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Editor’s Note: This week’s Blog of the Week is from Amanda Hearn of The Eco-Friendly Family who recently won a Small Steps for Big Change Environmental Award from Marcal – honoring everyday environmental heroes. Each winner selected a non-profit to receive a donation in her name and Amanda chose us. Congratulations and THANK YOU, Amanda!

Amanda Hearn:

"There's so much to do, I don't know where to start, I don't know what's safe... so I do nothing at all." I have heard this statement, and many like it, in regard to the personal effort to go green and live a healthier life. Many people feel overwhelmed by sweeping change and what they feel is little direction about how to get there. I just want to let you know that if you feel this way, you are not alone, and that even the smallest steps really do result in a big change.

I am a mother of three who once knew nothing of a healthier, more sustainable life. I was as wrapped up in 'conveniences' as any person could be. When I heard of a study exposing the chemicals found in common baby products, my world turned on end and I began to question everything. It was overwhelming, but slowly and surely I began taking steps to improve my life, the lives of my family members, my community and our environment.

It wasn't long before I realized that all of the things I used to do were weighing me down with excess trips to the stores and spending lots of money on products that didn't work very well (oh the hours of work they cost us!). On top of it all, they were harming my life and the lives of everyone and everything I care about. Start small and work a step at a time. It's an exciting journey that you will be proud of and thankful for as you see the results around you.

Deciding where to start can be overwhelming, so I'd like to share with you some of the measures that I feel are important, make an impact and are easy to do.

1. Ditch the plastics! Not only are plastics terrible for the environment, but they're not good for you either. Say good-bye to chemical leaching plastics!

• Switch your dishes (plastic children's plates too!), storage containers, cups, kitchen utensils, etc. to glass or metal alternatives. If you must get something plastic, be sure that it is BPA free.
• Use reusable shopping and produce bags! They hold so much more, making trips to the store much less of a hassle, and they can be quite trendy!
• Skip the bottled beverages. Buy a quality stainless steel water bottle and save yourself some money in the process.

2. Choose safe body products. Soaps, body washes, shampoos, make-ups, and many other products can be full of chemicals that irritate your skin and even disrupt hormone levels.

• Sites like safecosmetics.org and cosmeticdatabase.org make finding safe products easy, as well as checking out the products you currently use to see if they are safe.

3. Recycle This is so fundamental, but if you don't recycle - you will be absolutely amazed at how much waste you generate that can be reused. For our family of 5, we were actually able to eliminate the need for trash service by recycling materials and composting food waste.

• If your trash service doesn't offer recycling or you're unsure of where the nearest drop-off location is, enter your zip code at earth911.com for a list of centers near you.

4. Watch what you eat! This took me the longest to learn, but it's totally doable and you'll be saving your body from loads of chemicals.

• Buy organic as much as possible. I like to buy the organic produce that is on sale when I shop to keep costs down. I also find that my local farmers market's prices tend to be lower than the grocery store. This guide at foodnews.org is great for helping choose non-organic produce when needed.
• Avoid canned goods as most contain BPA linings, choose fresh or frozen.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, aspartame, saccharine, etc. Be especially cautious with foods listed as "low sugar", many contain sucralose instead of sugar.
• Try to choose whole foods. Shopping the perimeter of the store is a good general guide for this.

5. Choose reusable products. From water bottles to cloth diapers, tableware to feminine care. Choosing reusable products keeps waste out of the landfills and, in general, more chemicals out of your life.

• Though cloth diapers may seem like a chore, they have come a long way and are now as easy as disposables. You can find lots of great information on the FAQ at theecofriendlyfamily.com . There is also information on reusable feminine care at this site.

In addition to being better for your body and the environment, when combined, these changes will save you money and you can feel good about the choices you are making for your family.
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Editor’s Note: Amanda’s story inspired us to ask our blogger network what their small steps for big change are. Check out our submissions for GREAT tips that are super easy and practical. All of them are a little bit different, so make a checklist and try them out!

• 5 Easy Steps to a Greener Life from Eco-Novice
• 5 Easy Steps for Creating a Healthier Home from Simplify, Live, Love
• 5 Easy Steps to a Healthy Home from Simple. Green. Organic. Happy.
• 5 Steps to a Healthier Home from Greener Every Day
• How to Begin Greening Your Home in 5 Simple Steps from Groovy Green Livin’
• 5 Affordable Tips for a Healthier Home from Save, Live, Eat, Love
• 5 Easy Steps to a Healthier Home from I Thought I Knew Mama

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