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The Little Kitchen

Quick and easy recipes you can make for your family and friends. Published by Julie Tran Deily

Picnic for the Planet Giveaway (Closed)

Julie Deily · 193 Comments

Earth Day is coming up this weekend and I think it's a great time to think about what kind of an impact we're making on our planet. Small changes or adjustments can make a huge difference. For example, those plastic bags we get when we go shopping. When I started buying those reusable bags for groceries, I couldn't believe how many less bags it took to bag my groceries and then I began to think how many bags I used per grocery trip, and I thought of all of the plastic bags I have used over the years. That's a lot of bags!

I don't think it's cliche or uncool or even a political gesture when talking about or thinking about who much of an impact you and your family is making on our environment. I also do know that not all solutions, tips, advice or small steps will work for everyone but I think if each of us makes a few changes, it can amount to a whole lot.

Here are some Earth Day tips that I try to use in my every day:

  • turn off the lights in rooms no one is in, that includes those ceiling fans
  • unplug electronics or chargers not in use
  • making my errand trips efficient by planning out routes
  • when buying new appliances or electronics, trying to get energy efficient ones
  • in the kitchen, I'm always trying to use kitchen towels more than I use paper towels
  • when possible and affordable, I try to buy locally or regionally grown produce

Like I said, these may not work for everyone but it's worth taking a few minutes to think about how you can make some small changes to exact real big change.

The Nature Conservancy is trying to get the word about Picnic for the Planet – they are trying to have the hold the title for the world's largest picnic celebration. To find out more, visit Nature.org. To host a picnic or find one near you to join, visit Picnic for the Planet.

And now for a giveaway…to get your picnic started off right. I love these collapsible baskets, don't you?

Picnic for the Planet Giveaway (Value $75)

How to Enter

Answer either or both questions: What have you done in your life or in your home to lessen your impact on the planet?  OR visit Nature.org and tell me about a action or actions you have learned about that can help make a positive impact on the planet.

Extra Entries

For seven more extra chances to win, leave a separate comment for each type, saying you did the following:

  1. ‘Like' The Little Kitchen on facebook
  2. Subscribe to The Little Kitchen via email
  3. Follow The Little Kitchen on twitter and tweet the following:
    Enter the Picnic for the Planet #Giveaway from @nature_org & @TheLittleKitchn http://bit.ly/Jp2nnQ ends 4/23 #picnic12
  4. Find a local picnic here and join the fun. Tell me where the picnic is located
  5. Tweet an #EarthDay tip for your follows using both of the hashtags #EarthDay and #picnic12 and be sure to share the link to the tweet in a comment below
  6. ‘Like' The Nature Conservancy on facebook
  7. Follow The Nature Conservancy on twitter

Details

One winner will be chosen at random from all of the comments/entries posted here on this post. Be sure to do the mandatory entry and you're entered into the giveaway. The extra entries are optional. Giveaway ends on Monday, April 23, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.

For more chances to win, visit the awesome blogs below:

All Day I Dream About Food

A Spicy Perspective

Cookin Canuck

Created By Diane

Dine & Dish

Food for My Family

Gourmande in the Kitchen

I am Baker

Jeanette's Healthy Living

Tidy Mom

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy. There are a couple of affiliate links in this post – if any of the items from the giveaway with affiliate links are purchased via my Amazon store, I'll donate the affiliate commissions to the Nature Conservancy.

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Julie of The Little Kitchen

Hi, I'm Julie!

Welcome to The Little Kitchen! I'm Julie and I love to cook, bake, eat and share (not necessarily in that order). I share easy recipes, stories about my family (which includes my pets) and my travels. And I actually do have a little kitchen.

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    Comments

    2. chadro says

      I ‘Like’ The Little Kitchen on facebook (A Ann Casson)
      retirenavalflyer(at)gmail.com

    7. Michelle Tucker says

      ‘Like’ The Nature Conservancy on facebook
      Michelle Tucker
      michedt at yahoo . com

    9. Michelle Tucker says

      ‘Like’ The Little Kitchen on facebook
      Michelle Tucker
      michedt at yahoo . com

    10. Michelle Tucker says

      We garden, recycle, and make our own laundry detergent to lessen the amount of bottles and boxes to use.
      michedt at yahoo . com

    12. dddiva says

      We are using a lot less packaging and try to reuse and recycle everything. Also, packing reusable container lunches & water bottles instead of disposable.

    13. Tonya Dean says

      Screensavers don’t use less energy but putting it in “sleep mode” can reduce a computer’s energy consumption by 60 to 70%.

      tdlsfm(at)gmail(dot)com

    18. Leslie S. says

      I like The Nature Conservancy on FB as Leslie Luke Stanziani.Thanks!
      lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com

    20. Leslie S. says

      We use reusable bottles for water and also compost what can not be recycled so to avoid filling landfill.Thanks!
      lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com

    21. Jennifer says

      We walk or ride our bicycles whenever we possibly can… which has been a ton lately with the awesome weather!

    22. Patrice says

      I recycle everything that I can, I have a composter, I use natural cleaning and beauty products, I garden organically and I have planted a lot of trees, shrubs and flowers, which have mostly been native plants.

    23. Kristie says

      We like to dry our clothes on the line, grow and can/freeze our own veggies and fruit, we recycle some and use reusable bags.

    31. Eileen Burke says

      We do a few things…we wash all our clothing with cold water, we recycle everything we can, we use reusable grocery bags, and we use energy saving lightbulbs.

    35. Shannon says

      I think the biggest impact I’ve made is going vegan, I also try to conserve and reuse as much as possible

    41. Sylvia Ortiz says

      Unable to Follow @nature_org on Twitter due to limit reached on my Twitter account (@sortiz99).

    47. Sylvia Ortiz says

      Unable to Follow @TheLittleKitchn with Twitter due to limit reached for Following with my Twitter account (@sortiz99).

    50. Sylvia Ortiz says

      Our household recycles cans, glass and plastic and takes to the recycle yard for cash – which helps up immensely with our grocery bill.

    61. Jill L says

      We hang out our clothes to dry, recycle what we can, walk to school, reuse and repurpose things.

    65. Julie Lynn Bickham says

      The picnic for today is located at Picnic for the Planet at Boston Common! 🙂 Didn’t know about this, glad I do now!

    67. Julie Lynn Bickham says

      We grow our own veggies, use cloth bags when shopping. Of course recycle.

    68. Veronica @ My Eats & Treats says

      What a wonderful recipe and great giveaway! I’m new to this blog, but have been really enjoying reading it! I truly value living an eco-conscious life, and make earth-friendly choices with every opportunity… Over the years, this has encouraged me to follow a mostly plant-based diet, purchase eco skin/body care products that are not tested on animals, walk/bike/run to places that are within a 3mi radius instead of driving, carpool, and minimizing the use of electricity and water at home. But quite honestly, nothing has been as tremendously impacting in my life as the closeness that I’ve come to feel with Earth as a result of becoming aware of animal farming… I love animals and simply cannot make decisions that can ultimately hurt them in any way. Such a perspective, I believe, has made me a kinder, more compassionate, and open-minded person, and I am grateful for that. I still consume some animal products, and that is a recent choice I’ve had to make because of health problems that I was facing while living a vegan lifestyle. Though veganism may not be best suited for everyone, living a life of awareness and compassion, and making appropriate decisions, is. Happy Earth Day!

    69. Diane Baum says

      I think everyday should be Earth Day-I recycle, plant a garden, try not to waste water, paper or electricity.

    71. Natalia says

      Im lucky to have a vegetable garden. For about 6 months of the year, I’m supplied with fresh produce! I am also very big on recycling, anything the looks recyclable is put in that green bin outside. I also clean up after my coworkers, putting their plastic bottles in our work recycle bin when they have ” accidentally” thrown it out. I ride my bike to work (5 miles) when the weather is decent. I am also very big on unplugging small appliances – I believe the smallest things can make the biggest difference!

    75. Krissy says

      my family and i have 3 recycle bins and we try to fill all 3 of them up each week.
      i’m very big on recycling.

    77. Sammi says

      I recycle as much as can be recycled, and always unplug appliances and turn off lights – it’s a little change, but every bit helps!

    79. kristen m says

      In our home we have started being careful to recycle every single possible item. Most weeks we recycle more than we throw out.
      blue65829 at aol dot com

    84. Lesley says

      We recycle everything we can. Our town recently implemented a Pay As you Throw program where the more trash you have, the more you have to pay (you have to buy special trash bags and you pay by the bag) so, the more you recycle and use the towns no-sort recycling, the less trash you have, therefore less money you have to pay for bags! A great program to encourage everyone in this area to recycle!

    85. Muriel says

      I take lukewarm showers. Not only does it help save energy heating the water, it also makes your hair shinier.

    88. Peggy says

      I pack my children’s lunchboxes with reusable containers, I recycle almost everything, and use reusable bags at the grocery store

      sweetheart4171(at)yahoo(dot)com

    91. Kathleen Richardson says

      *I continue to walk most places (decided to live without a car in early 2000s)
      *I use reusable grocery bags for all my shopping; even use them for packing clothes, food, toys when traveling with my daughter and grandsons
      *I shop often at a local thrift store for used goods

    92. Tari Lawson says

      I have been recycling for years. I also use reusable shopping bags and recycle bags that come into my home from time to time. Additionally, I give gently used household items to friends or charities and I shop local farm stands for fruits and veggies when available.

    93. debbie says

      I unplug everything when not in use (saves on the electric bill, too)
      I use white vinegar instead of some laundry and cleaning products.
      I grow my own vegetables.
      I walk places when I can.
      [email protected]

    94. Debbie C says

      I like The Nature Conservancy on facebook. Debbie Christie

      chrisdeglen(at)gmail(dot)com

    95. Debbie C says

      I like The Little Kitchen on facebook. Debbie Christie

      chrisdeglen(at)gmail(dot)com

    96. Debbie C says

      I now use CFL bulbs in my home and I take reusable grocery bags to the store.

      chrisdeglen(at)gmail(dot)com

    98. chadro says

      I conserve water, re-purpose discarded items, recycle paper plastic and aluminum
      retirenavalflyer[at]gmail.com

    103. Charles Burbridge says

      I have planted a garden this year, and the food that comes out of it will end up not having to be shipped here, and less crap will be used on it while growing it.

    104. Shannon Baas says

      I work for a company that not only recycles but composts also. I carry a drink container with me so that I don’t have to use disposable containers.

    111. Cheryl Free says

      We make our life greener by regularly recycling everything possible. We also use CFLs, Energy Star appliances, and reusable shopping bags. We combine driving trips to save mileage — and turn things like lights off when not in use. ヅ *Thanks* for the giveaway!

    117. Jackie C says

      We recycle even though there is no recycling program in our area, we’ve installed a rain barrel to keep our plants and flowers watered and try to buy local from the farmer’s markets as much as possible and take our cloth grocery bags every time.

    119. Sharon says

      Just last week I purchased a Camelback water bottle so that I can just reuse it instead of buying plastic water bottles.

    130. Lauren @ From Everyday To Gourmet says

      What a great giveaway! Here are some of the changes I’ve made in the last year ~

      * really stepped up my recycling and upcycling game
      * public and bike transit instead of a car
      * gardening and composting
      * reusable products

      Thanks!

    135. Trezlen says

      I eat at home as much as possible, have cut down on the amount of meat that I eat, vacillating toward vegan/vegetarian depending how my body is responding.

    141. Sam H says

      We’ve recently started trying to get away from disposable bags and utensils by using more earth-friendly tupperware, so hopefully we’ll decrease the waste we send to landfills!!

    143. Margaret says

      Changes I have made in the past year to my lifestyle:

      – Avoiding the use of plastic packaging–this one is insanely difficult but SO important!
      – I am 100% vegetarian and my boyfriend is completely vegan.
      – Bought a bike after finding a path to work! 🙂
      – Air drying my laundry when the weather is nice.
      – Using baking soda, lemons, and vinegar for cleaning purposes.
      – Composting my food scraps.
      – Instead of buying new clothes, I try to go thrift store shopping and donate my old clothes–saves money too!
      – Added 10 plants and a small herb garden to my house this year.

    147. Athena says

      I use reusable shopping bags at at the super market. I also have started a garden and try to eat more plant based foods.

    151. BusyWorkingMama says

      I started composting about 2 years ago, and finally used the compost in my own raised veggie bed this year. It is my first year trying vegetable gardening. I have kale, spinach, radishes, peas, beets, potatoes, zucchini and carrots 🙂

    152. JoAnn says

      At work, I always “shut down” not just “log off” my computer. It only takes an extra 30 seconds!

    165. Sondi Hardy says

      I recycle, save water, turn off lights, turn my furnace down. I think it’s really important to help our planet where we can.

    173. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      What have you done in your life or in your home to lessen your impact on the planet? = today I walked to the groc store and used cloth bags and carried them home. No gasoline or plastic bags used.

    178. Leslie says

      I save all of my recycleable items and drive them to my mom’s house… my building doesn’t recycle (yet)!

    185. Amy Tong says

      I use all environmental friendly household products, recycle as much as possible and cook with local ingredients from the Farmer’s market. 🙂

      amy [at] utry [dot] it

    186. Kate says

      We have also tried to make little changes: using canvas bags instead of plastic, composting our food waste to fertilize our garden, taking shorter showers, etc. Hopefully, it all adds up eventually.

    191. Holly says

      We recycle as much as possible and we will compost as soon as we get our yard together. Oh, and we plan to cloth diaper.

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