This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
As a mom, I am very aware of what my children are doing, seeing, eating, and drinking. It’s my responsibility to make sure those choices are good ones, and since I’m the one who does the shopping, it all falls on me to make the best choices. You can get your family involved in the process of becoming more natural with just a few tweaks.
Everyone gets a new reusable water bottle. Everyone can pick out their color, or size, or favorite character, but instead of buying bottled water in bulk packs, now you can simply reuse your bottle!
Give a child the responsibility of remembering the reusable grocery bags. This is their BIG job – to remember to put the bags in the car or another safe place. I would even go as far as letting them pick out the new bags if you need to purchase them. Who cares what they look like, they’ll save you from the dozens and dozens of plastic bags you normally go through and just throw away.
Set up your own recycling center. If your city’s waste management offers recycling bins, get as many as they are willing to give you and set up your own recycling area at home! For the younger kids in your home, you can print out pictures of what acceptable recycling items can go in and tape them to the outside of the container or bin. Then everyone can pitch in! Remember to go through your car to clean it out and recycle any empty water bottles you find!
Use less energy. It’s time to remind the kids to turn off lights and electronics they aren’t using. Go around the house and unplug lamps, radios, and other electronic using items that are seldom used. Do some weather-proofing to prevent air leaks to keep the cool air in/warm air in. Remind the kids to close the door when they go outside to play, and to turn the light off in their room when they leave.
Reduce the processed foods. Go through your pantry and do a general clean up of expired items, then go back through and see what frequently used items you could replace with a less processed or organic option. Peanut butter, cereals, crackers, chips and bread are probably the common ones among all households, so start there!
Reduce the chemicals. You can start this slowly, since your entire home is probably filled with foods, cleaning products, health products and more. I say start with something simple, something that everyone uses. Toothpaste. I would head to Target and pick up Tom’s of Maine Luminous White Toothpaste (Safe for enamel, paraben and gluten free!) and swap it with your old. It’s a simple change, and hey, they probably won’t even notice! Then you can branch out to the other body products, like deodorants and swap those out as well. Tom’s of Maine Wicked Cool! (perfect for teens) and North Woods (their first for men!) deodorants will be great choices depending on your family members. This new Made to Matter Collection from Tom’s of Maine is available at Target, by the way!
The Tom’s of Maine products are a great way to introduce your family to more natural personal care items and you’ll know that with paraben free options and less chemicals, you’ve made a smart purchasing decision that will benefit your family.
Another quickie tip is to use more digital coupons! Look for a Target cartwheel offer on Tom’s of Maine products and others before you head into the store to see where you could save.
How else can you go green? Ask your kids what they learned on Earth Day at school and if there’s anything you can apply to how you live at home!