enjoy your fabulous weekend!

In case you missed something this week:
I started a 10-day challenge and shared a recipe for Kale Chips
Find out some of the funny things my loved one said about me!
Here’s what happened in Memphis!
Here’s what I’m OK with this week

Be sure to remember to keep Boston, MA and West, TX in your thoughts and prayers!  It’s so sad what has happened in our country over just one week.  I pray that the families who are affected find comfort and peace in some way and that the good will over come the bad.