Easy Environmentalist

Happy Earth Day to you!
Y'all our oceans are HURTING. Bleached reefs, overfishing, oil spills, islands of floating plastic... it can definitely start to feel hopeless. However, there are so many things we can individually do that will collectively make a HUGE difference. In honor of Earth Day, here's 5 EASY AF ways to help our oceans and their inhabitants.
1. Say no to plastic bags. Bring your own if you have a lot of groceries, buy your produce without a plastic bag, or just carry a couple items to your car. The phrase "I don't need a bag, thanks!" does WONDERS.
2. Walk, bike, or take public transportation when possible. That oil doesn't spill for nothing. Reducing demand reduces potential spills.
3. Resist single-use plastic items. I'm talking beverage containers (aluminum or glass over plastic or BYOB - bring your own bottle), cutlery, cups, plates, straws, K-cups, plastic food storage bags, shampoo and soap bottles (hello, bar soap is where 👏 it's 👏 at 👏), etc. Buy in bulk when you can. Single-use items add up and seem to just end up in our waterways.
4. Think before you buy. Do you really need that cheap knick knack that will probably just end up donated or in the garbage? Do you really need a plastic-packaged snack that, let's be honest, isn't doing your insides any good? We as a society just buy, buy, buy without considering where these "things" will live for the next couple hundred years. Bonus here - your wallet will also thank you!
5. Never stop learning. Never stop trying to be and do better. Follow sustainable social media accounts (and share 'em with your friends 😘😬), watch documentaries, read books, read articles, discuss sustainable practices with friends... actively work to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
There is no Planet B. It's up to us to be accountable for how we treat our Mother to ensure she's around not just for us, but future generations. It all starts with YOU!

North Florida has an abundance of these seasonal friends!
I actually had no idea what these caterpillars were a week or so ago when we started seeing them ALL OVER our house. I thought they were bitey boys until picked one up and told me what these guys are - Eastern Tent Caterpillars.
These fuzzy crawlers are harmless. They show up, do some munching on crabapple and cherry trees, and turn into Lappet moths. At some point, in either crawly or flappy form, they will provide a meal for a whole slew of wildlife, including robins, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, stink bugs, hornets, yellow jackets, predatory beetles, squirrels, foxes, raccoons, white footed mice, chipmunks, shrews, bats, eastern box turtles, garter snakes, copperheads, skinks, water turtles, frogs, and toads. In other words - these dudes are super duper important for our ecosystem!
Not all insects are pests. Blindly killing these means one less meal for another creature, and our wildlife needs all the help it can get! According to the World Wildlife Fund, our planet has "seen an astonishing 60% decline in the size of populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians in just over 40 years." We are responsible for working with Earth's wildlife inhabitants. To help them. To ensure their continued survival. This is a shared planet, and its ecosystems are incredibly fragile. The only way for all of us, fuzzy, scaly, and slimy included, to continue to live here is a constant reevaluation of our daily actions. ❤🌏

Natural deodorant without the plastic THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
The best natural deodorant that I've tried just released new cardboard packaging, and I am obsessed. I've tried pretty much every natural deodorant brand. While some are pretty good, nothing compares to products. This is my favorite scent, and I'm so stoked to see it in a whole new dress.
Typical deodorant packaging can be partially recycled, but often times that means cleaning the plastic before putting in the bin (water wasted), figuring out whether or not that plastic can be recycled in your area (potential to contaminate the load), and using the most precious resource to do both... your time!
What I really love about this, besides the new packaging, is that this is an effective product that's not laden with chemicals. Parabens and aluminum have been linked to breast cancer, but this baby is free of both.
I ordered these online (came in a cardboard envelope), but is also carrying them at select locations. Shoutout to Native for their packaging evolution! Keep it up, y'all!